It felt like they had been walking for hours past fields and forests. Dr. Samuel Hayden kept his vision focused on the trail ahead of him and the Savior trio. Laura's face remained impassive despite what happened shortly today in the ghost town. Mark tried not to think about what he had seen earlier but was also reflecting on what Hayden told him and Laura. Hayden glanced over to the right of him and saw the passing trees, looking back to observe the Savior group ahead of him.
But eventually off in the distance, there was something...
Ahead of the robotic android, spotting a large grimy factory-type building surrounded by a chainlink fence, and supplying cover of some sort, which appeared to be this "Sanctuary" that Laura spoke about regarding Dean's protests.
Hayden knew they have finally arrived.
"There it is," fake smiled Laura as if Hayden was meant to be impressed, "The Sanctuary."
From what Hayden has learned by speaking with Mark, nothing became examined about this hideaway before the apocalypse other than the fact that it was a factory. At some point in time, right after the zombie outbreak, the factory became the main headquarters for the Saviors. It remains an unidentified area to the other communities such as Alexandria, Hilltop, and The Kingdom.
Hayden looked at it again, as they grew closer, he saw men thickly crowding the perimeter of the gates on guard, almost at least twenty-five of them. It was a bit like one would imagine an apocalyptic kingdom. Clinging onto the fences were zombies, having the cyborg stare at these corpses with their decaying skin, jaundiced-looking teeth slipping out of their mouths, and their limbs slowly severing apart from themselves.
There were many questions to Hayden as to how survivors would take refuge in the kind of shelter that is notably daunting and intimidating. One, it's a large, industrial-looking factory, which offers up plenty of interior space for the leader and his Saviors to sustain. Two, the exterior remains surrounded by not only a towering fence but a barricade of craving undead creatures, heavily chained up by stakes and sticks. And three, there were cases unheard to Hayden about what the Saviors are to exist in its leash to pursuit towards power.
"You mind telling me why you all have these creatures around the fences?" Hayden asked Laura.
"It's used for added security, doc." Laura answers him, "We thought of ways to keep ourselves safe by using the dead to keep trespassers out or get attracted by them."
"Come on. I ain't got all day so move it." Dean scolded Hayden and aims his gun alongside Derek.
Hayden nods, "I am, sir."
They walked up to the gate where Hayden inspects the walkers again, only this time he saw something else. Live people working around the undead-blocked fences. The workers inside were continually pushing them around, despite seeming like they're already finished, moving them about for any obscure reason whatsoever. Of course, it was undeniable that the workers are there to prevent invaders or passersby. However, some of them could require traps for the undead if they need to become replaced to manage better next time.
"Why are those people in there with the dead...?" Hayden asks Laura and Derek.
"Because it's their job," Dean answers vaguely.
Laura rolled her eyes at Dean's uncooperative response and replies, "These guys are workers to keep the security maintained. They handle the dangerous task of putting these rotters in place."
"Hell, some of Sanctuary's residents who die here get reincorporated as those fuckers on the fence," Derek added. "We thought this one worker of ours, Daryl, was going to kick the bucket with the rest of those deserters, but he somehow escaped from the Sanctuary."
"We all wanted him to join up with us, but the dumbass already made his choice poorly." Laura finishes. "Dwight was supposed to be watching over him, but even he didn't see him leave."
Hayden couldn't help but look at Laura after what she and Derek were explaining to him. Earlier today from what he learned in their perspectives, the Saviors had to be some type of vast organization with "different views" on restoring civilization to the world. In comparison, Hayden thrived in this sort of principle. However, he wasn't the type to mentally torture people to get his point across, like taking candy from a baby.
The unmerciful regime to overcome any community they come across in the surrounding area. Now, with all this information stored in his database from each Savior's perspective. It became progress to Hayden, honestly. He knows what to expect from these people and their motives to survive the apocalypse precisely.
But the only thing is what's going to happen when Hayden meets Negan, leader of the Saviors himself?
