Chronicles of the Apocalypse: Condemnation

The next morning, Kyle, Jake, Shawn, James and Barnes are en route to Midtown Manhattan.

Barnes: Ah! On our way to the big city! The Big Apple! You know; I think the last time in Midtown Manhattan was my senior year in high school back in 2006. That was before I joined the Zeus Corps! Rick was still in high school of course...dealing with anger management issues....I think it was also the first time I ever got a lap dance. I'll never forget it. Madeline....beautiful blonde with a black girls' ass.....so I'm paying her dollar bills and-

Shawn: Dawg, you've already told this story four fucking times! Stop! I do not want to hear about your damn minejatwa in a goddamned strip club, okay.

Barnes: But I'm getting to the best part!

Jake: Is there a different ending?

Barnes: Uh...

Jake: Then we don't want to hear it...

A short pause before Barnes begins to vex the group again.

Barnes: Are we there yet?

Kyle: No...

Barnes: Are we there yet?

James: No...

Barnes: Are we there yet?

Shawn: No!

Barnes: Are we there yet?

Jake: No.

Barnes: Are we there yet?

Kyle: Yes.

Barnes: Wait....Really?

Kyle: No!

Barnes: Are we there yet?

Jake: No!

Barnes: Are we there yet?!

Kyle, Jake, Shawn and James: NO!!!!

Barnes: Are we there yet?

Jake begins to mock Barnes.

Jake: Are we there yet?

Barnes: Dude.

Jake: Dude.

Barnes: Okay, real fucking mature.

Jake: Okay, real fucking mature.

Kyle: Jesus help me. I'm dealing with children.

As Barnes and Jake insult each other, James notices the aftermath on Midtown Manhattan of the attack of the Condemned.

James: Oh, shit....guys! Guys!

Kyle, Jake, Shawn and Barnes look ahead at the devastating attack of Midtown Manhattan.

Kyle: Oh, no....

In Midtown Manhattan, the gates open as Kyle drives the jeep through. Shawn, Jake, Kyle, James and Barnes look around at the Midtown Manhattan fighters carrying their dead fighters or civilians.

James: They hit home again....

Shawn: Fuck...and harder this time.

Kyle stops the jeep near the alleyway next to the Chrysler Tower.

Kyle: C'mon...let's see if we can find everyone...

Kyle, Jake, Shawn and James exit, before Kyle walks over and stops Barnes from exiting the jeep.

Kyle: Not you!

Barnes: Are you fuckin serious?

Kyle: Wait until we get you....we don't need any more chaos until I know where we are..

Barnes: Up shit's creak without a paddle is about the right answer.

Barnes winks.

Jake: Just stay in the goddamned car.

In front of the Chrysler Tower, Sarah, Ashley, Caleb, Mitchell and Maya are outside the tower, counting the casualties of the attack.

Caleb: We lost sixty-five last night.....that's more casualties than three years ago....including our best shooters.....Olivia....Alexandria.

Mitchell: Jesus...

Cassandra: Okay, and how many wounded?

Ashley: Five...

Sarah: Five?! Only five?!

Ashley: The other wounded died to their wounds....this was more crippling that Zeus Corps and Kronos....

Kyle, Jake, Shawn and James walk to the Chrysler Tower as Kyle spots Sarah.

Kyle: Sarah.....Sarah!

Sarah turns her head as do Ashley, Caleb, Mitchell and Maya.

Sarah: Kyle! Oh, thank god!

Cassandra: James! You're alive!

Sarah runs to hug Kyle, before Cassandra hugs James, crying.

Cassandra: It was horrible...I heard about Dallas and-I thought you were dead, James.

James: I'm not going anywhere....

Ashley hugs Kyle, before Maya does.

Caleb: Good to see you all.

Jake: What happened?

Ashley: We could ask the same of you.

Sarah: Yeah, what the hell happened in Dallas?

Shawn: Those damn Condemned were using a big ass drilling monster, a Leviathan, to sink the cities! They hit us when we didn't see it coming.

Sarah: "Condemned"?

Kyle: Yeah, that's what we've been calling them.

Caleb: Jesus, you guys stink!

Shawn: Yeah, we were swallowed and killed that thing from the inside....it wasn't pretty.

Ashley: They did the same thing here....last night...five people are hurt....and a lot of our people are dead....

