Cap: 4

When the supermarket finally came into view, Erick realized that the place served as a refuge for a group of survivors. The doors were closed, but inside, people were running from one side to the other.

[New main mission unlocked: "Take control of the supermarket."

This supermarket is full of people hiding inside... The resources here would be a great boost for survival... And they would be better utilized in your hands.

Objective: Take control of the supermarket and all the people inside by any means necessary.

Rewards:

- "Pocket warehouse 1" (Allows you to carry objects without physically holding them, and they'll be available at any time. The current limit is 100 kilograms and can be upgraded by completing missions.)

- "Perceptive leader" (You'll be able to see detailed information about all the members of your group, including their perception of you.)

- "Rambo mode" (Available if you kill everyone living inside the supermarket. All your stats will be at their maximum when fighting alone and outnumbered, and your plot armor will be at its highest possible level.)

- Community benefit (available if you become the leader of the entire supermarket group. You'll be able to choose a benefit for your community, and as it strengthens, this benefit can evolve.)

]

Erick parked the vehicle in a spot in the parking lot and got out as a man with a gun in his hand came out to greet him.

"Stay behind me and don't speak unless I tell you to," Erick said.

Everyone got out, and while Erick remained calm as the man approached, both Alexa and Sandra drew their respective weapons. In Sandra's case, she was holding Clementine's hammer since, unlike the girl, she had the strength to use it.

"What have you come here for?" the man asked, staring at the weapon Erick had at his belt.

"We're just looking for a place to stay for the night. We're not here to cause trouble," Erick replied.

The man looked at the group without lowering the gun in his right hand. He had incredibly short brown hair and beard, wore sunglasses, and had a cap on his head. He seemed to be in his mid-30s.

"Kid... you don't know what you're getting into... If you know what's good for you, you'll leave and never come back," the man advised.

"Why? Doesn't your group accept new members?" Erick asked.

"It does..." the man admitted. "...But if you join, you'll probably regret it."

"I think I'll take the risk," Erick confirmed.

"Alright, but don't say I didn't warn you... This place isn't safe for women and children," he informed.

"Is there any place in the world that is safe nowadays?"

"No... By the way, my name is Gary," the man shrugged and walked back into the supermarket.

Erick motioned for the women to stay together and not separate at any time. The last thing they needed was for someone to get cornered for wanting to explore on their own.

As they crossed the supermarket doors, Erick felt several eyes on his group. The place was occupied almost exclusively by men. He saw a middle-aged woman with her daughter, about 13 or 14 years old, talking to Gary. There was also a black-haired woman in her mid-20s speaking to a blonde man with a cruel expression on his face... Other than that, only men were here, and not including his group, there must have been at least 30 people in the whole place...

"Psst... Hey, girl..." A gray-bearded man called out to Sandra. "…Don't you feel like trying some real cock?" The guy grabbed his crotch, and the two men sitting next to him laughed.

"She's not interested... You'd better stay away, old man," Erick replied while Sandra hid behind him.

The man stood up, holding his crossbow with both hands, followed by his two friends who had bows. He put on a show, trying to seem intimidating as he approached Erick, who drew his pistol.

"You're in good company, boy..." the man noted. "Why don't you let your friend entertain me and my buddies?… We don't want those pretty teeth of yours getting broken… right?"

"It's not my teeth you should be worried about… These women are already claimed, and if you try anything, I'll kill you myself," Erick threatened.

The three men pointed their weapons at him, and Erick did the same with his pistol.

"There's three of us, and only one of you, boy... You'd do well to obey what we say, or you'll end up looking like a porcupine."

"A bullet is faster than an arrow, and unless you're incredibly lucky, I'll be able to kill all three of you before I bleed out... Who wants to die first?" Erick promised.

"That's enough, Roger..." Gary stepped in to calm the situation, pointing his revolver at the gray-bearded man's head. "This game can only end badly for you..."

"Hey... I just want to have a little fun, Gary... No need to get all tense..." Roger lowered his crossbow and walked back to his seat with his two friends.

