#jss | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

pedroramscal · 1 year

Text

Lost in the darkness

I always wondered how much of an iconic duo Ellie and Carl Grimes would make (my apocalypse kids <3), so I figured I'd start a fanfic where Carl is part of the journey too.

Not a romantic fic.

Takes place during the first part/season of The Last of Us

Warning: blood, death, swearing, your typical apocalypse things

Wordcount: 2.3k

There were many things Joel Miller hated. And the infamous quote of the Fireflies was on top of his list.

He found it ironic that the Fireflies were encouraging people to step up against FEDRA and look for the light while blowing things up at the QZ.

Living his life as a smuggler, his only goal of his was to find his brother, Tommy, who just stopped answering his calls. He knew that sending a message back was time-consuming but now it has been too long.

He knew how different Tommy was from him. He always wanted to be the savior after all the fucked up things they had done. And Joel understood that even though he barely had feelings left anymore.

The remained ruins of his personality and humanity were usually brought out by certain factors.

Such as the goddamn kid in the sheriff hat who never gave him peace.

Just as he could finally get rid of the FEDRA soldier who gave him a friendly warning to not leave the QZ at the moment, he let out a shaky sigh and weighed the options he got left.

Joel turned around and felt his body freeze when he noticed Carl Grimes sitting in the middle of the staircase that led access to the top floors of a building that’s clearly seen better days.

”How long have you been sitting there?” Joel furrowed his eyebrows, wrinkles deepening on his hard face.

”Long enough.”

Joel glanced to the side before sinking his hands into his pockets.

”Didn’t they tell you to not stick your nose into other people’s business?” Joel asked, his voice confident and dominant.

Carl shrugged before bouncing his knee up and down.

”Your parents didn’t teach you anything?”

Pain shook Carl’s heart but the fourteen years old boy’s face remained expressionless. The days when he’d let Joel Miller out of all people get under his skin were gone.

Despite the old man’s harsh words and bones chilling tone, Carl wasn’t threatened. He wasn’t a little boy anymore. He had seen and been through too many horrific things to get scared just like that.

”No, my dad taught me how to use a gun. That’s more helpful than manners nowadays.”

Joel let out a deep breath while studying the bruise on the boy’s face. It was certainly new, hence as he didn’t see it on him last night.

”And look where did that get you.”

Carl scoffed and pushed himself up, leaning against the rail of the stairs.

”I was already here when you decided to run your drug business here in plain sight while execution is taking place.”

”And why are you here specifically?”

Joel didn’t have to think twice to realize that after everything the Grimes boy had been through, he didn’t want to just stand on the square while they hung those people.

Carl never told him anything about his past or the whereabouts of his family. Not that he ever asked but he would have expected a kid his age to be more communicative.

It didn’t go unnoticed by Joel how uncomfortable Carl has become in only a matter of seconds. He was a tough kid, that was sure and Joel couldn’t help but wonder what kind of inhumane things he had to go through to get to this cold state.

Sometimes Joel felt like he was looking into the mirror whenever he was facing Carl.

The coldness and dark thoughts clouding his eyes, the face of someone who had nobody in this damned world… it was all too familiar to him.

But it wasn’t his business or problem to try to change Carl and remind him that he was only a kid after all.

”Whom did you piss off this time?” Joel asked after a few beats of silence, nodding toward the boy’s bruised face.

”Chris Ledstone.”

Joel sighed and a scoff took over his face.

”So much for your keeping your head low.”

Carl groaned, ”Spare me the lecture, Joel.”

”I would if you’d keep yourself to your word.”

”I didn’t start it.” Carl defended himself in a sharp tone.

Teenagers.

”I don’t care,” Joel glared at him. ”You keep getting into trouble long enough and everyone will hate you.”

”Good,” Carl stormed down the stairs with heavy steps. The metal painfully cracked beneath his shoes. ”I never intended to be everyone’s favorite person anyway. I’m not letting Ledstone or any other asshole walk through other people for their entertainment.”

Joel grabbed Carl’s skinny arm, stopping him from walking away. Carl shot him a deadly glare which he undoubtedly got from his father.

