Disclaimer: I do not own any character of (The Last of Us) TLOU is owned by Naughty Dog, Sony, and its creators.
A/N: Merry Christmas to everyone and hope that you're enjoying the story so far.
Chapter 18: Game Over
"Shit!..." Ellie starts to raise her gun, but the man quickly moves toward her and grabs her hand, and twists it. "Ahhhhhh… you motherfucker…" Ellie screams in pain as the man twisters her arm until she is forced to drop the gun.
The man looked at her face with an evil expression. "I don't think so, princess…" Ellie tries to get out of his grip to fight back, but the man is strong. So Ellie moves her other hand back and hits the man in his face. That moves only his head a little, so after he looks back at her, the man just gives her a smile. "Is that all you got?" he said in a mocking way.
Ellie tries to get off of him again. "Let go of my arm… and I will show you… what I can do," Ellie says with a furious tone.
The other men behind him start laughing. "Well, that sounds good, girl. I like when my prey fights back it makes it more interesting." The hunter lets go of her hand and look at her with a grin on his face. "Well… I'm waiting… what are you going to do to me… little girl?" he asked while moving a little back.
Ellie charged at him and threw another punch at his face, but the man moved to the side and kneed her on her stomach. "Argggg…" Ellie bent down and dropped to her knees in pain. Then two men that were behind him in the entrance, move inside the building and quickly grabbed her. They take the bow from her back and her backpack off her and hold her steady on the ground. Then the man moved close to her and grabbed her hair and looked at her face. "Hey… I remember you!... you're the one from the factory," he said with a surprised expression.
All that passes too quickly, but as soon Joel gets a little strength back to his body, he pushes the doctor away from him and moves toward the man in front of Ellie. One of the hunters yells at him to warn him, but Joel grabs him from behind and puts his arm around his neck. "Stay away… from her... you... bastard…" Joel tries to strangle the man, but he barely can stay up. He pulls the man away from Ellie, but not even the pain and weakness his body feels are going to stop him from keeping the man away from Ellie.
The man smiled at the force Joel was taking to protect the girl, even in his state. "Oh I almost forgot about you…" he grabbed Joel's arm and started moving them away from his neck.
"Let him go…" yell Ellie while moving her head toward one of the hunter's arms and biting him. Making the hunter scream in pain.
"You little bitch…" said the other one then hit her on the head with his gun.
Joel tries to keep the man in his grasp, but he is so weak that he can't. After a few minutes of struggle, the hunter bends forward launching Joel over him and toward the floor.
"NOOOOOOO!" Ellie yells while trying to get off the two hunters that have her by her arm.
The man moved close to Joel that was now on the floor in pain. "I see that you still have some fire on you… I admire that," he said before moving closer and kicking Joel on the stomach. "You two are giving us too much trouble than the other people we hunt around here. That was kind of a challenge at first, but you two killed a lot of our men and that is not good for business," he said before kicking him again.
"Stopped… you bastard… you're hurting him…" yell Ellie while trying to get away from the hunters that are holding her.
"Don't get impatient… you little cunt… I will be with you in a few minutes." The other two men keep Ellie on her knees while the man takes Ellie's gun from the floor and points the gun at Joel's head. "You're lucky that my boss wants you alive, so you can watch what we do with you little girl.'' The man cock the gun and pointed closer to Joel's head. "But I prefer to put you out of your misery… and get it over with," he was going to pull the trigger but was quickly interrupted.
"NOOOOOOOOO!" Ellie yells with tears in her eyes.
The man looked at her face and saw the horror in her eyes. "Oh… don't worry princess… I will make it quick-" he started to say until he felt some grabbing his hand.
"STOP!" yelled the doctor while grabbing the hunter's arm and moving the gun away from Joel. "I am not going to let you do that…" He said to the hunter with a furious tone. He was watching the whole scene from the side, thinking about what to do. He thought that the girl came with a bigger group that finally will make a stop to the hunter vicious killing. But after hearing the girl talking, he knows that it is just her and maybe another person out there. But even if he dies after this, he needs to do something to help them. He helps them because he wants to live and they keep him that way, but he has enough of this and he can't keep watching these people killing without any remorse.
