Realistic or Modern Humanity Has Fallen (Deceased, partner failed to respond)

[Sir Swigglesworth]

Lore: In the early months of the year 2018 a highly infectious strain of the flu began in Eastern Europe and rapidly spread throughout the world at an alarming rate, carrying a horrific and deadly secret... A virophage that hitched a ride on that poor flu virus to spread itself. After showing its colors, this virus was observed showing astounding regenerative capabilities and genetic shuffling, reason being that its genetic code mutated rapidly and all attempts to discover a substance that could kill it ended in failure. All scientific attempts to isolate and develop the vaccine were unsuccessful. Soon afterwards it was classified as a regenerative virophage and was named XC-01, xenomorphic contagion, being the first virophage of its kind ever seen. This virophage began its world conquest by infecting the flu strain that was an epidemic in Europe and once inside an individuals body took its course. This flu was merely a means for the virus to first get into a new host and begin forming an independent form and use the host to further spread it. XC-01's new form once in the body was stable enough to support itself as long as it remained inside the body. It is not waterborne or airborne, and perishes rather quickly in an open environment. Infection can occur only through direct contact with bodily fluids. By the end of 2018 the virus and its infected hosts roamed the world, on a destructive path to eliminate the rest of humanity.

By 2020, world government had nearly all but collapsed with small pockets still holding strong. Humanity was left to fend to their own devices in the new world and face the struggle to survive. By 2021 the world was nearly lost, but humanity held strong in their resolve and pockets of life remained throughout the world, the shattered remains of the U.S containing the largest survivor population from coast to coast. An estimated total of 300,000 individuals remained from the once large 330 million strong population. The year is now 2023, closing in on 2024 in this cold December month, you are a survivor living in the cold U.S North East.

XC-01: A deadly, infectious, and extremely feared virus that nearly caused the fall of humanity. Once infected by XC-01 you are destined to die and rise once more, that is of course after you pass through your viral stage. This virus was once a virophage that hitched a ride on an infectious flu strain in Europe and turned that epidemic into a worldwind pandemic. It has an astounding regeneration factor, and an inevitable capability to mutate and potentially mutate its host. It has mutated to create a natual repellant to nearly any natural decomposer for the purpose of keeping its hosts up and running. Meaning while seemingly filthy, the only contagion contained on the host is the virus itself, nothing more.

Symptoms of XC-01 infection have been observed in 8 hour increments within a 24 hour period but based on the individual have been observed as soon as 3 hours.
Stage one symptoms: 1-8 hours after infection
1: Headache
2: Coughing
3: Blurred vision
Stage 2 symptoms: 8-16 hours after infection.
1: Bloodshot eyes
2: Dizzyness and confusion
3: High fever
Stage 3 symptoms: 16-24 hours.
1: Greying of the skin
2: Erratic spasms as the virus takes it final clutches on the brain stem.
3: Violence and aggression
4: Shouting, screaming.
5: Popping of the blood vessels in the eyes, causing bleeding.
Stage 4: Successful infection of the host by XC-01

Types of zeds

Walkers: The primary outcome of infection by the XC-01 virus. Walkers are highly common and can be found just about everywhere. Tell tale signs of infection that carry over into death are bloodshot eyes and paling of the skin
Attributes:
°Very sensitive to hearing and will track the source of the nearest sound. Leading many walkers to wander aimlessly mostly due to noises they and their brethren make. °Strength varies, fresh walkers are generally as strong as they were before death. Physical structure diminishes slightly and damage done to the host is permanent but the virus keeps decomposition from happening.
°Generally are seen in small groups known as packs to large concentrations known as hordes. But solo walkers are also very common.


Ferals: Due a mutation in the virus that targets the Y chromosome in male hosts, the genetic coding has been tampered with by the virus and the brain has been altered to produce an almost feral and predatory mindset in the victim. With growth hormones being activated in the body once again and melanin pigments being tampered with, the outcome of this mutation produces a victim with pale white skin, strong highly compact muscles, and sharp almost metallic claws.

Attributes:
°Abnormally strong, capable of tossing a human around with ease.
°Heightened hearing and sense of smell to compensate for weak eyesight
°Extremely aggressive
°Sharp claws, severely sharp, capable of slashing soft metal and will go through tissue like butter.
°While a stalking type, their ferocity soon gets the better on them while hunting and they will often charge a target after getting tired of waiting.
°Agile and fast
°Solitary, often seen alone and or wandering near hordes or packs.