”Is this what the fight was about? Chris screwing around with someone weaker than him?”

Carl didn’t answer, only dropped his gaze to the ground.

Joel let go of his arm, searching for the boy’s eyes, ”I understand your reasons but some people have to learn how to stand up for themselves. You can’t solve other people’s problems all the time."

Carl knew Joel was right but his brain was stormed off with unsaid harsh answers. Just because someone was weak that didn’t give others the right to bully them.

”Now go and put some ice on your face before Tess sees it.”

It’s been a few months since Carl was found outside of the Boston QZ. He had nothing on himself but scars, dirt, ghosts in his eyes, and his Beretta. He never answered any of the questions the guards had asked him while looking for any sight of infection which wasn’t a new thing.

One of the guards suggested that Tess could look after the boy and help him adapt to his new home which was pushing Tess over the edge. Carl saw how much she was trying to get to know him but he never gave too much away about himself.

Considering the fact that Tess had a son whom she couldn’t kill made their situation even more bittersweet. She never talked about her son but the undeniable pain and wonder were always clear in her eyes.

Whenever she looked at Carl, she was wondering what her son would look like if he would still be alive, what would he do, and how different things would be with having two boys under her roof. She had a feeling that her son would have made friends with Carl pretty fast which would have helped the outsider boy warm up much more.

But she was working with what she could get.

Most of the time Carl was always around in the QZ after school, never leaving a message behind and he’d always show up quite late. Tess was worrying every time she went home to the empty apartment but she couldn’t force him to do anything.

Carl nodded and stepped away.

”I suppose you don’t have a pill for that, do you?”

Joel turned after him with an exhausted look on his face.

”You’re pushing your luck, kid.”

Carl gave Joel an empty smile. ”Been pushing it ever since I was born, old man.”

***

The rest of the day was a blur. Joel lost himself in the maze of maps, trying to find the shortest way to Wyoming while nightmares were haunting him from the night Sarah died. Her voice was still echoing in his head while she was bleeding out in his arms, terror filling her eyes that once were happy and bright.

The painful memories and the weight of his broken watch just intrigued him even more to leave the QZ and find Tommy as soon as he could.

He couldn’t lose anyone else.

After taking the sight of Tess’ beaten up face in, he realized that they had to go down the hard way. Not that he minded, he would have been more than happy to beat Robert’s face in. That fucker had it coming. Not only for screwing them over but also to let his men lay their hands on Tess.

When they finally had a lead, they weren’t patient to wait around anymore. They had to step up before it was too late. Navigating their way through the basement of an edifice and Joel giving lectures about the building’s structure, they finally found the right place.

With their guns in their hands and serious look on their faces, they searched the floor full of bodies.

Joel was more than disappointed to find Robert dead as well. But his confusion overwhelmed his frustration when he saw Carl kneeling above Robert’s corpse.

”Carl.” Joel’s voice cut through the silence like a knife, causing the boy to turn around.

Tess sighed and gave Carl a look of anger.

”I thought you were at school.”

Carl stood up, gripping his pistol like his life depended on it.

”I was on my way but then I heard all the shooting and…”

”And you decided to join the party?” Tess finished it for him. She was furious now and her face darkened.

Carl dropped his shoulders, realizing that he could not give any right answers to the adults. He knew he shouldn’t have come here but his curiosity was always bigger than his compromise to do what he was told.

He knew he was too young but he hated when adults only treated him like a kid. He could have been more helpful if they would have trusted him with actual duties like his father had done.

He missed how useful he was in the prison before they were attacked and the place tumbled to the Infected. Now, he was nothing to others but a teen whose only purpose was to sit at school instead of helping defend the QZ and the people in it.

He couldn’t save his mother, father, or sister. So, this was his only chance at redemption.

He had to keep these people safe otherwise he would be nothing and he wanted to be worthy of Rick’s legacy.

”Are you out of your fucking mind, kid?” Joel snapped as he lowered his gun. ”You could have died too!”

”But I didn’t.” Carl fired back with just as much fierce.