The hunter looked at him with mad eyes. "YOU!..." the hunter said while shaking his hand away from him. "You were helping them to escape?" he said while pointing the gun in his forehead.
The doctor holds his breaths for a second there, before he talks. "Yes… I was… because this needed to stop," he said with a firm voice. "I'm a doctor not a killer and I have enough of all this unnecessary death. Yes, we all need to do things to survive… and I have my share on that… but this goes too far and needs to be stopped."
The hunter stares at him for a minute, then he starts laughing hard. "Well, well… I can see that you have finally grown some balls… doc. You always were so cowardly to do something, that sometimes it makes me sick... But helping these people? Man, that blew the ball out of the park."
The other men look at him and start lighting too. "Oh man… you really got the wrong time to grow some balls."
"Yeah… I should kill you right now, but I will give the boss the pleasure of that," The hunter moved the gun away from his head and hit him as hard as he could with it. He watches how the doctor falls to the floor unconscious. After that the hunter moves toward Ellie and hits her hard on her gusts, making her bend down in pain. "Now, I think it is time for the main show…" he said with a grin on his face. "You two grab the old man and follow me… I will take the princes to the boss myself," he ordered the two hunters that were holding Ellie a few seconds ago.
xXx
A little early at the entrance of the warehouse. "What the fucking those people are doing? Are they trying to burn us alive?" Said the boss as soon he saw the fire start spreading on the front part of the place.
One of the hunters moves to one of the windows and looks outside. "Is not only that boss… there are a lot of infected people on the other side of the main gate."
The boss moved as fast as he could and went to the window and looked part that is in front of the warehouse was on fire. And even though the fire was not big enough to burn the whole place down, it was blocking the front doors from the outside. "What are we going to do boss?" asked one of the hunters beside him.
A few minutes later they saw the smoke start getting inside, so they moved away from the window. "You!... look for something to cover the open under the door. We have to stop the smoke from getting inside," The hunter boss orders one of his men, then he turns to the other one beside him. "And you… go find the others… we need to grab what we can and get out of here before all the places get on fire or those infected breaks through the gate and get inside."
"Yes boss, but I don't know who is left inside… Most of the men were outside."
The man grabbed his arm hard and yelled at him. "I don't care who is left, just go and find them…" he pushed him away from him. "I don't know what the hell happened out there, but whatever brings those infected here can't be far. If they are inside the warehouse, I want them found… before we go out." The man turned around and started walking toward the center of the living area.
The man was furious because things were not going the way he wanted, but he will make sure that the intruder doesn't leave the place alive. So soon he got to the center of the warehouse he started yelling. "I KNOW YOU'RE IN HERE GIRL… THOSE INFECTED? WHERE A CLEVER MOVE... I CAN GIVE YOU THAT… BUT I KNOW THAT YOU'RE HERE ALONE AND THAT WAS A MISTAKE." he walked toward his weapons table and looked at them. "So, you came for the old man… Well, that was the second mistake you made, girl, and I will make you pay for that."
The hunter that was covering the door, walked toward his boss. "The infected are trying to break the main gate… it is just a matter of time before they get inside the parking lot and make their way here."
The man looked at his favorite knife and smiled. "It does not matter… The fire in the front will keep them outside for a while. We just need to take care of the intruders before they get inside, after that, we go to the back door and go for the cars." After that, he turned and looked at his man. "Now, go to the storage room and bring me the old man... it's time to end this," he said while grabbing his knife and looking at it.
"That is not going to be necessary, boss. I already found what you're looking for." said his second in command as soon as he entered the living area.
The boss turns around and looks at the coming hunters and the girl in his grab. "Oh… I see that you bring our younger guest… Nice job." he said with a pleased tone.
