NOVEL NEXT Chapter 5: Cap: 5
[ Mission accomplished: "Take control of the supermarket."
This supermarket is full of people hiding inside... The resources here would be a great boost for survival... And they would be better utilized in your hands.
Objective: Take control of the supermarket and all the people inside by any means necessary.
Rewards:
- "Pocket warehouse 1" (Allows you to carry objects without physically holding them, and they'll be available at any time. The current limit is 100 kilograms and can be upgraded by completing missions.)
- "Perceptive leader" (You'll be able to see detailed information about all the members of your group, including their perception of you.)
- Community benefit ( You'll be able to choose a benefit for your community, and as it strengthens, this benefit can evolve.)
]
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The first thing Erick had to do was ensure that his group could survive the immediate threat… the walkers…
The group currently had 14 bows, 5 crossbows, and 3 pistols, not counting Erick's weapons… That meant out of the 54 men under his command, only 22 had a decent weapon… This was unacceptable and had to be resolved as a priority…
Erick temporarily compensated for this shortage of weapons by making rudimentary spears with broomsticks and knives…
The fabrication of these weapons was incredibly simple… He took a broomstick and secured a knife to its end with duct tape, wrapping the joint several times until it was firm. For added security, he used a couple of nails, hammering them into the knife handle. He finished the job with more tape, reinforcing the base to ensure it didn't move.
The improvised spear was ready: crude but effective, perfect for keeping walkers at a distance in case of confrontation… Erick gave one of these spears to every man who didn't have a bow or crossbow, and all of his men, regardless of their primary weapon, carried a knife, hammer, or something similar as a secondary weapon in case of emergency…
Once the issue of weapons was temporarily solved… Erick focused on another problem: finding a new home for the group… Things were going to get worse as supplies ran out, and this supermarket was too easy for anyone to find…
After discussing it with Gary, they considered several possible locations to establish themselves, such as schools, malls, or abandoned military bases. But these places would be easy to find, and many would be looking there for safety or resources…
Gary suggested setting up in the West Georgia Correctional Facility, the same prison Rick had settled in the canon, but that location was too close to Woodbury, and although Erick didn't know if the Governor had already lost his mind… he didn't intend to find out, not to mention that since his group was so large, it would be much harder to stay discreet in that area…
They finally decided their new home would be the Ocmulgee Shelter (an invented location), situated between Macon and Atlanta, near the Ocmulgee River.
The Ocmulgee Shelter was originally a recreational summer camp designed to accommodate up to 300 people. This place had wooden cabins equipped with bunk beds for large groups. The camp included a communal dining hall, an industrial kitchen, a church, a recreational area, and a meeting room, all surrounded by a metal fence that offered security from wild animals and delineated the campers' area.
The most important aspect of the place was its location, in a rural region near farms, fields, and ranches. So food wouldn't be a problem if they could find people to work those places…
Erick divided his group into two, 30 men would go to the shelter and kill all the walkers. Once the shelter was cleared, 10 men would stay behind to clean and repair the place, while the other 20 returned to the supermarket to transport all the supplies using vehicles. The men staying at the supermarket would have to pack everything and gather gasoline.
The appropriate men for each task would be in charge of everything. Arnold, the carpenter, would lead the men repairing the shelter. Gary would be in charge of the transport, and Drew would oversee packing and collecting gasoline.
Erick himself wasn't going to participate in the operation; instead, he would handle a more important task… getting the weapons he promised the group…
After carefully studying the map, Erick determined that there were only a few nearby places to quickly find a large quantity of weapons… A gun shop in Atlanta… Fort Benning… Robins Air Force Base… or the King County Sheriff's Office…
Both the airbase and Fort Benning were likely still occupied by the military, so they were immediately ruled out. Going to Atlanta alone was too risky due to the number of walkers in the city… But the sheriff's office was in a sparsely populated area, and the police were likely either dead or deserted… making it the ideal option…
Not to mention, if Rick Grimes could find weapons there after being in a coma for months, then the place was undoubtedly a gold mine…
Having chosen his destination, Erick had to decide who would accompany him. Alexa and Sandra could help without being defenseless… But he hesitated over whether to bring Clementine and Lysa with him… However… what was the alternative? The only man he trusted was Gary, but he was going to be busy leading a mission…
In the end, Erick decided to bring the girls with him anyway… The walkers were bad, but these men could be worse, given that he didn't know them well… He didn't know which ones were decent and which ones were degenerate scum… It was best to keep the two girls close to him for now.
