A/N: Welcome, reader, to the latest story in my head! If you enjoy gratuitous Daryl whump or studying his character in different situations, this is the fic for you.

Basics: AU-esque bc it doesn't really follow the canon plot past Rick meeting Jessie's husband Pete that night walking alone. If Daryl seems out of character, it's probably because we haven't seen him in a position of high stress and manipulation like this before, so we haven't seen how he'd react to it. Here's my best guess. Will be multiple chapters, no character death.

Warnings: Abuse, violence, manipulation, threats, alcoholism, trauma, panic attacks.

Yeah, I'm less worried about spoiling it for ya and more concerned with making sure you, dear reader, know what you're about to face. Be safe and enjoy!

It was a mistake. No one wanted this to happen. Later, some would blame the newcomers, Rick's group. Some in Rick's group would blame Alexandrians for not understanding the risk of complacency. No matter who was to blame, though, everyone had to face the consequences.

Everything had been going well - or, at least, as well as it could have been. There were some tensions between groups, but the newcomers were fitting in nicely. The town was calm and even humming with activity.

Then, someone left the gate open. No one saw one of the dead slip in, then two, then seven... and eventually, there were a few dozen roaming around. By the time that someone was attacked and killed, there was a panic. Most that were able to started to fight them off, making a path for the others to escape a horde and get into a house. The fighters - mainly Rick's group and the Alexandrians that regularly went on runs - were trying to cut down the geeks and get to the gate to shut it. But there were too many, and a few from the town had already turned by then. Eventually, everyone had to find shelter inn a house and find a solution in safety.

Near the start, Daryl was walking alone. When half a dozen walkers ambled around the corner and bared their teeth at him, speeding up, he had to duck into an open garage since his weapons were in the armory. On his way inside he knocked over some kind of metal frame or sculpture or something - he wasn't sure what the hell it was, but it made one hell of a racket. That drew more of the dead as the hunter found the switch to lose the garage door just before the geeks made it to the opening. He sighed in relief as they were shut out.

A door slammed behind him. Daryl spun to see the town's doctor leaning against it, breathing heavily as if he'd just run in and was hiding from something.

"What the hell?" Pete snarled as he saw the hunter in the room with him. "What are you doing in my house?"

"Walkers got in the walls," Daryl offered, stepping back and angling himself like he usually did when facing someone he didn't trust. His eyes were narrowed skeptically.

"Yeah, got that when they got in my DAMN house!" The doctor growled, moving from the door and starting toward the other man. Daryl scrunched his nose as Pete's breath hit him, reeking of alcohol. The man was drunk.

"Yer wife, kids..." Daryl's question didn't need to be spoken.

"They weren't here when it happened. Probably holed up with Rick," Pete spat angrily. "And you, you think you can just barge in here after what your group did?"

Daryl stepped back as the drunk advanced on him. "Din' do nothin'," He replied, confused.

"You ruined what we had! All of you, you think you belong. Well let me tell you something." The man pushed Daryl into the wall. "You DON'T belong."

The hunter snarled. "Step off."

Pete laughed hauntingly. "Make me."

Daryl shook his head. "Ain't that guy," He said flatly, keeping a wary eye on the drunk.

"Maybe I am." Pete's eyes lit up with rage and he punched Daryl in the jaw, knocking his head to the side. Before he recovered, Pete punched him in the gut with all of his force. The hunter fell to one knee, the tall man standing over him. Daryl started to get up but the doctor kicked him under the chin, knocking his head back into the concrete wall.

Daryl groaned over the loud crack of the impact. His vision blurred. Pete kicked him in the side as he tried to stand again. The hunter had figured he'd defend himself when it came to that, but now his vision was swimming and it was too little too late as the drunk kicked him over and over. The downed man swept his leg out to trip his attacker and Pete stumbled. Daryl started to pull himself up.

Pete straightened up and growled, grabbing the hunter by his hair and slamming his head into the wall, pleased at the thud before he let go. Daryl slid down the wall. He was blinking rapidly and it was clear why as his head left a trail of blood down the wall from being smashed into the concrete. The doctor stooped to grab him by the neck and drag him back up until the reeling man was on his tiptoes. Daryl gasped and grunted, trying to breathe despite the tight grip on his throat.

"You are nothing," Pete laughed, his voice a little shaky from the alcohol. "You're just some damn hick that doesn't fit in, no one will care what happens to someone like you." He leaned in, locking onto Daryl's slightly unfocused eyes. "I could kill you right now and no one would even notice you were gone."

The hunter's grasp on the hand gripping his throat tightened. He was trying to remove the restriction on his breathing, but Pete just snarled and applied more pressure. The hunter dug his nails into the hand and Pete balled his other hand into a fist, driving it into his chest. Daryl didn't let up, so Pete continued to punch him until the hunter's grip went loose and he passed out from lack of oxygen. Pete huffed in annoyance and let him fall to the floor.

The doctor kicked the fallen man in the stomach before going to the other side of the room. He rummaged around in the junk on the worktable there and, sure enough, he found a lunch box. Something his bitch wife kept prepared in case she was working on her stupid owl sculpture through a meal. Inside was a sandwich, a water bottle, an apple, and a knife for the fruit. He grabbed the sandwich and sat against the wall, settling in. Someone in town would clear this up eventually. For now, he just had to sit back and relax.

Having that asshole Dixon on the other side of the room wasn't much of a comfort, but knowing he would be in no shape to pose a threat was. After finishing the food, Pete was content and he dozed off.