Johnny Vermilion escaped his prison cell and death sentence long before the sunrise.

Sheriff Cooper sent word across the desert of Mayor Shelby's orders to put together a team of those willing to go and hunt down Apocalypta and her minions once and for all.

When the announcement reached them Daisy immediately volunteered herself and Billy, which didn't seem ideal to him.

"Babe come on, you're not doing this," he told her. "It's one thing just handling copperheads here, but going up the mountain?"

"I told you, I'm not just going to stay on my ass and do nothing while you're out there risking yours? Who knows if whoever else Cooper finds won't go against you or even each other? I'm not letting that happen!"

She took his hand. "Our baby deserves to be born into a world that's worth living in, with a father to love and protect it."

Billy sighed and stared at his feet, then looked back into Daisy's eyes. "All I want is both of you safe."

"We're safer if we're together," she said softly, putting his hand to her belly. He held her close. She sighed, burying her head into his shoulder.

Even if they did, and this so called team they'd be part of was any good, there was no guarantee that they could take Apocalypta down.

Not unless they were able to bring him home.

…

Jack,

I'm writing to you because I know Billy won't. Apocolypta has completely destroyed Harper's Junction and soon she'll be coming for Desert Springs. If we're gonna stop her, we need you.

Please, let's put the past aside, at least for your soon to be niece or nephew.

Daisy Jane

...

A couple of days later, back in Desert Springs, Billy and Daisy were introduced to their new comrades. By first impression, the three men seemed exactly as they looked: a sloppy gun slinging drunk, a laconic but stealth samurai type, and a short but sturdy Hispanic with artillery almost bigger than he was.

But they appeared to be serious about the job at hand as Cooper spoke, explaining the progress made tracking Vermilion since his escape. Maybe these outsiders were the right men for the job after all. Except they had never ventured out in the deserts once!

Jack had to have gotten her letter by now, but Daisy hadn't gotten any word back so there was no telling whether he would come.

By nightfall as the entire team was gathered in the town saloon, both Billy and Daisy had long accepted that she had completely wasted her time trying to get his brother back.

"Told you Jack wouldn't show," Billy strode past her in a huff.

She followed him out to the alley behind the street, where he stood sulking.

"Don't be like that, baby." She sighed crossly. "You should've known he was going to let you down!" Billy snapped. He turned away from her, regretful of his tone at her. "You shouldn't even have bothered."

Daisy came closer to him and reached for his hand. "Do you really carry all that much hate?" she asked sincerely.

"I hate that he's never been there…I hate that he's miserable…and I hate that I've given up one him." Daisy hugged him.

Suddenly they were interrupted by a spasm of growling from the end of the alley.

It was Cooper…but he wasn't definitely not himself anymore.

"Get back!" Billy stepped in front of her, firing a bullet into their former ally's head. The creature fell to the ground lifeless. But he hadn't been alone.

Billy and Daisy rushed back inside the saloon and alerted the others just a swarm of copperheads came through the door behind them.

Bullets flew, glass smashed, flesh was ripped apart as the five warriors fought against the undead. Despite their best efforts, the barkeep and few concubines that the men had called for fell victim to the attack.

"They're still coming in!" Billy called out. Sure enough, copperheads kept flooding inside, one after the other.

One came up behind Daisy and grabbed her arm, and she yanked it away so fast that she lost her balance with her large stomach pulling her to the floor. Quickly she turned so she would fall on her back, but came face to face with the copperhead right on top of her.

She struggled, panicking. "Billy, I can't get him off me!"

Then a gunshot rang out and the ethereal being slumped to the floor next to her. Daisy looked up and saw a tall figure with a familiar face… and hat.

"Jack!"

He offered her his hand and helped her back onto her feet. "I got your message."

"I didn't think you'd come." She said softly, looking from him to Billy, who stopped his gunfire and stared at his brother with an icy glare.

"Jack? About time you showed up."

…

At sunrise the next morning, the survivors of the late night massacre were gathered with Mayor Shelby at the bar. "Well, Cooper's dead, so what's the plan?" the aptly named Whiskey Joe asked aloud, pouring himself a glass.

"You guys finish this," the mayor announced, "and I'll give you any damn thing you want."

Daisy looked up from her spot next to Billy, rubbing a sore spot on her belly. "Cooper had a plan. I think we should just stick to it."

"What about him?" the short gunman, who called himself The Vaquero, pointed to Jack. "He's supposed to know how to survive out there."

"Hey Jack, what do you think?" Whiskey Joe slipped his pipe back between his teeth.

Jack's eyes glanced up for a moment, then looked off into the sunlight streaming through the windows.

"Everybody's gotta die someday."