10:14 AM - October 30, 2025 - University of Eastern Colorado
Ledge [Lee Everett]
The air was cool and crisp, a gentle breeze rushing through the street as Whiskers carried Clementine and Lee towards the looming mass of buildings that made up the University of Eastern Colorado. The road ahead was clogged with rusted cars, and the road itself had turned mostly to grass and moss. They were approaching a large opening in the brick fence surrounding the college, the letters UEC were attached to the side of the brick wall, nearly as rusted as the cars surrounding them. A sign hung on the wall haphazardly, indicating the entrance.
Lee held the reigns now, most of the journey being spent with Clementine giving him tips on how to maneuver and handle Whiskers's strength. The man was still getting used to surpassing his fear of losing his balance and falling off the damn thing. Luckily, because they were naturally a lot slower, Whiskers had developed a bit of a habit. He always kept that other horse in front of them in his sights, following his trail, it was almost like he didn't want to get separated from his buddy. It sure as hell made it a lot easier on Lee when it came to keeping up.
It was almost over now, the Fireflies they'd set out to find just about in reach. If Lee could get there without falling off… His eyes glazed over the small patches of overgrowth, taking note of a ripped up Homecoming sign that hung from the wall, flopping in the wind. He half-turned his head over to Clem behind him as they rode through.
"How am I doing?"
Art [Clementine]
The great thing about traveling on horseback was always the fresh air, the light gusts of wind that pushed her locks of brown hair back at every opportunity. Keeping the horses fed, sleeping out in the open… it wasn't as easy as napping in the back of the van, no, but it did make for a far more exciting trip.
It gave her plenty of time to teach Lee how to ride. Short lessons at first, that given enough time evolved into the two of them taking turns. Whiskers wasn't a fan. That blockhead wasn't much of a fan of people in general. He loved fighting back, whipping his head to the sides like a punk. It made those lessons a living hell, though they were a challenge the girl took in stride. So long as he kept getting apples, they'd be doing fine.
With Lee's glance came a question Clem had been expecting, and one she was happy to answer. "Better," nodded the girl, pride embedded in her voice whilst her eyes shifted toward the reigns. "Just don't pull on it too hard or he'll get jumpy." The silence was nice, too. No more roaring engines or accidental alarms. Ellie still wouldn't shut up, granted, but Clem'd take what she could get.
Their next stop was coming to a head, and Clementine's eyes were glistening with enthusiasm. A university… The Fireflies almost took a backseat to the buzz of seeing such a big place for the first time. And as usual, with interest came curiosity.
"You used to teach in one of these, right?"
Ledge [Lee Everett]
And with that, Clementine may have opened up a line of conversation she wouldn't be able to get out of for a while; he could go on about his teaching days for several hours. Just being back on campus was enough to get him nostalgic about his time as a history professor.
"UGA was similar to this. Really similar." He nodded before trailing off, visualising himself walking down one of these pathways, coffee in one hand, suitcase in the other, making his way to the lecture hall.
"For a lot of people, this place was their ticket to finally getting their dream jobs."
Art [Clementine]
As the thought snuck into her head, Clementine lost herself to it, her eyes trailing off to the large building ahead. All the noise and the commotion… she could practically feel it, or at least about as much as her imagination allowed her to. It wasn't that long ago when people used to study there, like a school, only twice, maybe three times as big. A relic of the past…
…not all that unlike the concept of a 'dream job'. People from the old world were so lucky. What she wouldn't give to have gone to a place like UEC one day. To have her parents drive her up to the entrance... chat up with friends about some stupid dream job and complain about student fees. Fantasizing about it would have to suffice, sadly. With Lee, though, it was a different story altogether. He had all the time in the world to worry about that sort of trivial stuff. "What was yours?"
"I mean… did you always want to be a teacher?"
Ledge [Lee Everett]
For as long as he could remember, teaching was his pride and joy. Lee could happily say he was content with what he did. That was why when Clementine asked the question he actually had to think twice.
"When my dad was getting older, he wanted my brother and I to take over at the pharmacy… always talked about trying to expand the drugstore, so I thought I'd end up doing something in business or property." He shook his head, he could still hear his father lecturing both him and his brother about working together at the drugstore. That place was like a second house for them.
"I tried a few things before studying teaching, just wasn't happy with them. Nothing felt better than waking up in the morning and actually going to study something youdidn't hate. That was rare back then, so that's how I knew teaching was right for me. It was all just trial and error until you found the right thing for yourself."
