The sun sank red that evening. The sky was heavy, permeated with dull amber rays over the long decimated skyline of Manhattan. Its buildings, once proud, rose like jagged teeth that crumbled in the glow of the sun. Those once grid-like streets were now a wild jumble of newly-sprung alleys that cowered in the buildings' shadows. Only a few skyscrapers remained, thrust upwards in the dying light.

And in one skyscraper, in the last penthouse of what had once been the Upper East Side, the remnants of two families were gathered. A crowd surged below. A swarming mass of dirty bodies, bricks and glass and knives in hand as they battered down the front door. The elevator had been disabled, but that didn't stop their fervour from shoving them up the many stairs.

"I'd say we have five minutes," the man in the penthouse murmured. He was immaculately dressed, even in these times, his eyes blue and cold. His tone was brusque.

The woman at his side squeezed his arm, almost imperceptible. She had far darker eyes than her husband, slanted cheekbones and black hair. She closed her eyes now. "Dorota will look after them, won't she?"

The other woman stopped pacing. Her mouth was set in a grim line. "She will." She was as curt as the man. The truth was that Dorota would be lucky to get away from the building at all. But at least the children had a head start – that was all Eleanor was able to give them.

The Waldorfs and the Basses were the last of the old families left in Manhattan – the last that hadn't fled across the bridge to Brooklyn - and they were about to pay the price.

They'd spotted Dorota. Not all of them – most were too busy flooding the building and baying for Upper East Side blood. But enough that she was forced to pick up her pace, struggling to hold the two babies as she fled through the uneven streets, heart hammering in her chest. A stone struck the back of her head.

"Get the bitch!"

She'd been seen leaving the building and that was enough. She threw herself down a side alley. If she could just hide the children -

"Rich scum!"

She slid them into a dumpster, one after the other, trying to ease their wriggling bodies as she prayed they wouldn't make a noise. And then she turned, because her pursuers were upon her. She'd done all she could.

That night a scavenger prowling the site – bloodshed always resulted in good pickings – got the shock of his life when he heard a faint cry. Stepping over the body of the maid, he peered into the dumpster and was faced with an even bigger shock.

A baby.

No, not a baby – two babies.

Two squalling little bodies, a girl with wide brown eyes and a boy with even darker eyes, abandoned in the night. His baby fingers gripping her fist as two tiny hand curled around each other.

Howard Archibald had made a mistake.

One could argue that leaving Brooklyn at all was a mistake – no one ventured into Manhattan any more. Not unless they had a death wish. So said all the figures of authority in Brooklyn. But the most important figure and the highest authority – and Howard's father in-law – had sent him on a mission. The only people that usually braved the city were the traders; and it was dangerous, but usually worth it.

All Howard had needed to do was oversee the latest shipment.

But his guide was looking increasingly shifty and Howard had a nasty feeling that they'd just come down the wrong alley. The guide was peering at the buildings now, trying to conceal the fact that they were obviously lost. The sky was darkening. Of all the bad ideas, staying in the city past nightfall was the worst one.

Howard was about to give his bodyguard an order when he realised they'd reached a dead end.

He turned too late.

The guide was already dead.

He tried to move behind his guard as a series of ragged figures emerged from the shadows. "What have we got here, boys?" The voice was rough. Jeering. "Don't look like you belong here, sir."

The bodyguard raised his gun – but they got him first. A brick to the head. The people left in Manhattan were savages who didn't even have real weapons. But the twenty years of training Howard's bodyguard had gone through counted for nothing as he slumped to the ground in a pool of blood.

One of the men grinned at Howard. He had sharp teeth and that lean, hungry glint in his eye that they all did.

"Please," Howard attempted. "Just take the goods." William van der Bilt's looming presence was safe in Brooklyn meant nothing in this alley. Nothing when Howard could see the glint of a crude knife in the darkness. "Please-"

They laughed at him, this pathetic excuse for a man. Hands soft from not a day of labour. All pricey suit and no spine.

He went to move forwards, to reason with them as his breathing came in weak gasps. And then he choked, stumbling backwards as something struck him in the gut. The knife, he realised numbly, was embedded in his stomach. One of the other guys stepped up to finish the job.

And then there was a bang.

The men cursed, looking for something over their shoulders, attention no longer on the man slumped before them. Theirs was not a particularly big group, and a rival gang could pick them off in seconds. They forgot the goods and scarpered.

Howard leaned back against the brick wall, wheezing for breath as he tried to pull the knife out. He could feel his consciousness slipping.

He didn't even hear them approach.

But suddenly a white face was gazing down at him – a boy – a boy that looked no older than his own son. But this boy's face was sharp, slanted, and his eyes dark and strangely blank. Merciless. How could a child be merciless?

"Is he dead?"

A girl swam into Harold's vision. She was even smaller than the boy, penetrating brown eyes and dark hair pulled back. They both wore thin clothes and had the same fierce, half-starved look as they examined him.

"Not yet." The boy sounded as indifferent as she did.

"Please-" Howard attempted weakly.

They ignored him. He was going to die either way, and they had goods to take for themselves. Scaring away the men from earlier had been even easier than usual. This would be a quick, clean job.

Howard watching with fading vision as they set to work on the boxes, neatly slitting them open. The girl's voice was loaded with scorn as she emptied the contents of the first one. "It's all cigarettes." She'd been hoping for food, at least. Cigarettes were of no use to them – no one here was willing to trade them.

The boy scoffed. "This one too."

They spared the dying man quick glances of disgust. There was no compassion on either of their faces. He could at least have had something worthwhile.

"Check his wallet," the girl instructed, but the boy was already there. The girl slipped round to peer over his shoulder, both of their dark heads bent over the expensive leather. Money – useless here. Howard watched photos of his wife and son tossed to the ground. Neither of them had any interest in family.

Something shone – Howard's naval badge. It had been passed down from his father. The boy examined the bronze critically. They might be able to trade it. He slid it into the girl's hand.

"Come on. Let's get out of here."

They didn't even glance back as they disappeared into the night, hand in hand.

A/N - So, like I said...this is very AU. I would almost call it crossover, except I got the idea from a number of films rather than one. (I recently watched 28 Days Later and The Book of Eli - plus The Hunger Games - call them inspiration?) Anyway, I don't think I've ever come across any future - as opposed to historical - fics, and there may be for a reason for that! So I have no idea if this will work. Personally, I'm interested in worlds like this, but I don't know if they necessarily work with Gossip Girl. I'm going to try, anyway! As mentioned, there will be violence. Chuck and Blair are not going to be nice people, but I hope as chapters develop they won't be unlikeable. Just a bit harder than their characters on the show. This is obviously just setting the scene - there will be much more CB and explanation to follow. And the 'Wuthering Heights' influence will become clearer.

So...please let me know if there's any interest to continue? :)