AN: So, this story came to me when I thought of the Last of Us the other day. It's loosely based off that game, so there will be several similarities, but overall the story will be one of its own and the plot will be quite different. I just borrowed some scenes. Anyway, hope you enjoy, and please review!

Chapter One

"Hope"

"Reports of an unknown virus have risen in Florida. Those infected experience symptoms including: lethargy, fever, bloodshot eyes, compulsive behavior, aggressiveness…"

"The following states have been put under states of emergencies: Texas, Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi…"

"This is Hailey Burns with CNN News; we're getting unconfirmed death tallies reaching the thousands…"

"Hospitals are running low on staff…"

"I just…This is the end. This is the end of the world, isn't it?"

"Isn't it?"

Being a scout for the Alliance wasn't everything kids made it out to be.

It was kind of painful really, to see kids look up to them, the ones who lived safe and away from the corpses that had been reanimated and thirsted for human flesh. The kids that wanted so desperately to escape the walls that confined them inside of the Alliance. The waters of the city that had once been San Francisco no longer held the same miracle as they did fifteen years ago.

That was depressing.

But, being looked up to was even more. Their job as scouts, going out and stealing from the Empire that had established itself after the whole infection ordeal…It was chaotic. The Empire was a tyranny, but it was an establishment and it had several cities spread across the country. Protected cities. But, more like prisons.

The Alliance had San Francisco…Their little cut off land where they sent out what few soldiers they had to fight against the Empire…To free people who were being forced to be laborers. People who were being beaten and starved and rationed against.

People who didn't deserve the treatment.

But, then again, the scouts didn't deserve to be sent, however they volunteered, so it was the end of the story.

So many died everyday…Because of the corpses. Because of the Empire. Because of low-life scrappers who were no better than pirates. The Alliance had many adversaries, and not many allies.

Why did he stay with them then?

Because it was the right thing to do, and he was damn good at his job.

Kanan jumped down from the top of the Mac he had stopped. His hands ached and his eyes burned from the gunpowder still sifting through the air, his clothes slightly splattered with the blood of the driver who was, mind you, an Imperial. An Imperial who was transferring weapons to one of the Empire's most extravagant bases.

Weapons that the Alliance needed.

He groaned slightly, wiping the crimson onto his pants from his hands, putting his gun into the holster attached to his thigh. His hair was blown in all sorts of directions, been on top of the Mac while it was in full motion. He had stowed away of course. The slightest deception, but effective nonetheless.

Reaching into his belt, he pulled out his walkie-talkie before speaking, "Spectre One to Ghost. The truck is stopped a few miles ahead of you. Driver is taken care of and cargo is ready to be moved."

"Got it," A woman's voice crackled on the other end. "See you in three."

Kanan leaned against the door of the truck, shutting his eyes a moment. The back road was completely empty and void of any life. The trees that surrounded him were bright in the midday sun and he felt as if his nose was already beginning to fry. He would have to ask Hera if they had anymore sunblock, though that was probably the least of his worries.

Sunburns. What a mundane thing. A thing from before.

Kanan waited patiently for the rest of his team, staring off into space and just listening to the world. It no longer sounded bustling, but now held a feeling of complete and utter silence. Just the wind and the trees bustling. Birds squawking in the distance, being the annoying pains they were.

Human life had done a complete three-sixty. And now there was only the quiet.

The sound of the Ghost's motor was unmistakable though when he heard it off in the distance and could see its outline down the road, blurred in the lines of the noon sun. The Ghost wasn't exactly inconspicuous. It was a large RV with grates around the windows, protecting it from Corpse attacks. Almost all vehicles had such upgrades now though, so it didn't set them off as scouts for the Alliance or illegal smugglers for that matter. They just looked like good ol' traders, moving about the country and abiding by the laws of the Empire.

The RV stopped several feet away and the door swung open to show a woman, dark hair pulled back into a ponytail. Her clothes were stained with oil and other vehicular fluids, along with her hands holding a permanent stain to the skin without lava soap to wash it away. Hera Syndulla. Probably one of the most beautiful women on the planet. The most beautiful actually, not doubt about it.