Dot [Ellie]
They drew deeper into the parking lot bordering the university, Ellie's gaze focusing on the vast buildings that surrounded them. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Lee and Clem's horse catching up to them, until they were sauntering next to them. She glanced back towards the university, eyes furrowing. "Okay. None of these buildings look like a mirror to me."
Art [Clementine]
Past the entrance, not much was novel. Rotting cars encircled the parking lot in small batches, as did the lots, lots of grass. For once you'd think they'd find a place that didn't look like a trash heap… especially if the Fireflies were hunkered down in the university for as long as they were supposed to be. Clem pouted her lips, begrudgingly welcoming the stench of rust crawling up her nose.
Maybe that was just wishful thinking.
Poking her head out from Lee's back, the girl scanned the buildings for the so-called 'giant mirror', finding about as much success as whoever had the job of guarding that main gate they'd sauntered through. "Best we keep looking…" Clem said in a low voice, wary of the silence that had welcomed them; a red flag that wouldn't stop weighing on her mind. Mirror. Science building… and where is that?
"Anywhere we can get a better look?" She asked aimlessly, raising a brow. It's like a maze in here.
Ledge [Lee Everett]
"They gotta have a campus map around here somewhere. Should tell us exactly where this building is supposed to be." Lee spoke before trailing off, looking around at the old-styled structures. It wouldn't be that hard to spot out a giant mirror from the rest, but maybe that was because they weren't in the right position yet. Think... where would these guys put up the campus map?
Back at the UGA, they had it outdoors in an open area, usually where they thought the new students would be able to easily spot it out. Of course he was just relying on his own university's layout to make a guesstimate, but it was the best one he could make currently. If they still didn't see this supposed giant mirror by the time they got to the map, then at least it would tell them where to go; it was insurance.
"It might be in the courtyard, should be towards the middle of campus up thataways." He gestured his head over to a proposed path that headed inwards. "Better view, too."
Kentucky [Joel]
"We can just head for the central grounds. Should be able to see most of the campus from there." He told Ellie, now looking at Lee. "Yeah, what he said." Joel proposed, the horse kicking up in speed again. Sorry, not the horse. Callus. What kind of a name was Callus anyways? Joel had no idea what that even meant. Callus. Joel figured that a campus map was unlikely after the two decades they had been out of production around these parts, likely decaying or brushed aside by the wind. "I wouldn't bother looking for a map, Lee. Don't think any are left." He called to Lee as he spurred Callus forward, heading deeper into the campus.
He looked back at Ellie for a second, making sure she was still hanging on, before letting his eyes wander to the wastes of the college. He had never been able to come to one of these; not after Sarah. He had considered it, of course, but it would never have worked out, not with everything he had to deal with at home.
Art [Clementine]
And so, that's where they went. With Lee in charge, on the reigns, that's how stuff usually worked out. His riding was still kinda rough, but he more than made up for it with confidence. Whiskers hated it when they acted bossy, like a whiny little kid, but Lee wouldn't have any of it. Maybe in that regard, he was better than her at it… just a tiny bit.
While the horse leapt over concrete roadblocks - the kind that were scattered throughout the place, and covered in barb wire - Clementine held firmly onto Lee, a hint of a smile taking over her expression. "I'm glad you… found your 'right thing' ."
It sounded really hard… trying to figure out your place in the world, back before when there still was one. Imagining Lee as anything other than a professor was a struggle unlike any other. I guess he just knew it when he saw it. Trial and error… right? "You're pretty good at it," the girl pointed out with a smirk while Whiskers traversed through the remnants of the university. Better than a horse rider, at least.
Thus came back the silence she enjoyed so much, everyone seemingly too busy searching for that map to say anything. Clem wasn't so concerned. The place was so huge, it was hard not to keep staring at literally everything else.
"Y'know, Mom used to be a doctor before." He knew that. At least she was pretty sure he did. Lee had to sit through enough talks about her parents to last two lifetimes. "I bet she would've wanted me to be one too."
Ledge [Lee Everett]
"I always figured that's where you inherited your knack for it, from the day you stitched up your own arm." He added with an amused grin, guiding Whiskers onwards deeper into the university. Lee felt a slight amount of pressure now that they were the ones taking lead with Joel and Ellie trailing behind, he'd just have to try not to screw up with the horse.
"After we find the Fireflies, if you want to pursue something like that. You have my blessing." He encouraged, she was already like his personal doctor already with how many times she'd fixed his wounds. He could definitely see Clementine going the medical field route for work in the near future. The kid was intelligent, switched-on, and resilient. And he was sure the rebel group would have the facilities there to teach her. It was all too exciting to think about, the possibilities in their future.
