The Last of Us: Everything Changes

The smell of smoke was filling the garage, implying that the rest of the house was already swimming in flames. Thinking quickly, Joel began shoving whatever he could find under the door. He knew it was probably futile, but he was a survivor. The thought of giving up only ever came, long after the danger was gone. He had been surviving for so long that it had become second nature. Besides, he was fighting for something more nowadays.

"Ellie," his gruff, Texan voice barked, "tell me we've got more rags."

"Fuck, Joel" she began, flipping her backpack around and getting into the main pocket, "I'm sorry, I know I should have just listened." She pulled out a wad of dirty cloth and handed it to Joel, carefully studying his face for any sign of anger or emotion.

"Ellie, you can bet we'll talk about this later, if we make it out of here. For now, just get over to that window and watch our backs, alright." His hands were already fast at work crafting something dangerous from the rags and other scavenged bits. He felt her gaze holding longer than it should and a wave of conflicting emotion went through him. "Well, how's it lookin'?" he snapped without looking up to meet her stare. He felt a twinge of guilt for dismissing her like that but this was definitely not the time nor place to 'hug it out' in a drum circle.

Ellie felt her own flood of emotion - it always pissed her off when he pulled away like this, even though she had to admit that she probably deserved it this time. She knew better and it was her actions that put them in the bad spot they now found themselves in. But still, at times, she questioned if she would ever really break through. She also wondered why she cared so damn much. Either way, it was going to have to wait. They had been a team long enough that she knew exactly what was running through his mind in this moment, at least when it came to the task at hand. In this world, survival came first.

Springing over to the window, Ellie wasn't surprised to see a group of hunters taking up positions behind whatever cover they could find. "Shit Joel, there's at least three more out the back and two of them have rifles."

"Okay, I'm done but we ain't got much time. This roof's commin' down on us any minute. Way I see it, we're shooting our way outta this one. Here," he said tossing a taped-covered tin can to Ellie. "I'm gonna lift this door a few inches. Light that rag and roll it out as far as you can get it. Let's give it about thirty seconds and pray there's enough smoke to make a break for it." His voice was steady and reassuring, never betraying for a moment that he thought they didn't have a chance in hell.

Counting down, he raised the heavy, rotting garage door with a straining jerk, "Go Ellie, throw it!"

"Shit it won't light!" She shouted as her finger frantically clawed the wheel of the twenty year old butane lighter, until it finally sparked.

"Come... On... Ellie!" Joel shouted, straining against the weight of the broken door.

"Got it!" Ellie squeaked, throwing the burning smoke bomb out, just as the door slammed down.

Joel didn't need to look over to know that the garage doors' rails were bent pretty badly, enough to prevent it from opening more than five or six inches. "Ready Ellie? You go first. Take your pack off and slide under, I'll hold it."

Jerking the door up once more, Joel banked on the heat from the house fire keeping the hunters back and, with a little luck, the smoke would be enough to prevent a well aimed shot. As soon as Ellie was clear, he let the door drop.

"What the hell man? Come on! I can't get this door open by myself!" Ellie strained with all of her might, but couldn't get the door to budge an inch. "Joel, what the fuck man? Come on! We gotta go!"

"Ellie just go! I'll catch up to you!" He felt her body slamming against the door over and over. Suddenly gun fire broke out and the slamming stopped, "Ellie run!" he shouted.

Shots echoed from all directions and a large crash shook the walls of the house. Joel knew he didn't have much of a chance, but he might still be able to up the odds for Ellie. He smashed the butt of his shotgun through the back window and pumped a round. Tossing his backpack through first, he dove out the window and was immediately met by a barrage of gunfire. Joel could hear the hunters shouting to one another and forming a plan. He lit a gas-soaked rag and tossed a molotov cocktail towards the voices, without breaking cover.

The screams of one of the hunters let him know that he had hit his mark. That bought him a second to dip around the side of the garage and back towards the front. He didn't know who, or what, he would find when he got there; but he sure as hell wasn't going down without a fight. Racing around the side, he was caught completely off guard when a hunter came around the corner at the same time and they ran into each other. Instincts took over and Joel immediately slammed the butt of his shotgun into the man's face, knocking him to the ground. Jesus, the kid couldn't be over twenty, but Joel had no other choice and put a round through his chest when the boy started raising his pistol.

Reaching down, Joel grabbed the gun and put it in his waistband. He hadn't heard anyone in this group of hunters with a shotgun and knew the sound would catch their attention. Making it around front, the smoke from his bomb was already starting to dissipate.

"Ellie!" he shouted, but heard no response. This was exactly what he wanted, so why did he feel disappointed now, when forced to admit that he was surprised not to see Ellie?

Their camp was better than a mile down the road, on the edge of town and the sun was dropping fast. Would Ellie have the sense to make a run for it or was she hanging around here trying to make a hero out of herself again?

"Shit Joel, two choices - make a break for camp or fall back into one of these other houses?" he thought aloud. He wished that he could just count on Ellie to do what she needed to and not leave him to wonder. Either way he had to move.

Running out in the open, he banked right and hugged the over grown hedges tightly. His eyes constantly scanned ahead for both hunters and cover amidst the rusting corpses of abandoned vehicles. He was surprised not to have heard any gunshots, but was moving too fast to put any thought or hope in that fact. He came to an opening in the hedge and, before he had time to make the decision whether to stay or go, he was yanked to the ground by his backpack.

