8:02 AM - Streets of suburban Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Ledge [Lee Everett]

After putting some semblance of a meal in their bellies, they were off on the road again. Although he didn't know how much of a meal sharing half a can with Joel was, but it was all that was keeping them going. The streets weren't too tough to navigate with the sun bearing down on them, they just had to follow the streets and keep the radio tower in their sights.

Not quite there yet, but close. He thought as he looked to the yellow radio tower in the distance whilst wiping a bead of sweat from his forehead. As they made their way down the street, he didn't pay attention as he walked past an odd-looking vehicle with overgrowth present on it, various symbols of snacks from the old days. He was too busy to notice it was an old ice cream truck.

Dot [Ellie]

As they strolled down the barren street, Ellie found herself bouncing between objects to focus on. An overgrown patch of cobblestone paving, a rabbit hopping through the trees in the distance, Joel and Lee on occasion, and Clementine. After spending so much time apart yesterday, being all together again was a good feeling, and being on better terms with the girl was pretty good, too. Go back around forty hours, and it wasn't like that. It was almost surreal, how not that long ago, it'd just been her and Joel, and now… now they had more . More people to care about and look after, but also someone other than Joel to talk to. That, by itself, made everything worth it.

As they were crossing through a street, her eyes were drawn to a vehicle on the side of the road. It was some sort of van, painted white and blue, with these strange advertisements plastered all over the side of the car. Scrutinizing it, she glanced back towards Joel and Lee. "Hey, what's this thing?"

Ledge [Lee Everett]

"Huh?" Lee turned around with an eyebrow raised at the question, only to see what she was referring to. "Oh, this thing" His eyes lit up as he walked over, placing a hand on the hood as a lot of fond memories from his childhood came back, just seeing the labels and advertisements of ice cream was enough to take him back. " This , is an ice cream truck." He looked at the kids, who returned the stare with something that resembled being dumbfounded, which was to be expected. "Back in the day they used to sell ice cream out of it" he added.

Kentucky [Joel]

Joel grinned, looking at the ice cream truck that Ellie was quite obviously confused by. As this was obviously something that would be of disbelief for the girls, Joel confirmed Lee's thoughts on the matter. "It's true. This thing would drive around and play real loud, creepy music and kids would come running out to buy ice cream." He remembered the few times he had seen ice cream trucks back when him and Tommy were still just kids. The fabled givers of ice cream hadn't been as common when the infected started running around, but still a welcome sight.

Art [Clementine]

Clementine came to a sudden stop the moment everyone else did, shooting a puzzled glance at the funny truck the other three seemed so infatuated with. It didn't strike her as anything noteworthy, even with the copious amount of colors and letters on it's side. The thing was too old to drive in, and to have anything in it. It was just an old truck. Lee, in particular, seemed rather fond of the funny truck, going as far as walking over to it and patting its hood. It was a weird fucking scene, and Clem was just moments away from asking what the heck was up with everyone.

Lee and Joel explained it… eventually, and thus, the girl was finally able to make sense of it all. Ice cream. She'd heard of it before, somewhere. Where? She wondered, but for whatever reason, she couldn't really recall. Some kind of sweet, the cold kind, that much she knew. Clementine couldn't help but feel a little left out, hearing the adults share their stories about creepy music and agitated little kids. The whole thing sounded kind of… surreal.

Clementine did talk, shortly after everyone else, feeling somewhat upset over her benightedness. "I… never had ice cream." She said with her arms crossed, trying to convey the fact that she didn't really get what they meant by all that.

Dot [Ellie]

Ellie hadn't had the chance to eat ice cream before either, although she'd seen it plenty of times. Soldiers in the zone, especially the arrogant dickheads, would eat it in front of them, trying to piss them off. It worked, sometimes. She glanced towards Clementine, her knowing gaze signifying she knew how the girl felt. After Joel talked about the music and the kids coming out to buy the ice cream, she couldn't help but scoff. "You're totally fucking with us, right?"

Kentucky [Joel]

His response was immediate. "Um-mm. Serious." Ice cream was a rarity in this world; he hadn't even considered that kids couldn't have eaten ice cream. He couldn't even imagine a world without literal ice cream. He wondered for a second if these girls had even had any kind of dessert; what real food did they ever eat? What did they even know about from the old world? Was this… it?

Dot [Ellie]

Ellie chuckled slightly, shaking her head. "Man, you lived in a strange time." She could barely imagine it. Why would kids wants to buy ice cream out of a truck? Would it just get warm? Or do they have fridges in them? How would they even power those in such a small truck? Nothing about it made sense, and she was half tempted to scoff it off and call bullshit, but the evidence to the contrary was right in front of her.

Ledge [Lee Everett]

Lee slightly chuckled as he nudged his head further down the road as they kept moving onwards. They were only about half a mile out from the place they had went through hell and back to get to: that damned radio tower. Quite frankly, Lee was done with Pittsburgh, this whole town was nothing but a mixed bag of trouble and had caused nothing but grief ever since they had entered, the only good thing coming out of this obviously meeting like-minded companions, and by slim chance… someone that could be the cure. What was the luck of that? Lee deduced it was next to slim, but still… somehow it had happened. Life nowadays still managed to keep him guessing. The further they travelled down the street, the more apparent it became that there were barking noises, two dogs about a hundred feet away were gnawing at a piece of… something on the ground. Lee stopped in his tracks. "Might wanna keep our distance here"

Art [Clementine]

The ringing growls vibrated in Clementine's ears, almost as loudly as the thumping in the girl's chest. Clem's feet trembled, fighting the agonizing urge to back away. Her fingers curled into a fist, whilst her right hand instinctively gravitated towards her knife holster. Why'd it have to be dogs…?

Nearly frozen in place, the girl took cover behind Lee, her brows drawing together in fear. "Lee…?" She called out in a low voice, hoping he'd be there… to keep them away. Clementine didn't want to be afraid… scared of dogs, of all things... but she couldn't help it. No amount of trying to look tough could hide the fact that she was terrified.

Dot [Ellie]

Ellie's eyes lit up at the sight of the dogs, the words escaping her mouth before she could hold them back. "Aw, doggies." Under normal circumstances, she wouldn't be caught dead saying something so childish, but the sight was enough to bring down that protective wall. As Lee's warning reached her ears, her shoulders slumped slightly. Maybe she should've expected that, given they were out here in the middle of nowhere. They probably weren't too keen on humans, anyway.

Kentucky [Joel]

Joel peered at the dogs from afar, shaking his head. His legs strained, neck, head, and arms growing fuzzy. "You're gonna wanna stay away from those. It's not like it is in the zone, these are wild." He walked towards a nearby house, eager to get off the road, especially with those fighting dogs mucking up the area. Who knew what kind of infections were waiting within those yellowed jaws? He was sure they weren't something that even Ellie was immune to.

Shadowman [Narrator]

The two canines heads shot up for a moment, before looking down the direction of a different street. Their eyes seem fixated on something. It was at that moment that the two dogs bolted out of sight and around the corner, disappearing.

Ledge [Lee Everett]

Lee…? he heard a meek voice from behind as she practically used him as her shield to hide from the dogs; he was well aware of the troubles she had with dogs in the past, so he didn't blame her at all for this reaction. It was almost like she was eight years old again in this situation. It was a complete different reaction from Ellie, who obviously grew up in the zone, around friendly pet dogs, the kinds of canines Clementine should have gotten a chance to see. They weren't all that bad, as long as you knew how to read them, but just like everything other human… even the animals that once used to be man's best friend had turned rabid.

"They're not gonna reach you, it's okay. Probably would be more scared of us than we are of them," he compromised, before squinting his eyes as they darted around the corner. Something must have scared them off . His stance softened as he turned around. "See…? Gone…" He smiled, before finally remembering. Oh… he knelt down and dug around in his pack. "Before we get going, forgot to give you these earlier, but here… for your hair." He extended his hand, holding the spare pieces of material she used to tie her hair up.

Art [Clementine]

The two wild dogs standing in front of them hastily and suddenly took their leave, the streets of Pittsburgh returning to their deadly silence. Clem subsequently regained her composure, distancing herself from Lee before crossing one of her arms. It was the worst kind of feeling, hiding behind him like a toddler… Was it dumb? Being scared of dogs...? Ellie didn't look startled at all… more like the total opposite. Doggies. Really? It didn't matter, honestly. After what she went through, Clem simply couldn't allow herself to be near a dog ever again. No matter what.

Shortly after the dogs left, Lee handed her spare bits of the springy stuff she tied her hair with, and the girl gladly accepted them. Clementine had lost all of hers in the sewers… It was really awesome of Lee to carry extra ones with him.

