Chapter Thirteen: One small victory at a time, right?

Hey guys,I just wanted to warn you that this chapter (and the next) are pretty bad and aren't much if at all different than the actual episode 'Guts' So I apologize in advance and hope that none of you will hate me. I don't know why but when I was writing this I felt the need to stick to the script and did but now reading back over it I find it to be kind of boring but don't want to have to go back and rewrite everything in the chapter, so yeah. I think that all my preparing for controlled assessments just gave me a huge overdose of un-creativity. Don't loose faith in me....please? Love Tashaxox_______________________________________________________________________________ 

 Chapter Thirteen

One small victory at a time, right?

▬ Third Person- No one’s P.O.V ▬  

     “Whoever you are,” Rick said over the CB radio. “I don’t mind telling you: I’m a little concerned in here,” he admitted looking around anxiously. 

/////

     “What the hell are you doing?” Merle demanded furiously as Glenn was about to put him thumb back down on the button on the walkie to reply to the man on the other end.

     “Helping him,” Glenn replied looking up at him. What else would he be doing? It’s the only thing to do. He thought to himself. 

     “Helping him,” Merle snorted. “You lot,” he tusked moving away from the group, jumping back onto the wall on the edge of the roof  but was facing away from the tank. 

     “Helping him?” Andrea questioned, by now everyone was stood on the flat roof as Glenn was crouched down using his walkie. “He fired those shots! Brought the dead all around us!” she complained causing Glenn to abandon the walkie on the floor and stand up to get back on eye level with her. 

     “He’s a person Andrea,” Glenn replied in disbelief of what she was trying to say- that they should just leave him for dead. “He’s a person who needs our help!” Glenn argued back as Electra eyes the walkie which was down by his feet out of view from anyone else but her.

     “Yes, he is a person,” Andrea agreed with Glenn. “But he is the person who has killed us all, Glenn,” she snapped back at him. 

     “So what?” Morales spoke up. “If we’re going to die anyway, what’s the problem with helping him if he’s going to die along with us anyway?”

     “He doesn’t deserve out help!” Andrea snapped at Morales. “He’s killed us! Don’t you understand that? Killed us! We’re never going to see our families again because of that son of a-”

     “Andrea,” Jacqui attempted to stop her. 

     “Man, that’s rough,” T-Dog said to Andrea. “What if it was one of us? One of us who made a mistake to save our own asses. What if it was you?” 

     “I wouldn’t do that,” Andrea stated. Electra, noticing that everyone was distracted in their little argument made a grab for the walkie and walked over to the corner where no one would hear her.

     “Sorry for the little intermission,” she said into it before turning back to the rest who were still arguing and had not noticed her or the walkies absence. “You’re causing quite the stir up here,” she stated before peaking over the wall. “And down there too, by the looks of it. I’d be pretty damn concerned too if I were you- not gonna lie,” she stated getting off of her tip toes.

/////

     “You have any ideas or suggestions for me?” Rick asked from the tank looking at the dead walker in the military uniform. “Believe me, I am all ears,” he sighed into the receiver awaiting her reply. 

     “Erm….” The woman’s voice came through causing Rick to frown even more than he was. “Erm….” She said again as Rick sat there awaiting her reply, she was his only hope right now. “Your best bet is to make a run for it to be honest, while they are distracted eating your little horse friend,” she stated. “Poor thing,” she muttered into the receiver.  

     “You’re kidding me,” Rick shook his head in disbelief. “You’ve got to be,”  he said resting his head in his palm. Great. Just great. 

     “’Fraid not,” the woman sighed into the transceiver. “I’m just telling you how it is,” she stated causing Rick to feel even more hopeless. “It could be worse….you could be that horse right now, one small victory at a time, right?” she said in an attempt to cheer him up. 

     “Right….” Rick trailed off taking a deep breath and looking upwards at the hatch. “So…you can see what’s happening from where you are?” he questioned. 

     “Yep,” 

     “I dropped a black bag, it’s full of guns,” Rick explained. “Now, tell me,” Rick started off calmly. “Can you see it from up wherever you are?” 

