Author's Note: So this one was extremely tough to write, mainly because of the incredible way the characters were portrayed in the actual video game. It was little intimidating trying to capture their spirit and personality and I'm not one hundred per cent sure I managed it. I only hope you guys enjoy the chapter for what is, just a nice brief revisit of some very loved characters.
This obviously takes place after the end of the game, a few hours after the end actually. And those of you that played the game, you'll know that some pretty heavy stuff happened. And this is obviously going to have a long term effect on people, so I did take that into account and I very much wanted to stay true to these characters and their experiences. I adore Joel and Ellie, so I just wanted really wanted to write something about them, well... more so Ellie in this case.
Regardless, I really hope you guys enjoy the chapter, I had a fun but very interesting time writing it.
Disclaimer: Spider-Man and all related characters belong to Marvel and by extension, Disney. Ellie, Joel etc. and all related characters and concepts of the Last of Us belong to Naughty Dog and Sony Computer Entertainment, I own nothing but the premise.
Ellie (the Last of Us)
"You know, when I said you were welcome any time, I honestly didn't think you'd come back." A worn and weary man—with dark messy hair and rough unkempt facial hair—called out, though a steady smile was clearly present on his face.
Tommy watched as a few of his men cleared the city's two new guests, allowing them to pass through the fortified gate of his Jackson County settlement. Despite being the younger of the two, Tommy was beginning to show his age just as much as his older brother. Nevertheless, he soldiered on and pulled said brother into a warm albeit restrained embrace, something he hadn't done in two seasons.
A greying Joel patted his brother's back, minding the shouldered sniper rifle whilst hiding severe relief under a practised stoic mask. "I didn't think I'd make it back," he answered with nothing but honesty, though didn't allude to why.
It was ambiguous enough that Tommy didn't bother questioning it; there were so many dangers in the world around them that it had been a miracle any one of them had survived. "Just be glad you did, it's good to see you again. And you, Ellie. Maria would've killed this man if he hadn't brought you back," Tommy dryly joked, offering a friendly smile in place of something much more familiar… he didn't know her well enough for such things.
A short teenage girl, around fourteen if one had to guess, nodded with a mirrored expression. "Save me the trouble," Ellie jested in return, brushing her dirty auburn hair to one side.
Tommy had to step back and look them over a little more thoroughly, they both looked exhausted. Not just physically, but mentally too. Regardless of their exterior appearance, that overwhelming fatigue managed to break through the surface and it was actually starting to make Tommy a little tired.
"It's getting late, and you both look like crap. Why don't we get some food in you and then you can both get some much needed rest, I'm trying not to yawn just looking at you." He expressed, his gruff tone earning a nod out of Joel as he turned towards his younger companion.
The middle aged man placed a hand on Ellie's shoulder, earning the girl's attention. "Sounds like it'd do you some good; we've been walking for hours. Why don't you go on ahead, Tommy and I need to discuss some things." Joel suggested, prompting a raise of the eyebrow out of his brother.
Ellie glanced between the pair, she was no idiot. They pulled the exact same thing back at the hydroelectric dam; she could still remember the heated argument that exploded afterwards. She knew they were going to talk about her, like what the situation was and just how long was Joel planning on staying with her.
Joel simply looked at Tommy, an indistinguishable look that told him to agree. "Yeah, sure, we can talk. I'll uhh… I'll get someone to show you to my and Maria's place. You can stay with us until we work something a little more long term out, if you're planning on staying this time that is." He explained, ushering them to follow him as he talked.
Walking through this settlement, one of the biggest and densely populated places either one of them had seen actually, was something else entirely. People were smiling, uneasily and a little warily, but they were smiling. Probably just enjoying their time, being thankful for what they had while they had it. Joel seemed to remember Maria mentioning something about there being an abundance of widows in the city, she certainly wasn't wrong about that.
The ratio was all off, women and children vastly outnumbered the heavily armed men around them. Joel and Ellie simply put it down to the world around them, men losing their lives just trying to protect their families and friends, whatever they had left. Though it was actually a first for Ellie, she had never seen so many kids with their moms.
The vast majority of her youth had been spent behind military walls in a quarantine zone in Boston; the only parent Ellie had known was her mother. Even after she had passed away, Ellie had seen nothing but kids without parents. And she was counted among them, the only thing she had even resembling something of a parent was… well, it was Joel now.
