"All this time running from walkers, you forget what people do."

~Maggie Greene (Rhee)

The shatter of glass made everyone in the room flinch, including the one who dropped it from sheer panic.

"Sorry- I'm sorry." Glenn quickly got on the floor to pick up the pieces, but Maiya stopped him. 

"Glenn, it's fine. We'll clean it up." Maiya placed her hand on his shoulder, offering him a concerned look.

"I-I," Glenn stuttered, noticing the dubious glances the others gave. "I-I'm tired. This... this was a good meal...Thank you, but I want to go to bed now."

"Wait. Is my brother there? Is he really alive?" Jeffrey stood up eagerly at the notion. 

"...Yeah..." Glenn practically groaned in response, thinking how this would be just his luck to run into Rick Grimes's brother of all people.

Jeffrey's smile widened; his eyes filling with tears. "So he was right... We have to go back then!"

Glenn remained in place, staring at his shaking body. A low mumble escaped his lips, wanting to turn into a yell. 

"C'mon. I'll show you your room." Maiya pulled her brother up to his feet, sensing his unease. "Jeffrey, we'll discuss this later."

"But, Commander, we will return, right? I want to find my brother too!" Jeffrey exclaimed. 

"Jeffrey!" Lillith silenced him for speaking out of place. 

"Like I said, we will discuss it later," Maiya responded tensely. 

"Richie could be in trouble! The whole community could be in trouble! Why else would Glenn flee?" Jeffrey continued protesting.

"It wasn't like that," Glenn replied darkly.

"Enough, Jeffrey," Dante warned gravely.

But Jeffrey ignored him, walking towards Maiya and Glenn instead.  "Then what was it like?" 

"There's a lot you don't understand, Jeffrey." Maiya let go of her brother, turning all her attention to her longtime friend.

"Then tell me, Commander. Because right now nothing is making sense!" Jeffrey gestured angrily. "You heard what was happening with Alexandria. They got into beef with another group... You know... it could be-"

"It's not anymore. Negan has already been killed," Maiya interrupted, knowing who he was about to name. However, she did not see the expression disbelief from her brother behind her.

Around the room, surprised gasps and 'what's' could be heard from every direction. Dante and Lillith exchanged disturbed glances as their minds processed this news. 

"You're kidding me..." Jeffrey's shoulders slumped in shock. 

"Y-You all knew Negan?" Glenn swallowed, feeling like his food was about to come back up.

"We worked for him at one point..." Lillith whispered, running a hand through her hair. 

"Why-Why didn't you tell me this..." Glenn lowered his head, not meeting his sister's sorrowful eyes. 

Though Maiya tried to explain what had happened between them and the Saviors and plead for Glenn to understand, he tuned her pathetic apology out.

He could practically see all the pieces fit together in his mind. This chain of events had been predestined the moment he saved Rick from that tank in Atlanta. 

Because of him saving Rick-Because of him meeting Maggie- Because of his part in the war against The Governor- Because of him deciding to go with Abraham to D.C.- Because of him not being fast enough to save Beth- Because of him honoring Beth's last wish to come here- Because of him attacking that outpost- Because of him not being there for Maggie when she needed him most- Because of him chasing after Daryl instead of staying with his wife-

Because of his sister saving Jeffrey- Because of his sister meeting the Saviors- Because of his sister staging a rebellion- Because of his sister leaving Negan to bully and threaten other groups to work for him and recover lost supplies- 

Because Rhee's, Grimes's, and Greene's all somehow got tangled into this unavoidable web of Negan's did this nightmare happen.

It seemed like this had all been a video game, in which Glenn was screwed from the start. No matter which step he took, who he had on his team, or how many times he tried to redo things this was bound to be his fate. 

The world was as cruel as ever. 

Glenn gave a low chuckle in response to Maiya, startling her. This was all he could respond with as he had cried himself out of tears at this point. 

He wasn't sure why he ran. It was a childish thing to do. Maybe it was just to escape his sister and her comrades. Or maybe he just wanted to find a quiet place to waste away- to die.

So as he ignored Maiya's shouts of protest, his legs carried him to a place he had not explored; the West Wing.

~
"Jeffrey, you twat!" Lillith flicked the boy's forehead. 

"Ow! Lilly!" Jeffrey rubbed his head in pain. "I'm sorry! I just wanted to know what was going on!"

