The Woman at The End of The World. (Daryl Dixon)

seventytwo.

"Well, damn, Rick, look at that." Negan's voice falls over the radio, amplified by some unseen technology. "Pegged again. Pegged so very hard. I ambushed your ambush with an even bigger ambush."

"How about you step out and face us?!" Rick snarls into the air around us.

Negan chuckles, "oh, I am everywhere, Rick. Some more bullhorns, more walkies. Pick a direction to run. See how you do. Make it fun for all of us. Guess what else I did. I brought you some of your old friends. You remember your old buddy Eugene? Well, he is the person that made today possible. Same goes for Dwighty boy here. In case you were wondering, he didn't ream you on purpose. No, he is just a gutless nothin' that sucks at life, and now he gets to stand up here and watch you all die, and he's gonna live with that. Gabriel, well, he's got to go, too. We are cleaning house today, Rick. And then there's you. It never had to be a fight. You just had to accept how things are. So, here we go. Congratulations, Rick."

We just fucking walked in on a massacre. Our massacre. Fuck me.

Negan begins to count back from three. At one, the saviors peer over the ridge suddenly, surrounding us with their weapons trained in our direction. I raise my chin, expecting the inevitable fire. I refuse to go down cowering in fear. The guns cock echo through the wind, only to explode into the saviors arms. Some lay dead and unmoving on the ground. Confused and pain filled screams fill the air.

I glance at Daryl, exchanging a baffled look. My eyes widen at the realization dawns on me, shock electrifying my veins. "Eugene did this." He nods, understanding what I'm stating. He lead me to Negan when I showed up to kill him. He did this today, allowing us to take the enemy by storm. I grin, "that evil little shit."

"Now!" Rick growls.

I glance at Charlee, tossing over her twin brother's rile. She catches it effortlessly while I pull out my swords, cutting down the saviors that fall into my path. I rush through the crowd, slicing and dicing while seeking out the bullet maker in question. I watch him struggle with staying upright as a member of Negan's men target him. I jump behind the man, thrusting my sword through his chest while Rosita fires a bullet through his skull. I smile at the man who was on our side the whole time while the blood coats the front of my body. I pull my sword from his heart, hearing it kiss the ground with a thud. Eugene's wide eyes lock with mine. "I told you, mullet man, I protect my family." 

He swallows hard, nodding.

I dash off when the air becomes still and quiet. The sounds of flesh connecting to flesh stop suddenly. Eugene and Rosita fall in line with me. I raise my swords, twirling them in my hands, spotting a small group of saviors, holding their hands up in surrender.

"Don't shoot. Please. We're done. It's over." A female with blonde hair pleads with us. I lock eyes with Michonne from across the field, an unspoken agreement hangs in the air. I return my swords to their home along my back as the sounds of grass crushing under foot drags my awareness back to the group in front of us, watching as the begin to kneel. I wipe a stray tear, we finally fucking won. It's over.

I walk next to Michonne and Maggie with the group tailing behind us and the three communities, observing Rick slice Negan's throat with a piece of glass. I let out a shaky breath, watching Bundy crash to the ground with a thud, clutching his throat. My hand flies to my mouth, allowing my eyes to close to a second. We won.

Rick approaches us, peering at each of us as if he's looking for someone in particular. When his blue eyes land on me, he gestures behind him. "Save him." For Carl. The unspoken reason hanging in the air between us.

He knew I would without argument. He was looking for me among the crowd, I realize.

I nod, "okay." Siddiq whistles; I peer over my shoulder as he produces a medic bag. I turn my torso enough to catch it, holding it firmly within my grasp.

"NO!" Maggie screams, pain filling the air, as she and Daryl grab me, rooting me in place. I hold my head high, feeling their arms let go, unwillingly while they scratch at my flesh. I peek in their directions, seeing Maggie wrapped in Michonne's arms, sobbing, while Daryl struggles against Charlee and Wren. "No, she can't! He killed Glenn!"

"Blue, ya can't!" Daryl growls.

Ignoring their pleas, I stop my approach towards Negan when I spot a translucent figure kneeling over the fallen leader of the saviors. Holding my resolve in place, I gasp, shock crashing through my soul, seeing the ghost of Carl, nodding at me when he glances up, locking eyes with mine.

I will to do this for you, kiddo. I will prove my mercy is alive and well. I'll fulfill your dying wish. It's the least I can do for you.

"We have to." Rick orders, tone tense and defeated.

"We have to end it! Rick!" Maggie shrill shout causes goosebumps to slither across my flesh. "We have to make it right! Vanessa! He killed Glenn and Abraham! What about Kelly?"

My knees kiss the ground as I start the process to clot the blood with a towel I found inside the medic bag. "This is making it right." I peer over my shoulder, locking eyes with Daryl instead of Maggie. His face angry and disappointed, keeping the pressure on Negan's throat, "the death needs to stop somewhere! Glenn and Kelly would agree, and you know of all people who know that." I simply state, returning to the task in front of me. Negan's frantic eyes meet mine, I shake my head, silently telling him he can't speak. "Stay still," I whisper, "I got you."

"It's not over until he's dead!" Maggie bellows.

Rick clears his throat, stern voice dancing into the air, "the ones who have 'em up, put your hands down. We're all gonna go home now. Negan's alive. But his way of doing things is over. And anyone who can't live with that will pay the price, I promise you that. And any person here who would live in peace and fairness, who would find common ground, this world is yours, by right. We are life. That's death!" He gestures to the herd stumbling about, "and it's coming for us. Unless we stand together! So go home. Then the work begins. The new world begins. All this... All this is just what was. There's gotta be somethin' after."

I detect movement in the corner of my eye across the field, opposite of our communities. I peer up, seeing Owen several yards away, smiling with malice, waving as if he doesn't have a care in the world. The blood drains out of my body while I feel the tension hardening my muscles. Movement under my hands catches my attention. I glance down, seeing Negan looking in the same direction. His scruffy face angry and shocked at the sight of this rare appearance. I return my attention to my nightmare, everything in me is screaming to run after him, and kill him where he stands. But hands hold my forearms still. I peer back down, realizing Negan understands the war inside my mind, but pleading with me, eyes begging me to stay. Save me.

I bow my head for a moment; he did save me once upon a time. Now it's my turn to return the favor.

I'll hunt Owen down when Negan is out of the woods and on the mend.