For You // R.G.

Chapter 37

"Rick!" I screamed, I was stumbling down the street, gunfire was just a block away. I tried to find Rick, my eyes constantly searching everywhere. I then noticed that the gunfire stopped, but before I could do anything someone grabbed me, putting my hands behind my back, they were strong so I was not able to move or leave.

"Let me go- RICK!" I screamed, I was desperate, I was angry and frustrated that he hasn't found me yet and I was in need to see him. But the man who grabbed me muttered, "shut up." Then put duct tape on my mouth, covering my head with a potato sack and guiding me somewhere.

I heard people cheering violently, as if I were at a football game and their enemies were losing. I didn't know where I was but I assumed I was in front of a bunch of people. I then felt the potato bag being pulled off my head and I saw Merle and Daryl standing there with shackles around their hands. I felt my hands being shackled, my duct tape was pulled painfully off. Daryl and I stared at each other, not believing what we were seeing.

"These people, two of them were apart of our society here at Woodbury. Merle, my second hand man, was apart of leading the terrorists here. The same terrorists that attacked our town and spilled our own blood." I look to see the governor speaking to the crowd, his eye- the one I stabbed, was bandaged. He then looked over at us while everyone in the stands cheered, wanting us to suffer whatever was about to come.

"And our newest edition, Max, she was with the terrorists from the start. She's been planning this for months-" he was saying. I didn't even try to interfere, to say that none of that was true but everyone was getting riled up, wanting us to leave, die, whatever.

"We need to punish them... And how will we do it?" He asked in a mischievous tone, a smirk that matched his attitude. Everyone started yelling something that I couldn't understand, but they all had the same idea and it didn't sound good. I then looked at Daryl and Merle, they looked equally as nervous.

I then heard walker moans behind me, I turned to see the governor's men tying a walker up behind me, it was reaching out towards me. I then see Daryl and Merle having a walker tied up behind them as well.

"In this game, they will fight to the death- brother and brother... And their lover."

I sighed when I heard that, Daryl looked at me, we were then pushed further together in the ring, about two feet away from one another.

"We have to fight to get out of this, you follow my lead." Merle says to both of us. He then gave a battle cry, yelling and springing forward, knocking Daryl into a walker. I then was pulled back violently to my walker. It hissed and growled at me as it towered above. I screamed, I then realized we were all in some pulley system. When one pulls on their chain, the other get pulled back. I tried to claw back to the middle when there was a ball thrown from a random source, landing right next to my walker. The ball then started to fizz and heavy smoke started to rise. Everyone started to panic,

"Men- get your weapons, their group came here to save them." The governor ordered. Gun fire immediately followed, everyone from the stands ran out in panic, I looked around and couldn't see anything but my walker who was trying to bite my leg.

"Daryl!" I screamed. I then see one of the governor's men appear from the smoke, he let the walker loose, before he left, leaving me to my fate, I swiped his legs from underneath him. He fell, I grabbed his gun and shot them both. I then look at my chains and shoot them, the metal bent and I got out.

I made sure to keep all my guards up as I crossed the arena floor, people who were rushing out to get out of the ring passed me, not caring if I was alive or dead. I made my way across where I knew there was a wall, I wanted to climb up it to escape.

I then see Rick in front of me, a few hundred meters away who was shooting left and right, fighting off walkers and the governor's men. I had to control myself from screaming his name, I had to help him first, making sure he was safe. I spotted some of the men, I shot them one by one. I was practically a sniper, unseen and unexpected while I lurked in the smoke. Once he stopped shooting, he started to scream Daryl and Maggie's names. I was getting the feeling he didn't even know that I was here. I was starting to feel hesitant, but hearing the gunfire erupt from behind me made me quickly reevaluate the circumstances and run towards him.

"Rick- Rick- it's me, it's max." I say. Once I emerged from the fog and he saw that it was me, his eyes transfixed. His mouth parted, he couldn't speak. I then heard more gunfire, coming closer.

"Rick- Rick, we have to go. I don't know where but we have to leave." I say into his eyes. He was staring at me, his eyes lost in mine, he then looked to the side where the gunfire was quickly approaching. He shook his head, coming out of his trance, he lifted me up the wall, I hoisted him up as well. We both jumped down. I took the initiative to hug him, I wrapped my arms around him, hugging him tightly. I didn't kiss him or overdo the embrace because of what I heard about Lori.

"I'm so happy you're okay." I say. He hugs me back, his arms squeezing me. I felt my eyes water, I tried so desperately not to cry, not to whimper and kiss his stupid face. When we separated, he looked into my eyes, his eyes flickered, I wiped mine, trying to act like I wasn't crying.

"We... We have to meet Daryl and Maggie." He says with a weak voice. He turns around, facing away from me. He starts to walk but then it turns to running. I run after him, knowing that this was the best I was going to get from him.