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

"Glenn, what the hell just happened a moment ago? These damn walkers just stopped trying to eat us! Did you see that, or am I going crazy? This is insane!"

As soon as they entered the building, T-Dog couldn't help but voice his shocked thoughts. Now, like everyone else, he had a new perspective on the walkers and their characteristics.

"Wait, T-Dog, we'll talk about that later, because, like you, I don't know much more than what we just saw." Glenn stopped T-Dog from continuing his questions and turned to the others to introduce these new guests to the people in the building.

Jason, ever the charismatic man, smiled slightly upon seeing everyone's doubtful expressions. If he had more knowledge about this world and how certain things worked, it was because he knew the events of the future.

Now, if for some reason he weren't the way he was now, he wouldn't be so sure he could maintain this attitude and move so calmly in situations like this. He had to be grateful that walkers no longer fazed him after so many days and that he was someone with a cool head.

"Well, guys, don't be too surprised, but these are the people Shane mentioned before. Jason and the other two are acquaintances who came to take us to a much safer place. As for the other guy in the police uniform, that's Lori's husband, Rick." Glenn turned to Jason and introduced him as he had the others, then presented his group: "This is T-Dog, Morales, Andrea, Jacqui, and Merle, the one upstairs."

Jason and Tommy exchanged glances—they now knew that the person who fired earlier was the guy upstairs named Merle. Even though there was no need to ask, Rick couldn't hold back his curiosity.

"Did you guys fire earlier?" Rick was still a little upset about what had happened, after all, he and his friends had almost died out there.

"It was Merle... He got into a fight with T-Dog a moment ago, the guy lost control. And now, because of that, we're in a really bad situation." Morales spread his hands helplessly, expressing that they had no way out of this place.

Andrea looked at Jason and the others and asked with a distressed expression, "We'll be able to get out of here, right? There was way too much movement just now, the walkers must be more agitated than usual."

Jason walked to the main entrance and observed the reason why this group was trapped. Indeed, the situation was exactly as in the original story. Even though many events had changed, it seemed that the current scenario was still the same one he was familiar with.

But he wasn't too worried. The main plot created various difficulties to make the journey more exciting, but in reality, there were many other ways to achieve the same goal. Besides, there were plenty of ways to get out of this place, so this wasn't really a problem.

Jason had figured out two things during this trip: first, he wanted to see what happened if he was directly involved with Rick's group, and second, how much things would change.

"What do you think?"

"There's not much to worry about for now, there are plenty of ways to get out of here. For now, we need to deal with the unstable factors in this place." Jason gave orders to his team again and headed up the stairs.

Jason slowly ascended the stairs, knowing that before doing anything, he needed to establish order. He looked at Tommy and said in a low voice, "We're going to contact the others now. If things don't go as planned, we'll have to request reinforcements."

Hearing this, Tommy understood that there wasn't much to worry about in their situation. That's why he didn't say anything unnecessary, he just followed Jason closely.

He didn't know how things would turn out, but he definitely trusted Jason and relied on his good decisions to avoid making mistakes.

On the rooftop, Merle was standing by the edge, shooting at the walkers on the streets one by one, still talking to himself and shouting nonstop.

"Die, you damn racists!"

Hearing the sound of the corridor door opening, he knew that the group of rookie survivors was coming back up. Without looking back, Merle aimed at the head of a walker. Just as he was about to shoot, he realized his vision had darkened—his sight was blocked by something.

"Damn it! Didn't I explain it to you a moment ago? I'm doing man's work here, you damn piece of chocolate... Shit!"

Before Merle could say another word, Jason, who was beside him, struck him with more technique than strength, and Merle lost his balance, falling backward. He dropped the rifle in his hand, but Jason moved quickly and caught it.

"Who the hell sucker-punches someone from behind?" Merle shouted as he tried to get up. At that moment, his anger made him feel like his heart was pounding in his throat. But before he could stand, he felt two people grab his shoulders, pinning him against the rooftop wall.

When he tried to look up, two rifle barrels were aimed at his forehead. Jason, standing in front of Merle, watched the troublesome man, thinking about what to do.

"Don't kill him!"

"Oh my God!"

The few people who had followed him gasped in horror, only to sigh in relief when they saw that the two people dressed like Jason had merely aimed their weapons at Merle but hadn't pulled the trigger.

"Who the hell are you pointing at? Lower your damn weapons! If you're gonna shoot, do it now, or I swear I'll kill every last one of you sons of bitches." Even though Merle's situation wasn't great at that moment, his mouth spared no one, and a stream of insults and threats immediately reached Jason's group.

"It's okay, everything's fine now..."

Jason looked at Merle with a thoughtful expression, his eyes scanning him up and down while he held his vest, breathing steadily. "Alright, lower your weapons."

After Jason ordered his men to lower their guns, the two stepped back and released Merle while giving him a warning look.