/////

     “Electra?” Glenn turned around to see the girl crouched down in the corner leaning against the roof walls with the walkie in her hand. “What are you doing?” he asked as him and the rest of the group approached her. 

     “He’s dropped a black bag, it’s full of guns apparently,” she said to Glenn ignoring his question. “Can you see it?” she questioned causing Glenn to look over the ledge before taking the walkie back off of Electra. “Hey! We were talking!” Electra complained. 

     “Forget about it,” Glenn said into the walkie. “It’s not an option!” he said the man on the other end before he could argue back. 

     “Just so I know, am I just switching between two different radios?” the man asked. “Because I was talking to a girl just a second ago,”

     “Nope, we’re on the same walkie,” Glenn explained. “She was just speaking for me whilst I was…” he shot a look at Andrea. “Occupied,”   

     “Okay, well your lady friend told me that my best bet is to make a run…” Rick filled Glenn in. “Is that true? Because if it is I am beyond dead,” he stated. 

     “Hey….. That’s actually not as dumb as it sounds,” Glenn said into the radio whilst looking out over the edge again for a while. 

     “Thanks Glenn, nice to see someone has faith in me,” Electra said before realising he had offended her as well. 

     “Look, you’ve got eyes on the outside here,” Glenn stated. “There’s one geek still up on the tank but the others are still eating that horse,”

     “I’ve been told,” 

     “Okay, the street on the other side of the tank is less crowded. If you move now while they’re distracted, you stand a chance,” Glenn said rather quickly into the walkie. 

     “You just understood what he said?” Electra asked, talking into the walkie, when she gained no response she continued. “Okay good, got any more ammo? Apart from in that bag which you have no hope of getting?” she questioned. 

     “Hang on,” Rick said into the receiver before dropping it to the floor. He picked up his gun and took out the magazine for a second before putting it back in again. Sighing, he scurried over to the dead soldier and searched him for any ammo- no luck. He saw a grenade lying on a table next to it and took it looking it over for a while. “Yeah,” he whispered to himself, putting it in his pocket before scurrying back to the radio. “I got a Beretta with one clip,” he stated. “Fifteen rounds,” he stated again. 

/////

     Glenn looked over at Electra in confusion, he did not know gun speak at all. Sighing, Electra held out her hand and Glenn gave her back the walkie. 

     “Okay, could be better, but could be worse,” Electra commented. “Make them count,” Electra told him before handing the walkie back to Glenn.

     “Jump out the right side of the tank, keep going in that direction. There’s an alley….maybe fifty yards?” Glenn estimated. “Be there,” 

     “Hey,” the voice at the other end of the line said. “What are your names?” he questioned causing Electra and Glenn to exchange looks. 

     “Have you been listening?” Glenn asked, slightly annoyed by the question. “We’re running outta time here,” Glenn stated getting up and beginning to walk down the stairs- everyone but Merle following him down. 

     “So, now you are risking your life for this son of a bitch?” Andrea asked Glenn as they ran down the stairs, gaining no response she looked at Electra. “You’re letting him risk his life for this son of a bitch?” 

     “Are you sure about this?” Electra stopped and turned to Glenn who stopped with her. “Because if you’re not you don’t have to go, I’d be more than happy to go myself,” Electra stated before the gunfire started again causing Glenn to start running again. 

     “No, it has to be me,” Glenn stated running towards the exit of the store. “I made the contact with him, he’s my responsibility. Plus I know this city better than you,” Glenn stated opening the door. “Morales, you have the other walkie. Listen out for me, yeah?” Glenn gave everyone a nod before heading out the door. 

     “You shouldn’t have let him go,” Andre said after a minute of silence. 

/////

     Rick was running down the street, following the man on the other side of the radio’s instructions. He shot one walker, then two others before running a little further. He shot as many walkers as he could manage clearing his path as he settled for a quick jog. He turned to run down the alley where he came face to face with an Asian guy who he was aiming his gun at. 

