"What's your name?" Rick said, his voice a low rasp.
We were outside of Woodbury now, but we were not leaving quite yet. Daryl had gone out to cover us as we made a break for our exit. We were home free, only to find out that Daryl hadn't come out with us. Maggie immediately stated that we needed to go back in after him, but Rick was fumbling around in his own head for a plan at the moment. Glenn was in no shape to go back into Woodbury to fight. So, it looked like Maggie and Rick were going to be needing me.
"Veira," I said as sternly as I could manage these days, which wasn't very impressive.
"We are going back in there," Rick explained. "You come with us. If you so much as think about running off, I'll kill you."
"Sounds like a good choice to me," I crooned with a sly look.
Death was exactly what I had wanted for days, but I wasn't ready to go now. The Governor might have killed what good was left in me, but he hadn't killed me. I had things left to offer the world, and I would only die once I decided I had nothing left. I was in control of me again. Nothing was going to change that. Not Rick. Not Daryl. Not the Governor.
Rick took my answer with consideration. He felt he had to persuade me to help them. Good.
"After you help us get Daryl back we will take you to our camp. Have our doctor look you over." He motioned to the bruises that covered my arms and the cuts that I could feel on my face. "After you're fed and taken care of you can help us deal with the Governor. I'm sure you know plenty about him after your prison sentence with him."
"What makes you think I want to help you fight the Governor?"
Maggie spoke up impatiently. "You've been a prisoner to him for how long now? And you mean to tell us you don't want a chance to put a bullet in his head?"
I stayed silent for a while and searched her eyes as she spoke. "What did he do to you?" I choked out, knowing the answer deep down. I knew she was the Governor's prisoner, but she didn't looked harmed in any way like Glenn did. My stomach seized at the thought of him coming onto someone else like he did me.
"Nothing I'm sure he didn't do to you," Maggie responded, the hurt visible in her eyes.
I clenched my jaw and swallowed hard. I could run away. I could run and never look back on Woodbury. I could leave and not give two shits about the Governor or the prison anymore. But, deep down I knew I couldn't really do that. The Governor needed to be put down. He needed to be stopped before he hurt anyone else like he did me. Like I assumed he did Maggie.
Besides, I guess I owed the archer for sparing me. Daryl. The face of the man with the crossbow flashed into mind again. I could still see him after he found me in the room in Woodbury. I replayed the moment over and over again in my head. He was the first person to spare me. Even Rick was an asshole upon first meeting me. Daryl might've looked a little sorry for me even, but he was someone who was just like me. He was a survivor. And he had a certain understanding about me that no one had since my brother...
"Michonne?" Maggie's voice cut through my thoughts. She aimed her gun at a dark skinned girl who had just crawled out into view.
"Did you get what you came for?" Rick hissed as he took away the only weapon she had, a sword.
She looked drained. Her breaths were short and quick and all the cuts on her oozed out thick blood onto her face and arms. She leaned against the old train car that she had emerged from under. Her leg was gushing an unhealthy amount of blood from a deep stab wound.
I focused in on her as she argued back and forth with Rick. She had come here with them to save Glenn and Maggie, but apparently split off from the mission. There was something about her... a determination for whatever she had gone after inside of Woodbury. She split off from the group for something so important to her. No. Someone.
"You went after him," I said knowingly. Her eyes flicked to mine as she analyzed me as well, a new face to her, but she stayed silent. "You went after the Governor," I pressed.
Rick shifted back on his foot and looked at her accusingly.
"I got you here," she countered. "To save them."
"Thanks for the help," Rick curtly stated.
"You'll need help to get them back to the prison or to go back in there for Daryl. Either way," Michonne finished, "you need me."
"Me too," I spoke up, declaring that I was on board with them. All eyes were on me. I gnawed at my lip as I coninued. "I know everything there is to know about this place. And I happen to know that if they captured Daryl, he is about to face off in the arena. They did that with me on my first night."
Rick rolled his neck and looked at me taking his usual terrifying stare off of Michonne for a moment. "Arena?"
"They had me in there with some other poor kid they captured. A fight to the death. You know, gladiator battle type of thing."
"That's sick," Maggie said with her gun still pointed at Michonne steadily.
"Well, they think it's fun."
"So, you agreeing to help us now?"
I shrugged, not wanting to have to explain myself to this stranger, but I felt that she understood why I was ready to march into battle again. I needed to end the Governor and getting back their man would help us in the long run. Plus, I owed Daryl for getting me out of Woodbury, and I didn't like owing anyone. I would get him out even if it meant going back into the devil's den.
"Fine," Rick said. "So, how are we doing this?"
