Episode 48 (E2)

"Choices" is the eighth episode of Season 5 of KeepOnKeepingOn's Walking Dead: Edition Two. It is the 48th episode overall. It premiered on December 2, 2017.

Synopsis
"Plans change last minute."

Plot
Jane is the first one to wake up the moment the dawn hits the manor, as she hastily dashes around trying to wake everyone up. Slowly but surely, the survivors begin to wake up against their will, as the girl brings them all to the attic. She impatiently paces around until finally, everyone arrives and gets settled.

Jake yawns. "Ugh, Jane... what the hell is it...? It's like, seven o'clock in the morning..."

"So? Time is important, Jake! Ben is out there, we gotta find him!" Jane says.

"Jane, c'mon..." Ethan mutters. "We don't have the time, we gotta be ready for the war..."

"But Ben needs us! Roberto drove him away, and with everything that's going on... he could've been killed by Woodbury, swept up in the herd...!" Jane panics.

"Jane." Trace says, rather alert. His eyes suggest he's struggling with sleep. "We couldn't find Allen. We won't be able to find Ben. But it's important, you know, that we let everyone make their own decisions. Nobody is bound here... if he wanted to leave, then he made the decision. It's not our place to interfere."

"But he has a place here! Roberto made him feel like he doesn't belong, when he does!" Jane sighs. "We need to... we need to make sure people know we can survive together here..."

"I can look for him." Roberto suggests, sending silence over the room. "This afternoon, I can go check the woods. If he's not there, I can round to Statesboro and back around in case he's within the outer portions of the area."

Instead of glaring at him, Jane nods after a moment. "... thank you Roberto... that's very nice of you."

"I need to apologize to that boy. I owe it to him." Roberto nods. "Even if he doesn't accept it, I won't go without being able to say it to his face."

As the survivors begin to disperse from the attic, Trace is one of the last to start to leave, but he stops as soon as he spots his mother, standing by herself and staring out the window. Approaching her, he knew she wasn't going to make eye contact.

"I know you really don't want to talk to me." He begins. "I love dad. I still do, even now. I never stopped, and I never will stop. When I entered this world, when I was first born, I recognized him as my father, my dad, my... my leader. The man I'm supposed to follow and trust, who I'm supposed to look up to and respect. And that... that was the dad I grew up with. The dad I always knew. He never yelled. He never hit. He never had anything wrong with him. His image was that; perfect. A jovial family man who always did everything for his family. He was the guy who would host barbecues, watch football... he always wore a smile.

"But the day the dead began to walk, that was the day Lucas Oxford made the decision to face it head on. He took the initiative with little regard for anyone else but his family. He packed up and drove. And he drove and drove until he finally thought we were safe. Lucas Oxford was the man who led us. Lucas Oxford was the man who fought for us. But Lucas Oxford was the man who listened to no one. Lucas Oxford was the man who endangered those close to him. Lucas Oxford was the man who thought killing a kid would solve everything. So I saved lives. I killed Lucas Oxford. I put a bullet in Lucas Oxford. I didn't kill dad, mom, because that man? That monster? That was not my dad. My dad died a long time ago."

Silence falls over them once again.

Maria turns to look at her son, tears rolling down her face.

"I love you." She mutters. "I can tell you, Trace, with one hundred percent certainty, that I will always love you. I am disappointed in you, ashamed of you, and I might struggle to like the person you become... but in the end, I will always love you. You're my brave, strong boy. The boy who promised me he'd beat this world. I'm glad I got to see that, I'm glad that... I was able to see you make it. Your father would've been so proud."

Trace smiles, and the two embrace. After a moment, they both exit the attic together.

Once they exit, the two return to the lobby, where they're surprised to see everyone standing there.

"Trace, Maria, perfect timing." Jake responds, seeming more awake than he was barely twenty minutes ago. "We're gonna gear up and go today."

"Go? As in, to war?" Trace asks.

Jake nods. "It's important we do it now. We have the weapons, so we can sneak over and get the jump on--"

BOOM!

A loud explosion almost deafens the survivors as they all cover their ears and fall to the ground. They hear dust and crackling before a loud, yet muffled crash is heard behind the manor.

"What the FUCK was THAT?!" Mike screams as they all stand up, ears ringing.

"It sounded like it came from outside!" Hannah shouted.

Then, from what sounded like a megaphone, came an all too familiar voice.

