The Last of Us : Another Hope

Hopping off the overturned bus Jon kept running with nothing but the beam of a dying flashlight to lead him. Damn what the hell. He could still the clicking behind him and only seemed to get closer. He glanced back and only saw one clicker come into view but he couldn't simply rely on the small beam of light to tell him that it was just one clicker. The crunching of his shoes against the broken, nature eaten asphalt of Boston city made for hard running, he would either have to risk going to ground and hope the clickers would run past him or just keep running toward the center of the city.


Of course, the choice was made for him. He was getting gassed and knew he couldn't keep this chase up for long so he decided to make a hard right into an alley and hope there would be some back door, a dumpster he could hide or something to get these clickers off his ass. A door was illuminated by the small beam of light from his already dying flashlight, he could only hope it wasn't locked. As he arrived, he thanked god or whoever was watching out for him that the door was not locked and gave way after exerting a little more effort into it. It was also fortunate the door swung open inwards to the building not outwards, he ducked in, closed the door as quietly as he could and just in time for the clickers to arrive. Waiting for the clicking noises to disappear, he surveyed the room he was in.


The flashlight's beam bounced off what should have been stainless steel counters and racks. He was in a kitchen of sorts, and if there was a kitchen there should either be supplies or blades, either of which he couldn't find any. He surveyed the rest of the room and found that the entrance to the kitchen from the main building was already crushed under rubble and wreckage. Off to the side of the room was a ladder which the rungs were built into the wall and possibly led to roof access as he could see the movements of the wispy clouds overhead made visible by the moonlight. He turned to look at the door again and walked over to lock it, it wouldn't help against infected but it might just stop a human from sneaking up on him. He began his ascent out of the dark kitchen.


As he reached the roof of the restaurant in which he took temporary sanctuary he noticed that the center of Boston, which was near the Capitol building lay in sight. He could also vaguely hear a lot of angry screaming coming from the alley across the street. No doubt that building was where the two headed into, I don't think the guard sends patrols out this deep into infected territory. Jon tried his best to discern a way toward the two without having to cross the street filled with runners and clickers. Looking around, all Jon saw was wreckage and abandoned vehicles, nothing to use to connect the building he was in to the building across him.


He shrugged as he gave up on finding a solution and decided it was best to simply wait it out, he took nap to make better use of his time. As stupid as that idea was, he needed to rest and he had the early alert system of several clickers down in the alley and a locked door. He felt relatively safe for now, he didn't find anything amiss in the kitchen downstairs either.
 
The building was nearly as dark as nothing. The only thing the was keeping the room bright for Vincent and Krista is Vincent's flash light. He thanked God for being able to find one back there. If not, They'd be treading on dangerous grounds right now. He turned around to see how Krista was doing, She was blowing onto her hands, He understood what Krista was doing, It was pretty cold.


" How you doing back there ? " He asked Krista as she looked up, Rubbing both her shoulders. She just gave a shivery nod as Vincent understood.


He shone his flash light from corners to corner so that they won't be jumped by someone, or something. Right now, Vincent can feel the coldness gradually going up on his body. It'd be bad if they continued going like this. They'd die by freezing.


" H-hey V-v-vincent ? " Krista called out to him and a shaky voice. As Vincent looked back.


" L-let's just r-r-rest for the n-n-night " She suggested as Vincent nodded. First, They needed a secure room. A room that's empty, and spacious. Vincent shone his flash on a door as he turned the knob. Fortunately for him, It was unlocked. He then slowly opened the door as he studied what was inside. Nothing, Except a couple of foams for bed. Then that's where it hit him. He shone his light up at the door and there was a number " 203 " . They were in a hotel.


" Oh, This is actually not such a bad place " He commented as he walked in. With Krista following him inside.


He set his bag down on the ground as he sat down, Gathering up all the wood he can find in the room. And then he took out his bag, Taking out a flask. He then opened the cap and pour alcohol on the wood. And then he took out a lighter from his pocket. He then made a little campfire from what they had and Krista walked closer, raising her hand forward. Vincent did the same.


" Warm " She said with a small smile as Vincent nodded.


There was a long silence between Vincent and Krista. They had nothing to talk about. Well nothing that interests both of them. Then Vincent decided to take out a little meal. He took out a MRE ( Meals Ready to Eat ) from his bag. There were only two bags of them, But it was enough. Tomorrow, They just have to search for food.


" Here " Vincent offered it to her as he ripped the bag on top open, And inside was food that Vincent doesn't really know, and a disposable spoon. Krista gladly took it and began chowing down, and she gave a little satisfied face.


" Not bad " She said and Vincent raised an eyebrow.


" Really ? I've always though these were crap " he said sarcastically as Krista laughed a little and Vincent smiling a bit.


" So.. " Krista started as she looked down a bit, " Did you ever had a family ? " She asked nervously looking up at Vincent while holding the Bag with both her hands.


Vincent first looked up at her, Then took a sip from the MRE bag, making a slight satisfied face and then clearing his throat.


" I used to " He answered.


" Really ? " She asked once again and Vincent nodded.


" I had a wife, and a Daughter, She would've been by your age by now " He said as he looked down, Sipping from the spoon.


" Oh.. " Krista replied, Looking down.


" You ? " Vincent asked this time. Hoping for an answer as he answered her question.


" Well.. I had a brother " She said as she looked down on her MRE bag. As the fire cackles and Vincent throws in another wood.


