One Year Earlier. 2041. Winter. One month after killing Dodge.
In the streets of a wintery Washington D.C, a figure moves through a snow storm, before the figure opens up an entrance to the underground. The figure then climbs down the entrance and begins climbing down, before he finally enters the sewers and removes his scarf and places the goggles on top of his head, revealing to be James.
James: Fuck....
James arms his weapons and equips his flashlight, moving through the underground sewers with caution. Monstrous growls up ahead are heard as are rats moving around in the sewers. James manages to loot some ammo from dead corpse. James equips a lighter to burn the cobwebs in his path. Eventually, as he continues on, a ratclaw jumps from a nearby derailed train and attacks James, who manages to fight off the creature, long enough for him to grab his gun and shoot the creature in the chest. More Ratclaws appear and chase James, who reaches a sealed door. James manages to get to other side as James pulls out his knife and stabs the beast in the eye twice, before finally managing to close to sealed door. Suddenly, James is attacked by more Ratclaws. James manages to fight off the Ratclaws, but they maul his chest up. James looses his knife in the mouth of a Ratclaw, but suddenly, Shawn, Joseph and Marcus appear and shoot the remaining Ratclaws.
Shawn: We're clear!
Marcus: Good!
Joseph: Who is it under the Ratclaws?
Shawn turns his head and then gives a look as he notices it's James.
Shawn: My shit-sniffer brother.
James: Agh....
Marcus: James, what the hell is up with you, man? You've been going to the surface non-stop.
Joseph: Yeah, man. It's very concerning. It's getting weird.
James: I just...needed to....
Shawn: What you need is to stop going up to the surface on Taker territory? Seriously, man!
Shawn helps James onto his feet.
Shawn: You're gonna get us fucking discovered down here!
James: It's been a month, Shawn! We've been trapped here for a fucking month.
James groans as he tends to his injury.
Marcus: That looks bad, man. You should let me sister take a look at that.
James: I'm fine.
Shawn: Dude, no you're not. You know Cassandra and probably Kyle are going to give you shit for this, right?
James sighs.
James: Right.
Elsewhere in the underground metro, Kyle is sleeping, before Sarah approaches with a lamp light.
Sarah: Kyle. Hey, Kyle.
Kyle begins to slowly open his eyes.
Sarah: Hey, sorry to wake you. Did you have a good rest?
Kyle smiles.
Kyle: I did.
Kyle sits up.
Sarah: Rocky says he's got your rifle ready for practice.
Kyle looks around to see Rachel sleeping in the bed next to his and Sarah's.
Kyle: Long night for her again?
Sarah: Yeah, she was hanging out with Abigail again.
Kyle stands up and heads to the range to find Rocky prepping an assault rifle.
Rocky: Kyle, what in the donkey fuck took your ass so long?
Kyle: You still cranky since we ran out of whiskey?
Rocky: What? I love my whiskey.
Rocky goes behind the counter and presents an assault rifle to Kyle, who grabs it and pulls back the slide. Kyle walks up to the range and shoots at the practice dummies (mainly infected that have been killed).
Rocky: Still got it.
Kyle: Never lost it, Rocky.
Rocky: Remind me again; why we need the practice when we already know how to shoot.
Kyle: We don't want to lose our edge, Rocky. While we're here, we still need to keep up our skills.
Abigail: Kyle!
Abigail and Jenny runs up to Kyle, who turns.
Kyle: What is it?
Jenny: Uh....you should get to the infirmary.
Kyle: Why?
In their infirmary, Margaret stitches up James' wound as Cassandra stands there with her arms folded.
James: Agh!
Margaret: You're such a pussy, James. Seriously. My brother's had more bad wounds.
James: Hey, lay off. At least it wasn't an infected.
Margaret: There...you're lucky those things didn't maul your ass that bad. It could've been worse.
Margaret turns to Cassandra.
Margaret: He'll be fine.
Margaret finishes and walks over to the desk to put the supplies back in the first aid kit. James looks up at Cassandra, who glares at him.
James: What?
Cassandra: What do you mean "what"? Are you trying to kill me with worry? What if next time you don't come back?
James: Cassandra...
Cassandra: We've talked about this again and again. There's no one out there. No one who can help us. No one to talk to. We're behind enemy lines here. It's just us.
Kyle, Shawn, and Sarah arrive in the infirmary as Margaret stands up.
Margaret: Kyle....
Kyle: Where is he?
Margaret points James out to Kyle, who walks up to James.
James: Ah, shit....