"What's going on is that you upset him." Maiya clenched her gloved fists. "His pregnant wife was killed by Negan- in the exact same way we almost were." Even though everyone stared back at their leader in horror, her fiery eyes only met Jeffrey's frightened ones. The rage of leaving a loose end that would, in turn, hurt her family was evident. 

"Start cleaning up. I'm going to go after him before he gets himself into an even bigger mess," Maiya ordered as she put on a surgical mask. The youth followed her lead, putting on masks and gloves. 

"That might be too late...seeing as he went towards the west," Lillith replied dryly.

"Dammit...." Maiya sighed at how disastrous this reunion was going. But she knew she shouldn't have expected anything less. 

"Commander, it's best you tell him everything. Just like you tell us everything," Dante said through his mask. "We can't afford to have secrets here. You see us as equals; you treat us as equals. That's why you're our leader." He paused, thinking something over. "You didn't tell them what we saw, did you?"

Maiya was taken back by this direct question. No, she had not shared the scouting information with her comrades. 

"W-What did you see?" Jeffrey asked nervously, fidgeting as he did so.

Maiya gave the go-ahead to Dante to tell them, and he did so. "When Lilly and I were scouting Alexandria, we initially saw a strong community. It was pretty advanced. The people seemed happy. But then, we noticed something changed in the atmosphere. Of course, we couldn't hear what they were saying, but they looked disturbed. Then we saw fights break out, we heard shouting on the streets, the people weren't as friendly. A mob gathered around a man and he was arrested. That man was Glenn."

"You brought a criminal in here?" Jeffrey's jaw dropped. "And you hid this all from us?!"

"Oi!" Lillith yelled. "We didn't know that was Glenn at the time!" 

"But you did when we picked him up!"

"How could we refuse our Commander's brother?!"

"Enough! You all are acting like kids!" Maiya ended their shouting match instantly. "I know my brother and he is not a criminal. We still haven't heard his side yet. He really doesn't need to give you an explanation about his past, but if it will stop this witch hunt-" She did not complete her sentence as she marched towards Glenn's direction, knowing what he was about to discover would indeed frighten him.

~
Panting alongside the wall he leaned on, Glenn paused to let his eyes adjust to the pitch black darkness.

Then he heard a low humming. 

At first, he thought it was his imagination. This unfamiliar labyrinth was just messing with his mind. 

The thought of turning back crossed his mind as something told him- warned him- to not go any further. But his curiosity as to what was making that sound prevailed.

He walked in total darkness, groping his way blindly down the hall. He hit a few walls a couple of times, but nonetheless pressed on in this unknown maze.

Another sound could be heard now, or more like sounds. 

Harsh, guttural rumblings were audible. But it was like these sounds where being choked. Like they were being muffled. 

Up ahead, a dim, blue light flickered underneath a large door. Glenn figured this to be the sound of the humming. But it didn't explain the strangled growls that were becoming louder as he approached the entrance.

He took in a deep breath before pushing the door with all his weight. It budged, revealing a long stairwell illuminated by those eerie lights.

At the bottom of the stairwell, was just complete blackness. But that's where the noises seemed to be coming from...

He slowly crept down, hanging on to the rail tightly. He really shouldn't be doing this; he should just turn back and deal with whatever intrusion these people forced upon him.

After what seemed like hours, he finally reached the bottom. He knew no one else was down here, but he couldn't shake the feeling someone was watching him.

But someone was down here he would find out as he opened the final door in the West Wing.

An overpowering stench caused him to gag, covering his nostrils with his hand. His hand brushed against the nearby wall, trying desperately to find a switch.

The noises had become increasingly loud, causing Glenn's head to throb. At last, his hand hit a switch and the room lit up the laboratory. 

Glenn fell backwards in horror, yelling into his hand to stifle the sound. 

In several cages, were walkers in various states of decay and mutilation. While all walkers were missing their jaws, some were missing legs, eyes, arms, organs, ears, and feet. 

It wasn't as if these parts had fallen off from decomposition. No, they had been deliberately chopped and plucked off.

He knew this because around the room in shelves laid containers filled with these missing parts. 

But what disturbed him the most wasn't this, even though this was a terrifying sight.

It was how in the middle of the lab was a tank.

A tank with the partially decayed body of his friend, Heath.

"I told you not to run off," A voice whispered from behind. Glenn let out another yelp and turned around quickly. "But of course you never listen to me."

The person was suited up in a simple hazmat outfit, but Glenn knew his sister well enough to recognize her.

