WA - Washington DC - Savior's Warehouse

[DarkSideCookie]

Washington DC - Savior's Warehouse

One of the hidden warehouses from The Saviors, located somewhere in Washington DC. It's used for supplies of all sorts and usually guarded by one of Negan's men.

[DarkSideCookie]

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DAY 302

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The Warehouse's Guard

- tempplay by DarkSideCookie -

By this time Howard was trembling in every limb. The alcohol withdrawal had raised to an almost unbearable level. The tremor though not only arose from the man's addictive disorder. His boss most certainly will beat the shit out of him, once he gets aware of the missing stuff in here. Once he gets aware of him not making the best job here, even though it had been only a couple of bottles. Yes, this was his new job. More than two weeks had already gone by, since Howard had to keep a lockout in this abandoned warehouse, with no other company than his memories.

"C'mon, pick up your balls from the ground and finally talk to me, H.",

Howard remembered the boss's words, while his shivering hands were trying to calm. It became worse instead. Almost as worse as it had become back on that day two weeks ago.

"Unless you've become a pussy literally."

Howard closed his eyes and started to slowly count to ten, a habit to get himself distracted from the fact he wasn't able to satisfy the inner urge. One.

"No talking? Fine with me. But you might be able to give me a nod instead, aren't you? It's really easy, even should work with that physical stutter problem of yours."

His head moved into a nod, happening from the memory. Two.

"You have any idea whose shit this is?" Howard's eyes had followed the man's finger point to the bag next to him,

so did his present being in the warehouse, following a ghost finger point. Three.

"You've helped him leave, did you? This asshole... What was his name again?"

Four.

His past being had started stammering.

 Five. Six.

"Oh you know his damn name, man. At least you two were buddy-buddy enough that he handed you this sweet farewell gift. So?" A disgusting smile had shown up to him. "No? But you most certainly remember his shitface, before I pimped it a little that is."

Seven.

"Would you like to see my work? No, actually... that is YOUR work! Y'know, you made me do this. It's not that I'd enjoy. But you left me with no option but to do so."

Eight.

And yet another smile had been playing on the boss's lips, while the wired bat was pointing in Howard's direction.

Nine.

"Would someone please bring the other shitface here?"

Howard's eyes opened in a flash, as the image of his defaced friend had appeared in his mind once again. He even thought to hear the bosses laughter's echo, when he spewed gall bladder all of a sudden. ...Ten.

Howard tried to calm down, concentrating only on the burning feeling in his throat. The pain was good for distraction. Eventually, his breath got steadier again. He had wondered at times if all this actually was about testing his weakness. Or was the boss even planning on letting him do a bad job with all those bottles around just to give him another punishment? Anyways, as much as he was thinking about potential motives, he never would get to understand Negan's way of seeing. Maybe he was just a psychopath. So that's why he wanted to see at least his friend being free from him...

A noise made him suddenly hold his breath. Footsteps. No, please no! If this was Negan coming for him, he was a dead man. Or ending defaced just like Stu. The tremor worsened again, as Howard made every effort to prepare his weapon, as he would much rather want the steps to come from a stranger or even a walker instead of having to face his boss.

[Lady Lee-o]

Enters from Open Road

The sick wet cough of Santana's cold seemed to be getting worse. The heavy feeling in her chest just made the long walks painful, she could barely walk. Without proper medicine, rest, and warmth, Santana would not get better and Javier feared the worst.
"Papi," Another round of coughs came from her, enough to bring her to her knees. He wrapped his arms around her and held onto her, “I’m sorry.”
“I got you and no need to be sorry,” Javier had already given her his coat, hoping it would help keep her warm. “I need to find us shelter, we can’t keep going at this pace.” As they walked along the road, Javier spotted a warehouse in the distance. He hoped that something in there would help her, he had no idea if the place was even safe; he would take that chance. "Stay here, I'm going to check out the warehouse."
"You can't go in there alone, what if-"
"Santana, you can barely stand. I promise I’ll be careful, now do as I say and stay put.” He wrapped her up in some blankets and hid her off the main road. “Don’t budge unless you have no choice, okay?” She nodded her head and hunkered down and Javier leaned down and kissed her cheek. He grabbed hold of a bag and headed towards the warehouse, leaving Santana alone.