" He.. Didn't make it, He was bitten you see " She continued as Vincent looked down as well. Thinking he shouldn't have asked instead. It must've gave her bad memories of what happened and Vincent felt a little bad for asking about it.


" I'm sorry " He said as he finished his bag of MRE, And threw it somewhere across the room. He wasn't sure if he should continue the conversation or not, Krista was just sitting there, eating her food.


" Well.. We should rest now, It's better to travel in the morning in places like these " He suggested as he lay down on his back and rested his head on his bag as a substitute pillow.


" Okay.. Let me just finish this " Krista answered as she tried to gulp everything down in one shot. Vincent turned his head toward her. and Said, " Don't take long " and then closed his eyes. The fire was farm enough for the both of them, And it'd last for the whole night.
 
Jon had finally been able to rest in peace. For some reason, this night he was not plagued by nightmares that usually populate his treks into the land of dreams. This night was simply black void, no dreams nor thoughts. Every other night had him dreaming about his parents and several scenarios about them and their whereabouts almost all of them end with him shooting them. What scared him was that he was always felt devoid of emotion when he pulls the trigger, like a computer program simply following its coding. He'd always wake up in a cold sweat after those.


The sunlight hit his eyes and stirred him awake. Jon sat up slowly and rubbed his eyes, he ended up resting longer than he had anticipated and the sun was already cresting up in the horizon behind the ruined buildings. He walked over to peek at the alley below him. No more clickers it seems. He went down to the kitchen and went to look for something to throw, his search ended with him taking a half broken bottle laying on a counter. He climbed back up to the roof and chucked the bottle hard at the ground below him. One, two, three, four, five. No clickers or infected nearby, that's a good sign. Maybe they got smarter, which would then make this a very bad sign. He shrugged and contented himself with simply finding out when he sets a foot into that alley.


Jon unlocked the door and proceeded to make his way across the street as slowly and carefully as he could, keeping his eyes peeled for anything that might make noise as his ear were on high alert for any clicking noise or any noise in general. Either side of the street was devoid of life, just the same scene of broken buildings and cars in various states of disrepair. The trek itself was uneventful and he had reached the other side safely, a lone runner seemed to be standing in front of a door. Easy, one quick slit to the throat would take him out, but so many options are available too, both in killing it and distracting it. He paused as he tried to sort out with his dilemma, opting to kill the runner in the end. If you have to shit on the way might as well get it over with as early as you can.





He crept up slowly on the runner, its back was turned to him. This just reminds me of tutorial sections of video games I've played as a kid. Strange how I remember those things from my previous life. He thought to himself as grabbed the head of the runner and slid the switchblade through the throat of the runner in one smooth motion. I guess the simple things in a past life have high value in a different one. He turned the blade once and made sure of its death by repeatedly stabbing the neck until the head came off, even though the runner stopped struggling a while ago. It's always the first few seconds that count the most.





Jon tried to open the door but found that it was locked, possibly barred from the other side with something heavy. Damn, now how the f*ck do I confirm that they are in fact on the other side of this door?! He cursed silently. Trying the door once again and banging on it, if the dying screams of a runner and the sound of breaking glass didn't attract any nearby infected, then this will be the ultimate test. "Open up?!.......Please!"
 
Anselm had borne witness to the whole thing the night before from the roof of the hotel and a pair of binoculars. None of them had been particularly quiet, scattered beams of light from their torches weakly cutting through the inky black darkness. Gunshot. Clickers searching desperately with their crude echolocation. The older man and woman had made their way into the building he'd set up in for the night while the other was locked up across the way. As for why the German was there in the first place, he'd foolishly stayed out a little later than usual as he ransacked the building for valuables, and the sun fell quicker than he'd anticipated, forcing him to bunker down instead of risking the darkness and batteries for his flashlight.


Now dawn was breaking in the sky. The streets had cleared, most of the Infected wandering to another part of the fallen city. And he'd not noticed any sign that his fresh targets had disembarked from the area, so he grabbed his gear and made for the stairwell. He cleared two steps at a time, guard lowered knowing that the only thing that could hear him coming would be the old man and the woman if they were awake, that is. He broke away from the stairs and made a point to briefly check each room as he made his way down. Anselm didn't get very far before he heard some banging and a frantic, muffled voice pleading for help down on the lower level. "And they fall into my lap one by one," He thought to himself as he scrambled over thick piles of debris to get through to where the source of the voice was located.


And it was behind a large, wooden wardrobe blocking a fire exit, it seemed. Anselm sidled up and allowed his weapon to rest by its strap as he put his shoulder into the furniture. A small grunt and he began to slowly slide it out of place until it no longer blocked the door. He undid the deadbolt, and threw the door open. In moments he would put to use practiced sleight of hand, quickly lifting his Remington into a proper firing position and pressing the cold metal of its barrel right into the cheek of whoever it was that happened to be standing just outside the door.


"Easy now. I'm going to step back, and you're going to come inside with me." The accent was unmistakably european, butchering the American English words that passed through Anselm's cracked lips. "Any jumpy moves and your skull is coming apart like an overripe tomato." He gave the other no time to question his orders, and he placed one foot back behind himself, drawing back into the darkness of the hotel. What light there was poured in from the ajar door where the two stood, barely illuminating the German's features.
 