”Why don’t you do what you’re told? Why is it so hard to listen to us?”

”Because I’m not a burden!” Carl snapped. ”I know what is beyond these walls and I’ve been through so many things that you couldn’t even imagine. Unlike most of the other kids around here, I actually know the world and who the real monsters are.”

Joel remained silent as he acknowledged the fire of anger filling Carl’s eyes. He knew the boy wasn’t kidding but that didn’t settle his rage one bit. Carl was still reckless and impulsive. And those two things didn’t make a good combo.

He had to learn how to stay behind and help from the other side but Carl didn’t want to sit in the back. Not after what happened at the farm or the prison.

Carl knew that danger could show up any day and he wasn’t allowed to let his guard down. Ever. Just like Rick had told him.

No more kid stuff.

He felt sadness pull him down as he tore his gaze away from Joel’s. They didn’t understand him and that was alright. But that didn’t mean that he was going to let himself be another target ever again.

All the sleepless nights, the nightmares, and the guilt that was eating Carl from the inside were too much for him to comprehend.

”What would have happened if you got a bullet in your head too?” Tess stormed to the boy, her eyes never leaving him.

Carl didn’t answer which made Joel’s stomach turn. He couldn’t have come here hoping that he’d die too, could he?

Carl was afraid of death but lately, he became confident with its thought and presence. If his death would have helped someone then his sacrifice would have been worth it. And he could see his family again.

”I’m all right as you can see,” said Carl in a lower tone.

Tess’ expression dropped as she took a shaky breath. She grew more fond of the boy than she would have expected herself to. Suddenly, she found herself pacing around like a mother who had been told that her child was hurt.

Despite Carl keeping a distance between them, she couldn’t help but care for the lonely and broken boy. She knew he didn’t deserve to live in a world like this and lose his family at such young age, that’s why she was trying so hard to let him know that he wasn’t alone anymore.

An unfamiliar grunt interrupted their argument, causing all three of them to turn toward the voice while raising their guns at the same time.

Joel gave Carl a stern look, ordering him silently to stay behind and Carl obeyed. Joel was first in line while sneaking to the corner with Tess behind him. Carl fell a few feet behind as Joel glanced around the hall.

”Shit… Oh, God.”

Carl didn’t recognize the woman’s voice but from the sounds of her grunts, she was obviously hurt. In spite of hearing that she must have been shot, he still felt threatened by her presence.

Joel was tense as he was taking the sight in front of him in. Two injured women leaning on each other, cursing in pain. Just when he thought that one of them sounded familiar—

The door beside him swung open and someone ran against Joel, letting out a determined scream with a knife raised in the air.

Joel didn’t even realize what was going on, he was acting out of reflex. Before the knife could slice into his flesh, he turned his torso and snuck a hand around her back, pushing her forward, right into the wall.

The girl slammed helplessly against the wall, dropping her knife before collapsing to the ground.

”Fuck…” she stammered in pain and looked up at Joel with fury twisting her face.

Joel stared at the girl with confusion as Tess and Carl walked around the corner, catching up to him. Carl felt surprise wash his confusion away, it was one thing that he snuck in and skipped school for the rest of the day, but what was she doing here?

”Joel?”

Joel’s eyes found Marlene who looked as surprised as he was from the girl’s attempt to stab him on sight. The Firefly was the last person he expected to meet today.

”Marlene?”

8 notes · View notes

please-help-this-little-lesbian · 2 years

Text

Negan: There’s something wrong with you.

Jeanette, without missing a beat: Thanks I get it from you

#twd #the walking dead #twd incorrect quotes #the walking dead incorrect quotes #JSS #twd negan #twd ocs #jeanette smith

62 notes · View notes

robuste-z · 11 months

Text

Te perder me tirou de órbita durante muito tempo, eu preciso refazer minha vida e me reconhecer depois que você me aconteceu. Foram meses tentando me adaptar a tudo porque era muito novo, era sempre muito estranho olhar pro lado e não te ver.

