Eremophobia ✗The Last of Us✗

Ch. 4 ✗ Oh, You've Got to Be Kidding Me...✗

Following the same path we took to get to the Fireflies, we quickly reached the street, developing our plan on the way.

The five of us would make our way back to our apartment building, where JJ and I would collect our things, as would Joel, and Tess would scout the best route for us to take once darkness fell. The only unoccupied variable was Ellie, who as I had come to find out, got bored quickly, and asked a lot of questions.

The five of us left the safety of the dark building into the rain, I had pulled Ellies hood over her head before doing so.

"Hey..." she mumbles, swatting my hands away. "What are you doing?"

"Pulling your hood up." I gesture to the maroon hood that now sits on her head. "It's raining out. Now, here's what you're gonna do. You're gonna stay quiet, you're gonna keep your head down, and you're gonna do what we say. Got it? The last thing we need is for us to get pulled into FEDRA lock up for acting suspicious." I inform her quickly.

"Got it." She nods her head, brown eyes wide.

"Repeat it." I demand.

"Be quiet, keep my head down, and do what you say."

"Good." I smile softly at her, take one of her hands in my own, she pulls away slightly from my touch. "We're gonna get you where you need to go. Okay?" She nods softly releasing my hand, and Joel leads us out the doors, Tess behind him. I nudge Ellie forward slightly, JJ and I following behind her.

There aren't very many people out, a few other civilians, and a couple of FEDRA agents on patrol, each one nodding to JJ and me as we passed. We move quickly, but not so fast as to bring attention to ourselves, making it to the building faster than we left it, which I didn't believe was possible.

Once out of the rain, we begin our journey to the stairs. It was quiet, the only sound was the pouring rain outside and the faint squelching of Ellie's shoes. Eventually, we make it to Tess and Joel's apartment, Tess unlocks the door quickly and holds the door open for Ellie, who turns her head to look at JJ, receiving a nod from him and a gesture to enter the apartment, she finally does.

"Give us a minute, all right?" Tess says firmly, making her way back out of the apartment, and slamming the door behind her. We faintly hear Ellie yelling at us from the other side.

"So, what's the plan?" Joel questions the three of us, leaning against the wall.

"There's not a lot of options. There's the short way or the long way. The short way is pretty much..." Tess trails, looking to JJ and I for any suggestions.

"Don't look at me." I raise my hands defensively, "I don't know a way out... I haven't left since JJ and I got here and we came through the front gate." I inform the two of them, looking over to JJ who looked deep in thought.

"What the hell do you mean you haven't left since you got here?" Joel demands.

"Not all of us are smugglers Joel," I hiss quietly, "I've never exactly had a reason to leave."

"Look," he begins, "I don't know if you're cut out for this Doc, and that's fine, but if you're gonna slow us down you might—"

"Slow you down?!" I question heated, "Look Miller, I've been able to take down men much larger than you since I was ten years old. I'm trained with a gun and I'm a doctor, which let's be honest, with the number of people you and Tess find holding guns to your heads isn't a bad thing to have on your side. Now, if you're not going to offer anything useful to this conversation, keep it to yourself and pout."

The man stares at me in surprise and disdain. Tess clears her throat, drawing our attention to her. "JJ?" She asks, "How was Marlene gonna get her out of the QZ?"