88 Chapter 88

- Xenon -

Life had become monotonous for us lately, having the same task on repeat every day so far. Zombies were no longer an issue for any of us, they became so weak they're not worth mentioning anymore unless it was a big horde. Otherwise, even the weakest of us could deal with them. The group's main priority had been cutting wood and building whatever our base required, and that was an endless amount. Every once in a while, we would go out with trucks to loot whatever places Rick and Daryl found, like we are doing this particular morning.

We woke up at dawn, fully intent on making the most out of the daylight. The weather was becoming increasingly cold, and if our estimations are correct, this time corresponds to a particular change in season. The Starks were right in that regard, winter is coming after all...

At this point, it was hard-coded into my being to be awake at this time in the morning, so it was no issue for me. I usually use this time to get my morning workout and clean the surroundings in preparation for the others to get to work. I put on my leather jacket on top of my brown sweater and black relaxed drawstring trousers. It was the look I usually go with, both for its style and ease to move in. I rarely ever go out without my mask on, it has become standard for me as it avoided a lot of issues, especially with newcomers. Most of them are extremely surprised at my age, so there tend to be doubts as soon as they learn of it, but so far I have managed to quickly change that perspective in record times, something I am very proud of. It is not an easy feat to follow someone 'still in his teens', humans tend to be extremely prideful in that regard, and Dale is the prime example of such a case.

I did not need to wake the others up, they either had alarm clocks with them or would be woken up by the person in charge of that duty. I headed to the cafeteria after my morning rituals where everyone would go. Unsurprisingly, Carol was already there making the necessary preparations, laying plates on the table full of freshly prepared food.

"Good morning, Xen." She smiled warmly at my arrival.

"Hey Carol, how you doing?" She hugged me as she usually did, and I soon noticed the dark bags under her eyes. She had to wake up very early in the morning to prepare everything, so it was to be expected. "You take the day off, Carol. We don't want you overworking yourself now. And I'll make sure to ask Andrea when I come back."

"Don't worry about me, sweetie. The others will cover for me today." She tended to work more than she should, and I have talked her off about it numerous times. Thankfully, she stops resisting once I mention that Sophia needs to spend more time with her mother. I sat down at the table and served myself eggs, bacon, homemade bread, and mint tea, as I was never a big fan of coffee in either lives.

I was soon joined by the rest of the group, who arrived almost at the same time. None of them were as accustomed to it as me, we usually start at nine when there are no pressing projects in progress so today is an exception.

I chuckled at the sight of Amy and Andrea rubbing their eyes groggily, clearly not morning people. Andrea was offended at how chipper I looked that early and proceeded to give me a faux-glare that I shrugged off, while Amy thought it was the best course of action to rest her head on my shoulder and reboot... Or maybe she was trying to go back to sleep.

"Wake up sleepy head, we will be moving out soon. You can get some sleep on the road." I nudged her but she whined and rubbed her head on my shoulder with more ferocity. "Oi..."

"One more minute..." She muttered under her breath and I just rolled my eyes. My arm snaked around her waist, but my intentions were far from pure... I tickled her to the side of her belly, one of her weak spots I discovered during our *innocent* sessions and she started laughing uncontrollably. I stopped once she seemed awake and went back to my meal.

One could only hear the sound of platters and utensils, as none of us was in the mood for small talk, and not particularly because of the "dangerous mission" we are heading to, nobody looked at it as such unless fellow survivors were involved which we believe is far from it.

"I'll go double-check the trucks, see if anything is missing." I informed them as I got up. "Don't take too much time eating. If you don't feel like eating, take it with you and eat on the road when you're hungry. We've got a two-hour ride at least." Assuming we don't have to make any detours, either because the road is blocked or because of walkers... I am not very optimistic about finishing this mission on time, quite frankly, which is why we'll be taking with us enough clothes and food for three days just in case. The trip alone could cost us a day...

As soon as I finished checking each item on my checklist, and sat on one of the trucks to meditate, a skill I hope will prove more useful in the future, perhaps if it ever evolves. Maybe it would prove its world if I am ever thrust into a cultivation world, something I truly hope to avoid for as long as possible. I value my brain cells, thank you very much. And while a world where there are no limits to how much someone can evolve sounds extremely enticing, the dangers that come with it, especially a REAL version of such worlds... I'm not sure how cultivators would be in a real-life scenario, and I don't wish to find out for a long time.

- Dale -

Why is it when things go south, we humans always choose to turn against each other when we should find strength in our unity? A question Dale has asked himself numerous times throughout his life. Whenever there is a problem, people tend to assign the blame as their top priority, looking for a scapegoat. When an issue arises that could be fixed the more people work on it, we tend to go the other way instead by instinct, trying to throw responsibility to someone else to do the hard work. Dale has gotten sick of it.

He doesn't dislike Xenon. Au contraire, he respects him very much as a leader, and he has proven to everyone how valuable he is to their group. But that doesn't mean he agrees with every decision he makes. He knows he is too young, and young people tend to feel they know the best, regardless of how different Xenon may seem. But the crust of the matter doesn't truly lay with him, it is with the rest of the council that unanimously support his decision. He knows that should more people provide resistance, he would have to follow through with it and find other ways to deal with the situation, instead of opting to their current state.

But how can he change their opinion on the matter? Talk to the others behind his back? No, that would create more problems than solutions, the group's cohesion oughtn't to be disturbed, and he was certain Xenon and the others would not sit down and let him run his mouth off, so that plan's out the window. Convince Jim while Xenon is away? Only a naive idiot would think that would work, and Dale prided himself in not being naive, otherwise, his years of experience would be wasted on him.

He observed their departure from the top of the tower, his old mind running at full throttle. But no matter what he thought, he could not see a peaceful resolution to the problem at hand, which is why he was reluctant to take any action. Not that there is any he can take for that matter. Then what choice did he have left? Maybe he should trust Xenon this once... Maybe when their group is strong enough, when they are more confident about their defenses... Maybe when he discovers that the other group means them no harm, that they share a common goal... Perhaps then, it would all change for the better.