The Governor drove up to the gates of Woodbury as Michonne contemplated her next move. She would need to get her hands on another weapon before he locked her away, leaving her helpless and without defense.
The gates slid open and the Governor drove into town. As they passed, Michonne locked eyes with the man standing on guard.
Tyrese? The two had met briefly before Rick booted Tyrese and his group from the prison in an unprovoked fit of rage; she suspected visions of his dead wife were most likely to blame for Rick's episode. Michonne had immediately connected with Tyrese and his sister, Sasha, and imagined they could have been good friends even before the apocalypse.
Why is he here with the Governor? Is Sasha here too? Michonne and Tyrese nodded to each other as the truck passed by. She found it hard to believe that he and Sasha would remain at Woodbury, knowing the Governor had just attacked the prison. Maybe they held a grudge against Rick for giving them the boot, but they really hadn't seemed like the vindictive type.
"Home sweet home," the Governor said, parking the truck. He turned in his seat, glancing at the rope tied around her ankles. "Shall we take that off now or will you try to make a run for it?" The Governor had been quick to bind her wrists and ankles with rope before driving away from the prison.
"Not something you have to worry about," Michonne said. "But I can't promise not to kill you the first chance I get."
The Governor chuckled. "I'd be disappointed if you didn't. I'm looking forward to taming that beast inside of you, Michonne. There can only be one alpha in this pack."
"You're right about that," Michonne said, flashing her teeth in a menacing smile.
"If this is your idea of foreplay, you're pushing all the right buttons," the Governor said, bending down to undo the rope around her ankles.
Michonne had the urge to bring her fists down hard on the top of his head. Who are you, Rambo? While her biceps were strong, her triceps had never been very impressive. She doubted she had the strength to render him unconscious with one blow.
"You're a free woman," the Governor said, straightening up. The rope lay on the floor of the cab near her feet. He stopped inches in front of her face. "How about a thank you kiss?"
The feel of his warm breath against her mouth turned Michonne's stomach. "Sure, if you don't mind losing your tongue."
"We'll save that little bit of action for later. Get out of the truck." The Governor opened the driver's side door and hopped out. A group of people from his small army immediately approached. Michonne opened the door and slid out carefully, her wrists still bound.
Michonne joined him on the other side of the truck to better hear the conversation, which was quickly escalating into an argument.
"You told us the people at the prison were a threat, not that your girlfriend was hiding out there! We lost five good men for no reason!" said a balding man holding a semi-automatic pistol.
"Holster your weapon, Mitch. Then we can talk," the Governor said, his voice as smooth as a cyanide-laced milkshake.
"You think you can make us fight your little personal wars? You better think-" The Governor put a bullet in Mitch's forehead before he could finish his threat. A woman in the crowd screamed.
"Anyone else have anything to add?" the Governor asked, looking around the small crowd. He held his pistol at his side.
A harried woman pushed her way to the front of the group. "You son of a bitch!" she yelled, making her way for the Governor. He lifted his pistol, aiming it at her head.
Having recovered from the initial shock of the Governor brutally killing an innocent man, Michonne jetted into protection mode. She jumped on the Governor from behind, wrapping her legs tightly around his waist and locking her ankles. She wrapped her right arm clear around his head, obscuring his view.
"Run!" she shouted at the crowd. They scattered like bees, including the woman whose life she had just saved, all heading in various directions.
"Michonne," the Governor said with a growl. He grabbed her ankles, attempting to dislodge them.
Michonne locked both arms around his neck and squeezed. "This ends today," she said. She squeezed as hard as she could, causing the Governor to struggle for air.
"You got that right, bitch," Andrea said from behind, seconds before a heavy object connected with the back of Michonne's skull, knocking her unconscious.
Michonne awoke, squinting at the bright light illuminating the room. She slowly raised her hand to shield her eyes. The light magnified the throbbing pain in the back of her head, but she kept her eyes open, needing to get her bearings.
Gritting through the shooting pain in her skull, Michonne sat up in the twin bed. She shrieked in horror at the sight in front of her - less than 3 feet in front of her were nine 20-gallon fish tanks stacked one on top of the other, in the shape of a triangle, every last one filled with decomposing heads.
The lone head in the fish tank at the top sent a wave of nausea coursing through her stomach. The vacant eyes of a little girl stared back, her brunette hair floating in a halo around her head.