"Peter! Get on over here, boy!" Tommy yelled out, beckoning over to a kid with his hand.
The boy was young, maybe a little older than Ellie herself and appeared to be tying the shoelaces of a young girl. Offering Tommy a curious look, the apparently named 'Peter' turned back to the girl and finished his job with her shoes. He smiled and nodded, patting her leg and muttering something indiscernible from such a distance.
While the girl—maybe six or seven at a guess—looked initially sad to see him go, a slightly greying middle aged woman bundled her up into her arms. Excusing himself, Peter quickly jogged over to Tommy and his two other companions. Standing at attention, he appeared quite scruffy like everyone else and had short messy brunette hair.
"Yeah, Tommy?" Peter questioned, addressing his elder informally but with practised respect.
Something he had been taught since birth but had been reinforced in Tommy's settlement, especially with boys making the transition to adulthood. They needed respect and people they could rely on, not unruly children with their own agendas.
Ellie perked up a bit upon seeing the boy, it had been quite some time since she had interacted with someone around her own age. And even though the last time hadn't quite worked out for the best, it was a welcome break from the norm.
"This here's Joel and Ellie, they're gonna be staying here a while and helping out with things. I want you to show Ellie around a bit, get her used to the surroundings and then take her over to Maria. She'll take her off your hands," Tommy instructed, earning a compliant nod from the boy.
Peter offered a friendly smile, stretching out a hand for the taking. "Peter," he muttered, directing his gaze towards Ellie first.
Shaking it lightly, the girl granted him the same pleasant smile. "Ellie," she mumbled back, watching the boy's brown eyes dart back over to Tommy.
"How's your aunt, how's May holding up?" The co-leader of the settlement queried, carrying a surprisingly gentle tone.
Peter nodded frequently, again and again as he forced out a smile. "She—yeah, she's doing okay. She uhh… she has her hands full with Teresa, so yeah… we're doing fine." There was a hard accent to the way he spoke, not a southern one like Joel's or Tommy's but… Ellie couldn't actually describe it.
Tommy accepted the answer, knowing full well what kind of situation the Parker's were in. It was one he'd heard over and over again, maybe more than a thousand times. Such was the world they lived in, a far cry from the working society of the past.
Peter diverted his eyes away from Tommy, letting them land on Ellie once more. "Good… good, that's uhh… good to hear. Well, we'd best be getting on." Tommy drawled out, eyeing Peter with some hesitance.
Not for any reason in particular, mainly because of the fragility of the subject. Tommy didn't know the boy that well; just that he had a good head on his shoulders and a sharp tongue. Maria maybe knew a little more about him, having known his parents way back when. Still, he was a trustworthy kid and that was all that mattered in that day and age.
Tommy gave a firm nod to the boy, moving ahead with Joel in tow. Though before either Ellie or Peter could relax, the more grizzled of the two adults held back, stepping in front of Peter with a serious expression cast across his tired features.
"Do not let her out of your sight, you understand me, son?" Joel warned, perhaps a little too sharply as Peter felt a little colour leave his cheeks.
The teenager stiffened, stumbling over his words as the fear of God struck him like a freight train. "I—yeah, no, absolutely not… sir." The brunette struggled to croak out, managing the shakiest smile imaginable.
Though it was dropped back to a thin line as Joel stared at him hard, almost peering into his very soul. "Joel," the solid tone of Ellie was heard, urging the man to back off and drop it.
Joel grumbled something beneath his breath, keeping his eyes on Peter as he relented. "I'm just saying," he excused himself, turning to Ellie as she folded her arms and fixed him with a look.
A look that said she'd be perfectly fine without him, and who was he to argue really. They'd been through thick and thin together, the kind of experience that would change someone's life. Which is exactly what had happened, changed their lives. And even Peter, a damned near perfect stranger, could tell that there was a bond there.
Father and daughter, uncle and niece, it didn't really matter. It was as clear as day, the two of them must have been inseparable. Peter simply took a step back, remained quiet and watched as they embraced for a moment.
"It doesn't need saying," Ellie spoke into his chest, before pulling out of the hug with a smile.
