A/N:  I’m at it again, for your reading pleasure. Put your seat belts on because it’s about to get real. You’ve been warned!

The following days and weeks were busy as the seven young men began implementing their plan while also preparing for the talent show and keeping up with their assigned duties. The people of the Pepsi Center were given three days to sign up for the talent show and then they had two weeks to get ready.

*******

“Christina, thank you so much for helping with the sign up.” Jin stated gratefully.

“No problem, Jin.” the tall brunette replied. Her no-nonsense tone belied her earlier work as a business woman or maybe lawyer in Jin’s opinion.

“Well, as long as our numbers stay up, we should get a lot of people willing to perform and a nice sized audience to watch the show.” Jin stated nonchalantly. It was risky starting a rumor with such a stoic personality but, if it worked, her word would be widely accepted as truth.

“Our numbers?” Christina questioned, confused. “Why wouldn’t our numbers stay up?”

Jin sighed theatrically. “I don’t really know what’s going on for sure.” he said, acting hesitant. “It’s just that… I’ve had more missed sessions lately and there seems to be a growing sense of uneasiness in general. No one I’ve talked to seems to know where it stems from though and I’m a little concerned.” He watched as the proverbial wheels began to turn in the woman’s head. “It helps so much knowing I have your assistance though.” he added now that the seed of doubt had been planted. Christina had no idea how glad Jin truly was for her coming aid.

*******

“Howard, John. How was the night shift?” Jungkook asked the two men that he and Yoongi usually traded shifts with. It was midmorning and time for their watch.

“Sounded like there was a little action on the other side of the building but it was quiet here.” Howard replied as he stretched his arms above his head.

“Seems that’s been happening more and more.” Yoongi replied from Jungkook’s side, sounding thoughtful.

“True.” John nodded. “There’s fewer people coming in and more zombies on the fences lately. It’s like they just know we’re in here.”

Jungkook smirked on the inside, already feeling John’s sense of unease. “Yeah, well, as long as we have enough ammo, we should be fine, right?” he asked, ready to plant yet another seed of trepidation.

“True. No need to worry.” Yoongi agreed easily before asking, “How much ammo do you think we have anyway?”

The four men shared a heavy look. No one from the sniper’s nest had ever seen their ammo storage. They were just given a daily ration and expected to make it last.

“I’m sure they’d tell us if there were issues… right?” Howard asked feebly.

Yoongi snorted. “Yeah, because they’re so open about it already. If we were to run low, why would they tell us? It’s not like we can do anything about it.”

“Hm” Howard huffed, seemingly deep in thought as he turned to walk away.

“Uh, see ya.” John hollered to their replacements as he quickly joined his partner. He suddenly had a lot to talk to the man about even though they already spent so much time together.

*******

“If doing the supply runs is getting to be too stressful and effecting your life at The Center then maybe we can talk to Jennifer about finding you a new job, Angel. But before we do that, let’s talk about some of the advantages of stress and some coping mechanisms to deal with it so it doesn’t become too much.” Jin advised the scruffy young man sitting across from him in his office.

“Advantages of stress?” He asked, truly dumbfounded. “Is there such a thing?”

Jin smiled, happy he was preparing the man for the future instead of just scaring the crap out of him. “There are many advantages, it’s why we’re capable of feeling stress in the first place. Otherwise, we wouldn’t have much drive to see things done and we wouldn’t be able to react quickly in an emergency.”

Angel thought this over for a moment before replying. “Don’t we just do things because we have to or are expected to? And in emergencies we have adrenaline to keep us going, right?”  

“That is true to a point.” Jin admitted. “But there’s more to it than that. Moderate levels of stress can help to motivate individuals, increase their memory, and help them be more efficient. It can also bolster their immune system and help them focus when their ‘fight or flight’ instinct triggers to keep them out of danger. It’s part of your body’s survival gear and it’s needed now more than ever.”

“I… I guess I can see that.” Angel admitted thoughtfully.

“The first step in dealing with your stress is learning to evaluate true dangers from perceived dangers. It’s just like when you’re out on the streets and come across other survivors. You need to know which ones are dangerous and which ones need help, right?”

Angel nodded that he was following Jin’s logic. “Well, the same goes when you’re at The Center too.” Now Jin’s heart clenched a little. He hated adding doubt to people’s already fragile minds. “The sniffling or cough you hear is probably just someone’s allergies acting up, not the epidemic you fear. We don’t have a bunch of power cords to turn the piles of clutter into a raging inferno. The sounds at night are just someone going towards the bathroom, not creeping feet with ill intent or zombies having found their way inside, right?”

