Chapter 100

- The Governor -

Philip was hearing the news from Dale with a frown. He had a bad feeling about this, his guts screamed at him that something wrong was going on. It was clear that whoever chose the place of meeting would have an advantage, as he would be able to prepare in advance, and from his understanding, Xenon would've had more than enough to lay a trap for him.

But the question is, why would Xenon want to lay a trap for him? He couldn't find any good reason to do so, which means it would be safe to assume there is no monkey business going on. Yet why was his sixth sense flaring up now of all times?

"We could've met at the prison, you know? I have no problem going to foreign territory if this Xenon feels uncomfortable." Philip was developing a distaste for his cowardice. There are risks a man is supposed to take, as is the natural way of the world.

"For a first meeting?" Dale chuckled, shaking his head wryly. "Don't think too much into it. Xenon is naturally distrustful of everything."

"Tell me about it." Philip shook his head helplessly. He truly hoped to establish a relationship of trust with their group. They were in a position of weakness and could use all the help they could get. But the way it was starting up, he was having second thoughts already.

"Honestly, I doubt anything would come from the first meeting with him." Dale admitted to him hesitantly. "It always takes time with him, so don't get frustrated if it doesn't go the way you expect it to be." Philip was skeptical about Dale's glorification of some sixteen-year-old kid. Was this not the apocalypse, he would've screwed him ten times over in a deal, having done it to men Dale's age. But if the reports he had gotten back from his scouts were any indication, the prison group's leadership is ridiculously efficient.

Eventually, he sighed and nodded his head reluctantly, knowing there is nothing he can do to make things better. He will have to take baby steps and hopefully, Xenon would stop being so paranoid.

- Narrator -

The governor took his party and went out of Woodbury an hour before the agreed-upon time of the meeting. The place they were meeting at wasn't close to either of their bases, probably a tactic to make him understand it was a neutral zone, something he could appreciate. But the fact they were aware of it beforehand did not sit well with him. Nevertheless, he decided to go there half an hour in advance to scout the area first while waiting for them to arrive.

In contrast to the governor's busy mind, Xenon was far too relaxed, taking his sweet time to have everyone prepared, before they left for the meeting place. Xenon did not consider the governor a threat anymore. He was no longer a predator. He was prey, a rabbit in Xenon's eyes. Anything he would try at this point was moot, his fate already set in stone. Therefore, he saw no reason to worry about a dead man.

"You sure you want to be in the same room as him, alone?" Rick asked worriedly, expecting things to go wrong. Xenon chuckled, shaking his head.

"Don't worry about me. You should know by now I don't take unnecessary risks." Xenon told him, making Daryl chuckle at how true the last part of his words was. They continued the ride in silence until they arrived at the building in question.

"Tsk looks like you were right." Shane said in distaste, noticing the parked car and the men guarding the place.

"Of course." Xenon rolled his eyes. "We did choose the place of the meeting, so it's only fair, I suppose. Play nice, people." Xenon turned to Daryl, who looked offended. "Don't give me that look, we've known you long enough."

"Tsk. Fine." Daryl shrugged. He was planning on making the wait more interesting, but maybe this wasn't the best time. Xenon walked out, an emotionless facade was all that greeted any onlooker. He was channeling his inner edge lord, but it was quite effective in his opinion. He looked at everyone up and down, making full use of his [Domineering Presence] to intimidate them. He easily spotted 'the governor', as he looked almost identical to the TV Show counterpart, minus the pirate eye patch.

Both parties were obviously tense at the first meeting, especially since both of them were armed to the teeth. Xenon was a bit tired of waiting, he strode forward with confidence, prompting the others to follow behind him. He looked at Dale with a raised eyebrow, expecting him to introduce his new friend.

"Ahem, Xenon, this is Philip Blake, also known as the Governor of Woodbury." Dale said awkwardly, his years of experience in dealing with people going down the drain, but he still managed to compose himself. "Philip, this is Xenon, the leader of my former group."

