Chase Clyde wasn't a babysitter, he had no idea on how to treat a child, well, a teenager to be exact. A female teenager... But Chase had to do it, he came a few times into the room where Veronica – Ellie, spent her days, he brought her food and water, and sometimes he was the one doing the observations and test.

The blond leaned against the wall as the teenager finished the rice and chicken, he played with a coin that he collected years back and called it his lucky charm, which had no luck really, he never had it with him actually.

"So, Chase, what's the deal here? Why are you in the fireflies?" Chase hadn't shared about his past, feeling that was something so personal, even though he had known about Veronica for the past two weeks already.

"Woah, I didn't know we were already into the getting to know each other more state." Chase sat down against the wall, his legs crossed over each other, Ellie just looked at him, clearly waiting for a response. "It's kind of a family business, emphasize on the kind of."

"Gotcha, so you owe it to your family, that must suck." Ellie chuckled and looked around the room, letting the small rays of sunlight from the wood barriers glow on her skin, letting the heat warm her. "Have you ever wanted to do something for yourself? Escape this place, see what's on the outside world?"

Letting out a sigh, the blond shrugged, he had lost interest of seeing the outside world, he had been offered on doing jobs with the Fireflies like getting merchandise, bring medicine or even just recruiting new people, but Chase didn't want any of that, he was okay here, it was boring, sure, but it meant being safe.

"I really don't want to do any of that, I've seen already what's here, I don't need to know the chaos outside." Chase answered looking at the teenager, she was unsure about his answer, but she wasn't going to ask anything else, she just shrugged at him. "Do you want to leave, get out there again?"

Ellie shot her eyes at him, a hint of confusion struck over her eyebrows. "What do you mean again? How do you?"

"I mean, the fireflies caught you, it meant you were out the wall." Chase interrupted, saving himself from giving or saying too much. Ellie's background is a secret. "Did you see anything out there?"

Ellie stood there quiet, her eyes glancing from Chase to the window again, the silence was clear to the blond, she didn't want to share anything of that, which also meant that she had seen something, something haunting. Without giving another word at her, Chase stood up and picked up the tray of food, he had to leave her alone, it was time also to get out the place and back to his "normal" life.

"Why are you nice to me?" She asked still looking out the wooded window, Chase stopped his tracks and glanced back at her.

"Because, you're a kid Veronica, you deserve to be treated like one instead like some kind of prisoner." He answered at her question, he noticed that she smiled just a little bit at his response and for Chase that warmed his heart, she was beginning to trust him, at least that is what he hoped for.

"Ellie."

"What?" Chase turned to look at her, not knowing if he had heard correctly or just imagined.

"That's my name." Ellie looked at him. "If you tell someone about this, I'll chop off your balls."

Chase crossed over his heart letting a chuckle out at her threat, he did believe her though, he wasn't going to tell a soul about her name, but he wasn't going to tell her that he already know, Ellie probably hadn't met Marlene yet.

Chase left the room for the day, he had to return and talk to Marlene, share the progress he had made. He felt guilty, the sour feeling in his throat and stomach was making him sick, Chase had just promised he wouldn't tell anyone, and for him, that meant Marlene too.

Taking the stairs to the floor above him and the last room to his right, Chase braced himself to look at Marlene, tell her what had happened, and when he saw her sitting on her office desk looking down at some map, he froze for a second.

"How's the kid?" Marlene didn't look up at him, whatever was standing in front of her in that map had to be more important.

"The same as the day before."

"Progress?" Chase stood quiet, in that moment Marlene finally glanced at him.

"No, just the usual questions wanting to know more of what's on the outside and what I'm doing here." The thumping in his heart was loud, Chase was surprised Marlene hadn't heard it. "What if someone comes looking for her Marlene?"

"No one will come to look for her." Marlene turned back her gaze to the map. "You're done for the day, be here tomorrow, we are expecting the battery so we can move Ellie out of here."

"And why do you need me for?" Chase crossed his arms over his chest confused at the order Marlene gave.

"She seems to trust you, I will talk to her today and let her know what's happening, but you need to reassure her that everything will be okay."

"Understood, I'll see you tomorrow then." Chase turned around, he didn't look back, when he closed the door he let his body relax with a sigh, he just lied to Marlene, but there was something about keeping his promise that was more important. Chase barely knew Ellie, but something in his gut was telling him she was someone to trust.

Chase Clyde has always been puntual, he liked being in time at places, it was rewarding to him knowing he could accomplish something so simple as being here at time or even before. So it was no surprise for the guards to already see him outside Marlene's office leaning against the wall wearing his mischievous smirk.

Chase knew Marlene was inside, he could hear people arguing and talking, he didn't really understand much of their mumbling but all he could recognize was that it was important. A few minutes later the door opened, two Firelfies walked out and closed the door behind them, taking a small peek before it closed Chase saw Marlene and Kim, another Firefly and the closest to Marlene in charge of the whole operation.

Marlene then walked out the room her head motioning back inside, and indication for Chase to wait there, doing as told he didn't say a word and walked into the room with Kim, Marlene didn't enter, excusing herself.

