Safe House, Fortune City. 64 Hours Until Military Arrives

After those two guys, Frank and Chuck, dropped Rainbow Dash and the other humans off in the Safe House, she decided to get information that the Watcher was too vague on. She decided to talk to the security officer she met on the way in, Sullivan.

"You don't know what happened here? Really?" Sullivan asked. Dash had come up with a cover up by saying she showed up yesterday, but she forgot how she got into the bathroom and the whole zombie outbreak.

"Yeah, it's weird. So what's up with the zombies anyway?" Dash asked.

"Well, it started a few hours ago, after the last Terror is Reality show."

"Yeah, I've heard everypo-" She was about to say 'everypony', but realized the humans were addressed differently. "Everybody talk about it. What is that?"

"It's a show where people compete in different challenges to kill large hordes of zombies for lots of cash." Dash made a face of disgust. Killing zombies for money? That's wrong! "You're not the only one who hates it. There's this zombie activist group called C.U.R.E, who's been protesting zombie cruelty since the Vegas outbreak."

"But why protect zombies? Aren't they... dead?"

"Sort of. C.U.R.E sees it as desecration of the deceased, and we should care for them. Nothing but trouble makers. Who knows, maybe they caused the outbreak, not Chuck." Dash's eyes widened. That guy in the yellow jacket caused the outbreak? Then why did he and Frank save her?

"But Chuck saved my life! How could he release those things and kill everyone?!"

"That's what I thought, and I also have thoughts about Frank. He's infected you know."

"You mean he's one of them?!" Dash frantically jumped. Sullivan motioned for her to calm down.

"He apparently got bit during the Willamette Outbreak, the place where zombies first showed up. Now he's taking an infection suppressant called Zombrex. Just like Chuck's little girl, Katey."

"Okay... that makes things cooler. So what happened with the zombies here?"

"Video footage of Chuck, or at least someone wearing his TiR uniform, was shown blowing up the zombie pens, and now Fortune City's infested."

"And people think it's really Chuck?"

"Yeah, but then Frank shows up with photos of TK, the host of Terror is Reality, giving explosives, bait, and money to some C.U.R.E guy. Now the two are trying to clear Chuck's name, and find out the truth behind it all."

"Wow... That's awesome."

"I think we should just wait until the military rolls in and cleans everything up." After Sullivan sat back into his seat, Chuck and Frank walked by. "Speak of the devils, how'd it go with Stacey." Frank and Chuck looked nervous for a moment, but then regained focus.

"There's a news reporter, Rebecca Chang, stuck at the Fortune City Hotel." Chuck said. "Frank's gonna go get her, while I go and round up survivors." Chuck looked and saw Dash standing next to Sullivan. "Hi there."

"'Sup?" Dash asked. She was doing pretty good getting ahold of her new body, and she was pretty good with a fire axe she found near the door. She didn't like sitting around, like Sullivan suggested. An idea popped in her head. "Do you guys need any help out there? There's, like, a ton of zombies out there." Frank and Chuck looked at each other, then huddled together, talking between themselves. After a few minutes, the two zombie hunters turned back to Dash, Frank smiling and Chuck with his typical frown.

"I hope you're good in a fight, girl." Frank said. "Welcome aboard." Dash smiled and jumped up and down like a giddy school girl.

"Thanks! I'll do my best, or die trying!"

"Don't let that be the case." Chuck said. "Grab something to splatter brains with and you'll go with Frank." Dash grabbed a nearby fire axe and ran towards the vents where Frank and Chuck were waiting.

Finally, some action! Let's do this! Dash thought. After traversing the winding shafts, the trio emptied out into a work room, and the official three days began.

Fortune City Park, Fortune City. 62 Hours until Military Arrives

"Fore!" Frank shouted, taking a golf club and knocking a zombie's head clean off it's shoulders. He and Dash were outside, trying to make their way to the hotel, but there were just as many, if not more, zombies outside than in. Dash was trying to hold off zombies with a spiked bat Frank made for her, and they were getting some help from a pair of survivors, Chad and Doris Elchart, who were blasting away at the zombies with shotguns.

"Nice shot, Doris!" Chad whooped. They had been separated near the Platinum Strip, but Frank help the two find each other, and agreed to stick around until they got to the Safe House. The zombies were piling up, but the group finally managed to make it to the doors of the Hotel. After pushing and shoving, Frank pried the doors open and allowed for everyone to enter. The lobby was deserted, with only a few zombie corpses lying around. Chad and Doris were standing near the doorway to the construction zone, while Dash sat and stretched her legs.

"That was one heck of a workout." She said. Frank shot her a look of annoyance.

"Don't treat this like a game, kid." Frank said.

"Funny, because that's what it looked like you were doing a moment ago with the golf club." Dash retorted.

"Those were once people, like you and me, and I don't enjoy killing them, but I have to." Frank was about to speak more, but something caught his eye: An ID tag in a puddle of blood. Frank walked over and inspected it, realizing it belonged to the reporter he and Chuck saw on the news earlier, Rebecca Chang. Dash's head hung in sorrow, the reporter they were looking for was dead. "Amateur, look's like you're zombie chow now."

