Episode 56 (E2)

"Blood & Iron" is the sixth episode and mid-season premiere of Season 6 of KeepOnKeepingOn's Walking Dead: Edition Two. It is the 56th episode overall. It premiered on April 15, 2018.

Synopsis
"Fates are revealed."

Plot
A large metal door bursts open quickly, careening around and slamming hard against the wall as Mike Andrews shoves his way inside. The man almost collapses against the back wall as he turns, watching Brian Blake follow him in. Brian turns and raises a revolver from his cloaked jacket, shooting a walker directly in the temple. It falls back, collapsing atop two others, as the growls of more become increasingly more audible down each end of the hall.

Mike readies his gun and moves to the right, aiming at the opening, as Brian goes to shut the door, pushing hard to swing it back around, and slamming it back into place. He releases the large latch on it, securing a lock over the handle.

Mike puts his gun away, and lets out a large sigh of relief as he slumps down against the wall. "Christ, I haven't felt that stressed since the day this shit began..."

"And you're not stressed now?" Brian tugs on the door forcefully, the rectangular structure not even budging. He walks to the opposite wall from Mike and sits against it. "We've imprisoned ourselves among the dead. This isn't exactly an escape."

"Well we have time to think now. Time to think of how to escape." Mike replies. "Or... at least, how the hell we managed to get into this mess."

"This is mostly your mess, Mike. Not just ours equally." Brian rebuts. "I've got my own problems to worry about."

"No need to snap, jeez." Mike glares. "C'mon man, we're in this together. That's what we both decided on when we formed the group. But we need to actually, ya know, be a team."

Brian softly glares at Mike, before his eyes fall to the floor. The two sit in silence for what seems like an eternity, the only sounds filling the room being the muffled growls of infected and the slams against the metal door.

"We formed the group a year ago." Mike breaks the silence. "We let you in... and we allowed others in. And I went with your judgment, and you went with mine. We both realized we could be a team, but in all this time... I feel like I still know nothing about you. And I hate to say it, but at the moment, I'm not trapped in a room with my best friend, I'm trapped in a room with a complete mystery that I know basically nothing about."

"I'm not going to take that as an insult." Brian chuckles softly. "Rather, a compliment that I'm good at withholding information."

"Damn good at it." Mike sighs and looks at the ground. "I just... want to get back to my family. That's obvious."

Brian continues to stare at the ground, withdrawing his dagger and holding it steady. "Family's nice... and I respect your devotion to them. If only I hadn't fucked up my own."

"... you never told us any of that. Where you came from, your family, how you lost them..." Mike stares at the dagger. "Just that... you had lost it all. Whatever 'it all' was."

Brian contemplates speaking for a moment. "For a time, I felt I was on top of the world. After everything happened, I mean. I've mentioned it a few times before, right? The place I used to lead. Woodbury."

"Yeah, offhandedly really..." Mike nods.

Brian continues. "I went through... a lot, with only my family by my side, just to start that place up. And we all worked hard to just make it, just so we could build a community, the foundation for the rebirth of the world. And I... lost people. Lost good people. Lost... family. But my nephews and I, we stayed together.

"David was my right hand. Smartest kid I ever knew. Pure heart, reasonable, trustworthy. Everything about him... he deserved so much more. But his death..."

Mike stares, hesitantly speaking. "What... happened to him...?"

Brian's grip on the dagger tightens, and he shouts in rage as he throws it against the door, startling Mike. The blade makes a large 'clank' sound as it rebounds off the door and clatters to the ground.

"No, I... I can't get angry. Because... what happened..." Brian rubs his temple. "... what happened was, he was stabbed. Stabbed to death by a doctor, who was part of the group from that damn manor. They held my nephew Christopher hostage, and the only one who didn't immediately suffer was Carlton. He got back, he warned me, and after a time... we went to war."

"... you went to war?" Mike's eyes widen in surprise.

Brian nods slowly. "When you end up in such a position... when you force your people to partake... when you lose... everything, by the time it's all over, you wonder what it was all for in the end. By the time the gunfire stops and you're left stumbling down the road, with nobody to follow you... you have no reason left to live."

"... but you stayed alive." Mike says quietly. "And we both know why."