He loved the woman, though it was hardly spoken from him. Because the things he loved were often snatched away like the stars in the morning, and he didn't want to live through that with Hera. He didn't think he could.

She was smiling as she approached him, followed by a tall male and a shorter female. Zeb had been a pick up a few years back, nothing fancy. But, he had joined the Alliance and Fulcrum suggested he would be beneficial to the crew. After his entire family had been massacred by the Empire for their "unlawful" smuggling of people from the Empire territories to that of the Alliance, he had become a permanent resident of the once was San Francisco.

And now he was a permanent resident of the Ghost.

Sabine Wren on the other hand…Well, the girl was a mystery. She was a nice shot, had amazing skills with dialect and was well educated in about any field. Along with her artistry skills…Still, Kanan didn't ask and she didn't tell. It was prying, and she had only been a part of the crew for a little over a year. Even that wasn't long enough to spill all of your secrets.

Once Hera was standing before him, she said happily, "So, it went down easy then?"

"Easy enough," Kanan shrugged. "I stowed away and he didn't notice me until I was coming in the sunroof. By then it was too late for him."

Hera looked relieved. She always did…No matter how many missions they managed to accomplish, she still worried too much. But, Kanan couldn't say he was any different when it came to her going on missions alone.

"Well," Zeb's gruff voice said as he approached the vehicle with Sabine close behind. "Let's get these bad boys out of here before Imperials notice their Mac is late with their supplies."

Both he and Sabine reached up, grabbing either side of the giant doors before yanking it open…However, what they saw inside was not what they were expecting…

Charges…Counting down from six.

Sabine's eyes widened, noticing them first before turning and beginning to drag Zeb away from the door, screaming, "Move!"

Kanan grabbed Hera's shoulders, pushing her into the ditch on the side of the road. She grunted when she hit and he threw himself over her. They only had a split second before the explosive sound bounced through their ears, and Kanan found for a moment he could hear nothing but ringing. When his hearing did return, all he could hear was the roaring of fire and the sound of debris hitting the ground around them.

Kanan poked his head up from the ditch, seeing both Zeb and Sabine doing the same on the other side of the road. Sabine was rubbing her own ear and Kanan shouted, trying to hear himself speak, "You two ok!?"

"Think so!" Zeb called back. Kanan sighed with relief, looking down at Hera who had rolled onto her back to look at her elbow that was bleeding, apparently from the push into the ditch.

"Shit," Kanan said, taking her injured arm as he loomed over her. "I'm sorry."

Hera smiled a bit and shrugged, "I've had worse. Besides, I'd take this over shrapnel any day. Come on now, love, get up. Not in front of the others."

Kanan couldn't help but grin back at that. He glanced up seeing both Zeb and Sabine standing over them now. Zeb reached down, helping Kanan out of the ditch before Kanan and Zeb both assisted Hera in doing so too. Once all four were on the road once more, they turned, studying the burning vehicle before them.

"Damn it," Zeb muttered. "It was a bloody trap."

Sabine sighed, "It was just too easy. We should have known."

Kanan gritted his teeth. It had been like this lately…Failed mission, less success than usual. Used to, they were a force to be reckoned with…Now though, the Empire was getting more creative with their traps. This had been the third close call in a month.

"Well, in any case, we need to go," Hera said, moving towards the Ghost. "They'll know how long it takes for that thing to blow and come looking."

The others turned solemnly and followed, Kanan lagging behind a few moments…

"Let them come."

Once they were loaded onto the Ghost, they rode off in the opposite direction, flying down the street in a blur. Zeb drove for the moment, while Hera prepared the communicator for the very, very long distance call back to the Alliance and Fulcrum. From his understanding, they were somewhere near the coast of North Carolina and since Fulcrum was in San Francisco…Well, it was a hell of a way.

Hera pulled the antenna all the way out of the radio-like device, turning the knob. Though things like this weren't hard to counter by the Empire, they had enough encryptions on their signal that it would take those dumb fricks months to figure anything out.

