With Hershel's consent, Jason searched the farm from top to bottom, gathering every scrap of usable metal he could find.Luckily, there was even an old welding machine tucked away in one of the barns—something Jason managed to barter for using a few supplies.
Of course, welding was a must.You couldn't just glue metal weapons together and expect them to hold.
Turning around with a pile of parts in his arms, Jason froze.A group of people was standing behind him, staring expectantly.
"What are you looking at me for?" he said, deadpan."Hurry up and find me some blueprints. I need to sketch out everything before I forget, and if you don't help, I'm going to die of exhaustion."
"Wait, you're actually serious about this?" Rick squatted beside him, frowning."You're not some kind of superhero, you know. You can't possibly design weapons too."
Jason just shot him a tired look.In their minds, Jason had become something of a legend.He could fix cars, outshoot anyone, fight like a soldier, and drive like a stuntman—there didn't seem to be anything he couldn't do.
"Don't worship me too much," Jason muttered. "Just hurry up and get my stuff."
His mind was already overflowing with ideas.If he didn't get them onto paper fast, they'd slip away.
Andrea sprinted off and came back a few minutes later, lugging a drawing board from her suitcase.
"I found this," she said, handing it over breathlessly. "There's only pencils, though. Hope that's enough."
Jason nodded, barely acknowledging her.He snatched the pencil and immediately started sketching.
Standing behind him, Glenn crossed his arms, looking unimpressed—at first.But as soon as Jason's pencil began to move, Glenn's expression changed.
Brush, brush, brush.
The pencil slashed across the board like a sword, Jason's hand moving so fast it was a blur.Within minutes, the drawing board was filled with detailed, clean schematics.
"Oh my god!" Rick blurted out, stumbling back a step.He turned to Shane , who looked just as stunned.
The designs were brilliant.One looked like a kind of hand-knife, but it had gears, a razor-sharp blade, and even wiring that connected to a small battery.Nobody had a clue what it did—but it looked deadly.
"Where did you even learn this?" Shane asked, still staring in disbelief.
But Jason wasn't paying attention.For him, this was only the beginning.
That afternoon, the farmyard turned into a forge.
Sparks flew as Jason used the welding machine to build weapon after weapon.Some were simple: reinforced baseball bats, heavy machetes.But others were downright terrifying.
One stood out:A long, square metal tube, with a huge circular blade welded to the end.Two red and blue wires ran through the inside, down to a small battery tucked into the handle.
Buzz buzz buzz...
The engine coughed out blue smoke.
Henry held the two-meter-long chainsaw with both hands, grinning ear to ear.
"The weight feels perfect," he said, swinging it effortlessly through the air."I love this thing!"
Jason smiled proudly.He had designed the chainsaw specifically for Henry's massive frame.It could run on fuel, or be used manually—the enormous gear blade sharp enough for Henry to cleave through a zombie's skull without even starting the motor.
Across the field, outside the farmhouse, Hershel leaned against the porch post, puffing on his pipe.He watched the group with quiet eyes, the smoke curling lazily around him.
Maggie opened the door and stepped outside.
"Dad," she called softly, "Dinner's ready."
Hershel took a long breath, tapping the ash from his pipe."Alright," he said, voice low, almost reluctant.
As he turned to go inside, Maggie lingered, her eyes drifting back toward the field—where Jason stood, laughing with his friends, framed by the setting sun.