Snow Crystals (RP Edition)

by Last Of The Walking Dead

With the Saviors taking over Jackson, living a normal life has become all but impossible. Clementine struggles to survive outside the walls, while Lee tries everything to find her again. And with Ellie being forced to move on from her best friend, finding peace again feels unobtainable.

25. Checkpoint

11:26 PM

Dot [Ava]

Ava tore through the herd and Scars alike, not caring which one ended up in her path. The Saviors were being pushed back, right into the town center, and all she could do was follow them, keeping to the sides as if getting right into the thick of things would be a death sentence. It was easier to pick off stragglers.

Building after building, she kept pace with the rest of her friends. Searching for Vic… searching for Kat… searching for anyone who could watch her back. It was only when she'd caught a flash of red in her peripherals that she deviated from her retreat. Taking to the rooftops, she navigated the streets with ease, finding the red-haired girl cornered between an infected and a Scar. Trying to run away.

You don't get to die yet, Kat. Ava rushed forward, firing a bullet right through the back of the Scar's head before putting another into the runner's back. She dropped to the ground, finishing it off with the knife Kat had gotten her several years ago. Ripping it out of its neck.

As it fell to the ground, she gave Kat an amused glare. "No need to thank me or anything."

Vi [Kat]

She expected to be caught at some point. There was only so far you could run from your problems before you're cornered. In her case, it was literal. She was tussling with a runner when the Scar approached. She ready to just let the runner take her when the Scar dropped. What felt like a moment later the runner was on the ground and in place stood the one person she did not want to see right now. "Ava…"

She straightened up for a moment, looking at the girl just as cocky as any other day. The way they waited for gratitude, the way they smiled even with the blood and carnage behind them. Why did it have to be her? And for once in her life, could she not be happy to see her? The girl who looked to have it all together two weeks ago was now a mess of her former self. She looked exhausted, blood soaked from the infected, hell she even lazily wrapped her hand, the blood already seeming to soak through.

She doesn't know what happened, really. Years from now she could probably tell this story and insist it never happened.. but something from that damn smile Ava wore so well broke her. Her chest rose and fell in quick motions as she finally let herself lean back against the wall behind her and let go.

"Of course, it's you who showed up. Why would my day get any fucking better?" Kat let out loose laughs, a smile she couldn't force if she wanted to sliding onto her face. "What now, Ava? Are you going to use me as live bait. Huh? Leave me to a pack of clickers again as the ultimate fuck you? Cause let me tell you, today is not the fucking day. Look around. Everything went to shit just because of things that are out of our fucking control! Our home is gone, Negan is no where to be found, the fucking bastard, and to make matters worse… Ma, she fucking—" The girl shook her head, tears finally breaking way to slide down her face, the liquid welcoming a red tint as it cleaned her cheeks.

"If you're here to ruin things more, can you do us both the favor and leave me alone? I kind have my plate full of shit to deal with right now—" She crossed her arms, letting the steady stream continue in silence as she tried with all her might to hold back the much needed sobs. She can't. Not here.

Dot [Ava]

Goddamn it. Of course Kat would make this emotional. Of course, some bullshit had happened to her before Ava could find her. Honestly, Ava liked Kat's mom, for that 'no bullshit, say it to your face' vibe she gave off. Knowing that something happened to her, probably one of the few people that didn't deserve it, it only made this harder. It wasn't like Ava cared what happened to Kat, after everything that happened, but…

"Look, idiot, someone's gotta keep you alive. We can go back to hating each other later." For once, Ava was being honest. Not completely honest, but Kat never needed to know the whole truth. Only snippets here and there.

She extended a hand. "Now come on, before I really do have to leave you behind."

Vi [Kat]

The redhead's eyes looked over Ava for a moment, searching for any hint of dishonesty… If she was lying, Kat wouldn't know. She'd been fooled before. Kat took a sleeve and forced away her tears, using her free hand to grab Ava's. Once standing upright on her own, she let out a sigh, straightening up to stand tall. She can feel sorry about it all later, Ava was right… again. They needed to get the fuck out of here first.

"Alright, Sappy. Don't go get soft on me. Obviously that's my job." She forced herself to joke, readying her rifle as she stared back towards the chaos. This was going to be a fucking mess. Ava is obviously getting desperate to go for her over Victor… Wait— "Where's Vic?"

Kat's expression remained stern, though her voice gave way more than she wished. Truth be told she hated Victor and Ava for all the shit they pulled… but yeah, she'd always care about them deep down. As pathetic as that may be…

Dot [Ava]

She had to resist the urge to roll her eyes. She wasn't being sappy, she was being logical. There was a huge difference. Returning to the rooftops, Ava answered Kat's question. "We were supposed to meet by the stables if shit went down. He wasn't there."

One thing at a time.

"Backup plan was the north edge of town. We'll head there, meet up, and figure out what to do from there." She gave Kat a glance over her shoulder as they reached the other side of a plank bridge. "You think you can handle that, Kitten?"

Vi [Kat]

Kat can't resist as well as Ava it seems, since she immediately rolled her eyes at the pet name. "I can handle it. Let's get the dumbass before anyone else does, yeah?" The girl moved past Ava at this point, allowing herself to assess the damage from the safety of the rooftop. There really was no surviving this, was there? Person against person, infected on every corner.

"If we cut through the center, it's a death sentence, and but so is the outer edge of town. Who knows what kind of fuckers are hiding in the trees. I'll follow your lead on this one, but be smart. Alright, Sweetheart?" That last one might have been a jab for the sake of a jab, considering she threw a look over her shoulder that in short read, 'two can play the nickname game'.

Dot [Ava]

Eugh. Did you have to go there? Ava hated nothing more than when Kat decided to fight back. She was used to her just taking it, only offering up minimal resistance when Ava pinned her against the wall. Now, it seemed, Kat was willing to play on her level.

Well, screw you too, Kitten.

—

Together, they made their way through the outpost. Scar after Scar, walker after infected, they fought their way through them all. They were nearing the north side of town when a gunshot from their right caught her attention.

And the face of the boy that fired it. Oh Vic, thank god… As she ran to meet him, she watched as a girl fired a shot at him, hitting his hand. The rifle clattered to the ground, and Ava screamed. "NO!"

She was so far away. The girl had made it to Vic, throwing a right hook into his face. Falling, he kicked out, causing the girl to fall right on top of him. She held a knife in her hands, the blade flashing in the firelight, just as it burrowed into Vic's chest.

"YOU MOTHERFUCKER!" Ava roared as she charged the girl, barreling into her so hard that she swore something snapped in her arm. "YOU FUCKING SCAR, I'LL KILL YOU!" She began pummeling the girl, the one she recognized and hated just as much as she did before. She just hoped that one of her hits would land.

Dot [Ellie]

The wind had been knocked out of her as someone tackled her to the ground, blocking fist after fist before some had managed to make it past her arms, knocking her square in the jaw and then the cheek. It hadn't taken long for shots to be sent her direction after getting into the thick of things. The scar on her cheek had made her a prime target as soon as she realized that those Seraphite assholes were here, and it wasn't like anyone was listening to her.

That's how she found herself face to face with a boy so terrified of her that it took a bullet to keep him from putting one in her. The rest happened on instinct. Now, the next Savior asshole had found her. She sent her knee right into the girl's stomach, a satisfying wheeze reaching her ears as she reached for her discarded knife.

"I'm not—" She shouted, jabbing the knife right into the girl's arm. "—a fucking—" The next one landed in her side, spurting blood all over her. "—SCAR!"

Vi [Kat]

"Fuckin' finally. I was starting to think we'd never find him." A wave of relief washed over Katrina the second she spotted Victor. Ava was obviously more excited than her, but it was nice to see the asshole in one piece. For a few moments that is. The gunshot was first, and then came the fight. In an instant Ava was gone and Kat was left on her own. "Vic! Son of a bitch!" Kat sprinted forward, her boots kicking up dirt with each step she took. Fucking Scars, think they're going to take away everything she has left? Well this dumb bitch had another think c—and that's her dumb bitch.

"Shit. Ava! Stop, she's not a fuc—" Ellie seemed to take care of making that point… as well as adding a few new holes to Ava. They were going to fucking kill each other. Kat's fists tightened, her legs acting before she had any time to process what she was doing. Today, she lost her mother, her home, and now Victor. She hated Ava, don't get her wrong… but she doesn't want to lose her too.

The girl rushed Ellie, shoving Ava to the ground in the process. Immediately the girl grabbed hold of Ellie's wrist, holding her knife away from her body. She looked desperate, reaching for the blade with her free hand as her leg swept Ellie's from under her. As the two tumbled to the ground, Kat finally was able to snag the other's blade from their hand. She immediately kept Ellie's arms pinned down with her knees, her body turning to hold out the blade towards Ava.

"The fight is fucking over, do you both understand me?! She is not a Scar. And trust me, I understand you're furious. She fucking killed Victor… But now is not the goddamn time for this! Availa, I really don't want to do this shit right now, but so help me if you try, I won't fucking hesitate. Drop it, we have bigger fish to fry." Kat's free hand remained balled, eyes focused on Ava rather than her friend below. A deep breath followed, and her fist relaxed.

She chose her side.

Dot [Ava]

Ava had screamed when the knife stabbed her, both times. It only fueled her anger more. Going for her own knife, any chance at getting it had been shot down by Kat knocking her away from that murderer, pinning said fucker to the ground.

