**Preface: The Umbrella BOW is interacting with civilians Joel, Ellie, and a woman. They are still 6 miles from a former FEDRA base.
In order to stay alive, the group has to stay dead.
Naughty Dog owns Joel and Ellie
CAPCOM owns Ada Wong
The tub capsized onto Ellie and she instinctively stepped back but also, protected Ada Wong's head. The bloody water spilled out. Then Troy grabbed the tub and put it upright again. He left and grabbed the water heater from the firepit, filling up the tub with more cleaner water. He walked over to the church.
Ada Wong stood up, tested the bathwater and got in, her skin turning a bit red. Ellie put the soiled blanket over the tub again to give some privacy from Troy-not that he was interested in the body. Ellie was trying to figure out how to discuss this lesson to him, when she wasn't even sure if he actually capable. And if he wasn't capable, then how should she train him to save survivors? Was he the kind of employee that Ellie's business could work with?
Ada Wong was crying involuntarily from the pain of the open bleeding wound running along her back.
"Hey…" Ada Wong paused as her voice caught. Not even daring to clear her throat, she just was silent.
"Ms. Client?"
Ada Wong motioned for her to come into the tub. Elllie didn't need to be told twice; she couldn't remember the last time she had a warm bath. It had to be the the night she had sneaked off with Riley from FEDRA's military school. Maybe a year ago now.
She heard fighting at the church across the street.
Ada Wong let her head fall back over the tub. The wind iced through her wet hair.
"Hurry Ellie, water gets cold fast out here with this wind."
Ellie rushed to take off her clothes and Ada Wong tucked her legs in. They put the sheet over their heads and talked. Ada Wong's head was back, resting on the tub.
"Safe." Ada Wong said into the sheet, blowing a soft puff of air up and causing it to rise in a small spot.
Ellie washed Ada Wong and herself, as black dirt fell from her own skin, and some off Ada Wong. Ada Wong drew the word client onto Ellie's arm.
The rain started to drop on top of the sheet.
"I know where to get weed, Ellie." Ada Wong rolled her face slowly back and forth under the sheet. The radiant heat was blossoming across her in wondrous spurts from the military heater.
Ellie heard big lumbering footsteps coming back over from the church.
"What?! What!" Ellie exclaimed in some panic and excitement. Ada Wong had gone from signing to actually speaking quite a few sentences now.
"Sure thing. I do…Ellie…in the barbershop. Back-on main street. We already passed it."
"hmmm" Troy breathed next to Ada Wong's clothed face. She reached her arms up lazily towards his face. He dodged it playfully, purposefully denying her any touch. Then he sat down on the truck where Joel was leaning, a few feet away from the tub.
"JOEL! Joel!" Ellie called, as she tried to figure out whether to exit the tub naked or not.
Joel stood over the tub. He pointed at the church, but all Troy did was lay down on the metal chassis, crunching it down slightly under his weight. He flicked his hand, and blood spots sprang out everywhere in the air.
Joel held up the sheet so that Ellie could have her privacy.
"Troy we need fresh water again; one last time. For Joel." Ellie said. Her face around the sheet peeking at Troy.
Troy shook his head no and made just the slightest p sound,
"puhf-puh"
"Ellie get into the house, I'm going to help out Troy." Joel clapped his hands loudly.
"Joel. Even I know that we all have to go together. Come on! My client needs warm clothes first though."
Joel looked around despairingly. Ellie was too attached to this woman already.
Ellie got dressed in her dirty clothes, and Joel draped the sheet over Ada Wong as she exited the tub. With her head down towards the ground, she walked back into the house and up the stairs alone. Joel guarded the front door. Ellie sat down by the dancing fire and Troy sat on the street, listening intently.
Ada Wong checked the closets upstairs and found a red dress and a big heavy grey sweater. She put on tennis shoes that were too big for her. Then she announced herself at the door.
"Mr. Joel, I am ready. Let's go. When she walked outside, Troy looked away and Ellie ran into her, hugging her tight.
"My client!" Ellie was so happy she was crying slightly.
Then Ada Wong spoke to her and Joel with enthusiasm.
"Come on guys! Let's go get that puff puff good kush shit!" Her eyes sparkled slightly down at Ellie's confused face.
Ada Wong clarified. "That green herb, Ellie. For Troy." Then Ada Wong's eyes went dead, and she walked in a trance down the street, her eyes firmly on the ground. Ellie noticed but she didn't care. She pranced alongside Joel silently and happily. Joel had his pistol out.
Troy walked behind them with his backpack on now.
Ada Wong spoke in her strangled, monotone voice, dragging her feet. "Ellie, there are many species of Cordyceps."
Ellie tried to go over to Ada Wong's side, but Joel grabbed her and forced her to remain at his side. He made sure that Ada Wong was very separate from them.
"Yea, I heard that cordyceps can also be infected by other types of fungi too!" Ellie said excitedly.
"Yes, Ellie. And cordyceps uses the host body to sprout out."
"Isn't it so gross Client, isn't it?!"
"Yes. We are almost at the shop now, it is on the left. But cordyceps, when it sprouts out, it develops sacks that hold its spores, Ellie. Giant ballsacks of sperm that fucking explode everywhere."
Ellie was stunned. "Wh-what?!" She was amused but unsure if this was a joke.
"And that's why Troy has masks in his backpack." Joel was tersely looking down at Ellie, holding his fingers to his lips.
"You see this barbershop still has the windows intact, and a wooden door?" Ada said in her dead voice. They inspected the place.