Javier was sure those security cameras weren’t running, power had been down for some time. So, he didn’t worry about avoiding them- which was a mistake on his part. They security cameras were running on power, generator power and the camera’s picked up his movements.
“We got company.”
“Get the girl, she’ll be great leverage.”

Javier found his way inside and took a look around the place. He came across several boxes neatly stacked and wondered if these still belonged to someone? He couldn’t worry about that right now, he needed to worry about Santana and finding her some medicine. Canned food, clothes, booze, everything one desired but first thing first- medicine.
When he found the boxes of medical supplies, he carefully opened one of the boxes and started to go through it. He found several boxes of antibiotic pills, which he shoved into his bag. He grabbed some basics before he went back through the other boxes. He grabbed as much as he could fit into the bag, cans of food, extra clothing- he even found some bullets for his guns. He was just about to make his way back to Santana when he heard a gun click, before pressing against his head.
“Don’t move and hands where I can see them, friend.” Javier held up his hands, “We don’t like thieves around here.” Javier stayed as still as he could, not wanting to give this many any reason to shoot.
“I’m low on supplies and my daughter is sick, I didn’t have much choice. She needs antibiotics, I didn’t know this place was occupied.” Someone else grabbed the bag and took a look inside.
“This stuff belongs to Negan and you don’t steal from Negan. We don’t just give things away.”
“I can’t leave without that bag. My daughter needs those things to get better,” Javier feared this might be it for him but he just couldn’t let it go.
“I suggest you don’t do anything stupid, or your daughter will regret it.” Javier looked up to see Santana being tossed in beside him. “We don’t take kindly to strangers around here, but we can see that your daughter is in need.”
“Don’t hurt her,” Javier reached out to grab her but the end of the gun slammed into the back of his head,
“I said don’t move.”
“Don’t hurt him!” Santana cried out, staying curled up in the blanket. “Please, he was only taking things for me-”
“You can’t get anything for free, it needs to be worked for.”
“Maybe we should get him?”
“He should be around the area, make the call.”

[DarkSideCookie]

The Warehouse's Guard

- tempplay by DarkSideCookie -

Howard hold his breath when he heard a voice speaking up not far away from him. Oh, it were just the guys from the other side of the warehouse, servants from Negan just like he was, with the only difference that these guards seemed to like their job. That was at least how it looked like. Who would be really aware of everyone's story behind the mask of being Negan?

Howard kept motionless, his fingers around his gun, while he listened to them talking to a stranger, obviously someone who thought this was kind of a rummage table to help yourself. And then suddenly he came up with an idea. What if he planted the empty bottles on this stranger? That one had burgled in his colleagues' area of accountability not his, so it would be them to blame, wouldn't it? Yes, that was sounding plausible. Plausible enough to work. Just how should he get the bottles into the stranger's bag?

He heard the scream of a girl, which made him shudder. The stranger was a father. Well, so what? He had stolen from Negan anyway. Some bottles more or less wouldn't change anything.

“Maybe we should get him?

Howard froze in the middle of his movement, his blood running cold.

“He should be around the area, make the call.”

No! Not yet! Please No!

[DarkSideCookie]

***Just a call and a little while later***


Negan, with his baseball bat, referred to as Lucille, shouldered, stepped closer to the warehouse's door. It was left ajar by now. For a moment he stopped his steps to have a look through the narrow crack of the door. He sighed. So, another lesson to taught. Someone stealing his shit, someone has to get punished. Clear rule. But despite this clarity, Negan was aware of the fact that he had to listen to someone beating about the bush yet again. Another day, another story. What the hell!

With a slight grin, Negan walked in, moving Lucille in circles. While he was heading towards the adult, he threw a short look over at the girl, obviously suffering from a really disgusting cold. Negan recoiled in a theatrically way, a smirk playing on his lips before he continued his walk. As he turned his attention back to the man, held by one of his people, he started an inappropriate whistling, accompanied by the circling movement from Lucille.

"You must be Papi!", he stated at last, as he laddishly placed himself in front of Javier, pointing the wired bat in the man's direction. When his people had given him the call, he already knew he would have to deal with a father-daughter dyad, as the girl's screams had been dazing his ear on the other end of the line.

"I'm Negan."

