The body of Abraham Ford lay motionless on the gravel, his skull now a pile of blood and mush. Sobs fill the clearing, floating into the night sky. Rick Grimes watches through his tears as the man before him lifts the baseball bat wrapped in barbed wire he calls Lucille.

"Guys! Look at this! Look at my dirty girl!"

The man says as he twirls the bat, sprinkles of blood fly through the air, Rick feels the warmth as it lands on his face. The man standing in front of Rick wore a black leather jacket, he had slicked back black hair and had a greying beard. Rick knew him only as Negan, the man who had just violently murdered Abraham without blinking. Negan struts toward a young woman, who is also kneeling, tears flow down her face. He points the blood covered end of the bat into Rosita's face.

"Sweetheart look at this."

Rosita doesn't move

"Oh damn!"

Negan sees how upset the woman is.

"Were you... Were you two together? That sucks. But if you were, you should know there was a reason for all this. Red… and hell, he was, is, and will ever be red. He just took one or six or seven for the team!"

Negan can tell that the woman kneeling before him isn't paying attention, he gets impatient.

"Take a damn look!"

Negan's command angers the man left of Rosita, Daryl launches to his feet before slamming a right fist into Negan's face. Stumbling backwards, Negan grabs his jaw where a red mark now begins to show. Two Saviors rush from behind Daryl and tackle him to the ground, pinning him. A blonde haired man with a burn scar on the left side of his face walks forward, sticking his crossbow into Daryl's growling face.

"That? Oh, my! That is a no no. The whole thing...not one bit of that shit flies here."

Says Negan, as he chuckles. The blonde haired man called Dwight looks to Negan.

"Do you want me to do it? Right here!"

He sticks the crossbow further into Daryl's face.

Negan shakes his head.

"No, no get him back in line!"

The two men drag Daryl across the gravel and dumps him into the line. Negan points Lucille at Daryl.

"Now that was a pretty fucking stupid idea, and for that!... For that, you gotta pay!"

Negan places a second hand onto the wooden handle of Lucille and raises the bat above Daryl's head. Daryl closes his eyes ready to meet his fate. Unexpectedly a teenaged boy scurries to his feet, the boy sends a kick to Negan's right hand man Simon who is standing close by, his boot impacting between Simon's legs. Simon lets out a yell before falling to his knees, Carl grabs the gun from Simon's belt as he falls. Carl lifts the gun and points it at Negan.

"Carl! No! Stop this!"

Rick pleads to his son, his voice filled with panic. Carl ignores his father before speaking directly to Negan.

"Put the bat down! Don't touch him and I won't shoot you right now!"

Negan lets out a smile.

"Fucking hell kid! You're almost as fucking stupid as this dumbass down here!"

He motions to Daryl, then continues.

"But I do have to admit, you have more mother fucking balls than every single man here combined!"

Negan's smile fades a little as he sees that Carl has kept a serious face, the gun unmoving. He lowers the bat, gesturing with his left hand that he isn't about to crush Daryl's skull just yet.

"Look kid, it doesn't matter if you have that gun pointed at my head! Look around, you have at least a hundred fucking men surrounding you! They all have guns! You shoot me, you, your dad and the rest of this sad group get fucking fucked!"

The sound of guns clicking echo as The Saviors raise their guns at the group. Negan sees that Carl now has a less confident look on his face. He smirks and points a finger.

"Look, you've impressed me, if you promise not to shoot me so I can go home and fuck a wife or two then I promise not to smash in… what's his name again?"

Negan turns to Simon who has recovered. Simon responds.

"His name is Daryl."

Negan looks surprised.

"That actually sounds right!"

Negan extends a gloved hand out.

"All you gotta do is hand me that gun."

Rick looks between his son and Negan, he cautiously raises a hand to Carl.

"Carl, please do it! Hand him the gun!"

Carl's eyes glance sideways to Rick. For the first time in Carl's life he sees genuine fear in his dad's face. A sigh is released from Carl's mouth as he points the gun away, holding it for Negan to take. Negan grins at Rick.

"Thank you for preventing me from killing the little future serial killer!"

Negan forcefully snatches the gun from Carl's hand, he then places it back into Simon's possession.

"Back to your knees!"

Carl complies.

