PREVIOUSLY ON THE LAST DEAD

Mark: "Come on, Lilly, these are people; people trying to survive just like us! We've got to stick together to survive."


Joel: "You just be sure if you think what you're doing is the right thing."

Lee: "…I think about that all the time."


Kenny: "You've been good to me and my family. You saved Duck from those monsters, and you stood up to Larry at the drugstore. I won't forget that."


Lee: "We ran into some people on the way up here. Bandits, I guess. I think it was them that attacked us."


Bandit: "FUCK YOU! FUCK YOU!"


Carley: "Because of your past? Does anyone else know?"


Larry: "Don't forget; I know who you really are."


Lilly: "Fuck you! We can bring him back!"

Kenny: "We'll mourn him later, but right now, we have to keep him from coming back!"


Lilly: "NOOOOO!"

Kenny: "GRRRAGH!"


Lee: "We have to take this, Clementine. We need it to survive."

Joel: "No one would be stupid enough to leave all this stuff out here in the open for the taking like this."


Jolene: "Don't worry, little girls. Bandits got their eye on that dairy. As long as they keep getting food from them, you'll be safe."

A/N The story progresses based on the choices that I have made in the game and how I think Joel and Ellie would fit into the story of The Walking Dead Game. First, Joel and Ellie get a little honest with each other from the first two weeks in the motel, and then Lee and Kenny go out for a run to the drugstore for more supplies. Be sure to let me know what you think of this crossover. I do not own The Walking Dead or The Last of Us.

xXxWoLfwrIT3rxXx presents

A crossover event

THE LAST DEAD

EPISODE THREE: LONG ROAD AHEAD

Chapter 1: Supply Run

THREE MONTHS EARLIER

Joel was enduring his shift on watch, sitting in a lawn chair on top of the old RV in the parking lot of the Travelier Motel. He had remained on the chair for the rest of the evening, stubbornly refusing to let anyone else take over. As the moon was shining for the night, Ellie had suspected there was a reason why he wanted to stay seated on that chair. So, while the group was in their rooms getting some shuteye, she decides to go talk to him as she quietly steps out of her and Joel's room, climbs up the RV's ladder and then sits on the edge close to the chair.

Ellie: "Hey."

Joel: "Shouldn't you be in bed sleeping?"

Ellie: "I wasn't feeling tired."

She swings her legs around in the air for a bit before she kept the conversation going.

Ellie: "So, how long has it been since we've been here?"

Joel: "About two weeks."

Ellie: "Right. Enjoying the view out here?"

Joel: "It's all right."

Ellie: "Yeah, I guess so. Seen anything interesting lately?"

Joel: "What do you want?"

Knowing that she couldn't keep up the act anymore, she signs before she answered,

Ellie: "I want to know why you've been spending the rest of the day up here on the RV. I mean, first you've been standing out by the road all morning, and now you're here not letting Carley or Kenny or anyone else be on watch."

Joel: "I'm just keeping an eye out for any walkers that might come here."

The girl wasn't quick to believe that and confirms her suspicions.

Ellie: "Are you expecting something to be here soon? Is that what this is all about?"

Joel shuts his eyes, takes a deep breath, and looks behind him to see all the doors and windows still shut, meaning that everyone was still in their beds. He sets the rifle down, stands up from the chair and moves toward the ladder.

Ellie: "Where're you going?"

Joel: "We're taking this conversation elsewhere."

Although she found it to be odd, she acknowledges and follows. But really, Joel was actually concerned that someone might be eavesdropping in on them, and what they were going to talk about, he really didn't want anybody in the group to hear. He leads them to the dumpsters they had step up as gates with a pile of boards and plywood next to them. From there, the two of them continued their hushed discussion.

Ellie: "There is something you're excepting out there, isn't there?"

He raises his hand for a moment when he struggles for the explanation she was asking for.

Joel: "Look… you remember when we first came around here after we got out from the drugstore?"

Ellie: "Yeah, we started settling in, and your friend, Tess came by for a lil bit, and- …wait, have you been keeping an eye out for her this whole time?"

Joel: "Tess said that she was gonna come back here in about two weeks, which is today, and she said that she would take you and I somewhere where it'll be better and safer than this place."

Ellie: "Oh, what the f-"

Their voices slightly escalate as their argument continues.

Joel: "Hey, look, I'm sorry, alright? But at the rate things have been going lately, and with everything happening out there in the city, we're just pushing our luck here."

Ellie: "Is that really what you believe? That being with your buddies from the black market is gonna make you feel safer? I mean, what do you think is gonna happen to everyone right here? In case you forgot, we've got a thing going on here. Thanks to Mark, we've got a shitload of food now, and we're making a wall that'll keep out the walkers."

Joel: "All the more reason why these people are better off without me."

Ellie: "Stop with the bullshit. What are you so afraid of? That we're all gonna end up like Doug? Shawn? Or even Marlene?"