[Lady Lee-o]

Javier kept his eyes on Santana, getting ready to make a move if he had too. They were just standing there with guns drawn and waiting, they made no moves. He looked over to see Santana shivering under her blanket, just full on body shakes. "Please, just let get to her."
"I don't think so, buddy, you stay put. She's just fine under her blanket." Javier's hands clenched at the man's mocking tone, it would be so easy to just rush him- but it would be a death sentence.

The warehouse door opened and Javier knew almost instantly he was the boss. He kept his eyes on him and watched as he mocked Santana and her shivering. This man didn't care about him or his daughter, it could go either way.

"You must be Papi! I'm Negan."

"Javier," He didn't seem a problem with giving his name, not like he was somebody to this guy. "My daughter is sick, I didn't know anyone was still occupying this place. I just need my daughter to get better."

[DarkSideCookie]

"Javier,""My daughter is sick, I didn't know anyone was still occupying this place. I just need my daughter to get better."

"Yah, That's what I figured.", Negan replied, throwing one theatrical look at the man's daughter and straight back at the father. A smile appeared on his lips, one that usually meant no good though.

"Crap. You seem to me like the fucking hell of a good sort. I mean, all you're doing, all killing, all stealing, or what the fuck else, it's all for little sunshine over there." With his wired bat Negan was pointing at Javier's daughter before he continued his talk to desperate Papi. "I get that. I really do." Negan made a pause for one deep sight. "So, now here we have a god. damn. quagmire."

[Lady Lee-o]

"Yah, That's what I figured. Crap. You seem to me like the fucking hell of a good sort. I mean, all you're doing, all killing, all stealing, or what the fuck else, it's all for little sunshine over there. I get that. I really do. So, now here we have a god. damn. quagmire."

"I can't leave here without those pills, she won't get better without them. I'll do whatever it takes to keep her safe," He knew this guys type, he ran across a few of them on his travels. Kings of their domain and he'd want something from him, whether it be his allegiance, his life, or something else. Javier wasn't afraid to kill, he would do anything to protect his daughter. "I can be a use to you, I have a military background-" Maybe he could offer his services for the antibiotics, maybe all would be forgiven...?

[DarkSideCookie]

"I can't leave here without those pills, she won't get better without them. I'll do whatever it takes to keep her safe," Hell of a good sort! But then, this guy probably never had messed with someone like Negan. He would wipe that naivety off his damn face early enough. Stealing his shit and believing to keep it was against the rules. Negan might change his mind though, if good-sort here was bringing him around somehow.

Negan swayed his head, while he had a deep look in the man's eyes. "I can be a use to you, I have a military background-"

"Okay, just shut the hell up for a moment.", he suddenly interrupted desperate Papi. Even though this had come out pretty harsh, his lips were raising to a smirk already now. "See, this is not the damn fucking way it works. So listen, asshole." Negan leaned on Lucille, raising his other hand to make it underline his next words. "Number one: Don't do this motherfucking pleading on me like you were about to suck. my. dick." A short pause was following, before he continued, lifting up a second finger. "Number two: If I was interested in dick-sucking you, ...you would have gotten a god damn invitation. Okay?"

Negan started to walk up and down in front of him without averting his gaze. "Your attempt at least... was not the most holy crap of bullshit, but for now... you will have to show me... if after all... you are freaking worth this loss of my shit." He suddenly stopped his steps and gave the man an awaiting grin.

[Lady Lee-o]

"Number one: Don't do this motherfucking pleading on me like you were about to suck. my. dick. Number two: If I was interested in dick-sucking you, ...you would have gotten a god damn invitation. Okay?" This man reminded him a lot of his military friends, brash, harsh, but this guy wouldn't hesitate to beat his head in with that bat covered in barbwire. He noticed the specs of blood on it, it had been used before and probably not just on the dead. "Your attempt at least... was not the most holy crap of bullshit, but for now... you will have to show me... if after all... you are freaking worth this loss of my shit." He couldn't imagine what this psycho wanted but he was probably about to find out.

Santana watched on, silently, her dad always said to keep quiet in situations like this but it was becoming increasingly harder. She let out another cough, clinging to the blanket, at least she felt warm- at least they were inside.

"As I said, I'll do what I have to for those meds. Sans sucking dick because that won't happen." Not that he hadn't before but Javier would soon bite his off.

[DarkSideCookie]

"As I said, I'll do what I have to for those meds. Sans sucking dick because that won't happen."

