Hey, guys. I'm back with another chapter. Now, I forgot to mention this in the last chapter, but I replaced the rabbit and deer from the game, with an emu and hawk, because, since all mammals have evolved, minus apes, they seemed like the best replacement, close enough. Also, I forgot to mention this back in chapter 10. Yes, there are primates, just monkeys, apes, marsupials, etc. Yet, they are the only mammal that doesn't evolve. There will be another type of primate featured in the next chapter, replacing the giraffes, but I'll reveal what that is, soon. Other than that, please enjoy.
"Did you find her?!"
"Nothing!"
"I don't get it. Where did she run off to, this time?"
"Oh, cheese and crackers! Maybe those scavengers are out there, tracking her..."
Nick could hear voices. They sounded familiar. Then, he immediately recognized them as Judy and Danny. Nick's eyes shot open wide, gasping awake.
"Jude, he's awake!" said Danny, hurrying to his side.
"Nick! Oh, thank God! You're okay!" Judy said, running towards him, tears of relief in his eyes.
"Carrots. Dan." Nick groaned, his voice sounded a little weak, from being out for a long time.
Nick tried to stand up, shaking a little bit. Danny and Judy helped him up.
"Where's Clem?" Nick asked. "Clementine?"
"We don't know. She's gone, somewhere." said Judy. "I went out to find her, but I couldn't find her around the neighborhood."
"Come on. We gotta find her." said Nick, shaking as he took his first steps up, after his coma.
Nick bent down, and picked up his backpack, and his weapons.
"Nick, you probably need more rest." said Judy. "Are you in any condition, at all?"
"I'm fine, Carrots. Just gotta shake the sleepiness out of my system. I ain't your normal fox, after all." Nick smirked.
"Hot damn, dude. I missed that trademark smile and attitude of yours." grinned Danny.
"Me too." whispered Judy.
"Come on. Let's find our girl." said Nick.
The trio headed up the stairs, and into the main house. They went into the garage, where Danny opened the door, and they rode Wart and Scab out into the snow. Judy rode behind Nick on Wart.
"Where's Callus?" asked Nick.
"Not sure." said Judy. "Clem must've-"
Without warning, two gunshots ran out, and both Wart and Scab were struck in the throats. Nick, Judy, and Danny tumbled off the ostriches, and quickly took cover behind a car.
"Their birds are down! Finish them!" a voice ordered.
Several cannibals barged out of a fence gate, and open fired. Nick, Judy, and Danny returned fire.
"Where is she?!" Nick shouted.
The trio were able to bring down several cannibals, before the rest retreated. The three pursued them through the gate. When they reached the backyard of a two-story house, the trio took cover behind another fence, as several more cannibals turned, and open fired, once more. Judy climbed up a small tool shed, just barely above the fence line, acting as a sniper. Nick and Danny took the ground level, firing with their pistols.
Several more cannibals were brought down again, while the rest ran for the hills.
"One way or another, you're gonna tell me where she is!" shouted Nick.
The trio ran down an alley between another fence, and the house. Hopping over a line of garbage, three cannibals, a wolf, an antelope, and koala grabbed them from behind. Another cannibal, a wildebeest, advanced on them with a knife.
Nick and Danny both kicked the wildebeest in the crotch, then back head-butted their captors, setting them free. Judy bit down on her captor, then back head-butted the antelope, setting her free. Judy kicked the wildebeest in the face, making him drop the knife.
"You come with us." sneered Nick, grabbing the wolf, the wildebeest, and the knife. "Bring them in the house."
"Let us go, or we'll fuck you guys up!" the koala threatened, as he was dragged by Judy into the house.
"Shut up!" said Danny, as he grabbed the antelope.
In the house, in the empty living room, Judy and Danny tied the wolf and the koala to a radiator. The antelope and the wildebeest were tied back-to-back to two chairs.
"What do you want?" said the wolf. "What the fu-"
"I said, shut up!" Danny said, punching the wolf.
Nick finished punching the koala repeatedly, taking his anger out on him.
