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[team-au]

Jihyo/Vernon in chapter one and now Tiffany/Yeonjun in chapter two. What random duo will be the star of chapters three and four? 😂

[team-au]

Chapter 1 — Shady Brook Elementary

The Shady Brook Elementary School gymnasium is well-preserved and under-utilized and that’s where Vernon goes to blow off steam. Shooting hoops reminds him of the good ol’ days, reminds him of what life was like before the world ended and every waking second became about survival.

Dribble, dribble, jump, shoot. Dribble, dribble, jump, shoot.

His sneakers squeak on once-shiny hardwood, bringing him back to his childhood. In 5th grade, he’d played basketball for his own elementary school – the St. Mary’s Bulldogs. Vernon tries not to think about the original Broncos, the kids of Shady Brook Elementary who would have played floor hockey and freeze tag and kickball in this gym two years earlier.

It’s best not to think about kids in the apocalypse. It’s hard enough to wrap your mind around a massive loss of adult life, let alone kids, but living inside a grade school doesn’t make it easy. There’s still artwork hanging in the classrooms, kids’ names written on bulletin boards in the hallways, pink jackets and Spider-Man lunchboxes in the lost-and-found. It’s a tough reality, one the new Broncos face every single day, but that’s the price of living indoors.

Dribble, dribble, jump, shoot.

The swish of the net is simple, satisfying. Vernon doubles back, sprinting to the other end of the gym as fast as he can because he likes the feeling of his heart pounding in chest. He runs back to center court, feet planted on a faded vinyl decal of a red horse head, and throws the ball as hard as he can. Against all odds, and with an ugly bounce against the back of the rim, the ball goes in.

He’s so surprised by own his athleticism that he doesn’t hear the gym door open and shut.

“Nice shot,” says Seungkwan. He’s standing near the bleachers, apron tied around his waist. When Vernon sees him, Seungkwan smiles. “Jihyo’s looking for you.”

“Uh-oh,” Vernon says. He jogs after the rebound, then tosses the ball back into plastic crate that houses four more basketballs, two soccer balls and a wiffle ball bat. “Am I in trouble?”

Seungkwan shrugs. “Fuck if I know. I don’t ask questions. I just–”

“–do her bidding?” Vernon teases. Still smiling, Seungkwan gives him the finger. “Is Jihyo in her office?” Seungkwan nods once. Vernon passes him on his way out the door but before he steps into the hallway, he stops and asks, “Hey, what’s for dinner tonight?”

“Thanks to a hefty box of tomatoes from the Slums,” he says, “we’re having black bean salsa on slightly stale saltines. And if you’re really nice to me, I’ll sneak you a not-that-expired fruit cup for dessert.”

Vernon laughs out loud and reaches out to slap Seungkwan on the shoulder.

“Good man.”

It’s a short walk from the gym to the principal’s office. The Broncos have long since cleared superfluous materials from most of the main rooms – they burned a lot of books and papers for bonfires, traded the instruments and art supplies to the Slums in exchange for vegetables, looted cubbies for backpacks and non-perishable snacks – but some decorative clutter remains.

Vernon ignores the small, red and black handprints painted on the wall outside the principal’s office and turns the corner, stopping in his tracks when he hears an argument.

“I know that, Sana, but what do you want me to do?”

“I want you to actually look at this map and give me a real reason not to go for it.”

Vernon shifts his weight awkwardly from one foot to the other, more inclined to eat literal rocks than interrupt a marital dispute between Jihyo and Sana.

“Do you trust me?” he hears Jihyo say. “Do you trust that I’m trying to do right by this group?”

“Of course I do! But what is the point of Dahyun going out and scouting new locations if you refuse to explore any of them? Why do we even have runners if they’re not allowed to go out on runs?”

Jihyo makes a noise halfway between a scoff and a laugh.

“Jesus, Sana. When it comes to runs, you really value quantity over quality and that kind of overwork is exactly why Junhui is laid up right now.”