Nightstalkers: A recent and scarcely populous mutation, little to no information is known. What is known however is that they were initially discovered by Mikhail Brykovsky upon engaging in search mission for a trio of scavengers from Princeton Park that went missing after saying they would be leaving to scavenge a recently discovered science facility. The man was hardly able to make it out alive themselves but discovered crucial information about these creatures that were apparently being tested on in the facility. They turned this information in to the safe zone government in hopes of better understanding this new threat. What we do know now is that they are indeed a mutation of XC-01, potentially a new strand, but the virus does not use these hosts to further spread itself, they are ferocious hunters and so far that seems it. Spreading of the virus is not on the mutations agenda, we do not know how these creatures came about but however they did, there is a way. Their nickname was given by Mikhail after observing their behavior while inside the science facility.
Attributes:
°These zeds are clearly nocturnally disposed as they despise bright light of any kind. This is telltale via their extremely dilated pupils that contract heavily when exposed to bright light of any form and their averse reactions.
°He had observed these creatures using hunting tactics both alone and in groups.
°They possess heightened senses of hearing and smell.
°They appear to have some form of mental capacity, seemingly able to process thoughts. This was apparent when they were viewed tossing large to small objects as distractions, hiding from Mikhail, and even setting an ambush on the man. They even appear to have a form of communication between one another that consists of screeches, grunts, and other vocal effects. Nightstalkers were even viewed hesitating and almost planning with one another when they had the man cornered and he had fought ferociously, killing one of their own.
°Approximately 2x stronger than a feral.
°Nightstalkers seem to have relationships among others of their kind and will help one another out, this is another scary queue to mental capacity of some sort. This behavior was viewed during conflict with them by Mikhai.
°Self preservation, Nightstalkers seem to be scared of guns and avoid them at all costs and know when to hide from them. But when engaged in a fight they actively attempt to avoid gunfire and the swings of a melee weapon.
°With the viruses effects on the brain, these creatures seem to have preserved reflexes akin to that of a humans, meanwhile active growth hormones have left them with compact muscles and loosened tendons that allows these beings to be both strong, quick, and flexibly agile.
°Sharp claws, used very effectively in conflict
° Nightstalkers do not "infect" their victims, they appear to kill for one reason only. Hunting, and feeding.

 

[Sir Swigglesworth]

Alec “Frost” Jäger

Age: 27

Gender: Male

Sexuality: Heterosexual

Date of birth: August 15th, 1998

Ethnicity: German American

Occupation: Before the apocalypse he was a recruit police officer, just having graduated months before the world ended. Now they bide their time as a survivor and scavenger.

Personality: Alec is an overall outgoing, get it done type of person. Even in these hard times they are always trying to keep spirits high with crude jokes and make sure what needs to be done gets done. They are a calm and patient man, with a will to whatever he may need to survive. Being a quick witted thinker and smooth talker, Alec can think outside the box for many situations and if need be, stall for them to think of an idea. It’s gotten him and their now deceased colleague out of harm's way before.

Physical Description: “Frost” stands at an average height of 5’ 11” with light blonde hair, light blue eyes and weighs 185 pounds. Their stature is slim but fit with clear muscular toning and they have one singular scar on their back where he was attacked by a feral and got a nasty gash. Alec wears black cargo pants paired with a pair of running shoes and a grey fleece jacket. They have an underarmor shirt for heat retention and moisture escape with a slightly dirty teal shirt with black sleeves above that. Lastly their hat, a beanie, is a match to their color scheme and fades in thick black to grey stripes. In their full outfit, all you could really see is their eyes if they take their eye wear off.


Background: Alec was born to a German family in the U.S and from a young age was raised as the patient, respecting but sociable man he would come to be. At a young age, Alec showed interest in gymnastics and his parents allowed him to pursue that quickly growing passion. In their highschool years he began developing interest criminal justice and by then had been on their schools gymnastics team since 6th grade. His interest in criminal justice grew into another large passion as did his love for gymnastics and they soon began looking for college courses and opportunities to get him into the field during his highschool career. As hobbies in their life, Alec had always enjoyed hunting and camping. It was nice to him being able to just get away from everything and get in touch with nature and enjoy the peace that came with it. As a highschool junior, Alec acquired a scholarship to Alexander's University for a degree in criminal justice and simultaneously took training and courses at the Brentwood police academy. His passion and drive pulled him through those stressful years despite struggling to make ends meet and manage their time between college, family, friends, and the academy. At the age of twenty one he completed his criminal justice degree and was finally able to attend the police academy as an actual cadet, graduating in the top 3 of his class not long after. His mainstay was forensics and psychology, all the science and mental queues behind crime was interesting to him. For 6 months he served as a city police officer before the cruel reality of the worlds fate hit him, hard. Brentwood was ravaged by XC-01 and people began dropping like flies, emergency vehicles frantically speeding around the city in response to the multitude of emergency calls. Swiftly and drastically the world around them changed, Alec and their partner, Marcus, received orders from command to assist in the sudden evacuation attempts. Shockingly, the pairs orders also contained a shoot to kill command towards anyone approaching them with bloodshot eyes, pale skin, and acting confused. As if Alec and their partner hadn’t already seen the horrors this plague brought to their city. People torn to shreds, horrendous blood shot eyes, families ripped apart from one another both literally and figuratively, sheer chaos. He and their partner were to assist in the evacuation of the hospital, because they surely weren’t already busy rushing around the city protecting people and halting infected. Quickly, accompanied by 3 other squad cars totalling for 8 men all together armed with Remington 870 pump actions, Colt M4 carbines, and Glock G19 handguns, Alec and Marcus made way to hospital to assist evac and hold off the infected. As expected, it was a massacre. Alec and his fellow officers tried to hold off as much as they could, to the point they had no ammo. Reinforcements and backup were entirely out of the equation in these dire times, manpower was already spread thin and military had little to no presence in the city at the time. Soon after the conflict began, Frost’s friends around him began getting overwhelmed by the infecte. Men screamed as they were torn to shreds and eaten alive only to reanimate as one of the very things they were fighting. This moment still haunts Alec’s life, watching as their friends were torn apart with no capacity to help. He had no other choice but to run that day, they would rather live to fight again and save others in the process, then die then and know he couldn’t have done anything. Nearly 7 years later brings you to the current time, he and a close colleague used survive among the ruins of their once flourishing city, but now they roam alone.