"You keep an eye on them, Jude. Dan, you're with me." said Nick, then turned to the wildebeest and antelope.
Judy kept her pistol raised at the cannibals. Nick and Danny sat in front of the wildebeest, the knife in Danny's paw.
"Now, the vixen. Is she alive?" Nick asked.
"What vixen? I don't know any vixen." said the wildebeest.
"Wrong answer." said Danny, as he stabbed the wildebeest in the leg.
"FUCK!" the wildebeest hissed.
"Focus on us. Right here. Or else, I'll pop your damn kneecap off." said Danny.
"Lemme ask you, again. The vixen?" said Nick.
"She's alive. She's Jack's newest pet." the wildebeest said.
"What did you say?!" Judy said, pointing her pistol at the wildebeest. "That sick-"
"Where is she?" asked Nick.
When the wildebeest didn't answer, Danny stabbed the wildebeest's other knee.
"IN THE TOWN! In the town!" the wildebeest shrieked, in pain.
Nick took the knife from Danny, then put the handle in the cannibal's mouth. Then, Nick held up a map.
"Now, you're gonna mark it on the map, and it better be the same, exact spot your buddies points, too. Mark it." said Nick.
The wildebeest used the blood on the knife to mark the map, then spat it out on the floor.
"It's right there. You can verify it. Go ask one of them. Go on." said the wildebeest, as Nick picked up the knife. "They'll tell ya. We ain't lying. We ain't-"
Nick just stabbed the wildebeest and antelope in the neck.
"Sweet cheese and crackers, Nick." Judy said.
"It's fine, Carrots. I believe them. Danny, finish them." said Nick, as he walked out of the house, Judy following him.
"Fuck you, dude! He told you what you wanted!" said the koala. "We ain't telling you shit!"
"If Nick believes them, that's fine with me. Now, say hello to Ol' Betsy." said Danny, bringing out his bat.
"No, wait!" the wolf pleaded, but too late...
...
Clem was jerked awake by Wooly, shaking her.
"Wakey-wakey." said Wooly, pulling her up, from the floor.
"Let go! Don't! Stop!" Clem shouted, trying to pull herself free from Jack and Wooly's grip.
Clem bit on Jack's hand, trying to get free. Jack winced, then slapped Clem. Jack and Wooly slammed Clem onto the table.
"I warned you!" Jack hissed, raising the cleaver.
"I'M INFECTED! I'm infected!" Clem shouted.
"Really?" Jack said, disbelievingly.
"I just bit you. So, that means you, too." said Clem.
Jack shook his head, knowing she was just stalling.
"Right there! Roll up my right sleeve. Look at it!" said Clem.
"I'll play along." Jack scoffed, slamming the cleaver on the table.
Jack rolled up Clem's sleeve, and his eyes widened with surprise when he saw Clem's bite mark, clear as daylight.
"What was that you say?" Clem smirked. "Everything happens for a reason. Right?"
"What the crap is that?!" Wooly gasped.
"She would've turned, by now. It can't be real!" said Jack.
"Looks pretty real to me!" said Wooly.
Jack and Wooly stared at Jack's bitten hand, then Clem's bite mark, back and forth. This was Clem's chance. Clem grabbed the cleaver, and stabbed Wooly in the neck. Wooly fell to the ground, blood pouring from his neck. Clem then rolled off the table, and pushed it over, forcing Jack back against the metal gate. Clem ran into a meat locker, while evading Jack's bullets.
Clem took cover behind a wall, and found her switchblade on a shelf. She grabbed her switchblade, and jumped out an open window.
"Shit. What is wrong with these mammals?!" Clem said, as she ran down an alleyway, trying to keep her vision clear of the blizzard.
"Where you going, Clementine?! This is my town!" Jack yelled from the window.
Clem ducked through the back door of a pet store.
"I need a gun." Clem whispered, to herself.
Clem crawled quietly to the front of the store. She ducked behind the front display counter, as she spied on Jack, walking up to two polar bears, one male and female.
"We heard gunshots. What's going on?" asked the male polar bear.