Kanan sat down at the small dining nook beside Hera as she worked. He motioned to her wrapped elbow, asking, "You disinfect it?"

"Yes, Dad," Hera rolled her eyes.

Kanan made a disgusted face, "I don't need that image in my head."

Hera barked out laughter, but stopped when the radio's static stopped suddenly and the sound of a familiar voice spoke on the other end…

"Hello? Hello? Fulcrum to Ghost, can you read?"

"We're here, Fulcrum, Spectre Two, loud and clear," Hera replied.

There was a relieved sigh from the other end, "I had begun to worry. How did the assignment go?"

Hera grimaced visibly, "Not so good…It was a trap apparently. We stole the cargo, but it just turned out to be a set of charges ready to go off when we opened it. Everyone is alright though…It's just a bit of a disappointment, we really needed those weapons."

"It is unimportant at the moment. I have something far greater for you to accomplish."

Both Hera and Kanan's eyes widened, along with Sabine's who had been sitting on the nearby kitchenette counter. Kanan's eyes narrowed then, asking in a low tone, "And what is that?"

Fulcrum paused before explaining, "I have a package in the Imperial territory known as Lothal. It should be about four hours from your location. You'll need to go to the abandoned Capital One skyscraper. There you'll meet your contact and he'll hand off the package to you. His name is Tseebo, tell him you were sent by the alliance to collect the grace."

"Collect the grace?" Kanan asked. "What the hell does that mean? What kind of package are we getting exactly?"

"I will explain at a later time," Fulcrum responded. "It is imperative that you get the package to the Alliance as soon as possible…Please."

"Wait, wait, wait," Kanan snapped, standing. "You want us to smuggle a package out of one of the most infested Imperial camps in North America, without asking what it is before we risk our lives for it?"

"Kanan," Hera hissed, but Kanan ignored her.

Fulcrum sounded strained, "It is for the protection of the package. You took an oath, Spectre One. Please, do not turn your back on it."

Kanan's shoulders relented. He had taken an oath, true…But, still…It didn't seem right to not know exactly what it was they were going after, especially after all of their missteps lately. Hera watched Kanan's face silently before leaning into the radio and saying, "It'll be done, Fulcrum. We'll contact you once the package is in safe hands. Over and out."

"Thank you…Over and out."

Static filled the Ghost once more and Hera could see the anger on Kanan's face. She stood also, saying, "Kanan-"

He turned and stormed to the only bedroom in the RV, slamming the sliding door shut. Hera sighed deeply and Sabine waved it off, "Eh, let him pout. He'll be into the mission when we get started. Trust me; he always gets there when the fun starts."

"I suppose…" Hera heaved. She just wanted him to have a clear head before diving into the danger. Continuing, she said, "We'll be there in a little over four hours, so I'd take a nap if I were you."

"Good idea, Captain," Sabine gave a mock salute, going to lie down on one of the benches at the table. Hera then approached the front of the RV, peering in at Zeb past the curtain.

"You hear that Zeb?"

"Yeah, yeah, I got it. Heading there now."

Lothal was one of the biggest Empire territories in North America.

Truly, it was. It stood, surrounded by a fifty-five foot tall wall that had four main gates in total surrounding the city. Of course there were unground passages, but getting an RV through those was less than logical. No, the Underground was better for on foot travel and getting through the city undetected, not for sneaking out of it. Especially with a vehicle.

Approaching the gates of any territory was nerve wracking for Kanan every time. All of the scenarios played in his mind and he had no doubt that he was on the verge of a complete sanity check. Even though their IDs worked every time and typically no questions were asked…

Kanan sat in the passenger seat as they approached the gate, waiting in the line of other "trading" vehicles. That was their cover, always. They were bringing in goods to trade, and they paid their entry fee like anyone else for permission to do so. Though, typically some of their resources were spent stealing from the Empire, not just exchanging goods.

There was an awkward silence between Hera and himself, and he could see her gripping the steering wheel tightly. It hadn't been him to make her this way though…Something else was wrong. He regularly threw such temper tantrums, so obviously something else was bugging her.

