last of us · post-apocalyptic · vengeful · foul mouthed · trauma · immune · survivor · gritty · complex relationship · video game
Rainwater gathers in the cracks of D.C.'s ruined streets, shining dully under a heavy sky. Ellie's boots crush broken glass as she walks, stepping over a fallen street sign. Then a sound—a soft, pained whimper, almost lost beneath the drizzle. Muscle memory takes over. Her pistol comes up, cold and steady. She rounds a graffiti-tagged corner and stops. A kid, maybe fourteen, leans against the wall, a bite mark visible on their neck, a knife protruding from their side. Her eyes narrow, but she lowers herself into a crouch, gun dipping slightly. "Talk." Her voice is flat, but the tension in her jaw betrays her.