The big man walked closer to him and pushed Ellie to the floor in front of him. Ellie whimper as soon as she landed hard on the floor, hitting her head and chest as she was with her hand tied up on her back. "Yeah… I caught this little mouse on the back with the doctor and the old man, they were trying to get him out."
The hunter leader looks at him with a surprised expression. Then he saw two of his men carrying Joel toward him. "So the good doctor was helping them?" he said while looking at Joel as he was bringing it close to him.
"Yes… They were trying to sneak through the back door." his second in command said while putting his foot on Ellie's back as soon she tried to get up. "Where do you think you're going… princess?"
His boss looked at him with firm eyes. "Did you kill him?" he asked while putting his hands behind his back and walking closer to Joel.
"No, but he is not going anywhere, I will make sure of that. Besides, I wanted you to do the honor… I know that you wanted to do that a long time ago."
He gave the man a smile. "Yeah… that little rat had that coming for a long time… What about the others? Has someone else come with her?" he asked with curious eyes.
"I don't see anyone else, except the one in the parking lot that ran away. Probably the one that brought the infected here. I think it was the old man from the gas station, but don't worry I sent two men after him, so he is probably dead by now." he said with some confidence.
"Good… so the only one left is the traitor… oh well, I will deal with him later… or maybe leave him here, so when the infected get in, they will take care of him," that he turned around and looked at Ellie on the floor. "Please get our guest to her knees… I want her full attention on what is coming next," he said with a smile on his face.
xXx
15 minutes early outside the building. The two hunters in the parking lot start shooting at the 4 remaining infected that get through the gate before they get it close. They need to go after the old man that throws the Molotov at the entrances of the warehouse.
"Okay that was the last of them…" said one of the hunters.
"Good, now let's go after that old motherfucker… he will pay for all this," Both of them ran to the side of the building and started looking up at the wall.
"Where does that asshole go?" said one of the hunters while pointing his gun at the top of the sidewall. After a few minutes, they saw a pile of wooden boxes closer to the wall. "Okay let's use those to climb up the wall and see to the other side. That asshole has to be close to the wall."
The two hunters walk toward the boxes and start to climb up until one of them gets to the edge of the wall. "Did you see him?" The one that stayed behind asked.
"No, he is not on the other side of the wall. But the building on the other side is a good place to hide." answer the one on the top of the boxes.
"Okay… do you want to go over there and look for him or do we just get back inside and tell the boss that we didn't find him?" he said while considering his options.
The hunter on the top looks around trying to think what to do. There are a lot of infected on the front, so it's better to get back and tell the shit!" the man crouching down behind the wall to cover himself.
"What the hell was that?" asked the one on the ground.
"That asshole just shot at me… he is hiding behind the next building-" he was cut out by another shot.
"Let go and get him… can you cover me?" said the other man while climbing the boxes and sitting beside him. Both men were getting ready to jump to the other side of the wall.
"Yeah… I can cover you." he took his head out a little and looked down. ''Hey, there is a dumpster on the other side you can jump on it," he said looking at him now. "Get ready… I will cover you." The other hunter starts to go over the wall as soon as his partner starts shooting in the direction of the place where the old man is supposed to be.
Soon the hunter jumps over the wall and lands on top of the dumper, the man yelling. "Holy shit... I think… I hit something…" before he could say another word, the dumper blew up into a hundred pieces killing the man instantly.
"Oh… Fuck!" said the other hunter as he was blown away on the other side of the wall by the explosion.
xXx
Inside the warehouse, the hunters and their prisoners were shocked by it. "What the fuck was that?" said one of the hunters that were holding Joel.
"Probably one of the morron you left behind," said the hunter leader while looking toward the side of the building. He knew that time was running out. The hunter turned his head and looked at his second in command with a mad expression. "I thought you said that the men you sent after the intruder, killed him?"