"You BITCH!" She was fucking furious. She was seething, clutching the wound in her side while completely ignoring the one in her arm. She went for the gun in her holster, aiming it towards the two girls, specifically the scarred cunt that killed her boyfriend.

"Kat, get out of the fucking way." There was no way she was letting that bitch leave here alive. "Right now."

Dot [Ellie]

A flash of orange, snow and mud filling her vision, Ellie's whole world was spinning around her. Whether that was from the fall or from that asshole's punches, she couldn't tell. But the voice above her, she knew that one. She knew that one really fucking well.

What the fuc—

"Kat…" She tried breathing, but it just came out as a whisper, almost too quiet to hear over the other girl's screaming. "I didn't know. I… I—I didn't know…

"He tried to kill me. I'm sorry." She had no idea who Vic was. She had no idea who Availa was. But nothing was going to stop her from getting back to Clementine. Nothing could stop her from making it out of this place alive. She had to.

"I didn't know…"

Vi [Kat]

"Shut up." Kat shot a glare down to Ellie for a moment before Ava stood and pointed her gun at them. Her hand wavered, the act of holding up a knife in a gun fight officially seeming like the worst idea she's had all week. Slowly, she moved her hand into her bag, pulling her own pistol out. "Ava. Think about this. Killing her isn't going to fix the fact that he's already dead. Put down your weapon, and we'll all just go. We leave and never come back to this fucking hell—Please, Availa…" As Kat spoke she drew her gun, pointing it towards the girl with shaky hands. Despite her voice, her expression remained hardened. Her finger hovered above the trigger, her heartbeat feeling louder than her voice. "Don't make me do this—"

Dot [Ava]

Her face contorted, weapon moving from Scarface to Kat. "Of course you'd choose her side! You always were a fucking traitor, Katrina! First Malachi, and now this? Well, fuck you! She doesn't get to walk away."

As the fires burned around them, her eyes were aflame, teeth bared as she clutched the pistol tightly. Blood had soaked her shirt, her arm, and her legs were beginning to weaken, but she'd never falter. She'd never falter. She'd never—

"Like I'd ever leave with you. Fucking coward."

Vi [Kat]

"You don't get to say his name! You don't get to talk about Malachi like you know what the fuck happened! You're a worthless piece of shit who fucked over whatever chance I had at healthy relationships. Malachi hated you for a fucking reason, and I should have done the same. You're a cheating asshole who cares about no one except yourself! You pushed Malachi away, you've been on and off with Vic for years, and you ruined my goddamn life! You're the fucking coward, because if anyone even dares to get close to your sorry ass, you ruin them! You ruined me, you ruined Vic, and you're going to ruin yourself too! I might not be some loyal fucking Savior, but I told you that I am loyal to what matters, and she damn well matters to me!" Kat's hand steadied, fingers tightening around the grip.

"You use to be a decent person, someone I cared about. Fuck, I still do! But I will not sit here and listen to you fault me for my actions when yours are worse! So, fuck you, Ava." Her finger squeezed the trigger, a bullet firing into Ava's shoulder. The shot was enough to cause Ava to drop her gun, and well… the next was to make sure she didn't follow. A second shot hit her knee, finally sending the girl to the ground.

Kat breathed heavily, her finger still on the trigger as she got off Ellie and moved close to Ava. She put her foot on the girl's gun, knocking it away from their reach before pocketing her own. She crouched down momentarily, placing a hand on her face before it was knocked away. "Fuck you, Availa. I hope you got what you wanted." With that, she moved away from the girl, leaving her to lay in the dirt so she can offer a hand to Ellie. She didn't say anything, only extended it for them to grab. But the look on her face spoke stories of grief that she didn't have the words to convey.

Part of her still hopes Ava somehow would get out of this… and part of her knows that won't happen.

Dot [Ellie]

Ellie was left shellshocked. Grabbing Kat's hand had only been an automatic response, and whatever happened next, she couldn't be quite sure. All she was sure of was that she'd just killed someone Kat was close to, and then Kat was forced to…

She shuddered, so violently that she nearly lost her footing. The cold wasn't helping. And, as they walked away, all she could hear was Avalia's screaming. The damnations. The pain.

And, when they neared the furthest edge of town, Kat had led her into a building with massive windows, nestled in between the snow banks that marked the beginning of the hills. Inside was dead silent, a library that had been left untouched for at least a decade at first glance. As Kat shut the doors behind them, Ellie shivered, trying to get herself together. After what she'd put Kat through… she was going to need every ounce of courage she could get.

Her voice echoing off the walls, she called out, "Kat…"

Vi [Kat]

That all really just happened, didn't it? The corpses that line the street flashed over and over in her mind, the thought only be shoved away when Ellie's voice called her name. She pushed off from the door, unzipping her jacket to escape the sudden wave of heat that came with the nauseous feeling in her stomach. Lucky for her she had an excuse to play it off, but that didn't back up the fact she looked pale. As she moved past Ellie, she draped her jacket over her shoulders, muttering something about warming up before she chose to begin venturing further into the library. She remained within sight of the girl, mainly needing to get away from the door and breathe before her last decent meal ended up an abstract painting on the floor.

The girl's now bare shoulders appreciated the cool air, and letting her neck breathe felt like a moment of bliss within the hell storm currently known as the outpost.

"Yeah?" Her voice was shaky, hands remaining tangled in her hair to hold it out of her face. She didn't look at the girl, she didn't move towards her. She simply stood with her back turned, her eyes shut, for a moment of peace.

Dot [Ellie]

She couldn't stop shaking. This time, it definitely wasn't the cold. Her eyes were wide as saucers, so terrified, horrified, and everything in between. After everything, she couldn't believe what Kat did for her. She couldn't believe herself for putting Kat in that position. She couldn't believe that there was no other way out of killing her friends.

Voice as shaky as she was, she forced herself to answer the girl's call. "I—I can't… I can't… I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry. I'm so fucking sorry.

"I didn't w—want any of this. I didn't want to hurt you. Just— fucking, I'm—"

Vi [Kat]

There it was. That's the one thing she didn't want to listen to coming here. They're sorry about shit they don't know about, and the worst part was, Kat didn't even know who was in the wrong anymore. On one hand, Ellie killed her friend, but it was self-defense. She got into a fight with Ava, leading to Kat having to shoot her to avoid either party dying. Not that it mattered, Ava stood no chance of surviving that. She knew why she should be mad. She wanted to be mad.

She just can't.

"Stop. Please, don't. I'm not mad." Kat turned around, walking over to girl to look over her. "Save your sorry, they're wasted on me. You… didn't know what you were doing, self-defense… right?" Kat's arms crossed, her teeth finding way to chew the inside of her cheek. A nasty habit done when nervous, it beat the alternative of scratching herself. "It was self-defense. That's all it was, wasn't it?"*

Dot [Ellie]

Ellie could only nod, not daring to look Kat in the eye. How could she? No matter how you looked at it, no matter how many justifications you threw, it still didn't change what happened. It changed nothing. Apologies changed nothing. The two people she cared about most in this place, and one was God knows where, and the other was standing right in front of her. Standing right in front of her, looking at Ellie for what she truly was. What she never wanted to be.

She reached a hand to her face, flinching and turning away the instant pain shot through it. That girl had really done a number on her. She would've done a lot worse…

"Where are we?" The question came when nothing else did. And, as she began to turn around, stumbling towards the door they'd come through, she continued, mostly to herself. "Clem's still out there…"

Vi [Kat]

Kat watched the girl move away, her eyes following them towards the door. The instant she mentioned Clementine, Kat's eyes rolled. Of course those two came here together. Another one to track down… but neither of them were heading back out immediately.

"You need to rest before we go anywhere else. You'll be no help to Clementine if you can't move. Please, come sit down for a bit…?" Kat didn't bother to stop her, only moved back a bit in order to show she had no plans of leaving yet. "It's… some library. I use to come here sometimes, but never for very long. Just enough to check out another book." As she said that, she removed her copy of Paradise Lost from her bag, shoving it back on the shelf. She can grab something else on the way out.

Dot [Ellie]

Ellie had reached the door, though Kat's words had kept her from pulling it open. Instead, her hand collided with the wall next to it, out of frustration. Mostly with herself. Turning away, she returned to where Kat was placing a book on a shelf, watching with a tilted head. Clem would kill for this place… The thought had her wincing, pushing it aside, just as much as she pushed aside any idea of sitting down.

So instead, she stumbled deeper into the library, intent on making sure it's secure. Last thing she wanted was to get comfortable only for a runner to attack them when they were least expecting it. The main floor seemed empty. A door nearby, chained up, caught her attention. She grabbed at the chain, pulling on it. Solid. Windows were busted out, but were too small to fit through. Behind, a room opened up into the back of the library.

"Need to get back there," she mumbled to herself, tossing her eyes back towards Kat. "Anyone been living in here?"

Vi [Kat]

"Uh, seemed like it, but not sure who, if anyone. I don't think the Saviors cared about this place, considering they never bothered to ransack it." Kat breathed a short sigh of relief when Ellie moved away from the door. She followed close behind, peering into the room just over the girl's shoulder. "No one ever bothered to get back there, so maybe it's not looted. Could have something useful." The optimism in her voice was gone despite her words, her blue eyes moving towards the chain blocking their entry.