Negan narrowed his eyes at that, as he leaned back with another intense look at the man in front of him, only to come even closer just a second later. "I got the damn feeling there is a little bit of a fucking misunderstanding between us. Hey, I am not a bad guy!", he stated with a wide grin. "In fact... I can be your man, and that not in a freaky creepy prison relation meant, IF... you are playing by the frigging rules. Okayyy?" The last word Negan let out with another movement of leaning back, before throwing another look over his shoulder to sick little sunshine.

"So now that we are cool and got this damn question of dick sucking or not dick sucking out of the way, you can the hell finally start getting me on your motherfucking side. Aaaand... action!" Negan couldn't suppress a joyful chuckle, nor would he have tried to suppress anyway.

[Lady Lee-o]

"So now that we are cool and got this damn question of dick sucking or not dick sucking out of the way, you can the hell finally start getting me on your motherfucking side. Aaaand... action!" Javier wasn't the mood to play this guys games, he had no idea what he wanted.

"Listen, friend, I'm not one for games- what is it that you want me to do. Just say it, because I have bad knees and I would love to get off this fucking ground."

[DarkSideCookie]

"Listen, friend, I'm not one for games- what is it that you want me to do. Just say it, because I have bad knees and I would love to get off this fucking ground."

Negan grinned again, his tongue playing around his teeth, while the man's remark seemed to give him amusement. And indeed it did. Could it be there was a little bit of a badass inside of good-sort? Then he should come up with a way to find out, shouldn't he?

"Lift him up!", he suddenly commanded in one of his men's direction, having a hold on Javier. The man was giving Negan a doubtful look.

"Oh c'mon, haven't you heard him, manny Danny? He has bad knees!". Normally Negan didn't like to repeat himself, but this time he even was joking around, throwing another smirk at Javier, while he said bad knees. The man on Javier's side, obviously Danny named, ungently lift him up without another hesitating.

Negan came a little closer once again, now eye to eye with good-sort aka badass-contender or what else his real fucking name had been again. "No fucking creativity, man? Thought you to entertain the shit outta me." Negan sighed. If the show didn't come to him, then he would have to get it himself. "Well, then... seems I have to come up with some shit on my own." Again his tongue was playing around his teeth, as he had to chuckle, not averting his gaze from Javier.

He started to walk again, up and down, Lucille doing cycles next to him. Several moments passed, while Negan was actually thinking about something, whistling while walking. Then suddenly he stopped. His eyes seemed to have caught something on the other edge of the warehouse. Not something, but someone. Negan grinned again.

"Do you see that little pig over there, crawling on the ground like one really great piece of shit?", he asked Javier with a point in that direction. "That is Howie. Not exactly one of my top guys. Would you do something for me right now?"

[Lady Lee-o]

Once Javier was up from the ground he popped his knees, letting the crunch sound off the walls. "No fucking creativity, man? Thought you to entertain the shit outta me. Well, then... seems I have to come up with some shit on my own." Javier didn't like him being so close to his face, in fact, he punched men for less. However, Negan had the bat and his friends had guns.

"I'm sure you can come up with something a lot more creative than I ever could." He looked over at Santana, knowing whatever happened, she would understand. She had seen him doing unspeakable things, she herself had done the same.

"Do you see that little pig over there, crawling on the ground like one really great piece of shit? That is Howie. Not exactly one of my top guys. Would you do something for me right now?" Javier now had a feeling where this was going, but if it meant getting Santana better- he'd do it.

"Sure."

[DarkSideCookie]

"Sure."

Negan chuckled again. Now, look at this badass purposefulness! Let's see if good-sort can live up this appeal he just got him with.

"Abso-fucking-lutely terrific!", he burst out, while he was leaning back in front of him. Negan didn't feel the need of acting all too much severe. There was no doubt this guy had just seen a chance indeed, a warehouse he obviously really believed not have been occupied. Nonetheless, they had rules - with no exceptions.

Negan leaned once again closer to the man, already beyond something people were calling a personal comfort zone. "Okay, Javier... wasn't it?", he remembered the guy's name, not needing a confirmation though, as he went on. "You just walk over there and ransack his damn stuff of shit. Shouldn't be too much of a moral offense for a shit stealing asshole like you, right?", he added with a smirk before he gave the two men next to Javier a sign to let up on him.

