A/N: The beginning of this chapter will have a montage of scenes

"I used to feel sorry for kids that have to grow up now. In this. But I think I got it wrong. Growing up is getting used to the world. This is easier for them."

~Rick Grimes

"Hi, my name's Glenn," Glenn greeted himself in the overhead mirror.

"No, that's too upfront. Hello, I see you need help. No, just no. I sound creepy. How about-"

----

"My name's Glenn. I'm a friend. I'm from a community in D.C. A community that's a research facility dedicated to finding the cure for all this," Glenn smiled warmly to the various people he would encounter. "We have been able to take back half of the city."

The exhausted and filthy people would always brighten at this notion, which Glenn happily took note of. 

"I'm a recruiter. We need more people to come join us. Would you be willing to?"

----

"Everything south of us is off limits. However, these areas," Maiya circled areas north and west of their location on a map. "We can scout."

"These would be the best places for any survivors anyway." Glenn took the map from her, studying it.

"Exactly. There are more resources in these parts than where Alexandria is." Maiya paused, looking at her brother.

"You look a lot healthier. And I like the new hairstyle," Maiya complimented. 

"Thanks," Glenn absentmindedly brushed his hand through his slicked back hair.

----

"Whoa, this is amazing," The couple said as they entered the castle, relieved they had finally found a safe haven. 

"I'm sure you must be starving," Glenn started leading the way. "We only have fruits and vegetables here, but beggars can't be choosers right?" He chuckled.

"Oh, that's fine," the couple laughed along with him, ignoring any sense of danger for food. 

Everyone who entered the castle usually did. 

----

"C'mon, Jeff, you can do it," Rick assured as he supported his brother upright. 

Jeffrey gave a groan as he took heavy steps across the room

"Just focus on Judith," Carl held up his baby sister, who clapped her tiny hands. 

He continued trudging forward, gritting his teeth in intense pain.

Finally, his legs gave out and he collapsed. But before he could hit the ground, Rick caught him.

"Good. You're making progress," Rick helped him back onto his wheelchair. Judith gave a squeal of happiness that even Carl couldn't help but smile at.

"I think she agrees," Jeffrey laughed as he rolled over to her.

----

As the couple was drugged and carted off into the lab, Glenn quickly turned away and put in some earplugs when the lab door was briefly opened.

He didn't even want to see a glimpse of what was happening in there nor did he want to hear the sounds being emitted. 

"Subjects 10 and 11 have entered the lab and will be stored for future analysis," Dante spoke into the recorder. 

While the couple was placed into the mortuary containers, the medics were subjecting other patients to electrocution and even dismemberment. 

Though they had some form of anesthesia, these agents were not strong enough to numb out all the pain or consciousness.

So it was common for the patients to wake up, start screaming, and move around midway through their procedures. 

"Interesting. When a limb is cut off, even if it decomposes, it does not move around," Lillith noted as Cora examined the severed hand. 

"The subject is undergoing the highest voltage possible," Dante turned the dial up as the patient jolted in his chair. 

"Blood got all over my mask!" Dillon cried out while the others laughed at him, ignoring the banging and wailing.

----

From outside, Rick's group were watching the castle with uneasy faces. A storm was starting to form above them, giving the dark castle an even more haunting look.

The only light coming from the castle was in the West Wing, which the group knew to be where the lab was from Rick.

Everything else was as dark as the night around them. 

A lightning bolt struck, causing everyone to jump unintentionally from the sight.

This castle was a monstrosity, looming over the group like a creature waiting to devour them.

"C'mon, Rick. Let's go," Rosita urged as the rain started to fall.

----

"Our pigs have not recovered," Ezekiel sighed. "And it looks like the illness is spreading to the rest of our livestock."

"We're at a shortage for chickens and medical supplies," Sasha added, rubbing her temples.

"And after what Oceanside did, we've lost a lot of weapons," Rick scowled.

The three leaders stared at each other in silence, thinking that the only reason they decided to stay was that their communities were too rooted to just abandon.

But now, they were questioning if this had been the right decision. 

And if they should have just done this from the beginning when Negan first appeared in their lives.

----

Glenn was more at ease than he had ever been at Alexandria. Over there, he was always on edge, not knowing what the next threat might appear.

