After nearly two hours on the road and several detours through walker-infested streets, Michael's convoy finally reached the Prison.
The familiar yellow school bus led the way through the darkness, its headlights cutting through the night like a beacon.
The guards atop the watchtowers spotted the vehicle almost immediately.
"It's them!"
A shout echoed across the walls.
Moments later, the massive wooden gate began to creak open. One by one, the vehicles rolled inside the prison's outer yard before coming to a stop.
Several of the newcomers stepped out and instinctively looked up.
"So this is the place, huh?"
Shepherd squinted her eyes and stared toward the towering walls surrounding the compound.
Or rather, their silhouettes.
Only a handful of torches burned near the entrance, leaving most of the prison hidden beneath the darkness.
Still, the walls were impossible to miss.
Tall.
Solid.
Safe.
"Yep," Rick answered, unable to hide the hint of pride in his voice. "The one and only. It's safe, and we've still got plenty of room for everyone."
The former officer slowly nodded.
For the first time in a long while, she felt something resembling relief.
As the newcomers continued looking around, Glenn, Oscar, and Andrea immediately got to work organizing everyone.
The hospital survivors were divided into groups.
Half were escorted toward the cell blocks to settle in for the night, while the remaining group—mostly former officers and one persistent medical personnel—stayed close to Shepherd.
Their arrival had not gone unnoticed.
Doors opened.
Torches moved through windows like wandering ghosts.
Before long, familiar faces began emerging from the prison's central building.
"You're back!"
Amy hurried toward them. Andrea smiled tiredly looking at her sister.
"Yeah. It was a little more dangerous than expected, but we made it."
The sisters quickly embraced.
They had only been apart for several hours, but in this world, every trip beyond the walls carried uncertainty.
Nighttime made those worries even worse.
People who failed to return before dark rarely had good reasons for being late.
Pulling away from the hug, Amy immediately started firing questions.
"What happened? Why are you guys so late? And who are all these people?"
Andrea laughed. "Slow down."
Amy crossed her arms.
"No."
That earned a chuckle from several people nearby.
Andrea pointed toward the newcomers.
"They're survivors from the hospital. They decided to come back with us."
The answer immediately drew surprised looks from Amy and the others.
"The hospital?" Jill asked.
"They abandoned it?"
Andrea nodded.
"The city's getting worse. It's going to become harder to survive there."
That vague explanation only created more questions.
Before anyone could ask them, Amy suddenly glanced toward the parking area.
"But where's Michael?"
Her eyes narrowed suspiciously.
"Don't tell me he disappeared again."
Andrea rolled her eyes. "Of course that's your first question."
Nearby, Lori stepped forward while unconsciously resting a hand on her stomach.
Unlike Amy, her attention had been elsewhere from the beginning.
"Where's Rick?"
Andrea pointed toward the far side of the school bus. They can't see them since the bus is blocking their sight and the dark is also not helping.
"Don't worry. They're over there. Rick and Michael are talking with Shepherd."
Lori visibly relaxed.
Without another word, she headed toward the parking area.
Amy and Jill exchanged glances before following behind her.
Watching them leave, Andrea shook her head with amusement.
Then she turned toward the newcomers. "Come on. Let's get everyone settled."
Hershel and several others quickly joined her.
There was still a lot of work to do before anyone would get any sleep tonight.
Near the parking area, Michael, Rick, and Shepherd were still discussing logistics regarding the hospital survivors.
"...we'll temporarily place some of your people in Cell Block D until we finish reorganizing the rooms," Rick explained.
Shepherd nodded.
"That should work."
Before the discussion could continue, a familiar voice interrupted them.
"What are you guys still doing out here?"
The group turned, Lori was approaching with Amy and Jill behind her.
"It's freezing."
She looked between them.
"Can't you continue whatever you're discussing inside?"
Michael smiled.
"Oh, Lori. Hey."
Rick merely glanced at her before looking away.
A brief silence followed.
The atmosphere immediately became awkward.
Michael silently sighed.
Rick eventually shoved his hands into his jacket. "I'll leave you guys here."
Without waiting for a response, he started walking away.
Lori froze and for a brief moment, sadness flashed across her face.
She nodded slowly.
Then, after several seconds of hesitation, she followed after him.
Neither of them said anything.
They simply disappeared into the darkness beyond the torchlight.
Shepherd watched them leave before turning toward Michael.
"What the hell was that?"
Michael rubbed the back of his neck.
"Trust me."
He laughed softly. "It's a long story."
Amy stepped forward and extended a hand.