Joel: "How many close calls have we had since this whole thing started?"

Ellie: "Well, we seem to be doing just fine at this place."

Joel: "And you and I will be doing a lot better at another one!"

The silence between them was tense, and was eventually broken.

Ellie: "Maybe you've got a shitty memory, Joel, but Clementine and Lee wouldn't even be here right now if we hadn't found them in that neighborhood. I wouldn't even be here if you hadn't came to my house that day, and especially when all those walkers were breaking into the drugstore and I nearly got bitten by one. Everyone here needed you before, and they still need you here now… But if you really think that this is what's best, then you can just let me know when your fucking friend gets here."

And so, the fourteen-year-old girl angrily walks away and goes toward her room. Mark was stepping down the staircase while passing by the mad young girl. Joel notices him coming when glances at the new member of the group and looks down at the pavement.

Joel: "Did you hear anything we just said?"

Mark: "No. I heard a little bit of yelling in the middle of the night, but no, I didn't hear anything you guys were talking about. Although, judging by the look on Ellie's face, I'm guessing that you both weren't talking about shooting stars."

Joel only scoffed at his comment and the silence that followed became somewhat awkward for Mark.

Mark: "So, uh, are you finally gonna let me do my shift now?"

Joel then looked at both sides of the road for a moment, not seeing any signs of a pair of headlights for miles until he finally decides to call it a night when he says,

Joel: "Be my guest."

He brushes past Mark and makes his way towards his and Ellie's room while Mark walks to RV's ladder and climbs up to keep watch overnight. However, unbeknownst to anyone, Lilly had been standing by the hood of the RV and was intensely glaring at the man in the flannel shirt as she had listened in on the discussion between him and Ellie, and was now developing serious trust issues with him.

PRESENT TIME

Lee was running through the streets of Macon carrying his fireaxe and a rifle strapped on with Kenny following behind him carrying a backpack and a pistol for another supply run to the pharmacy. It's been a little over a week since the survivors over at the motor inn had lived through their incident with the cannibal trade known as the St. Johns. They both slow down their pace as they come up to a corner of a building. Lee peeks to check and see if there were any walkers and steps out when he sees none roaming around, and he and Kenny stand in the middle of the road. Other than the wrecked cars and debris littered on the streets, they seemed to have a clear shot to the pharmacy.

Kenny: "Looks like this is our lucky day."

Lee: "Yeah, this might actually go smoothly."

Kenny: "From what I heard that happened last time, I say we deserve it."

Even though they knew they might've jinxed themselves, they pressed forward. The last time Lee had gone for supplies, he and Joel barely managed to make it back with their lives. But it wasn't a total lost; not only we're they able to grab a few extra supplies, Joel was able to find the next issue to Savage Starlight, Ellie's favorite comic series. After passing through the hardware shop, Lee and Kenny continued towards the drugstore.

Kenny: "Mmph… man."

He momentarily clutches his bullet wound on his gut and Lee furrows his eyebrows at him. Earlier at the motel, Kenny had insisted that it was healed enough for him to head out, but Lee was having his doubts about that.

Kenny: "Lee, where do you come down on staying or going?"

Lee: "You mean packing up the motel and getting in the RV?"

Kenny: "Yeah. We've been talking about it but, you made up your mind yet?"

Lee had been giving it some thought over the past few days and tells Kenny his decision.

Lee: "We should go. Motel's run its course and it's not safe."

Kenny: "You're damn right it has. We pile into the RV and don't pull over until we see water. And if Lilly's dead set on staying, then… well, that's the way it goes. I've tried asking Joel about it again, but that guy still won't give me a straight answer."

Lee: "Maybe you should cut him some slack for a while. Even with all the food we found, we're all still on the edge. Especially Lilly."

Kenny: "I know, but Macon is done, pal. Ain't nothing left. We gotta get the hell outta here."

As they drew closer to the drugstore, they advance towards the back of a supply truck that had parked to the side of the building. The ladder on the side of the truck was how they've been able to get inside through the back door. The front door was out of the question since there was rubble and concrete completely blocking it.

Kenny: "Okay then, let's do this. Over the rig, into the pharmacy and we scrap together whatever supplies are in there."

Lee: "We didn't leave much in there."

Kenny: "Yeah, well, we're outta options. Something's better than nothing."

He clutches his wound again, but only for a second when he begins climbing up the ladder while Lee was keeping a lookout for walkers. Kenny was able to reach the top of the truck, but when he steps off, a part of it snaps off and was now hanging crooked.

Kenny: "Shit!"

Lee: "You okay?"

Kenny: "The ladder's come loose. I'm not sure how many more trips she's got in her."

Lee: "I'm not sure how many more trips we got in us."

Kenny: "No kidding."

