A/N: Now we begin a new saga in this story: Summer! Just like in the game, we'll be going through all the seasons.

Just want to mention how grateful I am with all the responses and support you fellow readers have given so far! It's pleasing to know you're making something that others are willing to read. Anyways, hope you enjoy the chapter!


-CHAPTER 7: GAMBLE-

-SUMMER SAGA-

Days had passed since the group left Saratoga Springs. Overtime, the calm breeze of Spring subsided as the heat of Summer welcomed itself to the group. They didn't mind the change in weather, but at times the blaze from the rays of the sun would tire them out. Most of the group switched to lighter clothing to combat the heat, but it wasn't enough to cool them. The heat became much worse when they entered the state of Nevada, where most of the land was exposed as a barren desert.

"Fuck! This heat is killing me!" Ellie complained. She sat in the back of the truck and fanned herself with her diary. At the moment, Joel drove the truck they found in Saratoga Springs, with Tommy in the front passenger seat and Maria sitting beside Ellie.

"Too bad the goddamn air conditioner doesn't work in this truck!" Tommy complained, slamming the dashboard with his fists.

"Honey, please stop with the banging. It's very irritating." Maria told him. She was rubbing her forehead with her fingertips. The heat had given her endless headaches. She'd done as much as she could to soothe the pain. Tommy's banging certainly wouldn't help her.

"I'm sorry dear. I'm just frustrated with this heat." Tommy apologized.

"Just be patient, little brother. Maybe we can find a cool area to rest when we reach the city." Joel assured him. He stared ahead and saw their next destination sprawl out in the vast distance: Las Vegas. They had been driving endlessly for days and to see the sight gave him a huge amount of relief. Usually, driving from Saratoga Springs to Las Vegas would take a couple of hours, but with many delays from finding more fuel to restocking on supplies, it took them longer than necessary.

We're just a state away from Los Angeles. This will be all over soon. Joel thought. He looked into the side mirror of the truck, seeing the vehicles of Gordon and Bruce follow behind him, which carried the rest of their comrades. Overtime, the Saratoga group seemed to accept them ever since they met. They may have had differences at times, especially with Gordon and Mark Wilson, but their bonds grew to be able to work together as a team.

"I'm just hoping the safe zone in Los Angeles is real." Tommy spoke to Joel. "Do you really think it is safe there?

"As you said, it's our only option so far." Joel reminded him. The Saratoga group strongly put their fate with Los Angeles. But how safe was the zone there? Would it be as peaceful as Jackson County was? Or would it be strict as Boston? Joel remembered the brutal days when he lived in the quarantine. He hoped it wouldn't be that way again. He wanted a happy life. For him. For his group. For Ellie.

The group eventually entered Las Vegas. It appeared like any other city in the apocalypse; the streets were destroyed and filled with overturned vehicles, the buildings appeared deteriorated from the outside and plants slowly began to take over the once populated area. Joel carefully drove the truck on the rough road, with the other following closely behind. The city seemed safe for the most part. There were no signs of infected or bandits anywhere. All that accompanied them was the eerie silence that echoed throughout the city.

"Here, take this turn." Tommy said, pointing to a sign that read "Las Vegas Blvd."

As the group drove down the street they were greeted with the majestic architecture of various casinos and hotels that popped out of the ravaged city. Even in the midst of the apocalypse, the buildings retained the majority of the structure and presented small signs of wreck.

"Whoa. I've never seen trees like that before!" Ellie exclaimed, poking her head out and gazing at the palm trees in the middle of the boulevard. Across from them was a tall, Y-shaped hotel with the words "Treasure Island" on the side. She gazed around at the other casinos on the street. This wasn't just another city. To Ellie, this was another world.

Suddenly, the sound of honking came from Gordon's Hummer.

"Great. Not again." Joel groaned. He stopped the truck in the middle of the street as he and Tommy got out. They walked back to find Gordon attempting to start his Hummer, but to no avail. The engine simply sputtered and died.

"How did you run out of fuel already? We just refilled earlier this morning!" Tommy complained.

"Shut your mouth! It's not my fault this duff of a vehicle consumes gas faster than we can refill it!" Gordon complained, climbing out of his Hummer. This problem had been going on ever since they left Saratoga and had caused the majority of their delays.

