(I DO NOT own The Walking Dead, Code Lyoko, or any names/brands that might appear in the story. Any references to any person living or dead is merely a coincidence, and should NOT be taken as intentional. All of that being said, I hope you enjoy the story!)
Two days after the Hope Militia recon team went missing in the north, the Hope Community was in the midst of a celebration. Christmas Eve had finally arrived for all of the remaining survivors that dwelled in the walker-infested ruins of Chicago, Illinois.
Thanks to the skillful work of the community engineers on the settlement's generators, brightly-lit Christmas lights were able to be hung on practically every tree both indoors and outside for tonight and tomorrow. Like always, a grand two-day Christmas celebration was planned for this year and nearly every last person in Hope was going to be taking part in it. There was going to be wonderful music, there was going to be challenging contests, and there was going to be fun games and delicious foods and drinks (well, as delicious as possible in the post-apocalyptic sense that is).
The Christmas celebrations were something everyone looked forward to year-round. Because for two brief nights it will feel exactly like the old days again.
Fresh layers of snow and ice blanketed the entire Hope Community. Though Christmas was still a day for celebration like always, it has also become a day of mourning and remembrance since the end of the world two years ago. Every flagpole in the settlement had their banners at half-stand. People remembered those they lost and the good memories they had with them.
The "shrines" that were created around old missing person poster boards by the survivors during the early days now had hundreds upon hundreds of memorial candles lit all around them, along with old photos of the people they've lost along the way. These poster boards were some of the most sacred places in all of Hope. For countless victims of the Trials, the shrines were the last traces of their existence. In light of this, an honor guard of the Hope Militia kept a watchful eye on the shrines 24/7.
The nondenominational church in the middle of town had black mourning banners on every window, and their Christmas tree had only one brightly-lit star at the top instead of any tinsels or Christmas lights. During Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, the church usually had several dozen people inside praying and mourning those they lost. Father Czarnecki and the rest of his clergy was always very welcoming to everyone in Hope. It didn't matter who they were or where they came from before the Trials began. If any person needed some time to speak with whatever Lord they worshiped, they were always welcome in the town's church.
Of course, the children of Hope were still anxiously awaiting the arrival of Santa Claus tonight regardless of whether their families were mourning or not. That was a tradition that simply couldn't be allowed to disappear even after the death of civilization. It wouldn't have been right to let go of something like that. Christmas. Halloween. The Fourth of July. Thanksgiving - the community kept celebrating as many holidays as they possibly could.
Although there wasn't an internet to buy stuff from or giant superstores to shop from anymore, nearly all of the parents in the Hope Community still found many good and often really creative ways to make sure that their kids would be happy come Christmas morning.
Well... all except for Bradley Enheart at least.
Though Xavier wasn't his son, the elderly marine still tried to make each birthday and holiday as best as possible for the orphan boy. For all intents and purposes Xavier was basically kin now. For the last two years Bradley's done a pretty decent job each time Christmas or a birthday came, but for the last few weeks he was in a hell of a stump. Bradley had no clue what to get Xavier for this Christmas.
But he couldn't think about it at the moment. Right now Bradley was taking part in an emergency meeting of the Hope Council. The topic of discussion today was the recon team that went missing two days ago. Search teams found no trace of the team at all. The men, their vehicles, and their equipment all seemed to vanish off the face of the earth. Walkers wouldn't have been responsible for a disappearance like that...
The discussion turned heated almost immediately after it began. Some members of the council, including Bradley, wanted to send out an expedition to comb the part of the city they were lost in so that they could find those men, dead or alive, and bring them back home. But several other councilmen, also including Council President Pershing himself, seemed totally ready to write those men off as dead. It was incredibly infuriating...
Bradley rubbed his temples as he listened to yet another argument play out.
"-so we're just gonna abandon them? Are you out of your mind, Phil?!" one of the councilmen demanded an answer.
"I didn't say we were going to abandon them out there, Major!" Pershing responded. "I'm merely saying that we cannot waste more men and resources looking out there for them when, in all likelihood, they're already gone. We should wait until the weather warms up to find-"
A second councilman was aghast. "Wait until the weather warms up?! Good God, these were men with families, Council President! What if they're still alive out there?!"
"And what if they aren't, Lieutenant?" a third councilman retorted on behalf of the Council President. "Our previous reconnaissance on that area of the city reported that it was filled to the brim with roamers! If we send a search party then we will be putting them at serious risk! And all for what? To bring back corpses?!"
