Dead Rising: Fortune's End
I do not own Dead Rising
Chapter 1: Welcome to Fortune City, Nevada!
"Get away from it all and lose yourself in one of our many casinos or try and resist spending all your winnings at one of our fine stores. Fortune City, where the good times never know when to end!"
We've all heard of Fortune City, the beautiful gem in Nevada. It was a resort built in 1992, but was renovated after the Las Vegas outbreak in order to try and recreate the Las Vegas look and feel. Their attempt was successful, tourists flocked to Fortune City, the casinos were making money, peacekeepers made sure the streets were orderly, and everyone was happy.
This month, the Fortune City Arena was given the chance to house the exclusive Pay-per-View show, Terror is Reality. The controversial show banked on several contestants participating in different games to kill as many zombies as possible. The show was hugely popular over cable television and made millions, therefore, Fortune City eagerly accepted.
It was September 25th, 2011. It was 1:50 am, the arena was packed with over seventy thousand blood thirsty spectators, ready to see gore. The arena was a little shorter than a football field, and could hold seventy five thousand people. When it was first announced Fortune City would have the honor of hosting the show, tickets were sold out within the first few weeks. They had made a nice fortune over six hundred thousand dollars off of the tickets alone, not to mention over the million people watching at home.
Backstage:
Chuck Greene finished the last coat of wax over his "slicecycle", as they call it, a modified motorcycle with two chainsaws installed on each side. He couldn't help but smile at his sweet ride, he crouched down, "That bolt's a little loose." He said to himself, "Wrench." He extended his arm and opened his hand
He felt the cold metal of the wrench touch his palm, as he tightened his grip and took it. He turned his head and smiled, "Thanks, sweetie." He told his daughter
Katey sat on the chair, ready to hand her father any tools he needed from the nearby toolbox. Katey Greene was the seven year old daughter of Chuck and Pam Greene, and no matter what happened, Chuck always had a sense of safety around her daughter, even though he knew it was supposed to be the opposite.
"Mr. Greene, we need to sign the paper." One of the workers said
"It's Chuck." He said, grabbing the clipboard and signing the contract
The contract was a gigantic wall of text, basically saying, "If you die, it's your fault". "Alright, can you take my daughter somewhere, so I can get her after the show?" He asked the worker
"Sure, I can take her to the green room."
He got down on his knee and looked up at his daughter. "Hey, Katey. Do a favor for daddy and go with the nice man, okay?"
Katey showed her face of concern, "Don't worry sweetie," He kissed her on the forehead, "as soon as the show is over, I'll find you."
"Pinky promise?" Katey asked, extending her pinky finger,
Chuck smiled, "Pinky promise." and took her pinky in his
Katey jumped off the chair and gave her father a hug, and he returned it, "Stay safe, love you." Chuck reassured
Katey went with the worker and left the room, Chuck watched them leave and watch the door close. Chuck jumped on his golden bike, with the show's initials 'TIR' written in red. Chuck wiped some of his golden brown hair from his sweat covered forehead, he wasn't afraid of riding the bike, he had won the national motocross championship twice, he was afraid of something going wrong and never seeing her daughter again.
The large doors opened as Chuck drove his bike through it. He had hit the platform with his four other competitors, all in their own slicecycles. He had ridden up the green contestant, Leon Bell, who was a pale guy with some black hair. "Hey, buddy." He told Chuck,
"Yeah?"
"I heard your wife died in the Vegas outbreak…well I guess you suck at killing zombies, haha!" He laughed
Chuck felt his hands grip to the handles tougher in anger; it's been three years since the Vegas outbreak, where his wife had been infected and bit their daughter on her left arm. The government had firebombed the city and quarantined the remains; they had to bury an empty casket. Chuck had nightmares for weeks about his undead wife, and had cried himself to sleep at night. Katey would always ask why mommy had bit her; Chuck didn't know how to respond to his daughter…
But Chuck did know what to say to him, "Save it for the show, shithead."
Arena
The lights were off, all was quiet, then the speakers burst with sound, "They took our Willamette, they took our Las Vegas, tonight…we get revenge!"
The lights shined brightly as fire and more lights turned on. The audience shouted in joy, "Terror is Reality! Terror is Reality! Terror is Reality!" They chanted
Tyrone 'TK' King stepped on in the spotlight, along with his two sexy co-hostesses, Chrystal and Amber Bailey, dressed in the same color as in which the mineral they were named after. "Hello! America!" TK bellowed through his spiked microphone, "Tonight, we have a great show! We've been poking these zombies with a pole this entire week, and they are pissed!" Tyrone raised his left arm for applause, in his fur coat and expensive clothes and several golden chains, "Our contestants can win a lotta money! But you gotta' risk it all to…" He raised his microphone to the audience
"…WIN BIG!" The audience finished and cheered
The underground platform lifted up into the stadium, where Chuck looked at the thousands of people. "Contestants, are you ready?" TK asked
Chuck put on his golden helmet and revved up his engine. The gigantic countdown screen began as the audience chanted along, "10…9…8…7…6…5…4…3…2….1!"