"You ok?" He asked, breaking the quiet. She glanced over at him, her stare hard, obviously still a bit frustrated over the events from earlier. It melted quickly though, her grudge blowing away in the wind when she focused hard on his eyes and saw the secureness of his gaze.

"I…" She paused, obviously pondering on what she wanted to say. "I'm just confused is all. Typically, we know exactly what we're going in to get. I don't understand why Fulcrum is keeping this from us."

"To protect the package," Kanan mimicked sarcastically.

Hera rolled her eyes, "I don't know why you have to argue about everything."

"Come on, Hera, even you think that this is shady as hell."

"I do, but I'm not about to argue with Fulcrum on it. They would never put us in unnecessary danger, we do too much for them," Hera breathed deeply. "And…Ahsoka is too good of a friend. You've known her since Before."

"Barely knew her," Kanan corrected. "I saw her passing in the halls of school my freshman year, she graduated before the virus began. I don't know what kind of person she was then, and I sure as hell don't know now."

Hera shook her head, sliding open the window and pushing the grate open as they approached the toll booth. The man in a white uniform and helmet approached, rifle slung over his shoulder lazily as he asked, "IDs?"

Hera handed over four and he went on, "Business in Lothal?"

"Trading," Hera said shortly, holding out a handful of credits. "Here's the entry fee."

The soldier took the credits, handing back the IDs after scanning them. Waving them through, Hera closed the window and Kanan immediately felt a sense of relief flood over him slightly. They began to drive through the streets slowly, Kanan taking in the destitute conditions. The bad thing about living behind the safety of the wall, was the risk of starving to death. No credits, no ration cards. No ration cards, no food. No food…Death.

That was one thing their team actually managed to keep plenty of. Food wasn't scarce for them; they came across it all the time in their travels. But, big settlements like this hoarded the food for the rich and gave little to the poor. People were lining the streets, many of them beggars or homeless. More than half of the buildings had been marked as dangerous and blocked off.

Which was where they were going.

Hera pulled into a parking lot with several other RVs that were obviously there for trading. She parked, looking over at Kanan before both stood and moved to the back where Zeb and Sabine were sitting in the nook.

"Alright, here's the plan," Hera said, putting her hands on her hips. "Zeb and Kanan are going to get the package while Sabine and I stay to do some trading. We need to at least get a few goods in order to make it look like we did business while we were here. I'm gonna need to find some parts for the radiator anyway; it's getting worn out again. Any questions?"

"Shoot," Sabine sighed. "I was hoping to beat in some Imperials."

Zeb shook his head, "I'd gladly trade."

"No," Kanan answered. "We're going to be traveling Underground until we get to the building and if there's any roadblocks I'm going to need your help moving the debris. No offense to you Sabine, but you're a marksman, not a bodybuilder."

Sabine grinned, "Sure you can take those Corpses that are probably roaming around down there?"

Kanan fought down a smile, "I'm sure."

Hera clapped her hands together in finality, saying, "Alright then, let's get this show on the road. You two boys head out and remember your bags."

"Yes Mom," Kanan said, copying her words from earlier.

Hera made the same disgusted face he had as Kanan turned, grabbing his backpack from the bench. Zeb did the same, slinging his rifle over his shoulder. Kanan checked his holster gun to make sure there were plenty of bullets before putting a machete over his own shoulder.

Good to go.

As was tradition, there were no goodbyes. Goodbyes were too final, and damn right wrong, because they really could mean goodbye. It was just simple silence as the two males exited the RV and began their trek towards where they knew the entrance to the tunnels would be.

Twilight was befalling them, and Kanan couldn't have picked a better time. Once they had the package, they could smuggle it back to the RV with the cover of night. They'd have to worry about the curfew, but other than that they should be safe. Zeb walked in step beside him, towering above him. Kanan was nowhere near short, but Zeb was definitely tall. He was probably an NBA player in a past life.