"Hurry up and put this on," She ordered, giving him another suit and a surgical mask. When he wouldn't, she practically tried to shove him into it. 

"Wh-What the hell is this, Maiya?" He demanded as he put on the suit, not wanting her to touch him.

Though her eyes were the only visible things, Glenn noticed they had become soft.

"It's our purpose for this place. Glenn," She brought her hands to his shoulders gently. "We're doing this for humanity. After what happened with the Saviors, we decided to look beyond the now. And look towards the future."

"What? You're freaking crazy!" Glenn proclaimed incredulously. "Do you hear yourself?!"

"Yes, I hear myself." Maiya rolled her eyes. "But if you would let me explain-"

"Why is Heath in here?! Did- Did you kill him for your experiments?!" Glenn spat.

"Glenn, calm the hell down. Or I won't tell you anything." This instantly made the man stay silent, albeit grudgingly. 

"...Haven't you noticed the severe lack of monsters?" She asked, which Glenn nodded in puzzlement. 

"We go around collecting monsters to bring back here. We were on a bridge when we found the man you call Heath."

~

"Commander! There's something going on that bridge!" Dante pointed from behind the steering wheel.

Maiya leaned forward, trying to get a closer look at what was happening. Indeed, there seemed to be a fight going on. 

Suddenly, someone fell over the bridge and into the water below. 

"Step on it!" Maiya wanted to get to the scene as quickly as possible; she wanted to save whoever was on the bridge. 

They hadn't encountered many 'good' people lately, which led to bloodshed. 

But they also needed to collect more specimens as the ones they had were all failures. 

The jeep wasn't even parked yet before Maiya jumped out. These monsters were gruesome, but they would make excellent specimens. 

Though at this moment, the human was of more importance. 

But it was too late. The man had already been bitten. 

He clutched his arm, trying in vain to stop the bleeding. He looked at Maiya and her comrades wearily, taking in heavy breaths.

"Come with us, we can help you." Maiya took him by his healthy arm. 

"It's too late for that...." He glanced down at the water. "It's over."

She ignored him, guiding him towards the jeep. Meanwhile, her comrades were trying to warn her to leave him. He was dangerous and she was at risk of being bitten despite her hazmat suit.

She also ignored them.

"Where are you from?" Maiya asked, laying Heath down on the back of the jeep. She knocked on the window, gesturing for Dante to go.

"Tara... Where's Tara?" Heath sobbed. Maiya could only guess he was delirious from the wound as she wrapped it in a tourniquet. It was a large bite that had tore into the bone, and from what Maiya could see arteries and veins were severed.

"Listen, I need to know where you're from," She asked again patiently.

"Alexandria... Alexandria... Supplies... I need supplies for Alexandria..."

"Why do you need supplies?"

"For Rick..." Heath suddenly shot up in panic. "No, No, Rick! We shouldn't have attacked them! We should have left them alone! They're going to come back!"

Maiya exchanged a worried look with her comrades at the unpredictability of the man.

"Who is Rick?" She tried to soothe him, wiping the sweat from his forehead.

"....Our leader. He killed a bunch of people at an outpost. He shouldn't have... Because they're angry now," Heath laughed. 

"Rick Grimes is going to be the downfall of Alexandria," Heath continued laughing. Instantly, Jeffrey snapped his head towards the man.

"Rick... Grimes?" The boy leaned over the seat towards Heath. "Did you just say that?"

"Hey... you kinda look like him... No... like his son," Heath mumbled. "Carl."

"Commander! He might be talking about my brother! My brother has a son named Carl! My last name is Grimes! His last name is Grimes! What are the odds?!"

However, Maiya was not paying attention to Jeffrey. She was too focused on the man next to her. She wanted to know more about this community before Heath succumbed to the infection.

"He's not going to make it..." Dante warned. "And we're still hours away."

Maiya frowned, realizing he was right. "Where is Alexandria?" She was already preparing for the procedure to subdue his monster self.

"Far... South..." Was the last thing Heath said before he lost consciousness.

"Shit! We lost him! Jeffrey, give me a bag!" Maiya took out her sickle, ready to cut off Heath's arms. 

"I'm sorry that this happened to you. But now you will be part of something greater. Your sacrifice will lead to a lasting legacy," Maiya whispered, placing the bag over his head and tying it tightly. 

~

"We were able to stop the decomposition partially. It hasn't spread any further on his body." Maiya stared at the tank in awe. "This has been our greatest accomplishment yet.... Well, I shouldn't even say 'our.' It's all theirs."

