𝖢𝖠𝖭𝖳 𝖢𝖠𝖳𝖢𝖧 𝖬𝖤 𝖭𝖮𝖶－𝗇𝖾𝗀𝖺𝗇 𝗌𝗆𝗂𝗍𝗁

𝖢𝖧𝖠𝖯𝖳𝖤𝖱 𝖥𝖨𝖥𝖳𝖤𝖤𝖭

"Eugene." He answered, nodding his head.

"Now us." Bellamys father span around to the saviours. "Who are you?"

"I'm negan." They all said in unison, Bellamy keeping his mouth closed as they spoke around him.

"Well, Eugene...I know you remember Lucille." Negan pointed the bat in Eugenes face, Bellamys jaw clenching at his mother's name. "Now, you see this right here? You might have to get real close. That, my friend, is the bullet you made." He pointed into the dint on the bat. "Now, under normal circumstances, I'd be showing you that real close over and over again." He imitated swinging the bat down, clicking his tongue. "But, Eugene, see, all I really want to know is if you are a smarty-pants. You know things?" Eugene didn't respond. "Answer the question."

"I...I am, indeed, a smarty pants." Eugene stuttered as he tried to find the words. "I...taught myself to cast bullets." His voice shook, clearly frightened. "I...found a...found a machine shops with the necessary...I—I read a lot, and, um...Although my...even though my memory is not considered eidetic, I don't skim and I don't scrimp. If I know large is dropped, I do, indeed, pick it up."

Negan let out a chuckle as he nodded his head. "Oh, you really are just some asshole." The other saviours let out a chuckle as Bellamy stayed silent, eyes on Eugene.

"N-no. I'm not." Eugene stood up for himself, shaking his head. "I have PhDs in biochemistry, as well as immunology and microbiology, and I've completed my doctorate, which makes me a doctor. Prior to the collapse, I was part of a ten person team and the Human Genome Project, working under Dr. T. Brooks Ellis to weaponise diseases to fight weaponised diseases. Fire with, uh...you know...fire. Well, see, interdepartmental drinks were..." he cut himself off as he turned to the walkers growls, one of the walkers body falling off.

"Uh-huh." Negan rubbed his forehead. "All right, Dr. Smarty-pants. You ought to be able to crack this without breaking a sweat. You see, I have a lot of free labor here at the fence, living dead pricks that help keep the riffraff out. Problem is, they don't keep. They fall apart. Like that poor sack of...lie of shit there." Negan tilted his head as he pointed to the walker. "So, Dr. Smarty-pants, how do we keep them on their feet?"

Eugenes mouth moved, but no words formers as he looked around for any guidance. "You, uhm. Smelt on the regs, correct?" Eugene asked. "I saw that among the legacy equipment on the floor that you possess an operational smelter."

"And?" Negan urged him to continue.

"You already possess the means to resolve your issue. Step one, melt down scrap metal. Step two, pour it over the compromised walker as they are in contact with the chain link. The Liquid Metal will harden...both maintaining bodily integrity for the walker as well as affixing them to the fence. Bonus points for covering their head and protecting them from head trauma from hostiles and calamities." Eugene rambled as Bellamy didn't understand a word.

"God damn!" Negan grinned as he leaned forwards. "If that ain't the coolest thing I've heard in my life! Not only is that practical, it is just bad-ass!" Negan chucked as he got in Eugene's face. "Whoa. Look at you, Dr. Smarty-pants." Eugene shuddered as negan wrapped his arm around him. "Did Rick have you doing this kind of valuable stuff for him?" Eugene didn't reply as negan sighed. "Oh. His loss, our gain. I feel like I need to give you some kind of signing bonus here."

"Uh, w-well, I was—I was gifted these pickles from the young gentleman over there." Eugene stuttered as he pointed to Bellamy, making negan look over, letting out a chuckle.

"Well ain't my kid a saint." Negan chuckled as he rubbed his hand over his face. "No. As a token of my gratitude, I'm gonna send you over a few of my wives to your apartment tonight, show you a good time." Bellamy cringed as he lowered his head, finding the ground very interesting. "Now, I don't think I have to worry about this. But who knows how truly smart you are? No sex." He told Eugene, pointing to Eugenes head. "That is a grave no-no. However, you can have a little dinner, some drinks, share a few laughs. There is nothing like beautiful woman that smell good to make you feel human again."