Lurking About

Chapter Twenty-one

    "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 explained as both he and Negan played a game of pool out in the road. I watched with a few others, watching as Negan gave him an inquisitive look. "Is that so?" he asked, and Spencer nodded as he took his turn. "Rick wasn't the original leader here. My mom was." I zoned out, my body still sore from our little affair as I looked around, spotting a few familiar faces. "So I should put you in charge-- that's what you're saying? That we'd be much better off." Negan questioned as he hit a ball in, looking at the younger man. "You know what 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 and making 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." he stated casually, walking around the pool table towards Spencer as he spoke.
"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 gotta ask-- if you wanna take over, why not just kill Rick yourself and just take over?" He was standing in front of Spencer now, and I could sense Tara freezing up behind me as he stumbled over his words. "What? No, no. I didn't- I don't--" Negan quickly interrupted him, "You know what I'm thinking? 'Cause I have a guess." he leaned in, whispering something to him I couldn't make out, before pulling out a knife and shoving it into Spencer's stomach. Everyone gasped, our eyes wide in shock as Negan sliced him open, his intestines pouring out as Spencer tried to catch them, fall to the ground as he choked on his own blood.
I looked up as Negan chuckled, "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!" he exclaimed as he looked around, and I noticed the grin spreading over his lips as he picked up Lucille. "Now, someone oughta get up here and clean this mess up." he announced, holding up his bat as he chuckled. "Oh wait. Anyone wanna finish the game? Come on. Anybody? C'mon...I was winning--" Rosita grunted, pulling out a gun as she aimed it at Negan, pulling the trigger. I stood there in shock as the sound echoed through the town, body frozen as Negan observed the bullet now stuck in Lucille. "Shit! What the shit? Shit!" he exclaimed angrily as a Rosita was knocked to the ground, and Negan bent over her. "You tried to kill me? You shot Lucille!" Rosita glared up at him as Arat held a knife to her throat. "She got in the way."
    Negan walked back to where he was standing before, picking up the bullet that had fallen from the bat. "What is this? This little boy made from scratch? Looks at those crimps. This was homemade. You may be stupid, darlin', but you showed some real ingenuity here. Arat, move that knife up onto that girl's face." he ordered breathlessly as he woman quickly did so. "Lucille's beautiful, smooth surface is never gonna look the same. So why should yours?" he growled out, glaring down at her. "Unless...unless you tell me who made this." Rosita was quick to reply, "It was me." Negan chuckled humorlessly. "You see, now I just think you're lying. And you lying to me...now?" He took a deep breath, "Such a shame. Arat's gonna have to cut up that pretty face of yours. Now, one more try."
    "It was me," she repeated, pushing her face against the sharp blade as it sliced her cheek, and Negan laughed even louder. "Oh, you're such a badass! Fine...have it your way." He turned, scratching at his temple. "Arat... kill someone." The woman stood up, aiming her gun as she pointed it at me, Rosita screaming for her to stop as she pulled the trigger. The bullet passed me, hitting Tara right between the eyes, and I let out a sob as she fell to the ground. "Rick! Look, everybody, it's Rick." Negan announced hoarsely, waving his arms around as Rick handed a barely conscious Aaron over to Eric. "Ah, your people are making me lose my voice doing all this yelling. Rick how about a 'thank you'? 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, but I brought him home, safe and sound, and I fed him spaghetti."
Rick turned to look at his son with an expression of full disbelief, and Carl stood up with a sadness in his eyes as Negan chuckled, pointing to Spencer's lifeless corpse on the ground as I held Tara in my arms. "Another one of your people-- well, he wanted me to kill you and put him in charge. I took him out for you. And this one right here," Negan paused to motion towards Rosita, "she shot Lucille, trying to kill me just now, so I gave you one less mouth to feed. Now, personally, I wouldn't have picked her to be the one to go. Never met her, she didn't do anything to me, but Arat," he sighed, "I don't know...."
   Rick glared at Negan, and I watched, waiting to see what would happen. "Your shit's waiting for you at the gate. Just go." he hissed, and Negan raised a brow in amusement. "Sure thing, Rick, right after I find the guy or gal that made this billet. Stay?" Tobin stepped forward, "It was me!" A few of Negan's men surrounded him as Eugene cried out. "No, it wasn't." Negan smiled slowly as he turned, walking over to the mullet-haired man. "It was me. It was only me." Eugene continued, and Negan smirked. "You?" After taking a quick breath, Eugene spoke up once more, "It required one spent casing, one four-holed turret reloader, powder, one funnel for the powder--"
   "Shut up...I believe you," Negan interrupted, turning back towards the rest of us as he stepped forward, lifting Lucille into the air as he took a deep breath, closing his eyes. "Lucille, give me strength." he spoke out. "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." Negan stated softly, closing the gap between them. "Because you're still in a serious, serious hole after today." He looked around, his eyes connecting with mine. "Alright, let's move out!" And with that, a few men began to pull Eugene away from the group as Rosita cried out, begging for them to take her instead. Negan chuckled as he watched, swinging Lucille over his shoulder. "Until next time, Rick." he said his goodbye, motioning for me to follow, grabbing my arm harshly so he could pull me to the entrance. I just hoped to God that Olivia would remember the note.

Author's Note: will fix mistakes if found. Let me know what you think!:)