And Joel looked happier than he had been, satisfied and reassured that he needn't worry. Though that changed as he left, his eyes zoning back in on Peter and a grim expression adoring his face. The two teenagers watched them leave, Peter letting go of a breath he wasn't aware he had been holding.
Turning back to face Ellie, she naturally appeared a little sheepish. "So…" Peter trailed off, watching her fidget a little with the sleeves of her jacket.
She nodded slowly, with a sorry expression. "Yeah…" she murmured out, feeling a little more awkward about the situation.
Gesturing towards the now gone pair of men, Peter cracked a smirk. "Your uhh… your dad's a scary dude," he joked, laughing a bit in spite of the truth to his comment.
Ellie brushed it off, joining him as he began walking. "He's not my dad, he just—he's just a really good friend. 'Sides, he's not so bad once you get used to him." She commented, matching the slow and steady stride Peter had employed.
The pair let their eyes linger, roaming all over the surrounding buildings and homes and occasionally meeting the eyes of passer-bys. "How long did that take for you?" Peter queried, observing the shorter girl for a moment.
She seemed pretty easy going, but the way she was staring at the people around her… she just appeared so enamoured with everything. "Not that long, we were kinda thrown together. I mean, what's the point in fighting, right? Everything else wants to kill you, might as well get along with someone." Ellie offered, glancing back at her guide every now and then.
Peter raised his eyebrows, processing the piece of wisdom for a moment. "That's… very adult of you, I know a few grown men and women that bicker all the time. Of course, one look at Maria and everyone shuts up." He mocked, laughing with his words as he walked on.
Though when he found that no-one was accompanying him any longer, Peter had to halt and spin around. Curiously, Ellie had stopped for some reason. She was just stood there, wondrously gazing up at a building a street over. Peter joined her shortly, matching her stare as he grinned a little.
"You ever been to school?" Peter inquired, watching with growing interest as children entered the small building.
They were being collected by a few women, one of whom saw the two teenagers staring at them. She waved, a smile on her face as Peter and Ellie gave a short courteous wave back. Having gathered the children inside, the two teens were left to their own devices.
Ellie turned to Peter, still something of a smile on her lips. "What do they learn?" She questioned, her words full of intrigue and a genuine thirst for knowledge.
Peter was only happy to oblige, stuffing a hand inside his jacket pocket as he spoke. "Well, they're still pretty young so it's mostly just the rudimentary stuff. You know, beginner math and English and maybe a little history every now and then, stuff like that. There isn't really any need to teach anything other than the basics, except a little engineering when they get older. The dam's generators and turbines need to be fixed and repaired continuously; this is a permanent thing after all." He answered, watching Ellie follow along for the most part.
She seemed satisfied with the answer, looking up at the makeshift school for children. "I never went to school, didn't seem like too much of a big deal to me. Everyone told me it didn't matter, that the important thing was to survive." Ellie explained, granting Peter a little insight into her life prior to their meeting.
He nodded along, sound reasoning in her words. "Well, that is important. I mean, if you don't know how to use a gun in this world then you're not gonna last long. Right now, they're a little too young for stuff like that. But… eventually, it'll need to happen." Peter added, leading Ellie away from the school and back on track.
"What about you? You know how to shoot?" Ellie inquisitively asked, not being able to spot any weapons on the boy as they walked side by side.
Peter laughed a little, rubbing the back of his neck as Ellie arched an eyebrow. "I do know how to shoot, yeah. But uhh… Tommy and Maria don't trust me with anything bigger. My aunt's not exactly thrilled about it but as long as I can keep my family safe, that's all that matters." He spoke, reaching around the back of his jeans to pull out a small black handgun.
Ellie let a laugh escape her lips, watching him put the firearm away and out of view. "I know the feeling; it took a while for Joel to trust me with a gun. I haven't let him down yet so… yeah," she trailed off, unsure what to talk about next.
Peter hummed to himself; he'd never actually spoken to a girl around his age. He wasn't entirely sure yet, but he thought he was doing pretty well. Besides, Ellie didn't exactly behave like the textbook definition of a girl. She was rough, had some sort of air of confidence about her. But he could still tell that she was nervous, about what he was unsure.
Probably about everything really…
"So… you uhh—you looking to stay here? Permanently, I mean." Peter broke the brief lull in the conversation, inquiring in a friendly manner.
