The Last of Us: Survival

Chapter 167 167: Cracks in the Resistance

"Huh?"

Sarah looked confused. She turned to Bryan. "Has something been going on in the QZ?"

Bryan considered for a moment, then decided to answer. "Besides the usual protest crowds, nothing major. But we have heard two things. First—the QZ government is planning to cancel the mail convoys to other zones. They seem to want to keep it quiet."

Anna and Marlene exchanged a glance, then arranged their faces into surprise. "That's... so sudden!"

"Who knows what the higher-ups are thinking." Bryan shrugged. "I guess some people decided that sending letters outside the walls was a waste of resources. But they don't want the residents rioting, so they came up with the brilliant plan of just... not telling anyone."

He leaned back in his chair. "The second thing—word in the smuggler circles is that the Fireflies are planning something big in the near future. No idea if it's true or not."

"What?"

If their reaction to the first piece of news had been theater, this one was genuine. The shock was unmistakable.

Anna caught herself mid-exclamation. Her fists clenched as she fought to regain composure. When she spoke again, her voice was carefully level. "Where did you hear that? Who told you?"

Marlene was equally stunned, though she buried it deeper—maintaining her mask of general surprise.

Bryan watched them both, noting how starkly different their reaction was this time. He raised an eyebrow. Why do they look like they have no idea?

His mind raced, but his voice stayed easy. "Norsen mentioned it first. Then Amir heard the same thing. The intel supposedly leaked from inside the Fireflies. I'd guess anyone with halfway decent connections already knows."

"Anna... are you two okay?"

Sarah had been watching quietly, and her frown deepened. "You've both been acting strange all morning."

Bryan glanced at Sarah—earnest, concerned—and shook his head slightly.

Sarah had never been stupid. Years of his influence had sharpened her instincts enough that she'd never fall into naive idealism. But at her core, she was kind—and she'd never suspect the people closest to her. So even though Anna and Marlene's behavior was glaringly off, it simply hadn't occurred to Sarah to question it. Then again, neither woman harbored any ill intent toward her.

"We're fine—just nervous, that's all." Anna knew she'd been too transparent today. She stole a glance at Bryan's impassive face and felt her composure slip further.

"Nervous about what?" Sarah laughed and patted Bryan's arm, her expression relaxing. "With Bryan around, nobody's going to hurt us."

The conversation had served its purpose. Anna and Marlene had clearly lost their appetite for further discussion. A few more minutes of small talk, and the visit was over.

Anna saw them to the door with a smile. The moment it clicked shut, the smile vanished.

She strode back to the living room. "Marlene—what 'big Firefly operation'? What is this? Why don't we know about it?"

"I have no idea. Dominic hasn't told me anything!" Marlene sat rigid on the couch, genuinely at a loss.

"You don't know?"

Anna could tell her friend was being truthful. She raised both hands, fury with nowhere to land, and slammed her fist against the table. "The information leaked from inside our own organization, and the people in charge of this QZ—its designated leader and members—know nothing. How is that not a joke?"

"Anna, calm down."

Marlene reached out to steady her. "There might be some covert operation they couldn't brief us on. Dominic's coming into the QZ in a couple of days. I'll corner him and get answers. That man... he's getting more out of line every day. Does he think the Fireflies belong to him personally?"

"Fine. I'll get ready."

...

Anna sank back in her chair and closed her eyes. Though her words accepted the plan, she understood the situation perfectly well.

Both she and Marlene had joined the Fireflies early—shortly after the movement's founding. Marlene had gone in first; Anna had been recruited later.

At the time, Marlene had wanted to bring Bryan, Sarah, and their other close friends into the fold. Anna had refused. By then, Bryan and the others already had promising paths ahead of them—official positions, stable futures. She wouldn't drag them into a fight that could get them killed.

Marlene had pushed back initially. Most Firefly recruits were oppressed civilians; Bryan's group would soon carry official credentials. Having insiders with military access would make intelligence gathering far easier and provide better cover for Firefly operatives.

But Anna had held firm, and eventually Marlene relented—though she'd suggested that Anna distance herself from Bryan's group, given their government ties.

In the early days, the Fireflies had been united by a clear purpose: topple a corrupt regime and liberate the QZ's oppressed residents. Everyone burned with conviction. They went out of their way to help people in need.

But time eroded that idealism. The founders were hunted down and killed one by one. Under mounting pressure, the movement's tactics grew increasingly ruthless—willing to sacrifice innocent lives if it served the mission. At this rate, even if they succeeded, they'd simply become the next oppressive government. Perhaps worse.

This betrayal of their founding principles had bred dissent within the ranks. Anna and Marlene were among the dissenters.

Marlene—one of the longest-serving members despite her youth—had made enormous contributions to the cause. She'd been the first to openly challenge the shift in tactics.

Her defiance rallied others who shared her misgivings, coalescing into a faction too significant to ignore.

This had drawn the attention of Dominic, the Fireflies' current leader—a man who embraced the "by any means necessary" philosophy. Two opposing visions of the movement clashed, and the power struggle that followed was as bitter as it was inevitable.

But Dominic held the formal leadership. After several rounds of political maneuvering, Marlene found herself "promoted" to head of QZ internal operations—tasked with gathering intelligence from inside the walls.

Everyone in the Fireflies knew the assignment for what it was. The QZ's internal space had long since been locked down; operatives inside could do little beyond lying low. Collecting useful intelligence had become nearly impossible. The appointment was exile dressed up as responsibility.

Worse, Dominic had stopped reporting his QZ operations to Marlene entirely. He bypassed her and issued orders directly to his own loyalists embedded in the zone. As a result, Marlene and Anna were perpetually operating on outdated information.

"Marlene... do you think Bryan figured something out?"

Eyes still closed, Anna's mind drifted to Bryan's perfectly composed expression during the conversation. "I keep feeling like he told us those things on purpose."

She'd always known he was sharp. Since joining the Fireflies, she'd reduced contact with him—but she could sense that he'd already noticed something, if not guessed outright what she was involved in.

"Surely... not?" Marlene had only gotten to know Bryan inside the QZ. She'd heard Anna talk about how clever he was, but limited contact and the demands of Firefly business had kept her from seeing it firsthand. She wasn't convinced he could be that perceptive.

She rubbed her temples. "Don't overthink it. Let's just prepare and confront Dominic when he arrives. That man... does he really think the Fireflies are his personal army?"

"Alright. Let me get ready."

...

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