More than a Cure || The Last of Us

Introduction: True Faith

|| Author's Note: For a better immersive experience, please listen to True Faith by Ashley Johnson (Ellie's VA) while reading. Enjoy! ||

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It was the first mission we ever took together where it was just the two of us.

Bursting through door to door—the desperation in our minds and bodies as the both of us scurried rapidly into the direction of the exit was one of the most fearful moments of my life.

One gunshot from the recoil of my shotgun reverberated in the air before I sliced off the head of a female clicker with the swift, sharp action of my machete—the thick red substance from her body spiraling into the cold tile floor.

It wasn't long until I released my grip on the handle as the beautiful beretta pistol I've had for years ran out of bullets.

"GO! GO!" I shouted at her, her ginger colored hair which was pulled back into a half-up bun whipped her head in my direction, kicking open another set of doors we needed to go through, "JOAN! MOVE YOUR ASS OVER HERE, NOW!"

How the hell were we supposed to know it would come to this? That she would have found out like this, after all the trust she had in me?

Before I could react, she latched her hand on top of my forearm, pulling me through the door sets before we both used the force in our bodies to shut them tight—the malicious infected not giving us a moment to catch our breaths before I sacrificed one of my dual machetes into the door handles to prevent them from breaking through.

The both of us panting heavily, she wiped her mouth off with dissident sweat before she diverged her eyes onto me, "We're in this together, these fuckers might have the upper hand now but they have no idea about how badass we are."

Placing one hand on her shoulder, I direct my azure eyes against her olive green ones,
"You're right. But you're almost out of bullets, so as the designated gun-with-a-few-bullets-to-spare partner, you better park your ass behind me and not ask any questions."

Before she could answer me back, the loud, deafening banging from down the hall tweaked our heads in that direction, before one final bang revealed the horrifying, gut-wrenching figure of one pissed-off bloater, the roars of its' infection shaking the very ground we stood on.

"Sh-Shit!" She muttered under her breath in apparent fear, fear that was controlled due to her unbreakable courage.

Unconsciously, our hands found each-other, the two of us anxiously searching for a way out, with the ostensible notion that the previous herd of infected were trapped behind the set of doors where I sacrificed my machete.

However, knowing how deadly and persistent the infected are, they would not have been detained for long.

Then, the window. My short bob of chestnut curls bounced slightly as I snapped my head towards the window beside us. My jaw tightens, clenching as I hoped to god we weren't on the highest floor.
"Ellie."

She pivoted her eyes onto me, observing as I nudge my head in the direction of the glass window. She veers back onto me, her eyes wide and doubtful.
"No. No fucking way. No-JOAN!-"

I couldn't take the chance.

My hand snapped securely onto hers, stepping on top of the small space of platform—her light body following me as I plummeted my forearm against the glass—the glass itself breaking apart almost instantly in miniature pieces.

I expected us to fall to our imminent deaths, I expected it all to be over. But to my surprise, we were only on the second floor of the abandoned building we were only supposed to scavenge.