“Uh, yeah, right.” Angel said, swallowing a lump of uncertainty. It was true that he worried about getting sick and sometimes the ‘bumps in the night’ got his blood flowing but he had never thought about what would happen if a fire broke out. He had never thought about an illness taking over The Center either. Now that he thought about it, it wasn’t even farfetched to think that a zombie could get inside. Angel’s heart was still beating violently in his chest when he left Jin’s office, his counseling session being over for the day.  

*******

“Ah, Namjoon. How is the researching going today?” Dr. Seevers, a small, balding man in a white lab coat, asked as he whisked into Namjoon’s lab.

“Good morning, Dr. Seevers. It’s… going.” Namjoon hedged, wishing he knew more than he did, as per usual.

Dr. Seevers laughed good naturedly. “You know, I was tempted to go into epidemiology myself when I was in school but I decided I liked working with people too much. The labs were always too stuffy and cramped for me.” Dr. Seevers was the only medical doctor on site, several nurses helping him to keep the inhabitants at The Center healthy and whole.

“Really?” Namjoon asked, surprised. “I can show you some of what I’ve found, if you want. Maybe a fresh set of eyes would help.” He smiled, finally feeling a little of the hope he’d lost over the last month or so seep back in. “I’m just waiting for Steven to get back with some samples.”

Dr. Seevers nodded, stepping over to Namjoon’s chaotic desk, littered with notebooks and scattered loose leaf pages. As he rifled through the mess, looking at drawn images from under the microscope and written notes that pertained to them, Namjoon cleared his throat, garnering the man’s attention once again.

“I’ve heard that… maybe… are there…” Namjoon didn’t know why he was having such a hard time framing such a simple question. It could be that he was afraid that the intelligence of Dr. Seevers would see through his intentions but he thought maybe it had more to do with finding out his hunch was right. “...zombies being held at The Center?” He could feel his insides clenching in nervous anticipation as he finally managed to blurt out the rest of his question.

“Of course, Namjoon.” Dr. Seevers answered without hesitation. “Where do you think your samples come from?” He watched Namjoon squirm for a moment, his jolly laugh soon filling the small room. “Not to worry though, son. They’ve been decapitated so it’s not like they can harm anyone.”

“Decapitated?” Namjoon asked incredulously. He was glad the zombies were completely dead, he didn’t want there to be any possible way for anyone to get hurt, but he couldn’t help but wonder if maybe that’s why he wasn’t getting any farther in his research. Maybe he needed animated samples to find whatever it was that was missing.

*******

Jin was sitting at a table inside The Peak Pub House for a lonely lunch when a shadow fell over him. He looked up to see a portly man in his forties with bushy white hair standing by his table.

“Hey, Chuck. How’s it going? You find an apprentice for your magic show yet?” Jin asked.

“Uh, no. I was actually hoping maybe you could help?” Chuck asked as he sat across from Jin.

“Me?” Jin asked, surprised, his eyes widening.

“No, no, not like that.” Chuck laughed. “Just with maybe finding someone to be my helper. None of my friends will do it with me. They said they don’t want to ‘take orders’ from me but it’s not even like that.”

“Hmm.” Jin sighed, already thinking of people he knew who could help. He knew this was a good opportunity to ultimately save lives however so he began talking aloud, making stories and a few names up as he went. “Leah would be a good match but, I haven’t seen her around for awhile. Oh! I bet Mike would do it… or Hector. They’d both be great. Although, it’s been awhile since I’ve seen Hector around either.” He furrowed his brow as he spoke, tapping his chin as if disturbed by his deep thoughts. “Now that I think about it, there’s quite a few people I haven’t seen in awhile. I wonder if something happened to them? You don’t think people would be taking off on their own, do you?”  

“Why would they do that?” Chuck wondered aloud, his own brow now furrowed as well. “We’ve got enough food and water, guns on the rooftop? We’re still safe here, right?”

“Normally, I’d assume so.” Jin shrugged. “But the way the world is now, is anywhere completely safe? It’s always a good idea to be diligent.”

*******

“Okay, Mickles and Johnson should be here any minute now. You ready?” Taehyung asked Jimin as they waited for their National Guard partners who would soon be joining them behind the King Sooper’s grocery store. The pickup they used to carry supplies in was loaded with non perishables as well as medical supplies, feminine hygiene products, batteries and whatever else caught their eye while inside the store.