Strengths:
+ Police training- I.E tactical firearm combat, self defense combat, first aid, tactical equipment use, interpersonal skills, physical training, non destructive lock picking and alternative entry methods.

+ Psychology-smooth talker, manipulative.

+ Survival and hunting skills

+ Gymnastics/parkour

+ Speed, fast and light on their feet

+ Critical thinker

+ Strong leadership

Weaknesses:
-Physical stature requires increased dietary intake

-Deeply instilled sense of right and wrong, justice.

-Protective of those incapable of doing so themselves, this can often times lead them to put himself in harm's
way.

Likes:
° Guinness lager

° Peace and quiet

° Hunting zeds and bandits

° Helping in the varying communities

° Fighting

Dislikes:
° Bandits

° Zeds

° Disorganization

Equipment:
° Personally modified, police edition Scorpion EVO 3 A1. Comes equipped with Gemtech GM-9 suppressor, stub grip, folding stock with cushioned butt pad, a trijicon RMR reflex reticle, a quick swap dual magazine attachment, and a sling. Body mods include an extended handguard that fits flush with the suppressor.

°GALLS, Level IIIA soft body armor vest. Comes with inserted STP trauma pack.

°"Skullcracker" hand modified high strength polypropylene short baseball hand, single handed.

°Coldsteel "AK47" field knife

°Protective eyewear salvaged from the corpse of a dead U.S marine

°Elbow pads and hand modified steel studded knee pads.

°One double magazine pouch attached to their belt for his Scorpion.

°Fingerless tip wool gloves

°Homemade wrist bracers to deal with close zed encounters

°Black face cover which goes to the bridge of the nose and contains a breathing slot

°Medium sized, urban camo variant of the 5.11 RUSH Moab sling backpack.

Current inventory:
° 9x19mm cartridges x50
° 3x 20rnd Scorpion EVO magazines, 2nd one attached to the 1st via quick reload attachments while the 3rd one is contained in a double magazine pouch on their belt
° Compact knife sharpener
° Compass
° 2x flashbangs
° 3x firecrackers
° 32oz military grade bottle - Filled
° 1x MRE and a can of vegetable soup.
° Gerber Multitool
° Dual fork-spoon combo tool. No, not a spork
° Zippo lighter kept in their pocket
° 1x 16oz disposable water bottle
° Scavenged military first aid kit
° 40ft of paracord
° Police handcuffs with accompanying key
° 2x cliff bars
° 1x energyshot gummy package
° Their wallet with $167 in safezone tickets, old police I.D, Safezone identification and occupation card, picture of their family, a small map, and directions to two of their safehouses.
° Weatherproof notebook with 2 pencils and a black pen

 

[Twisted Talia]

Name: Addison Riley Rhodes

Nickname: Addie

Age: 24

Gender: Female

Sexuality: Heterosexual

Height: 5’5”

Weight: 120 pounds

Weapon of Choice: Katana, silenced guns, axes.

Appearance: See above photo.

Extra Appearances: Addison has an infinity sign tattooed onto her left wrist, her dominant hand. She also has a small ‘2016’ written behind her ear, in memory of her younger sisters. On her right forearm, she has a black and white tattoo of a rose. Her back and body is covered in scars from her experiences, adventures, and battles.

Personality: Addison was a curious and bubbly child, always asking questions or laughing. As she grew up, she became more guarded and shy. Presently, Addison is an honest, protective, gentle, handy, and loving person. She can easily get jealous and angry, and is sometimes fiercely independent. Her brains have gotten her through many situations, and she is extremely determined to stay alive and fight through, many would call her a fighter.

Strengths: has survival and hunting experience, is calm and very good at talking and communicating with others, worked as a nurse and attended medical school, did gymnastics and sports as a young child, and is very small and lithe.

Weaknesses: can sometimes get panic attacks and freezes up, can be reserved and secretive, and is so selfless that she will sometimes ignore her own issues and that can be dangerous.

Likes: wine of any sort, feeling cared for and protected/safe, dogs, helping others

Dislikes: zeds, nightwalkers, all the creatures created by the virus, being talked down to and disrespected, and causing others pain

History: Addison was born in Maine, and was born into a loving and supportive family. She had two younger sisters, who she loved and protected fiercely. Her life was relatively normal until her younger sisters passed in a drunk driving crash in 2016, hence the tattoo on her ear. Addison was crushed, falling into a deep depression and falling behind on many things. She eventually grew stronger, living for them, and graduated high school and college with honors. She was living with her parents in the Northeast when the XC-01 virus spread across the country killing millions. After the death of her parents. she survived by roaming between groups of people, never staying anywhere for too long.​

 

[Twisted Talia]

Addison sighed, her hands falling to her side as she attempted to cover the curtains. The tie wouldn't hold, and bright daylight streamed in as the thick woolen blanket fell down to the floor. She quickly pulled it back up, terrified someone, or something had seen her in the large window of the house she resided in. There hadn't been much action lately, the streets eerily silent. She looked down, her skin pale in the dim candlelight. She hadn't been outside in weeks, the house became more like a prison in those times. She knew she needed to get outside sooner than later, even if it was just for a few minutes. Fear led her life now.