Dot [Ellie]

Eventually, like all other things, the light in Ellie's eyes faded, and she gave up. What was the point? This was all just… a fucking distraction. More for Kat's sake than her own.

Because she wanted to stay put, and Ellie knew that wasn't an option. "Leave it," she told Kat. "Break's over. We need to find Clementine and get the fuck out of here."

Vi [Kat]

Kat could only stare at Ellie's back before her eyes lingered on the chain again. There was no room for argument, the girl simply did as told… even if she loathed the idea of leaving this place again. "Okay…"

She let her uneasy mood drift away. In it's place, anger for their sudden bossy attitude; she let a dark cloud rain down on her, the quiet of the library being far more appealing than the screams outside. "Not like we needed the break anyway, I guess. Let's j—Wait… You know what, actually. What the fuck were you two doing here anyway? This is Savior territory… So why the hell are you here?" Kat's voice remained quiet, her body turning to walk closer to Ellie. She loomed over her, her eyes scanning hers as she awaited some sort of explanation.

"It better be good, E. Cause as far as I'm aware, none of y'all should be anywhere near this outpost."

Dot [Ellie]

"We're here for a kid," Ellie stated, her voice settling into a monotone as she brushed past Kat and headed towards the front entrance. "Someone from Clementine's past. He'd just been a baby when…"

She stopped, casting a sideways glance towards the other girl. "He's with the Saviors now, and we're taking him back. Looks to me like there won't be an outpost for much longer anyway. I just hope she got to him before the herd did."

Dot [Bishop]

He'd seen her again. The girl. Gunfire and indistinct shouting continued to fill the air, while Bishop focused himself on cleaning the blood from his jacket. His last encounter didn't go nearly as smoothly as he'd hoped.

But now, his attention returned to the one thing he found himself most interested in. Approaching the library in slow, methodical steps, he made sure to examine every nook and cranny of that place. Never too cautious.

Inside was warm, though he knew that was due to the lack of a wind chill. Voices carried through the large chamber. A pair of girls. Hushed and hurried. When they turned the corner to the entrance, he tilted his head, smiling despite himself to see that his theory had been correct.

"You live," he said, talking to the shorter girl. Ellie. "You breathe in enough spores to become a demon, and yet here you are. You look no worse for wear."

Dot [Ellie]

The voice nearly had her jumping out of her skin, her hand going for her knife. The voice… she never wanted to hear that voice again. She never wanted to see his scarred face.

But there he was, watching her as if she were nothing but a lab experiment that had gone wrong. Or right.

Holding the knife in her hands, she met his curious expression with bitterness. They didn't have time for this. "Get the fuck out of my way."

Dot [Bishop]

"And miss out on the opportunity to talk to the only girl in the world that's breathed spores and lived?" He asked, as calm as ever. "There's so much about you I wish to understand, Ellie."

He finally gave the other girl a once-over, frowning. "And who might you be, my dear? A Savior, perhaps?"

Vi [Kat]

Leaving the library would be a drag; well, not a drag, as she was basically told not to smoke much like a parent tells their child, and she sure as hell could've used some from her emergency stash right about now. As the two stepped back out into main room, Kat reached forward to ask for her coat back, only to stop once a voice entered the area. On instinct, Kat drew her rifle, pointing at the stranger as she widened her stance.

The exchange of words between the two showed enough that they had history, and even worse than that, it seemed it was the bad kind of history. Kat's eyes scanned the man in front of her, hands tightening around her gun as her blood began to boil. It was a fucking Scar. Way to piss off the wrong guy, Ellie.

Despite how pissed the man made her, his words led on to a much stranger feeling. One that tugged at grief and sorrow… yet fury all the same. Ellie's breathed spores? Does that mean she was going to turn… and if so… how long…? They looked fine but—

"I'm none of your goddamn business. What the fuck do you want?"

Dot [Bishop]

Like most Saviors, she was quick to violence. Quick to establish a dominance of power. Bishop was hardly phased. He wasn't here to fight them. "As I had previously stated," he said, as if it were obvious, "your friend here, six months ago, saved her friend's life rather than her own. After giving me this," he indicated the scar running horizontally across his neck. "I assumed she turned from the spores, but here we are.

"The prophet claimed that the promised land would be free of demons. And I find, right in front of me, a girl that's immune. Don't you see how fascinating this is?" He paced the front of the lobby, keeping his distance. Maintaining a quick escape to duck behind cover if need be. He wouldn't die here. Not to a Savior.

"There'd be no need for violence. Everything and everyone would be pure. And you are the key, Ellie. You're the one we've been waiting for."

Dot [Ellie]

"There is no cure," Ellie stated, throwing all subtlety out the window. Wasn't much point anymore, was there? "Your promised land will just have to find another poster girl."

Vi [Kat]

Kat's eyes darted between the man talking and her friend, looking for any break in the conversation to show this was all some stupid elaborate joke. It wasn't, far from it… but that was the only way any of this made sense. Ellie was fucking immune? How the fuck do you even—And this weirdo knew about it?! Out of anyone, this was the fucker that knew?!

Kat's inhaled sharply, letting a loose sigh before speaking up again, this time more frustrated than anything. "What kind of voodoo, cultist bullshit are you talking about?! Ya promise land is a load of shit and you aren't touching her. Got it? I have no idea what the fuck you're talking about, cause it sounds to me you are talkin' out your ass just for the sake of being a fucking weirdo. Promise land needs a cure. Fuck that. Key my ass. If you want the girl, you go through me. End of fucking story. Immune or not, and if this was any other day of the goddamn week, I'd assume it was not, this all sounds crazy!" Kat's about had it with today. Three deaths and a cultist, consider this a day she couldn't forget if she tried.

"Are you sure I didn't smoke any shit on the way here? Who the fuck is this guy?!"

Ledge [Scott Turner]

With a quickened pace, Dr. Turner staggered up the stair access scaffold, as fast as the man's legs would carry him. Upon reaching the top, Scott's hand made contact with the brick veneer wall, hunching over as his lungs fought for air.

How horribly wrong it all just went…

Scott's entire idiotic squadron had nearly been wiped out from the ambush, save for the few that were able to make a dash for it. The rooftops. That's where a small cluster of those undomesticated beasts were hiding, unfortunately, they hadn't seen them until the arrows started flying.

As far as he was aware, the Saviors were still putting up a decent fight, given the gunshots he could hear in the distance. It was just a matter of regrouping with Negan's forces now, and not getting caught while he was alone.

Once he'd recomposed himself, Scott took notice of a half-open window, and without a second thought, vaulted over it to enter the top floor of the library.

Other people?

Immediately, he made a dash for some cover behind an old shelf. Noting that several voices were coming from the bottom level. All he could do was steady his breath in an effort to make out who else was in here.

When he perked, the man caught view of three figures. Two of which he recognized, talking to a savage. Why was he not attacking them on sight? It was odd to say the least… but not as jarring as what he heard next.

"And miss out on the opportunity to talk to the only girl in the world that's breathed spores and lived? There's so much about you I wish to understand, Ellie."

Scott remained crouched behind the shelf, the assault rifle gripped firmly in his hands. Frown lines appeared on his forehead as he continued to eavesdrop… were his ears trying to fool him? Or was this a simple misconception?

It wasn't. The longer this conversation went on, the more obvious it became.

Once he deemed the information to be sufficient, he decided the time was ripe to finally intervene. The shot wasn't all that clear, given his bleeding hand. But he would certainly hit something.

Scott tried to take aim as best as he could. Taking a breath, he pulled the trigger, firing multiple shots in the direction of the man dressed in brown garments.

Dot [Bishop]

Though expecting the redhead to take a couple shots at him, it wasn't she who eventually fired first. When a bullet pierced his arm, he ducked, scrambling behind the check-in counter, and fired off a few bullets of his own towards the two girls. Just enough to keep them from firing back. The next went towards where the next floor up before he was out the door.

Ellie would have to wait.

Dot [Ellie]

Ellie dropped her knife to pull Kat out of the way as Bishop fired at them, keeping low. Cursing under her breath. "A friend of yours?" She asked, raising an eyebrow despite herself. She almost hoped it was Clementine, but knew better.

Vi [Kat]

"Son of a BITCH!" If Ellie hadn't moved when she did, the array of bullets heading for them would have definitely hit. Kat scrambled to sit upright, readying her weapon for if she needed to use it. "Excuse me, but last I checked, all my friends have either died, or been shot. Not all Saviors are f—You know what, actually yes. Because whoever the fuck this person is wants the big cultist bitch dead. Oh, and when this over, we definitely are going to have a few things to talk about."

She should not have crawled out of bed today.

Ledge [Scott Turner]

Almost as if he hadn't even acknowledged the two girls, Scott sprinted down the stairs, attempting to give chase as the Seraphite attempted to disengage. Stopping just short of the door the other man had gone out of, he peeked around the corner towards the street, in an attempt to see if he could shoot him in the back.

Nothing.

No matter. There were more important matters to tend to first. After barricading the door by placing a chair under its handle, Scott turned back around, speed walking to the two girls.

"You." He sent a finger towards Ellie. "You're not meant to be here."

"And you." The finger swapped to Kat, not sounding as stern as he'd hoped, given his shortness of breath. "Why are you with her?"

"There better be a good explanation for this." He demanded, gaze swapping between the two teenagers.