"You and your friends should follow me... Don't cause any trouble or stare at anyone here..." Gary said, and Erick complied.

They stayed behind Gary until they finally reached a section of the supermarket with a table where the woman was sitting while her daughter read a book in a nearby armchair. Both women had brown hair and brown eyes.

"They're Jolene and her daughter Danielle... You already know my name," Gary informed.

"I'm Erick, and these are Alexa, Sandra, Lysa, and Clementine," he explained, pointing to each of them.

Sandra and Clementine went to talk to Danielle while the adults moved a little away to talk privately, without losing sight of the girls.

"You've already realized the type of men here... This is what I was trying to warn you about," Gary pointed out.

"Yeah, I think I know what to expect now," Erick sighed.

"No... You don't... The man who owned this place thought he knew these men... He thought that because they worked for him, he could control them... He realized his mistake when they raped his wife and daughter in front of him before throwing all three of them out to be devoured by the walkers," Gary explained.

Unlike the women who accompanied him, Erick didn't react in the slightest to that information. He knew that this sort of thing would inevitably happen when society collapsed...

"Why did you stay here if you have a daughter?" Alexa asked Jolene.

The middle-aged woman scratched her brown hair and sighed, glancing at her daughter.

"The world is already full of monsters everywhere... Gary and I are safer here than out on the road at the mercy of those cannibals outside... And my girl can at least have a roof over her head."

Erick wasn't sure things here were going to end well... These men seemed like generic villains that Rick Grimes and his group would kill over a weekend... Not to mention the Governor out there who would probably take this place without leaving anyone alive...

Still... This group had potential... If Erick led them in the right direction, this could be the first step toward something much bigger...

"I understand," Erick nodded. "Who's the leader of this place?"

"There are several with some influence, but none have full control... Bart, Drew, and I have the most men, but the one with the largest faction is Jake," Gary pointed to the blonde man Erick had seen earlier...

The guy was sitting on his couch, watching everything like a king on his throne, with the black-haired woman sitting on his lap as he caressed her backside.

Erick took the opportunity to glance at the weapons the residents had... Aside from Gary, no one else seemed to have firearms... but even so, he couldn't just kill them all and take over the place. He didn't have enough ammo, and he was outnumbered by a ridiculous margin...

"Why isn't there a defined leader?" Erick asked.

"Many want leadership, and there's no direction that everyone supports," Gary explained.

"Drew wants to go north, hoping the cold will stop the walkers, but he doesn't know where exactly to go... Bart wants to raid a military base to steal their weapons and fight the government for its resources... Jake wants to kill other groups to steal their women and supplies, and that's what many here want... That's why he has so many followers," Gary explained.

"What is it that *you* want?" Erick asked.

"I want us to take everything valuable in this supermarket and move somewhere else... It's too easy for anyone to find this place, and if the military or any armed group comes to take it all, we don't have the weapons to stop them. What we do afterward, I couldn't care less about," Gary explained.

That made Erick realize he would have to play politics to take control of this place. There are two ways to win in politics: sell yourself as the best option or make your rival look bad. Most politicians use both, but above all, they lie because it's easy, and people rarely notice if those lies contain what they want to hear.

It was tough to convince the girls to stay at the supermarket, but he managed to do it by promising to keep watch during the night to make sure nothing happened.

Erick struck a deal with Gary to settle in the same warehouse in exchange for rotating guard shifts with him. Jolene and Danielle had no problem with his presence; in fact, they appreciated the good company compared to what they were used to.

Everyone laid mattresses on the floor of the warehouse and prepared to sleep. As Erick took the first watch of the night, Clementine approached him with visible concern on her face.

"Is there something you want to tell me, Clem?" Erick asked the girl.

"Erick... you... did you have to kill that man?" The girl shrank back after murmuring her question.

"Well... yes... That guy was a convicted murderer. If I let him go, maybe he would have hurt someone else," Erick replied, lying.

