TWD: Saving Merle First - Chapter 99: All-Out Brawl at Camp, Part 2 (Patreon)

One thing had been proven beyond doubt. Leon deserved the nickname “Bristleback.”

He managed to take three takedowns from Shane, get right back to his feet each time, and keep counterattacking.

Shane was becoming more and more interested in the younger newcomer. At first, Leon had been flustered, full of openings, and basically got pinned down and beaten at will.

Half an hour later, though, the improvement was obvious. His footwork had stabilized, his attacking rhythm was coming back, and he was starting to catch the timing of Shane's attacks and answer with clean counters.

The longer they fought, the more surprised Shane became. Leon even landed one punch that made him stagger.

The kid had exceptional fighting instincts. He could absorb experience quickly, process it, and turn it into practical adjustments almost immediately.

Shane was not the only one who noticed.

Ryan, Crane, Jade, and the other experienced fighters saw it too.

Leon breathed heavily and narrowed his eyes. He swept his fingers through his hair, pushing the loose strands away from his face, then raised his guard again.

Shane had no intention of going easy on him. The two went right back at it.

Wade stood nearby with his arms crossed, watching quietly.

Shane was not some top-tier martial artist, but he had plenty of real fighting experience. He was perfect for helping Leon build a foundation.

As for more advanced training later, they had Jade, Ryan, and Crane for that.

Especially Crane. The man had been an agent before all this, so his skill level spoke for itself.

Crane noticed Wade watching him and subconsciously straightened up.

Don't tell me this guy wants to fight me too.

Wade caught the change in Crane's gaze and frowned to himself.

Don't tell me this guy wants to fight me.

Their eyes met.

Almost at the same time, both of them took two steps toward the center.

Shane and Leon, still in the middle of their spar, immediately sensed the change in atmosphere. Without saying a word, they stopped and moved aside.

It took everyone else about two seconds to understand what was happening.

Merle was the first to speak.

“This guy ain't gonna get beaten to death by Wade, is he?”

They had all seen Wade's strength before. Not in a real fight, but while working.

And holy shit, the man was ridiculously strong, with the stamina to match.

Even Daryl hesitated for once before saying uncertainly, “Probably not. Wade knows when to stop. Just don't know if this guy can take it...”

After all, Crane still looked sickly, like he had only recently dragged himself out of a hospital bed.

Jade stayed silent.

She knew the Antizin was responsible for Crane's condition, and she knew exactly how capable he was. What she did not know was how strong Wade really was.

She had never seen any sign that Wade had received formal combat training.

At least the stance he had taken looked like something a complete beginner would use.

About Glenn's level.

Maybe worse than Leon's.

Crane, by contrast, stood casually, like someone who had been dragged into the ring and only planned to go through the motions.

Wade did not buy that for a second.

His Level 7 Perception was screaming at him that Crane was dangerous.

Wade knew that in a fight, taking the initiative and controlling the pace mattered. He surged forward two steps, exploded into motion, and whipped a vicious roundhouse kick toward Crane's kidney.

Crane's pupils constricted.

Wade's initial burst was completely outside his expectations.

He was fast.

Shockingly fast.

Crane did not dare take the kick head-on. He shifted back half a step, slipped out of range, then instantly caught the opening and kicked at Wade's supporting leg.

It was a beautiful response. If the kick landed cleanly, it would wreck Wade's balance and hand Crane control of the exchange.

What Crane never expected was for Wade, that reckless bastard, to simply let it happen.

His attitude might as well have been, You want to kick me? Go ahead.

Smack!

Crane's right foot slammed into Wade's left leg and knocked him off balance.

Crane immediately closed the distance. His right fist came down from above in a vicious overhand punch aimed straight at Wade's cheek.

Wade raised a bent arm to block.

A sharp sting ran through his upper arm, and he immediately judged Crane's Strength to be at least Level 7.

Crane was just as startled.

What the hell? That punch didn't put him down?

Was this guy some kind of bio-engineered freak too?

Wade had gotten the answer he wanted and stopped caring about the rest. He lifted his arm, knocked Crane's attack aside, and started throwing punch after punch, each one faster than the last.

To Wade's surprise, Crane actually kept up.

He dodged or blocked nearly every strike. A few times, he even took a hit head-on just to fire back, driving hard punches into Wade's body.

Wade simply ate the blows and refused to retreat.

He kept forcing the pace, determined not to let Crane settle into his own rhythm and use his full skill set.

Because the moment Crane dragged him into that rhythm, Wade knew his chances of losing would shoot up.

Crane was having a miserable time too.

Wade's offense came down on him like a storm, barely giving him room to breathe. Most of his skill set was being smothered before he could use it, leaving him stuck reacting and defending.

The speed and intensity of the exchange quickly caused a stir among the crowd.

“Holy shit... are these two even human?”

“He's throwing punches that fast nonstop. Doesn't he get tired?”

“I think he's actually getting faster...”

“Fuck...”

None of the chatter reached the two men in the ring. Both were completely locked in.

Then Wade deliberately slowed his offense by a fraction and left an opening.

Crane took the bait and threw a punch.

It hit nothing.

Crane's pupils contracted. The instant he realized something was wrong, he tried to pull back and change his attack.

Wade had waited too long for this chance to let him escape.

His right hand shot out and clamped around Crane's wrist. Wade twisted his body, stepped forward to jam Crane's line of attack, then drove into him with a brutally heavy Iron Mountain Shoulder Charge.

Power surged up from the ground and through Wade's body as his shoulder slammed into Crane's chest.

Crane's vision went black, and for a moment he nearly stopped breathing.

Wade did not let up.

Using the momentum, he stepped back and switched to a knee strike while his right hand yanked hard on Crane's trapped wrist.

Crane had only just recovered his balance when it was broken again. His body stumbled forward on its own, straight into Wade's rising knee.

The blow buried itself in his abdomen.

Wade's finishing move came next.

His left arm swung down in an elbow strike, the point of his elbow dropping toward the back of Crane's head.

“No! Wade!”

His elbow froze in midair.

The shout snapped Wade back to himself, and a bead of cold sweat rolled down his forehead.

In such an intense exchange, his body's reactions had gotten ahead of his thoughts.

He had almost failed to stop in time.

That was close...

If that elbow had landed cleanly, with his Speed and Strength, he really might have sent Superman Crane straight to the grave.

Crane finally managed to catch his breath. Then he lifted his head and smacked it directly into Wade's suspended elbow, making him hiss in pain all over again.

“Holy shit! I'm starting to think you're actually trying to kill me, bro!”

Wade let go of his wrist, put on his most innocent expression, and helped him back to his feet.

“What? Of course not. Crane, I thought you'd break out of my grip and counter. This was my first time fighting someone up close, after all. I didn't expect it to be this easy.”

Everyone stared at him in disbelief.

Holy shit.

You nearly kill the guy, then rub salt in the wound too?!