The flickering campfire cast long, dancing shadows across the grim faces of the survivors in the quarry. Shane's proposal for a major supply run into the heart of walker infested Atlanta hung heavy in the air, a desperate gamble for much needed resources. His gaze, sharp and challenging, lingered on Glenn, then shifted pointedly to Ethan.
"We need guns, ammo, more food than squirrels can provide, and maybe some fuel if we're lucky," Shane reiterated, his voice a low growl that commanded attention. "Harrison's Department Store downtown. Big place. Risky as hell, but the payoff could be huge."
Ethan knew this was coming. The department store run was a pivotal, disastrous event in the early TWD timeline, largely due to Merle Dixon. His foreknowledge felt like a lead weight. Could he change things? The System had warned against major alterations to canon, but "minor changes"... what constituted minor when lives were on the line?
"I'm in," Glenn said, his voice quiet but firm, despite the clear apprehension in his eyes. He was their best scout, their go-to for city runs.
"Count me in too," Ethan stated, meeting Shane's look. Refusing wasn't an option if he wanted to solidify his place and be seen as a contributing member. Besides, being there gave him a chance, however slim, to influence events, to protect others if he could. And, selfishly, it was an opportunity for significant EXP and Battle Points.
Shane nodded, a flicker of something unreadable in his eyes. "Good. We need people who aren't afraid to get their hands dirty." He looked around. "T-Dog, you're with us. Morales, you too. Your family needs you to bring back supplies."
Both men nodded grimly.
Then, Merle Dixon let out a whoop. "Hell yeah! Time for some real fun! Been too long since I got to stretch my legs in the city and pop some geek heads!" He sauntered forward, leering. "Make sure you pack me some extra shells for my piece, Shane-o."
Shane's jaw tightened at Merle's attitude but he didn't refuse him outright. Merle, for all his crassness, was a capable, if dangerously unpredictable, fighter. "Just try to keep your damn mouth shut and follow orders this time, Dixon," Shane warned.
Andrea suddenly spoke up, her voice stronger than Ethan had heard it before. "I'm going."
Amy gasped. "Andrea, no! It's too dangerous!"
"I can shoot," Andrea stated, looking at Shane. "And I'm not going to sit around here waiting for walkers to pick us off one by one. I need to do something."
Jacqui, quiet until now, added, "I know that part of the city. I worked near Harrison's. I can help navigate."
After a brief, tense debate, Shane reluctantly agreed to include Andrea and Jacqui, bringing their team to eight. Dale looked deeply worried but didn't voice further objections, knowing their supply situation was dire.
The next morning, preparations were made in a subdued, anxious atmosphere. Ethan found a quiet moment to access his System. He had 10 unallocated Attribute Points from his recent level-ups. He needed to be ready for the city.
"System, allocate AP: Strength +3, Agility +3, Endurance +2, Perception +2."
[Attributes Updated: Strength: 11, Agility: 14, Endurance: 9, Perception: 14.]
He felt a distinct improvement, a greater sense of power in his limbs, his senses even sharper. His Battle Points stood at 196. He quickly browsed the Survivor's Exchange. The 'Climbing Gloves (Enhanced Grip)' for 30 BP seemed like a smart, discreet investment for an urban environment.
[Purchase Confirmed: 'Climbing Gloves (Enhanced Grip)'. BP -30. Current BP: 166.]
The supple, reinforced gloves appeared in his inventory. He could slip them on before they entered the city, claiming he'd had them in his pack.
Before they left, Ethan saw Carol Peletier anxiously watching her daughter Sophia play quietly with Carl near Dale's RV. The children's vulnerability in this harsh world was a stark reminder of why these risks were taken. His foreknowledge of Sophia's fate, in particular, made him uneasy. He couldn't save everyone, but small positive influences… perhaps.
They set off in the box truck Glenn had previously used for city runs. It was battered but functional. Shane drove, his expression grim. Merle was already being obnoxious in the back, making crude jokes and racist remarks, mostly aimed at T-Dog, who stoically ignored him. Ethan sat quietly, observing, his System passively scanning their route, his mind racing with his foreknowledge of what awaited them at Harrison's, and the critical role Merle would play.
The journey into Atlanta was tense. The streets were more choked with walkers than Ethan had seen on his initial escape from the hospital. Shane drove aggressively, sometimes plowing through smaller groups of the dead, the thuds against the truck sickening. Ethan's System occasionally flashed warnings of larger herds in adjacent streets, which he subtly relayed to Shane as "bad feelings" or "hearing something that way," prompting Shane to alter their route slightly, often with a grunt of annoyance but usually complying if it saved them from a major blockage.
They finally reached the street outside Harrison's Department Store. It was a scene of eerie desolation. A few walkers shambled nearby, but the immediate area around the store's main entrance seemed unnervingly quiet. The large display windows were dark, some cracked.
"Alright, listen up," Shane said, cutting the engine a block away. "We go in fast, grab what we need – guns, ammo from sporting goods, canned food, medical supplies from the pharmacy section. No screwing around. Ethan, Glenn, you two are point with me. T-Dog, Morales, watch our backs. Andrea, Jacqui, Merle, you're on supply gathering once we're inside and it's clear. First sign of major trouble, we bug out. Got it?"
Everyone nodded. Ethan slipped on his new climbing gloves, the enhanced grip feeling good.
They approached the main entrance. The revolving doors were jammed, blocked by a desiccated corpse. The adjacent plate glass doors were locked, but walkers were pressed up against the inside, their decaying faces grotesque, hands pawing at the glass.
[System scan: Harrison's Department Store – Ground Floor. Multiple (10-15) walker signatures detected immediately inside main entrance and visible display areas. Deeper interior scans obscured. Upper floors: Unknown. Main entrance barricaded from inside by previous occupants (now likely walkers). Weak point: Service entrance, rear alley, but alley may be heavily congested.]
"Can't get in the front without a major fight and bringing every geek in a five-block radius down on us," Glenn observed.
"There's a service entrance around back," Jacqui offered. "Used to be for deliveries. Less obvious."
"Alright," Shane decided. "We try the service entrance. Merle, you and T-Dog watch the street here, make sure nothing creeps up on us while we check it out. Ethan, Glenn, you're with me."
They moved stealthily towards the rear alley. It was narrow, filled with overflowing dumpsters and an unholy stench. And, as the System had warned, it was not empty. About a half-dozen walkers were milling about, drawn by some unseen stimulus.
Just as they were about to engage, Merle Dixon, clearly bored with waiting, sauntered up behind them, his own shotgun now in hand. "Screw this sneaking around crap," he drawled loudly, racking a shell into the chamber with a deafening clack-clack. "Let's just make some noise and get this party started!"
Before anyone could stop him, he raised his shotgun and fired two quick, booming blasts into the walkers in the alley, the sound echoing like thunder between the tall buildings.
The walkers in the alley dropped. But from all around, from the main street, from other connecting alleys, a fresh chorus of groans arose, growing rapidly in volume.
Shane whirled on Merle, his face purple with rage. "You damn lunatic! What the hell did you just do?!"
Merle just grinned, unfazed. "Cleared the way, didn't I?"
The System flashed urgently in Ethan's vision: [Massive walker aggro detected! Multiple herds converging on current location due to gunshots! Estimated arrival of first wave: 60 seconds! Immediate entry into department store or evacuation of area recommended!]
Their "stealthy" approach had just gone completely to hell, thanks to Merle Dixon. They were about to be swamped.