TWD The Crusade

17

Sam stares at the wall and hears the door open loudly. He stares forward and Konnor stares him over in silence. Sam doesn't stop staring forward and Konnor asks.

"you ready?"

"do I have a choice?"

"no rules are rules. you broke them and now you pay for them..."

Sam fixes his clothes and follows behind konnor to a door and konnor motions in and sam walk forward opening the door. he eys the chair and konnor motions.

"sit."

Sam sits slowly not talking and konnor glances him over and the door behind him opens as he eyes Presley walk in. she stops next to konnor and then he looks up eyeing Dominick walk in. they all stand there silent and konnor waits hearing the door loudly close and sam stares up eyeing his brother but remains quiet taking in the situation around him. Dominick eyes him over quietly and mason steps forward commenting.

"you broke the rules and now your punishment will be voted on."

"What is the punishment??"  Presley asks sounding unsure and mason motions to her.

"just a yes or no. I will handle it personally."

"what are we saying yes to?"

"don't worry about it-" Mason states coldly and glances to his brother sitting in the chair. he takes a deep breath in hearing Presley.

"I vote no-" she says it confidently and Dominick nods agreeing.

"I vote no as well. I can't be expected to vote yes and don't know what for-"

"that's fair-" mason motions to konnor and konnor nods.

"yes-"

Mason stands there and nods to sam.

"I vote yes as well and that makes it a tie. which means we need a deciding vote-"

Mason walks up beside Sam and stares his bother down as he motions to him.

"so it's your choice, Sam-"

"Mine?"Sam says sounding unsure and Mason nods his head.

"yes, your choice. just like you made your choice in the office you can make it now. simple yes or no-"

Sam sits there tinking over his brother and thinks of what the right answer is and looks up to mason knowing the right answer.

"yes.."

Mason repeating sounding unsure he heard him right.

"yes?"

"I said yes-"

"Are you sure?"

"I'm sure-"

"you could be saying yes to getting killed."

"maybe but you don't do that. here we go for a walk right?"

Mason takes out a small knife and holds it out towards his brother but then motions it down cutting his hands free as he motions out the room.

"leave us here-"

"What exactly did we vote on?" Presley asks voice shaking and mason nods his head commenting.

"we will discuss it later."

"mason?" konnor says voice going low afraid he may kill his own brother and mason nods.

"later-" the three men leave mason with his brother and mason turns to sam as he hears the door shut. sam sits still and mason motions down.

"so chicken tonight then?" sam face contorts into a thin line as mason paces in front of him aksing.

"you said yes, so it's chicken I'm kind of sick of chicken. not many left though and I guess we deserve a celebration, don't we?" 

Sam shakes his head unsure he is hearing his brother right.

"you, you were voting on what to eat?"

"I'm  fucking hungry"

"But, we, we fought. I almost killed you and me and Alex-"

"are kids sam. your kids who were angry and you didn't know what else to do. fuck if I stood in front of a guy who stabbed me I'd probably do worse-"

Mason taps his brother on the arm.

"no hard feelings right? you got stabbed, I got stabbed but we both lived-"

"Mason you fucking tied to kill me!" sam says sounding angry and mason shakes his head disagreeing.

"hardly tried. it was hard to hit your neck just right one wrong move and I could have hit an attery god knows what else. I was never too good at anatomy I really fucked up Miya's leg trying to fish that bullet. she always was a bitch about it too, always like I thought you were good at this mason. I don't miss that-"

He runs his hand over his facial hair that has grown in slightly and his brother stares him down as mason shrugs.

"but Dominick found you as I told him too and he took care of you, right? you seem okay. you are okay right?"

"Dominick? what do you mean he never saw the estate before? he found the flyer..."

"yea I told him to tell you that whole song and dance, I met him a few weeks before him and his boys were in a tight spot with some walkers. we cleaned his path and I invited him to the estate but I knew he had to earn it first. you know that I vet everyone before they enter my home. he had some combat medic training, use to work with Myron and I figured he'd be useful."

mason stops himself and his brother glances him over.

"you were watching me?"

"Always, you're my brother Sam. Do you think I'd let that prick win? you think id just kill you like that. I even said don't pull it out I am just glad my aim wasn't off one inch to the left or right or you would have choked to death on blood.."

"no, you didn't care, you wanted me dead, you-"

"never stopped looking but I got held back and Dominick wasn't sure about the estate or going there. once konnor took over but eventually, you came home."

Sam flinches feeling his brother place his hands on his arms staring him down mason voice goes low.

"let's have a family dinner, me you, and dad. then we can leave Sam, we can put this behind us."

"you stabbed me in the fucking neck!" sam yells at him and mason shrugs.

"you do what you have to do. it wasn't fucking easy to pretend to be heartless. I mean fucking hell sam your my brother. You're a chip used against me all the fucking time. I protected you from Negan, I hid you away because I was afraid of what he would do. Sam, I don't care about many people but you're at the top. I couldn't let anyone know I barely trust anyone but your blood we are family. I will always protect you, always." 

sam stiffens his form feeling his brother hug him tightly for a few seconds he leans his head in smelling the scent of rotting flesh and presses his head back disgusted as mason whispers to his younger brother.

"I love you, sam..."