Early in the morning, Arthur woke and immediately donned his combat attire. He wore his habitual black hooded robe over his beige long-sleeved shirt and black training pants, with the S&W Model 500 securely strapped in its shoulder holster. He flicked both wrists, revealing the twin hidden blades, and stared at his reflection in the steel. 'Walkers are slowly evolving. I don't know how strong they'll be in the future. I might have to train the able fighters in the group,' he mused before retracting the blades and strapping the rest of his weapons—bow, rifle, and dirk—onto his back and side.
He walked out and entered the cafeteria. Everyone stopped and stared, alarmed by his full gear. "What's up with all the get-up?" Daryl asked, standing up, scanning the area for danger. The others began to clamor, worried that their brief period of peace was over.
"Relax, there's no danger at the moment," Arthur said, grabbing a piece of toast with egg and taking a bite. He looked at Rick, Daryl, Hermione, and finally Shane, who was silent, a scratch mark visible on his neck. "We need to talk," Arthur stated, slowly walking away from the group. Rick, Daryl, and Hermione followed him immediately, while Shane hesitated for a moment before joining them.
Rick was the first to speak. "What's happening, Arthur?" Arthur casually sat down, finishing his toast. "There's a timer at Zone 5. I don't know what its purpose is, but I have a bad idea," he said.
Daryl, ever straightforward, pressed him. "Spit it out, Kenway."
Arthur looked at Hermione, who seemed to grasp his meaning. "Considering that this place is the Center for Disease Control, or CDC for short, the timer might be indicating something that prevents diseases from ever spreading—in short, an explosion," Hermione deduced.
"We don't know that yet. It might be a timer for other things," Rick denied, his voice tight. He had just found a safe haven for his family, and the idea of it ending made him anxious.
Shane, who had been silently processing the information, offered his piece. "Rick is right, we just got a safe place for the group. We can't go out there and risk our group again."
Arthur just smiled, then turned to Daryl, who kicked a metal bar chair, making the nearby group flinch. Daryl paced back and forth before declaring, "Then what are we idling for? Let's ask the Doc!"
The group outside, observing the four individuals huddled and talking heatedly, grew increasingly nervous. Arthur calmed Daryl. "Daryl, calm the fuck down, man. We still have things to discuss."
"The fuck you mean 'discuss'? This could be our graveyard for all I know!" Daryl shot back, glaring at Arthur. Arthur did not back down, standing up. Rick and Shane stepped between them in case a fight erupted.
"If, somehow, in the worst-case scenario, I'm right, do you think the group is ready to go out again? Out of all the group—no offense," Arthur said, looking at Rick and the others before turning back to Daryl, "—only me, you, and perhaps Hermione could survive out there from now on."
Daryl stopped, the harsh reality sinking in. Rick and Shane looked confused. "What do you mean by that, Arthur?" Shane demanded. "You don't trust us? You don't trust that we could keep the group safe?"
Hermione chimed in. "What Arthur is saying is that from now on, everything outside is more dangerous than the last time we were out there."
Rick, letting their words sink in, asked, "Why?"
"It's not about a lack of trust, man, it's about the risk," Arthur explained. "Daryl is already an experienced hunter; he doesn't hold back and knows how to recognize danger—he only needs polishing. Meanwhile, Hermione here is already capable of seeing minute details, can spot things that you guys can't, and is a fast learner at that. She can learn the things I'll teach at a very fast pace." Arthur paused. "As for me, I'm a trained Assassin due to my family line that can be traced back to a pirate era, and a very, very capable hunter."
Daryl scoffed, irritated. "Just spit it out, man, stop praising yourself," while Rick, Hermione, and Shane's faces were a mix of irritation and curiosity at the words 'assassin' and 'family line that can be traced back in the pirate era.'
'Family line my ass,' Arthur thought, holding back a laugh, before he revealed the truth. "The walkers are slowly evolving. They're getting faster and stronger."
Hermione's eyes widened. "The one we saw last night. It appeared last night, right?" Rick and the others turned to her. "Who appeared?" Rick asked. Hermione explained. "An evolved walker. It was bulky, with bone spikes appearing on its body, sharp claws, and a predator-like mouth..." She turned to Arthur. "Arthur and I saw it appear just as the shutter closed down—perhaps many others will pop out soon. A variant of a walker."
Daryl, Rick, and Shane fell silent as the true gravity of the danger dawned on them. Rick turned to Arthur, who was watching their reactions with amusement, and spoke slowly. "So what should we do? If the timer is really what you think it is, outside is dangerous for the group."
"I'll talk to Jenner about the timer. If I'm wrong, then I'll train you guys here, but if it's otherwise, then... We'll have to find a safe area, away from the city, fast, then I'll train the group," Arthur said as he stood up and tapped Rick's shoulder. "For now, don't say anything to the group, but at least be prepared to move out. I think there are four hours left before the timer runs out."
The four of them returned to the group. Others tried to question them, but Rick simply said he couldn't say anything for the moment, making the group even more nervous. Shane and Daryl immediately went to gather all the weapons in one area.
Jenner, who had just woken up, was recording his daily documentary. "Today is the day, Candice. I'm so sorry I wasn't able to find the cure. I tried my best. The samples ran out, and every time I look at your records, it haunts me. It's like I'm dissecting every memory of you," Jenner paused, looking at the camera. "But that ends today. A group of survivors arrived last night. I let them in. They needed hope, and I'll give it to them—a hope, quick and painless..."
Just as Jenner was about to continue, a voice rang out behind him. "That hope is kinda twisted, if you ask me."
Jenner spun around, seeing Arthur fiddling with some papers. He stood up in haste. "How long were you in there? I didn't allow you to come inside! Is that how you treat your host?"
Arthur smoothly drew the S&W Model 500 from underneath his robe and aimed it at Jenner's head. "Whoa, easy there, Doc," he said, his tone turning serious. "Now, tell me what you meant about 'quick and painless'? Is it related to that timer out there?" He glanced toward the glass wall, where the clock now read [4:24:35].
"What happens when that timer ends?" Arthur pressed as Jenner slowly stepped back, hitting a table. "I... it... uhh..." Jenner stuttered. Arthur smiled, his voice hard. "Stop stuttering, Doc, there's no time for that."
Jenner let out a sigh and slowly explained. "Due to the nature of the CDC, if somehow it were breached, an explosion would occur to prevent all the diseases from spreading outside... That timer indicates when the fuel will run out. After it ends, it will ignite the oxygen in here, causing a massive explosion."
Arthur lowered his gun and strapped it back into his shoulder holster. "Thought so. You're planning to go out in style... Do you think I'd allow it?"
Jenner froze. "You can't do this, man, I'm tired. I wanna be with my wife," he pleaded hastily. Arthur leaned against the glass wall. "A researcher is valuable nowadays. What do you know about variants?"
"What do you mean by Variants?" Jenner asked in confusion. This surprised Arthur. "The walkers are evolving, Doc."
Jenner thought deeply. "It's impossible. The French experimented on this, making the walkers there evolve, but it's impossible since they have long since fallen... Unless someone did the same here."