Holly Maxson (Remake)

***"It's coming along, but it'll still be a while till it's done."***
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## Biographical Information

### Age

17 *("It Begins")*
18 *("A Long Road Ahead")*
18-19 *("What We've Lost")*
19-20 *("No Time Left")*
24-25 *("Divide")*
27 *("All Out War", epilogue)*

### Occupation

High school student *(Pre-apocalypse)*
Student nurse *(Pre-apocalypse)*
 Former supply runner for the Clarkson Survivors *(Post-apocalypse)*
Medic for Henry's group *(Post-apocalypse)*
Former deputy leader of Greencole *(Post-apocalypse)*
Leader of Graystone *(Post-apocalypse)*
Governor of the Commonwealth *(Post-apocalypse)*

### Family

Henry Ward - husband
Hope Ward - daughter
Eric Ward - son
Layla Ward - daughter
Kyle Granger - adoptive son

### Residence

Graystone
Greencole *(formerly)*
Ranger Station, Iron Mountain National Park *(Formerly)*
Clarkson High School *(Formerly)*

## Appearances

"***No.** I'm not gonna watch you do this. **Not again**. [...] **You promised!** You said to me that when we were **settled**, when we were **finally** at peace, it would be **over!** That we would...**move on**. That we wouldn't make the **same choices**. We are a **family**. Why does this get to be more important than that? [...] Tell yourself **whatever you want**. I can't do this again. If you do this...that's it. **I'm done**,*"
—Holly's attempt to stop Henry from leaving[src]

**Holly Maxson** is a main character and a survivor of the outbreak in *Strain Zero*, serving as the deuteragonist of the *Homeward* arc, the tritagonist of the *Bloodlines* arc and co-tritagonist of the *Descendents* arc. She is a British exchange student at Clarkson High School in the United States, and bands together with her fellow students as they fight to secure the school and clear out the dead. Her level-headedness and medical knowledge makes her a valuable asset to the group. She forms an emotional bond, later a romance, with Henry as the apocalypse progresses and the group are forced to come to terms with the brutality and violence around them.

After almost a year of surviving within Iron Mountain State Forest, Holly and Emma were separated from Henry when bandits attacked their home, but were rescued from the bandits by a group led by Drew Stanton. Finding shelter at a community called Hometown, Holly became a prisoner alongside the rest of the group for participating in a failed uprising against the community's leader, Stoffman. Tearfully reunited with Henry after more than two weeks apart, she became a driving force behind their group's plan to escape Hometown. Having come to see the entire group as her family, she welcomed them as they began their search for a new home.

When the group reached the city of Fargo, Holly became separated from the others alongside Drew and Boy and encountered a second group of survivors at war with the Innocents. During this time, Holly realized that she was pregnant with Henry's child, something she finally revealed to him when they headed out to rescue the young Kyle Granger and adopted him as their own.

Five years after settling Greencole, Holly had settled down with Henry, their daughter Hope, Kyle and Emma while working as Carl's assistant and David's deputy. Despite her pleas, she was unable to stop Henry from returning to the wilderness to confront a supposed threat, and discovered with David's help that Henry's suspicions were not entirely based on paranoia. Their subsequent investigation ended in the Frontiersmen attack on Greencole, during which Holly was brutally beaten by a reemerged James. While recovering after the attack, she refused to reconcile with Henry until he suddenly proposed to her; before she could answer, Greencole was approached by a larger faction named Delta Force, who invited Henry to meet their commander at Adams Air Force Base. Holly subsequently became the Pioneers' leader when they joined Delta Force's network and relocated to Graystone. Following the Militia conflict she married Henry and became Governor of the Commonwealth.

## Overview

### Personality & Traits

Holly is a strong, selfless, independent, and emotional woman, but is also shown to be difficult and demanding at times. Devoted to the people around her, Holly constantly looks out for the best interests of the group and becomes a strong contributor to her group due to her medical skills and survival talent. She begins the apocalypse as a social outsider with an interest in books, poetry and art, especially pencil drawings, only to become more tightly-bound with the group as it becomes apparent that the world will never return to normal.

As she becomes closer to her friends, Holly develops a notable trait where she focuses on the emotional states of others rather than dwell on her own, thus forming deep and profound emotional attachments to those around her. Instead of working through her own fears and frustrations, Holly prefers to solve, or at least mitigate, the distress of others, causing her to neglect her own mental health and bottle up her emotions. These emotions can sometimes erupt unpredictably, leading to brief periods of aggression, impatience and anger. Holly is particularly affected by the losses within the group due to relying on these emotional attachments, with her even contemplating suicide after the loss of Jess and her child, only to be stopped by Henry when she couldn't bring herself to end both of their lives.