"He's right, Clem," Lysa backed him up, to his surprise. "Erick did what was necessary to protect us... that man had to die." She crossed her arms.

Alexa's younger sister seemed to be made of sterner stuff... Erick was impressed, to say the least.

"Still, I don't like that you had to kill people," Clementine whispered.

"It's okay not to like it, little one," Erick comforted her. "I don't enjoy killing either, but it's become necessary for our survival... I hope you never have to do it."

Everyone except Erick went to sleep while he kept watch over the only entrance to the warehouse. When Gary's turn came, Erick slept with one eye open in case the man wasn't what he seemed, but eventually, he slept peacefully.

The following week was incredibly long and stressful for Erick. He had to meet all the men at the place, listen to their concerns and desires... all while keeping eyes in the back of his head and looking out for his women.

Erick took precautions to make sure nothing unpleasant happened. He gave his revolver to Alexa so she could defend the others and ordered them not to separate, even for bathroom breaks, while keeping them in his sight as much as possible.

Fortunately, Erick didn't have to kill any of the men for trying to make a move on one of the girls. There were some indecent proposals and subtle threats here and there that forced him to hand out a few beatings, but that was it.

Erick managed to befriend a few of the men, including Bart and Drew, with whom he discussed his plans while pointing out the problems with implementing each one. He had to be careful with his words not to offend them, but they seemed to have no issue with him.

Surprisingly, he even got along with Roger—or at least as well as two men who had threatened to kill each other could. At least the man seemed to respect him for not being intimidated and caused him no further trouble.

The one who was certainly going to be a huge problem was Jake. The guy clearly saw Erick as a threat to his own power and didn't hesitate to let him know, threatening the worst for him and the girls if they ever got in his way.

As the days passed, the group kept growing. More men arrived, but no women or children joined them. Gary made sure to warn anyone approaching what they were getting into, and those with common sense simply walked away. The result was a homogeneous band of individuals who shared a violent disposition and unbridled ambition. As their numbers increased, so did the tensions. Living in an environment without clear rules, where every man saw himself as a predator in lawless territory, was a powder keg waiting to explode.

By the time the group reached fifty people, internal arguments and fights had become a constant. The lack of strong, unified leadership fueled the chaos, and Jake knew it. He had been preparing for this moment, watching his potential rivals, gauging their strength, and waiting for the right time to take definitive control. And now, he had decided enough was enough.

"Everyone, listen to me!" Jake ordered, his voice booming across the camp. Sitting in a makeshift chair, he shoved Linda, a young woman with black hair whom he had taken as his personal possession, off his lap in a disrespectful manner. He gave her a slap on the rear to push her away, which elicited a few isolated laughs from the men closest to him.

As Jake stood, the atmosphere in the camp shifted. The men began to gather, forming a circle around him, as if they knew something important was about to happen. Erick, watching from the edge of the crowd, felt the tension rising in the air. He knew the moment to define leadership had arrived. The group was already too large to continue without a clear leader, and Jake wasn't going to miss the opportunity to assert his dominance.

Jake's cold, calculating eyes scanned the crowd, lingering a few seconds longer on those he considered threats: Bart, Drew, Gary, and finally Erick. It was a non-verbal message, a warning. If they opposed him, they would pay the price.

"We've become a strong and numerous group," Jake began, his voice filled with a mix of arrogance and conviction. "But being strong is useless if we don't use that strength. We're big enough to take whatever we want! And what do we want?"

Jake began to walk among the men, his presence imposing. He pointed at one of his closest followers, prompting him to speak.

"Uh, weapons?" muttered the man, uncertain of what Jake wanted to hear.

"Women?" added another, more confidently.

"Drugs?" a third voice chimed in, provoking a general round of laughter.

Jake smiled with disdain, raising a hand to calm the noise.

"Everything," he finally said, with an intensity that made even those who hadn't participated in the answers look at him with attention. "We want everything, and we deserve everything. There's no more government to crush us with taxes, no more rich men to exploit us with miserable wages. Only men! And if a man wants something, he must take it by force."

