Fandom Tale of Two Survivors { The Last of Us 1x1 with icedthemoon }

[EquineGurl23]

Alexander Brennan
Former Seraphite | 19 | Current location ;; South Dakota

Alex had been glad Nate didn’t ask. He was not ready to talk about the other group. He still didn’t like them, they’d killed more than one of his fellow warriors. It was hard to let go of something like that. Alex nodded, thankful that Nate had agreed. He blushed lightly at the hand on his arm. “Thank you.” Alex said, covering Nate’s hand with his. “Let’s head back to the border.” Alex said turning around and headed back the way they came.​

 

[icedthemoon]

Nathaniel Matthews
Former Firefly | 21 | Current location ;; South Dakota

Nate followed after him, knowing that this was going to add time to their journey, and that was okay. When he thought about it, if they needed to turn around and go all the way back to where they started, he would do that. He would do whatever it took to make Alex feel comfortable and safe. There was something about this group of hunters that set him on edge unlike anything else they encountered even the stalkers. At least with the stalkers, that felt like a general and obvious dislike. But these hunters seemed to get under Alex’s skin, and Nate could not figure out exactly what it was about them. He wished that he knew. He wished more than anything that he could see into him mind; see what he was thinking. Who are these people who hurt you? Because that was what it felt like. Someone hurt him, and Nate hated that.

So he followed. He moved at Alex’s pace, and he watched with a careful eye and vigilant ear. If they were going to find more people, they needed to be prepared. Nate needed to be prepared. He was going to have to do what was necessary whether he liked that or not. He would do it for Alex.
​

 

[EquineGurl23]

Alexander Brennan
Former Seraphite | 19 | Current location ;; South Dakota

Alex just wanted to make it to the welcome sign, he knew the way west from there. They could walk the border and get away from this group. He didn't want to talk about it, about home. He didn't want to mention the WLF, he didn't want to talk about his group anymore. All Alex wanted as to get as far away from this place as he possibly could. He kept an ear out as he walked, his footfalls silent as he continued forward. He didn't care about adding time onto their trek, he didn't care about how much more they'd have to walk. He just needed to go.​

 

[icedthemoon]

Nathaniel Matthews
Former Firefly | 21 | Current location ;; South Dakota

Nate moved quickly and quietly, because even though he was not sure if Alex was correct, there was no reason not to be cautious. He did not want to be caught in another ambush. He didn’t even want to happen across a whole bunch of people. If these hunters were part of a bigger group, it could be like FEDRA. Nate did not want to deal with them. He battled them far too often to do it all again. He almost lost his people to them too many times. He actually lost more. Too many were gone. He couldn’t lose Alex. So he moved quickly and silently. Prepared. He wished that he understood directions better. They had to be close to where they came in. He remembered seeing several of these buildings before.
​

 

[EquineGurl23]

Alexander Brennan
Former Seraphite | 19 | Current location ;; South Dakota

Alex looked over at Nate. He looked back to see green welcome sign ahead of them. He moved faster, wanting to be as far away as he could possibly be. When they reached the green side, it was a straight shot along the border. He had a bad feeling the closer he got to the border, but he pushed it down, trying to keep his nerves in check.​

 

[icedthemoon]

Nathaniel Matthews
Former Firefly | 21 | Current location ;; South Dakota

Nate watched Alex like he watched the quickly moving world around them. If Alex was stressing, and he clearly was, there was a good reason. That means that if Alex reacted in some way, Nate needed to not only notice immediately, he needed to be able to interpret and also react accordingly. As they reached the sign, his eyes swept over larger swaths of land. Place that could hide people. It seemed unlikely that they would know that they were coming, but they could have general traps for if anyone showed up. In his travels, Nate crossed many groups that had traps ready. At the first sign of people, they would enact these elaborate plans. They were like hunters of game where people like Nate and Alex were that game. Nate moved close to Alex, feeling as though they needed to be together now more than ever. “If this goes south, we run as fast as we can to those trees. And then, when we get there, you get up in those trees regardless of what’s happening down here. Honestly even if it’s not south you should get up there as fast as possible just to see.”
​

 

[EquineGurl23]