"Yup." Ellie said cautiously.
"There are old infected here, growing on the wall. Joel will need to walk past the exploding ballsacks into the back, where there's a growroom with that green herb sprouting."
"Oh fuck me!" Joel cursed.
They heard Troy start dying of laughter behind them. It was deep, rolling laughter that tickled their ribcages.
"Aren't you glad you didn't bathe now, Joel." Ada Wong said softly, still dead.
"Just hand me a fucking mask, Troy." Joel said, turning back. Troy fished through his pack and pulled out a mask. Joel cleaned it, double checking the expiration date of the filter. It was brand new.
"Ellie get your mask on. Hurry up."
"No Joel I'm staying with my client out here." Troy got out his pad and wrote BOSS SAYS, then let it dangle between Joel and Ellie.
Joel forced himself to say, "Troy keep watch for infected while I'm in there. Should only be a moment Ellie."
Ada Wong said in her dead voice. "Pot's on a clothesline, drying. Take them all out here Joel…but not too fast."
"No I'm going to be right fucking back." Joel insisted.
"Well, then…" Ada Wong raised her eyebrows at him.
As Joel was watching her behind Ellie, he saw Troy's claws gently wrapping around the sweater, pulling her the slightest bit back.
"We'll be fine Joel." Ada Wong's smile was frozen.
"Joel!" Ellie exclaimed happily, "The slightest vibration and they're gonna jizz all over you!"
"Ooooh that's great Ellie I love it so much!" Joel said sarcastically. He tested out his mask one last time and bolted through the door, trying to run through.
The blast knocked him back into the window. Joel heard them all dying of laughter once again, as he desperately tried to run again, dizzily, to the back. Ellie howled as he got blasted off his feet again.
Ada's face was smothered as she was pulled up off of her feet. Troy moved her silently to the side of the building. He crouched and then balanced on one knee. Ada's eyes were wedged shut, but she noticed she could breathe again. His face was next to hers breathing passionately. He was feeling her face with his palms. She realized it was time to leave again. Her body went limp. She felt her body being cut open.
"New EMPLOYEE WHERE'D YOU GO?!" Ellie called out, confused. Her face was pressed against the window, looking at Joels body on the mossy floor. "Nobody's protecting me Troy!"
Troy rolled his eyes and shook his head. He let go, and Ada's body collapsed into a pile onto the ground. He was back next to Ellie, and he got down on his knee next to her, cocking his head at her. His eyes were closed, and muscles moved into a very quick, tiny sweet smile for her. It pulled the top part of his lip slightly apart.
Ellie said, "Troy! Joel got knocked the FUCK OUT!" She laughed, and he giggled with her. You gotta get him out of there he has all the pots!"
He pointed at the door. She opened it, and he shimmied inside. He hoisted Joel up onto his claws and dumped Joel on the ground outside. Troy wrote on his pad,
Ellie, pots
She looked up at him, as he peeked at her. Then she looked at Joel.
"Lemme help Joel first ok Troy?" Troy groaned and scrunched up his face, pushing Ellie with his claws toward the door.
"Troy just a sec!" Ellie took off Joels mask and shook him gently. "HEY!" He moved his head slightly.
Troy backed up fast, smashing through the door of a shop behind Ellie and disappearing. They could hear him ripping through the shop.
"Wake up JIZZHEAD!" Joel frowned at her and groaned.
"Ellie I was fine until you said that-you reaaaally didn't have to say that last part. Now I'm just gonna go back to sleep so I can forget." He said roughly.
She laughed at him in relief. He sat up rubbing his head.
She yelled over at Troy, "I'm getting your POTS TROY!"
Joel immediately grabbed her firmly. "No, Ellie. I'm doing it."
He looked angrily up at Troy, who had appeared right behind Ellie and was frowning down at him. Troy shooed Joel into the shop, and Joel chose to ignore the claws on his back, running inside and grabbing the branches of weed.
Troy had a match lit on his lips, and his palm open wide. Joel placed the plant on it. Troy shook his head at Joel.
"I don't know what you want Troy."
"Troy, where's my client?" Ellie asked cautiously.
Troy sucked his teeth and tried to face Ellie innocently. He raised his palms up as if he didn't know.
"Well go fucking FIND HER. NEW EMPLOYEE!" Ellie yelled angrily. Troy let out a dramatic impatient sigh and was gone.
He leaned over Ada's body. "I didn't do it." She muttered.
His tongue grabbed her wrist and slammed it onto his palm. It only took her 10 seconds to come to. She blinked hard and her eyes furrowed in surprise. She peered up at him curiously, thinking maybe Joel had found her. She looked bored when she realized who it was. He shook his head at her as if to say, 'let's go now.' She nodded quickly and used his palm to steady herself and get up. Then he shoved her back around the shop.
Ellie shouted "MY CLIENT!" happily. Troy roared at them all, and they jumped.
Joel held up the green herb at Ada Wong, and she rushed over, picking out all the buds.
Joel spoke for her when she was done.
"Looks like the client wants to put the drug into your hands now Troy."
She noticed the matches on the pavement and quickly lit up a bud, and planted everything on Troy's palm. She quickly walked backwards looking down.
Joel had Ellie's hand in an iron grip, making sure she lay down on the pavement next to him, still.
Troy picked up his backpack and clicked five times.
By the time Joel and Ellie got up, Troy was 300 meters ahead of them.
Ada walked alone, with her head down in a trance.