"Hiya Kim, how you've been?" Smiling at the woman Chase's eyes looked down at the map. "Woah, are those the places we've hit?"

"Not even close kid, those are the ones we want to hit, but right now we have another plan, and you're helping us right now." Kim turned to look at him leaning against the table. "You're gonna be protecting the kid when they come and sell us the battery to transport her, we don't want this to go wrong or someone else finds her and kills her."

"Understood." Chase answered back his posture almost like a soldier following orders. "And what about the Fireflies? What will happened during this time we take the kid somewhere else?"

"We'll be taking a small break, Marlene is gathering everyone here." Kim pointed down at the map to the small red pin on a QZ Chase didn't recognize or even tried to understand the writing of. "Our main priority is that kid Chase, I know Marlene already told you, she trusts you, so you must know how important it is to get her there."

"Do you actually believe there's a cure? It's been years already." Chase believed there could be a cure, but that was something he believed in years ago, when his mother was still alive, she promised to work on something like that, but that was just a promise.

"I don't want to lose hope, I mean it's what we want and what the people need, right?" Kim's face softened at her words, she probably lost people just like Chase did, so a cure was significant for her as well.

"They're here." A voice was heard from the other side of the door followed by two knocks, both Kim and Chase left the room to the floor below them.

Chase took his route towards the weapons room he looked around for a weapon that would be fast but silent, his blue eyes landing on a crossbow and the arrows beside it.

"Perfect." Smiling at himself he took the weapon and the bag of arrows placing it over his shoulder before heading towards Ellie's room.

"What are you doing here?" The teenager asked standing up quickly from the wall. "Why do you have that?"

"Is not for you, is for me." Chase closed the door behind him and stood with his back facing Ellie. "I am here to keep an eye out for you." Ellie walked towards him, this action taking Chase by surprise, she was no longer chained to the heater. "Who freed you?"

"Marlene, is everything okay?" Ellie stood now in front of Chase who was getting the crossbow ready. "Do you even know how to use that?"

"I know how to use a bow and arrow this is modern, okay?" Chase looked up at her briefly before turning back to the weapon on his hands.

"Oh I am so dead right? They came to get me or something, I am dead." Ellie kept on mumbling passing through the room, Chase could feel the adrenaline kicking in, the anxiety building inside of him.

"Can you stop? You're not going to die, just stay behind me and don't make a sound, you aren't letting me hear what's happening outside." Chase placed the bow inside carefully trying his best to not harm the barrel groove. "Ellie, do as I tell you and stay behind me, you'll be okay."

Four gunshots were heard above them, Chase pointed the weapon towards the door, his finger away from the trigger but close enough just in case. Ellie whispered what had happened but her answer were more gunshots, the teenager looked above them hiding behind Chase, her hand gripping tightly around her pocket knife she had hidden.

Screaming and gunshots didn't stop for a few minutes, it seemed to be lasting forever, Chase had taken Ellie and hid beside the door just in case someone decided to barge in, hit them from the back and get them unconscious without making too much noise about it.

Silence fell upon them, not even a drop of wood from the ceiling was heard, Chase could feel his heartbeat pressing against his torso, his lungs burning as they gasped for air fast Chase feared they could even break his rib cage by the rapid movements it was making as the oxygen kicked in and out of his body.

The door of their room opened slowly, Chase lifted his weapon slowly, ready to aim in case of being someone he didn't know, but the back of their hair was recognizable, Kim had her gun aimed to the front, she called a few times for both Chase and Ellie and turned around before noticing the pair hiding behind the door.

"We got attacked by the buyers, a deal gone bad, Marlene needs to go, but we need to be safe, I need you Chase to come with me," Chase nodded at her and turned to look at Elllie. "Ellie you stay here, get your knife ready just in case of anything, okay?"

"You got it." She said and looked at Chase and Kim leave the room, her eyes noticing the bodies that laid on the hallway on the corridor. Chase closed the door behind him and walked beside Kim, his eyes were front, trying his best to avoid looking at the new corpses.

"Where's Marlene?" Chase looked at Kim and his eyes noticed the injury in her ear. "Fuck, Kim what happened to you?" Chase stopped on his tracks and held Kim back by her shoulder.

"I'm okay, Marlene got injured, all we need is to get the kid away from here." Kim said, Chase wasn't going to try and push Kim to tell him more, he knew she wouldn't say more.

"What is they're still out here?" That small familar voice made both Chase and Kim aim their weapons back before lowering them when they say it was Ellie who had followed them. "I hear noises and I wanted to come."

"You're so stupid by doing that Ellie, Jesus." Chase said and looked back from Ellie making sure no one was following her. "You stay in this room, got it? We'll be here."

"Stop with the emotional talk and someone help me stand up." Marlene's voice was heard, Chase placed Ellie inside a room to their right and he rushed over with Kim and help the injured woman who groaned in pain.

"Easy there Marlene, don't stand up too fast." Chase said and held Marlene from one of her arms while Kim helped her too. "Yeah come on, just balance yourself on my arm."

