[Private] Last Of Us

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    No one realized in time. They couldn't have, as it spread like wildfire. First in eastern Europe, then further.
    Millions of dead reported every day.
    Governments ordered the bombing of major cities to help contain the infection; it did little.
    Eventually, the military took over, governments were discarded and safe zones were built. High walls, crawling with soldiers and with food in rations, the civillians left had to adapt to this new world they lived in as of now.


    20 years later.
    Present.
    The few safe areas left are still controlled by the military which, drunk on power, have no respect for the ordinary people anymore. No one is allowed to leave and no one is allowed in. That's not to say they don't have ways to get in and out. Plenty of groups still live outside, not content with having soldiers dictate when they eat and their curfew.


    A group called The Fireflies is the only thing opposing the military, and quite unsuccesfully. With their limited resources, all they can do is try to convince more people to join while stocking up on guns from smugglers.


    Children that were born after the infection hit were raised in orphanages, or in schools that trained them to become future soldiers.


    Mankind seems hopeless.

    Adelaide Noir


    Swinging from the metal bar of the building's outer stairs, she climber rapidly to the one, slightly open window. The soldiers ran past, not immagining she could have been there. But this was her building.
    After growing up in an orphanage, the 18 year old girl was kicked out at the age of 16 and had been alone ever since.
    She prefered it. She had never set foot outside of the safe zone of London, the only one left. The abandoned building she chose as her home was as close to the outer wall as it could get, and she had discovered a tunnel underneath. After months of gathering the things she needed, now it was finally time for her to go outside.


    And she couldn't wait. She easily found her way into the apartment that was her home. Cleaner than the rest of the building, and somewhat cozy looking, it was her safe place. Sure, running from the military was always fun, but now that she had a gun, knives and enough food to last her about a week, as well as some clothes and medicine, she was ready to go.


    James


    The streets were nearly empty, other than the few people brave enough to walk around at nearly curfew. He was heading home wasn't he?
    It had been a long day. Rations were still extremely low, but thankfully he had enough food for now.
    Back when zombies didn't exist, he had been training to be a doctor. A surgeon.
    And it all went well for him; unlike now.
    With what knowledge he had, he made a living by consulting people and patching up soldiers.This wasn't the life he wanted though.


    Now very close to 40 years old, he slowly began to realize he is wasting his life here, and after all he went trough in the first year of the infection, that was the last thing he wanted to do. He heard a small commotion and looked ahead to see what it was. Soldiers had surrounded someone.


    (I think young/old pairings? )

    Dimitri Haiden


    Dimitri cast a wary glance towards the soldiers who were patrolling the streets. He avoided eye-contact and shoved his hands into his pockets, walking faster.
    The safe zone of London might have been protected by a group of reliable soldiers but that didn't make any of them friendly or polite. Most of them were gruff and harsh and had absolutely no pity in turning people out when they discovered a symptom of an infection.


    Dimitri knew that those with symptoms had to be thrown out. He couldn't afford to show compassion towards the infected in this world. Even so, he was capable of emotion. He hated that fact.


    His quick movements were what brought him to the apartment, quicker than he expected. Settling down a bag of supplies by the table, he cast a distasteful look at the outside from his window.


    Seems like things wouldn't be getting quiet anytime soon.


    Lily Cordova


    Saying that Lily was frustrated was an understatement. Her makeshift leather boots clacked when they made contact with the wooden floors of her home.


    Resources were dwindling but for a person as of her caliber, acquiring more would be easy. It meant sneaking around and doing a lot of unbelievable stunts but she was trained.


    She had trained herself ever since she found out about the invasion. She might be thirty-seven, but she had the agility of a cat and the darkness seemed to follow her every move, sheltering her from the eyes of the general public.


    In other words, she was invincible. At least, to herself even.


    (( Mhmm.. How though? ))

    Adelaide


    She checked for everything, and then sat down on a couch. From the outside, this was just an abandoned building. And it was true for the most part. She had taken whatever useful from the rest of apartments and had blocked the entrance from the inside, since she prefered to go in trough windows. It was easier, she could quickly disappear behind the large nearly opaque curtains and no one would know she was there.


