Jackson Claws was not one to waste movement. As the horde approached, he didn't unleash his claws. At the current level of his system, brute physical strength was already enough to deal with "walking carcasses."
The first walker to advance had his sternum crushed by a front kick from Jackson. The sound of rotting bones breaking echoed like dry branches. He spun the body, grabbing the skull of another zombie and slamming it against an iron bumper with such force that the head exploded into a gray pulp.
"Stay close to the wall!" Jackson ordered, his voice firm.
Sasha and Maggie watched, paralyzed. He moved with predatory energy conservation. A zombie tried to bite his shoulder; Jackson simply grabbed it by the neck and, with a sharp twisting motion, broke the creature's cervical vertebra. He used the environment: smashing heads against metal edges, throwing bodies against each other to create barriers.
His eyes never stopped. He assessed the threat, but also the "spoils." He looked at Maggie, appreciating the determination in her dirty face, and then returned his gaze to Sasha. She was strong, but the desperation for Bob was breaking her.
[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION: BONDING MISSION DETECTED] Target: Sasha Williams. Objective: Demonstrate medical utility and protection. Reward: +100 Affinity Points / Item Unlock: Broad-Spectrum Antibiotic.
"Come on. The motorcycle can't carry everyone, but my camp is two kilometers from here. If you want to live, walk fast," Jackson growled, grabbing Bob by the collar and helping him walk with frightening ease.
The Hidden Refuge
After a tense hike under the moonlight, they arrived at an old quarry surrounded by high-voltage fences (which Jackson had "repaired" with parts from his inventory). In the center, hidden among rocks, was a thick canvas military tent and an old pickup truck.
As they entered the safe zone, the shock of reality hit Maggie's group.
While the world outside starved and thirsted, Jackson opened the back of the pickup truck—actually an access point to his [INVENTORY]. He retrieved three bottles of crystal-clear mineral water and tossed them to the women.
- Drink up. I don't want anyone passing out on my carpet.
Maggie held the bottle, feeling the coldness of the plastic. Drinkable water. No rusty taste, no swampy smell. She looked at Jackson, who was already seated on a folding stool, opening a can of peaches in syrup with a pocketknife.
"Why do you have all this?" Maggie asked, her voice hoarse. "Who are you?"
Jackson ignored the question, his eyes fixed on Sasha. She was kneeling beside Bob, who was panting with fever. The wound on his shoulder was nasty, beginning to ooze.
"He won't last the night," Jackson said coldly, chewing on a piece of fruit. "The infection will kill him before the virus if he doesn't get real medicine."
Sasha lifted her head, tears carving furrows in the dirt on her face. She crawled to Jackson's feet.
"Please... you have water, you have food... you must have something," she pleaded, clutching the leg of his jeans. "I'll do anything. I'll work, I'll hunt, I... just don't let him die. Please."
Jackson looked down. Sasha's submissiveness and Maggie's attentive silence created an atmosphere of power that he appreciated. He didn't feel pity, he felt opportunity.
"Anything is a lot, Sasha," he said, letting her name slowly whisper on his lips.
He stood up and walked to the back of the pickup truck. With a mental command, he accessed the reward from the previous mission. He returned holding a professional first-aid kit and a bottle of potent antibiotics.
"This is worth its weight in gold now," Jackson said, crouching beside her. He ran his hand across Sasha's face, wiping away a tear with his rough thumb. "I'll help him. But remember who saved your friend's life when you pay me."
Maggie watched everything from the corner, her hands gripping the water bottle. She felt a chill. Jackson was a monster, but he was a monster who had everything they needed. He was their only chance of survival, and he knew it.
Jackson opened the kit and took out a clean compress.
"Maggie, stop looking and come hold the flashlight," he ordered, without taking his eyes off Sasha. "We have a lot of work to do today."
a while later
Jackson watched the steam rise from a mug of black coffee—real coffee, not that burnt root concoction people drank around here. He sat in his folding chair, leaning against the motorcycle, while the silence of the night was broken only by the sound of Bob's heavy breathing inside the tent.
Fourth season, Jackson thought, twirling the knife between his fingers. The prison fell, the Governor turned to manure, and they're scattered. Maggie, Sasha, and Bob... yeah, the timing's perfect.
"So..." Jackson's voice cut through the air like a whip. "Maggie Greene, right? The farmer's daughter. And you, Sasha, the ex-soldier's sister. How does it feel to lose the house of cards you called Prison?"
"I know a lot, sweetie," Jackson said with a wry smile, the kind of smile Logan would give before a bar fight. "I know you have a Chinese husband... or was he Korean? That Glenn guy. And I know that, the way things are, the chances of you finding him in one piece are the same as me becoming a vegetarian."
Maggie paled. The mention of Glenn was a sensitive point, an open wound. Before she could respond, Jackson stood up, walking toward them with a physical presence that seemed to fill the entire clearing.
"You can talk. I'll give you ten minutes to decide if you're my allies or just temporary guests. But remember: Bob will only take his second dose of antibiotics if I'm in a good mood." He stepped away to check the perimeter, but his keen senses caught every word of the whisper that followed.
POV: Sasha e Maggie
Ten meters away, behind a thick tree, Sasha grabbed Maggie's arm. Her eyes were wild.
Maggie, we have to end this. Now," Sasha whispered, her voice trembling. "He's a maniac. He knows names, he knows about the Prison... he must have been watching us for weeks. While he sleeps, we take that knife of his and..."
Maggie shook her head frantically, a chill running down her spine.
