Bill stood at the other side of the bar, putting his hunting machete in his backpack. "Alright. Whatever supplies you may need, I highly suggest you grab them," he said to them. Joel nodded at him in appreciation.
"Alright, thank you. Ellie, Enid, take a look around. See if there's anything we can use," Joel said, looking at the girls before walking behind the bar. The girls agreed and make their way into another room that was behind them.
In that room, there were small pieces of debris scattered on the faded floor, a lounge chair, a couple of desks with a note resting on them. The girls found some bullets and a bottle of alcohol.
"Man, he's got a big stick up his ass," Ellie commented. Enid agreed and rolled her eyes, "Tsh, yeah he does. This guy is worse than what Joel told us," "Yeah, that's true. And, between you and I, he should lend us some of that food he's got stashed away," Ellie said, lowering her voice.
"Yeah, he should. I wouldn't be surprised if he inhaled it all at once," Enid said, hands on her hips. Ellie let out a laugh at what Enid said before putting the supplies in their backpacks. "Next time he does that, how about we give him what we gave those assholes back in the QZ?" Ellie suggested.
"You mean give him a good dose of karma by the end of a hard object?" Enid said, making hand gestures. Ellie throws an arm around her shoulders. "That's my girl. Exactly what I was thinking of," Ellie commented. Enid smiled and got out from under Ellie's arm.
It was easier said than done because Joel wouldn't allow them to do that. The girls then walk back out into the bar and saw Joel standing by a chessboard. They walk to him with interest.
"You know how to play this?" Ellie asked. Joel chuckled and replied, "Pretty badly, yeah," "Enid and I always wanted to learn," Ellie commented, getting a shove from Enid. "Hey, who said I did want to learn?" Enid commented.
"You said you did," Ellie replied. "And you actually believed me," Enid said with a chuckle, "But I know you did," Ellie was about to reach forward and touch the board but Bill's sharp voice cut her off.
"Hey! Bobby Fischer, don't touch anything on that board!" Bill scolded. The trio turn around and looked at him. "Bobby who?" Ellie asked confused. "Just let it go," Joel sighed, jogging to Bill.
"Find everything you need?" Bill asked, unlocking the door. "We're good," Joel replied, walking through the now opened door. Joel stood aside so Ellie and Enid could walk through. "Don't leave the door open!" Bill ordered from the top of the stairs.
"Got it," Joel said, shutting it behind him once everyone was through. "We gotta go across town, up the stairs, let's move it," Bill said, walking from the stairs. They then hear Bill mutter something to himself as they walk up the stairs.
"Jeez, you weren't kidding about him," Ellie commented. "Yeah, he's one of a kind," Joel replied, walking into another room. Enid crossed her bare arms and huffed a sigh. "More like the loneliest person on the face of this planet with only the infected to keep him company," Enid said, leaning towards Ellie.
Ellie snickered at her best friend's comment. Luckily, Bill didn't hear her say that. Joel walked out of that room and they moved onwards through a building with the roof and front wall completely gone.
"What kind of trouble you in? Where the hell's Tess?" Bill asked, leaping over an open window. "It's a job; a simple drop-off," Joel said. No one couldn't tell Bill the real reason why Tess told him to finish this job. Ellie and Enid couldn't say anything either. Not only did Joel make both of them keep it a secret, but the way Bill was when things calmed down, they couldn't take a chance.
"What're you delivering? Those little brats?" Bill says, loud enough for the girls to hear. "Ha, ha. Fuck you too," Ellie says with a fake laugh. Bill laughed too, but sarcastically. The four go down a flight of stairs after going through a few rooms.
"I hope you know what you're doing," Bill patronized. Enid rolled her eyes and scoffed, "You're kidding us with this guy?" Ellie leaned towards Enid and said, "I know, right? Can't believe he's acting like we're deaf or something. What an asshole," Enid nodded in agreement.
"So where are we goin', Bill?" Joel asked, wanting to change the subject. "My other safe house. It's more like an armory," Bill answered. "Hold on, weren't we supposed to fix a car?" Ellie asked, sounding perplexed. Enid's eyebrow narrow and she adds, "Yeah, isn't that the whole point on this mission you have us going on?"
"What do you mean, 'we'? Both of you know how to fix up a-" Bill started but Joel interrupted him. Last thing they needed right now was another pointless argument between Bill and the two girls. "As I said before, what I need is on the other side of town. However, there's infected there so I never go on that side. We're gonna need to gear up," Bill answered, leading the trio down a flight of stairs to the bottom floor.