Dot [Ellie]

"You're not meant to be here," Ellie mimicked, rolling her eyes. Of course it was this fucking guy. Always sticking his nose in places it didn't belong. "Look, dude, I think you and your buddies have bigger problems than worrying about me. So how about you get back to it, and I can head back to Jackson to pack my shit up. Y'know, before your grand 'defense' plan falls apart completely and it's overrun?"

Vi [Kat]

"Fuck me—" Kat muttered under her breath as Scott began blocking off the door. Kat took a moment to look at herself and then Ellie, blue hues moving around for some kind of fucking excuse to explain this shitshow. No matter what Kat said, it wasn't going to look good, would it? She could lie and say she stumbled across the girl. That she had no idea why they're here, and that the goal was to just help her leave because of everything outside… But Doc isn't an idiot. He's the biggest fucking nerd, and that meant he was going to read right through her lies.

"I found her while trying to get to cover. Okay? Neither of us want to be here, so can you just let us go, Doc? Please. I think enough has happened to suffice whatever punishment would be in store for this. We're just trying to survive this.. ambush… alright?" As Kat spoke she instinctively grabbed Ellie's sleeve, her weapon lowered away from Scott.

Ledge [Scott Turner]

"No, I don't think either of you will be going anywhere. Not yet."

The fighting going on outside could wait, because the girl was right about one thing. There definitely was a bigger problem here, bigger than all of them. Scott's head turned towards the Jackson girl, completely silent for a moment, before tilting his head.

"Those were some interesting things that man was saying before, were they not?"

Dot [Ellie]

Ellie didn't like that tone. She knew exactly where this would go.

"Guy's a loony," she said, brushing it off. "I have no idea what he was talking about. Probably confused me with someone else."

It was a bad lie. He had to have heard more than just what Bishop said. But she refused to acknowledge it. Not now.

"Now, if you'll excuse me—"

Ledge [Scott Turner]

"This is the second favor I've done you, Ellie, and you can't even elaborate just a little, without lying to my face?" He let her keep walking, not even turning around to stop her.

"What would Marlene think if she saw you now, I wonder?" A certain alluring coyness oozed from his tone, and he waited to see how she'd react.

Dot [Ellie]

She'd walked up to her knife, feeling the weight of it in her hands as he talked. Pointless words, that's all they were. She didn't owe him anything. They had everything under control.

It was what he said next that finally broke through to her, like a slap to the face. Turning towards him, knife clutched tightly in her hands, she glared at him. "Don't fucking act like you know me," she said, voice filled with venom. "You don't know anything!"

Ledge [Scott Turner]

"You couldn't be more wrong.

"In fact, as someone that collaborated with the Fireflies on several instances, I know a whole lot more than you might initially think." Scott turned to face her, eyeing off that knife in her hand. What she was hoping to do with it, he could only wish that it wouldn't be anything stupid.

"I'm assuming the smuggler filled you in on the details… or maybe not? You were asleep for all of it, If I recall?"

Dot [Ellie]

And just like that, any doubts that this guy knew anything about what happened faded away. He was there? He was fucking there?

The knife lowered, little bit little, until Ellie's bravado went with it.

"Was there… really no cure?" For so long, that had been her driving force. The reason she endured so much, and gained so little. All for the chance to fix this world.

Ledge [Scott Turner]

That simple sentence made both of his hands clench his rifle even tighter.

"That's… what he told you?"

One of the most brilliant men he knew, perhaps the only one in the country that rivaled him in the medical field, snuffed out by a second-rate thug. It was embarrassing. A true loss that made his blood boil every time he thought about it.

Before he could say another word, a thud echoed through the library, coming from the door he'd just blocked. More voices.

"Bishop said the heretics were in there! Keep going!"

Scott mumbled something inaudible under his breath, before taking cover behind some furniture, aiming his rifle at the door.

"There's an exit on the second floor by the window, hurry and leave." He ordered, knowing it'd only take one bullet or arrow from those cultists… and the cure would be lost. He'd find her later.

Vi [Kat]

It said a lot how long a few minutes could feel, and how much longer hours could. This day felt never-ending, as baggage upon baggage begun to pile up and weigh down on the little light of Kat's soul. The little star that powered her core was dull and bleak. It felt cold, suffocated. It was like a fire trapped in a small box, slowly going out. At this rate, it feared it would never be allowed to join the night sky when Kat's light finally goes out.

This whole day felt surreal. Her mom's words echoed in her head, Vic's screams of pain, the look in Ava's eyes. Not to mention all the information on Ellie, stuff she knew she shouldn't be hearing if it could be avoided. So, Ellie was immune and meant to help cure everything. Whoever this Marlene was knew about it… but the way Doc talked about her… she's probably not someone she could ask questions to anymore… and it seems Ellie doesn't know everything either.

In the process of watching this all unfold in silence, Kat had taken note of everything she could. Down to the very last detail. The look on Ellie's face as they talked, the way Doc phrased certain things. Anything to understand without having to bother her on the topic… not yet anyway. It wasn't until Doc moved did she finally snap back into the moment. The redhead stood up, darting over to Ellie to grab her hand. "Buckle up, we have a girl to find." Kat muttered to her freckled companion, eying Scott for a moment before racing off with Ellie in tow. The two got up the stairs with ease, Kat holding their ground till Ellie was out the window. She followed close behind, running through the snow as the library slowly faded into the chaos.

It wasn't until Kat could no longer see the personal heaven—or technically hell now—behind them did she slow down, letting herself finally catch her breath. The cold wind blew, and Kat immediately let a shiver run up her spine. She wrapped her arms around herself, looking over to Ellie as they continued on the edge of town. They have to find something… or someone eventually. Hopefully Clementine, just for an excuse to get out of here.*

"So… uh—You doing okay? We don't have to talk specifics, just, in general.. Are you okay…?"

Dot [Ellie]

She followed Kat on autopilot, thoughts and questions shooting through her brain at rapid-fire paces, with no answers to solve them. Trudging into the snow had given her time to think, time to understand exactly what Scott had told her. And everything it led to. Everything that wasn't what she was told.

Had Kat not interrupted her, Ellie might've walked into an ambush. Cresting a hill, she took in their surroundings, all while trying to come up with an honest answer for her friend.

"I don't know. I'm—" Conflicted? Angry? Tired? A bit of everything and then some? All these things, on the tip of her tongue, and yet she couldn't bring herself to say them. Couldn't find the courage to talk about it with Kat, someone who she held so dear and had yet to process just how much she'd heard about Ellie's immunity.

And now the Saviors knew, too.

Taking in a deep breath, she pointed out their next destination with a finger—a billboard at the far end of the outpost—before finally forcing herself to talk.

"The burn… I'd done it myself. To cover up a bite mark." Her voice was weak. Lucky for her that the wind had died for the moment. "I wanted to be normal. Forget about all that and live a normal life. Now, there might still be a chance for a cure, and…"

Reaching the bottom of the hill, she stopped, breathing in shakily. "Those Fireflies better still be in Salt Lake after all this."

Vi [Kat]

Kat listened to Ellie speak, words she wished to say falling dead in the cold surrounding them. Her breath was warm, vapors escaping her nose like one of those angry cartoon bulls. She didn't need to know why Ellie wanted to do what she did, for no matter how in her shoes she tried to think, she'd never know what it was like to be like her… so she'd never truly understand where they were coming from. She felt her heartrate quickened as an unnerved feeling of anxiety about this topic washed over her. She didn't care much for the implications of what the Fireflies would do to Ellie, for in the end it was not her decision to make… she only hoped for Ellie's sake it was the right one.

The girl's thin frame moved in front of them, cupping their face with a cold hand as the other found their way to give her arm a reassuring squeeze. "Hey. If that's where you want to go, we will… after we get the girl, okay? Just stay with me till we do. We'll figure this out somehow. And… I'm sorry to tell you this Ellie, but there is nothing normal about you. That's why I like hanging out with you. You, Ellie, are extraordinary. Don't let anyone tell you different." Kat offered her a small smile, her hand on her cheek moving down to pat her shoulder. After she moved out of the way, back to letting her bare arms welcome the cold.

"…Thank you, for trusting me to help cover it up, by the way. Even if I didn't know why, that took guts."

Dot [Ellie]

Ellie's hand clasped around the girl's arm as she cupped her face, only removing it once Kat had dropped hers, her eyes falling with them. She was taking this so well, Ellie had to wonder if she was really understanding it at all. So much had happened to Kat that day. So much more than Ellie knew. She'd understand if it became too much for her to endure. Ellie had already been there.

Moving to wrap Kat's jacket back around her once more, Ellie zipped her own jacket up further, preparing herself. Kat was right, they couldn't focus on this at that moment. Clementine was still out there. The boy was still out there.

And Ellie wanted as far away from this place as her feet would take her.

---

Dot [Tripp]

I really should've let these kids get themselves killed. That statement only proved to be more and more true as time progressed, as the horrors filling that outpost kept getting worse.

He still hadn't found the kids, but he wasn't giving up just yet. Besides, he'd gotten to take out a couple Saviors on the way, so not everything was for naught.

Nearing a building at that far edge of town, under a giant billboard, Tripp ducked as he noticed movement ahead. Clutching his rifle close, he peered over the sedan he hid behind.

There he was. That motherfucker. Paired with only a single Savior at his side, Tripp approached carefully, killing the Savior with a single shot.

Loading the next bullet, he kept his weapon trained on the man in charge. "Put your goddamn hands where I can see 'em. Now."