There was no way Negan feared him to set upon them all of a sudden. No man would be that much of a motherfucking idiot, knowing his daughter in the hands of a third man behind. And then there was him of course, the guy with the bat, needing only the split of a second to strike out and bash the shit out of him.

And then Negan was waiting, ready to follow Javier's steps, once he would start moving. Waiting for his show to start. And that show had god damn just started.

[Lady Lee-o]

"Abso-fucking-lutely terrific! Okay, Javier... wasn't it? You just walk over there and ransack his damn stuff of shit. Shouldn't be too much of a moral offense for a shit stealing asshole like you, right?" This guy was a fucking dickhole but Javier wasn't any better. Given enough incentive he could have stayed in Ohio and ran it himself, he just couldn't bring himself to stay in the same town where he failed to protect his wife. He still saw her face, he still could see her breath still...

Javier made his way over to Howie, he looked scared as shit. This Negan guy probably ran a tight shop and struck the fear of god in everyone. As he got closer to Howie, he knocked over a couple boxes and watched him squirm. Javier motioned to the stuff around the guy, "this all yours?" Howie nodded and Javier continued to knock around more boxes.

"Come on, don't-" Howie groaned, "D-don't-" Javier turned to face him, shoulder shrugging.

"Listen, buddy, if it's between you or my little girl, I'm going to pick her. Not a thing I wouldn't do for my daughter, nothing." He wanted to make that clear, not just to Howie but to this man, Negan. "If he told me to kill you, I would, as long as it spared my niñita." Kicking another box, the contents spilled out onto the ground- empty bottles of liquor. He moved over to the bottles and picked them up, "I take it, this won't go well for you-" He held them up for Negan to see.

[DarkSideCookie]

Negan let out a quiet chuckle, as he watched Javier walking over to Howard. He followed in a little distance, looking forward to the show. And in fact, this man was giving him quiet a show! Not only was he doing what he said without any hesitating, he also did it like a champ! A joyful smile was reflecting the silent amazement on Negan's face.

When Javier held out to him what he knew he would have to face right from the start, Negan did a clicking noise with his tongue like when someone was rebuking a kid, while he looked down at his tremulous man. "Howie, Howie, Howie... What is that shit, huh? That is not cool. Not. fucking. cool."

"Danny. Give me your knife.", he suddenly called out to the man right behind Javier, the manny in this. Danny did as he was told, this time without delay.

Then Negan turned to Javier, not making any move to receive the weapon himself. And once again he didn't care the risk of giving Javier a chance. Well, a chance he wouldn't dare to seize anyway, as Negan already knew this guy here was no fucking dumbass.

"Now take the knife and cut his hand off." This no longer had been a question with woulds and coulds in it. It had been a command, harsh and bossy given, even though this was actually less a punishment, but a test. Despite good-sort's little speech, for now, all Negan demanded was a hand. Killing someone would mean the possibility to make it short and crisp. But to have a look in one man's eyes, suffering from the pain the loss of one of his limbs meant, being aware of the fact that the one who caused it had been yourself, was something else. So, was his new friend here badass but careless enough to cut off pisshead's hand right in front of sweet little junior sitting in the back row or was he badass but dumb enough to not? Both would tell him a lot about this guy, even though he inwardly already knew he wouldn't get disappointed today.
Also sure, it meant much more of a task to cut a hand off of someone you know and actually care for, but that would have made Negan act with no proportionality. And that was one thing he never did. Every one of his people was getting what they did deserve. Their choice, not his. They've got god damn rules and everyone got to play by them. Easy, wasn't it?
With Howie here anyway there was a remaining punishment, so why not letting do it someone else this time? A good way to find out if his new contender was able to work for him or not. Not that there would have been a lot of other options anyway, at least not in the man's hope to leave this place with sick kid in one.

"N-no, no... please, man... don't! Please!", Howard was pleading on Javier, embracing the man's legs with his arms.

In silence, Negan was waiting for Javier's choice to make, not the slightest smile on his face by now. Also, his man, having a hold on his daughter, were making sure that she was watching too.

