Alexandria Community.
"Move all the vehicles and clear the area—I want this space ready to receive my people without any issues!"
In the darkness of the night, everyone in Alexandria moved back and forth carrying large items in their hands. Ever since Jason's group arrived, a special place had been prepared within the community so the helicopters' containers could be safely placed inside the shelter.
Outside the community, all the Humvees equipped with machine guns and several soldiers were stationed at the front of an open space to allow the helicopters to land.
The people in Alexandria were visibly nervous— not just the long-time residents but also those who had recently followed Jason's group. No one really knew whether the power of the S.C.T. community was as great as they had claimed. They were about to find out if everything they had been told was true—or if none of it was safe at all.
But their doubts were about to be answered. A few hours had passed since Jason's group reached the shelter, and now everyone was busy preparing for a safe landing.
"Couldn't you have scheduled the trip for the morning?" Daryl looked at Jason, then at all the lights on inside Alexandria.
Upon hearing Daryl's question, Jason suddenly felt he had a point, so he said nothing for the moment. Everyone present was staring up at the sky, waiting for the arriving helicopters.
Jason knew that at night, no one could see which direction the helicopters were moving, so it would be a strategic advantage—and a smart move on his part.
Soon, they heard the distant sound of the helicopters and saw blinking lights in the sky, leaving everyone in awe that helicopters could still be seen flying.
The intense beams lit up the sky, and the deafening roar of the helicopters echoed all around. The previously calm people became startled at the sight of the enormous containers.
Everyone assigned to receive the containers and give the signal moved in unison, and one by one, the containers were successfully lowered before the helicopters landed outside Alexandria.
"Open the main gate!"
As the main gate opened, numerous soldiers rushed in and quickly began lining up in front of everyone. None of them said a word, making everyone uncomfortable in the presence of such sophisticated equipment.
In a tower within Alexandria, a group of people observed the S.C.T. soldiers in silence. Aiden listened to his brother's words and then said, "These people weren't lying. Atlanta might really be safe if they can move this many helicopters at once."
"But I don't get it—why so many helicopters, and why now, at night?" Spencer didn't understand either. What were these people really after in their community?
"They could've taken us to the city if it were truly captured, so their purpose here must be something else entirely."
Aiden looked at his brother, then slowly descended the tower to see the people who had just arrived in Alexandria. He needed to observe their next moves closely.
He knew it wasn't the time to confront these people or even question their strength, but he couldn't help feeling suspicious of Jason and his irrational ideas. Nowadays, it was hard to believe that anyone truly cared about others—especially soldiers, who were the ones that had abandoned them in the first place.
...
"They definitely know a lot more about what's going on in the world than we do..." Deanna stood beside her husband, closed her eyes, and reflected before saying, "I think it was a good idea to trust that man. His people are clearly prepared for the future."
"From what I heard, they managed to survive, and several military groups joined forces to slowly take back what we lost. Now it seems they're not as bad off as we once thought." Deanna's husband nodded at her words.
You could say that now, everyone in Alexandria was in a state of chaos. Many who had joined the training felt amazed at what they were seeing.
Since most of the soldiers were lined up, it was hard to tell exactly how many there were—but at a glance, they looked like hundreds.
Jason, walking beside Daryl, saw the new Arm-3J combat suits. He had heard of these advanced suits and had approved the prototype phase.
Even though these three hundred suits were only first-generation, it could be said they far surpassed any current-day suits made to fight against walkers.
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
The sudden gunfire startled everyone. All movement stopped, and people looked toward the direction of the shots.
Seeing that everyone was looking that way, a tall, muscular soldier walked toward Jason and gave him a military salute. "Sir, I'm Raúl Méndez. I hope you still remember me!"
Jason extended his hand and nodded. This was the man who had contacted him shortly after they lost communication with Alicia Clark, so he definitely remembered.
"Of course, I remember. Looks like you and your men have adjusted to the S.C.T. community after all..." Smiling, Jason introduced the man beside him. "This is Daryl. If I'm ever not around and this fine man is with you, feel free to ask him anything."
Raúl looked at Daryl and nodded seriously. "I'll definitely keep that in mind. Nice to meet you, Daryl."
Daryl nodded in return. "Likewise."
"This is a beautiful place, Jason. Every time you go out with your group, you find wonders in today's world." At that moment, a very familiar voice to both Daryl and Jason echoed from the entrance of Alexandria.
"Morgan? What are you doing here?" Jason asked in surprise. He didn't know why this man had come all the way here—there hadn't been any need.
Hearing this, Jason nodded, and then from the corner of his eye, he saw a woman he hadn't expected to see again for quite some time. Her name should be Nara. He still remembered how kind and friendly she had been.
"Judging by your bow, I assume you're the one teaching all those people over there, right?"
When Nara saw the leader of the shelter that had taken in her group and Alexandria's as well, she was a little surprised by his calm demeanor. "I... I used to belong to the Governor's shelter, but I escaped with some people before his place was attacked."
"When I arrived at the prison, I thought the Governor was the leader, but I didn't imagine you had taken in most of the residents—even though some attacked you. I just wanted to say... thank you."
Nara's expression was tense; she didn't have many kind words to offer. She simply expressed how grateful she was to have joined Jason's group.
Jason, on the other hand, was surprised that somehow, people who shouldn't have made it here actually had. So, he said, "Well, since you're here, and you were skilled enough to earn that scarf on your shoulder, I have to say—you've got talent."
"Of course..." Nara smiled slightly and then extended her fist toward Jason.
Seeing this, Jason bumped her fist and smiled, signaling her to come closer. There was still work to do, and tonight would be a long one.
"Sir, our people are waiting for you." Raúl looked at Jason and gestured toward the soldiers neatly lined up.
"I'll take it from here..."
When Jason stood before those three hundred soldiers, he felt a deep sense of safety and pride for everything he had accomplished, and he immediately said: "Look what you've become—mighty soldiers of the S.C.T. community."