Chapter V:
The tow truck's engines roared and started to tilt the TARDIS slightly but couldn't unseat the box from its upright foundation. The Doctor looked over at his new companions hiding in the woods and could tell they were contemplating an attack plan, an attack plan he knew would get them all killed. Being the clever fellow he was he devised a different strategy. Fighting these odds simply would not do, he was the Doctor, not Superman. He could track the TARDIS' location with his sonic if he simply allowed these brutish hooligans to tow it away but that would inevitably end up in a fight as well. It probably would be a worse fight, with greater loss of life than if they fought here for it would be at these brigands' headquarters and would be a two way battle instead of the three way fight that would ensue here. "Best first to confound their plans." the Doctor whispered as he recalibrated his sonic. He pointed his device at the TARDIS as the tow truck made another attempt to pull it. The locks, hocks and chains binding the TARDIS became undone and the tow truck raced forward at full speed mowing down a throng of walkers in its path until it collided head on with an old, broad tree. The tow truck's front grill was severely dented in by the impact and steam rose up from under the hood. Furthermore the massive tree was uprooted by the force of the impact and its ancient branches hooked the truck from underneath. The tow truck started dripping oil and coolant out from below as its weight served as an anchor holding the tree in place, preventing it from total collapse. "What the fuckety fuck!" Negan shouted as the truck tore away from the TARDIS. He clubbed a walker to death and turned and walked towards the driver and passenger of the tow truck as they got out and fled towards him. "You guys fucking suck!" Negan said looking as if he was preparing to club one of his own men running in his direction. Instead he bashed the brains out of a walker that sprung upon said person and had begun to feast. Negan didn't hesitate to put his henchman out of his misery though. "Alright assholes! Looks like we're going to have to come back tomorrow with some C4 and blow the door off of this thing! Some prick doesn't want to share their treasure and you know we don't take kindly to that shit!" Negan announced, ordering his men to withdraw. As they withdrew most of the walkers followed them. The sounds of gunfire, tearing of flesh and the crunching of bones faded into the west.
The remaining walkers soon picked up the scent of fresh meat hiding in the trees. Rick and company were no longer hidden from them. Rick fired the first shot at an elderly female walker and the rest of his group followed suit. "Get to the box Doctor and get it open!" Rick ordered. The Doctor made a run for the TARDIS with Rick coming up alongside him, shooting and pistol whipping any walker that came near him. Maggie and Glenn held the walkers off at the flanks while Daryl hugged close to the tree line and picked off the walkers at the rear. The Doctor opened the TARDIS door making light of the struggles Rick and Negan both had with it. "Really? That's all it took?" Rick asked in amazement. "It's not about the magnitude of power employed but rather the application of said power." the Doctor smugly explained. "Ding!" he cheered holding up the TARDIS key to his face and smiling. "After you my good sir." the Doctor invited Rick in. All the sudden a gunshot rang out and shot dead a walker next to Glenn. "I didn't do that." Maggie called over to Glenn. Before they could react Daryl had a face to face meeting with Lucille, Negan's barbed wire wrapped baseball bat, as the warlord snuck out from behind a tree. The bat caught his chin in an uppercut swing, tearing away a good chunk of flesh and skin with its barbs. Daryl fell backwards from the force of the sucker punch and landed on his rump. "I totally did not see them coming!" exclaimed Glenn as he turned and fired a shot in Negan's direction. Negan hid behind the tree where the bullet struck and Glenn was soon forced to deal with an advancing walker. More of Negan's thugs advanced upon them. They too were too caught up with fighting walkers to truly interfere at this point. With the melee giving him an opening Daryl rolled over and started to get up. "Get the fuck back down!" Negan demanded as he struck Daryl in the back with Lucille. Negan then kicked away his crossbow and planted his boot firmly on top of Daryl's back. "Surprise, surprise, surprise. I didn't think you fucks would be dumb enough to come back here so soon but I guess it's my lucky day." Negan announced. "How about you stand aside and let me take what's mine." Negan demanded. "Rick get inside." the Doctor whispered as he pulled Rick by the collar into the TARDIS. Rick leaned out and shot Negan in the right shoulder, a bullet that had been intended to go through his heart if not for the tugging of the Doctor trying to pull him inside. Glenn! Maggie! Daryl! Run!" Rick screamed out the command. Glenn and Maggie obeyed and fled the area amidst gunshots from Negan's fighters and snarling walkers. The bullet Negan received caused him to stagger back and off of Daryl just enough to allow Daryl a chance to stand up, further hurtling Negan backwards. Daryl then retrieved his crossbow and shot a man who was about to open fire on him with a Winchester rifle. Daryl then turned to flee only to receive a swift, potent blow to the side of the head from Lucille. Negan slammed his head into side of the tree will the full force of both arms even against the throbbing, tearing, eviscerating pain in his shoulder and cracked Daryl's skull open between the makeshift modern day mace and the stiff bark of the oak tree. Glenn looked back but only for a moment as Maggie urged him to go on lest they meet a similar fate. The last thing Rick saw as the TARDIS door shut was Daryl, with his head deformed into the shape of an hourglass sliding down the tree leaving a red painted trail behind it and Negan standing above him with a smug, almost orgasmic look on his face.
Author's Note: This chapter was originally intended to go the way of Negan taking the TARDIS back to the Sanctuary and Rick and Company having to go break in to get it but...I wasn't wanting to drag the story out that far (and was ready to get more into the DW part of the story) so I went with this alternative. DISCLAIMER: I am not liable for any potential rioting, real or imagined, that occurs when reading the last couple lines.