I'm so glad I finally got to this! Now, this is an AU based off of the game The Last of Us. So expect zombies, depiction of violence, and a lot of death. I have been planning this AU for a month now but I finally got to it now that I have my own laptop. If you've already played/watched someone play The Last of Us, I'm begging you, keep spoilers to yourself. I really hope you enjoy this cause this will be a part of a multi-chapter series. There will be philinda fear not kiddies. Just not yet. Enjoy!
November 20, 1996
The body in front of Melinda slumps over dead, impaled by the piece of rubble she had stabbed them in the abdomen with. Melinda allows herself to breathe easy for a moment. There had been whispers of plans for a terrorist attack from Bahrain. Her and her team were chosen to meet their correspondent and get the information off the attack. Little did they know they had walked right into a trap, their supposed correspondent fleeing into a building and some goons taking a child hostage in the meantime. The locals looked hesitant to fight, only being controlled by their leader who was now dead on the floor. Except the men didn't stop. They continued to loom ominously towards her. Her pistol was out of range and she had a gaping bullet hole in her leg.
"She's dead." She growls trying to push herself up. "Snap out of it!" As she's pulling herself to her knees she hears a small voice call out in the silence.
"I like the pain." Her blood runs cold as her eyes fall on the hostage. The little girl stalks out from behind the rubble from where she was hiding. When she saw what was strapped to her chest Melinda's heart lept to her throat. A pipe bomb was strapped to her chest with the trigger in her small hands. So that's why they were doing this… "You killed mother." She lets out a small whine. "And now there's so much pain." Eerily, she glances back and forth to the terrified men. "I like all their pain." Suddenly, the girl's face twists to mock their expressions. It's almost convincing in a childish broken way. "I'm scared. I want to leave… Please. Take my hand." Her hand that isn't fiddling with the trigger extends towards her.
Briefly the expression changes again as her head turns towards her own agents. They too had become hostages after they weren't able to defeat the mother. "No. Not them." Melinda begs calling the girl's attention back to her. "Let them go!" Again, the girl walks numbingly towards her. "We can fix this. We can help." She offers, scooting back. "Just… don't."
The girl's eyes almost light up at the notion. A grin spreads menacingly across her face. "Take my hand. Give me your pain. I need a new mother." Melinda feels the bile rise in the back of her throat. "I can take your pain." She whispers when suddenly Melinda's fingers collide with cool metal. Realization pours over her like ice chilling down her spine.
"Stop." She begs. "Don't…" Her voice breaks in her throat as her new plan settles over her. "Just… put your hand down… and stop." Yet the girl continues to press towards her. She doesn't have a choice. Melinda's fingers grip the pistol as her training kicks in. "Everything's going to be alright."
"Mom!"
Melinda shoots awake covered head to toe in cold sweat. Her daughter sits at the edge of her bed, wide eyed and worried. "Bobbi…" She whispers wiping her eyes of the sleep that had held her captive in her memories. "What's wrong?"
"You were whimpering in your sleep again."
"Bob…" She sighs. "What did I tell you about waking me up when I'm having nightmares?"
"Not to?" The blonde asks raising one eyebrow. Melinda almost cracks a smirk at the not so innocent look spreading across her face.
"I could hurt you Bobbi. It's happened before."
"With Maria. I know." Bobbi sighs. "That's not my only reason though. I've got a surprise."
"Why does that make me more nervous than you waking me during my nightmares?" Melinda teases lightly.
"Ha ha." Bobbi rolls her eyes hopping off the edge of the bed. "It's in the living room."
"Fine. Let me get changed." Melinda states sitting up.
"Deal." Bobbi smiles scampering out of the room.
Melinda smiles to herself as she pushes herself out of bed. She should be wondering why Bobbi is awake at three in the morning but she shrugs off the thought. Ever since Phil had convinced her to come to the CIA with him her life had seemed to be changing with every spin. She had taken honorable discharge from the military after Bahrain but then Phil had waltzed in with a smile to her office one day and her life had been flipped upside down since. One mission in particular had her inspecting the case of a serial killer who killed families when least expecting it.
