Disclaimer: I don't own the Walking Dead.

A thin trail of blood slowly wormed it's way towards Carl. The teen just stared at the thin droplet as it staggered towards him, inch by inch until it stopped. Carl's eye followed the trail of blood all the way back to the mangled body which had once being his best friend Glenn Rhea.

His stomach flipped as he looked at the body. It had being a very long time since he had being disturbed by a body, there were no thoughts going through his mind, only an emptiness that seemed to expand. Carl could hear Maggie cry hysterically as she collapsed to the ground completely drained, he dared a look at her feeling her emotion ram into his heart. Looking back at the ground feeling completely useless, Carl closed his eye feeling it water.

The teen felt something lift his head up and he opened his eye to see Negan standing over him. Carl felt the blood on the sadist's hand drip down his front staining his front.

"How 'bout we give you a new career change?" Negan smiled.

Before Carl could react, hands grabbed him and pulled him upward. His legs had lost feeling from being forced to kneel for a long time but when he felt his muscles return to his command Carl did the only thing he could.

The teen elbowed one of his holders hard in the face feeling his nose crunch underneath the bone. Carl whipped around and tried to punch the other but something hard came down on his shoulder.

"Argh!" Carl groaned as Lucille dug into his skin. He fell to the ground, hearing loud protests from his friends and family behind him.

"Negan!" his father shouted angrily.

The leader grabbed Carl by his wounded shoulder and threw him to the ground.

"Anyone fucking moves and I'll give him a proper introduction to Lucille!" Carl felt the barbed wire poke into his throat, already a thin line of blood dribbled down his skin. He looked to see everyone tense, even Daryl despite his injury. It looked like the hunter was going to go rogue anyway. But everyone remained, the Saviours positioning themselves accordingly.

Rick gritted his teeth in frustration at feeling so hopeless. His hands were balled so tight into fists that his fingernails dug into his skin. From the very day that he had found out Lori had died, he had promised himself he would take care of Carl no matter what. And he had kept his promise, through and through even allowing his brutality take the reins in order to protect his son.

Now it was all crumbling down because of one sadist, but that man had killed Glenn, a young man grown into his own – a husband and was soon-to-be father.

"Let him go," the father said darkly. A shadow cast over his face as he stared down the other leader down. Carl shifted trying to get up but the prongs pierced deeper.

Negan gave a sick grin. "All you have to do is give me double supply caches and I will give you, your killing machine back."

Rick gritted his teeth, unconsciously balling his fists. The Saviours closet to the man gripped their weapons ready to attack but Negan motioned them to come back.

"For every supply cache, I'll let you have a visit with your son."

Rick strained as hard as humanely possible against the Saviours who held him. Everyone could feel the energy emit from their leader and wanted nothing more than to attack the leader. Michonne made the first daring move and the butt of a rifle struck her across the head knocking her out cold.

"Michonne!" the teen shouted.

"Stop!" Rick shouted sensing his own people getting anxious. He looked over to see a couple Saviours trying to tame Abraham.

"Once we're gone you can take your shit and pack up," Negan said tossing Carl over to Dwight.

Carl felt his arms being pulled behind his back as tape was wrapped around his wrists. Another strip went across his eye effectively blinding him. He was tossed on the ground in the car feeling the space sink into his stomach making him gasp. Doors opened and closed over Rick's shouts and screams, the son could easily picture his father's enraged face. But in the end, unable to do anything. The father could shout all he wanted, but in the end he couldn't do anything – not if he wanted everyone to die.

"Hold on kid," Negan's voice said, "you're going home."

XXXXXX

Carl woke wth a start. His eye darted back and forth in desperation to see where he was. It was still mostly dark but there was a speck of light peaking from the horizon through the trees.

"Wakey, wakey kiddo."

Carl looked over with a tired eye, he first saw Dwight silently leaned against the car. Kneeling beside the teen was another Saviour who was tending to Carl's wounds, giving attention to his damaged shoulder. He bit his lip as the gauze tightened against his skin feeling where the rubbing alcohol had bit.

Then his eye travelled to the other side to Negan who was sitting in the passenger's side, the door was open so his feet touched the rough ground. He was the one who spoke and was watching the teen carefully.

"You were bleeding heavy, thought you'd keel over and die from one hit."

"I'm going to kill you."

Everyone stopped. The atmosphere turned ominous and it felt like the oxygen had being sucked straight out of the air.