"Don't. Fucking. Move. Joel." it was Ellie. The sound of her voice worried Joel, it was both firm and pleading.

Before he could ask her what was going on he heard it - the screaming staccato of clickers locating their prey. They were close and, from the cacophony, many.

"Joel, I've never seen so many before!" Ellie whispered slowly, "Not outside Boston, or even in Philly. They're everywhere!"

This town was obviously occupied and it was rare to see such a large pack this close to people. Outbreaks happened, sure, but the numbers were usually kept down around populated areas. Joel could only guess at the reason why there were so many here. From the sounds, he wagered that there were a couple of dozen, at least. Were these hunters using them as protection, the way Bill had done? That was a very dangerous game to be playing but these guys did seem stupid, or desperate, enough to be playing it. Just then, a clicker silently appeared in the opening of the hedge, less than five feet from where they were crouched. This one had been around for quite some time, its massive fungal growths causing the creature's head to hunch over to one side, so far that it was nearly parallel to the ground.

Unable to turn just its head, the clicker slowly rotated its entire body in the general direction of Joel and Ellie. Foot dragging, it crept closer until suddenly its entire body convulsed softly, starting with its head and working down its spine. It was a shudder of recognition. No one knew for sure how a clickers echo-location worked, but if you had been around them long enough and survived... you knew exactly what came next. The clicker flung its massive head back and exposed a mouth full of broken, razor sharp teeth. It let out one massive, blood freezing scream as it charged straight at them, moving with terrifyingly amazing speed.

In a flash it was on top of Joel, teeth gnashing desperately for just one bite. Joel braced against the onslaught with careful precision, avoiding the bites, but this creature was ferocious. Without saying a word, Ellie was on its back stabbing her switchblade in to its neck over and over until it stopped moving.

Rolling sideways and pushing the lifeless creature off of him, Joel gasped for breath, "Good goin' kid." He glanced down at her handy work, "Well that scream was the dinner bell, we're gonna need to make a run for it. Once we hit the pavement don't stop and don't look back until we're across the bridge. Got it?"

"Joel," she paused until he finally made eye contact, "I really am sorry."

He nodded, "I know, you did fine. Now come on."

With that the two hit the street running as fast as they could. Gunshots rang from all around but neither slowed to see who was shooting, or at what. Joel's body was feeling every year of it and he couldn't keep pace with Ellie. She looked back and slowed but he didn't bother arguing with her, he had neither the breath nor the belief that she would listen.

Once Ellie had slowed enough for him to catch up she said, sounding each word out between gasping breaths, "You were right Joel, I shouldn't have looked back. There's... a lot!"

He didn't exactly have a plan for when they reached the bridge, but he figured it was at least a choke point and would get them closer to the general direction of camp, and their horse. The stomping herd of feet behind him were only growing closer and his lungs were on fire. Rounding the corner, the bridge was in sight but their hearts dropped when they both realized it was blocked by rusting dumpsters and that the far bank was lined by more than a dozen heavily armed men. The men opened fire but Joel kept running, he figured it was preferable to be shot dead than torn to bits. Ellie followed, shoulder to shoulder, adement her fate would be tied to Joel's.

The day before...

They both had experienced so many ups and downs since making it back to Tommy and the relative safety of the dam compound. Joel wasn't sure Ellie would ever be the same after what that son of a bitch David had done or what she had witnessed in their kitchen. She tried hard to act like everything was fine but, whenever she thought Joel wasn't looking, her eyes would drop and she would drift away. He was never one for touchy-feely and hadn't the faintest clue how to approach the situation. But whenever he had a moment, he would walk over and sit down beside her and put his arm around her shoulder. Neither would say a word but, after a moment or two, Ellie would look up at him, smile and rest her head against his chest. He would rub her back a time or two and just sit with her for as long as she wanted to sit.

Stairing into space, she thought often of Riley or Sam and even of her time in school, back in Boston. She thought of Marlene and Tess and worked through to the understanding that Joel had probably lied to her about Salt Lake. She didn't yet know how she felt about that. On the one hand, she was happy to be with Joel and realized he needed her as much as she needed him. But, on the other hand, it was good to know she had a purpose, a reason for living in a time when so few people did. Survival had been everyone's mantra for so long, but for what? Where was this all going? Not having any answers was driving her crazy.

The compound was beginning to run pretty smoothly. Electricity was up most days which afforded the fundamental requirement for any successful society; a means of security by powering the complex network of electrified fences. In addition, it boosted the colony's productivity and quality of life substantially, by providing; entertainment, the ability to fashion more durable tools and work well into the night. Perhaps most importantly of all, it made hot showers, clean clothes and irrigation all possible.

The gardens were really starting to produce now and food was slowly becoming much less of an issue, though the hunting parties still remained as important as ever. Tommy and his wife Maria ran a pretty tight ship and everyone had their part to play in the community. It had taken some time, but Joel was beginning to come to terms with the fact that Tommy was in charge, even though they would still butt-head's almost daily. Maria and Ellie had hit it off right away and grew closer every day. She was the only person, beyond Joel, who knew what had happened last winter at the resort and the two spent time together almost every day. In a nutshell, life in the colony was going great.