[Lady Lee-o]

"Howie, Howie, Howie... What is that shit, huh? That is not cool. Not. fucking. cool. Danny. Give me your knife." Javier stood there and watched as the man Danny held out his knife, Negan made no move towards it but looked at Javier, it became clear he would be the one to punish Howie. "Now take the knife and cut his hand off." This was his test and Javier wouldn't fail, failure meant that he and Santana would suffer and that wasn't an option for him.

"Papi," He took the knife and looked over at Santana, she didn't approve but he was doing this for her- to keep her safe and he would do anything to keep her safe. She had seen the monster inside of him before, he had killed but only out of self-defense, this was something different entirely. This man might have been a thief but so was he, this could have been him- but it wasn't.

"Quiet, Santana," He turned his back towards Santana, not wanting to see her disappointed face. He looked down to see Howie begging for his life but Javier paid no attention, shutting down his emotions. Javier had no choice, it was Howie's hand or his- or worse. Taking the handle of the knife, he slammed it into Howie's face, doing that until Howie released him. Javier got down and pinned him, whispering; "The more you struggle, the worse it will be. You want a clean cut or a hack job?" Howie continued to fight and Javier sighed in annoyance. "Hey, you mind holding this guy down for me?" He looked at the guy who held him at gunpoint earlier, who smiled and made his way over.

Howie struggled against them both but he was quickly pinned down, his hand now positioned flat on the ground. The guy was settled down on Howie's back, holding him in place. "Nice and tight," Javier was a doctor before the outbreak, he normally sewed bit and pieces back onto bodies but luckily he also knew how to take them off. It wasn't going to be clean-cut, not as clean as he would like but it would come off. Javier leaned over and stuffed a cloth into his mouth, before slamming his head into the ground. "Shut up," Javier pressed the knife just above the serious sections of his wrist, not wanting him to bleed out before the bleeding would be stopped- if it would be stopped. "Would be easier with a machete," but he started cutting and Howie started screaming. He cut into the skin, tendons, muscle, bone- a bit harder when he reached the joint.

[DarkSideCookie]

For now, Negan was a silent watcher. A watcher, severe on the outside, while in awe on the inside. Yes, he was quite fascinated how fast, and without even trying to negotiate any compromise (Negan had never been willing to accept compromises at all), this guy was swallowing the nasty pill Negan had just given to him. And he had handed out a lot of big nasty pills to other guys. Guys; whimpering, crying and even pissing their pants. Guys not worth to call themselves a Savior. No, Javier here - he really was something else.

Negan couldn't withhold a chuckle out of the background when Javier made use of one of his man to floor Howie.

"Would be easier with a machete," But the easiest way was not exactly the most effective way, Negan thought, a smirk accompanying the slight nod of his head as a reaction to Javier's statement before he became the silent watcher again. It actually wasn't the cutting itself Negan watched, but rather the expression of a man doing a job for him - a job he wasn't willing to do, but GOD DAMN DID IT ANYWAY!

And then, eventually, that job was done.

"My goodness! Now, look at that! There's still blood within the alcohol pumping through your veins! Who. would. haVE. THOUGHT?", Negan suddenly called out loudly, while he leaned his body back and stepped his boot onto the ground once, showing a preposterous joy at the brutal scene that just had happened. "I honestly HAVEN'T!"

His laughter seemed to be the only noise that could drown the loud screams of a man just had lost his hand. But the absurdity of this situation didn't stop Negan from poking even a little bit more. "And damn! Look at this cut!", he stated, stepping closer to them to have an almost child-like look down at the detached hand before he turned to Javier with a smirk. "It seems to me you haven't only cut bread for your daughter's school lunchboxes. I mean, y'know, before all this shit had started."

[Lady Lee-o]

"And damn! Look at this cut! It seems to me you haven't only cut bread for your daughter's school lunchboxes. I mean, y'know, before all this shit had started." Javier stood, cleaning his hand on a rag he found before using it to tie off the limb. If Negan wanted this man to die, that was his choice but he would do what he could until then.

"After the army, I went into medicine, I worked the emergency floor- I normally put limbs back on bodies but I can take them off if necessary." He could see out of the corner of his eye, Santana refused to look at him and he didn't blame her. This Howie guy did nothing to him, there was nothing self-defense about it.

All he could do was wait for Negan to make his decision. Would he be allowed to keep the supplies? Would he be forced to stay here and work for this guy now? Either way, as long as Santana got better, it was all he cared about.