Alexander Brennan
Former Seraphite | 19 | Current location ;; South Dakota

Alex didn't even notice Nate coming up beside him. He slowed his steps to listen to him, his heart sinking as he heard him. "W- What? What do you mean? Nate you're freaking me out. I can do that, just why?" Alex hadn't dealt with large groups aside from the WLF and they didn't use traps so he didn't know that was a thing that some groups did. He was looking around now, the sign getting closer.​

 

[icedthemoon]

Nathaniel Matthews
Former Firefly | 21 | Current location ;; South Dakota

Nate kept them moving even if stopping to talk was important. “If there are people here, we don’t know who they are. We don’t know what their aim is or what drives them. Those hunters we had the displeasure of courting with have goals and dreams too, but they didn’t think to share them with us.” He thought about groups of people living in cities they took for themselves. The lies and tricks they played on people passing through. “They could be people trying to survive or they could be malicious.” His lips pursed but his eyebrows softened. “You know I don’t like to generalize people. You know how much I would love to save the world. But if these are the kinds of people who lay in wait to ambush us on the off chance we are coming that way, these may also be the kinds of people who are prepared to pull out any scheme the second they see us.” He peered over his shoulder, back towards the streets of a city that could be one that might have eaten them alive. “I am not saying you should worry.” He put a hand on Alex’s arm. “I am saying that you are right to be cautious. I don’t know what awful people you know from where you were, but I have met my fair share of people who hunt other people.” He looked back to the trees. “You are our high ground. I am not fast enough up there. But I can move down here. You need to see what you can find before something else finds us.”
​

 

[EquineGurl23]

Alexander Brennan
Former Seraphite | 19 | Current location ;; South Dakota

Alex looked at Nate, continuing his pace as he listened. Fear moved through his heart, his body. He knew there would be other groups similar to the WLF, that shoot on sight, but he’d never imagined that people would actively hunt other people. He had never really encountered a large group before. It was always small ones but he never strayed into cities either. For Alex’s ability to hunt, kill when needed and climb. He was clueless about groups that weren’t his own or the WLF. He was a warrior but he only ever knew two enemies, the infected and the wolves. “T- They hunt other people..” Alex whispered, looking at him. “I can do that.” He added, the sign right in front of them, so close he could touch it. “If we have to separate, please don’t get hurt or.” Alex stopped himself, now was not the time for those thoughts. They’d survive, they’d make it and move on.​

 

[icedthemoon]

Nathaniel Matthews
Former Firefly | 21 | Current location ;; South Dakota

Nate shoved a hand in Alex’s. “Nothing can keep us apart forever. Nothing. Not hunters. Not infected. Not your people or mine. Where you go, I go. Except not in trees. Not yet. That seems like a poor life choice honestly. But I can handle myself down here. When we get somewhere safer, farther away from these people, I’ll tell you about the time my mama and I met the Guild. That… that still haunts me.” They were going to be fine. There may not even be people here, and if that were the case, that meant this was a healthy scare that could push them to be more prepared for people who could do something bad. And if there were people here… He looked over at Alex and squeezed his hand as they passed the sign. They were going to be fine.
​

 

[EquineGurl23]

Alexander Brennan
Former Seraphite | 19 | Current location ;; South Dakota

Alex felt Nate shove his hand into Alex’s and he looked at him. He was trying hard to swallow back his fears. His heart swelled with happiness as he listened to Nate. He believed him, with every bone in his body. He laughed a little at the tree part, feeling less nervous holding Nate’s hand and listening to him. “The Guild?” He was intrigued although he didn’t know if he wanted to hear it considering it still haunts Nate. Alex felt the squeeze from Nate and gave one back. Finally they reached the welcome sign and the border. To their left was where they were heading, a swath of forest a few hundred yards ahead. Alex heard something behind him, swinging his head around. Nothing was there. He still had a bad feeling something was wrong. “Nate, we should run for those trees, something doesn’t feel right.” Alex said softly, looking around.​

 

[icedthemoon]

Nathaniel Matthews
Former Firefly | 21 | Current location ;; South Dakota

Nate looked behind them as well, not seeing anything especially out of the ordinary. Or anything really. Honestly, if Alex didn’t have this bad feeling, Nate wouldn’t expect anything. That was likely a problem. He needed to be able to sense these things. After they were done with this, when they were far away from this place and somewhere where they could take the time to settle and regroup, they were going to have to talk about groups like this. How to spot them and how to deal with them. Who they were. That was probably something they should have done already, but Nate wasn’t used to that. He was used to having his people who had been with him forever. He was used to a shared knowledge. He fell back on the comfort of having routine and familiarity.