Hayden continued pondering about that mental question of his as he, with the Savior patrollers, walked up to the sliding chain-link gate. Members of the Saviors within the Sanctuary's fences stared silently in shock, as well as the workers too. Before Hayden was going to process this more, a male Savior named Reilly comes strolling towards the gate. His eyes were a bit unconvinced just when he saw the robotic android with the scout group.
Reilly shifted his eyes to Hayden in amusement, "What the hell is this, some sort of science project you two-?"
"Shut up, man. What we have here is an intruder, and we were just going to drop by over to Negan," Dean interrupts with an answer.
"Oh? It doesn't look like any intruder I've seen before." Reilly cocked his head slightly to the left, before noticing Hayden looking down upon him.
"I can assure you, sir, that I am not just some petty science project to antagonize," Hayden said calmly, "My name is Dr. Samuel Hayden. I've come to see your leader, Negan, and speak about this misapprehension when dealing with four of his patrollers in the Sanctuary's surrounding territory."
Reilly accurately kept his shocked gaze to Hayden before looking at Dean. "Did it just...?"
Laura impatiently groaned before walking up, "Yes, he talked. Now, open the goddamn gate, Reilly. We're taking him to Negan."
"Okay, okay. Chill out...jeez."
Reilly, who was almost distracted by Hayden's appearance, unhooks and pulls the chain-link gate sideways to open, letting each of them walk into the place. The 3-meter-tall cyborg was immediately surrounded by a cordon of Savior members, almost identical to their expressions. Some were wearing clean clothing while carrying what had appeared to be assault rifles, machine guns, sniper rifles, or pistols.
"What the fuck is that thing?" a male Savior asked in surprise.
"Jesus, that thing is huge! Where do you suppose it came from?" another male Savior commented.
"Negan's going to get a real kick out of that thing." a female Savior said.
"I'm hoping to give that thing a target practice." another voice chimed in.
"There's nothing to see here, guys, move along," Mark announced towards the crowd, glancing up at Hayden next. "Come on now, let's go inside. Try to watch your head when you come in through the doors."
"Understood, sir," Hayden replied coolly, causing an abundance of murmurs from every Savior member present.
"Whoa, it talked!"
"I don't like this one bit."
"Let's see if it'll get itself to Negan's good side."
Hayden felt relief at the sight.
Even if they had excellent means of hindering him, they appeared to have no weaponry that could harm him available on the position. Of course, this did not mean one could not be taken here in short order, so he did not relax yet. Hayden couldn't ignore listening to the screams and cries from the trapped humans, who are dealing with the undead.
The Sanctuary up close was far from being impressive, but combined with the Saviors' multitude of armed survivors, it conveyed a sense of legitimacy and resources that made Hayden believe he made the right decision not to resist them. They left the site on what appeared to be an outdoor field, and the cyborg was lead inside the building, moving through its wide and tall halls without much of a problem.
The inside look was a bit weird. Although it was more than just a base of preservation for marauders, it operates as a seemingly self-encouraging organization. The factory consisted of gardens, chicken coops, and a big-sized marketplace held in the center.
There were other members of the Saviors who serve inside the Sanctuary, such as gardeners, janitors, and also doctors. Was this Earth not equivalent time-wise to his own, or did these humans only progress and lingered according to the distinct apocalypse? Another question Hayden should look into finding an answer to.
It remained filled with even more survivors, and a staggering amount of less, but still possibly armed, men and women workers. Hayden was one amongst many a stranger with real ways to defend himself other than his enhanced attributes and his equally sharp intelligence, in which both humans and zombies would amount to nothing against a 3-meter-tall android.
Right now, it was either dealing with the living or the dead. He had decided way before that dealing with the living was always stationary. They were convenient to reason at a significance, and a lot easier to deceive. Savior members were wandering up, and down the hallways, firearms carried in their hands. Hayden saw the expressions on each face.
Each survivor who stridden near or past where Hayden remained walking, only fewer of them still once again became spooked by his appearance. As the cyborg walked, fewer people of the Sanctuary cowered in fear and stepped away. While Hayden stood straight, and both of his arms behind his back, he could see the awe and fright upon every person's face.