"My nephew is one of the missing men you son of a bitch!" another councilman from across the room growled with rage at those words.
Bradley groaned to himself, the heated arguments giving him a headache. An aide who was in the room gave him a couple of aspirin tablets, much to Bradley's gratitude. The elderly marine took the pills and hoped that either everyone reaches a conclusion or the meeting will finally end.
"Relax, please! Everyone just relax!" Pershing pleaded to the whole council. "I promise that the issue of these missing men will be addressed one way or another, but it cannot be dealt with if we quarrel endlessly! We must all calm down and-"
"Council President, this is ludicrous!" a councilman objected, interrupting Pershing. "Just the other day we were all discussing the issue of the destroyed settlements to the north of Chicago! How they were attacked!... Some hostile group has clearly entered the city and attacked our recon team! Have you forgotten about this threat already?!"
"Christ, we still haven't properly started to aid other communities in the north! And we aren't prepared for a war either! It would be a slaughterfest if we fought!" another councilman slammed his fist on the table in frustration.
Another councilman dryly laughed. "So the answer is for Hope and her people to just lay down and die?! Good god!"
"Oh, for the love of God..." Bradley muttered to himself with a disappointed sigh. Instead of getting straight into action for the sake of the missing men, the other councilmen would rather bicker endlessly. Sometimes Bradley truly regretted being a part of the council...
Pershing banged his gavel in an effort to get everyone to be silent, but it was for nothing. The arguing continued, and even the Council President was powerless to stop it.
The meeting would go on, but no answer was reached. Those missing men were abandoned...
Along the top of the eastern perimeter wall of the Hope Community, two Hope Militia guards in one of the wall's guard towers were more busy playing cards instead of keeping an eye out like they were supposed to. Security was very light across the perimeter wall today since it was Christmas Eve.
Normally there would be at least half a dozen men on this section of the eastern wall alone. But most went to spend the day with their families since they thought the only threat out there was some half-frozen walkers. Little did they know how wrong they were...
The two guards in the tower were focused on their cards, eyeing each other as they focused on trying to stay warm while they played their game.
"So, did you figure out what you're getting Rose for Christmas this year?" one of the guards asked as he studied his cards. It wasn't actually poker but an old pack of Cards Against Humanity scavenged from a school in Bridgeport. It wasn't much, but it was enough to keep them entertained for at least the rest of their shift.
The two men had played it normally for the last couple of hours but now they were trying it by having one guard lay out a black card while the other guard tries to come up with something really, really funny on white cards for whatever was on it.
The other guard shook his head as he studied the black card laying on the crate-turned-table they were both sitting at. The phrase on the black card read: "'What gives me uncontrollable gas?'" This card was going to be tough to find a funny answer for. But when his friend spoke, he looked up and shook his head.
"No, not yet... But I've been thinking of taking her and Samantha out to get a family picture made. Some ice cream afterwards for Sam, maybe a new teddy bear for her and a necklace for Rose too..." he explained.
"They'd probably really like that. Good idea, man." the first guard complimented his friend's idea. He studied the black card on the table for a moment before he went flipping through his selection of ten white cards. The two guards weren't playing to win anything. All they wanted was some cheap laughs. After flipping through his white cards, the first guard laid one of them down onto the table between them.
The other guard looked down at the black card and the white card that was laid down next to it. "'What gives me uncontrollable gas?'" He read out the black card, then looked at the white. "'Auschwitz.'" he read out the chosen answer, his eyes widening.
Both of the guards were silent for a moment before they burst out laughing. It was the exact kind of fucked-up and offensive humor that they were looking to enjoy with each other while they sat out there in the freezing cold. As it turned out, the two guards were both enjoying playing this game so much that neither of them noticed a dark shadow move outside of their wall...
The two guards continued to play their game, foolishly not paying attention to anything outside of the cards. Their next black card read out: "If God didn't want us to enjoy _____, he would not have given us: _______" Naturally, the two guards felt that they were going to have a ton of fun with this one.
"Oh hey, did you hear that Pershing was gonna give a Christmas speech in a couple of hours?"
"Yeah, but I wasn't plannin' on going to it... Rose and Samantha were going to the festival and they'll probably listen to it though."
"I can imagine better ways to spend Christmas Eve with the family than listening to Pershing..."
