A/N: So, I loved The Walking Dead Game, and I happen to adore The Last of Us, so why not do a crossover fiction? Please review and let me know what you think of it.
Lee was fast asleep. He was dreaming, for once in his life, as there were normally nightmares. He couldn't remember what it was about, but it felt pleasant… Hell, he even felt fucking safe.
He was then woken up in his sleep. Someone was knocking loudly on door.
Bang, bang.
Lee groaned, opening his eyes.
Bang, bang.
He sat up from his bed, yawning.
Bang, bang.
Finally, he snapped. "Alright, alright, I'm coming!" As he jumped from his bed, he mumbled to himself, "Calm down, for God's sake."
He walked from his bedroom to the living room. The person on the other side of the front door was still knocking impatiently. It was probably urgent, Lee realised. As he looked through the peep hole in the door, he frowned in confusion. It was his old colleague, Andrew.
This was going to be interesting.
He unlocked the door and opened it. The man then just walked into his apartment, uninvited. "Uh, yeah, come in…"Lee said sarcastically, slightly annoyed.
Andrew waved his hand dismissively at him. "Not now, Lee. This is important." He appeared breathless.
Lee raised an eyebrow at him, but as he stared at the Fire Fly member, he couldn't believe how much he changed. He had been two years since he last saw him, but Andrew was already aging. He also looked exhausted, as if he hadn't slept in two weeks. "Must be," Lee spoke carefully, "seeming as I haven't seen you or heard from you guys in two years."
He only shook his head to Lee. "I can't waste any time, Lee. So I need you to listen up, okay? It's very, very important." He empathised the last word 'important'.
This can't be good. He knew the Fire Flies weren't doing too great, but for them to come back after all those years? It was definitely serious. "Alright," he finally replied in defeat. "Go ahead."
Andrew took a deep breath, getting ready to talk. "Okay, well Marlene… She needs to speak with you. It's regarding about a girl." Lee felt a sinking feeling in his stomach. He had a funny feeling what Andrew was going to say next. "She's immune Lee-"
Lee cut him off instantly. "Not this again. No fucking way."
"Lee, please, this isn't joke." He started to plead.
"Oh, do you see me laughing?" Lee asked, growling. "There's no way in Hell I'm going through all of that again!"
Andrew then stood in front of Lee, who was now practically begging him. "Lee, at least consider speaking with her first. She says she needs you."
Lee chuckled darkly. "Yeah, Marlene needs a lot of things, but it doesn't mean she'll get it."
When he first met her, Lee admired her. In fact, at one point they were both involved romantically. What he loved about her was her determination, the will for change but most of all, the passion she had. But being in the Fire Flies wasn't what he thought it was. A lot of things happened during his time with the group that Lee would rather forget.
He was then cut out from his thoughts by the Fire Fly. "At least hear her out, Lee."
If there was one more word to describe about Marlene, it was 'stubborn'. He knew that by declining to see the leader of the Fire Flies, he would have heard no end of it.
Eventually, he caved in and whispered, "Fine."
Two hours later, Lee was standing in front the Marlene. She was hiding from the military in a warehouse. Constantly on the move, Lee knew she wouldn't be staying there for long.
Not when you're the most wanted woman in the USA.
It was funny, but even though Andrew had aged, Marlene still looked the same. She had a youthful complexion that most women (or men) would have died for. No, despite the situation she was in, no amount of stress was going to age Marlene.
She was sat on a rotted sofa chair, looking up at Lee, smiling. "How's it going? It's been a long time since we last met." She spoke up.
He remembered when they last departed. It wasn't exactly on good terms. "It's good to see you Marlene." He decided to say.
"I would stand up to greet you, but ah…" She then unfolded her arms, lifted her top up to reveal bandages. "I'm not exactly in good shape."
Lee made a shocked sound. "Jesus, are you going to be alright?"
She looked touched at his genuine concern. "I'll probably be fine. Nothing I can't handle, eh?" Her expressions then grew serious. "But I didn't drag you all the way here so we could catch up."
"I know that. Andrew told me earlier."
She started to breathe deeply, probably getting ready to convince Lee, or she was in pain from her stomach... One of the two. "As you already know, there is a girl who is immune to the disease."
Lee snorted. He couldn't help it. "Yeah, and you want me to snuggle her out, bring her to the university and the world will be saved. Just like last time." He added, darkly.
She shot a look at him. "This is going to be different, Lee."
He started to feel angry. She had no idea what he had to go through the last time it happened. He then quickly spat out, "How? The last time I tried to bring an immune person to the university, he died." As he was being flooded with memories, it was starting to hurt, so he concentrated on Marlene's face instead.
She had the decency to look guilty, at least. "I know… The kid got killed half way through."
"Yes," He grounded out. "And I barely made it here alive."
Marlene then quickly stood up, but hissed in pain, clutching at her sides. After controlling herself, she slowly limped over to Lee, and clasped her hands over his cheekbones, while he stood in silence, curiously watching her. To any other person, her hands would feel rough as sandpaper, but to Lee she always had delicate, soft fingers. Her chocolate eyes were now staring into his eyes, and old feelings from years ago were being brought back to the surface again. "Lee… I hired two smugglers to bring the girl out of Boston, but I just can't trust them. It's not exactly ideal, actually."
He then quickly brushed her hands away from his face. "So why did you choose an ex Fire Fly, huh?" Why me, Marlene?
"I need my current fire flies with me. Our situation isn't exactly great, and we are losing plenty of men out there. You have done this before-"
Lee cut her off. "Yeah, and look how well that turned out." There was an edge to his voice.
She ignored him. "You know where to go. You can help guide the smugglers and take the girl to the university. Plus with more men around, Ellie will be protected." It was the first time Lee heard the girl's actual name.
"Marlene! Do you have any idea what's out there?!" He shuddered, memories trying to creep into his mind. I don't want to think about it.
"Look… if you refuse, it means I will have to arrange for the men to meet them at the Capitol Building. And to be quite frank, I can't lose anymore men. I need them." When Lee gave her a 'go on' look, she continued, saying, "Its means they will be sitting ducks out there, waiting to be killed by the military. As an ex Fire Fly, you will know where to go, and how to deal with difficult situations."
He looked at her, feeling exhausted. "I don't want history to repeat itself like last time."
She her shook her head at him. "It won't. I never thought I would across another immune person again, but Lee… This must be some kind of sign."
"So if she's so important, why not keep her guarded by the Fire Flies?"
"More Fire Flies means more deaths. You know that by now."
He remembered the last time he escorted someone across America. It was painful to think about, but before all the bad stuff happened, he remembered feeling something he hadn't felt in a long time… Hope. He was excited when Marlene told him about the boy being immune. He genuinely thought the world was going to be saved. However, since he was told about the girl, he felt nothing but dread.
Still, he asked her, "And there will be two smugglers with uh," he tried to remember the girl's name, "Ellie?"
She quickly nodded her head, before she held up her hand to him, as if to prevent him from questioning her logic. "I know, not the best idea. But they know their way out of the city, and you remember Tommy? He told me I could always rely on his brother if I ever needed help."
"Fine."
"Fine?"
"I'll… I'll do it."