Contrary to the concerned expressions of the others, Jason just stared at Merle in silence, like a wolf in a rabbit's skin contemplating what to do with its prey.

Tommy, standing beside him, asked with some doubt, "What's the plan, boss?"

Merle seemed to sense that something was wrong, and his attitude softened immediately. "Alright, alright, you win! I won't say anything else."

"Oh, now you want to stop talking? Should we keep shooting otherwise?"

After giving Merle a look that could unnerve even the most passive person, Jason pulled out his gun.

"No, no!"

Just when everyone thought the problem was over, Jason drew an unsilenced pistol and fired into the sky without hesitation.

Bang!

"Damn it, you're crazier than I am, you son of a bitch!" Merle raised his hands to cover his chest, thinking the next shot would be aimed at him, but Jason's actions stopped immediately.

"I don't like violence, I hate the color red from blood, and I also detest dirtying my hands unnecessarily. Besides, I won't deprive myself of a useful asset in this situation." As he spoke, Jason picked up the spent casing from the ground and walked toward Merle. Ignoring the stares of the others, Jason handed him the bullet casing.

"In this new world, I've decided to give only one person two chances. You've already used up your first one. I believe you're someone who knows how to adapt, like a wolf ruling its den. You should also understand that when a stronger, larger predator comes for you, the best thing to do is stay silent and follow orders."

Merle looked at Jason with a grin and scoffed after hearing his words. But Jason didn't react to the mockery; instead, he looked at the gun in his hand and handed it to Merle.

When Merle saw the pistol in his hand, he fell silent, unsure of what to do. He knew the gun was loaded, and right now, he could put a bullet in the head of the idiot standing before him. But those thoughts came and went quickly.

Tommy's eyes sharpened, but he didn't make a move. Everyone held their breath, but very few understood the meaning behind Jason's actions at that moment.

Rick, standing beside him, did. Two chances—Merle had already used one. This was Jason's test, and if Merle was dumb enough to try shooting him, there was no doubt he would be killed.

"Alright, I won't do anything stupid!" Merle lowered the gun and got up from the ground, showing he was no longer a threat. But then he moved his hand toward Jason.

Prepared for the situation, Jason extended his hand, grabbed the gun's barrel to prevent it from firing, and then lifted his right knee, striking Merle's stomach.

Thud!

The pistol Merle had tried to strike him with was stopped by Jason, and it fell to the ground. His right foot landed lightly, and as soon as he leaned forward, his body spun, and his left leg shot toward Merle.

Merle was also highly experienced in fighting. Seeing the gun get kicked away, he didn't think of picking it up. Instead, he pulled out a dagger from behind him. The blade slashed toward Jason!

Twisting his body, Jason moved slightly to evade Merle's knife. Then, he turned his left hand into a fist and precisely grabbed Merle's wrist, the one holding the dagger.

Merle only felt a sharp pain in his wrist before his entire arm was twisted behind his back.

"Damn…" Merle, gritting his teeth in pain, loosened his grip, and the knife fell to the ground. Jason quickly kicked it away.

In just a few seconds, all the weapons on Merle's body had been taken away by the man before him. Merle felt a little frustrated, even to the point of considering begging for mercy, but as soon as Jason let him go, he stepped back without giving him another glance.

Jason picked up the pistol from the ground and holstered it. Then, he looked at Merle and smiled as he said, "Merle, of course. Let's get to know each other better—my name is Jason!"

Merle rubbed his wrist and looked at the man in front of him. He was strong but also skilled. From that brief fight alone, it was clear this man was highly capable. While he didn't seem to have formal training, he had fought all kinds of people for years, including military personnel.

But just now, all his attacks had been predicted and countered by his opponent, proving that Jason wasn't just an ordinary soldier. Realizing this man wasn't someone he should provoke, Merle immediately changed his approach. This was one of the main reasons he had survived for so many years—knowing how to read a situation and adapt accordingly.

Thinking about it, a broad smile instantly spread across Merle's face. He took a step forward, stretched out his hand, and said, "Buddy, you're that Jason? Why didn't you say so earlier? I've heard a lot about you at the camp. We knew you were coming to take us to your shelter. How could I attack my own savior?"

"You hypocritical bastard…" Jason thought with a slight smile.

From the moment he had first seen this man in the original story, Jason knew Merle was a wild and untamed person with no clear distinction between good and evil—a natural survivor.

Jason understood that this man's nature wasn't inherently bad. Compared to his younger brother, Daryl, he had endured some of life's harshest beatings, which was why he acted tough around strangers.

If someone like Merle didn't get himself killed through his own reckless actions, his survival instincts would be among the best. He would do whatever it took to stay alive—whether by exploiting others or becoming a demon himself. But people like him rarely ever truly followed a leader. In their eyes, the strong ruled this world. Respect and morality didn't exist. Survival was the only thing that mattered.