Chapter 8:
Rick loaded the barrel of his Colt Python before shoving it in his belt. The anxiety he had suffered from for weeks had finally been put to rest and he was going into the battle with a new found confidence.
Rick knew the element of surprise was no longer in their favour, though he understood why Michonne had to make the move early. He also took note that most of the Savior's they brought in had some sort of wound, weather it was a graze, bruise, scratch or shot, while she was completely unharmed, despite blacking out from exhaustion. He figured Negan would only allowed her to go unharmed, which only further confused him when he thought of their relationship.
"Dad".
He looked to the seat behind him in the school bus, and Carl handed him a magazine for the rifle he also carried. Rick gave him a single nod as he took it from him, still feeling a little nauseated at the fact that his son was with them, but he prefer to have him at his side. He knew if he left Carl back at the safe zone then, he wouldn't have waited for their return.
"We're a mile away"
Rick looked out the windshield at Abraham's announcement, "Good"
He looked to the back of a bus, where a majority of his on residents where. He couldn't help but notice a slight bothered looking Dwight, and he knew exactly what the man was fretting about.
"It's easier this way", Rick reassured in a stern tone.
Dwight's eyes slid over to meet his, "I don't think she'll see it that way"
"Well I'm the one that's going to kill him, so I'll be the one she'll be after", Rick gave a little shrug with his admission.
"But we left her-"
"We left a lot of your people. It was nothing personal, just they were in no condition to fight. Her included"
Rick's words seemed to be of no help to Dwight, as he released a long suffering sigh. He couldn't help but be a little stunned at the man's new appearance, and though he tried not to stare, he wondered what could have inflicted such damage to his face.
"Negan did it. Hot iron"
Rick's eyebrows shot up, "Why?"
"My wife… is one of his wives"
His eyebrows dropped to a straight line.
"He has wives, three at the moment. A few girlfriend's too", Dwight snarled. "He found out about me and my wife"
Rick wasn't sure how to react to the information that was laid in front of him, but he couldn't help but ask, "Michonne is one of the wives?"
The other man looked at him like he was crazed he shook his head.
The revelation cleared up a little of his confusion, but that only made room for more. He needed to shake his own head to rid her from his thoughts, as he knew they were close to the compound.
"Here", Rick issued to Abraham as he stood and faced the back of the bus, "Alright, this is our stop!"
"Storm's coming", Abraham quipped as he looked up at the dark clouds that filled the sky.
Everyone began to ready themselves as the vehicles poured on to the parking lot in front of the building.
Rick's main focus was Negan. That was who he wanted, and that was who was setting his sights on. The man had brought him nothing but dismay since they crossed paths, and he cared only about stopping him.
"You stay by me, and if we get split up, you find one of the others and you stick with them, got it?", Rick warned Carl in a low tone.
Carl nodded in agreement, "Got it"
The quiet conversations died out as they filed out the vehicles, and a symphony of growls grew louder. Rick was astonished to see that the Savior's had tied even more walkers to the fence, but the new deterrents were chained by the neck, so were able to move a bit more freely than the others.
He continued to march on, already prepared to deal with the first obstacles.
"Shit!"
Movement could be seen at the checking point by the fence, and Rick imagined whoever was watching, had gone to alert the others.
"Stop right there!"
Rick eyes scanned the scene in front of him for the voice, but still called back, "Tyreese!"
The large man appeared, stepping away from everyone with the bazooka on his shoulder. He wasted no time shooting at the gate, and the heat from the impact cause everyone to take a step back. The walkers within range of the blast either blew up or caught fire, but most still unable to move far.
"The building", Ezekiel was by Rick's side, his eyes trailing up and down the structure.
"He's in there, he'll come out", Rick assured as he looked into the compound through the gaping hole in the fence.
The doors to the building flew open, and Savior's poured out, all armed and ready as they filled the courtyard. Negan appeared with dark eyes and a smug look on his face as he swung his bat.
"Well, well, well… what a surprise!", He mocked sarcastically.
Rick stared at the man.
"I can't be mad at you about the fence. I guess you're returning the favour", He tutted as he looked over the warped metal.
"You can surrender, if you'd like?", Rick offered.
Negan chortled, looking back at his little army, "You hear that? We can surrender! Let's all bow down to the killer cowboy!"
"You don't have to bow"
Negan's eyes scanned the sea of people outside his walls as his laughter died down.
"She's not here", Rick taunted, a ghost of a smile on his face.
Negan's eyes locked on his.
"Don't worry. She's perfectly fine"
The tall man smirked as he turned on his heel and stalked back into the courtyard, "You have the option to surrender too!"
The sound of trucks reversing drew Rick's attention to both ends of the parking lot. Savior's ran along both sides of the eighteen wheelers and opened the doors, freeing the walkers that were packed inside.
