The Walking Dead: A New Beginning From the End of the World

After looking at the equipment Jason and his soldiers had, Rick, who had insisted on taking all the weapons from the police station, murmured, "Well, I guess you don't need weapons, you're well-prepared!"

"That doesn't change the fact that we'll take weapons from different warehouses. Anything that can kill is welcome to us."

Everyone began moving the equipment into the storage area, and in an instant, they carried off three large bags of weapons. Various other items were loaded onto the cargo trucks, to be used only if necessary.

Jason had been in communication with several cleanup and resource extraction teams stationed in the surrounding areas. One of the reasons he was in the county near the city was because survivors could be found and rescued more easily here.

He had left that task to Morgan, and now that he knew the ideal moment had come to take more action, he decided to start making bold moves.

Seeing the elderly civilians in a military truck, Jason didn't hesitate. He decided to send them to the center first, allowing them to rest and recover from the stress of not knowing how much longer they might survive.

"Alright, let's get out of here."

Once the orders were given, everyone got into the cars and trucks, leaving the place behind in a cloud of dust.

Sitting in the passenger seat, Jason ensured everything was in order. As the one giving the orders, he led the way back for the main convoy.

...

Around ten in the morning, the group split into two. The first headed directly to the CDC with most of the resources, while the second, led by Jason, went to rescue Shane's group.

Looking out the window as they got closer to their destination, Jason picked up the radio and spoke in a serious voice. "Zz... Shane, we're heading toward Atlanta. Is everyone ready to be picked up?"

A short time later, Shane's voice came through the radio. "We're not all here... Part of the group went out for supplies a few days ago and hasn't returned yet. They're still in the city."

"Then we'll pick them up first and come back for you afterward."

"Be careful!"

An irrational decision? Not for Jason, who knew all too well that the course of events could change now that he was here. That's why he was willing to take on responsibilities that might not be the smartest.

Any small change, no matter how minor, had to pass before his eyes, or he wouldn't notice the difference between today and what lay ahead in the future.

"That sounds good to me." Hearing Jason's decision, Rick also nodded. From what he understood, that group of survivors was with his wife, and although his desire to reunite with his family was strong, he couldn't help but feel grateful to those who had stayed with his loved ones all this time.

He also wanted to see what condition the city was in—maybe it was even better than King County.

As for the soldiers, someone like Tommy, for example, was thrilled to venture into danger and see with his own eyes just how bad the rest of the world had become.

With the plan set, two trucks and two Humvees with mounted machine guns drove toward Atlanta. Based on the information displayed on the map, their marked route shouldn't be far from the mall where Glenn and the others had gone.

Jason analyzed the location and, after determining that it wouldn't be wise to proceed with such a large group, decided to leave the main team behind. After all, he didn't want to risk his entire team on an idealistic mission fueled by his own arrogance.

Looking at Morgan, who had chosen to follow Jason as a way to thank him for saving his family, he said, "Morgan, go up to the upper cabin using the stairs. There's a good vantage point—you can keep an eye on the surroundings for now. Before we return, you can help protect this place along with the other soldiers!"

After giving his instructions, Jason took Rick and two other soldiers to the shopping mall. In truth, Jason hadn't wanted to visit Atlanta, but he was obligated to do so.

He vaguely remembered that there was a group of good-hearted refugees in Atlanta, and if he took Rick straight to the camp, Glenn and the others might not make it out alive. Keeping this in mind, Jason wanted to see what the city was like and sharpen Rick's survival skills.

Following Jason's instructions, Morgan found the entrance to the mezzanine on the roof, settled in firmly, and continued observing the surrounding area through the shooting port.

At that moment, Jason, Tommy, and another soldier, all dressed in black tactical uniforms, prepared to head out. As for weapons, they were all equipped with modified M4s, several double magazines on their vests, and pistols at their waists.

Rick was still wearing his county sheriff's uniform, with a pistol holstered at his waist and a machete in hand.

Considering that firepower shouldn't be necessary, everyone carried melee weapons to ensure a quiet approach.

The spot where they got out of the vehicle was still some distance from the shopping mall Shane had mentioned. There were relatively few walkers outside the city, which didn't pose too many obstacles for the four of them.

Influenced by those around him, Rick attempted to use his machete to take down walkers that weren't particularly dense along the way. After all, they were aware that even a silenced gunshot could cause unnecessary trouble.

After walking for about half an hour, the four finally approached the mall marked on the map.

"Keep your eyes open in all directions—any alley could be our escape route," Jason reminded them, his sharp gaze scanning the surroundings.

"Understood, boss. The city seems relatively empty," Tommy said, glancing around with slight nervousness.

