Ellie looks up at me and mouths "thank you" and I just reply by giving her a grumble of acknowledgment.
I look back at Marlene and I see blood soaking through her shirt and what looks like a gunshot wound, the burning feeling of resentment but also what i hate to admit, worry, burning my skin.
"marlene-" i mutter quietly with a scoff, gesturing to her blood soaked shirt but she just shoots me a glare.
She ignores me and goes back to talking about a car battery or some shit and a guy named Tommy?
"That was a lot of gunfire FEDRA will be on their way" a girl with Marlene said.
"I know." Marlene replies with a sigh.
"We were going to move Ellie out of the zone tonight."
"okay?" i say sarcastically.
"where the fuck is my guns you stole! that's mainly why i'm fucking here!" i shout, having to scratch my hand to physically restrain myself from just shooting her right now.
"But we won't make it anywhere like this. Not for a while anyways." She ignores me and continue speaking.
"oh my fucking god!" i scoff at her audacity, feeling like i'm right back to how she treat me 10 years ago.
"you're kind of young, don't you think Marlene?" I raise my voice, trying to press for more information about the girl.
She ignores me for the second time and I can feel the anger rising in me.
"Well you do certainly have a history for recruiting young." I mutter with a passive aggressive tone and I can instantly feel Marlene's head snap towards me, and I can tell the history between us is running through both of our brains.
"Yeah okay, (Y/N)." Is all she mutters back in a dismissive tone, turning back towards Tess and Joel again.
"So since we can't take her.." she gestures to her and the other firefly next to her, "Now I'm thinking you two are going to do it."
"The hell we are." Joel says with a shocked and stern expression.
"I'm not going with them two after they just tried to KILL ME." Ellie says, raising her voice at the end.
"Who is she?" Tess demands.
"To you, she's cargo." Marlene replied sternly.
"okay? have fun! Marlene are you gonna fucking acknowledge me." i shout, the anger burning in my chest.
"(Y/N) stop acting like a damn child. this situation is more than us." she raises her voice and i flinch slightly, my gun still on her head.
I just stand there a bit confused and not really sure what to say while they argue back and forwards.
"I know what's out there, we were going with an entire squad for that very reason. I don't have a lot right now but what I do have is you guys." Marlene speaks in an almost pleading tone.
"(y/n). they won't make it without you. she's just cargo. you've done this shit before." she says bluntly.
"excuse me?! i owe you nothing." i shout, her words igniting a flame in me that burns further at each word.
"that's bullshit and you know it! stop being petty, i'm asking you because i know what you're capable of." she raises her voice.
what the three of you are capable off." she adds on, looking and Joel and Tess too.
"you're capable of a lot (Y/N). i just hope you can use it for something good instead of evil." she says almost bitterly and i can't help but know she's right. i've done fucked up things, but who hasn't?
Tess and Joel turn to me and Joel gives me a scowl. Then they both turn back to face Marlene again.
"For better or worse." Marlene says.
"What are they capable of?" Ellie says with a scared look on her face.
This makes me turn round to Joel and Tess. Wait are they like some murderous serial killers or something? Or maybe FEDRA? I have no idea who these people are.
"Who even are they?" I speak loudly.
"Tess and Joel." Marlene replies simply.
"Yeah I fucking knew that but are they FEDRA? Fireflies? Raiders?" I say with hints of sass in my tone.
"None of your business to be completely honest." Joel replies in a sarcastic tone.
Tess mutters a scolding, "Joel", and then says "Smugglers."
"Okay so criminals nice." I say sarcastically.
"(Y/N) when are you ever not doing something illegal?" Marlene points out with a side eye towards me.
"So?" I reply simply with a slight snarky tone.
"You get her there safely and we will give you what ever you need. Not just a battery, the whole thing. I swear, what ever you want." Marlene states to the other two adults.
Tess and Joel back up and start whispering about whatever.
"So what's in it for me?" I reply, "I'm not interested in your guns or whatever." I say as I cross my arms, but I still hold my gun in my hand incase anyone tries anything.
"And quite frankly I'm not interested in helping you at all." I add sternly.
"Okay so let's count it as a favour, you do owe me one after I saved you ass all those years ago." She says sternly.
"Oh I fucking owe you do I?! Because the last time I fucking checked I owe you nothing after what you did-" I shout with a pissed tone.
"Oh what I did? Are you really trying to shout at me for what I di-!" She shouts, putting emphasis on the 'I' parts when Tess cuts us off with an impatient cough.
"you ruined my life!" i practically scream back, ignoring Tess'a impatient scoff but she does it even louder.
the burning in my chest gets heavier and heavier, my skin hotter than the sun, and before i can even think i'm raising my gun, shooting multiple bullets right next to her head, landing directly in the wall next to her, a warning of what i can do.
everybody else just stands there looking shell shocked, tess's gun raising straight up incase i actually shoot someone, a wave of embarrassment washing over me.
"fine. i'll do your fucking mission. but i swear to god if you even try to talk to me again, you're entire fucking group is dead." i hiss threateningly.
"Good enough." Marlene replies in a breathless tone.
I stand leaning against the wall after a moment of glaring at her, running my hands down my face and trying to take deep breathes while Tess and Joel whisper quietly.
I try to listen in but all I can really see is Tess mutter something with a smug grin and Joel goes bright red and raises a voice a bit with a "shut up."
This certainly peaks my interest and I raise an eyebrow, trying to listen in but I give up after a moment of not being able to hear them.
Joel's POV
"So (Y/N) right?" Tess says quietly with a smirk on her face.
"Uh yeah what about her?" I reply.
"You really like her huh?" She says. "I can tell."
I think about it for a minute and I feel my cheeks heating up and I feel (Y/N's) bright (E/C) eyes on me.
"Y'all talk it through but please remember I'm bleeding out." I hear Marlene say.
Date finished- 16/4/23
Date updated- 17/6/24
Word count- 1250 words
YOU ARE READING
There's always a light - Joel Miller x reader
Fanfiction⋆⁺₊⋆ ☀︎ ⋆⁺₊⋆ When I was just 14 the world went to shit. Nothing was left. The world was gone forever and no one would ever make the world feel whole again. Or that's what I used to think until I met two people who changed my life. I believed very st...
