Chapter Text
(Cover Art made by Yours Truly)
Prologue: Unforseen Consequences
A silence was in the air. A dull, unforgettable stillness which hung over the sunset-drenched hills as a tear-struck Clementine sat near the outskirts of Savannah, her outfit covered in dried Walker’s blood. Having just killed her guardian, Lee, not too long ago, the little girl attempted to take her mind off of the events prior by studying stray shotgun shells near her feet. Unfortunately...she couldn’t help but think back to the advice that he gave her, prior to being shot:
“Find a group and stick with them.”
The thought dwelled within her mind for a long time as she tried to figure out where to go...
Those thoughts soon turned to her more recent memories, primarily about the time she spent with her group; The first time she met Lee, Kenny, Duck, and Katjaa, the unforgettable experience at the pharmacy, the time she spent with Duck and the others at the Motel, the RV ride away from the Motel, Lilly shooting Carley, even the train ride to Savannah, all the way until she found herself locked in a room with a man she barely knew, scared for her life.
That is, until Lee came in and saved her. With her help, he killed her kidnapper mercilessly - choking him out without even a second thought.
Of course, that would be overshadowed when one has to walk through a herd of Walkers that shambled their way into the center of Savannah. Things only got worse as she saw her undead parents standing outside, skin rotting and eyes devoid of life, practically unrecognizable within the crowd.
Then, as if on cue, Lee passes out right in front of her...right in the middle of a horde of undead monsters
...which would lead up to where she is now.
Slowly, however, she begins to faintly recall seeing a man in a blue suit watching her...though he would be just out of sight, he never seemed to try and hide himself.
His first appearance, as far as she could recall, was when she hid in her tree house during the opening hours of the Apocalypse. There, she saw him standing just outside of that little sanctuary of hers, staring at her from the porch. It was only until she called for her baby sitter when he seemingly vanished into thin air, as if he never existed in the first place. This went on for months after she met Lee, from the Pharmacy to the Motor Inn, St. John's Dairy, the Train, and eventually Savannah itself. The last time she remembered seeing that strange man was the last time she saw Lee - standing by the exit of the store, staring her down in a strangely unsettling fashion, his briefcase held closely to his side.
As she begins to delve into her imagination as to who this stranger was, an unfamiliar voice disturbs the still air around her. One that sends a pin of fear through her entire body.
“Miss Clementine, we meet at last."
Clementine quickly turns around to see the same man in the dark blue suit standing close behind, holding a suitcase in one hand and adjusting his tie in the other. She falls to the ground with a small yelp, quickly crawling away from this ‘G-Man' and aiming her pistol towards his chest. In turn, he responds with a rather irritated scowl, clearing his throat soon after.
"I know this may be...rather sudden, but I have been...observing your performance and, I must admit, you've...interested me with your...aptitude...for survival.”
“Wh-...what?! Who are you?!”
That's what she wanted to say, at least. in fact she wanted to scream at this man, but all she could do was cover her eyes as a blinding green light surrounded her. Before she knows it, she finds herself standing aboard an unfamiliar tram. The tram itself seemed to be suspended in...absolutely nothing, not even a set of rails to guide it were present. Everything outside looked pitch black, with the exception of a few specks of lights that pass by the windows as it drove on to an unknown destination.
“My dear, I do not have the time for such...trivial matters, so I will make this quick. I’ve also taken the liberty of removing your weapon, as to...ensure my own safety.”
Shocked, Clementine quickly pats herself down to find that he was correct; her pistol was nowhere to be found, as if it had completely vaporized into nothing the moment she arrived on the tram. The more she attempted to wrap her head around what was going on, the more confused and terrified she became, only being brought back to her senses by this strange man clearing his throat once again.
“Now, if you will listen...I have taken note of you and your...adaptability, and I must admit, I have always been rather fond of those who adapt and survive against impossible odds. Such a young and scarred child capable of...charging...through such insurmountable circumstances and thriving in them is something that...cannot be ignored. By my own...initiative, and...conviction, I have been authorized by my...employeers...to give you a singular opportunity...a 'reassignment in occupations'...if you will...a chance for something...better?”
“W...w-what are you talking about? Who a-are you, w-what am I doing here?!” Clementine would finally yell as she backed away from the man, who once again only responds with a subtle form of irritation.
“My dear...I am not at liberty to say...but this is a once in a lifetime...opportunity. And such an 'asset', if you don't mind me saying such, would...benefit...from a...change...in setting.”
Suddenly, the tram's entrance slowly opens beside the G-Man to reveal a pale green rift of unknown energy - something that causes Clementine to release a small, quiet, yet terrified gasp.
“Now, you may come along with me and...enter your new...shall we say…’occupation.' Should You choose otherwise...well...” He swallows a bit, and takes in a deep breath. "I can offer you a position you have no chance of...surviving...rather an anticlimax after what you've just been through.
He turns towards the rift, but his eyes remain on the girl. “It’s time to choose now...and if I can make one more...suggestion; you should choose...wisely…”
Giving her a rather sinister smirk, he walks into the rift, and with a flash of green light...he vanishes into thin air.
At first, Clementine keeps her back pressed against the glass of the tram, scanning the interior of the vehicle as to where this 'G-Man' might've gone...but then she began to think on his words carefully...or as carefully as she could.
“I can offer you a position you have no chance of surviving…”
"...Is...Is he going to kill me? Is...he going to just...leave me here to starve?"
The thought alone terrified her beyond all belief, even if she didn't know what awaited her ahead. She slowly began to imagine herself sitting in one of the seats, frail and sickly, too hungry to move, yet too terrified to enter the rift...
It was a Scenario she didn't want to test.
With that in mind, she attempts to look for another way off the Tram, trying everything from the windows to the defunct control panel, and when desperation began to set in she even tried to search for a hidden emergency hatch. All of which would be to no avail, as the only way out would be the green rift sitting just outside of the tram door. Soon enough she slowly approaches the rift that awaited her outside of the tram, and looks around for a moment as if to consider her options.
On one end, she could wait and see what happens if she never went inside the rift...but on the other end that thought of being killed by whatever this G-Man had in mind was, in her opinion, worst than becoming a walker. In the end, she chooses the only option she could see; she closes her eyes tightly, takes a deep breath, and enters the rift in front of her. What she sees next was pure darkness, followed by the voice of the G-Man reverberating within.
“Very good, my dear! I knew you would choose wisely! I will see you...up ahead…”
And with that, everything becomes silent...