“Then let’s run.” Without a second thought, he sprinted forward, his hand still attached to Alex’s with the assumption that he too would run. “You get in those trees. I need your eyes to tell me what I can’t see on this floor. When you go up, I will stay near you. Within reason.” They were going to have to pull apart if he was going to send him into the trees, and he was. That was the smartest place for a monkey man to go. He hated the idea of splitting, but this was the best way.
​

 

[EquineGurl23]

Alexander Brennan
Former Seraphite | 19 | Current location ;; South Dakota

Alex was looking around before he heard Nate. Instantly he was moving, sprinting towards the safety of the trees. He looked over at Nate, keeping pace easily. “Okay.” He didn’t want to think about the fact that they’d be splitting up, he didn’t want to. It was something that terrified him. He saw the trees coming up, and he ran faster. His fears and unease driving him. He dropped Nate’s hand when they got close, racing to the first tree that looked tall enough and sturdy enough. Alex leapt up, climbing the branches, twisting and jumping. He got high enough, back against the trunk, bow out and eyes trained on the city. What he saw made his heart drop. At the edge of the city was a group of people. They didn’t seem to be moving though. He kept himself steady, like a waiting game as to what would happen.​

 

[icedthemoon]

Nathaniel Matthews
Former Firefly | 21 | Current location ;; South Dakota

This was not like the Guild. This was not like the Resistance. This was not like Portland. As long as they got out fast enough, it would be fine. Everything would be fine. They could handle this together. As Alex’s hand dropped, Nate shoved his into the outside pocked of his pack and pulled out the hunting knife. In the trees, he followed Alex and then quickly surveyed. Good hiding spots. Good cover. Okay. Got it. He looked up, watching. Looked down. Scanning. “What do you see up there?” He called up. No signs of anyone in the trees with them meant he was probably safe to talk. They had to communicate. If they didn’t, this would go poorly for them. They really should figure out a better way of communicating when others were around.
​

 

[EquineGurl23]

Alexander Brennan
Former Seraphite | 19 | Current location ;; South Dakota

Alex was focused on them. He could see two in the center that looked like they’d moved forward and something was coming down the middle. Was that a car? A moving one! “Nate! They have a car! It’s moving, this way. There’s a group of them. At the edge of the city!” Alex called down to him. He had his bow ready but they were too far off for a clean shot. “I can hide up here in the leaves, find somewhere and stay quiet. Maybe I can get them when they get close.” He called to Nate. They needed a better communication method in situations like this.​

 

[icedthemoon]

Nathaniel Matthews
Former Firefly | 21 | Current location ;; South Dakota

They had a working car. Of course they did. Groups like these always did. They pillaged and plundered enough to get those resources. And if they had a car then, then he needed to move. He wasn’t certain if it was one that could get through trees, but it could get through the shallower parts for certain. “You stay in those trees!” It was a command. Nate did not command often. In fact, he hated doing that. He hated having power and authority over people. This was why he was glad when his mama took him with her to do their recon missions. This was why he never argues about being the messenger or the couriers. He hated being around the people, even in the Fireflies, who used their authority to dictate everyone else’s lives. But in this moment, he needed to make sure that Alex could hear how serious this was. Maybe it was like Portland. Maybe it was like the Resistance.