"Christ, tell me about it... That asshole just loves to talk and talk and talk... It gives me a headache whenever I listen to him. You feel the same?"
With a shrug at his friend's reply, the guard with the white cards finally chose a couple which he thought was perfect for this. Laying them down on the table next to the black card, the answer for this play now read: "If God didn't want us to enjoy: 72 Virgins, he would not have given us: Muslims blowing shit up."
Both of the guards broke out laughing at this funny Cards Against Humanity play, but then their attentions were finally taken away from the game when they heard a creak come from what sounded like... above them? What the hell?
Before either guard could react, the ceiling of the tower suddenly gave way and a figure dropped down right in front of them both. Naturally the two guards tried to reach for their guns, but the mysterious figure was far quicker than either of them. With a single slash from the figure and followed by a hard kick, one of the guard's throats had been slit wide open and the other was pushed straight to the floor with two cracked ribs.
With these two guards being taken so easily, the figure couldn't help but think that this plan he was taking part in was going to be far more simple than anyone could have thought. This weak community truly did deserve what was coming to them.
As the guard with the slit throat thrashed and finally bled to death on the other side of the room, the guard with the cracked ribs painfully crawled towards the table and tried to reach for the walkie-talkie which he left next to the cards. He had to warn command about these intruders. However, another figure dropped in and landed on his back, immediately placing their hand firmly over the guard's mouth.
If the invaders were right, the next check-in from Hope Militia Command would be in three... two... one...
"Hey, you there Tower 3? Give me a status report, please."
Helplessly, the restrained guard watched the person who killed his friend pick up the walkie-talkie and bring it up to his lips. The person who kept the guard's mouth covered couldn't help but let out a bemused chuckle at his desperate attempts to push her off of him. These people were so weak...
"Situation is all-clear here, sir. Ain't nothin' to report yet aside from a stray walker or two. We're keeping a close eye on the area." the person replied into the walkie-talkie, giving a fairly good impression of the voice of the guard whom he just killed.
"Understood. Let me know if you see any more biters out there. General Enheart's asked for more updates on that."
"Copy that, sir. And Merry Christmas Eve."
"To you as well, Tower 3. Command out."
With their cover still secure, the murderer set down the walkie-talkie and he went to the restrained guard on the floor. Six more invaders then dropped in but they didn't stay to watch the show. They all hurried out of the door leading out of the tower, ran down the length of the east wall, and then hopped down to ground level before going deeper into the Hope Community. Whatever they were here for, it obviously wasn't good...
The guard again tried to push off the figure who was pinning him to the floor, who by this point he had noticed to be a woman. The woman definitely didn't like his resistance, and she retaliated by lifting up her foot and slamming it down to break the guard's left arm. She laughed darkly as the captive guard let out a muffled scream into her hand.
His arm felt like it was on fire. As he struggled, the guard saw that the murderer who was standing in front of him was wearing black robes, and he a mask on...
The mask was made of metal... pure gold. The eyes were dark and hollow...
... His face looked like a demon's ...
The murderer appeared annoyed at the woman's inhumane actions towards the guard, though it wasn't because of morality. They had a job to do here. Matters such as this killed what little time they had before enacting salvation.
"Kuri, enough..." the murderer scolded the woman for the needless torture and cruelty towards the guard. They weren't here for that... well, at least not yet. "We're behind schedule enough as it is. We need to keep moving and we need to be ready to enact the plan... understood?"
The woman "Kuri" immediately abided by what the murderer had ordered. He was the one in charge after all. He was her living god. And besides, if their plan succeeded then she'd get plenty of survivors to have her fun with later on...
"Yes, Master... Your word is law, as always." Kuri said with pure devotion, though she didn't get up off the guard yet.
The Master nodded at Kuri before he gestured down at the restrained guard, silently telling her to deal with this loose end before they go any further into Hope. Kuri nodded, and a single slash to the guard's neck with one of her twin golden sais was enough to end his life. She didn't even give the guard the mercy of pacification so that he wouldn't reanimate.
With the guards in this tower and in two other towers all taken care of, these attackers and all of their invading comrades were ready to breach this filth of a community and enact their divine justice upon all of its residents. Most will die. But those who can be saved shall benefit from The Master's mercy. Some may even join his army and help to fulfill his plans for the territories beyond Chicago. Those few who join him shall be saved from damnation.
