Red ~ TWD (Daryl Dixon)

Happy Anniversary

"Are you sure it was them?" Carl asked Billy Ray.

"Ryan was caught red-handed stealing." He placed three cans of food on the table. "And based on the handwriting analysis I obtained from Jared I can confirm with 98.7% accuracy he applied the offensive graffiti to the wall."

Daryl and I shared a look, waiting and watching Carl struggle to make the hard call he'd avoided thus far in his leadership. Not everyone at The Sanctuary was happy Negan was imprisoned, the war was over, and we'd taken over the day-to-day running of the former factory. Most of the hardliners kept their dissention to themselves because food, shelter, and resources were hard to come by, but not Ryan and Jared. They'd been two of Negan's most trusted lieutenants, and it was clear they were unwilling to usher in a new order.

"Fine." Carl stood, taking off his father's hat and running a hand through his disheveled hair. He took a deep breath, eyes straying to me. "Alex, I want you to do it."

Daryl cracked his knuckles in response but said nothing. This wasn't the first time I'd showed someone the door, and it probably wouldn't be the last.

"No problem."

Carl pursed his lips, holding up his hand as I rose to my feet. "I want this done as diplomatically as possible. People are watching. They may have made mistakes, but they're still people."

Before I could respond the door was flung open, Merle striding through. "Y'all finally decide to kick those turds to the curb?" Daryl covered his smile with his hand while Carl put his face in his hand mumbling. "Don't get yur panties in a bunch son," he laughed, "Got them sumbitches outside. Hey Firecracker, ya got a visitor."

"Who?"

"Mr. Miyagi."

The collective inhale sucked all the oxygen out of the room. It'd been six months since anyone had talked to, much less seen, Mr. Miyagi. After delivering Rick's offer to Resident Evil he'd opted to stay at the dump and fight his demons in solitude.

"Let's get this over with," I stated, ignoring Carl's chastising look.

Ryan and Jared were standing side-by-side under guard in the main hall of The Sanctuary. Most people were hard at work, preparing meals, making clothes, or trying in vain to figure out how to grow anything other than corn on our godforsaken ground. The former Saviors turned tentative allies were discovering it was much harder to work for what you needed than it was to steal it. The compound while fortified and easy to defend was remote. When you added in the piss-poor soil, well, it wasn't looking good. Billy Ray was the only one excited about the crop failure, something about being able to use the corn to manufacturer ethanol which would, in turn, fuel our vehicles. It sounded a little too Back to the Future to me, but I wasn't a fake scientist so what did I know?

The two men responsible for the subterfuge staining the wall exchanged worried glances as I approached. Carl, Daryl, Merle, and Billy Ray stopped a few paces back, ever vigilant should the two decide to not leave quietly. Carl requested a gentle approach to their banishment, but I didn't have the time or the patience for such trivialities. These two dickbags had made their bed and it was time they lie in it.

"Bad news, you have to get the fuck out."

Carl groaned.

Merle snorted.

Billy Ray coughed.

Daryl rolled his eyes.

"For what?!" Jared shouted, arms outstretched.

"You can't do that!" Ryan said at the same time.

Cocking my head to the side I moved my hand until it was hovering over the weapon strapped to my thigh. Their mouths snapped shut in unison and they took a collective step back.