— ZOE WAS SOMEONE THAT ALWAYS PUT her friends and family first, no matter what happened to her, so that's why she never gave up the location of the prison to Merle, in fear that he would tell whoever he was with, and they would instantly head over to the prison and hurt her family. She felt awful, of course, that Merle hadn't been reunited with his brothers, but after all, she and Glenn had told him that they would let them know his location and they could come out and see him, but he just wouldn't budge. It's why Zoe became suspicious of Merle, and eventually agreed with Glenn that they shouldn't give the prisons up.
So, she currently sat in a large empty room, with nothing but a table and the uncomfortable chair that she was sitting on, in silence, not letting out where the prison was. The only person she had seen come into the room so far, was some random man with a bulletproof vest on, and for that reason alone, she knew these guys were armed and ready, so she would never give up her family's whereabouts. She was terrified, obviously - she was in a strange place alone, away from her family, and she didn't even know where Glenn was currently being held. She was anxious.
She sat in her chair, picking at her fingernails as she waited for whatever was waiting for her, preparing herself for what was about to come. She didn't know who ran this place, but if the man was worse that Merle, then she was in trouble - who would kidnap two people just for the fun of it? It didn't make any sense and nor did she even want to try to understand any of this, it was all too much. Zoe missed her family already, she missed her dad, brother and Nate the most, and she couldn't help but wonder what they were doing right now - did they know that she and Glenn were gone? Did they know that they were in trouble? How would they, when no one had been able to go back and warn them? She hoped they wouldn't think they're dead..
The girls thoughts were interrupted, when the door to the large empty room opened, revealing Merle, with what looked like slight guilt on his face, for whatever reason, she had no idea. She had heard the murmers from him and Glenn from the other room, but she couldn't understand what they were saying, as the walls weren't thin enough, so she couldn't make out the words.
Zoe looked up at Merle, hiding her fear so she didn't reveal anything to him in case he was to tell his leader where the rest of their group were. Merle didn't say anything as he dragged a chair in, the only sound being the scraping on the floor like some sort of horror movie.
Merle sat down on the opposite end of the table, sighing as he did so. "Zoe." He stated, "Zoe, Zoe, Zoe." He sighed. Zoe watched with a confused look on her face, wondering why he was talking to her like that, "The girl who used to obsess over my baby brother." Merle tutted, clicking his tongue against the top of his mouth. Zoe didn't know what to say, she didn't like the fact he was talking about Nate and how she used to look at him back in Atlanta, and she didn't even know why he was bringing up Nate. Did he want to embarrass her? Since there was no way he could possibly know that the two of them were together right now. She didn't answer him, instead, she stayed silent, looking at the table between herself and Merle - afraid to look up at him in case she revealed anything. Merle saw this and smirked, knowing that he was getting under her skin, and that it was pretty easy to do so. "Where's the prison?" He asked her.
The girl shook her head, still not looking up at the man - she couldn't do it, she couldn't give up her family, no matter how much Nate popped into her head. He would obviously want to see his brother, and so would Daryl - but they didn't know who the leader to this place was, so who knew what they were capable of? "I really want to help you out here, girlie." Merle carried on, "You don't want the govoner coming in here." He said, causing Zoe to finally look up in confusion.
"Who's that?" She asked, unsure as to who he was talking about.
Merle tutted once again, treating her like a child, as he leaned forwards, his hands together in a fist on the table as he tried to get the girl to open up, as the govoner will be a hell of a lot worse than he currently was. "Someone you don't want to mess with." He revealed, finding humour in the whole situation in front of him. "So, are you gonna tell me where my baby brothers are? Or are you gonna keep bullshitting." Merle said, clicking his tongue as he leaned back in the chair and his eyes trailed over the girl and her body. He never knew why Nate never screwed this girl and went on with his life - she had a cracking body..
Zoe shook her head at his question, "I can't." She told him, incredibly afraid of what he might do if he doesn't get his answer, or worse, what the governor would do. She hadn't met this man, and by how Merle was explaining him, she didn't think she wanted to know who he was. Merle sighed in annoyance at her words, knowing that getting her to open up would be harder than he once thought - so that only gave him one more option, and that was to get it out of Glenn, he seemed like he could be an easy crack. So, without any other words, he smirked, not letting Zoe know where he was going, before he stood up, the chair scraping against the floor as he stood, before he stormed out, now heading to Glenn's room, where the boy was currently tied up, waiting for questioning.