Foram noites intensas, dolorosas e que por vezes me perdi em meu infinito de pensamentos carregando a única certeza de que eu não superaria você e por muito tempo eu mesma acreditei em minhas palavras, essa era a única coisa que parecia fazer sentido quando todo o resto estava bagunçado e eu não tinha forças para arrumar. Foi então, em um dia qualquer quando já tinha aprendido a lidar com toda aquela dor eu respirei fundo e comecei a limpar toda a bagunça. A retirar tudo que já não fazia sentido e abrir espaço para coisas novas.

Sem eu mesma me dar conta as coisas foram mudando de dentro pra fora e perder você já não tinha mais aquele peso todo. As lágrimas foram se secando gradativamente até se tornar raro. As noites de sono começaram a serem mais tranquilas e longas. Meu corpo começou a descansar e minha mente já não gritava tanto assim.

Os dias foram ficando mais leves e mesmo quando tudo parecia me atingir novamente já não tinha mais a mesma força, já não doía tanto quanto outrora. E por fim me dei conta de que eu sobrevivi a você, quando nem eu mesma achei que fosse ser possível. Hoje consigo pensar em você nem sempre com raiva, sem magoa e sem rancor.

Já não sei mais como anda você, se ainda gosta de mudar a cor do cabelo ou se decidiu voltar para aquela cor que você tanto gostava. Já não sei se seus passatempos favoritos ainda são os mesmos, tampouco sei se seus receios sobre o futuro ainda te atormentam ou se hoje você se sente mais encaminhado nessa jornada louca que é a vida. Você se tornou um estranho e eu também. Quase como se o nosso encontro nunca tivesse acontecido. Como se tudo aquilo fosse um sonho distante ou talvez uma mera ilusão criada pela mente distraída.

E escrever essas palavras sobre você me fez ver pela primeira vez que escolher a mim invés de escolher você foi a minha maior e melhor decisão. Perder você me fez ganhar mais do que eu poderia ter ideia naquele momento e eu não poderia estar mais satisfeita com minha escolha. Perder você foi a minha salvação.

#jss #meus #jssmeus #adeus.

2 notes · View notes

astrologanize · 2 years

Text

interesting to ask those close to you what type of person they see you with, they described someone who fit the more down-to-earth description of taurus (my descendant). one of them even specifically said someone who is Not ~power-driven~

#jss

13 notes · View notes

idigitalway · 2 years

Text

Pagespeed

IDigitalWay Speed Tools is a free test and analyse tools using Google pagespeed Insight API. Make Your Web Page Fast on all devices by following suggestion after analyse. Pagespeed is an important factors in website success. Faster Pagespeed increase customer satisfaction, impach search Ranking This Tools not only analyze performance of website but provide tools for minification of CSS and JSS. It will also automatically analyze images and convert it to Next-Gen Webp Images.

Minified CSS

IDigitalWay Speed Tools will analyze CSS and minified it during pagespeed test Minifying a CSS file implies the removal of unnecessary characters in the source code to reduce the file size and facilitate faster loading of the site. Minification reduces the size of css file which makes your website load faster. Minification will increase site speed and accessibility by decreasing load time Mification enable user to surf website efficiently on lower bandwidth

Minified JS

IDigitalWay Speed Tools will analyze JS files and minified it during pagespeed test Minifying a JS file implies the removal of unnecessary characters in the source code to reduce the file size and facilitate faster loading of the site. Minification reduces the size of JS file which makes your website load faster. Minification will increase site speed and accessibility by decreasing load time. Mification enable user to surf website efficiently on lower bandwidth.

Next-Gen Images

IDigitalWay Speed Tools is a free tools to convert your images to Next-Gen Images[webp]. It will show option to download converted images after analyze. Next-Gen images are highly compressed and quality images than JPEG and PNG. Next-Gen images also support lossless compression,lossy compression and animated images. iDigitalWay Tool will convert images in webp images which will be 25%-35% smaller then JPEG and also maintain quality.