The man moves his foot from Ellie's back and pulls her up on her knees. "Don't worry boss, if that was him, he would be dead soon. That explosion probably will attract the infected toward him and-"
"It doesn't matter… I have what I need right here… and soon will be out of this place, so let's finish this," the man moves close to Ellie and crouches down in front of her. He grabs her face with one hand and looks at her with a mad expression. "You kill my brother and half of my men… and for that, I am going to make you pay." he pushed her face to the side and stood up. He turns and starts to walk away from her.
Ellie tried to shake the hunter's hand from her shoulder, but the man just pressed his finger on her to keep her down. "You brother were a fucking bastard and so are you… he deserves what he gets and you will too." Said Ellie while watching the hunter leader walk away.
The hunter leader turns around and looks at her. "You have so much fire on you… and I like that. I never met a girl like you before." he walked a little forward and looked her in the eyes. "All the ones I encountered before, always beg for mercy, but you!... you're different," he turns around and starts walking away. "I really enjoy that… but after a while all that got boring. Killing them after my men and I rape them became too easy… but you! You were a real challenge… that is why I am going to enjoy this very much." He turned around and smiled at her.
"What do you want us to do with this fucker?" said one of the hunters that were holding Joel.
"Ahhhh… he is the star of the show… just bring him here," he said while getting closer to his table. "I think it is time for our young girl here to witness the consequences of her action." The two hunters holding Joel drag him to the front of the table and put him facing Ellie. The hunter leader looks at the table and grabs his favorite knife.
Ellie looked at the scene in front of her and knew what the man was planning to do. Joel tried to move, but his beating body barely left him. Tears start forming in Ellie's eyes. "Look… I'm the one that killed you brother… just… let him go… and-"
"I think it is too late for that…" He turns around and gets behind Joel and shows Ellie his knife. "Do you see this? The first person I killed with it was my own father." he looked at Ellie's expression as soon as he said that. "Oh… don't worry, he was a real bastard and deserved to die anyway, but that does not mean that I and my brother enjoyed killing him." he moved close to Joel and crouched behind him. "I think it is fair that you dad or whatever he is to you get a taste from it," he said with an evil smile on his face
Ellie tried to turn her head to the side, but the hunter that was holding her grabbed her hair and made her look at Joel. "Don't close your eyes, little princess… you will miss the best part…" he said while keeping her head toward Joel.
Tears start falling from her eyes as she knows what is going to happen to him. "Please don't," she did not want to beg, but she couldn't let him kill the man she loved. "Please… I will do whatever you want… please… don't do this."
The man positioned himself behind Joel and slowly moved his hand with the knife on Joel's chest. "I think it is too late for that… you should accept my offer before interfering with my business and killing my brother." He looks at her face as he slowly starts to cut the skin on Joel's chest.
Joel tries to resist, but the pain was too much. "Argrrrr… ahhhhhhhh!" he screams louder as the man continues cutting his flesh.
"NOOOOOO!..." Ellie screams as he continues. "STOP!... please..." she said with a crying voice.
"Stop?" He laughed at her. "I just got started…" he said with a smile on his face.
The two hunters that were holding Joel start to laugh hard too. "You two are going to pay." said one of them.
"Yeah, you killed our friend, now we're going to have some fun… with you after our boss deals with you dad," said the other one.
After the hunter leader finishes his cut. The two men take out what was left of Joel's shirt, showing the bloody cut to Ellie and his burnt side and arm. Blood starts to fall down to the floor in front of him.
More tears were falling down Ellie's eyes as she watched Joel's body. "You lunatic bastard… you're going to pay for-ahhhhhhhh!" she screams as the hunter behind her pulls her hair back painfully.
"Shut up… you little bitch… we're just getting started." said the man behind her.