Sensing his plans were going smoothly, The Master couldn't help but grin underneath his mask. Should this glorious attack be successful, Hope will fall. If the Church of the Golden Dawn destroyed its biggest settlement, Chicago will be practically defenseless. It shall burn just like all of the other places that they've purified thus far. Every single remaining soul here shall either follow the glorious ideals of The Master... or they'll all be destroyed by his wrath.
A Golden Dawn will shine upon the survivors of Chicago whether they wanted it or not...
After the council meeting wrapped up, Bradley met up with Spiers and Shrike in Shrike's garage. The three elderly war veterans were enjoying some beers and listening to some cheerful Christmas tunes on the Hope Community Radio. Spiers also brought over a couple of buckets of fried chicken that he bought from the restaurant down the street, so they were enjoying that hot and greasy treat as well. Usually they met like this at least once per week and they talked about their day or shared old war stories or some random gossip about the community's leadership. Stuff like that.
Bradley and Spiers were listening carefully as Shrike told them of something that happened to him last night while he was working on his tank. Or, well, at least he started by talking about what happened to him last night while working on his tank. Now they weren't exactly sure what he was talking about.
"-and then that little Keyblade keychain thing I had fell off somewhere in the parking lot of that store in Walterboro and I never saw it again. Goofy was a good friend. Donald was okay... The end." Shrike finished his story before he hummed the closing theme of Looney Tunes to himself.
Bradley and Spiers looked utterly confused by everything they heard. The things Shrike told them were just so... alien.
"...what the hell is a 'Keyblade'?" a very confused Bradley blinked, his only real question from the huge monologue he listened to.
Shrike looked shocked at the statement from his longtime friend. Hasn't he been paying attention?! "A kickass weapon from Kingdom Hearts, of course!"
"...what the hell is 'Kingdom Hearts'?" an equally-confused Spiers asked. "Shrike, for the last twenty minutes you've been spewing random nonsense about women's shoes, Hitler, and how you've not been allowed anywhere in the State of New Hampshire since 1974. Then out of nowhere you started talking about that 'Keyblade' thing which Bradley and I have never heard of..."
"Yeah, you gave literally no detail or context to us whatsoever..." Bradley added on to what Spiers said.
"I gave you both plenty! You just couldn't understand it, that's all." Shrike retorted before he swallowed more of his drink.
Bradley looked at Spiers with utter confusion, and his old friend only replied with a shrug since he had absolutely no idea what the hell Shrike was talking about either. They were used to his craziness but sometimes it could be just a bit too much for either of them to handle.
Shrike finished off what was in his bottle and he tossed the empty glass away, causing it to shatter somewhere in the far side of the garage. He reached for one of the buckets of fried chicken as Bradley and Spiers moved to another topic of discussion.
"So, how'd that meeting go with the council earlier?" Spiers wondered as he and Bradley heard Shrike ravage a piece of fried chicken.
Bradley shook his head with frustration. "They're practically leaving those men to die out there, Burton. That is if they already aren't..."
"Can't give up hope here in Hope, buddy. That'll defeat the purpose of the name." Spiers quipped, patting Bradley on the shoulder.
"Exactly! Those guys'll turn up, don't worry." Shrike agreed with a big mouthful of fried chicken. Bradley barely comprehended what was said but he still appreciated it.
"Yeah... maybe..." a doubtful Bradley sighed. The Hope Militia was known to take losses, it was just the way things happened sometimes. But an entire patrol disappearing without a trace was unheard of. Bradley hoped that those men would be found alive... but he couldn't truly believe it would happen.
The three friends continued chatting for a while, eventually running out of their food and their drinks. Soon enough they ran out of things to talk about.
"... so... Kingdom Hearts, huh?" Spiers asked in an effort to make small talk. "That a movie or somethin'?"
"No, no, Kingdom Hearts is a video game, buddy. A very awesome video game!..." Shrike grinned. "It has Goofy and Donald Duck and Jack Skellington and Sephiroth! Sephiroth! And you play as Sora!"
"What's a Sora?" Bradley blinked, but unfortunately he was ignored by both of his friends. What the hell was Shrike talking about? He knew Goofy and Donald Duck of course since he's watched Disney cartoons ever since he was a young kid, but the rest of what Shrike said wasn't familiar to him at all...
... wait, no, that's not true. Bradley suddenly remembered that his grandsons used to play those Kingdom Hearts games with some girl with a bandana before they moved to France years and years ago. He remembered buying a copy as a birthday gift for Chase when he turned ten years old.
