𝙲𝚑𝚒𝚕𝚍𝚛𝚎𝚗 𝙾𝚏 𝚅𝚒𝚘𝚕𝚎𝚗𝚌𝚎 | 𝚃. 𝙾𝚝𝚝𝚘 𐂃

- Cristine & Troy -

"You're a monster." Cristine snapped, the word rolled from her tongue easily. The dislike in her voice so palpable it shifted the already hostile mood into something darker and judging.

The words didn't deter Troy, instead he shrugged unimpressed as a cynical look remained on his face when he briefly looked elsewhere.

Troy wasn't a fool. He knew the two of them would never see eye to eye. Too much had happened, but he wasn't going to beg for acceptance either. That test back then was spontaneous and he had a first row seat to her methodology. The way she was so immersed in it all had similarities and disparities with his own way of working.

Troy came to the conclusion: Cristine liked the experiments. Sneaking out for who knows how long only proved his point that she was just like him. The same person she despised and called a monster.

Troy habitually raked his teeth over his lips with an expression of light irritation and asked, "kind of hypocritical of you, don't you think doc?"

"Given that you're giving this monster ammunition to further his research." He saw her eyes narrow and knew he hit the mark. Just because she didn't pull the trigger didn't mean she wasn't a killer or any better than him.

"You and me are the same," he said lazily and with his hands in his pockets looked at her pointedly before shrugging again.

"We're the architects that make the schematics, while the others build the house so the majority can live comfortably in said house."

Cristine knew what Troy was doing and wouldn't walk in that manipulative trap he had set out for her. She wasn't going to play dumb or walk around in circles with him. They were passed that now and she'd already seen him for what he truly was when he continued with the killing for his research.

"Only my schematics aren't built on the blood of innocents. Yours are. Mine are meant for direct threats, not childish curiosity or some 'for my people' excuse and all that survival 101 bullshit. I'm not the 'architect' actively seeking out people for science so don't lump me in with you."

"So it would be fine when they're a direct threat?" Troy asked with a tilt of the head... if she was going to define when to kill people or not, that was even better. "Say there were assholes that came upon us guns blazing and we captured them... would that be better?"

"..."

"What? No comment? Come one, if we're gonna make these rules when we can and can't kill you should have your answer ready." He chuckled, "calling certain methods of fighting good and others bad, acting as if there is some nobility to it. It's bullshit and it's a fantasy to make people feel better about themselves. At least, I'm honest about it and giving it a meaningful purpose."

Cristine arched her brow at his words. "So that's your excuse? Say you promise you won't kill me and in a heartbeat do it anyway to prove something, that's the real joke. Otherwise, this hell we're in is only going to get worse. We already have to deal with flesh-eating corpses, but the people that are still alive, some can still have a purpose. Even if you don't see it..."

"True," Troy agreed but he had his answer ready, "but it doesn't work like that anymore. This is human nature and we haven't advanced beyond the stone age. Because, at the end of the day what we're doing is the same: we kill to survive and to protect what's ours."

"There's no rules, no line... the world collapsed and you judge what I do, but in that same breath talk about dealing with real threats as if it still isn't paid by the pain of defeated in both scenario's. We call it 'we won and they lost'. So if I can understand the science, be called a monster by you, knowing you're not gonna do shit to stop me, then why the hell not?"

Troy hadn't mean to make this a one-sided conversation to point out the flaws in Cristine's moral lecture, but it felt too good to let this slide. She had nothing to say and was completely tongue-tied.

It felt good to drag her down that high horse. It's not as if she hadn't been outside to witness this burned world at her own hands. Perhaps even killed people so she could live. What did she need to prove so hard by acting so vehemently against him?

At the core of it all, the two of them were exactly the same.

Troy struggled with his thoughts on where to draw the line with Cristine for he enjoyed their little scuffles and talks more than he'd admit out loud. She had potential even if others didn't see it and was an asset to the Ranch... even he'd admit that to himself.

But something held her back to keep that person hidden. Maybe he had to make her see it.

He'd waited for opportunities and even invited her to one of their runs, but maybe he just had to disregard her wants. It seemed she forgot what far outside the walls was like.

This chapter just happened, but I like it! I will be starting to slowly move a bit away from the dead and will combine that with good old fashion kill or be killed and morally grey topics.

Tell me what y'all think about Troy's philosophy about how he (always) sees the world. I love to discussion and the moral dilemmas it brings with it.