"Thanks," the girl quietly uttered, taking the hair thingies from Lee's hands. She didn't hate it; having her hair loose the way it was. It certainly wasn't practical, but it felt like being a little kid again. Too bad it had to go. Clementine wrapped her two hands around her voluminous hair, folding it under her hat before tying up what little insisted on peeking out of it. There… back the way it should be.

"You sure they're gone?" Clem asked with a touch of worry in her voice. They couldn't stop now, but running into those dogs, maybe even more of them… the thought shook the girl to her core.

Shadowman [Narrator]

The warm and odd quiet radiance of the street was interrupted as the sound of a roaring engine spurred into action… the engine being quickly turned on once it planned to pounce. It had been lying in wait.

The vehicle turned the corner... being the obvious occurrence for why the dogs had ran off. The same turret from back on the bridge had travelled further downtown in search, evidently it had switched off its engine and laid in wait for any tourists… and it had payed off… they had fallen right into their hands, knowing these areas like the back of their hands.

"Fooound youuu assholes!" A laugh cackled as Reggie pressed his foot on the gas, turning the corner and speeding towards the four as the man on the turret tried to take aim.

"Thought you fuckers got away from us?" The turret's operator yelled as he placed his finger on the trigger, the vehicle barreling towards the four at an alarming rate.

Art [Clementine]

Clementine jerked her head towards the source of the unnerving engine sounds, widening her eyes in panic the moment it became clear who and what it was. Fuck, no, no, no...! There wasn't any time to speak, to think, or to breathe. They had to go, and they had to go now. Clem drew her revolver, ready to make her six rounds count if need be, before grabbing Lee by the hand, urging him and the others to move.

"Go, run!" The girl shouted, firing twice at the vehicle with the foolish hope of slowing them down. Clementine ran as fast as her legs would allow without looking back, grimacing in frustration. They weren't going to die… she wouldn't let it happen.

Ledge [Lee Everett]

"Shit!" Lee wrenched himself to his feet, only having a matter of seconds to register what was going on, somehow the persistent assholes had caught up with them, if only he could kick himself for being so careless after the bridge… for thinking they had lost them for good… for not getting a move on quicker. Why can't they just leave us the hell alone?

He gritted his teeth as he ran in Clem's direction, waving off to a nearby alley. The spaces were tighter in the suburbs, not as open as the main city was, they'd have more trouble chasing them down. They had to be quick… if this vehicle was here, there was no telling how many others were with them, and how fast they could get here. "Alleyway!" He yelled to the others as they ran.

Dot [Ellie]

" Oh fuck, oh fuck, " Ellie breathed as she followed the others into the alleyway, only sparing a brief glance back at the huge fucking truck chasing them down. She'd hoped they'd seen the last of these assholes, but they followed them across the river. "What the fuck is wrong with these guys?!" She asked to no one in particular, breathing heavily as she stumbled through the alleyway. Hopefully they'll lose them in the deeper recesses of the neighborhood, but even that she wasn't sure of. These guys weren't fucking around, and would undoubtedly follow them until they were caught, or until they got the jump on them instead. Hopefully it'd be the latter.

Kentucky [Joel]

Joel's muscles tensed up just as they had when he first saw the dogs. No, not like that; no, his muscles were flaring up like when he first saw Jimmy bursting from his house, covered in blood and racing towards him - and Sarah, right? Or have you forgotten? - and his house and then he had broken through the doors and Joel had shot him, put him down like the rabid dog Jimmy had become. When Joel's head curled around, hands unconsciously having pulled his revolver from his back pocket. There was no Jimmy; there were no dogs. There was just the putter and purr of an engine, and then the truck came rolling around the corner.

"Oh, no no no no..." He ran into the alleyway after the other three, a round from the truck nearly ripping him in half but just narrowly missing. He heard Ellie ask something; and his mind answered it as best as he could. " Just keep running goddammit! " He swore, taking weighted flight on his feet.

Shadowman [Narrator]

"C'mere cocksuckers!" Freddy screamed as spit flew out of his mouth, he grabbed a molotov from the passenger seat and lit it, opening up the top hatch of the vehicle to stick his head out. He pegged the molotov cocktail at the four as it narrowly missed them, quickly ducking back inside and closing the latch, getting ready to toss another.

Reggie eased off the gas as they pursued the four of them into the alleyways, having to slow down. They needed men on the ground pronto, so he radioed in. "Everyone available, we've found the tourists from the city. The ones that tried to run us over at the highway shift and the other two that killed one of our guys. They're together. Position is a quarter of a mile south from the radio tower. Get word to Negan and your asses over here!"

He threw the radio aside, it was just the two of them in the turret out here, but the rest were about ten minutes out, they just needed to stay on their tails. He navigated the tight alleyway as he sped after them.

As the four tourists navigated the alleyway, they would find themselves coming to a dead-end, blocked off by a tall, picketed fence. A few broken-down cars and large trash cans were the only thing to serve as cover, a few buildings surrounded them, and a ladder was evident that led to a rooftop, but it required them to leave cover to get to it.

"Shit…" Reggie pressed his foot on the gas too hard in the tight alleyway, almost losing control as he slammed on the brakes, the vehicle's tire hitting an odd indentation in the ground and getting stuck. However, the turret was blocking their only exit out of the alleyway as the turret's operator fired at the four hiding behind the old police car. "We're fucking stuck… but they're trapped in there, nowhere to go, keep firing!" Reggie exclaimed to Fred, who alternated between firing the turret and getting his second molotov ready to throw.

Ledge [Lee Everett]

Lee knelt behind the police car as he withdrew his rifle, quickly peaking as he pulled the bolt back and fired towards the front window. The shot ricocheting off of it as bullets whirled above his head, forcing him to duck down. "Thing's damned bullet-proof!" he spoke as he flinched, the high-caliber turret fire piercing the window of the police car they were hiding behind.

"There's gotta be a way out, or - something we can use to buy us time…" he breathed out, pulling back the bolt to see how much ammunition he had left… it wasn't much. After a brief pause, he spoke again. "We just gotta think, I'm open to any ideas here…" he spoke again as he glanced towards Joel, an open invitation for anyone to suggest something. Lee was trying his damndest not to sound panicked, but they didn't have the resources to fight this thing head on.

Kentucky [Joel]

Joel looked out from behind the police car, eyeing the truck with scrutiny. He kneeled back down, mind racing with possibilities. The truck was armored, and they didn't have enough bullets to pierce it. Joel had his nail bomb, but he doubted that would do anything to the truck if bullets did squat. He grimaced, sweating in the spring heat and the fear of death shrouding them. An idea struck for a moment as he eyed off past them and noticed the ladder resting against the building. They'd be torn to shreds if they tried to scale it, but maybe not if the truck was distracted. He ripped off his backpack, fumbling through the pack before pulling out the nail bomb. He had use for it yet. Checking his ammo in his revolver, he pulled out his five spare bullets and handed them to Lee. "Lee, I need you and the girls to distract the truck for me. Gimme the rifle. I'm gonna try and climb up and shoot at them whenever he tries to throw another molotov." He pursed his lips, handing the revolver to Lee with the bullets.

He looked down at the nail bomb, which he had laid on the ground. "I need you to throw the bomb at them first. Just pull the pin and throw. Ellie, Clem, if you have any ways of distracting it as well, I'd be glad for the help." He didn't look at them as he spoke, just zipped up his backpack and left it lying on the ground should Lee take the bullets. He didn't want Lee to threaten himself climbing up that ladder. No, he couldn't let Lee die. He had informed Lee of the general area of where Tommy was; he was sure that if the worst came, Lee could get the girls there. If you die they'll die too.

Maybe.

Art [Clementine]

Clementine kept her head down, leaning with her back against the police car as she swinged out her revolver's cylinder. Only four left... you fucking shitting me?! Bullets were flying all over the place, bouncing off the car they were using for cover, shattering the walls around them, raising the damn dirt off the ground… They couldn't stay there, they absolutely couldn't. Joel was on the right track, and Clem made sure to listen to his every word, nodding the moment he was done. "I can shoot. That's it." Clementine grimly replied, in spite of being fully aware that bullets wouldn't work on that thing. How the hell are we supposed to distract them? Time was running out, and they couldn't afford to wait.

Clem put her mind to work whilst Joel prepared to put his plan into action, trying to think of something they could use to keep those assholes in the truck occupied. "Wait, wait…! I got it." The girl said, taking off her jacket and ruffling through her backpack. "We can burn the tires! If the smoke's thick enough, they won't see us through it." After grabbing the box from her backpack, Clementine lit one of the matches, lighting her jacket on fire. Hope I don't regret this... "I need a hand! Anything that'll help make a fire. Hurry!"