Not that any of this even mattered. Jeez, he was getting very off-topic now...
Shrike sighed as he wiped his greasy hands on his blue jeans to clean them off. "I miss my old PlayStation... I'd play the whole goddamned series again if I could. I'm pissed I never got to play the fourth game... I wanna see Sephiroth again!"
"What the hell's a Sephiroth?" Bradley again wondered aloud.
"It's a video game...? I hate video games!" an annoyed Spiers deadpanned as he and Shrike ignored Bradley's question for the second time. "I haven't even played a video game since PONG, Shrike! How's about we all stick to talking about the kinds of stuff that we all know and enjoy, huh?" he said.
"Okay boomer." was Shrike's simple reply.
Spiers blinked with confusion at what his buddy just said. "Wait, what?"
"Okay. Boomer."
"What does that mean?"
"Okay. Boo. Meeeeer."
"... I ... I don't get it ..."
"Okay boomer!"
"... Seriously, what the hell does that even mean?"
"OKAY BOOMER!"
"Tell me what that means! It's starting to annoy the hell out of me!"
"OOOOOOKAY BOOOOOOMER!"
Bradley slapped his forehead as Spiers's eye twitched from an equal amount of anger, annoyance, and outright confusion. Shrike just stared at Spiers blankly. Whatever was going on inside of that madman's head was not for any earthly creature to comprehend...
"Why're you even saying that?!" Spiers demanded to know.
"Cause you're a super old boomer and I'm all cool and hip and I've got SWAG like all the other kids these days, that's why. Hashtags! Twitter!"
"You're two years older than I am, Shrike! Are you having a stroke?!"
"Man, this is really cringy dialogue, huh? Maybe the writer is out of ideas for this part of the chapter..."
Spiers looked like he was about to blow a gasket. "-the hell?!"
Bradley rolled his eyes at his friends antics before he drank the last few gulps out of a beer bottle. Though hanging out with them like this was fun, he seriously needed to get up and about to find Xavier a gift for Christmas and he wasn't really interested in getting a headache from... whatever the hell this crap is.
The elderly marine wasn't sure exactly what Xavier would want, but he already had an idea or two. He just needed to go to the shop down the road to see if they still had the thing in stock. If there was still one of the things in stock there, he hoped Xavier would like it...
Finishing what was left of the liquid, Bradley tossed the empty glass bottle into a trash can and he bid his two arguing friends farewell for the night. He sighed with annoyance when he could still them both even all the way down the street...
"Idiots..."
Phase one was complete. The first group of invaders had made it inside the settlement and more teams followed them in.
After dispatching the guards on the eastern perimeter wall, the team of infiltrators carefully snuck their way through the alleyways of Hope. Eventually they made it to the other side of the community and they hid inside of a home. When the infiltrators entered the home, all they found was a father, a mother, a grandmother and two young children who were celebrating Christmas Eve...
No witnesses were allowed before the start of the Great Reckoning. The intruders made sure that this innocent family would never celebrate anything ever again.
As a pair of the mysterious infiltrators moved the bodies of the family down into the basement, the others in this team all gathered around a young teen who volunteered for the task at hand. There was eight other infiltration teams that had all gathered in other places just like this across the Hope Community, and all of them had a teen just like this one. This young boy was just one of nine Vindicators today - these young individuals would become among the most venerated of The Master's children. Everyone who worships the Golden Dawn shall revere them as saints.
After they were certain that no one else was in the house, two infiltrators went to the young teen and they opened up the trenchcoat he was wearing. Under the boy's coat was a vest - a vest that had pipe bombs attached to it. The boy was as terrified now about this bomb vest as when he first put it on three hours ago. The boy knew that his young life was going to end within the next hour or so.
But the Master taught him that he would ascend with this tool. With this tool, he would help ensure that the Hope Community would fall. With this tool, he would end the lives of many profligates today. With this tool, he would help the profligates go to eternal glory. His fear meant nothing in the light of the Golden Dawn.
The leader of the infiltration team was a man who wore a silver mask in the style of an Oni, a demon of his ancestral folklore. All of the other infiltrators had their own Oni masks but they were either bronze or a metallic black to denote their lower ranks. All wore black or white suits and all were armed with military-grade assault rifles, snipers, submachine guns, and even a couple of grenade launchers - all trophies taken in battle from previous settlements and military patrols.