Art [Clementine]
"We'll see," the girl replied with amusement, tilting her head to the side as she mulled over the idea. Being a doctor didn't sound so bad. Sort of like Katjaa, 'cept… on people rather than animals. They used to rely on her so much, half the time you couldn't tell the difference.
Up ahead, past a large tree drowned in orange, was a chain-link fence about Lee's size. Too big for Whiskers to jump over, and too long to go around. They stopped for a moment, eyeing the object standing in their path, before Clem adjusted the tip of her hat, dismounting the horse. "I got it," she said, confidence in her voice, her boots colliding with the dirt below.
The girl inspected the fence a little closer, finding a door Whiskers could just barely squeeze through. It, however, refused to open, no matter how much she wanted it to. The sound of a chain being violently tugged on made as much really clear. Locked. Of course. She could feel Lee's eyes on her, like he was about to tell her to give up and get back on the horse. No way. Clementine went on the tip of her toes, placing her palms on top of the fence and pulling herself upward with some help of her feet. Once she was over the edge, Clem leapt toward the other side, letting out a heavy breath after the fact. There we go. Easy.
The lock was the hard part. There wasn't much in the way of options besides smashing their way through. So, that's what she did. Clementine reached for the knife in her holster, swinging at the lock with its handle. It didn't do much the first time, besides make a lot of noise. A sigh was followed by another attempt, and another, until…
It fell apart on its own, all that rust forcing it to give in and meet the dirt. Huh.
With that out of the way, it was as simple as pushing the door with her foot. Doing so, prompting it to make a satisfying grinding sound. Score! As she walked back to the horse, Clementine extended her hand, hoping Lee would help her back up. It was kinda hard otherwise, given her… size.
Ledge [Lee Everett]
"Nice work." Lee smiled, a sense of of pride washing over him. After all, there was a time he'd probably get upset at her for pulling a stunt like that. He held out his hand for her to grab, helping her back up on the horse. Lee hunched his head downwards and tried to shrink himself as they just barely managed to squeeze through the opening.
He gave a brief thumbs up towards Ellie and Joel, letting them know it was clear to come through. Once they trotted onwards, an open grounds could be seen as they turned the corner. It ended up looking a lot more bland than Lee was expecting, he supposed he could blame wear and tear over the past fourteen years for that. However, regardless of Joel's suggestion, Lee wouldn't give in just yet on finding that map. At first glance, there wasn't much in sight besides tattered garden beds and rotten benches scattered around the yard.
"There's gotta be something, keep your eyes peeled."
Art [Clementine]
Gotta be something. Right. The further they rode, the harder it became to be so optimistic. Nevermind how creepy it was in there, the lack of any sign of anything was downright uncanny. Geez. Even spotting a walker or two would help her feel more at ease. It's no wonder, then, that the moving foliage in the distance nearly caused the girl to jump on her seat. Probably raccoons, right…? Or a Firefly scientist crawling on all fours. Now that'd be a sight.
Though the absence of any Fireflies went on to linger, Clementine did spot a small board from the corner of her eye, urging Lee to head towards it. At first glance, it looked like they'd hit the jackpot. Numerous schedules were plastered across the wall, some warnings about a 'disease', even, that probably showed up too late to do any good. When the girl's eyes landed on the map, however, there was nothing but letdown in them. "Aw, it's all torn up... " Most of it was, enough so to make it unreadable. It wasn't even ripped off or anything… it'd just sorta corroded with time.
It led to more galloping, anyway. More wandering around following Andrea's direction, which was looking pretty vague in hindsight. What the hell did she even mean by 'a giant mirror'? And why was it so fucking hard to find? Clem found herself hunching backward, looking to sit more comfortably on the horse, knowing they'd be searching for a while. What a drag.
And so they searched, passing through the likes of cafeterias and libraries - the latter grabbing Clem's meandering attention. "It's all pretty barren here," she stated the obvious, eyes narrowing in boredom. Even from a distance, she could tell Joel and Ellie were yapping on about something or other. It'd be a lie to say she wasn't a little jealous. "Okay…" Clementine uttered to nab Lee's attention, rubbing her hands together. Gosh, it was getting cold...
"Worst memory of UGA. Go."
Ledge [Lee Everett]
"Dammit, looks like Joel was right." The apparent sign board they'd found was beyond recognizable, its wear and tear well within effect, probably from harsh weather over the years. Looks like we just gotta wing it, onwards to central grounds then. He smacked his lips as he gave the reigns a tug, coercing Whiskers onwards.