"The vixen. She's infected. She killed Wooly, and escaped." said Jack.
"What?! This is bad, Jack." said the female polar bear.
"Alright, you come with me, round up everyone with a gun." Jack pointed to the male bear.
"You, make sure everyone stays indoors, and doesn't come out for anything." Jack pointed to the female bear. "We find this girl, and we kill her."
"Okay. I'll take the kids to the shelter." said the female bear, as the three split up.
"Oh, fuck." Clem whispered.
Kids? The kids were cannibals, too? Did they even know what they were eating? Clem shook her head, trying not distract herself. This place was bad, and she needed to get out, fast.
Clem went through a hole in the wall, cutting through another alley, and into an audio store. Clem hid behind a counter wall, as a skunk cannibal searched the building. Clem ambushed him, stabbing him with his knife. Clem then took his revolver, and ammo.
With a gun in hand, Clem exited through the front door, and ran to the other end of the street. Clem headed down another alley, leading to an old post office. Clem hid behind a trash bin, as a badger cannibal appeared on the top balcony.
"They're everywhere." Clem whispered.
Clem crept to hide behind a mail truck, as the badger walked down the stairs. Clem ambushed the badger, stabbing him with her knife. Clem hurried up the stairs, and up to the balcony. The balcony led to another alley, down to another street of the town. Clem hurried down the alley, but stopped as she heard the voices of two zebra cannibals, scanning an arcade building.
Clem couldn't risk them spotting her, so she snuck into the arcade, and hid behind one of the machines. Clem ambushed one antelope, stabbing him with her knife, but the other antelope spotted her. The antelope open fired at her, but Clem was faster, as she ducked, and shot the other antelope.
Clem hurried out of the arcade, past the street, and down another alleyway. Clem stopped to see the rest of the alley blocked by a gate. Clem looked up to see the open window of a restaurant. Clem climbed up the dumpster, then through the window, landing down in the manager's office. Clem walked out into the dining area of the restaurant, looking around to make sure if she's alone. Clem hurried to the front door, leading out of town.
Suddenly, Jack appeared out of nowhere, grabbing Clem by the wrists.
"You're easy to track." Jack sneered.
Clem toppled back against a table, knocking over and breaking a lamp. Jack pushed Clem to the ground, on her side, then grabbed the gun.
"How'd you do it?" Jack asked, at gunpoint, referring to her bite.
Jack turned to see the support beam caught fire, from the broken lamp. Clem took this moment to hide behind a booth, taking out her switchblade.
"It's alright. There's nowhere to go." said Jack, locking the door, behind him. "You want out? You're gonna have to come get these keys."
Clem quietly crawled amongst the booths, trying to stay out of Jack's line of sight. There were broken plates, bricks, and empty bottles lying around the booths. Clem had to evade stepping on the broken plates, less to draw attention to Jack. Picking up a bottle, she stayed on the far right corner booth, and waited for Jack.
Jack tried to taunt Clem out of hiding.
"Clementine! Come on, I know you're just dying to say something to me! No? Nothing? You sure about that?" Jack called.
"Yeah, go fuck yourself." Clem whispered.
"I know you're not infected. No one who's infected fights this hard to stay alive." said Jack. "So, what is it, Clem? I gotta admit, you had me, back there. For a second, you shook my faith. But, only for a second."
"Y'know, I really wish you didn't have to kill Wooly. He was a good mammal, just doing his job. As a matter of fact, all those mammals you and your friends killed, it's just gonna make our group stronger. Fewer mouths to feed, stronger survivors."
Jack was getting close to where Clem was hiding, now. "Oh, and Clem. I'm sorry about your ostrich. You'll be relieved to know that we'll waste no part of him."
"Oh, you sicko." Clem whispered, and threw the bottle, as it crashed near the bar counter.
"I heard that." Jack grinned.
With Jack's back turned, Clem quickly crawled up, and stabbed him in the shoulder. Jack elbowed her in the stomach, but Clem recovered quickly from the blow. Jack fired at her, but Clem took cover behind the bar counter, just in time.