Everyone leaned in, eager to here a rescue plan. They were all willing to follow me, someone they just met, in order to get back a friend. We were all willing to do anything if it meant the Governor wouldn't like it, as a matter of fact.
It looked like the Governor was pissing off all of the wrong people these days.
My legs ached from being in a crouching position for too long. I was back inside the gates of Woodbury, trying not to panic at being back, with Rick and Maggie behind me. Glenn had complained, but we made him stay behind with Michonne and wait for us to return.
I sat back against the building we were using as cover. The streets of Woodbury were deserted. Everyone was getting ready for the battle at the arena. The arena was encircled by three towering buildings. The memory of my first night at Woodbury hit me hard. I could remember my rival in the arena that night. We were both scared shitless and confused. When the Governor told us to fight to the death, the girl I was to fight looked like she was going to piss herself. She was unwilling to do what it took to survive. But not me. I was full of spirit and ready to fight every man and woman in Woodbury if it meant I could get a chance to escape. I had just lost my brother. After that event I said fuck everyone else and become a selfish monster. I was then and I still am. So, I took my chance with the terrified girl. I was going to live no matter what it took. And it took the life of another innocent human.
I turned my head to the ground in shame. Then the gunshot of commencement and yells of the people rung through the air, bringing me out of my episode of depression.
The fight was beginning.
I dashed around the corner and caught sight of the arena through the crowd of people. The orange glow of fire lit up the area casting shadows of the crowd onto the tall buildings in a haunting manner. The Governor was yelling out some bullshit speech that I couldn't hear well over the cheers of the people. That's when I caught sight of Daryl. The crowd went wild when they tore the bag off of his head, revealing him as one of the men from the group at the prison.
"I see him," I let Rick know behind me. "Maggie, get back to the top of the gate. Give us cover once we get to him. Rick, you should stay here. Wait for my signal."
"You know me!" I heard the voice of Merle before I saw him in the arena with Daryl.
Rick squinted over at the arena like he couldn't believe what he was hearing. "Is that Merle?"
I didn't know how much this group knew about Merle, but so far I could tell they knew enough to always talk about him with a disgusted tone.
"Looks like Merle is his rival for today." I saw enough through the crowd to see that Merle was not holding back. He swung hard at Daryl and brought him to the ground, out of my line of sight.
I felt my eyes widen in the surprise. I had seen enough of Merle for a lifetime, and I knew him well by now. Images of him snarling and spitting in my face flashed before my eyes. He was a monster most of the time, but I always thought back to the moments when Merle was not all brutal with me.
When he came into my room to talk, it was almost pleasant. No one else in Woodbury listened to him, the high tempered redneck, when he was feeling sorry for himself. I had no choice but to listen to him, considering I was a prisoner. The thing that always seemed to haunt him was his little brother. He had been separated from him and I could see how it nagged at him, knowing that he had no idea if he was out there or not. I tried to make him feel like a piece of shit about the situation, it was all that I could ever use against Merle considering my position back then.
He had plans to run away and look for his brother, but he always chickened out. He was too cozy at Woodbury being the Governor's right hand man. It was too good for him to leave behind. He was a coward, and I told him that everyday. I wanted him to be a better person, but I should've known better. I clenched my jaw at the current sight of him beating the shit out of the little brother he claimed to love so much.
"Bastard," I snarled and tighten my grip on my knife so my knuckles turned white. "He'll beat him to death. Because that's what the Governor wants him to do." And he always listens to that prick. No matter what.
"Yeah, I know." Rick checked the scope on his gun and turned back to me. "Get out there and look for an opening. We won't fire until you make the move."
I nodded, confirming the plan and mentally preparing myself for the mission I had sent myself on. "Got it."
"Get him out alive," Rick's eyes looked into my soul when he spoke to me. It was like he was willing me to be successful in getting Daryl back. As if he could control that.
"Got it," I repeated slightly uncomfortable. I knew his archer man was top priority, even over me.
"And be careful." He looked like he actually meant that. Which was surprising for me. No one had cared about me in a long ass time, but it felt nice that he warned me to be safe, even if he didn't mean it.
I turned to go but he grabbed my wrist before I could. I tensed up, afraid of what he was going to say or do. I was even more surprised when he pressed a small gun into my hand.
I looked up at him questioningly and he simply nodded saying, "Just in case."
This time he let me go out away from the building and into the crowd. Even though I should be worried about being recognized, my mind was preocupied with why Rick was trusting me so much. After spending too much time with the Governor, it just didn't make any sense. I needed his trust if we were going to work together in killing the Governor. Just because I trusted him though, didn't mean we had to be friends. I really didn't want to get close enough to care about any of these people. I was just helping them wit a job. That was it.
