A few months later.
Alexandria was rebuild and at peace after a long time, although Mike was still devastated because of Elly's death, he still kept going, even smiling sometimes. Carl and Enid grew closer but only Mike really noticed, Mike also had to move in with Rick and Carl because his house was slightly destroyed and was currently getting repaired.
"Ah!" Mike screamed as he woke up from a nightmare.
"Ugh, coffee." He muttered and went down the stairs.
He poured himself a cup of coffee and went out of the door, onto the porch and saw there Carl and Enid sitting, Enid seemed to be sleeping on Carls shoulder.
"Guess you tamed her." Mike joked.
"Ah! Oh god, Mike, I didn't expect you here." Carl said.
"It's better I caught you here and not naked in bed." Mike joked.
"Shut up, dickhead." Carl said.
"So, you two?" Mike asked.
"I don't know, maybe." Carl answered.
"Uh-huh, does she think that too?" Mike asked.
"I...Just shut it." Carl said.
"She sleeping?" Mike asked.
"Yeah." Carl answered.
"Tired of making out, eh?" Mike joked.
"Hehe, yeah." Carl said.
"Oh, now that's quality gossip." Mike said.
"Come on, go to sleep." Carl said.
"Nah, got nightmares." Mike said and sat next to him.
"Uh...Carl?" Enid muttered as she woke up.
"Morning." Carl said.
"Oh...Hi, Mike." Enid said.
"Hi." Mike answered.
"I guess I'll go then, I'll leave you two to it." Mike said and went back to sleep.
The next morning
"Good morning." Mike said to Rick, Carl and Judith when he came down the stairs.
"Morning." Rick said.
"Did you sleep well?" Carl asked.
"No, I cried myself to sleep, again.
"By the way, your houae is finished, you can move back in today." Rick said.
"Ok, what's on the shedule for today?" Mike asked eating his toast.
"Uh, you got patrol in the forest today and I and Daryl go out for supplies." Rick explained.
"Alright, then I'll leave and get to it." Mike said and took his jacket.
He walked towards the gate, Eugene had guard at the moment, to start his shift.
"Morning, Eugene, I'm heading out, you got my gun?" Mike said.
"Yeah, here you go." Eugene said and gave him a shotgun.
He just walked around the forest until he saw a walker stuck under a tree branch, but it behaved strange, he pulled out his knife slowly went towards the walker.
"Shit, what happend?" He said and tried to stab the walker.
But the walker pulled out a knife from his pocket and cut his forehead.
"Ah! Fuck!" Mike screamed and pulled out his pistol.
"Please help me!" The walker said.
"Ah! Since when can walkers talk?!" Mike screamed.
"I'm not a walker! Please help me!" The walker pleaded.
"Alright." Mike said and pulled the branch of it's legs.
"Hey! Stand where you are!" Mike said and aimed his gun at it.
"P...P..Please don't shoot me." It said and put up it's hands.
"Is this a mask or something?" Mike asked.
"Yes." It said.
"Pull it off." Mike commanded.
It pulled it's mask off and it revealed a girl, she was about his age, had black hair and was extremely dirty.
"Well, hello, my name is Micheal." Mike said.
"I...I'm Lydia." Lydia said.
"What are you doing here? And why are you wearing this mask?" Mike asked.
"I'm running from my groupy they're brutal people, and this mask, it's so we don't get spotted by them." Lydia said.
"Are you currently pursued?" Mike asked.
"No, I lost them a few miles ago." Lydia said.
"How is this group?" Mike asked.
"We use these masks to lead hordes, it's like a tribe. There's Alpha, the leader, then Beta, a big and strong man, an asshole." Lydia explained.
"You aren't telling me something." Mike said.
"Alpha...She's my mother and she tortures me, if I try to escape. That's why I cut you, I thought you are one of them." Lydia said.
"Alright, so you tried to escape multiple times?" Mike asked.
"Yes, but I never came this far, the good thing is that there's a main horde, about 10.000 or something. It moves extremely slow and with that the tribe is slow." Lydia said.
"10.000?! Fuck, where is this horde?" Mike asked.
"New York." Lydia answered.
"City?" Mike asked.
"No, state." Lydia said.
"Alright, good. How about I'll take you home?" Mike asked.
"What home?" Lydia asked.
"The Alexandria safe zone, we got heating, electricity and running water. We are about 40 or something people and got a city with walls." Mike explained.
"Really?" Lydia asked.
"You'll find out if you follow me." Mike said.
She followed him back to Alexandria and she was amazed by the community.
