"Na," Martinez greets.

Daryl send the other man a glare, Nanami taking a deep breath and nodding back to the man he used to fight on the same side of battles on.

"They already in there?" Martinez asks, glancing over to Daryl then to the door.

"Have been for a few," Hershel answers, sensing Daryl's tension.

"Well, hell," Martinez hums, looking to Milton and shrugging, "Guess we'll have time to get to know each other better."

--

"It's lighter than Daryl's bow," Sakiko hums, tracing imaginary lines in the air with Michonne's sword.

"More effective, too," Michonne scrunches her nose to the teen.

"Tell him that," Sakiko scoffs.

"Everyone has their niche specialties," Michonne shrugs.

Sakiko makes a sound to show that she heard the woman, twirling around with the sword that Michonne nearly laughed at.

"Kiko, now's not the time for performance art," Glenn says lightheartedly as he walks by, "Come help me out with the cage."

Glenn didn't want his mood to bring anyone down- especially ones like Maggie, Ryan, Sakiko, Carl, or Beth. But, they had jobs to do and danger was right around the corner.

"Okie dokie!" Sakiko perks, putting Michonne's sword back in the casing and laying it on the table.

"How about you stay in here and help me pack up?" Merle calls, stopping Sakiko in her steps.

"What?" she asks, "Where are you going?"

"We know where the Governor is.. We could go in and end this now," Merle shrugs, "Me and you, kiddo."

"Are you suggesting we just go in and kill him?" Glenn asks the older man.

"Nah.. I'm saying me and my niece are leaving in the next five minutes," Merle rephrases.

"We told Rick and Daryl we'd stay put," Michonne reminds, taking a protective step closer to Sakiko.

"I've changed my mind, sweetheart. Being on the sideline with two of my family members out there.." Merle shakes his head, "Ain't sitting right with me."

"You think they're in danger?" Sakiko asks- the worst possibilities already going through her mind.

"Not if we go in and finish this," Merle assures.

"They are right in the middle of it. No idea you're going. They could get taken hostage or killed. A thousand things could go wrong," Glenn says, bringing Sakiko's attention back to him, "All right?"

Slowly, Sakiko nods, looking to the floor. Glenn takes a breath, setting his hand on her shoulders to get the teen to fall in step alongside him.

"And they will," Merle calls after them.

"My dad can take care of himself," Carl sends Merle a glare.

"Sorry, son, but your dad's head could be on a pike real soon."

Carl leaves to stash the bullets Glenn had given him- not giving the older man another look or word.

"Don't say that to him," Maggie tells Merle defensively.

Merle doesn't say anything, only looking back to Sakiko. She takes a breath, nodding slowly.

If Rick was in danger- Nanami and Daryl were in danger. Sakiko was also sick of being on the sidelines. Just because she was afraid of guns- the others shielded her so much and kept her from everything. She could take care of herself. She could take care of her family- just as Daryl asked her to do.

"It's not the right move. Not now. Can't take the risk of putting them in the crossfire," Glenn reminds, "That's my decision and it's final."

He begins to walk away, stopping when he notices Sakiko not by his side, "Kiko, come on."

Sakiko looks over to Merle, the man giving her a knowing look. Her face remains stoic as she follows Glenn, regardless of the thoughts in her head.

--

"Do you think it's going to be much longer?" Nanami wonders.

Daryl glances over to the door, "Maybe.. Hard to tell. Gettin' antsy?"

"Just bored," Nanami mutters, looking to Martinez and Milton, "Tired of the tension."

"They ain't gonna say anything to you. Not when I'm here," Daryl reassures.

Nanami nods, kicking his feet back and forth from his spot on the back of the car. Daryl couldn't help but wonder if this was the same kid he'd met all those years ago. When had he grown up so much?

"Rick's gonna figure this out," Daryl speaks.

"I know," Nanami nods hesitantly, "It's the Governor that I don't trust."

Nanami looks over to the door to the building that held the two men, exhaling a large breath.

"Governor's the kind of man to look you in the eyes and smile when he shoots you," Nanami forces through a clenches jaw.

His mind replays the sight of that white flag that he'd seen the Governor wave from his hiding spot. Those soldiers that had no idea what was coming for them- that already had them surrounded.

"Put more trust in us than you distrust him," Daryl offers, patting Nanami's knee.

"Okay," Nanami says- figuring that was the only way.

Just trust the others. Trust Rick. Daryl. Glenn. Sakiko. Maggie. Carl. Beth. Ryan. Everyone. Just trust family- that's all Nanami had to do.

--

"Sakiko's gone," Maggie panics, running to Glenn.

"What?" Glenn questions, already looking around like he'd catch sight of her.

"Her knives are gone and I can't find her anywhere," Maggie breathes unsteadily from her running.

Glenn looks around the courtyard before a snarl set son his lips, "Merle."

As Glenn storms back inside, Maggie follows as quickly as she could manage. Once inside, they see Merle packing a bag of his own.

"Where is she?" Glenn asks, stomping down the stairs.

"Worry about your own- I'll worry about mine. Just stay out of it," Merle says, not sparing the other man a single look.

"What the hell did you tell her, huh? Where did she go?" Glenn demands.

Ryan jogs in from the cell block where Maggie had sent him on a search for the girl as well. He sends her a shake of his head- confirming that Sakiko wasn't anywhere he could find. And if Ryan couldn't find her, everyone knew it was a lost cause for them to try.

"She's my kin," Merle hisses, wrapping his bag around his shoulders, "And we're on our way to save our other kin."

"So, you sent her first? So that you would have a reason to go and we couldn't argue?" Glenn sees through the man's plans.

Merle bows his chest, staring down at Glenn, "She's got more balls than you do. The guy cops a feel of your woman and you pussy out like this?"

Glenn moves to shove Merle- a movement that Merle slaps away.

"Glenn!" Maggie calls, stepping forward to try and stop the men.

Glenn holds his hand out to stop her movements, Michonne stepping closer as well to guard anything that she thought was worth it.

"You just gonna let Kiko go out there on her own?" Merle asks, dangerously low, "Let that little girl march into a war all alone."

Glenn sucks in a breath, taking a step closer to Merle that he restrains himself from progressing on. But, what could he do?

Merle had gotten to Sakiko who was out there on her own, unguarded and alone. Merle could track her with ease- a skill no one outside of the Dixon family could hold a candle to.

"If any one of them get hurt.." Glenn trails off, tilting his head.

"How about you step out of my way so I can prevent that, then?" Merle offers.

The men hold a tense moment of eye contact- cursing the other with only a threatening gaze. Slowly, Glenn slides to the side. Merle nods a single time, pulling his bag closer and walking out of the prison.

𝒶𝓊𝓉𝒽𝑜𝓇 𝓇𝒶𝓂𝒷𝓁𝑒𝓈--

its giving hana vibes iykyk

plus glenn and his little chaotic sidekick sakiko owns my heart