Gear up? That would mean they would get more guns. If anything, Joel would let Ellie and Enid carry one. Enid is experienced with a handgun since she was a Firefly. They're gonna need all the help they can get if Bill was correct on a horde of infected being on the other side of town.
They reach the bottom floor and instantly hear the sound of something moving in the next room, which was a bakery. "Shh, something's in here," Joel said, going alert. "Dammit, relax. I've been meaning to take care of that," Bill assured, taking out his hunting machete.
There was a runner trapped in the window, thanks to one of Bill's traps. "So, you didn't answer my question about Tess. Weren't you two inseparable?" Bill asked, walking up to the trapped runner. "She's busy," Joel replied vaguely.
Bill scoffed at what Joel said and cuts off its head with three swings. Blood squirted out of its neck and onto the floor. "Yeah, sure. Sounds to me… like might be trouble in paradise," Bill said, putting his hunting machete back in his backpack.
Ellie and Enid were grossed out despite them seeing much worse than this. Bill then walks over to the front door and holds it open for them. Ellie and Enid walk out before Joel did. There were abandoned cars littered on the street, looking as if they were burned to a crisp.
"So you're gonna fix up a car? Why not use one of these cars?" Ellie asks, looking at the cars in the area. "Oh my god, you're a genius! How stupid of me! I could've just dropped everything and fixed one of these cars up!" Bill sarcastically says. "She was just asking, okay? Don't be an asshat about it," Enid commented, defending Ellie.
"The tires are beyond rotted and the batteries are dead," Bill said, ignoring Enid's comeback. Before Ellie could respond, the sound of infected broke the silence. Everyone instantly became alert.
"Goddammit!" Joel swore, pulling out his handgun. Bill pulled out his hunting machete. "Infected!" the girls yell, starting to run in the opposite direction. The infected started swarming the four, screeching loudly.
The girls tried their best to stay together as Bill and Joel were fighting off the infected. But, Enid gets grabbed by her best friend by the arm. Enid yelled out as the runner yanked her away from Ellie before grabbing a hold of her. "Get off of her!" Ellie shouted, throwing a brick at the runner, catching it off guard. Joel uses his revolver to kill that runner.
They manage to finish off the rest of the infected. Now they could get back to the task at hand. "Alright. Gotta check the simple shit and now you're paying for it," Bill muttered to himself. Enid was able to hear this.
"He does know we can hear him, right?" Enid asked. "Yeah, he's talking to himself again," Ellie replied, next to Enid. "Yeah. Bill?" Joel said, walking to another gate. Bill had to unlock it because he was the only one with the keys.
After Bill opened the gate and stepped aside to let them walk in. "You sure picked a hell of a place to hide, didn't ya?" Joel asked, getting some supplies from a shed. "Well, those things are predictable as bad as they are. It's normal people that scare me. You should know this," Bill said, locking the gate behind him.
"What does that mean?" Ellie asked. Neither understood what Bill meant by that. After all, he's secluded in this abandoned town from anyone else. Joel dismisses what Ellie asked and walked up a couple of moss-covered stairs. Bill follows after him with the girls following after.
"You sure that's gonna hold them?" Joel asked, looking over his shoulder. "Well, I'm the only one who has the key," Bill answered. Joel asked where Bill's other safehouse was, which Bill answered with, "It's here. In the cellar," Bill's safe house was in the basement of a church.
Bill opens the door to the cellar and they walk down inside. "Alright, here it is." Bill said, "You two don't touch anything,". He turned towards Ellie and Enid and said this to them like they were little toddlers. That rule wouldn't be followed for very long.
Joel shuts the cellar door while Bill turned on a storm lateen, letting the cellar become softly lit up. " Let's gear up," Bill said. Ellie and Enid figured they'd get a gun too so they could help the men out in case there'd be infected.
They started walking over to a table that had guns laying atop it. Joel, however, stopped them from going. "No," he bluntly said. The girls narrow their eyes at him. "Hey, what's the big idea? We need a gun too," Enid protested.
Joel turns to look at them disapprovingly. "No, you don't," he refused. Ellie glanced at Bill for a second before saying in a whisper, "We can handle ourselves, Joel. And Enid knows how to use one,"
"No," Joel shot back, his voice hardened. He then walks over to Bill, leaving the girls in disbelief. "Fine, we'll wait around for you two to get us killed," Ellie said, throwing her arms up. "Yeah, you're gonna regret not letting us have one," Enid added, sounding irritated.
Bill had opened a container and taken out a shotgun. "Well, this goes on record as the worst damn job that you've ever taken," Bill commented. "It's up there," Joel replied.