Kyle: There you are, you dumb son of a bitch. How many times are we going to have this goddamned conversation? You're gonna end up killing yourself over this stupid dream of yours!
James: It's not a stupid dream, Kyle! We've been trapped here in Taker City underground for over a fucking month. We've been watching our asses ever since. It's-it's not a way to live....it's not surviving.
Kyle: You know we only go to the surface whenever we run out of food. That's it! James, I need you. People need you and you still continue to pursue this signal.
James: Look, I did manage to hear something over the radio a week ago. Just....all I'm saying, Kyle, isn't it at least worth looking at.
Kyle sighs.
Kyle: Maybe, James....but until we find a way out of Taker city, we can't risk another run like this. So, this is the last time you pull this stunt, right?
Cassandra: Right...
James glares at Cassandra.
Cassandra: This is the last time, James.
James sighs.
James: Sure....
Shortly after, Shawn, James, Rocky, Marcus, Cassandra, Jenny, Margaret and Joseph are huddled at a table while Kyle and Sarah are sitting at a fire. Kyle stares at James as Sarah notices this.
Sarah: He's got a point, you know?
Kyle: About...
Sarah: We can't live down here for the rest of our lives, Kyle. There just might be something out there. Someone out there.
Kyle sighs, before he looks at Sarah.
Kyle: Is it worth it, though?
Sarah: It just might be.....Kyle, don't you want to at least try?
Kyle: Sarah, I don't want to grow old down here, either....but it's doable.
Sarah: And what about Rachel?
Kyle: I want to do right by her.....I owe her that.
At the table, Shawn, James, Caleb, Rocky, Marcus, Cassandra, Rachel, Abigail, Margaret and Joseph are at the table, having a conversation.
Rocky: So, on a scale from one to ten, how crazy do you think Kyle's going?
Joseph: Hey, man. That's not fair. He's not going crazy. He's just looking out for us.
Margaret: By forcing us to stay down here? Hoping we don't die from hyperthermia or these fucking monsters?
Marcus: We've been here before, with the Krens and Condemned, Margaret. We'll be okay.
Jenny: Not like this....Not when we were on the surface fighting for our lives with the Krens, now we're on the Taker's radar list.
Rocky: You can thank that kid for that.
Shawn bumps Rocky's shoulder.
Rocky: Ow!
Caleb: Dude....
Rocky: Just saying....
Jenny: Yeah, well say less and don't say shit like that around Rachel.
James: Okay, let's change subjects....
Rocky: Okay, here's a subject change. Why have you got such a hard on to get yourself killed on the surface?
James: I'm not trying to get myself killed out onto the surface, Rocky. I found a signal....and maybe there's someone out there-
Shawn: Who can what, James? Who can help us?
Cassandra: James....
James: Look, guys. No disrespect to Kyle.....I get he's trying to protect us, but keeping us underground to avoid the Takers....for month...this isn't how I want to die....
Joseph: He's got a point....we can die underground or we can die trying to find some place better than this. To paradise.
Rocky: See, that is why I love this man. Always quoting the bible! Can't wait to grow my blonde Jesus look!
Shawn: You as blonde Jesus is fucking scary, dude.
Abigail: Well, better to deal with Takers, than the Reapers at least.
Cassandra: Yeah, that makes two of us, doesn't it?
Abigail glares at Cassandra.
Abigail: What the hell is that supposed to mean?
Cassandra: Nothing. It's just that Reapers have caused us nothing but trouble....oh, and you were with them. They also destroyed our home....oh and you were with them. Should I go on?
Abigail: Cassandra...I know you don't trust me.
Margaret: She's not the only one that doesn't trust you, kid.
Marcus: Margaret, come on.
Margaret: Did you forget about Vivian?
Jenny: She did help at the White House, Margaret.
Rachel: Guys, she's just saying...okay....she's earned our place here.
Rocky: And you have, too, kid? Just because you bashed your daddy's brains in with his bat?
Shawn: Rocky! Jesus Christ!
Jenny: Will you just shut up, Rocky?! Damn!
James: Guys, enough. Look, we've done things.....We've all killed people....in brutal ways..
James looks at Cassandra with a judgmental look.
Cassandra: What? What is that suppose to mean? That look?
James: Nothing....
Cassandra, annoyed, stands up and walks away.
James: Cassandra!
After the fire, Shawn is leaning on a pillar smoking before Jenny walks up to him.
Jenny: Hey.
Shawn: Hey.
