Playing For Brains

Arlie sat on her spinney chair in the lab, contemplating what to do next. She was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't notice someone walk in behind her.

"You need me to do the check-ups this morning" Eugene asked as he walked around to face Arlie.

She didn't lift her eyes from her clipboard.

"I already did it, I've been up for hours" she muttered not really paying attention to the man in front of her.

"I'm sorry, I was recharging the noodle after a late night, any game plan for today. Changing any that didn't work or simply sitting back and waiting" he tried to create conversation despite her seeming uninterested.

"I did it" she looked up from the clipboard and at Eugene.

"One of the test subjects we've been watching for 3 days has not shown any side effects or turned. I think this is the one that saves us all" she muttered a sense of pride but dread filled her body.

"You can't tell anyone we did this, not until I decide what I want to do about it" she added, looking Eugene right in the eye making sure he understood. She folded the sheet of paper from her clipboard and put it into her pocket. He nodded and gave her a small smile but it was short lived as she heard a commotion outside, heading their way.

Negan came storming into the room.

"Look alive sweetheart, we have a show to run" he smirked while grabbing her arm and dragging her with him.

"You too haircut" he shouted over his shoulder as they made their way to the front of the sanctuary.

The area was filled with Negan's people, loading up all the vans and cars with gun power. Arlie came to a stop, taking in the scene, causing Negan to stop and look at her before dragging her forward towards his beat-up Sedan. He opened the passenger door and pushed her inside leaning down so that only she could hear.

"Your friends have been naughty; we're going to go and teach them a lesson. If you are really with me, then this should go smoothly. Don't forget what I have been doing here for you, you owe those people nothing" he growled.

Arlie sunk back in her seat knowing she wasn't talking to the Negan she liked being around. This was the guy that killed her friends, the guy who tortured Daryl. The guy that was going to hurt her friends again and want her to be part of it. The decision was now and she wasn't ready to make it, to face everyone back home. She missed Beth and the others back home, even Daryl. But the way Daryl had left without her, the way he looked at her, did he even care about her anymore. Would it ever be the same as before? Did she want to go back to how it was before? She hated being the odd one out.

The drive was torture as she sat there playing with her fingers, not knowing what to say or do. Not knowing a way to stop him from hurting her friends. If she said she had the cure, would it help? Would he turn it against them all and make things worse for them? She could feel the piece of paper in her back pocket, and she would do anything to stop anyone getting a hold of it.

As the gate came into view she wanted to disappear into her seat. Negan stepped out of the car and went over to a truck that had pulled up before them, the open back bed allowing him to climb up as one of his men handed him a megaphone.

Arlie noticed through the windshield the watchtower at the side of the gate. They're stood Rick who was giving Negan a glare, as well as a woman who she didn't recognise. The woman looked solemn, with a straight haircut framing her masculine face. Arlie wasn't sure what was going on, or how Negan knew they had done something wrong, but something didn't sit right with her.

"Open the gate Rick, someone has been a bad bad boy" he boomed through the megaphone, getting another glare from Rick.

"You ever hear the one about the stupid little prick named Rick, who thought he knew shit, but didn't know shit and got everyone that he gave a shit about killed?" he continued, "It's about you. You're all gonna wanna put your guns down now."

"No one drops anything" Rick growled.

Suddenly the woman at the side of Rick turned her gun at him, pointing it directly at his head.

Arlie watched as his face turned to shock "We had a deal" he exclaimed with despair, shifting his attention to the woman next to him.

"Tamiel came for the boat things. Followed ones who took. Made a better deal." She explained, matter of fact.

She keeps the gun trained on Rick as someone else dressed in black like her who Arlie didn't recognise opened the gate to the community letting everyone gain access to the once peaceful Alexandria. Arlie climbs out of the car following the others into the community after Eugene who Dwight was dragging along, she noticed how panicked he seemed. He had always been a coward. She had to hope he wouldn't go back on what he had said earlier in the day.

She watched as all her friends, her family came into view. They were being herded towards one area. An area where Negan had Rick down on his knees. Images of that night flashed before her eyes and she had a bad feeling settle into her gut. This wasn't going to end well for anyone here.

"You push me, and you push me, and you push me, Rick" he sighed.

Rick tried to throw a punch at Negan but he wasn't fast enough and earnt a rough shove from the man towering above him.

"Universe gives you a sign, and you just shove your finger right up its ass" he grumbled.

"You guys gotta like Arlie. I do, too. Got her right here alive and well. Now, I brought her so I wouldn't have to kill all of you, and not killing all of you could get complicated. See, I know there's a lot of firepower left in here, Rick. So, I'm gonna make this simple. I want all the guns you've managed to scrape up. And I want a person of your own choosing... For Lucille" he paused thinking for a moment as everyone's eyes searched and landed on Arlie.

"Daryl -- ooh, I gotta get me my Daryl back. I see you" he pointed Lucille off in the distance towards Daryl. Arlie took her eyes of Negan and took in the redneck not realising he was here. He had made it back.

"And the pool table and all the pool cues and chalk. And I want it now or Eugene dies, and then all of you. Probably. C'mon, Rick" he looked around at Rick, giving him a daring glare.

Nobody moved seemingly unbothered by the possibility of Eugene dying, Rick not even saying a word in his defence.

"He's a traitor" Rosita shouted from the back of the crowd, giving Eugene an evil stare.

"So, you don't like Eugene anymore. You know what? You suck ass, Rick! You really do" Negan sighed.

"No, Eugene has just been following the rules staying alive you shouldn't hate him, it isn't his fault." Arlie walked up to Eugene, giving Negan a glare as she walked towards him before holding Eugene's hand and pulling him closer to her. She didn't particularly like the man but he hadn't done anything wrong. He was taken by Negan and his people and had to play along just like she did.

As she stood near Eugene keeping a distance from the residence of Alexandria, she earnt a stare from Daryl who she really didn't want to upset. She knew she was on a thin line as it was, but she wished for just 5 minutes to explain everything to him, to try and smooth over whatever had come between them.

"That's my girl, always doing the right thing, now she gets it" she looked at Negan with a glare, knowing he was playing them all of against each other. She wished he hadn't brought her along, why did she have to get out of bed this morning.

"I don't want to have to kill this one, but that's exactly what you're gonna make me do if you keep pushing me Rick" Negan sighed, while looking at Arlie, she saw something in his face and wasn't sure if he was being serious or not but his words shocked her non the less.

"Oh don't look at me like that Darling" he moved towards Arlie, her taking a step back from him but knowing there wasn't any point in moving away. He reached for her cheek as he continued "if they don't play ball, if you don't make them see, then I'm going to have to make them and that might have to be you. However much I am going to miss my favourite wife" He chuckled knowing he had them hanging of every word. Waiting to find out what he was going to do next.