They had finally caught up with the man when he had already chosen his next victims. They were a well off family, martial arts trophies lining the walls. It was almost a surprise to see both parents and the older brother slumped over dead. They had put up a fight, however. Glass littered the floor and the murderer was heavily bleeding. He pointed his gun towards Phil and Melinda shot him between the eyes, without hesitation.
They were about to leave when they heard quick footsteps. A thirteen year old blonde ran out clutching a shotgun and screaming. It was the daughter of the victims, too late to save her family. Melinda's heart ached as the girl collapsed on the ground in tears.
Her name was Bobbi Morse.
In the end it was Maria's suggestion that she take the girl in. Bobbi had turned out to be like her in more ways than one. Maria had spread out an entire history of the girl in front of her while she was doing paperwork just to prove her point. From the multiple martial arts awards to the school record for sneaking around, she had a point.
Now here she was two years later. Melinda almost smiles again as Bobbi spies her walking into the room. Clutched in her hands is a small gift. She should've known. Of all people, she wouldn't forget. Her and Phil that is.
"Happy birthday!" Bobbi exclaims thrusting the gifts into her hands once she's sitting on the couch.
"You woke me up at 2 in the morning to give me my birthday gift?"
"Well you know your schedule. For all I know you could be called out in the middle of dinner." Bobbi frowns. "This is the time where you're exclusively mine."
"Fine but you're making the tea."
"Already on the oven." Bobbi smiles proudly. "Now open it." Melinda rolls her eyes tearing open the intricate wrapping. Lying inside was a brand new watch. The entire thing was black aside from the hands and the etches where the numbers would be. Something she could even wear out in the field. "So you won't be late."
The statement had almost become a joke between the two of them. Melinda had kept Bobbi in martial arts and even trained with her a few times. She allowed the girl to do it competitively when approached at the gym by an instructor. Melinda went to the ones she could make it to but her job didn't make it easy. One day she had ran in just as Bobbi had pinned her opponent. From then on the joke jumped between the two of them as a reminder.
"So do you like it?"
Melinda hesitates looking back and forth between the watch and Bobbi. "Bob this is… It's nice but…" She taps on the glass before putting the watch to her ear. "I think it's stuck. It's not-"
"What no!" Bobbi cries out snatching the watch away to examine it. Melinda can't help the smile from breaking onto her face this time as realization flashes in the young girl's eyes. "Very funny." She groans laying down on the couch.
"Where did you get the money for this?"
"Drugs." Bobbi says without hesitation. "I sell hardcore drugs."
"Oh, good." She shoots back without hesitation. "You can start helping out with the mortgage then."
Bobbi clicks her tongue. "You wish."
It isn't long before Melinda can hear the soft snoring of the girl by her side. As gently as she can she lifts her carrying her back to her room. Softly she places a kiss on her forehead before going to grab a cup of tea.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Bobbi jolts awake suddenly from the ringing of the phone. Groggily she reaches over to pick it up. "Hello?"
"Bobbi? Sweetheart I need you to go get your mom." The voice says urgently
"Aunt Maria?" She sits up suddenly. "What's wrong?"
"I need to talk to your mom now. There's some-" Her voice cuts off with a bang and the line goes dead. Bobbi scrambles out of bed running towards Melinda's room as fast as she can. Her heart drops when she realizes the room is empty. The tv is still on the news, the lady's face blown up on the screen.
"It appears that what we initially reported as riots; seem to be somehow connected to the nationwide pandemic."
"Where are you?" Bobbi asks herself, seeing the flames in the background behind the lady.
"We've received reports that victims afflicted with the infection show signs of increased aggression and-"
"We need to move everybody out of here now. There's a gas leak." A voice states in the background, then a more panicked. "Hey move!"
"There's some commotion coming from beh-"
"Get out of here! Lady, get the hell out of here right-"
A loud boom interrupts as the screen goes white. Bobbi startles looking towards where the sound had stemmed from. From the window she has a view of the city and a ball of fire erupts from the ground.
