"If I remember correctly, this part of the plot should be where Rick and Merle have a heated conflict, and then Rick, in a fit of rage, handcuffs him to the rooftop."
Louis stepped on his skateboard, skillfully sliding through the gap between two abandoned cars.
"After that, because of the gunshots and Merle's previous death-seeking behavior, the Walkers will soon break through the glass doors of the department store. Glenn will try to find a way through the sewers, but that path is a dead end."
"Finally, it's Rick who comes up with that 'entry-level Whisperer' plan. He and Glenn smear the flesh and blood of a Walker on themselves, pretending to be Walkers to cross through the middle of the horde of Walkers to find a vehicle to pick everyone up."
He recalled every key point, and his gaze became solemn.
"Originally, they were almost successful, but halfway through, it just so happens to rain heavily. The rain washes away the scent of the flesh on them, causing the disguise to fail."
"In the end, the two could only risk a wild run. Glenn drives a red sports car to lure away most of the Walkers, while Rick drives a truck back to pick up the group, and the team successfully escapes."
"Oh, right," a meaningful curve hooked at the corner of Louis's mouth, "except for the unlucky Merle."
Thinking of this, Louis looked up at the sky.
The sky was still fairly clear for now, with no signs of rain yet.
"Before Rick left, he gave the key to the handcuffs to T-Dog. But when everyone was fleeing in a hurry, T-Dog accidentally dropped the key into the sewer because of panic."
"With no other choice, T-Dog could only leave Merle behind. But to give him a slim chance of survival, he still used a chain to lock the door leading to the rooftop before leaving, temporarily blocking the path of the Walkers."
Louis's most ideal plan was to arrive before everyone left the rooftop, find a way to get the key from T-Dog in advance, and finally help Merle unlock the cuffs.
Although appearing like a god descending from the heavens after Merle was abandoned by everyone would garner the most gratitude, that would be too dangerous for both Merle and himself, so he ultimately gave up on that plan.
Calculating the time, there wasn't much left before everyone departed; he had to hurry!
Sure enough, just as he increased his speed and wove through the ruins on his skateboard, the sky turned gloomy without warning. Bean-sized raindrops began to pitter-patter down, quickly merging into a torrential downpour.
This made Louis's heart even more anxious.
One must know that in the original plot, it was precisely this rain that washed away the stench disguise on Rick and Glenn, forcing them to act ahead of schedule!
This meant they would be driving away very soon!
But he wasn't sure if it was his imagination, but this rain didn't seem like the brief shower in the original plot; not only was there no sign of it stopping, but it grew heavier and heavier, almost swallowing the entire city...
On the other side, Rick and Glenn, disguised as Walkers, were struggling through the horde of Walkers.
However, this sudden rainstorm became their most fatal death warrant.
The cold rain ruthlessly washed away the blood and organs on them, and that stench that could numb a Walker's sense of smell was fading at a visible rate.
The surrounding Walkers began to get restless. They turned their heads one after another, their cloudy sockets "staring" at these two "outliers" who had blended into the wolf pack.
"We're exposed!" Glenn's voice was filled with fear.
Believing he was about to be exposed, a flash of ruthlessness crossed Rick's eyes. He no longer pretended; the Fire Axe in his hand swung out fiercely, blowing apart the head of the Walker closest to him!
"Run!"
He roared, pulling Glenn along as they charged madly toward the direction where the truck was parked.
At that moment, a blinding bolt of lightning streaked across the sky!
Boom—!
The deafening thunder exploded, and the massive sound instantly attracted the attention of all the Walkers, causing their movements to freeze for a few seconds.
Now's the time!
The two seized this fleeting gap, scrambling and crawling into the cab of the truck... By the time Louis finally managed to reach the bottom of the department store, he only arrived in time to see a red sports car roar, charging out of the horde of Walkers like a bolt of lightning, luring away the vast majority of them.
Immediately after, a large truck also burst out from another direction, speeding toward the outskirts of the city.
The entrance to the mall was already packed so tightly by the dark mass of the horde of Walkers that not a drop of water could trickle through.
Louis's heart sank instantly.
Still... one step too slow.
It seemed that if he wanted to save Merle, he could only rely on himself.
Just as he adjusted his mindset and prepared to take a detour to find another entrance, a blinding bolt of lightning that almost turned the night into day suddenly descended from the heavens!