The roar that followed his words was deafening. Dozens of men raised their voices in support, shouting as if Jake's promises were gospel in the midst of chaos. However, Erick, always observant, noticed that not everyone was so enthusiastic. Some, like Bart, Drew, and Gary, remained neutral, not openly showing their support. Maybe out of fear, or perhaps because they saw no viable alternative. Or maybe they had simply lost hope of changing the course of things.

Erick knew that if he wanted to defeat Jake and take control of the group, he would have to play smart. It wouldn't be enough to confront Jake directly; he would need to win over some of his followers. But to do that, he would have to make some concessions. He had to find a way to undermine Jake's influence from within, and that process began now.

As Jake continued with his speech, Erick noticed that some of the men were starting to glance in his direction, as if expecting something. They knew Erick was clever and that, unlike Jake, he wasn't just brute force. Maybe they didn't support him yet, but there was a spark of doubt in some of them. The time to act was approaching, and when the moment came, Erick knew he would have to be ready to turn that spark into a wildfire.

"And how will you do it?... How exactly are you going to take everything?" Erick asked, leaning forward slightly. His tone was genuine, without a hint of hostility, but with a curiosity that seemed, at least superficially, uninterested.

Jake stared at him for a few seconds, frowning as if evaluating Erick's intentions. The silence in the camp was heavy, as if everyone was waiting for his response. Finally, with an air of self-assurance, Jake spoke.

"Isn't it obvious? We'll kill anyone who gets in our way and take everything. Whether we face military groups or civilians, it doesn't matter. We'll take what we need. And, of course, we'll keep some of their women alive... to share among us." Jake's tone was crude and direct, causing many of the men to roar in support or shout obscenities that echoed throughout the store.

Erick couldn't help but sigh, though it wasn't a sigh of physical exhaustion, but one of sheer disbelief at the foolishness of Jake's plan. "People are a resource," he reminded himself, a concept Jake clearly didn't understand.

"Did you hear that, Linda?" Erick's voice, dripping with sarcasm, was directed toward the young black-haired woman standing near Jake. "Jake's going to share you with the whole group from now on. How generous of him, right? I didn't think he liked being a cuckold." The joke was swift, sharp, and it hit right where it hurt the most.

A wave of laughter echoed through the room, filling the warehouse with the sound of mockery. Jake, however, didn't take it lightly. His face turned red, not just from public humiliation, but because he understood what it meant: Erick had just made himself his enemy.

Jake's eyes flashed with fury, and though he said nothing at the moment, his fists clenched tightly. The promise of revenge was evident in his expression, but for now, he held back.

Seizing the moment of weakness, Erick decided to delve deeper into Jake's proposal. "You said we'd kill soldiers and civilians to take their stuff, but many of them are armed, and we barely have a few bows and crossbows. If we try that, we'll die in droves before we get enough weapons for everyone." His tone was calm, almost instructional, but his point was clear and piercing.

Erick's words planted seeds of doubt among the crowd. In recent days, only a few men had returned with a couple of handguns, but most of those present were poorly armed, and Erick's logic was beginning to sink in.

"And about taking some of their women to share..." Erick continued, slowly pacing among the men as if he were giving a lesson. "I'd rather throw my seed into a sewer than share a woman. Why not, instead of taking a few of their women, we take *all* of them? That, dear Jake, is far more generous than leaving the scraps to the rest while you keep a woman of your own."

Erick's words struck hard, directly appealing to the greed and selfishness of the men present. Many began murmuring among themselves, including some of Jake's followers. The seed of discord had been planted.

Jake, realizing his grip on control was slipping, tried to regain the upper hand. "Did you forget that keeping that many women alive means we'll have to feed them? The food won't last forever... and if we run out, we won't even be able to feed ourselves."

