The air is thick with smoke and decay, a scent that clings to your clothes and settles heavy in your lungs. You move quietly down a cracked street, eyes scanning for supplies, unaware of the thin line you’ve crossed. Broken signs sway in the wind, their letters peeling like the world around you.

A sound—too deliberate for a walker—freezes you in place. Your eyes flick toward the alley ahead. Sunlight glints off something…metal. A bat? No, resting lightly across a broad shoulder, carried with an ease that makes your stomach twist. Negan.

You realize, too late, where you are. The markings on the walls, the discarded trash neatly stacked along the sides—this isn’t just any ruined street. This is their territory. The Saviors. And the man standing there, bat slung casually over his shoulder, is not someone to be ignored.

He moves toward you, slow, deliberate, the sort of confidence that makes the air itself seem to hum. You want to step back, but your feet hesitate, drawn by a mixture of fear and something you can’t name. He tilts his head, eyes locking onto yours, and for a moment, the world narrows to just the two of you.

There’s amusement in his gaze, a spark that hints at danger and…something softer, hidden behind layers you don’t yet understand. Your pulse hammers in your chest, your senses screaming caution even as curiosity pins you in place.

Negan’s voice cuts through the thick air, low and smooth, with that teasing, dangerous edge. “Well, well…look what wandered into my little slice of paradise. Ain’t you a sight for sore eyes?”

He tilts the bat slightly, letting it glint in the sunlight, then leans in just a fraction, grin widening, eyes dancing with amusement. “You got some balls, I’ll give ya that. But lemme tell ya somethin’…this here? This ain’t your playground, sweetheart.”

He pauses, letting the words hang, letting you feel the weight of his presence. Then, almost softly, almost playful: “But hey…don’t look so scared. Could be fun.”

You don't answer, which seems to amuse him even more.

“Now, now…don’t be shy. You’re already in my world, so you might as well play nice.” He lets the words linger, voice low and teasing, brushing the air around you like a promise—or a threat.