David stands in front of Kenny and the group.
David's sister steps forward.
"Thank you, thank you for saving me. He's the one who made David do it. He threatened us, said he'd hurt me if he didn't cooperate. David was just trying to protect me."
She looks at her brother.
"He did it for me."
He turns to David.
"I understand, but you can't keep putting us in danger like this. We're a team—we stick together no matter what."
Kenny extends his hand to David's sister.
"I'm Kenny, and this is...our group. We're glad you're safe."
She takes Kenny's hand and shakes it firmly.
"I'm Rachel, thank you, thank you all,"
"You don't need to thank us. We look after our people here. That includes you and your brother."
She looks at David.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean for any of this ."
Kenny looks at David's sister.
"It's okay, things you do for love."
Weeks pass,
and Kenny is personally overseeing the repairs, his eyes scanning every inch of the structure.
They've turned the chaos into an opportunity to build something stronger, something better.
He turns to David and Rachel, who are working nearby.
"Good job, both of you."
As Kenny walks around the warehouse, he notices the increasing number of people. They've come seeking shelter.
They're repairing equipment, organizing supplies, and reinforcing defenses. The atmosphere is tense but filled with hope.
Kenny feels immense pride as he looks around. They've created a community here, a place where people can find safety in this world.
Maggie arrives at the warehouse, leading a group of people she was responsible for at the hospital.
She sees Kenny and walks over to him, her eyes taking in the growing number of people and the improved defenses.
"You've been busy,"
she says, smiling.
"Yes, I know. I had to keep myself busy. What about you? How many did you bring with you?"
Maggie sighs, running a hand through her hair.
"About 20, most of them injured. We had to leave everything behind when the Dead attacked."
She looks around the crowded warehouse, a hint of concern in her eyes.
"Do you think we can take everyone?"
Kenny looks around the warehouse.
"We'll make it work. We have enough supplies, and we can always gather more. As for space... we'll have to convert some of the storage areas into living quarters. It won't be comfortable, but it will be safe."
He turns to Maggie.
"We're glad you're here."
Maggie's expression changes, a look of disappointment on her face.
"I'm sorry. I tried to keep the group safe at the hospital, but... it was overrun, I couldn't save everyone."
"Hey, you did your best . You got them out alive—that's what matters."
He presses her shoulder.
"We'll look after them here."
Maggie takes a deep breath, trying to compose herself.
"Thanks, Kenny. I don't know what to do without you."
She looks around the warehouse again, her eyes lingering on the faces of the new arrivals.
"We need to make sure everyone is okay,
"I'll gather some people to help with this."
Maggie smiles gratefully at him. Together, they begin moving among the people, assigning tasks and making sure everyone has a place to rest and recover.
As the day progresses, the warehouse buzzes with activity. Sleeping areas are designated, injuries are treated, and plans are made to gather more supplies.
Kenny and Maggie work side by side. They've been through so much together, and now they're leading their people toward a new future.
As night falls, they find themselves sitting in a quiet corner of the warehouse, exhausted. Kenny leans against the wall, his eyes closed as he catches his breath.
Maggie watches him for a moment before speaking.
"You know..., I never thought I'd find someone I could trust like this."
He opens his eyes and turns to look at her.
"Me neither, but here we are."
He reaches out and takes her hand. Their fingers intertwine.
"I'm glad you're here, with me."
Maggie smiles and squeezes his hand. Gently.
"Me too."
Maggie looks at Kenny nervously, her fingers tightening around his hand. She takes a deep breath.
"Kenny, there's something I need to tell you."
She stops, biting her lip, searching for the right words. Kenny tilts his head.
"What is it? You can tell me anything, Maggie."
Maggie shakes her head, swallowing hard.
"It's about the hospital, before we were attacked... I found something."
She hesitates again, and Kenny squeezes her hand.
"Go on,"
Maggie takes another deep breath.
"I found records, about...experiments...on humans."
Kenny's eyes widen in shock. He pulls his hand away from Maggie's.
"What?"
Maggie's heart races when she sees the shock in Kenny's eyes. She knows this will be hard for him, but he deserves to know the truth.
"Genetic modifications, hormone therapies… things supposedly meant to give humans superhuman abilities."
"But why?"
"They wanted to create an army of
super-soldiers, capable of taking down anyone who stood in their way."
She reached out cautiously and placed her hand on Kenny's arm.
"I'm sorry."
Maggie pulled a large folder from her bag. She hesitated a moment before handing it to Kenny.
"This is all I found: notes, test results, even some… pictures…"
Kenny took the folder from her, his fingers trembling as he unfolded it. The first page was a list of names—his at the top, followed by dozens of others. Next to each name was a series of symbols and numbers, indicating the experiments performed on each person.
"The hospital was involved. They were picking patients: the homeless, criminals, and those without families. They saw an opportunity to "help" humanity by creating super-soldiers… and they didn't care who they sacrificed in the process."
Kenny clenched his fist, anger boiling inside him—anger at the hospital, at Blue, at the entire system.
"They'll pay for this, every single one of them."
Maggie placed a hand on his arm.
"We'll make them pay, but first, we have to warn the others."
Kenny's eyes scanned the pages, his heart pounding. Then, there—a name stopped him in his tracks:
Dante.
He stared at it, incredulous. Dante, the man who had shown him kindness in the lab, the person he'd been closest to. The man who had promised to protect him and had looked after him.
And now, his name was among the subjects of the experiments.
Kenny's hands trembled as he read Dante's file. The procedures described there were more horrifying than he'd imagined.
"Why? Why? Why would he do this to himself?"
"I don't know. Maybe... maybe he thought he could protect you better from the inside. Or maybe they threatened someone he cared about."
Kenny looked at her, tears streaming down his face.
"But I didn't even know. I thought... I thought it was just... but... I never knew."
Maggie takes the file from his trembling hands and sets it aside. Then she pulls him into a tight hug as he sobs.
"It's okay. It's okay to be angry, to be hurt. I'm here for you."