Safe House Bunker, Fortune City. 51 Hours until the Military Arrives

Things were generally quiet around the Safe House. Most of the survivors were too scared or traumatized to talk after the hardships they went through. Seeing zombies killing and infecting people can do that to you. However, some were still open to idle conversation. Most talked to friends, or even amongst the others, but it was still quiet throughout the halls.

*CRASH*

"Who spilled on the floor?!" Shouted Rainbow Dash. Once being unchained by Chuck, Dash decided to stretch her legs and do something while she was waiting for Frank and Chuck to come back. She decided to get something to eat, because she hadn't eaten since she got to this world thanks to Guardian. However, someone decided to spill a carton of milk on the floor, and Dash was unlucky enough to slip atop it and fall on her back. She was sprawled out on the floor, groaning as pain spread throughout her back. The door swung open, Sullivan, Elrod (a survivor Chuck had rescued while she and Frank were with Rebecca), and Chuck's daughter Katey ran in.

"What happened?" Sullivan barked.

"Down here." Dash groaned, raising a bruised arm. Elrod began laughing like the redneck bumpkin like he is.

"That's a knee slapper righ' thar." Elrod hooted. He was shut up by prompt smack to the head by Sullivan's baton. "The hell, officah? I'd dun nothin' wrong!" While the two were fighting, Katey reached a hand out to Dash and offered her a hand up.

"Need a hand?" Katey asked, her face lighting up in a smile so warm it could melt butter. Dash sheepishly grinned, but then shook her head, quickly stood back up, and dusted herself off.

"Thanks, kid," Dash said. "But I don't need any help. I'm too awesome to let slip ups hurt me." Katey let off a simple giggle. "Hey, you're Chuck's daughter, right?"

"Yep! I'm his little angel." Katey said. "He's the best dad ever! He races motorcycles and helps people who need it. He and that old guy with the camera brought most of the people stuck outside here."

"I know, he saved me out there, too." Dash said. "If he's as awesome as you call him, I bet your mom's a goddess or something." Katey's face sank, and she looked to the ground. Dash realized she must've struck a nerve, or brought up a bad memory. She got down to face level with the little girl and put a hand on her shoulder. "What's wrong?

"My mom died when the zombies attacked Las Vegas." Katey said, her voice shaky. "But then she came back... and bit me."

So that's how she became infected, like Sullivan and Frank said. Dash thought. This poor kid went through a lot.

"Dad's been working really hard to pay for Zombrex. I don't like getting shots, but dad says I have to. Every day from 8:00 AM to 9:00 AM." Dash glanced at the clock on the wall, reading it said 2:15 AM. Chuck should be back to give his daughter.... whatever that Zombrex thing is. An injection, maybe? Dash's thoughts were interrupted by Stacey knocking on the window. She had a worried look painted on her face, causing Dash to draw her attention away from Katey for a moment.

"Whaddaya need, Stace?" Dash asked.

"There's something really important that Frank and Chuck need to see," Stacey said. "But they're not answering their transceivers. Last I saw, they were heading to the Food Court to investigate someone cooking in one of the restaurants." She looked over to the side, checking to see if Sullivan was listening in. Instead, he was busy field-stripping his pistol. Stacey motioned Dash closer, her voice dropping to whisper level. "I need you to go and find Frank and Chuck, check if they're okay, bring them back, and make sure Sullivan doesn't see you. He'll shit a chicken if you went out there after that whole breakdown a few hours ago."

Don't remind me about that whole nightmare thing. Dash thought. I'm gonna make pie outta Briar's head for that.

"I know I'm asking much, but can you do this for me?" Dash thought about this for a while. She knew Chuck had told her to stay in the Safe House until she was better, but she was definitely feeling better, albeit a little dizzy from time to time. But, then again, Chuck and Frank could be in danger. Zombies are dangerous in groups, and there are also those crazed psychopaths. It was about time the good ole element of Loyalty kicked in.