“I’m ready.” Jimin nodded. They continued to whisper back and forth as they waited, knowing they needed to look deep in discussion when the other two joined them.

“Well, how much do you think they know about The Center?” Taehyung asked in a louder voice as he saw the two guardsmen exit the store with arms filled with bottled water.

“They obviously know it exists.” Jimin replied, voice shaking just the slightest. “Not to mention how well armed they were. If they have any numbers and are that well equipped, they might really try to take The Center over like they said they would.”

“Wait, what?” Mickles asked as he finished loading the water into the truck through the open tailgate. He was always the ‘man in charge’ while they were out on runs. “What are you talking about?”

“We saw some guys in front by the gas station.” Taehyung replied, his story tingling on his lips. “We had to hide while we waited for them to leave. I was in back by the dumpster but Jimin was by the side door and overheard them talking.” he explained.

“Park, is this true?” Mickles asked Jimin.

“Yeah, there were three of them talking while they syphoned gas.” he answered, hands in his pockets to keep from fidgeting. .

“What did they say?” Johnson finally joined the conversation. He was built tall and strong but seemed to run short on common sense and was always a step behind on thinking matters through.

“They must have seen that you were in the grocery store and were talking about how much easier they’d have it once they took over the Pepsi Center.” Jimin tried to sound convincing while not seeming to be trying to sound convincing. He couldn’t help but worry about his acting skills.

“. I wonder if they were from that gang we saw last week?” Mickles mused aloud. “Did they say anything about the size of their group? Did they look well armed? I’m not so sure they could get past our snipers.”

“I don’t know where they’re from. But they all had handguns holstered over their chests and knives on their belts. I couldn’t hear everything they were saying but they mentioned a lieutenant and something about a tank, I think?” Jimin said, unsure if he was pulling the right strings, getting the right message across.

“Maybe the other troops survived?” Johnson suggested to Mickles, hope filling his eyes.

“You heard the transmission. There’s no way they could have gotten out of that mess.” Mickles replied hopelessly.

“Maybe some of them did. After all, we’re still here.” Johnson wasn’t willing to give up hope just yet.

“Either way, it’s our job to keep everyone at The Center safe. If they’re talking about a take over and even have a tank, we may have a big problem on our hands.” Mickles stated emphatically. “Come on. We’ve got to get back. I’ve got to inform the rest of the unit.”

Jimin and Taehyung shared a look, not sure if they had done their part of the plan correctly. Jimin had to find comfort in the idea of the National Guard being on alert though. Maybe whatever trouble Yoongi felt could be averted. Maybe The General would finally take notice and actually do something to assure everyone’s safety.  

*******

“Sorry I’m late, Mr. Kim.” Kenna, a 14 year old girl with red hair and freckles, apologized as she entered through the open door to Jin’s office. She always felt unsteady in the counselor's presence. He was too beautiful for words yet she also felt like she was in trouble, being sent to the principal’s office for punishment.

“It’s no problem at all, Kenna. How are things going?” Jin asked the girl.

“I hate working in the kitchen.” she huffed, taking a seat across from Jin. “I’m surrounded by old ladies who think I don’t know anything. I feel like they don’t trust me; like they’re all just waiting for me to mess up.”

“Have you talked to Helga about it?” Jin asked, referring to the woman in charge of the kitchen.

“She’s the worst one!” Kenna cried out. “She acts like I’m gonna steal the last cookie from the cookie jar but we don’t even have one!”

“Okay, okay. Let’s look at this calmly.” Jin suggested. “Maybe there’s a reason she’s scrutinizing the kitchen so closely? If so, I’m sure you’re not the only one she’s watching. We have to be careful of how we use our provisions. Maybe we’re running low and she has to make sure things are stretched to accommodate our numbers. Maybe things have gone missing and she’s trying to figure out where they went and who took them. I really don’t think she’s singling you out though.” Jin suggested, trying to make the girl feel better while also adding a hint of precaution.

He had planted the idea that the food supply wasn’t safe in Helga’s head and now he was paying the price, or more precisely, Kenna was. He didn’t want to cause mistrust or dissent among the refugees though. Sometimes he couldn’t help but wonder if they were causing a self fulfilling prophecy with their rumors.

“Do you think so?” Kenna asked, afraid that maybe there really wasn’t enough to go around at The Center.

“I really don’t know.” Jin admitted. It had also crossed his mind that maybe one of their rumors was actually true and only a select few knew it. It seemed like anything was possible at this point. Instead of making the young girl obsess over the possible ‘what if’s, he decided to change the subject. “How is your painting going? Do you think you have what you need for the talent show?”

