Chapter 81

**- Narrator -**

The discussion went on for a while, each giving their respective view on the subject, but all unanimously agreed that it was indeed a good strategy, one they should strive to make a reality.

"We will discuss further details later on." Xenon took control of the conversation again, shifting their focus to something else. "I think it's time we discuss another thing we have been neglecting for a while." They nodded at him to continue. "Food. Our primary source of food as of right now is scavenging, and I don't think that's a good strategy in the long run for obvious reasons."

"That has been on my mind for a while." Jim agreed. "We will eventually run out of places to loot, and even the products we've been looting will soon be inedible."

"There is a vast area around this place, they seem decent enough." Hershel remarked. "We could set up a few fields, have a proper source of food in a few months."

"We can even expand our territory further once we have enough manpower." Xenon nodded in agreement.

"Hold on a minute." Rick suddenly interrupted. "What do you mean 'enough manpower'? You think we should get more people to join us?" Almost everyone frowned at the thought, the previous experience with foreigners heavily tainting their view on the subject. All eyes were on Xenon now.

"I don't think have a choice on the subject." Xenon informed them calmly.

"Explain." Shane asked.

"Honestly..." Xenon sighed. "I've been expecting us to clash with another group for a while now. I believed we would within a year at most, but it came much earlier than I expected. I still believe we will clash with other groups in the future. It's unavoidable. Increasing our numbers will increase our chances of survival."

"I need to remind you that would also increase our food consumption, and we're already lacking in that department." Jim pointed out.

"I estimate we need to last 2 years with whatever food we have right now." Xenon nodded. "And if we play our cards right, we'll already have started producing. In the meantime, we pour all our resources to make sure the infrastructure is ready before then. When that time comes, it will only come to defending what we already have, and we do that by eliminating the threat. And with overwhelming numbers, that would no longer be a problem."

"And you think the way forward is by killing any group we come across?" Dale asked with a raised eyebrow. Xenon did not get angry, merely smiled and turned to him.

"You truly have a talent for twisting my words, Dale." Xenon shook his head wryly. "No, that's not what I meant."

"I don't see the difference." Dale shook his head. "Any group that isn't us is a potential threat. We can still reason with them, can't we?"

"Obviously, as long as they are reasonable. But once they show hostile intention, negotiating is off the table." Xenon said firmly.

"Everyone shows hostile intentions when meeting strangers." Dale looked at him incredulously. "That can't possibly be a good enough reason to start killing people left and right."

"Treaties and Agreements are temporary. Death is permanent." Xenon told him. "You don't deal with predators by asking them nicely to leave you alone, you delete them from existence."

"We're talking about humans here, not animals. You can't put them in the same category..." Dale shook his head. "Just because we had bad dealings with a few people doesn't mean we should make that the norm."

"Humans are the worst, Dale." Xenon shook his head. "Besides, do you seriously believe any hostile group would bother to negotiate with us if they were sure they could kill us?"

"I gotta back up Xen on this one, Dale." Shane interrupted. "If one of us gotta die, I'd rather it be them than us."

"Same." Daryl said. "I'm glad we didn't listen to your nonsense about peace before we fought those a-holes, otherwise we'd be toast by now."

"There is no need to blame anyone, Daryl." Jim chided him. "He said what he believed, and I don't think he should be blamed for that, even if I disagree with him."

"If we are going to start taking in people, I don't think our lack of leadership will do us any good." Rick said thoughtfully. "I'm all for democracy, but if we take in more people, they might start outvoting us, promoting actions that could cost our lives."

"Amen to that." Daryl chuckled, still looking at Dale with accusation clear in his eyes, the latter being the perfect living example of what Rick just warned about. The group descended into silence, thinking it over, wondering who might be a good candidate should they choose a leader, even though for most of them, the answer was crystal clear...

"Who do you think it should be?" Hershel asked him, though he already knew the answer to that question. Rick was conflicted about how to answer that question. On the one hand, he didn't want to put such a burden on a sixteen years old boy, on the other hand...

"Let's not beat around the bush." Theodore chimed in. "Xenon has been our implicit leader for a while now, and I say why replace something that already works. Thanks to him, we have not suffered a single death, even though it could've easily happened time and again."

"You can't be serious..." Dale could not understand why they refused to see reason. Xenon is too ruthless for his tastes, and he was extremely wary of what the future holds for them if he was given free rein.

"I agree." Shane added. "He has a good head on his shoulders. He is not impulsive, has his priority set straight, and doesn't shy away from getting his hands dirty."

"Agreed." Andrea nodded. "It's thanks to him we're all alive and well."

"Let's vote then." Jim proposed. "Those in favor." The only one who didn't raise his hand was Dale, but that was to be expected. He made it plenty clear before that he doesn't agree with Xenon's methods.

"Thank you, everyone, for your votes of confidence, but let me clarify a few things first." Xenon said calmly, regulating his facial expression and his tone so that it doesn't come off as 'bossy', only to be used against him later by *certain individuals*. "Being a leader has never been my ambition." A lie.

"The only ambition I am guilty of is survival if we can call it that. I see no glory to be had, nothing much to be gained personally. I can't promise you anything but this: I will do my best to make sure we survive. I offer a realistic view of what things are. Some would call me a pessimist, but I'd rather assume the worst than being surprised by the disgusting state our reality has become.

Needless to say, I don't believe I am all-knowing. I still have much to learn, so I count on everyone's support. If you believe something is genuinely beneficial to the group, feel free to say it. It was never my intention to antagonize anyone. And I mean you, Dale. While I fundamentally disagree with your view on some things, I still believe you have much to contribute to the group. I just hope our disagreement won't blind you to the common goal we share." Dale was a bit impressed and won over to a certain point. But Xenon's 'kill all that moves' policy still left a bad taste in his mouth, so he nodded, albeit reluctantly.

"Good." They soon moved the conversation forward, which proved to be longer than expected. Xenon raised several points of discussion, which only cemented their trust in his abilities. Things from resource management to plans for the internal structure of the prison. He informed them about some of his plans they could start working on in a few months, the more feasible ones first, like establishing a forge inside the prison, mainly to manufacture weapons to fight off walkers. By the end of the discussion, everyone believe it to be fruitful, and none of them believed that one and a half-hour was wasted, except Daryl who wasn't much of a talker in the first place.