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T W E N T Y

The next night

A L E X A

Rosita, Tara, Michonne, Tobin, Scott, daryl, Carl and more were back at Alexandria. We needed more eyes here. There were more back home, back at the hilltop and back at the kingdom.

It was dark outside. I was staring to worry for my people. They didn't come back and we haven't heard from them since dad left.

I had a gun on me, walking around. Carl was by my side, loaded with 3 guns. I was glad he was here with me so I knew he was safe.

"They've got way more people than we think." Carl said."I know. I knew it wasn't a good idea when we first started this." I told Carl.

"We just have to fight. Fight like we always have. We'll win. It may take some time... but we will win. We always do." He tried to make me more confident in this battle.

"Maybe this is the time we lose." I whispered, looking at Carl.

"We w-"

Carl was cut off by the sounds of loud loud trucks. "What the hell?" I knew they weren't ours. Carl knew they weren't ours.

"Dear alexandrians... saviors... whoever might be in there. You may have thought of us as weak. You were wrong. You see, we may be new around here, but you'll become very known of us. We've got more than enough firepower, strength, supplies... anything. I'm justin. I'm going to give you 3 minutes to come and talk before we explode this place into bits." A voice rang through the air.

My eyes widened and I felt my heart drop.

"We've got grenade guns. Explosives. We will ruin this place. It'll end the same way ours ended. All ending in smoke."

Dad... rick... they're not here to help us. It's just us.

I knew this was going to end badly. I knew whatever I said wasn't going to change their mind especially since we tried to kill them.

"Carl, go get everyone and get them out of here. I'll go talk to them." I already started to panic.

"What? No! We stick together-"

"And we will. Get everyone out of here and be careful. Use the smoke bombs we stole. I've already got one on me. Find me but if they get in before you do you have to go without me. Go. I love you." I instructed.

"I'm not leaving you here-""Carl, go, you don't have much time! This is your show, babe. Run it!"

Carl wasn't in a position to argue."Okay, Okay." He pecked my lips before taking off.

"2 minutes!" They must've had some sort of speaker because his voice was loud and clear.

I jogged towards the gate and by the time I got to the guard tower there was only one minute left to talk.

"You guys are really pushing your luck! First you come in and shoot my people but you won't even come out to talk."

I climbed the guard tower, pulling myself up.

"Oh look at that! Aren't you brave." 'Justin' smiled at me. "Look, you were a threat. You doing this proves us right and we'll just kill you anyway so leave now and not all of you have to die." I warned.

"You're the girl who killed my wife, weren't you?... oh, did I give you those stitches? You see, sweetie, things don't always go your way. If someone has to die, it's gotta be everyone inside those walls because we just don't play by those rules you have made up inside your head. We own this place now. We own your people and we control who lives... so far, I've got a few people to kill." He reminded me just of my dad.

Of me.

I see why people hated us so much.

"There's people in here. Kids. Little ones." I growled. I honestly don't know if I've even mentioned Judith in this book so I'm just gonna say she like kinda isn't there bc I don't remember

"We had kids in our new area... you didn't care. Shocker. Once it all comes down to this, people start caring."

"I'm here to let you know-""Kill me." I interrupted him.

He stepped forward a few steps, his eyes glaring into mine.

"What did you say?""I'm serious. Kill me." My tone was firm. "You want to die?" He asked.

"No, I don't." I said after a few seconds."But I will. It's gonna happen. If me dying can save my people then I will. It'd be worth it." I sighed.

I sneakily grabbed the smoke bomb out of the back of my jeans, then pulled the tab off. The smoke deployed and I threw it down in front of me.

"You little shit, come back here! Bombs away!" I heard guns go off, but not normal guns.

Grenade guns.

One landed fairly close to me and exploded, setting fire to my thigh, burning it severely in a small spot.

I wanted to scream but I fought through the pain and quickly climbed down the ladder, but then jumped down, landing on the floor.

I squeezed around my thigh and made a small noise of pain.

A loud explosion happened to a building in front of me. I looked over, seeing the flames. I got up and limped passed one of the burning buildings, seeing people escape in different directions, smoke bombs going off.

I hobbled towards the church. I needed to see if there were any people or guns in there, but before I could get to it, it erupted, causing me to jump.

I looked around for survivors. To see if anyone was around.

I was panicked and I knew if I didn't get out now, I'd die. I stumbled a few feet, seeing a car parked on the side of the road. Before I could process anything, it detonated. It was so powerful it sent me to the ground, causing me to lose sense in hearing.

I felt the fire hit different parts of my body badly.

I coughed and felt the sweat grow on my body. It took me a few seconds to regain my well being.

I let out a groan of agony and slowly got back up. The ringing in my ears was loud and prominent.

