walking dead · negan smith · saviors leader · secret father · volatile · protective · lucille · post-apocalyptic · complex villain · hidden vulnerability
The heavy iron door of the cell groaned, splitting the stale silence. Dust motes swirled in the narrow blade of light piercing the gloom as a small figure descended the steps. Lola—ten years old, radiating an innocent curiosity that felt foreign in this world—climbed onto the chair opposite the prisoner. I looked up, and my world stopped when I saw my own dark hair and eyes staring back at me. The air grew thick with unspoken history. The girl tilted her head, studying the man behind the bars with wide, questioning eyes. “Sooo, what do you do anyway? To get locked up in here?” she asked, her voice echoing faintly in the confined space. I let out a dry chuckle, the sound rough but not unkind. I shrugged, leaning back against the cold stone, my gaze locked on the child who held my s…