Chapter 1
Apocalypse: The Beginning
(June 10, 1995)
A completely normal day...but not for everyone.
(Hahhh…hahhh)
In a basement, Liza Brodley is tied up.
Liza:"Hahhh…hahhh…Dad!?... Dad…? Mom?... Brother?… Is someone here…?"
Silence. Unusual.
Liza:"Hahhh… what's going on?"
Suddenly, a shiver ran down her spine... especially when she looked out the window. Smoke. Destruction.But no sound—this room was built so nothing could be heard from the outside.
Liza:"Hahhh…"
(A few days later)
(Crash!)
Liza:"Dad?"
The door opened.It was her dad… but something was wrong…
Liza:"Dad?"
He looked strange… stranger than usual… He approached her.
Liza:"Dad…?"
He looked at her—and screamed.
"ROAAAAAAAAAAAARRR!"
Liza:"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGHHH!"
She kicked him with her feet.
Liza:"Stay away! What are you doing!? Stop! I don't want this anymore, Dad!"
He looked at her… that's when she noticed something was off.He didn't look human anymore… more like… a zombie.
Liza:"Ugh… what the hell… stay away!"
She pushed him back with her legs—and in the process, the ropes broke.
(Crash!)
Liza:"Urgh…"
She immediately stood up—and started running.He ran after her… but he was slow.
Liza:"Help! Somebody help me!"
She tripped.
Liza:"What—let go of me!"
He grabbed her and fell on top of her.She pushed him away—but he kept coming closer… until she found a hammer.
She grabbed it—and stabbed it into his neck.
(Stab!)
Liza:"Ghh…"(Hrkkk!)
Liza:"Hahh…hahh…"
She immediately stood up—and went to the door.There, she found her mother and brother.
Liza:"Ugh… my… my sister—where is she?!"
Also mutants?
She ran quickly.
Liza:"Ghhh…"
She opened the door—and saw it…
Liza:"Ugh… what… the… hell…"
Everything was gone.The cities, everything… the people…And then… the catastrophe began, that very day.
(One hour later)
(Drip… drip…)
Liza:"Hahhh… hahhh… hahhh…"
She found a house.She went inside.
Liza:"Ahhhh…"
She collapsed on the floor.
Liza:"Hahhh…hahhh… 3… weeks… on the run… these mutants… destroy everything…"
In 2006, the catastrophe happened.Zombie-like creatures appeared—and since then, the world descended into chaos.But these mutants weren't zombies.They infected others through biting—but they were stronger…Also… there are special types of mutants.
Liza:"Hahhh… hahhh…"
She got up and started searching the house.
Liza:"Ew… beer… the stuff that made Dad lock me in a basement for 10 years and do whatever he wanted with my body…"
She kept searching.
Liza:"Hahh…"
A can… tuna fish.
Liza:"Must not be that old…"
She opened it and sniffed.
Liza:"Tsss… nevermind…"
She threw it away.
Liza:"Damn… is there nothing to eat here? Anything…"
She kept searching and searching—until she found something:a large stash of fruit yogurt.
Liza:"Hahh… better than nothing."
She grabbed it, sat on the floor, and opened it.
Liza:"Mmm…"
She began eating.
Liza:"Gahhh… it's warm… doesn't taste great… but better than nothing."
After eating, she kept searching.
Liza:"Hmmm…"
She opened a drawer—and found… well, a few things.
Liza:"Eww… someone didn't want to get pregnant during the apocalypse…But seriously—who thinks about sex and risks their life in a situation like this…?Do people really only think about that?"
She laid down on the bed and fell asleep.
Liza:"Hahhh… hahhh…"
(Meanwhile)
In the forest, there's a camp…There's Dante, a former police officer.
Dante:"Hahhh… find anything?"
With him in the camp are Mia, Kenn, and Zoe.
Dante:"Hmm?"
Kenn:"No, nothing…"
Dante:"Damn… we're gonna starve like this. What about Mia? Did she find something? Where even is she?"
Then suddenly—they heard her calling his name.
Mia:"Dante… Dante…"
Kenn:"Mia! There you are."
Mia is Kenn's sister.
Mia:"I found… something… a cabin… an old one.There might be supplies. But…"
Dante:"But what?"
Mia:"Someone's been there. I only know it's a woman."
Dante:"A woman… is she armed?"
Mia:"No idea…"
Dante:"We're going there. If she attacks—shoot her… in the leg.If she still doesn't stop—aim for the head."
Zoe:"Mhm."
Kenn:"Okay."
Mia:"I'll take you there. Follow me."
They went.
Mia:"There it is."
Dante:"Hmm… it's really small…but I bet it has supplies."
They approached it.
Dante:"Shhh… open the door quietly…"
They opened the door gently.There she was—Liza, asleep.
Liza:"Hahhh…"
Dante:"That's just a teenage girl…"
Zoe:"Hmph."
Mia:"…Should we wake her?"
Zoe:"Sure!"
She walked over.
Kenn:"Wait!"
She stepped on Liza's foot.
Zoe:"Hey, get up."
Liza:"AAAAARGHH!"
Dante:"Zoe, stop!"
Liza:"Ugh!"
She was startled—and crawled backward.
Liza: "Ghhh…"
Zoe: "Oh… how cute, are you scared?"
Kenn: "Stop it!"
Mia: "Goddamn it, Zoe… she's just a young woman."
Zoe: "So what?… I mean, really, so what?"
Dante: "Cut it out… can't you see she's trembling? She can't even stand up."