Although she prefers to avoid violence and killing in the early months of apocalypse, Holly gradually comes to accept that violence is necessary as her loved ones come up against threats much more dangerous than the dead; the first evidence of this was endorsing Henry's decision to kill Francis in retaliation for Alex's death, even though, as Henry himself later admitted, Francis had nothing directly to do with Alex's murder. By the end of the second season, she actively endorses that Henry and others in the group steal from and kill other survivors if they pose a threat, and is willing to take lives herself to protect - or, in Leyton's case, avenge - those she cares about.

### Skills & Abilities

As the sole member of the Clarkson Survivors with medical experience, Holly finds herself using what little skills she has in treating the injuries of her friends. Experience from both the pre- and post-apocalyptic world has given her knowledge of suturing, antibiotics and even childbirth. Outside of this, Holly is a decent combatant who prefers to use a handgun to defend herself, but usually turns to intimidation and threats to protect herself.

## Pre-Apocalypse

### United Kingdom

Holly prefers not to discuss her past, and thus little is known about her. At some point in her childhood, she was in a serious car accident that left her with deep scars over her arms and torso. She knew the other members of what would become the Clarkson Survivors, but was not close with any of them.

## Post-Apocalypse

### Season 1: Remake

In a psychology class, Holly is taught the mental health effects of insomnia and later recognises the same symptoms in a fellow exchange student, Henry, and watches him as he leaves a math class. She also makes sure to hide a series of scars on her arms.
At lunch, Holly joins her fellow exchange students: Henry, James, Aaron, Sarah, Ben, Jess and Alex, the latter two of which are in a relationship. Their discussion reveals that they have only been in the states for a few weeks and are due to leave within a matter of days. They are disturbed by the older students and teachers surrounding them that are coughing heavily and, in a few places, coughing up blood while the younger students appear fine. Henry watches the news and reads that a mysterious outbreak of a new disease is spreading all over the country, with cases reported across the world, and that it only appears to affect non-adults, with a threshold around the age of eighteen or nineteen. At the end of the school day, the group leave together and avoid the ill students and teachers, unaware that one of the teachers has vomited blood and apparently died.
At their student house, the group meet up with another exchange student, Justinas, who has been away on a week-long expedition with the army cadets. Justinas reports that the army sent him home early because of the disease spreading around, and that it indeed appears to affect those in their early twenties and over, but not those under that age. Jess expresses hope that the outbreak will not delay them returning home, while Alex comforts her.
The next morning, the entire group walks to school and are unsettled by the disruption throughout the streets and the presence of military vehicles both on the roads and in the sky. Arriving at the school, they find it in the midst of a military occupation; Jess urges the group to leave, but the others proceed anyway out of curiosity. As they enter the school searching for answers, a sudden and loud explosion rings out nearby; peering out of a window, the group see a military helicopter crash into a nearby supermarket, with another quickly following suite. All around them, sick adults begin vomiting blood and dropping to the ground; outside, more apparently dead adults begin reanimating and, without warning, begin brutally attacking and consuming the youngsters around them. Gunshots ring out as the military try to clear out the attackers, but the army personel begin dying and reanimating themselves, adding to the zombies' numbers.
The group agree to stay together and to return to their student house, but they are found in the hallways by Mrs Dawes, their exchange program supervisor, who rushes them into a supply closet. She tells the group to stay put and wait until someone comes to collect them, but is cut off by a zombie that shoves her to the ground and begins to devour her. Henry lets out a scream, slams and locks the door before standing up against it as the attacking zombie begins banging on the door, desperate to get in. The group are forced to stay put and cover their ears to block out the screaming and chaos outside, while Henry remains against the door, forced to listen to the carnage. Hours pass and one by one the group falls asleep. Henry slumps down against the door and watches the others, unable to sleep due to his insomnia.
