I was sharing a drink with my colleague at our office building.

"You alright, Sonata? All day you seem on-edge about something." He asked me.

"I'm fine. It's just..."

"Yeah?" He asked.

"...My brother tried to kill himself today." I said, taking a sip.

"What?! God, I'm so sorry. Why aren't you--"

"I can't miss another day or I'm fired. If I had a say, I'd be at CPA right now, beating some sense to that 'Cinch' bitch." I said in anger.

"Hey, look. I--"

My friend was interrupted by a loud scream coming from the top floor. We bolted up to see another colleague down on the ground, blood staining the carpet.

"Oh, Christ, what happened?!" Some other colleague asked as he dashed over.

It was fast, the victim rose up and bit into his throat.

I quickly stopped in my tracks after seeing this. We backed away and we both ran in the other direction.

"What the hell was that?!" My co-worker asked as we both ran.

"It was a goddamn zombie..." I said, hardly processing what just happened.

"Come on, we gotta go!" My friend said as we both started hightailing it for the exit.

The thing about my job is I never ask the names of my co-workers, keeps things formal. But since that doesn't seem to matter anymore...

"So, um.... what's your name?" I asked.]

"Oz, Oz Turner. Me and my brother moved here a few weeks ago." He said.

Oz, odd name, but we don't have time to dwell on it. We made it out the front door to see chaos unfolding in the streets. Zombies running into cars, attacking the people inside. Police and National Guard trying to take down the dead, but only attacked themselves.

"Where's your brother?!" I asked him.

"503, 23rd Street! That way!" Oz said.

I followed Oz, making sure he made it, due to his limp. We eventually made it to where the riots ended, but guards were set, and they saw us.

"HALT!" We heard a voice as a spotlight flashed at us.

We held still as a guard paced toward us. He patted us down and turned to his fellow guard.

"They're not infected." He said.

"Alright. Look, we're not authorized to do this, but we were also not authorized to shoot down citizens who may or may not be infected. We're letting you go, but you CANNOT come back here, understand?" The second guard said.

"Deal, thank you." Oz said as we both headed off.

"Wait!" The first guard said.

We stopped and he started running toward us.

"Sid, what're you doing?!" His partner asked.

"I'm done with this, I didn't sign up to be part of the post-apocalyptic Underground Railroad. I'm leaving this madness. Um, if that's alright with..." Sid said, looking at us.

"Sure, you can roll along. We could use the help." I said to him.

"Thank you. Go find your family, Ed." Sid said.

"Got it, man. Good luck." Ed said as he ran off.

"So... where're you guys headed?" Sid asked.

"We're headed for Oz's brother. That's Oz, by the way." I said.

"I know a shortcut into town. It's rocky, but not overrun." Sid said.

"Lead the way." Oz said.

"Hang on. We gotta split up." I said.

"Why?" Sid asked.

"I have a brother, too. Mom planned to take him to CHS, she knew the principle. You guys get Tim and meet me there." I said.

"Sure, but take this." Sid said, handing me his sidearm.

It looked like a Colt 1911, but how would I know?

"Thanks." I said.

"Know how to use it?" Oz asked.

"I had some practice with my brother." I said.

I made it to CHS after a few minutes of jogging. The school was surrounded with chain-link fences, with guards on the sides of the gate.

"Hold it right there!" One of the guards said.

I froze, dropped my sidearm, and held my hands up.

"This is a restricted area, turn around, and leave now." The guard said.

"I can't do that, my brother's in there."

"Wait, you're a Williams? Shoot, go right in. Sorry about that, it's my first day." The guard quickly apologized.

I picked up my weapon, and entered the gates. I made it to the front door and knocked.

Celestia opened the door, without Kyle.

"S-Sonata? We... they never came. I don't know what happened, and it's too dangerous to go look... W- wanna come in?" Celestia offered.

I nodded, tears starting to form, and we entered.

Just as we shut the door, we heard banging.

"Help! I saw a horde of them follow me!" A very familiar voice cried out.

I opened the doors, and I saw Adagio, my birth sister who abandoned me about a year ago. I reached my hand out and she took it.

"Thank you." She said to me.

I pulled her in and I headbutted her, causing her to fall to the ground.

"WHERE THE HELL WERE YOU?! I LOOKED FOR YOU FOR MONTHS! ANSWER ME, GODDAMN IT!" I screamed as I grabbed Adagio's shirt and pulled her closer.

"I... I'm sorry, Sonata, I--"

I rested my foot on her, and knelt to her level.

"'I'm sorry, Sonata'? That's all you have?! Do you have any idea what I've been through?! I had to find food in trash cans for 4 months, sleep with one eye open for attackers, I had to rob an old man just to get past the day... What did you have to do to survive, Adagio? Tell me... TELL ME!"

"We... we had to do things, too. I'm so sorry, Sonata. I... we thought it was the best option, leaving you at that shelter--"

"Our stay wasn't permanent. They felt guilty, so they extended my stay by a month. After that, I was on my own."

"But Henry found you, right?" Adagio asked.

I stopped once she said his name. Henry found me by a dumpster a few months ago. After 4 months on my own, I almost killed him. But I learned about his intentions, and his beliefs, and I saw a chance for a roof again. 2 months after that, he offered me a place in his family, which I accepted.

"How do you know his name?" I asked her, curious.

"Sonata... Kyle's The One. We confirmed it a while ago." Adagio said.

The One... she doesn't mean...

"You... you two didn't." I ordered.

"N-No! NO, we didn't execute. We never had a chance to talk to him, I promise. The only one of us that close was Aria's new boyfriend." Adagio said.

"Who's that?" I asked.

"Some guy she pointed out for a chance to get negative energy again. But soon, they became close; He was good in my book, too. But... then... this happened." Adagio said.

"Well, come in. We could use all the help we can get." Celestia said, resting her hand on my shoulder.

I backed off her and helped her up. One of the students behind us stepped forward.

"Hold it! Are we just suddenly forgetting what these two did here? They ended relationships, turned a fundraiser into a battle, and wasted money- OUR money, by the way- on a throne room, or whatever they planned to turn it into." He said.

"Sunset was the same way, and look at her now. The Dazzlings are guests here, for now. I made a promise to an old family friend who took Ms. Dusk in, and Ms. Dazzle is family to her." Celestia answered.

"Well, I don't think they belong here. They belong on the streets, just like they did to my brother!" The angry student said.

"What're you talking about?!" Adagio asked.

"Don't remember? His name's Button. You and your slut sisters made him say some bad things to mom and dad, so they kicked him on the curb. His body came back to us a few weeks ago. He didn't get to feel at home, or sleep with both eyes open, so why should you?!" He asked.

People started nodding and shouting.

But Celestia ended it with a gunshot.

"Okay, let's do a vote. Who wants the Dazzlings to leave?"

Is she... putting us up to a vote?!

The students stepped forward.

"Well, then.. Guards! Escort these people to the nearest safe-zone, and secure them." Celestia ordered.

Guards came and surrounded the students in all directions but the door. They escorted them out into a few large trucks, and drove them off. The other students stood in awe.

"I want this to be absolutely clear: This is my operation. I am in charge here, and these people listen to me. Anyone who disagrees, there's the door." Celestia said.

Everyone nodded and went back to business as usual.

"Th- thank you, Celestia." I said.

"Of course. Those students were trouble from the beginning. They were part of some club they formed: New World Order. Disturbing way of thought. But, I suppose they're somebody else's problem now..." Celestia said.

Author's Note

NEXT ON DAWN OF THE ZOMBIE WAR: Jess reveals a piece of her past, driving the group deeper into California; Jason starts to question his mother's motives.