-Carl-

I make it to the sewer just as the bombs start to fall; rubble showering the grate as I pull it back over the sewer hole. Rhys fights his way to the ladder when I find them all in the tunnels and explain to him slowly and out of breath why Mikey isn't with me. Siddiq helps me hold him back from the way out. Rhys cries when I tell him what Mikey wanted me to say. Minnie's crying, too. A lot of people are. The ground shakes over our heads as the Saviors rain fire on our home.

When Rhys can't fight anymore, and his limbs go limp, we sit with my sister on the cot we brought down earlier today. The tunnel we're in is at the base of the ladder that leads outside Alexandria's walls. Mold and rot spread like vines on the bricks around us, and the faint smell of something I don't want to think about sticks in my nose and to the bottom of my shoes. I have Rhys' head shivering against my shoulder and Judith on my lap. When the sewer grate does finally open, Rhys' head shoots up, but it's not Mikey that climbs down. Daryl does first, wearing his old winged vest. Then Tara and Rosita follow him down, ash settled on their shoulders from the burning buildings topside. Then someone else. Someone with matted blonde hair and a bullet wound in his shoulder. Dwight clambers off the ladder, his boots hitting the shallow water with a heavy splash at the far end of the dim tunnel.

I'm about to speak, but Rhys is scrambling to his feet, marching across the room, pushing people aside as they huddle around wall lights on the edges of the sewer tunnel. Rhys presses his gun to Dwight's head.

"Rhys—" Rosita whispers, holding a hand out for me to stay back when I'm right on his heels, quickly handing Judith to Barbara.

"Why?" Rhys growls through gritted teeth, his hand shaking and tears still running down his face. "Why is he here?"

Dwight holds up his hand, the other clutching at the bleeding hole in his shoulder. He's keeping his eyes on Rhys' boots, and looks like he just wants to go to sleep.

"Listen, kid, I'm—"

"Shut up!" Rhys yells.

I look desperately to Daryl and Tara, but neither of them move to stop this.

"Rhys," Rosita says again, inching closer to him. "Dwight made sure we could get the cars out the back... he helped with the ambush. He blew his cover to help us."

"Then why is he still alive?" Rhys sobs, the gun rattling in his hand as his finger grazes up against the trigger. "He's not useful anymore."

Dirt crumbles into his tangled hair from the ceiling, and the tunnel shakes as another grenade lands above us.

"Mikey's still up there!" Rhys cries. "He might be dead. We can't check because of his people!"

"What?" Daryl hisses. "Why the hell—"

"Make it stop!" Rhys orders, lowering his his gun and pressing the barrel against Dwight's chest. The weapon rising and falling with his rapid breaths. "Make them stop!"

"I can't," Dwight whispers.

"You're one of them! You killed Denise. You helped make all of this happen. They'll listen to you."

"I'm sorry." Dwight shakes his head. "They'll be gone soon. They don't have the ammo to level this place. After they let up, after they're gone, that's when we can go."

Everyone in the tunnel seems to be holding their breath right up until Rhys' arm falls to his side, shaking his head as he gasps and sniffles. Rosita holds him and whispers something I can't make out into his damp and dusty hair. Daryl takes his gun after that, and Rhys doesn't argue. He sits back down with me and tries to breathe while I rub circles into his back.

"Where's Michonne?" I ask, only just realising that she's not with the others.

Rosita bites her bottom lip and shakes her head. "She stayed back. Didn't say why."

I dip my head and hold my breath, fighting against the urge to vomit.

"What do we do now?" Rosita asks.

I realise they're all still looking at me.

"What about the other communities," I ask.

Dwight shakes his head. "Kingdom is getting the bat, but they ain't burning that place." The drooping skin on the burnt side of his face makes him look sadder than I think he is. "Hilltop's being left alone. Simon's getting them on the road."

"Then we'll go to Hilltop," Daryl says, moving to the ladder.

We all murmur in agreement. But Dwight speaks again.

"We need to wait until they're done," he grunts. "They think all of you got away in the woods. They're out there, looking."

"They saw us go west," Tara points out, "so we won't go west."

"Your best chance is to stay here until they're gone."

There's a sound of grinding metal then.

Moonlight seeps in as the manhole is opened from outside.

I hand Judith to Rhys, getting up and pulling my gun out.

Everyone aims their guns after me.

Dad and Michonne climb down.

I don't realise how weak the strong face I've been putting on was until I see them, letting it slip off when dad hugs me, Michonne holding both of us.

Michonne's crying. I see it when we pull away. Her face, all lines and creases, with wet eyes that look me up and down.

"It's gone," she mutters. "Alexandria's gone."

"Did you see Mikey?" I ask.

Dad looks confused, shaking his head. "He's out there?"

"He gave us time to get down here."

They shake their heads.

Then we have to wait.

Dad sits with Judith in his arms. Michonne keeps squeezing my hands and apologising for leaving earlier.

Eventually, the ground stops shaking, and we listen as car engines rumble to life and fade into the distance.

Rosita asks Dwight if that's it while he hangs on the ladder with his ear to the manhole cover. He takes a second before nodding.

"Everybody follow Daryl up," Dad calls softly down the pipe to everyone that's left. "We're gonna make our way on foot, get to Hilltop together."

"No..."

Rhys is standing at the back of the pipe, shaking his head and holding himself tightly.

"Rhys..." dad says as people start following Daryl and Tara past him and out of the sewers, "we gotta go."

"I know," Rhys nods. "But I'm staying. M—Mikey might still be up there, y'know? Hiding out and waiting for someone to help."

Dad and Michonne are looking at each other.

It's just the four of us down here now. I graze my fingers against the back of Rhys' hand.

Dad looks about ready to say no, but Michonne catches his hand.

"We'll stay with you." Michonne smiles at Rhys sweetly through her red eyes that look like they sting from smoke and salt. "Me and Rick."

"I'm staying, too," I say.

Michonne shakes her head. "This is still your show. Make sure everyone gets to Hilltop safe."

I hate that she's right. I hate that I have to care about anything that isn't them. But I do, and I leave. I don't hug anyone goodbye because it's not. Not really. Not yet. The smoke fills my nose as I head towards the woods where Rosita is hanging back for me. I don't turn around to see what's there or gone.

I just keep going.