Bill shut the container and stand up, bringing the shotgun to the work table. "How the hell is Tess okay with this suicide mission?" Bill asked. "It was her idea," Joel answered, hands on his hips. Bill sets the gun on the table, surprised by Joel's answer.
"Really? Well, the broad's not as smart as I thought she was. But, fuck her," Bill sighed, lending over to pick up a bucked from the floor. "Seriously, take those kids back where you found them," Bill said.
Joel sighed, knowing he wasn't able to do that. "I can't take them back," Joel said, sitting on the table. "Hell, send them packing, let them find their way back. Look let me tell you something," Bill said, loading the shotgun, "Once upon a time, I had someone that I cared about," Joel looked at him with an air of surprise.
Bill presses on, "A partner rally. Someone I had to look out for," He pumps the action on the gun before setting it on the table again. "And in this world, that sort of shits good for one thing and one thing only, getting yourself killed. So you know what I did? I wisened the fuck up and realized its gotta be me," Bill said, grabbing another shotgun.
Joel looked away hesitantly, heaving a sigh. "Bill, it ain't like that, it's-" he said. "Bullshit, its just like that," Bill replied, looking up at the girls. He saw them going through his shit that was on a table.
They were going through his shit while he and Joel were talking. He didn't happen to notice that so few items of his were gone. "Hey, what did I tell you two when we came here?! Didn't I tell you both to keep your hands off my stuff!" Bill shouted.
"The fuck you getting onto us for? We can't help it that we're bored!" Enid said, backing away from the pile. "Don't touch!" Bill shouted. Ellie and Enid both flipped him off.
Enid held up both middle fingers and did a little dance with them. Bill huffed and looked back down. "Goddammit. You know, you keep playing babysitter, you're gonna get yourself killed." Bill said, irritated.
Joel stands up from the table and faces Bill. "Bill, can we please get on with it?" He says, ending all conversation. Bill loaded the final shell in the shotgun before tossing it to Joel. "Here. Let's get on with it," Bill mocked, grabbing his shotgun.
Joel inspected the gun before hooking it to his backpack. "Alright, before we leave, there's something I gotta show ya." Bill said, walking to a table that had a device sitting on it. "What is it?" Joel asked, following him. "New toy from the toybox," Bill answers, holding a can with nails sticking out of it.
Joel was introduced to the nail bomb, which blows up anything nearby it. After asking what they were doing with shotguns and bombs, Bill said something about a military caravan coming into town a few weeks prior.
Bill thought they were hunting down supplies. They don't bother to look for all the shit that's there. They even drove a truck through the side of the high school with the battery still inside of it. That was the plan, get the battery from the truck. Bill never went there because of the infected swarming there.
After discussing the plan and getting the stuff they needed, they walk back towards the stairs where Ellie and Enid were. While Bill wasn't looking, they happened to take a few items of his. "I swear to god if you two took anything-" Bill started.
"Hey, man, we don't need any of your shit," Ellie said, crossing her arms. "Yeah, so calm your ass down," Enid added. The girls gave each other a smirk to prove that they were both proud to be sneaky.
The four walk up a flight of stairs and enter a church sanctuary. The stained glass windows gave it a more colorful look. "Wow," Ellie commented. "Nice place you got here," Joel said. "Pretty neat," Enid nodded, looking around the church.
"Well, if any of you have confessions, this'd be the place to do it," Bill replied. Joel had gathered some stuff from the room that was next to their exit. "That's not the confessional booth, that's my room," Bill announced. "Don't worry, I ain't touching nothin'," Joel said, picking up a bottle of alcohol, which was half empty.
After that he walked out, seeing that Bill and the girls were waiting for him. Bill opens up the church window and hops out onto the roof. Joel follows him. "C'mon, you two," Joel said, waving them over.
Ellie and Enid follow suit and Bill points to where the school was. Soon, they jump down onto the ground below and into a graveyard. There was a pile of burned infected corpses laying at the end of the yard.
Ellie and Enid jog to it and cover their noses in disgust. "Agh, God. That's gross," Ellie gagged, covering her mouth. The smell was vomit-inducing. This is where that smoke was coming from when the trio first got here.
"C'mon, you two don't need to see that," Joel urged. "Joel, we've seen worse than this," Ellie commented. Enid nodded in agreement; she had seen worse stuff when Marlene had recruited her. It was nothing compared to a bunch of infected corpses burned at the stake.
Bill stands next to an open gate and says, "Passed this gate, it's all new territory to me," That didn't make them feel any better considering there could be infected passed through this gate. So they had to remain cautious.
The quartet walked through the vine-covered gate and instantly hears clicking, you guts hear that?" Ellie said, lowering her voice. Enid saw a few clickers in the following area. "Clickers up ahead," Enid said, pointing ahead.
