My eyes fluttered open as the world unfolded around me, the boat that I was still laying on, falling into the water beneath me. I had slid into the railings from the ship tipping and I turned to see an unconscious Clementine next to me. I groaned, seeing the knife still poking out of my leg, slightly bent from the way I had fallen. I quickly pulled it out, ripping another piece of my clothing off and wrapping it around with a sharp intake of breath, then I shook the girl beside me awake. Her eyes fluttered open and she jolted, seeing my face in front of her.
Y/n: Clem! Oh, my God!
I brought her into a hug and she sighed, looking around in panic.
Clementine: Y/n/n!
We let go and we both stood up, but another explosion rumbled through the boat, tipping us both off balance with the ship. I watched Clementine’s hat fall from her head, and into the water below us.
Clementine: Shit. My hat…
She looked down at it longingly and I knew it was important to her. I remembered knowing that since I found her in that wrecked car, taking it with me just in case.
AJ: Clem! Y/n/n!
We both heard AJ’s voice shouting and we turned to see him holding on the edge of the boat further away.
Clementine: Hang on! We’re coming!
A few more explosions went off as Clementine ran ahead, jumping into one of the lifeboats. I followed, but at a bit more of a slower pace, seeing as my leg was injured. I carefully jumped over the gap and into the same lifeboat as her, leaning over the side like she was. She met my gaze and saw the drop that AJ would have to go for me and her to catch him.
Y/n: The only way we can save him, is if we risk it.
She nodded and looked back up to AJ.
Clementine: AJ, you have to trust us. On the count of three, let go, and we’ll catch you.
AJ: Promise?
Y/n: We promise. Okay. One. Two. Three!
The boy let go from where he was hanging and he fell down slightly, but me and Clementine grabbed his hand, trying our hardest to keep a hold of him.
AJ: Hurry! I’m slipping! Please, Clem,
Y/n/n! Help!
They finally managed to pull him into the boat, letting out sighs of relief.
AJ: Now what?
Clementine: We need to find a way down. This ship isn’t gonna stay afloat much longer.
Another explosion hits us, rocking the boat even more. As it happened, I looked up to see the ropes holding the lifeboat up fraying slightly. I let out a shaking breath, trying to hurry us up. I then spotted a way.
Y/n: Uh, there. We can climb down from there.
Clementine: Yeah. Okay. Now we need to find a way to get there. Right… we’ve got to jump.
AJ: It’s far.
Clementine: I know it’s far, but it’s the only way. You’ll have to go first. You’ll need a running start.
AJ: I don’t know, Clem.
Clementine: Come on, you can do this, AJ. Just run, and jump.
Y/n: You got this, little dude.
AJ: I got this… I got this!
Clementine: AJ, what do we do when we’re scared?
AJ: Fuck off, fear!
Y/n: Atta boy.
The boy got up, moving back for a running start and then jumped as far as he could. He landed on the stabler side of the ship, smiling back at me and Clem.
AJ: Come on!
I looked back up to the fraying rope and knew it wasn’t going to survive another explosion.
Y/n: Clementine, go first.
Clementine: What? No! You go first!
Y/n: You don’t have time to argue.
I pointed up the fraying rope and her eyes widened.
Y/n: I’m already injured, I’m not going to make it across that gap, even if I tried. So, go. I love you, but go!
She nodded reluctantly, giving me one last look before jumping across the gap and making it. I sighed and then looked around for some other way around. But I didn’t have enough time since another explosion broke the rope completely, making the boat drop down, me with it. I grab onto one of the seats, my fingers digging into the wood as I struggle not to fall down into the water below filled with walkers.
Clementine: Y/n!
Y/n: I… I’m okay… Just in a bit of a situation… Get to the pier… I’ll meet you there.
AJ: Be careful!
Clementine: I love you!
I gave them a painful smile and pulled myself up onto the other pieces of wood, moving to the side and making a small jump to the side of the falling boat. The lifeboat fell down into the water as I did, making me watch it fall and crash onto a bunch of walkers. Slowly, I tried to climb across, having to avoid pieces of wood, metal and any other objects falling from above me. I watched as AJ and Clem got blown off the boat with another explosion and landed on a tarp on the pier.
AJ: Hurry!
I did as I was told, moving right to the edge of the boat, sighing as I saw the big jump I had to make with my injury.
AJ: You got this, Y/n/n! Jump!
Clementine: I know you can do this!
I took a deep breath and jumped as far as I could as the railing collapsed behind me, the ship exploding more and more with fire and smoke. AJ and Clementine helped me up from where I landed, all of us climbing down and onto the pier. We didn’t get far, though, because a raider walked up behind us, holding Marlon’s bow and my sword attached to his back. He gave one shot, the arrow hitting the post near Clementine’s head.
???: You forgot some things!
All three of us ducked as he fired another shot towards us.
???: Where do you think you’re going? No way you’re just walking out of here. You come up here, kill my people… And think you can just leave? Fuck you!
Y/n: Dude! Who ever are you!?
I watched Clementine take one of the arrows out of the post and stab the raider’s foot as he came closer towards us. He screamed out in pain, letting me rush him and wrestle for the bow. AJ helped me out, punching him in the groin, making him stumble backwards. I gave the bow to Clementine, quickly pulling my sword out of its sheath from his back and Clem shot him in the head, making him fall into the water.
Y/n: Well… that was… eventful.
Clementine: Come on!
We started running across the pier, but AJ stopped, leaning down to pick up a walker mask, holding it up to me as I sighed, sadly. It was James’. I took it from him, putting it in my back pocket and then we kept running again as the boat continued to explode in flames. But as we nearly reached the beach, we saw Lilly, still alive, trying to row away on a raft with a load of supplies. As soon as she saw us, Clementine and Lilly pointed their bows at each other.
