Hey guys! Wow, I really had fun with this chapter! (You can probably tell by how quick the update was, eh? No waiting like… a week or two? Yeah) Also the length! Look at this thing! It's like four thousand words! Beware however, this is kind of the chapter that made me consider putting horror as a category (not exactly gory, just… yeah you'll see).

I tried my best to put it into a game format too, so you could understand it from the four's perspective, and the player's too rather than Eva's Soooo! I hope you enjoy! :) (Also, this chapter does contain drug use, but not heftily so. Either way, I don't endorse it, but it fits. You'll see.)

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

"Not sure it's appropriate for children though." She warned before continuing quickly, obviously in a hurry to get to her game, but at least polite enough to deter Vanellope from being scarred for the rest of her time. If only she'd known Vanellope watched half her world get devoured by cybugs and almost her best friend being boiled in soda hot enough to be the equivalent of lava. She turned halfway back to them as she began in the presumed direction of her own game's pathway. "Stay if you want or not, lots don't for the whole thing anyways. Really, we just watch whenever we get bored." She concluded before bouncing off towards a towering pillar of light, disappearing into it in a flash, like a moth might to a bug zapper. The five-now-made-four were silent again for a moment or two before Felix spoke up, sounding only a tad disappointed.

"Should we maybe take Vanellope back to Sugar Rush then?" He wasn't sure he himself was keen on watching whatever could rival, or in Eva's words, be "better than" a mutated dog that could split it's head into one giant mouth (and he assumed among other things), much less was he comfortable with letting Vanellope either. Even if it meant leaving… here, because he had yet to know what this place they were was called. He didn't think though if any of these games got called back to go up on the big screen he'd be too ready to stay either, judging by all the combatant looking figures about. Even if they all seemed like perfectly decent people so far, except for maybe Wesker, who had a sense of prank humor that could be a little too close to Turbo's, back in the day, for his liking.

"Pfft, why, are you scared?" Vanellope teased the handyman, laughing lightly. She didn't think he was particularly though, she knew he just didn't have much of a stomach for those types of things. Felix may be a goody two-shoes, sure, but it didn't make him a coward; he'd stayed during the cybug siege after all, and not just on the sidelines either but in the thick of it, with only a hammer that's purpose was to fix things much unlike the wrecker's fists, who was admittedly much more well suited to be fighting off monstrosities that towered over mentioned Ralph. "I want to see." Vanellope ended her teasing-now-turned-argument with, and there was no way Tamora was going to miss out on any type of action of this caliber. If Vanellope was going to stay, Ralph certainly would, and Felix didn't much want to go back to Sugar Rush by himself so he simply sighed and turned his attention to the screen like many others had already.

The game had finished loading, presenting a new title screen along with it. People walked on sidewalks, talking to either one another or on their phones with cars revving by, or either rudely honking another along. It was a bustling city, and only a few words were written across the screen and across the passerby who didn't seem to notice them. 'DUST BOWL' plain and clear across the top, whereas the typical options were underneath; continue was highlighted but then highlighted became the new game button. Turns out they'd be getting the story from the exact beginning… some characters took this moment to leave, probably having seen it well before. Some players were notorious for starting new games left and right, but it didn't stop a majority from staying.

The words faded from the screen but the picture stayed. A few eerie stray notes of music played faintly in the background as the camera began to pan out from the city, the people becoming smaller and smaller, as what were obviously news reports began overlapping one another, yet all were of the same subject;

"New strain of rabies spotted in China—"

"Virus found to be widely resistant to treatment, death tolls continue to rise—"

"Immeasurable losses have sparked riots throughout the country and mass looting in what can only be assumed a preparation for a mass exodus. Chinese military being deployed to the site—"

The stray notes that had been slowly growing since the beginning had become a steady resonation of an electric guitar with an orchestral number coming forth in the back, the bad news only continued.

"Virus continues to spread as infected citizens make it passed borders, despite efforts to contain—"

"New rabies strain reported in the United States. Incubation time as prior to the original has been cut nearly in half. Doctors around the world are working all hours to create a preventative—"

The screen continued to back away from the city as if whoever behind it was attempting to recede themselves from the possibility of infection as well, as the streets became noticeably thinner and the sidewalks became less and less occupant with those on their daily commute. You could see windows starting to be boarded as time seemed to fly by now and less and less people were seen on the streets until there, eventually, were no more. The reports continued only more hastily interrupting one another until they became unintelligible in their hurry to speak over one another, and even the music was drowned out. Coughs that could only be assumed be the sufferers of the virus were heard over one of the more prominent channels whereas others turned to screams of the enraged. It was at this moment that time slowed again, and all sound halted to a stop, and vehicles began towards the city. A lot of them.