Erick put on his biker suit and helmet… This "armor" had saved him from being bitten, and he trusted it would keep doing so… He had advised his group members to follow his example and wear any kind of armor or protection they could on their bodies… Some had heeded his advice, while others ignored it to avoid being uncomfortable in the Georgia heat… Time would tell if they had made the right decision.
Erick said goodbye to Gary as he watched the men load things into the vans that used to supply the supermarket… He felt he had done everything he could to help his men with their task, but the results would determine whether he had been right or not.
Before getting into the patrol car, Sandra looked at him with disapproval. She had been disgusted by all the things he had promised the group and begged him to escape and never return, as had Alexa. However, Erick refused to do so; he was a man of his word, and besides, he felt he could control the situation.
The group was a mix of indifferent, immoral, stupid, and cowardly people. He just had to figure out who was who and eliminate the members who were a problem. It might not be as easy as he made it seem, but this community was not a lost cause…
Erick started the patrol car once everyone was inside and headed down the road to King County. The road was quiet, and aside from a few walkers, they didn't encounter any unwanted company.
As the patrol car crossed the town, Erick saw how the place looked like it had been hit by a tornado. There were bloodstains on parts of the ground or the walls of buildings. Broken windows and stores with merchandise scattered across the floor… Some houses had their windows completely boarded up, while others had their doors wide open. The streets showed no signs of life other than the walkers shambling around.
"So… there's no one left here?" Sandra murmured.
"Other than them… it doesn't look like it… If anyone is here, I don't think they want to be seen," Erick affirmed.
"I can see birds," Clementine pointed happily at some birds on the sidewalk. "They look like crows… and they're… eating a cat." She finished sadly.
The crows were tearing into their captured prey in a way that made Clem's stomach churn. Erick himself couldn't help but recall the walkers eating people alive.
Erick reached the sheriff's office and parked his vehicle alongside the others there.
"I'll go in first. You stay behind me and don't let your guard down…" Erick ordered before getting out of the car and carefully approaching the station's entrance.
Erick kicked the door open and entered, holding his spear in his left hand. The pistol in his right hand was ready to fire… The spear was for walkers, and the bullets were for hostile people…
Hearing footsteps behind him, Erick turned and saw a police officer in his twenties pointing a gun at him while Erick did the same.
"You're not a cop…" the man muttered with a frown.
"No, I'm not…" Erick murmured as he walked a bit through the lobby, forcing the man to turn to keep him in sight, which left his back exposed to the entrance.
"How'd you get that patrol car?... What did you do?!" The officer asked nervously.
Alexa entered a few seconds later and, seeing what was happening, drew the revolver Erick had given her.
"I took the keys from a dead cop in Atlanta… I didn't kill him if that's what you're thinking," Erick explained.
His answer didn't calm the man, who kept aiming at him. His panic seemed to grow with each passing second…
"I don't know if I believe you…" the officer murmured as he wiped the sweat from his face. "… This uniform… It used to mean something… But now it doesn't anymore… The dead want to eat us, and the living shoot at us…"
"...Believe me, I'm not here to harm you..." Erick assured.
"Yeah, sure..." the cop responded sarcastically.
Erick lowered his weapon and holstered it on his belt, remaining calm. This left the man, who was still aiming at him, confused, but that confusion quickly turned into panic when he felt Alexa's gun, the barrel pressing against the back of his neck.
"If I wanted to kill you, I would've done it already..." Erick pointed out. "...Alexa, lower your weapon..." he ordered.
Alexa obeyed, though somewhat hesitant, after a few seconds. The cop also eventually holstered his gun and sighed.
"Alright, I believe you... By the way, my name is Leon... Leon Basset," he introduced himself.
"I'm Erick, and this is Alexa..." Erick replied, while Alexa waved timidly. Erick then whistled, and Sandra entered with Lysa and Clementine.
"You've got kids..." Leon murmured. "...Real kids... Not like those monsters that ate Richard..."
"We're just people trying to survive... We don't mean you any harm..." Erick repeated, this time managing to truly convince the officer.
"Of course... I understand... What can I do for you?" Leon asked.
