A Shred of Hope (The Walking Dead) (The Final Season Retelling)

35. Friends and Foes

"Beth!"

Beth's head snapped up, eyes towards the door. Cain had taken a step forward, his hand raised.

"What?" she hissed.

"Killing him isn't going to help," he told her calmly. "You're just going to cause them to work harder against you. Let me deal with them. We can't kill anyone even remotely useful. You know what it's like, we're losing people everywhere. And we don't need an internal problem right now."

Beth considered his words. "It can't get any worse. And I'll do what's necessary." She pointed her gun at AJ again.

"Beth!"

She looked up again, impatiently.

"If you want them to join us, force them to." He glanced at AJ. "Keep the boy with you. That way the others will behave themselves. If anything happens, you have them at your mercy."

Clementine's eyes widened in horror. "No! You can't-"

"No one asked you!" Cain retorted.

"That's not a bad idea," Beth said, lowering her gun. "And here I was thinking you've gone soft." She chuckled. She walked over to AJ, crouching in front of him. "So, kid, you want to stay here?"

AJ looked at her in terror, his chest heaving.

"Leave him alone!" Clementine got up, but before she could do anything, Cain wrapped an arm around from the back, rendering her useless.

"Let me go, you fucker! I'll fucking kill you!" She struggled, but he was far too strong.

Beth stood up, looking amused. "You know, I think I'm actually enjoying this." She pointed her gun directly at AJ's head. "Now, I want you and the others to behave properly or this one will pay the price."

Clementine immediately ceased struggling. "No, please don't."

"Well, that was far easier than I'd anticipated. Get her out of here. And come back here once you're done, Cain."

He nodded. He shoved Clementine out of the room, pushing her down the corridor and the stairs.

"Are you okay?" he asked once he was sure nobody was around.

"What do you care?"

"I just saved your kid from dying too early. Beth will kill him if you do anything stupid now. This is the most I could do. Don't disobey her."

"You want me to join Delta and die in your war?"

Cain didn't reply. "Move quickly," he said, a slightly harsh tone in his voice.

"We're going to die in here because of you all," Clementine accused him.

He stayed silent again.

They walked quietly until Clementine spoke again. "Why do you even follow her? She's fucking crazy! She doesn't even care if she's killing kids!"

Cain sighed. "I know what she is," he replied softly, surprising Clementine. "When I lost my daughters, she was the only one who helped me through. I wouldn't be here if she didn't take that gun out of my hand. I can't hurt her."

"Even if she's too far gone?"

"She isn't. She's the hope for all these people here. Look around. You think any of them would stay if they had no faith in her? She's held us all together and made Delta a home for us. None of us would abandon it. Even if it means we die trying to save it."

"I've met the Infinites before," Clementine said. She felt that cold chill down her spine again, merely at the mention of the name.

Cain looked down at her, surprised. "You have?"