??? Later
Mike was broken after days of severe torture, Negan kept asking him what his name was in a attempt to get him on his side. He hasn't lost any limbs but he got dozens of new scars, emotional and on his body, now he was in a room without any light, there was just a mirror for some reason and the song "Easy street" playing without stopping, it was driving him crazy.
"Gah! Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! He screamed and punched hard against the wall, causing blood to pour down his hand.
"Steven...Oh, Steven." He heard Negan and the familiar knock of Lucille on his door.
"Back to torture me?" Mike asked.
"No, well yes, later. I wanted to ask something." Negan said.
"No, I am not Negan." Mike answered.
"Not that, you are friends with this one eyed freak, right?" Negan asked.
"You gonna kill him if I say yes?" Mike asked.
"No, you got my word." Negan answered.
"Yes, I am friends with Carl." Mike said.
"Good, how about a partner look?" Negan said.
"A wha-" Mike tried to ask but was cut off by a needle in his neck.
"Go...Fu-" He said before passing out.
When he woke up again, he was alone, but the music stopped. He felt dizzy and couldn't see right, he had trouble standing up or just thinking. He reached up to his face to feel bandages over his forehead. He stood up, and looked into the mirror. His left eye was missing! That's what Negan meant with partner look.
"Oh fuck!" Mike screamed, fell back, hit his head and passed out again.
"Hey, wake up asshole." He heard a voice waking him up.
"Wha...What?" Mike asked.
"Fucking wake up!" A man said and kicked him in the stomach.
He looked up and saw a blonde man with a half burned face, it was Dwight. Negans lapdog.
"What? Ugly asshole?" Mike asked.
"You just gotta accept this man, or you'll loose your other eye, or a few more fingers." Dwight said.
"I'd rather die, or look like you than accepting." Mike said.
"Now, why are you here?" Mike asked.
"Boss said that we'll pay a little visit to Alexandria." Dwight said and pulled him out of the cell.
"Come on, you lost an eye not an leg." Dwight said.
"Do I need to remind you that I got stabbed multiple times in the leg, I need some time to heal." Mike said.
"I don't give a fuck! Now move!" Dwight said and pushed him.
They continued for a bit until they arrived at a black car, he was forced to enter it. Inside was Negan, Simon and Carl.
"Carl?!" Mike said suprised.
"Oh fuck! Your eye!" Carl said.
"Hehe, that was my idea, nice partner look." Simon said.
"Go fuck yourself." Mike said.
"Hey, one more word and you'll be blind." Simon said while aiming his gun at him.
"Guys please, can't we just drive in silence? I'm hungry for some spaghetti." Negan said.
They just drove in silence until they arrived at Alexandria, the people there were shocked by the sight, Negan together with Carl and Mike, but Mike was missing an eye.
"Now, Steven. Enjoy your freedom." Negan said.
"My what?" Mike asked.
"You're free, I had my fun with you and set a clear sign what happens if you anger me." Negan said.
Mike went back home and he saw Carl follow Negan into his house. Poor guy he thought.
"Lydia?" Mike asked.
"Mike?" A voice came from above.
She came down the stairs wearing one of his shirts.
"Oh my god! Your eye!" Lydia said shocked.
"Negan, that bastard, did it to me." Mike said.
"God, I'm happy you're back." Lydia said and hugged him.
"I know, I don't feel so good." Mike said.
"What do you have?" Lydia asked worried.
"Couch." He muttered.
"Alright, let me take you there." Lydia said and led him to the couch.
"I think you're severly malnourished and you didn't drink enough water in your stay at Negan's base." Lydia said worried.
"How long...How long was I gone?" Mike asked.
"1 month, I think." Lydia said.
"Fuck...1 month." Mike muttered.
"Here, drink this." Lydia said and gave him a glass of water.
"Thanks." Mike said and drank it out in a second.
"God, what have they done to you?" Lydia asked worried.
"I'd be better if I show you." Mike said and pulled his shirt off.
It revealed his muscular body full with scars all over his body and arms.
"Oh god, I'm sorry." Lydia said.