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On the right side of the street where the sun hadn't hit yet was an old Apartment complex. There was one way in and one way out. The front door was like that of a hospitals. Open with a push and pull with a close. There were six floors. The first which was the ground of course was the lobby, the game area and the tv. People lounged there but not anymore. The second floor was filled with exercise rooms , weights. Your thick headed body builders would work out there, but just like the first floor...not anymore. The rest were just rooms , rooms and more rooms. Little old Chris was on the sixth floor, the highest floor. The stairs leading there were covered by pillows she stacked together using glue, some tape and books to keep them stable. It wasn't you normal wall ,to keep those things out, more of a warning to her. Because once those books she placed fell she would hear them, she would know to high tail it out.


She was all the way down the hall in room 806. The knob was broken off and the door blocked with dressers and the bed. Inside was a small blanket she picked up off the ground from a hospital that was a few blocks away. Next was her small fanny pack. That held her flashlight, used batteries and a small napkins she found while browsing through the run down cafes. She was leaning against the wall not close to the door though. That was on her right while the window that was slightly cracked to her left. The window was cracked for three solid reasons. Reason 1 , the smell in this room needed to fade, and she need clean supply of air. Second reason was the noise. She needed to hear what was coming, walking past or any screams near by. That would tell her there to close, she needs to be careful. Reason number three, quick escape. There was a dumpster under her window. All she needed to do was tie some sheets she found from the three rooms on her floor and tie them together. Tie it to the end of the bed then jump out. Simple and quick for the most part.


She never closed it , never. This was one of her rules. She couldn't tell the time, what day , what hour. All she knew was how long she lived. She counted the days by when the sun goes down then comes back up. She was wiping her knife off with a small cloth she found under the bed when she first entered. Her eyes looked dead as he body was limp. Her right knee up and brought in while her left was stretched out . Her hair was messy and you could tell she hadn't washed it in days. Her lips were cracked and dry. Her water supply ran out a day ago, and she knew she wouldn't make it the next three days. She let out a soft low sigh as she ran her fingers over the blade. "Rule one, do not trust others for they lead to failure." She repeated to herself. She did this to keep herself in check, so she didn't slip up. "Two , do not make friends. Three, do not take risky actions. Four do not compromise your living arrangements. Five , do not share your supplies with any."


"Six, listen and open your ears. Your must value your hearing. Seven, watch....your eyes are the key to your next escape and your next move that may very well save your life. Eight, do not go through your supplies like water, save them. Nine....eight.... do not disclose your name, you are a ghost. Ten, if you are under pressure, or you are to die and you see it...kill yourself to save you the pain. Last one...ten....above all else,, save your stamina. " She sighed as she let the last word role of her tongue. The last was the most one, save it. Don't run if you can help it, run when the situation is rough, rocky. She put the knife back in it's holster. Her left leg moving up so she it would make it easier to clasp in. She laid her leg back down as she reached over toward her fanny pack. She had a shot gun in the corner. Sadly she only had two bullets left. She had wasted it on a crawler that was neck to neck with her. Only one way to get free, kill the sucker with all the fire power she had.


She did however manage to get a pole that had fallen. It wasn't to heavy but it was doable. With much force, blood and sweat she managed to make a good thin point at the right end. The left was for clubbing and trying to push things away. She smiled at her art work, running her small fingers across it. "father." She had rolled her eyes when she remembered the day that she had killed her father and her brother. They broke the rules, the same rules that had helped them live this far into this silly game. Yes this game. This was survival. A game of the wits. Strength was useless in a game like this. You needed a plan, a place, you needed the brains to live in a game like this. Luckily she had these brains, and the gut to stay in it. Unlike others who killed themselves she decided to challenge this world. To live it out to the end
 
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Vincent was having a sweet dream about his family in the past. They were all happy, Especially his wife, Sarah. Everyone was smiling and full of life. Than everything began to shake, Literally. There was an earthquake and he watched his daughter cry in fear and his wife holding onto her. Vincent realized that he was pretty far from them and ran towards them.


" Vincent ! " Sarah called out to him while reaching for him.


Vincent thrust his right hand forward trying to reach for her as well. He was nearly there, Only a couple of centimeters were left before he could grab hold the hand of his wife. Then that's where everything went to hell. Literally, The ground that his family were standing on suddenly separated creating a large crack for them to fall.


" NO !! " Vincent screamed out.


" Wake up !! " Krista called out to him as she was shaking him. Vincent woke up, All sweaty and breathing heavily. He just realized that it was only a dream, A bad dream. He was looking up at the ceiling, and he could see a little bit of sunlight coming from under the door.


" Man, Remind me to set up an alarm clock for you " Krista humored about his sleeping and Vincent stood up rubbing his forehead. His head was aching a bit. Then he looked at Krista, He was then suddenly reminded of his daughter's face on her face. He then looked back down and rubbed his eyes this time while supporting himself with his other hand by placing it on the ground.


" What is it ? " He asked her as he looked at the all finished campfire. There were only ashes left.


" I think.. " She hesitated for a moment and then continued, " I think someone's outside.. " .


Vincent's eyes widen to hear that as he quickly stood up and picked up his bag . He then helped Krista up while saying " Come on, Let's get outta here " . Krista stood up and picked up her bag as she swung it behind her. Vincent, slowly and steadily opened the door as it gives out a little creak. He cursed for the rusted ledge of the door and then he crept out of it together with Krista.


