The situation looked even bleaker the following morning. Anyone who had been struck by one of the Saviors' contaminated weapons was dying or had died during the night. By the time I woke up and had waken Carl up with me, five people had met their demise at this cruel form of biological warfare. There is a heavy air of somberness as Carl and I make our way down to the bottom floor of the manor. Several of the women are weeping for the loss of their husbands, their wails carrying throughout the wooden structure.
Upon reaching the bottom floor, I immediately spot Sasha, who seems to be in somewhat of a daze. Her bark-colored eyes are glazed over either in deep thought or in meditation. Our approach startles her from this trance-like state and brings her focus back to the present.
"I take it things haven't improved?" I ask her quietly, trying not to disturb the mourners.
Sasha shakes her head at me, "Not at all. Jesus and Ezekiel took Daryl and some of the other men to clear out the walkers outside. They should be able to get it done, but its time consuming. And if there is one thing we don't have right now, it's time."
I have to agree with that.
For all we know, Negan could be moving his troops at this very moment to finish what he started the day prior. Carl and I had been lucky our friends were nearby to save us. We may not be so lucky if it was to happen a second time. In the room beyond ours, an older woman emerges from one of the bedrooms sobbing loudly. Without intending to, I instinctively reach for Carl, as if to remind myself he's still there by being in physical contact with him.
"We've gathered what's left of our ammunition stores." Sasha continues despite the interruption. "We don't have much left. We need this to end today. We can't keep fighting. Even despite all the precautions Rick had made, we're just not prepared for an all-out war."
Carl tenses within my hold at the mention of his father's name. I soothe him by placing my hands firmly on his shoulders and giving him a reassuring squeeze. Sasha isn't wrong. She just has to learn to be more tactful.
"It will end today." I reply softly yet confidently. "It just has to."
Out of the corner of my eye, I spot Garret and his mother shuffling out of one of the other nearby rooms. They aren't as loud as the others but I can see it written all over their faces: they've lost somebody too. It's an odd sensation to feel sadness for someone I feel so much disdain for. Years have passed since he, as a younger kid, had picked on Carl rather violently and I had brought that to an equally violent end.
Since that day, Garret and I haven't spoken a word to one another, nor exchanged direct eye contact. As time went on, I suppose I'd grown to accept the fact that neither of us would like the other. That's why my sudden sympathy for his situation feels strange. Next to me, Carl tugs the corners of my shirt to get my attention.
"He lost his dad." Carl explains to me solemnly.
I briefly glance between Carl and Garret in the adjacent hallway. Then, sighing, I reply, "Seems so."
"Is it…" Carl seems to struggle to find the proper words. "Is it bad that I feel sympathy for him?"
I study Carl for a good long moment. Carl isn't the type to forgive or feel sorry for past enemies. Even in death he holds a grudge toward the Governor and similar criminals he's encountered throughout his life.
"It's not that I forgive him," Carl goes on. "But… I understand him. You know?"
I smile softly and nod, giving his shoulder a loving squeeze, "Yeah. I understand that perfectly."
Behind us, the front door to the manor practically bursts open as Jesus and Ezekiel, who is trailed by Shiva, trundle swiftly into the room; slamming the door behind them. All three of them are covered in dried blood, from the walkers they have been killing all day, and heave with exhaustion. A quick glance outside the window shows just how far their efforts have gone.
Walker corpses lay about everywhere. The carnage is truly breathtaking in much the same way as seeing battlefield photographs from old warzones might be. Already, birds and other scavengers have begun to rear their heads, preparing themselves for a feast on the bodies of the dead. It's a gruesome sight to behold, but a no doubt necessary one. Jesus immediately approaches me, handing me a familiar tool which I had dropped during the scuffling a day prior.
My sword.
"Thank you." I say to him gratefully, taking the weapon from him.
Jesus nods his response in my direction and then hurriedly launches into a summary of the day's events thus far: "It's been a full twelve hours since the ceasefire began. I don't expect Negan to wait much longer. The walkers in the yard are clear so we should start making preparations."
"Any suggestions?" Michonne chimes in as she comes into the room.
"We can't beat him with brute strength." Jesus replies. "We've seen that in our last two confrontations. Our best bet is to get the jump on him again. We'll split our forces and send them around in a loop so that when Negan attacks, we'll have him from the front and behind. If we can capture or kill him, we'll end this."
"We'll go." Aaron speaks up, Eric by his side. "I can't stand just sitting around here waiting to be attacked. We'll be more useful to you out there anyways."
"And I'll join them." Daryl says.
"Agreed." Jesus replies. "Go and gather about ten others to accompany you. Then take the back way out of the community. Negan isn't aware of it, so he'll strike at the main gate again."