Liza: "Hahh… ugh…"
Dante: "Search the cabin. Maybe there's something useful."
They began searching the place.
Mia: "Hmm… this can's empty… looks like she already ate it."
Zoe: "Unbelievable… how much do you even eat, damn it!"
She threw the can at Liza's head.
Liza: "Ghh…"
Dante: "Hmm?"
Zoe: "Ghh."
She walked up to her.
Kenn: "Stop!"
He grabbed her arm.
Kenn: "That's enough… now. I mean it!"
Dante: "He's right… what do you expect her to do, not eat? This is about survival… don't be so dramatic."
Dante looked at her — he was clearly annoyed too.
Dante: "…Seriously though, how did you survive this long… you're really weak."
Mia: "Hey!"
Dante: "It's true though…"
Kenn: "Hmmm."
Zoe: "Hahh…"
Dante: "Do you have a group?"
She didn't answer — too afraid.
Zoe: "He asked you something. Answer. Hey!"
She grabbed her suit — and suddenly ripped part of the fabric on her back and shoulder.
(Tear!)
Liza: "Ugh — no!"
She quickly tried to cover her shoulder and back.
Zoe: "What the… what are those wounds…"
Mia: "…Who did this to her…"
Kenn: "Was it your people?"
Dante: "Shhh… shhhh…"
Dante recognized the situation — and realized why Liza was so terrified.
Dante: "…those marks… hey… were you… maybe…"
Mia: "What?"
Dante: "Were you… abused?"
Kenn: "What?!"
Liza: "Ghhh… leave me alone… look away…"
Zoe: "Oh no, we're not doing that. Come on. Show us!"
She pulled her hand away.
Liza: "Ghhh…"
And there they were — the wounds.
Mia: "Ugh…"
Kenn: "Damn."
Zoe: "…uh…"
Dante: "…who did this to her?"
Liza: "I… I don't want to talk about it… okay…"
Zoe: "Huh?"
Dante: "That's enough, Zoe…"
Liza knelt down.
Liza: "Hmm."
Dante: "It's okay… it's okay… of course you don't have to talk about it… but you can't survive alone. Do you want to come with us?"
Zoe: "Are you serious?"
Mia: "Hmm."
Kenn: "That… would actually be good."
Zoe: "Seriously?"
Liza: "Uh…"
Dante: "You can't survive alone. Let us help you."
Liza: "Okay…"
They took her with them and started heading back.
Mia: "Hey… my name is Mia Kawashima. I'm from Japan… my brother is here — his name's Kenn. That one's Zoe… she's from France. Dante is American… I guess you are too, right?"
Liza: "…Uh… yeah…"
They brought her to the camp.
Dante: "Here's some food… and water. Not the best… but better than canned stuff…"
Liza: "Thank you…"
Dante: "How did you survive this long?"
Liza: "Uh… I kept hiding… over and over… in tree holes… or even bear dens."
Zoe: "Bear dens? You're over 170 tall… what if there was a bear in there?"
Liza: "…There aren't many animals… I don't know why… but whenever I found one, it was empty…"
Dante: "Probably because of the plague…"
Liza: "What kind of plague?"
Dante: "Nobody knows… no one at all… it all started in France… then Germany… then Europe… then America. Didn't you see the news?"
Liza: "Uh… I… was… in a dungeon…"
Dante: "Oh… I see. Sorry to hear that."
Dante started heading back with the group — Liza now among them.
Zoe: "Why are we bringing her along? Are you serious?"
Dante: "What's your problem?"
Zoe: "My problem is that she's weak. She's weak, Dante. She can't even kill a mutant!"
Dante: "So you want to leave her alone? Huh? You want to leave a woman who's a victim of sexual violence behind?!"
Zoe: "We don't know for sure that it was… sexual."
Dante: "And how should I know she's not lying?.. She's traumatized… why do you think I became a cop? I can tell by her behavior…"
Zoe: "…Hahh… I know… your mother. I know the story… is that it? Because Dante was born from the womb of a raped woman… and the abuser's child came into the world, and she gave him a crappy name like Dante?"
Dante: "…Ghh!"
He grabbed her by the throat.
Dante: "You don't talk to me like that ever again — understood?!"
Zoe: "There it is… Dante… the ex-cop who got fired for beating four gangsters to death!"
Dante: "Ghhhh… I know you too, Zoe. We were both there for everything…"
Dante: "And you're an ex-thief I arrested and took down…"
Zoe: "Hmph…"
Mia: "Stop it, both of you."
Kenn: "You're scaring her."
Dante looked at Liza — but she wasn't scared. She just looked at them.
Dante: "What the…"
Zoe: "Doesn't look like she's scared. Looks like she's used to seeing brutal things… hehehe… man, what a bore."
Mia: "Cut it out…"
(Click… Click!)
Zoe: "Ugh."
Dante: "Huh!"
They grabbed their weapons fast — the mutants were coming.
Zoe: "…"
They were deer.
(RROOOAAARRR)
Liza: "…so the animals are affected too… I knew it… but herbivores?"
Dante: "Everything… everything can mutate. Animals, humans… even plants…"
Zoe: "…Welcome to the Apocalypse of Chemicals… that's what they call it…"
Liza: "Ugh…"
The deer attacked — they started shooting.
Liza: "Ugh…"
One ran toward her — but Kenn took it down.
Kenn: "Watch out… one bite and you're mutated…"
Liza: "Ugh…"
Apocalypse.