Warning: This is not a romance. There's been confusion among a few former readers, so before you favorite or follow I just wanted you to be aware. Enjoy if you're still interested! If not, happy reading elsewhere! :)


Chapter 1

"Gonna need you on your knees," Simon commanded nonchalantly, his eyes watchful and dark. The gravel crunched beneath our feet as we slid down to our knees; the rocks sharp and piercing despite the jeans I wore. Maggie's hand gripped mine tightly, our sweat mingling together and our grip slippery. I squeezed her hand as she closed her eyes and grunted in a bout of pain.

"It's okay. Just breathe," I whispered to her. Her breath formed a cloud around her head as she gasped, shivering. The darkness was claiming, scattered only by the many headlights in the clearing. The RV was straight ahead, parked parallel to us. It was obvious now that we had been set up and we had fallen right into their trap.

"Dwight!" Simon barked.

"Yeah?" A man with shoulder-length blonde hair stepped into the clearing. The left side of his face was scarred and he carried Daryl's crossbow.

"Chop, chop."

Dwight stepped up to the rear of a black van and opened the doors, "Come on," he urged. "You got people to meet!"

A couple of Saviors reached into the van and pulled out Daryl, Michonne, Rosita and Glenn. Dwight had a hold of Glenn and threw him to the ground, the gravel scattering outwards as he landed. Glenn looked up and spotted Maggie beside me and his eyes widened, "Maggie?"

Dwight grabbed him again and pushed him down hard, "On your knees!"

Glenn struggled against him as Maggie began to cry next to me, her hand gripping mine tightly.

"Be brave," I whispered to her, trying to take my own advice. The others had been forced down on their knees next to us. We formed an awkward line, facing the RV. I could only assume that something sinister waited for us in that RV and we were going to find out what it was very soon. I looked around and found Rick, shaking and his eyes fearful. We were surrounded 10 to 1. There was no way for us to get out of this.

"What if it's the last day on Earth for you? For someone you love? What if that's true..? Maybe you should be extra nice to those people in that RV. 'Cause you never know"- his fingers snapped- "just like that. Be kind to each other. Like you said, like it was your last day on Earth." Simon's earlier quips to Rick echoed threateningly in my head. My vision began to blur slightly and everything seemed to be moving slowly. My eyes roved around back in front of me and I breathed deeply, feeling the cold air stinging my lungs. Breathe. I squeezed my eyes shut. Breathe.

"Alright!" Simon beamed. "We got a full boat! Let's meet the man."

Simon walked up to the RV door and knocked twice, his face calm and smug. He strutted away, positioning himself behind us as the door began to open. We all looked on as terror thrummed between us. We knew exactly who we were about to meet and it had been a long, unwanted time coming. The door swung open with a creak and heavy foot-steps resounded from the inside as he made his way down. Darkness filled the RV, but as he stepped onto the gravel, light slowly illuminated his face.

"Pissin' our pants yet?" His drawl was southern and deep. He was smiling, so charmingly, it was hard to believe it was because of our fear. It wasn't so dark to make out what he carried over his left shoulder and the closer he stepped towards us the more animated it became. So did his smile.

"Oh, boy, do I have a feeling we're gettin' close," he walked in front of our group, eyeing every single one of us. His smile never faltered as he took in our state; scared, cold, vulnerable. In fact, he seemed to be enjoying what he saw.

"Yep. Gonna be pee-pee pants city here real soon. Which one of you pricks is the leader?" His eyes dashed over every one of us.

"It's this one," Simon answered and pointed at Rick. "He's the guy."

The man turned and positioned himself in front of Rick, looking down at him bemusedly and sighed. He took a few steps toward him, his bat still casually draped across his left shoulder. In the light, it was clearly illuminated now. Normally, a wooden bat wouldn't send shivers of terror through someone's gut, but what was wrapped around its head had my insides spasming.

"Hi," he smiled wolfishly at Rick. "You're Rick, right? I'm Negan. And I do not appreciate you killing my men. Also, when I sent my people to kill your people for killing my people, you killed more of my people. Not cool," the smile that graced Negan's face had faltered significantly as he spoke to Rick. Now a look of annoyance overtook it. "Not fucking cool. You have no idea how not fucking cool that shit is, but I think you're gonna be up to speed shortly. Yeah.

