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They’re in an old beaten up car. It lasts them a good while now, since they learned how to steal fuel from abandoned cars on the high way, they’ve been able to use cars just a bit more effectively now. They’ve been on a dirt road for a while now, only stopping ever so often to check the area for clickers and let the two boys stretch in the back.
Now was not one of those times, Wil has been driving for a good hour and half down some winding roads. The group has been actively traveling away form populated areas, as weirdos (“The Wrongens.” Tommy corrects as he struggled to stay awake a hour ago) started to come closer and closer to them. Tubbo almost got kidnapped by one of them while they are searching a mall. If it weren’t for Tommy throwing a basketball and then jumping the man, Tubbo wouldn’t be here. Probably.
They end up parking in a forest near some cliffs. Deciding to just start walking up the mountain. The two younger boys bounded ahead of the twins. Though, occasionally stopping when Wilbur whistles for them to stop and not move. The process repeats till there’s a small hiccup.
Said small hiccup was Tommy wrestling a Stalker and going down a steep incline. They both go rolling and Tommy ends up rolling to the side. Arms covering his face as the Stalker counted its descent downwards.
He doesn’t move to get up. The burning on his back leaves him rather breathless and the smell of something salty from his forearms signaled him that this wasn’t the greatest situation to be in.
It’s like every place that made contact with the floor stung him. Tommy hisses when he does manage his limbs to move. Looking, there’s no way he was climbing back up without falling. And no way is he going to make his family come down to get him.
“Tommy!,” a whisper shout is heard from above. Squinting up, the blonde tries to see through the tree line but it doesn’t help much. “Are you still alive?!” The panic was evident.
There’s a beat of silence before it registered. He should probably respond. “Yeah! I’m bleeding a bunch though and I don’t think I can get back up like this.” A grim, but needed piece of information.
He could have sworn he heard a ‘no shit’ from Wilbur but before he could give a proper response he heard the pained, distorted groans of a Stalker. It was getting much closer. “Guys I need to go-”
“Wait Tommy-”
“Big man do you-”
“Tommy don’t you d-”
Their words overlap one another, but the concern and fear was clear even in the dazed state Tommy found himself in. But the mass of sound attracts the zombie closer to his location. His heart was pumping again, pumping more blood to tell him to move. Breath quickens and the pain fades ever so slightly. He needs to go.
“I’ll be fine!” He calls before running. “I’ll go around and meet you there!” Thus, his trek to the base started.
With the three boys at the side: Wilbur was distraught, Tubbo was distressed, and Techno was anxious.
“We should walk down.”
“We can’t walk down.”
Tubbo and Wilbur stare at one another
“We need to meet Tommy so he’s not separated for too long.” Tubbo hisses back, turning to look at Tubbo. “HE can’t be out alone-”
“But it would be a waste for him and us to be back at square one!”
Techno steps between the two, becoming a physical barrier between the two before a shouting match occurred. “We should keep walking.” Techno says calmly, “Tommy said he’ll meet up with us. We can always scout the area out ahead of time so Tommy has fewer things to deal with.”
No on in the party wanted to admit it was the best option.
“...Fine.” Wilbur mutters. Crossing his arms.
“Tubbo?”
“...Fine.”
The more time passes, the more sure Tommy is sure that he’s kind of fucked. His ankle stung with every step and it was rather hard to walk quietly with rocks and twigs under his feet. He also had to start to walk further and further from the actual cliff as the incline just became sharper and harder to walk near. What Tommy didn’t expect to happen was the noise of clicking. There wasn’t much he could do besides hide behind a rock and wait it out.
Tommy may not be infected by these guys but they sure as hell could kill him other ways. Tear him to pieces, let him bleed out on floor, make him watch as he is consumed… the thoughts make him clamp his mouth shut tight.
Minutes passed and clicking gets quieter, meaning more distance. He ears strain for any nearby noises that didn’t include birds chirping and squirrels scampering around. He was so sure he would have been fine as he peeped past the rock but he heard the sound of something heavy hit the leaves of the floor and he followed almost instantaneously behind his .
