The farm had gone quiet.
Every light inside the Greene house was turned off. Weapons were clutched in nervous hands, the group was spread through the living room and hallway, ready for anyone unexpected to show up.
T-Dog stood slightly hidden by the front window, peering through the smallest gap in the curtain as he scanned the yard. A few feet over, Otis kept his post at the next window, rifle close at hand, his eyes fixed on the dirt drive leading into the farm.
Behind them, Carol and Lori sat close with the children. Sophia clung to her mother's waist, her small hands trembling, while Lori gently stroked Carl's hair, whispering soft promises that Rick would be alright.
Glenn shifted uneasily.
"They should be back by now…"
T-Dog didn't look away from the window.
"Yeah… I don't like this one bit. Not after what Daryl and Itachi said about their group."
The words hung in the silence of the room.
A creak sounded on the stairs as Hershel ca down and stepped into the room where the group was gathered.
"How's Beth?" Patricia asked in a quiet voice.
Hershel's gaze lowered, his shoulders slumping. "Not well. She's barely responding to anything."
His eyes flicked towards Andrea, softening. "And thank you… for stopping her. I don't know what I'd have done if she…" His words trailed, but the aning was clear.
Andrea gave him a small smile. "There's no need to thank . I don't know what I'd do if I lost my sister."
For a mont, sothing gentle passed between them. Hershel gave her a grateful nod, lips tugging at the faintest smile.
The fragile calm was shattered when Otis stiffened by the window. "Wait. I see sothing."
Everyone tensed. Hands gripped tighter around weapons. Glenn spun, rushing up the stairs to alert Maggie and Jimmy.
From the couch, Lori's voice broke the silence. "Are they back?"
T-Dog squinted harder through the gap, leaning forward. "That's their car."
A pair of headlights rolled up the dirt road and slowed to a stop just beyond the gate. The driver's side door opened. Rick stepped out alone, raising an arm to wave towards the house.
"It's Rick!" soone whispered, relief breaking through the tension.
The air eased slightly as Rick climbed back into the car and drove it up towards the porch. The group poured outside cautiously, only to freeze when they saw him clearly. His figure was bloody, his clothes torn, exhaustion written across every line of his face.
Amy's eyes darted to the car. Empty. Her stomach dropped. She opened her mouth to ask questions, but Lori spoke first. "Where's Shane?"
Amy added quickly, her own voice tight with worry. "And the others? Are they okay?"
Rick paused, his expression unreadable as his eyes settled on Lori. "They're okay. They should be here any minute."
As if on cue, another truck rumbled into view. And behind it, the unmistakable grind of an armored military vehicle, its hood sared with dried blood.
T-Dog blinked hard. "Holy shit…"
Beside him, Jenner's eyes widened, disbelief flashing across his face. "…Don't tell ."
The vehicles pulled into the driveway.
Daryl climbed out of the first truck, blood streaking his arms and face. From the armored car stepped Shane, grimy, exhausted, and beside him, Itachi, calm and composed, his clothes untouched.
The group stared, the difference impossible to miss. Three n stood, all bloodied, exhausted, but only one stood pristine.
Amy let out a shaky breath she hadn't realized she was holding. Seeing Itachi among them, calm and steady, eased the knot in her chest.
Hershel and Jenner stepped forward at once, eyes going straight to Daryl, who was clutching his bandaged shoulder.
"What happened?" Hershel asked.
Daryl shifted his weight, grimacing. "Got grazed by a bullet."
"Co here," Jenner said quickly. "We'll patch you up."
As they guided Daryl towards the porch, Andrea's eyes swept the group. Her voice wavered.
"Where's Dale?"
Rick's jaw tightened. His fist clenched at his side as he forced the words out.
"…He didn't make it."
Andrea's face crumpled, tears welling in her eyes. Amy pressed closer to her sister, her own tears spilling over as she tried to hold them back.
From the back of the group, Jim's voice broke through.
"What… what happened out there?"
Everyone was gathered inside the house, crowded together in the living room, as Rick told them how they had gone up against thirty ard n. How they'd followed Itachi's plan to the letter. How Dale had helped Daryl before ultimately passing. And how they'd been forced to battle their way back through a small horde drawn in by the gunfire.
The room went silent, stunned. Thirty n were brought down by only four. And from the way Rick spoke, it was clear who had made it possible. Itachi's contribution hadn't just been part of it; it had been the foundation.
Shane finally broke the silence, his eyes narrowing as he looked at Rick. "You know… now that I think about it, how the hell did Randall turn into a walker? We saw him laying there dead."
Rick's stare hardened. He looked at Shane for a long mont before his gaze shifted towards Itachi. The boy gave a small nod.
Rick then spoke. "…We're all infected."
Carol's eyes widened. "And you hadn't said anything?"
Shane's voice rose. "You knew this the whole ti?"
Before Rick could answer, Jenner walked back into the room, wiping his hands after helping Hershel. "I told him."
T-Dog spun towards him."And you didn't think we have the right to know?!"
Jenner shook his head slowly. "We planned to tell everyone after things had cald down. This was never ant to be a secret."
Glenn's voice cracked. "And because of that, Dale's dead."
Rick slumped down into a chair. "I know… this is all my fault."
Shane stepped forward, closing the distance until he was right in Itachi's face."You knew—"
But the words caught in his throat. For the first ti since he'd t him, Shane saw real anger in Itachi's eyes. A cold fury that made his skin prickle, like his neck would be split open if he dared utter another word.
Andrea's voice cut through the tension. "God, can you all just shut up already? You're standing here pointing fingers, saying what should've been done or shouldn't."
She took a breath, her tone softening just a little. "Look… blaming them isn't gonna help. They know what went wrong. Right now, we need to let it go and get so rest. None of us have slept all night."
Jim spoke up from the corner. "And you're forgetting, we're alive because of them. Let's just all calm down. Nobody wanted Dale to die, but it was ultimately his choice to risk his life by going out there."
Hershel gave a slow nod. "He's right. Dale knew the risks, and he made his choice. We honor that by carrying on, not by tearing each other apart."
The room went quiet after that. No one had the strength left to argue. One by one, they started preparing to settle in for the night, drifting off towards their tents.
Itachi and Amy stepped outside together.
"How are you holding up?" Itachi asked.
Amy gave a small, sad smile, her arms folding across her chest. "It's hard… Dale was one of the first people Andrea and I t when all this started. We were stuck in Atlanta when everything went bad, and we didn't know where to go or what to do. He let us ride with him, and after that, he just… kind of beca family. If it wasn't for him, Andrea and I would probably still be stuck out there."
She looked down at the dirt, her voice softer now. "He kept us safe when we didn't have a clue what was going on. And even when there wasn't enough food to go around, he'd give us his without a second thought."
Itachi studied her for a mont before speaking. "Then rember him that way. Keep him alive in your mories for as long as you live."
Amy's lips trembled into the faintest smile, and she gave a small nod before turning toward the RV.
Itachi watched her go for a mont longer before turning back towards his own tent.
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🧪 Author's Note:
Thank you all so much for the support — over 900 power stones!
So I started creating so OCs for the MC's future squad. I know it's still early, but planning them out now will help figure out the best ti to introduce them later. If you've got any cool ideas for an OC, feel free to drop them in the comnts — appearance, personality, quirks, or even a bit of backstory. If it fits the story and I like it, there's a good chance I'll include it. Just a heads-up: the squad will be more of an assassin unit, so the OCs should match that the.
I might be posting an extra one later today if I can finish it, otherwise, it'll be up tomorrow.
And of course, let know what you thought about this chapter!
🖤 Thanks again for reading!
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