Solitary: The Walking Dead

Chapter 117.

Mercy.

"Be brave little deputy" Iris says, kissing Judith's head before walking away from the girl, "be strong little sheriff" she says, grabbing Carl and pulling him into a tight hug, "i will" the boy says, holding onto Iris tight, Iris moves away from the boy, holding onto his shoulders and looking at him "you've grown up so much" she says smiling at him.

"wait, i've got something for you" Carl says, Iris watches him walk away and grab something, "where'd you find it?" she questions, looking down at her hat in the boys hands, "i killed the guy that took it. It'll probably need cleaning" Carl says, "thanks kid" Iris says, smiling at the boy, "look after it for me" she adds, before walking away.

......

"You up to this?" Rick asks Maggie, "I got the Hilltop to stand against the Saviors. I need to be there. At least for the first part. They say you can wage war through the second trimester." Maggie jokes, Iris smiles at the woman next to her, "I've been fighting since the farm. Can't stop now." Maggie adds "How about tomorrow?" Rick asks "You been thinking about what that looks like?" Maggie questions.

"Yes, I have. I don't know if I can wait for it." Rick says "Just one more fight. And I'm gonna be there. At least for the first part." Maggie says "I'm told the Hilltop lost their doctor. An obstetrician, no less. We have a doctor in the Kingdom. A woman of talent. Join us." the king says, "We'll get ours back." Jesus says, the king lets out a small laugh "Yes, Jesus. Yes, you will. As sure as the day defeats the night. And on this day, we begin to reshape this world for your child and the children to come. So let's get started." the king says walking away.

"When I first met him... Jesus said that my world was gonna get a whole lot bigger. Well, we found that world. We found each other. That..."bigger world" is ours by right. That we've come together for it, all of us... it's that much more true -- it's ours by right. Any person who would live in peace and fairness, who would find common ground... it's their right, too. But those who use and take and kill to carve out the world and make it theirs alone -- we end them. We don't...celebrate it. We don't have shame about it, either. There's only one person who has to die... and I will kill him myself. I will. I will." Rick explains, standing on the bed of the truck with Maggie and Eziekiel, looking down at everyone.

"But if it's the others... the others who prop him up, stand by his side, even those who just look the other way -- so be it. Then... we keep making the world bigger. Together." Rick continues, "Together. Bound forever! To quote The Bard, 'For he today that sheds his blood with me shall be my brother. For she today... my sister.'" the King says, Iris looks to her sister next to her.

"We've practised. We've been through it over and over again. We all know the plan doesn't end this morning. That we may have to live in uncertainty for days, maybe more. That we have to keep our faith in each other. If we can hold on to that with everything we have, the future is ours. The world is ours." Maggie explains.

"I don't want to wait for it anymore. You don't either – Yeah, I know. So we don't have to wait for it. If we start tomorrow right now... with everything we've beaten, everything we've endured, everything we've risen above, everything we've become... If we start tomorrow right now... no matter what comes next... we've won. We've already won." Rick cheers, the group cheers along with him.

.......

Iris quietly gets out of the car, Juniper following her, they carefully move into position with Rick, Jesus and Magie. Iris watches Maggie give the signal and she poits her rifle into the sky, everyone lets off a few shots and then they wait again, Iris listens as the door opens, "Well, shit. I'm sorry. I was in a meeting." Negan says.

"I see you got your little mudflaps with you. So I'm not exactly feelin' a reason for us to try throwin' lead at each other. I care about my people. I don't want to just march them into the line of fire because I want to play 'my dick is bigger than yours.' It is. We both know it. But I'm also comfortable enough to accept the fact if it wasn't. I'm certainly not gonna let my people die over that shit... ...like you're about to." Negan rambles.

Iris watches her sister, noticing her face faltering, Juniper catches her sister watching her, "im fine" she whispers "So, Rick, what the hell can I do for you?" negan questions "Dwight." rick says pointing at the man before walking to the next gap, "Your name's Simon. You're Gavin. And you..." Rick says, "Regina." the woman says "Rick, I'd feel remiss if –" Eugene tries but rick cuts him off "No. I know who you are. Listen, you five. The Saviors inside. All of you have a chance to survive here. To survive this. You all can live if you surrender. Can't guarantee it any time but now. Right now." Rick explains.

"So they surrender... and you and your little piss patrol doesn't kill them. That sounds like a good deal! What about me, Rick?" Negan asks "I told you. Twice. You know what's going to happen." Rick says, "I do. I do know what's gonna happen. You don't. You have no idea the shit that's about to go down. Let me ask you something, Rick -- Do you think you have the numbers for this fight?" Negan questions.

"You don't. Simon?" he adds when Rick doesnt answer, Iris peers through the gap and watches as simon bring gregory out "Of course that's where he went." Jesus says "What do you have to say to the Rick and the piss patrol, Gregory?" Negan asks "The Hilltop stands with Negan and the Saviors. Any resident of the Hilltop who takes up arms or who supports this ultimatum against the Sanctuary or any of the Saviors, for that matter -- they will no longer be welcome in the colony." Gregory explains.

"And?" Negan asks "Their families will be thrown out and will be left to fend for themselves." Gregory adds "And?" "Go home now. Or you won't have a home to go back to." Gregory threatens "You do what you need to do." maggie says, looking at the hilltop people, "All I have at the Hilltop are a bunch of books and an old lobster bib." Jesus says.

"You heard the man. Go back to separating wheat and shit or whatever the hell it is you people do." Negan says, "Doesn't look like anyone's goin', does it?" Maggie shouts, "Hilltop stands with –" "The Hilltop stands with Maggie!" Jesus shouts, cutting Gregory off.

"I feel... like I invested a lot in you, and I am very, very disappointed." Simons says, pushing Gregory off the platform, Iris looks into the distance and watches the clouds from the explosion, "Sounds like shit is goin' down, Rick." Negan says "You 'lieutenants...' you're gonna have to make up your minds." Rick says "Maybe we can take a time-out here –" Gavin tries "No. This has to happen now. This is the only way." Rick says.

"You're gonna make me count? Okay. Okay. I'm counting. Ten!" Rick shouts, "nine! Eight! Seven!" Rick starts shooting at Negan, Iris following his lead, the group shoot out the windows covering the building, "Now!" Maggie shouts, Iris continues shooting as she walks back to the car, she watches Juniper climb in first before going in after her, Aaron driving away with Eric in the passenger seat.

Iris stands under the trees and takes a drag from her cigarette, watching Juniper talk to the others, as the smoke escape her lungs she noticing Rick stand next to her, "We can wait some more." Daryl says, standing next to the other two, "We can't. He stopped to get me." Rick says "How's that?" Daryl asks.

"Negan. He was on the ground. I was trying to kill him, and Gabriel stopped to get me... We gotta start out." Rick says "You all right?" Daryl asks him "This isn't about me. Let's go." Rick says walking away, Iris and Daryl follow after him, Iris throws her cigarette on the floor and Daryl lets out a whistle, signalling the others.