Author's Note: Sorry it's been a while since I updated, been busy with life and the such. To answer certain reviews(not that they are bad or anything, simply to answer a concern) I will reiterate that this is a story based not only on Joel and Ellie but also upon the characters I introduced into NaughtyDog's creation. I'm sorry if that turns some of you off from my work, but it is what I want to write into the world of the Last of Us. As always, thanks for reading and feel free to leave a review, follow the story or just favorite. Thank you! Update(9/12): Added a new section. Update(2/19): Fixed some mistakes and continuity errors throughout this chapter, hope it reads better now! -Foxinstrazt


Chapter 7

-Sinners-

Provo, Utah

November, 2013

Two months had passed since the mysterious infection had spread like wildfire from the south. Already, the world had slammed to a grinding halt. Roads lay cluttered with abandoned vehicles, towns were now empty voids that stood testament to the chaos that reigned. Zac had been leaving Texas when the news hit, and his first hearing of it had been in the morning of the next day, waking up in a dirty hotel room to a man droning on about how Austin had been overrun.

New Mexico had been a mess, with people scrambling to gather what supplies they needed, or just to get away from the madness that approached. Things had turned violent quickly, and no law enforcement cared enough to stop the riots. He had witnessed three towns burn themselves down to the ground as people fought for scraps littering the streets. And so, it had taken him two months to find his way home, having been lucky enough to avoid this new horror, staying on the road by himself to increase his chances.

He had been traveling home for his parent's funeral, and this was the first view of his hometown since he left, three years ago. The circumstances of his departure had put him at odds with his family, and he couldn't blame them. Still, his brother had called him, and told him the news. A car crash.

"Mom and Dad were coming back from Dakota's, and a drunk driver hit them." Mason's voice was strained, even through the phone. As Zac's chest had knotted up with the news, he could only remember the disappointed looks on his parent's faces as he had run from his mistakes. "The funeral is in a couple weeks, I know you're laying low past the border, but we figured you should get up here."

And then, this. Dismounting from his motorcycle, a well kept Harley he had rebuilt from his father's wrecks before he could even drive it, Zac pushed open the gates of the cemetery. The wind was a biting cold, as was normal this time of year in the valley. It stung his face and hands, his torso protected by the leather jacket he wore. Stuffing his hands into the pockets, he continued on, knowing where to find what he was looking for.

It was all the way in the back from where he had entered, around a large, ancient pine. His ancestors, dating back to when the valley was settled, lay in the ground in front of him. A new addition had been made since he had last visited this place. Underneath the inscribed surname lay the names of his mother and father. It took more effort than he had thought it would to approach the grave, crouching down, feeling as if he was being weighed to prove if he was worthy enough to stand before his parents again.

Zac laid a shaking hand on the top of the sculpted marble, staring at the engraved names. He wanted to talk to them, to say something, and immediately shook his head at the absurdity of it. Standing, he took a couple steps before looking back, sighing as he knew he needed to say something. "I'm sorry. I'll find Mason and Dakota, I'll make sure they are safe." Turning away, he could feel the comfortable weight of the pistol tucked into his shoulder holster under the jacket. These last months had given him reason to use it on more than one occasion. "I promise."


Provo, Utah

October, 2015

Fall in Utah Valley was always something to behold. The trees were a mix of blazing reds and vibrant yellows, with every color in between shown on the fading leaves. The only green left on the mountainsides was in the form of pines, stretching towards the sky. Six years, and home has barely changed. The forested area surrounded the hydroelectric plant, aside from the road that led in and the river that ran around it.

The inlet was adorned by seven buildings, each constructed at different times within the last hundred years, leading to an unique blend of architecture styles. The actual plant that was home to the massive turbines was nestled in one corner, still functional despite it's age. A stone's throw from that lay the administration building, it's white paint cracked and peeling away in places. These two structures were the oldest, dating back over a century. The five others were decent sized houses, made to be residences for the people who had crewed the plant.

Zac was sitting on the roof of the old administration building, watching the sunset, rifle laid across his lap. From here, he could see down into the city, even past it toward the lake. Beyond that, Lake Mountain could be seen, and he knew that if he looked through the scope, making out the old radio towers on it's back would be easy.

The sounds of work around the plant were growing quieter as the minutes dragged on. The fence around the perimeter was being roughly reinforced, to keep any unwelcome quests from simply wandering in through the river. Across from where he was sitting, he could see the open area that was slowly being converted into what would be a field to grow crops when the seasons turned over. Though he had been the first to arrive, he hadn't planned to govern over anyone, just share this haven with people who wouldn't cause trouble.

What he had wanted didn't pan out, as the dozen or so survivors who had taken refuge with him now almost unanimously looked to him for leadership. On the assumption that others would eventually find their camp from the highway that wound through the canyon, he had looked first to making them self-reliant. Supplies were abundant now, but scavenging was not a long term solution he favored.