Erick explained his situation, told him about his community, their numbers, and their vulnerability due to the lack of weapons. Though he kept a few unpleasant details to himself...
"So, you want to take the weapons from the station..." Leon said before Erick could even ask. His expression made it clear he wasn't comfortable with the idea.
"Yes..." Erick replied, feeling a bit guilty about what he was going to do. "...The lives of my people depend on me getting those weapons... Some of them might be dying as we speak..."
The manipulation hit Leon like a punch in the gut, and it was clear he was struggling with the idea while guilt tormented him.
"I'm not here to steal anything from you, Leon... I didn't expect to find anyone here... Are you the last one left in this station?" Erick asked, adding a touch of pity to his voice.
"Yes... Everything happened so fast... First, they shot Rick... Then everyone started disappearing... And finally, Shane left while I was trying to help the town's people..." Leon sighed, and in an instant, he seemed ten years older.
"I'm sure you did everything you could..." Erick consoled him, placing a hand on his shoulder. "...But the people of this town can't be helped anymore... We can't bring back the dead, but we can still save the living... You'd be more than welcome in my group, and we could help each other survive," Erick proposed.
Leon looked into his eyes for a few seconds, and Erick could see in his gaze that he was considering the idea. The officer then shifted his glance toward the girls, who were chatting amongst themselves, unaware of what was happening.
"You're right... I'll... I'll do it... I'll show you those weapons," Leon murmured, determined.
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The padlock fell to the floor with a clink, followed by the chain, after Leon used his keys. Inside the cage were pistols, shotguns, rifles, and even a few assault rifles, along with plenty of ammunition boxes of different calibers.
"I recommend you take good care of the ammo... It runs out faster than you think... I know that better than anyone," Leon advised.
Erick nodded, and they immediately began packing everything into backpacks to carry the weapons more easily. They made sure to clean out the cage completely, leaving not even a single loose bullet behind.
They loaded the backpacks into the two patrol cars they would use to return to the refuge. One was Leon's patrol car, and the other was the one Erick had used to get to the town.
"I really appreciate this," Erick told the officer as he closed the trunk of the patrol car, with the last bags packed inside.
"I appreciate it more..." Leon responded. "...Honestly, I feel like a huge weight's been lifted off my shoulders... I don't know what would've happened to me if I'd stayed here alone any longer..."
Maybe you don't, but I do...
This guy was one of the first walkers Rick Grimes killed in the canon. Although he didn't know exactly how he died, it was a fact that his canonical future was grim.
"There's something else you'll definitely thank me for..." Leon caught Erick's attention. "How does a shower sound?"
"Do I really smell that bad?" Erick asked, amused by the situation. He hadn't showered in over a week simply because he hadn't had the chance.
"No... you smell worse," Leon teased, waving away imaginary flies.
They both laughed, and Erick realized that was actually a great idea. A malicious grin spread across his face, a product of the thoughts running through his head.
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Sandra relaxed as she felt the warm water from the shower touch her skin. She felt all the stress being washed away from her body along with the sweat and grime. A full week without a shower was no joke and having the chance to clean herself without fear of those perverts who were part of the group trying something on her was invaluable.
Unfortunately for her, the situation proved to be short-lived as soon after she shuddered and screamed when she felt someone hug her from behind while a pair of hands began to play with her breasts.
"Finally a moment alone you and I... Isn't this perfect?" Erick murmured in her ear as the water soaked them both.
"Wh... What are you doing here?" She murmured terrified and dying of embarrassment. She was naked, vulnerable and completely at his mercy.
"Did you forget our agreement?" He replied and Sandra immediately knew what he meant.
The agreement was "Protection by Affection" and it didn't seem like a big deal when she agreed to it. But she hadn't really grasped what it entailed until this moment and knew there was no turning back.
"I'm glad to see you do remember…" Erick teased as he caressed her entire body with his hands.
"Clem is in a shower very close to here…. I could see us doing this…." Sandra tried to escape the situation.
"Don't worry about it, right now it's just you and me…." Erick turned her around and kissed her on the lips….. It was a hungry and possessive kiss but Sandra couldn't help but get lost in the moment a little.
Erick then kissed her more intensely and Sandra relaxed, kissing him back. Erick continued kissing her as he grabbed her ass with his left hand and squeezed it while playing with her breasts with his right.
