Daryl Dixon
Absentee
Our Way Of Life
Genesis
A cool breeze danced through Kingsport. The booming settlement had come so far since it's early days. Henry still remembered when there were just half dozen of them in the group. They lived off of what was scavenged the night before. They had to stand guard all day and night between just a few of them. They were constantly tired and borderline starving.
So many died to get them this far. Those days were gone. He looked down at the harvest. They'd have bread again soon. Patricia was good at turning crops into meals. She makes Mutfruit muffins every now and then. He could hear little Emily running around with Quinn and Levi in the Kingsport Manor. They were playing Minutemen VS Raiders.
He watched from the office window in the Manor as the lively town enjoyed luxuries he once only dreamed of, that people died for. It was bittersweet. With Mavis they even had sweets. Something they couldn't even fathom before her arrival. As he stepped outside onto the front porch he took a deep breath of fresh sea air. It was one of the best feelings in the world. Bryce Montarello, an operator out of The Steel Snakes approached the position.
Henry was reluctant to trust him when he first joined the settlement, despite his skill. He came from a mercenary group that successfully phased out the gunner presence in the commonwealth. As far as he was concerned, people who can turn on the whim of someone's wealth were not valuable assets. Ghost, as his former callsign had called him, proved a valuable asset to the scav team. He constantly provided manpower the security patrols as well.
Bryce spotted Henry on the porch and approached. "You just woke up mate?"
"No. Have had a lot of paperwork to do. Keeping track and rotating these teams is a pain in the ass."
"I bet." Bryce leaned back and pointed his rifle muzzle sky high. He had a very laid back and approachable demeanor that wasn't common among operators of his skill.
"How did the scouting go?"
"Had a few contacts. Almost lost Levi, physically lose him. All in all, it went by alright. Picked up a few fusion cores. Might be useful when we get Big Bess going."
"If that ever happens."
"Well, I've gotta go. Sakotic wanted me to report to him when I returned. Had a task for me."
"You've never got idle hands, I'll give you that."
Bryce nodded and walked off. Henry walked off toward the barracks which built in the cellar behind Kingsport Manor. It was mostly a boozer but had a few bunk beds as well. Most people stayed in their own accommodations, but those on duty for the day slept down here.
He entered and everybody stood up as he descended the stairs. "Yep, okay, I know briefings suck."
They all nodded agreeably. "V, you're with Jack for the next few days. When we rotate, you two rotate together. Bryce, you're with Levi. Courtenay and Piper, you're together." Henry continued on with the list until he was done. "The list is on the notice board if you forget what tasks you're on." After he was finished, he exited the cellar and continued to the marketplace they had going. A few shops were set up on the pier down by the water but some were still on the high ground behind the house. They had a large expanse of land to work with.
Mavis' bakery was open. She had it constructed here and paid for it all herself. It was a nice two story shop and served as a bar and bakery. She brought in a fair few travelers as well, as well as had the caravans stay longer and spend more caps. He picked up a muffin, thanked her and moved on. Levi also got something from the shop, chatted with Mavis a little, then approached Henry as he ate. They leaned against the railing overlooking the ocean. "Here's that note," Levi said, as he slipped him an envelope. "I'll keep it safe."
"Bryce still gives me dirty eyes whenever me and Elizabeth so much as hug."
"He'll come around, don't worry."
"It's fine, but we've been together for almost two years now. How much longer will it take?"
"I don't know. How's she going anyway?"
"Good, good. When her birthday comes around I want to take her out on the water. Nothing too far, just a little."
"That sounds good pal. Bryce almost lost you?"
"What? Oh, yeah. I fell through the floor. Nothing major."
Henry laughed, "You would."
Then the Kingsport alarm system rang. Sirens deafened the town. "fl*ff." Henry said. "Levi, find the kids and take them to the Manor!" Levi nodded and sprinted off to the manor. Henry bolted past the marketplace, passed the house and to the front gate. Canaan had already arrived as had Elizabeth. "It's him. It's Negan." She said.