His footsteps were slow and calculated as he walked down the hallway. A singular slit eye wandered toward where the Savior patrollers were taking him. He stayed quiet as he made a couple of thumping sounds beneath the mechanical feet. Seeing those who were close by, Hayden already knew that he would create an abundance of attention after the first step inside the Sanctuary.
The cyborg and his entourage descended deep into another commercial steel double door. It was suitable for humans as if big loads or subjects as big as he is will have trouble getting through. The group quickly arrived at a level that was the marketplace. A dozen people inside there stopped in their tracks, looking over at the most fearsome thing they've ever seen standing above them.
All at once.
Everyone stopped moving.
Hayden bent down and stepped through one-half of the double doors. A few people flinched at Hayden's treads when walking through the crowd. All the humans started parting as he got near them.
"Back to work, people! Nothing to see here." Laura called out, trying to reassure everyone that it's okay.
The cyborg looked at Dean and Derek who were directing him through the parting crowd. Eventually, people looked away to do their same laboring routine as usual, only with a few whispers followed. The group led Hayden upstairs that takes them into another hallway.
Simply put, this hallway was quieter than the other one minutes ago. As Hayden was walking, one of the doors creaked open to reveal a man peeping out to have a look at what was going on. The man had a mullet hairstyle, wearing a long black coat.
From Hayden's point of view, this man looked like a nervous wreck as he was gawking at them. But most excessively at Hayden himself. Sure, the man was different from the others, but he didn't look scary or fierce as the group walked past him.
Hayden turns and gives him a small look. "Greetings..."
The man stood frozen at the tall cyborg, and he didn't know where to put his face. Immediately, he grabs the door by its handle and quickly shuts himself behind the door.
"Did I frighten him?" Hayden asks, looking at Laura who simply groaned.
"That's just Eugene. He's another one of the Alexandria residents we took with us." Laura held her assault rifle, motioning them to continue walking. "Lucky for him, Negan was sure enough to put some discipline into that head of his."
Mark felt a bit uncomfortable, mentioning in his head how Negan disciplines his Savior guards and workers but tries to ignore the feeling. He wasn't the same man right before how his punishment had turned out for him, making him feel more withdrawn from not only most of the Saviors in the facility but also Amber too. If only he could get another chance to see her one more time, but he knew none of that wasn't going to happen.
"Yeah..." Mark muttered a bit, looking off somewhere else while walking.
Hayden's thoughts came into play again.
Just what was Negan's prime motive in this whole operation of some sort?
Laura just raises an eyebrow, "Funny, you don't seem all too scared about this, doc."
"Yeah, you haven't even met the boss yet, and did we mention, he's not the type to bullshit around with," Derek remarked.
To the surprise of the group, Hayden just chuckles and then looks back at her. "How would panic help me right now? In an emergency, the first step one must always do is keep themselves calm. Right now, I have no one to turn to, nowhere to feel secure, or even have any judgment not to believe what you're explaining to me. Besides, if I had given in to what my emotions are telling me, then the answers will just become futile...making things much worse as it is..."
Derek and Laura looked at Hayden as if he was sincerely confident and unfazed to meet a ruthless leader like Negan, in which they all had tough experiences back then. Mark's expression remained unfazed from Hayden's statement seconds ago, doubtful that there is no desirable way to make Negan underestimate anybody in the entire factory here. Even though Hayden didn't show it, Laura could somewhat feel it. He wasn't lying or acting tough like they are. Hayden just kept his pace with them and tried his best to be formal about this.
"Alright, here we are," Dean spoke up as he gestures with his rifle. "The boss should be in this room here."
Laura then looks up at Hayden with a bit of judgment. "You'll probably do fine, but don't try to speak too soon doc."
Dean starts knocking on the door until they heard a voice from the other side.
"Come in!"
the Savior members opened the door before Dean looks back at Hayden, "Wait right here, doc, and don't even think about becoming a runner."
"I can assure you that I'll stay right here, Dean," Hayden replied with a nod, leaving the man to start blinking.
"Umm...good. Wise choice."
The Savior group walked right in and shut the door behind them, and Hayden was left in complete silence. Thankfully for Hayden, he didn't even need to try to push the Saviors to reveal anything about his Earth. They showered him with information of their own volition earlier. If there was one time when he was thankful for a hint of bureaucracy, it was now.
