Full Metal Jacket

"What's the plan?" Armageddon asked Daryl when Rick, Carl and Michonne had left on a mission to retrieve more guns and ammunition. She, Daryl and Merle were in their cell, with Von who was crawling around on the floor, exploring the environment around her.

"We can't avoid this war" Merle told her.

"Well, we can-" She started, but Daryl stopped her as he had known exactly what she was about to say.

"We're not leaving" He said and looked from Von, who was a few feet away from him and to Armageddon and his older brother. "I'm not."

"So, we're really going to war?"

His answer was a nod.

"Okay."

He looked up and saw her casual facade, making him furrow his brows.

"I'm with you" She told him when she saw his reaction. "All the way, no matter what."

"You know I am too, li'l brother" Merle told him candidly. "Let's take this son of a bitch down."

"You're what?" Armageddon exclaimed, a little too loudly so that Von woke up from her nap and started crying. They were downstairs in the cell block, but somehow she had heard her mother's distress and objected with her. "After everything you said, you're gonna go out there and negotiate?" She asked and furrowed her brows, following him as he ran up the stairs and to his crying daughter.

"Yeah" He said in a matter of fact tone and picked her up. "If Rick thinks it's a good idea, then I'mma come along."

"So, all of a sudden 'fuck war, peace matters more'?" She asked and threw her hands up in the air in frustration.

"Can you calm down?" He requested and tried calming their daughter, but she just wailed and wailed. "Shh, baby, it's okay, it's okay."

"Everything good here?" Someone asked from behind her. Merle.

"I just don't understand" She said and shook her head at him, her attitude much more tranquil now. "After all of that, after losing good people; after Andrea's pleas and us sending her back with threats, all of a sudden now everyone got the memo that we're too grown-up to be feuding and I'm the only one who didn't?"

"What''s there to understand? You said it yourself that war was the last thing we should do" He said and shrugged, bouncing Von on his shoulder and making her slowly more and more calm.

"Yeah, I did, and I meant it."

"Then what's the problem?"

"I just don't think you should go there" She told him and shook her head.

"Then why didn't you just say that?"

"Look, this guy, this Governor, he's a lunatic, Merle all but said it the other day. He's ready to starve us to death because we put a stain on his pride and now all of a sudden he's ready to lay down his weapons and call a truce? You really think that's it?" She asked him candidly and raised a brow. "'Cause I'm pretty sure he'll just massacre all of you on the spot."

"We've got guns now" Daryl told her and brushed her off.

"That don't mean shit."

"Yeah, it does" He said and met her eyes. "We're just as dangerous as they."

"But, that doesn't matter" She argued. "No matter who draws their gun up first, someone's gonna get a bullet. And I don't want that someone to be you."

He looked away, pursed his lips and turned away so that his back was facing her. When he didn't say anything, she continued. "Von can't lose you. I can't either."

He eventually turned around. He approached her and didn't stop until they were almost body to body. "I can't you lose you neither" He said quietly and kissed her on her forehead. "And I won't. I'mma come back here after that and I'mma be just fine."

Armageddon stared up into his eyes and really hoped his words were true. She knew she could not stop him from leaving and she knew Rick had already made up his mind on who was going with him; only Daryl and Hershel, and that was not to be changed. He wanted her to stay in the prison and lead while he was away. She was needed at the prison, he insisted. She could not join them. So she drew a shaky breath and held it, staring deeply into Daryl's clear blue eyes that shone with so much emotion that she could read him every time she looked into them. They looked a bit sunken in because of the bags under his eyes, due to a long-lasting lack of sleep, his skin was a bit darker than the usual Caucasian because of all the dirt and grime that went unwashed, his thin, chapped lips that almost hid under his light brown colored stubble and his bulky body that almost pressed against hers, the only thing between them was their daughter. "Kiss me" She said under her breath.

He leaned in closer and she could smell his breath right before their lips met. It wasn't the best smell, but that smell had become comforting as the time they shared together increased. She appreciated parts of him she thought she never would; she appreciated how overprotective he was with her, she appreciated his musk, his husky voice that sometimes seemed more like inaudible grumble than actual words and she appreciated the way his arms wrapped tightly around her in the middle of the night as they both slept soundly. She knew her feelings were stronger than just appreciation, but she pushed all of that away as she kissed him back and reveled in the taste of his lips. She buried her fingers in his dark brown, wispy hair and felt her knees buckle as he deepened the kiss.

When the kiss ended, he handed Von to her and shared one last look with her before walking to the end of the cell. "Come back to me" She said, stopping him as he was about to leave.

He looked behind his shoulder and nodded. "I will" He told her walking up to her once more. This time, he leaned down to his daughter and kissed her on her forehead. "Bye, sweetheart" He whispered.

"Wave bye-bye to Daddy" Armageddon said and waved to Daryl, making Von do the same. He smiled and then left.

"He's gonna be fine" Merle told her after watching them formally leave. Glenn was closing the gates with Maggie's help, while the rest stood back and hoped for the best as they watched the car and Daryl's motorcycle roar away.