"Go!"
A few dozen of the mixed community members charged into the Sanctuary, ducking and diving behind the cement blocks that lined the remaining part of the fence. Gunfire rang out, and Rick was on his own personal mission as he watched Negan seek refuge behind a jeep.
He ducked further behind the block when a bullet whizzed past his ear, and he peaked behind him to see people in the building shooting too, most aiming at the remaining residents outside the fence.
Rick could see people dropping like flies, and his heart raced, "Sasha! The snipers!"
"On 'em!", The woman called back, lowering herself to see through the peephole on her weapon.
"I need to get over-"
Rick's sentence was interrupted by an a painfully loud bang, and he surveyed the area until he saw the jeep that Negan hid behind was on fire, but the man was nowhere to be seen.
"He's behind the truck!", Sasha informed from behind the next cement block.
Rick peered behind him and saw she was right, but he wouldn't be able to get to him for a while as both sides gave their all, and even his son was enthralled. More members snuck into the courtyard, while the others fought off the walkers that were fast approaching, drawn to the action.
"Ah shit!", Daryl growled, dropping to the floor, "Son of a bitch got my shoulder!"
Rick studied him, "Bad?!"
"Nah man! I'll be alright!"
Another explosion was heard, and another hole was made in the fence, hitting a fire engine that was being used as a lookout point.
"Stay with Sasha!", Rick yelled to his son as he crouched.
Carl glance down at him, "Okay!"
Rick ran along the fence as he aimed his rifle, shooting whenever he could as he approached another cement clock, closer to the truck. Negan was stood behind it, appearing every now and then to fire his weapon. Heavy rain drops began to fall, causing Rick to run his hand over his face as the crackling of thunder could be heard in the distance, drowning out the odd Screams the carried over the fence.
"Ah!"
Rick looked around for Ezekiel when he heard the man yell. He was on the ground, across the courtyard, holding his leg as he grimaced. Rick didn't take his eyes off him until late he saw someone rush over to help the other leader.
"There he is"
Rick nearly jumped when Jesus appeared beside him, seemingly from nowhere, "I need them to cover me"
"I can, everyone's a little busy right now", Jesus insisted as he peered behind the block, "Go now!"
Rick was on his feet again, but not for long as another two explosions could be heard going off. He saw the white truck he was heading to go up in smoke as Negan and another man dived from behind it. Rick's legs shook as he found his footing, looking behind him to see where the second explosion came from. One of the school buses beyond the walls was also on fire, and he hoped none of his people were seriously injured from it.
He turned back to look for Negan, but was instead greeted by the man's fist as he punched him square in the jaw.
"See? It's not nice is it?", The bully shook his head at him in disappointment, "I've wanted to do this for a long-"
Rick had no time to listen to the man monologue. As soon as he gathered his bearings, he delivered his own hit to the man's cheek, sending him stumbling back against the hood the truck. Negan recovered quickly, and the men began a full blown fist fight. While Rick moved swiftly, and was able to swing and few harsh blows, Negan was stronger, and his punches seemed more devastating. He uppercut Rick in his stomach, forcing him to double over in pain, and the other man sent another fist to his ribs. Rick's body trembled as he dropped to the floor, spitting blood to the floor.
"Come on fuckwit, get up. I'm not done with you"
Rick groaned as he summoned the strength to rise, as he wasn't done with either. As soon as he straightened up, Negan punched him in the cheek, but Rick swivelled back around and gave him a hit right back, sending him stumbling back against the hood of the truck.
He drew his python just as Negan raised his own gun, straightening up away from the truck.
"Well ain't this nice?", Negan smiled, showing off his blood stained teeth.
Rick blinked through the raindrops that fell fast around them.
"I knew you would be a pain in the ass-"
"You already said that", Rick snarled, his breath shallow as pain radiated through his chest, "Now make your move"
Negan, opened his mouth to say something, but stopped, choosing to grin instead. Rick soon realised why, as a blade came into his peripheral vision. The sword was aimed at his neck as Michonne stepped cautiously past him, placing herself beside Negan.
Rick eyed her, unsure of what his next move should be, as he was willing to shoot Negan right there and then, but he didn't want to have to fight Michonne to the death after.
"Remember", Negan raised his eyebrows at Rick, "You can surrender, if you like?"
Rick cocked the hammer on his weapon as he tilted his head. Michonne raised her blade even higher.
"Well, you had your chance-"
Negan barely uttered the last word out of his sentence, when the blade swung through the air. The movement was so quick, it took both men and moment to catch up with the scene before them. Negan's hand still held the gun as it lay on the floor, and the sound that left him could only be described as something akin to a wounded animal as he grabbed at his remaining limb. He dropped to his knees while the blood poured from him, and Rick watched as Michonne sheathed her katana, then punched Negan at the back of the head, rendering him unconscious.