Glenn remained silent, gazing at his sister in astonishment. She paid no mind to this, continuing on.

"I originally wanted to build up a defense that would be strong enough to kill the Saviors. If I would have known... what they would eventually do... I would have," Maiya turned her body to face her brother. She was crying.

"Maiya..." Glenn choked out. 

"They would have done it... these people... my people they are so loyal. But what stopped me was that their talent, their genius intellect I wished I had, would go to waste if they were just used as a militarized source," Maiya sniffed. "I love them too much to do that to them."

"This... This still puts them in danger though... and this might not even make a difference. At the beginning, I visited a CDC and found out that this virus is in all of us already... We're all doomed to become a monster. Eventually." Glenn lowered his head sadly.

"We were given a clean slate here, Glenn!" She grew frustrated with her brother's ignorance at her purpose. "This plague is like a reset button!" Her mouth quivered. 

"It's not right..."

"No, what isn't right is how life was before. These politicians obsessed with their petty feuds and money. Not focusing on the millions of people who were in need. The young adults like you and me who were screwed over by them!"

"Negan had the same philosophy... where did it get him? Where did it get me? My family?!" Glenn objected. "Rick... everyone back in Alexandria thought they were doing things for the benefit of humanity! That's why I left! And for what? To run into an even more screwed-up version of it?!"

The disappointment and hurt in Maiya's eyes made Glenn's heart sink. He had taken it too far. But he needed to get her to see how ridiculous her ideology was.

"You're so full of shit, Glenn."

"Because I'm not on board with this plan?" Glenn gestured around the room. "You and your people are playing superheroes. You think you're some sort of Avengers?"

"Because the brother I thought returned to me cared about humanity! Even if we felt useless, we were raised to look after one another. We were taught to protect and love." Maiya took a few steps closer to him. 

"Tch. Things have changed. I've changed!" Glenn grimaced.

"You have... You have become selfish," She was not holding back her disappointment with her brother anymore. He needed to know- to see- what this world had turned him into. "You were given another chance at life and you're wasting it! What the hell is up with that? Instead of using the time you have left- the time Maggie or your child weren't given-meaningfully, you're just brooding and feeling sorry for yourself."

His sister's bluntness took him back, rendering him speechless. 

"I see how you feel... I'm not wanted here. I'll just leave then," Glenn stated in a flat tone, beginning to take off his suit.

"No, you dumbass. I want you to stay here. But as your sister, I have to call you out on your BS sometimes. I'm not allowing you to leave, so you might as well leave that suit on." Maiya might have been annoyed with her brother, but she would not let him leave so easily. She had no intention of losing him again, even if that meant he ended up resenting her.

"I don't really see a place for me here," Glenn glared at the tank. 

"And why is that? Because you haven't really explained," Maiya shot her brother a questioning look.

Glenn knew exactly why. It wasn't for some ethical reason; not entirely. It was because if he decided to participate in these experiments, fate would somehow turn it against him. He had no idea what to do with this guilt and rage that was currently controlling his life. 

When Maiya saw that Glenn had no intention of answering, she led him out of the grisly lab and to his bedroom. But not before telling him:

"When you're ready, I would like to hear your whole story."

~

After cleaning up and disinfecting himself, Glenn currently sat at a desk beside a window. His conversation with his sister was replaying in his mind and tearing at his heart.

He was given the chance to make things right like Maiya said. He was blessed to be reunited with his sister, something Maggie never got to do.

But he was scared, he was a coward.

He was scared to lose it all again.

He gritted his teeth, smashing his fist against the wooden desk. 

"Maggie! I don't know what to do!"

At that moment, his pocket watch slipped out of his pants and fell to the floor. He watched it curiously as it hit the floor and roll on the ground. 

"I don't want to be afraid of being alive," He repeated the words of his wife.

He picked up the watch from the cold floor, placing it on the desk beside him. The time was still ticking; the watch had not stopped despite all it had been through.

He pulled open the desk, taking out several pieces of paper and a pen. These objects were practically obsolete in this world. He ran his hand over the materials, remembering the days he would spend writing in high school and college.

He was not much of a writer. In fact, he dreaded the topic whenever it came up in class.

But this was the only way he could recover the past; the only way he might be able to make peace with the pain.

This was how he told his story.

A/N: I apologize for the slow chapters, but since there are new characters and settings introduced I have to build them up.

I would love to hear your thoughts and feedback!