Episode 34 (E2)

"Ties That Bind" is the fourth episode of Season 4 of KeepOnKeepingOn's Walking Dead: Edition Two. It is the 34th episode overall. It premiered on November 4, 2017.

Synopsis
"The survivors become aware of another community, and seek alliance."

Plot
THEN

Brian holds up a hand. "Hold on, calm down."

"No. Shut up." Christie spits, waving the handgun around. "I'm not letting any of you fuckers come near my group."

"H-Hey, listen, we're not gonna go near your group." Christopher says. "Look, just... d-don't kill us."

"This place-- Woodbury or whatever, is a danger." Christie argues. "My group and I aren't gonna sit around and let some soldiers raid us. That's not what'll happen."

"Hey, hey." David steps up, getting between Christie and the others. "Look, ma'am, I know you don't know us, but I swear we mean no harm. Woodbury is an expansive settlement, yes, but we've come so far, we're not going to risk it all just to become stronger and more formidable. I swear it."

Christie stares at him in silence, but before she can respond, she hears the click of a gun behind her.

"Drop it bitch, or we'll fuck you up."

"Badger, don't." Brian barks, drawing his own pistol and pointing it behind Christie. "MOVE!"

Christie ducks away but no gunshots are heard. Badger growls and lowers his gun, glaring at Brian.

"Fine. Take the fucking risk." He says. "Go get your ass killed."

Christie stares at them both, putting her pistol away. "I... I'm sorry."

"Don't be." Brian puts his own gun away as David takes the helm, training a gun on Badger.

"Leave. Now."

Badger glares at them all and leaves, not breaking away as he exits.

David lowers his gun. "Ms. Torres, we promise we're not going to kill you or your group."

"Then what now, we just... coexist?" Christie asks. "I'm going to be living in paranoia with this crap. And I'll have to tell my group, they've probably realized I've gone somewhere."

"Then we propose a trade." David suggests. "We can coexist. We can work together and provide for each other. That's how we can empower and grow each group and make sure we all survive."

Brian smiles after a moment and places a hand on his shoulder. "This is why you're my right-hand, David."

David smiles. "Uncle Brian, I think this is the best option for us. Ms. Torres, what do you say?"

Christie thinks for a moment. "It's getting late, but if we can head out tomorrow afternoon, I think we can make something work."

"Well I have a guest room in my apartment, if you'd like a place to stay." Brian smiles, as the two exit the building and go towards a larger complex amidst the Woodbury townsfolk.

NOW

"Why's everything gotta be so fucked?" Satchiel sighs.

Trace stretches his legs before rejoining his best friend on the steps of Westchester Manor. "Things aren't that fucked."

"Nah, nah. They are. Jesus Christ, just..." Satchiel lets his head fall into his hands. "We're missing six people from our group, Carlos goes crazy and gets himself killed, Roberto is unstable and he's holding a goddamn gun, and then Donna gets shot out of nowhere. What the fuck is going on? When the fuck did God just start hating us? Why is shit going so downhill? I've never been more paranoid, knowing people are going missing and we're being sniped from the treeline."

Trace is silent for a moment as he passes his rifle to Satchiel. "You're the best shot in the group, hands down. You guard the hell out of this place, make sure nothing goes wrong. And I've got your back. Once you hit rock bottom, the only place left to go is up."

Satchiel chuckles before he sees something approaching Westchester Manor down the main path. He quickly stands up and aims the rifle, looking through the scope to see who or what it is.

"What? What is it?" Trace stands up quickly and places a hand on his sheathed sidearm.

Satchiel smiles for a moment before he lowers his rifle, staring ahead in confusion. "It's... Christie. And she's with some random people."

"What the fuck...?" Trace goes back inside. "I'll get everyone."

Everyone is outside by the time Christie, Brian, Carlton, Christopher, and David reach the front of the manor. Christie smiles to see them all, even though everyone is attentive. Jake makes it to the front and lowers his gun.

"Christie...?" He almost chuckles. "Holy fuck, we thought you were dead..."

Christie observes the group before looking back to Jake. "Wait, some people are missing, where are--"

"We lost... some people." Jake sighs. "Jane, Hannah, Zach, and Stefan went out to try and find Ethan, and they haven't come back. Carlos... got himself killed, and someone shot Donna. We were all freaking out that there was a killer getting rid of all of us."

"My God, I'm sorry I made you all worried..." Christie sighs before introducing the others. "Guys, this is... The Governor. He's the leader of a community I found called Woodbury."

"What brings you all here?" Walter asks.

"Pardon me, but, um..." Brian steps up to them. "I am the leader of a community, I go by the title 'the Governor'. Woodbury is a bustling place and it's very busy, so I need to get back there. I leave my nephew David in charge of negotiations."

