The Last Of Us: Part I - Darker Days (Male Reader)

Chapter 24 - Two Steps Back

"No guards. No nothing."

Despite the obvious, the central grounds of the university bore a distinct feeling of emptiness in the air. Ransacked FEDRA tents, abandoned lookout towers, and an uneasy feeling that they all felt in the pit of their stomachs.

Where the fuck were the Fireflies?

"Yeah... I'd get expect to see someone by now." Joel responded to Ellie's comment, searching around the area, all while the glass mirror of a building overlooked them. "Let's get inside..."

Ellie sighed back, shoulders slumping as Joel guided their horse forward. She looked to Y/N besides them, who was carefully guiding Nightwing alongside. Months they'd been on the road, one step at a time, and so close to their destination.

It couldn't all be for nothing.

"You ever been to one of these?"

Looking back at him, Ellie was brought out of her own head when the sound of Y/N's voice pierced the air.

"What?" Joel sounded surprise, from what Ellie could tell. "A university?"

"Yeah."

Joel chuckled, and shook his head, "No, not as a student at least."

"Why not?" Ellie perked up, shuffling in her seat behind Joel. She was eager to learn more about Joel, despite being together so long, there was only so much she knew.

"Uhh..." Joel hesitated, "I had Sarah when I was pretty young."

"Oh, were you married?"

Joel grunted, yanking the reins of Callus as they came to a cross of a road, and a gate not far from them down a slope that led into a small courtyard. And inside that courtyard, was a way into the building.

"For a while."

Ellie got curious, too curious for her own good.

"What happened?"

"OK."

Joel didn't feel comfortable enough sharing that aspect of his life. Understandable so.

"Too much?"

"Too much."

They searched the grounds, coming up with a few loose supplies and ammo. Nothing too much, but enough to get by. Besides, once they found the Fireflies, they'd be loaded.

Hopefully.

"Hey," Y/N opened up, and Ellie noticed him pointing to a scaffolding not far from them. "That scaffolding connects to that building there."

The buildings were close by and seemed to have makeshift wooden boards between each building as a walkway. And one of them was connected to the roof of the glass building.

"If you gimme a boast up there, I can get a lay of the land. See what I can see."

Ellie wasn't too sure about splitting up, especially after the last encounter and the fact that they were so close to their goal. But Joel, however, thought it was good enough, as he nodded and led their horse towards the scaffolding.

"Good idea."

The three of them trodded over, and came to a stop once they made it. The scaffolding of rotten wood led up to the roof. With makeshift stairwell, it should be well enough for him to climb.

"Once you get up there, holler if you see anything." Joel explained as he got off Callus and went over to the scaffolding, and got into position.

"Yeah, I got it." Y/N said, following him over. "Once I'm done I'll head to glass building's roof and make my way down. And hopefully I'll run into you guys."