"So, do we still have no clue what type of package we're getting?" Zeb questioned as they slipped down a concrete drainage canal, walking towards the giant tunnel at the end of it. The water was up to their ankles, but the combat boots they wore was enough to keep their feet dry. A few times getting trench foot had cured everyone of wearing sneakers.

"No clue," Kanan replied after several moments. "Must be important though if Fulcrum didn't give us time to prepare. And didn't want to say it over the radio."

"Curious," Zeb said, scratching his shadowed chin.

They moved on in the quiet, entering the darkness of the tunnel and Kanan immediately felt anxiety crawl into his bones and make a home there. Both he and Zeb reached into their packs, pulling out their flashlights and clipping them onto their backpack straps. Zeb had his gun off of his shoulder and Kanan held his pistol in his hand, eyes peeled in the darkness as they continued to move.

Another reason why people didn't use the tunnels often…Corpses still lived inside them.

It was the sewer systems though, and Corpses rarely staggered out into the territory, so being upground was safe as could be. But Underground was a different story. The things crept in the bowels and wandered around in the darkness, hungry for human flesh, but rarely getting a meal.

If anything, it made them more rabid than the ones that roamed outside of the city.

Only people like their crew were stupid enough to go in them.

Their feet echoed on the concrete with each step, not a sound other than that moving about the cavern. Neither dared to speak, because speaking pulled them in, and speaking distracted you. One could come right behind you and you would never know.

Funny thing was, the things were blind. They relied on sound and smell alone.

So the darkness didn't really bother them much.

But, it sure as hell bothered Kanan.

"You know…" Zeb whispered quietly. "I'll never get accustomed to places like this."

"No one ever does," Kanan sighed in a hushed tone. "Now quiet, they'll hear, you know they're like bats with that shit."

And that was a mistake. A small exchange and the footsteps of running and sprinting feet were unmistakable. They found themselves at a four way; shining their lights to the left towards the sound…All they could see were the shining of the Corpses' dead eyes running towards them…

Kanan glared in Zeb's direction, growling, "This is your fault."

Then he shoved him to the right, sprinting behind them as they began to run. Shooting would be a last resort, it only attracted more, so running at the moment was the best option. If they could get out in the open, then they could gun down the Corpses without risking getting cornered underground…But, right now they were just rats in a maze.

"This way!" Kanan ordered, taking a left, their feet splashing in the water. His chest ached with lack of air and his stomach was churning from the rotting smell of the corpses behind them, along with the fact they were roaming the sewers.

Zeb was beside him, both used to running away from things. It still didn't get easier on the body though, and if anything it got harder. Zeb had taken a bullet to the knee some years ago during his family's massacre and Kanan found himself worrying constantly it was going to give out on him and he would be giving the nearly seven foot tall man a piggy back ride.

Kanan was relieved when he saw the slight light ahead from street lamps and he knew they were approaching the exit of the tunnels. The feet continued to follow them, but as soon as they burst into the open air, Kanan turned around and began to fire madly at the Corpses that followed them out. They fell one by one, Zeb following in suit. The sun had gone down in their trek, the guns sparking with each fire.

Seven corpses followed them out, and all lay dead on the ground.

Zeb groaned, leaning forward, gasping, "Bloody Mary, I hate those things."

"Too bad they're everywhere," Kanan patted the guy's shoulder before taking in several deep breaths of his own. It never got easy, almost dying. It was scary every freaking time and he loathed feeling like his life was in danger every time he went outside the RV.

But, then again, he would hate living a safe and mundane life just as much.

The two climbed from the trench, returning to solid ground before seeing the Capital One building off in the distance. It wasn't a far walk now and Kanan was relieved. He wasn't one for running.

Within thirty minutes they were approaching the front steps, glancing around to make sure no one was nearby, checking for curfew violators. Curfew was a serious deal in these camps, and was punishable by paying credits, rations, or even ones freedom. Possibly death.

Depended on the mood of the trooper arresting you.

The bank was fourteen stories tall at least, but run down and decimated. The boards had been pried from the front door, so it was obvious someone had come through recently. Probably their contact if Kanan had to guess…Or hope.

