AS THE WORLD FALLS DOWN I RICK GRIMES

Fire Meet Gasoline

Fire Meet Gasoline

Alexis swung the RV round to a stop, ignoring the three roamers wandering the road ahead, glancing in the rear-view mirror instead, double-checking to see Aaron was still behind her. Satisfied he was safe, she pulled the keys out of the ignition, shoving them into the pocket of her denim shorts, before snatching up her backpack and swinging it over her shoulder, picking up a plastic carrier bag filled with bottles of water from the seat beside her as she did. Taking one last mocking glance at the RV's retro chic interior, she then made for the door, throwing it open and leaping down onto the parched earth outside, landing like a cat, the plastic bag banging off her thigh.

"You could always use the steps, you know," Aaron said dryly as she came towards him, shielding her eyes with her hand against the glare of the sun.

"How else am I supposed to test my reflexes?" she parried.

"By dodging Pete's punches?"

Alexis stared at him, nostrils flaring. "If that was meant to be a joke, it was in pretty poor taste," she then said from between gritted teeth.

"What like your little dig about me being Team Pete?" Aaron said coldly. "That was pretty below the belt itself, kid."

Alexis bit her lip, pushing her hair back.

"You know, I have my own problems with Pete," Aaron said, his voice shaking slightly, "he fancies himself quite the wit when it comes to making so called astute observations on my so called alternative lifestyle. He calls it humour, but I call it homophobia, and whether you like it or not, he's turning your sister against me and Eric as well. For a free spirit, she's surprisingly narrow-minded."

"She'll agree with anything Pete says to keep the peace," Alexis said tiredly. "You should know Jessie better than that, Aaron."

"Well, I figured it was only a matter of time before she joined the rest of Alexandria in passing judgement on my sexuality," Aaron said lightly, the anger in his eyes belying his flippant tone. "Now I'm just waiting for you to follow in her footsteps and defect to the other side."

"I don't think so."

"Yeah, right," Aaron said, turning away from her.

"Fine, whatever," Alexis snapped. "You have your flare gun?"

"Do you have your flare gun?" Aaron retorted.

Alexis's answer to this was to swing her plastic bag of water bottles into the skull of a roamer that suddenly loomed out of nowhere on Aaron's left, its broken teeth heading straight for his jugular. As the roamer crumpled to the ground, Alexis stepped over it, pulling out her machete as she moved, sinking it into the skull of another two roamers that came staggering out of the woods towards them, before despatching the three that had been shambling about the road up ahead. Aaron just stood there, watching her work her way through them, his jaw tightening.

"You know, I think you're wasted in Alexandria," he called over to her, shouldering his backpack higher. "You'd be better off out here, a one-woman wrecking crew."

"I think Deanna's thinking along the same lines," Alexis said grimly, wiping her machete on the trousers of the nearest corpse.

"What?" Aaron said, shocked out of his antipathy.

"I'm talking about exile, Aaron," Alexis said bluntly, coming over to him. "An act of proscription."

Aaron stared at her, his face paling slightly. "She wouldn't do that," he said, shaking his head. "She has no grounds" -