So Nate ran. He was not used to forests. His mama didn’t like them as much as cities even if they were safer from people and infected both. Ben found them stuffy, and Max didn’t like that he couldn’t see very far. Honestly, Nate didn’t have a whole lot of love for them either, but that was probably only because he was not used to them. Regardless, he didn’t know how they worked like the way buildings were laid out. He could run through one and not get caught, because all of them had the same underlying setup. Trees felt so random. This ultimately meant that he had very few options. Run until they gave up. Run until he found a suitable hiding spot and hope he could tell when they gave up. Or run until he could find a good place to fight back. As much as he hated authority, he hated that more. Pretty soon, he was going to be able to hear them coming, and he would have to choose.
​

 

[EquineGurl23]

Alexander Brennan
Former Seraphite | 19 | Current location ;; South Dakota

Alex heard Nate’s command, and went up a branch high, ducking into the leaves. He could still aim and he watched as the car came closer. He drew his bow, arrow nocked in place. He aimed for the driver, and fired when the car got close. It hit the driver in the chest and the other person in the car dove out as the car lost control, crashing into Alex’s tree. Uh oh. Alex felt the tree shudder on impact, shaking enough where he lost his grip. Alex tried to leap to another branch, slipped and landed the one below. Pain shot through his back but he maintained his balance, getting his breath back as stood slowly. He shook his head before looking down. The other person was walking back toward the town, and four more hunters were walking forward to meet them. “Nate!” Alex hissed, trying to find him. He moved from branch to branch, ignoring his back. “Nate we gotta run for it, five hunters I’m sure will be headed our way.” He hoped that Nate heard him, but he didn’t know where he was, or if Alex should stay in the trees.​

 

[icedthemoon]

Nathaniel Matthews
Former Firefly | 21 | Current location ;; South Dakota

No.
Nate whipped around as he heard the crash into the tree. Was that- No it couldn’t be. But it was. He knew it was. Of course it was. Either these people crashed their own working car to get at them or something went wrong. That would probably be Alex. It didn’t matter. Without another thought, he changed course on his run so that he was moving back towards the tree and also towards them. He couldn’t lose Alex. It wasn’t going to happen. He moved swiftly, deftly, glad that he worked at his muscles to get them ready for this. Glad that they ran yesterday. Glad that he wasn’t as badly hurt as he was just a couple of days ago. This would have been very bad then.

He scanned the trees quickly, searching for signs of where Alex could have gone. He told him to stay in the trees, and Nate could only hope that he listened. The ground was not safe if the hunters decided to move in. So where was he?

His head snapped to the side at the sound of his name. It was faint but near. He swiveled in a circle. Somewhere up… got it. “Alex.” He looked okay. That was, of course, hard to tell when he was all the way up there. “If you can, stay in those trees.” Nate didn’t care if he hurt. If he could stay up there, that was better for him. The hunters probably weren’t used to people who could do that. “I am right here with you. Go.” Because this he could do. He could track. He was nowhere near as good as people who did this for sport, but he was always the recon. His job was to follow. To shadow. He was the silent step ten to the left where no one was looking. So he could follow Alex as he moved. And he could make sure the hunters didn’t get too close.
​

 

[EquineGurl23]

Alexander Brennan
Former Seraphite | 19 | Current location ;; South Dakota

Alex heard Nate, he needed to stay in the trees. Got it. Okay. Alex adjusted his pack, winced at the pain. He could see Nate below him. Okay. Alex started in the direction away from the hunters. He moved from branch to branch, seeing the next tree and the perfect branch to use to jump to it. Alex made his way to it, running down the branch and leapt off. He felt the branch creak as he pushed off, making him lose some balance, his landing rough in the next tree, falling onto the branch, but managing to stay on it. He kept moving through the branches, stopping for a moment to look behind him. He caught sight of a hunter moving close, Alex drew his bow and fired, hitting her in the chest before he turned and moved further along.​

 

[icedthemoon]

Nathaniel Matthews
Former Firefly | 21 | Current location ;; South Dakota

Nate was moving a whole lot slower than he should have been, but he needed to make sure he was sticking close to Alex. Though he knew Alex could move fast, he had a feeling that he was hurt. He was not moving as fast as Alex had seen him move before. He tore his head from the trees around him to really assess Alex. He was struggling but not too bad. Arrow shot. So they were close. Nate, still quickly moving forward, peered back. Oh they were moving very fast. He wasn’t going to be able to outrun them without finding something to hide in that was not going to be obvious for them as well. They were determined. These were the kinds of people who were used to this.

