"Please! I d- I didn't do it, I swear!" Filthy begged.
"You two are chosen to be administered two recently developed ZP1 vaccines. If these vaccines are successful, your blood will prevent you from turning into a ZP1 victim." Dr. Redheart recited.
The stallion next to Filthy was injected first. Almost immediately, he started seizing into a frenzy, coughing blood almost everywhere his head had turned until he stopped responding and died. The other stallion in the room, Sgt. Cobalt, piked the first patient to prevent him from turning.
"PLEASE! I didn't do SHIT, I swear!" Filthy sobbed as the needle was injected into his arm.
This vaccine was drawn from the local dragon, Spike's last blood test. Dr. Redheart had mixed the blood with several antibodies that had seemed to resist Z1. It was injected, and dispite Filthy's sobs, nothing had seemed to happen.
But before they could unplug him, a swarm of zombies had broken in through the gates. Soldiers were attacked and mauled by the fresh runners. Cobalt started departing when Filthy started begging,
"Please, man! Get me out of here!"
Cobalt couldn't help him, he ran out.
"COME BACK HERE! I'LL TURN! I'LL TURN AND EAT YOUR BRAINS, YOU HEAR ME?! YOU HEAR-- AHHHH!" Filthy screamed as zombies started chewing on him.
Cobalt ran up to the roof where the evac chopper had taken off. He knew that he had no choice but to help Filthy Rich, who was accused of assisted filly abuse. He rushed down the stairs and back into the room, where Zs were still biting him...
And he wasn't turning Z.
JUNE 18th, 2 YEARS B.Z
The fences were supported as Twilight Sparkle was reinforcing the picket walls with stronger materials. She was at the gates when Flash came to her.
"Did you give her mercy?" Twilight asked him.
"Yeah. Granny Smith lived a long life. I honestly envy her for choosing the easy way out." Flash said.
"Yeah, me too..." Twilight said, working on the picket gates.
"How long was it since Pinkie mercied herself? 5 months? 2?" Flash started.
"I can't think about her now, Flash, you know that." Twilight said as she checked her crossbow for ammo.
"I know, but I'm glad we decided to give ponies mercy if they wanted to." Flash said.
"Yeah... I'm going on a run later, wanna come with me?" Twilight asked.
"Wouldn't have it any other way." Flash said as he grabbed his spear off of a sheath on his back.
The two left the gates and headed for the place in mind. An old gun store that was overrun since day one. They went inside and found at least 4 Zs ready to attack.
"I got them." Twilight said as she grabbed her crossbow and opened fire.
"Nice. I'll keep count." Flash said as he held a notepad out and wrote down 4 tallies.
"I'll never understand why you do that." Twilight said.
"Come on, Twi. Somebody's gotta keep count of the Zs we're killing. It might be the only thing we have left." Flash said as he put his pen in his pocket.
Twilight rolled her eyes while grinning to herself and searched the bodies for supplies. She found a few arrows and placed them in her satchel. The store itself, however, was empty.
Rainbow Dash and Spike were out with Doughnut Joe, trading with two local dealers in the area: Flim and Flam.
"Wait, so what weapon is this?" Spike asked.
"That is what we call 'The Railroad'. It's a railroad spike weilded into a bat, wrapped with razor wire." Flim said.
Rainbow grabbed a machete off the back of the chariot.
"That was reinforced with a titanium blade, the grip is a plastic mold, finished with a fine wood." Flam said.
"Yeah, this isn't titanium, but I'll take it." Rainbow said as she placed her rusty knife on the table.
"It's a deal!" Flim and Flam said as they went back into the chariot and drove off.
"This is Private Winger, does hear this transmission?" Winger asked, broadcasting on local frequencies in Canterlot.
He has been living in the Royal Guard Base up near the Frozen North ever since the outbreaks started. He has been able to start up the solar generators along with the local windmills for power. With the food meant for over 300 guards, he can last for at least 10 more years up there.
"Damn it!" Winger said as he tossed a his microphone across the room.
Twilight and Flash were headed back, they were near a river when they saw 2 ponies sailing. Twilight aimed her crossbow and Flash pointed his spear.
"Whoa, whoa! Easy. We don't mean any trouble." The one they didn't recognize said.
"Who are you and why are you with him?" Twilight asked.
"Him? He might just be your only hope of saving all of ponydom." The stallion said, pointing his hoof at Filthy Rich, who seemed okay.
"Okay, what the hay does that mean?" Flash asked.
"My name is Cobalt. I was stationed at Canterlot Hospital when the outbreaks started, with this bastard who 'volunteered' for an experimental vaccine, which used your dragon's blood, princess." Cobalt said.
"I'm no princess any more, and what makes that important? There's nowhere left to go." Twilight said.
"That's where you're wrong. Filthy, show them the bites." Cobalt said.
Filthy got up, took his jacket off, and showed them over 5 deep bites on his body.
"Sweet Celestia..." Flash said as he lowered his spear.
"That's right. He is the last chance of saving humanity, and I was tasked of getting him to a lab in Manehattan to use his blood to duplicate the vaccine." Cobalt said.