The rattling of the old ladder system on the side of the building announced that someone else was joining him, breaking him from his thoughts. "Zachary, you're still up here?" The voice was light, feminine, and full of a natural cheer. "Figured you would be bored by now."

He breathed a small chuckle. "Don't think I could ever get bored of this view, Lexi. And please, call me Zac, or I'm going to start calling you Alexander." She had been one of the first to arrive, with her older brother, just a little over a year after the infection hit. Unlike the others, her conversations with him had always been entertaining, lighthearted, and she usually didn't demand anything from him.

Lexi laughed as she joined him, sitting close by. "I see Jack has been letting everyone know my dad wanted another boy." The woman rolled her eyes as she leaned back on her palms. "Jerk."

"Hey, I like your brother. He's given me loads of information to use against you." His grin only grew as she gave an exasperated sigh, playfully smacking his shoulder. "He also mentioned your the only one who doesn't know how to use one of these." Zac tapped a hand against the stock of the rifle, raising an eyebrow as he looked over at her.

Lexi nodded, strands of hair falling from where they were tucked behind an ear. "They were never really my thing.. I was more interested in books than a shooting range." A pale hand hurried to correct the position of her hair, giving a shy smile as she did so.

"A book worm, huh? Well then, I'll teach you sometime."

"I'd like that." She grinned, but he looked away quickly, returning to his study of the city. Seconds passed until she spoke up again. "So how'd you learn how to shoot? Everyone here has told some part of their story, except you. What'd you do before all this?"

Zac sighed, setting the rifle to the side before laying back against the roof, arms folded under his head. "My dad taught me how to shoot, and hunt, when I was younger. As for what I did..I ran a small business with a few friends."

"Really, what kind of business?" Her wide, sky blue eyes were fixed upon him as he looked over, wondering where her prying had suddenly come from. People had followed his lead so far, but no one had really questioned about his past, it was usually a sore topic these days for everybody. His look must have been a bit more hostile than he had intended, because she raised her hands up disarmingly. "Hey, I'm just curious."

"Let me guess, you're one of those people that has to know something, otherwise it drives them crazy thinking about it, right?" He rolled his eyes, standing and stretching with a groan. After popping his joints, he bent to retrieve the rifle before turning towards the ladder.

"Better believe it." Following him down the fire escape, she landed with a huff as Zac threw the strap of his weapon over a shoulder, walking off without addressing the topic. "You really don't remember me, do you?"

Remember her? That stopped him in his tracks, turning him around to face her. "What?"

Her grin was more playful than he thought was necessary as she walked towards him, the lighter strands of her blonde hair shining in the sunlight. "I think it was..Sophomore year for you? I was a Freshman. We had a few classes together, starting with history that year."

Sophomore year..? He racked his brain, shifting weight to his other foot as a hand kept a tight hold on the rifle's strap. Looking down, Zac didn't notice she had gotten much closer until he gave up, drawing a blank from his memory. "I barely remember half of high school, did we know each other?" She was looking up at him, with a half bemused and disappointed expression, her arresting gaze throwing his thoughts into shambles.

"Not really, we just sat near each other. You were a bit of a loner, kept to yourself on the days you actually did show up to class. I remember you used to draw on a sketchpad, all the time." Lexi took the final step to be right next to him, raising a hand to tug at the holster wrapped around his chest. "I've just been trying to figure out how you went from the quiet kid to someone.. like this."

"You lost me." Blinking, he didn't dare move, as she was keeping a rather firm grasp on the leather strap of his holster.

The blonde just laughed at him. "You used to jump in your seat when there was a loud noise. Now you walk around with a gun, and it looks like it belongs on you. It's more than just the pistol though, you carry this assured attitude. It's why people are looking to you for what to do around here."

"That was six years ago, people change." Shaking his head, he met her eyes hesitantly. "Why is this even important?"

"I just need to know we can trust who we follow." Her grin was bright, filled with a teasing quality. "..And I kind of like who you've become." Rising up on the balls of her feet, Lexi pressed her lips against his cheek, despite the light stubble covering his skin. Her hand finally released it's hold on him as she pulled away, leaving him dumbstruck. The light, cheerful voice sounded again as she walked away. "See you around, Zac."


Provo, Utah

May, 2016

"Like this?" Lexi looked over at him, holding the pistol up, barrel to the bale of hay they were using as a target. Zac shook his head, moving forward to correct her.

"You want to use your other hand to support your grip, like this." While his larger hands wrapped around hers, she kept glancing up at his face. Looking down, he became very aware of how close they were. Despite her grin, he took a step back and gestured to the target, clearing his throat.

She fired one shot, handling the recoil well and hitting her mark. After a small celebratory cheer, Lexi lowered the weapon, suddenly somber. "What if I have to kill someone? What do I do then?"

His answer was straight forward, not pulling the punch in favor of driving the point home. "Don't miss. Aim to hit them in the head, or the chest. A few rounds in either will put most people down for good, infected too."

Nodding, the woman was quiet as she thought over his words. "Have you killed before?" There was a subtle undertone as she posed the question, a plea for her guess to be wrong.

