It was silent, aside from the few times the leaves rustled together from the wind. It was the summer time, this predator remembered spending her summer days swimming in the pool with friends. Days like that don't exist anymore, she had no friends. She clearly only had herself as she stalked her many prey. Despite the July heat, she was covered head to toe in long black pants, worn down combat boots, and a long sleeve turtle neck sweater. Why was she wearing all of that? Well no one ever knew, and those who found out were already dead. Her name was Anthem, she was given the name by someone in her past. She didn't remember who though, all the pain that she'd endured, the loneliness, the running and the death that surrounded her- each one of them took its toll on her psyche. Eventually Anthem had forgotten her real name, she vaguely remembered the people she traveled with or the people she loved. She remembered the pool though, she wondered why. There was someone she knew at that pool, the person that gave her the nickname. A strand of dark brown hair waved in her face as the wind blew. She took in a breath and watched her steps as she stalked the Walkers surrounding the gate of the pool. She threw her knife with precession, she had practiced enough to know how to hit her target on the mark. One down, three to go. She pulled out the knives she altered so that the handle wrapped around her hand. She slashed the Walker to her right from the stomach up to his head. She slit the throat of the Walker to her left then jammed her blade through his skull. The other Walker was making his way towards her and she walked up to it and stabbed him straight through the forehead. She reclaimed the knife that she threw to kill the first Walker and climbed over the fence. The place wasn't a gated community but the pool was only used for those who lived in the neighborhood. She looked around at the area, checking for other Walkers. She walked into the changing rooms and smelt death all over, she'd become accustomed to the smell. As she pulled back the curtain to a shower a Walker jumped out at her. Anthem grabbed it by its shoulders and slammed it against the wall head first. Her hand was covered with it's blood, she was disgusted by the blood but wiped her hands on her pants. She searched further through the pool area and found the first aid kit. There were some band aids, some gauze and alcohol pads. She found better first aid kits in a fast food place but she took it anyway. She looked at the sky and looked towards the sun, from the looks of it the time was about noon. She was out on a supply run but there wasn't much to find so she headed back to her place. She had secured enough homes and a perimeter around the neighborhood that if anybody, human or Walker tried to come in they would be killed immediately. In a world like this, you couldn't trust the living any more than you could trust a Walker not to eat you. The only way to live was to trust yourself, develop your skills and kill anyone who tried to take what you have.

Daryl, Michonne, Carl, Carol and Rick were all headed towards a neighborhood. They had been walking for a few hours. Tyrese, Sasha, Glenn, Maggie and Beth followed behind at their own pace. It had been awhile since the group had a chance to eat or a safe place where they all could sleep. When Rick saw the neighborhood, he faltered. The place looked like someone was living there. He stopped the group, they needed to proceed with caution. There wasn't a warning to stay away but there certainly wasn't a welcome mat laid out for them. The first few buildings were surrounded by logs with sharp points all pointed outwards. There was a Walker stuck in one at the moment, it was still moving but it really didn't have a way to move. There was a second barrier just like that, perhaps if there was a chance that there was a herd that came and knocked down the first defense then enough of them would've been taken out and would be killed in the second defense. After that it was up to whoever built the barrier to kill the Walkers that may have gotten by it. Rick headed towards the barrier, slowly just to check things out but Daryl didn't feel right about the place. There was something familiar about it, something familiar about the design of the walls. The way the perimeter was made, he could've sworn he knew someone who did something like that. For a moment he considered who it might have been and he screamed,

"Rick!"

Rick turned around and stopped mid-walk, Daryl shook his head. If he was right, there was a trap some where, anyone who came close would be in that trap. He walked up to Rick's side and used his vantage point to look around. His eyes darted around the ground as they searched for something that shouldn't be there.

"What is it?" Sasha asked.

"Looking to see if there are trip wires." Daryl said.

Rick looked at Daryl confused, whoever built this area didn't want anyone coming in. Rick searched with him and he saw something that seemed like a spider web. It shinned but it was hard to locate where it was. Rick got down lower and saw that it was some kind of fishing wire. Daryl was right ,there were trip wires. Walkers wouldn't have the good sense to avoid it but how did Daryl know to look for it? The group was interested but Daryl was still looking around, if he was right they weren't going to survive if they tried to get closer.

