'Of Pain and Suffering'

*'***Of Pain and Suffering***'* is the fifth and final episode of *Season 35* and the series finale of *The Walking Dead by EDStudios*. As well as being the final episode of the '*A Certain Doom: Part 2*' and the '*A Certain Doom*' story arc, it is the final episode of *The Walking Dead by EDStudios* before the timeline transition into the '*New Age*' Extension.

## Plot

*In the series finale, stories from across the series come to an end as the Veteran of Pain and Suffering finally confronts his haunted memories and prepares for his final duel with the Monster of the East.*

## Synopsis

Edwards clenches his fist, crushing the walkie-talkie in his hands. He walks up to Dylan and demands he takes him to Eden's office.

Edwards is led into Eden's office, which has been mostly cleared out. He frantically digs through what remains and demands to know of any location where Eden might have taken Charlotte and Thomas. Dylan replies and says the rebels have already cleared out Eden's safehouses in D.C. Edwards takes this to mean that Eden has other safehouses elsewhere in the country. Dylan suddenly remembers he has a safehouse in Montana, in case the Battle of the Two Bridges went awry. Edwards looks over a map of Montana and finds a place called "Sasha Farm". Deciding that Eden would have picked it for its name, he decides to take a vehicle and drive there.

Edwards prepares for his long journey, loading up a truck with essential supplies. Bethany demands to go with him, but Edwards says he needs her to organise the troops on their purging, and Eden would be expecting a large group to come looking for him. He finishes by saying he needs to face Eden alone. He says a final goodbye to his loved ones before leaving D.C for the last time.

Over the course of several days, Edwards makes his way in the truck back to Montana. He stops off at a river, where he fills up the canteen O'Kyle gave him so many years ago. Sensing a change in his life, he decides to bury it along with O'Kyle's ring.

When Edwards reaches southern Montana, he struggles to get his bearings. He ends up in a clearing, where he is attacked by several walkers. Although he fights them all off, he discovers he has been shallowly bitten on his left hand. He curses and nearly breaks down before accepting his fate and composing himself.

Hours later, he finds the helicopter that Eden escaped in, discovering the pilot shot in the back of the head.

Meanwhile, Eden is cooking a meal for Charlotte and Thomas. He calls Charlotte "Sasha" as he builts a new barbed-wire bat, smacking Charlotte when she refuses her new name. As he looks out of the window, he panics when seeing Edwards walking up the ranch house. He steps out of the house with a gun to Charlotte's head before finally confronting his enemy. While Eden, near tears, tell the Veteran that the world could have been better if they shared the same vision, Edwards tells the Monster of the East that he will show him "what pain and suffering really means".

The two then begin a brutal duel, first with their respective weapons, and then with their fists. Although Edwards initially has the upper hand, Eden soons gets on top and uses his bat to damage Edwards' bitten arm beyond repair before he begins strangling him. With her father close to death, Charlotte retrieves her father's Mark 23 and shoots Eden in the back. As Eden loosens his grip, Edwards grabs his knife and stabs Eden repeatedly in the abdomen, almost disemboweling him.

As Edwards recovers, Eden falls backwards, clutching his guts. He hallucinates Sasha walking over to him and reaching out her hand. Eden smiles until he realizes its Charlotte, pointing her father's Mark 23 right at him. Eden accepts his fate and Charlotte delivers the killing shot.

Charlotte goes over to help her father, who tells her to grab something to tie around his arm. Edwards then uses his tomahawk to amputate his ruined, bitten arm. As he passes out from blood loss, Charlotte wraps and bandages up his stump in panic.

Hours later, Edwards regains consciousness and remarks to the Charlotte that the farm "doesn't look that bad". Seconds later, several vehicles carrying soldiers arrive, Charlotte having radioed them. Bethany rushes towards her husband and daughter as Edwards reveals his stump. Carl and Sophie then drag Edwards off to a medical truck, while Sarah stands over Eden's corpse before spitting on it.

A month later, Sarah gets out of the bath and sets to writing a note addressed to AJ and her son Ben. She kisses it and stabs it onto the wall. She then picks up a shotgun, cocks it and holds it against her chin.

Three days later, still on Sasha Farm, Edwards walks towards a wooden gate; a few feet in front of him is a red Mustang, at the back of which Drew is loading essential supplies. Edwards asks him if he's leaving for good; Drew says he is, as he is unable to stay in the Commonwealth in case he loses someone else close to him. In addition to blaming himself for Sarah's suicide, he partially blames Edwards. Edwards accepts his part in her death. The two brothers embrace for the last time before Drew enters his car and, without stopping to look back, drives off down the road. Edwards stands and watches him leave, before walking back along the path. As he leaves, he passes a sign that reads "Veteran Ranch".

Edwards walks past several fields filled with workers; Charlotte comes running through a bush and hugs him. She asks if she can walk with him; Edwards smiles and holds her hand. He finds his wife, remarking about her new herb and flower garden. He then visits Carl, who has moved onto the ranch. After a brief discussion, Edwards walks up to a tall figure working on an apple tree. Charlotte walks forward, "Good morning," she says. The figure turns around and is revealed to be Carlson, "Morning to you too, darling," he says. He kneels down and hands her an apple. Charlotte thanks him and kisses him on the cheek before running off to play. Carlson turns to Edwards, thanking him for giving him a job on his ranch. Edwards says its no trouble. Before he walks off, Carlson thanks him further, attributing the restoration of his sanity to Edwards and his actions.

That evening, Edwards approaches his house at the centre of the grounds. He sits in a wooden rocking chair and watches Dominic and Charlotte play. He smiles, sighs and closes his eyes.

When his eyes open again, he is young again, staring at the mirror dressed smartly in a blazer. He adjusts his tie and jacket before slinging his bag over his shoulders. The young Edwards opens the door, looks around his old bedroom, and shuts the door.

## Credits

* Harry Edwards
* Bethany Edwards
* Alex Junior
* Drew Stanton

## Deaths

* Helicopter Pilot *(off-panel)*
* Antony Eden
* Sarah Stanton

## Trivia

* Last appearance of the Helicopter Pilot
* Last appearance of Dylan Mattis
* Last appearance of Antony Eden
* Last appearance of Sarah Stanton
* The title of the episode refers to Edwards' most popular alias: The Veteran **Of Pain and Suffering**.
* This is the final episode of *The Walking Dead by EDStudios.*

 **Season 15: A Last Showdown** | "The Final Stand"