Season 9:

Tell Them

Siddiq opened his eyes with a gasp, coming to as he felt rough dirt under his knees. He turned to his left when he heard a noise, finding Tara beside him in the same position, gagged and bound.

Siddiq looked around, and he saw six others captured alongside himself and Tara. He lifted his eyes past the others on their knees, his heart stopping for a moment when he saw a group of walkers standing at the opposite end. Then, he realized that they were the skins, and his terror increased tenfold.

The skins parted for their leader, Alpha emerging from the shadows. There was something in her hand, soft growls coming from her direction. She stopped at the front, and they saw dark hair grasped in Alpha's hand. She lifted the object, red dripping from the bottom, looking at it for a moment. A wicked grin crossed her face as she looked towards those on their knees.

Alpha extended her hand, still grasping the head by the hair, her teeth snapping.

Enid screamed, horrified.

Tara let out a heartbroken sob.

Siddiq nearly fainted.

Aaron, Frankie could only think. Frankie, with an adopted child of her own, was unable to imagine the pain he'll go through when he learns his eldest daughter is dead.

Tammy Rose knew the pain. She first felt it over seven years ago when Ken died, and she felt it again as she stared at the head.

Rodney and Addy, despite being from Hilltop, still didn't really know her all that well, but they knew what she did to protect her home. They knew what Clary was willing to do to protect her people.

Henry wondered if there was any hope for the others when not even the strongest of them all could survive Alpha's wrath.

"She crossed onto our lands," Alpha announced. "Killed our people. The first time, we let it go. You did not know it was our land, it was our people. But now you do, and there are consequences."

Alpha held it high for them all to see. So they could all truly get a good look at the decapitated head of Clary Dixon. Her eyes were no longer grey, but a milky white, with cuts scattered over her face that meant she didn't go down easy.

She's gone, Enid thought, and I'm gonna die here. Alden and Marco are gonna lose us both.

"Look to your friend, to your precious Orphan," Alpha continued. "Because soon, you will all share her fate."

There came a battle cry from just outside the barn, and the survivors whipped around to see a trio of men charge inside, weapons drawn. The skins that stood watch behind Siddiq and Tara turned to fight, but Ozzy beat them back with his wrench. DJ body slammed one into stables before two more converged on him, taking him down.

Ozzy took a second to free Tara, who immediately ripped her gag off, asking, "How'd you find us?"

"We heard the little lady screamin'," Ozzy replied before disappearing into the fray.

Alpha had dropped Clary's head in the confusion, her people surging forward around her. As DJ fell, he landed face to face with Clary's head. His eyes widened at the sight of his dead friend before one of the skin's knives plunged into his chest.

Tara ripped one of the skins off of him after picking up DJ's dropped knife, killing one of the skins that killed DJ. At the same time, Tammy Rose was freed of her bindings by Alek before he was killed by a skin in front of her. She grabbed a shovel, using it to knock the skins away from herself and Rodney. Rodney, who couldn't break free and was scrambling back from the fight.

Frankie was still on the ground, still bound and gagged. She fought nonetheless, trying to kick the legs of a skin out from under him. Addy, who had never met Frankie before, came to her aid, kicking the skin to the ground. They defended each other like family, and Frankie let out a cry as a skin stabbed Addy from behind.

Enid blocked one's attempt to stab her, turning the skin's own knife against them and killing them. She took it for herself, raising her hands as she took a fighting stance. She couldn't help but swallow in fear as Beta emerged from the shadows, looming over her. Henry shot to his feet as soon as he saw Beta, but he was too late.

It didn't take much for the behemoth to overpower Enid, knocking the blade out of her hand. Beta grabbed her by the back of her head, Enid letting out a cry of pain. She saw the blade—a small dagger with an antler handle, the one she immediately recognized as once belonging to Clary—before Beta plunged it into her chest.

Enid screamed as it entered, missing her heart and hitting bone. Siddiq cried, "Enid!"

Henry started to charge at Beta when he grabbed Enid, but Alpha intercepted him. "I warned you," Alpha whispered in his ear, driving her knife into his gut and twisting it, "to stay away from my daughter."

Siddiq spun, searching for anyone he could get to before it was too late. Around him, survivors were falling to the skins. Alpha stepped away from Henry as he collapsed to the ground, gasping in agony and crying for Carol as he died slow. She had set her sights on Siddiq next, making her way past the ones that were still fighting with everything they had.

Siddiq knew that cutting off the head of the snake wouldn't be the solution to the problem, but maybe killing Alpha now would help them when the war came. He didn't even have a weapon, just a plan to fight her for her buck knife, until one of the skins body checked him.

It sent him to the ground, down on his back. He pushed himself up, but a skin grabbed him, arms wrapped so tightly that Siddiq couldn't move. He felt his stomach contort in fear, expecting Alpha to kill him and squeezing his eyes shut against the end. But she leaned down, and she whispered in his ear.

"Tell them."

Alpha took a small step back, face to face with Siddiq.

"Open your eyes."

Shaking with terror, Siddiq opened his eyes. Alpha took a step back, taking a machete that a skin offered her. Beta hauled Enid up, the young girl crying in pain. She let out another scream as Beta ripped the dagger out, causing Siddiq to yell, "No! Enid! Leave her alone!"

The skin holding him back put a hand over his mouth, muffling his cries.

Beta forced Enid to her knees in front of Alpha, those still alive subdued as well.

"Siddiq!" Enid pleaded, barely able to see him through her tears. "Please!"

"Look," Alpha commanded, "and share her fate."

Siddiq tried to close his eyes, not able to watch Enid and the others he loved being killed in front of him. In his ear, the skin restraining him ordered, "Open your eyes."

When Siddiq didn't, the skin pried them open, clicking his tongue absentmindedly as if he were bored. Satisfied that they were all watching, Alpha swung the machete.

Their screams echoed through the barn, dropping in volume as Alpha decapitated the survivors one by one until only Siddiq was left. Alpha handed the machete to Beta, nodding towards the ones that had been killed when they fought back. "Finish the job," she instructed. "Our kind are to join the guardians."

Beta nodded once, going to DJ's body first. Two skins held him up while Beta decapitated him as well. Alpha stepped towards Siddiq, struggling against the skin holding him.

"Look," Alpha commanded. Siddiq didn't, shaking off the skin holding him just enough that he could squeeze his eyes shut as tears rolled down his cheeks. Alpha sighed, disappointed. "Open your eyes. Look. See what I've done. And tell them."