Disclaimer: I do not own TWD or any of the characters besides the OC character that I have placed in my story. This is simply my playgroud, which I am immensely grateful to be allowed to play in.
Lucia surveyed the loading docks as Saviors began to stream in, loading up and checking supplies. They would be rolling out soon and getting this run started. It hadn't snowed more during the night and what was on the ground was fairly thin, so she wasn't too worried about the journey there.
She waved Arat over so that she could double check something. "Hey Arat, I need you in charge of making sure everyone is well equipped with weapons and ammo. I don't want to be taking any chances here. Make sure that you keep a detailed list of the shit we're taking from the armory. I don't want Silvia coming after me and telling me that I fucked up the inventory of her armory. I watched Simon fuck that one up, once, last thing I need is for her to be pissed at me, too."
Arat chuckled, remembering when the tiny woman had lost it on Negan's number two. She was a tiny little thing, but damn, she had spirit. There was a reason why she was in charge of the armory. Everything that went in and out of their store went through her first. Surprisingly, Sylvie had extensive military training, so weaponry was her forte.
"You got it, boss lady. I'll make sure it's all good before we head out. I don't want Sylvie screaming at us once we get back. What are you packin', today? I'll make sure to mark you down too."
"I've got my knife and two glocks with four ammo refills in my pockets. I figured that would be enough. Oh, and a knife in my boot, too."
Arat nodded before recording what the blonde Savior had told her. "I'll record and distribute, then we should be outta here pretty quick. We're taking that moving van and the three Jeeps, right?"
Lucia nodded, looking past Arat, distracted by something. She patted the woman on the shoulder before walking away, towards someone that should not be in the loading docks.
Davy was leaning against some of the supplies, smirking. "Well if it isn't the boss' newest whore. So how many times did you have to fuck him before he said that he'd let you lead a run?"
She stiffened up at his words, her eyes ice cold as the bore into him. "Davy, you're not on this run, so get the fuck out and do whatever the hell you're actually supposed to be doing right now. I don't have time for your shit."
"What are you gonna do, call Daddy to come rescue you? What'll it cost ya, a blowie?" he sneered. "It should be me running this show, not the fuck of the week."
With that, Lucia had enough. She turned, punching Davy square in the nose, feeling that satisfying crunch of something breaking under her fist. Before she knew it, he had swung right back at her, flooring her with a sound hit to the cheek bone. She was up again, refusing to allow him to gain the upper hand. She grabbed one of her glocks, pistol whipping him on the side of the head, shutting this down as soon as it began.
"I'm done with this shit, Davy. Go get your ass wherever it's actually supposed to be. You're not on this run, so you're no use to me. That's a goddamn order from your fucking superior!"
Davy opened his mouth to reply, but then shut it, getting down on his knees, his eyes wide with trepidation. Lucia knew who was standing behind her, there was only one person that inspired that reaction, Negan.
The blonde Savior put her hands above her head, still holding the gun, as she turned around and sank to her knees in a sign of respect for her leader. She looked up at his displeased face, nervous about his reaction. He motioned for her to rise, so she complied, still remaining silent.
"Now what the everloving fuck do we have here? The hell are you doing at the loading bay, Davy? Last time I checked I had you on fuckin' guard duty until further notice. Is there any reason that you're here besides stirin' up trouble?"
Davy remained silent, unwilling to argue with the man holding a barbed baseball bat.
"If I were to wager a fuckin' guess, you were tryin' to piss off Luce, here, who happens to be your fucking superior. I watched her tell you to stand down, which you didn't. I'm bettin' that you also had a word or two for her. What did ya do, Davy? Did you call her a whore? Said that she only is where she is because she fuckin' slept her way to the top?"
Davy nodded slightly, confirming Negan's suspicions.
"That's what I fuckin' thought. Sorry to burst your bubble, but she would be right where she is whether or not she and I fuck once in a while. Time and time again, she has proven to me that I made the correct choice with her. She works goddamn hard and does what she needs to do. She's in charge of this run because she fuckin' earned it. You on the other hand, haven't earned shit. You shift blame, you steal, and you take credit for shit that isn't even your doing. You've earned nothing so why the fuck would I put you in charge of a run? The correct answer to that fuckin' question is that I wouldn't. So I want you to think long and goddamn hard about what your next move is gonna be, Davy. I also want you to consider how you talk to not only your superiors, but to fuckin' ladies as well. The world may have gone to shit, but this is my place, my show, and I'm in goddamn charge. I say that you fuckin' figure out how to respect women. If you talk to her like that again, I give Lucia permission to do more than pistol whip ya. Now, I'm gonna give you a few nights in the cells so that you can think about how you're gonna proceed from here and then you're on the graveyard shift at the front gates until further notice. Someone fuckin' get this piece of shit outta my sight, fucking now!" Negan roared.
