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

⊹₊ ⋆ IT TURNED OUT LOOKING FOR A FIREFLY wasn't as difficult as Finely thought it would be as Marlene, the leader of the Boston Fireflies walked around the corner, her hand on her stomach wound. "There you go," said Joel. "Queen Firefly."

"Why are you here?" questioned Marlene, clearly unamused by the older Miller.

"Business," replied Tess, keeping things short. "You aren't looking so hot." Marlene glanced down at her wound and blood-covered hand but brushed it off. "Where's Robert?" she questioned. Finely took a step to the left, revealing Robert's dead body.

Marlene scoffed. "I needed him alive."

"Yeah, well. We needed him dead," Finely shrugged.

"The guns he gave you," spoke Tess. "Weren't his to sell. I want them back." Marlene shifted on her feet, attempting to relieve the pain from her side. "You know it don't work like that, Tess," she replied.

Tess scoffed and the two older women went back and forth until they finally came to an agreement. Tess and the Millers would smuggle something out of the city for Marlene, and in return, the Firefly would return their guns.

"We gotta get out of here," announced Tess as the sound of yelling soldiers came from inside. "Now!"

"Through here," said Marlene. "I know a way around." The Firefly guided them through the alleyways until they reached the roof of a building. Finely stared down at the fire and explosions below, glancing at Marlene before looking back at the sight. "Holy shit," he mumbled.

"Is that your people?" questioned Tess in slight shock.

Marlene looked away, sadness in her eyes as she continued on route. "What's left of them. Why do you think I'm turning to you guys?" As Joel helped Finely through a broken window and into the room, Tess continued pressing for answers. "Why now?" The woman asked.

"We've been quiet," said Marlene. "Been planning on leaning the city, but they need a scapegoat. They've been trying to rile us up."

"Look like it worked," smirked Finely which earned an elbow to the side from her father who shook his head before going to help Marlene with the door. Once it was pushed open the group of four made their way through, only making it around the corner when Marlene stopped them again. "Hold up. Soldiers."

Finely peaked her around to see two men standing across the hole, rifles in hand as they looked around for any threats while conversing with each other. "The door under the bridge," Marlene said. "That's our way out."

"I ain't a big fan of these odds," replied Joel.

"We can sneak by them, even though I know that's not your style," she looked at Joel before glancing at Finely who narrowed her eyes back at her.

They quickly sneaked their way up the stairs, using some boxes to shield themselves until they reached the level above. The four worked together to take down the soldiers quietly, while Marlene and Joel took them out from behind, Finely shot the ones further away with her arrows while Tess watched her back until eventually they made their way through the blue double doors.

They made their way up another flight of stairs and through a wrecked kitchen where they came across another door. "Joel, gimme a hand with this," said Marlene as she held her wound, It was clearly beginning to take a toll on her. Joel left Finely's side and made his way to the door, he and Marlene both pushed it open when the Firefly stumbled onto the ground. Joel rushed to help her when suddenly a little girl around Finely's age came running out of the shadows, a knife in hand. "Get the fuck away from her!"

Finely stepped around Tess and swiped the girl's feet, making her fall to the ground and drop the knife. She grabbed the easiest weapon that she could which was the pistol in her holster and aimed it at the girl. "Finely," said Marlene, making the Miller look away from the girl on the ground and back to the Firefly, but she still kept the gun pointed at her head.

"What? The little fucker just ran at us?"

The said girl tried reaching for her knife when Finely stomped her foot down on it. "Let her go," said Marlene, Finely glanced up at Tess who reluctantly nodded her head and with a huff Finely moved the gun, placing it back in her holster.

"Shit," the girl spoke, quickly standing up and rushing to Marlene who still held her side. "What happened?"

"Don't worry," Marlene reassured. "It's fixable. I got us help," the girl and Marlene glanced at the family before continuing. "But I can't come with you."

"Well then I'm staying," the girl replied.

"Ellie," said Marlene, "We won't get another shot at this."

Joel stepped forward, finally speaking up as realisation hit. "We're smuggling her?"

Marlene nodded. "There's a crew of Fireflies that'll meet you at the Captial Building," she explained, in return making Tess scoff. "That's not exactly close." Marlene simply rolled her eyes. "You're capable," she states. "You hand her off, come back and the weapons are yours. Double what Robert sold me."

"Speaking of which⎯where are they?" Tess demanded while Joel shook his head, it was obvious to Finely already that he didn't want to go through with this, but knowing him he would the moment she or Tess said too. "Back at our camp," said Marlene. "We're not smuggling shit until I see them."

The Firefly sighed. "You can follow me. You can verify the weapons and I can get patched up. But she," she pointed at Ellie. "Isn't crossing to that part of town. I want Joel and Finely to watch over her."

Joel went to protest when Ellie chimed in. "Bullshit! I'm not going with them! She just pointed a fucking gun at my head."

"And she's very sorry⎯" Marlene tried to reassure Ellie when Finely but in. "No, she's not. Maybe you shouldn't try stabbing someone who's trying to help."

Ellie sighed when Tess pulled Finely back away from her and she turned to Marlene. "How do you know them?"

"I was close with his brother, Tommy," revealed Marlene. "Said if I was ever in a jam, I could rely on them."

"Was that before or after he left your little Malitia group?" Joel fired at her. Now, Tommy Miller actually wasn't someone Finely knew much about, other than the fact that it was Joel's younger brother, which in return made him Finely's uncle. Apparently, they had met when Finely was only a baby, but it's not something that she can remember.

"He left you too," Marlene fired back before sighing. "He was a good man."

Tess growing tired of the back-and-forth arguing grabbed Joel's arm and guided Finely into a corner. "Look, just take her to the north tunnel and wait for me there." Joel huffed, clearly not happy when Tess rolled her eyes. "She's just cargo, Joel."

The older Miller grunted. "Don't take long," he said to Tess before glancing at Ellie. "And you⎯ stay close."

Ellie shared one last look with Marlene before she nervously walked up to Finely who she had to look up at slightly. "Can I get my knife back?"

Finely looked down at her foot that was still on top of the handle of Ellie's knife before lifting her foot and following after Joel, not before shooting her mom a small smile. "Be careful, please," she said, she knew she couldn't bare to lose anyone else.

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LANA TALKS !
ha, me? taking a long ass time to publish a new chapter???? i'm not even surprised anymore. but on the bright side! ellie & finely have finally met <3333