"Shit." Bobbi's heart jumps to her throat as she sprints downstairs. Cops rush by the window as she slides into the kitchen. The only evidence of her mother's presence was her phone and an abandoned cup of tea that lie on the counter next to one another. Sure enough the phone is lit up with 22 missed calls from Maria.
"Where the hell are you… Call me… On my way." She reads out loud the texts. What could be so urgent that Aunt Maria is coming over at four in the morning? She pushes towards the office when Melinda bursts in from the backyard slamming the door shut behind her.
"Bob." She breathes out relieved. She moves to the desk removing the pistol that she had latched under the desk. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah I'm fine." Bobbi says eyeing the pistol in the older woman's hands.
"Is anybody in the house?" Melinda demands quickly. It's just a bit startling. THe only other time she had heard her talk like this was when… "Bobbi!"
"No. Nobody but us." Bobbi states quickly.
"Don't go near the doors. Go back upstairs and lock your doors. Only answer to our special knock okay?" The two of them had created a special knock for emergencies. Only the two of them, Maria, and Melinda's not-boyfriend Phil knew the knock.
"You're freaking me out Melinda. What's happening?" She demanded to know.
"It's Harlee and Isabelle. Something's not right with them." Melinda says shortly. "I think they're sick."
"Sick?" At that time the glass door shatters. Melinda leaps in front of her, gun pointed and ready.
"Harlee stay back!" Melinda shouts. "Harlee I'm warning you!" The woman she used to know is now dripping blood from her lips, her eyes glassy in the small light of the room and she's running towards them screaming… angry.
"No!" Bobbi screeches as Melinda shoots Harlee in the head. Bobbi watches horrified as her body slumps to the ground. Melinda grabs her by the arm steering her away from the scene. "You shot her." She whispers.
"Bob…"
"She was talking about adopting a kid with Isabelle. She was our neighbor. They were gonna get married and-"
"Listen," Melinda whispers. "Something bad is going on. We have to go. Understand?"
"Yeah." Bobbi sniffs as headlights shine through the window.
"That's Maria. Let's go." Melinda leads her out of the house still barefoot and in her pajamas.
"Where the hell were you?" Maria growls. "Do you know how many calls I've gotten from Phil? Do you have a clue what's just happened?"
"I have an idea." Melinda deadpans helping her into the back of Maria's large car.
"Shit you're covered in blood."
"Not mine." Bobbi hears Maria let out a breath climbing into the car. "Good. Phil would have my head if I let anything happen to you."
"They say half the people in the city have gone crazy."
"Harlee worked in the city." Bobbi informs numbly.
"Shit, Hartley too?" She sees Melinda nod. Her posture is stiff, like it is on a bad day. They drive towards the highway in stunned silence. Bobbi lets out a whimper as they pass a house lit up in flames. She'd known the boy who lived there. They used to play together all the time.
"Are we sick?" Bobbi asks.
"No, sweetheart." Maria sighs. "It's complicated." Bobbi sucks in another breath as they cruise right past a family calling for help on the side of the road.
"They can't be helped now." Melinda sighs. "We have to worry about ourselves."
As they approach the highway they see cars lined all up the street. Obviously all going the same direction.
"Shit!" Maria exclaims hitting the wheel. She watches as a man steps out of his car shouting angrily at the person in front of him. Suddenly a body collides with his tackling him to the ground. Another body runs climbing into the open door to the passenger.
"Maria!" Her aunt snaps out of it spinning the car just as a body collides with her window. They speed down the street before coming to a road blocked by a car. There's just enough room to squeeze the car through but people are running from there. Bobbi holds her breath until they make it through without casualty. She's the first one to see the headlights of the car rushing towards their side.
"Look out!"
But it's too late.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Melinda coughs as she blinks heavily. The car is flipped on it's side and the hood is smoking profusely.
"Mom?" Bobbi asks.