She snapped out of her thinking spell, and shaking her head she got up and grabbed a candle, venturing into the kitchen. She was a surprisingly good scavenger, filling large duffel bags with food and water. She zipped open a small bag that sat on the counter, and pulled out a case of crackers and began to eat them, chewing slowly as to savor them. She enjoyed the taste of them, and gladly finished them. Throwing out the wrapper, she hopped up the stairs to change and grab her pistol. screwing the suppressor onto the end. She zipped up her jacket and slowly walked back down the stairs, throwing a pair of hiking boots on and making her way to the door.

Her shaking hands grasped the doorknob, and slowly turned it, pushing the door open and stepping out into the cold December air. There was bright snow lining the streets, white enough to hurt her eyes. She saw bright red patched splattered in sections across the snow, and silently prayed no creatures were nearby. Grasping her pistol with both hands, she stepped into the street, and immediately looked back and forth, scanning for creatures. Fortunately. she didn't see any but she saw something moving at the far end of the road. Unsure of what it was, she stepped out and began walking towards it, gripping her pistol tightly.​

 

[Sir Swigglesworth]

"Shit shit shit shit shit SHIT!" Alec yelled to himself as they ran down the road having stirred a horde of walkers. "An easy day I said. There shouldn't be much zed activity in the area I said. WELL FUCK ME I SAY!" The young man thought to themself in irriatation as they fled from the horde he had stirred up by letting them be down wind of him so they could catch his scent. Their eyes scanned the streets for any climbable routes he could take to the rooftops or sneak inside of a building. Alec had their Scorpion slung across his chest as they ran with their melee in hand. As they passed close by an alleyway, a walker jumped out and grabbed onto him. "FUCK!" The man yelled as they held their wrist up to the zeds mouth, letting their homemade bracers protect against any bites. With quick thinking and walkers closing in on them they ripped their wrist from the zeds mouth, grabbed its right arm with their left and held their right wrist to its neck as they pulled backwards and spun their weight in a full 180. The momentum caused the zed to get thrown to ground with heavy force and before one could realize, its skull had been caved in with one fierce strike from Alec. As quickly as they had dispatched the zed, they began running once more hoping desperately to spot a place they could climb away. While running, another walker moved to intercept the man but was dealt with by another quick swing from the mans bat. Soon, after another few moments of running, the man came across a large gap between the street they could jump across after the road caved in. "From one edge to another, good, that'll get these fuckers off me."

Keeping their running momentum, Alec placed his bat inside a small slot left open in their pack and made a harsh left turn, now sprinting towards the gap to gain speed and momentum. As they came close, they jumped. Placing their feet out in front of them in a closed position, their feet struck the edge of the cracked road and slid down. As their feet slid, he quickly gripped onto the edge and pulled himself up and back onto their feet. 3 zeds were in close proximity to the man and they drew their bat out once again, spinning it in hand with a devilish grin as they breathed heavily. "Come on you rotten fuckers..." Alec said with a chuckle as they leapt at the first one and caved its skull in. Then while the second one lunged the man spun and held their arm out allowing their bat to connect with its second victim, meanwhile as the third one shuffled closer, Alec flipped it off happily and kicked in its knee. As the zed dropped to the ground, still reaching and grabbing at the man, he chuckled and drew their arm back then let it go with a powerful swing that all but took half of the zeds skull off into bits and pieces of what it once was.

 

[Twisted Talia]

Addison heard the faint groans and grumbles of walkers. She froze, fear momentarily grasping her before she shook herself out of it. Not long after, she heard the echo of a voice screaming profanities. She slowly made her way towards the noises, worried she may witness another death. She knew she needed to be strong, but she questioned herself. Her soft footfalls echoed between the houses nearby, and mingled with the sounds of a horde nearby. She felt a soft breeze pass her by, and whirled to face a walker, its mangled and bloodied face inches from her own. She screamed, a bloodcurdling sound, high and terrified. She ducked as the creature lunged towards her, and she kicked out, managing to avoid the arms of the monster. It let out a loud grunt as it hit the ground, defeated and unable to get back up.

Her face went a ghostly pale before she realized what would happen. Her scream would draw zeds in like starving wolves to a deer carcass. She let out a cry of rage and pulled out her pistol, facing the herd slowly limping towards her. She was momentarily grateful no ferals had come running, the scar on her back served as a reminder not to fuck with them. Breaking off, she yelled again as three walkers came limping towards her, and the fired, hitting each in the head. She smirked, glad her time on the shooting range with her father had paid off.