    Curiosity was a huge defect of hers. And while she could live content in the safe zone, she wanted to know what the outside was like. Zombies included. She had only briefly seen two of them from the safety of her home behind the wall, and the soldiers shot them down quickly. So although dangerous, she thought she could handle it.
    Most of all she wanted to see at least a glimpse of how life was before. She read about it. After she could read, she finished her school's library which wasn't that big to begin with, and in the years she had spent in this apartment, she had collected books from her building, as well as saving some other books from being used to start fires.


    That being said, she waited for darkness to take over everything. The bright lights propped up on the wall only illuminated inside, allowing her to see the people scrambling to get inside.


    James


    He moved along as what the military did was none of his business. They could have had reasons, or no reasons.
    He jogged up the steps leading into a large, red brick building that he called home. Many families lived here, and he was the grumpy old man nobody wanted around their children. Granted he wasn't a saint, but he was not old and he was not that bad.


    Years of being alone with no one to care about him had made him that way. From simply a med student, he wandered around the streets of London for the first years. With hardly anything to eat, and no truly safe place, being accepted into the safe zone had meant life for him. That did not mean he particularly liked the men and women who "protected the people".
    He had been around them enough to know they were well fed from civillian rations, and were using more force than necessary. One could not even travel from one sector of the safe zone to another without ID and the scan that proved they were not infected.

    Dimitri Haiden


    He slid the balcony door open and walked out, eyes immediately focusing on a cloud of smoke which seemed to be forming in the distance. He shrugged, it wasn't his house that was on fire right? Why should he bother?
    A voice at the back of his head whispered that he ought to check it out but he drowned it out. It was getting late already and God knows what lurked outside at such hours.


    It wasn't that he was scared. On the contrary, it was just the opposite. He was determined to see the world outside and he could fight. He had taught himself. It started from kitchen knives, cleavers to actual stolen equipment that he kept hidden.


    Losing himself to a trail of thought, he rubbed the scars on his wrists thoughtfully. If only his parents had survived to see the fighter he'd try to become. If only they knew.


    Lily Cordova


    The more she looked through her bag of possessions, the more annoyed she became. She seemed to have dropped her knife somewhere but that didn't matter, it was something she could replace easily.


    She flicked her ID out and pulled out a few more things until she came across a prized possession she had acquired recently.
    Her fingers tightened around the cigarette pack and she pulled one out, immediately lighting it and inhaling a good whiff of the smoke.


    She knew that smoking would kill her but she really didn't care. She had taken a long time to coax the old man out of his shop to acquire this thing. Twenty cigars left. She'd use those sparingly, or so she consoled herself.


    She coughed lightly, still new to the habit and leaned against her wall. This wasn't the life she had dreamed of, but she had nothing to do but be content with it. After all, it's not like she could control the infection and the lives it claimed.

    Adelaide


    Why did this always happen? In the military warehouse, she was sure she had grabbed more ammo. But no. Things just wouldn't work out the way she wanted them to.
    She hung two of her knives on her belt, took what little ammo she had in her gun. She pulled the longer strands of her hair into a loose ponytail. Her hair was the only thing odd about her, along with the fact that she hated dirt. It was white, chopped into a short bob haircut, but here and there long strands of hair went down to her waist.
    She had no idea why it was white though. She assumed it had been a very light blonde, but with time it became the white it was now.


    She opened the window just slightly and dropped town onto the metal staircase. She assumed it was used in case of a fire, but then again she wouldn't actually know the use of it.
    She landed on her toes, so her heels would not make any noise, and slowly tiptoed down. From there, it was easy, she knew the way. She began running trough the darkness, knowing her way around.


    James


    He saw some people running out. Somebody yelled about a fire. He turned around and stopped at the entrance, watching.
    A building had caught fire. How? Military cut off electricity after 6 pm. Nobody made candles anymore, and they were scarce, but whoever had them only lit them on special occasions. Like a nightmare, panick attack or celebration of some sort.


    He sat and watched passively. Even in these circumstances, the military would arrest the people who went out to put out the fire. And it was useless. The building would burn to the ground, along with those who were still in. Pretty much nothing he could do.

