Neccesary Evil (Rick and Nyx)

Rick was beginning to lose hope if he was honest with himself.

The others downstairs in the prison block were dying from this damned flu and there wasn't a damn thing that he, or anyone, could do about it. Sighing a little bit, he continued to patrol the upper level of the prison before he decided that he had to do an outer patrol.

If they could get out of death row then he supposed there really was no stopping the damned things.

As he made his way across the cold lawn of the prison, he glanced up at the first tower he was going to be checking... and immediately blinked a few times to make sure his eyes weren't playing tricks on him again.

There, in the window, was a female figure.

She was silhouetted against the windows due in no small part to the small white light that seemed to come from her hands. Almost like... like a cell phone used to do. He immediately rushed for the ladder and began to pull himself up to the top level. Upon reaching the trap door, he burst through it quickly, his gun quickly snapping up to point at the woman,

"Who the hell are you and what are you doing here?"

Nyx had been sensing that the remaining humans were getting more and more desperate, of course that had been no surprise to her seeing as she had let two of the four horsemen up for a little holiday which had lead to almost their ultimate demise. There were so few of them left that they would probably class for extinction right about now, but she did not much care.

People tended to be more likely to sell their souls for the safety of themselves and their family when they were in an environment like this. One of these people, was Rick Grimes. He had lost his wife and felt that keen sting of reality and so he would be much more likely to want to partake in a little deal with her.

Folding her arms around her chest, she waited for him to come up to the tower she was on, ignoring the fact he looked rather pissed. Frowning softly as her phone vibrated, showing that it was in fact Cain calling, Nyx answered, holding up a finger to Rick in an indication that he should wait until she was finished to continue.

"Yes? Mhm...I said I wanted that done yesterday baby." Rolling her eyes she sighed softly "Fine fine just make sure that it gets done today, we still need some humans left after all otherwise where is the fun? Alright, alright I'll speak to you later I'm with a client. Ciao."

Hanging up the phone Nyx smiled and sipped at her Starbucks coffee, slipping her phone into the breast pocket of her suit.

"Ah Rick Grimes, pleased to meet you. I came here to see if you would be interested in making a deal with me, I have very reasonable contract rates I assure you." she smiled brightly, her eyes were warm like honey and her tone was melodic. Nyx was in a good mood today, Hell's numbers had been boosted and they were going to win the war...the apocalypse had gone well also thanks to the councils hard work.

It was only now that he was up here that he realised a few things about the woman he was currently holding a gun point. One thing he noticed right off the bat was that she didn't seem to care that he was holding her at gun point. Another was that she was freakishly tall for a woman, although undeniably beautiful in a lot of ways, she seemed somewhat... stretched. And the last thing he noticed was that she was having a starbucks coffee.

Even in the fucking apocalypse that fucking place was everywhere!

Of course before he could demand his answers she answered her phone. As in received a call from someone else with a working phone. Meaning that she, and her friend, had access to the electricity to charge their phones. And a working network to give them both good enough signal to make the call. In an area known for bad signal even before the Walkers.

All of these things were impossible but she didn't seem to register that at all.

He clicked the safety off of his gun as he stared down the barrel of the weapon at her, painting a bead on her heart with his mind.

"You know me? I don't know you. You with another group around here or something?" he questioned her, a touch of nervousness slithering it's way up his spine just by looking into her eyes. It was unnatural that such beautiful eyes seemed to only instil fear. He swallowed thickly,

"What kind of deal could you possibly offer me? I have all that my group needs."

Nyx always found it comical the way that humans hid behind their guns like they could do something to her, they could do nothing to her in reality and she would just get angry at being shot at. She was not very hospitable when she was angry. At this moment now however Rick was not angering her at all she was just being amused by the fact that he seemed to think that he was calling the shots here, perhaps she would let him for a while.

Until it got boring that was.

Merely looking over his greying stubble and the lines of grey speckling the edges of his hair, Nyx knew that Rick would agree, he had been through so much and right now he just wanted to be able to rest. That was what was going through his mind, secretly. He would never admit it to someone if they asked though, but it was obvious.

"No it's just me." she stated with a smile, her voice was tinkling still with ease, like the situation did not bother her in the slightest "I will ask that you do put the gun down though, or just shoot me and get this over with, though I will be upset if you put a hole in this suit, its Prada."

Tapping her fingers on her arm she tilted her head and chuckled softly, making a small sound of amusement in her throat when he asked what she could offer him;

"As I understand it Mr. Grimes." she purred, stroking her fingers along the metal of the towers interior "You have a small problem with an illness around your prison, what if I said I could make all of that just...go away." Nyx stated, flicking her hands in the air.