"I was looking forward to our meeting, young man. Dale had nothing but praise for you." Shane tsked at the obvious attempt to bring him down a notch, but Xenon shrugged it off, looking almost bored by it, truthfully, owing to his vast experience in dealing with similar attempts.

"I can't say the same about you." Xenon stated, making Philip tense a bit at the hostility. "Nevertheless, I've promised Dale to come here with an open mind. I just hope this meeting is not a waste of our time."

"We'll make it worth your while, you have my word." Philip said with a charming smile, even if he was seething inside. Xenon pressed the X on the metaphorical keyboard, knowing full well he had nothing of value to give them anyway, but he nodded anyway, gesturing him to get inside the building.

A table was already prepared inside with three chairs for them, a bottle of whiskey and some glasses on the side for them to serve themselves, and some water.

"Do you drink?" Philip asked as he poured two glasses for them.

"Not a fan of alcoholic beverages." He shook his head, waiting for them to get seated.

"I have no doubt Dale has explained to your how I operate by now." Xenon said nonchalantly, looking at the man in question. "I assume you've put together a proposal I would deem beneficial enough to warrant an agreement of some sort. Let's start with that, and save us all the time."

"Of course." Philip chuckled, not offended by his blunt approach, finding it refreshing for a change. "You are absolutely right. From what Dale tells me, you are doing very well on your own, and probably believe you don't need anyone new in the equation. Well, Dale and I seem to disagree with you on that point. In fact, we have come up with various ideas that could be immensely helpful to both our communities." Xenon did not interrupt him, giving him the floor to present his ideas, hoping he could maybe benefit from one or two himself in the future. He only nodded on occasion to let them know he was paying attention.

He spoke mainly of expanding their reach, as their group had already scouted farther ahead than them, being focused mostly on looting supplies to survive. They had a lot of information concerning the terrain, especially since a lot of people that joined them were local to the area. He explained to Xenon that his group's weakness was their focus on strengthening their base, neglecting the vast amount of resources available for them outside of the prison's fences.

The governor also proposed they make use of Woodbury's civilian force, composed of about twenty capable adults, to help them with the fields they were maintaining. They could even add a few others thanks to the additional workforce, to increase their harvest, conveniently leaving out the fact that Xenon's group would still be the one forced to take care of protecting it.

He also made sure to mention their extensive arsenal of weapons they were ready to trade should Xenon's group need it. Tools they had stored. They could even lend them their specialists, as he mentioned Lori's pregnancy to him, and how she needed a doctor to increase her chances of surviving childbirth. Under normal circumstances, he would be livid at Dale for leaking so much information about them, but he couldn't bring himself to care.

Philip was not entirely happy with Xenon's attitude, as he hardly gave any suggestions or proposals, opting to play a passive role in their discussion. He was getting frustrated by the end of it.

"How rude of me." Xenon said as he stood up and poured himself some water. "You've done all the talking since we began. I guess it is time I reciprocate." Xenon smiled, the first expression they've noticed on his face since they began the discussions, making them sigh in relief.

"Please, we're all ears." Philip gestured to him amicably.

"You know, I hate delegating." Xenon admitted as he drank his water. "It always makes me feel that something would go wrong. So I prefer to take charge myself, most of the time." Both men were puzzled at the introduction but returned the courtesy of not interrupting him. "I always make sure to oversee the mission we cannot afford to fail, but somehow, I end up meeting the most interesting people." Xenon chuckled. "I have a man with us, his name is Daryl. A very capable, efficient, and ruthless asset to the group. He also happens to be very loyal, so I know I can count on him when it matters the most."

"It just so happens that he lost the brotherhood lottery, getting a waste of space for a brother. The worst kind. A junkie. And the idiot was always dragging him down with him. That is until I found out that I'd misjudged him. That maybe, under that vile human being, there was an equally ruthless man I could use." Xenon remarked, making them believe he was just ranting randomly, but something seemed off to Dale, who knew Xenon wasn't the kind to spout nonsense. "In fact, I think you know him very well, Mr. Blake. A one-handed man, with a knife for the other hand, goes by the name of Merle. Rings any bells?"