Basil [Negan]

It had been a quick, but stressful journey to the outpost, and once he'd gotten there. Everything seemed to have gone to shit, he'd managed to amass quite an army from the nearby outposts; it delayed his trip a little bit, but he was sure those arms would be vital in winning this ongoing battle.

For now, it was him that was left surveying the scene. Far from any combat for the time being; well, that's what he thought he was. He wanted as many men as possible to be fighting, so he had a pretty light guard.

When he saw the guard that was next to him fall to the ground, blood splattering to it along with him. He knew that he'd might've made a mistake.

Turning quickly, it wasn't one of those religious nutjobs... Instead, it was Tripp, Negan's eyebrows furrowed as he gave an order to him. "You...You gotta be fucking shitting me." He had Lucille in his hand, the other one free. "I'd think...very fucking carefully about what you're about to do here, Tripp. Very... fucking... carefully."

Dot [Tripp]

"I already thought about it," Tripp said, moving to the right to see around the next corner, making sure they were still alone. "Your people failed, Negan. Seems only right to put you down. Let someone else fix this mess you left."

"I'll do it myself if I have to."

Basil [Negan]

Negan stayed silent. Let him keep talking. It seemed he had some crackpot plan to take over the Saviors. At least, that's what it sounded like. Did he know anything about... how anything worked? It almost brought a grin to Negan's face.

"My mess? You think this is my fucking mess? I've got half the fucking state knocking on my door, while I'm trying to fucking save you people. Those nutjobs scar fucks are fucking letting loose, and trust me, you don't want them winning this." He spoke assertively, as if he wasn't getting pointed at with a gun. "I die, and everything fucks up even more. I die, you die, Jackson dies. So put the fucking ruler away, and notice that there's a fucking war going on, right over there." He pointed in the direction of the constant gunfire in the background.

Dot [Tripp]

"You already lost, dumbass." Tripp said, finger on the trigger. He wasn't going to hesitate. Not this time. This wasn't going to be another Prescott situation. Even if the Saviors beat these Seraphites and the herd, what then? This place wasn't fucking worth it to them. Couldn't be.

He had to take matters into his own hands.

He fired. The bullet whizzed through the air, blasting a whole straight through Negan's bat. It came inches from Negan's head, but just wasn't good enough. God-fucking-damn-it—! He began to feed in his next bullet. Before Negan could rush him.

Basil [Negan]

He'd already lost? Negan was about to start shouting about everything wrong with what he was doing, yet again, but the loud bang of the gun firing stopped him in his tracks. The bullet hit Lucille; he had a tight grip on the bat, and the force twisted his hand in a bad way.

Negan was shocked, but he wasn't dead yet, and he was going to use the chance to the best of his ability. His hand reached behind him, to the pistol that was tucked into his back. Taking some steps back, hoping to find cover to get behind for Tripp's next shot. He started firing blindly, the adrenaline knocking off his aim hard and he wasn't confident that any of the shots hit.

Ledge [Scott Turner]

Unbeknownst to Tripp, he wouldn't get a chance to fire that weapon again, before a bullet tore through his hand, causing him to drop the gun. Out popped Scott from some debris, several cuts and abrasions on his face, but still no worse for wear, as he aimed the rifle aimed at the burly man's head.

"You moronic piece of subhuman trash… did you not learn your lesson from Prescott?" He taunted, before kicking the man's rifle away. "On the ground!"

Dot [Tripp]

As soon as Negan pulled his weapon, Tripp moved for cover. Hiding behind a truck, the rest of Negan's bullets clanged against it, but he hadn't been expecting to get flanked. Roaring in pain as a bullet left a gaping hole in his hand, he found the culprit in a panic-induced rage.

He'd been quick to draw his pistol, landing a shot through the man's shoulder before attempting to scramble away. He just had to get to the alleyway. The dumpster there would give him cover to escape.

Ledge [Scott Turner]

Just like that, Tripp had disappeared through the alleyway, barely slipping out of his grasp before Scott could fire another bullet. He winced, grabbing at his shoulder, before heading over to check on Negan.

"Are you alright?"

Basil [Negan]

Negan was anticipating another shot from Tripp, perhaps one that would connect to him. That wouldn't be, though, as he soon noticed Scott, who might've just saved his life.

Negan's focus wasn't on them for long, though. As the adrenaline wore off, he looked at his bat. A hole in it, causing much splinter to the already heavily worn bat. A lot was going through his head, as he heard the scramble and shots firing from Scott and Turner, he wasn't aware of the outcome, but the voice he heard next was Scott's. The leader looked up again, seeing an injured Scott.

Tucking away his pistol, he gave a small nod.

"You're a fucking life saver Scott. That shoulder okay? Did you get him?"

Ledge [Scott Turner]

"Nothing I can't fix."

He straightened his posture, trying to ignore the excruciating ache in his shoulder. "He escaped…" Admitting failure was always tough in front of Negan, but what else was he to say? It seemed like several parties were mixed up in this squabble. The way Scott was seeing things, he didn't see much of a point in trying to hold this place anymore. If the savages wanted this pile of rubble, they could have it. Everything of importance to Scott had already been removed from the outpost.

"What is our next move?"

Basil [Negan]

"Good man."

Negan said, applauding the man's resolve to not moan about the injury. The news that he'd escaped earned a frown from Negan, he wanted that bastard dead. Yet, there wasn't much room to be critical. Negan was aware of the deteriorating situation, he had to keep those loyal close. "It's fine, we just... gotta think this out." It'd been a shit day, this outpost was in ruins.

"We gotta retreat, we got places to go, we can't kill ourselves defending every single fucking inch.

"We just have to make sure we can get out as many alive as possible. Anyone left to these... fucking assholes, will suffer horribly..."

They had to let people know.

---

Art [Nikki]

Nikki marched through the winding creek that went on for miles, cold water needling at her toes. There wasn't much to see beyond the trees, though they needn't look hard. Where before the outpost near Jackson had been covered in a thick blanket of snow, now it lay in gunfire and smoke.

"We're getting close," the girl gave her best hunch, silently hoping to be proven wrong. From up above they could see the empty checkpoint that stretched as wide as the dark allowed them to see. Even in a pack of three, they could sneak in without being seen.

Did they really want to?

Nikki turned to both, and her breath did not suggest anything calm. "How are we gonna find them in that?" 'How do we know they're even there? Or alive?' were the ones she was too afraid to ask. "Hope one of you has a plan."

Crimson [Carl Grimes]

"I wish I had one."

They had the advantage of the dark foliage masking them. That was about the only thing in their favor. They were going in blind. Maybe if they were lucky Clem and Ellie still hadn't gotten into the outpost. That'd be the smartest thing they could have done.

"Only thing we can do is be careful and scout the place out. And if anyone sees us, be ready to kill them on sight." Carl wasn't one to suggest violence often, but the circumstances didn't allow for anything else. "Actually scratch that. We interrogate them if we can, then we kill them."

Dot [Kevin]

This wasn't what he signed up for. They were supposed to just… sabotage these assholes, maybe rough 'em up a little, but kill? Kevin had never killed anyone before. He never thought he'd have to.

"I seriously fucking hope we don't get found then," Kevin answered, his voice breathless. Glancing towards his companions with wide eyes, he said, "Here goes nothing, I guess?"

Art [Nikki]

Carl was definitely hardcore.

Seeing as no one wanted to argue otherwise, they kept their pace. Nikki's flashlight caught all sorts of things in the overgrown meadow; from split pieces of broken arrows, and corpses of former infected. She had no idea what to take away from either.

The checkpoint looked like a black void in the night, light sneaking past the broken windows where someone was definitely meant to be standing guard. Nikki brushed past one of the trees and cast her flashlight inside. "Did everyone ditch at the same time? What the hell…"

Before Nikki could get another word in, she felt her sneakers get caught on a noose, playing tug of war with her right foot. She tried pulling, first. Then came the snapping sound. Her squeal was ear shattering. The girl was sent flying up, rifle and flashlight tumbling back into the snow. And as soon as her eyes were open, she found herself suspended in the air, deafened by the sound of whistles.

Dot [Ellie]

The whistles in the distance put her on edge. So had the screams. The idea that Clementine had gotten herself caught sent her shooting forward, clutching a rifle close. Near a checkpoint, Seraphites surrounded a group of teenagers entering through it, and Ellie took cover behind a car, lining up her shot on the first asshole she could see through the scope. Carl's face was among the teenagers, and she silently cursed.

Firing, the bullet went through the Seraphite's back, dropping him in an instant as he screamed out. The rest would surely retaliate, but at least they'd be forced to run for cover.

"Kat, get an angle on these assholes!" She called out to the girl next to her as she fed her next bullet into the rifle.

Vi [Kat]

"Wait but I don't—I can't just—" Kat tried to gesture to the gun and back to the Scars. Of course that was pointless. To take the life of another outright, she can't do that again… can she? Kat's gaze moved from her gun to the Scars one more time, anger settling on her face as she moved to a different vantage point.

"Fuck it." The redhead angled her weapon towards one of the Seraphites too busy aiming towards Ellie to notice her. She let lose a bullet, watching it pierce the man's side before he fell and scrambled to cover his wound. "What's the plan here, E?!"

Dot [Ellie]

"Get these guys away from Carl and the rest!" She shouted, lining up her next shot.

There were so goddamned many of them. How were they going to win this?

Just kill the first one you see, then go from there.