"Don't worry about me, these are just cut scars and some drills, oh and this burn mark on my arm." Mike explained.
"Shit." Lydia said.
"I...I'm okay." Mike said and tried to stand up.
"Don't, just lie here and rest." Lydia commanded.
"Yes ma'am." Mike said and lied back down.
"Why is Negan here?" Lydia asked.
"Carl was somehow at the Sanctuary and because of that they took my eye. Now, I don't know why he's here, maybe to humiliate Rick." Mike explained.
"Damn." Lydia said.
"Could you pop in a movie?" Mike asked.
"Yeah, which one?" Lydia asked.
"I don't care, I've been a month long alone in a cell with no light, the only light I saw was when I got tortured." Mike said.
"Oh shit." Lydia said.
"Come on, I'll make some space." Mike said.
They just sat there, watching a movie, until they heard a gunshot.
"What the?" Mike asked and shot up.
"Mike, you're still wearing this, shit or something." Lydia said.
"You're right." Mike said, put on his brown jacket and stormed outside.
The saviours were already gone but Spencer and Olivia were dead and Eugene was missing.
"What the fuck happened?" Mike asked.
"Oh my god! Mike!" Rick said and walked towards him.
"What happened?" Rick asked.
"Negan, he...he..he..oh god." Mike tried to say.
"Hey, it's alright. This ends now." Rick said and hugged him.
"I'll go to Carl." Mike said and went inside Rick's house to see Carl just sitting there covered with blood.
"Hi." Mike said and sat next to him.
"What happened there?" Carl asked.
"Where? The Sanctuary?" Mike asked.
"Yeah." Carl said.
"I was tortured, with fire, drills and knifes. Then there was this song, this fucking song played day and night in my cell. And then, to top it all, they cut out my eye." Mike explained.
"Shit." Carl said.
"Why were you at the sanctuary? And what did he do to you?" Mike asked.
"I wanted to kill him, I sneaked on a car and killed a few. He forced me to sing a song and make spaghetti with him." Carl explained.
"I'm sorry, now come on, wash that blood off." Mike said and left.
"Wait." Carl said.
"Yeah?" Mike asked.
"I'm sorry that I'm the reason you lost your eye, but I don't regret trying to kill Negan." Carl explained.
"Don't worry, I understand it." Mike said and went out of the door.
"Hey Mike, how you're doing?" Daryl asked.
"No, I'm like Carl, but I can't even punch someone with my left hand. I feel like a fucking walker." Mike said.
"I'm sorry." Daryl said.
"You dodged a big bullet, Negan wanted to take you at first." Mike said.
"Shit." Daryl said.
"Lydia, I'm home." Mike said as he entered his home.
"What happened out there?" Lydia asked.
"Spencer and Olivia are dead, and we're going to war." Mike said.
"Fuck, are you good? You look pale."
"No...I think this needle wasn't clean or it's an infect-" He tried to say but fell unconscious.
It appeared that he has gotten a serious infection at the Sanctuary because his wounds just got patched up, not treated properly.
"Wha...What happened?" Mike asked as he woke up in his bed.
"Axel learned a bit from Denise, he could treat a few of your wounds but you have a serious fever. You'll stay here for the next day." Lydia explained.
"Shit..." Mike muttered.
"God, I'm tired." Lydia said.
"Here, I'll make some space." Mike said.
They just both lied there, not doing anything. It was kinda awkward until Lydia broke the silence.
"Mike, why did you let me stay here? I mean there are now empty houses." Lydia asked.
"I...You remind me of my dead girlfriend." Mike said.
"Really? What happened?" Lydia asked.
"Almost one year ago, a big horde, almost 3000 walkers, tore down the wall and killed many people, my then girlfriend, Elly, died and Carl lost his eye." Mike explained.
"A..Are you in love with me?" Lydia asked shyly.
"I don't know...maybe, I really like you but I still miss her." Mike said.
"Ok, you just think about it and I go in my room." Lydia said and left.
"Gah! Du dummer bastard! Jetzt hast du's vermasselt!" Mike said (You dumb bastard! Now you've ruined it!).