Fuck. People.
Just a bit away, two people stood, watching a zombie body drop. One in a dark green shirt with leather arm braces and combat boots. While the other had an umbrella over him in hiking boots, a black and white jacket, and a cat in his arms.
Ranboo glances towards a few couple of the fallen rocks nearby, before nudging Phil, “Did you see that?”
“See what?” Ranboo continues looking at the rocks closely as they walk to the fallen clicker and yoink the arrow embedded in its head. It still twitched and growled so Ranboo lowers his umbrella and stabs it twice with the thin, sharp spike at its top. One in the head, the other in the heart.
“I think there is a person over there.” he says much quieter. That has Phil frown and nock a bloodied arrow into place. Phil gestures for Ranboo to lead and he does so. The two cross over the ground quietly with practiced ease and stop a good couple of meters away. After all, Phil is a very decent archer thanks to the apocalypse. Ranboo finds a sizable rock to toss at the rock where the blonde he saw hide. “Hello? We’re not going to hurt you.”
Silence lapses over them. Maybe a trick of the light? But Ranboo was sure he saw someone, someone injured. If the teen strained his hearing just enough he could hear gravel shifting behind the rock. Ranboo tries again, “At least give us a sign that you’re not a zombie.”
“I haven’t tried attacking you yet right?” A voice is heard. Cracking towards the end of the sentence. The two companions glance at one another before Ranboo starts to talk again.
“Would you like to come out?”
“Are you two wrongens?” Phil and Ranboo glanced at each other, confusion evident both on their faces.
“Define ‘wrongens’.”
“Do you eat people?”
“Oh gosh no!” Ranboo replies in shock, “No, we have our own little garden and things. We aren’t cannibals.”
Tommy sighs in relief, relaxing behind the rock. ‘Well, they could be lying still’ a small voice whispers in his head. It sounded something like Wilbur would say. He still held onto the knife pretty tightly. “If I come out… with hands up, are you going to kill me?”
“Nope!” Ranboo says as he nudges Phil to lower the bow. “My name is Ranboo if that makes you feel better. My friend’s name is Phil.”
Tommy thinks of a way out, one that wouldn’t get him exposed, but he eventually gives the thought up. Even if he distracted them the other way, he couldn’t possibly run fast enough the other direction and he has no idea what their equipment was. For all he knew they could have a gun on them! The knife goes to the back of his belt and waves his hands above the rock. “I’m coming out! Don’t shoot!” With a pathetic grace he limps out from behind the rock, leaning much of his weight onto the uninjured leg. “My name is Tommy.”
Phil looks at Tommy for a few seconds before putting the bow and arrow away, an apologetic look forming on his face. “Apologies mate. We were just being safe.” Phil only felt slight regret for aiming his weapon at the child. But the world has gone mad and any semblance of unity is too far and inbetween, could a person really blame him?
“No it’s fine, it’s fair.” Tommy mumbles and puts his hands down, idly brushing away the dirt on his arms, “Techno would have done the same.”
“Who’s Techno?” Ranboo said, curiosity evident with how he tilted his head along with his cat. Tommy doesn’t answer, instead crossing his arms and giving the two a glare. In response, Ranboo hums nervously and takes a small step to Phil’s side, glancing at the older man. “We can bring him back home, you know. Uh- it’ll be easier to patch him up. It’s closer and easier.”
The young blond gets decently loud at that, “This sounds like a kidnapping.”
“It’s not a kidnapping if you come willingly,” Phil points out, “Unless you want to talk into the zombie filled forest while covered in blood and what not.”
Tommy stares at them before he starts walking away, which gets the other two to start protesting and following after him quickly. Tommy speeds up his walking for a minute before almost tripping over something. “Enderchest! Come back here please.”
Tommy stares at the cat that skids to a stop in front of him. It was entirely black with bright orange eyes. ‘Tubbo would adore this cat.’
Tommy glances back at the two who were following him before picking the cat up. It purrs into his arms and licks at his arm. He winces at the sting but lifts it away from him, holding it like a ragdoll. A mischievous grin appears on his face, “I’m naming you Clementine.”
