July 29th, Year Unknown, 1500 hours: Lincoln, Massachusetts
The sun was slowly setting over the hill. A group of two were following the length of the highway. The man stops, pointing through the gap in the trees. He is staring at a distant water tower.
"Now there we go Ellie." He hops over the barrier into an overgrown area. "Yeah, it'll be faster to go through here."
"Man..." Ellie is in awe at the beauty nature has revealed, as she follows him over the barrier.
"What?" The man stops in his tracks to look at her.
"Nothing. It's just...I've never seen anything like this, that's all." Ellie reveals, as she never got to truly leave the Boston quarantine zone when she lived there. Hell, anywhere she had been located for the matter.
"You mean the woods?" The man questioned her, but simply understood she wasn't old enough to experience life as it used to be.
"Yeah. Never walked through the woods. It's kinda cool." Ellie sped up her walking, taking in the scenery, only to welcome an awkward silence.
They continued walked, disturbing some wildlife with their movement. Nature surrounded them in its glory, only to further impose the silence.
Ellie finally gave in, changing the subject. "Joel, Why don't you just take me back to Marlene?"
Joel huffed and glanced to her, "If she was up to the task, why'd she drop you off on us?"
She responded with a simple shrug, unsure, "Well, maybe she's better now?"
"Kid, I don't mean to upset you, but your friend's chances of survival weren't too high to begin with." Joel continued walking, obviously doubting the Firefly leader's capabilities.
"She's a lot tougher than you think." Ellie moved to Joel's side, walking up the hill with him.
"It don't matter. 'Cause I doubt I could get either one of us back into the city in one piece. Trust me. I wish there was some other option."
Bushes rustle, and a startled rabbit darted from the thorny undergrowth. It runs right across their path, sparking Ellie's interests.
"Whoa. Hey, buddy." She smiled and looked on as the rabbit disappeared into the over grown grass to the right of where they were headed.
Finally climbing the steep hill, Joel heads to the gate of the chain link fence, expecting easy access.
"Well, shit." Joel pulled at the rusted chains. They were too strong to break, and were fused with the gate bars.
"Should we climb it?" Ellie put her foot on the fence, grabbing above her to hold her small weight up.
"No, wire on top of it. We gotta find a way to go around." Joel took Ellie off of the fence and gathered his bearings. He noticed a fallen trunk to his left and began heading towards it. He climbed over it and discovered a small shack, unfortunately boarded up.
Ellie followed by, still taken aback by nature. "Whoa, look. Fireflies. I mean, real fireflies."
"Yeah, I see that." Joel looked around finding a wooden plank propped up against a fence. He didn't really seem to care for Ellie's inexperience.
"Sorry, I...I lost myself for a sec." She spoke quietly, just over a whisper. She was sure he didn't care, and that he only meant to deliver her and go on his own way.
"Here we go." He spoke to himself and placed the plank up against the shack wall. He made his way around the boarded up, run down building and climbed up using the air conditioning unit. Upon reaching the roof he waited for Ellie to follow him, only to be shortly distracted by a metal pipe, scissors taped at the bend. He hid an internal grin, slipping the pipe into a loop on his backpack. He then pulled the plank up to him and spanned it across the gap between the fenced in area and the shack.
One at a time the two crossed the plank carefully. Off in the burnt orange horizon is thick rising smoke.
"That you, Bill?" Joel spoke in question, unsure if they'd find him. He dropped of the roof of the building, landing in the enclosed area.
Ellie caught the question and had to ask her own, "Where do you usually meet him?"
"Huh? Oh, different places."
"You've never been here, have you?" Ellie hopped down behind him, suspicious of his uncertainty.
"I know this is where he lives, but...no, I ain't never been here personally." Joel looked around for a way through the fence into the town of Lincoln.
"And that smoke, you think that's him?" Ellie gazed around, expecting more wonders from nature.
"Sure as hell better be." He responded, spotting a bent and broken fence. It was completely ajar, bent away from them. The links were covered in rust and curled back up to meet the fence, leaving a gaping hole to jump down through.
"Well, let's go check it out then."
Joel hopped down through the fence, looking around. The coast was seemingly clear. "Alright, come on. Down here. Watch your step; it's a good drop."
They walk towards the shed, going down the steps turning into it, Joel spots the clicker and comes to a complete halt. He waves at Ellie to do the same, and with some ignorance she listens, only to turn the corner and understand why. Joel crouches down and creeps towards the clicker, drawing a makeshift shiv out of his pocket. Quickly as possible, he grabs the clicker straight on and with his brute strength, immobilizes the infected being. It begins to "scream" and flail to turn on him, but is quickly silenced by a shiv to the neck. Joel lets the body drop and stop twitching before withdrawing the object from it.
Ellie, still being quiet, steps over the body and helps loot the shelves in the shed with him. He departs for the two-story brick building behind them and she quickly follows. They make their way up metal stairs into the second floor, and Ellie begins to make blowing sounds.