"U.S. military being sent in with a new plan for the survivors thus far. Those most westward with the time to prepare have prevented the mass loss as seen in the eastern coast and other countries… we can only hope it works."

People began to emerge their homes, and onto the vehicles that the military personnel had come in on, the survivors were split up into two groups, and sent back off screen to an unknown destination. The other half stayed, for an untold reason thus far, but that of which had quickly became apparent as time sped back up and patched metal walls began to slowly erect around the cities parameter. A stray hobbling figure came onto the screen only to be quite evidently shot as they fell, a red pool around their person always quick to follow.

"Underground tunnels built specifically for emergencies on this magnitude have finally become of use. Half of the survivors population will be held in these systems until further construction work is complete in the following states—"

The progress continued on at a steady but fruitful pace. Soon not even the tallest of the infected could come clamoring over the walls in any given point in the construct. This however, didn't deter the soldiers who kept on their work, making it quite effectively taller and hopefully sturdier than anything that could be thrown at it, be it infected or healthy. Much time passed and soon enough it was made clear that the government of the United States had themselves defected into the underground system, faith lost in the program that still so many were invested. They had been forsaken.

"United States government to continue in underground system, those not already part of it will have to remain above ground until it is deemed safe to leave again, it is too much of a risk—"

It took only a month to realize this was the worst mistake they could have made. The camera continued to pan as the walls grew further, even without the help of the United States. The city of Ostham became The People's Union of America, shortly enough but the bad news still went on.

"Underground reactors melted this evening, leaving it and the surrounding areas irreparably irradiated, including the tunnel system—"

As for those who had joined the tunnels, The Howling Plague, as the virus had become to be known by as for the screams from it's victims, only reacted more violently at the hands of the radiation. Carriers of the disease, for the west hadn't been completely untouched, were the first to go; it had evolved above and beyond the borders that kept it harmless to it's host, and consumed them. They'd devolved into madness at record timing, but worst of all; their forms changed. Stretched, tore, they become other things completely. Whatever it was they were, it wasn't human; the radiation had enacted something in the new strain that made them horribly deformed, but deadly. The goal of the newly added weapons, such as teeth more akin to something out of a Tim Burton story, or claws that could rival Wolverine, may have been to spread their disease further, however many of them were too over-zealous in their hunt and ended up killing their quarry more often than not. The people hadn't much time to escape, but some had managed, preferring to face the wilderness rather than being mashed apart in a maw that may well have been full of razors.

It wasn't without a great relief in this case that some had actually stayed behind in the city they'd built, managing upkeep and keeping the infected-now-turned-mutants out right along with it, that even now some spilled into the desert that surrounded them all. Not everyone managed to make it in however; those who were left, the now People's Union started to turn away those who they believe had abandoned them. Only a choice few would make it into their parameters, most being women and children, at that, while a majority of the men were turned away into the desert to fend for themselves. Anyone who they believed was a carrier was to be shot on sight… except for one.

"She's stable, she's stable—get your hands off of her, the shot worked!" An obviously masculine voice said in frenzy at those who had their hands out trying to remove a little girl, who was clearly a younger form of Eva Kendall, from what was to be assumed her father's arms. She looked like the spitting image of her current self, save for her hair was down, and much shorter at that, and her face was much chubbier than now. Her eyes were drastically different, instead of being a deep white, it was only a clouding at the surface that was seen instead, akin to that of a blind person.

"It's just the radiation, the shot worked for her." The father said, obviously knowing what it was they were looking at. In the days before they joined the tunnel system, she had been bitten. Though, the virus hadn't been resistant to treatment, nay, it had actually worked. They couldn't believe their luck when it had been a full week after the vaccination and his and his wife's daughter was her same boisterous self, just added a bite mark on her arm. The numbers for those who survived after the initial bite were incredibly low, but the hope that a loved one is that one is everyone's downfall, putting them more at risk to be bitten. Eva's parents had known this, but it was for the most part, unimportant to them… and they were rewarded for their patience. Their little girl was going to live.

Or so it had seemed. They now found themselves trying to desperately convince these people that she was okay. The harmful part of the virus had been killed inside of her, but the mutating agent hadn't itself deemed to leave, it quickly became apparent, and had reacted with the radiation, ever so slightly in comparison to the monstrosities they'd escaped in the tunnels.