"Did you see him fighting, Sasha? He didn't use weapons. He smashed skulls like they were eggshells." Maggie glanced over her shoulder, seeing Jackson's silhouette against the moonlight. "He's not normal. If we try and fail… he won't have mercy. And Bob will die without those pills. For now, we play his game. We survive."
line break
Jackson, ouvindo tudo com sua audição sobre-humana, deu um sorrisinho. Ele chutou uma pedra, pensando na utilidade de Bob.
Saving Bob was a waste of technical resources, Jackson reflected. But the return on investment in Sasha will be high. She's vulnerable, desperate. And Maggie...
He remembered the scenes with Glenn and Maggie in the series. He even liked the Korean guy, he was a cool guy, a hero. But Jackson was no longer a spectator sitting on the couch. He felt the weight of the Adamantium (which the system promised soon), he smelled the blood and the testosterone of a mutant body.
In this world, there's no such thing as "married," he thought, lighting another cigar. There are those who protect and those who are protected. If Glenn is strong enough to come and get her, let him try. But until then... a harem with the best this apocalypse has to offer doesn't seem like a bad idea to fill the time between one horde and another.
He looked at the tent. The double mattress inside was too soft for him to use alone.
"System," he thought to himself. "What are the chances of a 'Consolation for the Widow' mission showing up if I convince Maggie that Glenn is already gone?"
[SYSTEM RESPONSE] Probability: 85%. Suggestion: Continue demonstrating dominance and providing scarce resources.
Jackson blew the smoke upwards. He was going to be the worst nightmare of the dead and the master of the living.
next day
The sun had barely begun to break through the horizon when Jackson decided to act. He observed the two women and the injured Bob, who was still snoring heavily. With an agile movement, he "stored" his motorcycle in the inventory—a digital smoke almost imperceptible to the naked eye—and walked to a dense clearing. There, he materialized a robust, double-cab 4x4 pickup truck with a full tank.
"The motorcycle is good for the lone wolf, but for the 'Alpha of the pack,' I need space," he thought.
While he pretended to check the tires, the System beeped in his mind.
[LARGE-SCALE MISSION DETECTED: THE SLAUGHTERHOUSE] Objective: Survive and destroy the Sanctuary (Terminus). Special Reward: 5,000 XP + Template Upgrade: Adamantium Fragments (Phase 1 - Claw Coating).
Jackson grinned. Adamantium. If I can get that, the bombs and traps of that bunch of cannibals from Gareth's gang will be nothing but fireworks.
He felt a knot in his stomach. It had truly been a long time since he'd been with a woman. The "Consolation Mission" wasn't just about points; it was a biological need that Wolverine's healing factor seemed to intensify.
Breakfast of Champions
Jackson returned to camp driving the pickup truck. He got out and opened the trunk, deliberately pulling out a cooler bag.
Bob had just woken up, sitting up with difficulty while Maggie and Sasha helped him. "Where...where are we?" Bob asked, his voice weak. "With our 'benefactor'," Sasha replied, her sarcasm tinged with reluctant gratitude.
Jackson threw the package in front of them. "Breakfast. Scrambled eggs, bacon, and bread. Eat quickly, we have a long way to go."
The smell emanating from the packaging was almost torturous. The three attacked the food with animal ferocity, Maggie's eyes gleaming as she tasted real food after months of deprivation.
"Jackson..." Maggie began, wiping the corner of her mouth. "I need to find Glenn. He might be on the bus that left the prison."
Jackson stepped forward, invading her personal space. He tilted his head, the scent of cigars and leather enveloping Maggie. "You're stubborn, Greene. I like that. But listen: the world out there isn't about romantic reunions anymore, it's about who's still breathing." He lightly touched her chin with his thumb. "If he's dead, you'll need a real shoulder to cry on. And I'm not one to give out free comfort."
Maggie felt her face flush—a mixture of anger and a strange spark of adrenaline. He was a jerk, but he was the biggest jerk she'd ever seen.
line break
They drove down the road in the pickup truck. The silence was tense, broken only by Bob's thoughts about who else might have escaped: Tyreese, Rick, Michonne...
Suddenly, Jackson slammed on the brakes. The pickup truck skidded slightly on the gravel. Ahead, in the middle of the road, the prison bus was stopped, its windows stained with blood and its tires flat.
"No..." Maggie whispered, her hand on the doorknob. "Glenn!"
"Wait!" Sasha tried to stop her.
Jackson turned off the engine and, in a quick, cynical movement, pulled the ignition key and put it in his pocket before Sasha could even think about getting behind the wheel. She glared at him furiously.
"Trust is something you earn, Sasha. And you guys are still in the red with me," Jackson winked at her.
He got out of the car, slamming the door. "Maggie, stay behind me. If your Korean guy is in there, he'll probably be trying to eat your guts. I'll handle it."
"No! I'll do it myself!" Maggie shouted, coming down with the knife in hand.
Jackson sighed, but stood beside her. He decided it was time to score some "positive points." "Fine, tough girl. I'll take care of your back. If any of those meat sacks get near you, I'll rip them in half."
They approached the bus door. The sound of gravel and muffled groans came from inside. Jackson smelled it through his heightened senses: old blood, decay, and no sign of heart trauma. He knew Glenn wasn't there, but Maggie's despair was the opening he needed to become the only pillar she could lean on.
"No, three..." Jackson murmured, his muscles tensing, ready to intervene if Maggie was in real danger.
.....
Suggestions of women for the harem, please comment.