Author's Note:
Here's where the Canon Story begins. I've also made some improvements to the early chapters.
For a time,Hope County became a beacon of hope, a place where life could flourish,a true paradise on earth. But as the way of all things, it didn't last. One day a group of killers called "The Highwaymen" came from the east, led by a pair of twins named "Mickey" and "Lou". They've heard about the paradise in Hope County and wanted it for themselves. The people tried to fight back, but they didn't stand a chance. The Highwaymen took everything the people of Hope County had and everything they've worked so hard for. Their food, their homes and even the people. Nick was one of the first people to oppose the Highwaymen, but ended up getting captured.
Kim and Carmina, banded the people of Hope County banded together and built a safe haven at John Seed's old Ranch. Unlike most buildings, it remained relatively intact from the nuclear explosions, but fell into disrepair as the years went by. Together, they and the people repaired and converted the run-down cult ranch into a safe haven and a thriving survivor community,naming it "Prosperity" but the Highwaymen would come to take it too eventually. They needed help and that's when they learned about a group led by a man named 'Thomas Rush'. He and his captain have helped people like them rebuild, and they could help them fight back against the Highwaymen. Kim sent her daughter Carmina out to find them, but it would too dangerous on her own so she brought her closest friend, Hunter with her.
Carmina and Hunter spent months searching until they finally found Rush and convinced him to help. Now they were on a train with Rush and his Captain,filled with people who could help Hope County fight back against the Highwaymen. It seemed like everything was gonna be OK, but it all went horribly wrong. The Highwaymen ambushed the train and killed almost everybody inside. Rush got captured and the only one to escape was the Security Captain. Hunter and Carmina watched as Rush pushed the captain off the cliff and as he fell into the lake below them.
They ran down to the lake and pulled out the Security Captain.
The Captain awoke, his eyes slowly opened seeing two blurry figures dragging his soaked body out of the water, he started breathing slowly to take in some air.
"Carmina, I think he's waking up." He heard one of them say.
"Yeah, I see it too,help me get him up." The other person requested.
The two figures turned him over, helped him up off the ground, putting him on his knees. The Captain blinked a few times,he brought his hands up to his face rubbing his eyes, his sight becoming clearer, his memories from last night coming back to him. The Captain remembered the ambush,being cornered by the Twins and Rush pushing him off the cliff. As his mind cleared up,he raised his head up and saw two teenagers standing right in front of him: One was a girl with long brown hair,wearing a beanie on her head, along with a knit sweater and jeans. And a boy wearing a black hoodie with his sleeves rolled up, a black banana covering his mouth, he was also wearing black jeans and hunting boots.
"Hey... wake up, wake up." The girl said, shaking his head.
The boy walked up to the Captain, grabbed his arm and helped him stand up. "We recognize you from the train. Your Captain of Security right?" The girl asked.
The Captain looked at him for a moment then replied. "Yeah... my name is Marcus." The Captain answered.
The Girl introduced herself. "I'm Carmina" She glanced at the boy right beside her. "This is Hunter."
"I know, I saw you both from the train." The Captain looked around seeing only them with him. "Am I the only one left?"
Hunter nodded. "Yeah, The twins have captured Rush,but everybody else was killed."
The Captain sighed. "Everyone on the Train was dead, he was the only one left. How is he gonna stop the Highwaymen now?" He asked himself.
"Hey, we need to move, the Highwaymen are probably on their way right now." Hunter said, snapping the Captain out of his thoughts.
Carmina nodded. "He's right, we can't stay here."
"Yeah we need to move, how far are we from your base?" The captain asked.
"Not that far, probably a few miles." Hunter guessed. He then pulled a pistol out his holster and handed it to the Captain. "Take this, you'll need it."
"Thanks." The Captain took the pistol from Hunter.
The Captain, Hunter and Carmina fought their way to the Tunnel leading into Hope County. After they got through the tunnel, they walked for a few hours then arrived in Prosperity.