"Now I get that it's emotional, it's been hard and I get it, I really do. But that fucking shit can't go unpunished… so…"

Without warning Negan raises Lucille and drives the bat down, impacting onto Rick's head. A wet thud is heard as Rick takes the blow, his skull cracking against the wire and wood. Carl and Michonne's mouth hang open, gasps and screams come from the rest of the group. Glenn and Daryl look away, unable to see the man they've known from the start die. Negan laughs and pats Carl on the cheek, the boy in shock.

"There you go kid! I didn't touch Daryl, I'm a man of my word!"

A mumbling sound interrupts Negan, Rick rises back up, blood drips down the front of his face. He attempts to look at Carl, Carl wants to look away but something keeps him looking into Rick's bloodshot eyes. Rick opens his mouth.

"C-Carl, I will al-always love you!"

Negan grabs Carl by the shirt collar, moving his face close to Carl's.

"Isn't that sweet!"

Negan takes his hand off of Carl and back onto Lucille before spinning, sending the harsh bat across Rick's face. Rick is pummeled to the ground, now unconscious from the second blow. The entire group look at the ground, not wanting to witness their leader and friend die, all but Carl and Michonne who can't look away, both clearly traumatized. Negan takes a breath.

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

Negan proceeds to strike the bat into Rick's unconscious skull, he raises the bat and swings it down again, again, again, again and again, blood spurts with each hit, Rick's skull now like Abraham's, blood brain and mush, After what seems like forever Negan stops and laughs, Lucille now coated in blood, a piece of flesh hangs off of the barbed wire.

"Lucille is a vampire bat!"

He says gleefully. Looking at the group he notices Glenn staring intently at him. Negan walks and steps in front of him.

"What? Was that joke that bad?"

A hushed voice from Maggie rises amongst the tension

"Glenn!"

Glenn looks at his wife, she also has tears in her eyes. He knows what she means. He lowers his gaze from Negan. A smug looking grin is now on Negan's mouth.

"That is exactly what I fucking thought!"

Negan walks back into the center of the group while whistling, his arms outstretched.

"I am sorry! But it had to be done! I needed you guys to know me."

No one looks at Negan, all eyes still toward the ground, Michonne has finally looked away from the horror, Carl however still stares at his father's body.

"But…"

Negan begins.

"The whole lesson has not been taught, men, grab Daryl!"

Further screams are heard as the same two men pin Daryl to the ground once more. Negan bends down next to Rick's body and picks up the hatchet off of Rick's belt before striding over to Daryl.

"Men, get guns to their heads!"

Multiple Saviors step forward and place gun barrels firm against each group member's heads.

"Anyone moves and everyone dies, do not fucking make this worse than what it has to be!"

Daryl tries to struggle but the force of the men is too strong. Negan points downward.

"Get his arm out straight"

One of the men grab Daryl's right arm. Negan nods.

"You know what to do."

The man then removes his belt and wraps it tight around Daryl's bicep. Negan claps his hands together.

"Simon, you got a pen?"

Simon nods in response and smiles.

"A pen? Yeah I got a pen".

He says before taking a pen from his pocket and tosses it to Negan, who catches it. Negan gets onto one knee and draws a line over daryl's forearm. This causes Daryl to attempt to spit into Negan's face but it falls short. Negan rises and turns to the group.

"Daryl broke the rules! Now he has to pay! All of you remember what is about to happen, and what has already happened when you're out there providing for me!"

Negan looks down at Daryl who is now growling and grunting.

"It'll just take a second, think of it as a parting gift from that prick of a leader of yours ."

Negan chuckles. In one swift motion Negan swings the hatchet down, it slashes into Daryl's arm, passing entirely through and severing the limb.

"Arrrrrrrrrgggghh!"

Daryl lets out a terrifying noise as blood hisses out of the wound. Negan looks at the bloody hatchet and grins before tossing it aside.

"Load Daryl into the truck!"

The men holding Daryl in place lift him up and throw him into the truck, they slam the doors shut. Aaron pipes up.

"What are you doing with him!?

Negan sighs.

"Don't worry your fucking fuckity selves about him, we're going to take him, we have great doctors who'll patch that fucker up! We'll return him in a week when we come visit for our first offering."

Negan smiles one last time, he addresses the broken group.

"Ahh! Welcome to a brand new beginning you sorry shits! I'm gonna leave you a truck. Keep it. Use it to cart the dead ones home and to carry all the crap you're gonna find me.

We'll see you in one week. Until then ta-ta."

Negan raises a hand and turns it into a fist, all at once The Saviors drop the groups melee weapons and make their way to the trucks, soon the group is alone, left reeling from what has just happened, the reality kicking in, their lives now changed forever.