Dot [Ellie]

"I've got this!" Ellie replied to the girl, pulling off her backpack and fishing out the bottle of vodka she'd found at the house. It wasn't much, but it should be enough to get the fire started, and going. With that fucker in the gunner seat still firing at them, that smokescreen was their only hope at getting out of this alive.

Ledge [Lee Everett]

Lee reluctantly looked to the stocky Texan man as he handed over his bullets and backpack. While he laid out the plan, Lee stared at the bullets in his hand as he then looked back up at Joel, seeing just how dead serious he was, going through with this. The man was playing with his life, taking this risk… but he knew there was no trying to convince him.

"Alright man, here." He passed over the rifle with an affirmative nod and a serious gaze. "You got three shots, make them count… just - this isn't a one way trip… you're coming back," he spoke confidently, whether it was to assure himself or Joel, he wasn't sure, but they needed him alive. He knew where the Fireflies were… and he was far too valuable to the… group… Did I really just think that word?

"Good idea Clem. Okay, I got uh…" he mumbled as he heard out Clem, digging around in his bag and taking out whatever was flammable inside, tissues, scraps of papers, wrappers… anything as he piled them up next to her to use. He clutched the nail bomb in his hand, getting ready to throw it… after the tires were lit, they couldn't stay behind the car for long. They'd just have to hope Joel would get the deed done from above.

Art [Clementine]

Clementine placed Lee's junk around the blaze generated by her jacket, fueling the fire enough to make a small puff of smoke, but not nearly enough to be useful. That's where the tires came in, and where Ellie's aid would really come into play. This'll help, I hope... Clem poured the alcohol on both the tires facing them, kicking the flaming jacket in their direction, and watching as the synthetic rubber burst into flames.

"It worked!" The girl exclaimed in contained excitement, giving Joel a confident look to signal the fact that the rest was all up to him. Gradually, a large puff of darkened smoke spread throughout their surroundings, bringing with it a terrible burning smell almost too excruciating to endure.

Kentucky [Joel]

The smoke billowed upwards, floating alongside the ladder in towering stacks. Poison. Vicious poison. And Joel was climbing right up into it. The men in the truck were likely already trying to plan for this; whether they think that the four were trying to make their escape or something else was the true question onto where their aim would fall. He grabbed the first rung, looking up the treacherous climb. His rifle swung in his free hand, before he began the journey up the ladder.

He threw himself up quick, having only one arm to carry his full weight up. The crackle of fire and smoke rang through his eardrums, but the sudden introduction of a new sound brought panic. The whirring of the machine gun starting back up, before a bullet zipped through the wall right next to him. Another phased through the smoke, shattering a window and splashing glass onto Joel. His breathing became troubled, a mixture of toxic fumes and fear swelling in his lungs. He continued the climb, another bullet sailing past, missing the building entirely. The smoke was going to dissipate soon; and they'd hit Joel eventually. He was so close to the top though, he was so so so close… but things had never been on Joel's side, no, not since the day Lee left him and Ellie behind, not since their truck had crashed into a convenience store, not since Tess had been bitten, not since Jimmy had been shot, not since he lost his job on his birthday, not since he had to raise Tommy, not since he had been stuck on this goddamned mission to take the cure for mankind across the goddamn United States by himself-

He reached up for the ledge, but it escaped him with a metal squeal and an explosion of gunfire. The bullet passed through the top of the ladder, flinging it from its screws. The ladder swung, Joel flying with it. He tried his best to make it, but another bullet was already coming towards him. It cracked through the last stronghold of the ladder, sending it falling towards the bottom, thankfully not crushing any of the three down below. Joel was lucky enough to not come crashing down with it… yet, at least. He threw the hunting rifle onto the roof as his feet fell, his arms clapping on the stone ceiling. He needed time, he just needed a little more time...

"Throw the nail bomb!" He screamed, not bothering with who heard him, as long as the message was gotten across to Lee. He could hear the machine gun whirring again, having found its target. He remembered thinking that it was like a particularly riveting game of Battleship, then the thought passed, more focus growing on pulling himself onto the roof as fast as he could.

Ledge [Lee Everett]

The thick haze of the eventual smoke filled Lee's lungs, his eyes watery and his breath heavy as he covered his nose with the inside of his elbow, trying to shield himself from the horrid smell the thick haze had emitted. But it had worked, the gunshots were getting more erratic, the gunner couldn't see them, they were confused. With his back propped up against the car he heard him...

" Throw the nail bomb! " a voice bellowed from above. It's now or never .

"Keep your heads down and stay low!" He directed his words to Ellie and Clem, the heat and smoke would travel upwards, so if they stuck lower to the ground, they'd have an easier time breathing. "Alright!" he called back to Joel as, with haste, he unpinned the bomb and wrenched himself up, throwing the bomb as hard as he could through the smoke towards the turret.

Shadowman [Narrator]

Freddy fired through the thick smoke, his teeth gritted as he attempted to tear through that car if it was the last thing he'd do. "You wanna make fire?! I'll fucking help you out!" he screamed as he slammed his fist down in the chair he was sitting on. Heading for the hatch, he went to grab another molotov, opening the hatch to throw it. His eyes widened as he saw a-

" Oh fuck… " The nail bomb landed right in front of the car. He was quick, though. Just before it exploded, he felt the front tire pop and the car lurch. He propped his head back under and closed the hatch, waiting until it had exploded. After about ten seconds, he opened the hatch again. "Nice try!" he yelled as he got ready to throw the molotov through the smoke, popping his head back up as he pulled his arm back.

Dot [Ellie]

She could hear the asshole preparing to throw the molotov, the sound of a light igniting the rag sticking out of it barely audible over the roaring flames surrounding them. Fuck fuck fuck fuck FUCK ! She pushed herself to her feet, grabbing her pistol from her pocket, before firing a shot blindly into the smoke, hoping it'd make contact with the bandit. Her lungs filled with smoke, causing her to cough violently before sinking back to the ground. As far as she could tell, the man hadn't made a noise, so her shot didn't connect.

It was only a matter of time before he'd throw the molotov at them.

Kentucky [Joel]

The ear-splitting bomb was off in a flash, Lee thankfully throwing it in good time. Joel tugged and pulled on the ledge, grunting and crying out before he finally clambered onto the roof. He fell onto his back and scrunched back, wincing in terror. He was near laughter; over the ringing in his ears, Joel couldn't be too sure that he wasn't laughing. But he rolled over nonetheless, grabbing the rifle and moving to the edge of the rooftop. He groaned, crawling on his stomach and glaring down at the truck, which was now a tad shorter. He aimed down at the hatch, scope pointed just right for the bandit to poke his head out… and so the hatch opened.

The man was fast, which was better for Joel. He threw his arm back, but Joel had already squeezed the trigger. Just as the bottle came back over the hatch, the .308 round pierced the man's neck and blew a chunk out of it. Shock killed him near instantly, which was good for him, but the driver would not be so lucky. The bottle fell into the hatch, and fire erupted from inside.

Shadowman [Narrator]

The life slowly drained out of Freddy's eyes, the thoughts of the countless friends he had lost, good people just trying to follow orders… it had all gone up in smoke… the last thing he saw was a piece of his neck flying off somewhere, and himself dropping the molotov, but he didn't care. By the time the fire erupted throughout the car, he just saw blackness, felt nothing as the fire consumed him. As for Reggie, his skin blistered and cracked as he screamed, clawing at his own skin as he threw himself out of the car, trying to get the burning sensation off of him as he gurgled whilst his skin charred. He fell to the floor as the fire consumed the truck, rolling around in agony until he finally fell silent.

Ledge [Lee Everett]

As it fell silent, Lee looked to the two kids, a show of relief as the screams and gunfire stopped. He peeked over, seeing nothing but the burning piece of charred junk that used to be a truck. He stood up now, coughing with his elbow covering his nose, only now seeing the mess they had made. He looked up to Joel on the roof, offering him a thumbs up. "We're okay!" Noticing that the fire escape ladder had busted, he placed his hands on his hips. "See another way down up there?" Need to get out of here quick, smart. The rest could be coming.

Kentucky [Joel]

Joel stood up after it was all said and done. The hunting rifle was in his hand, and he pulled back the bolt, the casing bouncing off of the edge of the rooftop and falling to the ground below. He held a thumb up back at Lee, bending his knees. Fire stung his nostrils, smoke wafting around his neck.

"I'll figure something out!" He called back, looking around for any possible way to get off this godforsaken rooftop. The rest of the hunters would be upon them soon; though the destruction of their truck gave them some precious time to escape.