If only. "Yes." Again, he kept his words to the point. He and Lexi had grown much closer during the long years, and usually had much to say, but not about this.

She kept her eyes on the gun in her hands, pretending to examine it as the next query came. "Before this all happened?"

Sighing and turning away, Zac ran a hand over the back of his neck. "Yeah."

"Is that why you left?" Rounding on her with a raised eyebrow, her question had caught him off guard more than he would have thought. He thought they were done with this a long time ago, she hadn't really shown interest in his past after he showed no interest in discussing it.

"It was."

Her eyes widened, but that was the only indication of surprise on her face, her expression kept a calm neutral. After a long silence, she sighed, dropping her facade of calm and looking visibly upset by the news. Can't really blame her. "I can't wrap my head around that. You seem like a good man."

Zac could only offer a shrug. "Regret is a strange thing, I guess."

Lexi moved towards him, pushing the pistol into his hands. It took effort to meet her eyes, and when he did, she finally passed by him. He wasn't aware of the grip biting into his palm as his anger grew inside. The feeling was not directed at the woman, but at himself. As he raised the gun and began emptying the clip into the makeshift target, he could only focus on one memory, of a shot he had taken years ago.

Regret is a strange thing.


It was early, early enough that the sun had still not rose above the mountains. Zac was sitting atop the old administration building, rifle in his lap, watching over the gate as he usually did. His ears caught the sound of the fire escape rattling long before someone actually stepped out onto the roof. It was Lexi, he knew without looking. She had joined him on nearly every watch, no matter what hour of the day. He hadn't expected her on this one, not after what happened earlier. "Hey." Her voice quiet as she sat down beside him.

"Mornin', Lexi." He was cautious with what he said, as if words would startle her away.

She must have sensed his hesitation, speaking gently. "Look, Zac.. I'm sorry for how I acted earlier." What? "You obviously aren't the person you were when you left."

Looking over, he nodded slowly. "So you think people can really change?"

"I think people shouldn't be blamed by the circumstance we are in, this isn't a world of laws anymore." She took a moment to gather her thoughts before continuing. "And I'd like to think you would've had a peaceful life if this hadn't happened."

Zac couldn't help but let out a chuckle. "Yeah, I imagine I would've." The woman beside him was smiling now. It was a warm, genuine kind of smile, and he wasn't afraid to admit it was one of the best things to see these days. "We still might."

"You really still have hope for humanity, that we will come back from this?" Despite the serious tone of the conversation, he found it hard to let the smile slip from his lips.

"I have to believe that. We can rise to the occasion here, we can endure this." Out of the corner of his eye, he caught her looking at him. "What?"

The expression on her face was something akin to awe. "Nothing, it's just.. You really believe that, don't you?"

Sunlight had begun creeping across the roof, the shadow of the mountain receding. "I do. You'll see, things'll turn for the better." He chuckled as the warm rays illuminated them. "Dawn will come, like it always does."

They shared a laugh, but Lexi quieted quickly, lost in thought. "I'm not so sure. I saw the riots as panic set in, people turned barbaric fast. Can we really just go back to the way things were?"

"No." His answer drew her gaze again, and he continued. "Hold no delusions about it, it will take years to get back to how life was, but I truly believe that we can." Gesturing to the whole power plant, he laughed. "Just look at what we've achieved here. After all the loss, the violence, and uncertainty, we are here." Zac grew quiet, mumbling out his next words as he looked away. "I don't know.. I just, uh, I think that's worth something."

Lexi didn't really respond, not with words. She reached over, grinning as she gripped the strap of his holster and pulled him close. Looking over in surprise as the woman moved in and pressed her lips to his, he met her with equal enthusiasm after the shock wore away. She pulled back after a few seconds, laughing at his confused expression as she leaned against him. Zac just shook his head and chuckled as she laid her head on his shoulder. He found all the worry fading from his mind, any doubt surrounding their lives or the future slipping away. It made it hard to concentrate, but he couldn't complain as they watched the valley glow in the new dawn.


Provo, Utah

March, 2019

The days passed quickly for the settlement, and every month brought new additions to the group, and changes to the daily routine. By Zac's count, they now housed over seventy people, with most sleeping in the old administration building. Some slept inside the building with the loud turbines, mostly the few mechanics who maintained them. The remaining houses were either full or used for storage, but they had begun construction on a building that could, hopefully, house any more that came upon their camp looking for refuge.

It had grown into more than he could have hoped for. A solid wall with a gate barring the bridge in, watched over by a person on the roof of the building near the entrance. Their fields had produced quite the supply of crops over the last four years, keeping them fed, despite their growing numbers. But there was something else entirely. For the first time since he left when he was eighteen, Zac felt like he had found a home.

As he walked into the plant, he couldn't help but flinch as the machinery deafened him for a few seconds, as it always did. Quickly jogging up the steps, he rounded the corner to see the man he was looking for. "Luke!" No response came as the other man continued on, wearing heavy hearing protection. Pulling the ear muffs outwards, he repeated himself. "Luke!"