Both climbed through the broken glass of the front door, entering the large lobby. It was lit by a small lantern in the corner, hanging on the stairs railing leading up to the next floor. A marker. A beacon.

Up it was.

"Are we sure about this?" Zeb questioned as they began to climb the stairs, their guns drawn.

Kanan tilted his head, "I'm never really sure about anything anymore, but it's Fulcrum and I trust Hera's judgment. Even if I would never admit that to her."

Zeb groaned, "You two are disgusting sometimes."

The next flight of stairs had another lantern, so they climbed it as well, going all the way to the fifth floor before they stopped. There only seemed to be one door on the floor that could be opened, the rest boarded up with planks. Both Zeb and Kanan approached the door, jiggling the knob a bit before realizing it was locked.

Kanan nodded his head at Zeb and Zeb nodded back, grabbing the knob. Kanan's heart beat in anticipation as they both slammed their shoulders into it, pushing it off its lock and swinging the door open. They drew their guns, only to pause when the sight before them made them both hesitate.

A boy, no older than twelve or thirteen, was standing before them with a pistol trained on them both. He was short, his cheek smeared with dirt and his eyes wide and blue. It reminded Kanan of the time he had gone down to Mexico on an assignment and saw the crystal blue waters of the coast.

The child's eyebrows were up in terror, and his hands trembled as he held the gun. He was chewing his bottom lip raw with anxiety and his orange hoodie was stained with gunk. He was blinking hard, maybe trying not to cry with fear of the two males who had their weapons trained on him as well.

"Hey kid," Kanan said slowly, lowering his own gun and gesturing for Zeb to do the same. The kid was obviously terrified out of his mind and had no idea what the hell he was doing with that weapon. The boy saw the slow movements and tightened his grip as Kanan continued, "We're just here to 'collect the grace'."

That caught the kid's attention and immediately he lowered his gun, turning his head and calling out, "Tseebo!"

Kanan and Zeb both jumped when the boy reached out hurriedly, grabbing them by their wrists and tugging them inside, shutting the door behind them. A man rounded one of the corners of the room. He was short and thin, his face looking pale.

Their contact.

"Thank goodness," Tseebo breathed, putting a hand on his chest. "I was beginning to worry something may have happened to you."

He held out his hand and greeted, "My name is Tseebo, one of Fulcrum's inside correspondents. You must be Kanan Jarrus; I've heard amazing stories of you and your team."

Kanan shook the hand hesitantly, somewhat put off by the man's appropriate mannerisms. Not many people acted this way, business built and all that. But, Kanan could imagine the man being a scrawny accountant in a past life.

"Ditto," Was Kanan's only response, his eyes falling to the boy who was staring at Kanan's gun warily. Kanan put it in his holster, Zeb slinging his over his shoulder as well to follow in suit of his leader. Kanan then questioned, "Fulcrum said it was important that we get here fast."

"Oh yes, very much so," Tseebo explained hurriedly. "It's very important the boy is moved from the city, to Fulcrum immediately."

Kanan's eyes widened and he looked at Zeb who looked just as shocked. He then found the boy, the child's eyes staring up at them with anxiety and a bit of fear, though the little thing tried desperately to hide it behind a hard gaze. A hard gaze Kanan could see right through because he had once held that gaze as a child.

Then it hit him…This kid…That's why Fulcrum didn't say what the package was. The package wasn't a package at all, it was a person. A child. One of the most vulnerable things on the planet, no matter how many guns you put in the kid's hands. That's why Fulcrum had acted like it was so precious…

What on God's earth did Fulcrum want with a kid?

"Wait, wait, wait," Zeb shook his head wildly. "We're smuggling this?"

He gestured to the boy and the boy crossed his arms over his chest, snapping, "I'm not a this. I'm a he, and I'm a person."

"We can play the pronoun name later, kid," Zeb growled. "I want to know why Fulcrum didn't mention we had live cargo."

Tseebo looked rather surprised before shaking his head, "I'm sorry…I was not aware that you had not been told of the details…I apologize."