Joel snuck up behind a clicker while its back is turned, grabbed it, and stabs it in the neck. The other clickers were taken down by Joel's bow and arrow. After those were taken care of, the four make their way down another small flight of stairs that lead to another part of the graveyard.
Joel picks up a stray bottle on his right and throws it on a piece of concrete that is stuck out of the ground. The glass shattering was loud enough to draw the attention of the clickers. They screech and stumble towards the sound.
With that, Joel lit a Molotov and threw it at the three clickers. All three of them were burned to a crisp. Ellie and Enid were surprised that it got all of them. They all stood up and made their way to the next gate.
Joel tries to open it but it wouldn't budge. "Hold up, I got a key for that gate," Bill said, finishing in his pocket for a key. He unlocks the gate and slowly opens it. On the other side, two runners were hunched over about 20 feet from them with their backs turned.
Joel snuck up behind one and strangled it while Bill used his hunting machete to stab the other through its abdomen. They started making their way down an alleyway in a neighborhood that was obviously abandoned.
There were more infected aimlessly wandering in the backyards. But they ended up alerting the runners while they were sneaking by them. "Joel, look out!" Enid yells, seeing a runner coming right at him. Joel turns and ends up getting grabbed by said runner.
Bill quickly saves him by shoving his hunting machete through its stomach. More of the infected started charging towards them so Joel and Bill had no choice but to use their shotguns to take out the runners and clickers.
After they killed the rest of the infected, they run through a garden that was definitely overgrown with rotten vegetables and vines covering the house accompanying it. "Y'know, it would've been great if you let Enid and I have guns so we could help kill some of these fuckers." Ellie commented.
Enid agreed with that because she has used a pistol before since she had been a Firefly and was a great shot. "Shut up! Just shut up!" Bill said, keeping his voice lowered. "You know it's true," Enid whispered, rolling her eyes at him.
They then enter an open garage where the front door has a dog door installed into it, but it was boarded up. Joel picked up some supplies that were scattered on the garage floor. Afterward, he tried to open the door but found it tied shut. "Hey, what about through here?" Ellie asked, pointing at the dog door.
"What? The doggy door?" Bill asked. Enid rolled her eyes and said sarcastically, "No, we burst through the door and scream, 'Here's Johnny!' for all the infected to hear," Ellie couldn't help but let out a snort-laugh.
Joel heaves a sigh before kneeling down to take the board off the doggy door so they could crawl through. "Be very careful," Joel said quietly. Enid made the decision to go with Ellie so she could have her back. "Of course," Ellie said, crawling through the doggy door. Enid soon followed behind her, grabbing Ellie's hand.
Ellie pulled her up and she dusted herself off. Enid's heart skipped a beat when she heard clicking from the house. "What's wrong?" Ellie whispered, noticing Enid's distress. "There's more," she answered, pointing towards the house.
Ellie hears the infected too and quietly unhooked the door to let Joel and Bill out. "There's more of those clicker things inside the house," Ellie said to them. Enid was unnerved by the way the clickers were just standing there. While with Marlene, she did have to take out some infected along with some other things. They've never dealt with clickers first-hand.
"Oh, shit…" Joel said quietly, taking out a shiv. He carefully walked up to the first clicker, grabbed it, and stabbed it in its neck, killing it slowly. He takes out the second one the same way.
The four carefully make their way through the house, slowing down when they saw a lone clicker in an open bedroom. They exit the house and start climbing on an RV that was in the yard. "Alright, let's go. On the RV and over. We should be clear," Bill said, walking through an old treehouse that was in the next yard.
The next house had an empty pool and a couple of sheds that could have some loot inside. "Who the hell left this here?" Ellie asked, jumping down into the overgrown yard. "Yeah, you got friends somewhere around here?" Enid asked, jumping down next to her. Joel jumped down too with a grunt.
"No, but I got an idea of who could've come through here," Bill answered, jogging inside the house. The sliding glass door was open all the way, so they knew where they needed to go.
The three of them go inside the house and saw that the interior was still surprisingly pristine for being abandoned. Joel makes his way upstairs to see if there was any loot. Ellie and Enid stayed downstairs to wait for him.
"Enid, you think we should tell Joel we're sorry about you-know-who?" Ellie asked. "Are you just saying that because Joel and Bill were talking about her in Bill's safe house?" Enid said, rubbing the back of her damn neck that was covered with her hair.
