CONQUEST • Negan

Beg

"This is it." Negan announced whilst rounding his truck around a winding road that led into a dead end, cut of by gate. "Ain't it just magnificent? Once we wipe the walls clean of these sick fucks, I plan on making this hotel into another one of my outposts."

It was quite a beautiful resort. One of those five star, luxury hotels that my dad probably stayed in at one point, because Carter Marlow only deserved the best, or so he would claim. That sentiment obviously didn't extend to his only living daughter though since an invitation to stay somewhere as boujie as this was never extended my way, only his fist or his nasty words. May the fucker rot.

The Remmington Hotel was clearly one of those getaway sort of hotels, nestled within a thick forest that crowded upon the side of a mountain. I could definitely understand why Negan would risk extending his own people out here. This place was magnificent. It was just a shame that such nasty parasites had laid their claim on it first.

"You think they've got a hot-tub?" I sat up a little straighter in my seat as we rolled into park just infront of the gates, tires groaning against the gravel. I would die a very happy death if I was given the chance to chill in a hot-tub, just one last time.

"They do. They have a few actually, and some solar panels to fire them up with." Negan grinned at me, sharing my own giddiness, and then his eyes darkened. "You wanna join me in one of 'em after this? I'm sure we're gonna get real tired and dirty from all the killin' we're about to do, I think you and I are definitely gonna need a soak in a hot tub afterwards."

And then I visibly deflated. Nevermind, that was that dream eternally ruined. "Nope. No thanks. I think I'd rather go without." I reached for the door handle so I could hop out, but Negan grabbed my arm, stopping me.

"Wait, I've gotta give you somethin' before we go say hi to our good pals out there."

I narrowed my eyes at him with suspicion, "What?"

He was already reaching behind his seat, and fished out a long object, wrapped in a blanket of thin, white cloth. He handed it to me, as if I were a knight being gifted with a sword. From the weight of the thing, my heart started hammering in excitement. I would know my Bertha blind.

A great wide grin stretched across my lips involuntarily, and I started unraveling the strip of leather that kept the weapon sheathed. The cloth fell away and uncovered my pride and joy— only, she looked different.

"What— what did you do to her?"

The axe that I remembered had a handle almost as long as my arm and a single blade. She was plain, undecorated, her handle made of unmarked wood. Abe had described her as a Hammerhawk, whatever the fuck that was. But now, Bertha was— well she was improved. At the other end of her shaft was now an unbelievably sharp blade that could be used for swift, silent kills, forgoing the need for a dagger. The axe head had now been doubled at both sides, evolving Bertha from just an axe into a fucking battleaxe. Where I would typically hold her, straps of leather had been fastened so that there was never a chance of me dropping her or loosing my grip.

And right where the wood held the axe head, imprinted into the wood with some type of heated embosser was a pair of dice, and flipping the axe, there was a B. I grazed my thumb over the marking.

"Ya' don't like it?" Negan said with defeat, his tone vulnerable and insecure. "I though maybe you would, but I'll take it back to the Hilltop and get the blacksmith to fix—"

"I like it." I breathed, cutting off what I knew was going to become a nervous ramble. I weighed the axe in my hands, testing Bertha's balance now that she had been fitted with some new additions. "Fuck, I like it a lot, this is—" was I actually getting emotional? I mean Bertha certainly deserved the makeover of her dreams but this was, well this was a real gift. No one had ever given me something so thoughtful. I blinked back my tears before looking up at Negan with a soft smile. "Thank you. I love it. You didn't— just— thank you, Negan."