Turning with a surprised expression and pulling the band down around his neck, the other man looked him over, raising his voice above the drone. "Jesus, Zac!" Dressed in dirty, torn clothes, it was clear that Luke had been busy. "What'cha need?"

Communication was mostly the gestures that accompanied his words as the turbines seemed to increase in volume. "How's she running today?" Pointing towards the components of the plant, Luke's answer came in the form of a thumbs up. Clapping the other man on the shoulder, he nodded and turned to leave heading back down the stairs and exiting the noisy facility.

Stepping into the fading daylight, he breathed in the fresh air of springtime, carried on a gentle breeze through the valley. Zac raised a hand to scratch at the beard that now covered his jaw as he walked through the camp, nodding a hello to people as he passed. It was a short journey to his destination, spotting the blonde standing on the patio long before he reached the house.

Lexi spotted him, her smile springing to her lips as she did. "Hey. Been watching you run around all day." He wasn't too proud of a man to admit that as the world had fallen down around him, she had been the only thing that allowed him to keep his sanity, having failed time and time again to find what was left of his family. His one solid point, something to cling to in this world gone wrong. "Was wondering if you were going to stop by for dinner."

Using the railing to swing himself up and around the steps, he approached the woman. "You are supposed to be resting." He couldn't help but smile at the sight of her. Half a foot shorter than him, with striking blue eyes and a grin that could make his day in the darkest of times. Then it threw him, the same thing that had thrown him off every time he noticed it for the last few months; her rather round and large belly, barely covered by the faded pink shirt she wore.

"I'm pregnant, not broken." She glared at him for a moment before reaching out to tug him down into a kiss, using the leather strap of his holster to rein him down to her height. As always, Zac gladly allowed it, but pulled back with a expression of mock incredulity.

"Look at you! You're about ready to pop!" He broke down in a laugh as she punched him playfully, his tone dropped into a more serious manner as he took the hand in his own, entangling his fingers in her's. "How long does Lily think until the baby's due?" Lily had been a lucky break when she had arrived, her medical skills filling a void that had been incredibly lacking in their group.

Lexi shrugged, giving a frustrated sigh. "She said it should be any day, but I dunno. I'm ready to stop being coddled though, I hate it."

Zac nodded, pressing his lips against her forehead as he held her close. "Come on, let's get you back to bed, yeah?"

Pulling back and leading him towards the door, she gave another sigh and tossed a scowl back at him. "Fine." He chuckled at her antics, shaking his head as he was pulled along.


"Zac. Zac, get up." Lexi was shaking him, forcibly stirring him out of his dreams and into the waking world. As his eyes focused, he could tell that it was still late at night, the light of the room coming from the bulb overhead, the windows remaining pitch black.

"What, what is it?" He looked around hurriedly, hand going for the gun laying in its holster, wrapped around the bed post. Zac stopped when he saw the figure in the room who was snickering at him. "Dammit Jack, what do you want?" Lexi's older brother was tall, and built strong, with broad shoulders and massive arms. Despite his intimidating look, the man was gentle, and easy to trust.

Still grinning from ear to ear, Jack just shook his head. "Got some people coming down the road, figured you outta be the first to meet them." He waved to his sister before exiting the room, heavy footfalls signaling his departure.

Scoffing, Zac fell back into his pillow, taking a deep breath before heaving himself up into a sitting position and swinging his legs off the bed. Lexi had pushed herself up as well, looking at him for a long moment before speaking up. "Is it really necessary that you need to meet them?"

Tugging his shirt down to his waist, he reached for the holster as he replied. "Probably not, but I like to make the personal effort." Sliding his arms through the loops and tightening the straps, he drew the pistol, checking its magazine before slamming it back in and replacing the weapon. "Plus, I don't want to let some psycho in, right?" He sat back down on the edge of the bed, pulling on his shoes, the laces still tied and tucked under the bill, the way he had always kept them. Rising, he quickly made his way to the door.

"Well, you're here, so that problem's already out of control." Zac stopped at the door, a hand on the frame as he looked back at her teasing expression. Shaking his head, he laughed before moving down the hallway.

Breaking into a run as soon as his feet hit the grass, he reached the bridge in no time, just as Jack and another man finished pulling the gate open, revealing the long, dirt covered road. Sure enough, there were three people running towards them, drawn by the lights that announced their settlement. Slowing before reaching the gates, Zac could see their torn and ragged clothes, and the lack of any real belongings.

It was a man, a woman, and their child. Zac only waved them to continue, as they all looked ready to drop. How far have they ran? As they entered, Jack began pushing the gate back into place as the family collapsed just inside, all struggling to catch their breath.

Approaching them, Zac crouched down to the same level, watching them before the man managed to speak. "Th-thank you."

"Don't mention it, we aren't in the business of shutting people out." Several of the other people watching the gate offered the family canteens, and after a few minutes, Zac spoke up. "Where're you all from?"