It was Ellie's birthday today, just a month after Joel's, and he wanted to do something special for her. She had got his watch fixed by one of the engineers up at the dam. Not knowing the significance, she had given it back to him as a present. Ellie had never seen him take it off, even though it hadn't worked a single day since she met him. Neither had she ever seen him so frantic or angry when he awoke to find it missing from his wrist. She had carefully lifted it one evening, while he was sleeping and collected it from the engineer before he was up. She wasn't expecting his reaction and almost bailed on her plan. He calmed down a little when she presented the small bundle, neatly wrapped in a scrap of bright red fabric with a tiny, but perfect bow.

"Uh, yeah... Happy Birthday Joel!" she said, more reserved than she originally had intended.

"Thanks Ellie, but you know I'm not too big on presents and if you can't see, I got a problem on my hands at the moment." he said, continuing his frantic search.

"Dammit Joel, just open it already!" she said putting her hands on her hips and looking him dead in the eyes.

Opening the small bundle, his face changed from irritated curiosity to confusion and disbelief. "My watch, how did you? Ya know what? Never mind. Thanks..." he really needed to find a way to talk with her about stealing but couldn't find the energy or words to do it now. "Hey Ellie, you might be a little confused on how this whole gift idea is supposed to work..."

"Pshhhh! Joel, just put the damn watch on and quit making it so hard to be nice to you."

Strapping the watch back on his wrist he was speechless and choked up when he realized it was working.

"Ellie, how in the hell..." he trailed off. Suddenly he was back on his couch that night, twenty two years ago. He could hear her voice, again, for the first time. As clear as if she were in the same room;

"You kept complaining about your broken watch, so I thought, ya know..." her eyes scanning his face for any sort of reaction, much as Ellie was doing now; "Do you like it?"

Dropping to his knees, he did something else that he hadn't done in over twenty years, he began crying uncontrollably. He had tried so hard and for so long, not to ever think back to that night. The memory had faded long ago and became nothing more than a feeling of rage, used to justify any action. He could see her face; sleeping on the couch waiting for him to come home, laughing with her friends in the back seat... and dying in his arms. He sobbed as hard as he had done that night, and for every night since which he hadn't.

Ellie was scared shitless. She figured the watch had to hold some special significance, but couldn't possibly have guessed just how much. "What have I done?" she wondered, as she stood above him too scared to move.

When he was done, she kneeled down in front of him and wrapped her arms around his neck. Lifting his arms, he did the same; and the two stayed there, in each other's silent embrace, for a long time.

"Damn Joel, this easy livin' has made you soft!" Tommy's voice and gentle laugh were unmistakable. "Hate to break up... Whatever ever the hell it is yer doin' here, but we sure could use an extra set a' hands with those turbines. Ellie, how you doin' sweetie?"

Joel stood up and pulled Ellie with him by the hand. When their eyes met he smiled and laughed. Mussing her hair and, with a tap of his watch he said, "Thanks kiddo," and went to work, knowing things had forever changed between them.

Today was her birthday. Joel knew she was still having a hard time and he wanted to do something special, to repay her for what she had given him. He had an idea but carrying it out was going to be rife with difficulties and would have him making some painful admissions.

He guessed that she had already figured out that he was probably lying about Salt Lake, mercifully she hadn't pressed the issue. If she had, he figured that he would continue the lie no matter what the cost to himself. In his mind the issue was black and white - you stand by those you love and do what's best for them, regardless of whether or not it's easy or kind. He could give two-shits about Marlene or her cause and, even if he did believe they could have found a cure at the expense of Ellie's life, it was never fair to ask a child to make that decision. He wasn't oblivious to the fact that this choice was also a little self-serving, but that was never his primary motivation. The fact was, in all likelihood, it would cost him his relationship with her one day.

Perhaps it was because of his own recent experience with grieving that he came to understand how important the process was and why there was so much ritual and ceremony with the burying of the dead. He learned that no matter how much it hurts, the only way to heal is to embrace the pain head-on; fight it until the joy of memory outweighs the pain.

Joel was terrified that Ellie was heading down the same path as him, that she would spend the next twenty years burying her pain until her soul was so deeply hidden, it would suffocate and die. He was determined to save her that fate. Finding the time when he wasn't either working or with Ellie was a challenge, but he pulled it off. Early that morning, before the sun was up, he gently shook her awake.

"Come on kiddo, wake up" he said, still crouching beside her.

"Joel," her voice tired but serious, "You. Suck."

He smiled and she returned the favor, trying to make it as sarcastic as possible. She stretched her whole body then quickly pulled the covers over her head and rolled the other direction.

"Alright than." Joel replied, the smile still across his face as he stood up and pretended to walk away. "I just thought that today was your birthday," his voice deliberately nonchalant, "but if you don't like surprises..."

Her eyes flashed open. She was up faster than he thought possible and she danced across the room to him, automatically pulling her short hair back into a ponytail.

"Hell Ellie, if I knew you were gonna, what was that - a prance? Well... I wouldn't of bothered." He reached in to his backpack and pulled out a small package, wrapped in heavy brown paper and tied shut with string. He handed it to her without looking over.

"What's this?" she asked, trying to keep her excitement contained.

"Dammit Ellie, just open it already." Joel's smile grew bigger.

She smiled back in acknowledgement and rolled her eyes. Inside was a small stack of comic books with a handwritten note:

Ellie,

I hope you like these. Me and

some of the boys have been

keeping an eye out, when we

head to town on supply runs.

Good luck with the cliff-

hangers and happy b-day.

-Joel

"Thanks Joel" she said, smacking him on the back. "I just finished my last one yesterday, well a few hours ago," she corrected herself while looking up at the sky and faking a yawn.