2 Days later, The Kingdom
The group has traveled to Hilltop to recruit the people of Hilltop against the Saviours, Gregory rejected but the people there accepted, Jesus proposed to bring a third community to the war, the Kingdom.
"Dear god, it's like fucking disney land." Mike said when they entered the Kingdom.
"Yeah, apocalypse disney land." Carl added.
"Alright, let me introduce ya'll to Ezekiel." Jesus said.
They went into somekind of theatre, at the end of the hall was a throne. On it was a black man with grey-black hair and next to him was a tiger.
"What the!" Mike screamed as he saw the tiger.
"Greetings, you are Rick, right? I am King Ezekiel." Ezekiel said.
"Hello, uh..you highness." Rick said.
"I assume that you want to recruit my people against our common enemy, the Saviours." Ezekiel said.
"Yes, we have lost many people to Negan, and my friend, Mike, has been tortured and lost his eye to Negan." Rick explained.
"Dear god, I am so sorry." Ezekiel said.
"It's no bother, I can still aim at, fight and kill that bastard." Mike said.
"Good, we can talk later. How about you stay for dinner with the community and sleep for a night here." Ezekiel suggested.
"Very good." Rick said and the group left the building.
Mike just walked around the Kingdom, it was extremely big, more fields than Alexandria, but less than Hilltop. It had more people, maybe 100 or more. And alot more kids in his age. He tried to talk to Lydia, but she didn't want to talk now.
"Ah shit." Mike muttered.
"What's the matter?" He heard someone's voice.
"Oh, it's nothing, I was just, thinking." Mike said and turned around.
"Oh, Carl. I didn't recognize your voice." Mike said.
"You don't recognize the voice of your best friend?" Carl said.
"Yeah, I'm sorry. I was just lost in thoughts." Mike said.
"You seem lost, Are you alright?" Carl asked.
"No, it's Lydia. I think I like her, but, I...I don't know." Mike said.
"You feel bad because of Elly." Carl said.
"Exactly, I think I love her, but I'm also not sure if I do, or it's just that I'm thankfull that she was there for me." Mike explained.
"I think you should tell her." Carl said.
"I know, but I'm just, scared you know?" Mike said.
"I know you are, you are a mental wreck." Carl said.
"Thanks, asshole. I know what I am." Mike said.
"God, I'm fucking hungry. These Saviour assholes have taken almost all of our food and took almost all mattresses." Carl said.
"I know, they took my fucking coffee beans! I mean who does that?" Mike said.
"My dad would." Carl joked.
"Hehe, yeah I think he would." Mike chuckled.
"There you two are, I looked for you two." Rick said.
"What is it, dad?" Carl asked.
"Dinner is starting." Rick said.
"Finally, food. I've only eaten half eaten sandwiches in that cell." Mike said.
"Wow, that is inhumane." Carl said.
"You could call Negan that." Mike said.
It was already evening. There was a very long table with almost everyone sitting there, it appeared that it was some kind of annual celebration, like thanksgiving. After a while a orange haired boy sat next to him.
"Hi, I'm Benjamin, you're from Alexandria, right?" Benjamin asked.
"Yeah, I'm Micheal. Call me Mike." Mike answered.
"Alright, what happened, I mean if you're ok with telling me." Benjamin said.
"Oh, I lost my fingers in the beginning and my eye due to Negan. He tortured me." Mike explained.
"I'm sorry to hear that." Benjamin said.
"It's alright, in the end, I'm still alive." Mike said.
"Nice bracelet." Benjamin commented.
"Yeah, it's from my former girlfriend." Mike said.
"What happened?" Benjamin asked.
"She died." Mike answered.
"Oh, sorry." Benjamin said.
"No worries." Mike said.
"You got a girlfriend?" Mike asked.
"No, I got only a brother and Ezekiel is my foster father." Benjamin said.
"Oh, I didn't know I was talking to a prince." Mike joked.
"Stop it." Benjamin said.
"Who's your brother?" Mike asked.
"His name is Henry, he's younger than us." Benjamin said.
"It was nice talking to you, I'll see you around." Mike said.