The New World | The Walking Dead x Male Reader, OC

Hounded

Everyone except Rick was eating breakfast silently. Rick had been up all night in the room where Lori died as he imagined himself getting a phone call.

But eventually he finally walked back to their cell block.

"Everybody okay?" Rick asked as he walked in.
"Yeah, we are." Maggie answered.
"What about you?" Hershel asked Rick.
"I cleared out the boiler block." Rick said.
"How many were there?" Daryl asked.
"I don't know. A dozen, two dozen. I have to get back. Just wanted to check up on my boys." Rick said as he put a hand on either of his sons shoulders.
"Dad we can handle taking out the bodies. You don't have to." Mason said.
"No, I do. Everyone have a gun and a knife?" Rick asked his eldest son.
"Yeah. Starting to run low on ammo, though." Mason said.
"Maggie and me were planning on making a run this afternoon. Found a phone book with some places we can hit, look for bullets and formula." Glenn said.
"We cleared out the generator room. Axel's there trying to fix it. In case of emergency. We're gonna sweep the lower levels as well." Daryl said.
"Good. Good." Rick said as he quickly left the cell block.
"Dad!" Mason shouted before getting up and following him.
"Stay with them. Go with Maggie and Glenn on their run. They need you." Rick said as he walked.
"Yeah? Well what if I need you!?" Mason said which made his dad stop in his tracks for a moment.
"Go. Now." Rick said as he walked through another door.

Mason stood in silence for a moment as he suppressed his anger. He let out a sigh and walked back to the cell block.

----------

Mason, Maggie, and Glenn arrived at one of the places from the phone book. While Mason's gone, Beth's taking care of the baby.

"Man, I hate this fucking heat." Mason said as the three of them got out of the car.
"Tell me about it." Glenn said as he grabbed his bag from the back seat.
"We're clear outside." Maggie said.
"Alright, let's take a look." Glenn said before the two of them shared a kiss.
"Eeewwww." Mason says with a playfulness in his voice which made the other two chuckle.

Mason grabbed the bolt cutters from the car and snapped the chain on the front door. As he opened the door, a few birds flew out from inside.

"Oh shit." Mason said with a smile as he picked up a rubber duck.
"You think my baby sister's a duck person?" Mason said as he turned to the two who were still by the doorway.

"We just hit the powedered formula jackpot." Glenn said as the two walked back outside to Maggie.
"Oh, thank god." Maggie said.
"We also got beans, batteries, cocktail wieners, a surprising amount of different mustards. It's a straight shot back to the prison from here. We should make it in time for dinner." Mason said as he put his bag full of things in the car.
"I like the quiet. Back there, back home. You can always hear them outside the fence no matter where you are." Maggie said before they got interrupted by a familiar voice.
"And where is it y'all people are calling home?" Merle Dixon said as he came out from behind a car with a gun pointed to the three of them.
"Merle?" Mason said as the three of them pointed each of their pistols at him. Once Merle recognized Glenn and Mason, he put his gun down and his arms up with a sarcastic laugh.
"Wow!" Merle said as he started walking towards the three.
"Hey, back the hell up!" Maggie shouted.
"Okay, honey! Jesus." Merle said.
"You made it." Glenn said.
"Can you tell me, is my brother alive? Huh?" Merle said.
"Alive and well." Mason said, his gun still pointed at Merle. He never liked nor trusted Merle.
"Here, take me to him and I'll call it even on everything that happened up there in Atlanta. No hard feelings." Merle said.
"How about we'll tell Daryl you're here and he'll come out and meet you." Mason said.
"Hold on. Just hold up." Merle said as he started inching closer.
"Back the fuck up or I will shoot you right here." Mason said.
"Hey, the fact that we found each other is a miracle. You can trust me." Merle said.
"Like hell I can. You trust us. Stay here." Mason said.

Merle let out a chuckle.

"You grew up, kid." Merle said before taking out a gun he had in a holster behind his back and shooting them, missing and hitting the car's back window. Mason tried retaliating but instead got hit in the head by Merle's metal prosthetic, knocking him out cold. As the three of them got out of the way, Merle quickly grabbed Maggie and held his prosthetic arm's blade to her neck.

"Let go of her!" Glenn shouted.

Merle told him to put his gun and Mason in the car and that they're going on a little drive back to Merle's camp, leaving most of their supplies behind.

Little did they know, they had a spectator.

Michonne.