    Dimitri


    Dimitri played with the ends of his hair and yawned. Though it was getting late, he wasn't entirely sleepy nor hungry. He was bored.
    The lack of facilities in their 'safe zone' was such that there were no real forms of entertainment anymore. It's not like he knew what entertainment used to be like.


    Even though he was in his early twenties, he had no idea and absolutely no memories of a life before the infection. Everything was a blur. It's not like he could go back and relive his years as a baby and return, right?


    Although his mind warned him of lurking in the darkness, he didn't really care. The army was outside plus, he welcomed the thought of adventure with open arms.


    Closing the door of his home, he cheerfully made his way downstairs and disappeared into the shadows, molding into them as though they were one.


    Lily


    Deciding against making herself some food, Lily groaned and shrugged her jacket back on. The night was simply young and she detested the feeling of locking herself inside like a little animal trapped by hunters.


    She wasn't the prey. She was the predator. She knew her way about the city because it was a place she had known for so long, even before the epidemic had spread.


    She liked to think that the Military was more gullible. Some of them were young and some of them were old and most of them weren't accustomed to the town as she had been. In other words, they were her prey.


    Tucking her hair into a mixture of a bun and a messy ponytail, she washed her face and made her way out, drops dripping from her cheeks and to the toughened jacket she wore.

    Adelaide


    The military warehouse was guarded by two soldiers, but that was no problem. They both occasionally switched places from the front and back of the building, so she waited until then and snuck in.
    She stuffed quite a bit of ammo in her backpack and pockets, and then waited again.
    When she walked out however, a soldier that was just passing by saw her.


    She ran away, followed by two soldiers, and more joined the chase trying to corner her.
    Fighting wasn't an option. Even though skinny, she was pretty strong. But what could she do against now 5 very muscular angry soldiers?
    Her only option was to hide from them.


    James


    He stood there patiently. The fire was put out. Military made everyone return to their homes and soldiers glared at him from the street. Technically he was inside. They could do nothing to him.

    (( How do we make Dimitri and James meet??))


    Dimitri


    He slunk into the shadows, knowing that he wouldn't be seen by the soldiers who were on duty. He had, of course, been through the entire procedure of sneaking out at night more than once.
    He honestly found it pathetic that these soldiers who were specially trained to fight and search, couldn't even detect a teenager lurking in the shadows.


    Or maybe it was his ability of disguising himself with the night. Although he was pale, his hair was of a dark raven color and his eyes were dark as the creatures which lurked the darkness. He was clad in black and nothing but black, excepting a small silver necklace which adorned his neck.


    Lily


    No sooner had Lily been hovering the area did she come across five soldiers who were running frantically after the faint silhouette of a girl.


    Her eyes glinted, she smelled a chase and a barrel of fun. She took off after them, taking shortcuts here-and-there until she was nearly in front.


    Still partly in the shadows, she hoarsely whispered, "Follow me kid, it's a ride to Hell but we'll get there." She grinned.

    ((Um Dimitri could walk past and he's seen by a soldier who's about to shoot him so James pulls him in? ))


    Adelaide


    What in the hell? Who was this? And why did this person expect her to trust so easily?
    She jumped up and grabbed the metallic pole where a cafe sign had once hung, spinning on it and, thanks to the momentum from her speed, smashed her feet straight into the first soldier's face, knocking him behind over the others. Now that's what heels are useful for.


    She suspiciously looked int the shadows and jumped up to climb to the roof of the building. Too many times she had trusted someone and it almost got her killed.


    James


    The shadow of a person moved along the side of a building. Someone who didn't care for their safety, clearly.
    This new generation was very unfortunate, or so he thought. They didn't know a world without the infection. And they probably never would know. They'd never know what roadtrips were like, or what it meant to wander around at night and during the day without the fear of someone shooting you, or without the fear of somethign biting your head off.


    It was sad really. Few people kept track of the days, of the holidays, Christmas. He couldn't remember the last time he had seen the streets filled with lights and everybody happy and smiling. Even in London's rain.