The group slowly wake up and, upon realizing everything is silent, decide to open the door. Henry asks Justinas to help him as something is blocking the door; upon opening, Justinas vomits and Henry stands horrified as they discover that the half-eaten body of Mrs Dawes lying against the door. Once Justinas recovers, he, Henry and Alex throw themselves against the door to move Mrs Dawes' corpse away. As the group step outside, they find the hallways covered in dried blood and pieces of Mrs Dawes' body. Jess is unable to even bear to look at the carnage, but Holly is able to coax her out of the room by offering to cover Jess' eyes with a piece of torn cloth. Alex takes off his coat and lays it over Mrs Dawes' body.
The group make their way through the bloody hallways with Henry at the lead. They quickly realize that they is nobody else around, students or teachers, before they hear a series of grunts nearby. Unsure if it is another survivor or one of "those things", the group decide to investigate and turn a corner. As they pass by windows with a view of the sports field, they see a selection of army vehicles and more dead, half-eaten bodies.
At the end of the hallway they find the source of the noises: a hunched over zombie, feeding on the body of a student. The blindfolded Jess demands to know what is happening and works up the courage to remove the cloth from her eyes, but yelps when she sees the zombie. Her gasp draws its attention, revealing itself to be a zombified Mr Dawid, his face pale and mottled. Henry stands in front of the others and tries to talk to Mr Dawid, asking him if he recognises the group as his students. Instead of answering, Mr Dawid twitches and snarls before rushing them, his jaws open and arms outstretched. Alex steps in front to grapple Mr Dawid but he is quickly overwhelmed. Unsure of what else to do, Henry grabs a pipe hanging from the wall and beats Mr Dawid over the head with it. Despite him bleeding heavily, Mr Dawid does not stop, forcing Henry to continue hitting him with the pipe until he is finally still.
The group drag Mr Dawid's body into a nearby classroom and look him over; they quickly realize from both the smell and the colour of his skin that Mr Dawid had died when he began attacking them. Discovering the building still has electricity, Aaron switches on the TV inside the classroom and they discover that all channels are broadcasting an evacuation message, alongside footage from the previous few days of towns and cities across the country in chaos. A military warning claims that the disease spreading around causes mutations in the brain, causing the human body to digest its own tissues just before the point of death; those that survive this "reanimate" into violent, ravenous, slowly-decaying creatures that consume flesh. The broadcast then ends, replaced by white noise and a repeating evacuation message.
The group votes to continue moving through the school and clearing out whatever zombies they find. While the others split up to investigate the corridors, Holly asks Henry and James for their help in burying Mrs Dawes in the playground. James walks off to find something to wrap Mrs Dawes in and comes across a locked room. Deciding to search it, he breaks the lock by kicking the door and discovers two younger students, Emma and special needs student Daniel, inside, covered in blood. James comforts the two and tells them they are safe now; while James escorts the children to the rest of the group, Henry takes a safety blanket and helps Holly bury Mrs Dawes on the sports field.
A week passes. During that time, the group arm themselves with makeshift weapons such as knives from the cafeteria and broken furniture and clear out the school one by one. They find only two zombies in the entire building and burn their bodies out on the field. Ben, an engineering student, is able to start the school's backup generators and plumming, allowing the group to bottle and store water. The group agrees not to shower in order to save water. With their supplies already running low, Henry and Justinas decide to head out on a supply run and prepare by raiding the sports hall and workshop.
While Henry and Justinas head out, Holly decides to check out the nurse's office for any medication and medical supplies that she recognises, including antibiotics and bandages. She hears a gunshot on the roof and spots some runners heading towards the school.
Henry and Justinas head through the streets back to the school, which they find under attack by runners. The two of them climb the fence onto the sports field, where they are followed by agile runners, and sprint towards Alex holding open a door for them. Inside, Henry and Justinas offload the guns, ammo and knives that they found and distribute them to the group, informing them that only headshots seem capable of killing zombies. Jess cries out and demands they stop calling them "zombies"; after a brief debate, they are unable to come up with an alternative and assemble at the front of the school, preparing to fight back and protect their new home.