Daryl nods and then adverts his gaze towards Carl and I, "What 'bout you two?"
I glance momentarily at Carl, seeking an answer from him, but when he simply nods, I pretty much know his sentiments. "We're staying here." I reply. "Negan seems pretty interested in killing us. If we're here, that'll hold his attention, giving your group somewhat of an advantage."
"Then it's settled." Jesus continues. "Let's get to it. We don't have a lot of time on our side."
The group goes their separate ways, all eager to set about their individual tasks, leaving Carl and I alone in the main room of the manor. For a few brief moments the only noise pervading the agonizing silence between us is the continued wails of new widows as their husbands fall victim to the satanic trickery Negan had imposed upon us. After I feel that I've heard enough, I close my eyes and try to focus on other things if not just to drown up their cries of grief and sorrow.
Through shut eyes I feel the rough skin of his palm touch the softer skin of my cheek and gently caress it. If only he knew just how much I need that. As if to show him, I nuzzle my cheek against his palm, just happy to have him this close before the fighting starts again.
"What's wrong?" his gruff voice eventually penetrates the dark recesses of my mind.
My eyes open slightly, taking in his concerned expression all at once. "Nothing." I lie softly. "Just wish it didn't have to be this way."
####
"How's it coming?" I shout down the hill towards Michonne.
It's been a little over an hour since everyone went about their preparation tasks and Carl and I are just about to join the forces gathering at the gate.
"Everyone is still a little on edge but they seem to finally be calming down." She replies, heading up the hill towards us. "With everything that happened yesterday, some still haven't come out of the manor."
"Can't really blame them." I reply, shrugging. "Not for being scared as hell. I think we all are to some extent."
"Where's Ezekiel and—"
BAM!
BLAM! BAM!
The sound of gunshots rockets me from the conversation, everyone snapping around towards the gate, where the shots came from. I don't need to be told once. I know what's happened. The wait is finally over. Negan and the Saviors have returned for the final round.
"Hello?! Is anybody fucking home?!" the familiar voice of Negan bellows over the walls. "Don't worry! White flag! I come in peace! Come to think of it, waving the white flag is supposed to mean that I surrender, but let's not all be a bunch of fucking dolts, can we?! Now, I'm sure you fuckers don't want to fight anymore after the ass fucking you all received yesterday, so why don't you all fucking surrender and let's talk; not fight! Let's end this whole goddamn war!"
No one on our side responds. After all, there's no chance in Hell we're surrendering to that madman. Over my dead body.
"Listen!" Negan continues shouting. "I know Rick is dead so you lot have been running around like a fucking chicken without its head, but scrape up whatever shit stain you have for a leader and send him out here so we can get this shit in writing, you got me?! I promise I won't kill him! Lucile is drunk off her ass after yesterday and couldn't handle another drop!"
Inside the gates, a hushed murmur rises among the gathered forces. That's one thing no one has decided yet. No one has filled Rick's shoes as the leader of our coalition since his death. There really isn't a leader and no one looks willing to challenge Negan head on. My first choice would've been Daryl, but he's with the ambush group, and it seems that Jesus and Ezekiel went with him, so they're out too.
"I'll go." I announce without even having finished my thought process. It's such a spontaneous response, I'm surprised it came out of my own mouth.
"You can't be serious!" Carl protests. "You don't actually think he's serious, do you?!"
"Carl's right, Tanner!" Michonne backs him up. "Let Glenn or Heath go. You don't have to do that."
But I do.
I have to for Rick's sake, and Tara's sake, and Tyreese's sake, and for all the innocent people who have died so far ensuring that our home isn't taken over and ransacked by thugs. I owe it to Rick, Carl, and Judith for being the family to take me in after my birth family was taken away from me. I owe it to Michonne for being the friend and mentor to me who didn't turn her back on me, unlike Natalie, my previous caretaker. I owe it to them all because they're…
….my family!
I shake my head, offering both of them a soft yet warm smile, "I do have to do it. To finally bring this thing to an end."
Carl searches my expression, his own eyes betraying a feeling of helplessness welling up inside of him. I can see the realization dawn on him that I'm serious, sweeping over him like a cool summer's breeze. His own expression hardens in response.
"Then I'm going with you." He declares. "I won't let you do this alone."
Once more, I shake my head. "Just me." I reply to him. "You and Mich make sure no one gets in or out of this place, no matter how bad things get out there. Understand? Just let me handle this guy and trust that Daryl, Jesus, and the others will be watching and ready to move. Besides, this guy wants us dead. I'm not going to hand him both of us. If everything goes like it should, this'll end right here, right now."