    Lily


    "Sh.it. I'm not stocked up on ammo but this'll have to do." Lily muttered, aiming at a soldier and firing mercilessly. "Yo brawns face, try to catch us if y'all can." She taunted, spinning and letting more bullets fly past the soldiers.
    Once she realized she was low on ammo, she spun around and disappeared into the alleyway. Coming across a conveniently situated rusty ladder, she climbed to the first floor and drew it up, pausing slightly for a breath.


    Dimitri


    He silently cursed, momentarily stepping out of the shadows and glaring at an obstacle ahead. Too bad that he was a little too late in stepping back to the darkness.
    "You there! It's past curfew!" A voice called out, it was soon followed by a few more.


    "Damnation!" He muttered, sprinting off and trying to find an area which would shelter him momentarily and then let him catch his breath.


    Turns out that a normal walk wasn't possible in this day and age.

    Adelaide


    It was a woman, she realized. The one that had called her.
    She opened the window of the first level and jumped in. Gun in hand, she looked at the older woman with suspicion, but remained silent.


    Although most women in this time were more concerned with their kids or husbands or just staying alive with what the military provided, some were bent on killing. So she couldn't exactly predict in which category this one fitted.


    James


    The voices of a few angry soldiers shouted something about the curfew. Someone was still out?
    A young one probably. He stepped out to take a look and almost right then a skinny figure went right by.
    "Not so fast son" he mumbled and grabbed the boy by his shirt, pulling him inside and shutting the door closed.


    "Where is he?" One of the soldiers asked.
    "Damn I almost shot him where did he go?"


    "What are you doing out in the streets, tryign to get shot?" James asked the boy, seeing him quite clearly in the dimmed light of the lightbulb above the door.

    Lily


    Lily dabbed at her forehead with a worn-out rag. "Glad to see you could make it, kid." She murmured, shrugging her shoulders. "Although I'm pretty sure you wouldn't like to be addressed like that."


    A few gunshots from below sounded and the silence from downwards became prominent. "Gosh, those guys are a bunch of arses. Five against one? Really?" She scoffed, shoving her hands in her pockets.


    "But where are my manners, if I have any. What's your name? Tryna' kill me? Don't worry, I ain't with the infected or the military." She rattled off.


    Dimitri


    "Well, more or less." Dimitri shrugged, glancing at a blank spot on the wall. "You have my gratitude, Sir. If it weren't for you, I'd be feasted on for dinner." He continued, referring to the cannibalism that might soon take place due to a lack of rations.


    "I haven't met anyone like you. Everyone just minds their own business and keeps to themselves, shooting at others for no reason or for betrayal. Got a story?"

    Adelaide


    "Life's not supposed to be fair" she shrugged. She had been chased by more than 5 soldiers at once. At this point, whenever they saw white hair they just shot.
    Fairly enough, she got all her food, medicine and weapons from them. The military had more than enough rations and were the reason for which civillians starved.


    "Only trying to kill you if you try to kill me. I'm Adelaide." she said, lowering her gun and putting it back into it's holster strapped to her thigh. Once the soldiers would leave, she would too.


    James


    "Why let innocent lives be wasted.." he sighed taking a few steps towards the stairs. He should have been a doctor, he should have saved lives.
    "I suppose you don't want to go out there tonight, so follow me if you want." he said to the boy. Yes, he had a story.


    "Are you alone? Where are your parents?" he asked, somewhat curiously.

    Lily


    "Not interested in killing anyone besides the military, those brutes deserve the gunshots they got. Hopefully someone comes about and knocks some sense into their thick skulls." She muttered.


    "Hello then, Adelaide. The name's Lily and I'm a scavenger as well. Do we call ourselves scavengers? Gathering food and trying to save ourselves? Hmm." She continued.


    "I should stop doing that. Anyhow, it's past curfew and they're gonna kill you if they see you. Personally, I come here for the thrill of making them spill their alcohol over their fuzzed-up brains and fight each other, I dunno about you though."


    Dimitri


    Dimitri shrugged. He would've preferred an adventurous evening but this man seemed to be full of an adventure himself, somewhere and somewhat.


    "Probably dead. At least, I don't think they made it out alive. Besides, I don't think I remember anything about them." He murmured distantly. "That's a pretty boring story I have. Nothing interesting besides lurking about the night and stealing supplies."