"Step back." Daryl warned.

Everyone took a step back without asking but they still looked around trying to figure out what was going on.

"What's wrong?" Glenn asked.

"Something's not right." Daryl said.

Suddenly a warning shot was fired by Daryl's foot. Daryl looked in the direction of where the bullet came from; everyone stammered back, each one grabbing their weapons and looking around to see where others might be. Daryl saw a figure on the roof get up and leave. A few minutes later a woman covered head to toe in black was walking towards the first barrier. Daryl recognized her although she had more of a vicious look in her eyes, the eyes of a savage hunter. A cold blooded predator. Her hazel eyes with hints of green accenting them seemed cold as ice. If eyes were the door to the soul then hers were not only closed and locked but frozen shut. This wasn't the girl he remembered but he could never guess the things she'd done and seen since he last saw her. Last time he saw her she was good at hunting, she had no problem with killing Walkers but she never once raised a weapon to a human. She was harmless more or less but now she was just like the Walkers, a cold body. She raised her gun to them after passing the first two barriers and said,

"State you business."

"We're looking for a place to stay." Rick answered.

"I don't welcome outsiders here, the only person that passes these barriers living is me." She said.

Her gaze rolled over all of the members counting them one by one. She didn't believe she could trust them however they could be helpful when it came to her next run. There was a building about two miles away from here that had supplies but it was surrounded by Walkers. She didn't mind wasting the bullets but she wasn't capable of carrying everything out. Tyrese's size seemed to be a plus as well as the other men, they seemed capable of carrying enough supplies. Of course that meant having to give them something in return. Anthem seemed to falter she stepped back as if a flash hit her. Daryl stepped forward for a second then stopped. Something was wrong with her, she regained her composure and held the gun towards him. She blinked a few times, why did he seem familiar to her. She couldn't remember, she couldn't think about it.

"Wait, please. We have a baby." Rick said.

He turned back to look at Carol who was holding baby Judith. Anthem looked at the baby, she felt bad for the kid, she didn't bet it had long to live.

"I do not want you here." She said.

She was looking at Daryl again, she didn't move her gaze because she knew there was something about him that was familiar.

"Angel?" He said.

She looked at him confused. She turned to the others to see who he was talking to. He couldn't have been talking to her could he? Daryl called her again,

"Angel. It's me." he said.

"My name's not Angel. I don't know who you." she said upset.

Daryl thought for a second, what was that name he used to call her. She preferred the name when Merle said it, the way he said Angel creeped her out.

"Look we can help you, we can take care of ourselves we just need a place to stay." Rick said walking closer.

She turned to Rick her gun raised at him,

"Stop right there, come any closer and you will die. This place is covered in traps only I can guide you through them."

Rick stopped, he was aware of the traps and he wasn't ready to get killed. Carl grabbed his dad by his arm and pulled him back. The other came over to him asking him what they were going to do now. Daryl was still trying to remember the name he used to call her. He remembered her following him around all the time, like a puppy dog. When they were among the living they used to go swimming at the pool in the community. She invited him over on her swimming pass to hang out. What the hell did he call her? Daryl couldn't remember,

"What's wrong with you?" he asked her.

"The world is crawling with cold bodies that feed off of the living. The living are targeting each other taking what they have to try and survive. Forgive me if hospitality isn't my strong suit but you can't trust the living anymore than you can trust the dead." she said.

"Anthem!" He said shouted.

"How do you know me?" she said.

He realized when she said hospitality what he used to call her. He gave her that name because she always hummed the national Anthem. She sang all the time but the National Anthem was her favorite to sing when warming up. When the dead started coming back to life and the living started turning on each other, Angel wanted to be nice to those who were living. She believed that survivors should stay with survivors. She was naïve but she always called her hospitality a form of patriotism because Americans tended to unite when disaster struck. She used nine eleven as a reference to that, it was coming back to him a little but she wasn't sure who he was. He wondered why she didn't recognize him, he hadn't changed aside from his hair being a bit long but he looked the same.