"Did Gordon run out of fuel again?" Bruce asked as he parked his Toyota beside them. The men nodded. Bruce sighed. "Well, I guess we're staying here for tonight until we find some more gas."

"Where the hell are we going to stay then?" Gordon asked them.

"Is that a serious question?" Tommy remarked. He pointed around to the buildings around the boulevard. "Look at all these hotels! There is probably enough for each of us to live in."

"Put a sock in it! I was only kidding! Stop being so gullible you shite!"

"What did you call me?"

"Now settle down, the both of you!" Joel cut between them. Tommy and Gordon simply glared at one another in despise. Joel tried to reason with them. "Geez, can't we have a day without the two of you up at each others necks?"

"Maybe I could if your brother of yours stopped being a pissy pile of rubbish!" Gordan remarked. He walked to the trunk of his Hummer to pick his things up. Tommy almost lunged at him before Joel stopped him.

"Tommy, just ignore what he said." Joel spoke in a calm manner. Tommy could only give an agitated look. "Now hear me out. I'm not a fan of Gordon's behaviour either, but as long as we're together, we need to work as a team. We've been doing okay so far. Let's not mess this up."

"Why don't you try telling that to the British punk then?" Tommy argued back. He soon realized his aggressive behaviour from the surprised look Joel gave him. "I'm sorry. This heat is just getting to my head, that's all."

Joel gave his brother an understanding nod and headed back to their truck, taking the keys out of the ignition.

"What was the shouting all about?" Ellie asked as she took her belongings and climbed out of the truck.

"Just another little argument between Tommy and Gordon." Joel explained. "Nothing out of the ordinary."

"I wouldn't be surprised if Gordon started it. That asshole sure knows how to piss off everybody. Speaking of him, do you even understand half the things he says? I can vividly remember hearing him shouting the word bollocks once. What does that even mean?"

Joel chuckled, understanding what she was talking about. "Well, he is from a place where they speak in a different manner. Their English ain't exactly the same as ours."

"That's just stupid." Ellie remarked. She leaned against the truck and asked where they would spend the night. The group would need to find refuge in Las Vegas for the night and hopefully find more fuel for their journey to Los Angeles. Joel explained they would most likely take over one of the hotels around the boulevard. Ellie looked around and pointed to a hotel a few blocks away from them. "Why don't we take that one? Looks fancy enough."

A tall sign poked out of the street that read "Caeser's Palace" in big, red letters. The hotel was made up of large, white marble towers. In the front were various stone structures in the shape of pillars, ruins of a colosseum and statues depicting Roman Empire figures. There was a large fountain, which was empty. Vines and grass covered the area as nature reclaimed it and gave the palace a more ancient look to it.

"I've always wanted to sleep in a palace." Joel remarked. He and the others ventured towards Caeser's Palace. They entered the lobby, which was a giant, circular room that consisted of marble floors decorated with elegant pictures of Roman figures, portraits hung across the walls and a fountain with two statues sat in the middle of the room. The only light in the lobby was from the huge hole in the ceiling that crumbled throughout the years. The beams of light focused on the statues, giving them a dazzling appearance in contrast of the dark corners of the lobby

"Wow, look how that picture is painted." Kyle commented, walking over to a portrait on the lobby walls. Curious, Ellie joined him and was also marveled at how glorious the portrait was. It depicted a semi-naked man riding on a chariot atop the clouds while pure white horses pulled him along.

"The old guy kinda creeps me out, but I love the horses in this picture." Ellie praised. Kyle nodded in agreement.

"So who do we check-in with?" Maria asked the others. She leaned over to the lobby's counter and peered over it, giving a shocked look as she found the dead corpse of a woman rotting alongside the counter. A bullet shot was on the side of her head. In their hands was an empty gun. Maria covered her mouth, but couldn't control herself and threw up on the ground, to the shock of everybody.

"Are you okay, honey?" Tommy asked her as he rushed to her side. Maria breathed heavily as she crouched over. She nodded to her husband.

"Yeah... I'm fine. It's just... the smell of the body. And the heat as well. It's all killing me."

"You need to lie down somewhere." Jenny demanded. She took out a bottle of water from her bag and handed it to Maria. "Drink this. You'll dehydrate yourself if you keep vomiting, so it's best to keep replacing your fluids."