Over there, life was all about survival to the next day. Over here, it was about survival until the next year. Maybe even the next decade.

For once, he knew what it felt like to be on the winning side.

So as he drove into the city in his new Dodge Charger, he gave a shout of excitement.

~

"I still think we could have fought those brats," Abraham huffed, walking beside Sasha in the Hilltop's garden. 

"Most people were against another war. But if they don't keep to their word, then there won't be another choice," Sasha answered, tending to the crops.

"You know they won't. These people never do."

"Abraham, you're our top fighter here, but your shoulder is still recovering. You're too hurt to fight no matter how badly you want to," Sasha looked at him sternly.

Abraham was left speechless at this and instead changed the topic to cover his shame. "How is Jesus doin'?"

As if on cue, Jesus stepped out into the garden. There were dark circles under his eyes and he was deathly pale. 

"He still doesn't talk." Sasha glanced down at the soil sorrowfully.

"How are you doing?" Abraham placed his hand gently on her shoulder.

"I just try to keep myself busy," Sasha turned her head; her teary eyes meeting Abraham's.

"Sasha, I know you might not think it, but you are what this place needs. You might've been placed here because of a lie, but that doesn't make you any less worthy to lead," Abraham pointed out. "Now it's just a matter of what you choose to do."

"I never took you for being the philosophical type." Sasha regarded his profoundness with disbelief.

"Well, it surfaces every now and then," Abraham shrugged. 

Sasha gave him a half-smile at this as she rose to her feet. She made her way over to Jesus, who was staring up at the clouds. 

"Jesus," She stated, kneeling beside him. "Do you want to plant these seeds together?"

His dull blue eyes widened at this suggestion before he nodded his head eagerly.

~

Back in Alexandria, Rick was trying to establish a radio system between the three communities. This would allow for easier and quicker communication instead of people acting as messengers.

"I went by the castle again. I saw Glenn driving around. He- He came back with some people" Rosita harshly informed, standing outside the Grimes's garage.

Rick paused his work while Aaron kept working on the radio. "I see."

"Those people probably aren't coming back out..." Rosita trailed off.

"No, I don't think they are." Rick started getting back to work.

"And you're going to turn a blind eye to it?!" Rosita took several angry steps towards him.

"I know I used to say killing people was how we survived. But not anymore, that's too easy. We survive by having to work through this, by having to tolerate it. No one wants a war again so you need to stop going by their place. It'll only cause more problems," Rick ordered.

"It's not even a matter of if they'll attack, it's a matter of when," Rosita kicked a wrench, startling the men.

"I get that everyone's on edge. I get it. I am too. But right now, we need to be prepared in other ways. Their main goal is to revive humanity, then ours is too. In case they suddenly change that goal. They can't be the only ones prepared." Rick immediately stood up, facing her.

"And that focus needs to be on this radio?" Rosita raised her eyebrow.

"For now, yes," Rick paused. "Think you could give us a hand with it?"

"I could try, but Abraham's better at this stuff than I am." She sat beside Aaron, examining the device. "There looks to be some parts missing."

"Yeah, Dwight went out to get them," Aaron responded. "But in the meantime," He handed her pliers and electrical tape. "Those kids can't be the only smart ones in Virginia."

~

Glenn had returned to the castle empty-handed this day; there had been no survivors to retrieve.

So instead, he had been sent out on a run to retrieve some parts for the helicopter at the junkyard. If there would be scraps to fix a helicopter, it would be there.

Once he arrived, he carefully climbed out of the car, carrying a loaded gun at his side. He passed by several decomposing corpses, which only added to the horrendous smell.

He made his way towards a pile made up of metallic parts and scraps, figuring this would be the best place to find what he needed.

As he started digging through the heap, tossing aside useless parts and examining ones that might be handy, a noise from behind alerted him.

He quickly spun around with his gun raised, pointing it in the direction of the sound. He was about to call out to whatever was there, but before he could an irritated voice spoke:

"Relax, kid."

Dwight shuffled out from behind a pile of clothes, carrying a bag in his hand. His glare only deepened as he approached closer to Glenn.

"Dwight?" Glenn observed the man with confusion. "What are you doing here? And I'm not a kid, we're like almost the same age."

