"The gates are open?"
"Yeah, they should be here soon," Daryl replied, scanning the surroundings. "We drove by bikes, so the trucks shouldn't be far."
And just on cue, an engine sounded, and they turned toward its source seeing two military trucks closing in on them. Both halted, engines still rumbling, and from them emerged a group of men.
Axel, Oscar, Big-Tiny, and Guillermo's group. All and every one of them were dropped in gear and armed to the teeth.
"Sup, boss." Axel stretched and smirked, flashing his most charming smile seeing a beauty in a cap standing nearby...just to puke right by her boots as his eyes caught the scene of the carnage around: dead bodies, poking bones, and especially the splattered brain matter nearby.
He was used to dealing with rotten corpses, not fresh human bodies that looked like they were killed in the most painful way possible.
Rosita Espinosa, the said beauty rolled her eyes and stepped away, muttering a low curse.
"I told you, we shouldn't have brought him here with us." Oscar sighed to Big Tiny and moved toward Sasuke alongside Guillermo who was looking at the distance where he saw a man pierced through by a damn pole, from ass to throat.
"Hope we aren't late, sir."
"Nah, thanks for the quick response; split into two groups and follow one of them." He pointed to the Dixons. Then explained their tasks.
"There are storage rooms holding equipment and outlets we can take back; they will guide you."
They nodded and left to do their job with no more inquiries boarding their trucks and driving away.
That was how they worked in the prison: follow the person in command, do your job...and do whatever the fuck you want afterward as long as you aren't harming anyone.
Sasuke then turned to the group he was ignoring; no one stepped forward, as they know...their past actions made their relationship quite awkward, and especially now after seeing what Sasuke can do.
While Michonne, Abraham's group, and the unfamiliar woman stood still, not knowing the guy and not wanting to anger him.
"So, what's your plan?" Sasuke asked as he proceeded to switch vision with Vurka, seeing Katniss and others busy and the wall coming to its final shape.
Rick rubbed his face, now cleaned from the blood of Gareth, inhaled steadying his thoughts, and stepped forward just to see Hershel doing the same, as the old man was the first to beat him to it.
"I apologize," Hershel said, and there wasn't a single trace of deceit or forcefulness in his eyes; he truly meant those words.
"I apologize, son. I've wronged you. I hope you find it in yourself to forgive this old man, and even if you don't, I don't mind...what I did was cowardly and unacceptable, but Otis, Patricia, and my daughters weren't part of it. I know it's me outstepping here after you just saved our lives, but please, I beg—"
"I accept your apology, Hershel," Sasuke spoke, giving the man a breath.
"And you don't need to ask; I won't let Beth and Maggie wander this world, and since you agreed and know what's the best for you, all good. You can rest assured."
Hershel was relieved hearing what Sasuke said yet truly ashamed.
Ashamed that it wasn't until death was staring at his face, about to claim his daughters' lives in the most cruel way that he realized how wrong and stupid he was.
It doesn't matter really if his pride reached the fucking moon or his doubt about whether an inexperienced kid can shoulder the responsibility of leading them, as in the end, he saw what the "grown men" here did and were about to do to his family and friends, and that made him realize that age...doesn't mean shit when it comes to certain things.
Morals and the mind do...and Sasuke wasn't corrupted in any.
"What about you?" Sasuke then turned to Rick and others.
"We'll go." It was Shane who spoke, and Sasuke looked at him for a long moment, making Rick step forward as he realized he'd better lead the talk rather than let Shane mess things up now.
"We will make sure to repay what you did for us, Sasuke. We—" "That's a long take."
"Excuse me?" Shane turned to the women who cut Rick's talk.
"I'm not talking to you, budget Rambo." Ada ignored Shane and turned to Rick. "Repay? Darling here saved your lives; a mere promise is all you got to say?" And she smirked, catching the frown on Maggie's face from the corner of her eye.
Sasuke sighed, knowing it was just this spy's mischief to cause him troubles, maybe a payback for what he did to her.
'I will spank the shit out of her after this.'
He turned to Rick, ignoring the wink she tossed his way.
"Don't mind her; she is high. Anyway, that can be left to later; first, anyone wanting to join is welcome, as long as you know that there are rules, but those can be discussed at the base...thus, for now I have something to say, so I will be frank here, Rick, Shane, and Lori..."
And hearing the mentions made Lori sweat.
Why did she always act against Sasuke? Trying to downplay his roles?.
Because first, she didn't like that her husband was being led by some stranger who was half his age, and that was her being petty.
The real reason she became so aggressive was what happened in the CDC. Back then, Sasuke had caught her and Shane in the act; even if it was Shane who attempted to rape her, Sasuke didn't know that...and she feared him taking revenge on her by telling Rick or telling Katniss and other girls.
She always thought that with Rick and Shane around...they could easily find a safe place in this world away from Sasuke and the secret he knew.
She never imagined how messed up humans could be when the law held no more value and morals were easier to flip than a page.
Lori closed her eyes in shame hearing his following words, but...it was still better than dying to monsters; she was tired of hiding things from Rick.
"I'm aware of the triangle drama you guys have going on." Sasuke spoke, uncaring if others heard that; he didn't give a shit now when his mind was busy calculating his next big move.