Joel hears her, making him slightly confused, "Are you alright?"
"I'm trying to learn how to whistle." Ellie stared at him, thinking he was crazy.
"You don't know how to whistle?" Joel returned the same look, looting the office area, as the rest of the building was barricaded off.
"Well does it sound like I know how to whistle?" She retorted in a snarky manner.
Joel ignored the very obvious rhetorical question, picking up a torn note on the floor.
It read:
Reminder:
collect more pills. see if i can scrounge up some extra ammo. i only have five four THREE! weeks until the next drop off with Tess
Joel discards the note and makes his way back outside, underneath the stairs was a full area, another building to go into and a gate.
Picking the locking with an expendable shiv, he breaks into the storage room, finding a supplies and weapons cache available. He and Ellie take their time to loot what they need before heading for the gate.
Joel goes to open the gate, quickly noticing it was blocked off. "Oh, shit. It's jammed from the other side."
"Here, boost me up." Ellie moved next to him, defiant and yearning to prove herself.
Joel responded with obvious distrust, "No, that's not such a good idea."
"Well, I can't boost you up. How else are we gonna open it?" Ellie huffed, with a valid point.
Joel gave in, realizing she was right. He could use her as an advantage. She can reach areas no one his size can. "Alright. Gimme your foot. Now just open it. Nothing else."
"Sure thing." Ellie stepped into Joels hands as he pushed her up to the top of the fence, She hopped slightly, unable to reach the top from a simple stance.
"Careful."
"Okay. Ah, let's see." Ellie pulled herself over the fence, stumbling as she landed. She moved to the gate and pulled the metal pipe free of the handles. "Okay. Ta-da." She smirked as she opened the gate for Joel.
"Good job." Joel shook his head after praising her.
"Thank you. So, let's say we get a car from this buddy of yours. Then what?" Ellie glanced around the abandoned town of Lincoln, empty cars everywhere, run down buildings, the presence of any living person was void.
He responded with a simple shrug, not fully sure of the plan he had spawned,
"Well, then we go find Tommy."
"Marlene said he's your brother." Ellie attempted to spawn a conversation with the reserved smuggler.
"And more importantly he was a Firefly. He'd know where to take you." Joel didn't glance to her, only started to gather their bearings. He had no hint of where to head, so they could take the time to loot and search the area.
"Oh, okay." Ellie felt slightly defeated, was she just a simple smuggling job to Joel?
"He lives far from here which is why we need the car." Joel was oblivious to the tone in Ellie's voice.
1800 Hours 7/29
Joel and Ellie have made their way through the abandoned town, coming upon another pair of tripwire bombs, Joel hatches a plan.
"Shit. Look at this. Alright, stand back." Joel goes to the left side of the fence, near the building they just came out of. Picking up a brick, he and Ellie get a safe distance away from the bomb before he throws it. Shrapnel flies into the fence and the adjacent wall.
"That's one way to do it." He speaks, cracking an internal laugh. He and Ellie casually make their way through the fence, grabbing ammo off a dead body, slumped in a recliner.
"Oh, shit. Those things are kinda awesome." Ellie was enthusiastic and highly entertained by Bill's contraptions.
"Yeah, see that? Get back." Joel spots another tripwire at ankle level, attached to a similar bomb they dealt with previously. He finds another brick laid in front of the wire. He repeats the action of tripping the IED and proceeds into the building.
'Come on. Just stay close. Ellie, come on, just..." He opens a door and sets off a weight trap, stringing him by his leg. It trips him up and he scrapes the back of his head on the pavement.
"God..." He speaks, surprised and disoriented by the trap. "Goddammit, Bill..."
"Here...I got you. Ellie moved over to him and glanced around to steady him. "What just happened?"
"It's another one of Bill's stupid traps!" Joel sounded frustrated and groaned as he could not reached the rope that tightened around his ankles. He pointed near the entrance to the garage. "There, that fridge. It looks like that's the counterweight. Cut that rope and it'll bring me down!"
"On it!" Ellie scrambled to the top of the fridge, her weight making the fridge teter. Unfortunately, due to all of the noise they had made, they drew the infected from the far side of town to them.
"Shit, here they come!" Joel called out, pulling out the revolver he had in his holster.
"Joel!" Ellie called out as she watched multiple infected climb over and through the fences.
"Just tend to the rope! Ellie, how's it looking?" He calls out, mowing down the attackers with a shot each, until the clickers came in.
"I'm going as fast as I can!" Ellie yelled back, the fridge tetering more from the infected that moved around it, trying to reach her. "Agh, I just need a bit more time!" She was having great difficulty cutting through the nylon rope.
"Oh, fuck! Anytime, Ellie." Joel put multiple bullets into the chests of the two clickers coming at him. Headshots were near impossible with the fungus plates covering their faces. They dropped like rocks after taking near three rounds each into their chest.
