Part 26: Losing a friend

The shooting stopped as Johnny reached Chris who was bleeding badly, "Chris no," the man he pushed out of the way said.

"Throw your weapons away and come out with your hands up," one of the WLF soldiers said and Johnny looked at them angrily. Standing in the doorway he pushed his hands forward, the soldiers screamed as they along with the trucks weren't sent flying into the next building. Johnny shut the door as he grabbed one of Chris''s arms.

"Help me get him up," he said looking at the man Chris saved.

"Right," he said before grabbing the other arm.

"Its no good, I'm done for, just get out of here," Chris said between breaths.

"Be quiet, talkings not going to help," Johnny said before looking at Abby, "Is there another way out of here?" He asked.

"Theres only one other way, out the front," Abby said looking annoyed.

"But there was trucks heading there too," Darren said before Johnny spoke up.

"Leo, I need you to help carry Chris for me," he said as he moved the arm he was holding over to Leo.

"Right but what are you going to do," Leo said before he watched him walk ahead of everyone else.

"Clear the way," he said before Lily walked over to him.

"What if your already pushing yourself to far," she said. Everyone from the team including her boyfriend Dean, had heard the stories of when he was younger that if he used his power to much it would cause stress on his body.

"Then it's a good thing I trained so I could last longer," Johnny said looking serious before they headed to the front of the building. They found the woman who had tried to run with the cure standing in front of them along with the soldiers and the trucks that had arrived at the front.

"Its over Abby, you can still come back to work with us," she said.

"No thanks, Ive already killed WLF when they tried to kill the people who came to help us," Abby said aiming her gun forward like most of the group.

"We wouldn't even be in this mess if it wasn't for them," one of the soldiers said.

"If your talking about a cure I'm sure we would have still had to put up with the scars," Mike said.

"We wouldn't have had to put up with the infected," the woman said.

"What about the infected that are already out there, they are still dangerous," Leo said remembering after they started working with Jackson they still had to clear the city of infected.

"So were just suppose to forget all the people hes killed," the woman said pointing at Johnny who was looking at the trucks, "The lives he and the smuggler stopped us from saving,".

"It wouldn't have changed anything," Abby said calmly.

"Well either way, were going to make sure they get what they deserve," the woman said aiming her pistol at Johnny only for him to pull it out of her hand. The soldiers aimed their guns at Johnny only for Chris men to aim their guns at them.

"Just stop," Chris said, "We can end this right now," he said before spitting out blood.

"You can change things too, just hand over the cure and you can join up with us," the woman said.

"But you'd still kill Johnny," one of Chris's men said.

"Someone needs to pay," she said calmly.

"No," Johnny said, "You're the ones who betrayed us," he said before pulling his arms back. All the rifles flew out of the soldiers hands and Johnnys team opened fired, shooting most of them down before Johnny lifted up the trucks. He then yelled before pushing them down on the remaining soldiers. They then ran out of the gate and headed towards the closest open building.

They all took breaths as Leo checked Chris wounds, "This isn't good," he said looking worried.

"We need to get her to Mel," Mike said looking at Abby.

"Are you serious, shes with the people who just tried to kill us," one of Chris's men said looking angry.

"But we don't have the equipment to treat something like this," Lily said looking worried.

Johnny took a breath before speaking, "Were low on options, but David trusted Mel to look after the cure and Abby saids she didn't trust the assistant," he said and Abby nodded.

"Alright, we should go then," Chris said struggling to stand up.

"Here, let us help," Mike said as he and Johnny helped him up.

"Wait isn't Mel at a different base," Lily said looking at Abby.

"Yeah but theres one other place she could be at," she said before explaining they were going to head to an old aquarium. Johnny and Mike carried Chris there while Johnnys team and Leo surrounded them while carrying their rifles.

They made it to the entrance and could hear voices, "We cant let them stay here," Owen said.

"But they came to help us," Mel said.

"Fine were going anyway, our friends are in danger," Tommy said making Johnny look surprised before Abby opened the entrance. All of Tommys people were there along with Owen and Mel.

"Abby your alright," Owen said before noticing Mike and instantly took out his pistol which was sent flying into the wall.

"Don't even think of grabbing it," Johnny said looking angry.

"Johnny, wait what happened," Tommy said running over to them when he saw Chris.

"Tommy is that you," Chris said looking up slowly.

"Tommy he doesn't look to good," one of them men from his group said.

"Mel he was shot bad, you gotta help them," Abby said walking over to Mel.

"Please, we don't want to hurt you," Johnny said.

"Then why did you take out some of us," Owen said looking angry.

"Your guys shot at us first," Tommy said as his group stood with Johnnys team.

"Mel, the assistant is after Johnny to change the injections into something else," Mike said calmly making Mel look surprised before she looked serious.