"Yeah, it is." Clementine had taken notice too, at the fact that there wasn't a peep from any Firefly so far. But it was too early to tell, they were probably all hunkered down in this so called 'mirror building' they had yet to find. These buildings were so damn tall that it was hard to get a beat on what was ahead.
His thoughts were interrupted as a question was thrown at him by Clem, probably to help her pass the time. "Oh, uh…" Lee thought about it as best as he could, there were a lot of off days that stuck out, mainly from lack of coffee. But one memory came into the forefront.
"There was this one time… everyone's group history presentation was due, like homework. We'd put it up on a big screen like an electronic slideshow, and they'd have to explain to the class what they wrote up in response to question I gave them..."
"Anyway there was this one girl that got up to speak in front of class… Didn't notice she was looking nervous until she started stammering." He shook his head, feeling like gagging at the thought of it. "Next minute she starts clearing her throat, then covers her mouth… and then, uh…. she projectile vomited… all over my desk. It was pretty nasty."
Art [Clementine]
Speaking up in front of the whole class? Clementine could feel her brows furrowing as the thought was drilled into her head, a chill in her arms that wouldn't go away. That wasn't like homework at all. It sounded ten times worse. That slideshow thing seemed pretty cool, though, like in one of those fancy board meetings? Still, the story got pretty gnarly as it went on.
"Nooo…" Clem uttered in surprise, holding back a fit of laughter and refusing to believe it at the same time. She knew all about vomiting, but projectile vomiting? Like a waterhose?! "That's so gross!" The girl shut one of her eyes, grimacing, trying to drive the thought away. All over the desk, too. Oh, yuck... "Then what happened? What'd you do? Was she okay?"
Ledge [Lee Everett]
"I called a break, got everyone out of class." He felt bad about the both of them joking about it, the smallest of smirks creeping up on him. That acidic disgusting smell of vomit, it paled in comparison to walker guts nowadays, but back then that was just one of the worst things.
"Her partner ended up having to do the whole presentation for her, the sick girl was fine... but, yeah." He trailed off, trying to put it in a way the teen would understand. "Some people used to put a lot of pressure on themselves when it came to studying and getting good marks. Too much pressure."
Art [Clementine]
I know what that's like, Clem thought to herself, a sheepish smile creeping into her expression. It must've sucked for that girl… none of her classmates would let her live something like that down. Ever.
As awesome as it would've been to talk about puking for the rest of the morning, Clementine decided to drop the subject, letting the silence set in once more. The harsh, cold wind ringing in her ears, the occasional neighing from Whiskers, which always sounded like whining… It didn't do much to keep her mind from drifting someplace else.
Clem couldn't stop thinking about Joel, of all things. It'd been that way for the past few months, ever since they left Jackson behind. After that whole Ellie mess and the sudden one-eighty he pulled, she couldn't settle on what to think anymore. Clementine had a hunch Lee felt that way too. She put off that sort of 'talk' for a while, hoping the thought would go away on its own… but with their first sign of the Fireflies on the horizon, she felt it was worth bringing up. "You think Joel's gonna want to leave again?"
Ledge [Lee Everett]
He'd been expecting it, a question like that, for some time now. The only surprise that came was how long it took for her to ask. It was something he thought about from time to time when they left Jackson, although a lot less now that they were almost at the end of their journey. The man briefly glanced over to the other pair, who seemed to be indulging themselves in conversation. Joel looked… happier? And so did Ellie. It was something he'd noticed every passing day since they left Jackson.
"I think it's for good this time. Besides, it's a long way back now." Lee shook his head; he reckoned Joel and Ellie must've hashed out their plan by now. Had a long talk about it, of course there was no saying for sure, but… he trusted Joel to do what was right. There were questions that were still left unanswered, if they would be able to formulate a cure from Ellie? What next? Would they be staying with the Fireflies like they were… or would Joel want to take her elsewhere? Lee valued Joel's privacy enough not to ask, they'd just have to see.
"What do you think?"
Art [Clementine]
She thought a lot of things, most of them not so optimistic. The guy was as bitter as coffee, and he liked to keep it that way… Felt like he did it just to spite her, sometimes. Only person stubborn enough to crack through that shell of his was Ellie, to varying degrees of success. Every time anyone made a step closer to the old guy he was already two steps ahead, backing away in a hurry.