"We have her medical papers!" A much more feminine voice said, while cluttering of a purse was heard in the background, as if she were looking exactly for this. "See? Successful."

There was a silence for a moment, as the military personnel looked over the papers. They clearly weren't forged, but if the reports were true about the virus overtaking it's carriers, could it overtake a survivor or did she have an immunity? They considered it for a moment or two, taking a quick glance at one another before one nodded and opened his mouth to speak.

"We'll accept the woman and the girl." He said. "Take your time now to say goodbye."

The screen faded into black, and the music burst back full force, and the only words that read on the page said 'Fourteen Years Later,' and soon the music itself began to fade from existence, the words following. They were left with a simple black screen. Then it flashed to what was clearly an older styled phone sitting on a table, buzzing and trying obviously to get their owner's attention with a Caller ID that read 'Angel'. Only moments later did a text come through, going ahead and displaying itself across the screen, it's recipient obviously not satisfied with receiving the answering machine.

"Eva! Eva, you're late for your shift again, get your ass down here or Cadogan's gonna send you packing! Where are you?!" He wasn't getting an answer, and soon the camera began to pan back from the device as it had done to the city before, and out through it came another text along with an angry buzz like even the phone itself was upset for being neglected.

"EVA!" the message said from the recipient 'Angel', and suddenly a hand came from off screen, grabbing the phone up from it's place on a cheap and plastic table, to which the camera responded by focusing on who it was that had. Eva was laid out quite lazily on a ripped up fabric couch where threads were sticking out, and holes could be seen, looking over the message and rubbing her obviously tired eyes. She removed her hand from her face and flopped it back onto the couch, seeing that she was indeed late again, judging by the time displayed on the ancient device. She cursed to herself, going to sit up on the lumpy piece of furniture and opening a reply box she typed. 'Yeah yeah, calm down. I'm on my way." And with this, the phone was stuffed into a pocket, where she could effectively ignore it. She rubbed her face again, and once more music began to play, only this time the sound of a grungy guitar played, quickly followed by a beat.

It cut to what was obviously Eva getting ready for her day of work, at wherever exactly it was she did work, even if obviously late, and obviously not the first time she'd done so, judging by Angel's texts. She threw on a cut off wifebeater for a top, and didn't bother changing her shorts, as there were apparently none left. She blew out a quick huff of air from her nose, mumbling something under her breath about having to do laundry, but didn't seem overly upset by it. She continued on to whatever next thing she had to do for that day.

"In the time of chimpanzees I was a monkey
Butane in my veins so I'm out to cut the junkie
With the plastic eyeballs, spray paint the vegetables
Dog food stalls with the beefcake pantyhose
Kill the headlights and put it in neutral
Stock car flamin' with a loser and the cruise control"

The music went on as Eva continued her early day chores, or by the looks of things, simply taking care of herself for that morning. It made sense at least, had to get to work… but her leisurely pace in doing these things said she was hardly concerned either way, that work ethic wasn't exactly a prominent part of her personality… or maybe much anything, at that. Next it flashed to her wrestling open a can of beans, only to sit on the counter and eat them on her own time, seeming quite neutral with the taste even if she hadn't even heated them up in the first place. She was probably used to this as it were.

"Baby's in Reno with the vitamin D
Got a couple of couches sleep on the love seat
Someone keeps sayin I'm insane to complain
About a shotgun wedding and a stain on my shirt"

Next, it flashed to Eva at the door, finally about to probably leave for work except she sat leaned against the wall, grabbing a lighter and something else, she flicked on the lighter, and brought exactly what it had been she'd lit up to her mouth. It was a blunt, quite evidently, and she only continued to loosen her shoulders as she leaned further against the wall, quite enjoying herself.

"Don't believe everything that you breathe
You get a parking violation and a maggot on your sleeve
So shave your face with some mace in the dark
Savin' all your food stamps and burnin' down the trailer park"

It flickered to a moment later when she'd finished, and breathing the last puff of smoke from her mouth, she collected her combat boots and went to pulling them on her feet in a now drugged struggle that only increased when she tried to tie the laces. She'd finally finished with this, and the last thing to do—she slung a rifle that had been set against the door around her shoulder, and stepped out in the mid-morning air.

"Yo, cut it."