Shadowman [Narrator]

Upon the top of the roof, Joel would notice a locked wooden door that would lead down the stairs and to the lower levels of the building, leading back on the street. But, something other than the crackling of fire was evident. The echoes of screams could be heard, and these were not the screams of anyone that was alive. The gunshots had woken up the entire city… Joel would see them through his scope, they were coming, and an overwhelming amount of them.

Dot [Ellie]

With the bandits dead, Ellie took a second to catch her breath, backing away from the burning inferno that's become the car they'd been hiding behind. It all happened so fast, as if just a minute ago they'd been joking about the ice cream truck. She tried to gulp, but her mouth was dry, almost excruciatingly so. After they jumped off the bridge and made it through the sewers, they'd dropped their guard, and they nearly paid the price for it.

Another close call to add to the list.

As Lee and Joel talked, her eyes were drawn to the street around them, searching for any sign of bandits waiting to pounce on them. So far, nothing, until…

The sound hit them first, a wave of screams and moans and clicking. She swiveled towards the noise, dozens of infected were rushing towards them, dead-set on feasting on whatever remained of the brief encounter.

"Oh, fuck."

She backed away from the car, looking towards Joel with a desperate look. "Joel?!"

She wasn't sure where to go, or what to do. She had two bullets left; that wasn't going to do shit against this . They needed a way out, now .

Art [Clementine]

Clementine's eyes went round in fear, Ellie's words grabbing hold of her attention before the many blaring groans in the distance were able to. The girl slowly stood up from her cover, coughing repeatedly thanks to her scheme from earlier, making her way to Lee's side, where she hoped to be able to see for herself how many were coming. The sight left her dazed, too much so for the girl to be able to let out any kind of sound. Someone had to hold them off, someone had to do something …!

Clem aimed her revolver at the cluster of infected, focusing her sights on the ones trying to climb the police car. The first batch came rather quickly, crawling over the hood, the back and the top. The fire took care of some of them, holding back the initial influx of infected. Eventually, the fucking things started crawling on top of each other, and that's when they finally forced their way through. The girl pulled the trigger once, hitting her first target in the head and killing it instantly. More followed shortly after, yet Clementine stood firm. She pulled the trigger again , again , and again … each of her shots taking care of a single one of them until the only thing leaving the barrel of her gun was the terrifying sound of an empty cylinder. Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck!

"Joel!" Clementine shouted at the top of her lungs, the girl's eyes filled with despair. They didn't have any time left.

Kentucky [Joel]

Joel burst out the front door, looking around in fear as the infected drove towards them. He swallowed, opening his mouth and releasing a shaky breath when he saw the size of the horde before them. They looked to him for instruction, but he wouldn't think. He couldn't think. He clutched at his throat, wishing he could be back in Boston, wishing that this hadn't happened to him of all people, why did it happen to him...

"Through here, there's a backdoor!" He cried, hands writing across the rifle with anxiety. "C'mon!" He kicked the door back open. Was there a backdoor? He had thought he saw one, but his mind rummaged about to remember if it had ever even been there. Please, please, please... They didn't have the resources to hole out in here. Not after the truck's shootout.

Ledge [Lee Everett]

You gotta be damned kidding me... Lee's scowled as the wave of cordyceps-infected pounced from the depths of the city, heading towards the mass amounts of noise they had generated. Did they have enough time to make a run for the radio tower? It seemed not. They were already here, leaping and bounding past the burning truck and over the police car. That was when Joel opened the front door of the house and leaped out, coercing them to run inside.

"Lets go kids!" he yelled out as he made a beeline towards the door. He stood by it as he allowed them to run in first, a screeching clicker just feet away. He fired off two shots from the revolver, one striking its neck, and the other, its head, before putting it down. Once they were inside, Lee darted in and closed the door behind him, propping up a nearby chair to the door as banging could be heard on the other end.

Lee looked around in a panic, they were all around the house surrounding them, breaking the windows and trying to get it, this place wasn't sturdy, it wasn't going to hold long. We can't stay in here! Those fungus things are gonna get in, and who knows how many more of those thugs are on the way. He followed Joel through the winds and bends of the house, before spotting the back door.

"There!" He ran over to it, testing the doorknob. It was locked, but with the combined help of the others, they forced it open. The radio tower was in sight, they just had to make a run for it now…


7:33 PM - Radio Tower

Ledge [Lee Everett]

To say that Lee was glad to be inside of this radio tower after spending almost two days trying to reach it would be an understatement. They had really been pulled through the ringer… Pittsburgh, bandits, bridges, sewers … he was finally ready to be done with it and move on from all of this. What was even more bizarre was that they had met an unlikely duo of… people with the same goals? Temporary partners…? Friends…? Truth be told, he didn't quite know what to call them yet. All he knew was they were all on the same side, going the same place… and one was immune.

The place was a goldmine. After arriving there, they'd found at least a week's worth of food, along with a decent amount of ammunition. The group that had attacked them were obviously stockpiling here, but they wouldn't stay to find out. In the morning, they would be gone. They had found a little portable gas stove and had placed it on the ground, along with a few blankets to sit on as they sat around it, waiting for the meal to warm up. Lee was astonished at how… peaceful this felt as they began to joke around and exchange a few stories… when it was his turn he spoke of the time that he found pretty funny with his brother, who got into a verbal argument with some bullies that were throwing insults and cans at their car when Lee was driving and his brother was in the passenger seat. They were much younger at the time, maybe late teens.

"-and so he sticks his head out of the window and gets ready to scream back… but right when he opens his mouth… SMACK!" Lee exclaimed. "Tree branch whacks him right across the face… so he decides to scream at me instead for not warning him - except, well… when he tried to talk, he had a lisp, and of course a mouthful of leaves. His cheek was so red, when our parents asked, he tried to say he got stung by a bee."

This was nice, it had been a while since they could openly talk like this to others… the last person that they had been able to do something like this with had...

Don't think about it.

Kentucky [Joel]

Joel threw his head back and laughed, a hand falling on his knee. "Brothers do the stupidest things." This was nice; the radio tower had supplies, walls, and a roof. What else could they ask for? Joel was sitting cross-legged across from Lee, Ellie and Clementine in between the two of them. Joel raised a finger, grinning. "My brother, Tommy, he made me get him an' me two Harleys so we could go cross-country. Dead serious."

Art [Clementine]

Clementine couldn't help but smile while listening to Lee's story, despite having heard it herself at least twice before. It made her think back sometimes, to the drug store, just a day after they met. At the time, she didn't know about Lee's brother… about how he found him as a walker, wholly unrecognizable, if not for the fact that he was wearing the same pharmacy uniform from back when he used to work there. Lee used to tell her all kinds of stories about that time, about his parents, about the old world… They felt bittersweet, somewhat, to both of them. Frankly, reminiscing only ever made Clem feel hurt…

Joel told his own story, and the girl tilted her head to the side in response, the strand of hair poking out of her hat moving accordingly. "What's a Harley?"

Dot [Ellie]

"It's a motorcycle, I think," Ellie explained, looking up from her switchblade, which she had been idly flicking in and out while the others talked. When all eyes turned towards her, she simply shrugged. "Some soldiers in the zone would talk about wanting one."

She continued to flick the blade in and out for a few more seconds, relaxing against a crate she'd sat behind her. It was nice being able to just sit down and relax for a bit after they ran into those assholes again. Anxiety tugged at her brain occasionally, the thought of the bandits finding them here still an overwhelming thought.

Finally, she continued, a small smile on her face. "Sounds pretty cool, actually. Did you two get them?" She addressed the question towards Joel, curious about his brother. She didn't know all that much about him beyond the fact he was out west and used to be a Firefly. Maybe this was her chance to finally get some information out of Joel.

Kentucky [Joel]

"Yeah, we did." Joel grinned, looking down into the gas stove. "Once Tommy got his mind set on it, we just... rode along." He rubbed at his cheek, remembering his times with Tommy in days past.

I made a mistake. He considered, but the thought reverted as his thoughts often did. He was nothing if not stubborn; something sure to come back and bite him eventually.

He leaned forward, looking down at it. "It was good. It was real good."

Ledge [Lee Everett]

"Really? You got to ride the powerhouse of back in the day and it was just good? I think you're trying not to make us jealous here, Joel." He chuckled jokingly as he sat up a little, resting his arm on one knee as he directed his attention to the stove for a moment, revelling the fact that they would actually be getting warm food tonight. "Never rode one myself, but… maybe one day." Riding across the country with your brother on two Harley's, that was something Lee would have definitely wanted to do with his brother, but most of the time, he was working at that Pharmacy, and Lee had moved on to teaching. It was hard to find time for that sort of thing.

