Chapter 2 (His Wise Words)

Chapter 2: His Wise Words

Maverick Hundall

Unknown, 2029

About 7 years after outbreak

Miami Coast

Season 3

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The next morning, before the sun rose, I took Arwen's gun and tucked the barrel in the back of my waistband, letting my t-shirt cover the rest. I made my way over to where Blake slept the night before, his body was splayed out across the dock, his left foot had fallen into a hole in the wood, the tip of his boot lightly grazing the water below. I couldn't bring myself to believe he was lying and had the intention of hurting my family but after what those people did to Skylar I had to be more careful or else it would happen again to our son. Violence had always been my thing, Arwen could threaten but they've never actually had to pull the trigger. I wasn't going to kill Blake, but it brought me comfort and I know it made Arwen feel better knowing that if I had to, I would.

"Wake up," I tapped Blake on the side with my shoe lightly, he made a low grunt and turned his body away from me. "Wake up, asshole," I kicked him harder, he shot up in a panic that quickly turned to expressing his pain.

"Damn man, that hurt," he stood up slowly, lifting his leg from the hole and brushing the back of his pants off, "and I thought you were the nice one."

"You said you wanted to find your family."

"What time is it?"

"That doesn't matter, if you want to start looking for them you have to now. I'm not gonna protect you, if Arwen wants to kill you they will." The words I was saying weren't entirely false but I didn't know what Arwen would do to him if he stayed. They would hurt him, no matter what he did they wouldn't trust him, sometimes they didn't even trust me. It's been five years and they still won't let me go anywhere near Valentine's grave.

"You kids are intimidating, I'll give you that. You want an old man's advice though before I go?"

"Sure," I hesitated.

"Don't stay here. The dead might not be the problem but soon, when people start trying to make the world go back the way it used to be, places like this will become a war zone. You can't protect it, you don't have the resources to, and all things considered, it isn't worth your lives. You've made it this far, you're not stupid. Learn to live in some place that you can sustain, like a community with walls, guns, a stable food source. Whether you want it to be or not, this place is up for grabs by whoever is strong enough. It's not yours and no matter how long you plan to stay here or how long you've been here, it never will be."

"They won't leave, Blake. They lost someone here a long time ago, no matter what I say it's never enough to convince them."

"I get that in this world you create new families with the people you end up with, but you have a son, Maverick. You gotta do what's best for him. Arwen isn't a child, they aren't your responsibility. If they want to stay here, they fucking will. Do what I couldn't do and protect your kid, nothing's ever okay anymore if you don't."

Blake left that morning, I sent him off with some of our food but didn't bother to say anything more. I was conflicted with so many thoughts, I knew he was right and I knew the world had more to offer for my son than sand and palm trees, but I also knew that if Arwen didn't have me they would die. I wish there was something I could do or say to convince them Valentine would forgive them if they left.