21 - Mark of the Beast

[template]Chapter
| name ="Mark of the Beast"
| chapternum =21
| numparts =3
| image = [file]ch21polo.jpg|center|Chapter 21[/file]
| narrator =
| places =
| part1 =4/25/11
| 1rt =
| part2 =5/2/11
| 2rt =
| part3 =5/9/11
| 3rt =
| part4 =
| 4rt =
| origtitle =
| writer =[wiki]Kc Wayland[/wiki]
| artist =
| audioedit =
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[h="2"]Recap[/h]
[B][U]Part 1 - IN PROGRESS![/U][/B]

When Bricks asks if Tardust knows where they are, and he says gave him a map and then Bricks pulls one that Scratch gave him from the glove box. Tardust grabs the map and looks to see where they are and how long it is going to take. Over the radio we hear someone in the convoy check in from the middle. Tardust comments that they are on the 1-10 but before he says where on the 1-10 they are Bricks tells him to break. Tardust growls at Bricks for not giving him warning and Brick says that it is not his fault because they just stopped in front of him. Tardust gets impatient and jumps on the radio to see what is happening. Scratch yells back to 'give her a second, she is taking care of it'. Bricks wonders if it is her friends and Tardust says that it is not possible. Lizzy says they don't know them. Tardust laughs saying 'don't I, who do you think had to listen to your stupid ass bird talk'. With 40 channels and 40 radios they heard everything. He comments that they should have chosen a better radio like they did, rather then continuing to use the CB when they knew the mallers had one. Lizzy asks what they are using, but Tardust won't tell her. Bricks points out that they are still not moving and Tardust wants to know what he wants him to do, it probably means there is something bigger wrong up the front.

They start moving again and Tardust asks what Bricks is so scared of. When Bricks says 'those things', Tardust laughs and comments that the zombies are more scared of him, and they have probably all heard what he can do to them. Lizzy asks what happened and Tardust tells a story about them and the boss man (Durai) out side of the Tower. When a zombie comes up he claims that Bricks rips its arms off. Bricks says that is not how it went, instead that he broke its neck, Tardust interrupts and says 'more like ripped its head off'. Bricks then says that it wasn't a big deal cause those ones aren't scary, but the other kinds are. Tardust starts to tell another story when he realises that they are off the course laid out on the map. He calls on the radio to point out that they are off track, and Scratch comes back to say that it is a detour. Tardust wonders how they are going to get through the park with the tankers, and says that a few scouts heads are going to roll for this. The road was supposed to be clear for seven miles. Lizzy jumps in at this asking Tardust if the road was really supposed to be clear. Lizzy asks Tardust to listen to her, but he doesn't want to hear anything from Lizzy, saying he will kick her head in. Bricks says he won't, Tardust says watch me, and Bricks reiterates 'no, you won't'. Lizzy frantically asks again for them to listen to her, and as Tardust tells her to be quite he has to stop again. Rather then checking with Scratch Tardust gets out to check and Scratch comes over the radio telling Tar to get out of his truck. Tardust leaves calling other people to the front.

Bricks asks Latch what has happened and she says that there is an overturned truck in the way. Lizzy gets really anxious hearing this and tries to get Bricks to leave because it is them. Bricks asks if it is her friends and she says, 'No, them.'. When he won't leave she says they are going to die. Bricks calls Tar back to the car. Someone walks past and asks what they said, and he says that he thinks he went up to the front. Bricks telsl Lizzy that there is nothing to worry about and she tries to get him to take the handcuffs off, but he won't do that either. She desperately tries again to get him to drive away, and Bricks calls for Tar.

We hear a big zombie howl in the distance and Scratch comes on the radio saying 'In the trees'. Lizzy tells bricks to shut the door as we hear gunfire start. There is more gunfire, zombies and radio chatter. Lizzy asks for the cuffs to be removed and Bricks does telling her not to run. Scratch comes back ont he radio saying they are on both side and to get the truck out of the way or they are all going to die. Tardust comes back to the truck, but he can't actually see any zombies yet. Bricks wants him to unhook the trailer. We hear lots more radio chatter and gunfire from other trucks. Tardust tells Bricks to get the truck out of here as he starts to get into the truck.

Lizzy, then describes a figure that drops out of the tree onto the passenger door. It is thrashing about but Lizzy can see that it is smaller then any she had seen before. It got is right hand in the door as Tardust tries to stay out of reach. Bricks tries to shoot it but can't get a clear shot from where he is. We hear Scratch over the radio and Tardust tries to get Bricks to drive, but there is still no room. Lizzy offers to take the gun, but rather then this Bricks reaches over and grabs the handle and gives Tardust the gun. Tardust misses, making it madder, so Bricks leans over and slams the door a few times eventually breaking the arm of the small zombie off. Scratch then comes over the radio saying that the way is clear and then to get going. Tardust checks that there was no blood on Bricks and tells them to punch it out of there. They drive around the a rig and Bricks sees that the arm is still inside and Lizzy vomits in the background as Tardust tells him to ignore it and her. They drive over a maller who has turned, and as they go past the dump truck the slaves are still out there and call out for them to stop for them. Bricks and Lizzy want to but Tardust makes them keep on driving. Scratch, over the radio, tells them to get out of the kill zone and push forward to regroup 3 miles down.

Lizzy describes turning around to see the ones left behind. She can see the small one that attacked them bleeding on the ground and thinks it must be the same 'Little one' that Angel had seen. She also clearly sees the man in the pin-stripped suit watching them drive away.

Victor is reluctantly making his first entries in his journal, playing nice. He takes a break as Kalani comes in asking if they are here yet and stops when he sees Victor smoking. Kalani growls at Victor for smoking, who bites back but then says that they have pulled up a few minutes ago. Victor and Kalani fight a bit more about the smoking. Kalani says that everyone has been on alert and Victor tells Kalani that he can take over watching the screens. Michael and Angel come in and ask what is going on. Kalani asks waht happened out there as they didn't say over the radio. Angel says that they couldn't tell them because they, are gone. Kalani asks who and Michael says that the mallers have packed up and gone but they don't know why and so they thought the mallers might be heading toward the Tower. Victor doesn't know who the mallers are, but says they are not at the Tower.

Victor noticed that only two trucks came back and asks where the hummer is. Angel says that Saul and Burt are still out looking for Lizzy and Micheal radios out to check in with them, still using his broken wing call sign. Victor questions leaving the old guy and the sick dude out there, and Angel says that they wanted to get back to the Tower ASAP. Burt radios in, they are still looking around the nest but are going to rest soon as Saul is getting tired. Angel tries to convince Michael to call them back in as there are plenty of people who could be out there, but Michael says that there is no way he can get Saul back in now. He is a loose cannon so they might as well direct his fire.

[h="2"]Trivia[/h]
The original "air dates" of Chapter 21 were:
[LIST]
[*] Part 1: April 25, 2011
[*] Part 2: May 2, 2011
[*] Part 3: May 9, 2011
[/LIST]

Production of Chapter 21 was pushed back one week from the original release date by the [I]We're Alive: In The Flesh[/I] event held on April 16, 2011.

[h="2"]Quotations[/h]
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[h="2"]Links[/h]
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