The Rikers Island, is a notorious maximum-security prison located in New York City's East River. Following the outbreak of the Green Poison virus, Rikers Island transforms from a correctional facility into a chaotic stronghold controlled by the Rikers, a brutal faction of escaped inmates.
Pre-Outbreak[]
Before the Green Poison outbreak, Rikers Island was one of the largest jail complexes in the United States, housing thousands of prisoners, from petty criminals to violent offenders. Operated by the New York City Department of Correction, it was infamous for it's harsh conditions, overcrowding, and systemic issues, including allegations of prisoner abuse and neglect. The island's isolation in the East River made it an ideal location for a prison, as escape was nearly impossible without significant resources or outside help.
The facility consisted of multiple jails, administrative buildings, and support structures, all heavily secured with guard towers, barbed wire, and surveillance systems. It's reputation as a place where society's most dangerous were sent set the stage for it's transformation during the crisis.
The Green Poison Outbreak[]
When the Green Poison swept through New York City, society collapsed rapidly. The virus, spread initially via contaminated currency on Black Friday, overwhelmed the city's infrastructure, including it's correctional system. As panic gripped the city, Rikers Island faced its own crisis:
- Staff Abandonment: Corrections officers, fearing for their lives or prioritizing their families, began abandoning their posts. With the city in chaos, reinforcements never arrived, leaving the prison understaffed and vulnerable.
- Inmate Uprisings: The inmates, sensing the weakening authority, rioted. With limited guards and no external support, the prisoners overpowered the remaining staff, seizing control of the facility.
- Breakout: Using stolen weapons, tools, and improvised means, many prisoners escaped the island, crossing the East River to wreak havoc in Manhattan. Those who remained on the island turned Rikers Island into their base of operations.
The collapse of law and order allowed the prisoners to form a new faction: the Rikers. United not by ideology but by a shared desire for power, survival, and revenge against a society they felt had wronged them, the Rikers became one of the most dangerous threats in New York.
The Rikers are led by Larae Barrett, a cunning and ruthless leader who united various gangs under her command. Barrett, a former prisoner with a knack for manipulation, turns Rikers Island into a fortified stronghold, using it as a staging ground for raids into Manhattan.
The Prison Break[]
The jailbreak was a bloodbath. Barrett, with a sadistic grin, seduced the warden into arranging a barge for her escape, only to slit his throat as the prisoners rioted. James Dragov, a First Wave Division agent stationed at Rikers Island to maintain order, watched it all unfold. A former NYCP officer born to a Russian crime family, Dragov had joined the force to fight corruption, only to find it rotten to the core. The Division promised a higher purpose, but the Green Poison outbreak exposed its flaws. The Joint Task Force abandoned civilians, and the Division's rigid protocols felt like shackles. Disillusioned, Dragov made a choice that would define him: he killed the warden and tossed the keys to Barrett’s cell, unleashing the Rikers upon the city.
Manhattan became their playground. Barrett's Rikers reveled in the lawlessness, looting, killing, and torturing anyone tied to law enforcement. They spray-painted their creed across the city: “Fuck Justice, We Want Revenge.” Dragov vanished into the shadows, haunted by his betrayal but unable to return to the Division. Barrett's reign was brutal but short. Second Wave Division agents hunted her down, ending her life in a hail of gunfire at the Lexington Event Center. The Rikers fractured, leaderless, their territories shrinking as infighting took hold.
Months later, a new figure emerged from the chaos. James Dragov, hardened by his time in the wilderness of Lower Manhattan, was approached by Duchess, a Riker who had witnessed his actions during the jailbreak. She saw in him a leader who could reunite the scattered gangs. Dragov, still carrying the weight of his Rogue Status, saw the Rikers as a twisted family - a chance to protect something in a world gone mad. He accepted, storming Wall Street with a small army of convicts and seizing the Stock Exchange as their stronghold. Under his command, the Rikers transformed into a black market empire, trading meat, weapons, and armor to those with the means to pay.