Brian chuckles a bit. "I did find the one reason. The only thing that I could pull from everything... even after losing your people, losing your family, and abandoning your home, you always find something. You're never without anything. The only time you no longer have anything left is when you've finally stopped breathing.

"But even then, the war never felt right. Something told me as I walked into the battlefield that these people... were still good people. And I still pray, every day, that I will come across them again, if any made it out, just so I can apologize. Even though I know what would happen to me after, regardless."

The two sit in silence once again, before Mike opens his mouth to speak. However, just before he can say anything, rapid gunfire occurs, muffled by the walls, and the two look up at the door, hearing more and more gunfire. It ceases, leaving dead silence, not even any growling from the herd of infected. The men ready their guns just as a loud knock is heard on the door, and a man calls out to them.

"You guys alright? The dead don't just swarm a door for nothing!"

Brian chuckles, and Mike sighs in relief as he runs to unlock the door. He swings it open as an African-American man, and a blond woman, both walk into the room, holding onto assault rifles.

"Grant, holy hell, you saved us. And Tina, thank Christ..." Mike laughs a bit as he hugs his wife.

Tina smiles and hugs him back. "This is why you don't go off on your own."

The man known as Grant smiles. "Didn't think of all people you two would be the ones to get your asses cornered."

"Well... crazier things have happened." Brian grabs Grant's hand and firmly shakes it. "Though next time, don't bother chasing idiots like us."

"You say that like we're just supposed to abandon our leaders." Grant chuckles. "Come on guys, let's just get back to Aiken. I'm starting to get paranoid."

"Paranoid over what?" Mike asks, the four walking out into the hall.

"I left Silva in charge." Grant jokes, earning a laugh from the others.

The survivors continue down the forest trail in silence, Brian leading the charge, with everyone keeping an eye out for any straggling undead. They turn around a rocky stag, stepping off a small ledge carefully as they keep going.

"How did you find us?" Mike asks, looking to his wife. "Specifically in that one building?"

"When you two hadn't come back yet, Grant and I figured we'd go out to at least figure out what happened." Tina explains. "When we came out to the city, we heard a few gunshots and started searching. We figured you got stuck up in a gunfight or something, or swarmed. Turns out, you got swarmed."

Mike chuckles. "Yeah, well, you can thank Brian for the gunfire. A few walkers--"

Brian whips his hand up and stops the group, silencing them as they hear a few twigs snapping.

Three men step out onto the road and suddenly whip their guns up, holding the group at gunpoint.

Brian looks at the other three, shaking his head, before he looks at the other group. "Afternoon, gentlemen."

"We don't want any trouble." The lead man says. "So don't try anything."

"We aren't planning on it." Brian says. "I'm Brian. This is Mike, Grant, and Tina. You are?"

"... this is civil. Good. So you're not immediate assholes." The lead man grips his rifle. "Kurt, Don, Alvin. There. That's all you have to know."

"You intend to rob us?" Grant asks.

"Only if you act stupid." Don speaks up.

"Grant, let me..." Brian mutters. "You don't have to hold up your weapons. Are you a part of a group? In need of one?"

"We're a part of a group." Alvin says. "We'll take your stuff if you don't--"

"I'm talking to Kurt." Brian says. "And we don't intend to be robbed, nor do we intend to shoot any of you."

"Alvin, shut up." Kurt mutters, turning back to Brian. "You're talking a lot and doing nothing. I don't get you, Brian. I really don't."

Brian chuckles. "Not a lot of people do."

He sets down his backpack and reaches inside, and Kurt aims his gun again, stepping forward. "Don't go looking for anything."

"Hold on, hold on." Brian holds up a hand, pulling out a can. He steps forward and places the can on the ground. "Beans. It may seem strange but... it's some food. Consider this a gesture of good faith for your group."

Kurt stares at the can. He signals the other two, and they lower their guns, as does he. He walks over, picks up the can, and places a box down in its original location. Brian picks up the box as Kurt returns to his group.

"Shotgun shells and rifle ammo. We package them into one box." Kurt nods. "I guess this is a trade."

"Indeed." Brian smirks. "It's not about murdering people and taking their stuff. See what happens when you take a moment to become civil?"

Silence again, before Kurt looks to Don and Alvin. "... thanks. But, we're gonna get going."