"Theres a room nearby, take him there," she said as one two of Chris's men grabbed their leader.

"Don't worry Johnny, we got it from here," one of them said walking away.

"So where'd you come from," Owen said looking at Mike.

"Not now," he said before he and his men tried to find somewhere to sit.

Johnny found a changing room and changed his clothes before heading out. He then went into Lobby finding all of the group. He then sat with Tommy and his group as he explained that after the WLF betrayed them they ended up here. They found out someone was staying here, so they waited until Owen and Mel arrived.

A dog then walked over to Johnny, "Well hello there," he said holding out his hand. The dog stopped before walking slowly over to him before Johnny petted him. "Looks like he can tell your good," Tommy said smiling.

Johnny then noticed Abby walk into a room and followed her after seeing the worried look on her face. He found a large sphere room and a view of water above them.

"Owen brought me here once, I thought it was nice," Abby said, "But I couldn't let what happened go," she said looking at him.

"The last things my parents told me was to find Marlene so she could make a cure from me," he said before pulling out their tags from under his shirt. He then showed he had scratched out the firefly symbol, "They didn't die soldiers, they died as my mom and Dad who didn't want to lose me like they lost my sister," he said.

"What about the other fireflies there," Abby said.

"We were close, they told me stories, taught me how to fight and shoot," he said, "Then they turned on us when the doctor said they had to kill me for a cure and to give people my power," he said.

"I found out later on that he knew all along that I would have to die for that, he was more focused on changing people then making a cure,".

"We never did give Ellie a choice," Abby said, "I said its what I would have wanted," she said.

"Ellie told me she wouldn't have done it, because she had me and Joel," Johny said.

"Now she has a kid to look forward too," Abby said with a small smile on her face, "And she almost didn't have that," she said looking sad, "I'm sorry,".

"I'm sorry too," Johnny said, "If only they had tried to find another way," he said when they heard Mel speak up.

"Johnny," she said. They turned around and the instant Johnny saw the sad look on her face. He felt shocked.

"I tried what I could, but the bullets caused to much damage," Mel said, "Hes asking for you and the rest of his men, he doesn't have long," she said.

Johnny followed her to the room without saying a word. Tommy and his team were looking at him before they entered a room. Chris was lying on a bed, his men were standing to one side. The soldier he saved was crying and another had a hand on his shoulder.

"Johnny," Chris said sounding weak.

"I'm so sorry, I should have been quicker," Johnny said as he started to feel his eyes water.

"Its alright, I know you did your best and so did the rest of you," he said smiling at his men.

"Chris," one of the men said.

"Come over here Dylan," Chris said as he walked over to him. Johnny knew it was the one who stayed behind in Leos back during their time in Boston.

"When you get back home, tell them your in charge now," he said.

"What, but I," Dylan said looking surprised.

"You've worked so hard since Boston, to make up for not being there for the battle and you've done well since then," Chris said before taking a breath, "You were the first volunteer to come along when we were coming to Seattle,".

"Will make sure to tell the group sir," one of his men said.

"Yeah," another one said rubbing his eyes.

"Ive trained you all as best as I can, make sure to look after everyone," Chris said smiling.

"We will," Dylan said looking down as he tried to hold his tears back.

"Johnny," Chris said getting his attention, "Before I lead the town, I was once military," he said making him look surprised. But Johnny then remembered that everyone from his group looked and fought like they were well trained.

"He must have trained them all himself," he thought.

"I couldn't stand what we were doing," Chris said taking a breath, "I tried to get my commander to listen, but he said we needed to make sure we could keep fighting," he said.

"But then people were getting hungry and fights broke out," he said, "I took as many people as I could and left,".

"A few days later I heard the zone was gone and the few that survived found me, none of them were military," Chris said.

"That doesn't matter," Dylan said, "You were our leader, that's all that matters and you worked so hard to look after us," he said with his tears finally falling.

"Yeah, thank you for everything," the man who was saved said. He then wiped his eyes.

"I couldn't have done it without you," Chris said before smiling at Johnny, "But I owe you thanks as well, despite what you lost you fought to protect the good that's still in this world,".

"You helped us out too," Johnny said smiling a little.

"Joel told me what happened after you lost your parents," Chris said, "Don't lose yourself ever again, remember what matters most," he said.

Johnnys tears finally fell, "I will and ill tell my kid all about you," he said smiling despite feeling sad.

"I'm glad I got to meet you," Chris said before his eyes closed.

"Chris," Johnny said while crying. Dylan checked his pulse and shook his head. The men shut their eyes as they cried for their former leader. Johnny walked out slowly and ignored everyone as he walked past them. He then reached the show area where there was a small boat.

He looked at the open water thinking back to when he first met Chris. He then took out his sword, remembering when the two of them sat together after he got it. He then shut his eyes as his tears fell.

"AHHH," he yelled to the open water.