A New Beginning

Levi felt a deep drowsiness, something he had not felt in a long time. He couldn't see or hear. It was like he was in a void and he felt a deep emptiness. His mind flashed scattered memories of his life right up until what happened to him recently.

"Zeke!" He yelled, bolting up right as the man flashed through his head. He immediately regretted it and deep pain flashing through his ribs, forcing him back down onto the bed in pain.

Wait, bed?

Levi turned his head, looking around but saw nothing familiar in the small but decorated room. Where was he? He felt a pain deep in his ribs and pulled his shirt up to look at the damage only to find white bandages that looked a bit dirty. He grunted at them not liking them but not too keen on removing them as he saw a small patch of fresh blood that meant he was still bleeding.

He would have to keep them on for now but he seriously couldn't wait to find fresh bandages. He decided after 10 minutes of staying up that he would go back to sleep. He had been fighting it off and he hadn't heard any voices wherever he was and reasoned to himself that whoever healed him wanted him dead they would've done so while he was out.

In the next couple of seconds, he was out like a light.

XxX

He woke up to a very unfamiliar man wrapping bandages around him and I startled him. He rose quickly and before the man could even back away, Levi tackled him. He tried to hit him in the face but Levi grabbed his arm and slammed it onto the ground, pinning the man in an unbreakable grip.

"Where am I and who are you?" Levi demanded, glaring down at him.

"My name is Carlos and you're at my camp." He answered quickly.

His camp? Levi thought briefly. "You said camp. You have a group with you? How many of you are there?"

"T-there's 7 of us. Well 8 now if we include the new one." He answer after a second of counting in his head. Levi thought he was telling the truth enough.

"I'm going to get off you slowly and I want you to wait until I'm up completely before you get up." Levi instructed slowly. "You make any sudden moves and I'll smash my foot down your throat so far you'll be shitting teeth tonight. Understand?"

Carlos nodded and slowly Levi began to back away and stand up straight. Carlos did as instructed and didn't move until Levi was completely up then he got up slowly himself.

"Sorry for attacking you." Levi suddenly said after a bit of silence. "You startled me with your wrapping."

"That's ok. Speaking of that, won't you mind sitting back down?" He gestured to the bed. "The bandages aren't completely wrapped. It'll only take a second."

"Fine." Levi decided after a moment of thinking. He sat on the bed. "But wrap it while in front of me. I don't trust anyone behind my back."

"Alright." The next couple of minutes were filled with silence as Carlos wrapped the bandages around his ribs all the way to his belly button. He caught the deep gash that had traveled from his ribs down to his belly button and wondered how long it would take to heal.

"Alright, almost done." He announced.

Levi nodded.

Suddenly, the door opened and another man came in. "Hey, Carlos. Rebecc- Wait, he's awake?"

"Yea, he's awake." Carlos responded turning to him. "What's going on with Rebecca, Luke? You were about to say something right?"

"Aw, yea. She just wanted to talk to you downstairs. I don't know what about though." Luke answered.

Carlos nodded and left, leaving Luke to watch Levi. Levi just looked down wanting to avoid talking but his hopes were dashed quickly.

"Never got you name."

"It's Levi." He said shortly wishing that to be the end of them talking. Again, he was disappointed.

"Well nice to meet you, Levi. As you heard, my name is Luke." He said before crossing his arms and leaning on the wall.

Levi nodded and went back to his thoughts. He didn't recognize these people and they looked to his dismay, kinda dirty. He honestly would rather leave now then wait until his injuries heal. This entire room needed some dusting. Really bad.

"To be honest with you, I thought you were done for. Your injuries were really severe. We almost considered putting you out of your misery." Levi looked up at that and glared and the man flinched a little. "Sorry, we didn't want you to die and turn into a lurker. But you made it so I guess good for you right?"

Levi stopped for a second. "A lurker?" He wondered aloud.

Luke gave him a strange look. "Yea, a lurker. Do you not know what they are?"

Levi shook his head. "Should I?"

Luke walked off the wall and blinked. "You're kidding right?"

"Just fucking tell me what these things are."