All memories of the other horde and the mysterious echo of a voice were lost as she went into full fight mode, using her pistol to shoot walkers and crush their skulls. More and more flooded in, no doubt due to her yelling. She grew increasingly tired, but the adrenaline running through her veins kept her going. She knew she'd be outrun soon enough. Addison was determined to go down fighting.​

 

[Sir Swigglesworth]

"Ah....lov-hah- lovely" They said between breaths as they walked over and leaned against a car to rest for a moment, enjoying the soft winter breeze that blew past them. "Alright, now that that's out of the way...what to do now." He had wondered to themself as they placed their bat on the vehicles hood and pulled their wallet from his pocket to check the small city map. "Hmmm....ok so I'm here. And I want to go there.......2 blocks east and 3 north. Alright, that's not a horrible walk. I still hope the place is intact when I get there, because that's where I'm resting for the night." They had thought with themself as they planned their movements throughout the city towards a small but abandoned outpost he had found a few days earlier. It was nothing special, but could at least be sealed up and used as a temporary place to rest. So with no further stalling, the man began to walk off down the street towards their current destination. "Adios boys, I'll be sure to crack a few jokes later." Alec chuckled lightly to themself as they were walking away. "Ahhh skull breaking jokes, I amuse myself..." Then they put away their bat and took their Scorpion EVO into hand for safety measures. Only a moment into their walking, they heard a blood curdling scream and cursed to themselves lightly as they watched the horde that was chasing them wander off in that voices direction.

Quickly the man jumped the gap once again this time returning to where they came from and followed the horde. Their mind was curious as to who even attracted them, but he felt they had to help. That it was still his duty to defend the people of this city, and that's what he would do. It wasn't long before they heard aggressive grunts and suppressed shots and they rushed towards it, their scorpion at the ready to open fire. When they came close, they saw a woman, fighting tooth and nail against this large group of zeds. It would hurt his ammo count, but the man quickly reached into their pocket and pulled out a packages of fire crackers along with their lighter and quickly lit them. They tossed the noisemakers a good few yards away and then aimed their scorpion, switched the weapon to semi-auto, and began taking precise and clean headshots to clear a path of zeds. Once able, the man put their gun down across their chest and headed in with their bat cracking a few skulls along the way and grabbed hold of the woman."DON'T FIGHT, JUST RUN DAMMIT! C'MON!." Alec screamed as he pulled her by their wrist and took hold of their scorpion once again after letting go of the woman and taking down 4 more zeds with 4 precise shots.

 

[Twisted Talia]

Addison jumped as she heard a firecracker go off, and the walker she had been fighting suddenly turned around and headed towards the sound. Her short blond hair
was covered in blood and dust, and but she continued to fight, even when the sound of gunshots could be heard. Her parents had given their lives for hers, she was not about to let that go to waste. Shaking out her hair, she yelled in surprise when a man grabbed her by the wrist and dragged her along, yelling for her to run. He let go, and she sprinted up the road, dodging abandoned cars and trash in the road, and stopped when the groans and grunts of the walkers had ceased. She turned to find the man holding a gun to his chest surrounded by the bodies of the zeds. Her warm brown eyes filled with tears as she realized how close she was to death just seconds before.

Addie made her way back towards the man, tears silently flowing down her cheeks and cutting through the thick layer of dirt and grime that coated her cheeks. She stepped through the dead bodies like a soldier picking his way through a minefield and stopped next to the stranger. He was more than half a foot taller than her, so she tilted her head upwards to meet his light blue eyes. She gave him a warm smile and a grateful look. "Thank you." she breathed, heart still racing from the adrenaline rush. "So much."
​

 

[Sir Swigglesworth]

Alec stood there and kicked some of the bodies that they had taken out, his magazine was spent sadly and they had to reload, bringing his ammo count from a total of 110 to 90, harsh reality keeping up with ammo these days. It only gets more and more rare, all but what the safe zone manufactures and gets from what remains of the U.S military that are scattered across the country. Out of a population of 300,000 people left in the U.S only about 93,000 operate as the remnants of the U.S military force. Southern and plains states fell quickly, little to no military presence exists there anymore, and even people. What remains of the population really exists only on the coasts. His bat was drenched with blood but they themselves were surprisingly clean and spatter free for the most part. Their breathing was heavy though and they looked spent for the moment being as they stood among the bodies that riddled the once undisturbed snow filled streets.

When the woman approached them and looked up at them, they in return gazed down and all she could see of them were his bright and delicate blue eyes. A fitting color for this winter month. As they opened their mouth the speak, a soft cloud of breath escaped as they let out a soft exhale and spoke in a voice just as soft, so much different from his shouting before. "Are you okay, were you bit?" Were his only words as they shook their bat at an off cast angle and riddled the snow with an intricate spatter of blood and brain matter.

 

[Twisted Talia]

"No, I'm fine." she said, surprised with how soft the man's voice was. His voice had been so loud, deep, and commanding moments before. It soothed her, she thought, the lull of his voice breaking through the silence. Addie liked it. She took in a deep breath and exhaled slowly, a cloud of breath coming from her soft pink lips. She smiled, she had always loved that about the winter. She heard the soft splatter of blood on the snow as the man shook off his bat, now stained red.

