Title: Echoes of Hope
Author: [richonnefan]
Pairing: Rick Grimes x Michonne (Richonne)
Rating: Teen and up
Setting: Divergence from Season 10 / An alternative take on The Ones Who Live.
Summary: What if Michonne's search for Rick took a completely different turn in the woods? A new beginning to an endless love story.
Disclaimer: I do not own The Walking Dead or its characters. This is a non-profit fanfiction written purely for entertainment
after discovering a phone engraved with her picture, Judith, and cryptic words she couldn't understand. It wasn't until a mysterious man guided her to that ship that her hopeless hope was rekindled—a hope she had never truly lost. Before leaving, she told Judith that she was going out to search for her father, commanding her to watch over her brother, and to stay strong, just as she had taught her. With heavy hearts, Michonne departed, leaving Judith and RJ under the watchful eyes of Daryl and Carol.
Her journey dragged on for months. One rainy day, in an open clearing deep within the woods, she found herself cornering a horde of walkers. Suddenly, the thundering roar of a helicopter echoed overhead. She instinctively looked for cover, but a cluster of the dead hemmed her in. Fighting with sheer, brutal force, her katana sliced through flesh and bone, taking off heads one after another.
Then, disaster struck. Michonne tripped over a root and fell hard to the muddy ground. A sharp, broken branch pierced deep into her thigh. Gritting her teeth, she tried to ignore the searing pain, fighting solely to save her own life.
But then, a strange thing happened. The walkers around her began to drop, one by one, their skulls shattered. She realized the helicopter she had spotted earlier was raining fire down upon them.
Limping heavily, Michonne forced herself onto her feet, desperate to escape. Suddenly, warning shots tore through the dirt around her feet. Over the deafening, whipped-up wind of the rotor blades, a booming voice from the chopper's loudspeaker cut through the storm:
"Freeze! Hands in the air! Do not move!"
With the wind battering her face and no way out, Michonne had no choice but to raise her hands. She surrendered for now, comforting herself with one grim thought: as long as they hadn't shot her yet, they needed her alive.
As the helicopter touched down and the doors slid open smoothly, Michonne spun around, fixing her intense gaze on the opening deck. The blood loss from her wound was taking its toll; dizziness washed over her in waves, but she stood tall, refusing to show any weakness.
Three figures emerged from the strange aircraft. Two wore heavily armored helmets, while the third went barefaced. The uncovered man stepped forward, advancing toward Michonne, who instinctively took a step back, her eyes narrowing.
The mysterious man spoke, introducing himself as Okafor. He assured her that no harm would come to her, provided she complied with his orders.
Fighting the looming darkness of unconsciousness, Michonne defiantly raised her katana, locking herself into a combat stance. In a flash, the two masked soldiers behind Okafor raised their weapons, aims fixed dead at Michonne.
With a calm but firm gesture, Okafor signaled them to lower their rifles, demanding they hold their fire until commanded. The guards stepped back, and Okafor stepped closer, cautious of the wounded woman.
Michonne, whose every instinct screamed not to trust this man, lunged forward to attack. But her body failed her; Okafor easily evaded the blow. Her strength completely depleted, Michonne collapsed onto the muddy ground before his eyes.
The world faded. The roaring of the engine, the wind, and the pain all vanished, leaving nothing but an endless, silent darkness.9