    "It gets pretty lonely at times." He chuckled grimly. "Not like I can bring back a family from the dead anyway."

    Adelaide


    "I don't personally call myself anything. " she shrugged.
    "I know it's past curfew. Otherwise I wouldn't be out. " seriously, what did the woman expect. How old was she anyway. She didn't exactly knew much about this new person, but she seemed to be alright. Probably worth to have around, and well if she ever did make it back here to have someone waiting for her? Or someone that would come with her?


    She walked over to the window and looked down. The street was clear. Time to head back to her building.
    "Do you have a place to stay for the night?"


    James


    "Don't let that get to you just yet. " he answered, opening the door to what was his home. A small appartment, cozy looking and warm. Only few buildings in town had heating, this was one. Since it was so close to where the soldiers lived, they couldn't cut off all of the necessities like they did to the rest of the zone.


    "make yourself at home I guess. What's your name?" he asked, closing the door behind them when Dimitri walked in, and then going to the kitchen.
    "Are you hungry kid?"

    Lily


    "I do." Lily mumbled quietly.


    "Wherever you're going, you definitely seem capable of killing them. Good job with those heels." She complimented, clenching and freeing her fingers which were getting numb.


    "If you want, I just might keep you company until you get there. I'd probably burn my own house down anyway from boredom." She shrugged. "Besides, I like killing nitwits like those morons out there." She grinned.


    Dimitri


    "Smells like a place people would call home." Dimitri smiled hesitantly before following him inside. He ran a hand through his raven-black hair. "Dimitri. Dimitri Haiden. Apparently I'm an Earth-lover according to my parents and their naming options."


    "I'd hate to intrude like that honestly. If I'm here, I might as well help you out." He continued, followin him.

    Adelaide


    "I've dealed with them for a long enough time. " she answered. She was definitely capable of killing soldiers. That was one of the reason she was confident with killing zombies, because those were brainless.


    "Let's go then. How old are you?" she asked. The woman looked to be about 30. Yes she didn't act like the wise aged attitude most people her age had. She seemed ready for adventure, to do things for the thrill of it. Quite the opposite of Adelaide.


    James


    "That's a nice name you've got there. " he answered, taking out a large can from one of the shelves. That was what everybody had gotten used to. Canned food.
    But this was a treat. Bacon was "extinct" afterall.
    Like with everything, only the military had a few pigs and cows left, and those stolen.


    "You pretty much have nothing to help with" he said, heating up a pan. This was something easily done by one person.

    Lily


    "Ahaha. You don't ask a woman her age and get away with it." She chuckled. "Late thirties. I don't really give anyone a specific number." She continued apologetically, walking alongside her.


    "Yeah. The zombie invasion has been going on for a while now. I remembered the time I actually had a life though, that was before all of this chaos happened."


    "The world back then was better. Unfortunately, we've gone past the stage of getting it back though." She sighed.


    Dimitri


    "I'll just watch then and thank you." Dimitri nodded, observing James's quick movements. His eyes glinted as he gazed at the flickering and crackling flames.


    A few moments of awkward silence proved to be almost unbearable for the young adult. "Do you mind telling me why you stepped in back there? I haven't come across people like you in a while, so it came as a bit of a surprise. I hope it's not a strange question."

    Adelaide


    "That doesn't count since I'm a woman too. " she answered with a slight smile. She poked her head out the same window she came in trough and then slid out, dropping down onto the same iron bar she had jumped up from. After that the way down was easy. Landing on her toes as to not make any noise, she waited for Lily to get down as well.


    "How was life? Before this happened? " she asked, almost whispering. She was too curious to wait till they were safe.


    James


    "Like I said, no point in wasting a life. I've seen more people die then you've seen alive boy. It may look like one more doesn't matter, but it does. " he sighed, putting a generous portion of bacon into the pan. It sizzled, and the smell started to spread throughout the small kitchen.


    "I was about your age when this all started. First few years were hell. I think you've never seen one of those things outside. and you haven't seen what happens to the dead around here..." he continued, keeping his eyes on the pan.
    When it was done, he put it on a plate and on the small kitchen table in front of Dimitri.
    "My name is James by the way.