[DarkSideCookie]

Negan made no move to keep Javier from treating the wound, even watched him in silence doing so. There was no need for Howie to die. If there was, he'd have gotten that done instead of letting cut only a slice beforehand. Proportional punishment. And in this case, killing two birds with one stone, so to speak.

"After the army, I went into medicine, I worked the emergency floor- I normally put limbs back on bodies but I can take them off if necessary." Negan was showing an interested nod. A former doctor for emergencies - just kept getting better! Negan took notice of the man's short look into his daughter's direction, whereupon he turned around to the girl and back to Papi, a smile on his face not boding well.

"Guess what! You can KEEP the medicine!", Negan suddenly called out, accompanied his words with a fast pointing move of his free hand. Then he came one step closer to Javier, again standing right in front of him. "And to up the ante, I even feel fucking willing to help you cosseting little sunshine. Lucky day, isn't it?" A grin formed on his lips.

[Lady Lee-o]

"Guess what! You can KEEP the medicine!" Javier was glad he would get to keep the medicine, that meant Santana would get better and he could relax just a little bit more. Javier didn't flinch when the man made the quick move forward, knowing that if he wanted Javier dead he would be already. "And to up the ante, I even feel fucking willing to help you cosseting little sunshine. Lucky day, isn't it?" He wasn't sure if they would stay here forever, he wasn't even sure this guy would let him leave.

"I appreciate it, she'll be useful. I know she doesn't look like much now but she can hold her own." He taught Santana many things on the road, he turned her into a survivor. Growing up he made sure she wanted for nothing, she was his princess and that would never change. He taught her everything he knew, trained her, he just hoped it was enough to keep her alive.

Javier walked over to Santana and knelt down next to her, cupping her chin. "I had to," He could see the look on her face, she disapproved of what he had done- "We'll talk later." When he was sure no ears were listening, for now, he needed to learn the rules and he was sure Negan would fill him in.

[DarkSideCookie]

And yet again Negan was impressed by this man's imperturbability when he had made a quick move forward. Sure, he might not know Negan yet, but after all, he was the guy with the bat. But to know he was not just the guy with the bat, letting it speak rashly or better said after he could have a hundred times before if he really wanted to, proved once again this man was no dumbass.

"I appreciate it, she'll be useful. I know she doesn't look like much now but she can hold her own." Negan hoped so. He actually wouldn't have any other use for the girl. But then, you could never know what kind of abilities were slumbering in someone. They were just getting started to know each other, weren't they?

With a mischievous smile, Negan bent his upper body down to Howard, who was still whimpering on the ground like a squib. "See that? That's what I call a cooperative guy." He let out an amused chuckle, as he straightened himself again. And the moment he was going to turn back to Javier, was the moment the cooperative guy pissed him off for once.

"NO!", Negan suddenly shouted at his back, whereupon Danny and the other man quickly grabbed Javier, forced him into an upright position and dragged him back right in front of their boss. Negan gave them a quick sign with his hand, which told them he would handle that himself. And so, with a really pissed off face, he did.

"Did I allow you to step away, let alone to talk to her? Nope." With this self-given answer, the joy slightly came back to his face though. The malicious joy. Again he stepped closer, this time so close that he actually had to talk aside, right next to Javier's ear. "I said that I can be your man... if you play... by the frigging... rules. Now, did you understand that, asshole?", Negan asked, as he slowly stepped back a little, waiting for a reaction, his eyes rigidly focused on his newbie.

[Lady Lee-o]

"NO! Javier sighed as the men grabbed hold of him and he was quick to shake out of their grasp. He was about to punch one of them in the face but Negan waved them off. "Did I allow you to step away, let alone to talk to her? Nope. Javier said nothing as Negan got uncomfortably close to him. This guy was an asshole but he was no better, he just got a guys hand off. "I said that I can be your man... if you play... by the frigging... rules. Now, did you understand that, asshole?"

"I don't know the rules, I didn't know it was against the rules to talk with my daughter." He kept his voice unamused and dry, he had no idea what would set this guy off. "and no need to have your goons grab me, all you had to do was tell me. Your boys have a hands-on approach which I don't appreciate. They touch me again and I'll break their noses." He wasn't sure threatening the men with guns was a good idea but he didn't really care.

Javier took another look over at Santana, one of the men stood very close to her. Hand clenched as he watched him, "Tell that fucker to get away from my daughter before he loses his eyes."

