TWD The Crusade

5

Mason stands there still eyeing his father over as his father sits back in a chair with a small smirk.

"son..."

Senator Reid remains quiet letting the word drop off his lip as he worriedly looks over his son and how exhausted the man looks. Mason slowly sits down into a chair across from his father and Senator Reid leans forward taking in how aged his son looks in the few years since he saw him.

"you've grown mason..."

"not dead?" Mason asked his voice cracking as he holds back his emotions and is unsure whether he is happy or sad to see his father alive.

"of course not. lewis wouldn't kill me even if he blamed me for things with Fiona and his father and mother he was still a good man, not a killer."

Mason remains quiet thinking of his best friend and twirls the old wedding band on his finger as his father asks.

"Is that why you killed him?"

"I thought you were dead. if, if you're alive then I killed him, I killed my best friend for no fucking reason." 

Mason shakes his head feeling his hands shake as his father asks.

"given the circumstances mace I am sure you felt like it was the right-"

"It wasn't, dad. I killed lewis. I shot him in the face. he's dead because of me."

Senator Reid sits there across from his son and remains quiet as Mason asks.

"what would you have done?"

"if anyone heard you or sam, I'd kill them Mace. you're my boys, I love you both very much even if I got caught up in being a leader everything I did and will do is for both of you."

"sam's dead." Mason says it outright not holding back the truth from his dad and his dad's eyes shift asking.

"what happened?" Senator Reid asks sounding concerned.

Mason at first opens his mouth going to say the truth.

"I had..."

he stops himself and looks up to his dad and lies.

"This guy called Styles, Konnor's father he wanted revenge for Miya he wanted me to choose dad and I couldn't do it so he killed Sam."

Senator Reid stares down his son reading him and asks.

"he? he killed sam?" Mason hears the sound of his father's voice and is unsure if his dad belives him but his father demeanor changes as he speaks softly to his son.

"must have been hard son seeing your brother die like that."

Senator Reid thinks to himself unsure he belives Mason but shakes his had warding off his thoughts as he asks.

"the patriots won't let this rest ill have thme hunt this bastard nobody fucks with Reid's especially not some creep that hangs around walkers for fun and kills my son. "

he says it while staring down Mason and Mason shifts his eyes to the table.

"I'm sorry dad."

"You should be. his death will always be your fault because you let it happen"

Myron walks in interrupting what e overhead and nods to Mason.

"that's a bit harsh I'm sure he did whatever he could to save his brother."

Senator Reid glares up to Myron and motions out.

"This is a family matter if I need input ill ask for it."

Myron glances back to Mason and turns to senator Reid.

"sir im just saying it's his broher-"

"no..." Mason interrupts Myron and nods to him.

"he's right, it's my fault. I could have done more or handled it differently."

Senator Reid takes a deep breath in thinking oer his sons words and nods his head.

"lewis, sam, Miya, and how many others Mason will it take to realize it doesn't always work"

Senator Reid comes up to his side and whispers.

"But I am here now, here to take things off your hand's son, to help finish this and you can just go and relax and-"

Senator Reid flinches feeling Myron shove him back as he yells.

"so thats it! that's why you're here? to try and take over? The patriots have a leader we don't need another."

"my bo has been through a lot Myron you need a level headed person here and I happen to be level headed."

"since when?" Mason asks staring down his father and his father shrugs.

"been years mason people change. I traveled for a while form community to  community offering medical care doing what matters, helping people it's what lewis's father wanted but I lost sight of that."

Mason remains quiet and Senator Reid nods his head towards his son.

"it's what lewis wanted too just peace and all of us working together. we could sign a deal with Alexandria, hilltop and the kingdom and we can all work together."

"We don't do deals they never work out Mr. Reid and Mason you know it doesn't." Myron motions to him and Mason nods agreeing as he looks up to his dad.

"Sorry, dad Myron has a point deals don't work. we offer people better they accept or they don't eventually though everyone accepts."

"really Mason? I am your father Mason. this man is just a lackey. what did you even do before all this Myron? sure as hell wasn't a soldier mason. this man is just  barbarian and one day he will turn on you but I, i am your father we are blood boy."

Mason sits still and Muron glares to him as he comments.

"blood that makes your son stay outside for years?sens him away to the whisperers? yeah, some father you are."

Senator Reid rolls up his sleeve and stares down Myron as he asks again.

"what did you do before all this again?"

Myron remains quiet and Mason stares between his father and Myron as he leans forward nodding his head.

"Myron, can you leave me and my father alone please?"

Myron stands still and mason nods up to him.

"don't worry about it."

"I will e right outside mace if you need me." Myron motions to him and walks out and senator Reid stares after him watching the door shut and smiles.

"You killed sam didn't you?" Senator Reid asks outright and Mason remains quiet as senator Reid sighs.

"I could tell right away son you've aged and not well. I assumed you had no choice?"

"it was-"

Senator Reid hits mason upside the head knocking him down the ground and shakes his head as he speaks.

"he was just boy mason, just a boy..."

Mason lays on the ground and his father stares down at him asking.

"what has happened to you?"

"I lost Miya, then you, then lewis I lost everyone."

"you've changed mason, your not the same."

"I had to change dad..."

senator rid stares down at his son sadly and speaks softly.

"no this much son."