"Well, there's no accounting for taste, but I know you like 'em" he joked bumping her with his elbow.

"It's just nice being able to read, ya know? So who did you get to write this note?" She tried not to laugh but did anyway.

"Alright come on, I got somethin' to show you and we have some chores to get out of the way." Joel motioned for Ellie to follow him. They made their way outside into the crisp, pine-scented air and past the turbine rooms, amidst the steady whine of the generators and the roar of water. They greeted a group of men on patrol before reaching the horse stables. Joel unlatched the door and walked in, "I told Tommy we'd feed the horses this morning, it will just take a minute."

"Okay" she replied. She didn't mind a bit, it was one of the few jobs she looked forward to.

"Grab some hay, we'll start down at this end" Joel said as he grabbed a brush hanging on the wall.

They reached the far end of the stalls and Ellie tossed a flake of hay into the first metal basket. "This guy is new," she said reaching out to rub his nose. "Hey fella, what's your name?" Looking down she saw a carefully carved wooden sign, with his name:

"CALLUS"

Her forehead scrunched and her eyes narrowed in recognition of the name but it took a few seconds longer for its meaning to sink in...

"Joel" she said quietly then, after a moment, "Joel!" much louder at the understanding.

"I wasn't sure if you'd think it was weird to name him-" she cut him off.

"It's perfect Joel. He's perfect!" Turning towards him and hugging him with force she finished, "You're perfect."

"Alright now" he said hugging her back, "don't get too crazy. He's gonna be a lot of work. He's broken, but that's about it. He'll need food, training and exercise everyday and his stall cleaned too. That's gonna be your job from now on. He ain't ready to ride yet either, so don't let me catch you on him, alright?" He looked down at her, hoping his expression conveyed that he was serious about the amount of responsibility.

"I know, I know, I know" she kept repeating, shaking her head up and down.

"Here" he said handing her the brush and taking the hay. "Why don't you spend a couple of minutes getting to know each other and I'll finish up feeding the horses?"

He didn't have to ask twice. She was in the stall, brushing him out before the first flake dropped in the next basket. "What is it with girls and horses?" he asked the horse in front of him, as he gave him a pat on the neck. "Nah, you don't know either."

Joel continued feeding the horses, drawing out the process for as long as possible; partly to give Ellie some extra time with Callus but, mostly because he hesitated showing Ellie her final gift. After as much foot-dragging as he could manage, Joel knew it wasn't going to get any easier. "Might as well get on with it" he thought as he approached Callus' stall. "You about finished up in here, Ellie?"

"Yeah" she replied reluctantly. Of course she wasn't, she could have contentedly spent the next twelve hours in that stall but, something in the tone of Joel's voice caught her attention.

Leading her out, they made their way across the top of the dam and over a plank, which spanned the spillway. They had been to this little clearing once before, when they first came to Jackson, though it seemed forever ago now. The number of little crosses had grown and, further away, all alone by the edge of the cliff was a small wooden monument. Taking Ellie by the hand, Joel led her over and crouched down.

"Joel, what is this?" she asked, feeling queasy. She looked down at the flat face of the monument and saw that it had been carefully carved with a list of names. She recognized many: Sarah, Tess, Riley, Sam, Henry and Callus. The list even had "Mom" and "Dad" and some names she didn't know. Carefully layed out in front were objects to represent the fallen - the toy robot of Sam's, a charm bracelet from Sarah, even an emblem from a Harley Davidson for Henry and a headband she presumed belonged to Tess.

Joel watched as she slowly examined the names and articles; a tear rolling down her cheek as she picked up the robot then slowly traded it for the bit he had placed for Callus. "I'm sorry, I didn't know what to put for your friend Riley or your parents."

Ellie held Joel's hand as she softly touched each name on the list. The emotion boiled over and she cried. Joel's mind frantically raced as he tried to justify a reason not to do what he was about to, the same as he had done almost every night since the idea invaded his mind. He just hoped she would understand and forgive him.

"Ellie..." he said slowly, his voice weak and unsure, something he wasn't used to. He waited until she looked up, tears still in her eyes, "There's, um, one more name for this list."

"Ok..." she replied, her forhead scrunching in confusion. "Who?" she asked, but the knot in her stomach betrayed the fact that her mind was already combining suspicion and fear in to the most logical conclusion.

Taking a deep breath and blowing it out, Joel reached out his closed hand above Ellie's, without breaking eye contact. She looked down at his hand and saw the grey-metal chain of a dog tag, hanging from his clenched fingers. She knew right away what it was and who the only person it could belong to. Ellie's mind went into overdrive, as the forced veil of her constructed reality was torn away and she began shaking her head and pushing his hand away. Grabbing her shoulders, Joel pleaded with her to open her hand and take the pendant. She shoved him back, jumped up and ran across the dam, crying. Joel jumped up after her and let the dirty, metal necklace fall. Between the blades of grass, the stamped name could still be read: "Marlene."

He was forced to take the long way after her, when he realized the plank across the spillway was gone, probably floating in the water a hundred feet below. By the time he got around, there was already a ruckus in the camp.

"Damnit Joel, that girl of yours ran off again! She shutdown the whole western fence while she was at it. I got some men after her, but I swear if she pulls this again, that's it!" Tommy was furious.