He tried listening to the conversation, but due to the thickness of the door, it was hard to catch what they were saying. Somewhat fortunate, there was suddenly a roar of laughter. From what Hayden has learned, Negan's not only a cocky maniac, but he was said to be a very brilliant yet ruthless leader of this group he has here. There have to be at least 300 members in their gathering, who all serve the community, remaining in the Sanctuary.
That answered at least as many questions as it opened, except this knowledge needs to be determined by Negan, and that is what Hayden plans on finding out next. Before Hayden could process more, the door opens.
Dean and the other Saviors walk out and nod to him. "You can go in now, doc. He's waiting for you."
"Thank you very much for escorting me here, you four," Hayden said politely, giving Mark and Laura one last glance before bending over to fit through the entire room.
Inside the room, there was an extending conference table filled with chairs. Across the room, while sitting on a chair was none other than the man himself.
Negan.
He wore a black leather jacket, his black hair remaining slicked back, and recently had a clean-shaved but only a bit of growth appearing. What caught Hayden's attention was his weapon: a baseball bat wrapped in barbed wire. Emotions and thoughts were running rampant on the robotic android's head at the moment as he was at an impasse on what happens next. That is until Negan presents one of his signature grins.
"Holy-y-y shit, Laura wasn't fucking kidding to me about this!" the leader of the Saviors finally spoke.
After what had been said, Hayden couldn't help but feel...uncomfortable?
The car ride was long and bumpy as the Slayer impatiently waited to arrive at Jadis' hideout. The Alexandria group had driven across different areas. From what they've said to the Slayer about the Scavengers, he had no idea what to expect, except a bunch of low-dwelling humans. All the Slayer knew was that they weren't the most glamorous or beloved group to deal with in their perspectives.
It was a safe stronghold, or so the Slayer had heard.
The first time Rick and his group met the Scavengers, they had been antagonized. They were a quiet and somewhat relatively harmless community. From what Rick had told the Slayer, Jadis was refusing to help him fight the Saviors. She even forced him against a zombie with spikes, which Rick naturally annihilates. But when he had uncovered some supplies that Jadis and her crew badly want, they strike an ominous deal to exchange goods for assistance against the Saviors.
They wanted guns...
...lots and lots of guns.
But the Slayer knew neither Alexandria nor these weird cultist people aren't having any of his weapons. With nothing else to think about, the Slayer starts to think about Alexandria. Rick seemed like the kind that cares deeply about his family, especially everyone back in Alexandria. That samurai woman, Michonne, was always on Rick's side throughout the entire point of view of what life throws at them both.
The Slayer became a little relieved that things didn't go south, but he didn't think Rick would be so passive about taking him into his assembly. The people he got introduced to so unfriendly before were not much that the Slayer cared about, no matter what threats or frowns they would strike at him.
VEGA hasn't scoped any Argent Energy sources within this world, so how long could it take before Rick realizes something about the Slayer? Sure, his weapons and Praetor Suit are unlike anything they've ever seen before. But the Slayer didn't give two shits what they think about what he's been through to gather his guns up and send those demons to the ground.
How far was the Slayer working on going through this as if this dimension was becoming his new world? After the Slayer weighed the various pros and cons of these human survivors, his eyes slowly began to shut as he gave in to the darkness of his slumber.
Passing the basic training and being assigned to a unit that I served with for a whole year was tempting, though my career in the Marines wasn't going to last long from the act I pulled. Since refusing to fire on a crowd of unarmed people, I became dishonorably discharged after assaulting my commanding officer. I tried to reason with the son of a bitch, and when I couldn't do it, I just socked him hard enough to knock him out cold. He even attempted to enforce his rank and make me comply with his every order like the slimy bitch that he lived to be.
The consequences were swift in my boots.
As further punishment for striking a superior officer, I had gotten transferred to the UAC Phobos station as security to their scientific facilities. There were so many memories flooding into my mind from the day I was about to encounter first-hand horrors beyond comprehension. The first two months were uneventful on Mars' largest moon. From trudging down the same corridors to keeping a watchful eye on the researchers and other staff who worked in the various institutions of the UAC.