"Hey Eugene! Open this gate!" Mike yelled.
"Alright, I'm coming." Eugene said and opened the gate.
"Who's that?" Eugene asked when he saw Lydia.
"That's Lydia, I found her on patrol. Barely alive, stuck under a big branch." Mike explained.
"I would prefer that you bring her to Rick." Eugene said.
"Alright, smartass." Mike said.
"Where are we going?" Lydia asked.
"To our leader." Mike answered.
"Ok." Lydia said.
"Wait, I'm sorry. I'm pressuring you, right?" Mike asked.
"No, not at all, it's just, I'm not used to this anymore. But I'm thankful." Lydia said.
"Mike, who is this?" Rick asked as he left his house.
"This is Lydia, I found her on patrol." Mike said.
"Alright, Lydia, how many people did you kill?" Rick asked.
"None." Lydia said.
"How many walkers did you kill?" Rick asked.
"Less than 100." Lydia said.
"Ok, Mike. I trust you with that, welcome, Lydia." Rick said and walked off towards the gate.
"Ok, what now?" Lydia asked.
"I hope you don't mind living with me for a while, we don't got many houses." Mike said and opened his frontdoor.
"Wow, this is your's?" Lydia asked amazed.
"Yes, and I suggest that you take a shower." Mike said.
"Where is the shower?" Lydia asked.
"I'll show you." Mike said and led her to the bathroom.
"Tell me if you need something." Mike said and went back downstairs.
"Kaffee." He muttered and made himself some coffee (Coffee).
After a while he heard the water stop, Lydia came down the stairs just wearing a towel, she looked beautiful he thought.
"Hey, uh..I need some clothes." Lydia said.
"Oh yeah sorry, I hope you're ok with men's clothes, just go to my room and take something." Mike said.
"Alright, thanks." Lydia said and went back up.
"Gott, hör auf so zu denken, Elly ist grad gestorben!" Mike said to himself (God, stop thinking like that, Elly just died!).
She came down wearing one of his shirts and pants, they were too big but somehow fitted.
"Want something to eat?" Mike asked.
"No, I'm good. Thanks." Lydia said.
"Are you fleeing because your mother mistreated you?" Mike asked.
"She used to torture me or use a whip on me." Lydia said in a sad tone.
"I had a bad family dynamic too, my uncle took care of me." Mike said.
"I'm sorry." Lydia said.
"No problem, I think you had it worst." Mike said.
"Yeah, maybe." Lydia said.
"Coffee?" Mike asked.
"I never drank coffee, but yeah." Lydia answered.
"Here you go." Mike said and passed her a mug.
"Blargh! Tastes like burnt shit." Lydia said.
"You'll get used to it." Mike said and smiled.
"I'll go take a nap, the TV works so feel free to watch something." Mike said.
"Ok, thanks." Lydia said.
He went upstairs and went to sleep, after a while he was awaken by knock.
"Mike?" He heard Lydia's voice.
"Yes?" He answered.
"Rick asked for you." Lydia said.
"I'm coming." Mike said.
"You're not wearing a shirt." Lydia said.
"Oh, sorry." Mike said and went back to grab a shirt.
"How did you get this scar?" Lydia asked.
"Got shot, then fell into a coma." Mike said and put a shirt on.
"Oh, I'm sorry." Lydia said.
"Don't worry about me." Mike said dismissive and walked past her.
"Wanna join me?" Mike asked when he opened the door.
"I don't know, am I allowed to?" Lydia asked.
"Yeah, you're as part of this community as I am." Mike said.
"Alright, thanks." Lydia answered.
They walked towards the house where meetings were hold.
"Mike, who is this?" Carl asked.
"Alright, guys. This is Lydia, I found her on patrol, she was running from her old group, brutal one but it doesn't affect us." Mike explained.
"Alright, I and Daryl found a big truck full of supplies, it sadly got destroyed but we found a man, he said he's also part of a big community that wants to trade with us. He is currently in our prison but is willing to bring us there." Rick explained.
"I see no problem, I think we should go there." Mike said.
"Yeah, but. What if it turns out to be another Terminus?" Axel asked.
"We could find out, or starve." Daryl said.
"Ok, let's go there. Mike, Maggie, Glenn, Daryl,Tara and I will go." Rick said.
"Hey Carl, how's your eye?" Mike asked.
"Well, I lost it, so, not good." Carl answered.
"Hey, I lost two fingers, now we both lost something permanent." Mike said.
"Not funny." Carl said.
