TWD: The Burden We Bear

Eddie sprang out of his armchair when three masked bandits stormed into his room, their presence shattering the fragile peace of the moment. Instinctively, he threw a punch at one of the intruders, but the other two quickly seized his arms, shoving him forcefully against the wall. The bandit he had struck retaliated, smashing the butt of his gun against the side of Eddie's head with brutal efficiency, landing three heavy blows that sent Eddie's knees buckling. Despite the pain, the other two bandits held him upright and dragged him outside, where they forced him to kneel alongside the others, positioning him next to his mother, Katjaa.

"Eddie!" she cried out, her voice laced with fear and concern.

"I'm okay...!" he groaned, struggling against the pressure as they forced him onto his knees and made him place his hands behind his head. They also confiscated his machete, adding to his frustration.

"Enough of this nonsense! Drew, start kicking down these doors!" barked the bandit leader, his voice dripping with authority.

"Yeah!" Drew replied, a hint of glee tinging his response, though it was muffled by his mask.

Suddenly, Eddie's eyes widened as he saw Lee emerge, his hands raised in a gesture of surrender.

"Hold it, asshole!" the leader shouted, leveling his pistol at Lee.

"Take it easy..." Lee replied calmly, though Eddie could sense the tension in the air.

Eddie's heart raced as he breathed heavily, scanning the scene around him. Pain coursed through his head, and he instinctively hissed, nearly lowering his hand to massage the wound. The dizziness from the earlier blows made it hard to focus.

"We can split the supplies. Spread them around!" Lee suggested, attempting to negotiate.

"Or we could just kill you and take it all," the leader retorted sarcastically, a cruel smile creeping across his face.

"And what happens when those supplies run out? You'll need us out there collecting more for you," Lee countered, his voice steady, yet urgent.

"Well, I suppose we oughta hash out some terms, then," the leader said, lowering his weapon slightly.

"I don't like hash," piped up a bandit wearing a cap and sunglasses.

"Man, shut up or I'll—" The leader was abruptly cut off when Lilly, from one of the balconies, fired a shot that struck him squarely in the head.

"Christ!" exclaimed the bandit in the cap, his voice filled with shock.

"Oh, shit!" Katjaa gasped in disbelief.

In the chaos, Ben, Katjaa, Kenny, Duck, and Clementine took off running for safety.

Seizing the opportunity, Eddie quickly turned and sprang to his feet, retaliating with a left hook that caught the bandit who had struck him off guard. The bandit stumbled back, dazed, and Eddie snatched his machete back, slashing it across the bandit's throat with a swift, practiced motion. Without a moment to waste, he dashed back to his room to grab his rifle from the bed.

Meanwhile, Carley took control of the situation, grabbing the fallen leader's pistol and firing at a female bandit and the cap-wearing thug, both of whom dropped lifelessly to the ground. But as her gun clicked empty, she had no choice but to retreat.

Lee spotted a bandit scaling the wall and drew his pistol, firing a shot that struck true in the bandit's back. However, it was too late; the bandit reached the other side and whistled, summoning reinforcements from the woods. Gunfire erupted as more bandits emerged, and two of them hurried to remove dumpsters blocking the escape route. Lee ducked behind the RV for cover.

"Get back there! Smoke him out!" one bandit shouted, his voice echoing amidst the chaos.

Eddie, rifle in hand, hurried up the stairs to the balcony, hiding behind a wall while aiming at the motel's exterior.

Ben, crouching behind a pile of furniture, attempted to sprint toward Lee, but a bullet whizzed past him, hitting the window behind him. He dove back to the ground, returning to his hiding spot just as Kenny, holding a rifle, bolted out of a motel room.

Kenny handed off the rifle to Lee before diving into the RV.

Eddie and Lee began to fire at the advancing bandits, their shots ringing out with deadly precision. From his vantage point, Eddie spotted his mother, younger brother, and Clementine huddled together, and he made the decision to provide them with cover while Lee protected Ben and Carley.

His gaze flickered to Lilly, who was also on a balcony, taking aim at the bandits.

"Now! Get over here! Hurry!" Lee shouted, urgency in his tone.

Ben and Carley rushed toward the RV as walkers began to filter into the scene, attacking the bandits in a frenzy.

