Three years of being trapping in that god-forsaken, governmental, motherfucking system- that was enough. It was enough for Joel and Tommy to decide they'd risk their necks to get out of that damned quarantine zone.
The original zone they'd been placed in had been overrun by a hoard of Infected that migrated over after two weeks of residence. After that, they moved on to another location- this time though, it was temporary, supposedly. Then, they left that town and moved to the next. After a year of settling into that particular location, buildings had been built up, things were running smoothly. Though, people were still being unjustly murdered and worked like dogs day in and day out, they all had a sense of freedom. FEDRA had a system up and running, and surprisingly well. They expected it to be a total success.
However, after two years of things running smoothly, the operation went sideways. FEDRA hit a rocky spot and found themselves in an all-out war with the militia group that was popularly known as the Fireflies.
Over half of FEDRA's troops were brutally slain and the Fireflies reigned supreme over all. All, being the other groups that had formed over the years. FEDRA had regular run-ins with Rebels, wanna-be-Fireflies, Hunters, and the ones that chilled Tommy to the bone- cannibals. He decided he'd die from starvation before eating another human being, no matter how desperate he got.
The group- FEDRA and the poor souls they dragged along with them- never stayed anywhere long. It was like playing hot-potato between the zones. One zone would be cleared and they'd move there, then sick activity would start back up and they'd tuck-tail and run back to the other zone.
All this coming and going reminded Tommy of the short time he and Joel spent in the foster care system. It was a dark time; their mother had just passed and Joel wasn't old enough to keep the house going and take care of himself and Tommy. They'd been moved together from one house to the next, never staying in one longer than two months. When Joel aged out of the system, he had saved enough money to rent a small house, just big enough for the two of them. Eventually, Joel gained custody and before long, the two of them were taking care of a newborn girl. Juggling a squalling baby girl, an angst teen, and two-year college was quite the challenge for Joel, and Tommy would be eternally grateful.
It was a year of back-and-forth between the zones before Joel and Tommy agreed they'd be better off on their own. After hundreds of lives were taken, they snuck out of line while FEDRA troops were loading up civilians, and from then on, considered themselves Stragglers- alone together, just like it used to be.
Tommy found a sort of comfort in knowing they didn't have to depend on others for their safety. FEDRA troops didn't allow the ones who survived weapons or any self defense for that matter. Violence wasn't permitted and it was soon discovered that any firearms or blades weren't either.