The Hope Militia was not a force to underestimate. They were skilled men and women, and all of them armed with good weapons. Fighting them would be both a challenge and an honor for the warriors of the Church of the Golden Dawn.
"Are you prepared to shine the wrath of the Golden Dawn upon our enemies here today, Jason? Are you prepared to honor The Master by destroying those who stand in his way?" the leader of this infiltration team asked as the two others began to arm the explosives on this boy's vest.
The boy, Jason, was nervous. Very nervous. His parents back home weren't. They knew what he was signing up for and they couldn't have been more proud of him for what he was going to do here. They said their goodbyes since they knew that they would lose their son today, but he would enter the Golden Dawn just like how countless others have before him. They wouldn't have it any other way in this terrible new world.
But Jason still had his doubts... this was a good thing ... right...?
Hesitantly, Jason nodded. "I- I am... ready... I am ready..." the fourteen year old said.
A warm smile grew on the team leader's face after he heard this. Each pipe bomb had a red light which now shined green, indicating that they were all armed and ready to explode at the mere press of a button. One of the two infiltrators handed Jason a button detonator before they both backed away from him. The two then gave a final and respectful bow to the young teen and so did the leader of the infiltration team. He's earned their respect for what he's going to do.
Should they succeed here today, then Jason would go to paradise for his sacrifice. He would be honored for countless generations for what he was about to do.
How could enduring worship possibly be something to fear?
"Then go forth, my young friend. Do as The Master bids... and may you awaken to a Golden Dawn." the leader was so full of pride as he said his farewell to the teen.
Jason was shaking, fear coursing through his veins as he held onto the detonator that was placed in his hand. But he needed to calm down. He couldn't be afraid. He couldn't feel any fear whatsoever at what was coming. All of his training should have eliminated the fear...
The teen took a deep breath to calm his nerves, and eventually the shakes went away. He needed to be brave today. He was told that he was going to go to paradise because of what he was about to do, after all.
At the mere press of a button, he would ascend to a golden glory forever. Nothing else should matter anymore.
As everyone in the team began preparing for what was coming, Jason walked out the front door of the home and started heading down the street. The young boy stopped for a moment to admire some of the pretty Christmas lights hanging up on windows and trees and streetlights and whatnot. He had not seen any Christmas lights since before the rise of The Master...
Though Jason was told that what would happen to Hope had to be done, he still felt a little sad that such a pretty place had to be destroyed. Even despite all that he had been taught by The Master and his disciples, Jason couldn't shake the feeling that what was going to happen was terribly wrong...
Jason sighed, pressing onwards despite his conflicted thoughts. The detonator in his hand was well-hidden by the sleeve of his trenchcoat and he was certain no one would see it before it was time. Much to his own fright, he almost pressed the detonator's trigger far too early after some old guy bumped into him on the street. The old guy was stumbling out of some garage and he looked really angry about something.
"BURTON SPIERS IS A BOOMER, EVERYBODY!!! SPREAD THE WORD!!" called a voice from in the garage.
"Shut up, Shrike! Jesus!" the grumpy old guy retorted, shaking his head out of annoyance.
The old guy realized he had bumped into Jason on his way out of the madman's garage, making his face fall. "Oh, shit, uh... sorry about that, kid..." the old guy apologetically patted Jason on the head before he resumed walking down the street. He had no idea what was under the kid's jacket...
Jason felt his heart racing rapidly during that interaction, but once he saw the old guy leaving he started to calm down. The stuff under his coat hadn't been discovered prematurely...
As the old guy walked off, Jason followed from a distance since he had to go in that direction too.
Jason could see many more of those colorful lights in a courtyard in the distance...
At a large festival in the center of Hope, hundreds of people had gathered for the yearly Christmas celebrations. This year's was by far the biggest.
There was tents with games and food. Old carnival rides salvaged a year ago from a fairground up north were very popular with the kids. There was even some guys selling cotton candy! At the center of the festival was a huge Christmas tree and a big stage where Council President Pershing will give a speech later.
Kids laughed. Mothers and fathers smiled. Though everyone can still be reminded of the current times by the darkened skyscrapers of downtown in the distance, this was one of the only days of the year where it really felt like the old times again. The atmosphere was peaceful, friendly, warm, and it was-
"OH, SON OF A BITCH!!! ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!"
Aaaaaaand someone just had to ruin it.