Her brown eyes traveled back to the man's face. She sighed, and opened her mouth, speaking quietly. "Are you okay?" she said, her voice as gentle and soft as a mother speaking to a young child. She felt bad, almost guilty, that this man had risked his life (though he seemed quite capable) to help her. Not many people like that remained in the world today. Her eyes drifted down to the ground, and she shivered from the cold.​

 

[Sir Swigglesworth]

"I should be fine, didn't get splattered with any blood, didn't get bit, well technically I did." The last portion of their sentence was spoken with a light chuckle as they held up his free wrist and showed off the homemade bracers he had developed specifically for the purpose of stopping zed bites. Underneath his mask, their lips curled into a soft smile as they stood talking with this girl. It's been quite a long time since they've conversed with someone who was truly grateful for them helping, and didn't try to deceive them afterwards or was a bandit. It a genuinely nice change of pace, especially since his best friend O'rion died only a few months ago.

But in this world, peace can only last for so long until the man's head perked up. They heard growling and that was only telltale of the horror they were to be dealing with soon. Ferals....ferocious beasts created by this fucking virus with intent to main, kill, and spread the virus. They were much more effective at it then normal walkers were as well, it brought fear into the mans eyes. Not that they knew he couldn't handle one, they're capable of taking down a feral. But that's what they had to learn and adapt to, there would be no use in running away from what will inevitably kill you if you didn't fight back. They took a deep breath and grabbed the girl once again, stepping in front of her and putting her at their back. Their stride went backwards as they slowly made their way towards the closest building. "Shhh....ferals. Be quiet, and follow where my footsteps are pushing you....." Alec said faintly as they continued taking small steps backwards in the snow, he knew it was only a matter of time when the feral's ferocity overcame its attempts at stalking and it would rush the two, the only question would be WHEN.

 

[Twisted Talia]

When the man showed his bracers, Addie chuckled, a rich, deep sound that she hadn't made in forever. She thought it was quite clever. She always enjoyed talking to people like him, and it was wonderful to talk to someone other than herself for once. The man smiled softly, and she returned it. She was genuinely happy for the first time in a long time.

But when his head perked up, her face fell and her heart began racing, her breathing quickening. She knew he had heard something, and fear slowly made its way through her veins, cold and unforgiving. She looked to him, trusting him fully in that moment. He grabbed Addison and pushed her behind him, and they walked backwards. She hoped he could not feel her racing pulse where he held tightly onto her wrist, she didn't want him to take her for a coward.

He breathed words, Addie catching only a few, 'feral', 'quiet', and 'follow'. She clamped her mouth shut and slid her hand down from his wrist to his hand, clasping on tight. She was scared, but his presence made her feel safe and calm. She knew it was a matter of time before the monsters he was referring to attempted to destroy them. They made their way to the building and walked around the side and entering through the back, Addie still clasping tightly onto the man's hand.​

 

[Sir Swigglesworth]

As the two slowly made their way towards the building, Alec held his weapon at chest level as their eyes scanned the area in scrutiny trying to pick out any single different detail in the area. Their efforts came to bear fruit once they spotted a feral moving in a broken window across the street, quickly the man rushed into the building with the woman in response. On the bottom floor, they searched quickly for a room to hold up and set up an ambush for the feral. Alec led the girl into the room and took them towards a corner, he left his gun with her and pointed towards the door. "If that thing manages to kill me and comes in this room, I want you to open fire on the thing. That gun in fully automatic, all you have to do is aim for the head and pray ok?" They asked softly as they turned and took out their bat.

If she were to focus on them in detail, she would have been able to hear the slight tone of worry in their voice but other than that all else was concealed by their calm and confident demeanor. That was of course falsely imposed upon themselves as they were in truth scared. Pure confidence is what gets people killed this world, here, fear is healthy. But they had to steel their nerves every time they came across one of these beasts and prepare for death should they make a single mistake in the fight. There was no point in trying to run, once a feral is aware of you, you'll be hunted until either you or it dies. And Alec intended for the beast to be the dead one in this case. His decision of choosing this building was not out of panic or simple refuge, it was a strategic move.

The door and lack of windows here would prove as a bottle neck for the feral and lead it directly towards Alec. So the man did what they knew worked and stepped outside once again. "Hey, come on you fucker. I'm right here! Come on!" With their eyes on the building that Alec originally saw the feral in, they waited with their back to a wall for the creature to show its face. He knew it would charge at any moment, and the moment they thought of such, it happened. All that was heard was a loud roar as the feral leapt from a window and rushed the man. His fear then turned into courage as they stood strong and the moment the beast lunged at them, they sidestepped and allowed the beast to slam into the wall. No waste in being a coward now, they took their bat in hand and slammed the weapon down onto its leg, crippling it. As they did this, the beast whipped around and lashed a claw at the man which he escaped barely.

 

[Twisted Talia]

Addison clutched at the gun she held, pulling it closer to her chest as she shivered in fear. Fighting the horde, she had been taken over by some primal instinct, urging her on and causing her to make movements she never had made before. The adrenaline rush had completely blocked out the fear.
But now she sat her, curled in the cold corner clutching the man’s gun. His soft voice had calmed her when he first led her in, but now he was gone and that calm had been replaced with terror.

She heard a load roar from outside, and jumped, letting out a small cry. She silently cursed herself out for being so scared, but nothing like this had happened to her before. She had stayed inside, her exit earlier that day had been the first in months.