"Friend Or Foe"
*To be added...*

"A Long Road Ahead"
Eight months have passed since the events on Andre's farm, marking one year since the global outbreak. Since their confrontation with the Family, the Clarkson Survivors have been living off the canned food they recovered from the farm, but once again are running low. Despite seemingly being the only survivors remaining in Renton, every house and street appears to be cleaned out. Jess' pregnancy has advanced significantly, and she is in her final few weeks.
Henry, Sarah and Ben decide to go out on a supply run to a collapsing supermarket, cutting forward to the prologue of "*It Begins*". When Henry returns covered in walker blood, Holly helps carry him inside. In his room, Holly wraps bandages around his torso to apply some compression for his fractured ribs and cleans his clothes.
When Henry awakens, Holly is sat by his beside and helps him sit up. While Holly gives her prediction for Jess' due date, Henry changes into his cleaned and ruined clothes before hearing an argument outside his room. Investigating, he finds Alex and Sarah once more at odds, with Alex claiming that they should have left the school a long time ago and it is time that they leave Renton for what they believe is a safe-zone 100 miles away in the state capital of Port Collier; Sarah advocates for them staying put and perhaps attracting other survivors to build a community inside the school.
While Henry takes a nap, Holly drinks some water with the others and falls asleep. Later, she is woken up when Henry barges in and orders everyone to pack up: a herd has breached the perimeter and it is too late to defend the school against it. Shocked at the danger, the group mobilise and collect various medical supplies, weapons and other essential items. The group evacuate the school, which has become flooded with the dead, and flee into downtown Renton.
After hours searching for a suitable hideout, they stumble upon their old student residence and seal themselves inside. Overcome with grief over Daniel and the loss of their home, the group splits up for some private time. Holly and Aaron sit outside and cry over the loss of Daniel, who they later discover was killed by James when they overhear his conversation with Emma.
That evening, the group gathers in the living room that evening to debate their plan. Although Sarah suggests that the group make their way to Andre's farm and try to rebuild it, James reminds her that they burned it down. Henry then says that they are going to Port Collier, the origin of the emergency broadcast. With Jess' due date close, they decide to cut the journey time by taking a train from Renton to Port Collier. They plan to leave early in the morning, splitting into teams to gather anything that could be of use before all heading to the train station.
Emma joins a team comprised of Holly and Aaron and they eventually arrive at the train station, where they discover mountains of corpses, presumably the students that were evacuated from the school a year ago. When the group is reunited, they suddenly come under attack by gunfire: the few remaining Chester Woods Bandits have followed them and vow to kill them for their actions eight months ago. Although the group are able to kill the bandits - with Justinas, Ben and Aaron taking their first lives - Sarah is caught by surprise and bitten on the leg by a walker. Henry carries her inside the train station and resolves to amputate her leg to prevent the spread of the infection. With Sarah's permission, the others hold her down while Henry removes her leg with his hatchet.
Several hours later, having rested, the group begin their long walk along the train tracks in search of a locomotive. Working in shifts to carry Sarah, progress is slow and they camp for two nights on the side of the empty tracks. On the third day, however, Henry spots a train in the distance and the group hurries over. They arrive to find the train mostly derailed, having collided with traffic; they find the locomotive and two train cars intact, however, and decide to get it moving. While the others rest, Henry, Aaron and Ben - a train enthusiast - investigate the train and discover a lone survivor inside, a fidgety man with a guitar named Liam. After Liam gifts Jess some of his rations, the others allow him to rest with them.
Henry and Aaron siphon diesel from nearby cars to partially fill the train's diesel engine, and after several failed attemps due to the diesel's age the train engine finally starts. Before they climb aboard, however, Sarah tells the group that she can feel herself dying and she wants to be killed so as to no longer be a burden. Despite their arguments, Sarah does not change her mind and asks to be shot so she does not reanimate. Henry volunteers and carries her into the woods, where they have a final conversation about the kiss they shared back on the farm before Henry places the gun to her head. The others hear a gunshot and watch as Henry walks back, refusing to speak of Sarah and giving Alex a glare. Climbing aboard, the group rams the train through the crashed vehicles, now fast on their way to Port Collier.
With fuel low and the brakes damaged, the group are forced to run the train at low speed. Needing some air, Holly heads to the front of the train and is eventually joined by Henry. She asks how his chest is and Henry says he has barely noticed the pain because of everything that has happened. She inquires about James' bruised face, but Henry brushes it off and asks about Jess. Holly reveals that Jess is further along than previously thought and could go into labour within a matter of days, making it imperative that they find somewhere safe for her to give birth and raise her child. Holly also admits that she quite liked the sound of Sarah's idea to turn the school into a community. Henry expresses hope that, somewhere, such an idea has been made into a reality: a community of people, working together, accepting outsiders as one of their own to create a beacon of hope in the new world.
Holly asks how Henry has remained so hopeful despite everything, to which Henry says that he credits it to the hope that Jess and her child offer to humanity, but also to Holly: "brave healers that provide a light in the darkness, ridding woes and pains". Holly asks where that is from, and Henry replies that he once made it up in a literature class. Holly brands him a dork before they share a kiss, and the two sit in silence, watching the landscape around them.
The train continues at a relatively slow pace across Sylvania, and day turns to night. In the cab, Henry and Aaron decide to stop the train so as to allow the engine to cool, and to give the others a rest from the noise. Using wood pallets they find in the back of the train, the group build a fire in the rear car and huddle around it. They share stories about their favourite walker kills and drink from Justinas' secret stash. Aaron asks Liam to tell them about himself, and Liam reveals that he travelled with another group "for a while" until they abandoned him, leaving him alone to live on the train. He confesses that he has killed before, but that he had "good reason". He then plays the group a song on his battered guitar, an acoustic rendition of New Order's "True Faith", that even Justinas sings along to. For the first time in a year, they each realize that they are truly happy. Their joy is cut short when a walker appears in the open doorway, attracted by both the music and their laughter. Cutting festivities short, they decide to rest. Henry takes up watchman shifts with Justinas and falls asleep to the sound of crashing waves.
The next morning, the group discover the train surrounded by walkers, who are unable to climb up and attack them. They decide to continue their journey to Port Collier; in the front car, Henry, Holly, James and Aaron sort out what supplies they could offer to any survivors in Port Collier to secure entry to the safe-zone. Noticing Ben's absence, Henry decides to investigate the rear cab and finds Ben's suicide note, as well as Ben's hunting knife. Realizing what has happened, Henry collapses to his knees and screams in agony, punching the hard floor repeatedly. Holly attempts to comfort him but he throws her off, having finally reached his emotional breaking point. He begins pacing madly before standing on the edge of the doorway. He asks Aaron to stop the train so they can fetch Ben's body, but Holly is able to break through to him that they don't have time. Henry desperately tries to convince them and collapses once more onto his knees, sobbing as Holly hugs him.

