Merle

Alex: Call everyone except E4 and E5.

He spread the map on the hood of the truck and marked the gun stores, grocery stores, and sporting goods stores.

E1: Sir, everyone is here.

Alex: We will gather as many resources as possible within 4-5 days. Even if we can't take it with us, we'll hide it in some places.

E1: Sir, why didn't you mark the police station?

Alex: It's very simple. They locked up the wanderers in police stations, thinking they were sick. After the incident broke out, people took to the streets to go to the police station. While the police stations in smaller towns only have their own people, the police station here is too dangerous for us.

E1, E2, and E3, you're coming with me. We're going to the sporting goods stores. E6, E7, E8, E9, and E10, you'll go to the gun store.

Alex and his team worked tirelessly for 4 days to gather resources. Alex took 2 mountaineering axes from the sporting goods store to use as his own cold weapons and constantly wanted to kill zombies to get stronger faster.

In an empty street, dozens of zombies ran towards Alex, who was holding two axes. Alex was calm, as if he was born into this environment. He was not the same as when he first arrived. He plunged the axe into the first zombie's stomach and kicked the other zombie away. He hit the third one in the head with his other axe. When he pulled out the axe, all the blood splattered on his body. He was laughing and rejoicing with that blood. He pulled the axe out of his stomach and swung it towards his neck, cutting off his head.

E1: Sir, we need to go back.

Alex: E1, no. I'm going to call you Jack. How much resources do we have now?

Alex turned and looked at Jack. At first, he thought they were machines. Since they didn't talk without orders, 3 days ago when E1 focused, a window appeared in front of him. This window showed all of E1's body statistics. At the bottom of the window were two sections labeled "Conscious Thinking" and "Unconscious Thinking." Unconscious thinking meant they couldn't move without being commanded, while conscious thinking meant thinking and acting like a human, but always for the benefit of their master.

Jack: We have enough weapons to arm hundreds of people to the teeth, enough food for thousands of people to last a year, and some medicine.

Alex: Hmm, good. We can get ready to go to the prison.

Bang!

Alex: Who the hell is shooting in the middle of the city? What kind of gun is that loud?

Jack: It's a Colt Python Magnum 6-shot revolver.

Alex felt a great joy when he heard this. Not because he saw Rick, maybe if it had been 3 days ago. No, it was the same time as the story.

Alex: Jack, tell everyone to get ready, we're about to leave. But before that... What was his name? Daryl. If I save his brother and take him with us, they'll be more likely to join us when they come to the prison in a year. Even if they don't, it's important. Daryl is perfect for being a glove, he's a man capable of doing anything to survive. He's not harmful, I just have to prevent him from cutting off his hand. Should I cut it off? No, he'll be disabled. I'll save him.

On a rooftop, a 35-year-old man dressed like a sheriff was handcuffing a white man's arm to a pipe. The people around him were watching, but none of them were aware that they could die at any moment. 800 meters away, on another rooftop, a Barrett M82A1 sniper rifle was mounted on the ground, watching their every move.

Alex picked up the radio: "Jack, be ready in half an hour. You will move to save him as soon as I fire."

Jack and his team were fully equipped, 100 meters from the building. Alex watched their every move through the scope of the gun. He wondered if there was any difference from the movies. But there was no difference. Rick was pointing his finger at the trucks and talking about something. An Asian man stepped forward and made a "I'm in" gesture.

Alex: "Rick Grimes, Glenn, I'll be waiting for you to join me."

Alex was one of those who was upset about Rick's death in season 9. There were so many characters who could have died instead of Rick: Daryl, Carol, Maggie... But they killed Rick. Then they said he would be back in 3 movies. He could join Rick and his team right now, but he didn't need raw people. They had to go through what they had to go through so they could help him.

In the empty streets, Glenn started the car alarm to draw the walkers towards him. The group started to move to get into Rick's truck. As the brunette person next to Daryl's brother reached out to give him the key to the handcuffs, the key slipped out of his hand and fell out of reach. He tried to cut the handcuffs with a saw.

When he started banging on the roof door with the walkers, he threw the saw away and ran up the stairs in fear. Daryl started yelling after his brother.

He tried to cut the handcuffs with the saw, he was panicking. The saw wasn't cutting the handcuffs. The roof door broke at that moment. The walkers ran towards him, their eyes shining with cruelty. He decided to cut off his hand with the saw.

Bang!

A gunshot rang out, the upper body of the walker closest to him being disintegrated. Gunshots rang out in quick succession, walkers dropping one by one. Black-armored figures emerged from among the walkers, their bodies covered in walker blood and viscera. The walkers didn't attack them.

They approached him in a coordinated manner. One of them leaned towards him, their eyes meeting. Daryl's brother recoiled when he saw the man's eyes, his hair standing on end.

Daryl's brother: "Who... who are you?"

Jack: "I'm Jack. I saw a man in need of help here, and I came to help. Do you need my help?"

Daryl's brother: "Yes, help me."

Jack: "Hmm, first of all, how would you like me to address you?"

Daryl's brother: "Merle."

Jack: "What can I get if I help you? They locked you up here."

Merle: "You were watching us, why? What are you after?"

Jack: "It wasn't watching. We were just curious when an idiot started shooting in the city. Anyway, let's forget about that. What do I gain if I help you?"

Merle began to examine the people around him. They were all fully equipped. They wore black armor, each with AR-15 style assault rifles and pistols, but they killed the walkers with axes. Cold weapon... His eyes went to the first walker that was shot, its upper body was blown to pieces. None of their weapons could do such a thing. They had a sniper. We could all die at any moment. But they didn't kill us.

