-Chapter One-

-Welcome to His World-

"You still there, Rick? I thought you've gone to sleep," his voice was echoing across the night air.

Rick Grimes opened his eyes and Negan was standing in front of him, calmly pacing back and forth, swinging the baseball bat.

"Did you think that I was going to go away when you closed your eyes, Rick?" Negan said while laughing loudly. "God. It's not a dream, Rick. This is real fucking life. And it's going to get messy now. You've never been backed into a corner like this, have you? You don't even know what to do. It's like there's no way out. There's not."

He rubbed his baseball bat against chin and then yawned.

"Rick Grimes! The man with the plan."

"Stop this, Negan." Rick pleaded with him.

"Why would I stop this, Rick? I'm having too much fun."

Negan held the baseball bat with his two hands.

"You see what this is, Rick?"

"It's a baseball bat."

Negan scowled at Rick, while he was stroking his baseball bat.

"It's not just a fucking baseball bat. This is my life. This means everything to me. This is Lucille."

"Lucille?"

Rick found himself laughing.

"I don't like the fact that you're laughing at it. Why would you laugh at Lucille? She's been so great to me. And she is awesome. Like awesome. Fan-fucking-tastic."

Negan looked down at Rick.

"I want you to touch my bat, Rick."

He touched the bat and shuddered.

"You feel that? God, it's kept me alive. I'm going to break you tonight."

He dragged the bat away from him.

"Don't say anything bad about her, Rick. Or you'll find out what happens to her when she's thirsty. Let's talk about what's happened. You killed my men, so I get to kill someone. I pick you, you don't. That would be unfair, wouldn't? Picking someone that you want to die, because you can always choose someone you don't like. But, I choose, you've got no choice but to take it."

"Can we just talk, Negan? You don't have to do this

"Talk? Did you talk when you killed my men? Did you talk when you took my supplies from me? Did you talk when you I sent more men after you killed more of my men? No. Rick, you don't talk, you shoot first and ask questions later. This is not going to happen anymore. You won't stop this.

He was whistling.

"Who to kill, Rick?"

He walked down the line and pointed at Glenn.

"Or the man from Chinatown? But then everyone will think that I'm this racist redneck."

Glenn looked weak.

"I'm from Korea."

Negan shrugged his shoulders.

"You say tomato, I say tomahto."

He walked past Glenn and stood in front of Maggie.

"You. What's your name?"

Maggie looked up from the ground and tears were streaming down her face dirty face. The pain in her stomach had not stopped.

"Maggie!" she managed to gasp out.

"You mind slowing down a little bit? I didn't quite catch what you were saying.

He knelt down in front of her.

"Maggie."

"Maggie. Is that short for anything?"

"No."

Glenn was in pain; his knees were planted firmly against the ground.

"Leave her alone."

"And you are?"

"Don't, Glenn. Just leave it."

"Glenn?" he said, musing to himself as she glanced from Maggie and Glenn. "Oh, I get, you two are together. Sucks, don't it?"

Negan pushed Glenn to the ground.

"The first one is free. I know these types of moments can be special and emotional. Like a family reunion."

"It'll be okay, Glenn," Maggie whispered to Glenn as Negan walked past them.

"What about you? What's your name?"

"Carol."

"You're the bitch that's been causing all my problems. I could use. someone like you on my team."

She spat at him.

"Don't."

He raised his bat.

"You bastard!" Daryl screamed from the shadows as the light flickered, he rose up, dropping his shawl onto the ground, and then he hit Negan with so much force that Negan's head snapped backwards.

Negan was laughing, while he cracked his head.

"You hit me."

Dwight knocked Daryl to the ground.

"What's his name again, Dwight?"

"Daryl."

"Daryl. You've just made a big fucking mistake. A big one. Someone is going to die and there's nothing that you can do."

Daryl was shaking and wrestling against Dwight's grasp.

"You hit me. I like you. You've got some fucking balls, Daryl.

Negan spat the blood out of his mouth.

"Daryl?"

Daryl lifted his head up.

"What?" Daryl asked with Dwight's knee placed painfully against his back. Gravel and dirt covered his face and mouth.

"You're coming with me, after all this is done."

"What?" Daryl said and looked at Rick.

"I said you're coming with me. Understand?"

Daryl looked at Rick, who was still in shock.

"I said do you understand me, Daryl?"

Daryl nodded and wiped his face.

"Good."

Negan stopped in front of Carl.

"What's your name, kiddo?"