#pagespeed #website performance #increase pagespeed #minified css #css #jss #minified jss #website load speed #page speed #website #website speed #webp #images to webp #next gen images

2 notes · View notes

briana-marela · 2 years

Photo

Briana Marela taken by Joel Skavdahl

#joelskavdahl #brianamarela #jss #seagullinvasion

6 notes · View notes

madisondixonhopper · 2 years

Photo

enid rhee 💞

#enid rhee #jss #twd #the walking dead #katelyn nacon

4 notes · View notes

todomeaburre · 20 days

Text

Mazda RX-7 FC3S / Keiichi Tsuchiya / Best MOTORing

#keiichi tsuchiya #mazda #fc3s #jss #japan super sport sedan championship #1992 #savanna #gif #my edit #mazda rx7 #jdm

30 notes · View notes

teachersupdates · 1 month

Text

The Mystery of Missing Sh1.7bn Intended for Junior Secondary School CBC Classes

The Mystery of Missing Sh1.7bn Intended for Junior Secondary School CBC Classes Questions have arisen regarding the construction of 10,000 classes in secondary schools during the Uhuru Kenyatta administration, intended to tackle the transition challenges of learners to Junior School under a Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC). A report by the Auditor-General has brought to light concerns about irregularities and unaccounted funds in the ministry's spending on classroom construction in 2021. The audit, which evaluated the Basic Education Department's financial records, revealed that the allocation of Sh1.78 billion for classroom construction remained unaccounted for. Initially, the ministry reported spending Sh4.48 billion on the project, significantly surpassing the approved budget of Sh2.69 billion. https://youtu.be/ofhK3_RgFbU?si=m33n7zCiynLDOqBw Register as a Teacher in Kenya and Get a TSC Number The construction aimed to alleviate existing congestion in schools and prepare for the anticipated transition of Grade 6 learners to junior secondary schools under the new CBC, predating the decision to host Junior School. "In the circumstances, we could not confirm the accuracy, completeness, validity, and regularity of the expenditure amounting to Sh1,784,068,016 as a proper charge to public funds," the auditor's report stated. The ministry failed to furnish documentation on procurement procedures and contractor selection for the project, with auditors noting a lack of market research justifying the set cost of Sh709,398 per classroom and missing status reports on construction progress. While appearing before the Education Committee of the National Assembly, Basic Education Principal Secretary Belio Kipsang acknowledged funding discrepancies. He stated that the Treasury provided only a fraction of the Sh4 billion initially approved for class construction. Join Our WhatsApp Channel The government provided Sh2.6 billion, insufficient for construction, with the balance expected during the Supplementary Estimates of the Financial Year 2021-2022, which was never provided. To cover the shortfall, Kipsang revealed that the Ministry of Education sourced funds from other avenues, pulling Sh1.45 billion from the Secondary School Infrastructure Improvement funds and reallocating Sh692 million originally designated for purchasing desks in primary schools to classroom construction, making the total allocation for the project Sh4.14 billion. Kipsang further clarified that the construction was part of the Kenya Economic Stimulus Package to revitalise the economy amid the COVID-19 pandemic's effects. At the sub-county level, the ministry selected local contractors near the benefiting schools for the construction. The report has also raised concerns about the procurement method used for the construction of the CBC classrooms and the identification of various contractors. In Our Other News: 48-Year-Old Teachers Sacco Rebrands to Univision DT Sacco Amidst Growing Competition The Mystery of Missing Sh1.7bn Intended for Junior Secondary School CBC Classes Read the full article

#CBC #Classrooms #JSS #JuniorSecondarySchool #Kenya #MinistryofEducation

0 notes

nmqii · 1 month

Text

turtle-! :)

#twd 6x2 #JSS #just survive somehow #the walking dead season 6 #twd season 6 #the walking dead 6x2 #rip turtle :(#enid #turtle

1 note · View note

chandruhjkl · 8 months

Text

Solar Companies in Chennai,Solar EPC Company Chennai,Best Renewable energy company in chennai,Solar Company in Chennai.Solar Panel Manufacturing and Installation Company in Chennai. Buy Solar inverter, solar water heater, solar pumps, solar batteries. Contact Now

0 notes

pedroramscal · 1 year

Text

Lost in the darkness 2.

part 1

Your request had been heard @mochacake2016 now gimme your house :3

Takes place during the first part/season of The Last of Us

Warning: blood, death, swearing, your typical apocalypse things

Wordcount: 2.3k

“You okay?” asked Marlene the girl who was still curled up against the wall.