Erick smiled, knowing he had guided the conversation exactly where he wanted it. "I'm glad you brought up food, because that's exactly where I was going." He paused, looking around. "Killing other groups to take food sounds great in the short term, but sooner or later, whatever scraps are left will rot. So, I ask you... Do any of you know, or want to know, how to plow a field like idiots to grow food? Because that's what will happen if we kill every group we come across."

As Erick moved among the crowd, he noticed how many of the men were genuinely starting to consider his words. Up until now, Jake had sold them on a plan full of violence and instant gratification, but Erick was appealing to something deeper: long-term survival.

"Instead of killing everyone..." Erick began again, his voice strong and clear, capturing the attention of everyone present. "Why not make others work the fields for us? Think about it... fresh, abundant food, without having to risk our lives on every raid. We won't starve if we get unlucky and don't find anyone to rob for a while. We'll make them work for us, and in exchange, we'll give them protection. Food for protection... and *we'll* be the ones on top!" he declared with a conviction that echoed throughout the place.

The men, who had been silent until now, roared in approval, many more than those who had initially supported Jake. Erick had managed to tap into something in them, an idea that promised not only survival but also power.

But Erick wasn't finished. "There's more! I know a place where we can get weapons easily. I could go there myself and come back with enough weapons to arm each one of you. A war that'll make us kings! Kings of this land! And Georgia will be our fiefdom!" he continued, his voice energetic and inspired. His proposal didn't just appeal to the men's greed but also to their desire for security and power. Having food was one thing, but having the power to protect it was another.

"Erick! Erick! Erick!" the men began chanting, their voices full of excitement. The air was thick with the energy of the crowd, transforming the space into an arena of enthusiasm and fervor. Erick had planted in their minds the vision of a future of absolute domination, and they responded to his call like warriors ready to charge into battle.

"This is our chance!" Erick continued, his words amplified by the echoes of the cheers. "No more fat, old politicians bossing us around from their offices! No more taxes to keep their lives comfortable! The land will be ours... *the women* will be ours... This will be our dominion, our nation! We will impose a new order where we are the masters!" he shouted, raising one arm as the men responded with shouts of enthusiasm that made the walls shake.

The men, now fully captivated, chanted his name over and over. "Erick! Erick! Erick!" was all that could be heard. The sound reverberated, filled with promises of power, dominance, and a new era in which they would be the lords and rulers. Erick smiled, knowing he had sparked the flame he needed to solidify his leadership.

"Tell me!" he asked with the confidence of someone who already knew the answer. "Am I right?"

"YES!" the men roared in unison, as one voice, as if each of them was ready to follow him to the ends of the earth if needed.

"Whose is Georgia?" Erick continued, his tone commanding and authoritative, cementing his control over the crowd.

"Ours!" they shouted again, louder than before, filled with a mix of pride and desire. In that moment, Georgia was just a contested land, and Erick was the king who would lead them to conquer it.

"That's right!" Erick exclaimed. "But let's not rush. First, we're going to strengthen ourselves. We'll secure a safe base, something no one can take from us. Then, we'll get the weapons, those same weapons that will make us the most feared force in these lands. And once we're ready, no one will have the strength to oppose us. We'll be unstoppable!" he promised, his tone growing more intense as the men chanted his name louder, caught up in the trance their leader had created.

"Erick! Erick! Erick!" they all shouted in unison, their voices united as a proclamation of loyalty to their new leader. Erick paused for a moment, savoring the feeling of absolute control, knowing he had achieved the impossible: he had taken full control of the group, not just through brute force but with intelligence and strategy.

As the cheers and chants slowly died down, the group's noise was replaced by a heavy, expectant silence. Erick, still standing in the center, felt the eyes of the men on him, filled with respect, perhaps fear, but above all, submission. The echo of his name still resonated in the air like a victory chant.

In the midst of that charged atmosphere, he heard footsteps approaching from behind. Without turning, he already knew who it was. Jake was approaching, his heavy footsteps betraying both determination and resentment. Erick didn't need to see him to feel the threat looming over him. When Jake finally reached his side, the sound of slow, mocking applause filled the space.