Eddie's heart sank as he realized he had run out of ammunition. "FUCK!" he shouted in frustration. "I'm out, Lee!"

Lee nodded, though his focus remained on firing.

Desperate, Eddie slung his rifle over his shoulder, drew his machete from its sheath, and sprinted down the stairs. Just as he did, Clementine scrambled into the RV. Katjaa and Duck attempted to make their way to Lee when a walker knocked them over, jaws snapping. Lee fired, taking the creature down, and Kenny charged out to help them.

Kenny swiftly assisted Katjaa and Duck to their feet, urging them to run to safety in the RV, while Lilly continued to fire from her perch.

Kenny managed to start the RV, but Carley leapt into action, drawing her pistol and crouching at the far end of the vehicle, shooting at the advancing walkers while Lee provided cover fire.

Amidst the chaos, Eddie pressed forward, dispatching walkers with his machete, while Lee, Lilly, and Carley fought off the undead.

"Lilly, Eddie! Get the hell inside!" Lee shouted, retreating into the RV after Carley.

Lilly dashed down the stairs, following Eddie inside just as Kenny hit the gas, crashing through the fence and plowing past several walkers.

Inside the RV, Katjaa sat in the front seat, cradling Duck, both of them smeared with walker blood.

"Kat! Jesus, are you okay?" Kenny asked, worry etched on his face.

"I'm fine, I'm fine!" Katjaa insisted, though her voice trembled slightly.

Eddie slumped at the table, shaking his head as adrenaline coursed through him.

"Oh, shit, oh, shit, oh sh—" Ben muttered, holding his head in despair. When he looked up, he met Lilly's disapproving gaze. "I'm sorry."

"Everything's fine, Ben," Carley said, attempting to reassure him.

"No, it's not fine," Eddie interjected angrily. "How the hell did this happen?"

"Exactly," Lilly agreed, her expression dark. "We just lost everything."

"Well, we're lucky as hell to have this RV!" Kenny asserted, his grip on the steering wheel tightening.

"And nobody died," Carley added, attempting to find a silver lining.

"Kat's head is split open!" Kenny snapped, frustration surfacing.

"I'm fine!" Katjaa retorted, her patience wearing thin.

"Someone in here caused this," Lilly accused, her eyes darting around the RV.

"Settle down back there; the bandits have been after us for weeks!" Kenny countered.

Eddie shook his head, disagreeing with his father for once. "No... This is different."

Kenny's expression shifted, surprise flickering across his features as he raised an eyebrow.

Lilly nodded, her expression serious. "Yes. Someone was working with them. Whoever it was slipped them our meds. They didn't receive their last shipment, so they attacked."

"Calm down back there! That's insane!" Kenny protested.

"Lee found a bag of supplies hidden outside the wall!" Lilly pointed at Lee, who nodded solemnly.

With a heavy heart, Eddie stood up from the table, his voice firm. "So, Ben, I think we need to talk."

"Guys, we have to act now. I know it sounds crazy, but we have a traitor among us. Do you all understand? Someone is putting their selfish interests above everyone else's," Eddie declared, his frustration boiling over.

"...Thanks, Eddie," Lilly said, her surprise evident. Eddie had never agreed with her before.

The two of them were united in their suspicions.

"Just let me out of the RV! I'll go! I didn't do it, but I'll leave!" Ben pleaded, desperation seeping into his voice.

"Good, that sounds great," Lilly replied, her tone icy.

"I... fuck... Jesus, I didn't," Ben stuttered, panic rising in his voice.

"Look me in the eyes and tell me you didn't have anything to do with it," Lilly demanded, her gaze piercing.

She turned to Carley. "So, Carley, do you have something to say?"

"Please," Carley said, her frown deepening.

"Do we have to get it out of you then?" Lilly pressed.

"Back off," Carley shot back, crossing her arms defiantly.

"You're in no position to make demands," Lilly retorted.

"Carley's trustworthy. She's not a traitor, Lilly," Lee defended her.

"Thank you, Lee," Carley said, offering him a grateful nod.

"She can fight her own battles. Unless there's something going on here that implicates you both," Lilly said, her tone accusatory.

"Don't be ridiculous," Carley protested, shaking her head.

"We're all okay now, though," Ben chimed in, trying to diffuse the tension.

