Threads of Fate Across Universes

Shane wiped the blood off his hands with a chuckle, looking over the destruction. "That was too easy."

Shane raised an eyebrow as he wiped his hands, looking around at the fallen bodies. "That was almost too easy. I was expecting a little more resistance."

Elio smirked, stretching his arms. "Well, if you want a challenge, we could always start a band. I'll play the axe, you can be the drummer—crushing skulls with your hands sounds pretty punk rock, don't you think?"

Shane snorted. "Right, because nothing says 'rockstar' like dismembering people in the woods."

~~~~

Carol stood silently, her eyes fixed on the gruesome aftermath, her mind racing. She wasn't used to this. The violence, the bloodshed—it was alien to her. She had grown up in a world where survival didn't demand you take another life. Yet now, here she was, in a reality where the rules had shifted, where strength was measured in blood spilled and lives taken. She swallowed hard, knowing she couldn't show weakness—not with Sophia beside her. She had to adapt, for both of them.

Behind her, Elio moved with eerie calm, floating the dismembered body parts into the woods, as if it was the most normal thing in the world. His telekinesis made the task effortless—throwing limbs away, storing the weapons in their inventory, all while Carol fought the knot in her stomach.

"Alright, Carol," Elio called, his voice cheerful, almost casual. "All done. You can look now."

Carol took a deep breath, her heart still pounding, but the sight before her had changed. The chaos was gone. The bodies were hidden, and the scene was calm once again. She turned to Elio, whose smile never wavered. Despite the danger and the bloodshed, he was still the same playful, lighthearted man she had come to know.

Elio was a killer, yes. He could destroy anyone who stood in his way. But Carol knew there was more to him than that. Beneath all the power, the violence, and the danger, Elio cared—deeply. His actions, his quiet moments with Sophia, his protective nature toward them all, showed a kindness that he didn't always let others see. It was a reminder that, no matter how deadly he could be, there was still goodness in him—a goodness that, in a world like this, was as rare as a beacon of light in the darkest of nights.

~~~~~

Shane carefully wiped his hands on his pants, the remains of the skirmish still fresh in the air. But his mind was elsewhere. He glanced over at Elio, who was continuing to float the body parts away with effortless precision. There was something about Elio's confidence, the way he made even the messiest situations seem simple, that made Shane feel… small. For a brief, unspoken moment, Shane's usual strength felt lacking, like he was searching for something to anchor him.

He hesitated, looking down, trying to ignore the faint nervous flutter in his chest. "Elio… did I do okay?"

The words came out almost shy, something Shane never thought would come from him. But in front of Elio, in moments like these, it felt natural. He respected Elio so much—it was easy to forget that sometimes, he too needed reassurance.

Elio paused in his movements, sensing the shift in Shane's energy. His smile softened, a rare gentleness in his expression. Without missing a beat, Elio met Shane's gaze. "You did great, Shane. You're with me, we're always good."

Shane exhaled deeply, the weight of Elio's words settling in like a warm blanket. It was strange, this feeling of needing validation from someone. He wasn't used to asking for approval, especially not after everything he'd been through. But Elio, with his quiet strength and kind heart, made Shane feel like it was okay to let down the walls for just a second.

Shane's shoulders relaxed, a small but genuine smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. He glanced back at the ground and went to work, but this time, it felt a little easier. A little lighter.

As Elio moved through the aftermath, tossing the dismembered body parts further into the woods, his eyes briefly flickered to one of the fallen bodies. His gaze sharpened, a memory sparking in the back of his mind.

"Wait a minute," he muttered, stepping closer. His fingers hovered over the man's face, recognition slowly dawning.

Shane glanced over, noticing the sudden shift in Elio's expression. "What is it?"

Elio crouched, examining the dead man more closely. "I know this guy," he said, his tone suddenly colder. "I saw him on TV Show… This is Dave, the guy who tried to ambush Rick and the others back in Season 2."

Shane raised an eyebrow. "Wait, what?"

Elio nodded slowly, his mind replaying the memory. "Yeah. He was part of a group called The Living. They were a bunch of ruthless survivors who tried to rob Rick's group at the farm. Dave and his buddy Tony—they were armed and looking for trouble. Tried to force their way in, no regard for who they were putting in danger."

He stood, the grim memory settling heavily in his chest. "Rick and the group had no choice but to defend themselves. It was over fast."

Shane listened in silence, realizing the gravity of the moment. "You're saying we just wiped out one of the same guys from the show?"

Elio shook his head slightly, frowning as he surveyed the bodies. "But I don't see Tony or Dave. That means they must have more people. I remember about a month before Rick and the others arrived, they were ambushed by a group of walkers while out on patrol at night. I guess those were the walkers I killed last night."

