•

Lunette sat on a sturdy wooden chair in the corner of the prison block. Around a small round table, Carl, Beth, Glenn, Hershel, and Maggie were gathered, with Beth gently cradling the baby in her arms, occassionally cooing at her.

Watching them from a distance, Lunette felt a heavy feeling of not belonging in her heart. She had noticed the sideways glances whenever she came too close to the baby. It was understandable—she was a newcomer, an outsider who had stumbled upon their group during a desperate search for supplies.

Daryl and Oscar sat nearby on the stairs leading up to the upper levels of the prison, their expressions guarded. They ate quietly out of their bowls, Daryl's eyes occasionally flicking over to Lunette before returning to his meal, as if making sure she stayed seated.

Her own bowl was balanced on her lap, her spoon lightly tapping the side of it. She wasn't particularly hungry, but she forced bits of food into her mouth anyway. It would be a waste not to, and she wasn't here to waste any of their food.

Her leg had worsened from putting too much pressure on it during the supply run with Daryl. Hershel had scolded her like a child, but it had worked—she'd taken it easy for the past few hours.

Rick was somewhere in the prison halls, doing who knows what. According to Glenn, he'd snapped when Glenn tried to talk to him, and since then, everyone had left him alone. Lunette thought it was a terrible idea to leave an angry, grieving man alone with his thoughts—and a weapon. But who was she to tell them otherwise?

Lunette shifted uncomfortably on the wooden chair, her eyes drifting from one person to another around the table. Carl was absorbed in his own thoughts, only able to stare at his little sister. Beth cooed softly at the infant, a gentle smile on her lips as she rocked her gently.

"Everybody okay?"

Glancing up, Lunette saw Rick standing in the doorway, slowly opening the barred door. He didn't seem like himself; his eyes were distant, as if he was in another world. His movements were slow, yet urgent.

"Yeah, we are," Maggie said, swallowing her bite as she sat up straighter.

Rick walked further into the room, and Carl twisted in his chair to look at his father. Rick's eyes swept over everyone, lingering on Lunette the longest. She tried to give him a friendly smile, but he looked away as soon as her lips twitched. In response, Lunette lowered her head slightly, slumping against the backrest of her chair, swirling her spoon in her food.

She didn't blame him. He probably held her responsible for Lori's death. She was a stranger who had been there when his wife died. For all he knew, Lunette had been eager to plunge a knife into Lori's stomach. The reality was the opposite, but Rick didn't know that.

All he knew was that Lunette, Maggie, and Carl had exited the prison with a baby and without his wife. No further explanation.

"What about you?" Hershel inquired.

"I cleared out the boiler block," Rick spoke, looking down at Carl.

Daryl cleared his throat. "How many were there?"

"I don't know. A dozen, two dozen," Rick replied tersely. "I have to get back—I just wanted to check on Carl."

Rick placed a hand on Carl's shoulder, patting it a few times before squeezing it. Lunette frowned slightly, noticing how he avoided looking at his newborn daughter. He seemed lost in a world no one could reach.

"Rick," Glenn said quickly, standing up as soon as Rick took a few steps toward the door, "we can handle taking out the bodies. You don't have to."

"No, I do," Rick shut him down. He then marched over to Daryl, looking down at him. "Everyone have a gun and a knife?"

"Yeah," Daryl said softly. "We're runnin' low on ammo, though."

"Maggie and me were planning on making a run this afternoon," Glenn spoke up again. "Found a phonebook with some places we can hit, look for bullets and formula."

Rick's eyebrow twitched slightly at the mention of formula, and he quickly turned back to Daryl.

"We cleared out the generator room," Daryl told him with a reassuring nod. "Axel's there tryin' to fix it in case of emergency. We're gonna sweep the lower levels as well."

"Good, good," Rick said before turning and marching off toward the door. As he passed Lunette, he briefly cast her a glance. She held his gaze until he broke it by turning away, swinging the barred door open. "Get her out."

"Rick—" Hershel began to protest, half standing, but Rick slammed the door shut before he could say more, storming off in a fury.

The room fell into an uncomfortable silence, the echo of the slamming door lingering in the air. Lunette could feel everyone's eyes on her, their expressions a mix of concern and wariness. She shifted in her chair, suddenly feeling very exposed and out of place. She swallowed the lump in her throat and forced herself to focus on stirring her food, though her appetite had long abandoned her.

Glenn cleared his throat, breaking the tense silence. "We should finish up here and get ready for the afternoon run," he suggested, his voice tinged with unease. "We need to stock up on supplies."

