Part 8: War in a city
The trucks and motor bikes were moving through a forest as they continued their way to Boston. It had already been a few days since they left with only two breaks to make camp. In the leading truck Ellie who was sitting in the middle seat suddenly woke up.
"How'd you sleep?" Joel asked who was still driving.
"Alright, though looks like someone still is," said Ellie smiling at Johnny who was silently sleeping with his head resting against the window.
"Let him sleep on, he and that Philip guy took night watch the last time we made camp," Joel said looking serious making Ellie sigh.
"You don't trust him do you?" She asked, "Joel you know what they've been through," she said.
"Yeah I know, but I still remember when we had to invade their home to get some people back," Joel said, "First time I saw the two of you after that you had a bandage on your arm," he said.
"Yeah I know," Ellie said holding the area where she had been hurt. "But they're doing their best and Johnnys keeping an eye on them," She said before looking down.
"Whats up?" Joel asked looking confused.
"They both changed, you know the city were going through right," she said looking down.
Joel looked down as well remembering when they lost Henry and Sam, "Sorry, I know it must be tough going through here again after what happened," he said.
"I knew what I was getting into when I knew we were going to head back to Boston," Ellie said, "You remember how he told us to run back in the city," she said.
"Yeah, good thing we all got out in the end," Joel said before looking at Johnny remembering the look on his face after they went back for him.
"He was so focused on finding the cure he didn't focus on anything else," said Ellie, "But when he had us he began to change and care about us," she said.
"Well losing family can have a big effect on someone," Joel said when he noticed Tommy pull up next to his side of the truck. He rolled down the window, "Whats going on?" He asked.
"Radio tower ahead," he said.
Joel and Ellie looked ahead and sure enough they saw a familiar radio tower. "Lets keep going, we wont find anything there," he said. As they drove through the town Johnny began to wake up as they passed by the area where he had killed multiple infected.
"Hey Johnny you there," Dave said through the radio.
Johnny picked up the radio, "Yeah I'm up," he said getting Joel and Ellie's attention.
"You said the three of you were through here before right?" He asked.
"Yeah," said Johnny calmly.
"Did you do all this?" He asked.
"Yeah," said Johnny noticing before they got further away he could see the cars he had sent flying into buildings.
"You did all that damage Johnny, wow," Lilys voice said from the radio.
"Hi Lily," Ellie said talking into the radio.
"Oh, sorry Dave am I interrupting your conversation," said Lily sounding nervous.
"No its alright, honestly some of the people I'm sitting here with were looking surprised at what they saw, just wanted to let them it wasn't anything dangerous," he said.
"I passed out right after it happened while I was still flying in the air," said Johnny.
"Please tell me someone caught you," Lily said.
"Yeah it was Joel and it wasn't just the destruction he caused," Ellie said looking at the radio.
"Infected," Dave said.
"Yeah," said Johnny.
"Its no surprise you fainted, even when you first started out lifting things you experienced pain for a while," said Dave. "Oh wait hang on, Johnny Philip is waving his hand at the back of your truck," he said.
"Alright," he said before handing the radio to Ellie.
"Whats going on Philip?" He asked after rolling down his window.
"One of my people have been to this city before, they know a clearing with a great view of the bridge," Philip said.
"Alright give a signal to your radio and tell us when to stop," said Johnny before sitting back down. As they reached the road and got closer to the city they made a stop. Philip and one of the men from his group lead Johnny, Joel and Tommy to the top of a hill.
"Well would you look at that," Tommy said before crouching and looking through the scope on his rifle.
Johnny looked through his binoculars and could see the bridge had fallen apart much worse. "Its gonna be hard getting across there," Joel said as Johnny put the binoculars down.
"Ill take care of it," said Johnny calmly.
"You sure about that, the gaps a lot bigger now and you'll have to hold all of us up for a while," Joel said.
"That's why I practice, for situations like this," said Johnny smiling before Tommy spoke up.
"Didn't you two pass by a checkpoint on your way out of here last time," said Tommy.
"Whats up?" Joel asked.
"You might want to take a look through those binoculars," Tommy said pointing at the one in Johnnys hand. Johnny looked through it and after a few moments he found the checkpoint with the gate open.
"Its completely empty," said Johnny before handing the binoculars to Joel.
"Could they have left the city," said Joel looking at the man with Philip.
"No, trust me when I was passing through here I heard some of them talking and they were determined to make the city theirs," he said looking nervous. "They had that whole military truck with them," he said.
"Well at least we don't have to worry about that now," Johnny said making the man look confused.
"Dean are you sure they wouldn't abandon it?" Philip asked looking at the man.
"Trust me, those guys fought an entire military to take that city," Dean said. "They wouldn't just up and leave it," he said before looking towards the city.
The group then headed to the trucks where Ellie walked up to them, "How's it look," she said.
"Theres a possible chance they might have abandoned the place," Joel said.
"How we getting across," said Ellie.
"I'm going to have to do some lifting," Johnny said sighing.
"Well if your going to be lifting all of us at least take a drink first," Ellie said handing him a water can tine.
"Thanks Ellie," said Johnny taking the can tine before she gave him quick kiss.
"You two are being safe right," Joel said crossing his arms.
"What do you mean," said Johnny.