She moaned as the sensations intensified and he began to kiss her neck, lifting his head to give her more room. As he moved down her body, Sandra felt like she was going to pass out from the overwhelming sensations she was being bombarded with. The combination of their bodies pressed together, the hot water falling over them, his hands rubbing the side of her body and squeezing her ass as he kissed and licked her breasts. She moaned and gasped as he worked her body.
As he played with her breasts, Erick heard Sandra's moans and squeals. He knew he was making her feel good, but he wanted to make her feel amazing. He slowly moved his right hand down the front of her body and began to rub her womanhood, causing the redheaded girl to squeal in surprise.
Taking advantage of the situation, Erick pressed his mouth onto her right nipple, licking and sucking on it, causing her to squeal at first and then moan. Just as Sandra was about to get used to the multiple sensations, he plunged his finger into her opening and she let out a high pitched squeal making him move his finger faster, not letting her get used to it. He then inserted another finger and Sandra felt her body tremble a little.
"Someone's gonna hear us.... Just.... Finish it .....quick..." Sandra gasped.
"Hmmm.... I'm gonna make you mine now Sandra" Erick informed after lifting his head from her breasts. He pushed the young girl roughly against the wall and lifted her legs while having her wrap her hands around his neck.
Erick lined up his member with the girl's opening, he wasted no time as he forcefully spread her legs and plunged into her roughly, making Sandra squeal as pain shot through her as he rammed her hard again and again. He continued his wild thrusts as he growled in pleasure.
Sandra felt the pain was too much and finally she couldn't take it anymore.
"Slower... Please... Go slower." The girl begged between moans.
Erick sighed as he slowed down at Sandra's request. He slowly pulled out of her until only the tip was in and then he entered her forcefully, repeating this slow and tortuous rhythm controlling his desires even though he wanted to do exactly the opposite.
First she wants it all to end quickly and then she asks me to go slow... who understands her?
"What are you doing?" A childish voice asked.
Erick turned his head to see Clementine standing there with her body wet and a towel wrapped around her torso. The girl looked at them with childish curiosity and clearly had no idea what was happening before her eyes.
Erick saw Sandra gasp in horror at Clementine's presence while covering her face with her hands because of the shame she felt, he for his part did not feel embarrassed in the least. He was actually feeling frustrated that he hadn't climaxed yet, so he kept pounding into Sandra while holding her legs.
"Hey Clem... Do you need help?" Erick asked between gasps.
"No, Sandra told me to turn off the shower when I finished and wait for her but I heard weird noises and came here... By the way, what are you doing?..." Clem asked as she watched the way she moved.
"Sandra and I are just having an adult conversation..." Erick explained as he adjusted his grip on Sandra in the middle of his thrusts.
"Are all adult conversations like this?" The girl asked, even more confused.
"Only those of those who love each other very much like your parents..." Erick argued, who remembered that he had not yet told Clem that her parents were dead. "Why don't you get dressed and wait outside for us to finish?... Sandra can clear up your doubts later..."
"Okay..." Clem nodded and then walked away and left them alone again.
When Erick saw that the girl had finally left, Sandra slapped him hard while glaring at him angrily.
"Did you see what you did?... What am I supposed to say to Clem now?" Sandra scolded him while crossing her arms over her bare breasts.
"It's not a big deal... I saw my parents doing the same thing when I was five... At that age they don't even understand what they see and don't give it any importance..." Erick explained.
"Why do I bother?" Sandra snorted sarcastically. "Get it over with already..." She demanded.
Erick squeezed one of Sandra's breasts while speeding up the pace. He pounded into her with more and more power and it seems like she already got used to the pace as she didn't complain while moaning loudly.
Sandra initially leaned her head over him to kiss him, but then she started moaning and panting loudly before squeezing her eyes shut and shuddering from her climax.
"Look into my eyes," Erick forced her to look at him after she calmed down a bit. "I'll see your beautiful face while I'm done." He growled.
Sandra looked up at him between gasps as he moved harder inside her. He pinched her nipples while squeezing her breasts harder before one final thrust flooded her insides with his seed.
When Erick finished, he pulled out of her and laid on the floor as they both panted. He smirked at his seed inside Sandra's opening as he felt himself relieved of all his stress. Except for Clementine's interruption, things went amazing for both of them and Sandra should appreciate it...