Maggie nodded in agreement, her eyes briefly meeting Lunette's. "I'll help ya clean up," she offered quietly, gathering their empty bowls and setting them aside.

•

Mira trailed reluctantly behind her father, the Governor, and Andrea as they made their way towards the arena where the gladiator fights were held. The path was lined with cheering spectators and the air buzzed with anticipation, but Mira's heart sank with each step. She hated these fights—she always had. The thought of people battling each other for entertainment made her sick to her stomach. But her father insisted she attend.

The Governor glanced back at her, his expression unreadable. "Come on, Mira," he said tersely, gesturing for her to keep up.

Reluctantly, Mira picked up her pace, falling into step beside Andrea. The older woman glanced at her with a faint smile, trying to offer some semblance of comfort. Mira managed a weak smile in return, grateful for Andrea's attempt to lighten the mood.

Mira had seen Michonne leave Woodbury a few hours prior for unknown reasons, though Mira could guess. Andrea was now left alone here, but she didn't seem to mind. She seemed to quite enjoy Mira's father's company, which weirded the sixteen-year-old out.

They entered the arena, and Mira's discomfort grew. The air was thick with the smell of sweat and blood, mingling with the excited murmurs of the spectators. She kept her eyes fixed on the ground as they walked along the edge of the arena, trying to block out the sounds of the crowd.

They found a spot on the wooden benches overlooking the arena. Mira sat down reluctantly, her gaze still fixed on the ground as the sounds of the crowd washed over her. She could hear the excited chatter and the occasional roar of approval.

As she settled into her seat, Mira felt a gentle nudge on her shoulder. Startled, she looked up to see Neil sitting beside her, a small smile on his face. Seeing him here was unexpected—he had been sick for the past few days, and she hadn't expected him to be at the fights.

"The hell are you doin' here?" she asked, though a smile tugged at her lips. This night would be a whole lot more bearable with her best friend there.

"Hey," Neil replied softly, his voice hoarse from his recent illness. "Thought I'd come out today. Missed too many of these fights already."

Mira nodded, understanding. Neil always had a fascination with the fights, finding something in them that Mira couldn't quite grasp. She glanced over at her father and Andrea and scrunched up her face at the sight of her father roaring loudly while clapping his hands.

"How are you feelin'?" Mira asked Neil.

"Better now that I'm out of bed," Neil chuckled softly. "Can't miss this, can I?"

Mira managed a light chuckle, despite it being the fakest one she'd ever let out. She ducked out of the way as people clapped wildly around her, nearly getting hit by a flailing arm. Neil laughed, and she rolled her eyes.

The arena lights flashed on, and the crowd rose to their feet, a thunderous applause rippling through the stands. Mira wanted to stay seated, but Neil hauled her up, raising her arm in the air as he cheered loudly.

Four biters were illuminated by the lights, chained by the neck. Mira swallowed hard. As soon as Neil's grip loosened, she sat back down, crossing her arms over her chest.

Martinez, one of her dad's workers, ran into the arena, hands in the air, encouraging everyone to cheer for him. He made fighting motions at the biters, taunting them with a toothy smile as he ran around. Mira thought he was just a show-off, but so was his opponent.

Merle Dixon was next, tapping the first biter on the head as he ran past. He raised his arms, prompting more cheers. Mira winced when Neil's yells reached her ears and almost laughed when the crowd started chanting Merle's name. Neil idolized Merle for some weird reason.

"I'm gonna kick his ass one-handed!" Merle yelled, pointing at Martinez with a big grin. "Oh, to hell with that—no handed!"

He dropped to the ground and started doing one-handed push-ups with his stump where his mechanical arm was. Mira knew that story well since Merle had told it to her at least five times.

When the outbreak started, he was with his brother and some others. On a city run, they left him behind, cuffed to a roof by a random cop. He sawed off his own hand, stumbling through a building full of biters until her father found him and brought him to Woodbury.

"He's not even doin' actual push-ups," Mira noticed, squinting at Merle. He was just bending his elbow.

Neil dismissed her comment, continuing to chant Merle's name. Mira huffed, pushing a strand of hair from her face.

A loud whistle signaled the start of the fight. Merle spun and kicked Martinez in the face, sending him sprawling. Martinez quickly recovered and grinned at Merle.

He lunged, but Merle dodged and countered with an elbow to Martinez's chin followed by a kick to the stomach. Mira winced, glancing at Andrea, who looked horrified—it was her first time seeing this.

Good, I'm not the only one.

Martinez caught Merle off guard with a smack to the back of his head while he was taunting the crowd. Merle staggered but was pulled back up by Martinez, who locked him in a chokehold.