"You are so gonna regret crossin' me in a few minutes," the smile slowly came back. "Yes, you are. You see, Rick, whatever you do, no matter what, you don't mess with the new world order. The new world order is this and it's really, very simple, so even if you're stupid, which you very well may be, you can understand it… You ready? Here it goes, pay attention."

Negan brought the bat down to his side, the barbed wire glinting dully in the light as he switched it to his gloved, right hand. He brought it up under Rick's face, taunting him with it and smiled slowly again. He bent slightly down to look at him more closely.

"Give me your shit or I will kill you," Negan watched for Rick's reaction before straightening back up. He silently chuckled as began to walk in front of the group, waving his bat up and down, the gravel crunching beneath his feet. "Today was career day. We invested a lot, so you would know who I am and what I can do. You work for me now. You have shit, you give it to me. That's your job! Now, I know that is a mighty big, nasty pill to swallow. But swallow it you most certainly motherfucking will!"

Negan looked at Rick as he spoke most of these words, the smile coming and going as it pleased. He stopped in front of Rick again and fixed him with a threatening stare, the smile replaced by that look of annoyance again.

"You rule the roost. You…built something. You thought you were safe. I get it. But the word is out. You are not safe. Not even close. In fact, you are pegged; more pegged if you don't do what I want and what I want is half your shit. And if that's too much, you can make, find or steal more, and it'll even out sooner or later," Negan began stepping around in front of us again, throwing his hands and bat up as he spoke. He spread his arm out, "This is your way of life now. The more you fight back, the harder it will be. So someone knocks on your door, you let us in. We own that door. You try to stop us and we will knock it down!" Negan jabbed his barbed wire bat in Rick's face at his last words, a look of hatred finally filling his eyes and a scowl turning his mouth down.

"You understand?" He asked Rick. I chanced a look at Rick and saw a man I didn't recognized. He looked utterly petrified, tremoring and pale. My heart pounded painfully in my ears. Negan put his left hand to his ear and bent down to Rick, "What? No answer?"

Negan wiped his mouth, grinning. He took a few steps back and asked, "You really didn't think you would get through this without getting punished, now did you? I don't want to kill you people. Just wanna make that clear from the get-go. I want you to work for me. You can't do that if you're dead, now can you? I'm not growing a garden… But you killed my people; a whole damn lot of them. More than I'm comfortable with. And for that, for that you're gonna pay," he looked around at all of us. "So now, I'm gonna beat the fucking fuckedy fuck out of one of you."

He twirled his bat around. My hand was going numb where Maggie was clenching it too tightly. I wasn't sure if I was even holding her hand back at this point. I begin to feel light-headed and my chest felt tight. Each breath was agony as Negan began his trek past all of us.

"This," he began, "this is Lucille. And she is awesome. All this, all this is just a weak pick-out of which one of you gets the honor," he stopped in front of Abraham. Abraham straightened up and looked Negan square in the eye. I silently cursed and blessed the man for his brazenness. The feeling of imminent danger was clutching my guts and I wanted nothing more than for Abraham to back down, but Negan smiled again and wiped his mouth.

"Ugh, I gotta shave this shit," and he looked away, walking the opposite way. I exhaled a breath I didn't know I was holding, but the fear came back almost instantly. He stopped in front of Carl and squatted down in front of him. "You got one of our guns. Damn. You got a lot of our guns," Negan took a small hand gun laying on the ground in front him. "Shit kid, lighten up. At least cry a little."

Negan laughed and stuck the gun in the front of his pants as he stood back up. He walked back down the line again, looking over each and every one of us, sizing us up, deciding which one of us he was going to pick. And for what, we didn't know nor did we want to. Maggie was starting to sway back and forth, the crushing grip she had on my hand had loosened significantly. I tightened my grip on hers very roughly and elbowed her, trying to get her to focus on staying conscious. Her ragged breathing told me it was an effort, but she managed. Suddenly, Negan stopped right in front of us, eyeing her closely.

"Jeeesuuus. You look shitty. I should just put your out of your misery right now," he swung the bat upwards behind him. My breath caught in my throat and my stomach heaved upwards.

"NOOO!" Glenn yelled out to our right. My eyes shot over to him as he struggled to his feet and toward Negan. Negan swung around as one of his Saviors tackled Glenn to the ground where they kicked and beat him.

"Stop it!" Maggie yelled, tearing her hand from mine to clutch at the earth in front of her.

Dwight pinned Glenn down and aimed the crossbow at his head as he struggled and fought.