Ellie was surprised at Enid's response. "Nothing gets by that thick head of yours, huh?" she said, putting Enid in a headlock and giving her a noogie. Enid got loose from her friend's grip. "Yep. Kinda hard to miss it, heh. And he did say to not bring her up again, but knowing us, we're not obedient puppies," Enid joked, fixing her hair.
"Right. C'mon," Ellie said, going up the stairs with Enid following her. They see that Joel is in a kid's bedroom that had a bunk bed in the far corner of the room. "Hey, you got a second?" Enid said, getting him to turn around. "Yeah?" he asks, facing them.
The girls look at one another and Ellie says, "Well, we've been talking and we just wanna say we're sorry about Tess. That's it, we won't bring it up again," She said it a bit too quickly. They did hear about not bringing Tess up after first losing her, and they thought Joel was gonna be upset for doing so.
But all he did was sigh and rub his weathered face. "Ellie… Enid, you two don't need to worry about me. We should check on Bill," he said calmly, walking out of the bedroom. Ellie and Enid look at each other in surprise.
"He took that better than I thought," Enid commented, raising a brow. "I'll say," Ellie replied, looking out of the doorway. They then went downstairs and heard Bill calling Joel from the garage, asking for help with the garage door.
Both Joel and Bill lift up the garage door, revealing that the school was across the street from the house they were in. Needless to say, the door made a loud squealing sound. Luckily, the nearby infected hadn't heard it.
The four of them hid behind a car that was sitting in front of the house. Bill peeks over and points ahead of where the truck was. "What'd I tell ya? There's that truck, sticking out of the school right there," he said.
Joel pulls out his bow and arrow and stealthily moves forward. He manages to take down three of them by shooting an arrow in their heads, killing them instantly. Enid and Ellie follow him to the next part of the schoolyard.
There were school buses littered across the lot, covered in moss and a banner laying on the ground. There were also open suitcases stacked by the buses, as well as barbed wired barriers blocking them off.
They walk passed through two buses, only to be ambushed by a whole pack of runners. "Run!" Joel shouted to Ellie and Enid as he shot one with his shotgun, blowing it to pieces. Ellie grabs Enid's hand and the two take off running in any direction they could to get away from the infected.
But Enid gets grabbed by a runner and it instantly tried biting her neck. "No! Get away from me!" she shouted, pushing it back with both hands. Ellie quickly comes to her aid with her switchblade drawn. "Get off of her!" she shouted, stabbing the runner in its back, getting it off of her.
Joel finishes it off with the shotgun. Both Bill and Joel took out the rest of the infected, which was about 10 or 15 at least.
Once the infected was cleared out, everyone was able to breathe again. "Well, that was easier than expected. They gotta be holed up elsewhere," Bill inquired. "Let's not test our luck just yet. How do we get over the fence?" Joel asked.
Enid looks around and spots a ladder laying atop a bus, which was blocking their way over the fence. They'd have to climb over the bus to get over the fence.
"Hey, there's a ladder on this bus. Get me up there and I'll drop it down to you guys," she said, pointing at the ladder. Ellie puts a hand on her shoulder for a minute. Enid looks at her best friend. "Ellie, you've had your fun. It's my turn. I'll be fine," she said with a grin.
Ellie saw the confidence in her old friend and she gave her a quick hug. "Be careful," she said. "I will. You don't have to worry," Enid replied, giving her a smile. Joel clasped his hands together and gave Enid a boost. She climbed on top of the bus.
"Don't die up there," Bill called. Enid rolled her eyes and replied, "Thanks for the reminder, Bill," She picked the ladder up and slid it to the ground, letting it lean against the back of the bus.
One by one, they all climbed the ladder. "We're okay, we just need to get to the truck," Bill said, most likely to himself.
The four run across the roof of the bus and dropped down into the schoolyard. Not even a minute later, a horde of infected start to pile on the gate. "They're coming! C'mon!" Bill called.
Enid looks over at the fence and her eyes gaped. "Oh, shit! They're climbing the fence!" Enid cried out. "Shit, it won't hold!" Ellie added in panic. There were a lot of runners and clickers starting to climb the fence.
"We need to get inside to get the battery!" Bill yelled, running to a window, trying to pry it loosen it. "No shit Sherlock! We need to hurry!" Enid shouted, seeing the infected crawl over the fence. Joel started to fire at the infected, killing as many as he could while Bill struggled to get the window open.
"I got it! Window's open! C'mon, go!" Bill shouted, crawling through the window. Enid quickly gets inside before pulling inside.
Joel tries to climb through the window but a clicker jumped on his back. He elbows it as hard as he could in the face in an attempt to get it off of him. However, it grabbed him again.