A child? Michonne slammed her eyes shut. They're only walker heads, she told herself; as though this truth would make the situation any less terrifying. She willed herself to rise from the bed for a closer look. Michonne felt the urge to familiarize herself with the true nature of the monster masquerading as the Governor. She needed to decipher the message he was obviously sending her.
Inching her way closer to the macabre display, Michonne inhaled and exhaled several times, in an attempt to keep the rising fear at bay. The vacant stares of the heads brought her to an abrupt stop, less than a foot away from the tanks. While the heads were in various stages of decomposition, Michonne was sure of one thing – they had all been human at the time of decapitation.
Dizziness overtook her and she squeezed her eyes shut again, breathing through the disorienting sensation. Michonne suspected it was more than the head injury that made her lightheaded. Nothing she had seen after the world ended came close to this sick display of horror.
I had no idea what he was capable of, how far he was willing to go. It's a miracle that I'm even still breathing. Michonne looked up at the little girl's head floating in the gentle bubbles. How far is he willing to go to make me his…permanently? For the first time since the apocalypse started, she felt in over her head.
The doorknob of the bedroom door turned and Michonne froze. In her weakened state, she doubted she was ready for a face-off with the Governor. She looked around for any sort of weapon, finding none.
Michonne widened her stance and braced herself. If the Governor wanted a fight, she would give him one. She gasped when Andrea came into view on the other side of the door.
"Don't look so surprised," Andrea said, half-joking. "Sorry it took me so long, I had to convince the forming mob not to riot and get themselves killed. I'm not the only one outraged that Phillip killed one of his own."
Michonne just stared in disbelief as Andrea rattled on; an annoying habit of hers when she was nervous. "What are you doing here, Andrea? Is this some trick? Is the Governor trying to wear me down? It's not going to work, so just back off...now."
"I must have knocked you harder on the head than I thought," Andrea said. "You're speaking nonsense."
"I'm not afraid to fight dirty. You don't want to mess with this 'cause you'll lose."
"No one's trying to mess with anything. I'm helping your ass escape!"
Michonne shook her head, unwilling to believe her words. "But you said you loved him. And you were the one who knocked me out to save his life, yet again. If you had just butted out, the Governor would be dead right now."
"You obviously didn't see the gun Martinez had aimed for your head. You'd be lying on the ground with half of your head blown off if it wasn't for me. Knocking you unconscious was the only way I could think to not get you killed or worse – conscious and at Phillip's mercy. I figured this was our only chance for escape."
"Wait. How did you even know I would be here... in this room?"
"Phillip is a deep sleeper and I did some investigating of my own one night. It always bothered me that this room was locked and off-limits. And when I found it..." Andrea shivered. "Why do you think I want to get out of here already? The man is sick." Andrea's eyes watered as she met Michonne's stare. "And I'm sorry for not believing you for trying to warn me about him beforehand."
Michonne closed the distance between them. "Andrea. You always have been and always will be my sister. No man is going to change that."
"You need to know," Andrea said. "While you were out he returned to the prison...to kill Rick for good."
The blood drained from Michonne's face. She stumbled to the side, reaching out to steady herself on the bed.
"Take a deep breath, Mich," Andrea said. "From what I overheard, it sounds like the majority of your group might have escaped after setting off some sort of bomb. I wasn't there, so I can't confirm it, but I think they made it out of there alive."
"And the prison?" Michonne asked.
"No one will be living there anytime soon. Apparently, half of the cell block was blown to pieces by the Governor's tank and the bomb."
"He has me now, why would he go back to attack them?"
"Because he knows how much you care about them and apparently sees Rick as his biggest competition. He wanted to eliminate any potential threat to his rein over Woodbury and over you." Andrea scoffed. "Plus the man just really enjoys killing."
At the thought of Rick dead, Michonne choked on a sob, refusing to let her despair show.
Andrea took Michonne into her arms, hugging her tightly. They both cried, holding onto the other for dear life.
"I missed you, Mich," Andrea said, pulling out of Michonne's arms.
"I missed you too, girl," Michonne said, wiping her friend's tears away with her thumbs. "Now let's get the hell out of here, I've had enough of this House of Horrors."