Ashley looks at Cassandra.

Cassandra: Olivia....and Alexandria included.

Kyle: What?

Maya looks down in sadness, before Cassandra grieves briefly as James comforts her.

James: Babe....I'm so sorry...

Kyle walks over to Cassandra and puts his hand on her shoulder.

Kyle: Your mother was a great woman....she was brave....I'm sorry, Cassandra...I'm sorry for you both...

Sarah: Kyle? Are you four all that made it out?

Jake: As far as we know...

Sarah: Where's the kid?

Kyle nods.

Kyle: He didn't make it.

Sarah:....And Walter?

Kyle nods.

Shawn: Those fucking animals were kidnapping people...torturing them...and God knows what else.

Kyle: Walter was one of the prisoners...he didn't make it.

Sarah gasps, saddened at the loss of Walter.

Maya: My god...

Mitchell: Walter....

Sarah: Well, thank god you're okay.....hey, how did you guys get out of Dallas?

Kyle: That's the problem...

Sarah: What?

Kyle looks to Shawn, before he nods, signaling Shawn to retrieve Barnes.

Cassandra: Kyle, what's this problem you mean?

Kyle: I need you all to follow us and everyone to stay calm....and not pull out your guns.

Caleb: Is it one of those...things?

James: A Condemned? No....

Kyle: I wish..

Kyle, Jake and James lead Sarah, Ashley, Caleb, Mitchell and Maya to the alley, where Shawn is seen bringing in Barnes.

Caleb: Kyle, what is this?

Kyle: Yeah, uh....now, guys....honey, we kind of have a problem. I'm going need not to pull out your gun like you're doing now!

Sarah, Ashley, Caleb, Cassandra and Mitchell aim their weapons at Barnes.

Sarah: What the hell is he doing here?!

Kyle: Whoa, whoa! Hey! Hey!

Kyle, Jake, James and Shawn attempt to defuse the situation.

James: Put the gun down!

Sarah: Kyle, you can't be fucking serious!

Jake: Stop, guys! Put it down!

Mitchell: He lead an attack on us!

Caleb: If it wasn't for him, I wouldn't have been in the hospital!

Kyle: Put the guns down!

Sarah: If it wasn't for him, Nathan would still—

Shawn: It's not like that this time. He helped us get out of there!

Kyle: Don't give him too much credit. You remember he beat the shit out of you three years ago?

Shawn: Hey, he beat the shit out of you, too!

Barnes: Hey, we both took our licks like soldiers.

Shawn: Fuckin dickhead. Least, I didn't lose my arm.

Barnes: Hey, fuck off.

Kyle: Both of you shut up!

Cassandra: Kyle, move! My dad's dead because of him!

James: uh-uh. Cassandra....chill, alright.

Kyle: Relax! Put the fucking guns down now!

Shawn: Cassandra, get the gun out of my goddamn face!

Barnes laughs.

Barnes: Well...nice to see you all again....

Barnes turns to Sarah.

Barnes: You look pissed, honey.

Sarah: I got my reasons.

Shawn: Damn it, Barnes! What the hell were you doing in those cells?

Barnes: Well, hey, I figured that those things that killed my boys...could've done this.....they tortured me...seeing as how I wasn't able to die....A Zeus Corps nut who caught me and experimented on me.

Caleb: And what? You want us to cry you a river?

Barnes: Ain't askin for sympathy, boy....but those things that did this to your hometown and Dallas....this is just the start...their leader's got something planned for y'all....

Cassandra: Their leader is the one who killed my mom.

Barnes: Sorry for your Mom, darlin....I've seen what they've done to people...she go out easy?

Cassandra gives Barnes a look as does Maya.

Barnes: Yeah, she did...or didn't.....if she died from a wound, like a blade or a gunshot, like Catherine did, I call that lucky....ain't that shit ironic?

Jake: Shut up, Barnes!

Barnes: Hey, man, like James said; same fucking thing almost happened to him...what happened to Walter....ain't nothing compared to what they've done to the ones who are out there...Walter was strong minded, but the mind can only take so much torture before it breaks...the survivors out there...they don't last...yeah, so you scared now, huh, Kyle? What you going to do, oh great and fearless of leader of a bunch of rookies who can't even shoot a pistol like that poor kid?

Kyle: Shut up!

Barnes laughs.