“Are you really blaming me for Junhui getting sick?”

Wildly uncomfortable and beginning to feel a bit too much like a voyeur, Vernon awkwardly clears his throat. Jihyo and Sana stop fighting and Vernon bravely pokes his head inside the principal’s office.

“Very sorry to interrupt,” he says, eyes glued to the floor. “Seungkwan said you wanted to see me?”

Jihyo laughs a little, humorless. She’s standing behind her desk, hands gripping the top of her chair. Sana’s a few feet away having a much harder time hiding her emotions.

“Vernon,” Jihyo says. She forces a smile and looks back and forth between her wife and the man hovering in her doorway. “Isn’t it awkward when Mom and Mom fight?”

Sana blinks, annoyed, and says, “We’ll finish this later.” She turns to leave and Vernon all but dives away from the door, giving her more than enough room to pass.

Once she’s disappeared down the hallway, Vernon says, “Sorry. I never did have great timing.”

Jihyo smiles and waves him off. “Forget about it,” she says. “Take a seat.”

There’s two chairs in front of her desk and Vernon takes the one closest to him. The principal’s office looks a little bit more like a bunker than it does an educational place of business. Gone are the motivational posters, filing cabinets and potted plants – Jihyo’s office is fit with maps of the city, inventory lists, boxes of miscellaneous ammunition and cases of bottled water. On a low table against the far wall, Vernon sees two handguns and a few half-full bottles of liquor.

“Is everything okay?” he asks.

Now sitting, Jihyo sighs heavily and says, “Everything is okay.” Her eyes fall to the doorway and Vernon can tell that Sana is still on her mind. “My wife and I aren’t currently seeing eye-to-eye on a few things but it’ll pass. Storms always do.” She spends another few seconds staring and then, appearing to remember what she’s doing, Jihyo clears her throat and sits up straighter in her chair. “I have a favor to ask of you.”

“Lay it on me.”

“We’re down a runner,” Jihyo explains, but Vernon knows all about it.

“Junhui’s still sick?”

Nodding, Jihyo continues: “Jeongyeon says he should be fine in a few more days. She thinks it’s just the flu. He’s young and otherwise healthy so it shouldn’t be too big a deal in the long run but fever and dehydration can be dangerous when you’re…” She trails off, unsure of where her sentence should end. “Anyway, I know you don’t usually go on runs but Minghao and Nayeon are still away and I don’t want to send Momo out her own. We could really use some extra medical supplies, especially if this flu starts making its way around the school. You won’t have to go far. Dahyun scouted out a middle school twelve miles west of here. Somehow, we’ve missed it until now. They should have some first-aid kits, maybe some ibuprofen, maybe some disinfectant. It’ll go a long way.”

Vernon listens attentively, patiently, and when Jihyo’s done selling, he says, “Whatever you need.”

Another smile, smaller this time, but genuine.

“Thank you,” she says. There’s relief in her voice – maybe she hadn’t expected him to say yes so easily. “We’re still doing fine on food and water but medical supplies…” She shakes her head. Vernon has never been able to get a read on Jihyo or guess what she’s thinking but he has noticed that her air of authority seems to thin whenever she’s speaking to someone one-on-one.

“Medical supplies dwindle quickly,” he says. He’s neither a runner nor an inventory manager but Vernon is observant. He’s quiet, stoic, basically unassuming and people tend to spill their guts whenever he’s around. He knows they’re running low on medication, bandages and certain types of ammo. He knows that their food supply is fairly strong, especially since Seungkwan can take just about anything he’s given and turn it into breakfast, lunch and dinner. And he knows that Jihyo and Sana have been having trouble getting on the same page.

“Yes,” Jihyo says quietly. “They really do.”

“I’m happy to help however I can. Going on a run will be a nice change of pace.”