Merle jumped and leaned back, kicking a biter away before knocking his head against Martinez's. Soon enough, one of the Governor's men pulled the chains, shrinking the fight circle.

Not a moment later, Mira heard Andrea shoot up from her spot and express her thoughts about the fight to the Governor. She thought it was sick.

So do I.

Feeling increasingly uncomfortable with the brutal spectacle unfolding before her, Mira couldn't bear to watch any longer. When she saw her father engaging with Andrea in intense conversation, she seized the opportunity to slip away unnoticed.

As Martinez and Merle continued their vicious dance in the arena, Mira quietly rose from her seat. Neil was still engrossed in cheering for Merle, oblivious to Mira's departure. She edged along the row of benches, careful not to draw attention to herself, until she reached the aisle.

Glancing back one last time to ensure she hadn't been seen, Mira slipped out of the arena.

•

Lunette sat atop a weathered picnic table just outside the prison, her legs crossed beneath her. She stared at the fences lining the perimeter, watching as a couple of walkers pressed against the chain-link, their decaying fingers grasping futilely at the metal. She narrowed her eyes, tracing the patterns of the wood beneath her fingers.

She didn't know how long she'd been sitting there, lost in her thoughts, when she heard footsteps approaching. Glancing over her shoulder, she saw Daryl quietly making his way toward her. He didn't say anything as he reached the table, merely nodded at her before sitting down beside her.

For a moment, they sat in silence, both staring at the walkers beyond the fence. Lunette picked at the splinters on the edge of the table, trying not to turn her head and look at Daryl.

Then, out of nowhere, Daryl spoke. "Hunter."

Lunette blinked, confusion furrowing her brow. "What?"

Daryl glanced at her briefly, then back at the fence. "That's what I'd name a kid if I were to have one."

Lunette couldn't help but scoff out a laugh. "Hunter? That sucks."

Daryl shrugged, feigning offense. "Hunter's a great name."

"For a dog, maybe," she teased, earning a snort from Daryl.

"Alright, fine. Noted. No Hunter."

Lunette leaned back on her hands, gazing at the few stray walkers still pushing against the fence. She twisted her lips to the side, tilting her head slightly.

After a while, Daryl broke the silence again, his voice quieter this time. "You gonna leave?"

Lunette sighed, staring out at the walkers without really seeing them. "Yeah, don't really got a choice," she admitted. "Rick made it clear. I'm not welcome back."

Daryl grunted softly, his brow furrowing. "He's still got a lot on his mind. Losin' Lori—it's messin' him up."

"I know," Lunette replied. "I don't blame him. Not at all."

Daryl nodded slowly, his gaze fixed on the horizon. "You got a plan?"

"Not really," she admitted with a half-hearted chuckle. "Guess I'll figure it out as I go. Maggie and Glenn agreed to let me join them on that supply run. I'll go with them and... I'll find somewhere else to go."

Daryl didn't say anything for a moment, his gaze fixed on the ground between his boots. Finally, he said, "Yeah, that's smart. Keep movin'."

"It's what I'm good at," Lunette replied quietly, a hint of bitterness in her voice.

They sat quietly for another moment until their thoughts were interrupted by a gentle nudge at Lunette's back. Startled, she turned to see Maggie standing behind her with a sympathetic smile. "Hey, we're getting ready to head out," Maggie said softly. "You comin'?"

Lunette glanced back at Daryl briefly, catching his gaze for a moment before looking back at Maggie. "Yeah," she replied, pushing herself off the picnic table and dusting off her hands.

Daryl shifted beside her, his eyes lingering on her for a moment longer before he nodded curtly.

Following Maggie's lead, Lunette walked towards where Glenn was waiting with their supplies. She stole one last glance back at Daryl, offering him a smile and a nod before turning away and joining Maggie and Glenn.

•

Inside the small, cramped store, Lunette stood surrounded by shelves packed with supplies. Their flashlight beams cut through the thick darkness, revealing boxes of canned goods, stacks of bottled water, and other essentials. The dim light filtering through dusty windows cast long shadows as they hurriedly searched for anything useful.

Glenn, his eyes scanning the shelves with focused intensity, reached for a box of batteries and tossed it into a cart he was holding. "We need to grab as much as we can," he muttered, more to himself than to Lunette.

Lunette nodded, her attention on a shelf filled with canned food. She quickly sorted through them, placing them into her own cart at her feet. Every now and then, she glanced up at Glenn, their eyes meeting briefly before they returned to their tasks.

Outside, Maggie stood by the window with a flashlight, the beam of light dancing across the store's interior as she peered inside. "You guys find anything yet?" she called out.