“Yeah.”

Carl gripped his gun when the young girl leaned forward to take a hold of the knife she dropped when Joel threw her against the wall. However, Joel was quick to step on it before her fingers could even touch the blade.

“Ellie!” Marlene called out to get the angry girl’s attention. She turned to the Firefly with burning eyes but the fury was gone the moment she realized that the woman has been injured.

“Oh, shit!”

“No, it’s okay. I’ll be all right.”

“Not if you keep standing there like a goddamn tree,” Carl spoke up, earning an exhausted look from Marlene.

Ellie furrowed her eyebrows at the boy’s voice and turned toward him with questioning eyes. She wouldn’t have expected a kid her age to show up with the intruders. Her surprise didn’t last long, when Carl glared at her in response, she turned her head back to Marlene, not saying a word.

Joel glanced back at Carl to silently order him to keep his mouth shut which the boy acknowledged and adjusted his grip on the gun instead.

“You can’t be stupid like this,” Marlene scolded Ellie in a lower tone.

Carl found it strange that in a situation where everyone was pointing guns at each other in suspense, Marlene still had time to lecture the teen girl.

“What was I supposed to do?” Ellie beamed. “They were heading to you, they could have shot you!”

“We still might,” Joel responded in a cold tone, thinking back to the corpses laying in the building. They didn’t know who started the fire but it was sure that neither Marlene nor the rest of the Fireflies were saints.

They couldn’t take the risk.

“So this is who Robert screwed us over with?” Tess walked past Joel and Carl with an unimpressed look on her face. “The Che Guevara of Boston?”

Carl almost smiled at Tess’ choice of words but he remained stoic for the sake of their safety. He couldn't be distracted now.

“War must be goin’ pretty shitty for you to be buying from scumbags like him.”

“Yeah, it kinda has been.” Marlene admitted in an impatient tone. She wasn’t in the mood for lectures, especially with the injury on her side that kept bleeding. “The merch was bad and he obviously didn’t take ‘fuck off’ for an answer.”

“Give me my knife.” Ellie breathed and glared up at Joel who wasn’t even paying attention to her.

“Don’t even dream about it,” Carl warned her with a sinister glare.

Ellie sent Carl a deadly look but that didn’t surprise the boy. He had seen that look too many times on people’s faces by now to be affected by it in the slightest.

“What do you need a car battery for?” Joel asked.

Ellie, losing her last drop of patience, leaned forward again, reaching out. Joel turned back to her, pointing his gun at her face.

“Don’t.”

When Marlene and her friend raised their guns at Joel, Carl immediately pointed his at Marlene’s crouched figure. It didn’t take Tess a long time either to return the favor.

“Not at her.” Marlene ordered. “Point it at me.”

Carl felt his shoulders tense as he was waiting for Joel’s reaction who didn’t look fazed by Marlene’s order at all. Who was she to give orders to them anyway?

Joel’s gaze dropped to Ellie who had her hands lifted up in surrender with uneasiness in her eyes. Raising his eyebrows at the girl’s trembling figure, he slowly turned away from her, still leaning on the knife.

Carl found it ironic how big her mouth was before but now she was afraid to say a word after facing the revolver’s barrel.

Marlene and her partner slowly lowered their guns now that Ellie wasn’t a target.

“And to answer your question, I need it for a better reason than you do.” Marlene answered, out of breath. “No offense, but Tommy’s just one man.”

Joel’s face hardened at Marlene’s audacity. Carl shared a silent look with Tess who was just as unsure of Joel’s possible reaction as Carl was.

“It’s our business to know things.”

“To know things.” Joel echoed, swallowing his anger. “You’re the cause of it. You turned my own brother against me.”

