Dead Man Walking: Living By Day, Dead By Night

Zane and his various companions had gathered just outside the ruins of UNLV's old campus. The latest additions Dani and Emily definitely felt aggrieved over the idea of massacring their former sisters. But they had no choice at the end of the day, because they were now fully beneath Zane's will.

As for Gwen, there was a look of excitement in her eyes as she gazed upon the old university campus, which was now little more than a ruin. Having sustained a serious artillery barrage by the remnants of the old world government, one could definitely say that it was more rubble than shelter.

She quickly looked over at Zane, practically begging the man to give the order to attack.

"Big brother! What are you waiting for!?! Let's do this already! I can't wait to taste the flesh of these little whores!"

Dani and Emily looked at Gwen with disgust. But they had to admit, ever since they were converted into undead, they too had a desire deep inside them to feast on the flesh of the living. Zane however did not dignify Gwen's statement with a response.

Instead, he addressed the entire group as he made it abundantly clear what their goal was.

"according to Evilyn, Victor interrupted the attack on the Amazonians and wiped out the Remnant forces to the last man. He's clearly protecting these women, no doubt for a similar reason that Lilith protects Elysium.

In fact, I wouldn't doubt if all the survivors in the city were nothing more than cattle, which Victor is raising to become fat and delicious. With that being said, wiping out another faction under his protection will no doubt provoke a response.

The problem is, if we sit by and do nothing, someone else will come and reap the spoils. It is the nature of this world now that civilization has collapsed. The Amazonians can either pack up and leave the area. Hoping to escape the wolves which are coming for them.

Or stand and fight against the pack, no doubt dying in the process, as they are already a mortally wounded animal. Right now, they are no doubt arguing over the best course of action. And it is because of this, Dani and Emily. That you are going to return to them. And coerce them into fleeing the city.

Once they are safely out of Victor's reach, we will ambush them. And take what is ours. Now go my little spies, go spread the seeds that will sprout into ruin!"

Dani and Emily glared daggers at Zane. They wanted more than anything to tell the man to go fuck himself. But they couldn't disobey his orders not how much their souls burned to do so. They existed as slaves beneath Zane's command. They could never betray him, and they could never refuse his orders.

Because of this, the two women, who had previously been among the ranks of the militant feminist faction known as the Amazonians, bowed before their new master, seething as they did so, before going off to do his bidding.

---

The Amazonians had gathered in the ruins of their home. In the place that was least disturbed by the artillery barrage. What remained of them were no more than a hundred women. Many of which were wounded, but not critically so.

These women gathered, and were currently bickering about how to proceed. Two paths lie in front of them, stand and fight for their home. Or take their chances in the wasteland. Among the faction which desired most to stay and fight was a woman in her early twenties. No doubt she was in her final year of university when the apocalypse struck.

She was among the oldest members of this group, or at least those who had been there since the start. After all, they had "liberated" many women over the last year, and forced them to join their ranks. Even if those women themselves did not necessarily believe in the gynocentric bullshit that the Amazonians were espousing.

This woman was quick to make her case. And naturally she lit the flame in the hearts of many who were wavering.

"It's not a matter of survival at this point! It's a matter of pride! We built our homes here! We fought tooth and nail to seize this campus from the undead. And to defend it from all the bastards who came for us over the last year!

Are we really going to give up and run away now? Now that things are looking bleak? What are you all, a bunch of cowards? I will stay and fight to defend Themyscira, even if I am the only here to do so! I will not flee like some timid little rabbit! And I call upon all of you to do the same!"

The speech was short, but to the point. It fully highlighted the struggled they had gone through as a group to survive so long. And the difficulties they had undergone to build a functional society in the apocalyptic wasteland.

To pack things up, run away, and start completely over. It was not an option for many of the women. And they were quick to voice their support for their fearless leader.

"I agree! I will stand and fight for my home, even if it means my death! I refuse to go into the wasteland and die in the desert sands! This is our land! And we will kill one hundred of those bastards for every sister of ours whose life they take if they are so inclined to destroy us, then let it be their end as well!'

Those among the group that wanted to flee were starting to lose confidence in convincing their sisters to join them. That is until two members of their group who they thought had died in the attack stepped foot in the room.

As much as they wanted to warn their former sister, they could not do so. And Dani was quick to follow Zane's orders. Even if she would rather die than do so.

"What's this? A gathering, and we were not invited? How cruel of you all? Here I thought we were all sisters, comrades in arms, fighting against the patriarchy in this post apocalyptic world. And yet we don't even get a voice?"

The fact that two of their sister who they thought had died returned to them was a cause of celebration for the Amazons. But something was different about Dani and Emily. Their hair and eye colors were much darker, and their skin seemed more pale. Just what happened to them?

But before anyone could ask, Emily gave her opinion on the matter. And did so very convincingly.

"You say you wish to stand and fight for our home? Look around you! There is no home left after the attack! You would be dying for nothing more than rubble and exposed rebar! Even if you survived the attack, how would you rebuild? Do any of you know how to construct a home?

Let alone rebuild a college campus that has been laid to waste?

Such a project would take months, years even, and that's assuming we had the resources to do so in the first place! Winter is coming, and you know that the weather has changed here, in Vegas since the beginning of the apocalypse. Who's to say that it doesn't change further, and we end up being covered in snow?

How will you warm yourselves then? How will you feed yourselves while living within a pile of rubble? Will you really die here? After we have fought and survived for so long? We owe it to our fallen sisters to continue living! So that their memories are never forgotten!

That is all that remains of them now!"

Even Dani was surprised by Emily's speech. Especially since she knew what awaited them all at the end of the line. Zane had ordered the two of them to convince the group of survivors to flee the Vegas area. But he never ordered the two of them to do it so enthusiastically.

But Emily's passion had left a mark on the hearts of her former sisters. And because of this, after much deliberation, even the most fierce defenders who wished to stay and die in the ruins of their old home ended up changing their minds.

Within the night, the Amazonians would make the preparations to leave behind their old home once and for all. And in doing so, walk right into the ambush Zane had prepared for them. As for Emily, she was quickly cornered in private by Dani, who interrogated her.

"I know we were given orders, but failure was an option. You could have been far less enthusiastic about sending our sister to their deaths!"

Emily however shocked Dani with her reasoning for going above and beyond her orders. The look in her eyes was almost as if she had found a new religion, one that was a dangerous cult.

"Don't you see Dani? They're all going to die, anyway! Whether or not they stay here, or escape from our master's plot. Death will get to them in the end. They don't have the power or resources to relocate without being wiped out.

At least this way we can all be together again as sisters… Even if it's beneath his rule…."

After saying this, Emily left Dani in a state of disbelief, going off to further help with the preparations so she could be properly reunited with her sisters as soon as possible.