*******

“Hey, what’s going on?” Hoseok asked as he approached the small group of people standing around the supply closet.

“Have you seen Raul today?” Maria asked worriedly.  

“Raul? No.” Hoseok answered. It had been a few days since his friends had started spreading rumors of doom and gloom and he finally had his ‘in’ so to speak. “Do you think he really left? I heard that they’re thinning our numbers by getting rid of us useless people. Is that really possible?”

“Useless?” Bill asked, obviously offended.

“Well, kinda.” Hoseok admitted, watching his feet instead of his co-worker’s expressions. “It’s not like they really need clean floors and toilets to survive. If we run low on supplies like food and water… well, it’s more important that the people who are actually needed get it, right? If we’re not a help we’re a hinderance.” It hurt saying the words, voicing his insecurities in this new world.

“I’m so sick and tired of being on the bottom.” Joe spoke up. “This world is no different than it was before the zombies took over. I’m ing done with it all.” Without another word, he spun on his heel and left, the others watching after him with varying looks of horror, agreement, and inevitability.

“They… they wouldn’t really just kick us out, would they?” Teresa asked in a soft voice. It was obvious that she was scared.

“I don’t know.” Hoseok replied. “Maybe they’d just wait for us to leave, or cut our rations or something? Maybe they really would tell us to leave. It’s hard to feel safe here when I really don’t know what to expect.”

*******

“Why the hell am I doing this again?” Yoongi grumbled as Jimin started the song over again on the laptop he had lifted while out on a supply run. The generators at The Center kept the electricity running so the 7 men had managed to charge their phones so they could download the music they had on them for the talent show. Yoongi even had his USBs with his own songs and music producing programs with him. “I’m a rapper. I don’t dance.” he complained loudly.

“Yah, just because you’re a rapper doesn’t mean you can’t dance.” Hoseok chided as he joined the couple in the otherwise empty gym, pulling a grinning Taehyung along with him. Looking around he noted the others were still absent. It was time for their evening practice for the talent show and he was eager to get started. “Where are the others?” he asked.

“Jungkook went to get Jin.” Jimin replied. “They’ll get Namjoon on the way down here too.” His voice was still tinged with sadness whenever he said Namjoon’s name but he was grateful the elder was willing to join them in the talent show. Maybe it would give him and Yoongi a chance to talk to the man. All seven of them would perform together for the show and Jimin felt invigorated knowing he’d finally be on stage with the people in his life that meant everything to him. It would be the best day of his life.

Yoongi was just as happy to know his friends and lover(s?) would be performing to his music. Namjoon and Hoseok had sat down with him and together they had mixed the song they would perform. Between the three of them, they were able to put together beats and melodies and lyrics for everyone’s ability. He was so happy with it that he really wished they could actually record it.

The song was strong. A fight song. Their fight song. They were vowing to one another that they would beat this messed up world and that they would do it together. It was their last gift to this falling sanctuary before they left it forever. Their bags were already packed, food and water included thanks to Jimin and Taehyung. Now all they needed to do was perfect the performance.

Finally, Jungkook entered the gym pulling a reluctant Jin and a sulking Namjoon behind him. “We’re ready.” he said in a rush.

Smirking in amusement, Jimin started the music once again as everyone ran to their places.

*******

The inhabitants were gathered in the large entry hall of the Pepsi Center, a stage having been erected near the main doors. Hoseok panted as he took his ending pose on that stage, sweat rolling down his face and throat on fire. He had done it at long last. He had danced his heart out, rapped with his very soul. He finally felt that he had done his mother proud. It may not be what he expected but it was the best he’d ever do in this changed world and he’d take it.

Around 500 people had made it to the show and their applause and cheers thundered in Yoongi’s ears, beating him down like a physical force. “Don’t worry, hyung, I got you.” a gentle voice whispered in his ear and then he felt a firm hand grasp his elbow and lead him off stage. The world all around was a whirl of color and flash of indistinct faces as he was whisked through the crowd and behind the door to the arena which was currently acting as ‘backstage’ where the next performers waited.

As soon as he crossed the threshold he knew this was it; his time was up and his heart broke. He jerked his elbow out of the now gentle grasp and quickly jerked around, finding himself looking into concerned brown eyes. “It’s too late, Namjoon! It’s too late!” he yelled desperately.

“What’s too late, hyung? What are you talking about?” Namjoon asked, desperate to understand.

“You have to promise me something, Namjoon-ah. Please!” Yoongi begged and Namjoon was becoming terrified. He felt like Yoongi was making his final wish be known.