"They are the things that drove society to collapse. The Walking Dead."

"What?" Levi looked at him like he was crazy.

"You should know this man. Isn't that how you got your injuries in the first place?" Luke asked.

"No. I got it from-" Levi's eyes widened. He shot off the bed, his speed surprising Luke. "Was there a man with blonde hair with me?"

"No. It was just you when we came across you." He answered.

"Dammit," he uttered sitting back onto the bed. I can't have let Zeke escape. If he and Eren met we're all fucking doomed. "Hey, do you have a map or anything? I need to know where I'm at. I have to get back to Paradis."

Luke's eyebrows scrunched. "Paris?"

"Hell no. Paradis. If I allow Eren to meet Zeke the world is going to get crushed by hundreds of Colossal Titans."

"What the hell are you talking about? Titans?"

"Where have you been; under a rock?" Levi asked in annoyance, a weird feeling settling into his gut. "Titans; the giant humans that have been terrorizing humans for centuries."

"I don't know what your talking abo-"

The door to room opened again and Carlos walked in. "I see you two are talking. You know how he got his injuries?"

"No." Luke replied. "He didn't really answer that."

"It was an accident." Levi answered after finding both of their eyes on him, awaiting his answer. They didn't ask any further.

Changing the subject, Carlos looked at his bandages. "How are you feeling? Your wounds were pretty bad when we found you."

"I'm fine." He turned back to Luke. "How come you know nothing about Titans?"

"I could ask the same of you. How come you don't know about lurkers?"

Again, he was looked at strangely but it was Carlos this time. "You don't know what lurkers are?"

"No." He answered once more. Now he was irritated. Why was he supposed to know what these things were? What were they?

"Must've hit your head or something. I didn't see any injuries there though." The man muttered in thought.

All of them turned instantly when a loud noise let off in the near distance. "Looks like it's coming from the shed." Carlos said.

"I knew she was going to turn into a walker." Luke said and rushed out of the room.

"I'm coming too." Levi announced and Carlos didn't have the time to convince him otherwise. They ran out the door, Levi keeping up far better than he should. He passed surprised faces but no one had the time to comment on him being up and adam.

Levi ran behind the group as the rushed away from the Cabin and to a shed where Levi could hear the horrid sounds increasingly getting louder and a whole lot of bumping.

The door was pried open and Levi saw a little girl. She looked filthy and injured and he wondered why she was in the damn shed. Then he saw something so disgusting that he was tempted to take a step away from the damn thing. It looked like a rotten human over the damn girl.

"What the hell is that thing?!" Levi asked alarmed.

"That's a Lurker." Luke muttered to him.

Fuck. Was all the soldier could think.

"Fuck a Lurker." Nick said.

"How'd it get in?" Carlos asked.

"Damn. This little girl is tough." Pete said, staring at the bludgeoned Lurker.

"I'm. Still. Not. Bitten." She gritted out through her teeth in pain, clutching her arm tightly.

"Did she patch herself up?" Luke asked, noticing the needle and thread that closed her wound.

"Where'd you get that?" Nick asked, steeping forward trying to get a better look.

"She fucking stole from us. I knew she couldn't be trusted!" Rebecca said, glaring at the girl and Levi frowned.

"I did. I stole from you." The girl said boldly. Levi expected her to lie about it. "I had no choice. You left me out here to die. When I told you the truth."

It was silent after that and Levi suddenly pushed past the group, paying no mind to their surprise at seeing him up.

"Wait, he's not dead?" Rebecca asked.

"When did he wake up?" Alvin asked.

Levi even ignored the girl and looked down at this Lurker. It reeked badly and his first impression was that he wanted it far away from him. But he was right, it looked like a rotten human. Why was that though was the question.

"Bring her in." Carlos told them, turning back to the Cabin. "I'll take a look at her wound. You're welcome to come in as well—"

"Levi." He answered not turning away from the Walker.

Most of the people began to leave and only Luke stayed behind, feeling guilty for his actions when he first saw the bite and thereafter.