Two Saviors walked up to Davy, grabbing him under the arms, dragging him back into the building. The boss smiled, before yelling for everyone to get back to work.
Lucia stood by, watching this encounter. She stood tall, refusing to look anyone in the eye, her gaze cold as she watched her leader dole out punishment. She only moved when he gestured for her to come to him.
The Savior studied her face for a moment, before reaching out and grabbing her chin to tilt her face. He examined the bruise forming on her cheekbone, violet standing out against the paleness of her skin. He let out a low whistle as his fingers gently skimmed over the injury. He could tell that it was painful, and yet she made no move to show her pain.
"Well, Luce, I'm gonna go ahead and say that I think he fuckin' broke your face. You should double check that with Dr. Carson when you get back, though, and see if he has anything that he can give you for the pain."
Lucia shook her head, "It's fine, I've had worse."
His face darkened in annoyance at her response, "I didn't fuckin' say that you haven't had worse. I said that you need to go check in with the doc when you get back. That was not a goddamn request, Lucia. Do you understand me?"
She nodded, not willing to start a fight with the head Savior himself. "Understood, Boss."
Negan's eyes softened, he wasn't in the mood to fight. "Looks like you're all good to go. I'll see you when you get back. Be careful out there, we clear?"
She nodded once more, smiling at the man that clearly cared about her wellbeing. "Get the medical shit and get out, we're clear. I'll be back by sundown, if not sooner."
He threw her a cocky grin before pressing a quick kiss onto her forehead. "See you then, Luce. Move your ass, get your guys out."
Lucia turned around, whistling sharply to get everyone's attention. "We're good to go, let's roll out. Faster we leave, faster we get back, let's go!"
Fifteen or so Saviors finished their work and loaded up into the waiting trucks. The blonde Savior threw a wave at Negan before hopping into the first Jeep in the convoy and yelling, "Roll it out, Simon!"
The ride to the outpatient center was pretty uneventful. They only had to stop twice to get debris out of the road, but it only took five minutes or so each time and the debris was minimal. Simon was blaring some rock and roll CD and Lucia had her feet propped up on the dash so that she could feel the vibrations. Her head bopped along with the beat.
Simon looked over at the woman sitting next to him, curiously, poking her to get her attention. "You're Deaf, right?"
She nodded, tilting her head questioningly.
"So how are you rockin' out to this music? I see you boppin' that head of yours," Simon chuckled.
"Can't hear the music, Si, but I can sure feel it. That's why my legs are up on the dash."
He nodded, stroking his mustache. "That's cool, glad you can still enjoy it, especially since this CD is the shit!"
She grinned, shaking her head as Simon went back to singing along with the music.
They arrived at the outpatient center fairly quickly after that. There were a few walkers making their way through the streets, but not enough to cause worry. Thankfully, this place wasn't too far into a city, so there were less dead to demand their attention. The Saviors filed out of the trucks, awaiting Lucia's instructions.
"Okay, so there are two exits to this building: one in the front and the other in the back. I want two of you to each one, the last thing that we need is any interruptions. Keep an eye out for the dead. If they come too close, take care of them and do not under any circumstances use your guns unless absolutely necessary. I don't want to call attention to a horde or anything with the sound. We stay quiet, grab the shit that we need, and get out. Arat and I are focused on a list that the doc gave us, everyone else take whatever you can that will be useful. This place hasn't been cleared out yet, which is why no one has looted it yet. From my estimation, there are probably twenty or so of the dead in there, maybe more. Keep an eye out, clear the area, everyone pair up so that we don't lose anyone. Any questions?"
The Saviors around her shook their heads, all of this had been discussed earlier, so questions had been answered then.
"Okay, then let's roll the fuck out and get what we need!"
She nodded to Simon who busted the door open and signaled to another Savior to do the same on the back door. They filed in silently, closing the door behind them. Simon started making noise to stir up any of the dead that may be in there. They would rather have a heads up from the groaning than walk in completely blind.
