Negan lowered his weapon and looked around, noting if the people before him wanted them dead they could have done it.

"The creepy fuckin' heads..." Negan nodded at Alpha.

"That was us," she confirmed nonchalantly. "You're referring to the ones on pikes. It's simply to claim our territory, nothing personal."

A slow smile spread across his face. "You are fuckin' out there sweetheart."

Beta stepped forward and Negan eyed the tall man up and down.

"I'm not your sweet heart," Alpha told him.

"Just a term of endearment, don't fuckin' read into it." He motioned to Beta. "I wouldn't fuck you with his dick."

Beta lunges forward and grabbed Negan by the neck, prompting Vince to scream out and raise his weapon.

Other members of the Manor keeping watch nearby rushed from the commotion in time to see Beta slam Negan into the wall with his forearm in his throat to hold him in place.

Negan laughed for a moment but almost immediately felt his windpipe being closed.

"You have a big mouth," Alpha strolled up casually despite the number of new men with guns arriving to Negan's aid.

Negan put a hand up in the midst of the scuffle to signal to his men to hold their fire.

"They're all around!" Vince shouted. "Dressed as the undead."

Everyone looked around in confusion and Negan tried to speak but couldn't get a word out.

"Let him go!" Matt demanded.

"Beta..." Alpha reached a hand up, pushing onto her toes to reach his shoulder. "Release him a moment."

Beta removed his arm from Negan's throat, leaving him gasping for air as he hunched over and took in a few deep breaths.

"Who's in charge here?" Alpha asked.

Negan looked up with his hands on his knees and a big smile. He didn't immediately answer but glanced up at Beta again. "You are fucking tall as shit."

"I'll release him and let him finish the job he started before putting your head on the next pike," Alpha informed Negan, finally switching her expression from a calm, collected state to an icy glare.

"I'm sorry honey, I was just delusional a bit." Negan glanced over at Matt, who formally stepped forward.

"I founded this community," he informed Alpha.

"Leader. Check." She nodded. "Step one is complete." Alpha eyed Negan again for a moment. "You're just the muscle I presume."

"Whatever you want to call it." Negan put his hands out to the sides, not about to get into formalities.

Alpha looked back at Matt. "I'm Alpha."

"Matt."

"Well your people killed our people Matt."

"What people?"

"The fuckin' walkers," Negan blurred out.

"The undead?" Matt asked. "But they aren't-"

"We live among them in these skin suits. They're our camouflage and our means for survival. When you killed them you took away our home."

"What home? They roam."

Alpha nodded matter-of-factory. "As do we. Now we have nothing... aside from a small collection we've managed to gather and control."

"They don't sense you're human?"

"The dead skin disguises us."

"Pretty fuckin' gross," Negan added. "But smart as shit, I'll give it to you."

"You owe us," Alpha told them.

"There are plenty of houses-" Matt began but she stopped him with a hand up.

"We don't live that way. Things are primal now."

"They don't have to be."

"They are," Alpha told him. "Your community isn't real. Its a facade... lipstick on the metaphorical pig if you will. You can dress it up all you want, your little corner of the world, but the world is still dead."

"Well we've experienced new life," Matt challenged. "We're coming back. New crops, baby chickens to lay eggs, children are being born."

"All into a dead world." Alpha shook her head. "It's all a big land of make believe Matt... and we won't have any part of it."

"What is it you want Alpha?" Negan asked her.

"I want a new tribe of undead."

"Go find some."

"Your fire destroyed many of them in the area... they're scarce."

"Guess the world isn't so fucking dead then is it?" Negan pointed out. "See in this area humans populate the land, not the walkers."

"And it's been quite a mess for my people because of that."

"Live with us," Matt said again. "We've begun to clean up the houses nearby. We want to expand-"

"We don't live that way," Alpha informed him more forcefully. "Humanity is gone... and we haven't survived by pretending it still exists."

"Well we have survived living this way," Matt trumped her. "And it can be that for you too."

Alpha hesitated before responding. "No... I'm sorry it can't."

"Cut to the fuckin' chase lady," Negan told her.

Alpha turned and raised a gun that stood even to his face. "Throw one more term of endearment, as you call it, in my direction and I'll blow that handsome face of your right off."

"Handsome?" He grinned wider, not backing down. "Nice!" Negan slowly put up his hands. "Let me rephrase my previous demand in the form of a question. "What is it we can do for you if you don't want our form of shelter?"

"That tone is much much better," Alpha said with a nod. "We need the undead. We have no vehicles. We need you to draw some back in this direction."

"Why the hell should we?" Vince chimed in. "We have people."

Alpha turned her head slowly in his direction. "We are everywhere." Her voice floated on like feathers, eerily drifting at Vince

Negan chuckled making Alpha approach, reaching out to grab him again but he gently caught her arm before she could. He winked, making her glare harder before Beta stepped in another time.

"Fuck." Negan let the word out before his back was slammed into the wall again with a sickening thud.

"Do you want me to Alpha?"

"No." She hardened her jaw. "Whatever you think you have... it isn't shit." Alpha heaved the butt of her rifle into Negan's groin while Beta still held him firmly by the neck.

Negan's eyes closed. "Fuck lady," he choked out.

"We own two other communities and we aren't going to back down to you." Alpha waited for him to reopen his eyes. "We need walkers or whatever it is you people call them. You'll get them for us or we'll come back... again and again and again. Right now we have enough people in these woods to destroy your little fantasy world that exists behind these walls."

Negan swallowed hard, his Adam's apple barely able to move under Beta's firm fist against his throat.

Alpha turned to Matt. "You may get some of us... me even... but believe me when I tell you that your walls will burn to the ground and you will lose so much more than we will if you don't help us." She shook her head and turned back to Negan, pushing her gun more firmly against him. "We know more about all of you than you know. Call our bluff... and your son's ear won't be the last thing you lose."