"Why are you looking like you've never seen a Lurker before?" The girl asks, bewildered by the expression on the man's face.

"Tch, why the hell do you care kid? Go on and get healed or something." Levi was not in the mood for children right now. He was confused, disgusted, and appalled at what he seen so far.

The girl glared at him and walked out of the shed, not even sparing a glance at Luke.

"What the hell is this?" Levi asked once they were alone.

"That's a Lurkers." Luke said again, walking up to stand beside the other man. "When someone dies from anything they turn into that and try to eat people which turns them into Lurkers. And the only way to kill one is to crack its skull."

Levi took in the information and didn't say another word as he left the shed in deep thought.

XxX

Once Levi figured out that he was nowhere near Paradis or Marley, the reality of what was going on around him sunk in. Of course he didn't freak out. He was better than that. He just took the information without any emotion. He couldn't look back on why he was here only to keep moving forward and somehow find a way back to Paradis.

He did hope it would come soon.

His private thoughts were cut short when a man he had seen but hadn't talked to walked into the room and Levi saw that the man had a shirt and shoes in his hands. His clothing.

"I 'Spose these are yours?" He sat then on the bed. "My names Peter. But everyone else calls me Pete."

He nodded. "Levi."

"Ok, Levi." After that the man just stared at him, and after a couple of seconds of trying to ignore it, Levi just couldn't anymore.

"Something you wanted?" He wanted to get back to his privacy as quickly as possible.

"Oh, nothing really." He shrugged. "I was just wondering what you were going to do after you heal and all. It's a tough world out there but you look very capable."

Levi turned back to look at his bandages abdomen turning back and eyeing him. "Don't worry. When the morning comes I'll be out of your hair. You don't have to worry about me."

The man frowned, holding an arm out. "Hol' on. I wasn't saying I wanted you to leave. I was saying the exact opposite."

"What do you mean?" Levi asked.

"Lemme ask you a question, Levi." The man bent slightly, giving him a once over. "What was your profession before the apocalypse? Were you some type of fighter?"

It was silent for several moments before Levi answered. Levi lowered his head, shadows befalling his eyes darkly as he spoke. "I was... a soldier."

"Oh?" The man looked genuinely surprised to hear that. "I s'pose that makes sense. You look tough as nails. Although that brings me to another question."

"I won't answer until you answer mine." Levi interrupted.

"Ah, I apologize for that." He said, leaning back. "What I meant is that I wanted you to stay. I feel as though I can trust you with this, but to keep the trouble down I would have to ask that you don't mention this to anyone."

"And why are you telling me?" Levi asked skeptically, eyeing him warily. "For all you know I could be plotting your deaths. I am a soldier after all."

"I'm good at reading people, Levi. I can tell just by how someone looks what their intentions are." He chuckled. "It's won me a lot of poker games if I say so myself."

Levi crossed his arms and nodded.

"There's this man that we used to be with." He began and Levi noticed how his voice changed. The tone was no longer the confident one he accustomed to the man. It was more... wary and desperate. "His name is William Carver and he's a very dangerous man. We're on the run from him and I have a feeling he's close to finding us but I can't get the others to move further up north where we might be unable to reach us."

"And where do I come into that?" Levi asked. "What do you want? Protection?"

"I was thinking of more like assistance."

"And what would I get for my assistance? I don't do anything for free."

The man sighed, tiredly. "In all honesty, we don't have much to offer you. Food, water, and supplies are hard to come by these days. There's not anyone to produce these things anymore."

Levi thought long on what he needed the most and the answer came to him rather quickly. "I don't want any of that. I rather just have any information that's useful about these lurkers."

"Well, what do you want to know?"

"Anything useful." Levi repeated.

"Alright. Well for starters if those thing bite you you're practically dead. It varies but depending on the person if bitten, they can either take a couple of hours to turn into a lurker or right the next moment." Levi listened intently as he listed off everything he knew. "The other way to turn is to simply die. If one dies they will turn into a Lurker unless their brain is destroyed and that is also the only way to kill the bastards. Depending on how old the Lurker is some of the bastards don't move unless you're right up close to them so be mindful when approaching one when you can't see a destroyed brain. And that pretty much it to them."