I peered back and forth, seeing people throwing smoke bombs and escaping. A small smile came to my face.

He did it.

Carl did it. He got people out of here in a smart way and a fast way.

My boy did it. It was his show.

I felt exhausted and I could feel life slowly slipping away. More burns appeared on my body from the car explosion, making it truly difficult to walk.

I was going to die. I knew it.

I struggled up a patio of a house, setting my back against the wall, breathing heavily. My head leaned back and I breathed in a big breath. My lips were parted, my breath shaky.

I looked down at my thigh. It was bleeding, my right forearm, legs and torso had burn marks. There were burn holes in my shirt. My torso burned more than the rest of my body.

It was one of the worst pains I've ever felt.

I turned slightly, my left shoulder pressing against the house now, trying to regain strength. More bombs went off around Alexandria and I could see the houses one by one blow up.

I looked into the window and heard glass shatter as I saw a few small objects eject into the house. Grenades.

I came to my senses and I jumped down the stairs and ran as fast and as far as I could away from the house before it was blown to pieces.

The explosion was strong enough to once again knock me down.

More of my hearing was gone and it was a struggle to balance myself.

The ringing in my ears just got louder. I could only hear my own heartbeat.

I glanced around, seeing a cross burning in the distance. I didn't feel right at all.

Alexandria was gone. The place that I once wanted gone was now burning to the ground.

It hurt to see where I had some happy memories burn.

I tried to keep walking, but I couldn't. I was in so much pain. I could feel the stinging of the burns and it was a bad feeling. A terrible feeling.

I whimpered, barely hobbling.

My hearing slowly came back and I heard the trucks ram into the gates. I looked backwards just in case someone tried to sneak up on me.

The smoke between the fire and the smoke bombs made it incredibly hard for me to see now.

"Alexa! Hey, come on!" I made out a voice.

A silhouette ran towards me and I made it out to be Carl. Thank god he was okay.

"Oh my god, baby, come on!" He was hurt, too. He had a burn on his left leg. We were both limping. We were both sweating incredibly.

Carl grabbed my left arm and threw it over his neck. His right arm wrapped around me and helped me walk.

My eyes felt heavy and I could feel blood just rushing out of me. My head fell forward slightly and I groaned.

"Come on, you can do it, don't give up on me." He instructed me. I used all my force to help myself walk.

"Carl... you did it." My voice was shaky."I did, baby, I did." He lead me over to a sewer that was open. He was in a lot of pain.

"Go down, go, go." Carl rushed me. He let go of me and sat me down.

I felt someone grab me and pull me into the sewer gently.

Rick.

My arms held around him tightly so I wouldn't fall.

I whined in pain once he put me down. Carl jumped down and closed the sewer top, then fell to the ground.

He had even more burn marks on his left arm and left side of his torso. He must've been standing somewhere and it exploded next to him.

"Carl." I breathed out. He looked up at me, a small smile on his face as he tried to fight his pain. He hissed, looking at all his burns.

I blinked, looking around and seeing Michonne, Rosita, Tobin, Scott, Tara, daryl and dad.

Dad was sitting up against a wall, by himself. He looked pale and Ill.

I made my way over... barely.

"Oh baby, I'm so sorry." He whispered, tears in his eyes as he noticed my wounds.

"Dad?" Concern rang in my voice.

He saw the way I was looking at him in worry. His smile faded."I'm sorry." He muttered, leaning his head forward, moving his jacket and slowly lifting his shirt up.

My brows furrowed slightly as he did this. What the hell?

He lifted it up to his rib cage and revealed a bite. A walker bite.

I felt all the air in my body leave. I felt as if every bit of life I had left in me just left. I collapsed onto my knees in front of him, feeling the pain.

He rolled his shirt back down and covered it back up with his jacket and his eyes stared into mine.

"N-no." I shook my head, tears stinging my eyes. I crawled over to him, grabbing his hands.

"No, no no no, th-this isn't real." I began to choke on my words as tears slipped out.

"I was helping Jesus when we got caught in the middle of 9 walkers that the drifters sent out. One of them just managed." Dads hands gripped mine.

All the pain from my body just moved into my heart.

Tears rushed down my cheeks. He can't die on me. He was my father. The person I loved more than anything. The person who has been by my side and has never abandoned me.

The only reason why I'm alive. Why I stay sane.

My motivation.

My best friend.

"N-No!" I began to sob, my face burying into his shoulder.

Dad weakly wrapped his arms around me, holding me close to him, making sure his bite was covered to it didn't get near my exposed, burned flesh that was just bleeding.

"D-don't leave m-me." I cried, hugging him tightly.

"I'm sorry, baby. My fight has come to an end. I love you."

I didn't want Carl to die like I'm in so much pain and I'm crying over negan rn????? Why????