" I think they're in the back entrance in where we came in .. " She whispered as Vincent nodded and attached himself to a wall and started to walk slowly. He then finally arrived at the edge and took a peak by tilting his head a little. There, He saw two man, One was holding up his gun against the man from before. He didn't care much about them, He cared for their safety instead.


" Come on " Vincent whispered as he moved the other way with Krista. He didn't want to get mixed up in their trouble.


After a few feet away from them, They arrived in the what seems to be the main hall of the building. It was vast, and there were two stairways paralleling each other while going up on the same floor. He then realized that this place was a Hotel, And must've been a grand one to have such a feat. He can hear in the background Krista saying " Whoa.. " .


Then there it was, The front entrance, He quickly dashed towards it and pushed the door a little to see if it was open. To his joy, It was. " Come on Krista " he called out to her as he opened the door for her to go out first. Krista went out first then Vincent followed. He then closed the door and looked around for something to lock it with. He saw a wooden plank and took it as he inserted it in between the door's handles. Locking it temporarily.


He then looked back and realized that they were outside once again. They were not yet out of the City. They still had to go through the underground train rails of Boston, Because the whole surface were filled with abandoned and rusted car. it would take days for them to get past all of these.


" Where are we head ? " Krista asked as Vincent walked towards the entrance of the underground train.


" Just follow me " He answered as Krista gave a annoyed look and sighed as she followed Vincent.


Vincent, Knowing that the underground was a dangerous place to be in, Hopes for the best for the both of them that they won't die in the process of getting out of the city. He especially hoped for Krista's safety not knowing why he would hope for that.


Sol The Hastag if you don't reply soon, I may be forced to drop you out of the RP ]
 
[Got it.]


Well, Shit. Did Vincent turn German overnight? Oh well, this guy doesn't seem to be joking and neither does his rusty old Remington. I'm pretty sure I caught him in a good mood, whoever this guy is, he looked like he'd blast my head off anyway. I must have gotten the wrong building altogether. This whole assessment of the situation happened in the blink of an eye for Jon, he learned how to think fast and react faster. Not that he would ever be faster than a buckshot point-blank.


"Alright, calm down, big guy. I'm coming in." Jon had his hands up to show the German he was unarmed and willing to comply with the request or order, he couldn't really tell because of the heavy accent he could hear from the man with the shotgun. How the f*ck am I supposed to get out of this? "You wouldn't mind lowering the shotgun on my face, now would you?" The request came out of his mouth in the most even tone he could manage, which meant it was laced with fear and very very shaky.


He has a shotgun and who knows how much ammo, I've got a single shot pistol and a switchblade. If this gets messy, the first three seconds are going to have to count. Because either he dies in three seconds or he puts enough distance between the two of us and paints the wall red. The odds were still stacked against Jon, no matter how he looked at the situation. He'd have to play diplomat and maybe part with some things if he would even get a remote chance at walking away alive.


The interior of the building still retained signs of last night's cool breeze and it was pitch black. Jon couldn't see much but could still feel the steel of the barrel resting on his cheek as he slowly walked inside the building. "Alright, what do you want from me? I've got some supplies and a pistol with one in the chamber. I don't have much on me, I swear. No ration cards either." Jon didn't see much of a point to hide his meager possessions from the German, not that the German could ever profit much from Jon's things. The day just started and now this.
 
The streets of Boston were fairly empty except for the rusted hulking vehicles that littered and obstructed the main road, Allan checked his watch for a moment and then peered in the general direction of the sun. He squint slightly as the glare made it hard to see, the sound of loose paper smacking against the grey asphalt and floating on into the wind faded away as the breeze grew stronger. Boston had the air of Summer about it, the warm sun rays, the chirping birdsong in the trees and the smell of honeysuckle on the wind.


Allan knelt low, balancing on the balls of his toes. He swayed slightly while he took several skin samples from a human corpse, it appeared as though it had not been infected at all. The erstwhile medical student surmised that the cause of death was most likely mundane, however the possibility that one out of a thousand sampled corpses might hold genes capable of staving off the Ophiocordyceps Unilateralis fungal strain.


The former medical student took a deep breath before he leaned in closer to the decomposing corpse and pried open its jaws, with a practiced hand he bagged his previous skin samples, renewed his latex gloves and retrieved the necessary equipment to perform an oral sampling. With expert and careful actions he wiped the head of a q-tip (cotton bud) against the inside of the corpse's mouth, his gas mask firmly in place Allan then put his hand into the corpse's mouth and pulled out its tongue for examination. In his other hand he took notes on the colour, firmness and texture of the muscle before he moved away and discarded yet another pair of latex gloves.


He hefted the Ruger American rifle over his shoulder and secured his scoped hunting pistol. He was never a pro hunter but it had been years since he first approached the RnD Group, since then he trained with their ex military security force since he was one of only 3 field researchers, the other two would be in Chicago.


Slowly he moved through the streets keeping an ear out for any signs of danger, Clicker, Bloater or otherwise. The swift decline in human morality since the first infection hadn't shocked him, he was educated enough to know that under such stress as a viral outbreak of this caliber that societies all over the world had shattered. In America Microcosms had been created and small groups of people began banding together for better or worse but the smartest had remained alone for some time, after any crisis there was always a period where the fat was 'culled'.