     “WOAH!” he exclaimed. “Not dead, not dead!” he declared. “Come on!” he ushered him before he ran with him, occasionally looking back. “Faster!” he shouted causing Rick to shoot one in the head. “Come on,” he stated rushing Rick even further before reaching a yellow ladder. He began to climb it as Rick shot another walker before running out of ammo. Glenn looked down at Rick. “What are you doing come on?!” he shouted at him causing Rick to start to climb the ladder too. “Get in, get in,” he helped Rick onto a metal add on to the building before taking a breath. “Nice moves there Clint Eastwood, you the new Sherriff? Come riding in to clean up the town?” he studied Rick’s uniform before looking down at the walkers below. 

     “Wasn’t my intention,”

     “Yeah, whatever,” he said dismissively. “Yee-ha!” he said unenthusiastically before looking at Rick again who was now looking at him. “You’re still a dumbass,”

     “Tsk..” Rick shook his head before turning to the Asian. “Rick,” he introduced himself. “Thanks,” he said sticking a hand out. 

     “Glenn,” the Asian said after a few second of staring at the hand in disgust. “You’re welcome,” he said before letting go and breathing deeply again. Rick placed his gun back in Glenn’s backpack as Glenn looked down at the walkers again. “Oh no,” he said causing Rick to look too, seeing Walkers beginning to climb the lader before Glenn went back onto the ladder going up to the roof. “Brightside? It will be the fall that kills us…I’m a glass half full kind of guy,” Glenn stated before climbing it.  After the climb they reached a roof of another building and managed to get too another one.

/////

     “Well….the gun fire’s stopped,” Jacqui said in an attempt to reassure everyone, Electra was now sat in the corner as Andrea was looking out of the window. 

     “Was anyone paying attention to how many shots were fired?” Electra aimed her question to no one in particular, looking up. 

     “Fifteen,” T-Dog replied putting his riot gear on. 

     “They’re out of ammo,” Electra stated with a sigh. “I don’t know whether they made it or not,” Electra rested her head in her palms. 

     “I’m back,” Glenn’s voice came on the walkie which Morales was holding causing him to raise it to his mouth instantly. “Got a guest, we’re approaching the alley,” Glenn stated causing Electra to stand up and give out a sigh of relief. 

     “Thank God,” T-Dog said. “Give the walkie to Electra, we need to clear the alley of walkers,” T-Dog stated causing Morales to chuck her the walkie and pick up his bat and put on his helmet before opening the doors and bursting out into the alley.

     “Come on,” Electra heard Glenn shout at someone, presumably the dumbass. “Let’s go,” he ushered before running through the doors, Electra wrapped her arms around him straight away. 

     “I’m going to kill you, you son of a bitch,” Andrea snapped, the bang of Andrea forcing the dumbass against something caused them to break the hug and turn to look at her in horror. 

     “Just chill out Andrea, back off,” Morales said after removing his helmet whilst he was walking in the room.

     “Come on, ease up,” Jacqui said. 

     “Ease up?” Andrea asked Jacqui. “You’re kidding me right?” she continued. “We’re dead because of this stupid ass hole,” she did not remove her gun from the man’s head.  

     “Andrea!” Morales snapped coming up behind her. “I said back the hell off,” he looked at the man who looked at him anxiously. 

     Not giving Andrea a chance Electra marched up beside her and took the gun out of hand before sinking back down in the corner not looking at the man once causing Andrea to look around at the group. 

     “We’re dead,” she started crying. “All of us, because of you,” she looked at the man shaking her head at him as he looked back at her.

     “I don’t understand,”

     “Look,” Morales grabbed his arm and led him away. “We came to the city to scout out supplies. You know what supplied are for? Surviving.  You know what the key is to surviving? Sneaking in and out. Tip toeing! Not shooting out the streets like it’s the old kick around,” Morales said leading him (and the rest of the group who were following behind) to the front of the store to see the walkers surrounding the building. 

     “Every geek for miles heard you popping out rounds,” T-Dog explained.

     “You just rang the dinner bell,” Andrea stated as the man looked out through the glass windows and doors to see walkers banging up against it. 

     “You got the picture now?”

     “Oh God,” Electra said as she saw a crack appear in the glass. “Go,” she stated backing away. “GO!” she shouted, in a more authoritative tone making everyone follow her.