The crowd around me erupted with a fresh wave of intense screaming. I pushed around bodies to the front of the crowd just in time to see Merle standing over Daryl. They were talking with each other, but I couldn't make out their words. However, the look in Merle's eyes told me he had something up his sleeve. I glanced over at the Governor who was sporting a new bandage over his eye, but he was too distracted to notice Merle's planning.
I turned to follow the Governor's line of sight to see four men bring out Walkers on leashes. This wasn't part of the fight when I was shoved in the arena long ago, they must've gotten bored with the blantant murdering of people.
The adrenaline coursed through my veins. I hadn't enjoyed that feeling in a very long time and I was pleasuring every second of the anticipation of a battle. I couldn't hold myself back any longer as I leaped out into the arena. I raised up the gun Rick had lent me and fired at the Walker that stood directly in front of the Governor. The Walker fell and his one eyed glare landed on me, unwavering. I held his cold stare with an amount of brute that I didn't think I had in me anymore.
The crowd took notice to my identity, they had seen me as a champion of the arena before. They thought it was all part of the show. And the Governor didn't intervene to tell them any different. He stood like a statue as if he could kill me with his stern look. But I wasn't going down that easy anymore.
"Well, well, look who decided to join the party," crooned Merle, who was standing back to back with his brother now, ready to fight the Walkers with him as they were pushed closer to them. Daryl had his hands up, ready to pounce. His eyes landed on me with recognition and a million silent questions. I gave him one solid nod that I was here for him and tossed him the gun. A knife was more of my weapon of choice.
Merle looked ready to argue with his brother for the gun, but the shout from Rick from his hiding spot signaled for a spray of gunfire. I dropped to the ground as Maggie fired from the wall. Smoke filled the area and gunfire and shouts echoed in my ears. People were dropping dead everywhere around me. I gripped my knife tight in my hands as I pressed down on the sand and prayed I wouldn't get shot.
Just as I was about to stand again someone kicked my hand that held the knife. It went flying out of my reach and another kick was delivered to my stomach. I groaned and curled in on myself. My injuries that were beginning to heal from Merle's beatings were being freshened up as a boot came down hard on my chest. I looked up just in time to see the Governor's face as he reached down for me.
My mind seized with terror at the thought of what he would do to me if he got me back. I wanted to cry out of failure, but the fire in me sparked. I was not about to let him fuck me over again. Not ever. He didn't own me and didn't control me. At least that is what I was trying to convince myself.
I kicked him between the legs and the pain was enough for him to loosen his grip on my shirt. I saw this as an opportunity to stretch out for the knife that was resting in the dirt. As soon as my fingers closed around the handle, I didn't hesitate to swing the blade at him ferociously. Every part of me wanted to slice him to pieces. He took out his gun to fight back, but an explosion went off, sending us both flat to the ground.
My head buzzed and I didn't even process that someone was pulling me back up. Thinking it was the Governor again, I pulled my fist back at a lame attempt to swing at him. I almost collapsed out of loss when a hand caught my fist before it got the chance to collide with anything at all. It took me a few disbelieving blinks to realize it wasn't the Governor that was holding me upright, but Daryl Dixon. His eyes told me clear as day that if I tried to swing at him again he would put me back down on my ass. I took the silent threat with grace and let him half drag me out of the gates of Woodbury.
I remember seeing flashes of Rick firing his weapon from behind us and yelling, but his voice was muffled to my ears. My vision was a blur and Daryl had to help me walk up until we were well in the woods and out of Woodbury. The entire walk to the car where Glenn and Michonne waited was a painful one. Every muscle in my body ached and blood dripped down from my eyebrow every now and again. My lungs burned more and more with every breath.
We reached the car parked by the road just as the sun was rising. Glenn appeared from behind it, his eye immediately landing on Maggie. I thought it might be some repulsing yet adorable scene from a romance movie before Glenn started screaming at someone. My mind was still a scattered mess, watching Rick hold out an arm and keep Glenn back from whoever he was yelling at.
I turned slowly to see who the center of the commotion was. I should've known this jackass was what was standing in the way of a peaceful ride back to the prison. Of course Merle Dixon had to make it out of Woodbury with us.
Hey everyone thank you so much for reading. If you could give me feedback that would be great! I am trying to make this as good as it can be but it my first TWD fic so I don't know how I'm doing. Please let me know how you like it and leave a review. This is going to be slow burn and it might go out of order or just skip over some of the timelined events of the actual show. I'm just trying to make it more interesting and stuff.
Thanks again!