"Well its just your at that age and your friends are expecting," Joel said and this was when the young couple knew what he was talking about.
"Quiet Joel," they said loud enough for almost everyone in the team to hear them.
"Now Ellie didn't you tell me once you wanted to be a mother in the future," Joel said smiling before Ellie turned around looking annoyed.
"Ellies whys your face red," Lilly said.
"Not now," she said before quickly back into the truck and closing the door.
"Even at your ages you can still get embarrassed," Tommy said as he and his brother laughed.
"Keep in mind I'm the one lifting the vehicles your on," Johnny said looking annoyed before taking a long drink.
As they got closer to the bridge Johnny stepped out of his truck and stretched his arms. He then flew into the air and held his hands out at his sides. Struggling for a few seconds before the vehicles flew into the air.
He then started flying them across the bridge. "Okay this is intense," Lily said looking over the truck.
"I thought seeing that car flying in was intense," Dean said looking nervous.
"Take it easy now Johnny," Tommy said who was right behind him.
"Let me focus please," Johnny said. Eventually they reached the other side of the bridge and Johnny put all the vehicles down. He took a deep breath just in time to see a group of people running out of a building.
"Well look what we have here," said the one in the lead.
"Listen we don't want any trouble," Tommy said slowly getting off his bike.
"Sit the fuck back down," one man said aiming an assault rifle at him.
Johnny quickly took his pistol out and aimed at the man who was leading the group. "Put that gun somewhere else," he said as some of the other men laughed.
"Look the kid thinks hes a leader, whats your name flying boy," said the man smiling.
"Names Johnny, we almost thought there wasn't anyone still in this city," he said still holding up his pistol.
"Well Johnny heres whats going to happen, your going to turn over all your weapons and supplies," he said, "Then if theres no trouble, you can leave the city peacefully," he said.
"Yeah no chance that's happening," another male voice said from behind the first group.
The second group was men wielding bows and arrows. The one who spoke was carrying a pistol, "Leo, still hanging around your friends," the man who spoke to Johnny said.
"I'm not letting your or your monster of a leader kill any more innocent people," he said before shooting the man in the head.
One of the men almost shot him but Johnny shot him in the head.
"Kill him," one of the men from the first group said before all of their assault rifles flew out of their hands. They were all then shot down with arrows.
"Shit its him Leo," one of the men in a hoodie said.
"You mean the guy that can fly?" He asked. The man in the hoodie nodded before they all could hear the sound of cars. "Shit, hey Johnny you got any spare room in your trucks?" He asked.
"Yeah," Johnny said before pulling out his radio. "Everyone we got some extra passengers, let them on," he said before pointing towards the lead truck.
"Get in there and tell them where to go, ill keep an eye out," Johnny said before flying into the air.
"Right, everyone lets go," Leo said before they each got into a truck. Leo getting in with Joel and Ellie before they all took off into the city.
As they were driving between buildings Johnny noticed a man holding a rifle at the top of a building. He noticed he was aiming at his group.
"Everyone down," he said flying towards them before watching one of the men motorbike be shot. He was about to fall off before Johnny grabbed him and watched the motorbike crash.
"Sorry about this Johnny, shit," he said holding a hand over his wounded right shoulder.
"No, the bullet didn't go through," Johnny thought before flying the man to the closest truck which Dave was on.
"Don't worry we have a medicine back at our home," one of the men from Leos group said who was sitting down next to Dave.
Johnny however was looking angrily at the man at top of the building and he was reloading. He quickly flew up and shot the man in the head with his pistol. He then found three more men on the roof who looked surprised to see him flying.
He landed in front off them still holding his pistol. "One chance, just run away now," he said looking annoyed.
"Not a chance," one of the men said smiling. Two of them ran at Johnny who jumped out of the way and pointed his right hand at them. They were both send flying off the roof and fell to the ground.
Johnny looked at the last man who held up his hands looking frightened. "Please don't kill me," he said before falling to the ground.
"Why didn't you attack me?" Johnny asked calmly.
"I knew I was done for, but I didn't want to die," he said.
"Go, tell them you were outnumbered and couldn't do anything," Johnny said before flying into the air.
"Can't you at least tell me your name," he said.
"Its Johnny, take care," Johnny said before flying back to his group. They eventually reached a small barricade. The barricade was made of old cars. A large group pushed them aside as Johnnys group drove in.
Johnny landed on the ground behind Daves truck as they helped the wounded man down. "Hang in there we got you," another man from Conners group said.
"Leo," A female voice called out near the lead truck.
Johnny looked to see a brown haired woman hug Leo, "I'm alright, but we got wounded," he said pointing at the wounded man.
"I'm a doctor who can treat him, I just need a medical equipment, some bandages will help as well," Dave said.
"Yeah sure, in the hotel the restaurants been cleared out, you cant miss it," the woman said.
"Will see you inside," Dave said looking at Johnny who nodded before he and Conners men took the man inside a large building.
"This is my girlfriend Luce, were kind of the people in charge here," Leo said.
"Didn't think wed find anyone nice here," Joel said getting out of the truck while Ellie walked over to Johnny.
"Well that must have been a few years ago, a lots changed since then," he said before looking at Johnny. "I hate to tell you this, but you and your group just drove right into a war," he said looking worried.