......𝙋𝙡𝙖𝙮𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙆𝙣𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙨 - 𝙉𝙚𝙤𝙣𝙞 & 𝙎𝙖𝙫𝙖𝙜𝙚 𝙂𝙖$𝙥

"Man down, yeah
That's another one deceased"
And they're plotting and scheming
And committing treason"

𝓒𝓱𝓪𝓹𝓽𝓮𝓻 𝓢𝓲𝔁:

𝓘𝓷𝓿𝓪𝓭𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓺𝓾𝓮𝓼𝓽𝓲𝓸𝓷𝓼

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"Well, when the fuck did that happen?" Tess said, sighing in annoyance as they reached a dead end, depree and rubble blocking the entrance they would have walked through. Light poured from the holes of the rubble illuminating the area they now stood in, Good thing is that they haven't seen any infected. So thats a good thing. Tess and Joel moved to check the doors but they were locked so they weren't in the cards. "All right, well, i mean, maybe i could climb up there, go around and unlock it from the other side." Tess offered up the plan as she looked at the hole she could climb through.

"I'm the smallest, i can fit and do all that" Ellie reminded everyone. But all the adults stated a firm no. "She's our cargo."Joel jabbed his thumb over his shoulder at the older women. "and so are you. if you get hurt or die we don't get paid" Joel ended his comment as he pushed past Ellie when Tess said she needed help up after helping her up she began her climb up.

Everyone sat down with a grunt, The three girls sitting on one side against the wall, Joel sitting against the other. It was silent, the only noice to fill the void was the sound of water tapping against the ground as it fell, and thee shifts i the structure, Seriously Madison was waiting for the structure to just give out a crush them all. Ellie got bored and it was evident cause she  got out her knife and started flipping it over and over again. Malia leans her cheek against Madison's shoulder. As said girl leaned her head back against the wall and closed her eyes for a bit, a headache already forming from walking in the little bit of bickering that has been going on between the two very different group, okay will many from Madison's sisters and joel. "Nice knife." Joel commented getting a look from Ellie.

"where did you learn to do that?" He asked as she started flipping it again if she was going to talk to him, she wasn't going to make it easy "The circus" she hissed sarcastically earning a chuckle from Malia. "Ellie be nice" Madison said softly not opening her eyes, but she heard Joel sigh already over the little girl. Ellie rolled her eyes and folded her knife back up, putting it back i her jumper pocket.

"Where are you from?"

"Texas" He answered

"What about Tess?" She asked as Joel looked around

"Detroit. Its in Michigan."He said earning a sarcastic response from both Ellie and Malia "We go to school we know where Detroit is"

Ellie and Joel glared at each other. For a few seconds it was quite so Madison spoke up her eyes still closed "So are you and Tess-" She was cut off immediately "Pass" Her lip pursed together as she tried to suppress a smile, it didn't go unnoticed by Malia who smiled to herself and hugged her sisters arm.

"How'd you end up in boston?" Malia asked as she saw Joel's eyes land on Madison then flicker off her quickly "No more questions about me" He said gruffly. Ellie rolled her eyes at his tone. The light moved around the room as the sun moved. 

"How long do infected live?" Ellie asked breaking the silence. 

"Oh i thought you went to school?" Joel mocked their words from earlier, which made Madison lip twitched into a smile. Ellie and Joel had similar fiery personalities. They both mocked each other and in the future Madison could see Ellie and Joel getting alone.

"It's a really shitty one" She breathed out sarcastically and Malia nodded as she rested her forearms on her knees that were pulled closer to her body. "So did you go to school with them, Madison-" Joel asked "Pass" She said with a smug smile on her lips, she finally opened her eyes, raising an eyebrow to the man.

