Chapter 119
There was silence.
Not the kind that followed words.
But the kind that followed the dead.
Only this time—no one was dead.
Not yet.
Just Axel.
And the man standing in front of him.
"You still look the same," the man spoke, his voice sharp, cruel. "Stupid. Insignificant. Pathetic... and ridiculous."
Axel didn't say a word.
His jaw clenched. His hands tightened at his sides. But his eyes stayed on the ground.
The silence stretched.
And then—finally—he whispered the word like it hurt coming out.
"…Father."
Everyone behind them froze.
Rick. Daryl. Michonne. The others.
They knew Axel had family. Knew they were dead. Killed by Alice, the Nomad leader, and her gang.
They knew Axel had taken his revenge. That he'd torn her world apart without mercy.
But now—this?
This wasn't supposed to be possible.
Because Axel's father… was supposed to be dead too.
Rick took a breath, his memory drifting back to what Maggie had told him one quiet night.
She had shared the truth after Axel passed out from exhaustion—words that weren't meant for anyone else.
That Axel's father wasn't a normal man.
His name…
Michael Reed.
Rick knew that name.
Everyone in the military, every lawman, every official before the world fell—knew that name.
Michael Reed was a war general.
Not just any general.
A tyrant in uniform.
A man who turned his son into a soldier when he was five.
Made Axel kill someone by the time he was ten.
The stories were dark. Whispers in government halls. Rumors buried in files too dangerous to open.
Rick had seen the name once, back when he was a cop. One of those files marked top priority, dangerous, unstable.
A man known for pushing boys into blood, raising killers, and calling it "discipline."
Michael Reed.
A monster in a general's suit.
And now he stood in front of them.
Alive.
Real.
The same katana in his hand as Axel's.
The same coldness in his eyes that Axel had tried to bury.
And suddenly…
It made sense.
All of Axel's rage.
His silence.
His nightmares.
His twisted humor.
His brutal strength.
It all made sense now.
Because this man standing here wasn't just his father.
He was Axel's curse.
Axel finally spoke.
His voice trembled. His hands, shaking.
"I saw you dead… I buried you in the house…"
Michael didn't say anything.
He just raised his hand—and slapped Axel again.
Harder.
The crack echoed.
"Do you really think Alice—that stupid, pathetic woman—could kill me?"
Michael's voice was venom. Calm. Cold. Sharp.
Axel's eyes widened, but he didn't speak.
Michael continued.
"The day the world ended, I was out of the house. Private matters," he said. "When I returned, I saw your mother… dead. And so was my son. Your little brother."
He said it like it was just a report. No emotion. No pain. No hesitation.
"I found a man there. One of Alice's people. He was waiting for me—to kill me," Michael said, eyes fixed ahead like he was reliving it.
"So I killed him. Snapped his neck. I put a mask over his face… made it look like me. Then I disappeared. Went off the grid."
Axel's breathing changed. Heavy. Sharp. Fast.
His body started to shake.
From fear.
And from wrath.
His hands clenched. His chest moved up and down like a storm was coming out of him.
"And you… you didn't even have the time to come see your son?" Axel's voice cracked. "Me?"
There was silence.
And then it came again.
Another slap.
This one split Axel's lip and knocked him to the ground.
Blood ran down his chin.
Michael stood over him, his voice now thunder.
"You're not just a son," he roared. "You're a soldier! So get your shit together—BOYYY!"
The sound of it made birds fly from the trees. It shook the silence in the air.
Axel's eyes widened—but he didn't cry.
He didn't scream.
He stood.
Fast.
Like a soldier.
Like a switch had flipped inside him.
His spine straightened. Shoulders locked. Arms by his side.
Michael didn't smile.
Didn't blink.
He just looked over at Rick and the group, who were all silent.
Frozen.
They had never seen Axel like this. Not even close.
Michael gave a slow, cold nod.
"I apologize for what you just witnessed," he said calmly. "You saw something stupid because of my son."
He paused.
"My name… is Michael."
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