"Hi. I'm Amy."
She flashed Shepherd a welcoming smile. "And congratulations on joining us."
The former officer blinked before shaking her hand.
"Thanks."
"She's Andrea's sister," Michael explained and he pointed toward Jill. "And that's Jill."
Realization flashed across Shepherd's face.
"Ah."
The introductions continued for a few moments before Shepherd glanced toward the direction Rick and Lori had disappeared.
"So seriously."
She pointed.
"What's really up with those? It's making me curious."
Michael chuckled. "Like I said, a long story."
"If you stay here long enough, you'll eventually hear about it." He shrugged.
That only made Shepherd more curious.
Unfortunately for her, nobody seemed interested in explaining further.
As everyone continued talking, one pair of eyes remained elsewhere.
Officer Gorman stood near the edge of the group.
Quiet.
Observant.
His gaze followed Lori's retreating figure.
Slowly.
Deliberately.
A grin spread across his face.
One hidden behind his hand.
His tongue briefly ran across his lips.
'Interesting.'
Nobody noticed.
Or perhaps nobody paid enough attention.
Either way, Gorman eventually looked away.
Shortly after everyone had been assigned rooms and basic supplies, the prison gradually settled down.
The noise died down and voices became distant murmurs.
Michael eventually made his way toward Cell Block C.
Inside, he found Hershel, Maggie, and Glenn gathered around a table.
The three appeared to be in the middle of a serious discussion.
"Hey."
The moment he entered, all three looked up.
Hershel wasted no time. "I heard what happened."
His expression was grim.
"Are there really monsters like that among the walkers?"
Michael immediately understood. Glenn had already filled them in.
"Yeah."
He took a seat.
"And before you ask, the walker we found trapped in the well at your farm was one too."
Hershel and Maggie exchanged looks.
"We thought you were just saying that since it looked different," Maggie admitted.
"We didn't realize they could become something that dangerous."
Michael nodded.
"Neither did I."
That much was true.
Even now, he wasn't entirely sure how many variants existed and why they are appearing, when they should not.
"To be honest, I wasn't expecting it either."
"It's almost like they're Pokémon that evolved or something."
The joke fell flat. Nobody looked amused.
Michael coughed awkwardly.
"Tough crowd."
Glenn shook his head.
"Honestly, I'm more surprised by you."
Michael raised an eyebrow. "What?"
"You fought one of those things head-on."
Glenn laughed incredulously.
"I watched part of it. Most people would've died."
Michael immediately waved him off.
"Trust me, it wasn't nearly as cool as it looked."
"That's not what it looked like from where I was standing."
Michael snorted. "That's because you didn't see the parts where I was afraid for my life."
A few chuckles escaped around the table.
He shrugged. "Seriously. I've run into those things a few times already."
"And every single time I almost ended up as walker food."
The humor faded slightly.
"Today was probably the first time I actually managed to kill one by myself."
That got everyone's attention.
"There were more?" Hershel immediately asked.
Michael nodded.
"One before I met Lee's group."
He held up another finger.
"And another that Lee and the others ran into while trying to regroup with us."
The room grew quieter.
Maggie's expression became troubled.
Hershel looked even worse.
The realization that such creatures existed beyond the prison walls was difficult to ignore.
Seeing their reactions, Michael sighed.
"Relax."
The older man looked at him skeptically.
Michael smiled. "This place is safe."
"As long as everyone does their part and doesn't do anything stupid, we'll be fine."
Unfortunately, the reassurance only helped a little.
Words alone couldn't erase what they had just learned tonight.
Especially after hearing how close Michael himself had come to dying.
After a long silence, Hershel spoke again.
"Then cancel tomorrow."
Michael already knew what he meant.
"The attack."
Hershel folded his arms.
"If these creatures are out there, then making that much noise is only going to attract more trouble."
His expression hardened.
"Every life we lose tomorrow is also a loss this community can't afford."
The old veterinarian had opposed the assault from the very beginning.
Nothing had changed.
Michael met his gaze.
"No."
The answer came immediately.
Hershel frowned.
Michael leaned forward.
"It has to happen."
The room fell silent.
Outside, the wind howled softly through the prison yard.
"Woodbury and the Prison can't coexist."
His eyes narrowed. "Two tigers can't share the same mountain."
Nobody spoke.
The weight of tomorrow's battle settled heavily over the room.
Finally, Michael stood.
"And if we're going to sleep at all tonight, we should probably stop arguing about it."
Nobody laughed.
The coming dawn promised blood.
Everyone in the room knew it.