Michonne eyes me with a wise gaze; her trademark penetrating gaze that seems to stare directly into the soul of the person she's observing, in this case, me. I can tell that she doesn't like my decision, but that she can't exactly find justification to stop me either. And so, eventually, she relents with a silent nod.
"Just know, if things get bad out there." She says. "I've got your back."
I nod with a smile and then turn my attention to Carl. Carl's expression is much different than Michonne's, being riddled with both uncertainty and anxiety. His bangs and the hem of his sheriff's hat, the last memento of his father, hides all but the most piercing aspects of his gaze. It is unfortunate, but I simply do not have the words to say to him that will soothe his fears.
I cannot tell him that everything will be okay. Such a notion is hilariously ignorant in these days and times. I cannot assure him I'll make it out alive, because no one is safe from death anymore. Nothing I say will be able to comfort him. I should have known that he would already know this.
Stepping forward purposefully, Carl closes the distance between us, pushes up onto his toes to finish the few remaining inches between our faces, and then presses a soft, gentle kiss to my lips. I respond by wrapping my arms around him, drawing him into a tight bear hug, which has the effect of deepening our kiss. For seconds that seem like hours, I hold him there and indulge his affection, taking in every sensation; his touch, his presence, his smell, his taste. After all, anymore, every time could be the last time.
Finally, we come apart and Carl steps back, rejoining Michonne. I take that as the go ahead I need, give them both one final nod and smile, and then turn to begin strolling towards the gate. The gate has been repaired in a makeshift manner since last night. Currently, one of our massive school buses, taken from the Kingdom, acts as the gate, blocking the entrance from being used by any nearby walkers. To reach Negan, I actually have to arduously climb to the top of this giant yellow bus, where the villain is awaiting me.
"Come on!" Negan shouts impatiently. "Don't be such fucking cowards! You don't' want me to fucking come in there again, do you?! But if you force my hand, I fucking will! I'll—"
With a final push, I shove myself over the top of the bus, now planted firmly on the vehicles roof, where I can see Negan and his men stretched out before me. It's still a little surprising just how many Saviors are still left.
"Weren't expecting me, were you big guy?" I goad him upon getting to my feet. "Surprised?"
"You again?! Dwight, you seein' this?!" Negan fumes. "They picked some young fucker to do this for them?! What fucking assholes!"
"It would be wise of you to look at me, rather than him." I snap, drawing my sword after touching down to the grass below the bus. I keep the blade at my side, something the Saviors notice, judging by their tense response. One can never be too careful where Negan is involved.
"I see you just fine, fucker." Negan hisses. "You look pretty battered after yesterday. I'd dare to say you're on your last leg. You've certainly seen better fucking days."
"No arguments there." I retort sarcastically.
"Look, kid, how 'bout we call it a fucking day and go back to the way things were, hm?" Negan shoots back, equally sarcastic. "That way I can go home and fuck a wife or two and you can go home and fuck that fag friend of yours."
Anger boils within me at the mention of Carl being talked about in such a vulgar way. How dare he continue to call my Carl such vile names! And worse, he actually compares his relationship to mine! If I didn't know better, I'd say he is goading me to kick his ass. I'm so angry that the words come spilling out of me like lava, without a second thought:
"Let me put this in terms you'll understand." I snarl through gritted teeth. "Fuck you."
"You just don't fucking get it, do you?" Negan snaps back. "Let me tell you something. I don't like killing. Your black friend, that lady at the sanctuary, Rick? I didn't like a single one. You fuckers made me resort to that."
My eyes narrow, "So you were the one that killed Rick." I hiss angrily.
"In my fucking dreams." Negan replies. "One of the boys got him when he wasn't looking. Pretty anticlimactic for such a fucking big shot if you ask me. Don't push us to kill again."
My free hand clenches into a fist. "You're the one that doesn't fucking get it. You have to be one of the dumbest fucks on the planet!" I shout. "Do you have any idea what you've done? What you've destroyed?! My family is in there!" I wave back towards the community. "Everyone I've come to care about since this whole god forsaken plague began, or rather what's left of them, is behind that wall.
"Ever since you came on the scene, all you've done is destroy them! Destroy their lives! My life! You think you can take the lives of innocent, decent people and then have us come out here and make peace with you?! You're out of your goddamn mind!"
"I don't follow." Negan replies, softer than before. "You actually want to keep fighting us? You've already seen how well that goes over. Did you hit your head that hard yesterday?"
"No." I retort sharply. "I want you to disappear and stop ruining our lives. Give us a break so that we can all just live! What are you fighting for anyways?! To keep us in line?! We're trying to fight a lunatic that wants to take our shit and kills our loved ones at his pleasure!