Suddenly, he could hear voices on the wind, it sounded like a panicked male trying to talk someone down and no matter how much he wished to avoid the conflagration, it sounded like the voice was coming from the self same direction he was heading in. So, he ducked down low and began to creep along as silently as he could, if he was lucky he'd be able to sneak past and make his way back to the RnD facility.
 
"I'll be the judge of that," The German answered back as they entered into the building. "Now lower your voice or you'll get us both killed." At least inside they would be out of sight from prying eyes. He did grant the man some solace by pulling back a few inches, but the old and solid Remington was still level with the torso. He could just pull his trigger and the single slug would tear through them like a knife through warm butter.


He'd gesture with the tip of the barrel. "Start with the pistol. Hand it towards me with the grip forward. If you've got any funny ideas, you better put it right between my eyes, ja?" He'd heard the same spiel from countless souls before. Oh, please, we don't have anything! We only have enough to survive for the day, please! Liars, every one of them, just looking out to protect their own ass. Truth be told, now that he considered it, he saw no reason to relieve this man of his supposed meager possessions. But he wanted him disarmed before he began interrogating them. It was obvious that the man he held at gunpoint was either with the old man and the girl, or he was following them for some reason.


Fischer wanted to get to the bottom of things; maybe he'd learn something of value, a base or a cache of supplies he could definitely profit off of. It never hurt for some shotgun diplomacy. In fact, it was quite effective when you got the jump on someone not expecting a gun in the face. That's what's wrong, why so many have died because of the outbreak. They had their faith in humanity, and they paid for it dearly.
 
"Alright. I warn you, I don't have much. However, I understand that I'm in no bargaining position and this is a one-sided exchange." Turned to face the German in the darkness, the room was lit by whatever light could slip through whichever crack, it was enough to make out the shape of the German and some of his features. A rugged, "You think I'm playin?" kind of expression was on his face. The German meant business, and Jon could think that he was the kind who'd religiously stick to a plan.


He handed the pistol over to the German, grip forward as was instructed of him. Jon tensed up a bit, for all he knew, this was all just a ploy by the German to acquire more supplies and not expend any of his current stock in disposing of him. However, the previous statement gave pause to the rogue idea forming in Jon's head. If he was to be disposed in such confined spaces, the gunshot would echo in the small room several times over and any hallways would focus it to whichever direction they were heading. It would bring several infected to the area, he could run, but it didn't look like he was sure of his escape plan, or if the German had any escape plan. Of course, these were all just variables, the room could be big for all he knew, Jon still didn't adjust to the low light.


"So anything else you need from me?" Knowledge and preparation was what kept Jon alive, the more he knew, the easier it was to formulate a plan and a plan for the plan. "My name is Jonathan by the way." He needed German to warm up to him and trust him. Trust. A rare commodity for barter with a very strange bartering system. You'd have to give it first before you can receive any in return, much like an investment. Except it rarely comes with an increase and you're more likely to get screwed over. If he could get on the good side of German and redirect him to follow Vincent and Krista, it would make the overall trek to Washington even safer, if for a short period of time. Still so many things that can go wrong.
 
Fischer took hold of the pistol; it would be so easy to put that bullet into the man before him, whom introduced themselves as 'Jonathan.' But it had not been his intention to kill them, at least not yet. He would reach behind himself and stuff the pistol into the back of his pants before bringing the hand back to grip at the Remington.


He decided to lay some of his cards out on the table, since it seemed 'Jonathan' was inviting him to ask away. "I watched your group approach last night. Heading away from the quarantine zone. To where? And why?" He'd narrow his eyes, to show the other that he was still quite serious and that he wasn't letting his guard down until he got what he wanted.


He thought about what he needed to do after he got the information he wanted, how to approach the old man and the girl. What to do with 'Jonathan.' And how he was going to carry any loot if he ended up robbing them or killing them. After all, he was just one man, despite how much his body had adjusted to the rigors of new life in this fallen babylon.
 
"Well I intend to bring the girl to Washington. I don't know where the other guy wants to bring her to." Jon turned to face the German and tried to keep a blank face as he answered the question, it was easy enough to accomplish since it was to his benefit that he should come clean. It would make a negotiation with the German easier, Jon didn't have much to hide anyway.


"My question now is, Who are you?" The German was still holding the Remington to his face, and it didn't seem like he would loosen the grip on the shotgun anytime soon. Jon was in a complete disadvantage in the current situation and he'd have to figure out a way out of this one or simply hope this German would find some spark of kindness in his soul, no matter how unlikely that would ever happen. "I take it you're not putting the gun away any time soon." Jon pointed out the obvious, whatever he was doing or saying all ran on instinct and impulse now.


Still though, the fact that he was being watched as he shadowed the couple last night unsettled Jon to a certain extent. He didn't like the fact that someone out there was watching him. For all he knew, the German could be a representative from Oxford's group. Not one day into the job and B.Ox already sent someone after him.
 
" So, Where does this tunnel lead ? " Krista asked as the passed by the ruined ticket booth and Vincent going pass the gate already. The tunnel was somewhat dark, The only light it was giving out was from the light of the entrance. Vincent then switched on the flashlight from his belt loop. He then looked back at Krista and motioned for her to move faster.


" This 'tunnel' is what we call, The Subway " Vincent corrected her. As she looked at him with an intrigued faced and a little excitement.