Dot [Ellie]

As Lee and Joel talked about the Harley journey, Ellie found herself drawn to her knife again, the idle, repetitive motion keeping her mind focused. That worry was still there, like a tiny voice that wouldn't go away. It was probably paranoia, but she was sure that they radioed their friends. Had to, right? Why haven't they shown up yet? Maybe they've given up on finding them? Maybe they have the place surrounded right now? The answer eluded her. It didn't really matter, anyway. The curtains to this place were closed, and the fire was low enough that it didn't cast too much light; they were invisible, at least to the outside. Still didn't quiet her mind, though.

Sighing, she pulled herself to her feet, her eyes glancing over the room around her. They'd searched this place thoroughly, but maybe another look wouldn't hurt, just to get her mind off things. She glanced back towards Joel, Lee, and Clementine around the small fire.

"Hey, I'm gonna search around some more, see if I can't dig up something we missed."

With that, she started towards the nearby door leading into a small office.

Inside, a desk was situated in the middle of the room, most of its contents long gone. At the far end of the room were several bunk beds, probably brought in by those bandits when they took this place over. There wasn't much to search through, but it was worth a shot.

Kentucky [Joel]

Ellie seemed like she was gone in a flash; Joel respected it, nodding to her as she walked into the back room. He didn't bother with telling her to stay safe; she'd be fine, and it'd just create undue stress at this point. So he didn't mention it, even though he still wanted to talk to her about her bite. "Alright, Ellie." He said, the warm smile still on his face.

He hadn't smiled like this in a long time. He hadn't smiled in a long time.

Joel looked down at his watch, sniffling, before returning to Lee. "What time you wanna head out in the morning?" As good a question as any, he decided.

Art [Clementine]

Clementine watched Ellie walk away with a small frown, taking note of the disquietude in her expression. Joel and Lee paid no mind to it, returning to their chat rather unconcernedly not a moment after Ellie left… yet for some reason, Clem couldn't bring herself to do the same.

The girl stared at the fire gleaming just inches away from her feet, trying to shake away the feeling that something wasn't quite right with Ellie. The odds that it was all in her head seemed fairly grand, she thought. Not like it was a big deal to feel down nowadays, right? Clementine fumblingly scratched her cheek with her forefinger, now utterly positive that the thought of Ellie feeling shitty would eat away at her unless she made sure it wasn't the case.

With a sigh, Clem stood up from the spot in which she sat on, wiping the dirt off her pants. "I'm… going too, okay? Just shout if you need anything, or… whatever." Clementine didn't wait for a response, walking away from the fire without looking back.

Ledge [Lee Everett]

"I'd say as soon as we can, don't want to be around in case those bandits decide to come up this way," Lee spoke as he readjusted himself to sit more upright. They all knew better after the situation back near the streets that they shouldn't get too comfortable for too long, it'd only end seeing down the barrel of a gun from some thug, or the gnashing teeth of some fungus-infected creature.

Ellie was off, and soon after Clementine unsurprisingly followed suit, "Okay, we'll be here if you need anyth-" Slam. She had shut the door on him before he could finish his sentence, not waiting for a reply as she vanished into a different room. And with that, an odd silence filled the room for a good few moments, as to which Lee's half smile slowly faded away. The facade of confidence he had been putting on for the past few days finally slipping out of his grasp. He hunched forward and lifted his knees up, using them to support his elbows as he looked at the small crackling flames under the stove.

It was these moments that slowly ate away at his mind, the times where it was silent… no walkers to take out… no buildings to clear… just himself and the misery that plagued his own thoughts.

"I hope you know what you're doing with her…"

"We're still alive, aren't we?"

There were times that even he second guessed if he was doing the right thing, if he was even qualified to take care of her after everything he'd done. After all, he didn't have kids, what he'd always wanted since the day he got engaged. Clementine, from a young age, from the way she acted around him, always convinced him that he was a good person… but… he wasn't… he just wasn't , because he knew what he was doing. Every passing day, he was hurting her even more. Would someone like Joel understand? He didn't know, but he decided maybe it was time to get it off his chest with maybe the only person he'd ever get the chance to talk about it with, maybe this moment of peace would be his last chance to get some insight from someone else… hell, anything… before wherever tomorrow took them. He took advantage of the silence that clouded the room.

"Before I found her in that treehouse… not that long earlier, I, uh… came across a small cabin, looked like a nice place, didn't seem occupied… and that's when I went in." His gaze was fixed on the flames, not sparing a second glance as his look was stagnant, zapped of emotion. The countless nights he had almost lost sleep over it had made him numb, and a moment's silence passed before he spoke again.

"That's where I found them… her parents… they, hadn't made it… gunshot wounds to the head. FEDRA's work, no doubt..." he recalled, remembering every vivid detail from the blood splatter, their lifeless, open-eyed gaze, to the way they had been laid out next to each other on the ground. He had spared her from that horrible truth with the hope that her hopeful spirit would be granted some mercy, he just couldn't bring himself to break it to her. But, lying to her all these years… maybe that made it worse, maybe it didn't… he simply had no luxury of knowing… all he did know was she wasn't eight anymore. The time was coming.

"The worst part about it all… is figuring out the day I have to finally tell her."

Kentucky [Joel]

They were left in silence for what had seemed so long, until Lee began to speak of Clementine's parents. Joel listened with a close ear, breaths a little heavier throughout the story. Stop. He told Lee, only in his mind… he didn't want to hear, this could only go one way and that way was filled only with nothing for them. Joel squirmed in his seat, looking at the floor with pursed lips. What could he say? Clementine's parents had been executed by FEDRA, most likely, and Lee was keeping that information his and Joel's.

Joel looked up at Lee, the fire lighting his face with warmth. Fire. He thought, sickening himself with the smell of those burning bodies… the ones back in Pittsburgh, the ones in the truck. But that was old news, as far as old news went, and they were gone and Joel was still here. There wasn't much of a reason for it all… why Clementine's parents were dead, why the bandits had to be burned, why they were slaughtering others, why the four of them were here now, having lived. No, not much of any reason at all. Lee's lie was just another of these continued developments. He wouldn't tell her. The trauma would be too strong, or she'd hate him for lying, or another excuse used to justify lying to a little girl.

And Joel agreed completely. There wasn't much use in discussing it any longer. They were dead, something Clementine did not need to know. Joel opened his mouth to say something, but only a crumpled "yeah" plopped out.

He nodded afterwards. "Yeah." And then, like minds often do, he changed it.

"You have to tell her." He decided then and there. "Later though. Maybe when we're with the Fireflies, okay?" He mumbled, looking up at Lee.

Ledge [Lee Everett]

Maybe telling Joel about this was more about seeking some kind of validation and insight. Was it selfish? He didn't know. One thing he did know, from the first day he met Clementine, it was that this wouldn't be something he could keep a secret forever. Did she already know their fate, deep down? Was she oblivious or fully aware? Those types of things Lee wouldn't dare try to delve into with her.

"Yeah, it needs to happen... " he responded as he looked towards Joel, it was more of an internal thought that he had said aloud, he knew that he had to… it wasn't right to conceal her parents fate from her, even if he thought it was in her younger years.

"Fireflies it is, just gotta take it day by day..."


7:40 PM

Dot [Ellie]

Nothing much was left, unfortunately. Any useful supplies had been picked clean earlier, most of the rest was just junk. Old magazines, discarded boxes and cans for food, a pack of playing cards, which she promptly tossed into her backpack. Never knew when those might come in handy, to avoid boredom. She could still hear Joel and Lee talking in the other room, their voices muffled by the thin walls of the complex. She wasn't sure what they were talking about now, probably more stuff about the Harleys. Maybe. Whatever the two talked about, anyway. Reminiscing about the days before she was even born. She liked hearing about it, naturally curious about the world that existed before the turn, but sometimes that stuff just went over her head, like the ice cream truck from before. Pieces of a bygone age she'd never experience.

She lifted the mattress on one of the bunks, letting out a soft chuckle - well, more like a snort - as her eyes focused on the thing hiding underneath it. Another one of these? Jeez, don't you people have better things to do? She picked up the magazine, flicking through it with disinterest. Men, mostly, wearing basically nothing . A small smirk pursed her lips as another thought floated through her mind. Could always give this to Bill, if we ever see that asshole again. She rolled up the magazine in her hand before plopping down on the mattress. After a moment, she laid down, her feet hanging off the edge of the bed, while her head just barely touched the wall.