At a tent that featured a shooting gallery game with target balloons, Lieutenant-Colonel Waller's eye twitched as his pellet gun suffered a misfire for the fifth time in only two rounds. Several people who were nearby immediately turned their gazes towards him following his loud outburst, nearly all looking on in judgement of his loud cursing since there was some kids there.
As some parents covered their children's ears, Lieutenant-Colonel Waller slammed the pellet gun down on the isle in front of the tent's game master. The game master, who was just a scrawny 19-year old kid, was scared shitless both by the sudden outburst and by the fear that he had somehow angered one of the prestigious Hope Councilmen. The councilmen weren't known to be dictators but he was still very worried about the consequences he could suffer if he angered this man more.
"This game is rigged!" Waller loudly accused the game master in front of everyone there. He pointed a finger accusingly at the game master's face. "Just what the hell are you tryin' to pull here, jerk?! Huh?!"
The young game master trembled as he shook his head. "N- No, sir! I- I wasn't-"
"You trying to make a fool of me?!" Waller growled.
"The only one here doin' that is yourself, Colonel Waller." a voice suddenly got everyone's attention. Everyone looked towards the entrance of the tent to see who said that. As it turned out, it was none other than Bradley.
Bradley had a scowl on his face as he walked into the tent with Xavier. Both just wanted to enjoy a few of the carnival games and have some fun on this Christmas Eve, but alas they and everyone else outside the tent heard Waller's outburst. As a fellow councilman, Bradley had to deal with this problem before it could get any worse. He had always viewed Waller as a hothead but him harassing one of the carnival workers was a new low even for him...
Waller and Bradley stared each other down for several moments, but Waller was the one who broke. Throwing his hands up in frustration, Waller remained silent as he turned and stormed out of the tent. He'll find something else to do in this shithole of a carnival...
Things began to return to normal once Waller left the tent. Bradley sighed and apologized to the young game master on behalf of the Hope Council and he promised that Waller wouldn't do anything like that to him again. The young man was still a little shaken up but he accepted the apology and went back to work.
Bradley and Xavier played a bunch of carnival games together after that. Xavier kicked Bradley's old butt at ring tossing, but Bradley dominated at target shooting with water guns. The parental guardian and his care had a marvelous time, and they even won some prizes!
Xavier won a giant teddy bear that was almost as big as him. Bradley only won a plastic yo-yo. He didn't mind though, he's loved those things since he was a little kid.
After they got their fill of the carnival games, the pair stopped to get something to eat before they headed towards the center of the festival. There, a stage was set up and Council President Pershing was due to give a speech soon. Once that was over with, Bradley planned to present Xavier with the gift which he finally got for him - a BB gun! Bradley was happy that the store in town still had one left in stock for Xavier...
Hundreds of people started to gather up by the stage. Soon, Council President Pershing and the town's priest Father Czarnecki arrived and walked up the steps towards the stage podium. Pershing stood off to the side as Father Czarnecki walked up to the podium. As with every Christmas celebration, the Father would take some time to lead the community in a solemn prayer service.
Father Czarnecki cleared his throat before he lowered his head in prayer for all who had been lost during the turmoil and chaos of the Trials. Much of the audience, including Bradley and Xavier, did the same. Each and every one of them lost people they cared for and a service like this helped them all.
"O Lord, we pray Thee that the souls of Thy priest... Thy servants, which, while they abode in this world, Thou didst adorn with sacred gifts... may ever rejoice in a glorious place in heaven. Through Christ our Lord... Amen."
After the prayer service, Council President Pershing stood up and went to the microphone. He cleared his throat, put on his reading glasses, and after a few moments of silence he began to read out his annual Christmas speech to the community.
"Two years, my fellow citizens..." Pershing began. "It has been two years since we've all awoken to this terrible new world. Two years since our beloved nation collapsed and died to the terrible plague of undeath. Two years since we lost nearly everything that we all hold dear... Property. Community. Family. Friends..."
Unbeknownst to Pershing or anyone else, someone was making his way through the crowds of people right now. A young boy with an important mission that he couldn't allow to fail. A mission to please his Master. The boy was slowly but surely making his way to where he needed to go. Just a few more minutes and he'll be ready to help begin the Great Reckoning...