"Hold on." Ellie mumbled, biting onto her switchblade. She shifted her weight, dropping the fridge onto its side. It only strings Joel higher, putting her at risk. She begins to cut at the rope again, only shooed away by oncoming runners. They chased her around the garage and Joel had little difficulty shooting them down.
"Here, catch." Ellie moved to the fridge and tossed him some ammo. She cut at the rope again as Joel went to reload. He continues to fight off her attackers and gives her time to cut the rope. She finally cuts the counterweight, dropping Joel hard.
"Dammit..." Joel cracked his back as he recuperated from the fall.
"Joel, watch out!" Ellie spotted a runner coming full force after Joel.
"Alright-" Joel spoke still disoriented, shoved back as the runner attempted to bite him in any manner. Joel struggled to shove him off, unaware of another presence in the garage.
A man machetes the attacker's head off. He stuck his hand out for Joel as the head rolled away. "Get off your ass and on your feet!"
"Wha-?" Ellie moved in front of the man and helped Joel up.
Immediately their savior darted away, leading them out of the garage away from those accumulating infected. Unfortunately, more are lurking by and give chase.
1830 Hours 7/29
The burly man throws off his mask upon entering the bar, he holds the door open for Joel and Ellie to run through. He and Joel, slam up against the door to shut it, barricading the steel door with a few bars. There was no way they could get into the refuge.
Ellie was bent over, huffing from her second wind, "Man...that was close. Uh...thanks for the heroics and all." She gave a small smile and offered a handshake. "Uh, Ellie."
He immediately took ellie's hand, cuffing it.
"Hey, what are you- Joel?" she struggled to pull herself away from the man.
"Bill..."
"Let me go!" She swung her arms about, trying to free herself from Bill's grip. He, in turn, handcuffs her to a pipe and turns his gun on Joel.
"Turn around and get on your knees"
"Just calm down a second." Joel raised his hands and approached his supposed friend.
"Turn around and get on your knees!" Bill commanded once again, kicking Joel in the knee to get him down.
"Don't test me!" He began searching joel, pulling at his shirt, checking him for bite wounds.
"Just...ah, take it easy." Joel was obviously awkward.
"You got any bites?" Bill checked him over repeatedly.
"No."
"Anything sprouting?" He pulled Joel's back pack off and checked further.
"No, goddammit, I'm clean!" Joel turned to look at him, equally frustrated with his paranoid ally.
"Well, I see so much as a twitch-" Bill was quickly interrupted as Ellie frees herself and hits him with the pipe he chained her to.
"Ow!" He fought with Ellie to get her to quit her assault and to gain possession of the pipe.
"Stop!" Joel pulled Ellie away from Bill.
"Son of a bitch!" He cried out, holding his arm.
"You done?" Joel took the pipe away from Ellie, glaring at Bill.
"Am I done...? You come into my house, you set off all my traps, you damn near break my shootin' arm. Who the fuck is this punk and what's she doing here?" Bill head to get into Ellie's face, pointing a mangey finger.
"I am none of your goddamn business, and we're here because you owe Joel some favors. And you can start by taking these off." Ellie put her wrists in front of Bill, standing at the bench he was at.
"I owe Joel some favors, is this some kind of joke?" Bill took off his bag and began to go through it.
"I'll cut to the chase. I need a car." Joel stood behind Ellie, giving a serious stare to his ally.
"Well, it is a joke. Joel needs a car. Well, if I had one that works, which I sure as hell don't, what makes you think I'd just give it to you? Huh? Yeah, sure Joel, go ahead, take my car. Take all my food too while you're at it." Bill sorted through his things, only to change tasks and sharpen his machete.
"By the looks of it, you could stand to lose some of that food." Ellie smirked.
"You listen to me, you little shit-" Bill turned towards her, pointing his machete.
"No, fuck you! You handcuffed me-" Ellie went to go get in his face.
Joel picked up Ellie, pulling her away from Bill, he set her down, staying inbetween the two. "I need you to shut up. Alright?"
"Whatever favors you think I owe ya, it ain't worth that much."
"Actually, Bill, they are." He gave him a solemn look.
"Well, it don't matter 'cause I don't have a car that works." Bill glared.
"But there is one in this town." Joel went by the bench.
"Parts. There are parts in this town." Still annoyed, Bill protested the favor.
"Meaning that you could fix one up."
"Alright. If I'm gonna do this, there's some gear I'm gonna need." He finally gave in, getting out a map full of annotations and margin scrawlings. "It's on the other side of town. Now you help me go gather it, and maybe, I can put something together that runs. But after this, I owe you nothin'."
Joel nodded and recieved the handcuff key from Bill. "Couple days from now, we'll probably be dead anyway."
"Good. Follow me. Whole goddamn town's booby-trapped, best stay right on my ass."
"Can't miss it." Ellie mumbled, moving to follow him.
Joel gave her a scolding look and they departed.