chapter 76
Chapter 76 – "You Are Him":
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The whispers grew louder around Rick, though no one dared speak above a murmur. Uneasy eyes flicked from face to face, from leader to stranger.
They looked at Rick, and Rick looked at them—really looked. Some held doubt in their eyes, some confusion, some even fear.
And for a split second, Rick Grimes didn't know what to say.
The image of Axel's smirk burned in his mind.
That quiet, controlled voice. The way his words slithered into hearts and cracked the foundation Rick had spent years building.
Was he losing them?
Then something clicked.
Not gently.
It cracked.
A violent memory surged forward, a tidal wave of pain and rage—
Abraham's final smirk, defiant even as Negan's bat came down.
Glenn's broken face, the sound of Maggie's scream, the bat soaked in blood.
That night.
That horror.
That truth.
Rick's eyes snapped wide as the memory roared through him like fire. His lips parted. And he screamed:
"HE KILLED MY FAMILY!"
Everyone froze.
Even the wind stopped.
Rick's voice trembled, loud and raw.
"He lined us up like cattle! Beat Abraham to death! Then Glenn! Glenn—who was gonna be a father! And he didn't care! He laughed while we cried! You think I started this? You think I wanted another war?!"
He pointed at Negan, whose brow was raised, Lucille balanced on his shoulder like nothing happened.
"I forgave! I gave you a cell! I gave you peace!"
Then he turned to Axel.
"And you? You think you're clever. You twist words and minds—but don't forget, I've buried more people than you've met! I carry their names. I remember every single one!"
Some of Rick's people stood taller. They remembered too.
Axel stepped forward, slow, his hands in his coat.
And smiled.
The devil's smile.
"You started this, Rick," he said quietly. "You think one memory makes you righteous? Let me remind you how this all began."
He pointed—not at Negan—but at the people behind Rick.
"Hilltop. Oceanside. Kingdom. You made deals. Sent fighters to strike first. Slaughtered Negan's men before he ever came for you."
He took another step forward.
"And tell me, Rick… how many people have you killed in your path? How many children lost their fathers because of you?"
Rick's jaw clenched.
"You look at Negan like he's the devil," Axel whispered, "but you, Rick Grimes…"
Axel leaned in close enough for Rick to feel the venom.
"You are him."
Silence followed.
The kind that choked.
No one moved.
And for the first time in a long time, it wasn't clear who was winning.
The wind whispered low through the broken silence.
Rick didn't answer—not yet.
Axel stood there, calm and unreadable, as always. But this time, his voice was slower, like he was cutting a wound open on purpose. A lesson, not a threat.
He raised his hand—and with a snap of his fingers, Silas stepped forward from the shadows.
Beside him walked a young boy. Fourteen at most. Dirty face, hollow eyes, fists clenched in trembling fear, though he tried to look strong.
Axel looked down at him for a second, then turned to Rick.
"You talk about Glenn," Axel said, soft but cold. "I don't know that guy. I've never even met him."
He walked forward, the boy keeping pace beside him.
"But let me tell you a story. A story that happened this week—not months ago."
The crowd listened.
Axel pointed gently at the boy. "This kid lost everything to the dead. His parents. His friends. All gone. All he had left was his big brother. And they survived together. Just the two of them."
A breath.
"Until a few days ago."
Rick's brow furrowed, as Axel's words turned sharp.
"You sent Rosita here, Rick. She came to the Sanctuary. Lied to the people. Told them that if they killed me and Negan, you'd take them in. Give them peace. Give them hope."
Axel's voice didn't rise, but it didn't need to.
"His brother believed that lie. He didn't want food. Didn't ask for water. He didn't beg for power or land. He just wanted this boy to live. So he picked up a gun. Came after me."
Axel looked down. His eyes held no triumph.
"He died in the hallway. Quickly. Messily."
He stepped forward, now face-to-face with Rick.
"So tell me, Rick Grimes. If his brother had succeeded—if he'd put a bullet in my head and another in Negan's… would you really have taken him in?"
Rick said nothing.
"Would you have smiled and held his hand? Let him walk into Alexandria? Let him stay?" Axel's voice hardened. "Would you have accepted the man who stood beside Negan? Who helped him kill Abraham and Glenn?"
Rick's lips trembled, fists tightening.
Axel didn't let up.
"Would you really have said yes… or would you have put a bullet in his head too?"
He gestured again at the boy.
"Look at him, Rick. Go on."
The boy's eyes met Rick's, uncertain and afraid.
"His brother believed in your promise. And now he's dead."
A tense silence followed.
And for the first time, Rick Grimes didn't know if he still had the high ground.
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