Lee then took another look at the drugstore and frowns at what was left of it. Seeing his family's store the way it is now still pains him to this day. There was even a military chopper that had crashed on the rooftop. While Lee was also curious on what did happen to the military and the National Guard, he reminds himself of the task at hand and talks to Kenny.

Lee: "Hey."

Kenny: "Yeah?"

Lee: "Still sore?"

Kenny: "I took a bullet to the gut. What do you think?"

Lee: "I'm thinking that I should've brought Carley with me instead."

Kenny: "I'll be all right."

Lee: "…If you say so. Think we'll find anything? Ain't much left in there."

Kenny: "We'll see. Station wagon's supplies ain't gonna last as long as we thought it would. If we'd hit the road like I suggested, we wouldn't be in this situation."

Lee: "Well, I'm coming up."

Kenny: "Ladder's right there."

Even though it was hanging crooked, Lee still had to at least try to use it so he can get over the truck with Kenny. So, he approaches the ladder and grabs a handle, but then ends up completely pulling it off and tosses it on the road.

Lee: "Looks like she's had it."

Kenny: "What now?"

Lee: "I'll find another way up."

Kenny: "Better hurry before we start having unexpected company."

Lee looks around the street for a minute before he notices a military jeep parked by the front door. When he walks up to it, he notices all of its tires had gone flat and there were pieces of plywood stacked on top of it. But then, he sees a winch on the hood of the jeep. Getting an idea, he grabs the hook with cable attached to it and pulls it toward the truck.

Kenny: "Lilly's not doing so good, huh?"

Lee: "Well, we killed her dad."

Kenny: "We did kill her dad."

Once he gets close enough to the truck, he attaches the hook onto the axel while Kenny was watching him work from the top. Lee goes back to the jeep activate the winch control and stands back as the jeep pulls itself to the truck. Lucky from them, it wasn't making too much noise to attract walkers.

Kenny: "Your girl still upset with you for agreeing to take that stuff from the station wagon?"

Lee had done his best before about trying to reassure her about doing what they did and tells him his progress.

Lee: "I think she understands."

Kenny: "Hope so. Not like we had much of a choice."

Lee: "Right."

He walks alongside the jeep while the winch tows it toward the truck and it bumps right into the wheels. Lee boosts himself onto the hood of the jeep while Kenny keeps their conversation going.

Kenny: "Duck was asking about that guy at Hershel's farm last night."

Lee: "Really? I wasn't sure it phased him."

Kenny: "Of course it did."

Lee: "Still? I mean, whatever happened to 'water off a duck's back', huh?"

That made Kenny let out a small chuckle, bringing back memories of when they first met.

Kenny: "He's a tough kid, you know. Like I said, not much phases him, but it's starting to add up. The farm, the dairy… I need to get to the coast. Get him out of all this madness."

He bends down and reaches his hand out to Lee.

Lee: "…You sure you're up for this?"

Kenny: "Lee, I'm fine. I've got this. Gimme your hand."

Lee acknowledges and grabs Kenny's hand. He tries to pull him up to the top of the truck with him, but his wound gives him trouble again.

Kenny: "Agh!"

He lets go of Lee's hand.

Lee: "Shit!"

He falls right on to the hood of the jeep and busts the front glass with his head. Kenny looks out into to the street to see if the noise from the fall had attracted any walkers. He sighs in relieve and shakes his head at Lee, letting him know they were still clear.

Lee: "Jesus. You sure you're okay?"

Kenny: "I'm fine. Shit, I'm sorry, pal, I'd thought that it'd be healed up better by now."

Lee: "Yeah, well, you're lucky it wasn't any worse. You could've-"

But then, he was interrupted by a sudden scream in the air. They both looked to see where it was coming from until they see someone bursting out from an alley, screaming her head off while a walker was staggering its way toward her. She trips and fell to the ground and quickly gets back up and runs to the middle of the road as more walkers close in on her due to her screaming.

Kenny: "What the- What the hell is that? A walker?"

Lee: "Walkers don't scream, do they?"

Kenny: "Jesus, I don't think so."

Lee brings out the rifle he had strapped on his back and uses the scope to get a clearer view of what was happening and sees the woman shove a walker away from her. Her skin, hair and clothing were all extremely dirty and she continues to scream for help.

Lee: "It's a girl! We have to help her!"

Kenny: "How? There's no getting to her."

Lee: "We gotta do something!"

But when he looks through the scope again, a walker on the ground had bitten her ankle and she jumps away from it. There was no way they would be able to save her now.

Lee: "Fuck, they bit her. We gotta shoot her; put her out of this misery."

Kenny: "They don't know we're here."

Lee: "What do you mean?"

Kenny: "I mean, that if we leave her alive, she draws them all to her; buying us time."

Lee: "Ken-"

Kenny: "Think about it! We're always worrying about the ones we can't see. If she stays alive, she'll bring them all outta their holes."