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Both finished showering and began to get dressed while Erick tried to start a conversation.
"Hey, don't look at me like that… You enjoyed it just as much as I did," Erick remarked.
"I did enjoy it…" Sandra admitted. "But you were too rough, and now I have to have an awkward conversation with Clem thanks to you," she scolded him.
"Alright, I was rough… but I just needed to learn your pace, and the kid didn't even understand what she saw… I'm sure in a few years, we'll laugh about all this," Erick defended himself.
Sandra didn't seem convinced by his words and continued dressing in silence, ending the conversation.
They both left the showers, and Erick saw Alexa, Lysa, and Clementine already dressed, their hair shining after their showers. If he wasn't so exhausted from what he had to do during the week, he might have paid Alexa a visit in the showers as well.
Speaking of Alexa, she clearly realized what had happened between them in the showers but simply looked at them with a neutral expression. Erick felt a little guilty for neglecting her; until now, he hadn't spent much time with her. They had only done it quickly and roughly, so Erick promised himself that he would give her more attention soon.
Erick walked toward the exit, ignoring the women's conversations around him. He walked beside Alexa and took the opportunity to caress her backside, giving it a squeeze that made her yelp.
The young woman turned around with a flushed face, and Erick simply smiled at her before leaving the changing rooms.
He walked through the station, admiring the desolate place, before arriving at the cafeteria where León was packing up all the remaining food into bags.
"You were right… the shower was a great idea," Erick nodded.
"Glad to hear it," murmured León, unaware of what Erick truly meant. "… This place will still have water for a long time, so we can always come back if needed."
"Sure…" Erick agreed with the idea, but then thought better of it. "… However, it's likely someone else will settle here once we leave… If we come back, we shouldn't let our guard down."
"I don't see why it would necessarily be a bad thing to find people here," murmured León, confused. "... I'd be more worried about a walker hiding in some corner."
"I disagree… The dead aren't the bigger threat, it's the living we should fear… People can do crazy things when they're desperate, and it's only going to get worse over time," Erick explained.
"Yeah, I know what you mean," León nodded. "…I knew I'd get shot at in this job… Being a cop wasn't going to be like the movies, but the world has really turned into hell if we can't even trust the living anymore."
The two continued chatting while finishing packing and loading the vehicles. Since León was traveling alone in his car, there was no issue piling things in the back seats.
"Hey Erick, you forgot this…" Lysa appeared behind him, holding his helmet.
Erick took the item from Lysa's hands, surprised. He must have been lost in his lust to forget something so important.
"…Thanks for that. I would've felt like an idiot if I left this behind," Erick told the girl.
"By the way…" Lysa murmured, nervously putting her hands behind her back. "Can… Can I have a gun?" she asked in a low voice.
Erick was truly surprised by the girl's audacity. He supposed she had been gaining confidence with him over time, and the fact that her request didn't seem strange or ridiculous to him left him a bit surprised at himself.
"Alright…" Erick muttered, pulling out the thief's gun he had been keeping since before meeting Lysa.
The gun was small, and its magazine had low capacity. He had stocked it with ammunition as a secondary weapon, but he didn't mind parting with it, as he could easily get another one.
"The first thing you need to understand is that it's not a toy… It's a tool, and you can hurt yourself or someone else if you're not responsible with it," León advised from a distance.
"I understand, I'll be responsible, I promise," the girl swore.
Erick showed her how to hold it and how to manipulate the safety to know when she could fire and when not. Accuracy was something she'd have to master with practice, but they'd have plenty of time later.
"Don't forget… bullets are the last resort, don't use them unless there's no other option, because the noise will attract every walker in the area," Erick explained.
"I understand… I… Thanks for trusting me," Lysa hugged him tightly around the waist.
Erick stroked her back and head as a warm feeling swelled in his chest.
"And always aim for the head," Erick whispered.
Once everything was packed, everyone decided to take advantage of the daylight and leave town. Things had gone well, and it was best not to tempt fate for something bad to happen.
The trip was mostly silent as Erick drove down the highway, with León following a few meters behind. When they were finally nearing the shelter, he picked up the radio and tried to contact Gary.
"This is Erick… Can anyone hear me?" he asked.
For several seconds, they only heard the radio's static until finally, someone responded.
"…This is Gary… I hear you," Gary answered.