"Look, the area is full of useful weapons and resources the military left behind. After we bring everyone out this time, we should plan to clean this place thoroughly and transport those heavy weapons to the CDC."

As he walked beside Jason, Tommy spoke with the soldier about future plans.

Jason had been very careful and had taught everyone that whenever they could secure valuable resources, they should take everything, even if it didn't seem useful at the moment.

All those heavy weapons lying around could eventually fall into enemy hands, so to prevent that, they needed to expand their cleanup operations.

Now that Jason was in this world, he paid attention to even the smallest details, ensuring nothing slipped past him. No matter which group or community he encountered, when the time came, he would have more tanks and weapons than they did. If they had more members, he would have highly trained soldiers in his ranks!

Jason only wanted to see who, in the future, would dare to challenge him. Anyone who failed to adapt to the new order or sought to harm a stabilized society—he would cut them to pieces or riddle them with so many holes they wouldn't know where they were breathing from.

Crack!

Rick's machete split the forehead of a walker next to a truck. He lifted his leg and kicked it off, then turned his head and asked with uncertainty.

"Why are you collecting so many weapons? Isn't it enough to have a few for self-defense? I saw that the CDC even has tanks outside..."

Jason and Tommy turned their heads and looked directly at Rick. Seeing that everyone was staring at him, Rick seemed uncomfortable. Just as he was about to speak, the soldier beside him, who had remained silent, answered the question.

"I'd say it's like candy—when the candy is delicious and there's less and less left in the jar, the people who love that candy will fight with all their might for what remains. What would you do?"

It was a perfect way to describe how those with more weapons would have food on their table.

Rick frowned, thinking carefully as he processed the message, and said, "But if there's no food, we can grow it. As long as there are people, there shouldn't be a problem surviving."

"That's your way of seeing things... There are many ways of life trying to survive. Maybe someone else would choose to steal food, another might try to intimidate or threaten to get what they want. Those who don't want to harvest food might even resort to cannibalism—have you thought about that?"

Hearing this, Rick said nothing as he mulled it over.

"It's not that you haven't thought about it—you just don't want to believe it. The end of the world will reveal the darkest side of human nature, and all it takes to see those scenarios unfold is time."

After saying that, Jason smiled and pointed out, "That's something we can't change, but we can take care of ourselves and our people to avoid those problems."

"I understand what you're saying, but I still firmly believe there are more good people than bad."

"All men are bad, Rick. All humans are selfish. The sooner we accept that this world has gone to hell, the sooner we'll learn to survive," Tommy said, repeating something Jason had taught him and that he had come to learn for himself.

As they talked, they neared the shopping mall, which had been built on the outskirts of the city.

The group of four kept moving forward, clearing walkers along the way, and soon Jason spotted a tank parked at an intersection.

This was so familiar. Jason walked to the side of the tank and motioned for Tommy to help him climb up. Seeing this, Rick whispered urgently, "Hey, what are you doing? We need to keep moving!"

Gesturing for Rick to wait, Jason quickly entered through the hatch on top of the tank. In less than a minute, he popped his head back out, grinning at Rick as he held up the items in his hands.

Rick took a closer look and saw that Jason had found an M9 pistol and a grenade. He gestured for Jason to climb down quickly.

"Resources are valuable—I think this is my new obsession..." Jason murmured, earning smiles from his companions.

But at that moment…

Bang!

A gunshot rang out from somewhere above their heads, and Jason quickly turned to scan the surroundings.

Bang! Bang!

"Locate the shooter's position immediately!" Jason ordered as he jumped down from the tank and took cover. Always on high alert, he suspected those shots were aimed at them.

The gunfire sounded like it came from a single-shot rifle. Rick turned his head, scanning the area, but what he saw was a large number of walkers emerging from a distant corner.

"Move to the alley on the right!" Tommy shouted as he cleared the path.

"Rick, let's go!" Jason grabbed Rick and pulled him along as they all ran into the alley.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Rick drew his pistol and shot the three walkers crawling toward his feet, one by one.

"Climb the ladder!"

Tommy and Jason fired precisely at the heads of the approaching walkers. Rick was helped up by the other soldier, and then Jason ordered Tommy to climb next.

If the gunshot from earlier was what he thought it was, and assuming things were happening as he remembered, it had probably been fired by Merle from the rooftop, which meant Glenn was likely nearby.

But Jason didn't like guessing. He preferred not to assume or confuse what he knew with the reality he was living in.

Everything felt strangely familiar, yet he could only recognize certain details from vague memories. Few things were exactly as he remembered—especially when it came to events like these.