" Ooh ooh ! I've read about the Subway ! " She replied as she skipped around and Vincent sighing from her childishness . She was now scanning the wallpaper about some movie called " The Dragon's Disciple " posted on the cracked walls. That movie was a couple of years ago before the outbreak. He promised Sarah that they would watch that together, Unfortunately, He wasn't able to keep it. The movie was all about a father losing his family to a corrupt king. He was then exiled out of the kingdom. On his journey seeking for revenge, He met a dragon, Just when the dragon was about to eat him, It stopped and realized that the man was not aggressive. Or rather, The man was waiting for his death instead. The dragon, Feeling pity (which was impossible Vincent thought) , Took the man in and trained him how to be like a dragon. The man learned to run fast, Have incredible strength, and did the impossible thing of breathing out fire. And you know the rest, He saves the kingdom by defeating the Corrupt king.


" This movie seems interesting " Krista said as Vincent looked up again and raised an eyebrow. " I've never seen a movie before " Krista added as Vincent felt his heart drop a little.


" Well, Someday, You'll see one " He answered as Krista looked at him with a happy and 'looking-forward-to-it' face. Vincent wasn't sure if there were still some working DVD players, Or if there were any DVDs at all. But he didn't want to let Krista down, Not like he let Sarah down as well.


" Come on " He called out to her as Krista walk ran a little towards him. " We have to get out of here, and fast " He answered as Krista nodded following Vincent from behind. Vincent then started to go past the Ticket Gate where the machine takes the ticket and then allows one person to pass. Since the machine wasn't working anymore. They just jumped over it and continued on their merry way.
 
Satisfied that he was relatively in no danger, Allan moved along careful not to alert any nearby Clickers or humans. Both were as bad as the others nowadays. Allan himself had no trouble in leaving people to die, those he cared about were dead and even though it was heart wrenching h had to leave them in Houston. They were too far away for him to save, his biggest guilt was that he didn't even try to find them, he just wrote them off like he wrote the rest of the world off.


Years ago he saved a boy from what appeared to be certain death but unfortunately for Allan it turned out to be trap, a trap he just narrowly escaped. They were a group of hunters and the boy was just as twisted, had Allan not seen the smears of blood on the boy he'd be poo on the asphalt by now.


A little more confident Allan turned a corner and found the road blocked by several cars, the trap was obvious and the erstwhile medical student was not about to be duped again. instead he circled away from the piled up vehicles even if the end was only a few feet away, it was not worth the risk and too few things were now. Instead he gave the trap a wide berth and continued on a little further. The Signs of human traffic grew less and less, that meant; infected and a good number of them too.


Further down the road he spotted a stairway down to the underground tube, it was risky but it meant he could avoid Clicker territory, at most there should only be a dozen or so between him and freedom. He wasn't lying to himself, he knew well enough that a dozen Clickers was just the same as a thousand of them but he'd choose a dozen over a thousand any day.


He quickly made his way into the barely lit tunnels, he jumped the ticketing station and continued along the service line. It was much easier than trudging through the gravel. Eventually he reached the next station. There he found a pair of people, one was a man, in the dim light he could barely make out any telling characteristics but the smaller person was definitely a girl or woman.


As silently as he could, Allan snuck up a few feet away from the duo.


"Freeze and put up your hands, turn around slowly and kick your weapons to me. I don't wanna hurt no one but it don't hurt to be careful nowadays. When you're done I want you to hold out your hands toward me."


Every word was true, he wanted to let them be but he couldn't risk them being a part of a group of Hunters. Cannibals and human people who pretend to be vampires often suffer from anemia, it was one of the few, consistent and most telling features. He was pointing his Ruger American Rifle with scope, it was aimed between the duo to allow him to choose which one to shoot at a moment's notice. He waited silently for the pair to comply
 
Chris stretched out her legs as she looked about the room. She let out a sigh as she brought them close up toward her chest , hugging them as if she was a sacred little girl in a corner. She let her head rest on her knees as she exhaled the breath she had inhaled before. It was quiet, she like the quiet. It meant she was safe for another day. She would have to leave tomorrow, she couldn't stay here to long. The undead, clickers men with more fire power than she had would surly come her way. Just like all lost lambs the wolf would pick her out. She opened her eyes, her grey iris looking outside of the window. She squinted a little when she saw what seemed like a ghost wave there hands about. She had slightly lifted her head from its position. She put her hand down next to her to lean to the side to get a better look.


It was a man waving for help. She was shocked he was there, no worried, why he was doing that. She quickly shook her head no and laid down. Her arm that had supported her slid down slowly not to make a sound. Her head no rested on the wooden floor as she let her other arm rest on her legs. She closed her eyes shut trying not to think of the man that was in the window. He was causing to much attention to him which would lead them to her. She had curled up her knees bring them to her chest. She had covered her ears as she counted to ten. The night would surly end and morning would come. At dawn she would leave for the sewers, or at least a better short cut then the one she took to get here. Her bag was already packed of what she needed. The metal things wrapped from the fabric to the bed. She had stopped counting slowly drifting off in to sleep. She would not say she lived today, not until she opened her eyes again, and she was alive.
 
When they were just on their own business. Someone from behind called out to them. Krista pulled on Vincent's shirt and called out to him, " Vincent.. " She said in a scared and worried voice. Vincent realized something was wrong and turned behind him. There was a man, Pointing rifle towards the both of them. They're in a really bad situation. And popping that rifle would only make it worst. He raised both of his hands up and Krista followed his lead.