Ellie pondered for a moment, she wasn't actually completely sure. She and Joel hadn't really discussed the specifics, they both agreed they needed a break but Ellie really didn't know how long they planned on staying. The settlement had this kind of cosy feel to it, like it was familiar and comfortable. There was plenty of space, plenty of people to get to know, she secretly hoped Joel would decide to stay put… at least for a little while.
She shrugged in response as she turned to Peter, palpable puzzlement apparent on her face. "I don't know, maybe. I mean, I hope we do. I'm kind of tired… of running and hiding and everything, it'd be nice to just have some peace and quiet for a change." Ellie admitted, her very recent experiences still fresh in her mind.
It was hard to forget, she doubted she ever would. It wasn't something that was supposed to happen, what she went through. Still, the past was the past and people who dwelt on it had a hard time moving on.
"Hey, Ellie… you okay?" Ellie perked up a bit, finding a soft hand on her shoulder as Peter stared at her in concern.
Naturally, she jerked away. Peter backed off, holding his hands up with a nod of understanding. They didn't know each other well enough, not yet anyway. Peter's experience with the opposite sex was literally sitting comfortably at zero; he'd made a mistake getting so close to her.
And the way she had retreated, not away but sort of… into herself, was not a good sign. The look on her youthful, exhausted face—such a tired complexion—was one of loss and confusion. He didn't know why, knew next to nothing about the girl or what she'd experienced in the past. But he didn't have to think hard, the world was fraught with danger.
It was a horrible thing to imagine…
"I—hey, I'm sorry, I just… you stopped and looked a little out of it. I didn't—I didn't mean anything by it," Peter rambled out an apology, something he was unequivocally good at… apologizing.
Ellie slowly but surely nodded, letting her arms drop down in front of her, her fingers interlocking. "I—no, yeah." She blurted back, her eyes darting between the tense boy and her shoes.
It was almost funny in a way, Peter felt like he was walking on eggshells. "Hey, we can uhh… why don't we finish this tomorrow? Maria's is right around the corner, I'll swing by and we'll pick up where we left off. Just… hey, try not to tell that guy you were with… Joe, was it? I'd rather not get my ass kicked over this," Peter suggested, throwing in a joke for good measure as he summoned a shaky smile.
Ellie seemed to be okay with it for the most part, nodding with a smile as they stood in silence for a moment. People continued to pass them by, mostly women and children, the odd man with a gun every now and then. It was uncomfortable, for both parties involved. Peter could barely stop shaking as Ellie bit her lip, exchanging the odd glance with a boy she barely knew.
He threw up a hand and rubbed the back of his neck, offering an awkward lopsided smile in the process. "So… I'll uhh… I'll see you later, unless you're not okay with that. 'Cause then I'd have to leave the town, which is a mild inconvenience, what with my aunt and sister and whatnot." Peter rambled on, a painstakingly obvious sign that he was a nervous train wreck.
And sometimes he had to be stopped because he really didn't know when to shut up, he was just lucky Ellie happened to be standing there. "You don't—Peter, hey, just shut up, okay? You don't have to move out of town, it was nothing, all right? I'm just a little… weird around people; I have a hard time trusting them any more." She stated firmly, allowing Peter to keep his lips sealed for a moment.
"Oh…" he mumbled, completely oblivious to the fact that he was sweating.
Ellie watched him calm down a bit, she picked up the impression that he worried about a lot of things. "Yeah," she added, folding her arms as they stood there for a moment.
The brunette breathed a sigh of relief, he really was afraid that big scary guy was going to tear him a new one. "That… that does make a lot of sense actually, but hey, I can safely assure you that I am one hundred per cent trustworthy." Peter proudly declared, pressing a thumb into his chest as he Ellie looked on in amusement.
She gave a mock scowl, remaining sceptical for the most part. "Oh really? And what, I'm just supposed to take your word for it?" Ellie responded, fixing him with an expectant glare.
Peter's shoulders slumped somewhat, he really hadn't thought any of it through. "Huh… didn't really count on a follow up question… I don't know, you like comic books?" He asked, which was the only interesting thing he owned in all honesty.