Until one day, it happened.
Throughout the Phobos facilities, alarms blared, and all security had gotten mobilized, but none of them became prepared for what was waiting for them. Just as I predicted, the UAC constructions were flooded by demons from Hell itself. The business had been increasingly using the same portals as they spread like a plague, destroying all and everyone in their way.
It was as if the world had broken open, and insanity had flooded in like a fatal wound gushing out blood. All around me, my comrades had been mercilessly murdered by monsters that, hours ago, they would not have considered possible.
It couldn't be a reality, but it was.
I watched the people I interacted with and heard about perish all around me over the last couple of months, many being turned into ghastly monsters of what they had once been, turned against the ones they were supposed to defend.
I was alone before I knew it.
I stood against a demonic invasion force set to wipe out all of humanity. The full weight of my condition fell on me at that moment. I could not deny the truth, no matter how much I tried to think otherwise or attempted to bury my growing fears. I didn't have long to come to grips with this overwhelming truth as Hell's forces surrounded me and were preparing to attack Earth.
And I was the only one that stood between them and my home.
Despite the overwhelming odds and the possibility that I could die, I grabbed every weapon and all the ammo I could and prepared for battle. With the violence and savagery that their kind was notorious for, every beast came at me. But I didn't give an inch to either one of those demons, and I battled for every ounce of willpower that I had. It had been a never-ending barrage of carnage and death for what felt like days.
As I left a trail of dead demons and shell casings from each facility across Phobos and Hell itself, I must have emptied several armories. Almost being killed several times, but managing to pull off a miracle to fight on at the last moment. Finally, after the Spider Demon had gotten put down and the invasion stopped, I stumbled towards the nearest spaceport and took a trip back to Earth. While covered in dried blood and my armor in tatters, I was sore all over, revealing an array of scars on my body.
During the journey, I vaguely recall falling asleep, and the next thing I knew was that I was waking up to my ship crash landing on Earth. After I struggled against Hell's powers, confused and still exhausted, I stepped out and got a good look at the home I had left behind months before.
I became reminded straight away that the war was far from over.
Hell had come to Earth.
I barely had time to take a break until I returned to fighting, killing anything that got in my way. During the time I was battling on Phobos, the forces of Hell seized everything on Earth. To my horror, I found my home in complete ruins. The bodies of innocence, like many others in my childhood neighborhood, burned to husks. Daisy had not been saved from the catastrophe, either. It was a hard blow that had caused something inside me to crack. And the anger that I had held back at Phobos in check had started to unleash itself.
I plunged myself headfirst into the battle as the remaining citizens of Earth sought to regroup and formulate how to strike back. As I tore a pathway to the heart of the invasion to rip it out, I slaughtered everything.
While I fought with absolute defiance, death became a relentless associate. I ended up using Hell's resources against them, even in the moments when fatigue threatened to overwhelm me. Giving me temporary strength boosts to keep me moving to the point where I felt my humanity had become lost along the way. There were more monsters, some gigantic and more powerful but all recognizable from my previous lifestyle, who tried their best to conquer me.
No end was in sight for me until I found myself in the presence of the intrusion catalyst.
The ultimate demon that I've ever had to face.
The Icon of Sin.
I assaulted the titan-sized hellspawn with everything I could as it summoned thousands upon thousands of monsters to preserve itself. It came to be a seemingly endless battle by far. It withered away after shooting it in the head for a handful of hours with my rocket launcher. Along with it, all the abnormalities it had brought to Earth got dragged back to the pits they had already crawled out from previously.
I fell to the ground until I was confident it was all finally over and gazed at the glistening fragments of the Icon. That way, hours later, a squad of Marines found me, just glaring at the charred corpse with so much intensity and stillness.
I was finally led straight to the nearest residential spot after a few minutes of counseling, where I would become greeted with a standing ovation from both civilians as well as the military. Some couldn't believe that someone like me had fought Hell in my 20's and prevailed in the means of doing so, saving the Earth overall. But I stood among the survivors there, becoming championed as some symbol of humankind.