"That was good, kid. But, it's gonna be alright, now." Jack said, as he pulled out a machete he had holstered on his back.
Clem quickly took cover into the kitchen, and behind a freezer. Jack followed her into the kitchen, scanning the area around him.
"Y'know, you keep surprising me." Jack chuckled, darkly. "It's a shame you wouldn't come around. You promise to give up now, I'll end it, quick. Promise."
Clem picked up a brick, and threw it at Jack's back, stunning him. Clem rushed up, and stabbed him in the side. Clem jumped back, as Jack swung his machete at her, frantically.
Clem ran out of the kitchen, and back into the main dining area. The fire had already spread across Clem ducked behind the front of a salad bar, on the lower floor. Jack emerged from the kitchen, a wild glare in his eyes, and a crazed look on his face.
"Heh, heh. Run, little baby fox. Run." Jack snickered, darkly.
Jack went down to the lower floor, and ducked behind a pillar. Jack was gonna copy Clem's style, and wait for her to make his move. However, he didn't know that Clem saw him first, before he took cover.
Clem watched, as Jack advanced to the salad bar. Clem quickly moved around to the left side the bar, as Jack moved to the right. Clem moved to the back of the bar, and watched as Jack moved to the front. Clem moved to the pillar, where Jack hid earlier. As Jack did a complete circle around the bar, Clem snuck up, and jumped onto the rabbit, stabbing him in the shoulder again.
Jack, being a strong rabbit, fell to the ground, hitting his head on the floor, as Clem tumbled off him, and hit her head on a chair. The two mammals laid unconscious, as the fire continued to burn above the support beams of the ceiling...
...
"Look! That's gotta be it!" Judy said, as she shielded her eyes from the blizzard.
Judy pointed to the sign that read, "Silver Lake."
Nick, Danny, and Judy hurried to the town, but took cover in a gas station, as three rhino cannibals came patrolling towards their direction.
"Why are we doing this? We should be guarding the town, instead of the perimeter. Especially, now that we've got an infected roaming around." said one rhino.
"Nick, they gotta be talking about Clem. That's how she must've escaped." whispered Judy.
"We gotta, in case that rabbit, and those other foxes she's with, comes down this way." said another rhino.
"Looks like they were expecting us." said Nick.
"Well, let's not disappoint them." said Danny, bringing out his bat.
Hiding behind a counter, they waited until two of the rhinos entered the building. Nick and Judy took one, while Danny took the other. Danny swung his bat at the rhino's ankle, bringing him down, then smashing his brains in, with his bat. Judy jumped, and kicked the rhino in the face, bringing him down. Nick finished him off, by stabbing him in the face. The third rhino came charging in, hearing the commotion, only to be blasted by Nick in the knee cap, then in the face, with his shotgun.
The three headed outside, and hid behind a car, as they saw a snow leopard cannibal was guarding the top of a gate. The gate was made from a wooden, and barb-wired wall, and a truck container, as the entrance. Judy shot the snow leopard, with her rifle. Nick shot at panther cannibal, guarding the entrance, with his revolver.
The trio rushed to the entrance, but ducked as a lion cannibal open fired, from inside the gate. Nick quickly ended the threat, as he took down the lion, with his revolver. The trio rushed into the town, watching for patrols, and for Clem.
The trio ducked again, behind another car, as an elephant and cougar cannibal were patrolling down the street. Nick shot at the elephant's leg, bringing him down, while Judy landed a head shot at the cougar, and Danny finished off the elephant, with his bat.
The coast clear again, the trio headed down the street, only to find it blocked by another wall. The trio headed down an alley to the right, leading towards another dead end, but found a door open, on the right, leading into a deli.
Inside, Nick slammed the door behind them. The trio turned on their flashlights, and Judy found Clem's backpack, amongst a shelf of many other backpacks.
"Guys, look. It's Clem's. But, why's it here, and not with her?" said Judy.
When they went to search the freezer room, Judy nearly shrieked, but stopped herself. Three bodies of antelope hung upside down from the ceiling, like the way butchers would hang their meat, ready to chop them into pieces.
