After agreeing to Marlene's request to take the teenager out of the city, to smuggle them out and meet with the other fireflies, Joel and Tess thought this might go off without a hitch. Huh, wishful thinking on their part. Intercepted by the FEDRA soldiers just beyond the gates, they are met with a small brawl, leaving the soldiers dead... and figuring out that you were infected. Standing in the pouring rain, Joel looks to Tess, pissed off as hell.

"Why the hell are we smuggling an infected kid?" Joel snarled in anger, thinking that Marlene had set them up with a death trap. But you insisted that you were infected. With no time to debate, Joel and Tess were forced to complete the job, come hell or highwater. With you in tow, Tess and Joel got through the maze that was the city, past soldiers and infected alike. Once they got to the capitol, the drop off point, it was discovered that the fireflies there were already dead.

To make matters worse, it was figured out that Tess was bit from an infected on the way there.

"You get her to Tommy's. He used to run with this crew, he'll know what to do." Tess snapped, her eyes full of a grim determination, despite Joel's best efforts to persuade her not to stay behind, to hold off the soldiers that were on their tail. No matter what he said, Tess wouldn't listen. The last thing Joel got was a silent goodbye as the two of you take off, running from the soldiers and into the streets past the city and past the "safety" of the QZ.

Completely out of breath, exhausted from the long night, as the sun rises in the horizon, Joel now had a new job on hand. Get you to Wyoming, to his brother, Tommy. He'll know what to do with you. No big deal, just have to get you across the country, survive the odds, and not go crazy along the way.

Standing outside, he stares you down, his dark eyes cold, distant, unwavering.

"If I'm taking you with me, there are some rules you have to follow." He began to say, holding his hand up, counting the rules down.

"Rule one, you don't bring up Tess. Ever. Matter as fact, we can just keep our histories to ourselves." Joel growled out, his voice hard.

"Rule two, you don't tell anyone about your... condition." His voice slows down slightly, his southern accent a drawl as he stares at you with all the seriousness in the world. This might be the most important rule; they don't want to create panic if people knew you were infected. "They see that bite mark, they won't think, they will just shoot you."

"Rule three, you do what I say when I say it. We clear?" Joel looks to you for an answer, for a solid yes, to show that you understand him clearly. It was clear that he didn't want to do this, he didn't want to be saddled with some teenager and travel across the goddamn country, but he'll do it. For Tess. For Tommy. Even for Marlene.

Get it done. It's just a job, he will tell himself.

"Repeat it." He barks out, his voice rough and dominating.