Andrea laughed and headed through the door. "It'll be just like old times-"
Andrea sucked in a sharp breath, coming to a sudden stop just outside of the doorway. Her hands shot to her stomach and she bent her head down.
"Andrea, what's wrong?" Michonne asked, reaching out to turn Andrea to face her.
"No!" Michonne screamed, her hands going to her mouth. The wooden handle of a huge hunting knife jutted from Andrea's stomach. A circle of blood emanated from the wound, soaking the front of Andrea's t-shirt.
The Governor stood before them, laughing. "You two are so freaking predictable; it tickles me." He must have walked into the room while Michonne was still reeling from shock.
Andrea collapsed onto her butt, falling against the fish tanks. One of the heads snapped at her from behind the glass of its tank.
A trickle of blood oozed from the side of Andrea's mouth, tears streaming steadily from her blue eyes.
"What? No!" Michonne cried, her vision blurred with heavy tears. "You can't leave me, girl. Sisters don't' abandon each other." Michonne reached for the knife in Andrea's stomach; the cock of a gun stopped her.
"Uh uh. That stays," the Governor said. "Now get up nice and slow and have a seat on the bed."
Michonne hesitated. She looked at Andrea, who was quickly losing strength, grimacing in pain whenever she inhaled. If Michonne could just get her to the resident nurse, there might still be a chance to save her.
The barrel of the Governor's gun pressed against the back of her head. "I won't tell you again. The bed."
Andrea nodded to Michonne; the latter rose with her hands in the air. She walked to the bed and sat down, facing the Governor. He removed two silk ties from his pocket and threw them onto the bed next to her.
"Tie your wrist to the bed post. Now!" The Governor pointed the gun at her chest.
Michonne obeyed, tying her right wrist snuggly to the wrought-iron bed post. The Governor walked to the other side of the bed, securing her other wrist to the opposite post.
The Governor sat on the bed, leaning in close. He ran the barrel of his gun up her bound arm, across her shoulder, slowly up her neck, and to her mouth, pausing to caress her lips with the metal. He moaned.
"If these idiots weren't planning a coup, I would take you right now," he whispered, sucking on her earlobe. Michonne turned her head away, freeing her lobe from his mouth.
The Governor laughed. "Playing hard to get, even till the end." Michonne looked at him then. "That's right, baby. It's time for you and Andrea to say your goodbyes, because in a few minutes you'll both be walkers."
Michonne shot daggers from her eyes. "You wouldn't." Her biggest fear was living as one of those things – lacking mind, heart and humanity.
"If I can't have you in life, I'll hold onto you in death. You're going to be my own little pet, always by my side." His eyes glazed with delirium.
"You sick bastard," Andrea groaned from her spot on the floor, cradling the handle of the knife.
"But I thought that was what you liked about me," he said. "You always knew I had a certain…edge. Didn't seem to bother you before."
Andrea spat a wad of blood and saliva to the ground. "I was faking it."'
"Either way, the games are over. How nice it'll be to not have to pretend that I actually like you anymore," he said.
Martinez burst into the room, panting heavily. "Governor!" He halted, taking in the scene. His eyes flitted to Andrea bleeding on the floor; to the fish tanks full of floating heads; and finally to Michonne tied to the twin bed.
Martinez cleared his throat and started again. "They're trying to take over the armory and have already killed three of our guys. We won't be able to hold them back much longer."
The Governor sighed heavily. "Time to remind them who's really in charge." He looked back at Michonne. "I'll see you in a bit. We'll have plenty of time to catch up once you've turned." He stared at Andrea. "And go easy on her. No biting that beautiful face."
The Governor laughed as he exited the room, slamming and locking the door behind him.
"Andrea!" Michonne said, tilting to the side as far as she could to get a view of Andrea.
"Still here," Andrea said weakly.
"Just hold on, I'll figure out a way to get us out of here and you to the nurse. The chaos with the mob should give us a chance to slip out of here unnoticed."
"Only one of us is getting out of here alive," Andrea said. She cried out in pain as she wrenched the knife from her gut.
"Andrea, no! That was the only thing keeping you from bleeding out. You'll lose a pint of blood in a matter of seconds."
"Seconds are all I need," she said, slowly leaning forward and beginning to crawl toward the bed. Reaching the side of the bed, she managed to pull herself up after slipping a few times. Her hands bloody and shaky, Andrea held the knife to the silk tie securing Michonne's left wrist and began to saw.