Vi [Kat]

Get rid of them. Simple when said out loud. Too bad nothing is ever fucking simple anymore. Kat thought of the single bullet left in her rifle, and how she was going to need a lot more than that to take all these guys out. Blue hues shot open at the sound of heavy footsteps barreling towards her. Katrina turned around, holding her rifle up and firing just as a Seraphite charged at her hiding spot. Blood and brain matter scattered over the girl, a shiver running up her spine as she held back the nausea that came with it. The redhead forced herself to look away, her rifle reslung over her shoulder as its use came to an end. Great, no ammo, covered in some stranger's blood… This was great—

Of course, as the girl forced herself to look at the body slumped over her hiding spot again, she took notice of his bow, and immediately it seemed her prayers were answered. Carefully, she pulled the weapon off the man, silently apologizing and thanking him for it. After, she removed his quiver, cursing under her breath at the sight of only one arrow inside. That explains why they charged her.

These fuckers were the ones that ruined everything, she just had to remember that. They deserve this. It's all their fault. Katrina let the anger boil under her skin, readying the bow for the next son of a bitch who dared to get near her. "Alright, fuckers! Who's next! Who wants to end up like their friend here?!"*

Crimson [Carl Grimes]

In a split second the whole situation had descended into chaos. So much for being stealthy. Whistles broke the silence, announcing a rain of bullets. He barely had time to process everything. Ellie? Kat? Where was Clem?

"Start shooting," he yelled at Kev. Carl shot, assuming he was firing at Saviors. He tried to go for the head. With so many bullets flying through the air, he realized Nikki was an easy target, hanging off a tree like a piñata. "Nikki, try to cushion the fall!" he said as he fired a couple rounds at the rope holding her in hopes it'd be enough to cut it.

His aim centered back on the attackers. He kept shooting, hitting as many as he could.

Art [Nikki]

Whatever the hell was going on, Nikki could keep up with none of it, let alone see a thing. She swung to one side and back as the rope tightened around her ankle, and when she nosedived her way down she managed to add one more cry to the cacophony of screams. Nikki's hands scattered across the dark field to find her rifle again, dodging the arrows whizzing past her ears. "What the fuck?! These aren't Saviors!"

Dot [Kevin]

"Oh fuck oh fuck oh fuc—"

Kevin's first instinct had been to hide behind the nearest thing he could find, watching in horror as whoever was attacking them converged on their location. Then came a second hail of gunfire, from a completely different source, and he saw one of the assholes attacking them go down.

It was Ellie and some other girl, joining in like fucking badasses. When Carl told him to start shooting, Kevin begrudgingly did as he was told, lining up a shot with his pistol towards a man taking cover behind a tree. The bullet pierced something and he went down, screaming.

Jesus Christ, what are we doing…

Vi [Kat]

As the gunshots around them begun to pick up, a wave of relief hit the redhead like a truck. "Thank fuck—" There was absolutely no way Ellie and her were going to pull this off alone, and it be an understatement to say they had much of a shot. Carl sure knew how to take his damn time.

As if suddenly a wave of confidence hit, Kat stood up from where she was hiding, letting loose an arrow into the nearest Seraphite. She ducked nearly as quickly as it had happened, looking around for signs of any other arrows in the area to shoot off.

It wasn't until she remembered the arrow in her backpack did she stop to grab it. A bitter taste remained on her tongue as she pulled it out, pools of blue staring at it as if letting it go was a mistake. This was the arrow that started it all. All of today's hardships begun with this fucking arrow.

It was going to end with it too.

Ledge [Seraphite]

"Guide me to the grave, MOTHER!"

While the young heathen was occupied, firing her arrows. A very large looking man charged out of the shrubbery, he was bald, and the very same scar that mimicked Ellie's was painted across his cheek.

In his hand was a large battle hammer. With wild eyes, he lifted it up, fully intent on swinging it down on Kat's head.

Vi [Kat]

The sound of footsteps were the first thing to grab her attention. The large man that made their way towards her caused the girl to scramble back, hands pulling back her bow as her mother's arrow rested neatly and ready to fire. The redhead's aim was shaky, only evening out when she allowed herself a moment to breathe. He was nothing but a barbarian, out to kill what he didn't understand. "This one's for you, Ma. Aim strong and act swift."

She loosened her arrow, watching it bury its way into his ribcage. With her last arrow gone, she returned the bow back around her, moving to pull her knife from it's place on her hip. "That all you got, tough guy? Bring it the fuck on!"

Ledge [Seraphite]

The arrow lodged itself into his gut, yet he fought through the pain. He saw nothing but red, nothing but a dead heretic at his feet, something he was about to make a reality. For Mother, for the promised land.

He kept charging, raising the battle hammer as he brought it down right on the girl's kneecap with all the might he could muster, a cathartic snapping sound reaching his ears as Kat's knee bent inwards, in the opposite direction. He raised the hammer again, intending to make the second strike his final.

Vi [Kat]

She jinxed herself today, hadn't she? She had to tell herself it couldn't get worse. Why the fuck did she tell herself that? It most definitely got so much fucking worse! The feeling of the hammer coming down onto her leg was one thing, but to then hear the snap, the pain that shot through her in that moment, it was worse than she could have even imagined. How could it have been worse than breaking her fucking arm?! Legs were just long arms!

The scream that came out of the girl was one of more horror than anything else, the sight of her own leg being much worse than any pain she felt in that moment. As he lifted the hammer again, Kat's gaze shifted up to watch the man. She can't stop now. She refuses to die at the hand of one of these fucking savages. Kat scrambled forward, fueled now by the adrenaline that came with the heat of battle. She brought her knife up, stabbing it into his leg and pulling it down till he fell to her level, his hammer now being used as support rather than a weapon.

"This is for my leg—" As she spoke, she pulled her knife from his calf and pressed it into his abdomen, dragging herself up his frame to weigh him down. "This is for my home." Another puncture wound slightly higher from the last. "For Victor. For Ava-" The girl was on top of him now, the knife plunged into his chest as he attempted to fight her off with a weakened grip.

"And this, is for my fucking mother, you cultist piece of shit!" Katrina held her hunting knife up, eyes glued on the beast she had below as she pierced the blade into his throat. Over and over, she removed the knife and stuck it somewhere new, fury now mixing with blood as she let loose built up anger and grief. "I hate you! You did this. This is all your fucking fault! You killed her! You disgusting… fucking—" Kat's onslaught slowed to a stop, her chest rising and falling as her vision fought to remain in focus. She was lightheaded, and the sight below her wasn't helping… What was she doing? She didn't even fucking know this guy… The crimson colored snow below mixed with salty tears as she let go. It was self-defense… It was only self defense….. She went too far—

"I'm… I'm sorry… I'm so sorry—"

Dot [Ellie]

She'd been too focused on taking out Seraphites that she missed the one attacking Kat until it was too late. Kat's screams and angry shouts were what got her to look over, seeing her slice up the Seraphite with her knife, over and over. As bullets whizzed by her, Ellie felt her heart shoot into her throat, and she scrambled over concrete to get to Kat.

Goddamn it, she'd only been looking away for a second. How did they—

Kat's knee was busted. The odd angle it was bent at nearly had her spewing the dinner she'd never had. Her hands were shaking as she reached out for her, pulling the girl away from the man, and back into cover. Her hands on each of the girl's shoulders, she tried to get her to look her in the eye.

"Kat! Kat, it's okay!" Goddamn it, did she hear something about Kat's mother in all that? Did these fuckers really…? Her eyes fell to the girl's knee again, gulping. "You're gonna be okay…"

Vi [Kat]

Kat didn't bother to fight when she was pulled away. Even if the other Scars had got her, at that point the fight she had was long gone. "I'm sorry—I didn't… I can't—" Kat shook her head, broken sobs finding their way to the surface. Now isn't time for this shit. We're suppose to be fighting and taking down the rest of the Seraphites… That's the fucking plan, and what does Kat go and do? She cries like the fucking wimp she is. For what? Why do you always fuck everything up?

The redhead's shaking frame eventually forced itself to look up towards her friend. Cloudy pools leaked as she stared on, her heartbeat pounding in her head and scrambling her thoughts. "It's all my fault… I should have done something… I could have done more—" Her words were pleading, gripping and grasping for something… anything to explain how so much could go wrong in a single day. How she can lose absolutely everything in less than a few hours apart from each other.

"It's all gone—Everyone's gone… M—My fault… It's all my fault and now… there's no one left—I… I lost everything…" Saying it out loud, verbalizing everything she has been holding back. It all was becoming a reality. She's lost everything she had left, and now she's useless with this busted leg.

And it was all her fucking fault.

Dot [Ellie]

"Hey, hey! None of this is your fault," Ellie said, her voice brooking no argument. "Okay? None of it."

As the fight raged on, Ellie focused on the girl's leg, having absolutely no idea what she could do to fix it. God, if fucking only Eleanor was here. There had to be something. Biting down her fear, she cupped the girl's face in her hands, just trying to get through to her. "Listen to me, I'm getting you out of here. Understand?"

Vi [Kat]

The girl's eyes shot open as Ellie cupped her face, causing her mouth to shut so she can listen to them speak. Quivering hands moved up to cup the girl's, her eyes shutting as her fingers interlocked into theirs.