"I know" Armageddon said and met his eyes.

"He's a tough son of a bitch, my brother" He continued and looked back to the disappearing motorcycle. "If he's determined, he'll do anything. And right now and til the day he dies, he's determined to get back to you and Von."

"Fuck this, everybody gear up!" Armageddon called out and started heading back to the prison. "I don't care how well this shit goes, we need to be ready if it don't!"

Nobody complained and everybody took a pistol, loaded a shot gun or a rifle, and armed themselves to the teeth. Glenn gave Carl and Beth boxes of ammunition and told them to stash them outside, if anyone were to be pinned down and in trouble.

"What we should be doing is loading all this firepower into a truck and pay a visit to the Governor" Merle said and stopped Glenn as he was about to head outside, before turning his attention to Armageddon.

"What, and split ourselves into even tinier groups? I don't think so. We'll stay here and fight if that's what it comes to because this is our home and we ain't leaving" She said confidently. "That's to say if they decide to come and attack."

"Aw, come on, sweetheart, don't be such a baby, of course they're gonna come" He scoffed and shook his head at her.

"We ain't havin' this conversation, Merle" She told him in a matter of fact tone.

"Suit yourself" He said and threw his hands up in the air in defeat. "But don't think I won't tell you so when the time comes."

"My Dad can take care of himself" Carl told him.

"Sorry, son, but your Dad's head's gonna be on a spike real soon."

Carl did not reply, just kept on walking away until he was out of earshot. "Don't say that to him" Maggie said to Merle as she loaded a handgun.

"It's not the right move, not now. We can't risk putting them in the crossfire" Glenn said and shut Merle up.

"He's right" Armageddon said. "But, if anything does happen, I'll go there myself and kill that son of a bitch and you'll be the first person I ask to come with me."

Merle tried to leave later on, which resulted in a fight between him and Glenn, who tried to stop him. They were rolling around on the concrete floor, throwing punches and even Maggie and Michonne tried to interfere. It stopped when Armageddon fired a blank shot into the air. "Y'all done now?" She asked and cocked her brows.

"Let's get outta here, just you and me" Merle said and beads of perspiration ran down his forehead after the struggle he had had. "We both know somethin's not right and we can't-"

"We can and we will" She told him coldly. "They're negotiating for peace and we're not gonna prevent that by rolling in guns-ablazing."

"You know there ain't gonna be no goddamn peace!"

"Sit the fuck down, light a cigarette and calm down."

"Why are y'all so hell-bent on making me stay here?" He asked and furrowed his brows at her before averting his gaze to the others.

"Because if something happens, we're gonna need you to help take them down" Armageddon answered. "That would be what Daryl would want."

They all returned safely and unharmed an hour later, just like Armageddon knew they would. After that talk in their cell, she had been fully convinced that Daryl would always return to her and she was going to keep him to his word for as long as they both lived. But, when Rick gathered everyone around in the cell block Armageddon knew that even though they had returned well, they still carried heavy news. The war was still on. "So, I met this Governor," He said and looked from one person to the next. "Sat with him for quite a while."

"Just the two of you?" Merle asked him.

"Yeah."

"Should've gone when we had the chance" He said to Daryl and Armageddon who stood close together. Armageddon pursed her lips and ignored his remark, it was too late to be thinking that now.

"He wants the prison. He wants us gone" Rick continued. "Dead. He wants us dead for what we did to Woodbury." He paused for a second, creating a tense silence that was so thick that it cut have cut the air in two if anyone spoke up. "We're going to war."

She did not know why, but that sentence excited her a little bit. A small part of her had always wanted to go to war. She had watched hundreds of war movies, fascinated by both the physical and mental toll it took on soldiers, as well as the mass destruction it caused. Her rational side knew that everything about war was disgusting and unnecessary, but another side of her, a darker side, craved for it. It was after all the end of the world, so wasn't it okay to go just a little bit crazy?

"I'm coming with you" Armageddon said to Daryl and followed him like a lost puppy as he entered the cell block and made his way to their cell. She held an assault rifle that was fully loaded and clean enough to lick, carried two knives - one in her pocket and the other strapped to her ankle - and had a pistol tucked in her cargo trousers.

"No, Rick wants you here" Daryl grunted and jumped up the stairs, only to see their cell empty. He turned to her and met her eyes. "Where's Von?"

"She's with Beth" She answered casually and put her hair up in a bun that she tied with a shoelace.

"Why?"

"'Cause we're both busy."

"What are you doin'?" He asked and furrowed his brows at her.

"I've spent all day cleaning this" She told him and held up the AK-47.

"Rick's just goin' there to talk" He told her.

She scoffed and rolled her eyes. "Last time he did he announced we were going to war. I know this is some kind of ambush, so you best take me with you."

"Why?"

"So we can end this once and for all."

"What, you gon' shoot up the whole place and then run back to the prison?" He asked and cocked a brow at her.