Michonne sobbed. "Why, Andrea? I could have found a way for both of us to live."
"Just let me save you for once, Mich." Andrea stopped sawing to cough up blood. She resumed trying to cut the tie. "Almost there…"
Michonne's wrist dropped to the bed, free from the post, just as Andrea collapsed onto the floor, the knife falling from her hands and onto the bed. Michonne stared into the vacant blue eyes of her friend and sister, all signs of life absent.
Michonne reached for the knife, her hands shaking terribly. "Come on, Michonne!" she yelled at herself, unable to remove her gaze from the corpse. "You can do this!"
Michonne wrapped her fingers around the knife and unglued her eyes from Andrea's body. She leaned across and began cutting the other tie. Michonne took short breaths, occasionally glancing to make sure Andrea was still dead - and not undead.
"Come on, come on," she said, finding it difficult to see clearly through the waterfall of tears. The last threads of the tie snapped under the blade of the knife. "Yes!" Michonne pulled her other wrist free.
Michonne felt Andrea attack before she saw her. The bed depressed as the walker who had been her best friend, tried to sink her teeth into her thigh. On reflex, Michonne swung the knife across and stabbed Andrea through the temple.
Michonne screamed and sobbed, staring into the milky blue eyes of the person she had respected the most in this shitty world, even after her she ditched her for the Governor. Andrea had understood Michonne in ways no one ever had, having survived together on their own for more than eight months. She even knew about what happened with Andre.
Michonne cried harder, cradling the lifeless corpse. This is too hard. To lose another person. Why am I always the one left behind? She lightly placed Andrea's body on the floor, covering her face and body with the comforter from the twin bed.
"Michonne!" Tyrese shouted her name from just outside of the bedroom.
Michonne's lips moved, but the words did not come. She cleared her throat. "In here!"
Tyrese and Sasha appeared in the doorway. "Thank God," Tyrese said, coming over to the bed. "We didn't think we would make it in time." He noticed Andrea for the first time. "Shit. What did he do to you?"
"Nothing compared to what I'm going to do to him," Michonne said, her voice low.
"Well, that's gonna have to wait because we have to go…now." Tyrese grabbed her by the arm.
Michonne wrenched her arm from his grip. "Not until I kill the Governor! He's gonna die for what he's done!"
"The Governor is gone," he said. "The town members took control of the armory and drove him out, along with Martinez and a couple of other guys."
Sasha spoke for the first time. "The mob is deciding on whether to pursue him, but we're not sticking around to find out what choice they make. We want to put as much distance between us and this town before sunset."
Michonne just stood there in a daze. Gone? But how would she get her revenge for Andrea?
"We don't have much time," Tyrese said. "Are you coming with us or not?"
Michonne nodded. "I'm with you. But I'm heading for the prison."
"The prison is as good as anywhere," said Sasha.
After grabbing her katana and a backpack full of supplies, the three headed out of Woodbury and onto the road, in the direction of the prison.
The trip to the prison took less than a day. Along the way, Michonne learned more about Tyrese and Sasha. Tyrese used to play as a linebacker for Mike's favorite team - the Arizona Cardinals. Sasha had been a kindergarten teacher at a private school. They were both extraordinary people and Michonne enjoyed their company immensely, even though she was still grieving over Andrea. She owed them her life, not sure what she would have done if they hadn't shown up when they did.
Coming upon the fences, the prison appeared to be completely deserted. The watch tower was in shambles and the cell block was barely recognizable. Heading inside of the cell block, Michonne called out to absolutely no response. A good stash of food and medical supplies were missing; rubble littered the floor.
The group checked the cells, finding all but one unoccupied. Michonne walked into Hershel's cell to find him lying on the bed, his arms crossed over his chest. The front of his shirt was soaked with blood from a gunshot wound to the chest. The head wound in his temple, most likely from a knife, confirmed her worse fears.
"Hershel," Michonne said, unable to speak any longer. She sat on the bed next to him, smoothing the small hairs away from his forehead.
"He was a good guy," Tyrese said.
"He fought for us to stay, without even knowing us," Sasha said. "He was a good man."
"He was," Michonne said, tears falling down her cheeks. "Sorry, Hershel, that I couldn't be here to protect you."
Michonne rose from the bed, turning to Sasha and Tyrese. She sighed.
