It was about two hours before sunset when the group finally finished cleaning the inside of C-block. They had completely scrubbed down the entire right side, which led straight to the showers and the infirmary. They decided to leave the other, darker side of the block alone for now since the sun was going down. They would finish that section the next day.
Gray stood in the clean, lavender-scented hallway, having a quiet inner monologue. 'I know we need to bring the rest of the group, but my main priority is Hershel and his family. If we want to build a real community, we need Hershel's medical knowledge and farming skills.' Gray decided he would head back with the group right now to start convincing the old man to leave his land.
Jim and T-Dog agreed to stay behind at the prison to keep watch for the night. The rest of the group piled back into the pickup trucks and drove through the gates, heading straight back to the Greene farm.
The moment they arrived, they broke the news to the families. C-block was clean, secure, and ready for them to move in tomorrow morning. A collective wave of relief and excitement washed over the entire camp. Everyone immediately began gathering their belongings.
Gray scanned the porch, spotted the Greene family standing together, and walked over to them. Hershel stood near the railing, watching the packing with a somber look in his eyes.
"Hershel," Gray said, stepping up beside him. "We're moving out first thing in the morning. I want you and your family to come with us."
Hershel offered a weak, grateful smile, but shook his head. "I appreciate everything you've done for us, son. Truly. But I can't leave this farm. My family has lived on this land for generations. Everything I know is right here."
"A massive horde of walkers could ruin this entire place in less than a day, Hershel," Gray countered smoothly. His voice was calm, but direct. "And even if the dead don't find you, a group of armed raiders eventually will. This farm is completely wide open. If a group of ten or more raiders showed up here tomorrow with guns, could you honestly protect your daughters?"
Hershel stiffened. He looked over at Maggie and Beth, who were watching the conversation from a few feet away. Gray's words hit a raw nerve because the old farmer knew, deep down, that he couldn't stop a coordinated attack by living people. He hesitated, his grip tightening on the railings.
"Just come with us tomorrow morning to check out the prison," Gray pressed, sealing the deal. "Look at the space yourself. If you're worried about keeping your family safe, I promise you that the prison is the most secure place on the planet for the time being. Just look at it first before you make your final choice."
Hershel stared out over his quiet fields for a long moment, weighing the brutal reality of the world against his love for his home. Finally, he let out a heavy sigh and nodded. "Alright, son. We'll come look at it tomorrow morning."
"Perfect." Gray smiled and started walking away. "You will not regret this, Hershel, I promise you that."
That evening at the farm, Gray took complete charge of cooking dinner. He absolutely refused to eat any more subpar, bland food when he had Joichiro Saiba's master-chef skills locked in his brain.
He set up a large outdoor station, moving with effortless speed and flawless accuracy. He chopped ingredients with lightning-fast precision, blended spices perfectly, and managed the heat on multiple pans without breaking a sweat.
A few yards away, Shane sat by the fire, his paranoia getting worse by the second. He stared holes into Gray, watching him flip ingredients like a professional chef in a five-star restaurant. To Shane, it made no sense. A quiet kid does not suddenly turn into a martial arts master, a flawless sniper, a weightlifter, and a world-class chef overnight. It wasn't natural, and it was driving him crazy.
The rest of the group, however, did not care about Shane's suspicions. The exact moment they took their first bites, everyone went wide-eyed.
"Oh my god," Amy gasped, covering her mouth.
"This is the best thing I've ever eaten," Glenn mumbled, shoveling another forkful into his mouth.
Even Daryl ate in silent appreciation, nodding to himself. The meal was a complete masterpiece. After weeks of eating stale canned goods and charred campfire meat, Gray's cooking tasted like a borderline miracle.
Once dinner was over, Carol walked over to Gray, looking completely amazed. "That was absolutely incredible. Please tell me you can teach me that recipe. I need to know how you made something taste this good with what we have."
"I can show you some tricks later," Gray replied with a tired but polite nod.
After everyone finished eating, Gray finally walked over to his tent. His new Batman stamina was top-tier, but he had been awake for more than 36 hours straight at this point. The mental exhaustion of clearing a prison, fighting inmates, and managing his system was finally catching up to him. He crawled into his sleeping bag, closed his eyes, and instantly fell into a deep, heavy sleep.
As soon as the sun rose, the farm became a blur of activity. Everyone started moving about, packing up every piece of food, clothing, and equipment necessary for the move. Even the Greene family was waiting by their vehicles. Jimmy, Beth's boyfriend, decided to stay behind to keep an eye on the farm, just in case.
Gray walked over to his Humvee, opened the door, and climbed inside. Dr. Jenner hopped into the passenger seat beside him. As Gray started the engine, Jenner turned to him and started some small talk. "I have to admit, Gray," he said, a hint of genuine life in his voice for the first time in weeks. "I'm excited to get back to work. To actually have an office or a lab space again."
"You're going to have to wait about a week more, Doc," Gray told him, pulling the Humvee into the line of departing vehicles. "I'm planning on telling the group about my powers soon. Once they know, I can get you a real setup."
Jenner blinked, looking over at him in surprise. "Do you really think that's a good idea? Telling them?"
