Clearly they had been designed as some sort of obscene bioweapon.

No one knew if it was a deliberate plot or an accident that they were released, but the city fell into panicked chaos as they swarmed the streets.

The large mosquito-like things were as big as a VW, with red bulbous stomachs (rather like tomatos), spindly hooked legs for grabbing their victims, and long probosci through which they sucked the blood from said victims, leaving nothing but a shriveled shell behind.

The large number of the creatures and the resulting mass panic left the city devastated and nearly abandoned, most of the citizens killed or fled and the ones remaining who were unwilling or unable to flee were hunkered down wherever they could find shelter from the predatory insects.

In the early stages of the infestation they had contacted each other, agreeing on the library as the best location to serve as a bunker while they tried to decide on countermeasures. The precinct had been heavily damaged in a firefight with an attacking swarm, and communications had broken down and efforts by the local police and even the national guard had failed with the remaining forces retreating in disarray.

Harold, less nimble than the others, had nearly fallen victim to one of the creatures when it floated down surreptitiously behind him. Fortunately Bear had rammed the thing at full speed in its bulbous stomach, knocking it away like an oversized beach ball and bouncing it into the path of the large truck Reese had commandeered in his efforts to get to Harold. Clearing the windshield of the resultant splatter, Reese hustled Finch and Bear into the truck and ferried them back to the safety of the library. He left them with Fusco, who was already on site with his son, and set off in the truck to help Carter bring her mother and Taylor to safety.

Once they were all instilled with the library, safe behind its barred windows, thick doors, and labyrinth of narrow aisles, they began to make plans. First step would be to supplement the supplies in the library with other necessary provisions.

Reese set off to obtain additional weapons to add to those he had brought from the loft and the arsenal he already had squirreled away in the library's basement.

Carter set off to get toiletries, medical supplies, toilet paper, and other necessities they might need while they were hunkered down.

Fusco went on a food run. The others were displeased when he returned laden down with chips, twinkies, beef jerky, and beer. Fusco huffed that he had covered the basic food groups (starch, sugar, protein, and beer)

The others disagreed with this assessment (Finch in particular insisted tea was a vital component of any balanced diet) and another food run was made. The upside of this was the inadvertent discovery that the giant insects appeared to be just as repelled by Fusco's cologne as his colleagues were, and several additional bottles of the smelly substance were added to their booty.

They then settled in, after planning out how they would spend the Insect Apocalypse. Reese, Carter, and Fusco would make periodic patrols looking for other civilians while Finch researched their enemy trying to discover any weaknesses. Taylor and Fusco Junior duked it out on various video games while Carter's mother knit everyone ugly sweaters.

Reese felt smugly vindicated, the Insect Apocalypse proving that yes, in fact he did need all those guns.

Finch was peeved, as the Insect Apocalypse had forced him to dress down and he felt odd in his old jeans and hoody.

After several months of unrelenting terror and soul-crushing tedium where they all really got on each others nerves, Finch was finally able to execute his brilliant plan in which he used the cities power grid and cell phone towers to create the world's largest bug zapper.

Thankful to finally be out of each others hair and to no longer have to wear the scratchy sweaters, they gratefully settled back into their old routine where the worst thing that happened was bad guys shooting at them.