Dead Man Walking: Living By Day, Dead By Night

Standing in the courtyard outside of the city's city hall was a mass gathering of survivors. There were thousands of individuals currently living in the Safe Zone, and all of them were rounded up by the garrison and forced to attend this event.

What was this event? Nobody knew. But rumors of a rebellion appearing within the safety of the safe zone's walls had spread like wildfire. And there was indeed an increasing number of incidents of arson and sabotage that began to plague the safe zone after the Battle of the Storm had ended.

Perhaps one of these rebels had been caught, and would stand trial as a result of their crimes against the community? This was just one of the many whispers in the crowd. As the rebels secretly stood among their ranks.

Even Martin was forced to attend the event, and he was surprisingly left out of the loop by the Mayor on just what was happening that was so important as to require all of the survivors to cease their daily activities and attend this spectacle.

Just as Martin ,who was standing near the entrance of the town hall, was about to ask one of the local garrison about what this whole ordeal was about, a group of heavily armed men began exited from the city hall while leading a group of ten prisoners. Though these prisoners were bound, gagged, and had their identities concealed with hoods. Martin knew exactly who they were.

These were the ten surviving members of the militia who had heroically led the defense of the Safe Zone during the battle of the storm. Yet why were they now prisoners? Should they not have been rewarded for their bravery? Of course, the fat and gluttonous mayor took the stand once the men had been gathered in front of him and forced on their knees.

The mayor was a short, and chubby man, with a mustache, and a single glass eye piece. An almost cartoonish representation of an American politician. He even twirled his mustache with a wicked look on his face as if he were trying his best to portray himself as a stereotypical villain from a bygone era.

While he did this, he spoke into the microphone that was set up in front of him.

"My dear citizens, as some of you know, after bravely defending this established safe zone from the monstrous hordes which have sought to overrun it. A few of our more disloyal citizens have taken it upon themselves to act against the interests we as a community share in these most dire of times.

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Upon further investigation, we have discovered the root of this behavior. A virus separate from the one that has overtaken this world has begun to spread within the safe zone. A virus started by a few misguided individuals who took it upon themselves to consume the flesh of the dead in a desperate attempt to save their own lives while our heroes stood valiantly in the defense of this city.

By consuming the brain matter of the dead, they have turned themselves into something very different from you and I. While they still breathe, and the blood still flows through their veins. They have become tainted by the undead virus and have turned against humanity.

Perhaps you have heard whispers among yourselves of the so called "awakened?" these men and women are not the heroes you think they are, nor the evolution of humanity which they proclaim themselves to be. But rather are our enemies! Unwitting minions of the dead, who seek to undermine our strength and unity!

These ten men were the first to become corrupted in such a despicable manner. And we have only now found out how they achieved this. As a result, I hereby evoke my emergency powers to declare them traitors of the human race, and therefore cast judgement upon them! The sentence is death! Men, when you are ready!"

There was a disgusted look on the faces of the soldiers who raised their rifles at the heads of the men who they should be on their knees thanking for saving the safe zone. These men, of course, did not say a word, for they could not. And instead sat there on their knees until the loud bang erupted across the courtyard.

The bodies fell to the ground, their brains splattered across the concrete of the city hall's steps. All the while, Martin gazed in horror at what had just been done. He knew damn well that it was these men who led the charge to save the safe zone.

Yet, because of his rebellion, they took the blame. And in the most sinister fashion possible. The Mayor had effectively branded the awakened, those survivors who had been blessed with special powers to defend humanity, as its greatest enemy. Minions of the dead, walking among humanity.

Wolves in sheep's clothing. That is what he and his fellow rebels had been branded by the Mayor. And in doing so, a certain degree of paranoia immediately broke out among the crowd, as they looked at one another as if they were the enemy hiding among humanity.

Immediately accusations began breaking out as the crowd entered a state of chaos. Chaos that lasted for only a few moments as the Mayor spoke up once more, calming the rising tide of violence that was sure to break out if left unchecked.

"People, people, calm yourselves. I understand your fears, I mean as one of you, the last surviving humans in this city, how could I not understand the gravity of our situation? But I assure you everything will be alright. For I am commissioning a new agency, whose sole purpose will be to bring these corrupted and blighted traitors to light.

Through powers invested in me by the President of the United States, I am hereby establishing the Order for the Preservation of Humanity. Or the OPH, which my personal aide, Martin O'malley, shall be tasked with leading. Marting come here my boy…"

The rebels among the crowd sighed in relief when they realized that the Mayor had made a grave mistake. He had placed one of the rebels, the so called corrupted as the man tasked with routing them out. Because of this, they would be safe, even if the general public would be forced to endure a witch hunt.

Martin hesitantly took a step forward as the Mayor grabbed hold of his shoulder and congratulated him on his new position.

"Martin, as the director of the newly founded OPH, how do you wish to address the people?"

A slight and audible gulp could be heard over the microphone as Martin forced himself to play the role he had been given, all while eying his comrades within the crowd with a certain look that assured them he would do everything in his power to prevent their arrest and execution.

"I want to say… That I am honored to be granted such a position. And that I shall do everything within my power to ensure that the enemies of the people shall be brought to justice. No matter what position that enemy may hold in our society, it shall be my purpose from here on out to bring unto them the people's justice!"

The Mayor nodded his head in agreement with Martin's words, not understanding that Martin was silently saying that he would be using his newly acquired powers as the head of what was essentially an inquisition to bring down the Mayor and his regime from within. All while allowing the so called "corrupted" to run free.

Because the Mayor misunderstood the intent behind these words, he wore a smile as he took over the spotlight, and ordered the people to return to their tents.

"Well, there you have it, so long as martin is on the case, there shall be no need to worry about these corrupted individuals who hide among you all. For those who wish to join the OPH, there shall be an open registration within the next few days.

However, be warned, we have ways of detecting the corrupted, and if one of you fiends were to try to infiltrate the OPH, you will be immediately identified and executed!"

This was, of course, a bluff, as there was really no way to tell an awakened from an ordinary human survivor, not at least without an open display of their abilities. Even the awakened could not detect one another, as their names, levels, and titles were not on display, unlike those of the undead.

But this thought alone filled Martin with dread. Who would try to find out just what this method for detection was later that day? Where, upon finding out the truth, he would sigh in relief. From here on out, the rebellion would evade detection by joining the ranks of the inquisition that was founded to root them out, while using their newfound power to bring down the Mayor and his corrupt regime.

Without even realizing it, the Mayor had sealed his own fate… It was simply a matter of time before he and all of his goons were treated just like the heroes they had just executed in public.