"I wish I knew. Honest." That was the best she could give him, lowering her head in defeat. With the way things were, there really weren't a lot of options other than waiting and hoping for the best. The girl's chin did perk up, though. Something else - just as important - crossing through her mind and spreading like wildfire. "We're staying, though, right? With Ellie?"
Ledge [Lee Everett]
"The only thing I know is that we're staying with the Fireflies." Lee spoke, choosing to be direct with her. After all, this had been their plan from the beginning. It was still too early for him to start assuming things; Ellie could very well want to stay with the Fireflies too, or not. Regardless, it wasn't something they'd have to keep wondering about for very much longer. Maybe it warranted a conversation between the four soon, after they got there.
"I… haven't asked what their plans are yet."
Art [Clementine]
Lee's response had all kinds of rash words being held back by Clementine and her puffed up cheeks, the girl fighting not to raise her voice, to fire back by saying something on impulse.
Like hell was she gonna split with her best friend, even if they weren't on great terms anymore. Sure it was selfish, the prospect of giving up on the Fireflies, the whole thing, just so she could stay with her... heck, the assumption that Ellie even wanted to, after Clem gave her the cold shoulder for well over a month. That's probably why she refrained from saying anything, and it made her all the more frustrated that she did. It wasn't sensible at all to make a fuss about it, much less to get pissed off at Lee for saying what he did.
…'Cause he was right. They didn't know what Joel and Ellie's plans were, and they sure couldn't change their own on a whim like that. Clementine settled for a sigh, one that let out all the tension welled up in her throat. Maybe that was something she'd have start preparing for… Ellie and Joel parting ways with them. Just more bleak crap hanging over her head, added to the pile...
If anything, it made the rest of the ride pretty miserable.
Dot [Ellie]
Her attention was drawn away from the sudden shift in temperature as she noticed something in the distance, towering over the rows of buildings they were trotting along.
The building was massive , seemingly newer than the rest of the campus surrounding them. Its sleek design seemed familiar, which had her pointing towards it excitedly, shouting. "Hey! Over there. Is that it?"
Kentucky [Joel]
Joel glared at where she pointed, his eyes vibrant in the clouding sky. "Looks like it. We better get headed over."
Ledge [Lee Everett]
Lee's head pricked up in the direction of Ellie's voice, who seemed to be calling out and pointing at something. He was quick to give a tug of the reigns and send Whiskers trotting over, eager to see the new discovery. Needless to say he wasn't left disappointed. There was no doubt about it, above the row of buildings in the distance there was one that stuck out like a sore thumb.
"Yep, that's a giant mirror if I've ever seen one." It was almost like a treasure now, seeing buildings this big. Since FEDRA, it'd been small towns and a lot of trees for Clementine and himself. It was crazy to think that for other groups, massive areas like these were the norm, almost like the old days.
Nonetheless, onwards they went in its direction. Navigating through the decrepit and run-down pathways was a slight chore, but they managed just fine. Of course, getting to the Fireflies was the main priority, but right now Lee just couldn't wait to be invited indoors to get away from this chill in the air.
It wasn't long before their path took them to a big, grassy clearing, a large statue of a man… possibly the founder of this place, stood in the middle. But that wasn't what caught Lee's eye.
"Oh god." The man uttered in surprise at the troop of monkeys down below that had spotted them and their horses first. Screeching and hooting as they rumbled off towards another end of the courtyard.
Art [Clementine]
They'd found the sciency mirror place, finally, and boy was it big. A real monster building. Did the Fireflies all live there? She'd never been inside one that hadn't been all wrecked before. It was almost kind of weird, seeing one standing up, all neat and shiny, but it just made it all the more glorious to look at. So much so, that the cold was the last thing going through the girl's head, for once.
Suddenly, Clementine heard it again. More noise, something tiny sneaking around the bushes. Most days she would've guessed a skunk. Maybe a cute bunny on a good day, if all the luck stars aligned.
Never this.
"Oh, no way!" She had to suppress her voice, all that excitement coming out in a whisper. Monkeys! So, so many of them, climbing on posts and abandoned trucks, squeaking like crazy. The fuzzy things were off as fast as they came, running with their tail tucked between their legs, literally, for some. I mean, it'd be a huge, massive miracle if they ever caught up to them, and even if they did, they'd probably be carrying diseases and stuff… but wow, what she wouldn't do to check one out up close.
Fireflies or not, getting to see that little band of troublemakers made the whole trip pretty worth it.