Barnes: Oh, man! If Ryder could see you now, man! Fucking pathetic! Scared out of your minds with an enemy that is more powerful than Kronos.

James: Dude-

Cassandra: James, I swear to God, shut him up or I will.

Barnes: You're welcome to try, honey.

Kyle: Barnes...

Shawn: Dude, just shut the fuck up!

Barnes: You shut the fuck up, boy! You betrayed Kronos for wasteland tra-

Kyle grabs Barnes and knocks him out by smacking him across the face with his pistol, knocking him down.

Kyle: Cocksucker...Mitchell, are the holding cells still in one piece?

Mitchell: More or less...

Kyle: good...put him in there.

Barnes begins to recover, before Kyle stomps on Barnes face, knocking him out. In the Shallows, the Condemned Palace, the Condemned Queen sits on her throne, before Scorcher approaches and bows to her.

Scorcher: (in Condemned language) We have crippled the strong humans of the wasteland....now, we must use this opportunity to attack....they are the weaker species...but we lost another squad to the Krens....they are getting stronger.

Condemned Queen: We will, my apprentice....the Krens will be destroyed, along with the humans...for twenty-four years, Earth has been dying...since the destruction of Kronos, they tear each other apart...but now, we have evolved...became something more stronger...something that can survive this world....but the humans look up to one....the child....the boy...the youngest child...Desipich...he will come to me...and then I will see him die...along with everything he knows and loves.

In Midtown Manhattan, Kyle, Shawn, James, Sarah and Cassandra are discussing the fate of Barnes.

Kyle: This is not going to work, man.

Shawn: It has to...

Kyle: He'll start shit.

Shawn: Look, you heard what happened last night.....their leader's probably working on another way to attack Midtown Manhattan. Maybe Barnes knows how they thinks. We could use that.

Sarah: He's a goddamned murderer, who tried to kill us....

Cassandra: I'm not having him here staining the memory of my parents.

James: He tried to kill us, man. You saw what he and Ryder did to Kyle. You really want this asshole to live here under the same fucking roof as us?

Shawn: He's not a soldier anymore and like he said the people who did this; he knows where they are.

Kyle: There's no way Barnes is going to stay here without pissing everyone off and putting everyone's lives at jeopardy. He's too goddamned predictable.....

Jake approaches the group.

Kyle: Where were you?

Jake: Tending to some wounds....checking on the wounded...a lot of our boys are dead...the men that did survive are scared shitless....afraid....Kyle, Alexandria was their leader.....who will lead them now?

Kyle: We'll worry about that later.

James: So, what do we do about this?

Kyle: Let's all just sweep up the area to make sure the Condemned didn't leave any spies....also, try to maintain order...Jake, you're with me...James, Sarah, you two check on Cassandra and Ashley...I'm pretty sure they'll need some comfort after what's happened....Shawn, you keep an eye on Barnes.

Shawn: You're asking me to babysit psycho sergeant?

Kyle: Hey, man. It's your idea to keep him here to we figure out what to do. Your responsibility.

Shawn: All right....

Kyle: He starts some shit, it's on you.

Shawn: I can deal with that....

Jake: Kyle, you go take a rest, man....I'll do the sweep.

Kyle: You sure, man?

Jake: Yeah....

Kyle: All right then....I'll be home if something comes up.

Later on, in the Chrysler tower, Cassandra is sharpening her arrows, before James walks up to her and sits next to her.

James: I'm so sorry.

Cassandra: One of the last thing's I said to her was that Dad should've been here instead of her and right in front of Maya....I think of how she's going to live on, knowing that I jinxed her death.

James: Cassandra....this is not your fault.....she was proud of you.....

Cassandra: For what? For being a bitch to her? For blaming her all the time? She wanted to me to more than just bait on the runs and now...she died knowing I didn't care....thinking I didn't love her....I should've told her....how good of a mother she was...

James: Cassandra, your mother was one of the most bravest women that I ever met....and she loved her children....she loved Blake....she loved Maya...and she loved you....she still does...

James turns her chin, causing Cassandra to face James.

James: She's not gone...this isn't goodbye...she's here....her spirit is here with you.

James and Cassandra touch foreheads. In the city, Sarah and Ashley are walking.

Sarah: So, what?

Ashley: "So what" what?

Sarah: What do you think about all this? Did you want to shoot Barnes as much as I did?