“You’re a team player,” Jihyo says, “and I appreciate it. Momo will come find you after dinner tonight and give you the details. You guys will leave tomorrow morning. Seungkwan will have breakfast for you an hour before everyone else eats. For the rest of the night, though, take it easy, okay? I want you well-rested for tomorrow.”

Vernon nods once, stands, then pushes in his chair. He’s about to leave but hesitates, standing in the middle of the office, looking around. He’s lost in thought, a side effect from apocalyptic living, and Jihyo gives him another thirty seconds before prompting, “Vernon?”

“Sorry,” he says. “I was just trying to remember if I’d ever gotten sent to the principal’s office as a kid.”

Jihyo cocks her head to the side, equal parts surprised and charmed by his frankness, and says, “I doubt it. Something tells me you were a really good kid.”

Suddenly feeling embarrassed, Vernon bows his head, exits the office and closes the door behind him. There’s no one else in the hallway, most of the Broncos tending to their respective duties for the day, and Vernon relishes in the quiet.

Now that he’s got explicit orders from the boss to kick back and rest, his schedule is clear. Briefly, he weighs his options; he could go back to the gym and play a little more basketball, he could go to the cafeteria and see if Seungkwan needs help prepping dinner, he could go back to his room (classroom 108) and read until it’s time to eat or he could check on Seungcheol and the hunting dogs.

Before he goes anywhere, though, he finds himself staring at the wall of handprints again. He knows better than to think about Shady Brook’s former students. He knows better than to worry about what became of the kids and their families when the world ended. He knows better than to let his mind drift back to his nephews, to his sister, to the fate of his family. But still, he reaches out his hand and covers one of the small, red handprints anyway.

Vernon stays there for just a minute, feeling all the feelings that he works so hard to avoid on a normal day and imagining the school alive with music and laughter and homework. He remembers school plays and art class and tater tots and recess and hopes against all hope that his nephews are someplace safe. Then he breathes deeply, slowly, and walks away, leaving all of his emotion and worry right there in the hallway.

He may not be able to help the former Broncos but he sure as hell can make a difference now.

[team-au]

the Residents

the Slums

the Krazies

the Broncos

the Bussers

[team-au]

3rd Street Bus Depot

Technically speaking, the Bussers don't consider themselves to be a true faction. They have no interest in what the other four groups get into, content to sit back and watch them kill each other over canned goods and shotgun shells.

The Bussers are the go-between. Using bikes, they deliver messages and supplies between the other groups, passing off letters to leaders and arranging trades. In a way, they're peacekeepers. Led by Jessi, who usually stays behind with Somin while the other three make deliveries, the Bussers keep lines of communication open between factions — for a price. They get a cut of all trades, plus weekly payment in the form of snacks and bullets.

Overall, the Bussers keep to themselves. Sleeping in converted busses parked inside the depot, they value their privacy and independence. (They also value, of course, the knowledge that their contributions keep the entire city afloat.)

Jessi — leader/lookout

J.Seph — deliveries/lookout

Matthew — deliveries/security

Jiwoo — deliveries/armorer

Somin — inventory manager/maintenance

[team-au]

Shady Brook Elementary School

The largest faction in the city makes their home inside a grade school in the southeast corner of the city. Adopting the school's mascot, the Broncos are a proud, noble faction who, above all else, hope to repair society. They don't just want to survive the apocalypse — they want to rebuild as a thriving community.

Led by Jihyo (with a lot of help from her wife, Sana) the Broncos are the only faction with bona fide recruiters, a three-man team who goes out into the ruins of the surrounding city and searches for survivors to bring home. They have a garden, a large pantry, traps, even dogs who help hunt for rabbits and alert the survivors of approaching dangers.

The school is spacious, large enough for Broncos to claim entire converted classrooms as their quarters, and the cafeteria kitchen allows for easy meal prep. Living by a very strict code of ethics and an enforced set of written rules, the Broncos are a well-oiled machine that consider themselves to be the best, bravest and brightest faction in the city.