Zoe breathed out a sigh of relief as she watched Merle leave the room, hoping that she had gotten away with it this time, but she didn't doubt for one second that he was going to come back and question her again. Or was it going to be the Governor, next time? She had no clue, and she didn't even want to find out, not now, and not ever.. She looked to the side when she heard mumbling of voices coming through the wall, voices she couldn't make out, but she knew that it was Glenn and Merle by the tones of their voices. She bit her lip, trying to keep in her tears as she heard grunts coming from Glenn, the boy obviously getting beaten up by Merle - this was her fault, she hadn't told him where the prison was, and for that reason alone, he went and picked on Glenn for answers. She couldn't stand the sounds of the pain coming from her best friend. A sob of terror left the girls lips, scared for her life, scared for her friends, what was going to happen to them? Were the others going to find them in time? She doubted it highly. They were going to die in here, and there was nothing she could do..
Hours, that's how long she felt like she had been stuck in this room, sitting at the table on the uncomfortable metal chair, it hurting her arse and back the more time went on. Glenn's grunts of pain had stopped by this time, implying that he was either dead, or they had left him alone for a little bit. She wished that it was the second option, she prayed - she hoped that when she next saw Glenn, he would be in one piece, okay, and alive, she couldn't deal with it if it went any other way; he was too innocent, too good for this world. All he ever wanted was to keep his family safe. Time went on before the door to the room opened once again, but this time, it wasn't Merle, instead, someone entirely different, someone she didn't recognise. The man wore a grey button up shirt, the sleeves cuffed just below his elbow and a gun holstered just above his dress trousers, the man dressing surprisingly nice for an apocalypse. He was incredibly clean, more clean than Merle was..
Zoe shifted in her seat uncomfortably as the unknown man took a seat in front of her, a look on his face that she couldn't read, but the second his eyes trailed to her chest, she knew that this man wasn't good, that he was an evil man. Her hands trembled as they sat on the arms of the chair, each part of her body being tied up so she was unable to escape, and the man saw this, pretending to have a look of sympathy that Zoe knew for a fact that it was fake.. He didn't care.
The man took the knife out of his pocket and gently held it in his hands, trying to show the girl that he meant no harm. "I apologise for how Merle kidnapped you and your friend." He began, as he crouched down besides her and cut through the rope around her legs, allowing them to breathe once again and the blood was finally able to rush around them, he then worked on her wrists, his hands lingering on her skin more than she liked. "My name is Philip. But the people around here like to call me the Governor." The man said, as Zoe quickly pulled her hands away from his hold and held them tight to her chest, rubbing at the bruises and cuts on both of her wrists from being tied up so tightly.
The girl didn't look up at the Governor as he still crouched besides her, the man obviously eyeing her up with no disappointment. "May I?" He then asked, finally standing up and motioning to the chair in front of the young girl. Instead of replying, she didn't say a single word to the man as she looked down at her hands in her lap - she didn't know if he had already been to see Glenn, what if he had killed him? Or injured him in some way? Zoe would never be able to forgive herself if something happened to him whilst she was sat in this room all alone, not doing anything to help him. "We'll take you back to your people, explain this was all just a misunderstanding." The Governor said, breaking the silence once again.
Zoe didn't trust this man one bit, she knew that he just wanted to find out where her group were currently living, so he could either kill them all or take the prison for himself, and she couldn't allow that to happen, not now that they had the baby to look after, and the rest of her friends and family. If he was actually telling the truth, he would have let them go already, and she wouldn't have heard Glenn take a beating in the room just next to her own. Zoe still didn't say anything as she frowned at the Governor, causing him to carry on with his convincing. "You tell us where they are, and we'll drive you there." He said, smiling as he believed he had convinced her, but in reality, she wasn't believing a thing he was saying to her.
Zoe crossed her arms over her chest, knowing that they weren't just going to drive them to the prison and that be it, there had to be something behind it all. "I want to talk to Glenn. Where is he?" Zoe spoke up, surprised that her voice didn't waver or stutter due to how scared she currently was. However, the Governor knew that she was scared, and her wall wasn't hiding anything from him, he was good at reading people, and he just knew that he would be able to get the information out of this girl.