Carl was surprised at how calmly Joel managed to answer when after everything that happened between the Miller brothers, Marlene still had the nerve to call Tommy names. The boy almost expected Joel to shoot Marlene right in the face for the side remark she just made, not acknowledging other people’s lives.

“Okay, Joel.”

“That was a lot of gunfire.” found her voice the other woman covered in blood. “FEDRA’s going to be on the way.”

“I know.” Marlene replied with a thoughtful expression on her face.

Carl dropped his gaze to Ellie who rubbed her aching shoulder with a distant gaze. Who was she and how did she end up with terrorists like Marlene?

Flinching in pain, Marlene exchanged a weary look with Ellie before pressing her lips against each other.

“We were gonna move Ellie out of the zone tonight. But we won’t make it anywhere like this. Not for a while anyway.” Marlene admitted in a defeated tone. “So, now I’m thinking, you’re gonna do it.”

The alarm went off above all three of their heads at Marlene’s answer. Carl twisted his head at Tess who glared at Marlene in suspicion.

“The hell we are.” Joel answered right away.

“I’m not going with them!” Ellie exclaimed.

“You’re wrong if you think we’ll do your work.” Carl joined the resistance. Not that he was a smuggler but he was the closest to Tess and Joel in the Boston QZ and he felt like a part of their team too. So, he thought he had a right to say something.

“Let me take her.” said the other woman with a determined look.

“Tess, we don’t have time for this.” Joel turned back to Tess.

“You don’t have time?” Marlene repeated.

“Who is she?” Tess asked and Carl gave her a questioning look. He didn’t want to believe that Tess was seriously considering taking the burden from Marlene and her crew. They were the ones who messed it all up because they couldn’t handle Robert. Why would they need to do their job?

“To you? She’s cargo.” Marlene replied easily.

“We don’t smuggle people. Sorry.” Joel spoke again with determination.

“I can do it.”

“Kim, you don’t have a fucking ear on your fucking head. Could you please?” Marlene started to lose her patience.

Kim slowly dropped her eyes with sadness filling them as if her missing an ear was the most normal thing in the world.

“There’s a team of Fireflies waiting for her at the old State House.” Marlene said. “I know what’s out there. We were going an entire squadron for that very reason. But now I don’t have a truck, I don’t have a squadron, FEDRA is five minutes away. What I do have is you. And I know what you are capable of. For better or worse.”

Joel gave Marlene a dark look while Ellie shifted in her place.

“The kid too, I’ve heard scare stories about you, Grimes.” Marlene’s eyes found Carl, making him feel exposed. He really did have some fame in the QZ. “I know you never play a fair game.”

Carl was surprised to have Marlene, out of all people, the leader of the Fireflies, admitting that he could be a threat if he wanted to be despite his young age.

Tess, on the other hand, always tried to tone down Carl’s coldness and aggression, so he had no idea how to react to Marlene’s compliance.

Ellie now looked startled a little by this statement. “What are they capable of?”

Carl thought back to the things he heard Joel and Tess doing before they settled down in Boston. Everything he heard about the things they had done was ruthless. They had a lot of blood on their hands but so did Carl, just not in the same way.

No one bothered to answer Ellie’s question. It was better for her to not know anything.

“You get her there safely, and they’ll give you what you need. Not just the battery. The whole thing.” Marlene promised quietly. “Fueled-up trucks, guns, supplies, all of it. I swear.”

Carl knew what was going on inside Joel’s head now, even though his face remained expressionless. Marlene just mentioned everything he tried to get so that he could get out of Boston and find his brother.

It was a charming offer, that was sure. But was it worth it? Risking their lives for a girl?

“I swear.” Marlene repeated when Joel refused to tear his eyes away from her.

Carl was sure Marlene was telling the truth about what the other squadron would have but how could they be so sure that they would pay them after smuggling Ellie out of the QZ?

Joel’s seriousness broke and he turned back to Tess, who called him back to her with a simple side nod.

Sliding the knife to Tess and Carl with his foot, Joel was about to back away from the girl.

“Asshole!” Ellie glared at him as the distance between them grew with each step Joel took.

“Carl.” Joel gave a glance to the boy who understood him immediately.

