TWD: Awakened As Rick

They'd come from hundreds of miles away, worn from the road, cautious but still carrying a spark in their eyes.

It reminded me of the series. Before the walls and order.

Aaron and his people — they didn't know it yet, but this was the start of something bigger.

And I wasn't going to let it slip away.

The Morning After

After our talk, I had Glenn waiting by the gate with fresh boots, a clipboard, and enough stories to keep any scout awake.

"You'll give them the full tour," I told him.

Glenn grinned. "You want the efficient version, or the inspiring one?"

"Somewhere in the middle. Don't scare them with how much we've built, but don't hide it either."

He nodded and jogged off.

Aaron's group stood by the mess hall, their bags still at their feet. Eric and Heath were whispering. Nicholas was eyeing the towers like he expected a sniper round at any second.

I walked up.

"You're welcome to stay a few more days. Get some rest. Glenn'll walk you through what we are, not just what we say."

Aaron nodded slowly. "And you?"

I gave him a small smile. "I'm going with you. Back to Alexandria."

That got all their attention.

"You're serious?" Heath asked.

"Dead serious. I want to see it with my own eyes. Spend a few weeks there. A month, maybe. Long enough to know if we're building in the same direction."

What I didn't say — not yet — was that Alexandria was just one piece.

I remembered how it was supposed to happen: Alexandria first, then Hilltop, the Kingdom, Oceanside. A network.

A dream.

Before the Saviors.

This time, we'd get ahead of that.

We'd unite the pieces before the enemy even knew they existed.

Later that afternoon, I found Maggie in the central garden, a hand resting on her stomach, eyes half-lidded as the sun warmed her face.

"You're thinking too hard," I said.

She cracked a smile. "I'm growing another person. That takes focus."

I sat next to her and looked out at the camp. The rows of crops. The kids running drills. The patrols rotating without a single missed cue.

"Something's coming," I said quietly. "And it's bigger than us. Bigger than just this."

"You going somewhere?" she asked without looking.

I nodded. "Alexandria. With Aaron's group. I need to see it."

She was quiet for a moment. Then:

"Take Daryl. And Graves. And Merle."

"I was already planning to."

She finally looked at me. "I trust you. Just… make it worth it."

I reached out and rested a hand over hers on her stomach.

"I will."

Shane found me near the armory that evening, sorting rations into packs. The light was low. Warm. Quiet.

He leaned against the wall. "You really going back with 'em?"

"I am."

He scratched his jaw. "You want me to say I don't like it?"

"No. I want you to tell me you'll keep this place steady while I'm gone."

Shane exhaled. "You're putting a lot of trust in a guy who used to try and steal your girl."

I looked at him.

"And you're talking to a guy who once nearly put a bullet in your head."

A beat.

Then we both chuckled.

"Guess that makes us even," he muttered.

I nodded. "I need you to hold the line. Graves will be with me. Glenn too. You, Andrea, Dale… hold the council together."

"I will," Shane said.

And I believed him.

Later, I met with the others:

Daryl — already sharpening his knives before I even asked.

Merle — grumbling about the cold, but nodding all the same

Graves — arms crossed, face unreadable, already going through supply lists.

Glenn — grinning like we were heading on a field trip.

I looked at each of them.

"This isn't a trade run. This is bigger. We're laying the groundwork for something.

"What are we building?" Graves asked.

"An alliance. One strong enough to survive what come's our way.

Daryl looked up. "You think it's coming soon?

"Sooner than we think."

Some roads are paved with lines.

Others are paved with blood.

The path to Alexandria had both.

We left the next morning with packs light and blades sharp.

Daryl led the first flank, his crossbow silent but always ready.L

Merle rode shotgun in the salvaged truck, growling complaints every five minutes.

Graves kept our pace tight, his eyes sweeping for signs of ambush.

Glenn carried maps, but I carried the burden.

Aaron's team followed quietly — Eric, Heath, and Nicholas stayed close, grateful to be on familiar roads again.

I'd barely given the order to move out when a shadow fell in beside me.

"Going without me?" she asked.

Michonne.

I stopped walking.

She stood there, katana slung over her back, eyes unreadable.

"I heard you're heading to Alexandria."

"I am."

"And you're going without me?"

I hesitated. "You've got a role here. A good one."

She stepped closer. "You want to build an alliance. I've built bridges with my blade. And with my silence."

She wasn't wrong.

I sighed. "You sure?"

"I trust you," she said. "And Maggie'll understand."

I looked at Graves. He gave a quiet nod.

"All right," I said. "You're with us."

With that our convoy grow to 10 people.

Day Two

We were nearing the halfway point — just outside a collapsed gas station where the highway split — when it happened.

A scent on the wind.

Rot.

Then sound.

Shuffling. Bones grinding on asphalt.

"Walkers!" Daryl called out. "A herd!"

Not massive. Maybe thirty. But too close.

"Don't shoot unless you have to!" I shouted.

"Stay tight!"

While the others formed a defensive crescent, I moved forward alone.

My machete slid free with a whisper.

First one came fast — former runner, now flesh and instinct. I sidestepped, grabbed its shirt, and drove the blade under its jaw. It dropped, twitching.

Two more rushed me.

I turned, let them stumble, then kicked the taller one into the shorter.

They fell together. I dropped the machete and pulled my knife — a short, wide hunter's blade.

One swing — a neck opens.

Second swing — skull cracks.

Blood spayed.

A third came from my blind side — close, too close.

I spun, but not in time — its hand gripped my coat.

Teeth snapped near my shoulder.

I slammed my forehead into its face.

Once. Twice. Again.

It reeled. I yanked its head down and shoved my blade between its eyes.

It crumpled.

My breath was ragged.

Sweat soaked my back.

But I was still standing.

Still me.

When it was over, Daryl was covered in blood, breathing hard but untouched.

Merle was checking the truck. Graves was wiping a blade with mechanical precision. Michonne had cleaned her sword before I'd even finished.

But they were watching me.

They'd seen me take five walkers down solo.

"You good?" Daryl asked.

I nodded.

"Yeah."

He grinned. "Still got it."

I looked at the bodies on the road.

"Not losing it is the hard part.

We camped insided a broken rest station, reinforced with overturned vending machines and a locked rear hall.

Aaron came to me after the fire was set.

"You don't hesitate."

"I can't afford to."

"Reminds me of how things used to be," he said.

I stared into the flames. "That's why I'm here. So we don't end up repeating them."

Aaron just nod, then smiled at me.

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