"Nope! Nope, get him back in line," he told Dwight. He looked annoyed again and sighed. Dwight dragged Glenn back to his spot and set him on his knees. Glenn looked desperately at Maggie.

"Don't," he cried to Negan. "Don't."

Negan only smiled again and chuckled silently to himself. It was clear this is what he wanted, the begging. This is what made him feel in charge. And it did make him in charge, our fear. It gave him everything.

"Alright, listen," Negan started. "Don't any of ya' do that again. I will shut that shit down, no exceptions. First one's free, it's an emotional moment, I get it." He looked at Glenn for a moment before swinging back to address Rick. "Sucks, don't it? Moment you realize you don't know shit," he laughed silently again and pointed his bat at Carl.

"This is your kid, right?" This time he laughed out loud, enjoying himself. "This is definitely your kid."

"So stop this!" Rick yelled.

"HEY!" Negan yelled back. I jumped and the gravel dug sharply into my knees.

"Do not make me kill the future serial killer. Don't make it easy on me!" He pleaded with Rick. "I gotta pick somebody. Eeeevrybody's at the table waitin' for me to order." He fixed Rick with a pointed look and started to whistle. He eyes roamed us again, looking for the right one.

"I simply cannot decide!" He laughed, throwing his hands up in the air. He turned his head this way and that, looking at us all again with a sinister gleam in his brown eyes. It was then that they found mine and I quickly looked down, razor-winged butterflies tearing my insides.

"Holy fucking shit. Who the hell is this?" he said as he sauntered in front of me. He stopped and I saw the bat swinging inches from my face. He bent down in front of me, his elbows resting on top of his knees, Lucille scraping the ground in front of mine. "And what, might I ask, is your name?"

"Everly," I managed weakly. I glanced up at him to see him wearing his signature smile again, eyes boring into me. I quickly looked back down and felt myself shaking violently.

"Everly. That's a pretty name, a pretty name to match a pretty face. It would be a shame," he brought Lucille up to my face and I tilted my head back away from it, "if I had to fucking bash in your pretty face. Wouldn't it, Everly?"

I looked into his eyes and saw death. I didn't know what to do or say, so I just stared and trembled. I focused on my breathing, savoring what last breaths I could take when he chuckled and stroked the side of my face with Lucille, the sharp points of the wire scratching my cheek.

"No," he whispered. "I don't think Lucille wants to do that; doesn't seem right. I bet you don't even have an ounce of violence in your blood," he lowered Lucille back down to the ground and his eyes held mine. He bit his lip as he smiled and gingerly straightened back to a standing position.

"I have an idea!"He said, making me jump again. He looked away from me and walked back over to Rick, pointing Lucille at his face.

"Eenie," he began, then moved Lucille to point at Abraham, "meenie-miney-mo," Lucille appeared shocking close to my face again. I crushed my lips together to keep from calling out. Negan continued to smile. "Catch-the tiger-by-his toe."

He gave us each a turn to look Lucille dead on as he recited his rhyme. As he came to the end, he jabbed Lucille into the face of Abraham, declaring him "It". I was shivering forcibly now, tears streaming down my face. Abraham stared up at Negan, not a breath of fear on his face.

"Anybody moves, anybody says anything, cut the boy's other eye out and feed it to his father and then we'll start. You can breathe. You can blink. You can cry. Hell, you're all gonna be doing that," Negan finished and brought Lucille down onto Abraham's head.

"Oh! Look at that! Takin' it like a champ!" He prided as screams rang out.

Abraham sat back up on his knees, blood running down his forehead, "Suck. My. Nuts."

Negan didn't say anything, but blood splattered on my face and chest as he hit Abraham again. Lucille flew through the air, blood trailing behind her as Negan brought her down over and over again on Abrahams head. Brains, hair, blood, bone, rock; it all came together to form a sickening sound, the wood and wire singing as it sliced through the air.

At last, it was over. I tried to breathe in, but I found myself unable to. I pictured myself gasping for air like a fish out of water, mouth and throat quivering in the desperate need to draw in oxygen. Then the sob flooded out and I could breathe again, air filling and burning my lungs each gulp full at a time.

"Did you hear that?" Negan laughed, slightly out of breath. "He said, suck my nuts!"