The man took another long drink before answering. "Salt Lake. Quarantine Zone was overrun." A massive amount of murmurs arose at that, most of which were asking how the military could let that happen. All of them were silenced when Zac raised his hand and motioned for the man to continue. "A bunch of infected just appeared in the streets two days ago. I-I don't know, I don't know."

Patting his shoulder, Zac rose to his feet, his first thought being that his siblings might well be trapped in the zone. "Do you know if anyone else made it out?"

"We were one of the first out, so no idea." Looking around, he could see the same thoughts reflected on his people's faces. Salt Lake had been the only Quarantine Zone for northern Utah, everyone was bound to have family or friends in there. It didn't take long to make his decision.

"Alright, we're going to load up the trucks and head up, try and see if we can save anyone who made it out. Grab your guns and meet back here in five! Jack." Turning to face the large man, he pointed toward the administration building. "Bring out a couple bags with medical supplies. Bandages, mostly. Then grab a rifle and take the watch, I want this road covered while we are gone." People moved off immediately, dashing off in a dozen different directions. Zac ran towards the house, bolting through the door to find Lexi sitting up in their bed, looking worried.

"Zac, what's going on?" He moved toward the closet, finding his rifle leaning against the corner. Slinging it over his shoulder, he bent to collect the small box of ammo next to it, stuffing that into his jacket pocket before turning to face the pregnant woman. "What happened?"

"The people that just arrived are from the Salt Lake QZ, it was overrun two days ago." He stopped by the edge of the bed. "I'm taking the trucks and heading up, hopefully we can save some people."

She reached for him. "What? This is crazy."

"I know, but we have to try. Too many people have family there." Before she could protest, he interrupted her by continuing. "My brother and sister might be in there, I have to know."

Lexi paused, then nodded in understanding, rising to her knees and scrambling over the bed to pull him close. Chuckling as he was embraced, he laid a gentle hand on her back. "Hey now, I'll be alright."

"You better be, you aren't leaving me."

Pulling back to kiss her forehead softly, Zac grinned as he met her gaze. "Don't think I could even if I tried. I'll be back in no time." Stepping away, he turned to leave, feeling as if the room was pulling him back. Steadying himself as he left the house, he ran back toward the gates, where the two trucks were already waiting. People were jumping into the back of them, a dozen more than had been here just minutes ago. He jumped into the passenger seat of the lead truck, waving a hand out the window to get the drivers going.


The journey up to Salt Lake took longer than it should have, due to the vehicles that now jammed the highways into the city. Along the way, they had come across several groups of survivors from the Quarantine Zone, all fleeing aimlessly with little more than the clothes on their backs. Zac had sent each group of refugees back with one of his people that had came along with him, to guide them to the plant, the only safe haven he knew of.

Eventually the road had become too clogged to continue on, and so he sent one of the trucks back with a couple families they had found huddled inside a bombed out bus. Now he, and the five people left with him, were advancing through the crumbling buildings of what had been Murray, a few miles south of Salt Lake. As the hours passed, the only sound was their footfalls as they passed down into another crater left from the widespread bombings that FEDRA had rained down, their effort to cleanse the area surrounding the Quarantine of infected.

Moving past what used to be a suburban neighborhood, Zac stopped to look down the worn road. The shadows thrown across the ground from the afternoon sunlight almost made the houses look whole. But, the illusion didn't stand up to investigation, as there wasn't a window that remained unbroken or a structure that didn't have a hole blasted through the walls. "You live up here, before it all went down?" Turning, he saw that the question had been posed by Brandon, one of the men who had accompanied him from the plant.

A few years older, the man kept a loose grip on his pistol, but a careful eye on their surroundings as Zac replied. "No, I was born down in Provo. Was actually in Texas when it hit there." Sighing, he slowly tore himself away from the neighborhood, continuing on towards their destination. "Just wondering if everywhere looks like this now."

"There might be places that avoided this much damage." Brandon moved with him, a little closer now. His voice was kept low, obviously not wanting the others with them to overhear. "Listen, I know you're our leader and all that, but how far are we going to take this?"

"What do you mean?"

"I'm just saying, we've ran into a lot of infected so far. We've been lucky and avoided anyone getting bit, but if we push this, it'll end badly." The man shrugged, shaking his head. "I don't have family around here, so maybe I don't feel the same need to risk ourselves as the rest of you, but we have saved a lot of people. We've done good, and we should turn back."

Spinning to face him, Zac knew his anger was misplaced, knew that the man was risking his life in their personal mission. "Too many of our people have got family up in the QZ. We can't turn back, not when we are this close." Leaning in, he noticed that the others with them were beginning to look over, and he lowered his voice. "I've got family in there, and I won't abandon them."

"You've got family back at the plant, Zac." Backing up before moving past him, Brandon didn't stand his ground to argue his point. "Just think about that." Looking down, he knew the man was right, he did have family who needed him. Hell, I don't even know if they are in the Zone. It took a good minute for him to be able to jog off to catch up, nodding at the man. No one spoke for a while after that, the silence filling the air with an uneasy tension.