She kicked her feet back and forth idly, looking up at the box springs on the bed above. There was a faint smell of sweat in the air, presumably coming from the mattress she was laying on. Her nose wrinkled, the girl switching from breathing through her nose to her mouth. At least, that'd keep the smell away for a little bit . She dropped the magazine onto the bed, laying her arms underneath her head as she let out a soft, content sigh.

Bed's not that bad, without the smell.

Her thoughts dwelled on Clementine and Lee for a little while, the events of the past couple days replaying in her head.

With Lee, there wasn't really that much, beyond the time they spent together in the sewer after getting separated from Joel and Clementine, and when he left her and Joel on the bridge back in the city. He wasn't such a bad guy, though, and accepted the fact she was immune far quicker than Joel had, back in Boston. Maybe he trusted her more, at least more than Joel did when they first met, or maybe it was just the fact that Clementine and Joel backed her up, providing more proof that it was real . Sometimes, she hardly believed it herself, until she looked at that bite, and that feeling of anxiety rose up again. There was a lot riding on her, a lot riding on them getting to the Fireflies. She just hoped that... that they actually made it. That the Fireflies would be there at the end of the road, and the cure with it. She wanted to look back on this journey, and see it as the beginning of a time where they didn't have to live in constant fear of the infected. That future was possible, they just had to push a little further.

Then there was Clementine, the girl she nearly killed to save Joel. Held a knife to her throat. First impressions weren't great, and she was worried about the girl hating her for the rest of the time they spent together, especially since she couldn't even get Clementine to talk to her for a while. That, of course, changed after they shared that candy bar back in the sewer. She had a feeling that chocolate was the last one the girl had, and she'd only been trying to be nice to her. That was the main reason why Ellie chose to share it, because not doing so would've been a dick move. That was the first time she'd seen the girl crack a smile. Then, after they got separated from Joel and Lee, they spent the entire day together… it killed her to think about it, all those similarities she found to Riley. The games, the adventure… basically, well, everything reminded her of her old friend.

That was the last time she'd been able to be that close to someone, to enjoy someone's company and goof off. She had no other friends, besides a few acquaintances she'd made back when she was in the military school, but she hardly talked to them. It was hard to believe that so much of that happened in a short period of time with Clementine, going from an awkward distrust to something that might actually be a friendship. Maybe she was desperate to have another friend. Maybe Clementine was. Hell, maybe they both were. Who knew? She just wished that it didn't hurt to think about, all those memories of Riley that resurfaced every time she spoke to Clementine. Playing around with masks in the costume shop, taking pictures in that photo booth, throwing bricks at cars, dancing on top of a display case. Stupid shit that normal people wouldn't usually do these days, but her and Riley revelled in. There's no one else she had ever known that she would call a friend, let alone her best friend , other than Riley, and that's what made her passing so fucking difficult to forget about. Especially since Clementine might actually become the second best friend, given time. It felt like it was disrespectful, to Riley's memory, but… maybe that was just her talking. Maybe Riley would want her to find another friend. Maybe Ellie didn't know her friend as well as she thought she did. She didn't really have any answers. Life was full of mysteries, and a lot of them can't be solved.

She took in a deep breath, letting it out in a heavy exhale. Clementine wasn't Riley. Lee wasn't just another asshole that'd ditch them at a moment's notice. They weren't surrounded by bandits right now. The Fireflies were definitely still out there, waiting for them. Tommy would help them find them, no problem. Some of these might've been lies, but she didn't care. Her mind was racing, maybe hope would be the cure.

At that thought, she let out a sardonic chuckle. Yeah, that's the cure, alright.

Art [Clementine]

Clem's hand rested on the office's door handle with a touch of hesitance, as though the girl felt compelled to elaborate some sort of plan before going in. If she was right, and Ellie really wasn't feeling well… what then? Clementine stared at the door dumbfoundedly, biting her lip in sheer nervousness. Please don't… cry… again.

The door made an uncomfortable creaking noise, announcing her presence for all to hear. Though in that case, the only person around to hear was Ellie herself. Clementine stepped inside the room before closing the door behind her, standing awkwardly in place while she thought of what to say.

The reason Clem so suddenly felt this uncomfortable around Ellie wholeheartedly escaped her at the time, though it probably had something to do with the nature of her coming to that office. Why'd it feel so embarrassing to admit she followed Ellie there because she was worried about her? Heck, it felt mushy just thinking about it. Clementine stuffed her hands inside her pockets, her eyes darting across the office before the girl cleared her throat. Play it cool. Walking deeper into the room as her gaze wildly shifted from place to place, Clem finally spoke up.

"Find anything?" Simple… Simple questions are good. Yup. Through that innocent inquiry, Clementine was confident she'd be capable of figuring out whether or not the girl was feeling alright. It was all a matter of paying careful attention to her response, to the tone of her voice. Hopefully Ellie wasn't actually, seriously upset… couldn't be anything suckier than that.

Then again, that's what friends were for.

Dot [Ellie]

Ellie looked towards the door from where she was reclining on the bed, seeing Clementine enter the room. She pulled herself up into a sitting position, stretching her shoulders briefly. As the girl asked the question, Ellie simply shrugged her shoulders. "Place is picked clean. Not much left to find but empty cans of food." She let out a half-sigh, pushing herself off of the bed.

Clementine was probably worried about her, she could tell based on the expression on the girl's face, and she realized then that maybe the girl knew her better than she'd give her credit for. After a moment, she picked up the magazine, rolling it in her hand, before throwing the question over her shoulder. "Do you ever find yourself just worrying over nothing? Like… you know it's stupid, but you still do it anyway?"

It's called irrational fear.

She glanced back towards the girl, an uneven frown on her face. After everything that happened in Pittsburgh, she just couldn't stop worrying about those assholes showing up again. They were sitting in the middle of one of their outposts, about as ballsy as you can get, really.

Art [Clementine]

Clementine's brows furrowed at Ellie's response, the girl letting out a soft sigh. It wasn't particularly telling of anything except for the fact that there really wasn't anything left in that radio tower… which in and of itself was worthy of disappointment. Clem leaned against the wall next to the bunks, arms crossed in discontent. Is she really okay…? Clementine wondered vehemently, half-tempted to quit being a baby and just ask her already. Ellie beat her to the punch however, asking a question Clem didn't quite grasp initially.

"Huh…?" Clementine muttered, before Ellie clarified what she meant by it. To that, Clem simply gawked unresponsively, reflecting over the question on her own. Worry over nothing… It was a difficult thing to answer, but even so, it didn't take long for Clementine to recall one particular instance in which she felt that way.

"After we find the Fireflies… will you guys stick around?"

It qualified as stupid in her mind; the unconditional fear of Ellie leaving her after… everything.

Stupid… It was… stupid.

Was it really that stupid…? Everyone else she ever gave an ounce of a crap about had either left, or died… or both. What the hell stopped Ellie from doing the same? The fact that they were friends…? It was childish. Just a… colossally laughable thought.

So why was it then…? Why was it that she so firmly held on to that thought? Why was it that, no matter how hard she tried to deny it, Clem felt so avidly attached to Ellie? Why was it that after spending barely more than a day with her, Clementine deemed it so unthinkable for the other girl to just ditch her the first chance she got? Maybe it was childish… a delusion forged by a little girl who so desperately wanted a friend… but she wanted to think Ellie felt the same way… that she felt at least a fraction of what Clem felt for her.

Averting her gaze, Clementine finally answered Ellie's question. "All the time."

Dot [Ellie]

Ellie nodded slowly, taking in the sparse words Clementine had given her. At least it wasn't just her, then. She let out a sigh, looking away from Clementine for a couple of seconds, before finally forcing herself to look back.

"It sucks," she replied, shrugging her shoulders lazily. She took in a deep breath, letting it out in a short exhale. The air was cold, the temperature outside dropping significantly since that morning, although still warm enough that her breath didn't come out in a thin mist. "Before we got here, I didn't really... realize it was this bad, out here. Soldiers are dickheads, but I'd take them over these bandits any day. It's got me thinking… how dumb it is to think that the Fireflies are going to be out there, waiting for us. I don't want to believe it, but… it's just… there , you know? Like it won't go away. If it's like this everywhere, what's stopping the Fireflies from getting overrun?" She let out a frustrated sigh, stopping herself from continuing down that path. "Like I said, it's… stupid."

And I don't want you, or Joel, or Lee to die trying to get me there, only to find out they're all dead.

Was that the root of it all? She was worried about dying ? After their close calls recently, maybe there was some merit to that, but still… it was so fucking stupid. Why wouldn't her brain just learn to shut the fuck up? She hadn't really had this problem before, not until recently, and it was driving her insane trying to figure it all out. She closed her eyes for a second, forcing her mind to calm the fuck down, before opening them again, and gazing towards Clementine.