Levi nodded, locking the knowledge in the back of his head. So they weren't like Titans after all. Though they're alike in some ways. "Thanks."

"I have another question, Levi." Levi raised an eyebrow. "How did you survive this long without knowing that? And what caused your injuries in the first place?"

"To answer your questions: I got lucky and it was... an accident." He said the last part with a bitter face, looking away slightly.

"Well I s'pose that's the end of our little questions." He said after a couple of moments of silence. "I hope we can become good friends, Levi. By the way, in the morning I'm going huntin'. I wouldn't mind if you showed up." He smiled a little before leaving the room.

Just what am I getting myself into? Levi thought, rubbing his forehead.

XxX

The next morning came fast for the insomniac and soon he was walking down a trial in the forest with Pete and the girl who he hadn't expected to see. They exchanged casual conversation and Levi sidelined himself, thinking back to what had happened earlier that same morning.

Flashback

Levi was probably up first in the cabin and had more than enough time to roam the place without interruption but he had stayed in bed. He didn't want to peak around and he still didn't trust anyone here but they all seemed like decent enough people. Well, the ones he actually talked to.

Levi shuffled slightly in the bed, having laid in the same position for a couple of hours after he had woken up. Of course he did as much as cleaning in the room as he could. He couldn't even stomach being in the same room as filth much less sleep in it.

Levi's thought we're interrupted once more when the door to his room was pushed open and Luke walked in. He briefly considered the idea of locking it.

"Oh, I see you're up early." Luke regarded him. "It's time for a bit of breakfast if you wanna eat. That way you can properly meet everyone else."

Levi didn't want to meet everyone else but he did need to gauge how dangerous they were. He almost sighed and got out of the bed. He looked down at his body. "You got a shirt? I'm getting sick of the bandages."

"You had one but it was filled with blood and stuff." He thumped behind him with left hand. "It should be cleaned and dry by now so we can go downstairs and get it."

Levi nodded and followed Luke out of the room.

The cabin was bigger than he thought but not too big that Levi felt most of it was unexplored. It looked cozy, like a real home.

Luke must've seen his gaze. "Pretty good, isn't it? We were lucky to find a place that could accommodate us all. We're a pretty large group so you could imagine how hard that was."

"Yea," he muttered.

They walked into the living room and Levi saw a familiar face, cleaning a gun with a clean towel. He looked at them when he saw their approach. "Goodmornin'." Pete said with a nod. "Sleep well?"

"Just fine."

He nodded again. "Good. Breakfast is in the kitchen where everyone else is. Try to be ready by 8:40. We leave at 9."

"He's going hunting with you?" Luke asked.

"Sure is. With his profession I'm sure it'll just be light practice."

"Hmmm," Luke hummed but said nothing further as he walked to kitchen. He was hungry as well. Levi looked back at Pete briefly before following after Luke.

"Morning guys. I've got the new guy with me so be nice and introduce yourselves." Luke said thumbing a finger back at him. Levi only stood blank-faced. He turned back to Levi. "You want to start first?"

Levi only stared before closing his eyes and leaning on the door frame. "My name is Levi."

"Why are we even doing this?" Rebecca asked, sending Levi a distrusting look. "I know you aren't telling me he's staying with us!"

Levi glared at her. "What? Is that a fucking problem?"

She rose to the challenge with her own glare. "It fucking is!"

"Now hold on." Alvin said, trying placate. "There's no need for swearing."

"She's right though." Nick said, standing from the table and glaring at Levi. "We don't know these people. Clem might be an exception because she's a child but this guy is clearly strong. He could kill us for all we know."

Luke stepped toward the table, scoffing. "That's ridiculous."

"Is it? You don't know him."

"Sara, cover your ears." Carlos told his daughter close to her ear.

"But why?" She muttered but his stern look showed he wasn't asking and she relented.

"Do you guys not remember the last time we helped a stranger?" Rebecca asked. "Because I sure do."

"That was different." Luke insisted. "They were infected. Levi isn't and your treating him like an outcast."