Gunfire shattered the quiet, coming from the north. Zac didn't hesitate to run off in that direction, finding himself moving quickly through a bombed out kitchen, then up a flight of stairs to reach a vantage point. Raising his rifle to look out over a small square, he could see where the sounds had originated. Positioned in cover around the street, surrounding a military transport, were six soldiers. Dressed in the standard dark blue uniforms of FEDRA, they were fending off a horde of infected that poured out from the alleyways leading back to the Quarantine Zone.

Slamming the butt of his weapon into his shoulder and looking through the scope, he could see that something was radically different with these victims of the fungus. It looked as if most of their faces had been devoured by the infection, leaving them looking wretched. They moved in horrific, jerking motions toward the cornered squad, absorbing more shots than they should have been able to. As if to accompany their improved resilience, faster infected came running out in between them, overwhelming two of the soldiers on the right and beginning to tear them apart, their screams rising in volume.

Squeezing the trigger quickly, he witnessed the explosion of red mist as the bullet obliterated the head of his target, sliding the bolt back and quickly placing another round in the chamber, before pushing the bolt back into place and locking it. All in a smooth motion, he moved to the next infected, watching his handiwork create a new chest cavity in the body, a remnant of a young woman. The urge to throw his rifle away in disgust rose, as it did every time he was forced to kill what remained of the victims of the infection. He suppressed it as quickly as he could, reloading with a defiant glare. They aren't human anymore. Even that justification took effort. Killing had not come easy to him in this world, no matter how necessary or justified it felt. Where others could easily discard their morality in favor of survival, Zac fought against the beast within himself, holding to what humanity he could, and silently hoping others would do the same.

By the time he was ready to fire again, it was over. His group joining the fight had brought it to a conclusion quickly, leaving the soldiers looking around in confusion. Shouldering his weapon, he moved back down the stairs quickly, jumping over the banister and emerging from the door that lead into the small square. Two of the men in uniforms were moving to collect their fallen comrades, while the others leveled their weapons at their saviors.

Zac raised his hands as they observed his group. "Whoa, little bit of gratitude would be a better reaction." His previous interactions with the military had been on a shoot first basis, having been caught trying to sneak his way into the Salt Lake area to try and find his siblings more than once. He had abandoned that idea faster than he had wanted to. People who had taken shelter at his camp had told him of how the military had closed the gates to the Zones, killing those who had been too late to be taken in. Only a lucky few managed to get away from the slaughter. Nevertheless, these were people who needed his help, and despite the risk, he could not let them die out here.

The woman on his left was not receptive to the advice, only hefting the rifle in her hands. The man, however, lowered his immediately, his brow furrowing. "Zac? There is no fucking way."

His group, and the soldiers, all seemed to turn to the two with curious gazes, and it did not take long for Zac's mind to attribute the gruff voice to the person in his memories. "God dammit, Damian? You of all people would survive this."

The other man rushed forward, crushing him in a hug. "Thought you were still in Texas when it got hit."

Chuckling as he released his friend, Zac looked him over, staring longer than he should have at the FEDRA Security patch that lay over the breast on the uniform. "Was on my way out when it happened, avoided the shit for a bit longer than most."

The woman behind Damian stepped forward, finally lowering the weapon in her hands. "Private, who the hell is this?" The two men stopped abruptly, facing her.

Clapping a hand onto Zac's shoulder, the man laughed heartily. "Sergeant, this is Zac. Grew up with him in Provo, were almost inseparable as kids." The added nuance in his friend's voice as he said 'almost' caused an involuntary pang of regret in his chest as he offered a hand toward the woman.

To his surprise, she took it. "Sergeant Naomi Pierce. Thanks for the help."

"Anytime, Sergeant." Shaking his head after withdrawing his hand from the embrace, he looked the squad over. "What the hell happened?"

Damian sighed, shrugging his shoulders. He was so much different than when Zac had last saw him. Taller and broader, the corded muscles could be seen under the short sleeves of his shirt. Clean shaven with his brown hair cut shorter than an inch, it was a stark contrast from the scruffy teen he had parted ways with nine years ago. "We woke up to an alarm, came out of the barracks to find infected filling the streets. No idea how that one went down, but we were pretty much the last ones out."

"Probably those damn Fireflies. Bombs and terror tactics don't work, might as well let the clickers in." Naomi had slung her rifle over her back, and now had her arms folded, glaring at the variety of bodies littering the area. As the people he had brought with him rummaged through the aftermath for anything useful, Zac raised an eyebrow at the terms the woman was using.

"Fireflies? They're a.. resistance group, right?" Before the radios and TV stations had gone completely down, he had caught a few broadcasts on a rogue militia group. "And clickers, slang for these poor bastards?" He emphasized his words with a gesture toward one of the many deformed bodies.