Ashley: More or less.....shit's going down and it can't possibly get any worse.

Suddenly, Midtown Manhattan civilians and pedestrians are at the gate as Mitchell and Caleb are seen on top of the gate with two other Midtown Manhattan fighters with the civilians demanding to leave.

Ashley: What the hell?

Midtown Manhattan Civilian: Open the damn gates now!

Mitchell: Everyone calm down! Just step back!

Mary: It's not safe here anymore! We want to leave!

Caleb: You don't want to go out there, Mary. There's Skinners out there!

Kelly: Those monsters that attacked last night are worse than the Skinners! They murdered my husband!

Charlie: Let us out now!

A Midtown Manhattan Civilian attempts to run up the gate, but Mitchell kicks him back, causing shock to the crowd of people.

Mitchell: Stand back!

Caleb: Mitchell, relax, man!

Sarah and Ashley run over to the crowd of civilians demanding to leave.

Mitchell: Look, nobody is leaving.

Midtown Manhattan Civilian: Who the fuck made you in charge, boy?!

Caleb: Shit! Mitchell! Skinners!

Mitchell: Take em out!

Caleb, Mitchell and the other two Midtown Manhattan Fighters take out the Skinners approaching the gates. Sarah and Ashley attempt to calm down the crowd.

Sarah: Everyone just stay calm.

Mary: It's not safe here anymore. We have to leave! This place is nuts!

Ashley: Mary, trust me! If the Skinners don't kill you, those monsters will. It's too dangerous.

Charlie: We'll take our chances out there, honey.

Kelly: Please! We want to leave!

The Midtown Manhattan Civilian in his car honks his horn for a long period of time, before a Midtown Manhattan Guard aims his weapon at him.

Sarah: Hey! No!

Mitchell: Yo! Stop the damn horn! Stop the goddamn horn!

Mitchell aims his weapon at the driver, stepping down from the gate.

Sarah: Mitchell!

Mitchell: Get out of your car now!

Caleb: Mitchell, wait!

Ashley: Put the gun down!

Mitchell: I said get out of the fucking car! Get the fuck out!

Mitchell forces the driver out, before throwing him to the ground.

Ashley: Mitchell! Stop!

Mitchell: I don't take orders from you!

Caleb: Mitchell, c'mon, man! You're only making things worse!

Sarah: And shoving a gun in their faces won't help!

Suddenly, Kyle shoots a round into the sky, stopping the protesting.

Kyle: What the fuck is going on out here?! Huh?! 

Kyle turns to Mitchell.

Kyle: Mitchell? What are you doing? You're aiming guns at people and dragging them out of cars?!

Mitchell: There's a riot out here, Kyle! I'm doing something about this...unlike you.

Charlie: You know what; Mitchell's right, Kyle...if you had been here, none of this would've happened...Alexandria would still be alive...Walter....Olivia....Tanner....

Sarah: Hold on, this is not on him.

Kelly: What about that man you brought back? Isn't he the man who tried to attack us three years ago?

Kyle: Look, there's-

Suddenly, screaming is heard in the distance.

Midtown Manhattan Civilian: Infected! Oh my god!

The female Midtown Manhattan civilian screams.

Ashley: What the fuck?

Kyle: Get out of the way....get out of the fucking way!

Kyle, Mitchell, Sarah and Ashley sprint to the disturbance, before noticing a pack of Skinners with Jake holding them off. One of the infected is attacking and biting a civilian, before the female civilian runs off.

Kyle: Jake!

Kyle pulls out his machete and slices the Skinner attacking Jake. Ashley shoots down the other Skinners, before Sarah kicks the Skinner off attacking the male pedestrian. Mitchell guns down the other Skinner, before Sarah executes the last Skinner. The male civilian is dying from the bites, before the crowd of civilians walk up.

Mary: Oh, my god...what do we do? Someone help him....please...do something...

A short tense pause.

Kyle: Jake....

Jake: What? I can't-

Kyle: Jesus Christ.....

Kyle mercifully kills the dying Midtown Manhattan Civilian before walking off.

Kyle: Fuckin makin me do it, you asshole....

Kyle turns to Mitchell and Caleb.

Kyle: You two get this shit under control....fuck.

Kyle walks off. In the holding cells, Shawn is having a cigarette as he watches Barnes, who is handcuffed.

