Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, The beginning

Your majesty

Darcy strode confidently into the king's war room, having been sent for as soon as he arrived. He bowed respectfully and waited to be acknowledged. The King was in a wild debate with his general when he noticed Darcy. "Ah Darcy, I am glad you could come so soon. I see that the scourge has not hindered you in your promptness. Come I have much to discuss with you." said his majesty gesturing for him to come to him. The king stood in front of a large map, where various pins and markings were spread out in multiple colors for various means.

"As you can see Darcy, we cannot combat the scourge in Hertfordshire . I have sent several colonels and they have all met their peril at the hands of unmentionables. I fear there is a leak in our command, that dare I say ...is in league with these foul creatures." said the King gravely sitting back in his chair and taking a gulp of brandy. Darcy could see the dark circles under his majesty's eyes, the look of utter defeat washing over the young king making Darcy stiffen. "Surely there is someone who could take over the remaining regiments in Hartfordshire? Perhaps a general? A captain even?" he said trying to find a answer to this problem. The king sighed before replying "There is one, however they lack the full knowledge of how the militia works. Plus they would be tested greatly when taking command, no one would readily accept them as commander."

Darcy huffed annoyed at politics and spoke plainly "They will if you issue an order for them to follow, how bad could this man be?" he stated making the King look at him with amusement. " Perhaps it is not one ...The person I am speaking of is in fact a woman. One of which I believe you have some acquaintance with." he said making Darcy's eyes narrow and shoulders go rigid. With a carefully placed impassive tone he asked "May I inquire as to who this woman is? Surely it is not my aunt..." The king smiled before replying "Miss Elizabeth Bennett is the one of whom I speak,  the fiercest of the protectors in Hertfordshire." Darcy's face went impassive before he stated "You wish for Miss Bennet to become the commander of the Hertfordshire regiments. Surely there is another better suited."

The king laughed before replying "Darcy she is the prodigy of the Chinese deadly arts, her masters couldn't teach her much more than what she has learned. Like you, she ranks to that of a colonel and I think it's time she officially received that title." Darcy sighed as he muttered "Those men won't know what will hit them."

Three in the afternoon

Elizabeth was walking by the edge of town when she heard a multitude of gun shots coming from the forest. Her attention was instantly drawn as many villagers scattered and made way into their homes. She pulled her sword from her scabbard and ran off in the direction of the shooting. As she came to the fork in the road of the forest path she found part of the regiment engaged in a fight with a horde of unmentionables. She ran to the highest ranking officer, whom she recognized as Captain Denny. "Captain! Where did this horde come from!??" she exclaimed utterly bewildered by the sheer size of the zombie horde. Captain Denny spun around startled by the Bennet sister but ultimately relieved as he quickly replied " One of the left tenants was doing routine check ups on Misses Beachum's orphanage, the whole place was crawling with the undead. He reported back and we went to eliminate them, only to find that several dozen more had since joined those of the orphanage."

Elizabeth frowned, the fall of Misses Beachum's orphanage was a sad blow, so many children to young to fight had now joined the undeads ranks. "Get four of your men to go three hundred yards back and set up explosives, the rest of you circle around to the south west to avoid the explosion." she ordered, her eyes observing every movement the unmentionables made. The Captain looked at her haughtily and asked "Who will be the one to go into the hordes and spring the trap?! I don't have a death wish." Elizabeth's eyes narrowed at his self righteous statement before she replied "I will do it, get your men into position." The Captain looked ready to protest but upon her giving him a murderous expression for questioning her he shouted "Left Tenant Wickham! Take your squad three hundred yards behind us and set up explosives! The rest of you circle around back to town!" The men didn't need to be told twice, and began backing up as they shot at the unmentionables. Elizabeth moved around the soldiers and waited till they stopped firing, she lunged into the front of the unmentionables.

She slashed as several decaying hands tried to seize her, her blade severing them at the wrist causing them to cry out. She began backing up sending several unmentionables tumbling down, her boot made contact with three faces as she spun around kicking with aggression. "Miss Bennet!" exclaimed the Captain signaling for her to run. Her eyes locked with the Captain's before she finished off the zombie she was cutting up. She sprinted towards the Captain, a dozen unmentionables on her heels. Seconds after she passed the visible explosive it went off, blowing the unmentionables pursuing her into large chunks. With a calming breath Elizabeth turned to Captain Denny "How many men did you lose?" she asked her tone calculating. Wickham however was the one to respond much to her surprise "Only one soldier, Lieutenant Carter. Poor soul gave his life for my own." he said, his voice full of sadness and regret.

Elizabeth frowned surprised that someone would give their life for someone as Wickham's character in days where the apocalypse is looming. She knelt down and wiped her sword upon the grass ridding it of the blood and dead flesh it had taken moments ago. She stood back up sheathing her sword before impassively suggesting "Burning the remains would be the safest course of action. I will leave you to it." With those words she walked away, unaware of the mixed reactions she was receiving. Ordering a militia regiment with not militia background was not unheard of however, it was unheard of for it to be done by a woman. She went back and found her horse, she mounted and decided to check the safety of Meryton's neighboring estates.