"How's everything at the shelter?… Did everything go according to plan?" Erick asked.
"More or less… We managed to clear the shelter of all walkers… Those spears and armor were a great idea," Gary praised.
"And the casualties?" Erick questioned, doubting everything had gone perfectly.
"Bruce tried to loot the place before we made sure it was completely clear… Two walkers caught him off guard and ate him… Sam got bitten in the back and asked me to kill him… There were a few others who got bitten, but they followed your advice and wore multiple layers of clothing, so their skin was intact," Gary explained.
"Alright… Pay attention to anything strange… It's possible someone else got bitten and decided to hide it from the rest of the group… Set up guards during the night and make sure everyone sleeps separately," Erick ordered.
"I'll get on it right away… By the way… Did you complete your lone wolf mission?" Gary joked.
"Yes…" Erick confirmed with a smile. "…I've got the weapons I promised our people. We have reason to celebrate tonight," he informed.
"Excellent…" Gary was thrilled to hear the news. "…It'll take us another whole day to finish moving our supplies… but we're on the right track."
That meant their group would remain divided for a while longer, which Erick didn't like much. Luckily, there wasn't an enemy around to take advantage of that vulnerable moment.
"We'll be at the shelter soon… See you, Gary," Erick said his goodbye.
"Perfect… The guys and I will return to the supermarket to sleep before continuing tomorrow… I'll tell Arnold to be ready to receive you," Gary signed off.
Erick kept driving down the road, then turned onto a dirt path that led them through a forest and up a hill. Finally, the shelter came into view, with a pile of dead walkers outside the fence.
Both vehicles circled the shelter until they reached the parking lot. Erick and León turned off the engines and got out to contemplate their new home.
The fence could keep walkers out, but the place would need to be reinforced with a palisade or wooden wall, along with a series of platforms that would allow a group of armed guards to repel an assault.
The river was about 300 meters from the shelter, so they would have fresh water without much trouble. They could fish and hunt in the area now that restrictions no longer existed. They could even cut down trees and use the wood for firewood or to improve the shelter.
For now, they had enough food for three months. They could loot more from nearby towns, but relying solely on canned food for survival would obviously have detrimental effects on their health in the long run. Getting fresh food had to be a priority, not just to avoid relying on canned goods, but to supplement their diet and prevent weakening from anemia or other similar issues.
Arnold emerged from the shelter and approached them. He had arms as thick as tree trunks and, despite being shorter than Erick, the man was pure muscle and undoubtedly heavier.
The man came out holding a spear, accompanied by Roger, who had his crossbow in hand and a smile on his face. He whistled when he saw the bags of weapons in their hands.
"I gotta admit, kid… I thought you were on some hard drugs when you said you'd get weapons for everyone on your own," Roger laughed at his own joke, then looked at León. "…I see you brought a cop… Are you here for all the traffic tickets I've got under the rug?"
"…I'm here for the roof over your head… if that's not a problem, of course," León replied.
"…For now, it's not," Arnold said. "…If there's one thing we have plenty of right now, it's space… but the boss has the final say," Arnold explained.
"Fantastic… Where is he?" León asked.
Arnold and Roger exchanged a glance, then looked at Erick with a mocking smile. León realized what they were implying and looked at Erick in surprise.
"Are you the leader of this community?" León seemed shocked that someone so young was in charge.
"…Just recently, but yes… The guy who was in charge before got the news with a knife to his throat," Arnold mocked Jake and laughed.
León didn't take long to understand what Arnold meant, and clearly, he didn't like the news as he looked at Erick in panic, expecting an explanation.
"I had to kill the previous leader..." Erick admitted. "...Jake was an idiot, and he would have led us to ruin..." he explained, but he was interrupted.
"And you're going to lead us to glory, kid!" Arnold patted him on the shoulder with a smile. "When are you going to make women appear for us like you did with these weapons?"
"First, we need to finish the move, then we can discuss that," Erick replied, wishing the conversation would end.
That seemed to satisfy Arnold, while León looked at him confused, but Roger had to keep talking and opened his mouth again.
"... I hope it's soon... That girl cried a lot and squirmed like a worm, but I already miss her... Man, we should have kept her alive instead of killing her after we were done having fun with her..." Roger commented casually.
Erick sighed as he heard the sound of a couple of bags of weapons hitting the ground... He should have seen this coming...