Rick was increasingly getting the feeling that this woman didn't seem to view him as a threat despite the very credibly threat of his revolver in his hand pointed right at her. But she seemed... almost at ease with the whole thing! It was rather infuriating it had to be said and even now Rick was contemplating shooting the woman right between the eyes, just to prove her self-confidence wrong.

It annoyed him to no end after all.

He frowned when she said that it was just him but he put his gun away none the less. Honestly having it out wasn't making her any easier to work with so there was no point in having it out since he didn't wish any violence on her. He sighed a little bit,

"Well I'd rather not ruin such a suit." he replied dryly before shaking his head a little bit, "Now why are you here in my prison?"

When she commented about the plague they were facing his eyes narrowed slightly before widening again at her suggestion. He paused for a moment before laughing,

"I'd tell you that saints and angels aren't real... and ask what you would want for this 'miracle cure'." he paused before shrugging, "All while thinking about how likely it was you were a con artist.... so that's what I'd say."

Nyx sighed a little bit, it was a sound that often made humans rather depressed to hear it because it made them feel like they had upset her, and to be honest he hadn't but it was just a little bit exasperating that all humans acted in the same manner. Taking another sip of her coffee she held it out for Rick to take in case he wanted something to quench his thirst, he looked like he could use with some coffee if she was honest.

"I told you why I am here in your prison." she stated with a small smile "I am here to offer you a deal, I will save your group from this virus and I will ensure your family is safe from these undead you have around here...for a price of course."

Folding her arms around her chest she looked into Rick's eyes and her warm brown iris' called to him, she wanted him to accept her and accept her he would by the end of this conversation. Or, within a few minutes if she had anything to do with it. In her reassuring tone, which felt like he was being caressed by soft warm hands, Nyx murmured;

"It's okay, you can let me take some of the pressure off your shoulders Rick, I know what burdens you." she whispered, before smiling wryly "I would tell you that you were wrong about that, but not for long if I have my way."

Slowly Nyx took out a black scroll of parchment from her breast pocket and handed it to Rick;

"I want your soul." she stated with a smirk "In ten years I will return for your soul as payment for your families continued protection...and for solving your problem with this virus."

Rick grimaced a little bit when she sighed. For some reason her sighing made him want to apologise... right before he kicked himself for being so stupid! He had nothing to apologise for! Much less 'upsetting' her. So then why? Why had he felt it so strongly when she had sighed? Or, better yet, why did he still feel it even now?

He shook his head to clear it,

"Well I suppose that makes sense but it still doesn't explain why you were in my prison without my knowledge or permission." he told her with a frown, "Our security is massively important to us here you know."

He blinked a few times when he began to get lost in her warm brown eyes for a few moments. The problem was that he had never felt like that about anyone's eyes before. They were just... a bit... off almost. Like they were 'too' perfect to actually be real. He wasn't sure but even now he could feel the reassuring touch of her words,

"The pressure... it's a part of being the leader. If it's not this then it'll be something else..." he tried to reason it out before raising an eyebrow in confusion, "I can honestly say I've never met anyone like you before Nyx..."

When she told him, point blank, that she wanted his soul his first instinct was to laugh. Then he took the parchment and an massive feeling of dread sank into his stomach and he glanced at the parchment,

"My soul?" he asked before frowning, "And you're give me ten years of my life, protect my family from all types of harm and get rid of the flu? That's... a bit weighted in your favour isn't it? But... just how would my family be protected?"

Nyx sighed again, really she hadn't explained what she was but she thought that it would be becoming abundantly clear right about now that she was the Devil, or part of it anyway. These humans knew nothing these days about the other side of the scripture and those who did were considered freaks! Were persecuted!

Her poor babies.

"Me being what I am I believe bypassing two sections of wire fencing is quite simple." she stated with a small smile on her lips, although it was slightly icy, if he wasn't going to take the deal there were others who were just dying for something like this to come their way.

She could see he was getting lost in her eyes and her voice was working wonders on him, and so, she wanted to be able to give him more of that sensation of ease and calm. Although it would always slightly be tinged with a feeling of...unease? Until that was he got used to her, then it would be nothing but enjoyment.

"That is because there is nobody else like me." she smirked, her voice a purring sound as she stalked a little closer to Rick "Nobody else can understand what you've been through, I know it, I know it all." Nyx whispered "I can make things easier for you."

Her voice resonated throughout the small room, echoing and caressing Rick, making the offer seem almost irresistible. Taking the scroll away she placed it back into her pocket with a small shrug of her shoulders;

"Your family would have my protection, and seeing as I have dominion over all of the beings causing them trouble, they will be touched and harmed by nothing." she stated with a business-like coolness "This is a once in a lifetime deal Mr. Grimes and I can assure you others are lining up out there for this, including a certain boy of yours. I thought I'd do the courteous thing and approach the father, the protector first but..." sighing softly again, and pouting lightly Nyx moved her lithe graceful frame from leaning against the table and moved to the trap door "I guess I'll be going."