Bill quickly grabs his shotgun and reloads it. "Joel!" Ellie and Enid shout in panic. They grab his arm, trying to pull him inside. "Shit," Joel swore, trying to climb inside.
"Alright, c'mon!" Bill shouted, grabbing Joel's other arm and pulling him inside, tossing Joel to the ground. The clicker tries to climb inside before Bill shot it in the face, causing blood to splatter everywhere.
Ellie hastily closed the window before more could get in. She backed up from the window as the snarls of more infected were becoming increasingly louder.
"That's not going to hold," Ellie said, backing up towards Enid. "Bill, make it fast!" Joel exclaimed.
Bill runs to the truck, beginning to force open the hood with his shotgun. From outside, the infected were pounding at the door, attempting to break it down to get inside. "Grab this!" Joel exclaimed to Ellie and Enid.
The trio grabs a steel stand and pushes it in front of the doors, blocking it. They hold it against the doors to prevent the doors from breaking open.
"Please tell me you're done!" Joel breathlessly said. Bill managed to get the hood open and looked inside. "It's empty!" Bill shouted, a shocked look on his face.
"What?!" Joel shouted, moving towards Bill. He looked inside the hood and it was, in fact, empty. "It's fucking empty!" Bill exclaimed in disbelief.
"Guys!" Ellie shouted desperately. "This is about to give in!" Enid exclaimed, using all of her strength to hold it.
"Bill where to?" Joel asked. Bill looked confused for a minute. "Bill, where?!" Joel shouted. "Anywhere but here," Bill answered, starting to back away.
Joel runs to grab the girls from the door and said, "Get ready to haul ass, c'mon!" They then flee from that room.
The four escape into a hallway just as the infected burst through the doors. "They've broken through!" Bill shouted. Joel and Ellie quickly close the double doors.
The group of four make their way down a hallway, getting through a horde in the hallway, a science lab, and down another hallway towards a gymnasium.
Joel ran to the gym doors and starts to use his shoulder to break the gym doors down, but it wasn't budging. "Help me open this," Joel said, waving Bill over.
Bill rushes over and pushes his shoulder to the door. "Alright, ready?" he said. It took three pushes before the door opened. Once it was open, the four of them go inside the gym.
"There's more on the way. Barricade the door," Bill said. They quickly barricaded the door with a pile of debris.
After barricading the door, they backed up a little. "This ain't gonna hold them for long," Bill said. Suddenly, there was a loud, heavy sound coming from the far end of the gym. The group look at where the sound was coming from.
"That don't sound good," Joel said dreadfully. Then, the doors burst open and what came out was a large infected that was covered in a thick fungus that acted as armor. It growled as it stumbled out of the doorway.
"What the fuck is that?" Enid and Ellie said in sync. "It's a goddamn bloater!" Bill shouted back. "A what?!" Ellie cried.
"What the hell's a bloater?!" Enid shouted. "Ellie, Enid, take cover!" Joel shouted at them, starting to shoot at the large infected. The infected grabbed a part of itself and threw it at the group.
"What the hell?! It's throwing spores at us?!" Enid shouted. "Don't let it get near you!" Bill shouted, shooting the monster with his shotgun.
"Really?! I was thinking of giving it a nice fucking bear hug!" Enid sarcastically said. Ellie grabbed Enid's hand and they started running just as runners started to jump from the windows.
While Bill shot the bloater, Joel took care of the runners. Joel lit a molotov and threw it at the bloater, lighting it on fire. The beast roared and thrashed around before dropping dead.
"Man, what the hell was that?" Enid asked, still holding onto her friend's hand. Joel walked up to them, strapping his shotgun to his backpack. "He's been infected for a long time. We call them bloaters," Joel explained.
"Bloater. Okay, got it," Ellie says. "We'll add that to our bullshit list," Enid added. Bill was becoming irritated and said, "I hate to interrupt your little biology lesson, but can we get the fuck out of here, please?"
They couldn't blame Bill for wanting to get outta dodge because more infected could ambush them at any moment. They couldn't stick around. Joel went to a stack of bleachers and locked his fingers together so he could help them up to a window.
"Let's go people," Joel said, hoisting Bill up first. Once Bill was up, he kneels down to help Ellie and Enid up. "Joel behind ya!" Bill shouted, looking up and saw three runners jumping down from a hole in the wall.
Joel shot them down with his shotgun. Afterward, Bill hoisted Joel up and the four jumped out of the window and into the back alleyway of the school. They run out of there and make it to the backyard of the house.
One by one, they climbed over the ladder that rested against the tall wooden fence and they landed in the house's backyard. Once they were all over, Bill uses a rake to knock the ladder over so the infected couldn't climb over. "Inside the house, now!" Bill ordered. They all walked through the back door.