"I'll go after them. Give me something to defend myself, a transceiver, and a map. I'll bring 'em back before you could say 'Daring Doo and the Dragon's Drought'!" Stacey gave the rainbow-haired girl a quizzical gaze, complimented by raised eye-brows. Stacey reached into her green jacket pocket and gave a yellow ear-piece and a small city-map to Dash. After placing the two item on her person, she saw a small brown object fall onto the floor. Curiosity taking over, Dash picked up the object, made out of wood, and noticed a silver button on the side. Upon pressing the button, a short silver-lined blade shot out from the top. Written in golden words was a simple phrase.

The Fate of One, is the Fate of All

"I don't get it." Dash looked up, wanting to ask Stacey where she got the knife from, but she was gone. She shrugged her shoulders and tucked the knife in her pocket, sneaking carefully past Sullivan before slipping into the vents.

Chuck and Frank, here come you're friendly neighborhood Rainbow Dash! Dash confidently thought as she crawled through the vent.

Food Plaza, Fortune City. 49 Hours Until the Military Arrives

"Dinner is served!" Came an angry voice from the Cuccina Donnacci. A butcher's knife flew through the air and struck into the head of a zombie, which began a domino effect of the zombie hitting a table, causing it to flip and send several plates flying into the air, one of them knocking a security camera over and falling on top of a radio, turning on and tuning to a rock and roll radio station. Chuck and Frank were ducking behind a kitchen counter as Antoine Thomas, the now psychopathic owner of the Antoine's restaurant chain, angrily yelled at them and threw plates.

"Frank," Chuck said to his partner. "When a crazy cook asks if you're a food critic and is holding someone hostage, you say YES!"

"Well, how was I supposed to know he'd fly off the pot handle like this?!" Frank shouted. Antoine hurdled himself over the counter, his chef's apron coated in grease and blood, brandishing a meat cleaver in one hand and a frying pan in the other.

"Time to carve the meat!" Antoine screamed, raising his cleaver over his head. Chuck quickly kicked Antoine in the stomach, giving him and Frank enough time to run and get their weapons. Frank dislodged his broadsword that was lodged in a table, and Chuck slipped his spiked MMA Gloves on. The crazed cook spun around, wiping the blood away from his mouth.

"Look out, he's got a frying pan." Frank sarcastically yelled.

"I never liked tough meat... too chewy." Antoine snarled.

"Personally, I think you should lay off the meat." Chuck joked. "Or do your menus not include a vegan diet?" Antoine roared and swung his pan at Chuck, narrowly side sweeping to dodge the attack. Chuck swung a fist into Antoine's back, puncturing the skin and leaving a bloodied bruise. Antoine hollered in pain, bending over and clutching the bruise. Frank ran over, shoving the cook onto a table and holding the sword at neck's length.

"You ready to quit?" Frank chided. Antoine smirked, then punched Frank's side and swapped places with him, holding a butcher's knife to his stomach.

"Are you ready to squeal, piggy?" Antoine crazily giggled. As sweat dripped from his brow, Frank looked for a way out, and found his escape plan on a silver platter. He reached over and slid his hand under the plate, not once breaking eye contact.

"How about I serve you," Frank replied. "An appetizer!" He lifted his arm, shoving a plate of cold pasta into Antoine's face. As the chef rubbed the pesto sauce out of his eyes, Frank took a chair and smashed it over Antoine's head and ran back to Chuck. "You see what I did there? Appetizer?"

"Yeah, but save the wisecracks for me or later." Chuck said, rolling his eyes. Antoine got to his feet again, stumbling towards a table where a large plate of pizza sat. He reached for a piece as hunger took over him (being beaten and cut does that to you), but saw one of the slices being lifted up. Antoine glanced and saw a rainbow haired girl chewing on his food, a food filled smirk on her face.

"This stuff's really good," Dash said, chewing another bite. "My compliments to the chef."