His friend was the one who answered him, walking toward a corpse. "Yeah man, a ragtag group that has been hounding the QZs since martial law was declared. Idealists and freedom fighters, usually just trying to rile up the populace. I doubt they did this though, they want to save the people, not kill them." Kicking the body, unrecognizable aside from the fact it had been male, over onto it's back, he pointed at it's head. "This, is a clicker."

Zac moved over, making a noise of disgust as he observed the fungal plates that had overtook and split the man's face in two. Damian continued, unperturbed by the sight. "Blind, uses echolocation to find it's prey." Turning to face the others, he grinned and nodded. "It's prey being us, of course. Stronger than any human. If that thing gets it's hands on you..well, you end up like them." He gestured toward the two fallen soldiers, who were barely more than a pile of meat at this point.

"Jesus. So this is what they turn into, the people who are infected?" His friend's nod confirmed his question, as Zac bent to get a closer look at the destroyed tissue.

The Sergeant took one last look over her dead men, sighing before looking back at the transport. "Hope you guys got a place to go and a way to get there, 'cause our truck is a goner and we've got civvies to get outta here." Moving to knock her fist against the tailgate of the transport three times in rapid succession before opening it. Following her, Damian beckoned in, before offloading the people who were inside.

Zac was quick to move over, looking to help. A woman his friend caught embraced the man with an excited hug and an equally passionate kiss. The strawberry blonde hair made her familiar to him immediately, causing a large grin to spread over his lips. "Alice, good to see you in one piece."

Shyly peeking over her husband's shoulder, the woman smiled wide, looking shocked to see him. "Hi Zac." The couple released each other, turning to pull two young boys out of the truck's bed. It didn't take a genius to see the family resemblance in all of them. The oldest, he looked five or six and was a mirror image of Damian in his younger years, while the other took after his mother in his features, looking to be three or four. Both were scared, shaking as their parents helped them to the ground.

Naomi got the rest of the civilians out, it was only a few other people that Zac looked over as quickly as he could. None of which were his brother or sister. Gripping his rifle's strap with obvious agitation, he growled out a curse. Reaching the edge of the square, he smashed his fist into one of the concrete barriers, letting the pain dull his disappointment. A hand came to rest on his shoulder, and he began a conscious effort to calm himself. Glancing back over a shoulder, he saw that it was Brandon.

Nodding, he continued his pulling at the strap over his chest as he turned around to head back the way they came. "Let's go. We've saved who we can." Going forward would be suicide. Think of Lexi, think of the baby.

Hefting the youngest of his boys, Damian fell in behind him, closely followed by Alice. "Right behind you."


The trek back to the plant had been, thankfully, uneventful. No infected came running out of the shadows when they had made it back to the truck, and nothing had seemed to follow them from the city. Damian had filled the time with introducing his two sons, Jeremy and Dustin. Dustin was six, meaning that Alice would have been pregnant when Zac had returned from Texas, and Jeremy was four, having been born just a few months after they were forced to retreat into the Quarantine Zone. Their father had joined the military a year after Zac had left to insure that money, and later ration cards, were never a scarcity for them, something that he couldn't fault his friend with, but still found it strange when compared to the rebellious teenager he had last seen.

Approaching the gate of their camp, it slowly opened as the truck neared. Inside, it was chaos. People were milling about everywhere, helping the new arrivals find a place to settle in or get the first aid they needed. The other truck was already parked near one of the houses, empty now, instead of packed with the families they had found. As he climb out of the truck's cab, he was instantly approached by a half dozen people, all looking to him for guidance.

"Zac! There aren't enough beds, where can we put the extra people?"

"Bandages are in short supply, and too many of them are wounded, what do we do?"

"Some of them want to go back, saying that they need to get their family members they left behind. Some even want to go back for belongings."

Raising his hands, he signaled everyone to calm down. "Alright, people, people. First off, there are spare beds in the attic of the administration house. If we need more, we've got camping supplies in shed down that way." Pointing towards the shed, a couple of the people ran off in that direction. "As for bandages, prioritize by how severe the wounds are. Leave cuts to heal on their own unless they are pretty bad, then make sure they get stitched up." Two more ran off. It was common sense stuff, things he should never have had to explain to them. But he understood, this was the first high tension situation most of them had been in since the original riots. People are not built for this.

"You." Pointing at the boy who had mentioned that those they had rescued were talking about leaving. "Go tell the people at the gate to close it and not to let them out. We didn't just spend all day out there to have them end up as dinner for one of the infected. Sergeant!" Looking over at Naomi, she had just jumped out from the bed of the truck. "Could you and your two men watch the gate for me? Keep people in, please." Nodding, she motioned to her soldiers and jogged off toward the entrance.

Damian walked over, still holding his youngest, who was now asleep and resting against the man's chest. He was watching Zac with a strange expression, shaking his head with a chuckle. "Man, you've really stepped up for this place, huh?"

Running a hand over the back of his neck, he nodded at his friend. "Someone had to." Glancing over, he narrowed his eyes. "Don't sound so shocked."