I became issued a long list of medals and awards for heroism against Hell's armies by the Earth Government and the surviving members of the armed forces. There were people around the world that celebrated. I saw many women wanting a piece of me in every form or shape, and even the UAC wanted me to become their company's poster boy.
But I just wanted to be left alone.
I ended up losing another differently after losing one life. I was alive this time, enduring the loss of Daisy, my friends, and my comrades. I had changed so profoundly, in addition to the endless war and bloodshed, that I wondered if something of the old me remains.
Searching for more survivors and burying the dead took months before life started to simmer down. After the clean-up started, everyone gathered up the pieces and began to rebuild their lives. But it would've been several years before things were even remotely sane for the citizens of Earth again.
Where I could, I helped, mostly mopping up any demons left behind when the Icon of Sin collapsed. I went into seclusion after that to come to terms with the path my new life had taken and prepared myself for the day when things would start over, and maybe Hell would return once more.
Several years later, following Hell's intrusion, the world was only repairing itself. As they used their considerable resources to benefit the citizens of the Earth, the UAC also became a support to them.
I stayed in my self-imposed exile as far as I was concerned and kept my abilities sharp, waiting for the day when they all needed me again. That moment came a couple of weeks later, by the time I turned 27-years-old when a handful of generals came to my home and informed me of a UAC space station circumstance that I was the only one expected to solve.
Knowing what was waiting for me, I snagged my weapons and armor and shipped myself off as soon as I could.
The moment I arrived at the UAC station, I got surrounded by different types of demons. Stronger and more aggressive than I first fought them the last time. But over the last couple of years, I've been planning for this, and I've made sure they got the special treatment. The conflict around the station brought me back to the depths of Hell. Of course, I had a strong feeling that I would be remembered by the demons from their failed invasion of Earth, considering all the stops becoming pulled out to make sure I never left in one piece.
I met and fought against a creature, unlike anything I had ever encountered before by the time I made my way to the center of the new invasion. One that I called the Mother of all Demons. I knew I had to put her down for me to finish Hell once more, using almost every round that I had. I managed to find a portal that would take me back to Earth, just as the Mother Demon had soon gotten killed by the likes of me.
I decided against it, however.
Unless someone endured there to stop each one of them, Hell would continue to try to take Earth, and with little left for me back home, I decided to stay behind to ensure that another attack never occurred. I reloaded the remaining weapons I had after closing the portal and made my way into the pits of Hell. In my mind, anger ignited as I sought to destroy the last demon there was.
Or die trying it.
*BUMP*
The Unchained Predator woke up in an alarming jolt, almost hurled a good six inches from his position when the van hit a rather deep crease in the road. The Slayer's senses met nothing but the continuous sound of the large van from where he remained. With his combat shotgun aiming around the inside of the van for any demons, the Slayer still felt a quiet gasp escape his mouth, causing Michonne's gaze to flick towards him in response.
"Hey," Michonne called, her words acting a bit concerned yet firm to the Slayer's ears, "What are you doing?"
The Slayer frowned about how sleep was precious for his own sake, knowing the full details of never getting eight hours of it anyhow. Even four hours is a rarity.
"You okay back there?" Rick asked this time.
When the Slayer noticed both Michonne and Rick checking on him upfront, he descended his combat shotgun to wave a gesture that he was okay. The couple had their eyes narrowed, raising an eyebrow at the Slayer silently.
"You sure?" Rick asked, receiving a single nod from the Slayer.
Rick and Michonne looked at each other, uncertain if the Slayer was telling the truth or not. Michonne had just seen the Slayer with his weapon aiming at the other side of the van seconds ago before he acted normal now. So they decided to leave it for now until they arrive where Jadis lives, resuming their focus on the road.
All the Slayer could ever receive are short naps. But all of this felt different since it's dangerous for the Slayer to sleep in the pits of Hell Plus, the fact that demons didn't need rest. The Slayer immediately slammed his eyes shut when he finally took notice of his surroundings.