Gray just shrugged, keeping his eyes on the dirt road ahead. "It will make things a lot easier. Once the secret is out, I can move things around openly and get us exactly what we need without sneaking out every night and having to explain myself."
Jenner sat back in his seat and nodded slowly. "Fair enough. You're the boss."
The convoy drove down the highway in a long, dusty line. By the time they arrived at the prison, they saw T-Dog and Jim working together outside the perimeter, easily clearing out a few straggling walkers that had drifted near the fence.
With the whole convoy of heavy trucks and vehicles lined up behind them, the men got out to handle the final obstacle. Together, they pushed and hauled the massive, overturned bus that had been completely blocking the second inner gate. Once the path was cleared, the entire group drove their vehicles straight up into the main courtyard.
The engines cut out, and a stunned silence fell over the trucks. Everyone got out, finally getting a good look at the massive facility.
Hershel stepped out of his truck, his eyes swept over the property. He looked genuinely surprised at the state of things. There was more than enough open, secure soil to grow crops for a massive community, a reliable water supply nearby, and heavy concrete guard towers completely surrounding the perimeter.
"Well, son," Hershel whispered, looking over at Gray. "You weren't exaggerating. This place is an absolute fortress."
"I told you," Gray said, stepping up next to the old farmer. "And this is the weakest it will ever be. I have plans to reinforce that fence and eventually expand our territory. If you want to join us permanently, we can easily make space for your cattle and your chickens."
Hershel stayed quiet for a long minute. He looked out over the wide courtyard, visualizing his livestock grazing safely behind high fences. Finally, he gave a slow nod. "We will see, son. We will see."
The whole group gathered their bags and finally walked inside the main doors of C-block. The moment they stepped across the threshold, everyone stopped. The entire place was spotless. The concrete floors were scrubbed completely clean, and the air smelled incredibly fresh and sharp.
"Damn," Glenn muttered, looking around the bright hallway. "It actually smells good in here."
"Yeah," Shane scoffed from the back of the line, his voice dripping with heavy sarcasm. "Gray miraculously found an entire supply closet in the deep corridors two days ago. Brand new stuff. Convenient, right?"
A few people looked back at Gray, but their attention was quickly drawn to the far end of the block. As they walked down the row of cells, the group saw the five prisoners locked away behind the heavy iron bars. Axel, Big Tiny, and Oscar sat quietly on their beds, but the other two cages caught everyone's eye.
The group immediately started whispering to each other in low, tense voices. Dale stepped forward, adjusting his bucket hat as he stared in shock through the bars at Tomas and Andrew. Tomas was still on his mattress, and Andrew's face was a bruised, swollen mess from his broken nose.
Dale turned to look at Gray, his eyes wide. "What on earth happened to them?"
"They tried to take over the prison two days ago," Gray summarized quickly. "I handled it, put them back in their cells, and that's where they're staying."
The explanation left a heavy, suffocating silence in the room. The families looked at the brutal physical damage on the two grown men, then back at Gray, who looked completely fine.
Rick stepped to the center of the walkway, looked at the prisoners, then back at his people. "Alright. Everyone, find a cell and start unpacking your things. But once we're settled, we need to gather in the yard. We have to decide exactly what we're going to do with these men."
Thirty minutes later, the entire adult group gathered in a circle out in the open yard. The sun was hot, and the heavy weight of the decision hung over everyone. Rick stood in the center, looking around at everyone.
Gray was one of the first ones to speak. He stepped forward. "Oscar, Big Tiny, and Axel should join our group. They're willing to put in the work, and they didn't complain once while hauling bodies in the heat. If anyone doesn't agree, we can put them on a trial period. See how they react to hard work over the next week."
A few people nodded in agreement, but Dale frowned, adjusting his bucket hat. He looked at Gray with a worried expression. "And what about the other two? Tomas and Andrew?"
Gray let out a heavy sigh. "We put them down. They haven't shown a single ounce of remorse for trying to jump me. They haven't attempted to help us with anything since we got here, if anything, they've only caused more problems. They are a permanent threat."
Dale looked completely horrified, his hands shaking slightly. "Put them down? Gray, they're locked in cages. They are contained. If we can't keep them here, then why not just let them go? Open the gates and send them away."
"If we let them go out there, they will murder innocent people," Gray replied instantly. His voice was cold. "They will rape, pillage, and do god knows what else to survive. If we open that gate and let them loose on the world, every single crime they commit out there will be on our hands. I'm not carrying that weight."
The circle instantly erupted into a tense debate. For the next thirty minutes, arguments flew back and forth. Dale argued heavily for human rights, Rick tried to find a middle ground, and the others whispered nervously among themselves.
Suddenly, Shane had had enough. He scoffed loudly, a harsh, angry sound that cut through everyone's dialogue.
Gray went dead quiet. He turned his head slowly, locking eyes with the ex-deputy. "What's the big deal, Shane?"
Shane started walking around in a tight circle, aggressively scratching the back of his head. He spit into the dirt, his face red with days' worth of built-up paranoia. "I think we gotta stop talking about these cons. We need to talk about more pressing matters right now."
Gray didn't flinch. He just stared at him. "Which is?"
Shane stopped pacing. He turned sharply and pointed his finger straight at Gray's chest. "You."