Barnes: You got one more?

Shawn hands Barnes a cigarette as he lights it.

Barnes: You know this shit ain't good for you?

Shawn: I know.....I gotta give this shit a rest.....

Barnes: I knew your Uncle for some time....he and my brother were friends.....he seemed a good man....may he rest in peace....wasn't that his? The crossbow?

Shawn presents Barnes Colins' crossbow.

Barnes: hmm....nice....what year model is that?

Shawn: 2005....Dad gave it to him as a going away present....

Barnes: Hmm....I remember my first present from my Dad....I think it was a sketching book....couldn't draw for shit though....Rick was more of the artist.

Shawn: This the part where we going to act like we're friends or somethin....I owe you something because what? You taught me and Kyle how to be soldiers.

Barnes: We taught you how to survive, boy. You know; I think Ryder saw potential in you....he saw a purpose...but you chose to fuck it all over. You and Kyle.

Shawn: I chose family over military....and Ryder betrayed me when your brother killed my father.

Barnes: We've all betrayed someone, son....you sure you're on the right side, Burton?

Shawn: I've chosen my side....if you were on the right side, you'd still have a left arm.

Barnes scoffs.

Barnes: Never liked that arm anyway...couldn't get a stroke off it.

Shawn: I didn't need to hear that.

In Kyle's home, Kyle is gathering up weapons as Sarah walks in.

Sarah: What the hell was that?!

Kyle: What?

Sarah: You killed one of our wounded and just take off like that? You need to calm them down! Talk to them!

Kyle: Alexandria could've. Why should I?

Sarah: You were able to rally them up for war once.

Kyle: Yeah, once...back when Kronos was around....this enemy is bigger than them....you didn't see what they did to the humans they captured....to Walter...they broke him...my friend...

Sarah: Kyle, I get you're upset, but they are panicking, and you need to pull them together. They're ready to break down those gates.

Kyle: So, let them. I don't give a fuck.

Sarah: They won't last two days out there!

Kyle: They've had it easy for the past three years! Casinos, clubs, parties like we're on fucking vacation.

Sarah: Don't get pissed at them because you're pissed at yourself. Each one of them is scared....and you are too.

Kyle gives Sarah a look.

Sarah: Aren't you?

Kyle: We're at war, Sarah....and we always will be...Kronos...Zeus Corps....Skinners...Blood Hogs...Condemned...doesn't matter. We'll always be at war.

Sarah folds her arms.

Sarah: So why did you bring Barnes here? He was one of those prisoners?...you should've just killed him. Why? Why didn't you?

Kyle: You know he's got that superhuman shit in his veins....Plus, I think Shawn's right....we can't win this fight alone.

Sarah: Barnes tried to kill us.....he murdered Billy and Nathan...in cold blood....he kidnapped you and took you to a man who stabbed you in the gut, remember?

Kyle: Barnes was the only one who survived the Condemned torture.....whatever he injected himself with made him immune to all those drugs...same shit his brother took....we have our backs against the wall and now a lot of our people are dead...Tanner, Olivia, George, Elton, Bruce....The President of the Wasteland....Cameron....who failed the kid....Walter....who was one of our closest friends since Cratersville.....Alexandria....the woman who could've calmed those people out there...that man out there I shot, Tom, is another casualty of what's to come....

Sarah: I'm your wife...don't you dare fucking try to push me out.

Ashley knocks on the door and enters.

Kyle: What?

Ashley: Um...everyone's on the streets again...it could get bad.

Kyle sighs.

Kyle: I got it..

Sarah: No...I got it.

Sarah leaves as Ashley walks up to Kyle.

Ashley: I heard you guys talking about Barnes and Nathan and I know now's not the time, but I think you need to come clean with what happened between you and Nathan.

Kyle: They won't understand. She wouldn't.

Ashley: Bullshit....Sarah would. Shawn would....Kyle, he killed Billy...he tried to kill us....Nathan was my brother and I miss him, but I'm not angry at you for what you had to do. You didn't have a choice.

Kyle: Ashley, we can't.....we can't call up anyone to court to see if they witnessed Nathan or Billy being killed by Barnes....

Ashley: Kyle, you're married to my sister. What do you think she'll say when she finds out? You're their leader....Nathan was my brother too. I loved him, but he went too far...was willing to kill his own sisters to get his way. He was out of control. You did what you had to do. You saved my life....and you're my brother too.