Art [Clementine]

Clem's gaze lingered, distant, the girl's brows drawing together. It made sense now, sort of. Ellie's weird attitude that night, the complicated questions… Ellie was scared of not making it to the end, of not finding the Fireflies. She was flat-out second guessing herself. It filled Clementine with sorrow, being forced to hear all that from her. You don't mean it… No way was she gonna let her do that. Clem wasn't going to let her give up. "You're right." Clementine stated with a hint of rancor, staring Ellie in the eye. "You're being stupid."

Clem's back distanced itself from the wall as the girl walked towards Ellie, standing stoutly in front of her as her fingers curled into fists. "They're out there somewhere, and we're gonna find them. Don't ever tell yourself otherwise. Got it?" It was almost… unconscious, the excessive resentment she felt against Ellie in that moment. There was a deeper reason for it, naturally, one even Clementine herself was beyond being capable of identifying.

How dumb it is to think that your parents are going to be out there, waiting for you.

Ellie's fear mirrored the exact same one she had about her parents. The same fear Clem had to repress ever since she lost them four years ago. In the end, those words were barely directed at Ellie. They were simply what Clementine had to tell herself every day in order to keep going.

Clementine's expression softened shortly after her fiery appeal. The girl briefly shut her eyes in frustration, before making her way back to her previous spot, leaning against the wall with her arms crossed once again. "We're gonna make it there. All of us."

Dot [Ellie]

Ellie was taken aback by Clementine's reaction, not quite sure what to make of it. It was obvious that she believed they'd make it there, all the way, and Ellie admired that. That nagging feeling, now that she was thinking about it, had been there since they left Boston, back when she'd begun to think that the Fireflies at the Capitol building were going to be dead. The thing was… that turned out to be true. What's stopping history from repeating itself? Just don't think about it, okay? She let out a heavy sigh, trying to put on a smile for the girl leaning against the wall in front of her.

"I guess I live up to my nickname," she joked, raising her arms out to each side for comedic effect. She let them drop back to her sides, the smile fading away. "Thanks, Clem. I... appreciate that."

After a moment, her attention turned to the magazine still wrapped in her hand, letting out a half-chuckle. She extended the magazine out to the girl, laughter in her tone as she spoke. "This was the only thing I found, underneath one of the mattresses. Guess bandits need to, uh, use their downtime somehow ."

Art [Clementine]

Clem blinked. Twice, three times. Confusion evident in her expression. The girl leaned forward with interest, though what met her gaze failed to do anything but confuse her further, flourishing to the point of absolute shock. Wha-? What!? It was a boy wearing nothing but his underwear. Why? Why was that there? Why was that in a magazine ?!

Clementine's arms weren't crossed anymore. Truthfully, in that paralyzing state, she didn't really know what to do with them. The rosiness spreading in her cheeks gave away the girl's unease, though beyond what she couldn't control, Clementine felt mostly pissed off.

"Ellie!" She cried out in embarrassment, turning her head to the side and looking away, both the other girl and the magazine standing just beyond the corner of her eye. "Put that away!"

Dot [Ellie]

Ellie stifled a laugh, tossing the magazine back onto the bed she'd found it under earlier. Clementine's face was comical, making the little joke worth the fallout it was surely to cause. She managed to stop laughing, letting out a content sigh. "Sorry, I had to."

She wouldn't admit it, even to herself, but Clementine looked kinda adorable with her cheeks so flushed. Maybe it was because she'd never really seen that before, on anyone else, but it was enough to make Ellie feel slightly uncomfortable. She took an instinctive step back, trying to put a serious look on her face. "Forgive me?" She asked the question in a light tone, that humorous attitude she'd adopted to try and get her mind off of the Fireflies still strong in her voice.

Art [Clementine]

Clementine pouted her lips, staring fiercely and angrily back at Ellie with no sign of stopping. Stupid.

In all fairness, it'd be a ginormous lie to say that the… weird, creepy magazine didn't sort of… kind of… pique her interest. She hadn't really seen a lot of boys, not ever , let alone… ones without any clothes on. As to why such a freaky thing had her so curious in the first place was totally beyond her.

Even so, it didn't matter… They probably weren't supposed to be looking at that stuff anyway. It was gross, that's what it was. A gross magazine for… gross, creepy people. No way was she gonna look at it… even if she… kind of wanted to, a little bit. Refocusing her attention, as well as her anger, to the source of the creepiness, Clementine hit Ellie in the shoulder, just hard enough for it to sting a bit. "Dick." She called her, before letting out a soft chuckle she couldn't hold back by any means. It was little funny.

Dot [Ellie]

Ellie rubbed her shoulder gingerly as Clementine punched her. "Ow." Her voice was a deadpan, yet a smile still pursed her lips.

Seeing the girl so flustered was enough to put Ellie in a good mood, despite how obviously taken aback Clementine was from all of this. Ellie wasn't unacustomed to seeing stuff like that, having seen the magazine Bill had kept, and another one back in the zone, but it must've been the first time Clementine had seen anything like that. For Ellie, it'd been simple curiosity, which had been quickly replaced by indifference. She didn't really see what the big fuss was about, back when a couple girls at the military boarding school had snuck one into the school one day. It was something she'd brushed off as 'not worth her time', at the time, and hardly given it the light of day since, except for the odd joke here and there. Clementine's reaction had been much more vocal than hers had been, anyway.

"You should be careful, Clem," she continued in a teasing tone, laughing. "Now I know your weak spot."

Art [Clementine]

"I swear I'm gonna hit you again." Clementine threatened the other girl, resting boths hands on her hips. It was staggering how almost nothing seemed to make Ellie uncomfortable, not even… that kind of stuff. Like she could say, or do anything without an ounce of shamefacedness. Ellie wasn't as extroverted as Duck, surely, but she was the total opposite of a girl like Sarah. Maybe that's what Clem found so alluring about her… that weird, but awesome sense that she was constantly emanating outgoingness. The bottom line, and really, the one thing Clementine cared about, is that Ellie was back to being that old cheerful girl that tried to approach her on that rooftop. Guess I made up for that day. Clementine settled for in her head, smiling faintly at the thought.

Shadow Dot [Narrator]

Before Ellie could answer with another tease, a noise emanated from behind a door on the other side of the room, opposite the one where Joel and Lee resided, cooking their dinner. It was a noise that wasn't all that familiar to Ellie, but familiar to Clementine. The sound of a walker growling, and a chair skidding across a concrete floor at short intervals could barely be heard through the metal door. The two girls look to each other, realizing then that this place wasn't as clear as they'd previously thought.

Dot [Ellie]

The teasing ambience in the air died the instant the noise filled the air, forcing Ellie to look towards the closed door across the room. Gulping, she glanced back towards Clementine. Shit. Doesn't sound like a clicker, but it doesn't sound like a runner, either. "Uh… what the fuck is that?" She asked the question aloud, her hand instinctively going to the knife in her pocket, fishing it out, and flicking it open. It sounded vaguely familiar, like she'd seen one before, maybe , but it wasn't something she remembered specifically. Whatever it was, it didn't sound friendly, and was behind a door they'd yet to explore. Two things that made this whole situation ten times worse than it probably was.

Art [Clementine]

Being faced with Ellie's question, Clementine lifted an eyebrow, more so out of puzzlement than anything. Likewise, the girl's hand hovered towards her hunting knife, though seeing as Ellie was quicker to the draw, Clem simply kept her right hand rested on its holster, just in case. It sounded like just one of them, probably startled by the laughter. Lucky… if there wasn't a door keeping it away, they would've probably been caught unalert. Clementine slowly walked over to the door standing between them and the thing on the other side, preparing herself to open it and get it over with. Despite being under the assumption that it was rhetorical, Ellie's question from before lingered on her mind, as if poking her brain nonstop. What kind of bonehead didn't immediately recognize a walker sound?

"It's a walker," she bluntly stated, and ended it there. No way she didn't know what those were. Being sheltered was one thing…

Dot [Ellie]

Walker... that sounded vaguely familiar, as if Lee had mentioned it before. It took a moment, but the familiarity of the sound finally connected in her mind, bringing her back to Boston, and where she'd first encountered a 'walker'.

"C'mon, we're almost there!" Riley's voice brought Ellie back to reality, her eyes peeling away from the tiled floor they were walking on to the other girl. She still didn't know where the hell Riley was taking her, but they were already halfway across town. Sighing, she picked up the pace, keeping in step just behind Riley.