“You can’t do that! That’s my cat!” Ranboo appears next to Tommy, startling the other.
Tommy leans away pulling the cat close to his chest, feigning a pout. “Mine now, pussy.”
“Philllll.”
Phil tries to stifle his laugh, even though Ranboo was in front of him. “I mean- finder keepers.”
“W-wha- Phil!” Ranboo was very desperate. That was his comfort pet after all.
“Phil, the only man ever.” Tommy nods before grinning at Ranboo. The taller boy looks down at Tommy, looking him up and down to try and make a formal complaint. He attempts but it stops in his throat when he looks down at Tommy’s arm. Where the bandages was once wrapped securely, now was torn to shreds and hanging limply around his thin arm. Ranboo doesn’t make out much of it but sees aggressive, red marks twisted on the arm.
Tommy must have noticed the staring and uses Enderchest for more arm protection. “Hey,” Tommy snapped, making Ranboo look back at his face. “Didn’t anyone teach you not to stare?”
Ranboo averts his gaze, “Yeah. Uh. Right. Sorry.. Didn’t mean to. But are you done running away now?”
“No.” Tommy says without missing a beat, following Ranboo slowly as he starts walking a different direction.
“Good, first one back to the cottage gets the cat.” And Ranboo is dashing away with the umbrella bouncing on his shoulder. Phil simply laughs at Tommy following with a limp in his run. Then jogs behind them, keeping a watchful eye out for the kids.
“I can treat it myself.”
“I’d rather have it so the person who knows first aid training does it first.”
Tommy ultimately won the race, tripping Ranboo and sprinting straight ahead. Though he’s aggravated his ankle so much that he just collapses at the porch. Ranboo opens the door with a key in hand and leaves to his room while Phil helps Tommy in. Placing him in the kitchen and trying his hardest to persuade the kid to let him treat his arms.
Infections are nasty little fuckers no one wanted to deal with, especially with how much grim and dirt that could get into it nowadays. Running all the time, never really having time to clean and sanitize places as zombies try to eat your brains.
“I’ve got it, old man.” Tommy resists the urge to run as Phil pulls up his sleeve. He knew what would happen if he got caught. He knew what would happen and he didn’t want to get killed before the others could find him. Enderchest purrs loudly and rubs their cheek against his, draping themselves on Tommy’s shoulders. “ I promise I know how to do it just fine.”
Eventually Tommy lets him take care of it. Phil didn’t relent on the issue but used his reasoning skills. The dirty bandages come off and Phil stays still for a moment, seeing the darkness that has stained his skin for a long time now. “You were bitten?” Phil’s gaze hardens and Tommy looks away.
“It happened in the beginning. I don’t know. It’s just- it’s not new. But don’t tell anyone about this.” He tugs a bit but Phil continues to grasp it. “There are just bad memories I don’t want you to dig up.” It’s true and Phil would certainly think of different situations of what ‘bad memories’ implied but anything to get the old man to stop questioning him. “Look if you’re worried about this I can always leave and-”
“No no-” Phil rushes out, looking at the aid kid and then starts to work. “Just let me fix it up properly mate, alright?”
“Yeah of course.” Phil is quick to lead him to a guest room, sitting Tommy down on the bed and closing the door with his foot. The bloodied bandages get removed exposing just how bad his injuries were. Covered in different shades of purple and greens, the bandages are immediately tossed into a trash can. Tommy can’t help but stare as Phil goes about fixing his right arm, the skin was very messed up, well the part surrounding the bight mark, the feeling in that was definitely a lot more mute than his other room but he still feels the small pinch like pains every time Phil dabbed alcohol into the open wounds.
Enderchest hops off his shoulders and lays on Tommy’s lap, much to Phil’s amusement. Tommy idly pets the cat with one hand the two stay in a comfortable silence.
That is until the door opens suddenly and Ranboo walks through with a coat and tray in hand, “So I have some food and water that you can have and a..co..a…t” The tray slips from his hands and Ranboo’s face pales even more behind his mask.
“You’re infected.”