When I woke up, I was visibly surprised to find two girls sleeping beside me. Hmm… Angel and France.
I gently stroked both of their hair, letting out a quiet sigh.
I clearly ordered Max to put them in another room… but seeing them here, I'm sure he got swayed.
Ah, whatever.
I glanced at the clock on the wall—it was already 7 o'clock, and the kids were still sound asleep. Carefully, I got up, making sure not to disturb them, and stepped out of the bedroom.
Outside, my maid was cleaning the room.
"Watch over the kids," I told her. "And when they wake up, let them know I'll be back."
She nodded, and I headed out.
As I walked, my thoughts drifted back to our training and everything we encountered out there. We barely managed to rescue a few survivors… It wasn't enough.
Ah, right—Alex is here.
Shit, I completely forgot to ask Max if he arrived alone or with his family.
I needed to find Max now.
Luckily, when I arrived at the office, Max was already there.
"Marcus, have you already eaten?" he asked.
I shook my head. "Not yet."
"I've informed the Chief to increase the food portion," he said.
"Well… thanks, Max."
Well, it's not just Taylor and me anymore. There are also the two kids… and I need to tell her right after this.
He gave a small bow.
"By the way," I continued, "what about Alex?"
Max paused, then looked at me seriously.
"Well… Alex is not alone."
"Not alone? So he's here with his family?"
"No, Marcus," Max said. "Not just his family—there are others with him."
"Hm… do you have a list?"
"Wait here, Marcus," Max replied before stepping out.
I sat on the sofa in the office, waiting and letting the time pass.
A few minutes later, Max returned, holding a folder of papers in his hand. He handed it to me.
"This is the profile of Alex's group," he said. "It seems they're close… but based on some of their backgrounds, there might also be a few conflicting personalities."
"A conflict, huh?" I muttered. "I wonder who would clash with Alex. I know the man—he's not the type to pick fights. Now I'm really curious."
I opened the folder and scanned the first page. Alex was listed at the top, followed by his wife and their children. Fortunately, they didn't lose anyone.
Then I moved to the next name.
Huh?
"Sofia Vergara?!" I said out loud. "Well, well, well… looks like we're about to have a celebrity walking around the Federation."
Max chuckled quietly after seeing me look twice at her profile.
I flipped to the next page—and froze.
Then I skimmed the rest. My surprise must've been obvious because Max asked, "Sir, do you know them?"
"Ah—no, not really," I said quickly. "They just… look familiar."
What the hell are they doing here? Aren't they supposed to be—?
Wait. No. I need to dig deeper into how they connected with Alex. And this group… they have potential. Enormous potential.
Especially Alicia, Madison, Travis, Chris, and Nick.
Practically the full set of nurtured fighters.
If we train them properly, our forces would grow significantly stronger.
I also felt a bit of pity. Chris, Nick, and Travis died stupid deaths—especially Nick, who got shot by a kid, and Travis, who, in a way, was the Rick of the Fear the Walking Dead universe.
I should recruit them into the army.
While I was lost in thought, Max spoke again.
"Also, Marcus… Ray arranged all of them to start basic army training. Even the women. If they like it, they'll probably enlist. They were impressed by our units."
"Wait—they're already in training?"
"Yes, Marcus."
"Hm… good. Then the next thing I need to figure out is how to make them stay permanently. Maybe make them my deputies once they get used to leading people…"
My eyes shifted to another profile.
Victor Strand.
"This guy is trouble," I muttered. "He only thinks for himself. Can't trust him fully… but if I can win him over, he has potential. He even became a villain in the show."
I couldn't help but laugh. Loudly.
Max jumped a bit.
"Are you okay, sir?"
"Yeah, I'm fine," I said, waving it off. "Anyway, that settles it. All of them should be nurtured. And Daniel—I'm planning to give him command over a small force. I need his expertise."
Then I looked at Max.
"Go and bring Alex here. I want to meet him."
Max nodded and headed out of the office to fetch him.
Just as I was about to stretch, Max returned—this time with Alex walking behind him.
"Hm? That fast?" I asked.
Max scratched the back of his head. "Well… Alex was already outside, sir."
"Ohhh," I nodded.
"Marcus," Alex said as he stepped forward. He suddenly pulled me into a tight hug. "Thank you, Marcus… thank you. If it weren't for you, my family would still be wandering out there."
"Don't worry about it," I said, patting his back. "Come on, sit with me."
We took our seats.
I asked him first how they met the others. Alex explained that when his group tried to leave their area, soldiers intercepted them and locked them in a holding cell. That was where they met Madison and the others who were searching for their missing people.
I nodded, silently listening to Alex's story.
But inside… something felt off.
I didn't know why, but I felt uneasy. The man sitting across from me didn't feel like the Alex I used to know. My instincts screamed that the apocalypse had changed him. This wasn't the calm, level-headed friend I remembered.
He looked more like Travis in Fear the Walking Dead—right after Chris died.
Except this time… nobody died.
But something still changed him.
"Max," I said suddenly, "can you leave us for a bit?"
Max nodded and stepped out of the office, closing the door behind him.
Silence settled between Alex and me. Heavy, uncomfortable.
Then I asked:
"…By the way, who are you?"
Alex blinked. "What are you talking about?"
"Something happened," I said quietly. "Something changed you. What is it?"
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