When they arrived at the Front Gates of Prosperity, they found Kim with a group of kids, as soon as she spotted them she quickly ran up to Carmina and Hunter, wrapping her arms around them, hugging them tightly.
"Carmina! Hunter! Thank God! I was so worried." Kim said relief filling her voice.
"Mom..." Carmina said, sadness filling her voice. Kim hugged them for a few more seconds, before breaking the hug.
Kim eyed her daughter and Hunter, then turned to the kids behind her. "Kids, go back inside. I'll be right with you in a moment." The Kids complied, going back inside she turned back to face them, putting her arms on their shoulders. "What's wrong?" She asked, looking at them with a worried look on her face.
"The Highwaymen ambushed the train. The twins took Rush and killed everyone else on board. Us and the Captain were the only ones to escape." Hunter informed somberly.
Kim's eyes widened in horror. "Oh my god." She said looking at the Captain.
"It was so terrible." Carmina commented, with her voice breaking, Kim hugged them again.
"I'm so sorry,I'm so sorry." Kim said comforting them.
"If we never went out. Those people would still be alive, their blood is on our hands." Hunter said with his voice breaking too.
The captain then cut in."Hey, don't blame yourselves. We all knew the risks when we came here. This could have happened either way." His words didn't bring them much comfort.
"What are we gonna do, now?" Carmina asked.
The Captain sighed, shaking his head. "I don't know."
"There's nobody coming to help us now. We're on our own." Hunter said.
Kim placed hands on their shoulders."Ssh. Let's get you all inside, y'all can tell me the whole story." Kim said, walking them both inside.
Kim turned to the Captain "Thank you for bringing them home."
"It's the least I could do." Marcus said.
After everybody settled in the Captain put on a change of clothes due to his previous clothes being soaked from the lake. Carmina and Hunter explained everything to Kim about the ambush,being cornered and Rush pushing the Captain off the cliff. Kim brought some food and tea to them,she explained everything that's been happening in the valley to them. A lot has been happening since they left. The Highwaymen presence has grown in the months passed, they've been stealing,looting and killing or taking anybody who gets in their way,Kim told Hunter that Jerome was recently captured by the Highwaymen,that depressed him even more. Things have gotten worse since they left.
After they ate, everybody just sat in silence.
Kim looked at then all, Carmina was just stirring her tea, she looked at Hunter who was just looking down at his knife and sharpening it with a whetstone, then looked at the Captain who seemed out to be outside of his head as he sat still, motionless.
After a few more moments of silence, Kim sighed. "Alright guys." She spoke up, getting their attention.
Everyone all looked up at her. As they looked at her, she stretched a hand out at the Captain. "You know how to handle a gun." She pointed out.
"Yeah" The Captain nodded.
She turned to Carmina."You know your way around this valley better than anybody." Kim stated
"OK" Carmina nodded.
Finally, she turned to Hunter. "And you're a skilled archer and a good infiltrator."
Hunter sighed, putting his knife and whetstone away, then looked at Kim and asked. "Kim, what are you trying to say?"
"What I'm saying is that sitting around here moping isn't doing anyone any good. Look, Rush was supposed to help us build someplace safe. Now it's up to all of us. There are brave people scattered around the valley. We just have to find them." Kim said.
"Bring everyone together. Show them we can stand up to the Highwaymen... Mom it's not gonna be easy." Carmina said.
"Carmina has a point,getting to them won't be hard,but convincing them to fight will be." Hunter agreed.
"I know, but it's our only choice now." Kim said as she picked up some dishes, got up and walked off.
Carmina, Hunter and The Captain all looked at each other for a moment. It wasn't the best plan,but it was the only plan they had right now. Carmina and Hunter both picked up their dishes and walked off, leaving the captain alone.
The Captain thought it over and realized that Kim was right,sitting around here moping won't do anyone any good. If there are people in this valley who could help make a difference against the Highwaymen, he just needed to find them and show them that they can fight back. With a plan figure out, the captain got up from his chair and went to talk with Hunter and Carmina.
