<3rd Person Pov>
Andrea sat at the top of the watchtower, her rifle resting across her knees as she scanned the treeline. She leaned forward, eyes narrowing as two vehicles came into view down the road — Daryl's and Itachi's truck and another right behind it.
She stood quickly and stepped outside onto the platform, leaning over the railing. "They're back! Open the gates!"
Down below, Glenn and Maggie heard her call. Without wasting a second, they ran over to the entrance and began sliding the gates open.
The vehicles rolled through the gates and came to a stop beside the other cars in the courtyard. Glenn's eyes went straight to the roofs, where solar panels were strapped down.
"Well, that's one way to solve the problem," he muttered.
Maggie smiled faintly beside him. "Don't get too happy just yet. We still have to set them up."
The doors opened. Itachi and Daryl stepped out first, followed by a man and two young girls who stayed close behind their father as their eyes darted around the unfamiliar space.
Glenn's brow lifted slightly as he looked between them, turning his attention to the approaching Itachi. "Who are they?" he asked.
Itachi stopped in front of him. "We ran into a man and his two daughters on the road, so we decided to bring them back with us."
Glenn gave a short nod, while Maggie's gaze lingered on the newcomers. He kept his focus on Itachi as he added, "By the way, Rick wanted to talk to you when you got back."
Itachi gave a short nod. "Got it. Just help Daryl unload."
He started walking off, lowering his voice as he passed Daryl. "Keep an eye on the older kid," he murmured before heading inside the prison.
Glenn looked towards Daryl. "What was that about?"
Daryl smirked. "He's just happy he gets to sit on his ass again."
Glenn's face twisted. "What do you mean again?"
That smirk turned into a grin. "Nothin'."
Glenn groaned. "I knew it! You really brought us to that damn farm just so we'd do all the work, didn't you?"
Daryl didn't bother answering; he just headed for the truck and started unloading. Glenn kept grumbling under his breath as he followed Maggie over to the new folks to introduce themselves.
Inside, Itachi made his way into the common area. Where a few of the group members were gathered there, keeping busy with small chores, he let them know they were back and asked if they could head out to help with the unloading.
Jim got up from his seat right away, heading for the door, but Itachi stopped him. "You know where Rick is?"
Jim turned towards him. "Yeah, he's in the cafeteria, with Shane and Jenner."
"Appreciate it," Itachi said with a short nod before heading down the corridor towards the cafeteria.
When he arrived, Rick, Shane, and Jenner were seated around one of the tables, a map spread out between them with notes scattered across the table. They all looked up as he stepped inside.
Rick was the first to speak. "Good timing. How'd the run go?"
"Better than expected," Itachi said.
Rick nodded and gestured to the empty chair beside him. "Take a seat. We were just talking things through."
Itachi sat down, his eyes drifting over the map spread across the table. Dozens of markings covered it, routes, notes, and red circles scattered across different areas. He glanced up at them. "What's all this about?"
Rick looked towards Jenner. "Someone might've made a small breakthrough."
Itachi's gaze shifted towards him, waiting for him to explain.
Jenner leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table. "Winter might be our best chance to expand," he said. "Walkers are corpses, they can't produce heat, so it won't matter what clothes they're wearing. Once the temperature drops low enough, their movement should slow down, or they might even become completely immobile. It's not guaranteed, but there's a strong possibility."
Rick tapped a finger against the edge of the map. "Even so, there's still the matter of the fences, they won't hold if a horde ever shows up. And being see-through doesn't help either."
Itachi met his eyes. "You're thinking of reinforcing them during winter."
Rick nodded. "To some extent, yeah. We don't have the manpower or time to do the whole perimeter, but if Jenner's right, it'd be the safest time to try. For now, we're just running through ideas."
Itachi thought for a moment. "We could use semi trucks. We wouldn't have to build anything, just line them up outside the fence. Maybe even set up roof access for patrols."
Rick glanced at the map, considering it. "That… could actually work. And if there are any gaps, we can fill them in."
Jenner nodded thoughtfully. "Steel bodies, high mass, they'd hold up better than anything we could put together by hand in that time."
Rick leaned back in his chair. "We'll need to make some trips to truck stops and they might still have supplies left behind." He looked towards Itachi. "And Shane wants us to check out the military bases and outposts near Atlanta."
Shane started to speak, deliberately avoiding Itachi's eyes. "The ones near Atlanta should've all fallen by now, and I don't see any group being brave or dumb enough to hit a base that close to the city."
Rick picked up where he left off. "Guns, ammunition, MREs, vehicles — they should still have plenty of that. We've already seen how useful one armored car can be. If we could get more, every supply run would be a hell of a lot safer." He paused, meeting Itachi's eyes. "I want your take on this. Is it worth the risk?"
Itachi held his gaze for a moment before answering. "If it's just me and maybe Daryl, then yes. If something goes wrong, I can handle myself so can Daryl. But I can't promise I could protect anyone else."
Rick stayed quiet for a long moment beffore finally exhaling through his nose. "Alright," he said. "We'll keep it small, you and Daryl will go, and if you change your mind, just say the word."
"Understood," Itachi said with a short nod. "And about the run—we found some people out there that we brought back with us."
Rick turned towards him. "How many?"
"Three," Itachi replied. "A father and his two little girls. And that's not all, we brought back two solar panels and the man knows how to set them up."
Jenner's eyes flicked up with interest. "That's good. But two won't be enough to power the whole prison. Maybe the lights, sure, but heating's another story."
Itachi nodded. "We didn't just find two. There are hundreds more where those came from. We only brought back a few to start."
Rick and Jenner both smiled at the thought of finally having electricity inside the prison.
He pushed himself to his feet, a quiet determination in his tone now. "Then it's time we finish clearing the rest of this place. We'll split into teams—half take the yards, the rest move through the tombs again."
Itachi gave a short nod. "We should include the prisoners. It could help build more trust between the groups."
Rick considered it for a moment, then nodded. "Good idea. And anyone who hasn't had much experience dealing with walkers can join the yard teams. It'll give them some experience without putting them in too much danger."
The four of them left the cafeteria and made their way back to the common area. Jenner and Rick wanted to meet the new arrivals, while Shane broke off without a word, heading straight for his cell.
Ryan was standing near one of the tables, talking quietly with a few of the others, while his daughters stayed close by his side.
Rick approached with a calm smile and held out his hand. "Rick Grimes," he said. "Glad to have you here."
Ryan shook his hand firmly. "Ryan Samuels. I can't thank you enough for letting us stay."
Jenner stepped forward next, offering Ryan a polite nod and a brief handshake. "Edwin Jenner," then he crouched slightly to meet the girls' eyes. "And who might you two be?"
Mika smiled shyly. "I'm Mika."
Lizzie hesitated. "Lizzie."
Rick smiled at both of them. "Well, it's nice to meet you both. I'm Rick."
Ryan gave a quiet nod of thanks, his hand resting protectively on Mika's shoulder. For the first time since they'd arrived, the tension in his posture began to fade.
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🧪 Author's Note:
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