Without a second thought, Joel grabbed a horse from the stables and was after her. Barreling down the trail, the woods were a green and brown blur. Up ahead Joel could hear voices but he didn't slow down - he just hoped they were Tommy's men. After rounding a corner and a steep climb, he was on top of the voices and recognized the men and the horses. They were at a fork in the trail which had been heavily traveled and they were debating which path had the freshest tracks. Joel was just about to suggest they split up when suddenly the sound of galloping hooves silenced the group.

The men steadied their horses and took aim down the trail - they weren't the only ones on horseback this far west. Suddenly a chestnut thoroughbred appeared far down the trail, galloping and bucking. Joel's worry grew to a panic when he realized the horse was riderless. It was definitely Callus, bareback with reins dragging. Blood ran down his back leg and, with no sign of Ellie, Joel's heart pounded in his chest.

"Take him back to camp and alert Tommy." Joel commanded, holding his hand up at one of the men's insistence they stay together. "I can move faster on my own. If we're not back by sundown... Send a party at first light tomorrow." He was gone before the men could even nod agreement.

Ellie's head start wasn't that great so Joel carefully weighed the risks of either going too fast and missing her, or being too late to help if she was hurt. He tried following the track but he was moving too fast and, besides, the hoof prints had been corrupted on the steep, muddy trail. He was already a few miles out and, with no sign yet of Ellie, his worry continued to grow. He reached the top of the Hill, where the trail descended, before stopping and deciding what to do.

"Dammit Ellie!" he cursed aloud. Dismounting his horse, he approached the edge of the cliff. It was a very steep drop of several hundred feet, but he was able to take in the lay of the land. The thick pine forest made seeing anything as small as Ellie nearly impossible. Scanning further he was surprised to see several plumes of smoke rising in the distance, in the direction of an old, abandoned town. Joel was somewhat familiar with the place; they had passed through the edge of it, on their way to Eastern Colorado and the colony would occasionally venture out that far when in search supplies. He didn't remember the town being occupied, and felt particularly worried at the plumes of smoke. They seemed larger than one would expect and were quite a brazen sign of those that started them.

Joel had no choice but to continue on. He hadn't seen any sign of Ellie or what could have caused injury to Callus. He started his descent and was pleased to see that the tracks had reduced to just one set, he was convinced he was going the right way. "Where the hell was she going?" He wondered. It did not take him long to reach the bottom even though he went slowly and carefully. The trail was steep and muddy and he could see, in the tracks, where the other horse had slipped several times. Once he reached the bottom, Joel fought the urge to gallop ahead, as every step forward brought him closer to the smoke. He doubted Ellie had seen it herself and she could have been riding right into a hornet's nest.

Joel continued on as the light in the forest grew dim and gray around him. His anxiety had swelled to an almost unbearable level when he finally came to a bittersweet discovery. The muddy trail had been stomped and churned so much, that what had occurred was nearly indecipherable. Joel could make out no less than six sets of feet prints, which had enclosed all around the muck of frantic hoof prints. Glancing around he could see where the encounter moved off of the trail to the right, and into the untamed wild.

"Yaw!" Joel shouted, spurring his horse over the thick vegetation and plunging through, headfirst in hot pursuit. Gripping the reins tightly with one hand, he pulled his pistol from its holster, ready for whatever lay ahead. Less than five hundred feet in, he came upon a grisly discovery - the bloody body of a middle aged man, face down in the mud. Just ahead there was a thick bramble of black berries and Joel could see where they were trampled and yanked, right in the middle of the makeshift trail. Hopping down, Joel searched the man, finding nothing. His heart stopped when he flipped the body over and found Ellie's backpack, still trapped in the grip of the dead man. He crushed his fingers with his boot and grabbed her pack, a sickening rage growing within him.

Looking around once more he was sure of what had happened; a group of men had ambushed her on the trail and given chase through the bush. Callus had gotten caught up in the bramble and probably dumped Ellie in a panic. She clearly got the best of one of them, but what had happened next? It's not likely the hunters would have left her pack, if they had gotten her here.

Mounting his horse Joel found a clearing through the bramble and pushed forward. But, before he could even get back on the right course he heard a scream. It was Ellie! Joel spurred his horse hard, pushing him as fast as he would possibly go. Charging through the forest, dodging branches and fallen trees, he quickly came upon the scene.

Two more bodies littered the ground, one holding his severed throat, futility trying to contain his fading life force. Looking up he saw Ellie, her face smashed in the mud by the knee of a large man in filthy winter clothes. He gripped her wrists tightly behind her back as another man kneeled across her kicking feet and desperately yanked her muddy jeans down below her knees.

"Come on beautiful, keep struggling. You know how I like it!" The man on her feet laughed, as he jammed Ellie's fragile, thin legs up and under her body, forcing her neck in to an unnatural position.

Their backs were to Joel and they hadn't yet seen him. Ellie's terrified and pleading eyes finally caught Joel's. He jumped down from his horse, before it had even stopped moving and Joel raced with the speed and certainty of a man with one thing on his mind.

Without saying a word, he placed the barrel of his pistol against the larger man's head and blew his brains all over the forest floor. Startled, the would-be rapist jumped up just in time to catch sight of Joel's enraged face and the nail-covered board he swung with all of his might. The nails pierced his throat and face first before the board shattered against his flesh, tearing his jaw from its place. The creature slammed against a tree, still conscience and jaw hanging as Joel towered over him and drove the shattered board through his skull. He fell forward to the ground, with his face in the mud and his unbuttoned pants around his ankles.

