As some of you may know, Zoey is posting for me the sequel of my story, Secrets of Sanctuary. So many OCs are mine, she just helped with thier development and for that, I'm thankful.
Hey everyone just getting here. What you are about to read is the sequel to Secrets of Sanctuary by AnarchyGunRage. I was the beta for the original and have taken over as the main author of the sequel here. I hope you enjoy it and that all your questions are answered. Reviews are much appreciated.
Historical Archive: February, 7, 2004: CEDA issues it's first Green Flu warning.
The sun began to set over the crumbling city. It had long since stopped burning, all fire extinguished by time. The hustle and bustle of a once great city now reduced to the mindless amblings of the occasional infected, cars halted in the streets rusted from the rain. It was depressing, the way the once great city was reduced to blackened metal. Green eyes turned their gaze upwards at the cracked broken television screens. The luster of Times Square gone with the shimmering light of those screens.
The sound of rubber slapping concrete seemed to be the only noise present. The dark haired girl in a racing jacket with her blonde headed male companion seemed to be the only living beings in a one hundred mile radius.
"Tasha, we should find a place to squat before it gets too dark," the boy said. His name was Malikai and he was just as lost as she was. Three years ago she had been separated from her mother and father. Separated from everyone, except Malikai. They tried to return to the Clinic, but found it all but abandoned. So instead of staying like sitting ducks they made their way North. They were searching for a sign, any sign of life. So far they were striking out. Natasha took a quick look around before heading towards a blocked door, using the butt of her gun to beat down the rotting wood used to board it up.
Dust swirled in the stagnant air, visible from the fading sunlight. Natasha lifted the rifle in her hands, ready for any attacks. The floorboards groaned from the weight as her and Malikai made their way inside. They carefully swept the first floor of the building, finding nothing more than a few cockroaches before settling into the most fortifiable room.
Natasha sat criss-cross opposite her male counterpart. The floor was cold, but wasn't anything they hadn't gotten used to. Malikai absently stirred a can of beans in his hand, plastic forks on the floor in front of him. She reached forward, snatching up a spoon and stealing a bite of the cold beans. Natasha flipped open the manila folder in front of her, revealing stolen documents. They'd been spending the majority of their time breaking into offices, stealing whatever information they could. This file, this small collection of documents, plain paper, felt like the key to what they'd been searching for.
Salvation.
Without a second thought, Natasha began to read:
"Lieutenant Michael Crawford reported that two weeks ago, the Olympic Peninsular had been cleared of infection. Any survivors have been to a safe zone. Everyone recovered appeared to be affected by the same genetic defect recorded at Millhaven base.
As the last surviving members of government and the military it is our duty as American to recover any and all survivors, creating a safe environment for the good of the country. We must serve and the protect our citizens to the last man." Natasha stopped there. "It's too burnt to read the rest."
"Damn," Malikai said. "You think they'll find us?"
"Either that or we find them," she replied. "Anyway, I'm gonna go see if this place has some working water."
"Good luck," he replied, watching her disappear up the stairs.
Natasha bounded towards the bathroom she had passed by earlier. As she stepped inside the small tiled room, the sound of a loud crash carried up the stairs from the lower level. She spun around, absent of her gun. Shit. She peered around the door. No one had come up the stairs. Carefully, she crouched low to the ground, looking through the bars of the railing. Down below she saw Malikai stumble down to his knees on the floor. Then from behind him she saw a woman in black, her face obscured by an odd mask, one almost resembling a gas mask. She watched in horror as his arms were forced behind his back. She opened her mouth to yell, but was immediately silenced by the sight before her. He came waltzing into view. Hands folded behind his back, sans a lab coat but sporting a pristine black coat he exuded arrogance. He was so smug it almost clouded the room. Greasy black hair, full of enough oil to give three cars an oil change. Ian McCormick was perfectly intact and his presence could not bode well for her or Malikai. The young boy raised his head slightly in her direction. His eyes met hers and she knew what she had to do. What he wanted her to do.
"RUN NATASHA, RUN FOR IT!" he yelled, breaking the silence. Without question she bolted up and ran for the nearest window with a room. Behind her she heard him still yell. "THEY'RE AFTER YOU! DON'T STOP KEEP GOING!" She threw the first window open and pulled herself out it, dropping down into the pile of garbage below. The edges of her vision turned white with adrenaline as she pushed herself farther and farther down the road. Making mad dashes around corners, in every attempt to gain more distance between her and the madman that tortured her as a child. And as she ran she almost forgot to pay attention to where she was going. In her haste, she ran into something. Something human. Her first thought was an infected, which meant she was screwed. But a quick glance upward from her place on the ground revealed it to be a familiar face. Scraggly black hair, a familiar blue shirt with the sleeves rolled up, and white pants stained so badly it was arguable if they were even white anymore.
"Natasha?" the man said, his voice full of shock and relief.
"Papa?" she breathed.
Fun fact, February 7th is my birthday. I also went on the knowledge from the Sacrifice comic that two weeks after the flu was spread, Zoey was living in her father. I'm guessing from the dialogue that she spent her first semester of College with him and was then entering her second semester while thinking of dropping out. So I picked a random date that could be in that time period.