Nayeon — runner

Jeongyeon — medic

Momo — runner

Sana — ambassador

Jihyo — leader

Mina — recruiter

Dahyun — scout

Chaeyoung — sniper/lookout/trapper

Tzuyu — inventory manager

Seungcheol — dog trainer

Jeonghan — recruiter

Joshua — recruiter

Junhui — runner

Hoshi — trapper

Wonwoo — gardener

Woozi — security

Minghao — runner

Mingyu — part-time cook, part-time security

Dokyeom — maintenance/repair

Seungkwan — part-time cook

Vernon — hunter

Dino — hunter

[team-au]

Krazy Kevin's Furniture Outlet

The Krazies have often been described as hedonistic. Living out of a well-fortified furniture outlet on the city's southern border, the Krazies prioritize their comfort even in the face of the apocalypse. They like warm blankets, sweet snacks and the occasional party drug. Because they know that life is short and that every day is a gift, the Krazies are committed to enjoying every moment they can.

Despite their unruly tendencies, the Krazies are fiercely loyal to each other, perhaps even more so than the other factions. They operate like a brotherhood — 14 incredibly unique personalities coming together to form a tight-knit group that's just as dedicated to pleasure-seeking as they are to fighting the undead.

Taeyong — leader of the Krazies

Taeil — hunter

Johnny — runner

Yuta — security/lookout

Doyoung — main cook

Jaehyun — runner

Jungwoo — runner

Mark — ambassador

Renjun — medic

Jeno — armorer and inventory manager

Haechan — secondary cook

Jaemin — hunter

Chenle — security/lookout

Jisung — maintenance/cleaning/runner-in-training

[team-au]

Slumber Inn Motel

The Slums aren't like the other survivors. There's no pettiness amongst the nine members of this faction, no political agenda in their rare interactions with the other groups. They're a faction of open-minded, creative people who believe there's room for art and culture in the apocalypse. The Slums are the type of people to return from runs with guitars and face paint, the type to trade their extra vegetables for weed and wine and the type to point and laugh at the drama that runs rampant in their barren city.

Thanks to Taemin's green thumb, they've got a thriving garden of fruits and vegetables. That (plus Kibum and Minho's willingness to go on long-distance runs) has resulted in a decent stockpile of produce, canned goods and medical supplies.

The Slums do their best to keep to themselves, more content to fortify their homestead against biters and play music behind closed doors than get involved with turf wars and inventory disputes. If forced to fight, however, the Slums will go to great (and uncharacteristically violent) lengths to protect themselves and the Slumber Inn Motel.

Jinki — reluctant leader

Jonghyun — medic

Kibum — runner

Minho — runner

Taemin — gardener

Solar — ambassador

Moonbyul — armorer and inventory manager

Wheein — trapper

Hwasa — main cook, part-time runner

[team-au]

Bronwyn Arms

The Residents are a faction of 13 rough-and-tumble scavengers living out of the Bronwyn Arms apartment building in the northwest corner of the city. The Residents are known throughout the city for their ruthless mentality as well as their inability to play nice with others.

While the other factions seem basically willing to follow the unspoken rules of the city, the Residents forge their own path (usually by force) and take the things they want. They're strong, their runners willing to venture far beyond the city limits to recover food and ammo, and most go to great lengths to avoid them entirely.

Primarily led by Tiffany and Yeonjun, and living inside the largest building amongst the factions, the Residents are an iron-clad and defense-focused group founded on one simple principle: do whatever you need to do to survive.

Taeyeon — armorer

Sunny — inventory manager

Tiffany — leader of the Residents

Hyoyeon — runner

Yuri — runner

Sooyoung — security/lookout/sniper

Yoona — ambassador

Seohyun — medic

Yeonjun — leader of the runners

Soobin — security/lookout

Beomgyu — repairs/building upkeep/maintenance

Taehyun — cook/pantry manager

Huening Kai — runner