After Bill closed the patio door, they were able to take a breather. "So that worked out well," Ellie commented. "Yeah, it went better than well," Enid added, hands on her hips.
Joel shoots them a look, eyes narrowed. "Um, we'll go check out this side of the house," Enid said, taking Ellie by the hand and the two left.
"Bill?" Joel said. Bill shook his head and said, "Somebody had the same idea, they stole my shit!" "Then, what the hell is plan B?!" Joel angrily asked.
"You oughta be happy you're still drawing breath! That was plan A all they way through fucking Z!" Bill said, sounding irritated, "Furthermore, tell Tess that she can take this job-"
Joel turns and harshly points at Bill, "Don't you bring Tess into this!" "She can shove it right up-" Bill shouted, getting in Joel's face. "This has nothing to do with-" Joel shouted.
Bill stops and looks over Joel's shoulder. Joel turned around and sees a body hanging from the ceiling fan. "Jesus," he said.
Joel looked back at Bill before looking back up at the corpse. "What? Do you know this guy or something?" he asked, walking towards the body.
"Frank," Bill somberly said, staring at the body still. Joel looked back at Bill in confusion, "Who the hell's Frank?"
"He was my partner," Bill said, starting to shake. Joel looked back at the body with his eyebrows furrowed. Bill then takes out his machete and walked over to the body.
"He's the only guy who'd wear a shirt that stupid," Bill said, hacking the rope with one swing, causing the body to fall. "He's got bites... here... and..." Bill inhaled deeply.
"I reckon he didn't want to turn so he..." Joel said empathetically, looking up at the ceiling.
"Yeah... guess not..." Bill said, realizing that Joel was looking at him, "Well, fuck him,"
The two friends walk into the garage and spot a truck with the key still in the ignition. The hood was popped open.
"Ooh, hello beautiful," Enid said with a laugh. "Holy shit, you think it still runs?" Ellie asked. "We won't know until we try it," Enid said. Ellie opened up the driver's side door and sits in the drivers seat. She tried to turn on the engine, but it sputtered.
Joel and Bill walk into the garage after hearing the truck engine sputtering. "Hey, check out what we found," Enid said proudly. "Looks like there's juice in it," Ellie said, scooting back in the driver's seat.
Bill walked to the front of the truck and took a look inside of it. "That's my battery!" Bill scowled, looking at Joel, "That fuckin' asshole," He then slams the hood shut and walks over to the driver's side.
Since Enid was standing by the truck, Bill pushed her out of the way. "Get out," he spat at Ellie. When she didn't listen, he said it again with more authority, "Get. Out,"
"Okay, geez," she muttered, getting out of the truck. She stood next to Enid, hands on her hips. Enid rubbed her right forearm because of how hard she was pushed. Ellie her a 'You okay' look, to which Enid gave a nod and a grin.
Bill sat in the driver's seat and attempted to start the car. "Well, the battery's drained but the cells are alive," Bill concluded, rubbing his chin. "Meaning?" Joel asked.
"Meaning we push it, get it started and the alternator will recharge the battery," Bill replied, getting out of the truck and walking to the front. "Is that your guess?" Joel asked, looking at Bill.
"Look, you wanted a plan B, this is as good as it gets," Bill replied, looking back at him. Ellie and Enid walk up to Joel. "What're you thinking?" Ellie asked him.
"Thinkin' you drive and we push," Joel said. "What about me?" Enid wondered. Joel looked at her and said, "You give her a hand," Enid nodded and went around the back of the truck and got in the passenger seat, shutting the door behind her. Ellie hops in the driver's side.
Joel said he would go search out the rest of the house to gather any supplies before they headed out. Enid looked over at her best friend and smiled, "Since when have you driven a car?" "I guess I forgot to tell you that I have before getting my partner in crime back," Ellie said, giving Enid a playful shove.
"Well, you're right. Sucks I never learned how too," Enid pouted. "And yet, I get stuck with you," Ellie joked. "Oh, please. I could help take out these fuckers if I still had my gun," Enid replied, remembering how much of a good shot she was because of her being a former Firefly.
Joel returns with some supplies that he found inside of the house. He approached the two girls, resting his hands on the open window. "You two gonna be okay with this?" he asked them.
"Yeah, won't be a problem," Ellie replied, both of her hands on the steering wheel. "Both of you are doin' a good job. I figured you two should know that," Joel praised. Enid leaned over and said, "Don't worry, Joel. We won't let you down,"
Joel nods and walked to the back of the car, signaling Bill that he was ready to move out. Bill ran around to the back with Joel after he lifted the garage door up. "Alright, put her in first," Bill said to her. "Already did it," Ellie replied.