She could hear the sounds from outside. She silently prayed the man whom she barely knew would come back alive. She knew she may be hoping too much of him, but she knew she couldn’t deal with the deep solitude of solo living after what had happened.​

 

[Sir Swigglesworth]

"Yeah, that's right. Don't like that do ya?" Alec mocked the beast as it swung at him again, this time they ducked and sent their bat into its chest, the metal studs on it shattering ribs and bones. Though the moment he hit the creature they darted back knowing it would swing once again. And with a crippled leg, the feral had restricted maneuverability, Alec's exact plan and hopes. A claw just barely grazed their upper thigh and they cursed lightly at the close call. But he turned on their heels and ran away towards the building with the feral in close pursuit despite the broken leg. Once through the doorway Alec turned and swung their bat at the very moment the feral ran in after him. With the weapon connecting with its upper neck due to their typical hunched nature, the feral collapsed and roared furiously.

In a moments notice Alec jumped onto its back and knelt down on its arms, keeping the creature pinned. Its jaws snapped viciously at the man and suddenly it all just stopped...A knife had been driven into its skull from the base of neck severing the spinal cord. The feral now laid limp on the floor, and Alec breathing heavily from adrenaline, fear, and exertion.

 

[Twisted Talia]

Addison heard the faint sounds of fighting stop. Nothing could be heard from her corner. Her heart
began racing as her mind went through all of the outcomes that may have just occurred. She tightened her grip on
the gun the man had given her, tensing her muscles and training her eyes on the door, searching for any signs
of motion and listening closely for any noise that could be heard.

She slid her finger down the gun, settling her finger on the trigger and aiming towards the door, the sights aimed to
where an average feral's head would be if they broke the door down. She took in a deep breath, steadying herself.
She wasn't shaking with fear this time, as her life could be in grave danger.

She heard something, and placed her head against the gun and aimed.​

 

[Sir Swigglesworth]

"You okay in there?" Alec yelled from within the lobby room as they retracted their blade from the feral's neck and wiped the blade clean with its clothing remains. They stood slowly, their heart still beating fast as they went and shut the door behind them after dragging the feral outside. It was terrifying for him to fight the thing, it always is and never won't be. But they always get it done, doing what they have to in order to survive in this harsh world. Taking in a long breath and exhaling slowly, Alec walked back to the room he had left the woman in and knocked on it before opening the door.

"I'm aliiiive." He said in a joking manner to ease the mood as they stepped inside the room and sat down against a wall, glancing over at the woman. "So I managed to get my knife into its neck and sever the spinal cord. I guess now I could try making a stab at some cheesy knife puns right now I suppose? Nah, I probably shouldn't be, I know we're both on edge right now. I'll tell ya this though, it pays to stay sharp nowadays. His puns were clear and direct, and his easy going manner even brought a smile and chuckle to their face.

 

[Twisted Talia]

Addison nodded and yelled back a quick yes, lowering the gun as she recognized the man's voice. She smiled as he walked in,
and she relaxed and laid back against the wall. He began telling some awful puns, but it brought a smile to her face and a laugh to her lips. His easygoing
attitude and his lighthearted jokes lifted her spirits. "Aren't you quite the comedian?" she said, cracking a smile, showing off her surprisingly clean teeth for
a time like this. She looked back at the man, and even though she knew almost nothing about the man, she felt a bond seeming to grow between them.

She decided to start up a small conversation, hoping to learn a bit more about this stranger.
"I'm Addison, by the way. Call me Addie if you'd like." she said quietly,
not wanting to attract more attention than needed, and
suddenly felt shy.

She glanced over to the man, hoping he'd reply and didn't think she was being weird or awkward.​

 

[Sir Swigglesworth]

"Addison huh? Well the name's Alec. But most people these days call me Frost, don't ask why, it's pretty obvious and you'll see why." Alec said as they took off their beanie and face cover to cool down a bit after the exertion. Now it could be seen why he was called Frost, they had light blonde hair, that and coupled with the blue eyes and pale skin made them look like a living version of Jack Frost. His complexion was smooth as well, and with their smile they simply looked like a person many thought to not exist anymore. Well kept, energetic, cheerful and helping, it wasn't a group of traits seen much anymore.

 

[Twisted Talia]

Addison looked at him, and her eyes widened as he removed the hat and face mask he had worn. He was attractive, his striking features seeming to burn
themselves into her mind, and there was no denying that. She suddenly felt a little self-conscious, aware that she was nowhere near as attractive as Alec.
He was unique, in not only his looks, but his personality. He was kind, protecting, and very cheerful and humorous. She liked him, and she couldn't deny it.
"Nice to meet you, Alec." she spoke softly, smiling warmly at him.​

 

[Sir Swigglesworth]

"Nice to meet you as well Addie." Alec said with a soft smile as they stood up and walked over towards the girl, taking his scorpion from them. He planned on going outside again to go search some the zeds, specifically the ones with backpacks, but also for jewelry, watches, anything that might catch good trade value. The zeds with backpacks looked to be survivors out there, something rather common these days, the corpses of what were once survivors just as him now roaming the dead Earth.

