Ephemeral - Alia Dixon

18

I help my dad, Aaron and Rosita set up some bombs before we all get into position. Our people are standing high while the ones they've recruited when I stayed at Hilltop stay low and unrecognized.

"I come armed with to barrels of the truth. A test is upon you and I'm giving out the cheat sheet" I hear Eugene's voice. The breaks squeel as the truck he's on the back of comes to a halt infront of the walls. 
"H-Hello. I come salved with the hope that it is my dropped knowledge that you heed. Options are zero to none. Compliance and fealty are your only escape. Bottom-lining it- You may thrive, or you may die. I sencerely wish for the former for everyone's sake. The jig is up and in full effect. Will you comply Rick?"
Rick looks at me and I shoot him a hard look. No fucking way we're backing out of this now.
"Where's Negan?" Rick asks.
"I'm Negan" Eugene says and we all shut our eyes tightly, feeling the betrayal deeply in our chests. Rick looks over at Rosita who has tears in her eyes at how close Eugene's standing to the bomb. We all get down, expecting everything to blow up but no. Nothing happens. My eyes widen as I look over at Carl who seems just as confused as I am. Suddenly I have multilpe guns pointed at my head, my breathing getting heavier and heavier as I realize that whatever people Rick's brought have fucking betrayed us. I told him not to trust them and he still wanted to have them here. For fuck's sake. I hope that man learns to listen to me someday. I slowly get up and watch as Negan and everyone else gets out of the cars. 
Negan smiles angrily but amused as always. "You ever hear the one about the stupid little prick named Rick who thought he knew shit but didn't know shit and got everyone that he gave a shit about killed? It's about you. You're all gonna wanna put your guns down now"
"No one drops anything" Rick states before looking at the woman next to him. "We had a deal"
"Tamiel came for the boat things. Followed ones who took. Made a better deal" she says and I swear right at this moment that she is going to be the third head decorating the entrance of Alexandria when all of this is over. 
"You push me, and you push me. And you push me, Rick. You just tried to blow us up, right? I mean, I get me and my people. But Eugene? He's one of yours. And after what he did. He stepped up. You people are animals. Univers gives you a sign, and you just shove your finger right up its ass. Dwight, Simon, chop-chop" 
I watch as Simon and Dwight get onto the back of the truck Eugene was just standing on and start unloading something. I try as hard as I can to keep my expression as see-through as I can as they start rolling it around before putting it upright, Negan stepping up next to it. 
I wonder if I could just kill Negan now. How long would it take for somebody else to shoot me? I don't think it would take very long. At least I would've done something. Maybe started something.
"So, you don't like Eugene anymore. You guys gotta like Sasha. I do, too" Negan says and I clench my jaw. "Got her right here packaged for your convenience, alive and well. Now, I brought her so I wouldn't have to kill all of you, and not killing all of you could get complicated. See, I know there's a lot of firepower left in there, Rick. So I'm gonna make this simple. I want all the guns you've managed to scrape up. Yep, I know about those, too. I want every last grain of lemonade you got left. I want a person of your own choosing... for Lucille. Daryl. Ooh, I gotta get me my Daryl back. And the pool table and all the pool cues and chalk. And I want it now or Sasha dies, and then all of you. Probably. Come on, Rick. Just because I brought her in a casket doesn't mean she has to leave in it" he says but Rick doesn't budge. And I don't even want him to.  Rather I die right here and now then another months of torture with these people. "You know what? You suck ass, Rick. You really do. I don't want to have to kill her, but that's exactly what you're gonna make me do"
"Let me see her" Rick says and Negan chuckles.
"All right. Just give me a second. I might have to get her up to speed. You can't hear shit inside this thing" he says laughing before knocking on the casket with his bat a few times. "Sash. You're not gonna believe this crap-" he says but stops as he opens it and a dead Sasha walks out. She growls at him, taking him right to the ground with her as they fall off the truck together. I take this as my cue and shoot the people behind me as they are too shocked by what just happened. I start shooting these other people and they all fall to the ground dead. I don't hesitate to shoot that bitch that has her gun pointed at Rick, her crouching over instantly, causing Rick to shover her away from him as she falls down the platform. I lay down on the platform and start shooting the Saviors. At least someone has to do something. I cover Carl's and Tobin's back as they get down before they give me cover. I get down and immediately start running for Michonne. I know she's alone with one of the one's that betrayed us. I shoot a few men on my way there and when I finally arrive at the top of the building I see her and the other one at the edge. She's holding Michonne by the throat, threatening to push her over the edge.
"Hey" I say loudly, causing her to loose cover for a second, giving Michonne the advantage as she grabs her and pushes her over the edge, her falling with a loud scream. 
"You good?" I ask her, walking over and seeing her state. She's full of blood and one of her eyes is fully swollen closed. 
"Yeah, you have to save the others" she says and I look around, trying to hear or see anybody coming.
"But how?" I ask her, just as I see the Hilltopers arriving on the left. My eyes widen in surprise as I see Shiva too.
"Are you good here?" I ask to her. She nods and I  run down the stairs and outside. We all start fighting side by side. I step up to Enid's and Maggie's side at first as we keep shooting as much people as possible. We run behind a few cars for cover before redirecting ourselves and going back out. I then join my dad's and Allen's side as we get out again. I shoot about five more men before I see a truck driving towards the gates. I start running as I notice that Negan's driving away. 
"Not today" I say, breathing hard as I take a knife and throw it, cutting off the middle finger he has in the air. A scream is heard from him before I get back down again as someone shoots just infront of my feet. I notice two of them standing on top of a truck as the others try to open the gate. No chance though. They quickly get down on the other side of the wall, my dad following them but by the way he's just standing there, I suppose they're gone.
Rick looks terryfied. "Rick," I say and he looks at me. "Michonne's alive. She's hurt. You have to go find her"
He nods at me before him and Carl take off running. I look around me, my eyes meeting Ezekiels. He smiles at me for a second, me returning the smile of course, We've shown the Saviors who the fuck we are and not to mess with us. Life can finally go on. It's not going to be easy in the future but it's starting to look brighter now. We can finally go on and maybe have the life we're dreaming off. Of course we'll have to fight Negan first but I'm positive we'll do it. We've done it before and we're going to do it now. 

I pick up my knife from the ground, Negan's finger next to it. Allen chuckles as he sees the finger. 
"No way you cut his finger off" he says and I start laughing as I pick it up.
"Need proof?" I ask jokingly before throwing the finger over. My brother catches it in his hand and my dad takes it from him. He chuckles at the sight of it before throwing it over the wall. I smile at my dad. 

The next few hours are spent, searching for anyone left, walkers or making graves for the people we've lost. Due to the surprise moment we had, not many people were lost today. Every leader gives a speech as we all stand there and listen. 

This is only the beginning for whatever has to come.

And I'm fucking ready for it.