Take On Me
Disclaimer: I do not in any way own the Last of Us IP, nor am I associated with those that do in any way. This is a non-profit fanwork written solely for the purpose of entertainment. This is in no way canon in anyway shape or form.
Chapter 1
1st Lieutenant Adrian Slaughter, part of the 1st Battalion - 143rd regiment of the 36th Infantry Division, let out a small sigh under his breath as he sat in the passenger seat of his his Humvee as he drove down the highway along with the rest of his platoon and elements of the 36th Infantry as they headed to Austin, Texas. With CH-47 Chinooks and UH-64 Blackhawks making a beeline straight to the settlement.
Taking a sip of water through the tube connected to the hydro pack on his back, he thought back on his current situation. Namely how he doesn't know whether or not he traveled back in time or ended up in an alternate universe of some sorts.
The last thing he remembered was being blown up by a roadside IED while he was on a security detail contract for some oil executive in a country that he couldn't remember now for the life of him. Waking up in this new body yesterday in a guy that apparently had the exact same name as him.
What were the odds.
It was pretty jarring, as the memories of his previous life were kind of merged with this version of himself. It was extremely strange feeling, like having a hangover where you still remembered the night before. Not a bad metaphor as this Adrian apparently was drinking heavily last night.
For the rest of the day yesterday, he was moving on autopilot in a daze. Thinking on just what the hell happened to him and where was he at. Because when he died it was in the early 2020s while right now the year was 2003. Did that mean he traveled in time or something? So bizarre. Or was he in hell? Honestly, if hell was just like the Army he wouldn't be surprised despite having left the service years ago.
He was still thinking on it when he went to sleep. Only to be abruptly woken up as he was deployed along with tee rest of the battalion to contain a viral outbreak in the city of Austin, Texas. Which is why he along with all his men and the battalion was outfitted in MOPP-2 level. With them being on standby to go into full MOPP-4 posture.
Apparently, it wasn't just Austin that was being hit by some kind of virus. But a bunch of other cities in not just the south, but the east, west, and even north of the continental United States. It wasn't even just the US that was being hit. Multiple cities in Europe, China, South Africa and America, Mexico, Canada, etc was being hit all at the same time with what looked to be the same kind of disease that was turning people into actual physical zombies. They weren't actually undead per se, but they sure as hell acted like one.
'Why does this seem familiar?' He thought to himself as he loaded a STANAG mag in his M4A1. Thumbing the bolt release and slightly pulling back the charging handle. Seeing the round in the chamber as he let the handle fall forward.
"Sir?" A voice said belonging to the driver of the vehicle, Staff Sergeant Michael Derek, who was assigned as acting Sergeant First Class as the actual platoon Sergeant, Sergeant First Class Whitmer, was on leave and at San Antonio at the moment. Apparently, he and Adrian were apparently close, having served together for years and did a deployment in Afghanistan together.
"I'm fine, Mike. Really" Adrian waved off as Derek nodded and kept his eyes on M1114 HMMWV in front of him.
It was at that moment that a voice came through on his comms, which were set on a battalion wide channel.
"/ All stations this net, all stations this net, this is Oxide, stand by for sitrep. Break. /"
He heard a click indicating that the battalion commander took his finger off the push-to-talk button on the radio before hearing it again. Signafying he was once again talking.
"/ At approximately 0130 local a viral outbreak emerged from the city of Austin. Numerous fatalities and casualties at this time. No final estimate. Break. /"
"/ Local law enforcement is unable to contain the virus. That's what were being sent in for. Symptoms for infected individuals: coughing, increased aggression, slurred speech, hair loss, discolored skin, lesions, and bloodshot eyes. Break. /"
"/ Alpha company has secured the Richards Congress Avenue Bridge and has confirmed the danger and presence of infected. Exact number of hostiles is unknown. Alpha is to secure the bridge while Bravo secures the Pennybacker bridge. Charlie secure highway loop 360. Delta, remain on standby on the outskirts of the town to reinforce gaps in the line and intercept stragglers. Additional Army elements have been deployed to assist with mechanized and armored support to lock down all highways and interstates. Break. /"
"/ Be advised, evacuations are not permitted at this time. I say again, all civilians must remain inside the city through whatever means necessary. Local police forces and state troopers will be assisting us in this operation. ROE is that engage if you feel your life is threatened and if you believe the subject is infected. Break. /"
"/ Go to MOPP-4 readiness immediately until further notice. This is Oxide, out. /"
With that, Adrian switched to the frequency he was designated to speak with the whole platoon. /"All Dropkick victors, this is Dropkick 1-6, go to MOPP-4 posture, gas masks and gloves on, people. /" The 1st Lieutenant ordered as he donned his M40 gas mask and placing his MICH 2000 helmet on top of his head as he put on his gloves.
"How you doing, Mike?" He asked his second-in-command as he fastened the chin strap on his helmet. His voice now heavily modulated and synthetic thanks to the gas mask.
"I didn't sign up to shoot Americans, Adrian." Derek admitted.
"Look, don't think of them as Americans anymore." He tried to reassure. "Think of them as already dead. And that you're doing them a favor."
"Yeah, don't make it easier." The E-6 shook his head. "Never thought we would have to face zombies when you joined up, huh?"
"Yup," Adrian confessed as they finally reached their destination with the bridge in sigh. With several airliners trying to escape the city as they flew dangerous close to one another in a panic. On the ground, he could seen dozens of soldiers in MOPP-4 gear in M81 woodland and olive drape camo. Setting up floodlights, putting down barricades and road spikes, and positioning their vehicles to block the road as gunners manning M2 Browning's and M240B Machine guns kept a lookout. Even a few State Troopers with their patrol cruisers could be seen assisting however they could.