"So, what if I did?" She retorted. "That sounds like a mighty fine plan; take out the head of the chicken, the rest will collapse."

"No. Another person's gonna come here and finish what he started" He told her in a matter of fact tone.

"Then, we'll take them down too."

"It ain't that easy."

"And it ain't that simple that you're all just gonna go there to 'talk' again" She pointed out. "Look, I'm coming whether you like it or not and one way or another end this."

"What if Rick says no?"

"Rick's not the boss of me."

"Who's gonna watch over Von? And the group?"

"Glenn can manage just fine."

"No" Daryl repeated himself and shook his head. "No way."

"Ain't asked your permission, Daryl" She told him in a matter of fact tone.

"You're gonna get yourself killed" He said somberly.

She stared into his eyes emotionlessly and mentally told him that she did not care. Something had snapped inside her and at that moment her rationality was not available to stop her from doing stupid shit, neither was some guy who stood before her.

Their talk ended briefly after that and she did not see him for the rest of the day. She didn't want to either, she was too busy gearing up and strategizing war plans. As she did that, she carved sticks to make their ends pointy and sharp, just to have something to do while she thought, and before she knew it, she had over a dozen of them.

"Hey, Daryl" She called out when she found him in the cell block at dusk. "I made you these." She said and handed him the dozen sticks she had mindlessly carved. She had not intended on making them for anybody but herself, but in the process she realized that they could come in handy as arrows better than jabbers.

"What do you want me to do with that?" He asked and eyed the sticks in her hands.

"For when your arrows finish" She answered shortly.

He met her eyes before nodding curtly and taking them. "Thanks" He muttered under his breath. "You've seen Von anywhere?"

"She's probably with Carol. Why?"

"Nothing" He said before storming off without saying another word.

Half an hour later she was approaching her cell when she stopped. She heard a low voice talking inside and she furrowed her brows as she listened in, curious on what was happening. It was Daryl. When she was at the door, she saw he was talking to Von, who listened intently and babbled her answers back in jibberish. "This whole group's gone wild" He told her. "I really wish you wouldn't have to see it, 'cause they're so much better than that. All of them."

"I'm sorry that I haven't been with you so much" He said sincerely. "I've just had a lotta things to do. I'm sorry, baby girl. I promise as soon as this is all over, I'm gonna spend all of my time with you and so will Mom. We're both so preoccupied with the Governor and I'm sorry about that, but he'll be gone soon and then all will be good again."

Von babbled and reached up for his face, petting it as if she were saying that it was okay. Armageddon smiled at that sight, especially as Daryl's face lit up with joy and love as his daughter did that, and felt her heart warm. She snapped herself out of her thoughts and wiped that smile off her face, however, when she realized that she was too busy to be sentimental. Like Daryl had said, there would be enough time for that later. Now was time to get ready to fight or die.

Hershel, Beth, Carl, Carol, Maggie, Glenn, Rick, Armageddon gathered around in the courtyard at twilight because Rick had something important to inform them. Carol held Judith in her arms while Beth handed Von to Armageddon, the second she joined them. She was happy to see her baby girl, but that happiness was short lived as she saw Rick's grave expression. "When I met with the Governor, he offered me a deal" He finally started and rubbed his index and thumb together as he looked from one person to the next. "He said he would leave us alone if I gave him Michonne. And I was gonna do that to keep us safe." He paused and waited for someone to comment, but no one did and eventually he continued. "I changed my mind. But, now Merle took Michonne to fulfill the deal and Daryl went to stop him and I don't know if it's too late."

"What?" Armageddon said and furrowed her brows at him. She couldn't believe his words, that Daryl would just up and go without telling her, again.

"I was wrong not to tell you. I'm sorry" Rick continued and maintained eye-contact with her for a few seconds before looking over the whole group, addressing not just her but everybody. "What I said last year, that first night after the farm, it can't be like that. It can't. What we do, what we're willing to do, who we are, is not my call. It can't be. I can't sacrifice one of us for the greater good because we are the greater good. We are the reason we're still here, not me. This is life and death. How you live, how you die, it isn't up to me. I'm not your governor. We choose to go. We choose to stay. We stick together. We vote; we can stand and we can fight or we can go."

After that, he left. He left before anyone got the chance to speak up. She could not care less about this war anymore. Now she only cared about Daryl, who had done the exact thing she had hoped he would not do; he was gone to Woodbury to get himself killed. She knew the second any of her people would enter Woodbury, they would be shot dead on sight, despite this 'agreement' Rick and the Governor had come to earlier. After everything she had heard about that man, she was sure he was not a man of his word. So, she handed Beth Von and told her to watch over her before marching to the prison to gear herself up, ignoring Beth and Hershel's calls and tries to stop her. She did not care about going to war with her whole group, she only cared about Daryl and she was ready to take Rambo on this to get him back. Now she was not going to sit around and do nothing anymore, to wait and hope for the best, to obey orders to do this or that because Rick wanted to or for the sake of the group. Now it was time to get the fuck out of there before she would lose yet another person she cared about.