⁺◟ PANDORAS BOX ! ⋆·˚ ❪ ✦♥ ❫
❛ chapter three ❜

⊹₊ ⋆ TESS, JOEL AND FINELY WALKED THROUGH the broken outskirts of the QZ, only slowing down now and again whenever someone yelled on Tess, but Joel and Finely continued walking ahead until they reached a man standing in front of a gate, making sure no one unwanted entered.

"I'm looking for Robert," said Tess, leaving out no room for any disagreement as she pulled out a ration card from her pocket, and passed it to the man. "He come through here?"

The man smirked, taking the card. "Half hour ago," he replied. "He went back to the wharf. He's there now."

Tess nodded, taking lead and walking passed first, Joel and Finely following closely behind. "Here we go," Joel spoke, noticing three of Robert's men.

"Let us through," said Tess.

The men walked towards them, standing in a line of three, the one in the middle spoke up first. "You guys need to turn around and head back if you know what's good for you." Finely couldn't help but smirk at the man's failed attempt at being intimidating. "You find this amusing?"

Before Finely had the chance to retaliate back, Tess took a step forward. "Our beef isn't with you. We just want Robert. You don't want to do this." she said. "Turn the fuck around and leave now." The man continued. "I'm not going anywhere without Robert."

"Bitch. I will bash your skill unless you turn around and get your dumb ass outta here."

Finely looked up at her mother who had a blank look on her face. "Fuck this," she said, quickly pulling her gun from her side and shooting the guy in the chest.

"Take cover!" The other men yelled while Joel grabbed Tess and Finely, pulling them down behind the cover.

"You ready?" Tess questioned them both who nodded confidently in return. "Good," she added, turning to Joel. "We'll cover you. Get the angle on them."

Joel nodded, staying crouched down but quickly moving to the left behind another box, Tess stayed where she was and Finely moved to her right, she saw her father trying to shoot the one closest to him but was unable to without getting shot at himself.

She looked around trying to figure out how to help when she saw an empty glass bottle by her feet. She reached down, wrapping her hand around it, careful not to touch the broken end before she peeked over the wooden box and threw it right at the guy's head.

He stumbled back, dropping his gun in reaction, using this
time Joel peaked up, aiming his gun and shooting him in the face before rushing to another area of cover and shooting the other man."Nicely done, Texas," said Tess, as the three met up in the middle. "How the hell did he get all these guys?" Joel wondered aloud. Tess scoffed. "If Robert's good at one thing, it's writing blank checks."

The trio continued down the pathway until they came across an old warehouse that had been taken over by Robert's men. Joel grabbed his daughter's hand, pulling her down behind a crate as two men walked out of the warehouse. "How do you know they're coming?" Finely listened in on their conversation. "Two of our guys died trying to take Tess out. I guarantee that she, Joel and their little devil spawn are on their way right now to get Robert."

The thirteen-year-old huffed at the name they called her. "Jesus," one of them let out a breath as they slowly redirected themselves. "We shouldn't have taken this job."

When he thought they were far enough away Joel turned to Finely. "You stay here," he whispered in a stern voice, following in the direction of Tess who had already caught up to one of the thugs and had her arm wrapped around his throat.

Once the men were dead, and Joel had taken a key from one of them they made their way inside, taking out anyone else who was in their way until they reached the garage door which the key unlocked and revealed the dock, where Robert stood talking to one of his men. "The cocky son of a bitch," Tess scoffed.

"Let's go wrap this up," Said Joel. "You stay close," he told Finely before jumping over the rock and down to the lower level.

Finely stayed by her father's side (not that she had much of a choice), while he and Tess split up, figuring they'd be quicker that way. They quickly and quietly get rid of any threats before heading straight in the direction Robert went.

Joel put the melee weapon he had picked up from the ground and placed it on the side of his backpack before opening the door, barely dodging a bullet that headed straight for him. "Get back! Get the fuck back!" Robert yelled from the room. Tess and Finely both rushed behind the opposite wall, Robert firing at them too.

"We just wanna talk Robert," said Tess. "We ain't got fuckin' nothin' to talk about!" Robert yelled in response. "Put your gun down!" Tess tried once more before peaking around the wall. Robert shot his gun once more. "Go fuck yourself'!" he shouted, throwing his empty gun at the door.

"He's running!" Tess yells, the three instantly rushing after him. Once Joel kicked the door down Finely took off, being both younger and smaller than Tess and Joel, she was able to run faster. She chased him throughout the building until she jumped out the window and was met with Robert shaking the fence to get out, thinking quickly she took out her bow and show an arrow into his leg, making sure he didn't attempt to her fight his way out.

Tess gave her an impressed look when she jumped through the window to see Robert on the ground, his hands wrapped around the arrow. "Hello, Robert," she said, looking down at the man.

Robert laughed nervously. "No hard feelings right?"

"None at all," Tess replied sarcastically. Robert looked at the family of three nervously, attempting to push himself off the ground but before he could Tess smacked his other leg with a metal pole she had picked up, making him scream out in pain and frustration. "Look. Whatever it is you heard, it ain't true. Okay?"

"Then why'd you run?" Finely spoke up, glaring at the man who had tried to kill her mother.

Robert looked at her in disbelief. "You come here, you murder my men and chase me down. Of course, I'm gonna run," he replied. Finely shrugged her shoulders in response, there's no arguing with that.

"The guns," Tess spoke up, bringing the attention back to her. "You wanna tell us where the guns are?"

"Yeah. Sure, but..." Robert stuttered. "It's complicated. Alright?" Tess hummed and Joel pushed himself off the wall, making his way towards Robert, neither happy with his reply. "Look alright, just hear me out on this-" Robert was cut off as Joel's boot met his face, the Texan kneeled, grabbing his arms in place.

"Quit your squirmin'," said Tess. "You were saying?"

"I sold 'em," Robert confesses. "I didn't have much of a choice. I owed someone."

"You owed us," argued Tess. "I'd say you bet on the wrong horse."

"I just need more time," Robert begged. "Just gimme a week."

"What so you can run off like a little bitch?" Finely stepped forward.

"You know, I might have done that if you hadn't tried to fucking kill me," said Tess. Robert attempted to get a word in but was quickly cut off by Tess. "Who has our guns?" She yelled.

Robert struggled, contemplating his options. "I can't!" He finally breathed out. Tess sent Joel a look and the older man pulled Robert's arm back, Finely winced at the sound of the bone snapping. "Who. Has. Our guns," Tess spoke again.

This time, clearly running out of options Robert yelled out. "The Fireflies! I owed the Fireflies. Look, they're basically all dead. We can just⎯ Just go in there, finish 'em off. We get the guns. Whadaya say?"

Tess glanced towards Joel and Finely before standing up. "C'mon," Robert tried. "Fuck those Fireflies. Let's go get 'em."

"That is a stupid idea," said Tess. She didn't leave any room for any arguing as she aimed her gun at his head and pulled the trigger.

While Tess and Joel weighed over their options, Finely crouched down, and wrapped her hand around the arrow that still stuck out of Robert's leg before yanking it out. She inspected the arrowhead, making sure it was good enough to use again before wiping the mand blood off the metal and onto her leggings.

Tess held her hand out, helping Finely up as she glanced at both Millers. "Let's go find a Firefly."

LANA TALKS !
boring ass chapter & my apologies for being away so long, but to make up for it we do get ellie next chapter !!