"Keep your foot on the clutch. When we get it rollin'-" Bill said, only to be stopped by Ellie. "I know how to pop a clutch!" she called. Enid looked out of the back window and saw that Bill was in disbelief. She cracked a smile at this. Bill didn't expect Ellie's knowledge on how to run a car.
"How the hell-?" Bill started but shook his head, "Y'know what, I don't care. Just don't fuck it up!" "Ellie, get ready! Enid, keep your eyes peeled," Joel instructed. They start to push the truck out of the garage.
When they pushed it out of the driveway, Ellie turned the truck on and turned the wheel so they were in the street. "Yes, there we go," Enid said, hive-fiving Ellie. "Now, we're getting somewhere," Ellie smiled.
"Hey, good job, kids!" Bill called from outside of the truck. "Bill, not helping," Joel said, pushing his calloused palms against the truck.
"Maybe we should call the bloaters 'Bills'," Enid joked to Ellie. "Maybe we should," Ellie replied with a laugh. "Ellie, Enid- we're gonna give it another go! Stay focused!" Joel shouted.
They continue to push the truck down the street and towards a hill. Suddenly, there were growls of infected coming from the houses. "Guys, to your right!" Enid called to Joel and Bill.
Bill and Joel stop pushing the truck and shoot down any infected they could see. Afterward, they come back to the truck. "C'mon, we gotta go faster!" Ellie shouted, still trying to start the car.
"Maybe we can it up to that hill, it should start then," Enid said, seeing the hill up ahead. Ellie looked up and grinned, "Very observant, Lieutenant," "Thank you, General. I'll take your compliment," Enid replied.
More infected start sprinting from more houses, getting Enid and Ellie to warn Joel and Bill. "Guys, to your-" Enid shouted. A runner suddenly runs up to Enid's side and grabs her by the shoulders, trying to pull her out of the window.
"Agh, get the fuck off of me!" she shouted, trying to get loose of the runner's grip. Ellie's head turns in her direction and instantly jumped to her aid. Ellie used her knife to stab the runner in the eye, pushing the runner out of the window.
"You okay?" Ellie asked, noticing how shaken up Enid was from getting grabbed. "Y-Yeah. I'm okay," she panted, trying to catch her breath. Joel and Bill get back to pushing the car and manage to get it over the hill.
Ellie turns the key again and the truck shook as it finally turned on. "Fuck yes!" Ellie and Enid yell simultaneously. They high-fived each other again with a triumphant laugh. Joel and Bill quickly jump into the truck bed and Joel used his palm to pound on the back window.
"Go, go! Floor it!" Joel shouted. Ellie heeded this and slammed her foot on the gas pedal, and they sped away from the infected as fast as they could.
After about an hour of driving, the sky was starting to become dark. "Alright, this'll do. Stop," Bill called. Ellie pulls the car over to a steady stop. "Just keep it runnin' alright?" Joel said to them.
Joel and Bill hopped out of the back of the truck and walked away from it. Enid closed her eyes and let her body rest against the passenger seat. "You alright, Enid?" Ellie asked, taking her hand.
"Yeah, I'm fine. Just tryin' to catch my breath," Enid replied, opening her eyes and rolling her head on the seat to face Ellie. "I know how you feel. Have you ever seen that many infected before?" Ellie asked. "Yeah. Yeah, I have," Enid said, remembering when Elli had been bitten.
They had been ambushed by a whole horde of them, back in Boston. "Let's not think about that," Ellie said, taking note of the look on Enid's face. "Right there with you," Enid agreed, shutting her eyes again.
"Those girls nearly got us killed," Bill said, walking away from the truck. "You gotta admit, they did hold their own back there," Joel said, walking behind him. All Bill did was chuckle before facing Joel.
"You... ain't gonna make it," he said, bending down to reach for something in his bag. "Oh, here," he said, tossing him a flexible tube. Joel easily caught it with both hands, "What's this?"
"You'd be amazed at how many cars still got gas in 'em," Bill said. Joel nodded at this and said, "Appreciate it. Look, Bill, um... about your buddy back there. Uh... that's a tough deal. And I'm ah..." "We square?" Bill asked.
Joel glanced down for a moment, "We're square," "Then, get the fuck out of my town," Bill said, looking at Joel for a moment before walking off. Joel sighs before returning to the truck.
Ellie and Enid jumped in the backseat. Ellie leaned against the back passenger window with Enid laying on her shoulder. Joel told them to get some sleep.