The first sensation coming back is the smell of burning. It is so strong it makes him nauseous. It also makes him wonder how he could even lose consciousness in the first place.

All around him is so dark it's hard to make anything out clearly. His head is heavy, his brain foggy and his vision blurry. It feels like the worst hungover anyone could have. Yet he knows it's not what happened.

He was chasing Negan. First in a car chase then in an abandoned building. This far is coming back pretty easily.

And as he is reminding himself of the different events that lead him here, he can now feel his shoulders hurting like crazy. And as he tries to move his arms in front of him, he realizes he can't. His wrists seem to be attached together behind the back of the chair he is sitting on.

A sense of emergency is starting to arise in his mind even though the absurdity of the situation makes him think it's only just a dream. Or more like a fucking nightmare.

The ropes around his wrists are tightly holding them, letting no space to even try to loosen them. His attempts makes it even worse as the rope slowly begins to bite into his skin.

He has to calm down. Only by keeping a cool head can he start to think this through. He used to be a cop after all. It's not the first time he has to deal with a stressful situation, as desperate as this one seems to be. Taking deep breaths, he finally focuses on his surroundings.

The room he's in is only lighted by a small window in the upper part of a wall. Given its position, he's in the basement of some building. Did he even left the one he was in when purchasing Negan? If not, that would explain the burning smell as he recalls setting Lucille on fire to piss the man off and make him come out of hiding. But he could have swear he had make it through that window. The same Negan had used after breaking the glass covered in dirt making it opaque.

All of this doesn't make sense. It just doesn't add up. His wild imagination seems to interfere with his actual memories.

But then it just clicks. What if Negan is the one that attached him to that chair? What if he did managed to get through that window but Negan had been waiting for him to follow and jump him? He doesn't recall such a thing but it's not entirely out of question.

And the simple thought of having been captured by his archnemesis and being held as his prisoner is more than upsetting. He had finally found a way to get back at him, to put him out of action. He can't just fail this close to the goal. Because otherwise, it means that his only achievement had been to alienate the man even more. So now there are only two ways it can all end: him killing Negan for good or Negan killing the person he cares about the most just as a reminder that one should not mess with the leader of the Sanctuary. But as long as he can breathe, the second way cannot and won't be an option.

-"Negan, show yourself!" He shouts, with all the anger and rancor he can find in himself to tint his voice with. The cry even makes him sober up, his headache flowing back in a corner of his mind, like a survival mecanism. And it actually doesn't take long for an answer to be heard.

-"Shut up, you prick!"

He can still hear the shouting resonating in his head, sharp pangs waving back and forth in his brain. Even his own voice is unbearable and sounds like a strangers'. He feels dizzy right now and the slightest little noise, even as soft as it can be seems to resonate and vibrate in his brain to the power of a thousand.

He tries to open his eyes, if only to check his surroundings, to verify Rick's whereabouts. But apart from the light coming from a little window, the lack of luminosity is making him as good as blind. He can only hope that if he's not dead yet, it's either because Rick has other plans for him or because he cannot reach him. But the first option is more than unlikely, given the man's fury only minutes - or were that hours? - ago.

That's when another realization comes to his mind.

-"I can't move." He growls, even though hearing his own voice hurts like hell. "What did you fucking do?" Because even if he doesn't know what's wrong with him exactly or why he can't fucking move, he has to be the only explanation... right? He was the only one around. Well, except from a few walkers but he doubts they have the ability to make knots. But then comes the relentless answer.

-"Trust me, Negan." Rick spits out with venom in his voice. "If I had anything to do with it, I wouldn't have just attached you to a fricking chair. You'd be dead right now."

Well he can't say he's thrilled with that answer but it has at least the merit of being clear. So yeah, it's option number two: Rick can't reach him. And the only reason he can find that would explain it, is that he's in the same position as him, tighten to a chair. And imagining the face of the leader of Alexandria, right now, standing at less than three meters from him and not able to do squat is kinda funny. Funny in a sick way though. Because that bastard almost had him. But thanks fuck he had been able to throw Rick out of his feet so he had dropped Lucille. Without his faithful bat, he would have left more than a few feathers during the fight against Rick and the flood of walkers.

-"That's not how I had imagined my day going when I woke up this morning. You and me on an equal footing for once."

Rick had maybe had the upper hand for a few minutes when holding Lucille but he was now back to square one. And when he himself would be free, he would not miss to remind him of a few rules, using the hard way.

-"Don't worry. The day is still young. If I can have anything to do with it, it can still become worst for you. Like you six feet under. How's that for equal footing?

-Now don't be that unpleasant, Ricky boy. We are still a long way from home. Maybe you would better stay in my good graces. You might need it when I'm free and you're not.

-In your dreams."

And Negan can't help the chuckle that follows. That expression seems so childish, so out of character. Is the mighty leader of Alexandria still afraid of him, even now? Even if he sure seems to do his best to hide it? Well damn, that's a sentiment of satisfaction that will never get old.

He is about to tease Rick about it but he is faster than him:

-"Who's there?" And his reaction put him on alert, even though it is not making any sense. Nothing has changed since he woke up, nothing moved. Unless their abductor is a stealthy ninja and Rick has a night vision.

-"Negan, do you see him?"

The leader of the Saviors furrows an eyebrow. Did Rick just asked for his help? What's that? A 'the enemy of my enemy is my friend' bullshit? Or is he only making sure he's not becoming crazy?

-"See who, Rick? I don't even see you." And Negan bites his tongue. Maybe Rick didn't know that. He shouldn't give the man anything that could be used against him. Not that the ex-sheriff seems to have noticed him given up information for free, agitated as he is, but still.

But now that Rick has mentionned it, how could he not see it? Forcing on his eyes and concentrating, he can see subtle mouvements ahead, like a shadow lurking in the darkness. But the luminosity is too low to make up anything, even something as basic as a shape. Then, as an answer to his inner thoughts, a candle ignites on a table in front of him. And he can finally see the man, at the glimmer of the feeble flame. And as he is slowly turning towards Rick and him, a shiver of fearsome apprehension runs down Negan's spine. The first thing he notices are the eyes, as cold as ice. Then the smile, twisted, like a psychopath projecting mental images of torture on his future victims and enjoying ahead every steps of the process. That's when Negan finally realizes his gaze is on him and he can't help but miss a heartbeat, the gnawing dread turning in fierce terror. Isn't he supposed to be the appointed devil around here?

-"Oh don't worry", the human-shaped demon starts, irony filling his voice, "you will see me alright."

Thanks for reading :) So what do you think so far? I'm curious ^^