"I'm not telling you my name," Carl said.

Rick glanced from Carl to Rick. Carl was still silent.

"I want you to remove the bandage."

"No."

"Now. Or I'll shove this bat down your throat that you've been coughing blood for six months.

"It's me that you want, Negan."

Negan looked at Rick.

"Is this your kid, Rick?" Negan asked.

Rick was silent again. Negan smiled.

"I get it now. Son and father. I wonder where's Mommy? Is she dead too."

Negan was still whistling.

"I want something from you, Rick. I want it now."

"What?"

"I want everything that you own."

"We can't do that, Negan," Rick protested.

"What did you say, Rick?" Negan asked.

"We need our stuff to survive."

"So, do I. You took stuff from me. Everything you get from this day forward is mine. If I want it, I'll take it from you. If I don't get, someone dies. I'll come to your door and I will break it down. Are you ready, Rick? I want everyone to pay attention to me, I'm only going to say this once. I want everything from you. Tonight's your reckoning day. I had a lot of stuff, I spent a lot of time getting that stuff, and you just took it from me, without even asking. I'm not some charity. All you will work for me. You were king of the castle, Rick, but you're nothing now. You give everything to me. You have my shit, give it back to me. Did you think that you were going to be safe forever, Rick? No. Not even close. In fact, you're more fucked, and then more fucked if you don't want to follow me. If you hear someone knocking on your door, it's me. If you hear someone screaming at the front door, it's me."

He took a pause and sighed softly.

"I'm going to kill someone now. I don't care who it is, Rick.

"Negan?"

"Rick? Don't talk to me when I'm thinking, buddy, it's not very nice. You could've left me alone. You could have stayed away. You didn't. You kept coming back until I had no choice to respond. And now you're the victim."

"No."

He walked back and forth.

"Who should I kill now? I could kill the pregnant bitch, but I won't. I don't like to do anything with women. I've never hit a woman and I never kill them. The Asian. No. Carol. No. Daryl. You. No. Her. No. It's a hard choice. It's like being at a restaurant, and not knowing what to order. I've got a wonderful idea."

Negan laughed to himself.

"It's like been back at school."

He held his bat out in front of him. Negan was having the time of his life. The smile on his face had completely stretched across his face. There was a faint twinkle in his eyes.

"Eenie... meenie... miney... mo... catch... a tiger... by... his toe. If... he hollers... let him go. My mother... told me... to pick the very best one... and you... are... it."

"I never thought it would land on you."

Carl looked up.

"No. Negan. Not him."

"I've made my choice."

"Do it."

"Why would I want to waste my time doing it again. I've made my choice."

Someone was holding Rick back.

"Negan?"

"What? Can't you see that I'm busy," he said and wiped the sweat from his face.

"You're going to kill my son. My own flesh and blood. Are you a father?"

He ignored the question.

"Do you have a son?"

"I did. I did have one, shit changes, we get older, shit happens, people die, I'm just putting the kid out of his misery, now. Would you rather him die with his brains bashed out or be bitten by a walker. I know which one I would like to choose."

"Kill me!" he told Negan. "I want you to kill me."

"No. I'm not making a swap, Rick."

"Please?" Rick was begging him.

Negan was smiling.

"Are you crying, Rick? Like a baby."

Carl was still looking up.

"I don't want anyone to move."

Negan raised Lucille, and the air had fallen silent.

Rick closed his eyes as he heard Carl screaming loudly.

"No. No. No."

Rick opened his eyes and stared into the darkness.

"Dad?" Carl screamed in pain, blood splashing across Rick's face. Rick did not know what to do.

"I'm here, son," Rick said and grabbed Carl's hand.

"Ah, would you look at that? Father and son moment. I wish I had one of those when I was younger. This shit gets me emotional and weak at the knees.

Carl coughed up blood, with his eyeball disgustingly hanging down his face.

"Oh, look at that, taking it like a champ!"

He hit him again.

Rick closed his eyes.

"Keep those eyes fucking open, Rick. Or, I'll kill another person as well. Starting off with Daryl."

Rick opened his eyes and held his hand over his mouth.

"You're gonna be sick, Rick? Huh! I guess that rhymed."

Rick felt his whole body shaking and he could not do anything.

"Buddy, you still there? I just don't know. It seems like you're trying to speak, 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. It looks like you're going to be missing the second eye as well.

Carl turned to look at Rick.

"Dad?"