For a moment, he thought Ellie was going to laugh her butt off at him. "You're f*****g with me… you have comic books?" She questioned, complete disbelief in her voice as she dropped her folded arms.
Peter was almost gobsmacked, flinging his arms open with a beam. "I have comic books!" He exclaimed back, sighting a rapidly growing grin on Ellie's lips.
"Oh my God, how many?" Ellie replied ecstatically, he had never seen someone so enthusiastic about them.
Peter paused for a moment, quickly pondering just how many of the funny books he did own. "Uhh… couple of stacks, haven't really taken the time to count them. You seem to really like comic books, huh?" He pointed out, watching her get progressively excited with each passing second.
Seriously, she was almost jumping on the spot. "Of course I do, who the hell doesn't?" Ellie flippantly answered, prompting Peter to nod along with an agreeable grin.
"That's what I keep saying!" He exclaimed once more, completely taken by the conversation as the two of them expressed their love for the art.
Unfortunately, that expression was doomed to be silenced as a new yet intimidatingly familiar voice entered the fray. "Ellie! Come on, now! Maria's waiting to see you!" The rugged form of Joel yelled, prompting both teens to whip their heads around to see him standing some distance away.
Right on the corner, leading directly over to Tommy and Maria's home. As Joel waited, Peter and Ellie settled, losing most of the excitement and thrill for their discussion. They turned to one another and immediately noted just how hopped up they had gotten, smiling awkwardly at each other.
"So…" Ellie began, once again fidgeting with the sleeve of her jacket.
Peter found himself nodding, rapidly and frequently as he replied. "Yeah," the brunette mumbled as Ellie left his side.
But before she left, the auburn haired youth quickly turned to Peter and prodded him directly in the chest. "Comic books, tomorrow, deal?" Ellie propositioned, raising her eyebrows as Peter found himself smiling.
"Definitely, if it's okay with your dad that is." Peter answered cheekily, watching as Ellie left with a wave.
She threw back a glance as she jogged up to Joel, who was actually quirking an eyebrow at the entire exchange. "He's not my dad!" Ellie yelled back, joining her guardian with an affectionate smile.
Joel averted his eyes away from his second daughter, watching the kid known as Peter disappear from view. "Just what the hell was that all about?" His gruff yet welcome tone met Ellie's ears, and she shrugged as they made their way to Tommy and Maria's.
"You don't have to get so worried; he's just a boy, no big deal." She excused, shying away from Joel's gaze as he arched an eyebrow.
But Joel, ever the concerned adult, was a little curious seeing her so upbeat. "That is exactly what I'm worried about," he grumbled, with that striking southern accent as a few hours prior, he had struggled to barely get a word out of Ellie.
Author's Note: Well, that's it for our brief foray into the world of fiction outside of Marvel and DC. Don't worry, I will be coming back to this, whether it be in sequels or brand new characters, the possibilities are just too good to pass up. So, yeah, next chapter will be a DC sequel I think. I might mix some sequels and part threes together to keep things interesting, sound good? Should be fun, right?
If you loved this chapter or hated it, just let me in know. Whether I got the characters wrong or whether it was something else, I'd love to know what you guys thought of this. As always, the support you show is immense and incredible and I appreciate the heck out of it. Thanks!
Guest Reviews:
evadiamond2: Thanks a bunch, thanks for reviewing too!
web of life: Right after this chapter actually, so you won't have to wait long. Thanks for the review!
Dei: I'm surprised someone noticed but it's no big deal, I removed them because of an upcoming story I'm working on that shared a lot of things with the Spidey/YJ one-shots. Plus, I kind of felt I could have done them a little better and I wouldn't have removed them if I hadn't had a good reason. Anyway, thanks for reviewing, I appreciate the support!
Gaby: There's a big chance of that happening actually, some of the more popular pairings in this story are worthy of their own title so I may end up doing just that. We'll have to wait and see, thanks for the review!
manuel01: Disney Princesses are a likely thing to happen, I've tackled a little of Elsa and although Alice isn't strictly a princess, she pretty much falls under the same category. They'll be more of them in the future, but for now, we're going back to Marvel and DC for a little while. Thanks for reviewing!
Guest: Here ya go, man! A new update and a return to Marvel and DC next chapter, it's almost like Christmas, huh? Thanks for the review!