Frank turned around, and saw a zombie standing right behind him, ready to strike. Dash got up and grabbed her spiked bat, ready to defend, but the zombie slumped to the floor after the prompt sound of a gunshot. Frank and Dash looked towards the sound of the shooter, and saw her. A woman in a white shirt and black skirt, holding a small pistol in her hand. Rebecca Chang was indeed alive.

"You need to pay attention out here, people." She said, walking over to Frank.

"Uh... Thanks." He said.

"Rebecca Chang," Rebecca promptly swiped her press card away from Frank hands and put it back on her person. "Channel Six Action News."

"Frank West." Frank stuck his hand out to shake Rebecca's, whom the latter stepped back.

"Oh, I know you! You used to be a kind of a hero of mine." A snide look entered the reporter's eyes. "Before you got washed up. Dash looked in annoyance, thinking about how they were going to save her life, but instead she's insulting Frank. "You homesick for zombies? What are you doing here?"

"He came to help with your story." Dash said, blowing her hair out of the way. "Name's Rainbow Dash, by the way."

"Cute." Rebecca said.

"Like the kid said. I think C.U.R.E is being set up." Frank said.

"My exclusive tape says otherwise." Dash looked up.

Was she talking about the footage with "Chuck" blowing the pens? Dash thought.

"And I don't need your help." Rebecca retorted.

"It doesn't have to be a contest, lady! I help you, you help me and my friend. Simple." Another thought entered Frank's head. "Where'd you get that tape from?"

"Reporters don't reveal their sources, Frank." Rebecca stated. "Not real ones, anyway." Ouch, right in the ego.

"I wouldn't underestimate Frank West, sweetheart. I've got some pictures you might be interested in." Rebecca's ears perked up.

"Okay, let's see what you've got."

"Not so fast! You've got to throw an old dog a bone before he does any tricks." Rebecca gave an annoyed sigh.

"Fine, maybe I'll let you tag along for a while."

"Finally, we're getting somewhere!" Dash said, sarcastically.

"I can't tell you my source, but, there is a central security room." Rebecca said. "There'll be footage of everything that happens everywhere. I can show you where it is."

"So you show me yours, I show you mine." Dash wanted to throw up at that statement. Rebecca merely rolled her eyes. "Where's your crew?" Rebecca let out an annoyed sighed.

"They ran off. Zombies can do that to them. I guess they didn't want it bad enough."

She's totally hitting on Frank. Dash thought. They better not do this too much. I'm getting a headache. Rebecca started walking towards the doorway into the construction site, Frank motioned Chad, Doris, and Dash to follow. Wandering throughout the halls, zombies fell prey to bullets, blades, and blunt trauma. After making it to the far end of the South Plaza, the group of survivors entered the Arena lobby, where Frank and Chuck saw the outbreak start. Finally, after clearing the cluster of zombies to the maintenance area, they finally made it to the security room, only to find it locked.

"Gonna have to break it down." Frank grunted.

"Here," Rebecca said, shoving Frank aside. "Let me try." Rebecca pulled out a hairpin, bent over, and began to pick the lock.

"Damn, they didn't tech me that in journalism school." Dash looked from Rebecca, to Frank, who was... well let's just say he wasn't looking her 'cutie mark' per se. Dash walked up to Frank and slapped him on the back of the head.

"What the hell?!" Frank shouted.

"Not cool, dude." Dash said. The lock clicked, and Rebecca opened the door. Dash popped her head in and saw that it was empty, save for two dead security guards. She gasped at the sight, while Frank only shook his head.

"It just keeps getting better and better." Frank said, sarcastically.

"Looks like somebody didn't like the show much." Rebecca added. Frank examined the photos on the desk, merely sighing at the distortion.

"Looks like somebody didn't want to show what really went down."

"Frank," Rebecca called. Frank walked over to the guards that Rebecca was taking pictures of. "Take a look at this." He noticed that they didn't have any bite marks, so whoever killed them wasn't a zombie. "C.U.R.E might not be involved, but somebody is trying hard to cover up their tracks. And now would be a time to show me those pictures you promised." A small beeping was heard, that made Dash jump and Chad slip off the post he was leaning on. Frank pulled out a small earpiece, and the voice of Stacey, the woman who was monitoring everything from the Safe House, answered.

"Frank, you and Chuck need to get back to the Safe House." Stacey said.

"What is it Stacey?" Frank asked.

"It's Sullivan, he saw the report. He's threatening to kick me out. Please get back."

"On it." Frank turned off the communicator and turned to the survivors. "Alright everyone, load up and move out. We need to get you to safety."

"Wait, who was that?" Rebecca asked.

"Just a friend." Frank said. Rebecca put two and two together, and figured out the answer.

"Stacey, the leader of C.U.R.E?"

"She's the leader of what?!" Dash shouted.

"No time to explain." Frank said. He, Chad, Doris, and Dash ran out the door to the Arena, leaving behind Rebecca.

"He can't escape me for long." Rebecca said, holding her camera. As fate would have it, the two would meet again.... Next Chapter: Chapter Three: Alliances and Defiances Estimated time remaining: 1 Hour, 24 Minutes