“Keep going. I’ll find you,” he called upwards hopefully not loud enough for the hunters to hear but for Alex to. He had to hope this would work. He pulled back, switching directions. He slipped into thicker bushes and doubled back far enough to really see them. Four left. They spread well but they hunted in a pack. Nate was very bad at fighting packs. As he quickly moved through the bramble, he pulled out one of the empty bottles he found before. This could work. He moved until he was close, too close, to one of the hunters. Look the other direction. He waited until his enemy wasn’t not looking towards him, and threw the bottle. All the hunters began to move that way. No, not you. He popped up, grabbing the hunter’s back and shoving a hand around his neck. “I’m sorry,” Nate whispered, and shoved in his knife. He lowered the hunter and dashed forward to follow the rest. Three more. Three lives for the many they would take.
​

 

[EquineGurl23]

Alexander Brennan
Former Seraphite | 19 | Current location ;; South Dakota

Alex had ducked into some leaves at the top of the tree. Back against the trunk. He fought to catch his breath. That leap had definitely jarred his back further. His head tilted down as he heard Nate. They were splitting up again. Alex heard a bottle near his tree and three hunters venturing. He drew his bow again, looking down and sending an arrow into one of their chests. He nocked another arrow and it flew into the second hunter. Alex reached back for another arrow to find none. How had he run out and not realized. Oh boy. And the last one knew where he was roughly. Alex got to his feet, moving through the branches, pushing himself and jumping into the next tree, landing and moving forward, not sure where the last hunter was nor where Nate had gone.​

 

[icedthemoon]

Nathaniel Matthews
Former Firefly | 21 | Current location ;; South Dakota

One dropped. Another dropped. Thank you, Alex. That was a burden Alex would hold for which Nate was going to need to show much appreciation. One left. He dashed forward, grabbing an arrow that miraculously did not break before rushing ahead. He could see the last hunter who had not yet noticed the death of his companions. As this last one scanned the area, he suddenly changed direction, moving quickly towards one of the fallen comrades. While he was distracted, Nate sidled up next to him and pinched at his throat. No talking. No air. And he stabbed again. No breath. He let the man drop. “Alex! Are you okay?” Because he didn’t shoot the last one, and he probably could if he easily got the other two. He moved quickly back towards where he was pretty sure he last saw him. Tracking the trees. Branches. Slight signs of movements. And then he spotted him.
​

 

[EquineGurl23]

Alexander Brennan
Former Seraphite | 19 | Current location ;; South Dakota

Alex froze. He was perched near the top of the pine tree. Alex looked down when he heard Nate. “I’m fine” Alex said. Liar. Alex winced as his back reminded him. He didn’t care, he made his way down the tree, slowly and carefully. His movement was precise so he didn’t jar his back anymore than he’d already done. He finally dropped to the ground, stumbling and landing on his knees. He took a deep breath, before he stood up, looking for Nate. “Nate” he called, looking around.​

 

[icedthemoon]

Nathaniel Matthews
Former Firefly | 21 | Current location ;; South Dakota

Nate followed him down. Perhaps he could not exactly see him as he moved. But he was in tracker mode. It was not necessarily his favorite of the talents his mother taught him but it could potentially prove to be useful. Like now. Right now it was useful. Alex came down wrong. This was not the graceful, beautiful monkey man who glided his way through life. This was not the dismount of a superhero come to life. When he stumbled, Nate was already rushing to him. So that when he was up, Nate was practically already there. Every fiber of his being wanted to throw his arms around him. Tell him that he was so glad that he was safe. That they probably should keep moving in case they sent in a second wave when the first didn’t make it back. But he could tell something was wrong. Of course something was wrong. “Thank you getting those two back there. That would have been much more difficult with all four.” He stepped to his side, measuring. “Tell me honestly and don’t attempt to make yourself sound better. How bad? What can you do without making it worse?”
​

 

[EquineGurl23]

Alexander Brennan
Former Seraphite | 19 | Current location ;; South Dakota

Alex felt Nate by his side immediately, turning and looking at him. He held his head up as he fought the urge to hug him tight. “I can walk. Once we’re far enough away, we can check my back. The car crashed into my tree, and I fell off one branch and onto the one below. Then went I leapt into the next tree, the branch I jumped from creaked and almost snapped, causing me to lose balance and land wrong on the tree.” Alex had only been intending to say he could walk. Seeing Nate there, so concerned, everything came spilling out. “I didn’t want them to get you, but I ran out of arrows for the last one.” Alex added softly.​