Snickering, the larger man punched his arm lightly, still supporting his son with his free hand. The two shared a laugh before Damian's tone grew lower. "It doesn't look like this place was made to hold this many people."

"Yeah, was just thinking that. We may have to find a new place to set up..we were about up to max when this happened." Folding his arms, he noticed the young woman standing where the group had been to talk to him, looking down and not meeting his gaze. She looked sad, or worried, it wasn't easy to tell. Probably wants to know if we found her family. Speaking gently, he moved forward a bit. "Something I can help you with, miss?"

"Uh..It's.." Wringing her hands, the girl was actively avoiding his eyes now. "They need you back at your house. It's Lexi."

"Lexi?" Pushing past the young woman, he broke into a sprint towards the building he had slept in for the last few years. It didn't take long before he slammed in through the front door, he could hear it from the moment he entered, the echo of a baby's cry. Turning round to face the origin of the noise, he saw the baby in the arms of Lily, the camp's makeshift doctor, who was shushing the infant. It was simple reaction, the grin that spread over his face as he moved forward, natural and carefree. Then Lily turned to face him, her expression downcast and sorrowful. "Lily, what's the matter?"

Then it dawned on him, the realization of horror that he should have noted the second he had seen the woman holding his child instead of Lexi. He turned immediately, using his hands to keep himself from smashing into the wall as he thundered down the wooden hallway, bursting into their room. There, on the bed, was the woman he loved. She was pale, too pale, and lying completely still, her blue eyes closed. Suddenly, it was if all his insides had decided to twist themselves into an entangled knot, sending agony through his body as he dropped to his knees at the bedside. Gripping Lexi's cold hand, he wasn't aware of his own lips moving, begging she return to him. He wasn't aware of Lily at the doorway, looking on sadly, or of Damian, who had followed him.

..Lexi.


King's Peak Military Base, Utah

November, 2021

"We have enough supplies to complete the journey, and the means to get there." Naomi's voice was a constant drone as they moved through the barracks. "We should hold a vote."

"Do that, then. Why're'ya asking me?" Zac never slowed his pace, a brisk walk that held no secret for his contempt of the conversation. The long hallways led out into the open sun, and the woman stayed right on his heels. The area outside the base was covered in old military transports and jeeps, dating back towards the second World War. There were five long prefab huts past the lot housing the vehicles, storage warehouses. Behind them, the barracks, went deep into the mountain, providing rooms for the large group they now had to maintain. A hundred and fifty survivors, give or take.

They had found this place after moving out from the plant a little under a year ago, with supplies in the area running low, and their crops unable to support the population. People had just began to feel like there was real stability to be had, only to be uprooted a few weeks after the Quarantine Zone fell. Heading East, the Sergeant had been kind enough to provide a map of military fallbacks, leading them to here, nestled at the base of King's Peak. After a minute of walking, Naomi finally spoke up again. "People look up to you around here, can't make a move without you agreeing. New York is a good bet, they had the best established QZ's before the radios went down. I could get us in."

Turning as he entered one of the metal huts, he leaned forward with both hands against the door frame. "Look, I don't care where we go. I only know we need to get moving within half a year. Get everyone's votes." The former soldier nodded, and the glare he expected was only a sympathetic look. A glare he could deal with, but he had to shut the door on this, turning to face who he was looking for. "Damian! Give me the good news."

His friend tossed the clipboard he was holding on top of a nearby crate, looking over. "We've got enough ammo and weapons to last for a long time." Shrugging, Damian scratched at an eyebrow idly. "What we don't have, is the space to carry them. We're gonna need a lot of fuel to get all those junkers moving." The larger man sighed before easing himself into a sitting position. "We're going to be here another few months, at the least."

Nodding thoughtfully, Zac moved forward to grab the clipboard, running down the numbers in his head before placing it back down on the crate. "Naomi wants to hold a vote for heading to New York."

"Yeah, I've heard. Think it's a good idea?"

Running a hand over his face, he paused at the amount of facial hair he could feel, reminding himself he needed to shave. "I don't know. What she says makes sense, but if it doesn't turn out, then we've gone across the country for nothing." His friend didn't answer, only giving a nod.

After a long moment of silence, Damian drew his attention by standing. "You been to see Kayce today?"

"No, not today." Zac could feel the disappointment in his friend's gaze as he avoided it. "I'll try to make it by Lily's after I see where we are at with everything else." The woman had done a remarkable job of taking care of his daughter, freeing up his time in a way he was both grateful and resentful for. He turned to leave, barely getting his hand on the door's handle before the other man spoke up.

"You're running yourself ragged to avoid thinking. The last time you did this you took off, and left your life behind." Moving to his original spot to pick up the pad he was using to inventory the base's supplies, Damian didn't hold back his opinion, he never did. "You try that shit with that little girl of yours, I'll put you down myself, brother." Pushing the door open, Zac looked back, meeting his friend's eyes. He just gave a nod before heading out, knowing exactly where to go next.