"Thanks Jenny. We appreciate it." Tommy said to her. Being a nurse, Jenny knew exactly how to remedy an injury or illness. The group were lucky to have her expertise.

"Come on, let's head upstairs. Maybe we can find a few rooms for us to hole up in." Joel told the group. He led them to the room suites. The hallways were left dim and had dirt on the surfaces, but other than that, everything seemed normal. The group took over a few rooms clustered together, each one containing lots of space within the bedroom and bathrooms. A large window in each room gave a spectacular look to the abandoned streets outside.

"Awesome! A bed." Ellie exclaimed. She dove onto the king-sized bed and laid her whole body across the mattress, hugging the pillows beside her. It had been a long time since she'd slept on a comfortable bed.

"Don't take up the whole thing. Leave room for me." Joel told her.

"Pssh! Yeah right! This bed is mine!" Ellie teased. She ended up getting a pillow thrown lightly into her face by Joel. "Okay! We'll share!"

"Who said I wanted to share?" Joel joked. This time he ended up getting a pillow thrown at him by Ellie, which caused her to laugh. The two got into a short pillow fight before being interrupted.

"Seems like you two are enjoying the place." Bruce commented as he walked into their room. He motioned Joel outside to the hallway. The two stepped out and talked. "Now that everyone has settled in, we have to decide who will hunt for supplies today. If you didn't notice, we're starting to run low on ammo and food along with the fuel."

"I guess it was gonna happen eventually." Joel said. They were stocked with supplies back in Saratoga, which seemed like a lot at the time. Who knew they would go through most of it already. Joel pondered to who would go on a supply run and came up with an idea. He called Tommy and Gordon out to the hallways. "The both of you are going to search for supplies together, alright?"

"Haha! Very funny, Joel. Glad to see you've kept your humor this whole time." Tommy said, letting out a forced chuckle. It took him a moment to realize Joel was being serious. "Wait, you actually want me to go with Gordon? You really think that is a good idea?"

"This is bollocks! There is absolutely no way I'd go anywhere with this clown!" Gordon argued, pointing to Tommy.

"Did you call me a clown? Because the last time I checked I didn't wear any crazy wig or big, red shoes."

"Either way, you're funny-looking to me!"

"Why I oughta-"

"Enough! Stop acting like children and work together for once. We are trying to survive here, damn it!" Joel shouted, causing Tommy and Gordon to stop bickering. He's right, they both thought. They had women and kids who depended on them for their survival. They needed to be mature and do what was best for their group, even if they hated each other's guts. Tommy and Gordon quickly prepared for their supply run and left the hotel without speaking a word to one another.

"Are you certain it was a good idea let those two go by themselves?" Bruce asked Joel.

"It's a huge gamble with those two. But they need to learn how to cooperate. It's the only way we can endure in a world like this." Joel explained. With supplies being taken care of, he could focus on other things. "I'm going to search around the hotel by myself and make sure there aren't any infected hiding. Hopefully I can also find some supplies lying around here."

Joel left Bruce to watch over the others as he ventured alone around the area. In the meantime, everybody else began to settle down in their temporary quarters. Jenny continued to look after Maria in case she showed signs of being ill. Alice and Mark sat in the room quietly, while Roselyn tinkered around with her broken walkie-talkie in the hallway.

"Seriously, what is up with you and that radio?" Ellie asked as she walked out of her room and passed by Roselyn.

"None of your business, kid." Roselyn answered, annoyingly.

Ellie rolled her eyes and headed to where Kyle's room was. She peeked inside, finding nobody in the bedroom area except for Charlie, who lied comfortably on the bed as he panted happily. She was about to leave when she heard snipping noises coming from the bathroom. Curious, she headed inside and found Kyle sitting on the toilet, with Natalie clipping away at his hair.

"Oh... uhm... hey Ellie." Kyle said, giving a nervous look. He began to lower his head to hide his embarrassment when Natalie began to scold him.

"Honey, please don't move your head." Natalie told him. " I don't want to cut your ears off by accident!"

"Uh... may I ask what is going on?" Ellie spoke in confusion.

"Kyle's hair has become too shaggy for my taste. I need my baby to look clean."

"Mom! It's the apocalypse!" Kyle began to argue. "I don't think my hair really matters anymore."