"How is this whole situation 'okay' to you?" Eddie growled, frustration boiling over.

"Look, maybe we should, uh, vote or something," Ben suggested, his voice shaky.

"Vote? What?" Lilly asked, incredulous.

"Just... Carley's a stand-up gal, and maybe this was all just a misunderstanding," Ben insisted, trying to defend himself.

"We need to look at the facts here," Carley interjected. "Let's eat and deal with this later."

"Yeah, let's do that," Ben agreed, eager to avoid further confrontation.

"Okay?" Carley asked, seeking consensus.

"No," Eddie said firmly, shaking his head in disapproval.

"Let's just drop it. People make mistakes, and yeah, this is a massive fuck-up, but it's not worth it, Lilly," Lee interjected.

"What do you mean, 'let it go,' Lee?" Eddie frowned, his frustration mounting.

"Then what do we not forgive? Honestly, tell me. Kenny can kill my dad, Carley can steal from us? Where's the line?" Lilly challenged.

"Honestly, I don't think it was Carley, Lilly. It has to be Ben," Eddie stated, conviction in his voice.

"Nobody was stealing anything!" Ben shrieked in protest.

"Was it both of you?" Lilly pressed, narrowing her eyes.

"What?" Ben replied, bewildered.

"I've seen you two together. Was it both of you?!" Lilly raised her voice, pressure mounting.

"Look, just let me out! I didn't do it, but I don't like this; I don't like where this is headed!" Ben exclaimed, shaking his head in distress.

"Dad, pull over!" Eddie shouted suddenly, prompting everyone to turn their attention to him.

Kenny glanced into the rearview mirror, taking in his son's narrowed eyes. He sighed heavily and complied, pulling over to the side of the road.

"Eddie?" Lee called, concern lacing his voice, but Eddie ignored him. He opened the RV door and stormed over to Ben, grabbing him by the collar and yanking him to his feet before shoving him out of the RV.

"Wait—!" Ben stumbled to the ground.

"Eddie!" Lee shouted, as he, Lilly, and Carley followed him outside.

Ignoring them, Eddie glared at Ben. "Get out of here, Ben."

"Eddie?" Ben took a hesitant step back.

"Get the fuck out of here before I kill you," Eddie warned coldly, his voice low and threatening.

"It wasn't me!" Ben shrieked, panic overtaking him.

"Get out of here!" Eddie repeated, pushing Ben toward the edge of the woods.

"Stop, Eddie!" Carley interjected, stepping in front of him.

"It has to be him! You, me, Lilly, Lee, Dad... we don't have any reason to do what happened," Eddie insisted, frustration boiling over.

"But Ben does?" Carley pointed at the teenager.

"It... it was me," Ben finally admitted, his voice shaking as he looked at the ground, clearly breaking under the pressure.

"What?" Carley turned around, shock etched across her features.

"I fucking knew it!" Eddie growled, anger flaring within him.

"Ben..." Lee shook his head, disappointment clear in his eyes.

Lilly frowned, her expression a mixture of disbelief and anger.

"It's all my fault," Ben admitted, shame flooding his voice.

"What for? Why the hell would you do this?" Lee pressed, stepping forward.

"They said they had my friend, that he was with them. By the time I realized they didn't, it was too late. They said they'd kill me. Kill all of us. I'm sorry," Ben explained, his voice quivering with remorse.

Lee opened his mouth to respond, but before he could say anything, the sharp crack of a gunshot pierced the air. Everyone turned to see Ben's head jerk back violently before he collapsed to the ground. They looked at Lilly whose holding a smoking pistol.

Kenny had just stepped out from the driver's seat and walked over, eyes wide in shock.

"Holy fuck..." Kenny murmured, staring at Ben's lifeless body.

"Good riddance," Eddie sighed, a mixture of relief and bitterness washing over him.

"Kenny, what's happening?!" Katjaa called out from the RV.

"Keep Duck away from the windows!" Kenny shouted back, urgency in his voice.

"He couldn't be trusted," Lilly said, her voice firm.

"She's right," Eddie agreed, a sense of finality settling in.

Kenny sighed heavily, reluctantly accepting the truth of their situation, having heard Ben's confession.

"Let's go, guys," Lee said, his voice heavy with resignation.

Everyone climbed back into the RV, and drove away.