Erick turned his head and met Jake's wide smile, a grin that didn't reach his eyes, which were filled with barely contained fury. He was a man defeated, humiliated in front of his own group.

So... is this the part where you try to kill me?

"Congratulations, Erick!" Jake exclaimed, his words laced with venom disguised as courtesy. "I hope we can work together," he added, extending his right hand, palm open in a gesture meant to symbolize peace, but that was as empty as his fake smile.

Erick observed the outstretched hand, but what really caught his attention was the slight tremor running through Jake's fingers. It wasn't a tremor of fear, but of contained rage, the same that was reflected in the tension of his clenched jaw. But that wasn't all. In his left hand, which Jake was trying to keep out of sight, the blade of a machete gleamed, gripped so tightly that Jake's knuckles turned white. The threat was clear.

"Thank you," Erick responded without flinching, his voice calm and calculating, as if he hadn't noticed the latent danger in Jake's every movement. "I'm sure you'll make things easier for me soon," he added, dropping the offered hand without even attempting to shake it.

The air around them grew heavy, charged with palpable tension. The men surrounding them, who had been loud and excited moments earlier, now stood in an uncomfortable silence. They knew what was coming, and none of them dared to intervene. Glances were exchanged, but no one moved a muscle. They knew that in this undeclared duel, only one would walk away alive.

Jake knew it too. Erick could see in his eyes that he was aware his time was running out. The humiliation, the displacement of his leadership, the public mockery... all of it had dug a grave for his pride. But he didn't plan on going down without a fight.

A flash in Jake's eyes was the only warning before everything happened. Suddenly, the movement was quick and brutal. Jake raised the machete in a strike aimed directly at Erick's face. The blade gleamed under the dim light, cutting through the air with a deadly hiss. But Erick was ready. In a swift and calculated move, he raised his reinforced arm to block the blow. The machete bounced off, unable to penetrate the protection.

Without losing a second, Erick acted. With the same hand he had used to block the attack, he pushed Jake back, destabilizing him for a brief moment. And that was all he needed. With a precise and cold movement, Erick drew his knife and plunged it deep into Jake's neck.

Blood gushed out immediately, hot and abundant, staining both their hands. Jake dropped the machete as his hands flew to his neck in a desperate attempt to stop the bleeding. His eyes, once full of hatred, were now wide with pure terror and surprise. He staggered backward, his hands slipping on his own blood as he futilely tried to keep life inside his body.

Erick took a step back, withdrawing the knife in a fluid motion. He watched Jake stagger, his breaths growing more erratic as blood filled his lungs, slowly drowning him. The sound of his failed attempts to breathe echoed in the room, a grim reminder of the price of failure.

Jake fell to his knees, his hands still clutching his neck in a vain attempt to stop his inevitable death. A final gurgle escaped his throat before he finally collapsed completely. His body slumped to the ground, motionless, as a dark stain of blood spread beneath him.

Silence once again took over the place. The men who had been watching expectantly now looked at Erick with a mix of respect and absolute fear. Jake lay dead at his feet. There was no need for more words. Erick had won the battle, and with it, the unquestionable loyalty of everyone.

Erick wiped the knife on Jake's clothes, his gaze cold and calculating, before sheathing the weapon once more. Without saying a word, he raised his head, observing the men around him. No one dared to move. They knew that power now rested firmly in his hands, and anyone who dared to challenge him would meet the same fate as Jake.....

[Character Summary:

- Name: Erick Bolton

- Age: 18

- Combat Attributes:

(Take into account that C- is the average)

 * Melee: B-

  * Ranged: C-

 * Physical condition: B-

 * Stealth: B-

 * Plot Armor: Low

- Group size: 50+

- Army quality: Very low.

- Inventory:

 + Pistol (ammo x9)

 + Thief's pistol (empty)

 + Small axe

 + Machete

 + Tactical knives x1

 + Backpack

 + first aid kit

 + Food (remaining days: ?? )]