"Around Every Corner"
The group wake up on the train and meticulously pack up their remaining supplies with few words exchanged between them. After a final check, the group abandons the train for good.
Keeping in a close formation, the group descends into the city's outskirts, only to find them completely empty and abandoned. Heading deeper, they finally come to the city proper, also eerily quiet. They slowly begin seeing evidence of military activity: abandoned vehicles and equipment, as well as bullet casings and notes.
While arguing about whether to stop and rest, the group are ambushed by a large, armed group that surrounds them. The group is introduced to their leader, Francis, who mocks their mission to find a safe have and demands that they accompany his people back to their community, Hopeville, claiming that is the only safe-zone in the entire city that remains. The group are saved by an unseen figure, who gives them cover with homemade smoke grenades. In the ensuing shootout, Aaron is shot in the leg but Henry is able to shoot Francis in the ear. Moving through several burnt houses, the group makes a run for it, ending up at a sealed-up bar, where they find a reanimated group who poisoned themselves with tainted beer.
Having made camp in the basement, the group debates their next move. Deciding to get out of Port Collier, Aaron suggests that they instead take a boat from the port and sail across the narrow portion of water to Michigan. With little choice, the group agree and Henry and **Holly** decide to head out.
Down at the docks, they find a single small cruising boat remaining that appears to be undamaged; a quick check reveals that both the gas tank and battery are empty. Henry's efforts to start the engine draw in several clusters of walkers that block the way that they came. Henry and Holly end up cornered in an ally with crowds of dead reaching for them, and they solemnly prepare to say goodbye. At that moment, something disperses the walkers and begins cutting away at them from the back of the cluster; the figure emerges and is revealed to be the cloaked swordsmen that saved them earlier. Calling himself Shadowman, the swordsman guides them back to the bar through the sewers, navigating in the dark by clicking his tongue and feeling the rough walls. He reveals he grew up in Port Collier and encountered Francis and his goons before the outbreak.
Arriving back at the bar, Henry and Holly introduce Shadowman to the group and tell them of their discovery at the docks. The group debate where they could find fuel and a battery, as well as medical supplies for when Jess goes into labour. Deciding that they cannot confront Hopeville directly, James proposes that they sneak into the community and steal what they need, and Shadowman - revealing himself to be completely blind - says that he can guide them to the community via the sewers using echolocation.

"All That Remains"
*To be added...*

### Season 3: Remake

#### "No Time Left"

Nine months after crossing the Sylvania Mountains, the group have made good progress and are approaching eastern North Dakota, the approximate location of "Greencole". During a quiet evening outside an abandoned town, the exhausted group - which has expanded to include two sisters, Charlotte and Faith - dine on what little food they have: rabbit meat on dried crackers. In an attempt to lift the group's spirits, Henry reports that they have reached North Dakota, meaning "Greencole" can't be far. Tired from hunger and frustration, Stephan interrupts Henry by pointing out that they have been walking for near enough nine months to get basically nowhere, just a series of abandoned, overgrown towns picked clean of supplies. Stephan then suggests that they turn back, even suggesting that they return to Hometown and take over what remains. To Henry's shock, three others - Kate, Leyton and, unexpectedly, Ben - agree with Stephan's arguments.

Holly rebuffs and says that they have come too far to turn back, but nobody else speaks up. Stephan shouts that the plan was ridiculous from the get go and he no longer trusts Henry to make the right decisions. Justinas tells Stephan to be quiet to keep walkers away, but Stephan pulls out his gun, forcing Justinas back. As he aims the pistol at Henry, Stephan tells those who support him to pack their supplies. Angered, Henry stands up, dwarfing Stephan, who turns off the gun's safety. At that moment, Drew appears from the gloom, his bow aimed at Stephan's head.

As Stephan drops his gun, Henry sternly asks the group if they think they can do better out there and invites them to leave so they can see how long they last; he points out that everywhere they have come across has been empty and bare, leaving "Greencole" the only remote glimmer of hope, something he is willing to die to reach, even if it turns out to be nothing. In an uncharacteristic but tempered rage, Henry warns that he is in charge until they reach safety. He tells everyone to get some rest and to prepare for an early start in the morning. As the group, stunned into silence, retreats to their respective tents, Henry glances at Emma, her look cold.

Darkness falls. In their tent, Henry and Holly try to rest, but are unable to because of the squealing Lawrence in Bethany's neighbouring tent. Henry sits up, frustrated by lack of sleep and the events of the evening, forcing Holly to temper him. Henry whispers that the group are ungrateful; Holly simply says that they are scared and hungry. Henry removes his hair from his face and scratches at the scar tissue across his face, still prominent from when it was inflicted nine months ago. Holly starts saying that she has something to tell him, but an irritated Henry cuts her off as he exits the tent to quieten Lawrence.The group has expanded with stragglers that have drifted into their ranks along the way. Despite the milestone, however, the group are dirty, hungry and exhausted. The world has continued to degenerate, and every town they stumble across is overgrown, overrun with walkers and picked clean of supplies. A scavenger team led by Henry returns to the group's main camp after an entire day of scavenging and hunting with very little to show for their efforts aside from a few rabbits and some fresh clothes.