The gun fire around them had seized, besides the members outside the walls that were still fighting off walkers. Michonne was crouched down beside Negan's body, wrapping his new wound in a bandage, which told Rick that she had planned to disarm him, quite literally.
"Get him inside!", She ordered, peering over her shoulder.
The remaining Savior's hesitated for a moment, before three of them ran over to them. They lifted the tall man off the ground and ran with him into the building.
Michonne was in front of Rick within the blink of an eye, "We'll patch him up, you put him in that cell of yours"
Rick narrowed his eyes at her.
She turned on her heel, stomping back to the building.
Rick tore his eyes away from her to look at the others, and they were all looking at him expectedly. He didn't know what to say, as he still wanted Negan dead, but he couldn't argue with Michonne's idea for him either, "We're taking him back to Alexandria! He's gonna be put in a cell!"
Everyone wore the same confused look he had only seconds before.
"It doesn't matter where he is, he's not going to be in charge of anythan' ever again! So if anyone who has a problem with that, now's your chance to say somethan'!"
The Savior's as they looked amongst each other, unsure of what to say or do, so they all remained quiet.
"We won't have any problem with you, as long as you don't have any problem with us! This is your opportunity to run the Sanctuary in a way that benefits everyone, not just one man!"
"We don't have to live in fear anything but them!", Dwight piped up as he pointed at the whole in the fence, "We don't need him!"
Former residents of the Sanctuary that fought beside Rick stepped into the courtyard and made their way over to the others. Rick exhaled, looking to his own people as they expressed their own relief. He wasn't free to do such a thing yet.
He went inside the building, not particularly sure of where he was heading, so he stopped the first person he saw, "Where did they take Negan?"
The woman pointed down the hallway she just appeared from, "The doctor's office is that way. The very end"
"Thanks", Rick breathed as he stalked down the long and wide hallway.
People were nervously poking their heads out from behind doors as he passed them, and he wondered how many people were hiding in the large structure. He was almost to the end when he saw Michonne step out of the very last door.
He slowed his pace as he approached her, "The people you brought yesterday, they wanna come back here, Dwight's talking to them all now"
She nodded, her gaze behind him, "Okay"
His eyes darted to the door, "What's going on with…"
She looked towards the door also, "They're sedating him"
Rick glanced behind him, "Alright"
"I'm going to come with him. I want to be there when he wakes up".
Rick turned his attention back to her, and nodded in agreement, "And uh… sorry about leaving without you-"
"Don't.", She raised her hand to stop him, "If I had gotten here and he was harmed, then you'd be sorry"
Rick's eyes dropped to her hand, then crawled back up to her face. Her eyes were sad, and she seemed deflated, but it didn't stop her from staring him down. Rick didn't think it was the time or the place for one of their mini Mexican stand-off, but whenever he looked in her eyes it was as if he was reduced to nothing.
"Is he still out?"
Dwight's voice pulled them both from their gaze, and Rick stepped back to face the man.
"He is", Michonne crossed her arms.
"Good. They want to talk to you about what happens here", Dwight pointed behind him with his thumb.
Rick cleared his throat as he left the two of them alone to talk. It felt strange to think that it was all over, and he knew he wouldn't relax anytime soon, but he had one less worry with Negan, and that was more than enough.
The remaining Savior's did indeed stay at the Sanctuary, while the residents of the Hilltop and Alexandria returned back to the Safe zone after gathering the bodies of the people they lost. Rick would never admit it aloud, but he was glad members of his family only came away with a few new wounds.
Michonne rode with a still heavily sedated Negan at the back of the school bus on the way home. Rick kept his gun in hand just in case.
"I told you she could help us".
Rick turned his head eerily slow to face his son.
"I did. That's all I'm saying", Carl insisted quietly, nursing the graze to his neck with a rag.
Rick exhaled, "You did. You obviously picked up on somethan' that I didn't, but that doesn't excuse what you did"
Carl gave a half-heartedly nod in agreement.
"I value your input, but you have to present it to me the right way. You sit down and you talk to me about it, and I'll always be more than happy to listen to you", Rick tilted his head to catch his son's gaze.
Carl nodded a little more enthusiastically, "I get it. I will"
"Good".
"...But I was right".
Rick smirked as he looked away from his son, too tired to argue with him. He found himself looking at the back of the bus again, where Negan lay on floor of the Isle, and Michonne sat over him, holding his hand between hers. He turned away, not sure why the sight annoyed him, but he made sure to keep his eyes to the front for the remainder of the journey.