"I'm okay." She whispers. The door on her side is pinned to the road and there's no way she could safely climb out Maria's side. It's nearly demolished. Melinda twists herself kicking open the windshield with a spray of shattered glass. She grimaces slightly as she climbs out of the car. Suddenly a body is on hers hissing, growling, and spurting blood across her cheek. It chomps at her menacingly before Maria jumps from nowhere smacking the thing in the head with the butt of her pistol, then shooting it twice.
"Watch your back." She grunts.
"Mom?" Bobbi is half out of the car now looking at her fearfully.
"Come here." Melinda states reaching inside the car to help carefully pull her out. Bobbi nearly collapses in her arms when she tries to stand on her own.
"My leg." She whimpers. Melinda bites her lip thoughtfully before passing Maria her own pistol.
"Keep us safe." She orders lifting Bobbi into her arms. They weave their way through the city like that, Maria leading the charge with her taking slack. They dive into an alley when another man lunges at them. Bobbi buries her face in her shoulder as Maria shoots. They take off running again before jumping into a bar her and Phil would frequent after rough missions.
Maria pushes herself up against the door fighting the bodies trying to push against her.
"Get to the highway!" Maria shouts.
"What? No! I'm not leaving you behind!"
"I'll be fine. You've got Bobbi. Now go!" Melinda shares a last look before running off. She runs as fast as her legs can carry her. Two of the infected are hot on their tail. She can hear them panting and groaning behind her when suddenly a gun goes off taking out the two behind her. Bobbi screams burying her face in her shoulder.
"Mom?"
"We're safe." She whispers in relief. "We're safe…" Melinda approaches the hill where a man in uniform clutching a gun stands waiting for them.
"Stop!"
"I'm Agent Melinda May! I'm with the CIA! My daughter is hurt and we need help!" She shouts.
"Stop right there!" The man growls pointing the gun towards the two of them. Melinda freezes nodding at his command.
"Listen, we're not sick."
"But Aunt Maria." Bobbi whimpers before she shushes her.
"Got civilians on the perimeter. Please advise." The man says out loud. She's quick to notice he's got a comm in his left ear listening to some commander.
"We'll get you safe then I'll go back for her. Got it?" Bobbi nods numbly.
"Sir, there's a little girl." Melinda tenses at his tone. She almost sees dread fill his face. She'd recognize that look from anywhere. It was the same one she'd had all those years ago. "Got it."
"Shit." Melinda takes off running just as the gun begins to spray at the two of them. Melinda grunts tumbling forwards as she takes a shot to the shoulder blade. Bobbi slips from her arms with a shriek, the two of them rolling down the hill. Melinda rolls onto her back ready to kick out his ankle when another shot goes off. Maria spits on the man as he's lying down, sneering at his dead body.
"Twice today." She frowns.
"Just a flesh wound." Melinda states pushing herself to her feet.
"Oh no." Maria breathes. It is then that Melinda hears the whimpers. Her heart drops as she spies Bobbi lying across the way clutching her stomach.
Melinda drops to her knees beside her checking the wound. "Maria your jacket!" She shouts. Maria's standing there simply shocked. "Your jacket!" She thrusts the thing at her and she presses it to the wound. "I need you to breathe for me Bobbi. Deep breaths." The blood is already beginning to soak through the jacket. Crimson is staining her fingertips.
"It hurts." Bobbi cries, her frame wracking with sobs.
"I know. I know." She can feel the tears building behind her eyes. No doubt that the commander would be sending back up soon. "You're gonna be okay. Just look at me Bobbi." But her eyes are already staring at the stars, unseeing. They've already glassed over with a sight a lot calmer than the storm swirling around them. Her hand falls limp by her side as her body slumps in her lap. "No." Melinda whispers. "Look at me Bobbi!" She screams gripping the girl's cheek, smearing the perfect porcelain with red. "Look at me!"
"Melinda!" Maria shouts.
"Look at me!"
"Melinda she's gone! We have to move!" Maria shouts.
"No! I can't leave her! I have to stay with her!"
"Melinda!" She buries her face in her daughter's curls allowing sobs to overcome her body.
"I can't leave her…"