Carl could feel everyone's eyes on him but he didn't care. His only sight was on the man who had brutally murdered Glenn.

However Negan didn't seem at all fazed by the threat.

"Wicked tongue boy."

"Where are we?" Carl demanded. "Argh!"

"Watch your tone boy," a Saviour snapped lowering his hand.

The leader raised a hand. He got off the seat and walked in front of Carl who had a hand against his bruising cheek. "My Saviour does have a point and I'm tired of your daddy not taking me seriously."

"You killed my best friend!"

"Rick killed your best friend," the leader corrected. "Your father was the one who wanted to get into this, who wanted to interrupt in my business by killing my Saviours, contacting Jesus and such."

Carl didn't respond, however his heart tap danced against his ribcage so hard that he was sure that the enemy saw it.

I can't, Carl thought. I need to be strong like everyone else, I can't let him see anything I don't want him to see.

"So long as you do everything I say, you'll get to see your dad," Negan continued to explain. He twirled Lucille in a tight circle so she landed lightly on his shoulder. "Well...I suppose you'll have to listen to her as well."

Carl raised an eyebrow, "her?"

A small smirk played on the man's lips. "However I don't think you'll be a problem either way, in fact you aren't off from her age."

Carl bristled and was about to speak when the leader cut him off.

"Put a bag on him, I want her to be surprised."

Carl felt his arms being pulled back, his teeth grit as a shot of pain ran up and down his right arm giving it a numbing effect.

"Wait," the teen shouted. "Wait, who is she?"

"You'll see soon enough boy."

Carl continued to put up his meaningless struggle. Even though he knew it was a loosing battle, Carl continued to fight – it's what his father would do.

"Get off me! Get off!" the teen shouted kicking around in vain. He twisted and turned until a punch folded in his stomach and a hand gripped his wounded shoulder. Carl grit his teeth together in pain feeling a light gasp escape his lips.

"Shut up."

The cloth was pulled tight and Carl looked up in time to see the bag flip over his head – turning his world dark.

XXXXXX

Now blood leaked from his nose, it was numb and Carl wondered if Jordan broke it. His eye was only for Lyra. There was a rush feeling course through Carl's body as he looked from one to the other, despite her ragged appearance it was clear Lyra was still trying to fight for whatever she had left. But despite his father's attempts to shield him from the fights, Carl knew that she was loosing - terribly.

"Do we have to work together?" the teen asked quietly. He saw the frowned expression on Lyra crease even more giving her almost an aging appearance.

"Yes," Lyra answered, her voice was cracked and ugly.

"Do we have a choice?"

"No," Negan smirked at the teen's audacity.

Carl looked back at Lyra now seeing how gaunt she was. Her shoulders were slightly hunched as if a heavy weight was pressed hard against her, and it was clear she hadn't eaten in days.

"Double bullets," the leader ordered.

"That's impossible," Lyra responded.

Without warning, Lyra's head snapped back as she was thrown off her feet. She clutched her bloodied jaw where Lucille had struck. Carl stepped forward but Dwight came up from behind and wrapped the teen in a tight bear hug.

"Fucking bitch," Negan scowled, "you think you disrespect me?! In front of fucking company?"

"Leave her alone!" Carl shouted before he could stop himself.

Slowly the leader turned to the teen who struggled against Dwight's tight grip. Negan grabbed a handful of Carl's hair forcing him to look up. The leader turned back to Lyra who ruefully rubbed her jaw, while with the other hand used the table to get up.

"Careful with this little fucker," Negan lightly warned, a sick grin spread over his face. "Thinks he's his father, going 'round acting all tough and such."

"So what the fuck am I supposed to do with him?" Lyra demanded angrily, her eyes narrowed at Carl.

"As I said," Negan threw Carl at Lyra who caught the teen awkwardly. "He's your apprentice. Make him useful or he's target practice."

Negan signalled his men to start heading back. Lyra pushed Carl off her who staggered slightly to keep his balance, she stepped forward as her mouth gapped open and close. Struggling to find words that were jumbled in the apprentice's mind.

"We'll be back in a week," he called over his shoulder. "Best hope that your daddy has all my supplies."

The two captives watched in a tense silence until the door was closed completely. Lyra stole a glance at the teen who had a hardened glare on his face. Neither spoke, for a while even after the metal door slammed shut. The apprentice couldn't believe that Negan had dropped Carl off to her. It seemed that he didn't know that the two had previously being acquainted.

Lyra turned to Carl.

"Come on kid, let's get you cleaned up."