Even on difficult days...OC x Joel Miller

•FIVE•

"Runners" Tess was looking down out of the window.
"I'll go check it out stay with the girl" Joel descended into an infected riddled area.

Groans and shouts could be heard coming from the runners below the group. The occasional clatter of a glass bottle was echoing through the space. The three girls couldn't see Joel but were listening carefully, holding their breath in an attempt to hear more clearly.

Joel crept around taking down the runners one by one with a metal pipe he had found on his way down. A single clicker twitched around the corner causing Joel to dive behind a concrete bollard. Just before the clicker reached him he sprung up swinging the pipe as hard as he could at the clickers head causing chunks of fungi and flesh to fly off. It took several hard blows to the head before the clicker dropped to the floor. Joel delivered one final hit to the head splattering it open. He threw the pipe down shouting for the rest of the group to join him.

They picked their way through the rest of the building jumping down collapsed floors, twisting through areas of thick greenery that was speckled with purple flowers. Water gushed down from the ceiling in several places forming large pools of water in the dips of the floor.

Finally the group arrived in a subway. White and orange tiles lined the walls, dusty pay phones hung on their hooks untouched for years. A single firefly body lay splayed on the floor a molotov still clutched in his fingers another at his side. Another body was slouched against the rubble in the stairwell a note sticking out from his pocket. On further inspection the group decided these were not the fireflies they were looking for, the contents of the note suggested these particular rebels were also on their way to the drop off point to join the others.

The group crouched under the partially collapsed roof into a locker lined hallway. A clicker chittered in front of them causing a wave of tension to spread through the group. Imogen touched Ellie on the arm instinctively, ready to grab her and run if she needed to.

Tess turned to Joel delivering instructions "Okay, Joel, you take point. I'll watch the rear." She turned to Ellie moving her hands enthusiastically as she spoke "Ellie, no matter what, you stay right on his heals."

"Sure" Ellie whispered back. Although no instructions had been given to Imogen directly she assumed that she was to follow Ellie and help keep her safe.

The group moved forward cautiously, so slowly that it took twice as long as usual to get a few feet. Clicking and squawking filled the open space that the group was now in. Ellie's heart pounded, her breathing was shallow and rapid; the adrenaline made sweat roll down her back. The group came to a stop behind a row of blue benches as a clicker shuffled close. A sharp twitch turned the clicker towards them, the military boots dragging along the floor. A fist sized piece of concrete lay near Imogen's foot, she picked it up preparing to lunch it in the opposite direction to where they were heading. Jerking again the clicker turned moving away from the group once more. Imogen lowered the concrete letting out a baited breath.

"Alright come on" Joel offered a boost to Tess so she could grab a ladder that hung slightly over the ledge of a hole in the wall.

Tess did just that lowering it down carefully so it didn't clatter drawing the attention of the clickers that were scarily close to the group. One by one the group went up, Imogen taking up the rear.

Once back into the fresh air Ellie spoke "you guys are pretty good at this stuff" she seemed very surprised which was almost offensive to the group of smugglers.

"It's called luck and it's going to run out." Joel was short as usual.

Tess hesitated at the opening of a street" which way Tess?" Joel questioned.

"Erm this way" Tess set off down a street that was blocked by a large white truck. As she strode towards the blockade five runners all in military uniform scrambled out of an open doorway. The first collided with Tess nocking her to the ground. Imogen shoved Ellie behind her pulling a baseball bat out of the loop on her backpack. A female runner charged the two girls. With two hands of the bat Imogen twisted her body getting as much momentum as possible to hit the runner. The bat collided with the jaw of the clicker sending bone and teeth flying, the runner hit the floor. Smashing the bat down in the runner's head splatted brains and chunks of skull along the floor. Joel stabbed the head of another runner several times, blood spurting out of the wound before the body crumpled to the floor. Tess had fought off her attacker caving it's skull in. The last two were taken care of in a very similar fashion.