Off in the nearby fields, landing zones were set up as the CH-47s drop off the troops they were carrying along with crates of equipment and gear to set up a quarantine perimeter. With the Blackhawks doing the same as they dropped off their squads and began circling the outskirts of the town. Shining down a powerful spotlight that illuminated the ground as they entered a patrol pattern.
"/ Dropkick 1-6, this is Dropkick 6, come in. Over. /" The company captain tried to holler him on his comms.
"Dropkick 1-6 here. Go ahead. Over. "
"/ I want your platoon to set up on the other side of the bridge. Create a checkpoint for all incoming vehicles. How copy. Over? /"
"Solid copy 6. 1-6 out." He then informed the rest of his men about their orders as they drove their Humvees and M35 trucks over the bridge. Dismounting as soon as they crossed as they parked their vehicles in a way that blocked the street while also allowing them to easily make it back across over the highway if need be.
"Alright, boys, let's get this done!" He hollered out as he stepped out of the cargo variant of the M1114 he was riding in. "I want those spotlights and barricades set up now!" The 1st Lieutenant instructed as he men stepped out of their vehicles and began setting them up. As the first cars trying to escape the chaos occurring in the distance.
"Derek, have third and fourth squads keep them back.."
"Roger, get those barricades set up there. Mack, Kilmour, get those fifties up!"
It didn't take long for the line to stretch all the way back to the city. As a crowd began forming around their hastily constructed and makeshift barricades as the soldiers maintained a good distance of roughly two dozen meters from the growing crowd. All of whom were yelling and demanding to be let through. Only held back by the fact that the platoon wielded rifles and fifty caliber machine guns that could mow them down in an instant. Still, this was Texas they were talking about, which meant that one in five people were at least armed. With many looking like they were on the verge of opening fire themselves and charging. Not that Adrian could really blame them as the city looked to be crumbling, with sporadic gunshots and explosions from the town reached them almost constantly now.
"Dropkick 6, this is 1-6, come in. Over." Adrian said through the radio in his Humvee.
"/ This is 6, send your traffic. Over. /"
"Sir, crowd's in the hundreds now. I don't think we can hold them if they try to break through. Requesting to fall back to the perimeter. Over."
"/ Negative 1-6, maintain your perimeter. Backup is on its way. /"
"Roger, can you give me an ETA on that?"
"Negative at this time. Dropkick 6 out."
Adrian threw the mobile radio telephone on the truck's dashboard as he let out a heavy sigh as more and more people joined the crowd. Angrily demanding why they weren't being allowed through.
"Do not attempt to exit the town. Anyone attempting to do so will be placed under arrest. I say again, please turn around." Derek said through the bullhorn as he turned to his superior officer. "Sir, we're going to need more guys down here."
"Already asked, they say its coming. We just got to hold out until then." He said as he looked at the nearby dirt road on the right.
"I'm going to check the fireteam you sent over. Let me know if anything changes." His platoon sergeant nodded as made his way to the path. It wasn't long before he heard semi-automatic fire. With him picking up speed as he readied his M4A1.
Reaching 1-2 Bravo, he paused as his eyes widened underneath the lenses of his gas masks. As even under the darkness of the night he could make them out his men had just saved from the infected.
Joel and Sarah. With the former holding the latter bridal style as the twelve year old's leg was injured. With them looking exactly how they looked like in the game.
That meant he was in the Last of Us. And the virus they were dealing with was the parasitic fungi known as Cordyceps that has now jumped to humans.
'Aww, come on.' Was all he could think.
"Stop right there!" A Private First Class named Wilson ordered the two as he held his M4A1 as the rest of the fireteam did the same. Shining their mounted weaponlights on the roughly thirty-two year old man and his daughter. Who protested that they weren't sick.
"Sir?" Sergeant Dever, leader of the fireteam, looked at his platoon commander from behind his gas masks as he waited for his decision.
Author's note: So, I'm writing this fanfic fueled by both my love for the Last of Us 1 and my pure undying hatred for the second game. Said this quite a few times on my snippet thread. Thought the tv show was mid with a couple of good parts. Not going to finish the rest of the season now that Joel is dead. It's funny, I hate the fact that Pedro Pascal is in literally everything nowadays (seriously, it's too the point where I'm getting tired of seeing his face), and now I refuse to continue watching the show is due to the fact that he's gone. Ironic, huh? Well it's also due to the fact that Part 2 has a terrible story. But still funny.
Still, hope this trainwreck of a tv show isn't going to ruin Kaitlyn Dever's career, as I think she's a pretty good actor who most likely doesn't deserve the hate that's probably going to thrown her way. Still can't get over the fact that Kaitlyn looks more akin to Ellie than the actual Ellie in the tv show, it should have been vice versa as Kaitlyn Dever is a far superior actress than Bella Ramsey. The casting guy for the show should be fired.
BTW, I don't know much on the layout and geography of Texas and the city of Austin, so what I put down here is based on my research. Please forgive me for any errors and mistakes I make in location and set ups of cities.
Also, if you're wondering how the military personnel are sounding when speaking through their gas masks. Think of it akin to how the soldiers spoke in the military scenes of The Crazies from 2010. I'll put the link for their scenes down below.
watch?v=5oGQdl_K4Dg
Anyways, take care, guys. And remember... stay frosty, gents.