"You may not realize this, but you're just the latest in a long line of psychotic bastards my group has encountered since this thing began. Through it all, we've found ways to survive and make a successful life for one another. Alexandria, which lies in ruin thanks to you, was the first meaningful step towards that! We've finally gotten to a point where the walkers are a manageable threat… now all we have left to deal with is you! That's what we're fighting for; a world without Negan! So what the fuck is in it for you?!"
At first, my words seem to fall on deaf ears, with Negan staring at me blankly as if not a single word I've just said has stricken him in any meaningful way. The more he glares at me with indifference, the more my indignation soars. I can feel the heat in my cheeks now. Eventually, however, Negan slams Lucile into the ground next to him and responds:
"Well, to be honest, I've been dealing with quite a lot of ungrateful heathens lately. Primarily, though, I'm just trying to restore the order this place had before your fucking group showed up on the scene. A bunch of bleeding hearts like yourselves will never last in this world. Those people in there need someone like me to help them through it all. Someone to keep them all fucking in line and preoccupied so they don't have to focus on this miserable fucking world. I'm the one saving lives. You're destroying them."
"You actually believe that, don't you?" I growl back at him. "The whole world has gone to shit and all you can think about is being the savior of the world, even if it leads you to committing heinous crimes! If Alexandria, Hilltop, and the Kingdom have learned to work together, why can't you? You say you want peace? We have it. You're the one destroying it."
For what it's worth, that seems to finally do the trick of shutting him up once and for all. I'm actually surprised this hasn't devolved into a senseless fight of brawn yet. I didn't intend on talking with Negan this long. I just want to kill him and be done with it, but something I've said seems to have an effect on him, and so I continue on.
"This is the beginning." I declare. "The rebuilding of humanity. It's what Rick wanted. It's what we all want. What we have here has limitless potential. What you offer only leads to ruin and destruction."
"You actually think your band of weak-willed fucks can rebuild civilization?" Negan chuckles maliciously. "Get real, kid. You're living a fucking pipe dream."
And that's the final straw.
"You're right." I mumble, anger building yet again. "As long as you're around, it's a hopeless dream."
The next move I make is spontaneous. A blur. The Saviors had let their guard down with Negan and I engaged in such a heated exchange and with no interference from my side, they had no reason to suspect a fight yet. That's why, when my sword catches the sun's glint as it slices clean through the flesh of Negan's neck, spewing blood across my own neck and jacket, none of them saw it coming. It's a shallow wound, meaning he'll survive it, if he doesn't bleed out first. But I don't plan on stopping there.
"This war is over." I declare coldly as the Savior leader collapses to his knees, still grasping his bleeding throat.
The finishing blow comes just as fast, the tip of my blade thrusting through the fallen leader's skull, finally putting an end to the nightmare of Negan.
At first, shock seems to rivet through the entire crowd of Saviors amassed before me. Even behind me, I can sense tremendous trepidation, as if no one really expected me to be the one to finish him off. To make it clear, though, that I am the one, I pull my sword free of Negan's skull and swipe it to the side, cleansing it of his blood. The corpse finally falls fully to the ground, ending the long reign of terror we've had to endure.
A cry rises up from the Saviors as, outraged, the ready their weapons and go to charge me. I know I can't escape them. I won't make it over the bus before they catch me. To have killed their leader is enough for me. I know the others can handle everything from here. Mercifully, though, death never comes. To my great and utter shock, it is Dwight who appears to my rescue, standing between the Savior forces and myself.
Upon seeing one of their own at my side, the Saviors come to an abrupt halt. Dwight, in the meantime, reaches down and recovers Negan's prized baseball bat, Lucile. Then, like a general having won a great battle, he raises the barbed weapon high above his head. To further their silence, snipers finally begin rearing their heads on the wall, and Daryl and Jesus make their group's presence known, flanking the Savior's remaining forces.
"Stand down!" Dwight roars to his men over the commotion. "Put your weapons down and calm yourselves. "This war is over! Negan has fallen! If you all wanna keep livin' then follow me as you did him!"
With his declaration made, Dwight turns to me and offers the first genuine smile I've ever seen him give, truly stunning me.
"Like I said." He says in a softer tone. "I'm on your side."
Well, if that isn't putting your money where your mouth is, I don't know what is. So, for the first time, I allow myself to return his sentiments; smiling and giving him a silent, approving nod. Dwight promptly returns to addressing his troops:
"We don't have to be afraid of him anymore!" he continues. "His rules are abolished! Everything will be better now. Just give me a chance and you'll all see!"