Without being off by an inch, it struck right into the most congested part of the horde of Walkers in front of him!
"Boom—!!!"
Accompanied by the massive thunderclap and the smell of burning, over a dozen Walkers were turned into charcoal on the spot by this heavenly lightning. The surrounding Walkers also fell into chaos because of the massive noise and intense light.
"Ah?"
Louis's eyes widened instantly. He couldn't believe he could encounter such a stroke of luck falling from the sky.
He didn't have time to think. He quickly took advantage of the fact that the Walkers behind him hadn't reacted yet and slipped into the department store through the gap cleared by the lightning.
He explored around the building, avoiding a few scattered Walkers, and finally found a relatively safe fire escape.
Climbing up the stairs, soon, a series of curses mixed with pain and madness faintly drifted down from the direction of the roof.
Hearing this voice, Louis finally breathed a sigh of relief, and his heart, which had been hanging by a thread during the mad dash, finally settled down.
Fortunately, the most critical step wasn't missed. Arriving now, he could not only gain a powerful future combatant, but Merle's hand could also be saved.
Very good.
As he carefully tucked the Invisibility Cloak close to his body, he couldn't help but reflect on everything that had just happened.
He wasn't sure if it was his imagination, but he felt that today's thunderstorm was a bit strange.
The original work never mentioned thunder, but this time several bolts struck in succession, even "precisely" helping him clear a wave of mobs. This was simply too coincidental.
Actually, he hadn't intended to be this risky when he came back.
His initial plan was to arrive near the building before Rick and the others set out to find a car, and then make a shocking entrance using a similar "Walker Raincoat," showing off his courage and ability while saving Merle.
Or, as a second-best option, appear after Rick and the others drove away to lure the Walkers. That would achieve a similar effect, though the timing would be very tight.
But a sudden heavy rain and a miscalculation of his own physical stamina had inadvertently brought him back to the very first scenario he had most wanted to implement—
Wait until everyone had "abandoned" Merle and left, then appear in the posture of the savior to harvest the maximum amount of gratitude and recognition.
After all, in his view, there would be many opportunities to show off his abilities in front of everyone later, but opportunities to truly move the heart of a desperate man like Merle were few and far between.
It was only because the risk of this plan was too high and the timing was difficult to control that he had chosen to give up on it.
But after going in circles, fate seemed to have helped him complete the script he most wanted to fulfill.
Is this a coincidence?
Louis pondered silently but couldn't find a clue, so he could only make a mental note of this suspicious point.
Countless thoughts flashed through his mind, but in reality, only a dozen seconds had passed. Louis pushed aside his stray thoughts and decided to first solve the most pressing problem at hand.
He pushed open the door to the rooftop. The rain outside seemed to have just stopped. The door on the other side of the roof, locked with a chain, was being slammed "thump-thump" by the Walkers behind it.
Merle, who was handcuffed to a metal pipe, didn't notice Louis's arrival at all.
Because he had put all his energy into the Hacksaw in his hand.
He was kneeling on the ground, his eyes filled with bloodshot and a frantic determination, using that rusty saw to cut into his own wrist, bit by bit!
Blood had already stained his wrist and the ground, forming a small, shocking pool of blood.
"Wait!"
Seeing this scene, Louis hurriedly spoke up to stop him.
The sound belonging to a living person instantly made Merle's movements stop.
He snapped his head up, and the look of alertness in those eyes, which were somewhat unfocused due to blood loss and pain, was instantly replaced by endless confusion and astonishment.
Where did this child come from?
On the rooftop of this building that had already been overrun by Walkers, how could a brat suddenly pop up out of nowhere?!
"Dammit... what is going on..."
Behind the door, the tireless pounding of the Walkers continued.
The sharp pain from his wrist and the extremely surreal scene before him made Merle's brain feel dazed.
For a moment, he even thought he had started hallucinating because of excessive blood loss.
However, in the next second, that "hallucination" actually ran toward him.
"Don't move! Your wound needs to be treated!"
Louis rushed in front of him and, without a word, took out gauze and rubbing alcohol from his backpack, knelt down, and began to perform emergency treatment on his mangled wrist.
The cold touch accompanied by the sting of the alcohol told Merle with absolute certainty—this was no hallucination!
He really... was saved!