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The Hilltop is going to learn... Dead or Alive.
That was the phrase repeating itself over and over in Roxanne's mind. It was as if, as soon as the gates to Hilltop opened up to allow Rick in, the wind carried Negan's message to her. She gritted her teeth, knowing a storm was brewing within the walls of the Saviors' compound.
Rick instantly caught sight of Roxanne and ran over to her to engulf her in a hug. "I thought Negan had captured you." Rick confessed.
Roxanne shook her head, feeling a bit guilty for being gone for so long for her selfish reasons. "I needed a break."
Rick didn't say anything, knowing that if he did he would probably say something hurtful. He simply basked in the moment of holding his love in his arms, because there was always a chance of her not being there tomorrow. Niklaus stood behind watching, awkwardly, as his wife embraced another man. He didn't know whether to introduce himself or stay quiet. But, the silent jealousy brewing within him told him to rudely interrupt.
He confidently walked up and stuck his hand between the couple to break them up and grab Rick's hand. "I'm Niklaus. Roxanne's husband." He spoke out, causing Rick to raise his eyebrows in surprise at the introduction.
"From before the dead started walking." Roxanne butted in, letting go of Rick and allowing the two to shake hands. Rick narrowed his eyes and looked Niklaus up and down. Niklaus only cracked a devilish smirk.
The silent tension only grew more as seconds passed. "...This is Rick. I told you about him." Roxanne introduced Rick for him, since all he wanted to do was eye Niklaus.
"You came here to fight with us?" Rick inquired Niklaus.
Niklaus nodded assuringly. "Good. Then you're coming with me. The Saviors are coming soon." Rick ordered Nik. Nik smiled cheekily, eager to show off his survival skills to anyone really, and nodded. That's all he seemed to be doing... nodding. He didn't say a word. He simply nonverbally complied. It was a quality Rick already admired. He kept his mouth shut and did what he had to do.
* * *
The merciless sun was scorching Roxanne's pale skin. She was sitting on her post, watching the surroundings of the Hilltop. The Hilltop was readying themselves for the attack the Saviors were planning to initiate. Roxanne waited in the same place all day, never keeping her eyes off of the forest. She held her gun close enough so that she could shot it when need be.
It was practically midnight by the time the Saviors arrived. Roxanne jumped down from the top of the wall and stalked her way to the front. She squatted and pointed her gun through the wall. Maggie seemed to be talking to the Saviors through a walkie talkie (likely threatening them or offering last-chance negotiations).
Before long, Daryl's faint motorcycle headlight came into view and his gun began shooting rounds at the Saviors from behind. A few toppled down and others jumped out of the way. Daryl flew past them and into the Hilltop with a quick opening of the front gate. The Saviors attempted to speed in after him, but Maggie already had someone in a bus to block their path right after Daryl managed to speed in.
She instantly cued the shooting to commence and gun were ablaze. Roxanne, being used to her espionage tactics, stayed put near the front gate where the Saviors' trucks and car were lined up, trying to squeeze into the community to wreak havoc. Roxanne pointed and shot many Saviors from the side with her accurate gun. Roxanne attempted not to get too much in the way of the line of fire. So, she fell back a bit to get a better view. Eventually, Roxanne was left out there, alone and with all the lights out because all the other Hilltop members followed Maggie's cue to fall back into the major house.
Although it made Roxanne a bit nervous being left all alone out there (despite it being part of Roxanne's plan), it allowed her to easily sneak up behind positioned Saviors and slit their throats quietly in the silent darkness. Roxanne spotted a large group of more Saviors being led by Simon, but Roxanne didn't want to risk fighting all of the at once, so she stuck to taking out individuals on the outskirts of their fronts. She managed to take out at least 10 soldiers before the shooting began again. Within minutes, all of the scouters (including Rick and Niklaus) closed in on the retreating Saviors from the entrance. They managed to stop only a few, but most of the rest slipped out of their fingers and escaped unscathed.
* * *
The next night, Roxanne laid wide awake. Her fingers were intertwined with Rick's. She heard his fast paced breathing, noting that he was also awake. She heard some growling in the hall right past their bedroom door. She tensed up. She then turned to Rick and whispered over to him. "Rick?"
"Yes?" His deep voice croaked.
"You hear that?" Roxanne asked.
"Hear wh—" Suddenly there was a loud thud. Someone seemed to have fell down the stairs.
Rick looked over at Rox with paranoid eyes. The two simultaneously jumped up and threw on some clothes. As the two were pulling on some pants, they heard an outburst of screaming and shouting. Chaos laid right beyond their door. The two bolted outside, with a knife or axe in hand, and saw what the screaming was all about. Some people seemed to have become infected, and they were biting other people, causing them to become infected as well. Roxanne gasped and ran over to the place where Niklaus had been assigned to sleep, but he wasn't there. Her heart dropped. She hoped he hadn't become infected.
She ran mindlessly around, effortlessly taking out the dead and helping others out of the house. Because she was running around like a mad woman, she ended up literally butting heads with someone in her path. "Ow." The calming voice of Jesus sounded out.
"Jesus?" Roxanne squinted her eyes so that she could see in the darkness.
"Roxanne? Why are you running? Are you okay? Are you hurt?" Jesus began to scan her in case she had become infected.
"No. Have you seen a man, about 5' 11", blond, green eyes?" Roxanne frantically asked. She had lost so many people already, she didn't want to lose anyone else. Especially not Niklaus.
"You really think I would be able to see in the dark?" Jesus replied. Roxanne huffed and hurried outside of the house. She finally spotted Niklaus outside escorting others.
Roxanne ran over to him. "How did this happen? They were our own!" Roxanne wave of anxiety went away as she finally knew where Nik was, now, she was enraged.
"I have no idea." Nik was just as clueless as her.
"Wait..." Nik realized. "When Rick and I went out there, we saw Negan. Tried to kill him even. He had a bat, covered in walker blood. Maybe the others did the same with their bullets or arrows." He palmed his forehead.
"Shit. They were fucking Mongols." Roxanne groaned, realizing that they had used an invisible lethal weapon against them: disease.
