I stalk through the streets of Alexandria, rage filling every atom in my body, as I assess the damage around me. This place was my fucking home. It was supposed to be safe and permanent. Now it's in fucking ruins and ablaze. Anger guides my legs through the debris and flames, heading towards the place I know where my house sits, unsure of what I'll find. I run a hand through my hair, ready to cut Negan where he stands.
"Aye, Blue!" I peer over my shoulder, seeing Daryl and Dwight rushing over to my side. Without waiting, I continue the trek over to my house. "Ya comin' with us?"
I shake my head, eyes still glued ahead of me. "I got shit to do. I'll meet up with you when I'm done." My voice sounds alien to my own ears, hearing the numbness and anger seeping into my tone. My heart sinks, seeing my motorcycle is burnt to shit. My hand flies to my mouth, realizing Kelly's coat was tied to the back; it now lays in ashes around my baby girl. I reach down, gasping, "this was Kelly's." I shout, throwing the ash through the air. I don't flinch when an explosion rocks the ground around me. My hair flies into my eyes.
"Ya goin' after him, aren't ya?" I glare ahead not making eye contact with either man. "Okay, just come back to me in one piece. Will ya?"
"Vanessa, if anyone can kill him, you can. But in your shape-"
I round on Dwight, sword tight within my grasp. The point an inch from his eyeball. He closes his mouth at my sudden threatening attention, his hands in the air. "I'm going. I'm ending this tonight. Unless you have any fucking advice, I'm going in guns blazing. Or not, I'm undecided, but I know I want blood."
"Vanessa," Daryl warns. "Dwight, don't."
"No, Daryl. He killed Denise. He's why Abraham, Glenn, Kelly... Carl... are gone." I growl, narrowing my eyes, brandishing my sword in anger.
Daryl places his hand on my sword, forcing me to lower it. "Nah, that was Negan." He grabs me, pulling me close, "I love you, Blue. Just go. I ain't gonna let anyone come after ya."
I pull away from my husband, removing the walkie from my hip, handing it over to Daryl. "If I'm not back in 48 hours, I'm dead. Hopefully I take him down with me."
"Nah, if ya ain't back in 24, I'm goin' in after ya." Daryl hands over the keys to his own bike, giving me directions to where it's parked. "Take it. We will find ya a new one later, ok?"
I nod, taking off into the dark without another word. Ready or not, here I come, bitch.
I parked the bike a mile from the Sanctuary, not wanting to give the asshole anymore warning. If he was smart, he would've run. He did nickname me The Reaper after all; and nowadays, the Grim Reaper is never far. I'm just lending him a hand on this weasel.
I kick open the doors, strutting in, pistol tight within my grasp. The workers all seem to freeze upon noticing my entrance; but taking in my stance, they return to their tasks.
"Hey! You can't be here!" Someone calls over. Without looking or hesitating, I fire my gun. I shrug when I hear his body thud to the ground. Another stops in front of me, his hands up to to stop me from walking in any further. I wrap my arms around the second prick's neck, snapping it. I step over his body. I head for the stairs without anyone else trying to irritate me further, realizing Negan probably wouldn't be here on the bottom floor. He thinks he's too good to slum it up with the workers. When my feet hit the top of the perch, I'm greeted by Eugene. I cross my arms, raising my chin as I watch the color drain of his face. "Where is he?"
"If I may, I don't think you should endeavor to maim Negan -"
I shove by him; I don't have time for his long-winded bullshit, but I peer over my shoulder when a thought occurs to me, "Carl's dead, and Kelly is, too. Alexandria is on fire. I'm getting my revenge. I will kill you, too, if you try to stop me."
He nods, "I'll take you to him, but rough me up. Make it appear as if I fought back and you are holding me hostage." I cock my head, before shrugging. He said rough him up. I chuckle as I pistol whip him and kick him in the stomach while he's crumpled on the ground. I wrap my fist in his hair, hauling him up by his ugly ass mullet, connecting my fist to his face, twice for good measure. I wrap my arms around his neck, pointing the gun to his temple.