"People of Westchester! WE NEED TO TALK!"

"Oh fuck..." Jake mutters.

The survivors hurry outside, and they immediately spot, at the front gates of the manor, the Woodbury army. Several trucks, many, many armed soldiers, and in the middle, a large tank. The Governor stands atop it, with Carlton to his right, and Christie to his left. The survivors look up at the roof of the manor, and see the majority of it blown off by the tank.

"Christie..." Jake mutters, pain in his voice. "But... she's with us..."

"I-I... I'll go stick with Bridget..." Jean whispers, sneaking back inside after getting a nod from Ethan.

"Ah, there you are!" Brian announces. "We have to talk."

"What the hell do you want, Governor?!" Jake shouts, walking forward. Out of the corner of his eyes, he sees Madela creeping towards one watchtower, and Ethan creeping towards another.

"I come with a proposition!" Brian says. "In order to end this war, before it starts... you leave. You leave the manor, give it to us. All your supplies. Go it alone, together, alive. Return Christopher to me. Nobody dies. The end.

"Or... you can stay. Fight. And die. Lose everything you've worked toward, including your lives. Your choice."

Jake wipes sweat from his forehead. Either way, the decision he makes screws the group over, and changes their lives forever.

"Oh yeah? Then what's in it for us?!" Trace shouts. "We lose either way, so why not fight? Take you down?!"

"I figured you'd ask that..." Brian smirks. "Bring him out, boys!"

Everyone's eyes widen as they see some of the guards bringing someone out from the tank and set him down, tied up, beaten, and forced to wobble and kneel. It's an all too familiar face.

Ben.

"It's very simple! You pack up and leave, and the boy lives! However, if you choose to stay and fight..." Brian takes a machete out from his belt, holding it to Ben's neck. "... the boy dies."

Silence once again falls over the group. Jake wipes more sweat from his forehead, briefly locking eyes with the frightened, beaten Ben.

"I-I'm okay!" Ben suddenly shouts. "I-It's okay guys... w-whatever choice you make, I-I know it's the r-right one! Don't let them in!"

"Quiet, you." Brian smacks him with the handle of the machete. "So? What'll it be? I don't think you understand how serious I'm being!"

"HE LIVES!" Jake shouts, startling everyone. "A human life is way more important than a building, a piece of bread, a bottle of water... we can restart. If Ben dies, we could just lose this place anyways. So to save us all from the strife... we accept the proposition. Ben doesn't deserve to die. Get him over here."

Brian stares at him, then looks at Ben. He picks him up and shoves him. Ben stumbles off the tank and begins to wobble towards the group.

"Is this a good idea?" Zach asks.

"Yes." Jake nods. "It's a good idea."

Jane smiles and runs forward to greet him. "Ben--!"

A gunshot rings out. Ben is struck in the ankle as he collapses halfway to the group. The survivors gasp. Brian hops off the tank, holsters his pistol, and grabs Ben's hair.

"G-GUYS--?!"

Ben is cut short as a hard slice is delivered to his neck. The survivors scream and gasp. Another slice. And then a third slice. Ben's shocked, startled head rolls off his body. In one instant, he was alive, and in another fleeting one, Ben is dead.

"NO!" Jane screams. "YOU BACKSTABBING FUCK!"

"And now you know how it feels!" Brian shouts. "We make a deal, you kill my nephew... we make a deal, now I kill your people!"

"B-Ben...!" Jake gasps. "Ben didn't deserve that! He didn't have to die!"

And then, Christopher is there, standing on the path and facing the Woodbury army.

Brian smiles and laughs. "Christopher! My boy! It's been so long, you've matured! My boy, my boy. Come on, come on up here!"

Silence. Christopher swallows, opening and closing his fists. "You just killed Ben... if I go up there, will you leave?! You'll have me back, we can end this, nobody else has to die! Nothing is wrong!"

"Oh Christopher, get on up here!" Brian smirks. "You get up here and help kill the people who imprisoned you!"

"... what." Christopher mutters.

"So? Come join us! Wreak some havoc!" Brian proclaims.

Christopher stares in silence, finally understanding the monster his uncle has become.

Suddenly, he pulls out a sub-machine gun, cocks it, and begins to unload on the enemy side.

Deaths

 * Benjamin Hill

Trivia

 * Last appearance of Benjamin Hill.
 * The original script of this episode was lost due to a power failure.
 * "I was fucking angry."