TWD - Zomboid - Chapter 299: They’re Already Dead. Can You Pray Them Back to Life? (Patreon)

Joel struggled to brace himself against the ground and looked up at Luke.

The man stood over him, staring down as though he were looking at an ant.

Still, Joel forced himself back to his feet.

Everyone around him was watching. Even Shane had his head tilted to one side, his neck almost as thick as an arm.

They were only waiting for Luke to give the order.

Shane wouldn’t hesitate for a second to snap Joel’s neck and throw him into the horde for the walkers to eat.

Luke turned away with his hands clasped behind his back.

Only then did Joel notice that not a single person who had stepped out of those helicopters looked easy to deal with.

“You’ve got a daughter, so I’ll give you this much. I’m going to be watching you closely. Now pick up your weapon and get your ass to the front line!”

Shane walked over, a vicious glint in his eyes.

If Luke weren’t keeping him in check, Shane would be even more ruthless than Negan. When he killed someone, he didn’t care much about principles or rules.

“Why waste your breath on him? Just beat him until he gets the message.” Abraham spat out his cigar.

The veteran still preferred the military approach when it came to resolving conflicts.

In the end, Crane stepped in as the peacemaker.

“Alright, enough. Why are you guys even bothering with him?”

Leon said nothing.

The only reason he hadn’t held Joel accountable was because the man had a daughter, and even that was based on the fact that Leon knew he could keep Joel under control.

If Luke decided Joel wasn’t worth taking in, Joel would be thrown into the walker horde within half an hour.

Joel said nothing. He simply picked up the crowbar he’d been issued and rejoined the group.

It wasn’t that he was afraid.

Ellie was still in their hands.

Among the others, Tallahassee spotted the dusty, battered Joel and immediately became interested.

“Hey, buddy!” he called out casually. “What’s the deal with you and that little girl? I saw what happened back there. There’s definitely a story behind that!”

The cowboy had never been one to mind his own business.

“Fuck off!” Joel snapped, clearly in a foul mood.

What a day.

His daughter had become rebellious, stopped listening to him, and run off with strangers.

Of course he was pissed.

Luke kept an eye on the time.

It was about right.

“Alright, move in. Keep the helicopters higher up. Watch out for those guys below pulling out RPGs,” Luke reminded them.

More than a dozen helicopters roared into action.

Luke’s strategy was simple. They would start releasing pheromones around the perimeter, forcing the walkers toward the center, then mow them down with concentrated gunfire.

Luke turned toward Leon and Crane.

“You two take a squad each. Push them from the front and grind that horde into mincemeat!” Luke ordered.

“Roger!”

Steelback Beast and Superman rallied their men, opened the gates, and charged out.

The battlefield sprang into motion at once.

Luke didn’t even need to fight personally anymore.

At this point, he was basically a card player. Whenever a big situation came up, all he had to do was put together the right cards in his hand and play them.

He had already collected more SSR combinations than he could count.

“Where did that girl run off to?” Luke asked one of the white-armored soldiers.

The soldier pointed in a direction.

Luke followed it and eventually found a quiet, empty room.

Ellie was sitting alone in the corner with her knees hugged to her chest.

Her shoulders trembled slightly as tears ran down her cheeks.

Joel had slaughtered an entire hospital for her.

That truth weighed on her like a mountain.

It was understandable. After taking Ellie in, the Fireflies had at least shown a reasonably decent moral standard. They weren’t simply a group of irredeemable monsters.

Of course Ellie would feel guilty.

When she heard footsteps at the doorway, Ellie flinched and hurriedly wiped the tears from her face.

She didn’t want anyone seeing her vulnerable.

Luke walked in.

“It’s kind of strange when you think about it. You and Joel can both kill without hesitating when you need to, but somehow you both have surprisingly strong consciences.” Luke leaned against the doorway.

Joel and Ellie... their bond was starting to crack under the weight of what Joel had done.

Ellie turned her head away, with even a little snot running from her nose.

“Just leave me alone for a while!”

“Yeah, that’s probably not happening. There are walkers practically at our front door, and you’re sitting in here crying like some little girl. Aren’t you just making things harder for everyone?” Luke shook his head.

Comforting a little girl?

Give him a break.

Ellie wasn’t some ordinary little girl.

Ellie sniffled. “But I am a girl!”

“Good point. Almost forgot.”

Luke casually tossed her a shotgun.

Ellie instinctively caught it.

“Here. Another gun for you. Now get moving, kid. Stop torturing yourself over it. They’re already dead. You think you can pray them back to life?”

Luke’s method of comforting people was certainly direct.

The moment the cold metal of the shotgun settled into Ellie’s hands, the chaos in her head strangely began to calm.

She quickly wiped away her tears, took a deep breath, and pulled herself together.

“Joel...” Ellie asked quietly. “He’ll eventually pass the assessment, right?”

“Hard to say.”

Luke shrugged. “That depends on him. With the way he’s acting right now... tsk, tsk.”

For once, Ellie didn’t argue.

“For now... I don’t want to see Joel again.” Her expression dimmed. “You said you could get evidence. I want to know what really happened there. Everything.”

“Then you’re going to owe me even more. I expect a return on my investments.”

Ellie fell silent for a moment before asking another question.

“What are you planning to do with me?” She looked Luke straight in the eye. “Am I... going to have to die for your experiments too?”

“No.”

Luke shook his head. “Cordyceps hasn’t spread across the entire world, which means the fungus must have certain environmental requirements. And since we don’t plan on expanding westward anyway, we don’t need to worry too much about it.”

“Besides, I might not even need you.”

“The Fireflies were in such a hurry that they were willing to kill the goose that laid the golden eggs. Rebecca won’t make a mistake like that. But if you want details, ask the professionals. We’re just here for the fighting.”

Ellie stared at him.

He really wasn’t trying to use her the way the Fireflies had.

“Then... what am I supposed to do from now on?” Ellie asked softly.

“Troopers, Special Forces, the Bio-Chemical Unit, or you could become an agent.” Luke counted the options off on his fingers.

Ellie could fit into quite a few different units.

Personally, Luke preferred the agent route.

If Ellie learned some close-quarters combat from Jade and picked up some agent skills from Ada, there was a decent chance they could turn a near-Legend into a true Legend.

An agent?

The Bio-Chemical Unit?

Ellie raised an eyebrow.

That actually sounded pretty interesting.

“Of course, if you don’t like any of those options, you can refuse. It’s your choice.”

Ellie pursed her lips.

She could clearly see how expectant Luke looked, like a parent watching a child draw lots and desperately hoping they’d pick the one thing the parent wanted.

Tch.

“I’ll become an agent. I accept all your conditions. I’ll work for you, as long as you guarantee Joel’s safety!” Ellie made her choice.

“Bingo!” Luke snapped his fingers.

“Alright, then it’s time to work!” Luke clapped his hands. “Go find Leon. He’ll give you something to do. Consider this your first side mission!”

Ellie automatically ignored Luke’s nonsense.

By now, she was already used to the way he acted. Absurd, unpredictable, and with a train of thought that jumped all over the place.