“I don’t understand, Yoongi hyung.” he said emphatically, making his own silent plea to the elder not to let this be the end.

“If anything happens to me you have to protect Jimin at all costs.” Yoongi plead. “Please, Namjoon-ah. He couldn’t survive something like that without you. We love you and we need you but only you can get him through this next stage.”

“Hyung, you’re scaring me.” Namjoon was looking at Yoongi, eyes huge and mouth slightly unhinged.

“Please, Namjoon-ah!” Yoongi begged again, grabbing at the younger man’s shirt and shaking him. “Jimin needs to live. He needs to stay safe or we’ll be lost forever. We love you, Namjoon-ah. We both love you as much as we love each other. I’m sorry we didn’t say it sooner but I thought you just needed time. We’re out of time though. So please take care of Jimin for me!”

“What-” Namjoon began to question again but then a scream rang through the crowd followed by Taehyung’s bass yelling, “That’s Johnson, Jimin! That’s ing Johnson!” then all hell broke loose. Yoongi and Namjoon could hear more screams and the shuffling of feet as panic set in and people began to push and shove their way towards safety.  

“Promise me!” Yoongi demanded, pulling Namjoon’s face so he’d look him directly in the eye.

“I promise, Yoongi.” Namjoon answered and they both knew he meant it to his very soul.

Once the promise was made they were wrenching the doors to the entryway open, trying to make their way towards the rest of their group lost within the chaos.

“Jimin!?” Yoongi yelled at the top of his lungs as someone shoved him in the back. Namjoon was there to catch him before he hit the floor, jerking him back to his feet. With an appreciative nod, his hand now wrapped around Namjoon’s, he yelled out again.

“Hyung!” Jimin’s clear voice rang out from behind him. As they had made their way into the crowd, the others had made their way to the wall near the door.

“Jimin!” Yoongi yelled again, this time thankful that he could see his soulmate through the crowd. He quickly changed routes, tugging Namjoon along behind him.

“Quick! We need to get our bags.” Taehyung urged as he pushed his way through the door. Jimin waited for the duo as they made their way through the mass of bodies, then he was pulling them through the door into the arena.

“Time to go-o.” Jin sung nervously. He already had the the trio’s bags in hand and passed them out as they entered.

“This way.” Jungkook urged, soon taking the lead to the side exit they had already planned to leave through that evening. They exited the arena several doors down from the main entrance, entering a long, curved hallway that once housed the food and drink vendors but were now used as supply storage and offices for the various jobs that kept the people busy.

Screams could still be heard echoing down the hallway. People were still everywhere although the numbers were fewer, they weren’t so crammed together.

“That one!” Hoseok hollered up to Jungkook, pointing out a door painted the same cream color as the wall. Jungkook ran ahead, grabbing the doorknob and turning, finding it just as unlocked as Hoseok said it would be. Jungkook opened the door, holding it for the others and hoping no one else would follow them. Once they were all through, he closed the door quickly, catching sight of a couple people running towards it, and led them through the grey cement corridor in the direction they had already been running.

A sense of dread unfurled within Yoongi as he ran and he turned to look behind himself, watching in horror as someone was hurtled through another hidden door and knocked Jimin off of his feet. He turned around so fast, he swore he gave himself whiplash. He pounced on the figure bending over his soulmate, pushing the heavy body several steps away. Quickly he reached for Jimin’s arm, dragging him to his feet and pushing him towards the others. “Run!” he screamed, ready to follow his own demand.

And then Yoongi felt it; the sick sense of inevitability, the nauseating sense of time completely running out just as the person who had knocked Jimin down to the ground swiped at him. He spun on his heel to face his attacker, ready to fight, ready to his gut feeling and stay with Jimin where he belonged.

He could hear the heavy exit door at the end of the hall behind him scrape open and he decided to run for it. He was so damn close. But as he turned, his attacker’s iron grip wrapped around his wrist, the prick of nails grazing it as an arm wrapped around his waist and then he was being pulled back into a hard chest, putrid air wafting along his neck. He pushed with his feet, trying to dislodge himself but even as his adrenaline rushed through his veins, numbing his limbs, he knew that it was too late. Then Jimin’s voice broke through the haze of his panic.

“Yoongi! NO!!!” he screamed, his voice breaking with the volume.