[DarkSideCookie]

"I don't know the rules, I didn't know it was against the rules to talk with my daughter.""and no need to have your goons grab me, all you had to do was tell me. Your boys have a hands-on approach which I don't appreciate. They touch me again and I'll break their noses."

Negan had been waiting for Javier to let off some steam, before he burst out into a mightily amused laughter, his body leaning back as far as possible.

"Tell that fucker to get away from my daughter before he loses his eyes." The man's words were still accompanied by Negan's laughter, meanwhile died down to not more than a giggle though.

"Hey, fucker!", he suddenly called out to the guy standing very close at Santana's side, pointing at him with Lucille. "Take a step back, unless you don't want to accompany Papi MD into the surgery next." Another giggle left his lips. Usually, he wasn't willing to give orders on behalf of someone else, but today was charity day. The man next to Javier's daughter gave him a doubtful look but did as he was told.

"So", at last Negan turned his attention back to Javier, his eyes widened and his lips raised to a smile. "Oh yeah, the rules. They are simple, naturally. Wanna see something really cool?", he suddenly asked, again coming closer, before he, without awaiting an answer to that, gave him a demonstration of one of the most important rules.

"Who am I?" With a bossy grin and his arms spread wide, Negan addressed his men around.

"Negan!"

"And who are you?", he added another question, knowing the answer to that wouldn't be any different.

"Negan!"

Negan chuckled once again, as he turned back to Javier. "Loyalty, my friend, loyalty. Rule number one.", he said as he raised one finger to underline his words.

[Lady Lee-o]

Javier was glad when Negan told the guy to back away from his daughter. It was a smart choice on the guy's behalf to listen because he already cut a hand off today- eyes wouldn't mean a thing.

"So, Oh yeah, the rules. They are simple, naturally. Wanna see something really cool?" Not like he had a choice so Javier nodded and waited to see what Negan had in mind. "Who am I?" and like a bunch of robots they answered by calling out his name, "And who are you?" and again they said his name, which he found to be incredibly weird. So, they were all Negan, how strange and narcissistic of him. "Loyalty, my friend, loyalty. Rule number one."

Javier would play the good little lapdog, especially if it kept him and Santana fed. He wasn't sure how long they would stay but he had a feeling this guy was like the mafia- once you're in, you're in.

"Got it," He looked over at Santana before looking back at Negan. "Been looking for a place to settle down for a while. Road life is not a life I want for my daughter."

[DarkSideCookie]

"Got it,""Been looking for a place to settle down for a while. Road life is not a life I want for my daughter."

"Of course not.", Negan agreed, having a thoughtful expression on his face for some moments. This guy was actually a lot more cooperative than he thought. A lot more than most of the men who once had been in his situation as well. He did as he was told without hesitation and he really seemed to swallow the pills he was given without even asking questions. Negan would be willing to go with that if this guy was going to become just one of his collectors, but that wasn't exactly the position in which he was seeing his new friend here. No, for giving him a safe place to settle down, it needed more than the kind of loyalty he already got from him. There still was this lofty look on his face, that could become sort of a problem at some point, if he didn't wipe that off his face beforehand. And besides, rules were rules. There was no way to skip the fraternity pledging.

"And now where we're done here", Negan eventually spoke up again. "I can finally head back and screw my wifes." His hands stretched out at that, a joyful grin spreading on his face, as he turned away his attention from Javier and his daughter. With Lucille pointing in one of his men's direction, he added: "Danny, get this mess cleaned up.", before he headed to the warehouse's door, letting accompany Lucille in circles right next to him.


*** Negan exits to The Savior's Camp ***

[Lady Lee-o]

"What have you done?" Santana blamed him for all of this and she was right too. She was upset with what took place but this world was no longer right and wrong. His hands were still tainted with blood as he checked her over. "Survival is the name of the game, Hermosa."

"You took that man's hand, Papi."

"I did what I had to do for us. We're done talking about this and I don't want to hear any more. You're going to get better and that is all that matters." Javier wasn't proud of the things he had done since this outbreak started but this was how it was now. He would do anything to protect his daughter and if that meant killing, he would do it.


***

[DarkSideCookie]

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Several days later...

DAY 307

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[DarkSideCookie]

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Day 308

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