Ellie rolled to her side and covered her face, trying to drag her pants back up with one hand. Joel rushed over and covered her with his jacket. He sat down and pulled her into his lap, "Ellie, it's okay sweetheart. Shh, shh, shh." He tried to calm her, "I'm here. Ellie calm down, ok. There was another one, where is he?"

After a moment she responded between gasping, broken breaths, "They sent him," she cried harder, "They sent him back to their camp."

It didn't feel right, but he had no choice but to get them out of there. He helped her to her feet and led her over to his horse.

"Callus?" she cried as he helped her up.

"He's ok, Ellie. We found him on the trail. He's back at the dam by now." Joel reassured her as he climbed on behind her.

It was growing dark now and Joel knew it was far too dangerous for them to try and find their way back tonight. If there weren't hunters on the trail by now, there certainly would be when this group didn't return. Their only option was to camp for the night. Without a tent or blankets, it was going to be cold and a fire was out of the question. First things first, he had to get them away from the scene of the crime quickly. He headed further into the woods, not daring to go back.

Much faster than he had imagined, they were on the edge of the forest, very near a cluster of houses. His first reaction was to flee but, on second thought, perhaps the hunters would never suspect them to be so close... Joel slid down and handed the reins to Ellie. Neither had said another word until now.

"Wait here, I'm gonna check out these houses." Taking a few steps forward, Joel stopped and turned back, "Don't go anywhere, ok?"

Ellie nodded and, when Joel was out of sight, she leaned forward a wrapped her arms around the horses neck.

Joel was gone for a while and when he finally returned, it was nearly pitch black. "I think we'll be okay here for the night" he whispered as he led Ellie and the horse over to one of the houses and right inside through the sliding rear door. He hadn't seen anyone, but the smell of wood smoke filled the air. They tied the horse to a doorknob in the hallway and hoped he couldn't be seen through the windows. Ellie and Joel sat down on the floor of a nearby closet, still not saying a word. Soon Ellie fell into a fitful sleep with her head resting on Joel's lap. He covered her with his coat and closed his eyes, hearing Marlene' s final words echo through his mind, "...if she's not raped or murdered first!"

"Marlene was right," he thought, "who the hell am I? Me of all people! To decide what is right for this little girl? Wasn't she better off going quietly, potentially a hero, when all she had to look forward to was more of this?" His mind raced for hours until it finally collapsed in pure exhaustion.

Dawn had barely broken when the sounds of men awoke Ellie. They were very close and seemingly all around. She woke Joel with a nudge and motioned for him to be quite before crawling over to a window and peeking out. The back seemed clear so she made her way through the house to the living room window. Joel soon joined her. They were both very grateful for the present danger, as it saved them from the scarier task of working through everything that had happened yesterday.

"Joel, they've got a roadblock setup, just over there at the bridge. I think that's the only way back to the dam. We must have just missed it when we came in last night" her hand motioned from the bridge to the forest.

"Well," Joel started, "I don't think we're gettin' back the way we came. There's just too many of 'em." Taking a deep breath he tried to remember the lay of the land from the ridgeline.

"The river Joel! I think we should skirt the town and head deeper in. It looks like they're putting most of their guys out this way. We can cut back east whenever it's clear and follow the river back to the dam!"

Ellie wasn't sure what she was going to do after all this, but she knew two things; first, Joel was here because of her and she was going to help get him home safe no matter what and, second, running off was stupid and childish. "You're almost an adult Ellie!" She hollered at herself, "What the hell are you doing running away everytime shit gets real?"

"Ellie, that ain't a bad idea." Joel began, weighing her plan carefully, "You aren't gonna like it, but were probably gonna have to leave the horse here, just for now. There's no way he won't be spotted."

"Can we at least give him a fighting chance? Take off his tack and set him free?" She said, placing a protective hand on his neck.

"Yeah, I reckon that'll be alright. Hide everything in the closet, hopefully we can get it later. We'll leave the back door open and he should find his way out eventually." Glancing around the room, he finished by saying "Okay, get on it. I'll search the house for supplies."

Joel finished searching before she was done. He found a can of peaches in the pantry, which they shared, and some rubbing alcohol, vitamins and scissors in the bathroom. The bedrooms were pretty well ransacked, but he did find a couple of 9mm rounds in the master and an issue of "Savage Starlight" in a kids room. He was pretty sure she already had this one, but he put it in his pack anyway.

Soon they were ready to go; Joel emptied the shotgun which he had strapped to his pack and reloaded it, counting each round - just five. He thumbed the remaining 9mm cartridges into the clip, chambered a round and handed the pistol to Ellie. She tucked it in her waistband and gave a thumbs up, signaling that she was ready to go.

They quietly snuck out through the back door, leaving it fully ajar and crept along the back edges of the houses. Their original plan was to duck in to the forest but found that it rose in a steep, muddy grade almost immediately. They had no choice but to stick close to the literal edge of town. Movement was slow going as there were people everywhere; mostly men but, to both of their surprise, many woman and children too.

Reaching the last house, luck was with them - a small creek carved a much gentler slope between two hills, offering an easier escape path and a chance to put some distance between them and the town.

"Alright Ellie, let's make a break along the edge of this crick and get to the other side of these hills." She didn't respond so, turning to face her silence, he repeated himself. "Ellie, stay focused!" he ordered and placed his hand on her shoulder, causing her to jump. He couldn't tell what she saw around the corner of the house, but this wasn't the time for daydreaming.

