CONQUEST • Negan

Face the Music

I had been getting dirty looks the whole day throughout my tour of the sanctuary as Negan had me trailing behind him like a good, obedient little dog. Even if he had decided to chain and collar me, I still would've felt just as degraded as I did now. But— there, another one of the workers who had dropped to their knees as we passed, glared up at me from between their brows.

At first, I thought it was Negan they were looking at like that, the same way I looked at him. But no, when they kneeled, they done it out of respect, and when they glowered, it was done with hate. Hate for me.

Was it because I was an outsider? Had the saviours spread slanderous stories of the outside communities that unwillingly provided for these people?

If I hadn't decided that these people must've simply been fed a buchet of lies about us, I might've chosen to return the looks, but what pissed me off even more, was that Negan had noticed too, and he was utterly delighted by it. His smirk had slowly grew throughout the day, and near the end of his little tour, he seemed downright giddy.

When we moved on from the laundry rooms and went outside, my stomach plummeted at what I saw. The gates were lined with chained up walkers, and weaving through them, was workers who were dressed as Daryl was when he came to Alexandria, luring the geeks and snaring them to the fences.

"What the fuck?" I breathed.

"Right?" Negan gleamed, "What the fuck, indeed." He slung an arm over my shoulder and I was too frozen in shock to even register the fact that he was touching me. "Ain't it just magnificent?"

"This is wrong. They're— you're keeping slaves, making them— do that."

I watched on in horror as one of the men tripped up and the walker he was herding nearly toppled down on top of him before another of the slaves yanked on the chain around its neck, giving the man down a chance to find his footing again and dash back from the teeth chomping desperately for his neck.

I thought I had seen the worst of humanity reveal itself these past three years, and in some places, I had. But this was despicable. This was pure cruelty.

"Damn right I am." he moved his face close to my ear and breathed, "I see all of this," he swung an arm out, "as some good character building. It really— enforces some discipline and loyalty, deters bad behaviour from the other workers since they're too damn scared to end up out here." He laughed at that last part. "One small evil in favour of the good."

I recoiled at his closeness.

Negan sighed and stepped back, "Aw, look— look I know how hard this must be. Facing reality, finding out what your boyfriend does all day now that he belongs to me and not you, but be happy, Dice. I don't plan on putting you on fence duty, that's- that's what you were thinking right? That I was going to force you into one of those grimy uniforms, shove you in a dark room for the rest of your days, spoil you with rations?" He shook his head, "Now what a waste of potential that would be. Nah, I have other— bigger plans for you."

"Like what?" I gritted.

He parted his lips about to answer and then stopped himself, choosing to chirp out, "Nope. Can't ruin the surprise just yet. That would just be a damn right shame for us all if I did."

Despite holding a brave front, after witnessing the brutality he showed Glenn and Abe and then the depravity of this, I had to admit, I was worried about whatever plan Negan's deranged mind had concocted for me. If this monster had managed to completely corrode the confidence of a man like Rick Grimes, then what hope was there for me?