Another hit and Carl fell forward. He lay on the ground, Negan stood there, with his foot pressing down hard on Carl's back. Thud! Thud! Thud!

Rick looked forward as Carl's hand slipped away from him. He saw the shadow of Negan and the baseball bat which was high in the night sky.

"Stop it!"

Sobs filled the air.

Negan was laughing.

Rick was distraught.

Daryl was flinching with every thud.

Maggie was sobbing into Glenn's shoulder.

Abraham was tense, his focus was on the trailer in front.

Tara was numb.

Carol's face was blank.

Sasha felt weak.

Michonne could not comfort Rick.

Aaron closed his eyes as tears trickled down his cheeks.

"You bunch of pussies. I'm just getting started."

He hit Carl again and again.

"Stop! He's already dead, Negan."

"You got that right, Rick. You got that fucking right."

Negan looked down at his black boots.

"I hate getting brains all over my boots."

He wiped his boots on the ground.

"New boots as well, Rick. You love making a mess of my stuff.

Blood fell to the ground from the bat.

There was a retching noise.

"Get that woman bucket."

Maggie was leaning forward, with Glenn behind her, rubbing her back as she sobbed so hard.

"I told that she was thirsty. She's a vampire bat," Negan said, flicking and swinging the bat, which caused the blood to spray across the cold air of the night. "What? You didn't like my joke, Rick?

Rick flinched when the blood landed on his face.

"What a hit! 100 points to Negan."

Negan laughed.

"I'm going to kill you, Negan."

Negan stopped and was no longer laughing.

"You say something, Rick?" Negan asked.

"I said that I'm going to kill you, Negan. You just wait."

"See," he said, while jabbed Lucille against Rick's cheek. "What are do you think you're doing, Rick? Kill me? Have you seen who is behind you?"

Rick looked behind him and there was a row of men stood behind the group.

"How are you going to kill me, Rick?"

"I don't know how I'm going to do it. I will do it."

He knelt in front of him.

"You're going to do nothing, Rick. I could kill all of you right now and I wouldn't even blink."

He spat on the ground.

"Rick?"

"What?" Rick asked and he was numb with pain.

"Is this the first time this has happened?"

"What?" Rick asked.

"That you feel lost and don't know what to do."

Carl's body was still twitching.

"Better put this little cunt out of his misery."

Rick flinched and sobbed when Negan brought the bat down onto Carl for the last time.

"No, let him go."

Negan knelt in front of Rick.

"Look at me, Rick.

Rick looked at Negan.

"Will you remember my face?"

"Yes."

"I am Negan. You won't forget that name, just because it's going to be on your mind for the next couple of months. I'll come to your door next week. I want food, clothes and weapons. If you haven't got it, go out and find it. If you still haven't got it, I'll take someone hostage or I'll kill someone. Your choice."

"What time will you be coming?"

"I'm not telling you, it's going to be a wonderful surprise. Be on your toes. I'll see you next week.

Negan walked away.

"Bring Daryl with me, Dwight. I'm going to have some fun and games with him.

Dwight dragged Negan away.

The Saviours followed Negan, all getting into their cars, before driving away into the night.

"Rick?" he heard someone shouting his name, but was too numb to respond.

He had a blank expression on his face.

"Rick, you got to do something. Carl's body."

Rick stood up and wiped the tears away from his face.

"Oh, Carl, I'm so sorry, Buddy," he said and flipped Carl onto his side. His hat fell from his body and Rick picked it up from the ground.

"I'll do it," Glenn offered and so did Abraham.

Rick leaned against the tree.

"Rick?"

He heard Maggie's voice, but chose to ignore it.

"Rick?"

Rick turned around.

"Maggie?"

Maggie hugged him tightly.

"I'm really sorry, Rick.

"It wasn't your fault."

"I know. I'm sorry."

Maggie pulled away from Rick.

"You need to be strong, Rick. I still hope that my sister is out there."

"You do?"

"I do. You need to be strong for Judith. We will do this, Rick. We all need to pull together."

Maggie was calm and composed.

"How's the baby?" Rick asked as it was the only thing that could help him take his mind off Carl.

Maggie pulled away from Rick.

"I think that we should go, Rick. Now. Before they come back and Negan changes his mind.

Rick and Maggie walked away, passing the pool of deep red blood that was on the gravel of the ground. Rich was holding Carl's hat in his hands.

"I'm going to kill him, Maggie."

"I know."

The air had fallen silent, the sound of the wind had become non-existent.