Dot [Ellie]
They'd finally found it, the building where the Fireflies were supposedly holed up, and a sense of unease had started to tickle up the back of her neck. Despite how excited she was to finally be at the end of this journey, not knowing how this was going to go down only fueled the anxiety filling her veins.
Luckily, she wouldn't have to dwell on it, though, as the sight of a group of creatures moving about the courtyard they were entering caught her and Clementine's attention. Her smile grew, and she pointed towards them excitedly. "Oh shit, look! Monkeys." She couldn't help the smile that was plastered on her face; seeing an actual monkey wasn't something she expected she'd ever be able to do, but man , did it live up to expectations.
They moved together towards a building separating them from the football field, and her eyes followed them, entranced. This is so fucking cool!
Ledge [Lee Everett]
As brief as it was, it was nice to see their reaction to the little critters. Maybe it was good they granted them the luxury of running off before one of the kids asked to get a closer look. Who knew how many types of nasties those things were carrying, as cute as they might have seemed.
As they moved forward into whatever was left of the courtyard, Lee couldn't help but find the odd absence of any human activity a tad troublesome. Shouldn't we have seen something by now? A guard or something? Of course, he wouldn't say much until they got to the science building… then they'd know for sure. There was no doubt in Lee's mind this is where they were holed up, given all the symbols they'd seen spray painted on walls around here. That crescent being unmistakable to the man.
"Here we go." Lee finally broke the long silence with a tinge of satisfaction in his voice, both of their horses coming to a full halt. They had another sign of human activity and a possible way forward, one that stuck out like a sore thumb. In front of them was a large electrically-controlled gate, which he could now see the now much less distant science building through.
A control panel with various cords leading to the other side was bolted to the wall, along with a message presumably left for whichever guard was posted up to watch the generator on the other side of this gate.
"Don't suppose the guard was clumsy enough to leave the cord in before he left." The man smirked, of course knowing it was never going to be that easy.
Art [Clementine]
The text was kind of blurry, hard to make out words written with some type of chalk. Clementine found herself narrowing her eyes, staring bemusedly at it, before reading them out loud in a low voice. "Disconnect generator… when not on duty." Right. She knew what those were. Like the ones on the dairy farm. Eugh. She was probably the last one to piece it together, all things considered, but there really wasn't much mystery to the predicament they'd found themselves in.
There was no one on duty, so no power. That meant they couldn't get past the gate.
They tried, anyway. Not that she expected Ellie to be able to lift it all on her own or anything, but Clem supposed it was worth a shot, even if she didn't bother trying it herself. The girl stayed on her horse, waiting for a solution that obviously wasn't about to show up on its own. They could wait, maybe… someone could pop up on the other side, right? Or was that wishful thinking? There weren't any locks to bust this time, so brute force was out of the equation. ... But if we found another car? Couldn't we ram it?
She voiced neither of those more devil-may-care ideas, worried that someone might make fun of her for it. When no one else stepped up with any of their own - that's when she started to worry. "What now…?"
Kentucky [Joel]
The monkeys were a pleasant surprise. Pleasant for the time being. If monkeys were running around the university, it wouldn't be unreasonable to assume that the Fireflies were... gone. Joel's hands clenched the reins tighter, his expression turning sour for a brief moment, before returning to neutrality. "First time seeing a monkey?" He asked Ellie, prodding the horse forward, after Lee and Clem. It was hard for him to even think of a world where a kid had never been to a zoo, never seen a monkey... he had gone to the zoo often whenever Sarah was younger. It was a hard thought, indeed.
The gate did not lighten his thoughts.
Joel frowned, looking over the dead generator and the crooked text on the wall. "One way to get a message across." He mumbled, barely audible for the others to hear. He looked down at Lee, descending from his horse and shaking his head. "No, I s'pose that'd be too easy." He turned and looked at the other two, glancing at Clementine as she questioned the elder members of the group. "Girls, stay with the horses. Come on Lee, the cord is probably around here somewhere. We can find it." He pushed forward, not waiting for an answer.
Ledge [Lee Everett]
"Alright then, let's see what we can do." Lee nodded in agreeance with the Texan, before letting out a small huff as he slowly dismounted the horse. Right now, they just had to find a way to get those horses through, and getting the gate working seemed to be their best bet.
Once both of his feet were on the ground, he gave the horse a slight scratch behind the ears, now glancing over to Clementine. "Keep a lookout, we won't be far." His gaze then followed Joel as he was quick to take point, ducking under some debris to get through a doorway that led into a building near them. "See you on the other side." Lee exchanged a nod with the girl, before following the other man out of sight.