"These past two years have been hell for us all, my fellow citizens." Pershing continued. "Our precious community has been through horrors that no place or people on earth should ever have to suffer, though I suppose the same can be said for all survivors of the world now. Each and every one of us has sacrificed far too much during the Trials, some more than others. Our sacrifices were hard, and we will all have to bear them for the rest of our lives..."
Pershing flipped the page of the speech booklet he had prepared and he read aloud the next part. "But with your tenacity, your courage, and your dedication and hard work, we have given Chicago a chance to rise from the ashes again one day. Like a rising phoenix, Hope shall lead the charge towards rebuilding and recovery. It may take years, perhaps even decades, but the challenge shall be overcome!"
The audience applauded the words of their community's president. Jason didn't. He kept making his way through the crowds and was as careful as possible to not bump into anyone. He couldn't get this far just for the explosives to be discovered now. He couldn't lose the Golden Dawn now, not when he was so close...
Pershing continued. "Because of you amazing citizens, our community has managed to become the bedrock for a future civilization. A civilization that one day, God willing, will be permanently free of all walkers." he smiled as he spoke. "A civilization that can eventually rebuild our poor Windy City, and maybe even the rest of the United States itself. A civilization that, with time and effort, can bring the world back to what it was!"
Somewhere in the center of the crowds was Bradley and Xavier, both of whom clapped and cheered and smiled alongside the hundreds of other people. By then, Jason had gotten close to them. He kept a tight hold on the detonator in his hand since he was so paranoid that he would accidentally drop it.
Bradley blinked as a boy in an overcoat carefully pushed his way past him and Xavier. At first, Bradley didn't pay the young boy much mind. But then he saw something in the kid's hand that made him freeze...
... that couldn't have been what he thought it was.
A chill ran up Bradley's spine as he made out the familiar shape of a military detonator in the kid's hand. It had to be a mistake. There was no way. The armory was always locked up tight and it had guards protecting it. And the people of Hope were allowed to be armed but not with explosive weaponry...
But he had to make sure... Bradley had a terrible feeling in his gut that he didn't just see things.
"Stay here, kid. I'll be right back..." Bradley told Xavier before he started to follow the boy in the trenchcoat.
Xavier was confused as he watched Bradley carefully make his way through the crowds of people in front of them. Where was he going...?
Meanwhile, Pershing was still giving his speech to the people of the Hope Community.
"Hope and her people have endured the worst of the Trials and we shall endure even more of it if we must!" Pershing rallied his people. "We've answered each and every one of the challenges forced upon us! The people of Hope know no meaning of the word 'failure'! And that is what makes them the greatest of all survivors on earth! We have prevailed, and we shall continue to do so!"
Bradley could see the boy but he could barely keep up with him. There was too many people to get through. But he had to try for the sake of everyone who was here.
That kid couldn't have been holding what Bradley thought he was holding... could he...?
"My fellow citizens! All of the incredible people here in Hope! I am proud of all that you have accomplished these last two years! And because of you..." Pershing said with a smile and a twinkle in his eye. He paused for a moment since he needed to collect himself.
When he spoke again, he made sure to make his words clear for everyone.
"Because of you... HOPE IS NOT YET LOST!"
The audience roared with cheers and applause at the ending to Council President Pershing's speech, many feeling a renewed feeling of vigor and pride and hope for the future. The words that Pershing spoke to them would inspire them to continue working towards the prosperity of their precious community, and they would resonate in the minds for the rest of their lives... however long they lasted.
Things were going to be okay. The audience was certain of that.
Bradley ignored the celebrations. He hurried through the crowds as he saw that the boy had made it up to the front of the stage...
Jason was close to hyperventilating from how panicked he felt, but he had to do what he came here to do. The detonator shook in his hand as he made it to the front of the crowds. He was certain that someone was following him but he didn't stop to check. He wasn't going to let himself get stopped when he was this close to the Golden Dawn.
He had to do this. It had to be done for The Master. For the Church.
Luckily, Jason saw that whoever was following him didn't have enough time to stop him. The man was still so far away from Jason when he shed his trenchcoat and raised the detonator up high. Some people turned in his direction upon seeing this. Some of them gasped, some froze from horror, some screamed as they realized what was about to happen to them.
The young boy shouted his final word before any of the dozens around him could try to stop him:
"SALVATION!!!"
When Jason pressed the button on the detonator, everything went black for him forever. The boy's last thoughts before he died were of the Golden Dawn.
The last thing that ever went through Jason's mind was him wondering how warm the Dawn would feel when he makes it there...