     “The hell were you doing out there anyway?” Andrea asked Rick when the group had settled further away from the windows. 

     “I was flagging down a helicopter,”

     “Helicopter?” T-Dog asked. Electra was stood in front of him, her eyes glued to the walkers pushed up against the windows and doors. “That’s crap, they’re aint no damn helicopter,” 

     “You were chasing a hallucination,” Electra stated. “Following things, it happens,” Electra said to Rick in disbelief of his words.

     “I saw it,” he snapped at her defensively. “You were the girl yeah?” he asked her. “On the other end of the radio, that was you right?” he asked but she still didn’t face him. “I’m-” he started as Electra caught his reflection in the glass causing her to turn around and face him in shock. 

     “R-Rick?” she stammered, catching his beautiful icy blue eyes. “Rick Grimes…?” she asked as Rick looked at her as if she were not real.

     “Ellie?” Rick asked her causing everyone around them to watch them in curiosity and confusion. “Ellie, is that you?” he asked. 

     “Yes,” Electra nodded, not being able to stop smiling at him. “Yes it is,” she said tears of happiness pricking in her mismatched eyes. 

     “Oh my God,” Rick walked up to her and enveloped her in a tight hug. “You’re actually here,” he laughed. “How’ve you been?”   

     “Good, very good,” Electra broke out of the hug actually examining him. “And you?” she asked. “How have you been buddy?”

     

     “In a coma,” Rick nodded. “For what seems like years, seeing how the world is now. Woke up two days ago,” he explained. 

     “Oh my God, how?”

     “Shoot out,” he replied. “It is so good to see you,” he exclaimed laughing. “God, I haven’t seen you since you left,” he reminisced.

     “Well…” Electra trailed off awkwardly resting her hands on her hips. “You could have always visited, I said that you could,” she stated. 

     “Yeah but the way we kind of departed wasn’t exactly the best…” Rick said awkwardly. “I kind of thought you wouldn’t have wanted to see me again,”

     “What are you, crazy?” Electra asked. “I would have loved to have heard from you,” Electra hugged him again. “To have seen you.... I missed you,” she backed away. 

     “Okay then….” Glenn raised an eyebrow. “Sorry to interrupt this cute little reunion or whatever the hell this is but could you explain?”  

     “This is Rick, he’s my best friend who I’ve known all my life,” she explained simply causing everyone to look around in surprise.

     “Well, nice to meet you Rick,” 

     “Hey T-Dog,” Electra turned to him. “Try that CB,” she ordered causing him to take the walkie she had passed to him before. “Can you contact the others?” 

     “Others?” Rick asked. “The refugee centre?” 

     “Yeah…the refugee centre. They got biscuits waiting in the oven for us,” Jacqui said sarcastically looking over her shoulder at Rick.

     “No signal,” T-Dog said when all he received was static. 

      “The roof,” 

     Electra grinned , she couldn’t help it she was still caught up in the fact that she and Rick had been reunited but her glee ended very soon afterwards when she heard several gunshots. 

     “Ah man,” T-Dog said looking upwards and around attempting to find the source of the noise. “Was that Dixon?” T-Dog asked before Electra began to involuntarily glare. 

     “Come on!” Morales shouted ushering them towards the stairs which would take them up the roof top where Merle was. 

     “Hey Dixon!” Electra growled as she burst through the doors to see Merle Dixon, standing up on the ledge at the edge of the roof shooting down walkers roaming the streets below. “Are you freakin’ out of your mind?” she demanded furiously raising her voice.   

     “Dixon! Are you crazy?!” Morales joined her with a holler over the gun shots that were being fired by Dixon. With every one, a survivor jumped apart from Electra and Rick due to their experience with guns. 

     “Ehhhh,” Merle made a sound of dismissal, as if the group were disturbing him. He fired one last shot. “You ought to be more polite to a man with a gun,” he stated turning around to face the group. “Huh?” he jumped down from the ledge. “Only common sense,” he said causing Electra to roll her eyes and Andrea placed her hands on her hips and took a deep breath. 