Yoongi’s head snapped up, terrified that Jimin would fling himself forward and be hurt too but instead he saw Namjoon’s strong arms wrapped around the younger’s waist, holding him back. He smiled gratefully at the man as he finally worked the knife out of his back pocket that was pressed against the zombie that held him. Dropping the sheath to the ground, he stabbed blindly behind himself, missing the first time and finding his fist in the zombie’s mouth instead. He pulled away in disgust, disregarding the pain as he stabbed a little further back, a little higher up.

The body fell to the floor as Yoongi managed to stab him through the temple. He felt himself being dragged down, falling to the floor with it and having to crawl out from under it’s weight so he could stand once again.

“Yoongi!” Namjoon’s voice rang out in horror, pointing behind Yoongi. He turned to see eight more zombies making their way towards him.

“I’ll hold them back!” Yoongi yelled to the others. “You need to run! Now!”

No one moved for a moment as Yoongi steeled himself to fight for his friends’ and lover’s freedom. He had faith in Jin and Jungkook and Taehyung though. He knew they’d keep the other three moving and intact. Knowing that, he shut the world out, ready to fight.

*******

They were almost to the door, almost to freedom from this falling civilization, when Jimin heard two distinct thuds. The first, a body hitting a body and the second, a body hitting the bare concrete floor. It took him a moment to realize he was sprawled out on the floor. He rolled over quickly, finding Johnson’s dead body looming over him. He froze, eyes widening in shock. Before he completely comprehended what had just happened, Yoongi flashed forward, shoving Johnson down the corridor and yanking Jimin to his feet.

“Run!” Yoongi screamed, shoving Jimin ahead of himself. The raw terror in his lover’s voice animated Jimin, freeing him from his shock and sending his feet skyrocketing towards the door where his friends were waiting in anticipation and fear. Just as he passed a frozen Namjoon, he watched as his friends’ faces turned to stunned dismay.

He stopped running, turning to see what had happened, his heart stopping and his breath lodging in his chest at the scene before him. Yoongi was in the arms of Johnson and there was already a small rivulet of blood running from his left wrist.

Before he knew what he was doing, he was running to Yoongi’s aid but before he had taken three steps, long arms were wrapping around his middle, holding him back.

“No!” Jimin screamed past the lump in his throat. “We have to save him! We have to help!” His chest was on fire, emotions too great to be felt by a single entity ripping him apart from the inside out. The arms stayed around him though, they held him tight. “Yoongi! NO!!!” he screamed again, tears streaming down his face unchecked.

Yoongi’s head shot up, looking just past Jimin and his lips lifted in a helpless yet grateful smile. The knowing and acceptance in that smile shattered Jimin. He felt himself fly into a million pieces and would have fallen to the floor if it weren’t for the secure arms keeping him upright.

Jimin’s eyes were on Yoongi as he tried stabbing at the Johnson-turned-zombie holding him in its rigid grasp. His heart sped in his chest, hope lifting him for just a moment until he saw teeth sink into the flesh of Yoongi’s hand and he died all over again, his vision growing dark even as he stayed somewhat conscious. He thought he heard a voice call out but it was too hard to hear over the ringing in his ears. Then he was being shaken by the shoulder but he couldn’t move, couldn’t respond. Strong arms hefted him up and then he was hoisted over a steady shoulder. His body was limp, dead weight, jostling from side to side while his protector carried him through the open doorway and out into the night.  

A/N:  *hides behind a rock* *peeks out at my readers* Are you still there? Please don’t hate me. We all knew this was coming, right? ‘It’s always darkest just before the dawn’ so don’t give up on me, please. Please, pLeAsE, PLEASE!!!

Still there? Well then, I’ve skipped time before but this is the first time I’ve scrunched so much time (two whole weeks) into one chapter. I hope it was a smooth transition and easy to follow along with the speed.

I’m really curious how you feel this chapter ended though. I thought I’d cry when I wrote it but I didn’t so I’m a little worried that it didn’t have the feeling it needed? Or, maybe, I’ve been dreading this moment since the inception of this fic and the build up has left me a little underwhelmed just because of the prolonged expectation of the moment. I hope I didn’t this up.

Also, to those of you who thought The General would be causing , sorry to let you down. Maybe he would have eventually but this isn’t TWD so I’ve got a completely different direction in mind. Johnson though… I didn’t really set him up on purpose but somewhere in the back of my mind I always knew he’d be the downfall. He wasn’t the sharpest crayon in the pack and probably got scratched on one of his runs tbh. Poor bastard.

Needless to say, the chaos continues in the next chapter.

Thanks for reading, commenting, and upvoting. You always make my day. I just hope you’ll stick around ;)