Frustrated by their lack of progress in finding "Greencole", Stephan questions Henry's leadership and suggests they turn back, even suggesting that they return to Hometown and take over what remains. His demands are echoed by Kate, Leyton and even Ben. The argument almost escalates into a fight between Stephan and Justinas until Henry retakes control by reiterating that they have come too far to turn back. In response, Stephan pulls his sidearm on Henry and orders his supporters to pack their supplies; he is forced to give up, however, when Drew appears from the gloom, his bow aimed at Stephan's head. Henry sternly asks the group if they think they can do better out there and invites them to leave so they can see how long they last. In an uncharacteristic but tempered rage, Henry warns that he is in charge until they reach safety. He tells everyone to get some rest and to prepare for an early start in the morning.

During the night, Holly tries to tell him something, but instead Henry goes looking for a missing Emma, who he finds at an overlook nearby making arrows. He asks her why she has been distant lately, and Emma reveals that she has started bleeding.

The next morning, Henry and Mike check their map of the U.S. and deduce that the "Greencole" signal originated near the city of Fargo, a few miles across the Red River. Desperate for supplies, the group agrees to scout out the city's outskirts while a team led by Henry ventures deeper into the city to find out whether Fargo truly is their destination. Suddenly, Charlotte cries out that her sister Faith is missing; they quickly discover Stephan is missing too. Henry realizes that the two abandoned the group together in the night. Knowing Fargo is the closest settlement, they decide to continue onwards and hope to run across them.

After more hours of walking, the group finally enter the outskirts of Fargo and approach the main avenue bridge over the Red River. The group quickly discover that the city had been bombed, likely during the early hours of the outbreak, and the bridge has partially collapsed, leaving just a thin line of concrete remaining at the bridge's right side. Justinas and Henry cautiously cross it first, followed by the children shepherded by Mike and Emma and finally the others. Drew, the last to cross, stops as the concrete begins to crumble beneath his feet. Promising to find the group, he braces himself as the concrete breaks away, sending him tumbling into the river below. As he falls, a piece of debris collides with his body and his limp body sinks beneath the water. Becky screams out for him and tries to jump after him, but Henry holds her back, assuring her that Drew will be fine and will find them eventually. Henry's cold decision earns him stares from most of the group, including Emma. Henry ignores them and pushes forward while the others, rather hesitantly, follow him.

As the group penetrate downtown Fargo, they are overwhelmed by the overgrown city and ruined infrastructure. Signs of military occupation litter the city: abandoned checkpoints, vehicles and dead bodies. Walking further, they find only a single road that isn't blocked by debris and abandoned vehicles. As they walk along the road, they suddenly hear a shrill scream; a bloodied Faith appears from out of cover, running wildly and bleeding from her shoulder. Upon seeing them, she calls out for the group to run before her head bursts open from a gunshot wound and she falls to the ground, dead. The group prepare to arm themselves as Charlotte screams for her sister; as they attempt to turn back, a series of grenades appear before them and detonate, throwing them back. Lost in the choking smoke, the group are suddenly accosted by a large group of armed survivors that easily outnumber and outgun them. The group are forced to surrender and lay down their weapons. Henry tries to surrender peacefully, but an imposing figure wielding a sniper rifle - clearly Faith's killer - emerges from the smoke with a smile; "Begging won't help ya, boy," he says before he smashes Henry over the head with the butt of his rifle.

#### "Monsters"

Holly wakes up bound with cable ties, Justinas by her side. Through a window, she watches as Liam and his men exit another room. She reassures Emma and the other children as Justinas snaps his cable ties.

The group fight their way out of the storage room and reunite with the others, killing any hostiles that cross their path; to their shock, the group discover Stephan among the captives and he reluctantly rejoins them. Over the walkie talkie, they overhear reinforcements and escape to the roof. Keeping low, the group move in small teams towards a set of abandoned apartments, watching as Liam leads the reinforcements inside. Avoiding Innocent patrols, the group escape into a partially collapsed tower. Desperate to get their bearings, Henry pulls out a map of the city he found at the Innocent base. He convinces the others that they need to locate the origin of the "Greencole" signal and suggests heading towards a radio station nearby. With little options besides, the group decide to join him, including Stephan.

