"What did you just say?"
Hershel stared at Lucien like he had just suggested they all jump off a cliff.
Dale looked even more worried. "Lucien, I know you are worried about them. We all are. But..."
He let out a sigh.
"But you have got no idea how dangerous those people are," Hershel finished for him.
He was not looking at Lucien when he said it. His eyes were on the adults in the room.
"Their base is a big canned food factory on the outskirts. And the people running it are not just fanatics. The core group are trained soldiers. Outsiders cannot just sneak in. And a direct assault?" He looked around at the ragtag group of survivors in his living room. "With what we have got? That would be suicide."
Glenn asked, "So what, we just leave them there and give up?"
"I am not saying that," Hershel replied. "We need to be realistic about our options."
Lucien, who had been standing quietly by the window, turned to face them. He walked over to Hershel.
"You know the factory layout, do you not? What about personnel arrangements? Guard rotations?"
Hershel blinked. "What?"
"Your children are part of that organization," Lucien said. "Maggie helped us leave, which means she can move between their base and the outside. If that is true, then you must know something about how they operate."
"I know a little." Hershel looked into Lucien's eyes and found himself nodding. "After they joined, they were required to live at the factory. They only come home occasionally, and the visits are always brief. Someone is always watching them. At least, that is what I believe."
"That will do." Lucien walked over to Miranda's backpack, which was sitting on Hershel's coffee table, and pulled out a notepad and pen. "Tell me everything you know."
The group watched in silence as he sat at the table and began sketching. Hershel described the factory in uneven fragments, recalling the main gates, the warehouse sections, and the areas he believed were used as living quarters. Lucien's hand moved quickly across the page, forming a rough map filled with notes and question marks.
These people had to be dealt with. That much was certain. The real question was how.
Part of him wanted to march straight to that factory and tear it apart. He had magic now. He possessed power these people could not begin to comprehend.
But reality imposed its own limits. He was an eleven-year-old boy with a wand and only one reliable combat spell.
The Levitation Charm was versatile, but it was not a weapon of mass destruction. And magic was not the solution to every problem. Today had proven that.
He had seen that woman get rejected by Rick on the highway. He had thought they were safe. Then he had dozed off for twenty minutes in the back of the RV, and the next thing he knew, a rocket launcher had turned their vehicle into a tumbling metal coffin.
He had used the Levitation Charm in that split second, trying to control the roll. But if Maggie had not been among the people who came to check the wreckage, they would all be in cages right now alongside Rick and the others.
No plan was perfect. And no amount of magic could account for every variable.
Overreliance on brute force would just get him killed. Or worse, get everyone else killed while he was busy being clever.
The optimal solution here was not flashy. It was quiet.
The factory might have walls and guards, but it also had people coming and going. Maggie had proven that. And no amount of security could stop someone wearing an Invisibility Cloak.
The Levitation Charm might not be a combat powerhouse, but was perfect for stealth kills. He could crush a sentry's windpipe without making a sound, create distractions by moving objects, or even manipulate weapons for ranged kills.
And this time, he would not have to worry about witnesses or maintaining his cover.
A cold edge crept into his thoughts. In his mind, those cultists were already dead. They just did not know it yet.
Which meant he could use whatever methods were most efficient. If necessary, he would use magic to play on their superstitions.
The plan started taking shape.
"Lucien..." Hershel's voice pulled him back to the present. "You are not planning to go there, are you?"
"Yes," Lucien said simply. He set down the pen and looked up.
"You are just a kid!" Hershel's voice rose. "What do you think you can possibly do against trained soldiers and armed fanatics?"
"Not just him."
Glenn had moved to stand beside Lucien without anyone noticing. "Me too. Those bastards took our supplies and our people. I cannot just sit here and pretend nothing happened. I will not."
Hershel looked between them and let out a long breath.
"Alright. Then what exactly are you planning to do? Because I will tell you right now. The people guarding the perimeter are the Shepherd's most devoted followers. You cannot bribe them. And you cannot reason with them. They would die before they let unauthorized people through those gates."
"Their defenses are designed for adults," Lucien said. "Someone my size might find gaps."
"You are being naive!" Hershel shot back immediately. "Maggie told me they specifically train children to gain survivors' trust. They use kids as scouts and spies. They know children can be threats. Their guard will not be down just because you are young!"
"That makes it even better," Lucien countered. "If they are recruiting children, then they will not turn away one more, especially one who looks lost and desperate."
Hershel opened his mouth, then closed it. The kid had a point, damn him.
"You want to infiltrate as a spy?" He shook his head. "It is not that simple..."
Lucien knew it was not simple.
This was just the surface explanation. He could not exactly tell them, "Do not worry, I have got an Invisibility Cloak that will let me waltz past their guards."
"If that is the plan, then I should go!" Glenn interjected.
"No," Lucien said flatly. "First, you are an adult male. You do not look weak or vulnerable. You do not fit their recruitment profile. They would be suspicious immediately. Second, I need you to do something else."
"What?"
"Get reinforcements." Lucien turned to look at him fully. "Go to the nursing home. I do not know if Guillermo and his people will help, but we need every advantage we can get."
"Then what about the infiltration?" Glenn pressed. "We need someone to get eyes inside."
He looked around the room, taking in their limited options. Amy was injured. Andrea had collapsed after giving her sister a blood transfusion and had yet to regain consciousness. The others were either elderly or mothers with young children.
They could not seriously expect Lucien to take all the risk.
Dale cleared his throat. "Maybe I could try approaching the factory," he said. "I could pretend I want to join them."
"You cannot," Lucien said immediately. "You were the only one who spoke up for that woman on the highway. They remember you, Dale. The moment you get close, they will recognize you."
Dale's face fell.
"But he has got the right idea."
Everyone turned to look at Miranda. She was standing by the couch where her children were sleeping.
"You should go with Glenn to the nursing home," she said, looking at Lucien. "You saved their people before. They will be more likely to listen if you are there."
She took a deep breath. "As for the infiltration... I will go. I am the most suitable."
"Miranda—"
"Think about it," she cut Dale off. "That woman used a mother-and-child act to gain trust. We can do the same thing."
"But the child is the key component. Are you planning to bring your own kids into danger?" Lucien pointed out.
Miranda's body went rigid. She glanced at her sleeping children on the couch.
She was about to speak when a voice came from behind her.
"I can go."
Everyone froze.
Sophia was sitting up on the other couch, clutching her doll to her chest. "I can go with Miranda."
"Sophia!" Glenn looked horrified.
"No!" Miranda said immediately. She crossed the room to kneel in front of the girl. "It is too dangerous. I will not put you at risk like that."
"But..." Sophia's eyes were filling with tears, but she did not look away. "Mom is still there. I want to help get her back."
"Sophia," Lucien said gently, trying to find the right words. "You are just a—"
"But Lucien," Sophia interrupted, looking up at him. "You are just a kid too."
Lucien found himself without a response. What could he say to that?
Miranda let out a long, shaky breath before standing and walking over to Lucien. She placed a gentle hand on his shoulder.
"She has a point," she said softly.
Her gaze moved around the room as she continued. "We know what you are capable of. We have all seen it. You saved Merle. You warned us when danger was coming. Those things might not seem extraordinary to you. Maybe facing danger comes naturally to you. But that does not make it right for us to rely on you like this. But you are a child, Lucien. You should be the one we protect, not the one protecting us"
The room went silent.
Lucien looked at Miranda, then at Sophia, then at the others. Dale was nodding slowly. Glenn looked conflicted but was not arguing. Even Hershel seemed to be considering it.
They were right, in a way. He was a child. And they were adults who were supposed to protect children.