Kanan still stared at the kid who hadn't removed his arms from over his chest. He looked rather livid honestly that Zeb had called him a this and that fear had melted away so quickly and turned to annoyance. He must no longer have considered them a threat, rather than people complaining about the job they were about to have to do.

The man shook his head, they couldn't move a kid…Moving a kid was crazy…It wasn't anything they had ever done before…

That thought was stopped when the sound of engines roaring came up through the broken window. Kanan rushed towards it, peering down and seeing two convoy trucks parking out in front of the building.

"Shit," Kanan thought madly. "They must have seen us come in."

Kanan then turned, saying, "We'll have to worry about all of this later, we gotta go, now."

The boy's eyes widened and Tseebo grabbed his shoulders, looking him into the eyes before saying, "This is where I must leave you, Ezra Bridger. Please, trust these people. They are some of the best there are in the world. Some of the most loyal."

The child…Ezra, looked up into the man's eyes desperately before asking, "Can't you come with us?"

"No," Tseebo smiled sadly. "My destiny is not with you."

Zeb was quick to reach out and pulled the kid away, saying, "Sorry to interrupt, but Imperials are heading this way."

Kanan watched Ezra cringed heavily and shut his eyes, wiping away the threatening tears. He took the boy from Zeb's hold, dragging him from the room with them as he gave one last wave back towards Tseebo. Kanan's chest ached. To this Ezra kid…That man was something other than a contact. It looked like tearing a child from its parents, though Kanan knew that wasn't the case.

Once they were in the hall, Kanan could already see the flashlights coming up through the stairs. Zeb silently gestured towards the fire escape at the window, making Kanan nod in affirmation, dragging Ezra along towards it. It was already broken, Zeb jumping over the glass and Kanan lifting Ezra to hand over to the taller man.

Kanan climbed over just as soldiers made it to the top of the stairs, beginning to fire at them. Kanan ducked down, pushing the others towards the ladder, shouting, "Go!"

Zeb practically jumped down each flight, turning every time to drag Ezra down with him when Kanan would hand him off. They were in synchronized motions, bullets bouncing around the metal and pinging with each hit. Kanan felt Ezra's grip on his arms tighten every time a bullet would fly by their heads and Ezra would give him a stare of complete and utter terror.

This was no place for a kid.

Once they reached solid ground, they took off into a sprint back towards the sewers and the trench. They slid down unceremoniously, Kanan catching the child as he came down before pulling him through the water towards the tunnel. Zeb covered them, firing with his rifle behind them as they ran into the entrance.

They continued to run until Ezra had to stop…

Kanan wasn't surprised when Ezra placed a hand on the wall and wretched, his stomach emptying out into the water below their feet. He was biting down sobs, now that things had calmed down a bit and Kanan sighed, looking over at Zeb who was watching with an unfortunate expression of not knowing what to do.

Kanan stepped forward, putting a hand on the child's back and patting it when the vomiting stopped. He asked quietly, "You ok?"

The kid nodded, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand and taking a deep breath. His cheeks were stained with tears and he looked up at Kanan with a sorry expression. He shook his head, "Tseebo was…Important."

"Important?" Zeb asked.

"To me," Ezra clarified. "He was important to me."

Kanan understood immediately. A friend. Sometimes in this world, there wasn't a word for friend, just importance in the person's life. And a child born in this world, not knowing what it was like Before, probably wasn't sure what it was called.

Kanan put a hand on his shoulder, asking, "You ok to move? We gotta get back to our crew."

Ezra nodded in confirmation as they began to walk, though something was still nagging at Kanan. Zeb walked behind them, as Kanan and Ezra walked in front, Kanan's flashlight lighting the way. Kanan asked finally, unable to contain the question any longer, "So…Ezra was it?"

Ezra grunted a small, "Yes."

"I'm Kanan," Kanan introduced, pointing a finger back at Zeb. "And this is Zeb."

"I know," Ezra answered. "Tseebo told me about you guys before you came to get me."

Zeb hummed, "Yeah, about that, why exactly were we sent to fetch you?"