"Because that's what he is!" Nick yelled.

"Everybody SHUT UP!" Clem yelled, silencing the entire room. "You're accusing him of being untrustworthy and you haven't even let him talk."

"She's right." Pete said, stepping into the room. "All you guys know about him is that he's tough. You should get to know someone before you judge."

They all looked at Levi who had stood silent, watching the scene unfold. He spoke in all seriousness.

"This kitchen is filthy. Who the hell cleans it?"

The room was silent for what felt like hours. All of their mouths had parted in surprise.

Rebecca put a hand to her forehead. "Ok. Was not expecting to hear that."

"It was random." Alvin agreed.

"It isn't really random at all." He roamed the kitchen as he spoke. "There's tons of dirty dishes in the sink. The counters haven't been scrubbed and is sticky as hell and the floor needs sweeping and dusting. In fact this whole shithole needs it. Being around this shit makes my skin crawl."

Nick exploded. "What does this have to do with you staying here! See guys! He's crazy!"

"You should calm down, shithead. Your accusing is pissing me the fuck off."

"Then why don't you fucking leave then?!"

"I would, shitface. But I'm staying to escort you until you reach wherever your trying to go in the north." Levi explained. "After that you'll never see me again."

"Luke. What the hell is he talking about?" Carlos asked.

Luke sputtered. "I-I don't have a fucking clue."

"I asked him to stay with us in case we run into him." Pete said and everyone stared at him. "He told me that he was a soldier beforehand and that he would help us get away from him."

"You told him... about Carver." Rebecca's voice was barely above a whisper but it was sharp. "What the in the hell is wrong with you."

Carlos's right eye twitched in annoyance. "Sara go upstairs. Right. Now." The tone of voice he used caused the girl to leave right away. "Peter what the hell were you thinking?!"

"Who's Carver?" Clem asked.

"Not now, Clem." Alvin said.

Nick got into Peter's face, glaring harshly. "What the hell do you think you're doing?!"

Pete wasn't for it. "I don't know who you think you are, boy. Get the hell out of my face."

"No!" Nick screamed. "You're putting the whole group in danger when this guy could have some type of fucking connection to Carver! If he brings that guy here we're screwed!"

"That's enough!" Levi said with authority and the room turned to him. "I don't know who the fuck this Carver guy is if that eases your worries. I was caught in an accident and I ended up here when I woke up. If this Carver guy is so dangerous just point me in the right direction and I'll handle him."

"You can't be serious." Carlos said in disbelief. He couldn't even believe the very idea of such a thing.

"That's suicide." Alvin muttered.

Nick stalked over to Levi who didn't even react. He towered over the short soldier. Of course Levi was used to this. "You don't know what you're dealing with, shorty. He's more dangerous and smart than you can even imagine. You'll die painfully trying to fight him."

"Oh, is that so?" Levi asked blankly, wanting to roll his eyes. "I'll sure take this advice from someone so flat out scared of another man that his voice quivers like a little child. What kind of a fucking man does that?"

Nick faced morphed into rage and he went to punch Levi, his fist drawing back far. It never even reached Levi, who dodged aside it with ease and grabbed the arm tightly before turning and flipping the man over him. A grunt escaped Nick's mouth as he landed harshly on the ground.

"Hey, calm down!" Luke yelled as he rushed over and got between Levi and a downed Nick, clutching his back.

"Did you fucking see that?! He's dangerous! I told you!" Rebecca yelled, coming over.

"He was defending himself!" Pete boomed and it silenced the entire room. "You can't expect anybody to not fight back when someone tries to hurt 'em." He looked down at Nick. "Get your ass up, boy. You brought that on yourself."

Nick got up with fast despite clutching his back and glared at his uncle. "You're really taking his side?! Your a damn, fool! Find you another nephew, because you're not my damn uncle anymore!" He stalked out of the room with an angry grimace on his face. Soon, the slamming of a door could be heard.

"Where is he going?" Alvin asked.

"Give him time to cool off." Pete said before turning to a clock on the wall. "Clem, Levi, you folks still down to go for some huntin'? The fishes are extra active around this time."

