Alexandra's POV
Damn it.
Because I had an announcement scheduled at the podium, most of the guards I had positioned were gathered here, leaving the rest of the compound vulnerable. I didn't see them as a real threat at first—not until I noticed that man. He moved like he was in charge, calmly holding a radio and giving silent hand signals. That's when it hit me: this was a coordinated ambush.
Chaos broke out.
People burst in from multiple directions. One of my most loyal men tried to defend me, but he was shot—Harry died instantly.
I kept shouting commands, gunning down a few of them myself. But that man… he got lucky. He kept moving just out of reach, evading my shots. Worse, they were boxing us in fast.
"We have to retreat!" I barked at James and Leo, who were still by my side.
They nodded. No time to argue.
We grabbed the last few grenades and flashbangs, pulled the pins, and threw them to create a distraction. Amid the confusion—smoke, screams, and bright flashes—we slipped away into the tunnels beneath the stadium.
Alexandra's POV (continued)
We eventually reached one of our emergency outposts, a hidden fallback location meant to be used only if everything went to hell.
Well, it did.
What was once hundreds of solder e… was now reduced to barely a dozen huddled soldiers.
I scanned the exhausted, broken faces of the people who made it out. My heart sank. Rage and guilt churned in my chest. "Damn it… shit," I muttered under my breath.
Then I noticed something strange—Leo, one of my most trusted men, was signaling to someone. Hand signals.
I didn't think much of it at first. Leo had always been dependable.
Until he suddenly raised his gun and shot James in the head.
I froze.
Blood splattered across the dirt. James dropped lifelessly at my feet. My mouth opened in shock. "W–what the hell?!"
Then I felt it—a bullet tearing through my legs. I dropped to the ground, screaming in pain, trying to crawl away as Leo approached me.
"No… Leo?" I gasped.
But he wasn't alone.
Alongside him were Alex, Simon, and Judy—people I thought were mine. Loyal. Family. Instead, they raised their rifles and gunned down the remaining survivors one by one.
"What are you doing?!" I cried.
"Shut up," Leo snarled. "I should kill you right now."
"So… that's it?" I coughed, struggling to sit up. "You betrayed me?"
"No," he said coldly. "You betrayed us."
My breathing hitched. "What?"
"We believed in you," Leo spat. "But others warned us—warned us what you were becoming. You silenced them. You murdered them. You stopped listening. You ruled with fear."
I couldn't deny it. I had blood on my hands.
Leo took a step closer. "I couldn't take it anymore. That's why I organized this. This… goodbye."
He raised his gun to my face.
I shut my eyes.
But it wasn't the shot I expected.
Instead, a loud whistle pierced the air, followed by a flash of movement. Two figures burst in from the treeline, moving fast.
Gunfire erupted. Someone tackled Leo.
When I blinked my eyes open, one of the men—tall, masked, with a rifle—stood over me. The other was already cuffing Leo.
"What… who are you?" I groaned.
The tall one looked down at me.
"Our leader is interested in you," he said, voice cold and clipped. "You're coming with us."
It's over now.
We already informed the workers—they're safe. Some of their people are with us, which is why we came. That news visibly relieved many of them.
I then saw Merle and Daryl dragging in three men and a woman—she had a gunshot wound to the leg. It was the same woman who'd fired at my people earlier. As she was forced to kneel in front of me with the others, I studied her. She had a voluptuous figure and well-endowed assets, but despite her looks, she was a tyrant.
"Well, well, well," I said, looking down at them. "Looks like our prison's going to be welcoming some new faces."
One of the men looked furious. "She ruined everything," he spat. "Her name is Alexandra. She betrayed us all. We were just waiting for the right moment to stop her. She executed the others who stood up to her!"
I exchanged a look with Daryl, who confirmed it. They had found the bodies exactly where the man claimed. Apparently, Leo had been about to execute the woman herself when they arrived.
"Well," I said, narrowing my eyes at the woman. "You can stay… but we'll be watching you closely."
He asked, "What are you going to do with her?"
"She'll get exactly what she deserves," I replied coldly.
I called Michonne over to check on the casualties.
"How many did we lose?" I asked, my voice heavy.
She looked grim. "Out of the hundred people we brought, thirty-nine didn't make it."
I clenched my jaw, forcing the weight of that number down. "And the enemy?"
"Some surrendered, but most fought to the end. I'd estimate over a hundred dead on their side," she replied.
I let out a slow breath. "Could've been worse," I muttered. Then I smirked bitterly. "Hell, at least now we don't have to fight over rations anymore."
Michonne shot me a sharp look, but I shrugged. "What? Gotta find a silver lining. Fewer mouths to feed, less laundry. Bet the washer's celebrating."
She didn't laugh—just gave me that Michonne stare.
"Too soon?" I asked.
"Way too soon," she said flatly. Then after a beat, "But… you're not wrong."
I then approached graves and gleen it old Glenn to go back to our community to get some pepolel over there to bring some hechiles to transport the people and supplies the labor camp have here while also telling Graves to prepare and organize the people
Just as I was lost in thought, one of the captured men approached under guard. He looked rough—dirt smeared on his face, a limp in his step—but his eyes burned with something fierce.
"Excuse me, sir," he said. "My name's Leo."
I gave him a hard look. "Leo, huh? What do you want?"
He took a breath. "I need you to know… me and some of the others—we were planning a revolt. Soldiers and workers both. We've been trying for weeks, but we couldn't find the right opportunity. Our numbers were too low, and the loyalists had us pinned down."
I studied him carefully. "And what about the ones who surrendered?"
Leo's eyes narrowed. "They're with us. Every one of them. They've been waiting for a chance to take her down."
I glanced over at Alexandra—bleeding out from the leg, still trying to hold her pride together. A tyrant brought to her knees. Then I looked back at Leo.
"So that's why," I muttered under my breath.
Then I laughed. It started low, but I couldn't stop it from rolling out of me. Leo looked confused. Michonne tilted her head like she wasn't sure if I'd finally snapped.
"You…" I pointed at Leo, still chuckling. "You mean to tell me—we just lost thirty-nine people, had the fight of our lives… all because you were waiting for the right opportunity?"
Leo shifted uncomfortably. "Well, yeah—"
I cut him off, laughing harder now. "Damn… should've told us earlier! We could've saved the bullets and just handed you a broom handle. Let you poke her in the leg or something."
Leo frowned. "Sir, it's not—"
"Oh no, it's exactly that." I shook my head, still grinning like an idiot. "Weeks of planning, huh? And the best plan you came up with was… do nothing. Damn good strategy. Almost worked too."
Even Daryl cracked a smile, and I let out another bitter laugh. "Next time, Leo… don't wait for the right opportunity. Just… do us all a favor and open your damn mouth before people start dying."
I turned back toward Alexandra and muttered just loud enough for him to hear, "Guess you're not the only one who failed today."