Lee looks at the rifle in his hands, trying to think of what he should do. If he were to shoot her, he would put the poor girl out of her misery, but then the walkers would turn to their attention to him and Kenny, and they probably won't have much time in the pharmacy. On the other hand, if he leaves her like Kenny suggested, then she'd lure out all the walkers and keep their attention on her, long enough to get they what needed from the pharmacy. He looks through the scope again to see the girl doing her best to fend off all walkers surrounding her, trying to decide which would be the best course of action. His finger came really close to fully pulling the trigger, but then he looks away from the scope, choosing not shoot her as another walker had bitten the girl's shoulder and she shoves it back while more walkers came lurking towards her. Lee looks away from the scene with discontent written on his face, straps the rifle back on and turns to Kenny.

Kenny: "Good, let's go. She'll keep em busy."

Kenny reaches his hand out again; Lee takes his hand and was able to get pulled to the top of the truck. After getting a quick glance, they hop down onto the street and make their way into the drugstore through the back door. Lee closes the door behind him and Kenny opens the door to the pharmacy. They both head inside while still hearing the woman's screams.

Kenny: "We should be good to clear this place out, but we ain't got all day. Get everything you can out of these racks! Don't forget to check underneath the counter! I'll clear out here and then we gotta go!"

Lee pushes a shelf to the side and bends down to get everything that was on the floor. There were still some left from the last run here; medicine, energy bars, Lee was grabbing everything in sight until there was nothing left and moves to the counter. He grabs another box of meds and opens the cabinet underneath the counter when he realizes that there was no more screaming. The walkers had finally finished off the girl.

Kenny: "She's gone. There's not much time now."

They would have to work even faster now. It wouldn't be long until the walkers busted their way in here again. Lee grabs everything in the cabinet and moves to another part of the pharmacy that still had supplies. He takes energy bars that were inside a box and more supplies and medicine on the floor and shelves.

Lee: "I think that's everything!"

He takes everything that he had grabbed and stuffs it all into Kenny's pack.

Kenny: "That girl didn't die for nothing then. Up and over!"

He vaults over the pharmacy counter and Lee does the same.

Kenny: "We're still clear. Let's hustle!"

But then, when Lee reaches the office door, it suddenly falls right on top of him with plenty of walkers right on top of it and he drops his axe in the process.

Lee: "Agh! Kenny, help!"

He tries to push it off on his own, but it was all too heavy. He glances up to see Kenny rushing to his aid. They both lift the door off of Lee and push the door away. Kenny aims for the walkers in the office while glancing at the fridge by the doorway as Lee picks up his axe and stands back up.

Kenny: "Fridge!"

Lee quickly followed his lead. He runs to the fridge and pulls it down right on top of a walker. He sees another one crawling on the ground, then lifts his axe over his head and brings down onto its head. Another one appears at the pharmacy counter and Kenny shoots it in the head with his pistol and shoots another coming through the office.

Kenny: "Out! Let's fucking get out!"

Kenny runs to the end of the store and Lee tries to follow after him but then, he finds another walker that caused him to gasp out loud because it was actually Doug that was staggering towards. The sight of his comrade that he only known for such a short time, and then being dragged out from that window to be devoured by the undead, it had struck Lee with fear and guilt as he backed away from the approaching walker.

Kenny: "Lee, what the hell are you doing?"

For some reason, Lee just didn't have it in him to swing the sharp end of his axe on his head. So instead, he just shoves him back with his hand, but it still kept coming. He then uses the handle of his axe to shove him away, but still no good. Kenny fires three more bullets at the walkers coming from the office.

Kenny: "Quit fucking around, man. I can't keep em back forever!"

The undead Doug had lunged at Lee and he uses his axe to prevent himself from getting bitten. He continues to push it back until he does one stronger shove.

Lee: "Rraagh!"

It had gotten impaled by the iron poles sticking out from the concrete blocking the outside. Lee frowns and shakes his head at the walker, knowing he wasn't going to move from there anytime soon. He then notices the herd of walkers coming and meets up with Kenny.

Kenny: "Let's go, pal."

Kenny crawls through a hole in the wall and Lee looks back at his family's drugstore again before crawling through the hole himself to escape the drugstore. It was almost déjà vu all over again.

TO BE CONTINUED

A/N The purpose of the beginning was to do a flashback and shed some light on the ending of the first book when Tess made her short appearance and said she'd be back in two weeks for Joel and Ellie, and tried to make it seem like Joel was trying to convince himself that he and Ellie need to move on with Tess. And as for Lilly being there, well, think of it as when Larry blackmailed Lee. It'll all become clear soon. Also, I heard TTG planned on having Doug (or Carley) as a walker at the drugstore instead of a pilot, so I figured that I'd try that. By the way, HAPPY SEASON TWO OF THE WALKING DEAD!