The Ruins

Chapter 58

Slamming the doors closed, they took a little breather when they had been chased by the Infected, using Negan's bullets and Ellie. Mal had no weapon when she was attacked but managed by punching and slamming their heads on any surface. He then pulled Ellie over his back when he sling her on and lend Mal his beloved Ellie over to her. She was very careful on holding such a dangerous and beauty bat and hits the dead coming their way. She had this feeling of rush exciting her body, the power surging through her veins as her tired muscles ached from her strength. Soon they exit back to the basement where it's dark and the bangs coming from the Runners outside the doors.

"Shit!" Negan belted, looking over at Mal who's covered in black from the Runners blood. "Look at this! Look at my dirty girls!"

Mal rolled her eyes then vicious screams echoed the walls. Negan pulled Mal close to him. "Fuck me in every direction. They're coming on the sides. Run!"

Running through the dusty cold hallways Runners came on both of their sides, making them curve a right to climb on a empty cargo truck. Passing through the trucks, their feet stepping over water, they climbed over as Negan pulls a wire with sparks flying, pushing the spark at the water, electric-frying the Runners into a crispy mess.

Pushing the doors it opens to the entrance of the mall, all open glasses and large space. The doors are barricade by bailed wooden panels; Mal looked everywhere and there's no escape. They're trapped.

Negan had to be calm yet it freaking out of no escape when he sees a ladder leading up outside. "There," he points it out, "is our way-"

Mal screamed, a Runner jumped out of nowhere, clawing its way at her with jarring rotten teeth. "Fuck!" Negan pulls the Runner like a rag dog, full thrust the bat at the head, exploding grey brain matter everywhere. Two more shambled to Mal and the other Runners came to him, then he made his decision.

"Go back towards the ladder. I'll use the gun to keep off the fuckers from behind while you take out any in front of us."

Gripping hard by the handle, she trots her way to the ladder, the shots behind her as she swings the bat left to right, hitting again and again, and again to any Runners coming their way. One particular one close to the ladder she hits so hard the bat went through the skull up to the neck, splitting the head in two.

Mal immediately climbs the ladder, looking down to see Negan behind her tail, and all the Runners threw themselves on the wall, almost knocking Negan off the ladder. She gets on her knees, grabbing on his arms, using her upper body to pull the long man up. They made it, laying on their side, Negan cursing a storm and kicks the ladder to the side.

They fall silent, allowing themselves to catch their breath as the savage groans plays on. And out of the corner of her eye, Negan stares at Mal, both knowing what a day it was, and they see themselves turning into a smile and they laughed. They're both on their backs on the hard concrete floor, but Mal couldn't stop laughing with Negan and grinning to herself.

-:-:-:-:-

Well over an hour later, Negan and Mal have decided to embark on a nighttime watch to top off their strangely entertaining post-apocalyptic night out together. It's odd, how Mal herself and towards Negan can look like a totally different person at the same time as she appears more herself than ever. Negan sees she's so at peace that, based on Negan's experiences with her, it looks downright out of character. But he also looks like she's enjoying the chance to be human for a while. This kind of peace is a rare treasure in the end of the world, and likely even more rare in Mal's case. But Negan likes this side of her.

He has yet to find a side of Mal he doesn't like, though, including her stubborn plans. She shivers as she felt the coldness. "Here," Negan takes off his jacket and wraps in on her.