Rick sighed a little bit and buried his head in his hands. By now it was blindingly clear who, or what, Nyx was and there was no escaping the fact that she had been called here by his not so small personal desires. He grimaced slightly before nodding slightly to himself, knowing that he was to blame for her even being here,

"I suppose that's true..." he admitted with a small frown, "But how did you know to come here? To come to me? Surely I can't be the only man on this planet desperate enough to think about doing anything to make their group live longer?"

Her words were honeyed but even now he could taste something underneath the words. He had 'tasted' it straight away but now that she had confirmed her nature he knew that the bitterness he tasted under the honey was her true intent. She didn't care about making sure his children were alive. All she cared about was that she would get to eat his soul,

"I don't doubt that to be honest..." he agreed with a little chuckle, taking a small step back from the rather intimidating woman when she came up to him, "I... I..."

He paused before gathering his thoughts and countering,

"But I have to be the one to do these things... not because they can be easy but because they are hard."

Carl.

Carl was calling out for such a deal?!

Of course he was.

And he knew that his son would accept this in a heartbeat, heedless of any and all warnings to his health that Rick had put up. And she was leaving right now to give Carl the damned deal! He reached out and grabbed her shoulder to stop her from moving. Even now though he was looking down at the floor of the room,

"Wait..." he whispered, "Wait... give me the contract... I'll sign it."

Nyx smiled softly when she heard that Rick was going to sign the contract, of course he was always going to sign the contract but because she liked him so much she was going to give him a little bit of an extension maybe to about 15 years instead of just the 10. Stopping going down the steps she hoped that she was going to be able to still come off well from this, honestly it did matter that he was finding her to be helpful she didn't know why though.

She was sure that she was just going to ignore him though if he decided to hate her, many people did. Of course she would bury her sorrows in Iba or Cain later on, whichever took her fancy, or both...she had been intending to see how Rick responded but she didn't think he really liked her all that much.

"Alright, if that is what you desire then I shall have you sign the contract, and, just for you I'll give you 15 years instead of just 10." she stated with a cheeky little wink "You can thank me for that later honey."

Taking out the contract she unrolled it and placed it upon the table, taking out her fountain pen she gave it to Rick and smiled gently, stroking some of his hair out of his eyes. He looked like he had a hard day today but this would make it all easier.

"If you want I'll leave you to look over the fine print, ask me any questions you want before you sign the contract. I will answer them." Nyx smiled reassuringly "I want you to be as comfortable as you possibly can be with this."

Rick knew that niggling feeling that he was selling his life away? Yeah this time that was for real and it was really hitting a lot harder now than it usually did. He sighed a little bit and tried to reassure himself. It really was for the best after all and this way both of his children would get him for another ten years and be safer from the new world than they, honestly, had any real right to be.

He didn't even hate Nyx for basically pressuring him into signing his soul away.

It came with a certain amount of relief that he found immeasurably reassuring to be perfectly honest with himself. He chuckled a little bit, weakly, at the increase in the years,

"Thank you." he told her sincerely before pausing, "When I die, when you have my soul... if there is an afterlife for me, will I be able to see my children? To watch them grow?"

That was just one of the man questions that was bubbling up to the surface as he stared down at the parchment that seemed to sit there, silently judging him for having accepted it. He swallowed a little bit when she stroked some of his hair out of his eyes. Smiling at her, he took a deep breath,

"I... is there anything other than my soul that you get out of this contract?" he asked her with a small shrug, "That's all I can think to ask really."

Nyx was happy that Rick understood what she was offering him, with people dying every day and demons coming to walk upon the earth now there was just nothing left for humans any more except to become pets of demons who decided that they took their fancy. Carl and Judith would be under her protection, the most powerful demon of all and that meant they were guaranteed their safety for as long as they naturally lived.

His question was not surprising and she was prepared to answer it. With a small nod Nyx smiled, a rather gentle smile which was meant to reassure;

"Of course there is, you either become an angel, or a demon. Yet because you have sold your soul to me you'll become a demon, but you'll get to come up, walk around, live and things. If I decide you're useful enough and don't just eat you." she stated with a gentle shrug "But you have 15 years to show me you're useful."

Shaking her head Nyx stood close to Rick so that he could feel her breath on his neck, it was a warm pleasant sensation.

"I only get your soul. You even get the chance to show me you deserve to live on, as my servant of course." she stated with a little grin.

When he stated that those were his only questions Nyx then nodded at the sheet of parchment; "Well then I ask that you sign on the dotted line and then we may make the official contract binding. If you don't mind, I would ask that I have the ability to come and go to this prison, and bring some of my servants with me? Apart from that there is nothing else I require."