Monsters

**"Monsters"** is the second episode of *Season 3: Remake* of *Strain Zero*, the remake of *The Walking Dead by EDStudios*. It is the twelfth episode of the series overall.

## Plot

*In the face of a danger unlike anything they have yet encountered, the group are forced to make a difficult choice. Someone takes drastic measures.*

## Synopsis

Henry wakes up with a bleeding head strapped to a table leg with cable ties. He takes a look around and spots Drew, Mike, Becky, Leyton, Ben and Charlotte nearby similarly restrained. Becky is the next to awake and begins to panic, asking where the children are. The sniper enters the room and demands to know who is in charge, slapping Becky across the face when she screams for her baby Sarah. Henry speaks up that he is in charge and the sniper approaches him; he introduces himself as Liam and informs the group that their tresspass cannot be forgiven, and they will work to serve their punishment. Henry secretly dislocates his thumb to free himself from the cable ties and frees himself when Liam and his men leave the room. Henry stands up and finds the group's weapons in a locker on the far side of the room. After freeing his friends, he hears a series of gunshots nearby accompanied by a series of yells and cries; Henry smiles and says Justinas got free.

The group fight their way out of the storage room and reunite with the others, killing any hostiles that cross their path; to their shock, the group discover Stephan among the captives and he reluctantly rejoins them. Over the walkie talkie, they overhear reinforcements and escape to the roof. Keeping low, the group move in small teams towards a set of abandoned apartments, watching as Liam leads the reinforcements inside. Avoiding Innocent patrols, the group escape into a partially collapsed tower. Desperate to get their bearings, Henry pulls out a map of the city he found at the Innocent base. He convinces the others that they need to locate the origin of the "Greencole" signal and suggests heading towards a radio station nearby. With little options besides, the group decide to join him, including Stephan.

The group navigate the overgrown streets of Fargo and find further evidence of military activity, including collapsed roads, bombed buildings and abandoned vehicles looted of their supplies aside from a few bullets inside a truck. The group splits into smaller teams to navigate the streets and reduce their changes of detection. They are forced to crawl underneath a barricate made of barbed wire as they finally approach the TV station, its tower blinking rapidly. Troubled by how quiet the area is, the group arm themselves and enter the rear of the building through an open door. They quickly discover a massacre inside, with tens of Innocents shot and stabbed to death; other than a few walkers, the building is abandoned. The group splits into three: one led by Henry goes in search of the broadcast room, while another led by Justinas patrols the area while the remaining rest to guard the children. While peering through his rifle's scope, Justinas spots a figure in the distance moving around on all fours.

To his surprise, Henry finds the station's mast is still active; with Mike's help, he navigates the long list of signals, all of which appear unremarkable until he finds a signal labelled "GCSZ". Mike realizes that the TV station, like the relay station back in Iron Mountain State Forest, is simply relaying another signal, meaning Fargo is not Greencole's true location. With David's help, Henry triangulates the signal's true location: a place called Adams Air Force Base in central Montana, at least 750 miles further west. Meanwhile, Justinas' team discovers yet more dead bodies and walkers, alongside graffiti on the wall: the word PUNISHMENT written in blood.

Leyton hears a noise nearby and discovers a radio, still on. He overhears that reinforcements are on the way just as screams are heard below. Henry and Justinas' teams reconvene on a balcony, where they see Liam and a team of armed Innocents holding the rest of the group hostage below. Angered by the deaths of his people, Liam demands that the others show themselves or risk further bloodshed; Henry calls out that they easily outnumber the Innocents, but Liam, unfazed, replies that his people easily outgun the group. While Henry distracts Liam with mocks and taunts, Justinas and his team move around to flank the Innocents before opening fire. The Innocents return fire and head to cover, allowing the rest of the group to flee for cover. Henry and his team join the fray, firing from above as the others evacuate outside. With their route downstairs blocked, Henry's team use an electrical cable to climb down to the ground while Justinas' team provides covering fire.

Outside, the others fend off Innocent reinforcements. In the chaos, several grenades are thrown, splintering the group as they jump for cover. In the chaos, Holly is jumped by an Innocent and is separated when an explosion throws her into a ditch. Henry screams her name as Liam emerges from the smoke and disarms him, forcing the group to surrender. Liam orders the group bound and says "the boss" will want to see them for himself.

Bound and gagged, the group are thrown into trucks and driven through the ruined roads of Fargo, finally coming to a hastily built gate. Liam calls out and the gates open, revealing a sprawling community. A crowd gathers around the trucks as the group are taken out and marched through the streets, where residents throw stones and dirt at them as they pass. They are finally brought before a wooden stage and forced to their knees. The crowd suddenly goes silent as a S.W.A.T vehicle pulls up behind the stage and a a figure dressed in black emerges. In a strong Australian accent, he orders several Innocents around before quietly talking with Liam, who points at Henry. The figure orders Henry brought before the stage and kneels down in front of him.

The figure introduces himself as Bart and asks Henry's name; when Henry remains silent, Bart almost immediately begins mocking him. Bart declares that Henry and his people need to be punished for their actions, and then they will face the other consequences of their actions. Bart realizes that children are among the captives and aims his gun at Laika to taunt Henry, triggering Justinas to stand up and attempt to punch Bart, who easily dodges and knocks Justinas down. Bart then asks Henry how strong he believes he truly is before ordering Liam to beat Henry to death.

With Innocents hot on her tail, Holly escapes into an overgrown park. She stops when she hears a sudden barage of gunfire accompanied by screams. While she is distracted, an Innocent appears from cover and wrestles her to the ground. Holly drops her knife as the Innocent pins her down before forcing himself on her. As she cries to help, she is suddenly covered in the Innocent's warm blood. The Innocent falls to his side, an arrow embedded in his neck, and Holly grabs her knife to stab him repeatedly in the head. She is wrestled off his corpse by an unseen figure; she struggles and punches, only for her rescuer to reveal himself to be Drew, bruised, bloodied and soaking wet. He tells her that they need to run, but they don't get far before they are surrounded by unknown survivors.

## Deaths

* At least 10 unnamed Innocents

 **Season 5: Remake** | "Blood" • "Rules" • "Dissent" • "The Game" • "The Coming Storm" • "Brotherhood" • "Call to Arms"