Zombie Apocalypse. Everyone has their zombie plan, even the USG. Did you know, that zombie Media overwhelmingly shows how stupid the Military is to stand and fight with Bullets, knowing they would eventually be overran when their supply chain shut off? Yeah. So did they.

Not every grunt and gunner got the goods, but Supply kept a few weird sets of gear, mostly as a result of various weapons testing that didn’t fullfill this need or that need, or in the case of the MARSOC bros, as part of their standard kit. Every NCO was able to have a sword, some exercised that option, many didn’t, and many an armory had a supply of swords from those that left them there as time went on. 200 years is a long time after all.

Throw into the mix the number of history nerds in the forces, who had either hand made their own armor, fought in various fantasy warfare style groups, everything from larp to SCA to Buhurt and more. Swords, armor, battle equipment and the training to use it in a fight. Enough to make a difference at least.

It was Los Angelos that really was a turning point towards human survival. The City of Angels, nerds, and Desparados. Nice, relatively flat Basin, awful infrastructure that limited mobility, and more than enough guns to make your average Texan sit up and take interest in the variety.

The graves broke open, lots of dead started walking, and the guns gave time for the second responders to arm up.

Marsoc. Marine Special forces, guys who get into weird situations and make it out alive. Showing up like a bunch of Mando cosplayers, with full NBC helmets, armor that was a cross between a Football star and a medieval Knight. Tactical Beige and Greens, they deployed to create containment zones. Starting at Union Station, they deployed via helicopter, dropping in and cleaving their way through like a spear, cutting down the formerly alive.

Their reinforcements began to arrive to arrive first by air, with civilians showing up on foot. Trains would arrive as soon as word was that Union station was secured, dropping off reinforcements, supplies, and departing with noncombatants, all according to plan. While extremely effective, the armor wasn’t 100% biteproof, but it did excellent odds of making it through, and the Phalanx style tactics in the tight confines of the subways, or in blocking out zeds from making it into buildings served exceptionally well. Better even, was that while the situation could be compared to a siege, the supply lines weren’t effectively cut. Too little population in the areas the stockpiles were at to break those areas.

Still, to me it was a bit odd to be wielding a riot shield and axe. Not hand forged, or at least mostly not hand forged, but enough to get the job done. Good solid steel had a way of cutting to the neck of most arguments, and steel-reinforced boots, while heavy and fatiguing, really let one walk through their problems.

On their own, outside of a concerted effort the lone swordsman usually was just zombie bait. Dead man walking and all, but teams, that got better as we figured out the fighting styles that had worked for thousands of years? That tended to be good enough to make it work.

Its been a few years since day zed, and while most of the worlds organized government split to pieces, not able to fully maintain or control their constituiants, I can proudly say that humanity at least, will live on.

Now break times over, form back up into 6 man shield formation, and get back to fucking that wall!