"Why are you doing this? Wouldn't it just be easier to leave me too?" Her voice vocalized thoughts she didn't know she had. Despite the comforting feeling that came with the contact, it did nothing but stop her from talking. The tears still spilled, now pooling on top of their hands. The pain was still present. And the girl still shook as she fought back the screams she long should have gotten out. Pandora's Box was opened, and it was seeming impossible to close.

Kentucky [Joel]

He heard screaming and gunfire in the distance.

His mind raced and he stuffed his revolver into his jacket pocket, pulling the rifle off of his back. He trudged through the snow, heading towards the sounds of battle as fast as his boots would take him.

"Spread out, it's gotta be them!" He yelled to Andrea, hoping she'd hear over the cracks bouncing off the trees around them, wind carrying the sounds further with whistles and howls like a warhawk orchestra.

He was just crossing over a hill when a shotgun blast burst through a tree and a force pushed through his abdomen. Joel, unprepared for the sudden resurgence of pain from his rebar wound, lost his footing and fell backwards, landing on his back and rolling down the snowy hill. Each flip brought back the memories of last winter and an old wound, before he found himself stopped at the bottom of the hill. Another blast of gunfire rang his ears and a snow plow exploded near him. His wrists clenched with hollow, boney pain that ached his sore muscles. He hadn't duked it out in long time; but the familiar adrenaline filled his body, anger and fear and self-preservation coated the pain with a throbbing headache and a coat of tunnel vision and sweat.

Joel leapt up and scrambled behind a tree on his hands and knees, looking at the fresh gunshot wound in the bark and the one in his stomach. No blood. The leather coat was peppered with five new tiny holes; birdshot. The tree and his coat had stopped the penetration this time at least. His rifle was still slung in front of him and he turned with it raised to scan the treeline for the unseen foe.

Dot [Ellie]

Ellie instantly refused, green eyes alight in the firelight. "Because you're my friend. We don't leave friends behind." Movement caught her eye behind Kat, eyes widening as she realized it was a Seraphite with a shotgun.

"Oh, shit—"

Kentucky [Joel]

He kept looking until he saw the man, the enemy facing a new threat at this time. Joel fired and hit the man in the armpit, making him drop his gun and falling into a tree. Joel took the chance to spring forth and attack the man; he couldn't reload, he had to act fast.

Instead, he gripped his rifle firm, heading the thirty feet between himself and the man who was already getting up and grabbing his shotgun. Joel brought the butt of his rifle into the man's head, cracking him to the ground. He hit again, and again, and a third time before the hollow squelch of his skull cracking stopped the battle's winner from bloodying his gun further. Joel turned to see what the man was looking at, and there was Ellie; along with another girl, one he recognized as Katrina, Ellie's friend.

"Ellie, oh Jesus." He said, crouching down and looking for more of the enemy, but eventually settling in Ellie's face. "Are you okay? Both of you?!" His eyes fell to the other girl's knee.

Dot [Ellie]

Ellie turned away as Joel finished the Seraphite off, biting her tongue. When it was over, and the attention returned to them, all Ellie could do was return Joel's gaze, pulling away from Kat as the fire in her eyes disappeared. "We're fine," she said, brushing him off.

"She's hurt. We need to get her out of here."

Kentucky [Joel]

Joel looked at the girl, squinting then nodding. "Alright. Get her up. I'll watch for any more of them." His skin was still alive with snow, hair standing on end, goosebumps rippling through his fingers. He was shaking, unable to keep a steady aim; and he couldn't see any more Seraphites. But he knew more were going to come. They had to. Joel spied the shotgun and slung his rifle back over his back, grabbing it and ejecting the spent shell from it. A simple pump action type thing, he didn't bother checking the rest of the ammo inside.

He turned to Ellie, ducking behind a tree, still searching for new figures. "I'll carry her, here." He was short, extending the shotgun in one hand by the barrel, using his other to take Kat off of Ellie's hands.

Vi [Kat]

The look on Ellie's face was enough to send a shockwave of fear into the girl's system, her eyes remaining glued on her as the footsteps behind the pair slowly got louder and louder. Waves of relief were next, a sigh escaping her lips as a familiar man approached them. She didn't know him too well, only seeing him occasionally about Jackson. Joel. Thank fucking god.

As Ellie moved away, Kat attempted to follow, the pain in her leg finally catching back up to her as she tried to lift it. "Son of bitch—" Kat curled back into herself, wiping away her tears as she focused now on the injury rather than all the shit she had just rambled off. Something about new company sat wrong in her gut, the idea of saying what she wanted seemed like an impossible task. Opening her mouth did nothing to express anything, only offering the hesitation that came with it.

Moving out of the area was a pain in her… well, leg. Ellie being shorter than her didn't help with moving either. You might think it would, but it only made it more difficult to keep up. Once near the tree line, and without too much of a warning, she felt herself get scooped up, eyes widened as she looked over to the man now holding her in his arms. This was awkward as fuck, and no one could tell her otherwise. "Thank you—" Her voice came out weaker than she might have realized, the adrenaline she previously had seeming to be quickly leaving her system. Kat chose not to argue, instead curling her head towards the man and closing her eyes to pretend she didn't exist for the extent of this journey.

There was something odd about this… not just because she barely knew him… but more so the familiarity of behind held like this. Ellie had done so much to try and calm her down before now, stuff that normally might have worked. So why did it take a stranger carrying her to put her mind at ease and give her the moment of peace she'd been craving? Why did this feel like something she hadn't experienced in years? Why did it feel like her father had finally come back to tell her everything would be okay?

It will be okay. He never left, she knew that. He's still watching, and he's here now. He had to be.

Dot [Andrea]

Andrea had managed to down several of those Seraphite assholes as she and Joel joined the fray. Her sniper rifle clutched in her hands, she admired it once they were all dead. Still got it. Checking to make sure the kids were okay, she looked up just in time to see Joel coming over with the Savior kid in his arms, whose leg was all kinds of fucked up. "Set her down here," she said, pointing towards a bench nearby, before turning towards Nikki.

"Help me find something to splint her leg with. We won't be able to fix it here, but at least it'll help. Carl, you and Kevin make sure no more of those guys show up. Yell if they do."

"And Joel…" She turned towards him, just as Ellie cleared her throat.

Dot [Ellie]

"I need to talk," she'd said to Joel, her voice not betraying anything, while Andrea gave out orders. When the attention diverted to him, she gave him an expecting look, hoping he would budge just this once.

This couldn't wait. Not anymore.

Kentucky [Joel]

He set her down carefully; she was a Savior, but she was Ellie's friend. Sure, they could call her traitor and it was sure that her people killed Tommy. But maybe time in Jackson had softened Joel, or maybe he was always soft. No matter the point, he laid her down as careful as he could. "They're gonna get you patched up, you're good." Joel barely got another word out when Ellie caught his attention, and he spun around, genuine concern in his eyes.

"What's the matter? What's wrong?" He asked, walking towards Ellie, a gleam in his eye between short breaths of exasperation. He wasn't calm, but he was careful in his approach to her. While his head was on a swivel, all other attention was focused to Ellie.

Crimson [Carl Grimes]

The dust settled and Carl finally processed Kat's blood-curdling scream. He stood there as Joel and Andrea helped her. It took a moment and a deep breath for him to finally take in the moment, it had all just been so fast. It was only now that he was able to look at his dirty hands and blood splattered clothes. What were these guys? They definitely didn't look like Saviors.

"You did well," he nodded at Kev. He looked terrified, just like Carl. It was just that Kev hadn't learned how to hide it yet. "Come on."

Carl looked back at Kat. He hadn't talked to her much since the expedition but she remained in his mind as a reminder that Saviors were not all bad. Why was she with Ellie? Could she had been helping? Just what happened here? He had many questions but they could wait. Only thing he could hope for now was that she'd be okay.

Dot [Ellie]

This was the part she'd been dreading: hearing the truth. She averted her gaze, focusing on anything but him. "I ran into Scott. He said… he was at that hospital in Salt Lake. When… y'know."

"Was there… really no cure?"

"That's… what he told you?"

She focused on Joel once more, her expression hardening with resolve. "Tell me what really happened there."

Her mouth went dry, hands shaking.

"If you lie to me one more time, I'm gone."

Dot [Kevin]

"How the fuck do you people keep so calm? Jesus…" Kevin had said while trying to catch his breath. That was a whole 'nother level of anxiety, one that made him realize that he was definitely not cut out to be an action hero. Goddamn, did he need a smoke.

But alas, ex-President Andrea went straight to giving out orders, and Kevin had no other say in it but to comply. Carl tried complimenting him, but Kevin waved it off, not at all believing him. He'd nearly watched Nikki get shot at while hanging from a rope. You don't just… walk that off.

As he clutched his weapon close, his eyes watched the streets in fear, following Carl as they patrolled the nearby area. One body of someone they killed earlier laid in their path, and Kevin had to resist the urge to throw up at the sign of the gaping hole in his face. Much worse than Carl's, that's for sure.

Pushing all that aside, as best he could, he caught up to Carl. "Y'think Clementine's okay in all this?"

Kentucky [Joel]

He paused, confused at first. Angry the next. He wasn't sure if he even heard her right at first glance… but then he supposed he had heard her exactly as he needed to. The time was going to come eventually, he knew. He just hoped it never had. Joel narrowed his eyes and held his hand out, talking with it jerking down. "This is not the time for this."

Dot [Ellie]

"You will never see me again," she warned, far more serious than she'd ever been.