Henry looked to Canaan. "Henry. We've got everything in place. Guard posts are manned. Front gates' fortified, turrets hot and ready to fire at your word. Had a few of the men inspect the rest of our traps, the ones we could reach beforehand at any rate. Everything looks solid, armed and ready to go. Got the others in position, fire in their eyes, prepared for the worst. Come hell or high water, we've got this place as secured as she can get, Hen'. Nothing's getting through that gate alive unless we let it."
"Good, good." He took a few deep breaths.
"This isn't enough."
"What?"
"You can win this fight. But not the next. They will come back and they will steamroll over this place. They'll make you wish they had of killed you. Henry, please. They will come back, even larger than this. They'll come by coast and land and we will be slaves." Her voice quivered, tears rolled down her cheeks and her hands and legs began to shake. She was terrified.
"So we should just sit and surrender? Might as well ask for the collars to put on ourselves. We'll be slaves just the same! I don't know if fear is keeping you from connecting the dots here, honey, but we have children here. Innocent people who are counting on us to keep those bastards out. And I sure as hell won't be rolling over and letting them have their way. Henry. It's enough. We can do this. Trust me." Canaan gave Henry a look, almost begging him to make the right call. "I've given you no reason not to."
"No, you don't understand. If we don't fight them they'll raid us and leave. They'll extort us, but they won't kill us. I know this is hard for you guys to understand, I've seen first hand what he does to communities that fight and those that comply. This is the only way. If the Minutemen couldn't do it, neither can we."
It was either fight back, win the battle today. Maybe tomorrow. But people will die. They always do. That army out there was coming in one way or another. He had to choose the method in which he and his people survived, whether they liked it or not. He would rather them alive and hating him than dead after having rallied by his side.
"Canaan... She's right. What chance do we stand against an army of raiders when the Minutemen, who were better prepared than us, failed?"
The sentry on the wall nervously turned to the fighting trio. "They're getting really close, do we fire?"
"Yes."
"No!"
"So we become some sort of supply stockpile? Allowing those fl*ffers to mosey on in and round up whatever they want, all based on your word? No. I don't think so. My wife and children are in there. I will not allow any of those demented mother fl*ffers near them. And every one of my men would tell you the same. Whether they toppled the Minutemen or not is irrelevant. We're not backing down. I've seen what they're capable of, and now that we have seen them in action, I know what to expect. We. Can. Do. This."
Henry was torn. He wanted so badly to agree with Canaan. It was in his nature. But being the leader he had to make the decision that would keep his people alive, he couldn't bear the thought of losing more people. "It's not irrelevant. If you fight them, you're going to get your family killed. You're going to get your friends killed."
It was uncharacteristic for Elizabeth to behave like this, she was petrified.
"Elizabeth, stop. Canaan..." He didn't know how to say this. He knew their friendship would never be the same. "We will fight them, but not today. We can't. Elizabeth is right. They have torn a fl*ffing hole in the commonwealth. I can't risk any more of us getting killed. Emily, Quinn, Isaac. They'll get through today and that's what's important to me. We'll deal with tomorrow, tomorrow. If we can slowly build up our strength while they think we've given in we can hit them hard while they're stealing from us. Hell, we may even get the Overboss. If we kill Negan it won't be long before the other gangs are at each other's throats again, they'll get weak. I know this isn't going to sway you but I need you to trust me. I need you to see where I'm coming from. Fighting now, I know it only means death. I have to take the other way."
Canaan let out a frustrated growl. "Do not speak my children's names. I will not allow you to use them to sway me into your twisted logic." He spat on the ground, looking to his men as they waited, needing to make a decision. They were too close now. He looked Henry dead in the face for a moment, then turned to the men. "Hold your fire. Let them approach, see if Hen spreading his cheeks will save our families instead of lead." Then back to Henry. "Anything happens to them and I will personally make sure you suffer worse than they did before I go."
He stormed off with his rifle. "Hey!" Henry roared in anger. "You stay here. We'll face this together as we always have."
"I stood with you when we were making this place safe for everyone. I will not stand with you while you tear it back down."
He continued down the road, leaving Henry alone with Elizabeth by the gate. Elizabeth then too fled. If that's how you're going to be... He turned back to the gate and saw the large silhouette that approached the gate behind the reinforced wire fencing. A bat was used to clash against the gate. Thud, thud, thud. "Little pig, little pig. Let. Me. In!"
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