A compliment? For me? Antoine thought. She must be the critic! Looks a little young, but who cares! Antoine quickly stood upright and took his best business pose.

"That would be me, miss!" Antoine answered in a prideful tone. "The great Chef Antoine Thomas, they call me the King of Cuisine! I've been waiting for you to show up!" Dash raised her eyebrows as she saw this portly cook gleefully skip into the kitchen. She looked at Frank and Chuck, whom both were clutching the bridges of their noses. Shrugging her shoulders, she followed the cook into the kitchen, standing over a pot of food.

"So... what's up?" Dash asked. Antoine turned towards Dash, his face a mixture of insanity and nervousness.

"I've been preparing this meal that I've been preparing for you." Antoine gleefully said, stirring the pot. He took a sip of the broth(?) inside, smacking his lips and pondering. "I said it before, still needs buttah and tastes like chicken." While trying to hold in the disgust that humans ate chickens, Dash looked into the pot while Antoine ran to get some butter. Peering in, she wanted the vomit at seeing the fried limbs and fingers, either from zombies or survivors she'd never know. "It's made from fresh ingredients I'm sure you and your readers will find worthy of three, maybe four stars!"

"You actually would expect people to eat this stuff?" Dash shrieked. "It's disgusting!" Antoine's head snapped up, his face turning to an angry snarl as he faced Dash.

"How. Dare. You." Antoine quietly growled.

"What was that?" Dash said, cupping an ear to further mock the cook. On the sides, Chuck and Frank were frantically waving to call Dash off before Antoine decided she'd make a great main course.

"HOW DARE YOU!" He shouted. "First those two hooligans show up and pretend to be the critics, and then attack me and destroy my restaurant. Now you show up and have the gall to insult me, Antoine, the King of f***cking Cuisine, by denying my masterpiece! I'll kill you!" Antoine reached to the side, and pulled up a frying pan, which had been sitting on an open flame the entire time, and brandished the searing red end towards Dash's face. As Dash was panicking, she noticed that an image of a very familiar carved face appeared in the pan's reflection. Keeper Briar appeared again, pointing at Dash and smirking with his pumpkin face.

Ha! You really screwed up now. Briar laughed in Dash's head. She ignored the voice when Antoine leaped and swung his pan at Dash. She dodged when the pan hit the arm of a dismembered zombie, releasing a hissing noise on contact. When the heated metal was pulled away, the arm was little more than a charred stump, and Antoine was thirsty for blood.

"Dinner time!" Antoine bellowed, swinging his pan midair. Dash quickly opened her pocket knife, shielded her eyes, and pointed it at the cook. With a sickening squish, Dash felt something splatter against her hand. Pulling her arm away, she saw her knife, stained in blood. Glancing upward, she saw Antoine, sputtering and gagging, and saw where the knife impacted: Deep in between his ribs. Dash fell backwards, and stared at the blood on her hand, while Antoine stumbled into the kitchen. Frank and Chuck followed the cook, standing near the a counter which conjoined a knife rack and the deep fryer. Antoine turned around, his arm attempting to grab a knife. However, wet floors can cause people to slip. The crazed chef slipped on water, causing him to turn over and impact face first into the deep fryer. Gurgled screams of pain erupted from the grease as Antoine both was drowning and being roasted alive. Eventually, Antoine fell limp, head still deep in burning grease, and stood unmoving.

"That did not taste like chicken." Frank joked, lifting his camera to take a few snapshots. Chuck simply rolled his eyes, and was glad that the bastard was dead. He looked over to Dash, sitting at a booth and still staring at her hand, feeling sorry for her. She'd killed zombies before, but she never killed a living being.

"I'll go and check on the kid," Chuck said. "You go and get the hostage out of the freezer."

"Yeah, but after a few more pictures." Frank said, taking another photo. Chuck again rolled his eyes and walked to Dash, putting a hand on her shoulder.

"Thanks for saving our asses out there." Chuck said, with a warm grin on his face.

