whatever preconceived notions you may have towards me or my Flock. Why don't you take some time and rest, get your thoughts together. I'll be back soon enough, there is still much to discuss." Sigma suggested, once more responding to her emotions more than her words.
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Spike's face stung as he pulled himself up off the grass, and his cheek scratched from a broken tree limb. The sun was low in the sky, and climbing. He'd been passed out for awhile, longer than he knew to be safe. Spike made a mental note to see Nero and get checked out once he finally made it back to Harvester Headquarters. He had more important things on his mind now; the last thing he remembered was being thrown into a tree by a large zombie. Then it hit him like he had just been thrown back into the oak, a Rider had pulled Rose from him before sending him twenty feet through the air. Spike looked around at what had just yesterday been the Crossroads Bazaar. The stalls were in shambles and bits of man and zombie alike were strewn across the lawns and pavement. What was most startling though, was that Gravers were cleaning up, rebuilding, just like they did in the old days after a hurricane. Craven was watching it all, seated on top a large open crate, full of lumber.
"Ugh…Craven, what's going on here?" Spike called, cradling his left arm and limping slightly over to the Gunsmith.
"Exactly what it looks like, Spike old friend. We are rebuilding, can't let one attack shut down the only commerce and true safe zone Blood Oak has." Craven explained, leaping off the crate.
"Are you kidding? After last night you think we should bring more people back here?" Spike questioned, clearly frustrated.
"No, I'm not kidding. This place was something good, and I won't let it be taken away from the people. I'll say this though, we took it for granted until yesterday. So starting now, I'm putting it under my watch. There's gonna be a constant guard here, armed and ready for the next time, if it comes." Craven explained, staying calm, trying to keep Spike from getting angry.
"Who's gonna guard a market when they could be out salvaging, or getting paid to guard someone?" Spike asked, sitting on the remains of a produce cart.
"I've got guys, I'm arming them myself and paying them out of my pocket. The safety of Blood Oak's people is worth the investment, and besides, I have more money and guns than I know what to do with. I'm actually mad at myself for not doing this sooner. This place is gonna be the start of something new, I guarantee it. New stalls, professionally built will be up by tomorrow, anyone who's got things to sell can just ask for a stand and it's theirs. Guards posted on the nearby roofs will keep watch and an evacuation plan will be laid out and old hat by the time it's ever needed…if it's ever needed." Craven excitedly elaborated, gesturing to the men working to clean and rebuild the Bazaar.
"You keep saying if, like Hivemind won't attack it again. Your plan sounds like a huge lure for him. It's a bunch of people all packed into one small area, it'd be another massacre…" Spike trailed off, the previous day still fresh in his mind.
"Hivemind may be a zombie, but he's not stupid. I don't know how much of the battle you were conscious for, but that Zero does not risk his zombies' lives. Anytime they'd go towards someone holding a gun he'd call'em back and send them away from the market entirely. In fact, the only zombies that we could even shoot yesterday were him and his Horsemen, all the others got pulled out of the fray, or died from close quarters combat and shotgun shells…there's a thinker somewhere in that corpse, and I'd bet everything that a defended market is more risk than