"And where is 'there'?" She replied, trying to get more information out of the girl, but she'd been tight-lipped on the whole ordeal. Keeping it a surprise, that was so Riley. The girl merely glanced back at her with a mischievous smile.

"You'll see, now c'mon!"

She began to open a door at the end of the hallway they'd been walking down, stopping in place as an unfamiliar noise reached Ellie's ears. The smile Riley had on her face dissipated in an instant, as her eyes were focused on something in the room. Ellie quickly approached the girl, reaching for the knife she kept in her pocket as she stood next to Riley. What she saw wasn't quite what she expected. A man, probably no older than twenty, was hanging from the ceiling from a rope tied around the ceiling fan. He swung back and forth like a pendulum, guttural growls escaping his lips in choked spurts. His eyes were a pale, milky white, looking towards them with a furious scowl, reaching out towards them with gray hands. Ellie didn't know what to say, or what to do. She knew a little about the virus, and how the fungus infected someone, but none of that compared to this . If the host died, then the virus died with it. That was basic knowledge. But, this man, he was definitely not alive, not anymore.

"Come on," Ellie finally said, gulping down the lump forming in her throat. "L - Let's just… get out of here."

"Yeah..."

"Alright," she breathed, following Clementine over to the door. "Yeah. Sounds like it might be tied to a chair. Should be easy enough." I hope. She took in a deep breath, positioning herself behind Clementine, knife still clutched tightly in her hand. "Alright, let's do this."

Art [Clementine]

Clementine responded with a quick nod, shifting her gaze and utmost attention to the door in front of her. She wasn't expecting anything the two of them couldn't handle, but being a little careful couldn't hurt. "Ready?" The girl quietly asked, taking a deep breath before bursting through the door. The metal door led to a garage, a fairly sizable one... and also a very distasteful one to look at. The floor was covered in blood, had been for what couldn't be more than a few days. Furthermore, the walker tied to the chair looked somewhat recent as well. It didn't take much creativity to piece together what happened there prior to their arrival, and the deducing honestly made Clem sick to her stomach. Best to just get on with it.

The walker posed no threat, acting more defenseless than usual, what with being weighed down by a chair and all. All it took was a firm blow to the head, one which Clementine promptly delivered after knocking him down with a powerful kick to the back of its leg, crouching down and burying her knife inside its cranium.

"I got it," Clem casually announced, letting Ellie know it had been taken care of. Clem sheathed the weapon after ensuring no more were going to follow behind that one, finally letting down her guard. Looks clear.

Inside the garage, very little managed to catch the girl's eye, all except for an old looking car that appeared to be abandoned. There were tools lying around, obviously… but from the looks of it, the people who lived there weren't using them to fix cars. "Wanna take a look around?" Clem asked Ellie lightheartedly, closing it with a shrug. Hopefully they'd get to find something that night other than dirty magazines.

Dot [Ellie]

Ellie followed the girl into the garage, watching as she dispatched the walker with quick, precise movements. It was impressive, and the dead thing wasn't a match for her. She found herself looking into its soulless, white eyes for a moment, before Clementine's voice brought her out of her reverie.

"Uh, yeah, sure," she replied, taking a moment to look around the room.

The van caught her interest; it didn't look like the others littering Pittsburgh, probably left behind by the bandits for one reason or another. It was possible that it worked, or could be fixed. She approached the car in quick steps, pulling the driver's door open. The interior of the car was sparse, nearly devoid of any junk, and Ellie took a moment to sit in the driver's seat, searching for a set of keys that was hopefully hidden somewhere. She found them sitting in one of the cup holders in between the front seats. She inserted it into the ignition, turning it with a quick jerk. The car sputtered violently, before dying. Shit. She tried again, with the same result.

She let out a heavy sigh, looking over towards Clementine. "It's still got some juice, I think, but we'll have to get Joel or Lee to look at it. We just might have a ride to get out of this city."

Art [Clementine]

Clementine's eyes anxiously scanned the garage, mostly in an attempt to get her mind off the eerie atmosphere that place harshly radiated. The girl began her search with the heavy cabinets situated by the outer edge, which, to no one's surprise, contained only more of the same: nothing worth taking. Just… leftovers, of all kinds of things. The toolboxes, drawers, they were all empty… even the trash cans. Everything else in that place were either old newspapers, or paint cans.

With a quiet groan, Clem finished poking around the garage, only to find Ellie doing much of the same with the van from earlier. The vehicle stuttered fiercely, like a dying animal. Not exactly shocking considering it was left behind, yet in spite of that, Ellie persisted. She was stubborn alright, probably the one thing the two of them had in common.

Ledge [Lee Everett]

After what Lee would consider a damned heavy conversation, it was then interrupted by the strained sound of an engine coming from the room the kids were in. At first instinct, it was hard not to draw the conclusion to it being another turret. He'd had enough of hearing that engine, so slowly yet steadily, the two men went to investigate.

"Heard a noise?" Lee questioned as he peeked his head through the door, noticing the horrid mess and the dead walker. He arched his eyebrows in satisfaction as he saw the source of the all the racket, and what could be their lucky break. Seemed Ellie was already at work on it. "Well, I'll be damned. This was in here the whole time?"

Kentucky [Joel]

Joel followed after Lee, eager to find the source of the violent noise. The humming of an engine, before its eventual disappearance; Joel was sure that Lee was thinking the thing as he. He stepped through the door, eyes widening at the sight before them. He pursed his lips, before his mouth dropped agape. "Wow," was all he could manage to utter.

Ledge [Lee Everett]

Lee traversed over the bloody floor as he approached the driver's window where Ellie was sitting in the seat. Looking in, he noticed it looked like it wasn't that old, maybe recently used judging from how clean it looked. "Looks like it's in good condition… just a matter of if we can get it running." He scratched his head as he took a step back, kneeling down to check the wheels with a hand on his chin. Truth be told, he wasn't all that good with cars. Ask him about the Civil War any day, but when it came to car parts, he considered himself horrible. Come on… you fixed a train, but you can't even fix a damn car? he sighed out. "Kenny would have been good with this stuff..." he mumbled as he examined the underside of the car, crossing his arms as he circled around to examine it further.

Dot [Ellie]

Ellie pulled herself out of the van, looking towards Joel and Lee. She hoped they knew how to fix this thing, just for the possibility of getting out of this city without another run-in with those assholes. She let out a sigh, leaning against the side of the car. "The battery's fine, I think. Maybe it needs gas, or something?" Hopefully that's all it needs...

Ledge [Lee Everett]

"Hmph," Lee acknowledged what the girl had said, tilting his head towards the fuel latch as he made his way over to it. Opening it and peeking inside, there was no way of telling until they got the engine running, but he stuck his nose near the fuel cap and almost immediately the strong smell of fuel entered his nostrils, causing him to wince slightly and pull back. "Nah, that's not it, there's definitely fuel in here… It's pretty cold out... maybe the battery needs warming?"

Kentucky [Joel]

Joel looked over the van carefully, frowning. It had been an absolute miracle that this had been out here, in working condition at all. Of course, the battery was likely frozen, but that was something that could easily be fixed. "Wish we still had antifreeze." He grimaced, looking at Ellie. "Try and start it again, but hold it there for around... eight seconds. No more than that, don't wanna flood it." He pursed his lips, crossing his arms. There was no option of jumpstarting the van, so Joel could only hope that this would work. "What's the year on the van?"

Dot [Ellie]

Ellie nodded quickly, hopping back into the van. Please work, please work... She grabbed the keys, still in the ignition, before twisting them, holding them for a couple of seconds. As Joel and Lee talked, the sound of sputtering continued to fill the air, before finally being swept away by the faint roar of the engine whirring to life. She smiled victoriously, smacking the side of the steering wheel in triumph. "That's right. Fuck you, van!"

After coming up with all of those potential problems, they'd managed to get the van to work without a hitch. She glanced towards the other three, the smile plastered on her face. "Looks like we've got a ride out of this town, after all."

Art [Clementine]

Excitement poured out of Clem like sunshine, the triumphant sound of the engine resonating in her ears as the grin on her face grew wider, a short laugh escaping her lips. Holy shit! She couldn't have ever imagined they'd find a car there, an actual working van ! It was unbelievable… unbelievably fucking awesome. The girl felt a surge of excitement fill her whole body, a sense of joy she couldn't possibly shake away. It may have been naive of her, but for once Clementine had a good feeling… that things would finally go their way during the trip tomorrow. Nothing that felt this right could possibly go wrong. It just couldn't. Gawking nonstop at the vehicle, the girl wore the facial expression of a small child with an abnormally large christmas present.