     “Man!” T-Dog shouted outrage.  “You’re wasting bullets we aint even got man!” he complained. “And you go brining geeks down on our asses?” he asked. “Just chill,” he ordered. 

     “Hey,” Merle shot back. “As it isn’t enough that I have to take orders from this taco vendor,” Merle looked from Morales to Electra. “And who knows what nationality sugar tits is,” he stated before looking back to T-Dog. “And now I have to take orders from you?” he questioned. “I don’t think so bro. That’ll be the day,” he scoffed.

     “That’ll be the day? You have something you want to tell me?” T-Dog demanded aggravated by Merle’s words and reaction. 

     “Hey, T-Dog man,” Morales said calmly. “Just leave it alright?” Morales asked but to Electra it sounded far more like a plead.  

     Merle was being just that- Merle. The guy who just loved to start trouble and piss of as many people as he possibly could. Electra ran a hand through her hair and sighed. Personally, she couldn’t blame T-Dog for reacting and would love to see him beat the shit out of Dixon but she knew Merle and she knew that he was about 300 pounds of pure muscle. And the group had other matters on their hands then fighting.    

     “T-Dog, listen to me,” Electra caught his eye and held it. “It aint worth it,” she said level headedly. “He aint worth it  man, he’s too damn thick and ignorant,” Electra stated before sending Merle a snide look and turning to face him. “And you? I’ve had enough of you for one day, I realise that you can’t help being your usual self, but can you just turn it down a notch please?” she asked him. “We’ve got enough trouble on our hands, the last thing we need is a fight on our hands,” she stated. 

     “You want to know the day?” Merle questioned T-Dog, egging him on with pleasure- completely ignoring Electra’s words. 

     “Yeah,”

     “Guys!” Electra shouted, looking at them both with a pissed look. “Seriously?” she raised an eyebrow out of annoyance and disbelief. “What the hell did I just say?!” she threw her arms down beside her. 

     “I’ll tell you the day,” Merle continued causing Electra to hold her hands up and turn around. She refused to be involved in this idiocy. “Mr Yo,” Merle added making a mock ‘gangster’ gesture. “It’s the day I take orders from a n*****,” 

     T-Dog cracked and lunged for him, that was when Electra heard a crack as Merle used the buttstock of the riffle to strike T-Dog with and punched him by the time Electra spun around Merle had already punched Rick sending him to the floor and was currently kicking T-Dog in the face. 

     “Man!”

     “Hey that’s enough!

     “Stop it!” 

  

     “Merle did you hear me? Stop it!”

     Merle simply ignored the protests of those around him and continued to kick T-Dog into one of the metal pipes, ending up with T-Dog laying on the ground whilst Merle was kicking him. 

     “Leave him alone!” 

     Merle yet again ignored the others and settled with pinning T-Dog to the ground and punching him repeatedly in the face whilst Rick got up, startled from the punch he had received- blood dripping from his nose. Morales went to drag Merle off of T-Dog but received a punch in the gut causing him to retrieve. Then Electra went to jump on Merle’s back to force him backwards but was thrown off before she could get her grip. 

     “MERLE!” 

     “Guys, stop it!”

     “CUT! IT! OUT!” Electra roared over everyone. “Dixon, you better get off of him now or I swear to God I will-” Electra went to reach for her gun in the back of her belt. 

     “Or you’ll what?” Merle asked, not bothering to look at her as he retrieved her gun from his pocket and pressed Electra’s gun to T-Dogs forehead. Electra froze in horror, unable to take in a breath.

     “No, no, no,” Andrea shook her head  desperately, tears nearly filling her ears in fear. “Please. Please,” she asked Merle, no. Not asked, pleaded, begged. 

     Those were the last words before complete silence arose among the group. No one dares to move I fear of Merle who was a ticking time bomb begging for a chance to explode. Electra couldn’t risk taking him down, she knew Merle wouldn’t hesitate to shoot T-Dog so she just remained frozen. Merle spat on T-Dog  before grabbing him by the shirt proud of what he had caused.

