The Both Of Us | Zelink X The Last Of Us

Chapter Two

Zelda's pov

With wide eyes, I struggle against the hand pressed over my mouth, frantically trying to make noise despite the warning. The hand won't budge no matter how hard I try to pry the fingers away. Horrifying images flash in my mind as I think about what's about to happen to me. My body trembles with fear as I squirm, trying to break free and save myself before it's too late.

"Stop struggling and be quiet!" a hurried voice says in the dark. Slowly, my eyes begin to adjust and I look to the side to see who the hand belongs to. A man with icy blue eyes and messy hair. He has a stern, cold expression that makes me shudder. The murder in his gaze only makes me more frantic as I try to bite his hand, desperate for anything that'll free me.

"We aren't going to hurt you," the voice says again. This time I realize it came from a woman. Looking towards the source, I find a tall woman standing at the end of my bed. "Are you Zelda?"

They know my name? I stop struggling. If they were going to hurt me, they would've done it already.

I glance back at the man whose expression hasn't changed and I nod slowly under his hand. He looks back at the woman and she nods to him. He removes his hand and I scramble up as far away from him as possible. He's kneeling but I can tell he's no small person.

"What's going on?" I ask in a shaky voice, still weary of my unwanted visitors. "What do you want?"

"We're here for you," the woman says, making my blood run cold. They just said they wouldn't hurt me.

"I-I'll scream," I warn, my voice being my only defense. All I can hope is that there is a soldier nearby who'd hear me.

The man pulls a knife from his belt and plays with it, twirling the blade between his fingers. My heart seems to stop as I stare at it with wide eyes.

"No you won't," the woman says. "We've been hired to take you to your father." My father? He's alive? We were separated and I was left alone in the quarantine zone. He said he'd find me but that was five years ago and I thought he was either dead or gave up.

"M-my father?"

"Are you deaf?" she snaps. I shake my head, still trying to comprehend the fact my father is alive. "Pack your things, we're leaving." I don't move. Too much is happening at once and they just expect me to go with them? "Now! You have ten minutes!"

When I still don't move, the man stands up, towering over my bed. He grabs my arm and drags me from my cot with ease, making me yelp.

"Where are we going?" I whimper as I gain my footing. My arm hurts from where the man grabbed me.

"Somewhere far so you better start packing."

I don't know what to think. My heart is pounding in my ears and my whole body is trembling from the sudden excitement. Two strangers broke into my home telling me my father hired them. I'd given up on seeing him again and now I just might...

I look at the strangers standing in front of me. There's a bit of light coming in from outside, allowing me to just make out their features. The woman has pure white hair tamed in a single, thick feed in braid.  She's wearing a cropped black halter top with a jean jacket to cover her arms and dark gray cargo pants. Her boots are heavy and I notice the pistol tucked in her waistband. She also has a shotgun on her back.

The man has dirty blond hair pulled back into a ponytail, leaving out bangs and sideburns. He's wearing a gray button up with a dirty blue shirt underneath and thick jeans. Even through the fabric of his shirt, I can see how muscular he is. His sleeves are rolled up to his elbows, showing a tattoo on his left forearm that seems to be covering a nasty scar. He has a set of dog tags around his neck and small blue hoops in each ear. He has two rifles slung over his shoulders, one being a sniper rifle. He has a holster that goes down each leg, both sides holding a gun and he has various knives tucked in his belt. The last weapon I notice is a crowbar sticking through the top of his backpack. He's menacing and completely armed. They both are. Am I really going to trust these people?

"Now you have eight minutes!" the woman says to me. "I suggest you start moving now before we drag you out of here without anything!" I don't have a choice. They're going to take me whether I want to go or not.

I grab my backpack and start shoving things into it. I'm not exactly sure what I need but I pack the essentials: water, food, clothes, and my last few tampons.

"What weapons do you have?" she snaps.

"Weapons?"

"Yes! What weapons do you have?"

"I don't have any..." I don't know how to fight. I keep a small knife on my person that Daruk gave to me to protect myself but I've never used it against another person. My occupation is helping people, not hurting them.

"The fuck? Do you know how to fight?"

"No-"

"Jesus Christ!" she says and turns away from me. The man scoffs and joins her. They talk in hushed whispers so I can't hear them. I strain my ears anyway.

"This is bullshit," the man hisses. It's the first time I've heard him speak. "She's going to get us killed."

"Just suck it up! It's out last job! All we have to do s dump her."

"We have to drag her ass to Seattle!" We're going to Seattle? We're in Atlanta right now. That's all the way across the country!

"We've done stupider!" The man scoffs again and runs his hand through his unruly hair, glancing at me with murder in his eyes. I go back to getting ready. He makes me nervous.

I pull on a flannel shirt over my tank top. I have another jacket for when it gets cold. I put on my boots and pull my jeans down over the tops.

"I'm ready to go," I squeak. I'm terrified to leave. This is the life I've known for five years and I have no idea what's it's like out there.

"Good now we have time for rules," the woman says while taking a step towards me. "I'm Impa and that's Link. We're taking you to Seattle to your dad. Am I wrong in assuming you haven't left zone since the outbreak?"

I shake my head. I was taken here right away and I've been here ever since.

"Then listen closely. It is extremely dangerous out there. The infected will not hesitate to kill you and neither will other people so it's very important you do everything we tell you to do. Do you understand?"

"Yes," I say with a nod. I've only heard stories of what it's like out there. The infected are obviously dangerous but so are the raiders that kill for supplies. I don't want to run into either but it's inevitable. The nervous pit in my stomach deepens as reality sets in. I'm leaving my home to run straight into danger with two people I don't know. Life here isn't good but it's better than being out in the open.

"Good. Let's go."