"Nonsense! Soon, you'll grow up to be a man and you'll need to keep yourself well-groomed." Natalie turned to Ellie and inspected her. "Oh my, I just noticed your hair looks like rags! Maybe I can trim it for you after I am done with Kyle."

"No thanks. I like my hair the way it is." Ellie stated. She decided to leave the mother and son alone. She left, holding her laughter in. Seeing Kyle's look of embarrassment made her giggle, plus she thought it was cute. Ellie decided to check over Maria, who was joined by Jenny and Bruce.

"How is she?" Ellie asked.

"I'm doing fine." Maria assured her. She lied down in comfort across the bed, holding the half-empty bottle of water in one hand, while rubbing her stomach with the other.

"She isn't running a fever, which is a good sign." Jenny stated. "It's quite possible the smell of the corpse did get to her. She hasn't thrown up since then."

"That's a relief." Ellie said. She turned over to Bruce, who sat in a chair beside the window of the bedroom. In his hand was a novel. His eyes were glued to the pages. Ellie walked over to him. "What's that you've got there?"

"It's a classic novel I used to teach with high school students." Bruce answered her. He turned the book over to reveal the title: Of Mice And Men.

"Didn't Joel say you were a university professor?"

"I was. But before that I taught in a high school. I would teach kids around your age about how to become better readers and writers."

Ellie nodded to Bruce in fascination. The only education she received in her years were from military schools. All she remembered were the strict lessons on surviving and the constant beatings she got from everybody. She never thought before the infection happened, kids would learn to do fun things such as writing.

"That sounds cool. I wish I went to high school." Ellie remarked in wonderment. The comment made Bruce smile, then made him feel sorry for her. Ellie reminded him of the students he used to teach, specifically those who had a genuine interest in learning. Because of the infection, she was never given an opportunity to experience high school.

"Here. Why don't you give this book a read?" Bruce said, handing Ellie the book. At first she was hesitant on taking it, but Bruce assured her he didn't mind parting with it. "I've read this book a thousand times. You could even say I memorized every little word. I want you to experience the amazing story this book has to offer."

"Gee, thanks." Ellie said. She flipped open the book and gazed upon the countless number of words that filled the pages. This was very different from her Savage Starlight comics, which were filled with colorful pictures and little dialogue. But she was fond of reading and was willing to try something new.

I guess I'm going to be busy tonight.


Joel took the whole afternoon to explore the entire area of Caeser's Palace, checking through many of the hotel rooms, lounge and casino area. To his surprise, there were no signs of any infected around the area. Unfortunately, there was no ammo or food either. The place had been stripped clean. Giving up, he headed back to where his group was.

I hope Tommy is doing better than I am. Joel thought. He quickly shook his head. What am I thinking? He's probably doing worse with Gordon screaming into his ears.

As Joel walked through the hotel lobby, sounds of gunfire emitted from the outside, followed by the shouts of men. Joel recognized who it was.

Why are Tommy and Gordon screaming?

Joel took the rifle out from his bag and checked over his ammunition. He rushed out of the hotel and frantically looked around the street. A few blocks south from Caeser's Palace were Tommy and Gordon. They crouched behind a vehicle as bullets bounced in their direction. Shooting at them were a trio of bandits. Joel almost froze in place when he recognized the skull masks they wore.

Reapers? But how?

"Damnit! I'm out of ammo!" Tommy shouted, removing the empty clip from his pistol.

"You arse! How could you waste all of it already?" Gordon argued in frustration.

They need my help. Joel found a place to hide and aimed his rifle towards the Reapers. As they closed in on Tommy and Gordon, Joel shot a bullet through each of their heads, killing them instantly. He checked to see if there were any more Reapers ahead, then rushed out to Tommy and Gordon.

"Well look at this, our hero has come to save the day." Gordon spoke in a sarcastic tone, annoyed by Joel's presence.

"Show some goddamn respect!" Tommy growled at him. He thanked Joel. "Am I glad you came to our rescue. Those guys just showed up out of nowhere."

"Come on, we need to get the both of you inside." Joel demanded. The three of them headed back into the hotel. The others gathered into the hallway, surprised by their hectic return.

"What the hell happened? I heard gunshots outside." Bruce asked them. Tommy explained how they were ambushed by the trio of Reapers while he and Gordon were on their supply run. "Reapers? You mean those thugs that attacked your home from before?"

