The afternoon sun was still warm over Woodbury, painting the town in a deceptive glow of peace and order. On the surface, everything looked perfect—children playing near the gazebo, guards chatting on the walls, and the smell of cooking food drifting through the streets.
Inside one of the buildings, Philip Blake, also known as The Governor—was anything but peaceful. He sat at his desk, staring at a map of the surrounding counties. His finger was traced over the location of the prison, his nail digging into the paper until it left a deep, jagged mark.
A sharp knock at the door interrupted his thoughts. Martinez stepped in, looking grim.
"Come in."
"Sir. The scouts just radioed in," Martinez said. "There's been strange movements at the prison. Unusual movement."
The Governor looked up, his one good eye locking onto Martinez. "What is it?"
"Supply runners have been going back and forth from the prison. Also, Merle's brother had been snooping too close from here. I think the two had been meeting each other. I think there's a possibility that they might try to strike us any day now."
The Governor leaned back, his chair creaking in the quiet room. "The usual supply runners or someone different this time?"
"It's Michael. He's with Rick Grimes along with other leaders of their group. They're certainly planning something. I think there's a good chance that they might be trying to contact those living inside the city. Especially when the prison looks like they are gearing up for something and even reinforcing their walls. I have a feeling that they are planning to attack us."
The Governor remained silent, but he felt a cold rage boiling inside him. He had spent so much time trying to maintain the "sanctity" of Woodbury, and now there are people trying to ruin his work.
"It's obvious that they're trying to enlist the help of other groups," The Governor whispered, more to himself than to Martinez. "If they want to strike us, then we'll play their game."
He stood up, walking to the window to look at the street outside. "Gather the men, Martinez. Tell Shumpert to get the heavy rounds out of storage. If they went to the city to look for allies, then we should destroy them first. I want our scouts stationed along the road they will take back to prison."
"Are we moving tonight, sir?" Martinez asked.
The Governor smiled, a dark, thin-lipped expression that held no joy.
"No, right now." Philip Blake said softly. "We've spent and sacrificed so much for Woodbury already, and I won't let nobody take that away from us. If they want war, then we'll give it to them! I'll give them one that burns everything they love to the ground. I want all the men ready by dusk. Let's make sure they never make it back home tonight."
Martinez nodded and left the room in a grim mood. The Governor stood alone, the setting sun reflecting off his desk, his mind already calculating the many ways he would make the prison group bleed. The time for peace is over.
It's war!
On the other hand, Daryl had just gotten back to his bike after meeting his brother when he suddenly heard a gunshot from somewhere nearby.
Bang!
He turned towards the direction of the noise and thought that it was maybe Merle just taking care of some walkers.
Bang! Bang! Baratatata!
He was planning to ignore it, but then it was followed by a burst of gunshots.
Daryl was startled for a moment before he broke into a run towards where the noise was coming from.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
"Dang it!"
Merle fired three shots back towards his attackers before ducking back behind his cover.
He was heading back and was almost back at the road where his car is parked when a group of five people suddenly attacked him from out of nowhere. Forcing him to take cover behind a large tree with overgrown roots.
Baratatataa!
'Dang it! How did they find me here?!' He screamed inside. Flinching as they shot at him, the bullets striking the tree and sending its bark flying everywhere.
Even after the tree suffered from a barrage of bullets, it remained sturdy, and Merle took this chance to counter attack when the thunderous cracks of the gunfire tapered off into a hollow, mechanical clicking—the sound of empty magazines and panicked reloads.
"Amateurs!"
Merle didn't waste this chance and lunged from behind the tree and roared!
Bang! Bang! Bang!
He fired multiple shots and managed to take down two of the gunmen. Unfortunately, the others managed to take some cover and he's back to square one again.
"F*ck!" Merle checked his bullets and he immediately let out a curse. There were only two bullets left inside the magazine.
Baratatata!
The onslaught resumed, and the noise is starting to attract some unwanted attention. Merle didn't care about any of that though, he's more worried about his enemies advancing towards him.
'I just hope Daryl still hasn't gone far yet and notice what's happening here.' This time, Merle thought about his brother and was rather hopeful since it hadn't been that long since they went their separate ways.
When the gunfire started dying down, Merle patiently waited for his chance to strike back. So when he realized there was only one shooting at him now, he quickly came out of his hiding place and fired his last two bullets.
Bang! Bang!
Either he was lucky today or the others were just unlucky, but the two bullets actually hit their targets. One got shot in the head, and the other, on his chest.
"What the..!" Merle almost let out a curse when he saw what just happened. Then he saw the remaining guy, who suddenly became all panicky and started messing up while reloading his rifle.
He looked at him, then at his now useless pistol before throwing it at him.
But the outcome he was expecting didn't happen since the guy nimbly dodged the weapon thrown to his head. That attack from Merle seems to have calmed down the guy, and he immediately threw the rifle on the ground and pulled out his second from his waist.
"F*ck."
The man pointed the pistol to Merle, the latter calmly cursed and began to accept the inevitable.
"Hmmp!" The remaining gunman snorted with an arrogant smirk on his face, and just when he was about to pull the trigger.
Bang!
A different gunshot echoed and the man suddenly got thrown to the side with his head first before his body followed.
"You good?"
A familiar figure slowly appeared from behind a boulder and started walking towards Merle.
"Shane? Wh..what are you doing here? No, how are you even here?" Merle was startled at first when he saw the man and even stuttered, though he quickly regained his composure and became wary.
"I– "
"I suggest you raise your hands up."
With a hunting rifle in his hands, Shane smiled at Merle. He was about to say something when Daryl suddenly appeared further back behind Shame and started approaching them.
Shane rolled his eyes and slowly raised his hands.
"Whoa, relax!" Merle said to his brother.
Daryl slowly walked over while pointing his gun at Shane. He noticed the bodies on the ground and looked towards his brother. "Is he with them?"
"No, he saved me. So relax little brother." Merle approached him to calm him down while Shane slightly moved away from them, his hands still raised in the air.
Daryl glared at him as he slowly lowered his gun. "Why are you here? Have you been following us?"
"First, can I put my arms down now?"
"Go ahead." Daryl replied with some hesitation.
Shane softly snorted and chuckled. "I wasn't following you. I followed the noise here and just happened to see some familiar faces."
Then he turned to look at the bodies lying on the ground and continued. "And it seems to me that the Governor is also trying to get rid of you like he did to me."
His words quickly made Merle concerned and he looked towards his brother. "Little brother, it seems the Governor had known for a while that we have been meeting each other."
"Is there a chance he might know about our plans?" Daryl carefully asked in an almost whisper since he's conscious of Shane's presence.
Merle thought for a moment. "I'm not sure, but I don't think so. He would have done something by now if they found out about it, and I never told any other soul about it, I swear."
"What plans are you two talking about?" Shane suddenly asked out of curiosity.
Daryl gave him the side eye. "None of your business."