The More Things Change
Chapter 1
Quaint-For A Time
Note: I do not own any characters, properties, or anything thereof relating to the Uncharted franchise. Reviews and comments are welcome, encouraged, and appreciated.
"I'm just saying, our adventures are not appropriate bedtime story material." Elena said, sitting on the couch in front of the TV.
"Oh, come on. It doesn't get more outlandish than the trouble we got up to." Nate replied, sitting next to her, a steaming mug in each hand.
"That may be, but she's too young to hear that sort of stuff."
"Okay, fine. I'll wait till she's six."
Nate handed her one of the mugs.
"At least." Elena said firmly.
"At least." Nate agreed.
They tapped the mugs together.
"And you'll not mention the few hundred people you killed while you did all that." She said.
"Of course not. But you got a few shots off too, if memory serves." He said slyly.
"Yes I did. But I never crashed a plane singehandedly."
"Okay, but I didn't quite expect that to happen the way it happened."
"I'll give you that."
They each took a long drink, and listened to the rain pouring outside.
The lights in the room flickered, then went out.
"What the?" Elena said.
"Power's out. One of us should go check on Ellie." Nate said.
"What for?"
"Power outages are scary when you're a little kid."
"Sure."
"Scared the crap out of me."
Nate walked into the kitchen to look for a flashlight as Elena headed for Ellie's room on the second floor.
A child's wail cut through the silence. Nate smirked. Power outages were scary for little kids.
Then he heard Elena scream.
Nate ran to and up the steps.
Sprinting down the hallway, he reached the doorway to Ellie's room. He saw two men in black, with goggles on. One was reaching into Ellie's crib. The other had Elena in a chokehold.
Nate ran through the door way, and felt something hard slam into the back of his head.
He fell, twisting backwards, and saw another man standing above him, rifle butt held high, about to come down on his face.
Nate thrust his hands out, and caught the rifle butt as it descended. He kicked at the man's knee, and felt it splinter beneath his foot. He jumped to his feet and punched the man right in his forehead. Turning to charge at the men holding Ellie and Elena, he was suddenly yanked backward.
Another black-suited, goggle-wearing attacker pulled him into the hallway, and shoulder charged him down it. Stopping at the top of the steps, he punched Nate in the face, and kicked him.
Nate fell.
Crashing in a heap at the bottom of the steps, Nate rolled into the kitchen as bullet-holes burst into existence on the carpet. He scrambled to the cabinet beneath the sink. Opening the door, he pulled out a pistol. Turning, he pointed and shot, acting on auto-pilot, and blew his attackers' brains out.
He ran back up the steps and into Ellie's room.
It was empty.
He heard what sounded like a truck starting outside.
Nate leapt through the window at the back of the room, and rolled down the roof of the garage. He fell to his knees on the rain-slicked driveway. He noticed that all the streetlights were out.
Looking up, he saw a black van just ahead of him, one of the goggle-wearing men getting inside it.
He ran at it, firing his gun.
The van pulled a u-turn, and shot off into the night.
Nate sank to his knees. Tears started running down his face, mixing with the rain.