Even now, even when she knew he was lying, he refused to tell her. He refused to acknowledge her. Before, she'd given him the benefit of the doubt because he was Joel, and she thought the world of him, but now that time had passed. And, like with Clementine, she refused to back down. She needed to know, one way or another.

She needed to know if a cure was still possible. If all these months feeling like she was lost at sea had really all been for nothing.

"Just say it," she begged, her voice growing ever more agitated the longer this went on. "Say it."

Don't make me leave.

Kentucky [Joel]

Joel stopped. His hand fell to his side, the glimmer of anger fading from his eyes. It was replaced instead by a watery sheen, but he did not cry. He looked down in thought, a closed book as always. "I…" He stopped, stuttering over himself. He had done so much to not lose her. But right now, in this moment, he thought no matter what he did she was gone. He had already lied and cheated and murdered to keep her; he could tell the truth to do it too. He figured he had no other choice anyways.

"I thought," he paused, "hard about this." Frost caught in his throat, choking him up. "I saw their tests. I saw… how few of them were left. They failed before." He paused, collecting himself, keeping his lip from quivering. "They failed before." He repeated.

"So I pulled you out of there."

Dot [Ellie]

"That wasn't for you to decide," she snapped, so fucking angry that it took every ounce of self-control she had left to keep from punching him. She took a step back, whether to make sure she couldn't, or so he couldn't stop her, she wasn't sure. But the venom in her voice remained.

"I would've done anything. You can't just give up. Not after what we've been through Not after what this world's taken from me." By now, she was sure the others could hear her, but she didn't care.

Another step back, she vowed, "I'm going back, and you can't stop me."

Kentucky [Joel]

He took a step towards her, reaching a gloved hand out. "Ellie, I…" He swallowed, shivering despite himself. He didn't know what was going to happen. It terrified him to no end.

"Please." His shoulders pushed up and he inched closer, testing the waters, reaching for her arm. He could fix this, he could fix this…

Dot [Ellie]

She whipped around, making sure to keep herself out of Joel's reach as he tried to stop her, but she wouldn't stop. She'd never stop. She'd find Clementine, get the fuck out of this outpost, and go to the Fireflies. Didn't matter what Joel said, because she refused to believe it. They wouldn't fail this time.

The idea of leaving Kat in their care was a tough pill to swallow, but there'd be no way they could get to the Fireflies and help Kat's leg. No, this—this had to take priority. Kat would understand. She had to.

She let Joel beg and plead all he wanted, but her feet decided her fate. She moved forward, towards where she knew Clementine would be heading.

Kentucky [Joel]

His eyes shimmered in a light beam ricocheting from the snow. He considered saying something else but was ultimately quiet. He wanted to say anything; anything, just speak goddammit, but he couldn't bear to do such a thing. Joel's shoulders slouched. He was silent, staring into the falling snow.

It was a beautiful thing, wasn't it?

Crimson [Carl Grimes]

Carl looked at the bodies of the fallen attackers, lifeless over pools of blood. He had heard them mention a mother of some sort, but it all sounded like gibberish. Mother… mother.

"Knowing her, she's probably fine, but let's keep an eye out for her," he answered Kev. "Maybe we should go in the direction Ellie came from, if she was with her and got separated we might find her."

Dot [Kevin]

"There's probably a reason why they were heading this way, right?" Kevin asked, not at all up to the idea of going somewhere without the others. "Who knows what's down there…"

At this point, he wanted nothing more than to just go back to Jackson, and forget this shit ever happened. Let these other assholes deal with the Saviors, revenge just wasn't worth it.

He glanced towards Ellie behind them, watching as her conversation with Joel seemed to get more and more heated. He wondered what they were talking about.

Returning his attention to Carl, he sighed. "I don't know, man. I think Ellie would already be gone if she had any idea where she was."

Vi [Kat]

Laying down was exactly what Kat needed. Her quiet thank you to Joel went unheard as he moved away to talk to Ellie. Their argument was one she tuned out, it being absolutely none of her business anyway. Drama. That's all she got with Jackson folks. It was like being in community theater… and maybe she partly liked that. Gets old really fast though, this day being evident enough. Kat didn't bother to move much since she was set down onto the bench, only enough to remove her bag and weapons and set them beside her.

Her slender frame remained stationary except for the gentle swaying of her head, humming escaping her lips. She had long calm down as she took a long drag from the blunt she finally retrieved from her backpack that laid next to the bench. Exhaling the smoke into the air above her was something she'd been longing to do all day, and a bunch of Jackson folks weren't stopping her from doing so. Not again.

She needed this, and even though it wasn't the healthiest outlet, it was all she had right now. Her friend was gone, that much she knew considering Joel was alone now. Figured as much. She was headstrong. She'll be mad later.

As the girl's voice finally broke way from the hoarseness in her throat, a soft, almost sweet sounding song was the only sound she made. "È questo il fiore del partigiano.. Morto per la libertà."

This is the flower of the partisan. It died for freedom.

Art [Nikki]

Holy hell. They were okay…?

When Nikki's flashlight flickered on at least a whole minute too late, her eyes widened at the corpses fallen across the grassy field. What kept her from losing it, and only that, was the fact that Kevin wasn't one of them. And neither was she. The girl let herself breath and sighed out a quiet "Motherfuckers…'"

Andrea showing up with Joel in tow had to've been the luckiest, most unlucky stroke of fate she'd ever seen. If they got punished for sneaking out, at least they'd live to pay the price. It only gave her more reason to nod along to her orders now.

Nikki pulled on the chunk of rope still half-tied around her shoe and picked up some sticks whenever one was kind enough to show itself.

She gave the stuff to Andrea and didn't say anything.

Dot [Andrea]

Well, guess it would have to do. Sighing, she took the rope and sticks back to where Kat was laying down, raising an eyebrow at the sight that she found.

Seriously? "Okay, put that out, right now. You can smoke when we're done with your leg." There was an edge to her voice, and she placed a hand on her hip as she watched the Savior teen.

Vi [Kat]

"Watch your step," she mumbled, watching Andrea approach out the corner of her eye. As the girl spoke, she gestured down to her backpack, offering no more to the conversation as she took another hit. Of course, that was short lived, as the woman seemed to speak to her immediately as if she were her mother. Last she checked, she wasn't. Blue hues stared back at her as they commanded her to follow their orders, their stance seeming to show more sass than anything to be fearful of. Definitely not as much bite as back home it seemed, 'cause if this was her training officer, she'd be bloodied on the ground and left to crawl home. The redhead blew the smoke away from the lady, the blunt still remaining locked between her index and middle fingers as she sat up. The pain from shifting her leg caused her to wince, but otherwise, she didn't break eye contact.

"That's a waste, ma'am… So, I'm not going to do that. Only got so many. You can be pissed off about it if you'd like, you can refuse to treat me. I personally won't judge you for it, because frankly I don't care. It's not going out. Not till it's done. I've had one really fucking awful day. Shittiest by far. Give me a break? I really need this right now. Sorry for the inconvenience… or… whatever." She didn't bother to wait for a response, only took another hit and looked away.

Dot [Andrea]

Andrea let out an irritated groan, shaking her head. Teenagers… always so fucking reckless. Not that she was any better, still. "Fine, just… hold still." Preparing the splint around the girl's leg, she waved Nikki over.

"Help me with this. We'll need to get her ready to move the moment we need to."

Art [Nikki]

"Fuck, okay," the girl said as she raced to Andrea's side. Oh my god, that leg… Nikki placed her hands around it even though she was terrified to touch it, and so her eyes went shut before she could help it. "Just tell me what to do."

Dot [Andrea]

With the girl's leg splinted, it was on to other matters. With the gunfire only increasing, and Ellie's sudden storming off, Andrea approached Joel in quick steps, squinting as if she could make out the teenager in the distance. When nothing but darkness met her gaze, she focused on the taller man next to her.

"Where's she going? We need to get these kids out of here."

Silence met her question.

---

Dot [Radio]

From within Lee's backpack, a crackling noise tried to escape. Eventually, a man's voice could be heard, loud enough to hear despite being inside. "Lee, check in. Agh, fuck—You find those kids yet? We gotta get the fuck outta here." The voice could easily be identified as Tripp's.

Art [Clementine]

The chatter came from her own backpack, stuffed with the scant supply of what Lee had to spare. In the quiet of a sidewalk, Clem pushed the speak button and said her piece. "It's me."

Dot [Radio]

At first, static met Clementine's reply, until a surprised Tripp returned. "Clementine? Where's—? Where are you? Are the rest there with you?" His voice was strained, clearly in pain.

Art [Clementine]

"No one's with me," the girl forced herself to say. "Building on the edge of town. Rainbow billboard. That's where I'm going."

Dot [Radio]

"Negan's there, Clementine." He sighed. "Look, there's a park just south of that building. Meet me there. Whatever you need, we'll deal with it. I'll radio Andrea and Joel, too. Maybe they've found the others."

Art [Clementine]

She hadn't the time to wait for anyone. She didn't trust them either. "Do what you want."

Dot [Radio]

"Goddamn it, Clementine, how does Ellie put up with you? You walk into that building, you're as good as dead. You can't do it alone. I don't know what you're after, but it ain't worth dyin' over."

Art [Clementine]

"Then you better be there too," was the bulk of her answer. Clementine stuck to the corners and slowly made her way past a line of abandoned cars, letting Tripp talk to himself if he wanted to.