The hunter leader stands up and moves away from Joel. "I always like the hunt," he said while walking back to his table. "Killing people is like being an artist… is not just killing them is the way to do it." he continued while looking at the objects on the table. "My brother and I move from places to recruit people like us. We like to hunt people and this place was good for that. The sound of their screams when the woman gets raped or the men when we torture them. I have to admit that all that was so exciting, but you!... you were an excellent hunted price." He checks his male weapons trying to choose what he will use next.
Ellie tries to hold her tiers and the disgust of the hunters' confection. "Do you even hear yourself?" said Ellie while trying to free herself. "You're not a man… you're just a sick animal… I saw a lot of men like you in the past and they-AAAAHHHH…" the man behind her pulled her hair again.
"I said to shoot up!... you little cunt."
The hunter led up one hand to stop him. "No, let her speak… I want to hear what she wants to say… before all this ends," he slowly grabs a machete that he has on the table.
"You're a sick bastard… I faced a man like you before… and in the end, I just killed him…" she tried to shake the man behind her, but he held her tight. You think you will win this, but in the end, I will do the same to you… I promise you that." she said while giving him a look of hatred.
He turned around and looked at her. "That was so interesting, girl… and I like to see how you will do that, but in the meantime let's go back to business." The man walked toward Joel's back again. Joel was almost unconscious by now from the pain. "Boys extend one of his arms… the burn one, I don't think he will need it anymore," he said with a calm voice like it was nothing.
One of the hunters moves a little to the side and extends Joel's arm. The hunter leader moves behind his arm and grabs the machete with both hands. "Now I will show you what we do with the people that cross me…" The hunter raised his arm and was going to cut Joel's arm when a man showed up with a gun in his hand and shot toward them.
Bam!
Blood splashes the hunter leader's face as the man that was extending Joel's arm gets his head blown up.
As everyone watches the hunter's body fall to the ground. The doctor moves out from the dark part on the back and goes closer to them. "Nobody moves…" said the doctor while pointing the gun toward the hunter leader. "Drop the machete Walter… this is over…" he said while looking at him directly.
The hunter raised his hand a little but quickly moved behind Joel. "I see that finally, you get the courage to kill a man," he said almost in a musing tone. Soon he drops the machete. He grabs Joel by his neck and pulls him up to cover himself with him. The hunter leader takes out his knife and puts it on Joel's throat. "That is very brave of you but stupid…" he moves the knife closer to Joel's flesh and looks at him directly. "What are you going to do now doc!… kill us all?" The other man who was holding Joel before took his gun out and pointed at him, also the man behind Ellie did the same, but pointed his gun at Ellie's head.
The doctor was standing a few feet away from them. His face has some blood where he gets hit by the taller hunter. "This has to stop Walter… I am not going to let you kill these people… or anyone again," he said while holding a gun firmly in his hand.
The man laughs a little "I don't know what is in your mind doc… but even if you kill one of us you're not going to get out of here alive," he said while looking into his eyes.
The doc stayed looking at him. "I don't need to kill you all… I just need to kill you… and all of this will be over." he said with a firm voice.
"Ahhhh… I thought you said that you don't like to kill people… that the doctor's job is to save lives."
The man started to think about what will happen next. Yeah, he is a doctor and his job is to save. But the hunter leader has become crazy and he needs to do something to stop him. "Just let them go Walter… no one else has to die today," he said, trying to resolve this without killing anyone else.
The hunter looked at him with a serious look. "I will make you a deal doc… I will let you go if you kill this old fucker yourself… he is going to die anyway, so it will be an act of mercy… what do you say?"
The doctor shook his head at the thought of killing Joel to save his life. "Do you… really think that I believe you? After what I see all those years?". The doctor moved a little forward- but stopped when another man stood behind him and put a gun to his head.
"Drop the gun doc… or I will blow you head up." said the hunter that just arrived from outside.
The hunter leader smiles. "See doc… things always go my way… Now that you miss the chance to get alive from this… I don't have any other choice but to kill you," the doctor drops the gun as soon the man behind him pushes the gun on the back of his head. "And now that the interruption is over, let's go back to business," he said calmly.