"Some last about a month or two.." He started to explain ignoring Madison's mockery of him. Looking forward past Ellie and onto the wall. "Some have been walking around for about twenty years" he continued as The three listened Malia started to pick of the paint and wallpaper that had already started to peel off the wall. He inhaled through his teeth "but some have been walking around for twenty years." His response made, Malia think about what it was like before infected. Obviously Malia knows she wasn't born in this. But as days go on she forgets what life before all this was like. How she use to act, how others use to act. Because it's not the same, people have hardened, There's no use for the weak. Which is why Madison has lasted so long, she the toughest person, Malia and Ellie know. Well now there's Joel and Tess, two other tough people they both know. Malia is suprised, how she is alive and not dead, but she owns it all to Madison. Even before they were stuck in that military school, even before they joined the fireflies and adopted Ellie as their own. Madison has killed for her, and she has protected her. No matter if Malia can handle herself. Madison was always the one to do the killing blow, she never killed a person only infected, it's easier to do, They aren't themselves. They aren't even human anymore. They only came into runners so they have never seen any other infected if there is even any other. Guess those zombie movies that kid at Military school was lying about their only being on kind of zombie in those movies he watched on the weekend.

Malia snapped out of her thoughts as she felt a tap on her shoulder, Madison tapped her twice before but she had a lost in thought look, the blonde couldn't bring her out of it. So she tapped her a few time in a row that seemed to bring her out of it. "Are you okay?" Madison faces was etched with worry as she cupped Malia's face. Malia's hands shot up and gently pushed her hands of her face. She hated when her sister worried. 

"I'm great, I love sitting on the floor for so long that it makes my butt hurt" The sarcasm evident in her voice, Madison threw her head back laughing It's funny how much, eyes can let you know a lot about a person. Even when they don't want you to know and they hide it. Eyes are the window straight to the soul they say. 

Joel stared to the two, for a moment before standing up when he heard a noise. "It's me joel, put the gun down" Tess's voice echoed through to the room they were in. Joel let out. a breath through his nose as he lowered the gun. Tess opened the door after pulling whatever was in the way of it. "What now?" Joel asked as soon as he saw tess's face she was worried about the path they were going to take. 

They all started walking down the corridor, taking them around the building passing dull but still a little bright, lime green patio chairs, for people who stayed in the hotel for them to sit on to relax or talk. The crunch of the leaves sounded under Madisons boots. Old news papers and books sat on dirt covered tables. A dome sat over them as they walked to the end and onto an open, balcony being shielded by a see through tarp. Ellie, Madison and Malia walked out to the edge of the balcony barrier and look out towards the sun revealing hundreds upon thousands of infected laying on the ground, screeching as the light hit them and crawling towards or away (it was hard to tell from how high they were) the building, mixing with the rubble of the giant hole, that had collapse a long while ago. "There are so many" Ellie said staring at them with a look of interest but terror. She had to lean on the ledge to see them properly. 

"Last time we were here, they were still deep inside the building" Tess started to explain. "Then i guess enough people came through looking for the QZ....They went inside seeking shelter....That's how they get more of the city....bit by bit....Year after year...." Ellie and Malia looked scared Malia took a step back from the ledge. She didn't want to look at them anymore, bile climbed its way up her throat as she watched them claw their way around. Their snarling and screeching echoed around the empty Town square area. Concrete cracked and covered in dirt. and dead grass. Sunlight pasted over them slowly which they clearly didn't like, because they became more aggressive trying to crawl to a shady spot.

"They're connected" Madison said, take note of how they acted. Tess glanced at her before looking back at the infected "More than you know, the fungus also grows under ground, long fibers of wires...some of them stretching over a mile...." Ellie leaned further over. Malia went to sit on the green seats just behind the tarp, which had Madison on edge. But Malia propped the tarp apart so Madison could still see her. Madison, Ellie Joel and Malia listened to Tess talk, except one is sitting far away. "Now, you step on a patch of cordyceps in one place...You could alert thousands of other from somewhere else..." Tess directed her next comment towards Madison "You're not immune from being ripped apart, You understand?.....It's important" 

Ellie looked at Madison worried, then span around to look at Malia "Can we not say our sister is going to die, please" Malia called from afar. "I'm trying to keep you alive" Tess said as Madison hadn't taken her eyes off the women. She never realised how much hearing from someone else that she could die, scared her, and it did. of course it did. "So then you can keep them alive." Tess gestured to her sisters, with her chin. "They depend on you." 

Ellie stepped back of the ledge. "So we are not going that way."  She said  "no" Tess spoke softly. Madison gestured for Malia to get up and follow. Malia jumped up the chair scraped against the concrete floor and trailed behind Madison. As Ellie and Tess walked up front and Joel walked behind them all. 

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