With glacial slowness, the Slayer carefully opened his eyes once again, peering down at his thrumming hands for succumbing to the dream. The Slayer was fully aware that he could be more than willing to stay awake for days at a time if that's what it takes to save humanity. The Slayer knows he can not be at his peak when he's tired, which is why he makes it a priority to get sleep when conditions permit.
The Slayer soon noticed that both vehicles stopped outside the destination where the group needed to be. Quickly enough, Rick gets out of the large van, followed by Michonne. The others, Tara, Rosita, and Gabriel from their car, got out altogether. The Slayer shooed away any distinctive thoughts that he had for now but still wasn't going to forget every detail. Thankfully, the Slayer got to keep the guns with him at all times, handling his Combat Shotgun before both the backdoors of the large van opened. His eyes scrolled over, and grimaced, regarding how Rosita scowled at the Slayer inconspicuously.
"Hey! Are you just going to sit there and play dumb, or are you getting out?" Rosita said rudely, eyeing the Slayer up and down.
The Slayer only stared at Rosita in response, dry and tired of looking at her unpleasant frown. He could always trace a sign of distrust from this woman, and that's one thing to annoy the Slayer in this group. But it's not like he's after one-on-one conversations with anyone else, per se.
No heart to hearts either. Everything that would or could become talked about are orders and battle strategies that the Slayer doesn't tend to give any time of need. The Slayer blinked back at her with his same old silent treatment.
Rosita snorted at the Slayer's lack of response, shaking her head in a snarky manner, "Still being quiet, eh? That's fine. I wouldn't get comfortable if I were you."
When a reply didn't come, Rosita could only turn away in her thoughts, "Even if this guy has 'taken down' a herd by himself, he better not do anything stupid while we're here."
"He's getting out, Rosita," Rick commented, with him and her stepping away to let the Slayer step out.
Just as the Slayer got out from the van's backdoors, ignoring the same dirty looks from Tara and Rosita, his eyes observed up and frowned. The junkyard was where Jadis and all the Scavengers lived, and the Slayer remained more glad enough for any foul smell to not squeeze through his Praetor Suit. He shook his head at the thought before looking over at Rick to present a confused shrug to him and pointed at the area.
"That's where Jadis and her people live. You'd be surprised at how they can live in such a dump." Rick answers the Slayer but then stared at him for a moment, "I don't know why you were pointing your gun inside the van, but don't do that again."
The Slayer grimaced in silence, keeping his combat shotgun at bay as he handled it cautiously. Quickly glancing at the junkyard itself entirely and shifting to march past Rick, the Slayer signified to everyone that he was ready for anything. Tara and Rosita had been noticing this behavior of the Slayer again, as well as Gabriel. But the priest looked like he was more concerned about the Scavengers than the Slayer being here. The Slayer managed to make himself feel unaffected by any Earth survivors spying on him, watching as he marched over to where Rick led everyone over towards the entrance.
"Listen closely," Rick advises the Slayer, "The whole arrangement is just going to take a moment, so bear with me. And try not to bother anyone else, okay."
The Slayer still didn't reply this time, making both Tara and Rosita behind stare sharply.
"He's been acting creepy ever since he arrived back in Alexandria. I just thought his armor looked cool and all before he was going to go apeshit on us. I don't even know what that guy's deal is, do you?" Tara whispered to Rosita, who only gave her the same look as before.
"I don't know what Rick sees in that guy either, but let's keep it together, Tara," Rosita said, a little annoyed at the Slayer's lack of curiosity. "Just because he's helping us doesn't mean we're trusting him instantly. Besides, we just got to give these garbage people their half, and then we're good."
"Yeah, speaking of weapons, didn't you see all the stuff that he had with him? Rick and Michonne weren't kidding about the chainsaw earlier too!" Tara turned to Rosita, overwhelmed. "Something's up with that dude."
"I know that," Rosita uttered, disgruntled, "Rick's not going to change his mind at some things, but that guy scares me."
Watching as Rick bangs on the main entrance door, it slowly begins to open. There, the Slayer saw two Earth survivors who had come out. A male and female Scavenger holding combat weapons. The male Scavenger, Griff, looks at them up and down before noticing the Slayer of all people. The marine could've sworn he'd seen the man's eyes widen before looking away in fear, observing Michonne, who opens the trunk to reveal the different guns and weapons.
