A/N: So… Yeah, I don't have much to say. Enjoy! :)
Outside, the prison was as it had been since the group had first commandeered it; walkers stumbling around its perimeters, the surrounding trees occasionally swaying in the soft breeze that appeared every so often, the soft hum of the insects hidden amongst the grass. It was the picture of serenity, if you could ignore the fact that the clumsy walkers would spiral into a frenzied, murderous mob at the first hint of fresh meat.
Inside the prison was a different story. The mood was quiet, yet the atmosphere was almost stifling. You could feel the excitement of the people at the thought of justice, of seeing the causer of so much pain brought to pay for what he had done. There was a lightness in the air that was palpable, reverberating off the walls as people loitered in their rooms.
Rick announces that it's almost time, but already a group have gathered in the courtyard, eyes occasionally drifting to the cluttered pile of wood already prepared in the field.
The door opens noisily, causing people to shift their attention to the doorway, only to turn away in disinterest at the sight of Andrea and Michonne. They're followed by Shumpert, guarded by Glenn and Maggie and bound in handcuffs salvaged from the turned prison wardens. Not two minutes later, after Shumpert is sitting on a chair in the field and incapable of moving without causing alarm, Caesar is brought outside as well, placed into a chair 5 feet away from his accomplice facing the wood pile. The people in the courtyard start to pour into the field after being motioned the okay, making sure to steer clear of the two prisoners.
The only people not present already are Rick, Daryl, Tyreese, Sasha and Carol, but it's not more than ten minutes before they appear, Rick leading solemnly with Sasha and Carol bringing up the rear, guns trained on the man bound at the wrists and ankles being dragged by Tyreese and Daryl. Even from the field, Philip can be seen struggling, thrashing against the grip of the two men. The procession makes its way down to the front of the crowd, standing just in front of the firewood.
Now that Philip is closer, everyone can hear him hissing and howling, even forced to kneel as he is, straining to break free.
"You're all going to die," he growls, low voice travelling through the people and causing them to recoil at the venom in his tone. The enraged man continues, teeth bared like a wild animal and mouth curled into a feral grin. "You won't live all that long, soon, biters will get you, they always do." There's no sign of the cool, collected man who was present even when carrying out the post-battle massacre. He sways from side to side forcefully, trying to use his strength to break away from his captors, but stops when Rick drives the butt of his rifle into his temple. The crowd stares on as Rick swings the rifle securely onto his back, Philip's head lolling to the side when Daryl and Tyreese shift his lax body into straightening.
Rick turns his attention to the crowd, eyes consumed by a simmering fire.
"I'm not going to drag this out, there's no point. But I would like to say that it's a sad day when we have to turn against another human being, when there is a far greater enemy beyond these fences. For the wrong this man has committed, he shall face death." His gaze finds that of the two men in the chairs, sending them a silent promise that they could be next. He only receives a grim, understanding expression from the taller of the two, and a stoic one from the other. Narrowing his eyes, he places a hand on the revolver in his holster, pulling it out and pointing it steadily at the forehead of the unconscious man.
He pulls the trigger, and the gunshot rings throughout the field.
Several people jump from within the crowd, startled despite the visual warning. Most shy away from the sight of the hole in the centre of the man's forehead. Andrea breathes in deeply through her nose, heart lightening at the presence of Philip leaving this world. Michonne studies her, having only watched the bullet leave the back of his skull before turning her attention to the blonde at her side. She can see the relief spreading on Andrea's face, previously tense facial muscles loosening.
Andrea collects herself and catches the sight of Michonne watching her out of the corner of her eye. She turns and gives a small, soft smile, taking in the way Michonne stares at her, expression relaxed and brown eyes gazing intently at her. The shifting of the crowd around them draws them out of their own little world, and they realise the whole ordeal is over.
The people begin to move back up into the prison, leaving behind the majority of the original group with their two remaining prisoners. Philip's body has already been dumped unceremoniously on top of the wood, and Daryl is starting the fire, using smaller lit branches to spread the flames more rapidly. Rick paces in front of the chairs, eyes fixating on one face before studying the other. He moves around to the back, noting how the men try to follow his movement. Good, they were intimidated, enough to be wary of him.
"Your boss is dead, thanks to you," he comments. His tone could almost be considered jovial as he stops moving, out of their direct sight.
"He's not our boss," Shumpert speaks, deep voice strong in his conviction. "He stopped being our boss the moment he killed our people."
"What about the other people you've killed? The soldiers?" Rick continues.
"Wouldn't you defend your people against any threat by any way possible? Protect them how you could?" Caesar speaks up, staring forlornly up at the ex-sheriff. "The Governor, he was good, you know. He looked after our people. But then, when everyone drove off from here… He snapped. Gunned everyone down, and we took off with him. What else could we do? He would've shot us, too."
"Once we started driving, the Governor started talking about getting revenge, hunting down Michonne. He didn't even care about the fact that he'd killed all of our people. Martinez and I, we knew it wasn't safe at all for us, even if we thought the bastard was right. He was not our boss, not anymore," Shumpert explains.
"Why'd you come to us? You could've killed him, and gone off on your own."
"We almost did. We went back to Woodbury on the Governor's orders and there was no one there. All the supplies were gone, and we couldn't find any bodies. We knew you had come and taken the rest of the people, so we decided to tie up the Governor and bring him to you."
"We don't want to keep on running, always having to keep an eye out. We know you guys have a secure place here, and you need people, strong people. We can help you." Shumpert carries on from his companion's words, eyes appealing to the others for forgiveness. "Those are our people in there, regardless of what the Governor did. We want to help."
Rick strolls around to the front, eyeing them both once more.
"I've heard enough, you're going back to your cell." He gestures for the others to grab the men and follows them, gun raised once more. Michonne and Andrea accompany them, helping guard the men as Daryl and Carol stay behind to tend to the fire.
In the meeting room – Shumpert and Caesar having been put away by now – the people sit around the table.
"Does anyone trust them?" Rick asks.
"I don't," Glenn volunteers almost immediately, gaining solemn nods from Sasha, Carl and a hesitant one from Maggie.
The others appear more torn, glancing amongst each other.
"What's going to happen, then?" Beth speaks up.
"Until we feel they can be counted on, they're staying in their cells," Rick says, earning a glower from his son.
"What if they escape?" Carl demands, standing up and clenching his fists. Beth puts a hand on his shoulder, but he shrugs it off. "We killed the Governor, why shouldn't we do the same with them?"
Rick steps closer, face troubled by his son's lust for blood. "The Governor's death was for the best; everyone knew it and agreed. We have people on the fence now, and I don't know if killing the Governor's men is the way to go. Unfortunately, they were right. We need more people. In the meantime maybe we can find a use for them, labour or something."
"I think your father is right in this, Carl," Hershel's face is grim as he trains his stare on the boy. In response, Carl sends a defiant glare and walks away, shoulders tense and fists still clenched tightly. Andrea raises her eyebrows as she looks at Michonne to see the other woman staring after the boy with concern in her eyes. She slips her hand into Michonne's, smiling softly when she receives a mildly befuddled expression.
"He'll be fine," Andrea whispers, turning her attention to Rick after Michonne gives her a tight-lipped smile of assurance. "So the plan is to keep them in their cells until we know we can trust them?" Rick bobs his head in confirmation.
"We'll keep an eye on them, have someone watching them all of the time. Any attempt at escape, and they've lost their chance."