" We're not looking for trouble " He said calmly to show that he's not his enemy. He wouldn't want to give away his only weapon. A m1911 with five rounds in it would save his ass but pulling it out would only worsen the situation he and Krista are now. He then turned his head towards Krista. She was trying to give out a smile showing that she's not harmful, But her hands were shaking.


" Y-you're not going to shoot us are you ? " Krista asked the man in a hopeful tone.


" Well, If he does shoot us here, He won't be escaping alive " He said then he turned his head towards the man. He knows what would happen if a loud bang would occur. Even if he misses all his shots. A horde of infected coming towards them would be bad news. Really, really bad news.


" You do know what would happen if you let out a shot ? " He asks the man as he slowly lets his arm down and reaching for the gun on the back side of his pant's pocket. Man, What a mess that they were in today.
 
'Jonathan' continued to prod, pressing their luck and seemingly cracking wise about the current predicament. However, Fischer was not in the mood for satire and it had no effect as he kept the Remington leveled at the chest of his mark. They had acquiesced to his demands thus far, still it bore no reason for him to lower his guard. In this dog eat dog world, a moment's weakness could be exploited for disastrous results.


"Who I am isn't important, but answering my questions is. Why is the girl being escorted? Is she special?" Fischer drilled them continually for information. He didn't pause long before speaking again, intent on finding out everything that he could. The quicker things were wrapped up and he learned anything of value, the quicker he could move on. It was dangerous enough that he'd remained here overnight, and doubly so that they were out in the open almost. Anything could get the drop on them. "And why Washington? What's there?" His face remained stern as ever, betraying not a single shred of personality outside of being inquisitive and demanding. The more details of him that are enshrouded in mystery, the better for his safety. Even the dim light made it hard to make out his face.


"Tell me what I want to know, and you and I can walk out of here all peaceful-like."
 
Allan sighed, the guy was right, if he shot either one of them he may as well have shot himself, but it did give him a little more information. He saw the girl smile, he guessed she was trying persuade him that she was of no harm but even woman could be hunters and she kinda looked a like a weirdo. "Who in the world would have the nerve to smile in a place like this?" He asked himself, he sighed again and acquiesced,, it was better for him this way, at least they were all in equal danger, until the end of the tunnel came anyway.


"I'm Allan, and no I wasn't going to kill you but don't think for one second that I trust 'either' of you." Allan pointed out, looking from one stranger to the next and back. "Anyways, if we all want to get out of here alive, I suggest we do it soon, there's no telling what's behind us." Allan gestured for the other two people to keep walking, that's not to say that he was going to walk behind the duo, no. He was going to keep in step with them, at least that way, they all had an equal chance of dying.


He returned the rifle to its place; hanging at his back, he moved his hand to the pistol in its holster just to check it was there. Just as a final reassurance Allan hefted his pistol a little, it was heavy which meant the clip was full. Satisfied his weapons were in order, Allan dug his hand into his pockets and began his quiet walk towards partial construction.
 
The moment he knew that Allan let his guard down. Vincent stepped in but Krista stopped him by holding his shirt and shaking her head. It is as if she knew what he was going to do next. Vincent looked at her and sigh as he eased down. He doesn't trust this, Allan. But he can't make any trouble right now. Krista was right, He shouldn't risk it.


" I'm Krista, And thanks for not going to kill us " She introduced herself with a little humor. It seemed like she was trying to make friends with Allan. For some reason, She seemed a little bit cheerful now. Just a moment ago, She was shaking in fear. She then started to follow Allan as Vincent shook his head. He still doesn't trust this guy and probably he never will.


" And this guy is Vincent, He's esc- " Before she could finish. Vincent grabbed her on her hand and pulled her to him and whispered to her face.


" You shouldn't go telling people why I'm here and what's my job " He suggested her in more of a forceful way. Telling someone that he's only escorting her to Chicago would mean others might think she's valuable. Meaning more trouble for Vincent.


" But I'm only trying to win his trust.. ! " Krista tried to convince Vincent, whispering of course. But Vincent only shook his head and let go of her arm as she looked down for a moment and gave out a sigh. She then looked back at Vincent as he shook his head again. Krista turned her head forward looking at Allan. An then Vincent followed.


" Anyway.. This man is Vincent " Krista introduced Vincent in a dark tone. It seemed that all her cheerfulness was gone. But Vincent didn't care. It would at least mean no trouble for the both of them.
 
The movement...The hand... They were minute movements but in word where every move could kill you, you tend to notice the smaller ones. The girl-Krista probably just saved all their lives, had Vincent made another step Allan would have shot off his pistol just to spite the man and condemn them all to whatever painful end they'd all undergo at the hands of Clickers.


"I'm Allan and I want to get out of here 'alive'." He said while pointedly looking at her companion, he didn't care where they were from or what they were doing all he cared about was getting out, preferably not in the stomach of an infected.


"Look, I don't care you two are, but you're in my way, forgive my lack of manners but I left those behind ages ago, so are we moving along or are we going to be talking until we're Clicker mush or worse 'Clickers'."


The hairs on his back were standing on edge all of a sudden, the quicker he got out of the tunnel and away from these two strangers the better. They looked like they depended on each other ad by the looks of them the girl was the optimistic, overbearing conscience of the pair while he was a pessimistic, paranoid narcissist. The duo complemented each other rather well and just as soon as he got the chance he'd leave them to their wandering or whatever it was they were doing together.
 