Ellie slowly turned to him and nodded understanding but, through her eyes, he could tell that she was somewhere else. She heard Joel whisper "Let's go" and make a break for the creek but she remained motionless as everything became blurry, like a dream. It didn't feel like her in control as she commanded her body to stand and walk out from around the corner of the house and directly towards a group of hunters.

Joel reached the creek and turned back to check on Ellie. An icy fear stabbed right through his heart as he saw Ellie marching directly towards the hunters; pistol in hand, tucked behind her right leg. He ran with all of his might, but knew he would never reach her in time, screaming "Ellie!" as he ran.

It was a smaller group; two young men and a woman, who looked to be in her early twenties, holding a child. They talked calmly, with rifles slung over the men's shoulders, but Ellie only saw one face. Her cheeks were on fire with rage as she moved with the confidence and skill of a lioness during a hunt.

As she approached them, she replayed the situation again in her mind; seeing the eager look of disappointment on the young man's face, as he was commanded to go back to camp - "Come on Chuck, 'least let me watch!" he begged as she saw him turn back, trying to catch a glimpse. The way he laughed uncomfortably when she pleaded with him to help her...

Pulling the pistol from behind her leg, she blasted the other hunter off his feet and turned the gun on her target. The coward was so scared, he fumbled for his rifle, dropping it in the dirt. Without breaking eye contact with the man, she commanded the woman - "Run away now, if you know what's good for you. I have to talk with your 'friend' here." Terrified the woman ran as fast as she could, thinking only of her child.

Piss running down his legs, the man dropped to his knees as he was commanded. "Please, don't kill me!" he begged, but it was much to late for that. Seeing another man run up behind the girl, he screamed "Help me, please!" The man turned away, placing a hand on the girls shoulder as she unloaded the entire clip. Ellie let the gun drop to the ground as Joel rushed her away by the wrist.

Already on high alert, a flood of hunters responded immediately. Joel and Ellie made a break for the first house, amidst a wall of gunfire. They managed to get inside and slam the door shut just as a burning bottle of gasoline and oil shattered on the wall, inches from the door. Still holding Ellie's hand, he raced into the garage, the only substantial part of the house that wasn't flammable.

Smoke was already starting to come from under the door. Joel tried blocking the gap with whatever he could find before turning to her and praying, "Ellie, tell me we've got more rags."

One hour later:

They had made it to the dumpsters without getting shot. But suddenly, Joel wasn't so sure anymore which was worse; the infected or the men. Their blue and gray fatigues, gas masks and machine guns were the only calling card they needed - They were soldiers of the United States Army.

The shooting slowed to a trickle as the soldiers mopped up what was left of the infected. Backs against the dumpster and shoulder to shoulder, Joel and Ellie awaited their next move. Suddenly, the electronic screech of a bullhorn demanded a 'ceasefire.'

"Michael Joel Smith. Eleanor Samantha MacKenzie. You are surrounded. Come out now with your hands in the air. We have orders to apprehend you and for your return to the Boston Quarantine Zone. Come out now or we will deploy gas."

Turning to Ellie, Joel squeezed her hand and spoke; "Well kid, this might be it for us this time. I don't see a way out..."

Meeting his glance, her face was full of confusion and fear. They stood up, hands raised high and still holding on to one another's. They complied and took a step back from the dumpsters, when ordered, and waited as the soldiers cleared the roadblock. All the while red dots dance across their chests from the sharpshooters on the bank.

The soldier with the bullhorn approached first; "My name is Lieutenant Jimenez, but you may call me 'sir.'" Grabbing Ellie's shoulder, he held a photograph up to her face and continued, "This is her, take her in to custody."

Joel struggled as two of the men whisked Ellie away. Yanking her hands behind her back she fought as they tried to handcuff her. The sensation was too familiar and she screamed, feeling like she was going to throw up. Breaking free, Joel tried racing to her rescue but was met by the butt of a rifle and thrown to the ground. Grabbing his head he pleaded with them to handcuff her in front.

"Mr. Smith, perhaps I should be clearer on my orders." The lieutenant spoke intentionally slowly, to take the place of his hidden smile. "I am to return Miss MacKenzie to her... 'program' in the Boston QZ. You on the other hand," he took great delight in saying, as he emphasized 'you,' "have been convicted for the crime of treason, by special tribunal and my orders are to execute on sight."

The lieutenant slowly raised his pistol to Joel's head and, for once, he didn't force his mind to calculate the impossible odds of survival. It may not have been ideal, but he knew Ellie would be safe. Or, at least as safe as anyone could be nowadays. He welcomed death's sweet release and a chance to see his daughters beautiful face once more. He closed his eyes and, as the world grew silent, he asked forgiveness for all that he had done in the name of survival and revenge.

The sounds of chaos and hoof-beats brought Joel back from the edge of infinity. Looking up, he saw the heavily outnumbered soldiers taking aim at an approaching small army. He recognized Tommy and Maria leading the charge and, what looked to be the entire colony behind them; on foot and horseback. More surprising, they were augmented by a large group of soldiers wearing the armbands of Fireflies.

Joel's head began to spin as he tried to make sense of what was going on. Reaching a standoff, Tommy spoke first, addressing the lieutenant; "You can see yer outnumbered here, baby-killer. Start by letting my brother and his girl go and ya might have a chance of getting outta here alive." He commanded the soldiers to drop their weapons and they complied, having no other choice.

"No!" Joel interrupted. "Don't get involved in this fight baby brother. She's better off with them and I've got nothin' left to go on for. Let them do what they want with me, Lord knows I've earned it."