"I doubt that. And with the way you've been acting, it's hard to tell the difference," Dwight spat.

"Oh, because I left a place where I've only been betrayed, hurt, imprisoned, and pushed away?" Glenn frowned. "When you find the last shred of hope in this world, you will do anything to hold onto that. What's been taken from me... you could never understand."

"...What you've been through, was a reminder to me. It set me straight and I know better than anyone what shred of hope you're talking about. So don't give me that bullshit! You were that last shred of hope for me and Sherry!" Dwight shouted, barely able to control his frustration. "I had a choice, and you do too! I chose to make a better life for myself."

Glenn immediately dismissed him, going back to searching through the scrap pile. This angered Dwight even further, causing him to get in Glenn's face.

"I owe a lot to you. And I'll be damned if I just stand by and let this happen! I understand why you did what you did. But it doesn't make it any less wrong!" Dwight concluded, searching Glenn's face desperately.

"I can't just abandon my sister..." Glenn muttered. 

"You're hopeless." Dwight shook his head disappointedly. "I can't believe I left the Saviors just so I can put up with some Negan wannabe."

Glenn's head suddenly snapped to the side, but Dwight was already leaving. He wanted to curse at him for even comparing him to that monster, but the words never came to his mouth.

~

"Maiya, I think I'm much better at doing runs than I am at recruiting," Glenn informed, walking alongside his sister as she made her way towards the helicopter.

"You don't have to lie to me. Just tell me you'd rather do runs," Maiya stated indifferently. 

"Oh, okay. Then yeah."

"Well, it's a good thing the scientists and I formulated a new plan during these past days." She looked down at her clipboard.

"A new plan?" He gulped as images of Terminus flooded his mind.

"Yes, one that will be long term. So you don't have to worry about recruiting. According to Dante, we already have enough test subjects... for now."

The helicopter roared to life as the rotors started to spin. Maiya held her clipboard tightly, thinking how if this went awry it would be bad for all of them.

Glenn was equally terrified, bracing himself against the wind the helicopter created. He didn't want to be this close in the danger zone in case it caught fire.

However, the helicopter was able to hover off the ground and fly around at low altitude to everyone's surprise and Maiya's excitement.

She beamed at the sight, and even Glenn couldn't help but smile along with her. He knew how important this was to her and he was glad it had worked out smoothly.

Once the helicopter landed, everyone rushed to their leader, encircling her. They hugged her tightly, praising her for all she had done.

"No, it was all on you guys!" Maiya clasped her hands eagerly. "I'm only grateful I could witness this moment."

"We are on our way to make history!" Anik shouted, causing the crowd to applaud. 

"All those people who doubted us through our lives, if only they could see us now," Cora snickered.

"And not from the inside of our lab," Lillith laughed back.

"We're the true Saviors," Jeffrey pointed out. "We're history's survivors."

"Look at how far we've come," Dante raised his fist in the air, allowing the others to follow his lead. 

Glenn could only watch from the side with his fist clenched at his side.

~

"Hilltop to Alexandria. Over," Rick repeated into the radio as an eager crowd gathered outside the garage.

"Alexandria, this is Hilltop. Over," Sasha's voice crackled back.

"Alexandria to The Kingdom. Over."

"Alexandria, The Kingdom has received your message! Finished!" Ezekiel's voice boomed.

"Alexandria to The Kingdom and Hilltop. Final check. Over," Rick stated for the last time.

"Hilltop to Alexandria. Final check received. Over."

"The Kingdom to Alexandria. Final check confirmed. Finished."

Rick grinned, turning to his group as they cheered and clapped at their small accomplishment.

It might have not been a huge win for the three communities, but it was still worth celebrating. Especially after all the losses they had taken. 

But they couldn't celebrate for long as the reality of their situation hit shortly after. There were still issues with the weapons, livestock, and shortage of medicine that threatened the communities.

No radio or other achievements could overshadow that.

Michonne was the first to bring this up. "Rick, I think- I think we need to set up a trade with Maiya."

The garage was brought to a hushed silence. Everyone turned to look at the woman, which only strengthened her argument further.

"I don't mean to disrupt everyone's happiness, but we can't ignore it any longer. We have to start thinking practically."