Arat stood with Lucia, watching everything unfold. As the Saviors cleared each room, the two of them went through to see if they could find things on the list. The dead were taken care of fairly easily, there were quite a few in the building, but they were so spread out that the Saviors could make quick work of them. After 45 minutes or so, Simon came back to report that each room had been cleared of the dead.
That's when the Saviors began to pack everything up and load them into the moving truck and Jeeps in earnest. Lucia let a grin crack out at Arat as they checked the last thing off the list that Dr. Carson had left for them. This run would provide for the Sanctuary and provide medical care for the few hundred that resided there.
Arat turned to Lucia, waving to get her attention. "I'm gonna wheel this ultrasound unit to the truck and see how much I can grab as far as add ons go. I know this thing needs the gel, paper, and all that crap. I'm just gonna load what I can and see what Dr. Carson can do with all of it. Simon also mentioned that he saw a portable x-ray unit a few rooms down. Should we go ahead and take that, too?"
Lucia nodded at the suggestion, thinking how excited the doc would be to have all this stuff in the infirmary. It would make all of their lives a little better. "Yeah, go ahead and get that stuff going. I'm gonna sort through a few rooms, see if there's anything important. Check back with me when you're done."
The blonde Savior looked around, emptying what she could find and packing it all in boxes to be taken to the Sanctuary. She cleared out three rooms before coming to a door labeled supply closet that was firmly shut. She frowned, wondering why the door wasn't open. After each room was cleared, she had instructed her men to keep the doors open. Maybe they had simply forgotten on this one. She made a note to talk to whoever cleared this hallways about it once everything was packed and ready to go.
She opened the door, looking around. The room seemed to have been cleared of the dead, she didn't see anything moving in there. The room was oddly shaped, almost like the letter L. It was dim, there were no windows in here and the electricity was long gone. It was full of things that she knew the Sanctuary would need, though. Lucia sorted through the bins grabbing everything that she thought they might need. There were boxes of sterile scalpels of all shapes and sizes, suture kits, gauze...she grinned like a kid in a candy store. She was glad that her first run had been medical, she hadn't told anyone but she had been a professor at a nursing school before the world ended. A place like this at the end of the world was a goldmine, one in a million.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw something move. Assuming that it was one of her fellow Saviors, she turned around to ask if anyone had located the pharmacy yet, when she was met by one of the dead. She groaned internally, apparently this room hadn't been cleared after all. Lucia made quick work of the walker, stabbing it through the eye. As she pulled the knife out of the dead, something else moved in her peripheral vision. What she had assumed to be one more of the dead turned out to be three more.
The first lunged at her, grabbing out to attempt to get a hold of her. She swiped her knife forward, but missing it's face. The second snapped precariously close to her face, too close for Lucia's comfort. She shoved it away, trying to get her bearings. She backed up, thinking distance would help her, but she had forgotten about the dead that she had dispatched on the floor. Before she knew it, she had lost her balance from tripping over the corpse. She fell into one of the metal shelving units and sank to the floor.
This was getting too drawn out for Lucia's taste. She could feel blood dripping down her face from where she had smacked into the damn metal shelf. It was time to use her gun. She pulled one of the guns out of the holster and fired three shots in succession, hitting each of the dead straight in the skull. One by one, they dropped, becoming the corpses that they should have originally been if the world hadn't changed.
She got up, groaning. Fucking dead and their need to consume the living. She should have done a sweep of the room before she had set her sights on the supplies. She knew better than that. You trust what you fucking see. What she had seen was a closed door in a hallway full of open doors leading to rooms that had been cleared. Closed equaled not cleared. Don't trust that someone else has already done something, do it for yourself instead. She looked over her shoulder to see two Saviors standing with their guns up and mouths open. They must have heard the gunshots and come running.
"I had a few surprises behind door number four," Lucia mumbled. "When I say fucking clear every room, I mean fuckin clear every room. Got it?"
Both Saviors nodded, not wanting to annoy the woman more than she already was.
"Get everything in that room and load it up. We've gotta get moving here soon. I'm going to the trucks."
When Simon saw the blonde Savior with her face covered in blood, he paled ever so slightly. "Jesus Christ, Luce! The fuck happened to you?"
"Let's just say I made four unexpected new friends in a supply closet."
"A supply closet huh? Kinky," Simon joked.
Lucia rolled her eyes, punching him in the arm. "Yeah, yeah, whatever you say, jackass."
One of the Saviors posted at the front door ran into view as the two of them chuckled. She looked at the man, inquisitively, waiting for him to tell them what was wrong.