"Better off with them?" the deep, exasperated voice of a massively-built Firefly interrupted in kind. "Better off with them? My God, you have no idea what these animals are capable of, do you?"

"You're making a terrible mistake." The lieutenant chimed in. "The United States Army will go to the ends of the Earth to track down traitors. Just ask your treasonous Firefly friends here."

"And then what?" Joel demanded of the Firefly, ignoring the posturing of the soldier, "What exactly is the army going to do that is any worse than what you had planned?"

"You don't understand Joel," Tommy said as he dismounted his horse and stood next to the Firefly leader. Tommy's chin-length blond hair contrasted sharply with Firefly's neatly cropped buzz-cut, but the expressions on their faces were mirror images. It was the first time that Joel recognized his brother as a soldier. Tommy continued his role as liaison, "The Fireflies have been protecting Ellie all of her life. They've even had a small regiment stationed nearby, just in case. They came to me this morning, when they detected the Army's movement."

"Joel," the Firefly began again, "My name is Sergeant Rodgers and though she doesn't know it, I have been one of Ellie's protectors all of her life. After the incident at HQ last spring… we have taken a different approach with this situation. Command is confident that one day soon, if privy to all the facts, Ellie will make the right decision herself." Sergeant Rodgers said, shifting his gaze from Joel to Ellie.

"However, we cannot standby and allow her to be captured. The army is going to kill her, to prevent the creation of a functioning vaccine. They will hunt her down and burn her body alive to destroy every trace of the mutation. And when that happens, her blood will be on your hands" Sergeant Rodgers venomously threatened, pointing the two fingers of his right hand at Joel.

Seeing his ex-comrade's excitement, Tommy stepped back in; "That is what this fight has been about all of these years, brother. You never wanted to hear it, but it's what I have been saying all along: The outbreak, the quarantine zones, martial law... It was all designed from day one as a coupe! A fungal bio-weapon introduced into the food supply via genetically modified foods. They had a vaccine ready, but when it failed it didn't matter, they still had what they wanted; complete, unquestionable power! The Fireflies started out as the last representation of the federal government, outside the control of the military. Our singular goal for over two decades has been to combat these monsters and find a cure! They have tried to stop us, every step of the way!"

Maria's eyed locked on to Tommy, angry and fearful of his chosen inclusion in to the plural descriptions of the Fireflies. Though he didn't notice then, his plans for the evening were secured.

After catching his breath, Sergeant Rodgers went on; "I won't lie to you Ellie, our scientists do not have a way to extract what they need, while preserving your life. But you do have some time to make a decision. Our operation has been disrupted and will take time to rebuild. Until then," he went on as he used his rifle to violently point at the soldiers, "these motherfuckers are gonna be coming in force and you have absolutely zero idea what they are capable of. Just look at how they used the infected to secure this town. We found their 'cattle trailers' just outside on the perimeter. Their intelligence had to have known that a large group of nomadic survivors were occupying this town."

He turned to the others, trying to build support, before addressing Ellie once more; "This little girl is the key to taking it all back and these sons-a-bitches aren't ever going to stop until she's dead! Ellie, didn't you ever wonder why Marlene never saved you from the military?"

She had, but she didn't know what to say, so she let him go on. "You've never questioned why, no matter how many times you violated the rules, there was always a second chance? Why your best friend Riley would come and go with impunity and seemed to know you so well? The irony is that the military created their own worst enemy! In the early days, when the outbreak first got out of hand, they really were still looking for a cure. They continued their research, only now, much more discreetly. Don't you see Ellie? They created the cure within you! They never intended for you to find out, only to be available if needed. But it was the one contingency that they didn't plan for, that will bring them down in the end. They never counted on their mole falling in love with you."

He paused to allow her mind to process what he was hinting at, then continued; "I know this is hard for you to hear Ellie, but Riley was never a Firefly. It was just a cover to explain her absence. They needed control over your mind as well as your body. When Riley became infected, her death set off a chain of events that no one could have predicted."

He saw Ellie wince and squeeze her eyes tightly closed, every time he mentioned Riley's name. Psyops were Sergeant Rodgers specialty and he was careful not to push her too far. Changing the subject he continued; "Since you were young, Marlene bought you as much time as she could. But years past and it became clear; we were not ever going to uncover the identity of anyone else in the program. It had to be you."

"Do not trust them Miss MacKenzie," Lieutenant Jimenez began, sensing Ellie's hesitation to believe, "We have taken care of you your entire life," he rushed as a younger Firefly approached, following the gesture of her commander; "We were the ones wh-" his final words garbled as she snapped his neck from behind and let his limp body slide into the river. Jimenez's men shifted uncomfortably, not knowing what to do.

Ellie was dizzy and her legs weak. It seemed as though nothing were real anymore and she couldn't trust anyone or anything. The ground beneath her had disappeared. She couldn't believe what he was telling her about Riley; there was just no possible way. But why had Marlene not taken her away from the military? Was it just to keep her safe, as she promised?

Tommy picked up where Rodgers left off, "No one expects you to understand all of this, sweetheart. But there is one thing for certain; more of them are comin' and, whether we want it or not...war is at our door."

Wrapping his arm around Ellie's shoulder, Joel led her down the trail towards home. Tommy turned to follow, pausing to tell his men, "Clean up this mess. Burn the bodies." They started the slow march home as machinegun fire echoed through the woods.