Though at first understandably hesitant, the Saviors one by one lower their weapons, until the entire remnant has fully surrendered. Seeing Negan die must have demoralized them. Their fighting spirit gone, Dwight's words seem to finally have reached them. Perhaps they were really just scared of Negan all this time after all.
"Now, go and pack up the camp!" Dwight commands. With one last serious glance at me, he returns to his men for the last time. "Let's all go home."
####
The first thing to hit me as I drop down to solid ground back inside the walls is Carl. I've never known Carl Grimes to give such a ferocious and tight hug, but I'm not complaining. Soon, I'm returning his display of relief and affection, glad that we're reunited once again. Michonne isn't far behind me, one hand on her hip, but a proud smile across her face.
"Welcome back, champ." She says softly.
"It's finally over!" the familiar voice of Jesus rings out behind me as he too lands on solid ground beneath the bus barricade. "Though, we should probably consider finishing them off. We don't want another Negan rising up on us."
"No." I reply firmly. "Dwight's on our side. Killing Negan was necessary, but now we have a chance to change things. We've all had to kill to survive in this new world, but now, maybe we can finally start doing things right."
"You're saying we forgive them?" Carl's muffled voice comes up from my chest.
"Not that either, bud." I reply to him with a soft smile. "They declared an end to the war too. Most of them were just afraid of Negan and now that he's gone, they can see reason once again. We have to give them a chance to change. Our true enemy is dead."
"It's what Tara would want." Michonne chimes in, finding the words I lack. "And Tyreese."
"And Rick." I speak up.
That one seems to drive the point home.
"Either way, the people need to hear our next course of action." Jesus speaks up again. "They're all still confused and disoriented from the fighting. We also have to bring back the ones that we sent to the safe spot during yesterday's fighting. Once they're all together, we'll tell them what's happened and what's going to happen."
"I leave that to you, then." I reply with a smirk. "I'm done with speeches for one day."
That one elicits a chuckle from Jesus, shaking his shaggy head as he walks away towards some of the gathering Hilltop citizens. In the end, Carl, Michonne, and I are left standing alone in the courtyard. A long silent moment passes between us, where nothing but the wind keeps us company. For an instant, I allow nostalgia to wash over me. It's always been the three of us; four if one counts the now-missing Rick. Looking out for one another, fighting at each other's sides. For three long years it's been that way.
I never imagined it would turn out this way. That I would change as much as I have in that relatively short period of time. Few things test a person more than having a family to look after. And even though I'm young, I think I'm finally starting to get a glimpse at what being a family in this new horrible world is going to be like. Oddly? I wouldn't trade it for the world.
"So," Carl pipes up at last. "What do we do now?"
I look down on him with the same love and affection I have since the day I first fell in love with him. Truth be told, without Carl, I'd still be the cold, aloof, crybaby that I was when we stumbled into each other three years ago. I wouldn't even be half the man I am now. As if responding to this sentiment, I squeeze him slightly tighter into my embrace.
"C'mon," I reply to him. "Let's go see your sister."
And we're off.
A/N: So there it is! The conclusion of the war with Negan. Of course, things differed rather significantly from the comics in this chapter. Different situations call for unique endings. Negan's death was an inevitability. After Rick died, all bets were off, and our heroes weren't going to simply be satisfied with taking him hostage. I felt that he went out in a decent manner however. In the end, Tanner was more merciful to him than Negan was to Rick, ensuring that he didn't turn into a walker. I felt that was a decent contrast between the hero and the villain. You can see that, despite all the evil and misfortune that has happened to him, Tanner still very much has a human heart to him. So, with Negan gone, the question is, where does everyone go from here? I stated that this story would last between 25-30 chapters and I think its safe to say that I can bring it to a fulfilling close with the next chapter. Its been a lot of fun writing this story and I've certainly enjoyed hearing what you all have to say about it. I hope you've all enjoyed it as much as I have writing it! So, to clarify, the next chapter will be the last. I will tie up any loose ends and finally bring the plot to its fulfillment. As always, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, and please comment, review, favorite, and follow!
To the reviews!
vmbaby: The plot of Alexandria will be resolved with the last chapter, that I promise :) Also, glad you agree! Its a good song and I definitely think it fits them to a T. Thanks for your comment and review!
tentails: He did indeed. That sword is almost as resilient as he is. He's lost it like two or three times now and it always manages to find its way back to him! xD hahaha Thank you!
jordancadehill: Thank you, friend! I will try to tie up as many plotholes as I can before the story ends. You can count on it!
Guest: I love her too. Shiva is one of my favorites and I can't wait to see her in the TV show!
Thank you all once again!
See you all with the next and final one!
Later!