Rick gestures to the open trunk, showing each weapon. "We have weapons for you. We got what you all want."
The pair looked at each other before Griff walks back inside while the woman, Farron, stayed put. Though, Farron was feeling this terrifying atmosphere somewhere. Her eyes then landed on the Slayer. Only this time, it is causing her to feel uneasy about his presence.
The Slayer's eyes glowed a dangerous white hue for a moment, thrumming and burning with determination. They were exuding pure killing intention, up to the point of paralyzing Farron with slight terror. Nobody would become able to overcome the toxic aura that the Slayer bestowed.
With a killing intent so vast, backed by decades of slaughter and destruction, even the ruthless and fearless demonic entities found themselves paralyzed with helpless horror when under the gaze of the most fearsome soldier they have ever witnessed. The Slayer's inducement allowed near fear within Farron as she inadvisedly dropped the weapon she carried, having everyone's attention onto her. Rick couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at this strange behavior, in addition to his group doing the same thing.
Seconds later, Griff comes back out with a single nod, only to look weirdly at the female Scavenger who was picking up her combat weapon once more. Griff murmurs to Farron if the Alexandria group had done something harmful, but the woman's gaze was visibly trembling with growing fear to speak as the man's widened eyes became glued upon the Slayer. Michonne then closes the trunk and gets back in the vehicle. Griff and Farron walk into their hideaway, though the female Scavenger still felt frightened by the Slayer that even Griff seemed so as well.
Rick turns to his companions, including the Slayer. "Alright, let's go in."
The Slayer grunted positively before looking at Gabriel with a shrug.
The priest glances at the Slayer with a nervous smile, "You'll find these people to be... umm, interesting."
"That's one way of putting it," Tara commented.
"Let's just get this over and done with," Rosita said as she follows Rick, with Tara and Father Gabriel following behind.
As always, the Slayer seemed unperturbed by this and just nodded in thought. What's a couple of humans going to do against the destroyer of demons? It's not like it matters, honestly. The Slayer has always gone to places that he doesn't know or have much information about at all. That's why he had VEGA on his side this time.
The Slayer heard the vehicle driving from behind him. He decided to pick up the pace. Though, the Slayer didn't care about making Michonne impatient. As the group stepped foot inside the hideout, the Slayer didn't become overwhelmed by the disgusting view. Surrounding the Slayer was all kinds of junk, trash, things that used to be usable. And finally, people. So many people that there must've been over a hundred. All manner of bland smugness left a few Scavengers' being and got quickly replaced by confusion at that very moment when the Slayer arrived.
And though the Scavengers couldn't see the Slayer's face through the helmet visor, they knew it wasn't the face of fear. It was a hint of mild inconvenience. The Slayer made his way through, causing a few members to cower in fear, and stepped away. The Scavengers could strangely detect the faint aura of hostility coming from him. The Slayer also noticed that some paid more attention to him than to the Alexandria group, even though they were here to exchange firearms, the one weapon these guys don't have.
These guys meant no harm to the Slayer yet. But where was their leader? The Slayer's head tilted as he heard Rick talking to the leader of the Scavengers. He couldn't get a good look due to Rick and Michonne, who had just parked up and are now talking to her. Michonne then joined up with the others as another woman was now in the Slayer's view. It must be Jadis, then. She wore a long black coat with black gloves, and her hair, quite frankly, looked fucking stupid.
A/N: [And...DONE! There you are, guys! Another chapter! We've got Hayden finally arriving at the Sanctuary to meet the ruthless, charismatic man with a plan, Negan. And upon meeting some Savior members there, they are receiving some shock after witnessing a ten-foot-tall robot barging through the doorway. It's been so long since the Slayer was in his forever box. And now, he's starting to remember his past life as a UAC Marine. Though, you're all probably wondering how things will go down with Rick and Jadis and with the Slayer involved. Plus, Rick's crew will have to deal with the different habits of the Slayer due to his visions. That'll be coming up real soon. See you next time.]