He continued to laugh, leaning back and breathing out deeply. Suddenly, he was back at it, hitting what was left of Abraham's head over and over again and grunting with each swing. The sight and smell of blood assaulted me and it was the only thing I could take in. I reacted before I could stop myself.

"Fucking stop it!" I screamed, spittle flying from my mouth. "Just stop!"

And he did. Negan stopped and looked at me, Lucille dripping sticky blood onto the ground.

"I'm sorry, what?" He asked, smiling and breathing heavily. "I couldn't hear you," Negan looked my face over, cocking his head toward me. I swallowed noisily and struggled to gain control of my vocal chords.

"I-," I began but Negan swung Lucille back down again and again on Abraham. I squeezed my eyes shut and turned my head, fighting back the urge to be sick.

"Oh!" Negan said as he relented at last and straightened himself. I didn't dare look at him. "You said stop; my bad."

I could hear the smug smile in his voice.

"Hey, he wasn't your dad or anything was he?" He pointed Lucille down at the puddle that used to be Abraham's head. "You both being gingers and all. You're easier on the eyes, I'll say that," he chortled. He shuffled his feet and stuck out Lucille to watch the blood drip to the ground.

"But hey," he started gently, twirling the bat around in his gloved hand, "at least you've got a clear idea of what you'll look like"-he abruptly stomped up to me and bent over to scream in my face-"if you don't shut the fuck up!"

I closed my eyes tightly and sobbed, flinching away from him. Suddenly, Daryl was on his feet and rushing toward Negan. His fist shot out and caught him in the jaw which sent him reeling backwards. Negan's men lurched toward Daryl, grabbing and beating him. Daryl fought back, reaching out for Negan again and barely missing him. Negan only smiled as he rubbed his jaw where Daryl's fist had landed. The Saviors finally pinned Daryl down.

"Daryl, no! No, no," Negan said as he pointed Lucille down at him and laughed. "That. Oh, my! That"-he stooped down next to where his Saviors had Daryl pinned down-"is a no-no. The whole thing! Not one bit of that shit flies here!" He stuck the head of Lucille in Daryl's face.

Dwight came up on Daryl, pointing his own crossbow down at his head, "You want me to do it? Right here?"

Negan seemed to think about it for a minute before looking back down at Daryl, grabbing him by his hair to pull his head back.

"Naw. No, you don't kill that. Not until you try a little," Negan smiled. Dwight looked from Negan to Daryl before slowly lowering the crossbow and stepping back. The Saviors dragged him back in line.

"Anyway!" Negan sauntered forward to face us again. "That's not how it works. I already told you people. First one's free. Then what I'd say? I said I would shut that shit down! No exceptions. Now, I don't know what kind of lying assholes you been dealing with, but I'm a man of my word. First impressions are important. I need you…to know me. So…back to it!"

Negan swirled to his left and brought Lucille down in a violent blow to the top of Glenn's head. Maggie tried to scream out beside me, but her breath got caught on the way out. She sobbed silently, eyes wide and unbelieving. Negan hit him again.

"Noooo!" She finally let out.

Glenn sat back up, working hard to draw in air. Blood gushed down his face and it was evident his skull had been crushed. It was made more evident by the fact that one eye bulged sickeningly from its socket. He looked at Maggie and tried to speak, but nothing coherent would come out. Sobs and gasps were heard all down the line as his mouth moved to form words he couldn't speak.

"Buddy, you still there?" Negan asked and he bent over to Glenn, Lucille held up in the air behind his back. "I just don't know. It seems like you're trying to speak!" He looked absolutely fascinated, "But you just took a hell of a hit! I just popped your skull so hard, your eyeball just popped out! And it is gross as shit!"

"M-m-aggie, I-I'll find you," Glenn managed to utter, shaking and bleeding.

"Aw, hell," the smile dropped from Negan's face. A somber look overtook it instead, "I can see this is hard on you guys. I am sorry. I truly am. But I did say"-the smile came back-"no exceptions!" And he jovially smashed Lucille into Glenn's head again.

Somehow, and I don't know how, I managed to block out what was happening until it was over. My eyes saw nothing, my ears heard nothing. I felt nothing as Negan smashed Glenn's head to a bloody, wet mess. I only knew it was over when he walked up to Rick and started speaking again, but I didn't hear the words. I just stared straight ahead, seeing nothing but the darkness beyond. It wasn't until Negan had a grip on Rick and was dragging him to the RV, an axe now stuck inside his belt that I snapped back to reality.