"No... problem...." Dash shakily mumbled.

"Are you alright?"

"I stabbed a man... and he wasn't a zombie...." Dash looked up at Chuck with frightened eyes. "Does that make me a murderer?"

"No, it doesn't. Antoine was insane, and in this zombie apocalypse scenario, there is no such thing as murder." Chuck sat down beside Dash, attempting to explain how the world now works. "As much as I hate it, whenever shit like this happens, it's kill or be killed. If we grieved the loss of someone every time we had to kill, we'd all be like Antoine, Brandon, and even Leon Bell. Killing is wrong, and I absolutely hate the world we live in because of it, but sometimes we have to do what must be done." Dash looked up, breaking her traumatic psyche for an instant, and smiled.

"Thanks, I needed that." She said. "Oh! I just remembered! Stacey said you weren't answering your transceivers, so she sent me to get you guys. She's got something important to show you two."

"Alright, then let's move up." Chuck and Dash got up, walking over to the entrance to the Cuccina Donnacci, where Frank and two survivors, a man and a woman both dressed in bartender's clothing, and promptly left for through the Slot Ranch Casino. Little did they know that the entire time, a shadowy figure was watching the entire ordeal.

"Blast!" Briar whispered. "They'll be going to the Underground. If they discover my master's plans, all will be lost." Briar quickly stepped back into the shadows, completely vanishing in the darkness.

Underground, Fortune City. 48 Hours Until the Military Arrives

Most of the halls and corridors of the Underground transportation system were swarmed with zombies, however, near the entrance from the Palisades Mall, there were little walking corpses. Men, heavily armored with rifles and equipped with gasmasks, were stationed near a cargo train, where several other men were transporting heavy equipment. At the caboose, there sat two men, TK and Seeker, shrouded in darkness, blade-like fingers clinking against a wine glass filled with thick red wine, talking about events to come.

"So, you can promise me that when this pumpkin ghost king comes around," TK said. "I get myself a slice of power pie and won't be attacked?"

"Indeed, so much as if you make sure the motorcyclist, the photographer, and the rainbow haired girl do not interfere." Seeker said through his metallic voice. "You will be given a grand reward."

"I like the sound of that!" TK laughed, pouring himself some more wine and raising it to toast. "To grand rewards."

"To eternal benefaction." Seeker replied, pouring himself some more.

"To Fortune City."

"To the Shard." The two glasses clinked against each other, and TK greedily drank his, while Seeker quietly poured his onto the floor. In a flash of black smoke, Keeper Briar burst from the shadows, his normally chipper pumpkin carving turned to a worried frown. TK fell backwards in his seat, frightened by the sudden appearance of the ghostly servant, but Seeker's blood red eyes became bemused.

"My lord Seeker!" Briar shouted. "I have news from the surface."

"Out with it." Seeker growled.

"The security footage caught some of Tyrone King's men in the Underground," Briar explained. "And the three interlopers are coming down here! We could be exposed if they find the summoning room!" Briar began to shake, showing proof that even the undead can feel fear. Seeker sat cold and unmoving, like a machine calculating an equation. After a while of silence, Seeker rose from his chair and lifted TK to eye level (which is about four feet in the air).

"TK, I'm ordering a change of guard... to my men." Seeker said, waving towards the shadows. The shadows then started to move, taking strange human-like forms. The shadows then leaped off the walls and surfaces themselves, and began to shape into actual bodies! Limbs formed, ending in small point without hands, bat-like wings jutted out of their backs, oval-shaped heads sprung up with wildly spiked hair splaying all over, gleaming star-like red eyes burst from within, and an insane smile consumed their face. Voices echoed throughout the room, like children, giggling and singing in eerie tones.

"Dear little mortals, don't you see?

Darkness rises for an eternity.

There's no chance to try and flee,

The Shard will destroy all reality." Next Chapter: Chapter Nine: Find the Light Estimated time remaining: 19 Minutes