"Hunter! Carmina! come here!" The Cap called out. A moment later they both walked up to him.
"What is it?" Hunter asked, with his arms crossed.
"Kim's right, sitting around here moping won't do anyone any good. We may not know where Rush is but we can still do something. If there are people scattered around the valley who can help make a difference against the Highwaymen here in Hope County. We need to find them and convince them to join in the fight."
"OK, what's your plan?' Carmina asked.
"Do any of you know anybody who could help improve the facilities here?" The captain asked.
Hunter and Carmina glanced at each other for a moment, then nodded at the Captain.
"OK do you know where they are?" He asked.
"Mom said she's been keeping tabs on some of them, talk to her and she'll give them to you."Carmina said.
"Alright, I know you two can fight well and I can't do this on my own, so tomorrow morning will y'all set out with me to find these people and bring them back here?" The captain asked.
Hunter and Carmina both looked at each other again, thinking about it for a moment, then turned back to the Captain with determined looks on their faces.
"Yeah, if you need help, don't hesitate to ask me, and as long as there's some Highwaymen to kill, I'm game." Hunter said confidently.
"Of course, I'll do anything to help make Hope County safer." Carmina said confidently too.
The captain admired their courage, they were willing to take a stand, even with the possibility of getting killed.
"Alright, tomorrow get ready to head out." Marcus ordered.
The next day.
The next day came. Kim provided the locations of the specialists to the Captain along with the locations of Highwaymen Outposts that contain stolen resources that Prosperity can use to grow. As Marcus walked out he glanced at Hunter and Carmina as they were preparing to head out with him. Hunter was putting on his hoodie,lifting up his face mask, filling his quiver with arrows,and loading a pistol placing it in his holster. Carmina was loading her AR-15 assault rifle and packing additional magazines. When they finished getting ready,they were about to go outside,but Kim stopped them."Carmina, Hunter hold up." Kim said, grabbing their shoulders.
They both turned to face Kim."Mom, what is it?" Carmina asked.
"I just want you both to be careful, after losing Nick" Kim said then looked at Hunter "... and Jerome, I just don't want anything happening to either of you. While your out there."
"Don't worry Kim, we'll be fine." Hunter reassured her.
"Yeah, we both know how to fight, how to handle a weapon and as long as we stick together we'll be fine." Carmina said, reassuring her Mom.
"I know you both can handle yourselves,but after everything that's happened... I just can't stand the idea of losing either of you." Kim said with fear filling her voice.
Carmina was her only child, she already lost her husband Nick, she couldn't stand the thought of losing her only daughter too. And even though Hunter isn't her son, Kim and Nick have helped Jerome look after Hunter for almost all of his life that he felt like a son to them. He was also Carmina's closest friend, Hunter meant just as much to her as Carmina. If she lost either of them, she would never be able to forgive herself.
"We have to take a stand against the Highwaymen, nobody else is going to." Hunter stated.
"It'll be OK Mom, don't worry, we'll be just fine." Carmina reassured, Kim smiled at their determination."Alright, be careful out there, Highwayman are everywhere and they won't hesitate to kill you." Kim gave them another hug and wished them luck.
As they were leaving Kim wondered if the captain would be a second coming of The Junior Deputy she knew so many years ago. When he first arrived in Hope County things slowly got better, he gave her and Nick hope for a better future, he even helped Nick bring her to the doctor when she was in labor, she and Nick thought so highly of him that she even named him Carmina's 'Godfather'. When the collapse came, he vanished without a trace. She hoped one day, Jake, Nick and Jerome would return and they could be together again. The captain may not be the deputy, but the kids had a strong opinion of him already. So she must faith in him too.
The Captain waited outside the Gates of Prosperity for Hunter and Carmina. He leaned on the wall,then the gates opened and they came out. "We're ready to head out." Carmina said,eager to get to work.
"OK, then let's get to work." The captain said, then they began running into the trees, ready to begin the fight.
Here it is, the canon story has begun. Leave your comments below.