"Go, go, go!" TK commanded
Chuck pressed down on the pedal and went full speed. Chopping down any zombie he could see, between the screaming audience, the groans from the zombies and the adrenaline filling Chuck's body, the one minute they had was simply reduced to seconds. Zombie blood covered Chuck's bike and Chuck himself. Chuck coasted to a stop, and within more seconds he was up on stage. "And our winner…Chuck Greeeene!" TK announced
The audience went ballistic. A smile crept up on Chuck's face. Amber Bailey, the blonde haired, slightly browned sister had pushed the money filled envelop into Chuck's chest, "Too bad, Chuck." She said, "I was expecting a better performance from you."
Crystal, the black haired, lighter sister seductively ran her hand down Chuck's torso, and walked off with her sister, to join TK in front of the screaming audience.
Locker Room 2:30 am
Chuck had put his blood stained slicecycle suit in his locker and had put on his other suit in his blue pants. He had looked at his face in the mirror, his stern face and lips stared back at him. He had closed his locker and sat down on the bench, Kris, the blue contestant had sat down next to Chuck, he was a pale man with blonde hair. Chuck had stared down at his money envelope, twelve thousand dollars. "I know how it feels, Chuck." He said, "I had lost my family in Willamette, if I was given the choice between a million dollars or my family for the prize…well…I think you know what I would choose."
"Right." Chuck agreed
Chuck looked up at the television, where the news was on. "The pay-per-view show, 'Terror is Reality' made a smashing hit in Fortune City. Over seventy thousand watched the show in the seats at the arena. The zombie equality group, CURE, had this statement." The screen had turned to a woman with red hair holding a sign, "We must send a message to our government that this will not stand! The undead deserve as much right as anyone else!"
The news reporter took the screen back, "Public reactions of the group remain mixed."
The screen turned to a couple, "You're kidding me, right?" The man asked, "Why would you want to save those…things?"
Chuck looked down to Kris, "Hey, where's the green room?" He asked
"Yep. Take the elevator up one floor and head to the end of the hallway, you won't miss it."
"Alright, thanks." Chuck got up and shook his hand
He walked down the hallway, walking up to the elevator. All of a sudden, a head peeked out from a dressing room, Amber Bailey. "Well, well." She said, stepping into full view and crossing her arms, "Chuckie Greene. You're the big man now, huh? Well…nothing about you is particularly big."
Chuck rolled his eyes at the insult. Walking by, naturally he had looked past Amber and into the room. Amber stepped into his view, "What?" She asked, "Want to see a girl naked without paying for it once?" She asked
Chuck walked past her and to the elevator. He pushed the elevator button, as he waited for a few seconds. The elevator doors opened, as Crystal stood there. "Chuckie. You really disappointed the ladies tonight, well…I guess you're used to that." She chuckled and pressed Chuck's nose like a button
Chuck stepped into the elevator and looked at the sisters. Where they stood side by side and smiled with their mocking tones. Chuck raised his eyebrow and smirked, "Goodnight, ladies." He said, as the doors closed
As the elevator began moving, Chuck looked over at the Zombrex poster. "Zombrex-Extended Care: 24 Hours" Chuck made a mental note to go to the pharmacy and get some Zombrex.
Zombrex was an over the counter drug sold at nearly every pharmacy used to prevent zombification. Recognizable by its white and blue box and the medicine's controversies at every corner, Phenotrans had introduced weeks after the Willamette Incident, selling at three hundred dollars a box. Phenotrans had a billion dollar campaign introducing the drug, and they probably tripled their money back.
The elevator lights flickered, "Damn. Don't shut down on me now." Chuck pleaded
The lights shut off and the elevator stopped. "Shit!" Chuck cussed
He pried open the doors and peeked through. The lights were off, and garbage covered the floor. Two people ran down the hallway, screaming. "What the-?"
Another man ran, as a man in a coat stumbled in. "Oh God. Oh God. They got me…they got me!"
Chuck had focused on him. The man's breathing had become slower, more rugged. He then turned he was…a zombie. He had attacked a woman who had tried to run past him. Chuck squeezed through the elevator doors and jumped up. To the hallway to the right of Chuck was an army of slowly advancing zombies. Chuck had ran for the fire axe up on the wall, he had swung it at a zombie, killing it.
He had ran for the green room and busted in. "Katey!?" He asked
A zombie was eating something on the floor…with Katey's backpack nearby. Chuck felt his heart drop, "NO!" He bellowed and ran full speed
He had slammed his fire axe in the zombie's back. The zombie had fell…the person was the worker who had brought Katey here. "Katey? Where are you, sweetie? It's daddy." Chuck was frantic
"Daddy!" Katey's muffled voice came through the closed closet
Chuck opened the door to see Katey in the corner. Chuck brought her into a huge hug and kissed her forehead. "Daddy…it's happening today. Like when mommy-"
"Hey…don't say that. You're going to be okay, you trust daddy, right?" Chuck reassured, putting Katey's backpack on
"Dad, I don't want to go!"
"Listen, I'm not going to let them hurt you. We're going to the safe house, it's going to be okay."
"Pinky promise?" She asked, extending her pinky finger
"Pinky promise" Chuck said, returning her finger
He picked her up and held her, "Hold on Katey. It's going to be okay."
A million thoughts were racing through Chuck's head, but there was only one that kept popping up. How the hell would he and Katey get out of here alive?
Thanks for reading, my goal is 2000 words per chapter and update every Sunday. I get all my info from the Dead Rising Wiki, FYI.