"Oh, my God." Nick whispered, in horror. "They're cannibals."
"And here I thought, those bastards couldn't get sicker." said Danny.
"Guys, we need to find her! We need to find Clem, now!" Judy said, hyperventilating.
"Carrots, calm down. We'll find her, but you need to keep it together." said Nick. "Deep breaths."
Judy slowed her breathing down to normal, then the trio hurried to the main part of the store, and out the front door. Towards their left, they saw the restaurant, most of the front already on fire.
"Oh, shit. Clementine!" Nick gasped...
...
Clem stirred awake, her head pounding. Clem was so out of it, she didn't have the strength to get up. Rolling onto her front, standing on her paws and knees, she looked to see Jack unconscious on her left, and the machete had fallen underneath a booth chair to her right.
Clem, slowly yet steady, crawled to the machete. Just when it was within her reach, Clem was kicked down in the torso. Clem looked up to see Jack had quickly gotten back up, and looming over her, a crazed look on his face.
"I knew you had heart." said Jack. "Y'know, it's okay to give up."
Clem, now on her elbows, still crawled to get the machete. Jack kicked her down, again.
"Guess not. Just not your style, is it?" said Jack.
Jack got on top of Clem's back, and pinned her down.
"You can try begging." he said.
"Fuck you." Clem muttered.
Jack turned Clem around, and grabbed her by the throat.
"You think you know me? Huh?" said Jack. "Well, let me tell you something. You have no idea what I'm capable of."
As Jack's grip grew tighter, Clem desperately tried to shake him off. Her right arm outstretched, and her paw felt the hilt of the machete. Clem grabbed it firmly, and swung it. The blade cut deeply into Jack's shoulder, as he screamed in pain, and rolled off of Clem.
Clem stood on top of the twisted rabbit, and raised the machete. Jack screamed in terror, one last time, as Clem cut it short, slamming the blade into his face.
Clem didn't stop there. With blind rage, she just kept hacking and whacking at the demented bunny's face.
Over and over. Hacking and whacking. Blood had sprayed all over the floor, and on Clem's face. Everything Jack put Clem, and her friends through, she let it all out, at whacking at the body of Jack's face.
"Clem! Stop!"
Clem felt someone grabbed her by the waist, and she dropped the machete.
"NO, NO! Don't fucking touch me!" Clem cried, trying to wiggle her way out.
"Clem, it's us! It's us!"
Clem turned to see Nick and Judy holding her. Danny was right behind them.
"Look. Look at me. It's just us." said Nick, calmly.
"He- He tried to..." Clem sobbed, and buried her face in Nick's chest.
"Oh, baby girl. It's okay." Nick whispered, holding the broken vixen close.
When Nick called Clementine baby girl, he instantly remembered that was what he and Cassie called their darling Abby. In that moment, Nick realized that he didn't care if they weren't related by blood. Clementine needed a family. A dad, and a mom.
Nick did see and loved her as his own daughter, much like how he saw and loved Judy as his mate. He tried to deny it before, but now he truly did see Cassie and Abby in them. All this played in his mind, as he and Judy held Clem closer in a group hug.
"Nick... Judy..." Clem sobbed.
"It's okay, baby. We're here. It's over, now." Judy whispered, tears in her eyes too, as she hugged both the two foxes she loved more than anything.
Clem looked at Nick as he tried to console her, and Judy had her paws cradling her face. The three stood up, as they and Danny rushed outside.
The rest of the restaurant started to be engulfed by the flames, and taking any evidence of the traumatic event that occurred inside with it...
Well, guys. That's it for this chapter. Sorry if it's shorter than the last one, but I hope the action and drama in it makes up for it. This was truly another great, dramatic moment in the game, and one of my favorites. Hope you all enjoyed it. This also ends the winter arc, and next chapter will start the final arc, the Spring arc.
I own nothing, except a few OC's, minus Daniel. All rights go to original owners. No copyright intended. Thanks. Stay tuned for more of this fanfic. Hope you enjoyed it, again.