She began towards her destination, and the music blared probably the loudest it's been as if trying to enunciate a point as it went on with it's lyrics.

"Soy un perdedor
I'm a loser baby, so why don't you kill me?
(Double-barrel buckshot)"

She passed by many people on her way to where it was that she was headed, most of them casting a spare glance of disdain her way, to which she only responded by stretching a bright smile across her face that could make the Cheshire Cat jealous. She was well known around the city, it was really very difficult for her to not be noticed. She was a Halfling, or rather, that's what they liked to call her, her eyes and teeth made it very clear; her radiation had obviously caused her some further changes since her admission to the city of Ostham, and near to none couldn't say they didn't find it somewhat frightening. They looked at her like she was going to turn feral any second, or decide to shoot them up.

"Soy un perdedor
I'm a loser baby, so why don't you kill me?"

"Whoever gave THAT girl a gun has got to be out of their minds…" She'd heard someone say once, she remembered blankly as she came up to one of the sniper towers as the music began to fade once more. Ferals were few and far between these days, but it didn't mean they didn't need to watch the city walls, she noted quite hypocritically as she made her way up the stairs to her post. She hadn't seen Cadogan on her way in, so maybe he didn't know she was late this time… 'One can only hope…' she thought to herself, setting back up her chair that had gotten knocked over the day before in her hurry to leave. She pulled a cola soda from a six pack and cracked it open, taking a swig and seating herself on the chair, setting up her rig to start shooting. She looked over the edge to see only a few scratching at the walls. Not irradiated terribly, like some of the other she'd seen before; they might've just been infected by the looks of it.

"Yep… got a few biters… should be easy to pick off…" She said under her breath, and it was about this time that it exited into play mode; the cutscenes were done, and it was time for the player to actually get to the game, and what better way than to show them how to shoot? The player was obviously a veteran at the game, as the diseased were offed in a quick success...

Tamora and Vanellope seemed to be enjoying the game thus far, apparently even a girl programmed to be nine years old had more of a stomach for horror than either Ralph or Felix, who both looked a little perturbed at the idea of all this happening. Ralph may be programmed to be a Wrecker, and sure, Felix could even die in his own game, but it wasn't graphic like the screams and quick slides of the mutated infected were. Felix had never seen a creature so horrible, and immediately decided no matter the charm of the above ground world, and it's graphics that could well match Hero's Duty, he would not be visiting any time soon… unless maybe the infected weren't as aggressive as cybugs. It would have been relatively sad though if they did have further programming than to destroy anything they can, because they would be stuck looking like they did. Lord only knows what Felix was thinking about her drug use, or rather, if he'd noticed it at all.

"I like it!" Vanellope exclaimed, Calhoun nodding her head in agreement. The sergeant could admit, she wouldn't have had the girl pegged as coming from such a game by how she'd acted on their first meeting, bounding on over and friendly like only a few she'd met in her time. Most characters to come from such games were bitter and jaded, and it took herself a while to overcome those traits herself, but she was still just as biting as ever. This would probably never change. Of course, Eva did say she was the first on the system, so she would have had time to overcome herself as well.

"Don't you think it's a bit much?" Felix offered, slightly uncomfortable with letting Vanellope watch it after seeing how bad it really was, and only potentially to get worse, seeing as the game was very calm now compared to how it had been just earlier. "Ralph, it's a bit much isn't it?"

Ralph wasn't exactly wanting to be the one to have to tear Vanellope away from the screen and back to Sugar Rush, though he himself was a little off-put by the thoughts of what was going to be coming up, he somewhat want to see where the story went. He cast a glance over to his game brother, an eyebrow raised. He was obviously looking for his help here, but he was going to do it by throwing him under the bus. He only settled for shrugging, but not before looking back to Eva shooting down more ferals. "I kinda want to see what happens…" They never got the chance to watch the other games back in the arcade… they were always tied down to their own during open hours. This was actually kind of nice… and there were the other game characters to watch it with too; it was like a theater!

Meanwhile the handyman sighed once more in the background, obviously fighting a losing battle.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Aw, poor Felix. :C I almost feel bad. Almost.

SO! Here's the lead way for Dust Bowl! Tell me what you think about it. (Also, no, the whole story isn't going to be about this game, but like I've said before a lot of it's integrity is going to be made up with it. Cause, I had to be a rebel and couldn't just use an already established character, nooo… I made an entire game to center around mine, and I thought… why not write it all out?) So yeah. Hope you enjoyed this chapter as much as I did writing it.