Lilly: I wouldn’t if I were you. You already had your chance. You said we were family once. Must have been why you couldn’t. Let’s both turn around and walk away.
AJ: Shoot her, Clem! She stabbed James in the back!
Lilly: Don’t waste your arrows. This is over.
Clementine: What happened to you!? The Lilly I knew was hard, but never… evil.
Lilly: It’s not evil to fight for what you love. Without reinforcements, my people will lose their war. They’ll die because of you. The Delta was the first place I called home, after years of wandering. After this, there won’t be anything left to go back to.
Clementine: I know. Why don’t you write a story about it? Call it ‘The Parable of Lilly’.
Lilly: Maybe I will. If there’s a lesson here, it’s that nothing lasts. Not friends. Not love. Not the place you call home. They’ll all fall eventually. Never forget that, or they’ll drag you down too.
Clementine: Good luck out there, Lilly. I hope you find peace.
The woman nodded to her and then sailed away, letting us start running again and finally reaching the beach. I watched as a walker approached me and Clem, but luckily Louis rushed over, killing it with a rock.
AJ: Louis! You made it!
The smaller boy pulled him into a hug, making him smile for the first time that night.
AJ: I’m really sorry about your tongue. But at least you’re still alive.
Clementine: ‘And that’s how you school a walker’.
Louis smiled lightly and gave her a thumbs up. I walked over, giving him a small smile.
Y/n: Louis, I’m sor-
I couldn’t finish my sentence though because he wrapped me into a hug, making me smile and hug him back.
Louis: D-D-Don…’t.
He grimaced at the pain of even trying to speak, but gave me a broad smile anyways.
Y/n: As charming as ever.
Behind us, a walker was groaning and holding onto Violet’s leg as it tried to pull her into the water.
Violet: Get the fuck off me!
AJ: Violet!
As Louis kills the approaching walker with AJ, Clementine kills the walker trying to get Violet and I helped her up.
Y/n: Shit. You okay?
Violet: Yeah, my ass is a little singed, but I’m good. Fuck. I can’t believe that worked.
Louis runs over from killing the other walkers, smiling at her.
Violet: Lou…
Clementine: What happened to Minnie?
Violet: I don’t know. I lost track after the explosion.
AJ: Clem!
We looked over and saw what seemed like the last of the raiders being surrounded by the herd. We tried to sneak away, getting to some crates further away, finding Aasim and Omar hiding there, too.
Aasim: Oh, thank god.
Omar: You guys made it!
Violet: Fuck, there’s more walkers than I can count. That explosion drew them right to us.
Clementine: Stay cool, we knew this would happen.
Y/n: We just have to find some way off this beach.
I looked over to see Willy and Ruby near one of the carts and a horse. Ruby starts to calm the horse as Willy shoots his bow at the walkers trying to surround them.
Y/n: Hey, look! The cart’s there.
Aasim: Ruby! Willy!
Willy: Come on! We’re getting out of here!
???: There’s no end to these little shits. Put ‘em down.
Then one of the raiders caught sight of Willy and Ruby, aiming towards them, shooting shot after shot.
Aasim: Shit! Clem, do something!
Clementine did, shooting the raider in the neck quickly. But then the other raider saw us, or more specifically, Clementine.
???: You!
The girl ducks down beside me as that raider tried to shoot her pistol at her, but from being distracted, she didn’t see the walkers coming closer to her. She started to get devoured by them until a voice rang out across the beach.
Minerva: No! Get away from her!
She started to shoot the walkers around her, but ran out of ammo. Letting out a frustrated breath, she picked up the other raider’s axe, continuing to kill the herd.
Violet: What the hell is she doing? She’s going to get herself killed!
And just as she said that, a walker came up behind her, biting a chunk out of her arm, but she killed it anyway.
Omar: Oh, my God!
Y/n: She’s been bit!
Clementine: We’ve got to break for it! Now! Everyone run for the cart. I’ll stay back and cover you. I’ll be right behind you. The second I see an opening. I’ll make a break for it.
Omar, Aasim and Louis nodded, running out to Willy and Ruby. Violet waited around for a second, looking at the three of us.
Violet: See you on the other side.
Then she ran back after them, Clementine turned to me and AJ, urging us to go, too.
Clementine: AJ, Y/n/n, go with them.
AJ: No! We’re staying with you.
Y/n: Damn right we are.
Clementine: Thank you.
She started to shoot more walkers as the other group made it safely to the cart, but then Minnie got bitten once again, on her cheek and then shot the walker. Then she made eye contact with me and Clem.
Minerva: Y/n! Clementine!
She picked up a grenade from one of the other raiders, pulling the pin.
Minerva: Fuck you two! You ruined everything! Everyone is dead because of you two!
Clementine furrowed her eyebrows, shooting Minnie in the shoulder, making her drop the grenade.
Y/n: Oh, shit.
I grabbed both her and AJ away from the explosion as it blew over us. The horse that Ruby was sitting on got spooked by the sound, galloping off into the woods without us in the cart. We all turned around, eyes wide at the realisation of our situation, then we watched as Minnie got surrounded by the herd, more walkers joining from the woods. They started to approach me, Clem and AJ, but then I caught sight of Tenn waving to us from the edge of the forest.
AJ: Tenn!
Clementine: Go!
Y/n: Hurry! Hurry!
We all ran over to the boy, me checking him over for bites and then bringing him into a hug, happy he was alive. A walker tried to grab at Clementine behind us, making Tenn break free and stab it in the head. Clementine took the knife from the walker’s head, and then we all rushed from the beach and the burning boat.