Jenny: Okay, if we're gonna date, smoke away from me.
Shawn laughs, before flicking the cigarette away.
Shawn: Duly noted already.
Jenny laughs.
Jenny: When my Mom and Dad met, my Dad was definitely a heavy smoker. Still was...My mom hated cigarettes....Fuck, wonder what she would've done if she had met a rowdy boy like you.
Shawn: "Rowdy"?
Jenny: It's what she called my Dad when she met him. Always rowdy in the mornings. Always rowdy in the evenings. Always rowdy late at nights.
Shawn: Rowdy at nights, huh?
Jenny: More or less.
Shawn laughs, shaking his head.
Shawn: You believe my brother, don't you?
Jenny: I....want to...but I've also see a reality of this wasteland. Doesn't mean we shouldn't maybe try.
Shawn: Do you think there's someone out there that talked to James?
Jenny: Maybe....maybe there's decent people out there. Wanting to build a future.
Jenny takes Shawn's hand.
Jenny: We could have a future.
Later on, Rachel sits in the room alone before Abigail walks in.
Abigail: Hey....
Rachel: Hey....
Abigail: You okay?
Rachel: What do you mean?
Abigail: Nothing it's just.....what Rocky and the others were saying....
Rachel: They're never gonna accept us....you and me....we're outsiders....
Abigail: Kyle took us in, didn't he?
Rachel: Yeah.....he did.....but we're still not liked....
Abigail: I get it, though. Lynn killed several of their people...
Rachel: Including Maya.
Abigail: Yeah.....and your Dad....Rocky really shouldn't have said that.....I mean, we've been amongst these people for a month now. Still feel like we're outcasts.
Rachel: Kyle and Sarah doesn't.
Abigail: Sarah doesn't with you....she doesn't trust me.
Later on, Cassandra is looking out as James approaches her.
Cassandra: We're still married, right?
James: Yeah...
Cassandra: So, that means we talk about things, right?
James: Right..
Cassandra turns to James, annoyed.
Cassandra: Is there something you want to hash out? Bring up?
James: No, no, it's just....we've been underground so much that it feels like we're kind of distant...I mean, we haven't had a chance to talk about....what happened at the White House...when you-
Cassandra: When I what? Hmm? When I what, James?
James: Cassandra, I'm your husband and I'm here....okay...I'm not here to judge....
Cassandra: I feel like you're judging me right now.....
James touches Cassandra's face.
James: Hey, hey....we're not like that, okay? You....you blacked out...you've been acting off.
Cassandra swipes James' hand away.
Cassandra: You know what happened? What happened is that I killed the bitch who cut my sister's fucking head off?! Do you remember what she did?! How we lost our home and most of our people because of her?!
James: Yes, I remember. I was there!
Cassandra: Okay, then don't act like you haven't been in that position before, either! Didn't that Barnes asshole kill your father? Your Uncle? I'm sorry you can deal simple shit, but I can't.
James: Simple? You're calling seeing my Dad and Uncle die simple? Nothing is ever simple in this fucking wasteland, Cassandra.
Cassandra: Like letting Rachel and Abigail in? After Rachel aimed a gun at me? After Abigail just stood and watched Maya being butchered?
James smacks his lips.
James: They've earned their place.....they have.
Cassandra: You know Lynn needed to die, James. For what she did to my sister. You know that she fucking deserved to die!
James: In that way? By your hand?
Cassandra: Who else was it gonna be?! You?!
James shakes his head.
James: You parents would be ashamed of you.
At that, Cassandra slaps James across the face. James turns and stares at Cassandra, who attempts to open her mouth, but instead, she walks away, brushing past Kyle, who turns to James.
Kyle: What was that about?
James: Nothing, man.....
Kyle approaches James.
Kyle: She's not wrong, James.....Lynn did deserve to die.
James: If you saw Sarah hacking a dead person's face over, and over again, covered in their blood, you wouldn't judge? Or Rachel?
James scoffs when Kyle doesn't.
Kyle: Right....forgot who I was talking to....
Kyle sighs.
James: You believe it, too, don't you? That there's a signal out there?
Kyle: Even if there is, James, we can't risk the safety of this group.....all for some signal that could be...something else.
James: There's people outside of Taker city....good people like us, Kyle.
Kyle: How do we know, James?
James: It doesn't hurt to try, right? Look, man, you eventually know I'm going to go back up there to try to get that signal.....just come up there with me and you'll see.
Kyle sighs.
Kyle: Goddammit...I know I'm going to regret this.