Merle: If I'm not mistaken, you must have a sniper. You could have killed us at any time. On the contrary, you came to me when the others left. Do you want the location of their base? I can tell you.

In an instant, the butt of a gun hit his face. He staggered back, trying to make sense of what was happening. He raised his head and looked at the face in front of him.

Jack: "You're wondering why I hit you? You're using their location as your trump card. I hit you for two reasons: One, I don't like traitors. Two, you're using something we already know as a trump card against us.

Merle: You said you know where we are? Ha ha! You think I'll believe that!

Jack: "Your group is at the quarry."

Merle looked at the man in front of him with empty eyes. He had lost his only trump card. He didn't know what they wanted from him. He thought they were playing with him. He shouted angrily:

Merle: "Then why did you come to help me? I have nothing to offer you to help me!"

Jack laughed softly.

Jack: "I don't know what the captain saw in you. He wanted someone as stupid as you in Ghost. What you can offer is your loyalty, your life. From now on, you will be a Ghost, you will obey every order. I will give you 30 seconds to think.

Merle, what he was going to do started to weigh on his mind. He wanted to live. If following orders meant he could live, then he would do it gladly. He was a man who would do anything to survive. What he didn't realize was that Alex wanted him for that very trait.

Merle: "I accept. I'll join you."

Jack broke the handcuffs with his hatchet.

Jack: "Good, follow us."

The group made their way down the building, killing walkers in a coordinated fashion, leaving a trail of blood in their wake. Daryl's brother, who was at the back, was in shock. He knew the team was strong, but he didn't know they were this strong. Any thoughts of escape or rebellion he had quickly vanished.

They passed through back alleys and reached one of the buildings behind a fire station. Standing in front of them was a man with black hair, brown eyes, 1.80 meters tall and slightly muscular. When Merle and Alex's eyes met, Merle took a deep breath. The man in front of him was not a man, but a hunter. But Merle didn't know that was just his appearance.

Alex: "Merle, welcome to Ghost. I don't care what kind of person you were before. The moment you join Ghost, you have to obey orders without question. E2, you are responsible for his training. I want you to develop him to the point where he can challenge even the best soldiers. Jack, come with me. The rest of you start loading all the equipment onto the trucks and let the other survivors know we're leaving tomorrow. Anyone who wants to come should be ready in front of the building at 6am."

Alex entered his own building.

Alex: "Jack, we'll be leaving for Georgia State Prison tomorrow. The cars are on the way and they won't stop until I say so. There will be an armed man in the back of the trucks. Keep track of the preparations. Choose someone to screen the survivors. Anyone who poses a threat to Ghost doesn't need to breathe."

Alex lay down on his bed. He was filled with excitement and fear for the future. If he could carry out his plans, he would conquer this world, but he could also die in the process. Great challenges awaited him.

Survivors Pov

Upon learning that Ghost would be leaving Atlanta tomorrow morning, all the survivors gathered in Ron's room. They were contemplating whether to join or not. They could not agree on a common decision. On one side was the family led by Ron and Yelena, and on the other side was the group led by Jane.

Ron: "We should join them. They can ensure our survival in this apocalypse."

Jane: "No, they don't treat us like humans. If we join them, we will have to give up our freedom, everything."

Ron growled angrily: "Freedom? What freedom are you talking about? In this apocalyptic world, power is above everything. If we want to survive, we must always give up something. Do you know why I was in Iraq?"

Jane: "I know your kind, pretending to be cool or killing people for the sake of harming others and satisfying your own ego."

Ron, his eyes red: "You don't know anything. My mother had cancer, I needed money. I became a soldier for her. I realized it while fighting there. In this world, you always have to give up something to live or to let others live. I left my conscience there."

Everyone looked at Ron, feeling sympathy for him.

At that moment, there was a knock on the door. All eyes turned to the door.

Merle entered the room with a provocative smile.

Merle: "Hey kids and sexy ladies, I couldn't help but overhear your conversation. I normally don't give a damn about what you do. But I came because I thought it would be easier if a few more new kids joined since I joined Ghost."

Jane: "You have no business here. What we do is none of your concern."

Merle: "Yeah, it doesn't concern me. I just came to convince a few more recruits."

Jane: "So, you came to convince us to join them?"

Merle: "I came to convince everyone in this room except you. Because..."

Jane: "What do you mean by "everyone in this room except you"? Are you belittling me?"

Merle burst out laughing: "Yes, you are still under the illusion that you are in the pre-apocalyptic world. You keep talking about pre-apocalyptic values, but none of that matters now. Right now, the rules and values of the one with the bigger fist are valid."

Jane: "Nonsense! You're talking nonsense! The government may have collapsed and its rules may be invalid, but universal moral principles still hold true."

Merle burst out laughing again: "How sweet of you. Anyway, I'm not going to bother with you. Yes, I heard you have two options now: to join or not to join. I think it's enough for me to explain the benefits of joining. If you join, you will have a team of well-equipped and trained elites to protect you and a safe base. In short, YOU WILL SURVIVE."

Everyone fell into deep thought with these words. What the man said was true, and they knew it. Ron had said it before, but they kept putting worthless things in front of them and rejecting them. But the phrase "you will survive" shook their minds. They had all made their decisions. They had to join to survive. Of course, there will always be some fools. It's kind of a rule of this world.

Merle studied their faces, knowing they had made their decision. Until his eyes met Jane's. It was clear from her face that she would not join. He said to himself, "idiot.