"I had a feeling this would come up sooner or later. I was hoping later," Rick admitted reluctantly. 

"These people are crazy. I doubt they would be of much help," Carl crossed his arms.

"Well, Jeffrey's there. He could be some sort of middleman." Rick went over to his radio. "But now's a better time than ever to use this. Let's see what Sasha and Ezekiel think."

~

Glenn stared absentmindedly at his journal. He couldn't bring himself to write any further in it, for each time he did he would start to tremble.

He had wanted to destroy it before, believing it to be a stupid task presently. He had meant to.

His hands suddenly grabbed onto the papers, intending to rip it in two. But the interruption of his sister stopped him.

"Glenn, c'mon. Dinner's ready."

"I'm not hungry," He responded monotonously. 

"Um, okay. You can still come down there and grace us with your presence," She responded in a dramatic voice.

"Are we going to get stupidly drunk?" Glenn glanced at her with boredom. 

Maiya snorted at this. "I doubt you've even had a drink in your life. And besides, I take you for a lightweight."

"Wanna bet?" Glenn rose out of his chair, facing her. "Your group is practically a frat house in the making."

"Okay, Glenn, what's this really about?" Maiya started to worry at how serious he sounded. 

"We're celebrating, right? How can we not celebrate without some booze?" Glenn started to walk past her, but her arm pushed him back in place.

"You've been acting weird all day. So I don't know what- Hey, what's that!" She suddenly pointed to the journal.

"It's nothing important." He quickly tried to hide it from her, but she grabbed it from him.

"This is... your journey," She stated as she skimmed through its brief content.

"I told you it was nothing important."

"Are you kidding? This is a documented account of your life at the end of the world! You have to finish it. And when you do, keep it safe," She handed it back to him. 

He said nothing, only looking at her somberly. 

"C'mon, let's go eat," She grabbed his wrist, leading him to the dining room.

~

While in the dining room, Glenn tried to mask his uncertainty from the others. He laughed at their dark humor, he graciously ate the food, and to everyone's surprise, he even told some jokes of his own.

He seemed to fit right in with the rest of them.

"Okay, okay. I have something to say," Maiya announced, trying to stifle her laughter. "It was brought to my attention, by my brother of all people, that we aren't living up to our reputation."

Everyone looked at each other in confusion before settling their eyes on Glenn. Even Glenn was perplexed at what Maiya was getting at.

"We are known as the apocalypse's frat house," She continued. "So for one night only, I will allow alcohol to be served. Of course, this means you all go straight to bed afterwards."

The youth yelled loudly, each whistling and praising Glenn for this idea. Glenn could only stare back at his sister in awe as she smirked at him knowingly.

"So... beer pong?" Jeffrey suggested innocently.

"No," Maiya instantly shot him down.

"Like I mentioned earlier, we cannot stop our goals at just the helicopter," Maiya moved on with another announcement after she ordered the chefs to bring out their stored alcohol. "So these past days, our scientists and I have drafted an idea to commit a mass walker extermination. Lillith, can you please explain the details?"

"Certainly. The reservoir where the herd is contained is rapidly decomposing. However, this could be like killing two birds with one stone. We set up a trap where this site can act as a continuous extermination site while bringing more survivors our way. As well as monsters," She replied confidently.

Glenn's stomach dropped as these words registered through his mind. He looked around at all the approving and assured faces, knowing his must have looked cynical.

He was so caught up in their reactions that he didn't notice everyone's glasses had been filled with alcohol and were now raised for a toast.

"I apologize for not having champagne glasses prepared. You know us millennials," She chuckled as did her people. 

"Glenn, aren't you going to raise your glass?" Jeffrey whispered to him. 

"Oh, r-right," He lifted up his glass.

At that moment, he wanted to desperately interrupt this ceremony and tell his sister that he had seen this plan before. Not only once, but twice. 

One with good intentions and one with bad. Both times it had not worked out.

And now, it was a twisted combination of both.

A truly monstrous creation.

But the fear of breaking that promise he made to himself; of doing whatever it took to keep the last person on Earth who shared his blood alive and with him surfaced again.

"To the future of humanity!" Maiya exclaimed, ceasing him from his pondering.

"To the future of humanity!" Glenn chorused with the rest of the youth.