As Alec took his Scorpion and slung it across his chest, the man stretched lightly while they they threw their arms back and pressed their chest forward. Letting out a soft grunt as they did so and then proceeded to put on his mask and beanie once again to go out into the fray.

 

[Twisted Talia]

Addie eagerly gave Alec his Scorpion back, worrying she might do some damage herself in some way. She was clumsy like that sometimes. She watched him put on his mask and hat, obviously going to make his way back outside. She grabbed him arm right before he left, telling him of her plan.

"My house is right down the street. I'm going to go back and grab food and whatever else I can carry, and meet you back here. We can figure out what's going on after that." she said, confident in herself to complete the job. She reached to her waist, lifting her shirt up slightly to reveal a knife tucked into her leggings. It wasn't a very safe place, she knew, but it was accessible and hidden. "If something goes wrong, yell." she said, though she knew if one of them was going to get into some trouble, it'd be her. She smiled, and gestured towards the door, and following Alec outside before they split.​

 

[Sir Swigglesworth]

"I'll be sure to yell if something happens, though that may only make it worse don't you think?" Alec asked softly as they made their way towards the door and exited slowly and cautiously, making sure to check corners before moving out. En route to the lobby, Alec hummed softly to himself as they approached the lobby where he had killed the feral not long ago. A small smile appeared on the mans face underneath their mask as they stepped out of the doorway and over the deceased feral. Then they cautiously made their way towards the corpse littered street intersection. It was only small group of about 15-18 zombies by the time they arrived to save Addie, but even then such numbers posed a large threat if one was not careful. A single mistake could mean death in this world.

His focus went to the few zombies that looked relatively more fresh and equipped compared to the others. It was always easy to pick out which zombies were once survivors and which ones were the first of the poor bastards to perish, more often than not, survivors who turned to zeds typically were much more equipped than others. And with luck, since they died a survivor, their backpacks would have valuable resources inside.

 

[Twisted Talia]

Addison said a quick "See ya." to Alec and set off in a sprint to the home she had came to love in the past few weeks. The sight of the maroon painted house was familiar and welcoming. She smiled softly, and made her way inside, pushing open the heavy door.

Many of the candles she had lit were out or burning on small stubs of wax. She silently thanked whoever may be watching over her for keeping the house intact. Picking up her sword, she placed it into the holder on her back, right behind her backpack. She loved the feel of the soft handle, and the noise the metal made when she unsheathed the weapon. She slowly made her way around the house, grabbing as much food as she could fit into her empty pack, shoving water bottles, snacks, cans, and whatever else she could get her hands on. She placed her backpack on the floor beside the door and sprinted up the stairs to grab her duffel bag filled with clothing, extra ammo, and her personal effects and toiletries. She grabbed a small white beanie, the furry pompom on the end swaying back and forth as she pulled it over her hair and began to pack.

She stopped abruptly when she saw the photo of her sisters and herself, the younger girls smiling ear-to-ear and Addison holding them both on her lap, smiling wider, if that was possible. She let out a quiet sob and felt the warm tears form in her eyes and travel down her cheeks. She loved the girls dearly, and had considered attempting to take her own life to join them. Shaking her head, some tears fell to the floor. She stood up, not bothering to wipe the pools in her eyes, and threw on her jacket, quietly stepping down the stairs.

She grabbed her backpack and slung it over her back, putting her duffel bag into her right hand and pulling her sword into her left hand. She made her way out the door, pulling it open and stepping out into the cold air, grateful for the beanie she had donned. She was aware of the presence of a few Zeds to her left, nothing she couldn't handle. Dropping her bag, she gripped the sword with two hands and began advancing towards the creatures, easily dismembering them. She grinned in satisfaction, her tears still wet on her face, leaving trails in the grime on her face.

She made her way back to the building she had come from.​

 

[Sir Swigglesworth]

Empty or useless. A lot of these people must have been struggling to not have a lot of stuff on them, but whatever the man was able to find they stored in one big backpack he took off of one of the corpses. Alec sat there and sifted through the corpses like a pack rat in a dump yard, hoping to find that one valuable piece of food or something they could keep. Most of them had been zeds since this all began, some even had bullet holes in their chests from police and civilians simply not knowing how to handle them at first.

It was a sad sight but it showed the cruel reality of how harsh this virus was and how much worse it was to adapt so quickly in the early years of this all. The man moved on to his last backpack and began sifting through, rotten food, useless clothing, some supplies he already had but took anyways. Not much was in this bag either from first glance and digging around, but as they went deeper their hand grabbed solid metal. A smile was brought to his face when a can of food was pulled out, that was added to the supply bag happily. They began searching through the rest of the bag and eventually found more supplies at the bottom and in pockets, it seems this person was a hunter or so and they knew how to properly pack a bag. Down at the bottom they found a single box of 9mm ammo, great for him, some purification tablets, even a small homemade first aid kit. A hunting knife was kept inside and a sharpener to go with it, these will catch him a good price at the safezone.

"Lets see what else you had on ya huh?" He said as they spoke softly to himself and began further sifting through the bag, eventually they found warming packets and a civilian MRE including a small box of 6.5 grendel ammo, indicating this man once had a rifle at some point in time. After that, the bag came up empty as far as other useful supplies went, but overall not a bad haul.