The group navigate the overgrown streets of Fargo and find further evidence of military activity, including collapsed roads, bombed buildings and abandoned vehicles looted of their supplies aside from a few bullets inside a truck. The group splits into smaller teams to navigate the streets and reduce their changes of detection. They are forced to crawl underneath a barricate made of barbed wire as they finally approach the TV station, its tower blinking rapidly. Troubled by how quiet the area is, the group arm themselves and enter the rear of the building through an open door. They quickly discover a massacre inside, with tens of Innocents shot and stabbed to death; other than a few walkers, the building is abandoned. The group splits into three: one led by Henry goes in search of the broadcast room, while another led by Justinas patrols the area while the remaining rest to guard the children. While peering through his rifle's scope, Justinas spots a figure in the distance moving around on all fours.

To his surprise, Henry finds the station's mast is still active; with Mike's help, he navigates the long list of signals, all of which appear unremarkable until he finds a signal labelled "GCSZ". Mike realizes that the TV station, like the relay station back in Iron Mountain State Forest, is simply relaying another signal, meaning Fargo is not Greencole's true location.

With David's help, Henry triangulates the signal's true location: a place called Adams Air Force Base in central Montana, at least 750 miles further west. Meanwhile, Justinas' team discovers yet more dead bodies and walkers, alongside graffiti on the wall: the word PUNISHMENT written in blood.

Leyton hears a noise nearby and discovers a radio, still on. He overhears that reinforcements are on the way just as screams are heard below. Henry and Justinas' teams reconvene on a balcony, where they see Liam and a team of armed Innocents holding the rest of the group hostage below. Angered by the deaths of his people, Liam demands that the others show themselves or risk further bloodshed; Henry calls out that they easily outnumber the Innocents, but Liam, unfazed, replies that his people easily outgun the group. While Henry distracts Liam with mocks and taunts, Justinas and his team move around to flank the Innocents before opening fire. The Innocents return fire and head to cover, allowing the rest of the group to flee for cover. Henry and his team join the fray, firing from above as the others evacuate outside. With their route downstairs blocked, Henry's team use an electrical cable to climb down to the ground while Justinas' team provides covering fire.

Outside, the others fend off Innocent reinforcements. In the chaos, several grenades are thrown, splintering the group as they jump for cover. In the chaos, Holly is jumped by an Innocent and is separated when an explosion throws her into a ditch. Henry screams her name as Liam emerges from the smoke and disarms him, forcing the group to surrender. Liam orders the group bound and says "the boss" will want to see them for himself.

With Innocents hot on her tail, Holly escapes into an overgrown park. She stops when she hears a sudden barage of gunfire accompanied by screams. While she is distracted, an Innocent appears from cover and wrestles her to the ground. Holly drops her knife as the Innocent pins her down before forcing himself on her. As she cries to help, she is suddenly covered in the Innocent's warm blood. The Innocent falls to his side, an arrow embedded in his neck, and Holly grabs her knife to stab him repeatedly in the head. She is wrestled off his corpse by an unseen figure; she struggles and punches, only for her rescuer to reveal himself to be Drew, bruised, bloodied and soaking wet. He tells her that they need to run, but they don't get far before they are surrounded by unknown survivors.

## Killed Victims

* Liam Horne - stabbed in the stomach, neck and face
* 3 unnamed bandits *( 1 caused, 2 direct)*
* 1 unnamed Innocent *(alive)*
* Numerous counts of zombies

## Relationships

### Henry Ward

"*Do you know what I see? I see a man who risked **everything** just so he could see those he cared about again. Who put **everything** on the line for **me**. For **Emma**. For **every single person here**. Because all of **us**...are alive because of **you**. [...] I see the man I love. **I love you**. [...] Nothing stands in our way. The only people who think you're a monster are those who are **already monstrous**. So you **take** what you need to take, and you **kill** what you need to kill,*"
—Holly admits her love for Henry and encourages him to keep fighting despite everything they've lost[src]
Henry and Holly's relationship began as a platonic acquaintance that strengthened into a true friendship due to their similar personality traits. Like Henry, Holly is typically calm but prone to emotional outbursts during times of hardship. Their friendship and later romance forms one of the core relationships of the remake.

Realizing that Henry is becoming overwhelmed by both leadership and the brutality that he must accept in order to survive, Holly makes repeated attempts to comfort and reassure him, while also seeking peace and understanding for herself. During one of their talks at the front of the train, the two share a kiss. Later, as the group prepares for their evening infiltration into Hopeville, the pair sleep together, knowing that the chances of them making it out alive are slim and both expressing a desire to "feel alive".

Over the course of eight months, trapped within the bounds of Iron Mountain State Forest, their relationship remains somewhat platonic and even tense at times, with Holly wanting to leave and try to find civilization while Henry forces himself, Holly and Emma to stay in the relative safety of the forest. The three of them have a developed a family dynamic, with Henry and Holly sharing the responsibility of caring for the increasingly independent Emma. Once the three of them are thrown into conflict with the Iron Bandits and encounter Drew's group, the spark between Henry and Holly reignites and they finally declare their love for each other, afraid they may not get the chance again.