"Negotiations...?" Pete asks. "What are you talking about?"

"See you soon, Uncle Brian." David waves his uncle off as he turns to see the group. "

The group returns inside with the Armando family in tow, to get everyone up to speed and begin to suggest a partnership. However, as they introduce themselves, Christopher bumps into Dawn.

"O-Oh, I'm sorry." He mutters.

Dawn simply glances at him. "I don't like the looks of your family."

Christopher looks at her with a simple expression. "You don't have to. But we're trying to build trust." And then he smiles. "Something tells me there's a bright light in the future ahead."

"What makes you say that...?" Dawn asks.

"You'll see. I promise your group won't regret this."

"... and that's all. We establish the route, we figure out what we need, we organize runs to plan the perfect route and to find supplies..." David organizes the plan with Walter. "Woodbury and Westchester can become full allies. We'll have each other's backs. What do you say?"

Walter smiles and offers a hand. "I've learned from everyone here that there are good people in the world. I'm willing to search for more."

With smiles, they shake on it, forming an alliance between communities.

"Blessed be the ties that bind." David quotes. "Things are looking up."

"Um, if it's okay..." Christie intervenes. "I'd... like to stay at Woodbury for now. To keep the trust. That way, we'll be able to have a more... interlinked connection."

"If you're sure... then head on back." Walter says. Christie nods and waves them off as she leaves to follow Brian back to Woodbury.

"Well then it needs to be fair." Pete says. "One of you needs to stay here."

"I could..." Carlton mutters. "I could stay."

"No, bud. I'll do it." Christopher says. "Uncle Brian needs you back at the community."

"I'm sixteen, not six." Carlton sighs.

"C'mon, it'll be better this way." Christopher chuckles. "We'll be coming and going before you know it. Trust me."

Carlton looks around before looking to David. "Walk me back then."

"Of course. C'mon." David waves them all off as he and Carlton leave, going down the path.

After several minutes, Edward speaks up. "I'm gonna go catch up with them, see if I can find the route there. I want to make sure this is legit, and I need to see that, if we CAN trust them, the route is safe enough."

Carol hesitates before handing him a gun. "Be careful. You never know what they could do."

Edward nods, takes the gun, gives her a kiss, and heads out the door.

Down the path, David is smiling as he and Carlton walk back to Woodbury together. "This is great, bro. Really, this is great."

"You're pretty well-spoken, as usual..." Carlton mutters, kicking at some rocks. "No wonder you're the right-hand-man."

"What, do you not believe me?" David asks.

Carlton shakes his head. "I just... don't like this. This isn't... something that happens, finding trustworthy people, making alliances... I feel like even you doubt that."

"No, really. I think this is going to be great." David reassures him, before turn and beginning to walk. "It's been ages since we've encountered new people. We fought bandits on supply runs and watched plenty of people get swarmed but... this is incredible. We find a small community and we make trade. It's like the olden days, you know? In all those history books I read, about how towns and countries came together during the medieval period. It's... it's just like that. We get to be a part of something bigger, now. Uncle Brian gets to be proud of that. I get to be proud to be a part of it. And so do you. We all do. And I can't wait to watch you grow--"

David stops the moment he feels something sharp jab his abdomen. A shaky hand runs over his face as he feels blood pouring from his mouth. He turns and sees Carlton holding a dagger. He rips it out and stabs David in the abdomen again, right in the stomach. David grunts and shouts as he collapses against a tree.

His laboriously pants, trying to cover the two large, deep wounds in his torso. "B-B-Brother, why... wh-why...?"

"A storm's brewing, brother." Carlton mocks, expressionless, as he crouches beside him. He stabs the dagger right into his chest. "A storm's brewing."

David slowly reaches for his gun, but Carlton takes it. It's a silenced pistol. The teen wheezes in agony as more blood pools from his wounds before he finally ceases movement.

Edward suddenly appears.

"What the...?!" He stops short as he sees Carlton standing over his brother's corpse. The boy looks to Edward in silence, and they can hear walkers coming from the woods.

The doctor puts the pieces together and quickly reaches for his pistol.

Carlton hastily shoots Edward in both kneecaps. The doctor falls to the ground in pain as the boy runs over and steals his weapons as well.

"And with that, I've started the fire..."

Carlton walks away as Edward attempts to stand, or crawl, but he is swarmed by emerging walkers. The boy shows no emotion as Edward is devoured and David begins to reanimate.

Deaths

 * David Armando (Alive)
 * Edward Mason

Trivia

 * Last appearance of David Armando.
 * Last appearance of Edward Mason.
 * This episode marks the return of Christie Torres to the series after an absence of seven episodes.