❝ᴡᴇ'ʀᴇ ɴᴏᴛ ꜰʀɪᴇɴᴅꜱ ᴀɴʏᴍᴏʀᴇ, ᴄᴀʀʟ. ᴡᴇ'ʀᴇ ꜱᴛʀᴀɴɢᴇʀꜱ.❞
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𝐈𝐍 𝐖𝐇𝐈𝐂𝐇 Carl Grimes and Madi Walsh had been best friends for most of their lives. That is, until Rick Grimes killed Madi's father, Shane, and the young girl ran away. It wasn't until year...
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"I'm okay." Madi spoke to her leader. She carried two radios-- one to talk to Negan and another to Carl-- as she made her way through the forest outside of Alexandria's walls.
After Sasha killed Davey, who'd become a walker, Madi told Negan she would be going out. She didn't want to lie to him, so she didn't give him any specifics. Fortunately, he'd trusted her enough to let her leave freely.
"It's going to get dark." Negan stated, his voice ringing through the other line, "When will you be back?"
Madi sighed, out of breath from her traveling as she stared at the newly visible walls that guarded Alexandria. "I'm not sure, but I'll be in sometime tonight." Was all she could reply.
With that, she exchanged her radios, and spoke out to Carl. "I'm outside." She said, her voice huffed as she prayed that he was near his walki-talki; unaware that the boy carried it with him.
It had been quiet for a short moment when his familiar voice beamed from the other line, "With The Saviors?" He'd asked her, his rushing footsteps audible.
"Alone." Madi replied, trusting him not to gang up on her. Sure, he'd shot her in an attempt to kill Negan, but she knew that he hadn't meant to actually hurt her, "Come find me." She added.
"I'm on my way." Carl concluded.
The sky was cloudy by the time that they found one another, and Madi stood still, spotting the boy from afar. In their path laid trees, but they were clear of walkers. The air was cooler now that the sun had set, though during the day, it'd been hot, and most remaining living people had been sweating.
The teen girl didn't move, waiting for him to approach her. And when he finally reached her, he shocked her stiffened, frail body with a warm hug; his arms suddenly wrapping over her shoulders before he subtly pulled her toward him.
Madi's body momentarily froze as she processed what he was doing, but soon enough she'd returned the embrace, slowly slipping her arms around his warming torso and huffing out an instinctively held breath of air.
"Hey, cowboy." She exhaled, wearing a confused smile, her eyebrows furrowing.
"Are you okay?" Carl questioned as they pulled away and Madi looked down at herself, checking to make sure she hadn't been hurt. "Why wouldn't I be?" The girl questioned cluelessly.
She didn't know that The Saviors had set out to kill a member of Carl's people, or that Alexandria was prepared for their arrival with an army of different groups.
"Madi, we're on our way to Alexandria. Where are you, girl?" Negan's voice rang out through one of the radio's, which was in the bag Madi set on the dirt floor. "I found her, she's with me." Dwight lied, his voice beaming through the device.
Madi glanced over her shoulder at the bag, about to grab the straps when Carl beat her to it. "I haven't seen D today, he's lying-" She was cut off by Carl, who held the radio away from her.
"Mads, please-" This time, she interrupted him, slowly catching onto what was going on. "Carl, give me my radio!" She ordered, reaching for it as Carl stepped away from her, one hand extended forward to calm her down.
Their rising voices would likely attract attention, but neither considered it, too wrapped up in their argument. "I'm trying to protect you! Something's happening, and you shouldn't have to see it!" Carl attempted to explain as Madi started panicking, worrying for her people.
"I don't need you to protect me! I should be there, helping to protect Negan and The Saviors." The brunette girl exclaimed defensively, trying to retrieve her radio in order to give her friends amd family a warning of some sort, though she wasn't aware of what exactly was happening.
"I can't let you do that, I'm sorry."
"Sorry?"
Carl sighed, watching as Madi groaned in frustration after asking the word. "Please, Carl." She pled, and the boy sniffled, glancing around them in an attempt to avoid her eye contact.
"Negan left us no other option." He justified himself, shaking his head in denial. But, neither expected her next words as much as they should've, as she'd declared, "I am Negan."
Although it was part of the ritual Negan made people do before they were able to join The Saviors, Madi never had to claim those words. She hadn't said them before, either; despite hearing every single Savior say it at one point.
Carl grimaced at her, looking down at his shoes with a locked jaw and pursed lips. He grabbed her arm, leading her through the forest and toward his walls, despite her attempts to break free from his grip.