Shane frowned, and Rick sighed, wishing Sasuke was more...sensible.
"It's not my business, nor any of the others here. But know this, if that drama's sparks come in touch with any of my people, you will wish that your life had ended in there," he chin-pointed to the hangar where they were short of being slaughtered.
"Is that a threat, Sasuke?"
"It is, if you think you can take me down when I'm not looking, stir things when I'm not here, or maybe take hostages like two of you thought before. Better drop it now and leave because..." And the whole gathered people had their eyes widen seeing a hand gripping a kunai suddenly appear behind Shane, followed by a clear body of a masked female.
The kunai's edge pressed against Shane's neck drawing a line of blood, showing that whoever this woman is, she wasn't joking.
"I'm no longer the only irregularity here who you guys need to deal with." Shane froze, feeling the shallow slash; the hand gripping his wrist behind his back had a familiar strength, the one only Sasuke supposedly has.
"Your orders, Sasuke-sama." Haku brought Shane down to his knees easily, surprising Abraham and his people, who started wondering whether they lost it.
Or, did they die, and is this some •before-being-flung-to-the-afterlife• type of event?.
"Leave him be. Is the perimeter safe?"
"Affirmative, I put the retrieved weapons on the safe point and dealt with the recent reanimates. I closed the secondary exit and activated the traps. Phantoms are aware of it." The unfamiliar woman lingering in the back raised an eyebrow at the Japenese sentence she heard and observed the masked girl more closely.
"Thanks for the hard work. Now fellas, are we good? If you come to our shelter, you will follow the rules, you will work, and you will keep your drama to yourself. This isn't the farm anymore. Anyone disapproving of this, leave now."
They all stood there, silent.
Ada and Michonne were eying the masked female who stepped to stand behind Sasuke with clear interest and hidden wariness.
Abraham was thinking of his choices and whether it was truly worthy to risk it and tell him the plan.
Eugene, on the other hand just stood there, pale, he was sure he was given something wrong; he is a •scientist•...and a fucking avid gamer.
But no one told him the shit he saw in games can be real...he just saw a damn assassin class spawning near him, and she styled on the man with the gruffy face like she has her STR stats maxed.
"William"
"Yes, sir." William, who was chatting with T-dog, turned to Sasuke.
He stepped forward and caught the set of keys that Sasuke tossed his way.
"I have things to take care of. Take our people and head back straight to the base. Remember, we are currently in code black, so act accordingly. Ghost and Daryl are to take the lead in my absence.
Once in the base, have them follow the protocols. They can use block D. If it's not enough, you deal with the required lodgings."
"Got it," William nodded.
Sasuke then turned to Haku, who was actually a mere clone, as the real Haku was guarding the base from the shadows.
"Haku, patrol the way leading from here to the base. In case of a marching horde turning its way or any irregularities...deal with it."
Rick watched as the girl, who wasn't even as tall as his wife, bowed slightly, stepped back to the shadow, and her presence disappeared altogether.
And he wasn't the only one shocked seeing that.
"Sorry for keeping you waiting, Mr. Abraham, right? I wish we could have this talk in a more relaxed place, but I'm pressed with something at the moment. Would it be okay to keep things short?"
Abraham, who had already tagged Sasuke as the arrogant asshole, halted, not expecting that way of... humbleness.
He sure as hell wouldn't talk like that if he were as strong as this freak in glasses.
"Ahem, well, lad, as was said before, we are heading to Washington, DC. Eugene said he can help with the cure; there are scientists working there. And with your addition, it will be a really fruitful and easy trip; we can put this world in its rightful state and fix it. What do you say?"
Sasuke looked at the man with long black hair who was partially hiding behind Abraham and pretending like he wasn't.
"Is that so, Mr...?"
Taking a deep breath, Eugene figured he could deal with a kid just like he did with Abraham; he stepped forward and introduced himself to them.
"Greetings, I'm Eugene Hermann Porter. It's a pleasure to meet someone as special, and I'm grateful for your heroic act of saving us." He secretly thought that with how much he deepened his voice, he would leave the guy impressed, ignoring Rosita's side glance.
"Likewise, Eugene, you can call me Sasuke. It's good to see a scientist. Of what field, may I ask?"
"I'm a scientist of the Human Genome Project," Eugene answered without hesitation and continued.
"I have knowledge and belief that I can work with the surviving scientists in Washington, DC. I can assist in restoring humanity if given the means and we can stop this thing if you agree to offer your assistance." He even started thinking of the following line to drop.
"Impressive," Sasuke smiled and clarified, seeing the man smirking.
"The way you lie without a blink, I mean..."
========
Your one Chunibyuu author here: just gotta say, Phantoms was Daryl and Ghost's nickname that was used when representing them as individuals.
The brotherhood is the overall name of their group.
Like always, it's just me tossing names around.
{For the buddy who suggested hunters... I still don't like it, so don't hate me for not picking it up this time too lol.}
Second, yeah, the talk took the whole chapter without any actions; it is what it is. Now Sasuke is separating (once again) to go on looting and increasing his exp points...so we won't see some characters for a while or vice versa, still didn't write the following chapter.
Hope you are doing well and see ya next chapter.