Levi looked away. "I'm down for some fresh air."

Rebecca huffed and exited the kitchen an Alvin followed after her. Carlos left after them, going upstairs to check on his daughter.

Luke shook his head and sighed. "You guys have fun. I'll go and find Nick but just to watch him. He didn't take his gun and there still are Lurkers out there."

Pete nodded and turned to Clementine. "You coming, darling?"

She looked unsure. "Are you and your nephew going to be ok?"

He walked over to her and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Of course, Clementine. He just an angry soul. He needs time to vent and think." The girl nodded at it and got up to put her dishes in the sink.

"We'll be ready in just a bit." Pete signaled Levi into the living room and he followed without a word. "You know how to shoot?" He picked up the gun he had just finished cleaning.

"I'm a soldier." Levi replied evenly to the dry joke.

Pete was smiling. "Ah, don't mind this old fool. Memories come and go."

"I'm ready." Clementine said, walking into the room.

"Alright let's go."

XxX

Not how I pictured the day to go. Levi thought and he really hadn't. He was still on the edge from not trusting these people and being placed in a unfamiliar location, surrounded by unfamiliar things. It was getting to him.

"Yes I know how to shoot. My friend... Lee taught me." Levi paused briefly when he heard the little girl speak those words. She couldn't have been older than twelve and look at what she had to go through. He heard that she got bitten and he'd seen her kill those disgusting Lurkers.

"Well, ain't that good." Pete said. "It's really important these days."

Especially since they live in a crushed society because of these damn creatures. He could tell the uncanny resemblance to his own situation back at home with ease. It was striking to say the least.

They continued on a dirt road until they reached a river but found a shocking surprise. Bodies laid aside the riverbank unmoving.

"What the hell?" Pete muttered, looking around in shock.

"What is this?" Clem asked.

Pete narrowed his eyes. "FUBAR. Let's check the bodies. Might be someone alive who can tell us who did this. Can't have 'em coming to close to camp."

They separated, Levi going off on his own to look at his own bodies. Just about all of them were dead and one was alive for only a second longer after Levi checked his pulse. Levi didn't react to it though.

Damn. Levi thought, looking at the bodies. He could tell the all died by being shot up before the turned into Lurkers. This is fucked up.

"ARGHHH!"

Levi turned to the source of the yell and found it was Pete who had just kicked a Lurker off his foot before shooting it in the head.

"I-I'm fine." He uttered, stuttering through his words in pain. "I just walked the wrong way."

Levi could tell he was lying. Even from where he was he could see he had been bit on the ankle. What's going to happen now?

"Walkers!" Clementine yelled, looking around the entire clearing to see them begin to surround them.

Levi turned himself and saw multiple of those fuckers making disgusting noises as the stalker toward him and he fought in a reaction. He didn't want to even get close to these things. They recked. They smelled worst than the human garbage in the underground. He saw the girl quickly pull out a hammer and cursed his lack of weaponry. He would have to get down and dirty. He hated getting down and dirty.

He waited in a still silent as the one of three of the Lurkers walked closer and closer to him. He realized just how slow they were until they were right up close and even then, they were nowhere near as fast to catch him off guard. He slipped under its grasp and swung at fist into its jaw in an uppercut that sent its head flying off its body.

They're weak as well. I imagine one would only die if they were a child or weak from illness. Of course I haven't seen a swarm of these fuckers. He took the others out with even more ease and his only real problem was the filth on his hands.

"You two!" Pete yelled. "Come on 'cross the river! We gotta go!"

They ran over to where he was and they all escaped the rest of the Lurkers. They ran through the forest and Levi kept looking behind him to watch their backs, too used to being ambushed by Titans. It was a habit he couldn't dismiss.

They found a vehicle they could hide in and did so. Slamming the door shut behind them, Levi immediately went to looking outside the window to see how many had followed them.

"You're bite."  Clementine said, looking sadly at the wound on Pete's leg as he sat down to rest himself, feeling immensely tired.

Pete closed his eyes. "Yea."

