Gerald Walker (Apocalypse Life)

Gerald "Tanner" Walker is a character set to appear in Apocalypse Life.

Pre-Apocalypse
Gerald had a rough childhood growing up; his father was abusive, and his mother has fallen too ill. He grew up without stable parenting, usually taking care of himself.

Upon growing up, he struggled to fit in with the norm, mostly choosing to become anti-social, out of fear and loss of confidence. From here, things only got worse.

His mother finally succumbed to her illness, leaving only him and his neglectful father, who has grown into an alcoholic by this time; he was usually too bed-ridden by this time, but the scars he left were always a reminder to him.

Gerald was jobless for almost all of his teenaged life, falling extremely behind upon graduating. As a quick entrance to a prolific future, Gerald opted to enter the military.

His experience as a marine left him even more scarred, being pitted into violent occasions that would firmly grip his conscience for the times to come. Upon return, he became hardened on the outside, but completely carved on the inside.

He entered numerous programs that would help him forget, but none seemed to work; he was always left with a small, yet significant reminder that would slowly consume him whole again.

His inner torment carried on for a while, until one day, when things seemed to change for the better. He met a woman by the name of Melissa while in one of his recovery programs. The way she made him feel calm without medical assistance made him look at her at a completely different light; like she was his "savior". Thanks to time he spent with Melissa, he managed to complete the recovery program he found her in with flying colors. For once, Gerald was able to relax.

He later married Melissa in hopes of cherishing this moment for as long as he lived. The birth of his daughter was the beginning of the best years of his life.

Post-Apocalypse
His daughter was about seven when the outbreak completely consumed the world. He was thrown into disarray by being called up to service again, this time to defend his own town. He feared for his separation from his family, but remained hopeful nonetheless.

The task at hand proved to be too overwhelming for Gerald, and the military alone; they were outnumbered by an enemy they couldn't seem to understand. He gave up his current task, much like the majority of his squad members. It was partly because of the recurring violence he once thought he had forgotten.

He had a bad feeling about everything; the feelings he left in his past were slowly creeping up on him. He longed for the comfort of his family even more.

But things returned full force; Gerald found his family victimized by the "new enemy". He was forced to kill his wife and daughter, who were unfortunate enough to be infected. It was the most painful ordeal he had to go through; an ordeal he couldn't bounce back from.

After putting down his own family, he lost all hope for living. Darkness consumed his mind. He was forbidden to recover from it this time, as danger loomed around him. He became even more embittered than before. He became ruthless.

Physical

 * Height and Weight: 6'3, 270 Lbs.
 * Physical: Black shaved hair, hazel eye colour, tanned skin

Equipment

 * Clothing: Military helmet, military vest, military clothes and military boots.
 * Equipment: Nightvision googles, Bullet proof vest, ammo belt, holster

Characteristics
Gerald was naturally an easy-going, sympathetic person. His abusive father turned him into a hardened man who finds it hard to avoid conflict.

His experience with the military left him even more cynical, though his natural nature refused to vanish. As a result, he was nothing but tormented upon return.

He discovered his former self upon meeting his wife. It was further augmented when his daughter was born. He regards his family as his savior, both revering and loving them with all he can.

He lost all of this upon being forced to put them out of their misery. His cynicism returned in full force. With it, the feelings of futility and anger were mixed in. He only hoped for himself to survive, and only him; he has no regard for others.

Trivia

 * Gerald Walker was originally suggested by TheWalkingDeadFan156.