"Fair enough. Take care." Brian nods.

"... right, bye." Kurt keeps his eye on the group as he begins to walk back into the woods, before he turns away as the other two follow him. Brian continues down the road as well, beckoning for the others to follow.

"Come on now, we're about civility." He says. "Now we have people to get back to."

The four survivors turn the corner and enter a main street, near a convenience store and a fire station. Two people are chatting on the corner before they notice the four coming up the way. They sprint over hastily to welcome them back.

"Mike!" A young woman hugs Mike tightly. "Holy hell, finally!"

"Abbie, jeez, sorry..." Mike chuckles and hugs his sister. "Is Becca alright?"

"She's up in her room, she's fine." Abbie sighs in relief. "I just can't believe we thought you up and died out there. We should've expected no less."

As the two reconnect, with Tina joining in, a young man approaches Grant. "Grant, hey. See? I did it, I can run the place. At least a little."

Grant smirks. "Place hasn't burned down yet. Maybe my paranoia is misplaced, Silva."

He sighs. "Oh come on, I'm twenty-two, twelve. I'm not a kid, I'm an adult. I can help here."

"I know you can, I'm joshing ya." Grant laughs a bit and pats Silva on the back.

Meanwhile, Brian looks at the large, granite 'courtyard' at the front of the fire station, where a large, rusted tank sits; a remnant of when the military rolled through the country, trying to exterminate the dead. The others notice him watching, and Brian chuckles as he hears a clank inside the vehicle.

"Is he still in there, fucking around with that thing?" He asks.

"Sometimes I wonder if he just likes playing pretend. Maybe he's just a kid at heart?" Mike crosses his arms and smirks.

"He's been in there all day, really." Silva says. "Dunno if he even came out to piss."

"Expected, expected." Brian laughs and walks over, slamming his fist against the tank. "Hey, we're back! Come on out and see us already!"

The clanking around in the tank stops for a moment, before someone is heard climbing up the ladder inside. The top latch of the tank releases, and a hand pushes it open and reaches out. Another hand follows, and a teenage boy pushes himself up, climbing out of the tank.

Brian smirks. "Hey Carlton."

Deaths

 * None

Trivia

 * First appearance of Mike Andrews.
 * First appearance of Tina Andrews.
 * First appearance of Grant Joplin.
 * First appearance of Silva O'Duke.
 * First appearance of Abbie Andrews.
 * First (and last) appearance of Kurt. (Unknown)
 * First (and last) appearance of Don. (Unknown)
 * First (and last) appearance of Alvin. (Unknown)
 * This episode marks the return of Brian Blake after an absence of five episodes.
 * This episode also reveals the fate of Carlton Armando, revealing he had survived the war.
 * Danny Trejo is reinstated into the opening credits, while Luke Spencer Roberts is listed as a Special Guest Star, in order to avoid spoiling his appearance in the episode.
 * This episode marks the beginning of the second story to be told this season.
 * This episode was released early in order to "whet the appetites" of fans of the series for what is to come.

Letter Hacks
To write for Letter Hacks, submit all questions, comments, and concerns to this thread.


 * User:TJDarkness776
 * "Can you give me a quick rundown of what stuff the main characters like and dislike? Like, what's their favorite food or activity they do for fun... I love learning little things like these!"
 * "Hmm, not sure how many main characters you'd want me to go over, so I'll run down some of the most well known for now; Jake likes (or rather, liked, RIP) to stay crammed up inside playing video games. His favorite color is (was) red, and favorite food is (was) burgers. Despite his adaptation to the new world, he actually never played violent games prior to the outbreak, having an aversion to them. He was also an amateur writer prior to everything. Ethan was a professional artist and would draw and graphic design in his free time prior to the undead apocalypse. His favorite color is blue and he too has... or HAD... an aversion to violence as well. Trace, of all things, was a paperboy and would bike around delivering papers. Outside of that, he was a natural cyclist and would go off on his own just to think at times. His favorite color's green and he's a bit of an insomniac. Lastly, Mike dabbled in both writing and art, but greatly enjoyed playing card games. He was a local, fair gambler, and still has some of his skills even now. His favorite color is blue, and he hopes to find a community to live in to settle down and just treat life like the good old times. Maybe with a gamble or two."