"I can't allow that." The Governor told her, smiling slightly, which just pissed her off even more. "Your people are dangerous." He said.
Zoe couldn't help but scoff at his words, "You kidnapped us, remember?" She retorted, glaring at the old man in front of her.
The Governor chuckled, "Don't think that I don't know your people handcuffed my man to a roof. Forced him to amputate his own hand." He informed Zoe, as her face fell at the fact he knew about that.
"We went back for him." Zoe told him, having always felt awful that Merle had been left on a roof to die, but it didn't take away from the fact that they went back, and found his hand in his place, which had just shown that he died..
The Governor shook his head. "You just tell us where they are, and we'll bring them here. You'll be safe. I promise." He tried convincing the girl again, but Zoe had no interest in what he had to say. She just wished that Nate was here. He would know what to do, he would be able to read the Governor and know exactly what he wanted from them.. "No?" The old man asked, when Zoe didn't reply, instead, looking away, unable to meet his eyes. "Fine." He sighed. "Let's try something else, huh?" He asked, knowing that playing the innocent man wasn't going to work with her, she was already too suspicious of him, and whatever he said was just going to go through her. "Stand up, please." He instructed.
Zoe's breath caught in her throat when he asked her to stand up, she didn't trust this man, and she sure as hell didn't want to do anything he asked her to. Instead of standing up, she stayed seated, her arms still crossed against her chest as she shook her head, indicating that she wasn't going to obey him, no matter what he said or did..
When he leaned forwards, glaring at the young girl in front of him, Zoe's hands began to tremble, and no matter how much she tried to hide it from the Governor, he saw it, and smirked at the sight, knowing that he was getting under her skin.
The Governor slammed his hand down on the table, causing Zoe to jump out of her skin and gasp out in surprise. "Stand up. I'm not going to ask again." He threatened, holding a murderous look on his eyes that terrified Zoe. Knowing that she had no other choice, she stood up, unwillingly, now standing in front of the Governor uncomfortably as his eyes raked over her body in lust. It was hard to keep the tears at bay when she saw this, fearing the worst, but one managed to slip, falling down her face and dropping onto her chest and down her shirt, only making the Governor smirk even more at the girl, loving the effect he had on her. "Take off your shirt." The Governor then instructed, the girls worst fear coming to light. She was shaking like a leaf, her hands clenched in fists as she tried to keep them from trembling, trying to block out the way he was currently looking at her, planning things over in his head, and liking it.
"N-No." Zoe stuttered, hating that she had been put into a situation like this. She just wanted her dad, or Nate. Anyone who could get her out of this mess.
"Take off your shirt, or I'll start bringing pieces of Glenn into this room." The Governor threatened, knowing that the girl would do anything if it meant saving Glenn's life, and he was using that to his advantage, and it was working. Zoe sobbed at his words, more tears dripping down her cheeks as she eventually pulled her shirt over her head, now standing in her bra, feeling way too exposed for this random old man, and she hated it. She wished that he would just stop there, but he motioned to her, "Well.. Go on." He said, letting her know that he wanted her to strip even more.
Zoe clenched her teeth together as she glared down at the man in front of her, who was sitting on his chair, like some sort of show was being put on for him. For him, this was probably a show, and he was enjoying every moment of it. "Screw you." She spat, using the last of her confidence to try and swing him in another direction, hoping that he would just drop it. But, when he simply tilted his head, raising an eyebrow at her tauntingly, she knew she had no other choice, or Glenn would be in danger..
Zoe took in a deep breathe, preparing herself, before she eventually reached up behind her back and held onto the back of her bra, giving the man one last glare as she in clipped her bra, the man smiling in accomplishment. As soon as her bra came off, the girl brought her arms up to hug herself and hide her breasts from the Governor, hating that he was enjoying this so much, and fearful of what he would do to her next. But she had to.. For Glenn. Her hands covered both of her breasts as the Governor sat up straight, eyes showing signs of lust as he watched her tremble under his stare. The girl couldn't meet his eyes again as she stood there, indecent, something she had only shown a small handful of boys in her life, and this man was violating her in ways she couldn't even imagine.
