The start

People are a resource

"Harley." Dwight runs up to me as I was finishing up training. I wipe the sweat off my forehead with the back of my hand breathing in and out repeatedly. Trying to catch my breath.

"Yeah, whats up?" I yawned as I reach for my water bottle.

"Meeting time." Dwight seemed nervous even agitated. He's been acting off ever since we attacked Alexandria.

"Alright. I'll be right there." I coughed and head straight back to my dorm. I shower and get dressed. I walk inside and see all the core members here. Even Gregory. Gregory is a snake and will do anything to save his own ass.

"Glad you could join us Harls. Take a seat." Negan smirks as I sat next to Dwight. He moved in his seat and twitched a little. What is with this guy?

"Well, I, uh... I'd just like to start by saying thank you for having me here today. Negan, let me lay this down straight for you. I know how it is... negotiating the slippery, steep terrain of managing resources and the population and the big, scary you. But you might know, it's called the unknown. Listen, I-I mean it when I say it -- Negan, I don't like killing people any more than you do." Gregory says. I stare at this man dumbfoundedly. The hell is this guy trying to say. He doesn't want his killing people? We'll hopefully kind of have to in this world in case they're trying to kill us. We all have to make sacrifices in order to live.

"I like killing people." Negan smirks.

"Oh. Well, I," Gregory starts but Negan cuts him off.

"I say it's about killing the right people. So, you kill the right people at the right time... ...everything falls into place. Everybody's happy. Well, some people more than others. But you kill one, and you could be saving hundreds more. And that is what we are all about. We save people."

"That's, that's why you're called the -- the Saviors. Oh." Gregory says as I roll my eyes. What a smart ass.

"Gonna grab a smoke." Dwight says as he stands up and walks toward the door.

"Now? You don't want to hear this?" Negan asked. Dwight stopped and looked at all of us.

"Don't need to. Tell me where to go and what to do, I'll make it happen." Dwight says. Something about that sentence didn't seem right. Whose as if it was rehearsed. It wasn't true to its meaning. Negan Chuckles and let him go as the door opens and slams shut we all look at Negan.

"Where were we, Gregory? Oh, that's right -- you were telling me that you don't like to kill people, and I was saying that I do, under the right circumstances."

"Well, this -- this situation that we -- we find ourselves in, this -- this conflict... I can stop it before it even gets started. I mean, here it is. I go to my people, and I -- I tell them if -- if you're joining with this -- this misled crusade, you're no longer citizens of the Hilltop. You're out on your asses." Gregory stutters. Thos guy is a joke.

"You're still their guy? They still listen to you, Gregory?" Negan asked.

"The Hilltop is my house. I'm still the guy. I've always been the guy." Gregory tries to build up his ego.

"Huh. If you're still the guy, if, indeed, you have always been the guy, then why the hell didn't you know about the widow leading an army of your people straight up my ass in Alexandria?" Negan plays mind games with Gregory.

"You know what I think, Gregory? I think you're playing both sides. I think you are a thin-dicked politician threading the needle with your thin, thin dick. Now, is listening to you the right way to go, or is it the right place and time for something else?" Negan seemed angry. Trying to let Gregory second guess himself.

"No, no. Not trying to do that. No, not -- I was -- wasn't aware of things until they were already in, in motion. N-No hesitation. Allegiance, right there, the whole thing. I just -- I-I didn't know until I-I knew, you know?" Gregory starts to have a mental breakdown as Simon and reaches over and grabs Gregory's hand trying to calm him down.

"Gregory, hey. I believe you. Now make Negan believe you, huh? Hmm?" Simon tells him. It was as if he flipped the switch and Simon was clearing his throat straightening up and having that confidence again.

"The Hilltop is mine. I let a fox into my hen house. She and her people took advantage of my generous nature. I see that now, and I will fix it."

"If we go in with the right stage picture, a thick and veiny show of force surrounding Gregory when he lays down the law, I think things go back to copacetic. If they don't, we take a flyer on the place and kill everyone there. Unfortunate play, but the other communities will get the message, and we achieve equilibrium. Plan A. Plan B," Simon takes over the conversation as Gregory chokes at the thought of killing his people. I can see the tension and anger rise up in me again. The thought of killing people without even giving them a chance messes up the whole plan. Negan news people can bring us stuff. Negan slammed his Bat on the table staring at Simon and Gregory angrily.

"People are a resource. Money on the table. People are the foundation of what we are building here! Who the hell do you think you're talking to? Are you confused about who we are? Are you confused about who is in charge? Are we backsliding, Simon? Please, tell me we're not backsliding." Negan slammed his Bat repeatedly on the table and then stares at Simon. I could see Eugene quivering in fear as I watched.

"We're not backsliding. This is a pronounced event and a fragile moment." Simon tries to think of the right words to say to Negan.

"Hell, yes, it is. We need to win it all. Plan A is taking Rick, the widow, and King Assface alive and making them dead in a very, very public and instructive way. We kill the right people in the wrongest way possible, and we make them all watch!" Negan tells us. I nod my head agreeing to the plan. You kill all the leaders and then you have the followers quivering in fear knowing that their life rest in your hands. If you teach him the ways that we do things the learn to adapt and accept us. Gunshot start to go off as we all look at the window. Negan turns around frustrated. This is not the time and place for this to happen.

tick. tick. tick. tick. tick.

"Its them." I tell Negan as he tries to compose himself chuckling and frustration.

"Should we get our people out there? Line 'em up, light 'em up?" Simon asked.

"No. They got some sort of hillbilly armor. We'd just be wasting metal on metal. And the RPG is stashed at the cache, so... let's have ourselves a little chat. Simon, bring your new little friend. We may need him to say some words." Negan says as we head down stairs.

"Gregory, you're on deck." Simon says. Dwight was standing by the door waiting for us.

"Hey." I called after him. He turns to looking, waiting for me to say something.

"You seem off. Whats up with that?" I whispered not going into detail. Trying not to let Negan hear.

"Nothing. Just stressed with this Alexandria thing." Dwight scratches the back of his head and sighs as I nod mine.

"This Rick guy, he ain't shit. He's going down. One way or another." I tell him. Dwight nods his head trying to relax.

"Gary, put three and three in the windows. Tell them to stay the hell down till we need them." Negan says. We head outside one by one. Shits about to get ugly.