It didn't feel like the German was caving in with the attempts at diplomacy. Either Jon himself was a bad at it or the German was simply too paranoid. Then again, paranoia usually meant survival in this world, anything and everything is out to get you one way or another. The Remington was still pointed to his chest, he'd have to go completely clean with the German then. There wasn't much point in beating around the bush at all, he was already screwed the moment he handed over the single shot pistol anyway.


"The girl? I have no idea about her. Washington? Some people in Washington want her and hired me to get here there in exchange for residency in a small secure compound. That man with her? I have no idea where he's taking her. So we aren't much of a group, I was simply tailing them until you got the drop on me. Before you even ask, My supplies are all right here and you have my only weapon."


He dumped out all the contents of his bag, which were old clothes, a gas mask filter and the gas mask with a filter. All of them were important and expendable at the same time, as long as Jon was still alive he would still carry on. If the gas mask was taken from him, he would simply have to skirt the spores he'd come into contact with. He'd also have to avoid getting injured as those clothes served as makeshift bandages.
 
Vincent hated this guy even more. Although just like the both of them, He just wanted to get out of here alive. He understood, But that doesn't mean he gets to be an ass. Krista was following Allan and Vincent was at the back. He then looked at Allan point at him and Krista.


" Look here son, If you know the way out of here then go ahead. Wouldn't you want to be the first one to get out ? " He asked him as Krista looked at Vincent, giving him a frown.


Vincent shrugged and mouthed, 'what ?'. Not only was the man annoying, but Krista was siding with him and he felt like he was alone in this. They were standing there for a minute or two until Vincent broke the silence, " Well, Aren't we gonna keep going ? Didn't you want to get out of here 'Alive' ? " he asked the man as he shook his head and moved ahead of them.


Krista then sighed and followed Vincent. It's not like she doesn't like him, But it's more like she trusts Vincent even more than she trusts Allan.


" So Allan ? " Krista called him, " What are you doing here in Boston ? " She asked him a question in a curious tone. Vincent just sighed and continued walking down until he arrived at the railway. There was a subway bus, But it was most likely not functional, And cramped up because of the debris on top of it.
 
Allan shrugged at Vincent's remark, they had obviously gotten off on the wrong foot but it didn't matter, all that mattered was getting the samples back on time, he didn't want to be late. He followed along behind the duo, it was not his original plan but it was a far sight better than having the back of his head burned through by Vincent's evil looks of death.


He trudged on behind the duo, signs of destruction and mayhem warn into the very walls that surrounded them. Bones turned green with decay and moss, strewn pieces of metal littered the bent and misshapen railway tracks. The scenario was now a picture of sadness, gloom and decay where once it was a sign of progress and overpopulation.


Up ahead a train car crumpled and rusted with age, Allan sighed, their world may have had its problems but it was a far sight better than the situation humanity found itself in. Then Krista broke the solemn silence with a question.


"Hm? Oh well, let's just say if I tell you, I'll end up dead before tomorrow comes, infected or no. Don't worry though, I just stumbled on you two, I've been hearing rumors of people stalking others for their gear."


He wondered idly to himself if he had stumbled upon a pair of stalker but shrugged off the notion, at this point it didn't matter, the stuff he had in his pockets was sensitive information, if something were to happen he'd be forced to call the Clickers, they at least would do their best to get rid of the evidence.
 
" Quite true " Krista agreed as Vincent climbed up the wrecked train and offered Krista a hand. She first looked up and then stepped backwards to build up momentum then stepped forward and jumped as she grabbed Vincent's hand and Vincent grabbing back. He then began to pull her up as Krista tried to climb up by stepping on the window and pushing herself up with her foot.


......click..


Vincent's ears twitched that moment he heard that sound. He then looked back and stared off in a distance. While Krista offered Allan a hand. Vincent then started to wander off forward, suspicious and curious to what the sound was.


" Hey ! a little help here ? " Krista called out to Vincent as she was waiting for Allan to grab hold of her hand and Vincent looked back. It must have been just his imagination. He then walked back towards Krista and knelt down on one of his knees and offered Allan a hand for him to get up as well. Whatever the hell was in these passages. It's not easy.


" You gonna stand there all day ? Or are you gonna grab our hand and let us pull you up ? " Vincent asked Allan as he waits for an answer.


......click..click...click..
 
Allan took the proffered hand, his heart skipped a beat when he heard those telltale clicks. He scrambled atop the metal wreck as quickly and quietly as he could with both Krista's and Vincent's help. All the while his heart palpitated at breakneck speeds. Hearing death sidle up around the corner no matter how ready you were to die was a harrowing experience. Being atop the wreck they were somewhat safer than they had been, discerning which direction those clicks came from was priority, freaking out could happen later......if there was a later.


Allan took control of himself, a few heavy breaths and he had collected enough calm to carry on. I hope that's not what I think it is. he whispered conspiratorially to his reluctant companions. 'Companions' that's what they were, reluctant though they may be. Until the moment when dropping someone was more advantageous that's what they were. Allan didn't think he could do it again, leave people behind, for so long he tried to do his best, he left countless people dying in his wake, not of his own hand but their blood still stained them.


He unholstered his hunting pistol and held it in front of him as he moved, the thing would prove less than useless if his suspicions were correct but it gave him confidence and calmed his nerves to have something, anything to comfort him.
 
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