The Governor stood up, keeping his eyes trailed on her chest, as he reached to unbuckle his belt, Zoe sobbing even more when she saw him do so, her lumps trembling as she knew what was going to happen next. He took off his holster and laid it on his chair, before the man slowly walked over to Zoe and pulled her chair away, the girl crying as he now towered over her, being able to feel his breathe on the side of her neck, making her cringe even more.. When he reached his hand up and played with a strand of her hair, she closed her eyes, letting out another sob as her breathing sped up in pace. It was when he leaned in and took a deep breath, smelling her hair, she she try to finch away from her, but in response, he had taken his hand and gripped the back of her neck, the girl gasping in surprise, before he slammed her down onto the table.
Zoe yelled out in pain as her head hit the solid wood, already feeling the blood pool on the table underneath her, before she felt the Governor press himself up against her, the girl sobbing yet again. She had thought that she could be strong, that she could fight him off, but he was too strong, he was too manipulative, and she was now under his hold. "I'll ask again. Where are you and your people living?" The Governor asked her, stroking his hands down her bare back, feeling incredibly wrong, the girl still squirming under his hold, before he pressed harder down on her, the girl grunting as her lungs were beginning to feel blocked off..
Zoe knew how this was going to plan out, and she had already gone through it in her head - this was going to happen, if she wanted to keep her family safe, then this is what she had to do. She had to sacrifice herself. "You do what you gotta do. Then you can go to hell. You bastard." Zoe spat, before she closed her eyes in preparation for what he was going to do. He wasn't going to break her, and he was beginning to realise that, now. He had to use her family against her.
The Governor knew that he wasn't going to touch her anymore, so, with a sigh, he eventually backed off, leaving the girl sobbing on the table, unable to move. "You've made a big mistake." He tutted, before grabbing her hand and yanking her back up, taking her in a hold as she used her hands to cover her bare chest from anyone. He pulled her out of the room, not caring that she couldn't keep up as the girl stumbled on her own feet, scared that she was being bought to her death or something, but when she saw that she was being led to the room next door, she couldn't help but sigh in relief. Glenn was alive.
However, the second Glenn saw The Governor pull Zoe into the room, the girl topless, with tears down her face and a gash on her forehead, he hated that he couldn't do anything to help her, and he wanted to kill the Governor in this moment of time, murder him for what he had done to his best friend. He raised his chair leg again as he tried to hit the Governor, but the others raised their guns, causing him to drop it to the ground, keeping his eyes on Zoe. "We're through with the games." The Governor said, holding his gun up, "Now, one of you is going to give up your camp." He said, clicking his safety off, before holding it up to Zoe's head, the girl barely flinching. But, instead of using her, he headed over to Glenn, now holding the gun up to the boys head instead of the girls.
"The prison." Zoe sobbed, not wanting to see Glenn's head blown to pieces in front of her, she couldn't. She knew that she had just ruined everything, but she didn't doubt for one second that he was going to shoot him in the head. When the Governor said that the place is overrun, Zoe shook her head, multiple tears streaming down her face. "We t-took it." She informed him, hating the way Glenn sighed at her words, the information they were meant to keep to themselves, now out in the open.
"How many are you?" The Governor asked.
"Twelve. We have twelve now." Zoe said.
She couldn't hear what The Governor was saying to his other men next, as she kept her eyes locked ono Glenn, unable to look anywhere else in the room. She hated that he had to see her in this way, knowing that he was now going to feel guilty for a long time, but it wasn't his fault, it was The Governors.. When he came walking over to her again, he pulled her in for an embrace, noticing that she was still crying her eyes out, and Merle couldn't watch them from feeling slight guilt for the girl, although he didn't want to show it. The second the Governor let Zoe go, she sprinted over to Glenn and pulled him in for an embrace, hoping that he could cover herself up from the other men in the room - if there was anyone she could trust when she was in this position, it was Glenn..
Glenn held onto his best friend with a grimace on his face, glaring at Merle as he watched them, backing out of the room at the same time. He made sure to run her back in reassurance, knowing that they were retreating and leaving them alone, something he needed right now. He didn't know what the Governor did to Zoe, but whatever it was, it wasn't good, and for that reason alone, he wanted to kill him.
No one touched his best friend and got away with it. No one.