December 25th
Moscow, Russia
The battered car stopped on the kerb and three all too familiar teenagers got out. Niko looked up as he closed the driver's side door, "here?"
"That's what it says on the news. There was a massive energy spike a couple of weeks ago." Tankini pressed a few buttons on her PDA.
Tank looked over, "where did you get that anyway?"
"ebay. Now come on let's go already." Niko locked the car as they walked to the square. St Basil's towered over them.
Tank looked up in awe, "wow…what a piece of crap."
"Hmm." Tankini approached a homeless man sitting on a bench. "Excuse me. We're looking for a friend of ours."
The bum looked up, "I might know him. What's the name?"
"Scott. Or any kind of variation."
The man stroked his chin, "Scott? Hmm. You don't mean Happy Scott do ya?"
Niko sniggered, "Happy Scott? Get real."
"No seriously, he's right over there." The man pointed to a hyperactive guy hassling tourists.
The three friends stared for a moment shocked by what they saw, "…holy shit."
He was wearing a long, scruffy coat and large boots like some kind of war veteran. He had shortish hair and a surprisingly neat goatee beard.
He was following a stranger across the square for some reason, "why those are lovely shoes! Mmm-mm yeah! Where'd you get em? You must be a hit with the ladies eh? See you around pal!"
Tank looked sceptical, "I don't know about this. He seems…different."
"Come on!" Tankini walked up and stopped Scott as he put his ear to a bottle.
He gasped, "I can hear the sea!" He waved the bottle at the group, "listen, listen!"
Niko took the bottle off him and smashed it on the ground.
"Oh," Scott looked down, "I'll never be famous now."
Tankini nudged him, "Scott?"
He took her hand and shook it, "what a coincidence that's my name too! Nice to meet you Scott!"
"What the…no! Don't you remember us?"
Scott looked around the group, "hmm, doesn't ring a bell. Ding-a-ling!"
"Concentrate!"
"Yeah…yeah hold on a minute. Stickly? Dirt-mouth? Slab-chin? What are you doing here?"
Niko nudged him, "to find you! Ya daft twat!"
"Me? Why am I important?"
Tank sighed, "oh…great."
"Who am I?"
"You don't remember? You're…" A crash cut her off. They turned to see the homeless man rise up from the now-broken bench. His pupils were milky white, glazed over.
The 3 groaned, "zombies? Again? At Christmas?"
Scott gasped, "zombies are real? That puts a dampener on things!