"You know her?" Carol asked.

"Yeah she used to hang out with me an my brother. We were separated by the group we were originally traveling with. They had different views then me and Merle. She left because of him, you know all his racist comments had finally sent her over the edge. She put up with him for me." Daryl explained.

"She looks like she's just a kid." Carol said.

"Yeah she had a baby face but don't trust it. Her eyes are cold now, she's not like she used to be. She doesn't remember me though."

"Hey! What are you talking about?" She shouted at them.

"Anthem I know you, I'm the idiot that gave you that name." Daryl said.

She stared at him, he knew her. She could benefit from keeping him around. He could help her remember, she turned to the side and shot at a Walker coming towards the barrier.

"Turn around." she said.

"Anthem." Daryl started.

"I don't trust you! So until you prove to me that I can you're not getting in here."

"How do we do that?" Maggie asked.

"I'll tell you once I get out there, now turn around." she shouted.

They looked to Rick and Rick looked to Daryl, he nodded and they turned around. Daryl knew the girl he once knew wasn't in there any more. The girl he knew wouldn't dream of shooting another human let alone hold a gun to them. Whatever she had been through had changed her for what seemed like the worst but it could also be the reason she's still alive. It wasn't long before Anthem was right behind them and said,

"You can turn around."

The gang turned around to see her up close to them. She was young, probably in her early twenties. She had light brown skin, she looked mixed but she wasn't; from what Daryl knew, she was black she just had light skinned parents. She had a little bit of her stomach showing, it didn't seem to be on purpose because it happened when ever she raised her arms up. Now that she was closer, Daryl could see just how cold her eyes really were.

"I don't play nice with others, but if you can help me make a supply run, I'll show you how to get in without setting off the traps. You could live here for all I care. However you prove to me that I can't trust you, I'll kill you myself. Including the kid." she said.

There was no doubt in their mind that she was serious. It was a little unnerving however she had what seemed to be the safest place since the jail.

"Who's your leader?" She asked.

"I am." Rick said.

She turned to him,

"There's a building about two miles from here, it's sort of a storage house. There are guns, bottles of water, and food. I found it about three weeks ago, I was able to get in there once but some Walkers came after me. I usually handle runs on my own but there was a lot of stuff in there I can't bring it all back on my own. Each time I show up it seems like there are more and more walkers. Can you and your group go with me to clean it out, completely I mean." she asked him.

Rick turned to his people and then to her,

"We can make the trip however, two people have to stay behind. One to take care of my daughter and the other to fend off any Walkers."

"They would have to stay out here, no one gets in without my consent. However they can feel free to use the traps to their advantage."

Rick looked to Carol and Tyrese,

"We can handle it." Carol said.

Anthem looked to them, she didn't understand why they were so willing to trust each other. So willing to offer to separate from the group for a little while. Rick said,

"If we do this for you, you'll let us in there. No tricks? No catch?"

"Let me put it this way. You all survive and get back here I'll have to show you through the front door anyway because I can't get all the supplies in by myself. Once you're in I'll show you around, I'll give you an area to stay and we don't have to see or speak to each other unless you're leaving or trying to invite others in. Like I said, I don't play nice with others but I need your help. You scratch my back and I'll scratch yours. Your buddy says he knows me right, well if that's true you can ask him if I'm a woman of my word." She said looking at Daryl.

Daryl never knew her to make a promise she didn't keep. He nodded at Rick and Rick agreed, they shook on it and Rick and Anthem gathered the group together to make a plan. This was the beginning of the groups journey. What they didn't know was that Sanctum was about to meet it's biggest rival. It would require the strength of each person in that group to do what they had to do in order to stay alive... To be continued...

Check in a day or two for the next chapter. Leave a review if you'd like. Tell what you liked tell me what you hated. I'd like everyone to understand right now this is not a story where Daryl is involved in a romantic relationship. Daryl is just the connection of how Anthem (Angel) becomes a part of the group.