"A bunch," Lunette replied, huffing as she wiped some hair out of her face. It was pretty humid in the store, as it had been closed off for maybe months. "A hairtie would be a great find."

As Lunette rummaged through the shelves, her fingers deftly sorting through the supplies, she suddenly felt a light tap on her shoulder. Startled, she turned around to see what had hit her. There, lying on the dusty floor behind her, was a black hairtie.

She looked up to see Maggie with a grin on her face as she gestured for Lunette to grab it. Without missing a beat, Lunette picked up the hairtie, twirling it around her fingers for a moment before chuckling softly.

"Thank you," Lunette called over to her, securing her hair into a loose ponytail with the hairtie.

A beam of light passed Lunette and landed on a rubber duck by Glenn's hand. Lunette looked back over her shoulder to see Maggie with the same grin on her face, pointing at the toy. "Glenn, get that duck."

"What?" Glenn breathed, looking up from a box he was rifling through.

"Get that duck!"

Glenn laughed. "Are you serious?"

"Yeah," Maggie insisted softly. "A kid growin' up in a prison could use some toys."

Glenn chuckled and shook his head as he picked up the rubber duck from the shelf. It was yellow and slightly dusty, but still in good shape considering the circumstances. He turned it over in his hands, his expression softening.

"Cute," Lunette remarked, grinning at Glenn. "Was all of that in here?" she laughed, counting at least fifteen cans of beans nestled among a bunch of powdered formula.

Glenn chuckled, glancing at the basket overflowing with canned beans. "Seems like it," he replied, a sheepish grin spreading across his face. "Beans are versatile," he added defensively, as if justifying the hefty load of canned goods.

"You're all going to turn into a real-life beanstalk, I'm telling you," Lunette said with a shake of her head.

Glenn set the rubber duck carefully in the cart, making sure it wouldn't topple over as they moved. "I think we're good here," he said finally, surveying the supplies they had gathered. "Let's head back."

"Right," Lunette replied, her expression faltering as she realized she would soon part ways with Maggie and Glenn. She scanned the store once more before following them out into the glaring sunlight.

"We just hit the powdered formula jackpot," Glenn said happily.

"Oh, thank God," Maggie replied, moving closer to Glenn to inspect their haul.

"I also got beans—"

"A lot of beans," Lunette corrected, teasingly raising an eyebrow as she set her cart on top of the red car they drove here in.

"A lot of  beans, batteries, cocktail wieners, many mustards," Glenn summed up, and Lunette stuck out her tongue in distaste at the mention of mustard. "It's a straight shot back to the prison from here. Probably make it in time for dinner."

Lunette grabbed her bag from the backseats of the car, zipping it open and tossing it on the car next to her cart. Rummaging through all the stuff she found, she threw some canned food inside her bag, a couple of bandages, a metal bottle for her water, and her flashlight.

"I like the quiet," Maggie commented. "Back there, back home, you can always hear 'em outside the fence no matter where you are."

Lunette zipped up her bag and slung it over her shoulders, feeling a bit awkward under Glenn and Maggie's gaze. She was about to say something like 'take care' when she noticed movement behind a car further down the street.

"And where is it y'all good people are callin' home?" a scratchy voice called out, and a man emerged from behind said car, aiming a gun at them.

Lunette quickly drew her own gun, instinctively stepping in front of Glenn and Maggie, fixing her stare on the man. The first thing she noticed was the prosthetic arm with a metal spear where his right hand should have been.

"Merle?" Glenn said, his voice carrying a hint of recognision.

Slow, the man—Merle—raised his hands and lowered his gun. He chuckled, looking directly at Glenn, then bent down to place his gun on the ground, all while Lunette closely observed his every move. He raised his hands in surrender, prompting Lunette to exchange a puzzled glance with Maggie.

As soon as Merle  started to take a step forward, Maggie yelled out, "Hey, back the hell up!"

"Ho-ho-ho, okay, okay, honey!" Merle reassured with a wide grin. "Jesus."

"You made it," Glenn said, bitterness lacing his voice.

Both Maggie and Lunette shot another confused look Glenn's way, neither of them understanding what the hell was going on. Neither of them lowered their guns like Merle had, and Lunette only slipped her finger over the trigger.

"Can you tell me, is my brother alive?" Merle asked Glenn, causing Lunette to narrow her eyes. "Huh?"

Glenn hesitated, glancing at the ground before meeting Merle's eyes. "Yeah."

Merle let out a relieved sigh, nodding to himself before standing a bit taller.. "Hey, you take me to 'im and I'll call it even on everything that happened up there in Atlanta. No hard feelings, huh?"

