The Walking Dead: Emperor of Flames

Season 2/Chapter 55: Watch Where You Step

3rd Pov. 

After an alright sleep, everyone wakes up in the morning and gets to moving. Hours pass on by as the group walks through some forest. Molly holds AJ, Kenny points his gun at Arvo, & Luke limps behind the others. Y/n has his right hand in his pocket and Clementine's holding onto one of his arms. His guitar is on his back but his baseball bat is in his left hand. Molly and Carley are walking beside one another. Mike looks back at Luke. 

Mike: You sure you're good?

Luke: Yeah, yeah, I'm good. If I start to crap out, I'll let you know.

Mike: Okay, well, you do that. It's no trouble.

Kenny looks at Arvo and asks him about the distance to the place they're supposed to be going. 

Kenny: How much further?

Arvo: Close. Very close. 

Kenny: You've been sayin' that every time I ask.

Molly: Then why keep asking him? 

Kenny doesn't respond to Molly, and Arvo speaks again. 

Arvo: Please, come.

Kenny: I'm really starting to think you're full of shit.

Bonnie: It can't be much further.

Carley sighs. 

Carley: I hope not. My feet are starting to cramp up. 

The group passes by a group of trees with Kenny leading them. As Y/n is looking ahead, he notices that something is getting up and quickly warns Kenny as he knows exactly what it is. 

Y/n: Look out! There's a walker!

Kenny: What the fuck?!

The walker knocks Kenny over.

Clementine: Kenny!

Y/n quickly runs over and kicks the walker off of Kenny before raising his baseball bat up and smashing it in the head a few times until it stopped moving. He could've killed it with a quick shot to the head, but he needed to let off a little steam after hearing all the arguing which had really annoyed him the day before. Due to the sudden yell of Y/n, and the following by Kenny, Baby AJ woke up; he begins to cry profusely. 

Kenny: Jesus Christ!

Everyone comes running over to Kenny as he lays on the ground, okay, but a little unnerved after almost being bitten by the undead asshole who had been lurking like some sort of undead ninja or assassin. Y/n turns back to the others as he burns the blood off of his bat and he looks down at Kenny. 

Y/n: Are you okay, Kenny? 

Kenny: Shit... Fucker came outta nowhere!

Bonnie looks at the group. 

Bonnie: Those shouts were loud. Hopefully there aren't more of them.

Molly scoffs. 

Molly: Knowing our luck we've just awoken a fucking herd. 

Jane nods. 

Jane: Yeah, Molly's right, let's move. We don't want to be around to find out.

Carley: Sounds good. 

Clementine walks over to Y/n and again, grabs his free arm. 

Clementine: You okay? 

Y/n: As good as always. How about you? 

Clementine: Right as rain. 

Arvo: It's very close. Come.

The group walks a little farther and snow begins to fall once more. If the ground had any non covered parts, this was surely going to change that. Even though it wasn't coming down hard right now doesn't mean it won't later. The group knows it's best to keep on moving, avoiding getting stuck is the best thing they can ask for. One foot after the other, the group finally stops just as Arvo points to a place across a frozen lake. 

Arvo: There. 

The place is a house that's unfinished. It's barely thirty percent done overall if you were to compare it to an actual house. And as always, Kenny is the first to spot the shitty situation they're presented with. 

Kenny: That piece of shit? It's half-built.

Jane: We're here for the supplies. Not the house.

Arvo: It's warm. Fireplace. Very warm.

Luke rubs the back of his neck. 

Luke: I'd just like a place to sit, if I'm honest.

Clementine: I think it'd be best if we did go. It's not much, but it's better than being out in the cold. 

Y/n agrees with his girlfriend. 

Y/n: She's right. I can only provide so much heat before even I run out of energy. Though I am concerned if it's empty or not. That's a little sketchy, but I think it probably is. 

Arvo: Yes. It's empty.

Y/n doesn't respond and upon hearing Arvo, Jane replies. 

Jane: I thought so too. But now that he's said that, I'm not as sure.

Kenny glares at Arvo. 

Kenny: If it ain't, kid's gonna wish it was.

They all go over to where the bank of the lake is and Mike asks how they're getting across. 

Mike: Are we just gonna walk over?

Bonnie: Maybe there's another way around.

Carley walks up and looks around. 

Carley: Not looking like it. 

Y/n: I mean we could walk the way around. Maybe find another way, but it'd take a while longer. 

Arvo speaks in russian, but Kenny stops him. 

Kenny: Say it in American, asshole.

Arvo: It's okay. Walk. Ice.

Kenny: No shit, ice. That's the problem.

Bonnie: He's saying it's fine.

Arvo: I go first. I can be front.

The others look at the ice, but the person most concerned is Y/n. Not only can he not use even a little bit of fire for fear of melting the ice around him, but he can't swim due to his ability. It isn't looking good. Carley is the first to notice Y/n's face as her motherly instincts kick in and he looks at the ice a little unsure. She goes over to Clementine and Y/n, but looks at Y/n first while Clem's attention is more toward the lake at the moment.

Carley: Hey, are you okay? 

Y/n: (Nods) I'll be okay. 

Upon hearing the two, Clementine turns her attention to them instead of looking off at the lake. She notices Y/n's aversion to the lake & remembers the last time they were next to a large body of water at the river. 

Clementine: Don't worry, Y/n. If we just go real slow, it'll probably be okay.

Molly comes over holding AJ. 

Molly: She's right. No need to rush. We should all also spread out while we walk to distribute the weight. 

Kenny: Let the Ruskie go first, since he's so confident.

Arvo: It's okay. 

Arvo starts walking across the frozen lake & slowly, but surely, the others follow with Clementine and Y/n being toward the back as they weigh the least and Y/n wanted to so he can get more level headed. Clem can feel how clammy his hands are at the moment, but she keeps her grip on his. She's determined not to let him down. Each step they take forms a small crack within the ice and it gets Y/n's attention. 

Y/n: (Whisper) Man... Fucking lakes. 

Clementine: It's okay, I promise.