In the streets of Midtown Manhattan, the crowd of citizens are standing around with Mitchell and Caleb present, before Sarah and Jake arrive.

Jake: Excuse me. If I could have your attention! Excuse me!

Caleb whistles.

Caleb: Everybody shut up!

The crowd silences.

Jake: Dude...

Caleb: Sorry....but...continue.

Jake: Thanks...

James turns to Midtown Manhattan crowd).

James: The Skinners in the city have been disposed of. The gates have been repaired.

Mary: For now.

Charlie: Where's your brother?

The Midtown Manhattan Crowd murmurs as Ashley steps out, before James, Cassandra and Maya arrive on the scene.

Jake: He is.....gathering some things...he's trying to make up a plan to make things more safe around here.

Charlie: Half our friends were killed, man.

Mary: Kyle shot Tom. I mean we've all suffered and lost so much. We want to know; what are we going to do?

The Midtown Manhattan Crowd shouts in protest till Sarah speaks.

Sarah: You're right, Mary. We do deserve answers and we've all suffered. I've lost my parents and my brother.....Billy.....Walter was one of the closest friends I've had since we lost our town...he survived with us...and it wasn't just him...there were people like James' and Shawns' Uncle, Colin....my brothers' girlfriend, Nora...a man named Dante...they were all my friends...my family....we barely have funerals anymore, because we expect death....Alexandria could've done something about this....but she's gone now....so we have to keep her memory going....keep Walters' memory going....keep everyone we lost' memories going in hope, not in vain....It's been twenty-three years and now an enemy much worse than the last has come....we're outgunned....we're outnumbered...but we can't be afraid....so what we are going to do is dig deep within ourselves to find ourselves to move on....fight for the ones' we love...we pull together and rebuild...not just the walls or the city, but ourselves. 

Kyle is watching Sarah's speech and smiles as does Jake, Ashley, James, Cassandra, Maya, Caleb and Mitchell.

Kyle: We rebuild ourselves....mentally...physically...and fifty years from now, when we have children, when they write stories our survival; these will be stories of how Midtown Mahattan stood in that apocalypse...and how we survived....stories of the Chronicles of the Apocalypse.

The Midtown Manhattan Crowd is heard agreeing.

Sarah: And we will survive.

Jake: Goddamn right we will. 

Jake turns to Mitchell.

Jake: We'll make it, brother.

Mitchell: We will...we will...

The Midtown Manhattan Crowd all shake hands or hug each other, before Sarah looks up to Kyle as both share a warm smile. As Caleb turns, he notices something in the distance.

Caleb: What the hell?

In the distance, a convoy of A.O.W Helicopters, Armored Vehicles and Tanks are seen riding towards Midtown Manhattan, before Caleb and Mitchell step up to the gate and aim their weapons at the convoy.

Mitchell: Soldiers?

Caleb: Take it easy!

Suddenly, Colonel Bowers steps out of the Prime Vehicle and speaks out.

Bowers: Hello there! My name is Colonel Lyle Bowers! I'm with the A.O.W!

Caleb: Nice to meet you, Bowers! Now, what the hell do you want?

Bowers: We got a distress call from one of our boys.

Mitchell: And who would that be?

Jake: Me!

Jake approaches the gate.

Caleb: Jake? What?

Jake: We're going to need some help...and the A.O.W owed me some favors...let em in!

A short pause, before Kyle arrives.

Kyle: Jake...what is this?

Jake: We can't fight these things like this, Kyle...we're going to need men with military experience and none of our boys do....

Kyle sighs.

Kyle: I don't know, man.

Jake: Kyle...do you trust your brother?

A short pause.

Kyle: Let em in, Mitchell.

Mitchell signals the gate keeper to open the gates, allowing the A.O.W to enter. In one of the Prime Helicopters that touches down, the Leader of the A.O.W steps out and walks up to Kyle and Jake.

Jake: Chairmen Axel Pierce. It's been too long.

Pierce and Jake shake hands.

Pierce: As you, Jake. 

Pierce looks at Kyle.

Pierce: You must be Kyle Desipich....

Kyle: Yes, I am. 

Pierce shakes Kyle's hand.

Pierce: Your brother tells me you guys could use some help.