Glenn glanced at Merle's prosthetic hand, then back at his face, saying nothing.

Merle noticed the glance and his grin widened. "You like that?" He shook his arm, biting his lip. "Well, I found myself a medical supply warehouse. Fixed it up myself. Pretty cool, huh?"

"We'll tell Daryl you're here and he'll come out to meet you," Glenn said firmly.

"Daryl?" Lunette echoed, realization dawning. This was Daryl's brother. "Makes sense."

"Hold on, just hold up—" Merle started, his face dropping.

"Whoa, whoa—" Glenn interrupted, and Lunette tightened her grip on her gun.

"Look, hey—the fact we found each other is a miracle," Merle continued. "Come on, now. You can trust me."

"Can he?" Lunette retorted, tilting her head slightly and narrowing her eyes.

Merle's grin faltered at Lunette's skeptical tone, his eyes flickering between Glenn and Maggie before settling back on Lunette. He cautiously took a step forward, hands still raised in surrender, trying to appear non-threatening despite the weapon pointed at him.

"Now hold on there, sweetheart," Merle said, his voice turning serious, as if warning her to stay out of his business. "I ain't lookin' for trouble. Just tryin' to find my brother."

Lunette kept her gun steady, her gaze never leaving him. 

Glenn shook his head. "You trust us. You stay here."

Merle's face fell completely at Glenn's words, and a forced chuckle escaped his lips. They all fell silent, and Lunette's lips curled into a sneer.

Then, without warning, Merle swiftly drew his gun and fired, the bullet shattering the car's glass behind them. Lunette ducked, shielding her head with her arms, feeling the sharp sting of glass shards cutting her skin.

As Lunette dodged and shielded herself, she heard another gunshot echo and felt a rush of air as Merle lunged toward her. Reacting swiftly, she twisted to the side, narrowly evading his initial grab. But he was strong, and he managed to seize her wrist, wrenching the gun from her grip with a forceful twist and kicking her bag away, sending it flying against the store wall.

With lightning speed, he seized the opportunity to lock her in a tight chokehold, his bionic arm applying crushing pressure to her windpipe. She gasped for air, clawing at his arm in a desperate attempt to loosen his hold. The world around her blurred as oxygen became scarce, her vision narrowing to a tunnel.

Suddenly, she felt a rush of movement and heard voices yelling. Glenn and Maggie had rounded the corner, guns drawn and aimed at Merle.

"Hey, hey, hey! Hold up, buddy, hold up!" Merle cautioned, slightly releasing the pressure on Lunette's neck but pressing his gun against her temple.

"Let her go!" Maggie demanded, gritting her teeth.

"Put those guns in the car right now," Merle ordered, pressing his gun harder against Lunette's temple. "Put it in the car!"

"Asshole," Lunette choked out, causing Merle to tap her temple with the gun. She huffed out a laugh, though it lacked any humor. 

Reluctantly, Glenn and Maggie placed their guns in the back of the car, their eyes never leaving Lunette's. She didn't understand why they were complying. She was planning to leave them anyway, so they wouldn't be losing her.

"The hell are you doing—get out of here," Lunette told them, raising her voice slightly, but gasping when Merle tightened his grip on her neck.

"There you go," Merle praised Glenn. "Now we're gonna go for a little drive."

"We're not going back to our camp," Glenn said immediately, to which Merle let out a raspy laugh.

"No, we're goin' somewhere else," he said, grinning widely. "Get in the car, Glenn! You're drivin'."

Glenn hesitated, exchanging a concerned glance with Maggie before complying with Merle's demands. They all knew this wasn't the time to resist.

Lunette's mind raced as Merle tightened his grip on her, dragging her to her feet and shoving her toward the car. She stumbled forward, her head still spinning from the lack of air moments ago. Merle pushed her roughly into the backseat, his eyes scanning for any signs of resistance.

Glenn reluctantly climbed into the driver's seat while Merle took the passenger seat, and Maggie slid into the back beside Lunette. She quickly grabbed Lunette's hand, giving her a worried look. Lunette nodded briefly, glaring at Merle, who watched her through the rearview mirror.

The engine roared to life, and the car lurched forward, tires kicking up dust as they sped away from the prison.Lunette kept her eyes fixed on Merle, every nerve on edge, anger surging through her veins.

As they drove, Lunette's gaze flicked to the side mirror, catching a glimpse of movement behind one of the cars they passed. Her heart skipped a beat when she thought she saw a woman hiding there, watching them go. She couldn't be sure—it happened too fast—but the image burned in her mind.