A month had flown by since Hugh had stopped by and surprised Y/N and Clementine by offering him a spot in the upcoming fighting tournament that the three communities were organising.

Clementine was naturally against Y/N competing, she didn't want him to get hurt, but she knew of course there was nothing that could be done to dissuade Y/N once he had made his mind up about something.

It was a sixteen man tournament, five each from Bethnal Green and Jackson and six from Wellington, as the host. About half the field had pre apocalypse real ring fight experience, from MMA to BJJ to Sambo, and the other half were post apocalypse tough guys like Y/N. It was a winner take all event and the purse was 5000 bones.

The tournament would take place in a purpose built 'arena' replacing the old military training grounds. They had no need for such a big barrack now. Not since so many were gone. Not with the Reavers wiped out.

The prize money had instantly clinched it for Y/N. That many bones bought the place he wanted for him, Clem and AJ. All he had to do was win.

Jayne had came round the next day with Mal and offered to train with Y/N, Mal had offered to be Y/N's coach. Jayne then looked apprehensively at Y/N.

"Me, Cap, Zoe and Doc have been talking about this. What do you remember, Y/N? From the camp, the Reavers village?"

"It's a bit hazy, Jayne. Why?" Y/N replied puzzled.

"When you and Zoe got back here, you were wearing something. Something you took from their leader. It's-"

"My jawbone" Y/N replied. Jayne nodded, pulling the jawbone necklace from the small bag he had brought with him.

"We weren't sure but Doc thought it was important you see it. Make sure you-"

Jayne cut himself off as Y/N reached out and took the necklace. His eyes closing as memories flashed through his mind. He opened them and smiled, handing the jawbone to Clem and asking:

"Can you hide that in your backpack Clem? At the bottom?"

Clementine nodded, shivering as she took the bone and hid it away.

—~—

Y/N had trained with Mal and Jayne all month., growing faster, stronger, fitter and harder. When Jayne was off duty and in the gym they would spar relentlessly. When it was just Y/N and Mal they would work through exercises to improve over and over and over. Clem couldn't believe how much his physique had changed in such a short time.

She wouldn't be the only one. Three days before the tournament the other fighters and the guests from the other communities started to arrive. They were being put up in the old barracks, the new enclosed arena was in the centre where the parade grounds used to be, and they had brought a large amount of food, beverages and supplies for Wellington so they weren't out of pocket hosting the event.

Y/N was in the gym, where he always was, being put through his paces by Mal and Jayne when three visitors in particular stopped by. They were smiling as they entered the gym, but soon stopped in shock when they saw Y/N's altered physique topless in the ring.

"Holy shit boy are you on the juice?" Joel yelled out suddenly from the side of the ring.

Y/N stopped doing drill work with Jayne and turned with a chuckle.

"They let you three back in here did they?" Y/N chuckled as he bit the tape off his first glove, pulling it off between his legs before removing the second one.

Mal had turned and smiled. He shook the hands of Joel and his brother Tommy, before all three shared a chuckle at Ellie, who had turned a bright red and whose eyes had grown to the size of dinner plates at Y/N's bare chest and abdomen.

"No juice, but the boy has been working his ass off" Mal smiled as Y/N and Jayne hopped out the ring.

"Your fighters here too?" Y/N asked as he shook hands with the Miller family, completely oblivious to Ellie's reaction to him. Tommy quickly asked though:

"Jesus, what the hell is that?" Looking at the MINE across Y/N's developing six pack.

"Present from a psycho. Next question?" Y/N answered dismissively, not wanting to discuss it.

"We were just calling in to see if you're coming tonight, to the shindig at the Oligarchs HQ. All the fighters and their other halves, those that have them, are gonna be there" Joel asked changing the topic quickly.

"I am- me, Mal and Clem anyway. Don't think we've been given much of a choice" Y/N chuckled in reply.

—~—

It was night time and Mal, Clem and Y/N were 'mingling' at the open room that had been done up in HQ for all the fighters.