"It's a good sign that the majority of supplies are missing and the cells are mostly empty of belongings. It means they had time to pack before leaving. They may not have even been here when the Governor returned for the second time," Michonne said.
"It's going to be nearly impossible to find them. It rained last night, so any tracks will probably not be very clear. They could have gone in any direction," Tyrese said.
Michonne sighed and nodded, agreeing with him. She turned to look at Hershel, willing him to give her some sort of sign as to where they could be. She noticed a bit of yellow paper sticking out from under his right shoulder.
Michonne reached out and grabbed the edge of the paper, sliding it from underneath Hershel's corpse. It was a small sheet of folded notebook paper.
Hands trembling, Michonne unfolded the piece of paper. In barely legible scribbles, the note read, Follow the yellow brick road. Come back to me. Rick.
Michonne laughed out loud, the sound echoing through the empty cell block.
"What is it?" Sasha asked.
"Rick. This is his trail of bread crumbs. I know which direction they headed in. We have a real chance of finding them now." Michonne smiled, her pulse quickening.
Tyrese took the note from her hand and read the words carefully. "What's the yellow brick road? Is it some sort of code?"
"More like an inside joke. There is a path through the woods lined with flowering trees. When the yellow petals fall onto the path, it looks like it's paved with gold. Rick named it the yellow brick road," Michonne said, smiling at the memory.
Tyrese exchanged a look with Sasha before responding. "So, on the off chance we follow this path and find your group, then what? Rick wasn't too keen on letting us stay the last time. And he seemed a little…unstable."
Michonne laughed. "To say the least. He's better now. When you'd met him, he had just lost his wife. I have no doubts he'll let you join us, especially if you're with me."
Sasha nodded. "Ok, we're in." She looked to Tyrese for confirmation and he hesitated before nodding in agreement.
"It's not like we have very many options," Tyrese said.
"Trust me, you won't regret it," Michonne said.
The three of them worked quickly, grabbing as much canned food from the prison kitchen as they could carry. Michonne returned to her cell to collect the few belongings she owned – two pairs of skinny jeans, a light jacket, a leather vest, a small backpack and a picture of Andre and Mike at a football game together.
Michonne thought about that day, Andre's second birthday. Rather than throw him a party, they had decided to take him to his first football game. Mike had always cared deeply for Andre, even though he was not his biological father, and wanted to share his favorite pastime with his son.
After Michonne had confessed all to him about her affair with Rick and the pregnancy – omitting the part about having fallen in love with him – Mike broke off their engagement and moved out of the home they shared together. Michonne realized then how much she loved and needed him in her life, even though her conflicting feelings for Rick never faltered. In the end, Mike returned, committed to being there for both Michonne, whom he loved, and her unborn baby; even if only as her boyfriend and not her husband.
Michonne smiled at the memory of the football game. That day was full of firsts for Andre – first hot dog, first football jersey and the first game with the only man he would ever know as his father. Michonne sniffled with the oncoming tears.
"Is that your son?" Sasha asked from behind Michonne. She had been so engrossed in the memory that she hadn't heard the woman approach.
Michonne quickly stuffed the picture into her pocket. "Was," she said, turning to face Sasha. "I would appreciate it if…you didn't say anything about this to anyone. It's not something I share with most people." Especially Rick.
"Sorry to pry." The sincere apology put Michonne at ease. "Don't worry, I've never had a taste for gossip. Plus, we all deserve the chance to start anew."
"Thanks." Michonne crammed the rest of her belongings into the small backpack. "It's probably best to move on, even though night will fall soon. I doubt the Governor will return to this place, but I don't want to take any chances."
"No complaints here," Sasha said.
Michonne, Tyrese and Sasha left the prison on the heels of sunset. Traveling at night was not the safest option, but it was their only one.
Michonne led them to the path Rick had referred to in his note, the yellow brick road. It was littered with flower petals just as before and give her the hope she needed to embark on this trip.
"I'm coming, Rick," Michonne whispered.
The three set off in search of the people who had become Michonne's new family; the ones she was determined to never be separated from again.
A/N: Thanks again for sticking around! Your reviews have been so helpful and I look forward to reading more. Your awesome feedback is what keeps me coming back! P.S. I added a couple of new scenes to Chapter 1 for those who are interested. :)