"Take me to your leader, asshole." I whisper into his ear, letting the venom drip with a promise of violence into my tone.
He whimpers, leading me through the mess of rooms before he comes to stop in front of the one where Negan is supposed to be holding court. Without letting go of Eugene, I kick the door, watching it land on the floor with the thud. Eugene flinches the loud sound while Negan whirls around, eyes widening as he takes in the scene in front of him. I shove Eugene out of the way as I slowly strut into the room, smirking.
"Elvria, what a nice surprise!"
I wrap my fingers around his windpipe, cutting off whatever retort he plans on continuing with. "Cut the shit." I snarl through clenched teeth. He holds his hands up, waving off whoever is standing behind me. I don't bother looking when I hear footsteps retreat. I throw him back a few feet, I thrust my leg out, forcing him to lose balance. Something in my face causes him to clam up. I crouch, sneering down at him. "What? No pretty speech tied together with a promise of a deal? No prick brigade to save you? No gaslighting your way out?"
"No, because we are literally the same fucking person. You assholes attack, I attack, so you retaliate. Rick know you're here?" I purse my lips, narrowing my eyes. "Didn't think so. But I bet your hubby does, huh? He lets his pretty pregnant wife fight Rick's battles." I growl, I ball up my fist, punching him in the jaw.
"I take it you don't know why I'm here, Bundy."
"I burned down your pretty little community." I shake my head, clicking my tongue against my teeth. I haul him up his jacket, throwing him against the wall with my knife to his throat. "Whoa, hold up!" I put the blade between my teeth as I pull him by the coat, tossing him against the table. I grab a fistful of his hair, slamming his face against the table. He groans on impact. I let him go, watching him fall to the ground with a thud. I cross my arms, waiting for him to get him up.
His hand finds his jaw as he begins to stand. I duck when his fist flies in the air towards me. Abrahams dog tag clack together in the sudden movement. I wrap my fingers around his hand, twisting his arm as he falls to his knees moaning in pain. I glare down at him, "baby, I can do this all day; but today will end with you six feet under." I promise. I place my foot against his chest, forcing him to his back without letting go of his hand. I dig my heel into his throat, sputtering, his fingers scratch my leather pants. I let out a cackle, is that really all he has? Rick's voice falls over the walkie talkie that's sitting on the table. "Don't move." I growl. I stand up, taking the radio into my grasp. I toss it onto Negan's chest while I put my legs on either side of his waist with my knife at his throat. I bring my fingers to my lips.
"Ricky. Look at you, callin' me up. You wanna tell me where you are so we can do this face-to-face?" Negan rasps into the radio, eyes not leaving mine.
"Carl's dead." Rick says matter of fact. Negan's dark eyes widen. I hang my head, trying to hold onto the anger that's slowly slipping from my fingers. "He wrote letters. He wrote one to you. He asked you to stop. He asked me to stop. He asked us for peace. But it's too late for that. Even if we wanted a deal now, it doesn't matter. I'm gonna kill you."
Negan whispers, "how did it happen?"
"What?"
"How did he die? Was it us? Was it the grenades? The fire?"
"It wasn't you." Rick snarls before the words could form on my tongue. "Carl went out to help someone. And he got bit."
Negan sucks in a breath. "God damn it. Shit. I, um... I am sorry. You know, I wanted him to be part of things. I had plans. He... That kid... That kid was the future."
"The only future is one where you're dead."
"What the hell are you doing, Rick? Why are you fighting? Why are you making this so hard? Carl is dead because of you. Because you couldn't leave shit well enough alone. I mean, hell, maybe he woulda died some other way. Any one of us can get our ticket punched at any second. but in this case... in this case he is dead because of you. Because you weren't there to stop him from doing something stupid. You set this course, Rick. Who's next?"
