As morning broke, the community was greeted by the sudden arrival of Dimitris and his crew, their swift response outpacing expectations given the looming threat in the area. Despite initial doubts of their success, Carl erged from the vehicle carrying a bag brimming with dicine. Dimitris wasted no ti in sharing his pre-arrival observations with the group, compelled to divulge crucial information while imposing a strict gag order to prevent unnecessary panic.
Jaws dropped in astonishnt as Allison’s gaze t Jason’s cold stare. Though Jason appeared different, Allison brushed off any concerns, simply relieved by his safe return despite their past disagreents. Even though she knew that she would probably beco his enemy if Rachel told him what she had shown her but she knew that the chances of Rachel divulging this information was exponentially low. This was why she did what she did in the first place.
However, their shock deepened as a filthy child erged from the vehicle, emitting a foul odor— a wonder how they endured the journey together.
The guards swiftly surrounded the child, who looked to Jason for aid, though he knew there was little he could do.
"Hey, take it easy, he’s just a kid," Jason interjected, confident in the child’s safety given the inability to detect the unknown fragnt within him.
With Dimitris already out of sight, Jason, as the leader, prioritized briefing Mariam on their mission, despite their strained relationship.
Returning his focus to the child, Jason found himself confronted by a man standing directly in his path.
"You must be Jason," the man stated in a condescending tone, but Jason paid him no mind, attempting to move past. The man forcibly restrained him, demanding his attention in front of the onlookers, prompting Jason to tread carefully in the face of the escalating confrontation.
Surprised by Rachel’s absence, Jason noted her usual presence in welcoming him, attributing her absence to her other responsibilities.
Assuring the boy’s safety with the guards, Jason redirected his attention to the persistent Corey, a familiar troublemaker seeking to incite a reaction.
Unaffected by Corey’s provocations, Jason calmly inquired about any issues, prompting a shift in Corey’s defensive deanor upon eting Jason’s unwavering gaze.
Despite the man’s smug deanor and whispered words, Jason’s calm façade crumbled, replaced by a sudden wave of fury.
Just as tension peaked, a warm embrace enveloped Jason from behind, instantly quelling his rage as he recognized the familiar presence responsible for the comforting gesture.
"You talked a lot of big shit for soone returning this fast," the voice said.
Jason’s face softened, a smile taking over as he turned around to face Lillian.
"I couldn’t leave my favorite piece of shit behind, could I?" Jason responded. He was always vulgar when speaking to her despite her being much younger than himself.
Lillian smiled before giving him a slight hit.
"You’re lucky you didn’t die. I was going to burn down your house if you didn’t return," Lillian rolled her eyes, trying to dismiss the fact that she was the most worried.
"Damn girl! You didn’t tell you were an arsonist!" Jason exclaid, and Lillian couldn’t hold in her laughter. Jason knew how to bring out this side of her effortlessly, he couldn’t believe how easy it was for a girl to be this foul-mouthed but Jason noticed that she was only like this when she was with him.
"... Your little boyfriend is safe too," Jason whispered to her, catching Lillian off guard and awkward as Carl ca into view soon after.
Carl’s eyes had changed, and Lillian noticed that he carried himself differently. She also wondered why he was covered in zombie guts.
Carl looked at her and nodded, his only greeting before he was on his way. This unusual behavior did not go unnoticed by Jason, who picked up on Lillian’s disappointnt.
"Is he okay?" Lillian asked before she could stop herself, quickly clearing her throat to rephrase.
"It’s not like I care or anything," Lillian reiterated, but all Jason did was smile before patting her head.
"It’s okay to care about people," Jason inford her. Lillian slapped his hand away, clearly flustered that he was treating her like a kid in front of everyone before walking away.
"Whatever!" She blurted out.
Jason’s smile slowly faded as he got back to his feet to face Corey, but Allison appeared out of nowhere.
"Look who ca back safely!" Allison exclaid. Corey knew he couldn’t do much else and gave his superior so space by stepping back.
"Ha! Allison, I can see you have recruited quite the retard in my absence," Jason said, his jab directed at Corey.
"Hahaha! I didn’t recruit him, it was Mariam," Allison pointed out, which explained why he hadn’t been seen before. He must be one of the new faces, but Jason needed so rest after enduring a stressful 24 hours.
"I need to get so rest, we will catch up later..." Jason said, and Allison was fine with this.
"Hey, have you seen Rachel?" Jason inquired, but Allison shook her head.
"I haven’t seen her for quite so ti," Allison replied verbally.
Corey whispered sothing in Jason’s ear, the content provocative enough to elicit a reaction, leaving others to wonder about its nature. Despite this, Jason didn’t dwell on it, understanding the underlying intent behind such ssages.
Equally drained, Carl sought solitude to process the recent events. Jason felt uneasy about Carl’s first mission being so traumatic but recognized its value in revealing Carl’s true capabilities.
Unable to shake off a bizarre dream, Jason reflected on its unsettling nature, acknowledging that nightmares were not unfamiliar to him and likely to persist. His thoughts turned to his loved one, the sole focus amidst the chaos, knowing how swiftly everything could change.
As Glenn was rushed to the hospital, Jason noted Dimitris’ composed deanor despite his own injuries. Only those present during the incident knew of the General’s injury, but what troubled them most was Dimitris’ revelation— a horde of evolved zombies was approaching, unbeknownst to the community, heading straight for them.
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