Shane's expression darkened as the pieces clicked into place. "So you're saying this group still has about thirty members left?"

Elio's eyes narrowed, the weight of the situation sinking in. "Exactly. The Living may be down a few, but they're far from wiped out. We just made a dent in their numbers, but they've still got a lot of firepower and manpower left."

Shane grunted in agreement. "Great. Just what we need."

Elio stood up straight, the grim reality settling over them both. "If we're not careful, we might find ourselves in the middle of another ambush. We can't let our guard down."

Shane nodded, his gaze scanning the surroundings. "We'll be ready."

Elio's expression softened, a sly grin pulling at his lips. "Well, careful or not, they'll still die if they piss me off," he said, throwing a playful smile at Shane.

Shane chuckled and shook his head. "You're a real piece of work."

Then, Shane looked at Elio again, noticing the subtle shift in his demeanor. There was a brief moment of silence as Elio's eyes grew distant, his smile fading. The playful energy vanished, and for a brief second, Elio seemed lost in thought.

Shane frowned, stepping closer. "You okay?"

Elio blinked, snapping out of his thoughts. For a moment, his voice was quieter, almost somber. "Yeah... just thinking about something."

Shane gave him a searching look, but Elio quickly pushed the moment aside and made up some sentimental crap. "I was just remembering something. There was a lot of bad blood with that group—The Living—and it's hard not to think about the things that happened back then. It's strange, really. I guess it's just something that sticks with you, even when it's over."

Shane was quiet for a moment, he could tell Elio was lying but chose to let it slide and then nodded slowly. "Yeah, I get it."

Elio shook himself out of the moment and gave Shane a rueful grin. "But hey, it's just a show. Besides, I've got bigger problems right now."

Shane cracked a grin. "Yeah, like those assholes still out there."

Elio's expression hardened again, his playful demeanour returning. "Exactly. So let's make sure they don't get too comfortable."

~~~~~

Dave's Camp Observer POV:

The man crouched low in the bushes, his heart racing as he watched the aftermath of the massacre unfold. The two men—they were monsters. One, tall and broad with a rugged face, moved like a predator, pulling weapons from thin air. The other, slender and quick, had glowing eyes that seemed to flicker with something unnatural. The way they floated body parts into the woods... it was as if they could bend reality itself. And that woman—she was still standing there, unaffected. The whole thing felt like a nightmare, like something out of a story you'd never believe. How could anyone so easily butcher dozens of people without breaking a sweat?

The man rushed back to camp, breathless, stumbling as he approached Dave. "You won't believe what I saw—no, I can't even explain it. Those two men, they killed everyone—everyone—without breaking a sweat. One was huge, all muscle, the other was quick, like a shadow. And the way they made everything disappear... weapons, body parts... It was like they controlled the air, Dave. The bodies just floated away. There's no way they're human, no way. We need to stay far away from them."

Dave looked up, narrowing his eyes. "What are you saying? They're some kind of... what? Monsters?" He leaned forward, his voice low and dangerous.

"More than that. They're not just killing machines—they're something else. We should be careful."

Otis POV:

Otis sat with his head in his hands, trying to make sense of what he had just witnessed. He had followed the group, hoping to learn their next move. But what he saw? It was beyond anything he'd ever imagined. The two men—one a stocky, angry-looking guy with a perpetual frown, the other with a calm but sinister air—had slaughtered the entire group with ease. No struggle. No fear. Then, as if that wasn't enough, the men made the weapons disappear. They made everything disappear. Body parts floated through the air, as if controlled by some invisible force. He couldn't even explain it. How was that even possible? And those women—Carol, a woman with a haunted look in her eyes, and the young girl, Sophia—stood there, utterly untouched. It was like they weren't even human.

Otis stumbled into the camp, feeling his hands shake. He couldn't believe what he had seen, and yet, he knew he had to report it. He found Hershel sitting by the fire, his face hard with concern. "Hershel, it's worse than I thought."

Hershel glanced up, his eyes narrowing. "What happened?"

Otis swallowed, his voice shaky. "There were two men, and they... they slaughtered the whole camp. I've never seen anything like it. They moved like they weren't even human. One of them he just... grabbed a rifle and bent it in half like it was a piece of tin. The other, he made the bodies disappear, like they were controlled by... something. Something not normal, Hershel. I don't know what they are, but we need to stay away from them. They're dangerous. Not just killers, unnatural."

Hershel was silent for a moment, his face unreadable. "Then we'll prepare. Thanks for the warning, Otis."