"They aren't just thugs. They are murderers." Joel corrected him. Everyone suddenly panicked at the mention of murderers.

"We need to get out of this city as soon as possible!" Natalie demanded, clutching Kyle in anxiety. "This place isn't safe, especially for the kids."

"Did you guys find any gas?" Joel asked Tommy. His brother nodded.

"It's the whole reason why the Reapers found us." Tommy began to explain. He and Tommy had searched through every building down the boulevard until they reached Luxor Hotel, a hotel made up by a large, glass pyramid and had an Egyptian theme to it. "We saw a few Reapers carrying a handful of fuel tanks into the hotel. That's when they spotted us and chased us down the street. Luckily Joel saved us just in time."

"You're going to hate me for saying this, but we need to go back and get those fuel cans." Joel stated. Everybody looked at him in shock, especially Gordon. He began to argue at Joel.

"And what's your plan, Sherlock? You suggest we casually walk in and ask if we can borrow a few gallons of gas?" Gordon remarked. "You must be suicidal if you want to face those bastards."

"Then what do you suggest we do? They know we're here, but they don't know what we're capable of. If we play our cards right, we can sneak in and take their fuel without them knowing." Joel explained. "So... who's with me?"

The hallway became silent as everyone was unsure how to answer.

"I'll go." Roselyn spoke up. "Sneaking around blood-thirsty murderers sounds thrilling anyway."

"I'm not letting my brother go alone. So count me in." Tommy said. Maria quickly objected his decision, but Tommy reasoned with her. "Maria, we have no other choice. I want our group to be safe, and the only way that can happen is if I help out."

"We could use all the help we can get." Joel asked Gordon. The man simply gave him a reluctant look.

"You are a moron for coming up with this dim-witted plan." Gordon told him. "Yet I'll give you credit for having the brains to at least beg for my help."

"I'll take that as a yes then."

It was settled. Joel and his group would venture to Luxor Hotel and find a way to take the Reaper's fuel supply. They decided to go at midnight, hopefully when the Reapers guard would be lowered. As everyone prepared for the task, Ellie talked to Joel in their room.

"You sure your plan will work?" she asked.

"It's our only option so far." Joel explained. Deep down, he wondered if Gordon was right. Maybe he was crazy for coming up with this idea. He knew how violent the Reapers were. But they couldn't leave without fuel for their vehicles and the Reapers seemed to hold the only supply in the city.

"Then I want to come with you guys." Ellie said in a stern tone.

"Ellie, I don't think that's a good idea."

"But you said to Gordon you needed all the help you can get. You can't take this choice away from me, Joel."

The word "choice" stood out to Joel. The last time they had a conversation dealing with the topic was back in Salt Lake City, when Ellie found out about Joel's lie and how he took the important choice from her helping to find a vaccine. He wanted to keep Ellie's trust and allow her to grow up and make her own choices. But he knew the terrible things she'd been through, especially concerning the Reapers. Her words on wanting to kill the group herself still sent shivers down his spine. Joel was afraid her impulsiveness would eventually lead to her demise.

"I don't feel comfortable with you coming with us. Especially with those Reapers around. Besides, you'd be much safer in the here." Joel explained. "Do you understand?"

Ellie lowered her head in disappointment. She began to complain. "Yeah, I get it. You don't trust me."

"It's nothing like that-"

"Of course it is! You assume once we reach the Reapers I'm gonna go crazy and kill all of them. Well, maybe I will! But those bastards deserve to die! You know that, Joel! How could you not agree with me?" Ellie remarked angrily. She felt betrayed by Joel's opposition. Ellie stomped out of the room, leaving Joel by himself. He rubbed his forehead, unsure of what to do about the situation.

What am I going to do with you?

-TO BE CONTINUED-


A/N: Sorry for the long chapter! I exceeded the word count I always aim for. But because this is the start of the Summer saga, I think I can get away with leaving in a few extra words. The whole point of this chapter is to set the mood for the rest of this saga and establish more of a connection between Joel's group and the Saratoga group, plus remind us about the main antagonist, the Reapers, and how important their role to the story will be.

Thanks for reading! Bye for now! :D


~I do not own any The Last of Us material. They are the respective property of Naughty Dog Inc~