[TWD x Resident Evil] — Chapter 560 - Ashley's Strength
Leon stood at the edge of the training ground, going over the tactical squad groupings with Chris and Jill.
Sunlight lay flat across the yard.
Ashley came walking over from the direction of the Administration Building.
She'd ditched the hospital gown.
Her golden hair was pulled back into a short, neat ponytail that swayed behind her head with each stride. Her complexion was bright and clear, without a trace of the hollowness you'd expect from someone who'd just clawed back from the edge, she looked, if anything, startlingly alive.
Jill turned her head. Her gaze settled on Ashley walking toward them.
She raised an eyebrow.
Recovered well.
Ashley's eyes lit up the moment she spotted Leon. She also clocked Jill standing beside him, sharp posture, capable bearing, the kind of woman who didn't need a second look to read.
But here was the odd part.
When Ashley closed the distance and saw exactly how close the two of them were standing, not a flicker of hostility crossed her face.
Old Ashley would've pouted. Or made a point of pressing herself against Leon's side, planting her flag.
But she'd spent time at death's door. And last night had finished the job the fever started. Her whole internal landscape had shifted.
You walk through life and death once, jealousy starts to feel like a very small, very cheap emotion.
She knew what Leon was. She had no illusions.
In an apocalypse where any moment could be your last, he could give her something no one else could: absolute security. He'd pulled her back from the gate himself.
A little free with his attention? A few women in orbit? That was supposed to be a flaw?
It barely registered.
As long as she had a place with him, that was enough.
"Hey, Leon."
She strode up and settled naturally at his side.
Leon glanced over and reached out, pinching the back of her neck.
"Why aren't you still in the Infirmary."
"Couldn't stay down any longer."
Ashley turned and looked at Jill. She put out her right hand first.
"I'm Ashley. You must be Jill?"
Jill looked at the offered hand, pale, steady, and smiled slightly.
She took it.
"Jill Valentine."
"Candice mentioned you just got over something serious. How are you feeling?"
"Better than I ever have."
Ashley released the handshake and squeezed her own fist, testing it.
"I feel like I have energy I can't burn through. Like there's a fire in my bones."
Leon had both hands tucked into his tactical pants pockets. He lifted his chin toward the heavy bag hanging off the iron frame across the yard.
"Go work on that. Get used to what your body can do now. The Solar Stairway hasn't fused deep yet — you need to use your body, push it. That's how I started too."
Ashley nodded and walked straight over.
The bag was the one Merle and Shane's crew used for boxing. Reinforced canvas shell, packed with sand and coarse aggregate, heavy and unyielding. An ordinary person landed a solid punch and their knuckles ached for days just from the impact feedback.
Ashley stood in front of it.
No gloves.
She breathed in deep.
Her muscles snapped tight all at once.
No setup. No wind-up. Nothing fancy.
She threw the punch.
Her fist hit dead center.
BOOM!
The sound cracked across the training ground like something had broken. The reinforced canvas split open under the impact, a hole the size of a fist-to-forearm punched clean through. Sand poured out in a torrent, mixed with shredded canvas, scattering across the ground in every direction. The iron frame lurched and shuddered, the load-bearing joint screaming under the stress.
Every survivor on the yard stopped moving.
They stared, jaws slack.
Jill hadn't moved. Her lips were slightly parted. She looked at the hole in the bag — a bag built to absorb punishment — then at Ashley's hand. Pale skin. Not a single broken patch. Not even red.
Chris had been about to put a cigarette between his teeth. His hand jerked. The cigarette hit the dirt.
"What the hell..."
He rubbed his eyes.
"Is she a Terminator wearing a girl suit?"
➤ Next: Listening In on the Cerberus's Thoughts