"How long do they chase after us?" Levi asked, moving away from the window.

"It depends." Pete said.

Levi grunted in annoyance. He would be stuck in another shithole until then. Why was everything he came across so damn filthy, he thought, crossing his arms and looking down at Pete.

He remembered what the man told him about bites. "Is there truly no way to fix this?" He asked him. What a sad, slow, and painful way to go out.

"Well there might." He answered slowly, looking pointedly behind them.

Clementine turned behind her and saw what he was looking at. The shock on her face showed how she felt about that. "It won't work. My friend. It didn't work for him."

"I know someone it's worked for. Just because it doesn't work for one doesn't mean it won't work for all."

"So the only way to fix this is to cut it off, huh?" They had no doctors and nothing to stop the bleeding if he did it. He was likely to die even if it wasn't from blood loss even after the surgery, if you could call it that. He wouldn't be able to fend for himself against the Lurkers without a leg, they were far too strong for common folk already. And Levi was injured when he fought three.

The man nodded and Levi recognized the dead look in his eyes. It was the same face those who had given up in the Underground had. They were waiting on their deaths. He wouldn't admit it out loud but he felt for him. He was one of the only ones who had welcomed him and they actually shared a conversation.

Levi held out an arm in front of Clementine to block her from the saw. "Are you sure this is what you want?" Pete looked at Levi in surprise. "Regardless on whether you cut your leg off or not, you will die. It's bound to happen. You won't be able to fight those things in one leg and you'll hinder your camp and potentially get one of them killed." He said honestly.

"What are you saying?" Clementine muttered.

Levi bent down, taking Pete's hand into his own. "You're afraid to die, right?"

Pete looked away, a small hoarse chuckle escaping. "It's silly, isn't it? But I s'pose I ain't the only one in the world with such a problem."

That was certainly true. Fear of death was common. "There nothing wrong with it. And it's not silly. Your life will be remembered. Even if we just met I doing ever forget."

Pete knew from the look in his eyes that he was dead serious. "I never would've guessed you would try and comfort me before I died." It grew harder to talk as the infection set in even more. "Levi, you're a strong man. Stronger than any bastard I've met. That why I'm asking—no begging you to keep the others alive. Get them to the North."

Levi nodded but before he could respond further he heard a familiar nasty voice and a number of thumping on the vehicle as it rocked back and forth.

"Damn those Lurkers." Pete said.

"What are we going to do?" Levi asked. Bring him a Titan and he was fine, but these damn Lurkers creeped him the fuck out and he wasn't entirely sure how they operated and rather not get caught off guard.

Pete struggled to get off the floor and staggered to the front of the vehicle, throwing himself in the seat. "I'm dead anyway. I'll be the one to stay back and distract 'em. You guys choose your opportunity and go!"

Levi nodded readying himself but Clementine didn't agree with this plan. "But—you'll die if you stay here."

His grip tightened on the wheel. "I'll die if I go with y'all. And honestly, I don't want to see the looks on the others faces when they see this bite on me. Especially Nick." His voice quivered. "I don't think I'll be able to handle that.

"Hey, brat." Clementine turned to Levi. "He chose what he wanted to do, as his final act of courage." Levi turned to the exit. "Even if you don't agree, give him what he wants. It's the least we can do in this situation."

Clementine's face had fallen but she nodded. "Ok."

"It'll be ok, Clem." Pete said. "You guys ready? As soon as I honk this horn run out of here and don't look back."

Levi nodded but wondered what that meant. He knew he was in some type of vehicle but wasn't too sure if he trusted it or not. Luckily, he wouldn't be here for much longer.

"Now!" Pete called loudly, slamming his hand on the wheel. A horn sounded and loud and the Lurkers were attracted to it and began to stumble over.

Levi slammed through the back, running past the heard. He glanced behind him to actually see, to his surprise, that the girl was keeping up with him. Of course, he wasn't going as fast as he could but it was impressive still. She had to be no older than 12 from the looks of it.

His thoughts went back to Pete and his eyes narrowed. I'm sorry. He though solemnly.