The sound of a door opening caught everyone's attention, a man was standing in the hallway, Ellie had come out of the room with her knife, only to be thrown to her side. Marlene pulled out her gun aiming at the man, Chase lifted his crossbow as well, his finger near the trigger.

"Joel?" Marlene spoke up, Chase looked at the woman and back at Joel, unsure, but never lowering his weapon.

"Marlene?" He asked his gun never leaving the sight of Ellie.

"You okay?" She asked at the teenager, only to call out her name a few times when she tried to get her knife from the grip of Joel's foot. "No, it's okay, I'll be alright." Her words now we're headed at Ellie when she noticed the injuries. "And you can't be stupid like this." Both women lowered their guns, but Chase kept his on ready for anything, even though Marlene showed she knew him, he didn't know if he was actually trustworthy.

A woman walked behind the corner of a hallway. "So this is who Robert screwed us over with? The Che Guevara of Boston? War must be goin' pretty shitty for you to be buying from scumbags like him."

"Yeah, it kinda has been." Marlene said, her tone of voice getting madder. "The merch was bad and he obviously didn't take fuck off for an answer."

"What do you need a car battery for?" Joel asked at Marlene, his expression was still, no curiosity or interest really shown physically. Ellie leaned over and tried to get back her knife, earning as a response Joel aiming his gun back at her.

Chase tightened his grip on his crossbow, his index finger leaning closer to the trigger, both Marlene and Kim aimed at Joel.

"Not at her, point it at me." Marlene said.

"Don't be stupid Marlene." Chase whispered.

"It's okay." Marlene answered quickly. Joel did as told and he had his gun aimed Marlene.

"Lower your weapon kid, you can hurt yourself." Joel's voice was heard, his words were for Chase, the only one from their side who still had the weapon up.

"Nah, I don't like how your friend over there is ready to shoot us or even the kid, I'm not taking any chances." Chase answered back, a smirk formed on the corner of his lip.

"To answer your question, I need it for a better reason than you do, no offense, but Tommy's just one man, it's our business to know things."

"To know things. You're the cause of it, you turned my own brother against me." Joel said, his expression now showing hints of anger.

Kim spoke with a point, there was a lot of gunfire exchanged, people, FEDRA, would be coming here any minute now, and they needed to leave, Marlene began sharing the plan she had for Ellie to Joel and his partner.

"So now I'm thinking," Marlene stopped for a brief moment before her eyes glanced on Joel. "You're gonna do it."

Joel, Ellie, Kim and Chase spoke up, different words blurted out.

"Don't be insane Marlene, you're not doing that." Chase said finally lowering his weapon from the numbness that was an beginning to feel on his right arm from the position he had just been.

"Let me take her." Kim suggested.

"To you she's just cargo." Marlene exchanged her words now with the woman.

"I can do it." Kim said again, but Marlene only angered pointed at the injury she had on her ear, or at least the lack of it.

"There's a team of Firelfies waiting for her at the old State House, I know what's out there, we were going with an entire squadron for that very reason, but now I don't have a truck, don't have a squadron, FEDRA's five minutes away, but I do have is you. And I know what you're both capable of for better or worse." Marlene's voice softened as she spoke, Chase noticed that they really didn't have any other choice. "You get her there safely and they'll give you what you need, not just a battery, the whole thing, fucked-up truck, guns, supplies, all of it. I swear."

"Marlene, think it through." Chase whispered when he noticed Joel and the woman talk about it. "You're really trusting them with Ellie? What are they even capable of?"

"You're going with them." Marlene said and turned to look at Chase. "I know I might be risking putting you out there but I know you will protect her no matter what, she trusts you, and I trust you, it would mean a better protection on Ellie."

"Yeah, and what happens after we drop her off? I won't see you again or what?" Chase didn't even want to imagine what would happen, but of course he was curious to know.

"I'll be meeting you soon okay? I need to handle things here and heal, you'll stay there with the Fireflies, you're a good kid Chase, they'll protect you." Marlene took her gaze back at the pair. "Y'all talk it through but please remember that I'm bleeding out.

"Okay, here's the deal." The woman turned around and looked at Marlene. "We'll get her to your crew at the State House, but before we hand her over they give us everything that we want if not, we kill her, there and then."

"Deal." Marlene said with no hesitation. Ellie looked up to her asking that fast. "You are all that matters, my team will not jeopardize that, remember what I told you? Now go get your backpack. Now, Ellie." Ellie did as told and went over to the room she had been and picked up her stuff. "You two are taking Chase with you, I trust you, but I need one of my own with her."

"If he tries anything, he's done too." The woman said looking at Chase.

Chase placed the crossbow over his shoulder and walked over to the pair waiting for Ellie to walk out, once she was out, both Ellie and Chase turned to look at Marlene, Chase's body expressions were confident while Ellie still showed a hint of hope, she wanted to know if this was now really happening.

"Come on." Chase walked behind the woman, Ellie followed along, he could hear Ellie talking to herself, softly, but he didn't quite understood. All he knew now was that Ellie's life was on his hands, and no matter what, he had to protect her.

Chase was going out, he had going back to be on the other side of the wall, first time after these twenty years. Chase Clyde was going to be free, and all because of Ellie.