By the events of "*Divide*", Henry and Holly have become closer than ever before, partly through their large family but primarily due to the strong bond of trust between them. Henry even plans to propose to Holly and cement their relationship for the rest of their lives.

### Emma Goode

Emma and Holly have grown close over the course of the apocalypse, with Holly filling a sisterly or motherly role for Emma, similar to Emma and Henry's relationship. Their relationship strengthened over the course of their year spent surviving in Iron Mountain State Forest.

### James Cottingham

"*You think you're **built** for this world? That you **belong** in it? **You're fucking wrong**. You think you have what it takes, but you don't. All you want is **control**. Over Emma. Over **me**. [...] You're not in control. You're **fucking crazy**. But I'm not like you. I won't gun you down in cold blood. You're still one of us. But if you **ever** touch me again, I swear you won't just **walk away**,*"
—Holly holds James at gunpoint after he tries to assault her[src]

James and Holly began the apocalypse as friends, but their relationship gradually degraded as the apocalypse progressed. James demonstrated several times that he was jealous of the growing affection between Henry and Holly and attempted to sexually assault her during their mission in Hopeville.

### Jess Black

Holly and Jess appear to have a good friendship. When the group first witnessed the carnage of Outbreak Day, Holly ripped off a piece of her clothes in order to blindfold Jess so she did not have to see the assorted blood and gore.

### Justinas Garin

Holly and Justinas have been shown to be good friends who coordinate and cooperate well.

### Alex Sutton

Not much has yet been shown about the friendship between Holly and Alex.

### Drew Stanton

"*Drew...**I think I'm pregnant**,*"
—Holly reveals her suspected pregnancy to Drew after being sick[src]

### Kyle Granger

Although Holly and Kyle have yet to directly interact, she clearly cares about the young boy in much the same way Henry does, heading out to rescue him from his lonely life in the ruins and acting as his mother figure.

## Appearances

### The Walking Dead: Strain Zero

#### Season 1: Remake

* "It Begins"
* "Friend Or Foe"
* "A Long Road Ahead"
* "Around Every Corner"
* "All That Remains"

#### Season 2: Remake

* "What We've Lost"
* "An Iron Fist"
* "In Harm's Way"
* "What We Deserve"

#### Season 3: Remake

* "No Time Left"
* "Monsters"
* "Consequences"
* "Fools and Dead Men"
* "Hopes and Fears"
* "Same Stitch"

#### Season 4: Remake

* "Miles"
* "Hellfire"
* "Divide"
* "Nightmares"
* "Rescue"
* "Fears"
* "Conquer"
* "Wolves"

#### Season 5: Remake

* "Blood"
* "Rules"
* "Dissent"
* "The Game"
* "The Coming Storm"
* "Brotherhood"
* "Call to Arms"

#### Season 6: Remake

* "Aftermath"
* "Full Measure"
* "Currahee"
* "Hope"
* "March to War"
* "Fear Itself"
* "All Out War"

## Trivia

* Holly carries a copy of her favourite book, J.D Salinger's *The Catcher in the Rye*, which is famed for its themes of early adulthood and depression, themes predominantly present in the early seasons of *The Walking Dead by EDStudios* and *Strain Zero*.
* Like her original incarnation, Holly has a series of scars across her arms and torso as a result of a car crash when she was younger.
* Holly is one of three characters known to be pregnant during the apocalypse, the others being Jess Black and Becky Grace.
	+ As of "*Fools and Dead Men*", Holly is approximately 6 weeks pregnant
	+ Holly gives birth in mid 2007, making her daughter Hope around 5 years old in "*Divide*".
* Holly is the second-last of the Clarkson Survivors who survived *Season 1: Remake* to directly kill a named antagonist, namely Liam.
* Holly is completely absent in two episodes: *"The New World"* and *"One Way Out"*.
* According to her overlord protein test (OPT), Holly is stage 1c of infection due to having briefly died during labour.

## References

1. ↑ *Strain Zero* begins in 2003
2. ↑ The Clarkson Survivors in *Strain Zero* are each seventeen instead of sixteen as in the original series
3. ↑ When Henry finds Holly's notebook in the woods, he discovers a series of pencil drawings of the various places they have visited and people they have met
4. ↑ By "*Divide*", Holly has taught Emma how to draw with pencils and charcoal
5. ↑ Holly tries to stop Henry from killing Andre in "*Friend Or Foe*"
6. ↑ Against type, Holly takes on and eventually defeats Liam in "*Hopes and Fears"*
7. ↑ Holly demonstrates morning sickness in "*Consequences*" and "*Fools and Dead Men*", which starts around the sixth week of pregnancy
8. ↑ Hinted during "*Divide*" and confirmed by her OPT in "*Rules*"