Solitary: The Walking Dead

Chapter 105.

That takes guts.

The saviour drags Iris out of the house, stopping on the porch and making her stand still again "Running water, air conditioning, a housewarming gift? That settles it. I am getting myself a vacation home here." Negan says "Cheers to that." Anger boils in Iris's blood when she hears Spencer's voice, what is he doing? She asks herself, "Mmm. Oh, that is good. You know, the only thing missing is a pool table. Nothing better than a good game of 8 ball." Negan says "The house across the street has one in the garage." Spencer says, "Oh, Spencer, you may just be my new best friend. Such a nice day, though -- too nice to be cooped up inside some garage, don't you think? Oh, I got a better idea." Negan says.

Iris listens to everyone moving, she stumbles down the steps as she gets pulled along, the knife digging further into her back, "I could never do this with Rick. He would just be standing there, scowling, giving me that annoying side-eye he gives me." Negan says, the bag is pulled from Iris's head, she looks around but her head is shoved down, making her look at the floor. "That's actually what I came to see you about. I want to talk to you about Rick." Spencer says.

"All right. Talk to me, Spencer. Talk to me about Rick." "I get what you're trying to do here, what you're trying to build. I'm not saying I agree with your methods, but I get it. You're building a network. You're making people contribute for the greater good. It makes sense. But you should know that Rick Grimes has a history of not working well with others." Spencer explains as people begin to gather around them.

"Is that so?" "Rick wasn't the original leader here. My mom was. She was doing a really good job of it. Then she died, not long after Rick showed up -- same with my brother, same with my dad." Rosita looks over at Iris, seeing the bruises across her face. "So, everything was peachy here for -- what -- years? And then Rick shows up, and suddenly, you're an orphan? That is the saddest story I've ever heard. Good thing for you ‭he's not in charge anymore."

"Doesn't matter. His ego's out of control. He'll find a way to screw things up, to try and do things his way, to take over. That's what he did with my mom. That's what he'll do again." Spencer says, "What exactly are you proposing be done about that?" Negan questions, "I am my mother's son. I can be the leader she was. That's what this place needs. That's what you need." Spencer answers.

"So I should put you in charge -- that's what you're saying?" "We'd be much better off." "You know, I'm thinking, Spencer. I'm thinking how Rick threatened to kill me, how he clearly hates my guts. But he is out there right now, gathering shit for me to make sure I don't hurt any of the fine people that live here. He is swallowing his hate and getting shit done. That takes guts." Negan explains

"And then there's you... The guy who waited for Rick to be gone so he could sneak over and talk to me to get me to do his dirty work, so he could take Rick's place. So I got to ask -- if you wanna take over, why not just kill Rick yourself and just take over?" Negan questions "What? No, no. I didn't -- I don't –" "You know what I'm thinking? 'Cause I have a guess." Negan says, Iris hears a faint whisper before hearing Spencer gasping for air, she lifts her head to see whats happening but the saviour grabs her hair, shoving her head back down.

Iris hears blood pour out of Spencer as his body drops to the floor, "Ohh. How embarrassing. There they are. They were inside you the whole time. You did have guts. I've never been so wrong in my whole life!" Negan shouts, "Now, someone oughta get up here and clean this mess up." he adds, "Anyone want to finish the game? C'mon. Anybody? Anybody? C'mon. I was winning!"

A gunshot rings through Iris's ears "Shit! What the shit?!" Negan yells, out of the corner of her eye Iris sees Rosita on the floor being held down by one of Negans people, "Shit! You just -- You tried to kill me?! You shot Lucille!" "She got in the way." Rosita snaps back, "What is this? What is this? This little bad boy made from scratch? Look at those crimps. This was homemade. You may be stupid, darlin', but you showed some real ingenuity here. Arat, move that knife up out on that girl's face." Negan orders.

"Lucille's beautiful, smooth surface is never gonna look the same, so why should yours?! Unless... Unless you tell me who made this." Negan says "It was me. I made it." Rosita says "You see, now I just think you're lying. And you lying to me now?! Such a shame. Arat's gonna have to cut up that pretty face. One more try." Negan warns.

"It was me." Rosita repeats "Oh! You are such a badass! Fine. Have it your way. Arat... kill somebody." Negan orders "No. It was me! No!" another gunshot fires and Iris hears a body drop "We had an agreement." Rick snaps, glancing over at Iris before looking back at Negan "Rick! Look, everybody, it's Rick. Ah, your people are making me lose my voice doin' all this yelling. Rick... how about a "thank you"?" Negan questions.

"I mean, look, I know we started this relationship with me beating the holy shit out of your friends, and because of that, we're never gonna sit around and braid each other's hair or share our deepest, darkest secrets, but how about a little credit? I just bent over backwards to show you how reasonable I am. Your kid -- he hid in one of my trucks and machine-gunned a bunch of my men down, and I brought him home, safe and sound, and I fed him spaghetti." Negan explains.

"Another one of your people -- well, he wanted me to kill you and put him in charge. I took him out...for you. And another one, here -- she shot Lucille, trying to kill me just now, so I gave you one less mouth to feed. And by looking at her -- that mouth did some major damage. Now, personally, I wouldn't have picked her to be the one to go, but Arat– I don't know -- didn't trust her." Negan rambles.

"Your shit's waiting for you at the gate. Just go." Rick snaps "Sure thing, Rick... right after I find the guy or gal that made this bullet. Arat?" Negan says, "It was me!" Tara yells, "No, it wasn't. It was me. It was only me." Eugene cries "You?" "It required one spent casing, one four-holed turret reloader, powder, one funnel for the powder –" Eugene explains.

"Shut up. I believe you. Lucille, give me strength. I'm gonna be relieving you of your bullet maker, Rick -- that and whatever you left for me at the front gate. And however much you scavenged, it's not good enough, because you're still in a serious, serious hole after today. Let's move out!" Negan says, "No! No, no! Please, just take me! No!" Rosita begs.

The saviour kicks Iris in the back of the knee and throws her to the ground before walking off with the others, Tara quickly runs to her, taking the rope off of her wrists and helping her up, Iris turns and wraps her arms around the woman, "your back" she whispers as Tara hugs her back, "i'm back" tara says, Iris pulls away and runs over to Carl, "are you hurt?" she questions "no im not" the boy says, Iris pulls him into her and holds him tight.