“Yes,” Carl nodded and walked toward Ellie with careful steps. The last thing he wanted to do was make the girl jump at him in rage.

“I don’t have my fucking knife on me, do I look like a threat to you?” Ellie asked, irritated, glancing down at Carl’s lowered gun.

Carl was aware that both Marlene and Kim were watching him carefully as he held Ellie in her place but his attention remained on the girl.

He only now noticed the small cut that split Ellie’s right eyebrow into two. He started to wonder if there was a badass story behind that or if it was just a ridiculous accident that left her with a life longing scar above her right eye.

“You look angry enough to be impulsive and hare-brained,” Carl answered. “And I’m not taking any chances.”

Ellie huffed in annoyance and sunk into the wall behind her. Carl almost believed that if they would have met under other circumstances, they might have become friends. She was fierce and confident, just like him.

“What about the hat?” Ellie asked suddenly and Carl furrowed his eyebrows.

“What about it?”

Ellie pointed at the ceiling above them.

“We have a roof above us, in case you haven’t noticed. Why are you wearing that stupid sheriff hat?”

The term ‘stupid sheriff hat’ felt like a nail in Carl’s heart. Only if she knew the story that his hat held. But Carl wasn’t in the mood for explanations. If ever...

“Do you always try to act like a smartass?” Carl asked instead.

Ellie sniffed. “Only when I’m faced with cosplayers.”

Carl let out a deep breath, trying to get rid of his annoyance, and looking back to Joel and Tess who were debating whether to take the deal or not.

“Y’all talk it through, but please remember that I’m bleeding out.” Marlene raised her voice, her eyes full of pain and exhaustion.

“Do you even know how to use that thing?” Ellie stared at Carl’s Beretta between his hands.

Carl tipped his index finger against the cool metal. He could still remember how awesome he thought it was when Rick taught him how to shoot. Back then, he didn’t think much about the weapon that now rested in his hands.

Now he didn’t think of it as something cool and awesome but as an object that could either save or end his life.

“Better than you’d think.” Carl grumbled.

“Okay. Here’s the deal.” Tess turned around, interrupting the teenagers’ conversation. “We’ll get her to your crew at the State House. But before we hand her over, they give us everything that we want. If not, we kill her, there and then.”

Carl felt goosebumps raise on his arms when he heard the coldness in Tess’ voice. She never talked to him like that and it felt like she wasn't the Tess he got to know a few months ago.

“Deal.” Marlene said without hesitation.

Ellie turned to Marlene with betrayal in her eyes. “Really? That fast?”

“You are all that matters.” Marlene looked at Ellie. “My team will not jeopardize that.”

Ellie turned away with an unbelievable look on her face.

“Remember what I told you? Now go get your backpack.” Marlene hurried her, not wanting to waste more time.

However, Ellie remained on the floor, giving Marlene a disappointed look. Carl made notice of how much she disliked Marlene’s decision. They must have known each other for a while now.

“Now, Ellie.”

Ellie scoffed and pushed herself up, not looking at anyone as she walked into the room she broke out of when the three of them arrived.

Carl waited in silence as he heard Ellie moving around before she walked out with a dusty backpack in her hands. Ellie stopped in her movement, giving Marlene a pleading glance even though she knew it was a lost cause.

“Let’s go.” Tess said as she already turned away.

Marlene nodded at Ellie, sending her an encouraging look. Carl almost felt sorry for Ellie who found herself alone in a matter of seconds. It must have been hard for her to leave the QZ with strangers whom they stumbled upon, whether the adults knew each other or not.

Ellie bumped into Joel’s shoulder and stepped on Carl’s shoe as she broke through between them. Grabbing her knife from the floor, she followed Tess with heavy steps.

Carl glanced down at his now even dirtier boot then gave Joel a headshake.

Joel scoffed and nodded at Carl, telling him to go. Fixing his gaze on the back of Ellie’s head, Carl followed the two of them but could still hear Marlene’s words in the silent hall.

“Joel, don’t fuck this up. Please.”

2 notes · View notes