     “Yeah! Merle nodded breaking the silence. “Alright!” he smirked at what he had accomplished. “We’re going to have ourselves a little pow-wow.,” he declared. “Huh? Talk about who’s in charge?” he got off of T-Dog causing everyone to rush over to him and go to his aid. “I vote me,” Merle stated. “Anybody else? Democracy time y’all,” he stated. 

     Electra was no longer frozen in horror but in pure rage. 

     “Show of hands?” 

     Electra growled, going for him with every intention of somehow killing him but was caught by Morales and Glenn who held her back.

     “Let go off me!” 

     “Electra, he’s got a gun in our faces. He’ll shoot you,” 

     “I said: Let. Go.”

     “Huh?” Merle laughed at Electra. “All in favour?” Merle removed his eyes off of Electra and to the others helping T-Dog who was still on the floor. “Come on, let’s see um,” Merle hollered as Jacqui attended to T-Dog’s head wound with a rag that she had retrieved from Electra’s  backpack. Morales held his free hand up causing Merle to smirk. 

     “Oh come on!” Electra growled in disbelief, still using all her body weight and strength to attempt to break free of Glenn and Morales’ grip and nearly succeeded but was pulled back again.   

     “All in favour?” Merle asked again practically wagging the gun in their faces, this caused everyone to slowly and reluctantly raise their hands except Electra who was just silent in her rage and glaring at him. “I’ll take that as abstaining then sweet cheeks,” Merle said to Electra before looking back to see everyone’s hands raised. “That’s good, yeah? That means I’m the boss, right?! He questioned causing Electra to let out a growl. “Anybody else?” he asked, looking at Electra again who simply made no movements. “Anybody?”

     “Yeah,” 

     Rick intervened, hitting Merle with the butt of the riffle that he had abandoned sending Merle to the ground with a thump. Rick, restraining him by kneeling on his face, handcuffed him to the pipe which was stained with T-Dogs blood. He grabbed him by the collar, forcing him to sit up before Rick looked him straight in the eye as his perfect blue eyes flickered in rage. 

     “Who the hell are you man?!”

     “Officer friendly,” Rick replied before reaching for the hand gun. “Look here Merle, things are different now,” Rick told him as he checked out the gun. “There are no n*****s anymore, no dumb as shit inbred white trash fools either. Only dark meat and light meat. There’s us, and the dead,” Rick ranted. “We survive this by pulling together, not apart,” he stated still fiddling with Electra’s gun. 

     “Screw you man,”

     “I can see you making a habit of missing the point,” Rick sighed before speaking the words, looking at Electra the whole time before back to Merle. 

     “Yeah? Well screw you twice,”

     “Ought to be polite to a man with a gun,” Rick said cocking the gun and digging it in to Merle’s temple. “Only common sense,” he repeated Merle’s earlier words with bitterness.  

     “You wouldn’t,” Merle said dismissively and unbelieving , the gun still digging in to his left temple. “You’re a cop,” he stated smugly.

     “All I am anymore is a man looking for his wife and kid,” Rick told Merle taking his gun back down. “Anybody who gets in the way of that’s gonna lose,” he threatened. “I’ll give you think about that,” Rick stated before searching Merle’s pockets roughly, finding drugs in the right one before tilting up Merle’s jaw inspecting his nose. “Got some on your nose there,” he informed him, flicking it before standing back up. 

     “What you gonna do? Arrest me?” Merle laughed. “Hey!” Rick threw the packet off of the roof. “What do you think you’re doing with that man! That’s my stuff!” Merle shouted. “Hey!” Merle hollered pulling against the handcuff. “If I get lose you better pray!” Merle hollered as Rick walked over to the corner. “You hear me?! You pig! You hear me?!” Merle roared. 

     “Yeah, your voice carries,” Rick muttered over the obscenities being shouted at him by the angry redneck who reached for Electra’s hand gun. But before he could graze it with his fingertips Electra stepped on his free hand. 

     “Na-ah-ah,” Electra said looking down at Merle. “I don’t think so,” Electra smirked, putting a little more weight crushing his hand slightly as she reached down to retrieve the gun. “I think you’ll find that’s mine,” she stated with a smirk before turning her back to him and helping T-Dog with the radio.