"Hey, why are you so cold towards me?" Mike asked.
"Because I lost my damn eye!" Carl snapped.
"And I lost my fucking girlfriend!" Mike shot back.
"More like sex friend." Carl muttered.
"What the fuck did you just say?" Mike asked in a aggressive tone.
"You fucking heard me." Carl said.
Mike punched Carl in the face and Carl fell on the ground.
"I don't know what happend but go fuck yourself." Mike said and walked towards the camper van.
"What happend?" Glenn asked.
"I dunno." Mike said.
"Can we go?" The man asked.
"Oh, I didn't introduce myself. I'm Mike." Mike said.
"I'm Jesus." Jesus said.
"Christ?" Mike joked.
"No, I'm called by my people like that.
"Are you their leader?" Glenn asked.
"No, a older man is, Gregory." Jesus explained.
They drove for hours until they stopped at some kind of building where people were having trouble.
"Mike, stay here. We will get those people." Rick commanded.
They all ran outside and Mike was sitting here with Jesus.
"What happend to your hand?" Jesus asked.
"Accident." Mike answered.
"Sorry to hear that." Jesus said.
"If your nickname is Jesus, is there also an Allah?" Mike asked.
"No, but that was a good one." Jesus said and chuckled.
"So, why exactly do you want to trade with us?" Mike asked.
"Please promise me to not tell your friends until I do." Jesus said.
"Alright." Mike said.
"We are enslaved by a brutal militia group, their leader Negan is a brutal man, they kill 3 or 2 people, take one hostage and steal your things in exchange they won't kill you, that's why we need this trade agreement and we want you to kill these people." Jesus explained.
"Fuck, you should've told us." Mike said.
The group came back into the van with four new people.
"Come on let's go!" Rick said.
They drove for hours until they reached a hill, it had walls and you could see a big house, it looked like those typical 1860s cotton field owners estates.
"Welcome to Hilltop." Jesus said as they walked through the gate.
Mike saw alot of these house containers, a forge and no guns, not even a pistol, just spears and swords. And alot of fields in-and outside.
"Come on, I'll bring you to Gregory." Jesus said.
"Rick, I'll bring Maggie to the doctor." Glenn said.
"I'll wait here." Mike said and sat on a bench.
"Alright, I'll see you then." Rick said.
"What did I do wrong? Why does Carl hate me? Did I go too far, punching him?" He thought.
"Hi." A voice pulled him out of his thoughts.
"Glenn? What are you doing here?" Mike asked.
"Getting fresh air." Glenn answered.
"And?" Mike asked.
"I'm gonna be father." Glenn said happily.
"Just two years ago this shit happened, it feels like ten years if you ask me." Mike said.
"I've never expected to be a father." Glenn said.
"I'd offer you a drink, but." Mike said.
"No worries." Glenn said.
"Can I ask you something?" Mike asked.
"Yeah." Glenn answered.
"Why does Carl hate me?" Mike asked.
"I don't know to be honest, I think he blames you for Elly's death and that you weren't there to protect her. I mean you three were friends." Glenn said.
"I think I should apologize." Mike said.
"Maybe you should, I mean you punched him." Glenn said.
"There they are." Mike said.
"Alright guys, here's the plan. We kill this Negan asshole and his group in exchange we got alot of food." Rick explained.
"Alright, war. I love it." Mike joked.
"Hey, we need this." Rick said.
Savior base, evening
"Alright, does everyone know the plan?" Rick asked.
"Yeah, time to die." Mike said and went in through the back door.
"Mike's objective was to go in from behind and cut off the people trying to escape. He got a suppressed M4A1 and after a while of walking he went into a room with 4 sleeping.
"God forgive me." Mike said and shot everyone in the head.
He did the same in a few rooms until shots could be heard, then everything went bad and a big battle ensued.
"Scheiße!" Mike yelled and shot two saviours (Shit).
It was chaotic, shooting everywhere, dead bodies on the ground or in the beds. The screams were driving him crazy, he knew it wasn't the end but he didn't really care, he just wanted to get out there.
After an hour of death every saviour was dead, it didn't feel real, he knew how it felt to kill someone but this was different, it felt worse. All this death for food and a few guns. All those lives, ended for resources.
"Mike! Why are sitting here?" Glenn asked.
He just sat there covered in blood, surrounded by dead bodies. His machete was red through blood and his gunstock was also red.
"I...I...I..I feel so bad, so fucking bad." Mike said and looked up to him.
"Holy shit." Glenn said.
"I know, am I a monster?" Mike asked.