"You are." Rick and I seethe at the same time.
"No. But someone is. You see, I stop people from dying. I am the answer. Now, it may have taken a hard lesson for you to hear it, but you should hear it now. It's time. Do not let any more of your shit decisions cost you to lose anyone else you love. That garbage: that sticks with you. Forever. Just like Carl will. Hell, I'm feeling it. And I'm gonna be feeling it for a while. You could have just let me save all of you. I mean, that's why I killed your friends in the first place. So, you can sit there and you can say that you're gonna kill me, but you won't. You failed. You failed as a leader, and most of all, Rick, you failed as a father." I growl, smacking him across the face with the back of my hand. I bring my fist behind me, clocking him in the jaw. "Just give up. Give up, because you have already lost." Negan speaks through the pain.
"Vanessa there?"
"Yeah," he grumbles, "what gave that away?"
"I had a feeling she would abandon the group and head for you. See, not only is Carl gone. To her, my boy was her boy, too. Kelly is dead, too. But by your men. Let me tell you about him since you didn't really know him; he's the one who taught her to be that weapon you know so well. I mean, that's why you called her The Reaper, right? Not only did he teach her, but she passed him in skills and cunning. You cannot overcome her. She'll bring everyone in that building down with her. That includes you. Right now, she's beyond angry. She's damn near unkillable at this very moment. He was her first love; she loved him for over twenty years, and your men took that from her. From all of us. Glenn was her brother-in-law. Abraham, her best friend. Owen killed her ex-husband. Jordan was ex-military. Not only did Kelly teach her to fight, but she also trained under a solider; she's a damn good sharpshooter. If she's there now, I imagine she's standing over you, with a knife to your throat, waiting to strike. I can simply let her kill you, or I can call her back. But no promises, she doesn't listen to her husband. Let alone me." I hear amusement dance into his tone as he ticks off every reason Negan should be drowning in fear. "Welcome to her shitlist."
I take the radio from Negan, bringing it to my lips. "Keep talking dirty to me, Rick, and Daryl might have to kill you himself." I chuckle.
"Vanessa." He breathes a sigh of relief. "It's time to leave. I got a letter for you, too. Let him think he won for now. Carl wants mercy, so we will honor that. You will honor that. I want to kill him myself." I shake my head, turning off the radio. Out of anger, I turn my torso, throwing my knife at the open door. I smirk, observing it lodge between someone's eyes, watching a body fall to the ground. I stand, running my hand through my hair.
"You know that was just a worker." Negan grumbles.
"So was Denise and Olivia." I shrug. "Hell, one way or another, so are all of us. That's what family does. We don't rule one another. We fucking work together to make a better future."
He crosses his arms, "what makes you so different from me? You kill my people just like I killed your people."
I spin on my heels, glaring up at him. "I protect my family. I've lost too much under your thumb. You are a threat that needs dispatched. Anyone who backs you is just collateral."
"I didn't kill Carl."
"No, but I could've stopped him if I wasn't so busy fighting for our freedom from you. Rick might not blame you, but I do!"
"Rick attacked us first when you guys killed my men while they sleep. That's why I attacked!" He snarls. "What kind of pussy shit was that?!"
"At this point, I don't care who pissed on who first." I wave my hand dismissively. "I just want you gone so my child won't suffer the same fate I do right now. Or Carl's fate."
"I'm sorry about Kelly," he offers somberly.
"I don't want your pity. I want your head on a pike." I shake my head, "I'm going home." I reach into my pocket, producing a grenade. "If you or anyone else try to stop me, I'm taking everyone with me."
He gestures to the door, waiting for me to leave. "I ain't holding you hostage. I refuse to sleep with one eye open, knowing you're plotting some shit under my roof."
I make it to the doorway, glancing over my shoulder, "don't get too comfortable. You may have been saved from death now. But the grim reaper is never far these days. Your time will come."