"There's a horde coming down the street."
Simon turned to the Savior in charge, waiting for her response. "This is your show, what do you wanna do?"
She took a moment to consider their options before making a decision. "Move the vehicles to the back entrance, load everything that you can in the next five minutes, and then let's head out. I want to get ahead of the horde if we can. We can always come back at a different date if we need to."
The woman looked at Simon inquisitively, silently asking if her decision was correct. He nodded before turning to the other Savior, "You heard the boss lady, let's load 'em the fuck up and get moving."
Within five minutes, all the necessary goods were loaded onto the moving truck and into the Jeeps. The horde was ambling closer, but still far enough away that Lucia wasn't worried quite yet. She did a count of her people before hopping in the front Jeep and getting everyone to mobilize.
The return journey was just as uneventful. Lucia sat in the front of a Jeep with Simon again, but this time she wasn't enjoying the music. She was busy pressing gauze to the gashes on her face which were still bleeding profusely. She supposed that they must be a bit deeper than she originally thought. She would just stitch herself back up when they reached the Sanctuary.
The gates of the Sanctuary were a welcome sight, even with the living dead chained to them. It was quite a sight, the dead attached to the walls. It allowed them to reside unnoticed by the roaming dead and it deterred the living. There were practical purposes for them, but they still revolted Lucia. Not that she would ever tell anyone that, though.
Negan stood outside with other Saviors to greet the convoy and assist with unloading the treasure trove of supplies that they brought back. He was pleased to see that they were back before sundown and hopefully with some good loot to boot. He waited, not giving any orders, for he wanted to see how Lucia would go about getting the supplies unloaded, sent where they needed to go, and catalogued.
The blonde woman jumped out of the leading Jeep and started giving orders as soon as her feet touched the ground. "Okay, unload the supplies and get the medical stuff to the infirmary. Simon, I want you to stick with it and make a complete inventory list of what we brought back today with the doc. I'll make another copy of it tonight so that Negan can see what we have and then we can add it to our records. Be sure to have Dr. Carson catalogue the meds extensively, I want to know what we have and what we still need.
"Arat, you're in charge of the food related supplies that we found. I need a complete count of all those, too. It shouldn't take too long since most of this stuff is medical supplies. Then make sure that all the weaponry that isn't personally owned is back in the armory. I don't want Sylvie getting pissed because we're missing a gun in the armory or some shit. I'll be back to make sure everything's good, but I've gotta clean up my face. Any questions?"
Simon smiled and shot Lucia a thumbs up and Arat nodded her consent.
"Let's go guys!" Lucia hollored. "The faster we get this shit taken care of the faster you can eat, sleep, fuck, or whatever the hell you're planning on doing this evening."
The Saviors all got to work immediately, wanting to get on with their free time.
Negan grinned at the sheer amount of supplies that they had brought back from this run. This looked like Dr. Carson's wet fucking dream. So many medical supplies, even a few machines had made their way back to the Sanctuary. As far as the infirmary went, they'd be sittin' pretty for at least a year, probably much more.
His grin faded when he saw the blonde Savior walking towards him. Her face was bloody with what looked like two gashes on her face. It could be more, but with all that blood he couldn't be sure. She walked towards him calmly, as if the actively bleeding wounds on her face weren't bothering her. Negan opened his mouth to ask her what happened, but she simply put her hand up, effectively silencing him.
"We' talk about this once I go get cleaned up."
"You're goin' to Dr. Carson, right? Cause those gashes sure look fuckin' nasty."
Lucia shook her head, "He'll be busy with inventory, I can take care of this myself." Her statement left no room for discussion as she pushed by her leader. Negan opened his mouth to reply but was distracted by another Savior calling his name. He looked back to the blonde woman, but she had disappeared.
Author's Note: Uh-oh Lucia has gotten herself beaten up a little bit. There's so much more in store for this story, I can't wait to share more. Ideally, I'll be posting once a week, maybe twice if I have time. Realistically, it'll probably be more like once a week right now since I'm busy with work and also nannying for my three nieces. It all depends upon my days off and stuff. Please leave me a review or a DM letting me know what you think. It's always fun hearing from you guys and it helps me get a sense of how you guys are feeling about the story. Thank you so much for reading, I appreciate you! Thanks to Nicole, Faora, and CaseyBrawner for the reviews, they're immensely appreciated! -xo Kat