"What are you talking about?!... What the hell did you do?!" León stepped back, placing his hand on the gun at his belt.
"For a cop, you seem pretty soft..." Arnold mocked him. "... Haven't you ever seen this kind of crap at work?"
León drew his weapon and pointed it at Arnold, while Roger returned the gesture with his crossbow. Erick saw Alexa and Sandra moving the girls away from the potential shootout, hiding behind one of the vehicles.
"Let's take it easy, no one needs to die..." Erick stepped between the two armed men, raising his hands to calm the situation.
"You tricked me!... You were going to make me hand over weapons to a bunch of murderers and rapists!" León accused him.
"I didn't trick you..." Erick defended himself. "... You never asked what kind of people we were, you just assumed the best because we had kids with us..."
"And I clearly made a huge mistake..." León shook his head. "... None of you deserve these weapons, and I won't allow you to have them..."
At this, Erick couldn't help but growl in frustration. He hadn't gone through all this crap just to be told no at the last second.
"I'm sorry, León..." Erick apologized. "... But I can't allow that... As I said before... My people need those weapons..."
"Your group needs a lot of things, but the last thing they should have is weapons... I'd rather put a bullet in all their heads than let them walk around armed..." León responded.
"Come on, man... Don't you think that's an exaggeration?" Erick huffed at the trouble this guy was causing him.
"Exaggeration?... Are you serious?!" León seemed to have lost his cool and pointed his gun at Erick as he got closer and closer. "... You talk like this whole situation is a game... Like what I just heard is something insignificant... If you're the leader of these men, then everything they do reflects on you, and you must be the worst of them all... No... In fact, you're a monster."
That made Erick's blood boil. How dare this guy judge him?...
"No, I'm not a monster... I'm someone who does what's necessary to survive..." Erick didn't let León's gun intimidate him. "You think you're superior to me... You think you're better than me... But you're just another naive guy blaming others for your problems... This is a new world... There's no good or evil... Every man only gets what he earns... and your moralistic nonsense will only drag you down..."
León looked him up and down, incredulous at his words, but kept his grip firm on his weapon, still pointing it at him.
"I should kill you... May God forgive me because I'm going to end up killing all of you... You don't deserve to live in this world," León muttered, clearly struggling to pull the trigger.
Erick slowly walked to the left, only for León to shoot the ground to stop him.
"All right, here's what's going to happen..." León kept his gun pointed at the ground but didn't relax his grip. "... You're going to hand over all your weapons and you're going to..." He stopped when a bullet hit him in the head, and his body fell to the ground.
Erick was about to thank Alexa for intervening, but he stopped when he saw what happened. Lysa was standing there with the gun he had given her in her hands, while her older sister stood a few steps behind, horrified.
"What's happening?..." Lysa murmured, confused as she noticed everyone staring at her. "... I shot him in the head..."
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[Character Summary:
- Name: Erick Bolton
- Age: 18
- Combat Attributes:
(Take into account that C- is the average)
* Melee: B-
* Ranged: C-
* Physical condition: B-
* Stealth: B-
* Plot Armor: Low
- Group size: 60
- Army quality: Very low.
- Inventory:
+ Pistol (ammo x50)
+ Small axe
+ Machete
+ Tactical knives x1
+ Backpack
+ first aid kit
+ Food (remaining days: 86 )]
-unlocked features:
+"Sacrifice Resources"
(You can sacrifice resources in exchange for improving your attributes... For example, food for physical conditioning, ammunition for ranged combat, etc... but the resources you sacrifice will be lost forever, and the cost increases exponentially based on how high your attributes are.)]
+ "Pocket warehouse 1" (Allows you to carry objects without physically holding them, and they'll be available at any time. The current limit is 100 kilograms and can be upgraded by completing missions.)
+ "Perceptive leader" (You'll be able to see detailed information about all the members of your group, including their perception of you.)
- Community benefit ( You'll be able to choose a benefit for your community, and as it strengthens, this benefit can evolve.)
]
[Community summary:
-name : ???
-members : 60
-Food (remaining days: 86 )
- Army quality: Very low.
-weapons:
+ crossbow x5
+bow x14
+pistol x3
+ spears x50
+ guns : ??
- lifestyle tree: ??
- Community benefits:
+??
]