They were approaching the exit and Ezra opened his mouth hesitantly as they walked into the open to answer. However, he was cut off when the butt of a gun slammed into Kanan's forehead, sending Kanan stumbling on the ground. Ezra let out a shout, jumping back as the weapon was turned around on all three of them and they were ordered harshly by two officers, "On your knees, now!"

"Alright, alright," Zeb groaned, sounding more annoyed than afraid as he turned. Kanan moved to his knees, hands going behind his head as Ezra did the same.

The two troopers stood behind them, making Kanan rather nervous as he heard one order, "Scan 'em, make sure they're clean."

"Clean?" Ezra asked, eyes widening and looking over at Kanan with a worried look.

Kanan shook his head, "To see if we're bitten."

Kanan could see Ezra visibly cringe at that and the device was pressed to Zeb's neck first, obviously coming back negative. When he moved to Kanan's neck, Kanan said, "You know, we can offer credits in return for release."

"Shut up," The trooper snapped. "All you smugglers are the same."

Then the device was on Ezra's neck.

Before it beeped in finalization however, Ezra reached into his pocket, yanking out a thin blade. He turned quickly, digging the weapon into the man's shin. The gun went off right beside his head, making his ears ring in shock. Ezra yanked the weapon out, rearing back to stab again when the man was suddenly tackled by Kanan.

Zeb was quick to take out the other, kicking the guy in the gut before blowing his head open with his rifle. Kanan then snapped the other's arm, putting a pistol bullet through his eye.

Ezra felt sick again, that much was obvious.

"What the hell, kid!?" Kanan snapped as Zeb approached the device and picked it up. Ezra felt his heart skip a beat and his fingers dug into the mud under him when he saw Zeb's eyes go wide and he looked down at him.

Zeb shouted, tossing the machine to Kanan who caught it, "Look at this!"

Kanan stared at the screen a long moment, trying to decipher what he was seeing…

INFECTED

Holy…

"What, Fulcrum set us up?" Zeb snapped, looking down at Ezra before going on, "Why the hell are we smuggling an infected kid!?"

Zeb lifted his gun and Ezra held up his hands hurriedly, shouting, "No, no, no, you don't understand! I'm not one of them!"

"Oh yeah?" Zeb growled. "Then explain the diagnosis."

Ezra's chest was rising and falling at a quick pace, his eyes moving to Kanan in a pleading manner. Kanan gripped the machine, shaking his head in response as he ordered, "Start explaining, now. Or we won't have a choice in what we do."

"Just look!" Ezra pleaded, rolling up the sleeve of his orange hoodie to expose his forearm. There was a wound, obviously where a chunk of skin had been bitten and teeth surrounded it. However…miraculously…It wasn't inflamed or bleeding.

In fact…It looked healed.

"This is two months old!" Ezra explained, tears beginning to pool around his eyes in fear at Zeb's gun pointed at him. "I swear to you…"

"That's not possible," Kanan whispered. "People turn in the first seventy-two hours."

Ezra gulped, shaking his head, "I know…I know that, but look, I didn't. That's why I'm supposed to be going to your facility, alright? I'm supposed to be getting…checked on…"

He obviously wasn't quite sure what the reason was for him going to Fulcrum. He was trusting a bit blindly, like a kid in a desperate situation would. However, Kanan held out his hand, and Zeb hesitantly lowered his weapon as Kanan tossed aside the machine and kneeled down in front of Ezra so he was eye level.

It didn't make sense…None of it. A kid…Who hadn't turned? That was a load of bullshit right there…But, then again it had to be. If Fulcrum hadn't told them they were smuggling a kid…If it was that precious…

It suddenly made sense to him.

This kid was really, really important to Fulcrum right now…

"Ok, kid," Kanan sighed. "We'll go through with the plan…But, if I even start to see the slightest change in behavior, I will end this assignment right here, right now, you understand?"

"Yes sir," Ezra whispered. "I understand."

Kanan nodded, looking back at Zeb who still looked wary.

What had they gotten themselves into?