Mingling was code for Y/N and Mal hanging to the side, not having any interest in being social butterflies. The only one they had spoke to really, apart from Hugh, was Joel, who brought over his top rated fighter, a Russian named Koba, who had been a Sambo and UFC Pro in the old world and who was stranded in the US after the world fell and ended up in Jackson. As far as most were concerned Koba was the odds on favourite for the event.

It had been an awkward 45 minutes when Riley approached the trio smiling, shaking hands and greeting the group. After exchanging pleasantries he motioned over to someone, saying happily:

"I'd like to introduce you three to one of my top guys and his wife. He was a UFC Pro before the world ended. Y/N, Clementine, Mal, this is-"

He extended his arm. Clementine's eyes grew wide in shock. Y/N's neutral face turned to one of fury and disgust.

"-Brendon Conlon and his wife, Molly. Brendon, Molly this is the hero of the war, Y/N Dixon and his girlfriend Clementine Marsh, along with Y/N's coach Captain Mal Reynolds."

Brendon and Molly stood wide eyed. Riley and Mal looked between the bewildered looks on three faces and the furious look on Y/N's face with confusion.

"Y/N, Clementine, Jesus how are you both? It's really good to see-"

"I don't have time for this shit. Let's go see AJ, we been out long enough" Y/N said to Clementine quickly, the girl nodding in agreement before the couple abruptly left the room hand in hand.

—~—

Y/N and Clem had been followed quickly by a heavily confused Mal, and explained the situation to him. Upon returning home Y/N had been extremely restless and had gone for a walk. He was a walking along the interior wall of Wellington, looking up at the moonlit night when he suddenly heard someone call out from behind:

"I'm been looking all over for you. How's it going?"

Y/N turned and saw Brendon standing there. Every ounce of his being wanted to walk up and punch Brendon in the mouth, but the ruling had been clear- anyone who fights before the tournament would be instantly eliminated. Ironically this had been brought in to keep Y/N and Mad-Dog from getting into it again.

"It's going" Y/N replied in a tone of neutrality, trying to remain as calm as possible. Brendon nodded and added.

"I was thinking we should go and grab a coffee?"

"I don't drink coffee man, what do you want?" Y/N asked with a sense of frustration.

"You don't wanna go sit down somewhere and talk, Y/N?" Brendon asked. Y/N shook his head and replied: "I'm good right here."

"Ok" Brendon nodded. An awkward silence hanging in the air before Brendon asked:

"Isn't there anything you want to talk about Y/N? About what happened?"

Y/N gave Brendon a look, trying to remain calm and replied:

"Me? You're the one who left. You're the one who picked some girl."

"Molly's not just some girl, Y/N. I married her. She's my wife."

He approached Y/N and pulled a wallet from his pocket, holding out a photo of the two holding a baby.

"See, this is Hilda. Our daughter."

Y/N looked at the picture and then up at Brendon, answering:

"Apart from you I don't know em."

"Of course you don't know them, Y/N, but-"

"So why am I looking at pictures of people I don't know?" Y/N asked as the aggravation grew in his voice.

"Cos they're my family, Y/N" Brendon answered, getting frustrated himself.

"Funny, you told me I was your family, Bren" Y/N answered dismissively.

"Y/N. Look I can't change what happened, but-"

"The morning after you and her left Clem got kidnapped by that psycho." Y/N snapped angrily.

"What?"

"Then Lee got bit. Lee, Carley, Omid, Christa, Kenny- THEY'RE ALL GONE!!!!" Y/N roared, pulling back and turning his head as Brendon's eyes watered.

"Y/N-I... I-"

"I had to fight through the herd, alone, with my knife and a piece of glass to get Clem back" Y/N continued on, holding his left hand up showing the thick scar that was on display.

"And oh yeah, because it will come up when I'm topless in the tournament, we were captured and I was tortured by a psycho for about a week!" Y/N snapped again, lifting up his shirt, Brendon's face paling as he saw the scarred MINE across his abdomen.

"Did you think of us once, while you were playing home? Bren? Your so called little brother?"

"Y/N... of course I did. But I-"

"Save it" Y/N snapped. "See you at the tournament. You better pray you and me don't end up in the ring together!"

Y/N turned and walked off, leaving a shocked and saddened Brendon in his wake.