The man behind Ellie knelt and grabbed a good portion of her hair and makes her look toward Joel. "C'mon little girl said goodbye to you old man…" said the hunter with a smile on his face.
The hunter leader let go of Joel and pushed him to his knees. "Yeah, sweetheart… I don't want you to miss this either… I will make it slow… and painful…" he said while grabbing his knife hard in one hand.
"You too doc… I don't want you to miss this." The man behind him kicked the back of his legs causing him to fall to his knees.
Joel raises his head and looks at her. "Don't… worry... about me... baby girl… I'm done… but you, you will get… out of this alive… I promise." said Joel with some difficulty.
The man rolled his eyes. "Ahhhhh, that was so sweet…" he said while grabbing some of Joel's hair to keep his head steady and raise his hand with the knife. "Any last word… girl?" he asked.
"I love you... Joel… I'm so sorry for all this." she said with tires in her eyes. She wants to beg the man for Joel's life, but she already does that and only gives the man more satisfaction.
"Cute!... but stupid," the hunter was going to stab Joel in the chest with the knife, but stop when a pickup truck break through the front door wall violently and drove toward him.
"What the hell..." said the man behind Ellie while raising his hand with the gun and pointing at the incoming truck. He shot at the truck a few times, but Ellie just took the opportunity to move her body up and use her waist against him by pushing him to the floor. "You little bitch!" he pointed his gun at her but Ellie moved quickly and kicked it out of his hand, then kicked him in the balls. "Ahhhhh...you bitch…" he screamed in pain.
The doctor takes his chance on the distraction and moves to the side, grabs the hunter's arm, and pulls him down. He starts fighting the hunter to take out his gun. Soon Ellie saw the doctor fighting the hunter that was pointing at him; she turned around to look at Joel but saw the hunter leader getting ready to stab Joel.
"Nooooooo!" Ellie screams and launches herself toward them, but the hunter that has her, moves and grabs her leg.
"You're not going anywhere. You little bitch." Ellie turns her head and looks at the man on the floor with shaken eyes.
"Ellie!" yell Joel before using all the strength he had left and headbutting the hunter in the face, making him lose his grab on his hair and sand him backward.
"Arhhhh… you mother fucker!" The hunter leader screamed in pain while moving one hand toward his nose.
The other hunter that was holding him was going to shoot Joel, but finally, the pick-up truck got closer to them and hit the man on his back sending him flying a few feet away and landing on top of a few boxes there.
Joel falls to the floor as he can't support himself up. The hunter leader got up and moved toward him, but the old man just opened the door of the truck and started shooting at him. "Get away from him… you motherfucker creep…" he yells while continuing shooting.
"Ahhhhh…" The hunter screamed as he got shot in one arm before he ran for cover. He jumps behind some boxes to hide from the bullets.
After a few minutes, Ellie managed to kick the man that grabbed her leg on his face and went away from him. She ran toward Joel and kneel beside him. "Joel!... Joel!... you need to get up please." she starts to yell at him but can't do much with her hand still tied up on her back. The hunter that was fighting the doctor punched him in the stomach and pushed him away from him. He went for his gun, but the old man saw him and shot toward him, hitting him in the chest.
On the distraction, the hunter behind Ellie moves away and goes to hide with his boss. The hunter's leader that was now behind some boxes grab a gun from the floor and start to shoot toward the truck. "If all of you think that you're going to get away from me… you're mistaken." said the hunter leader while continuing shooting toward the truck.
Charles went inside the truck again and drove in the direction of the boxes where the hunters were hiding. They make a few shots but have to move away as soon the truck hits the boxes. The old man backed off the truck until it was between the hunters and the others, he opened the door and started shouting at them. The two hunters ran for cover behind some columns and started to shoot back.
"Ellie!" yelled the old man while continuing shooting. "Get Joel inside the truck, we need to get out of here… now." said the old man while shooting back at the hunters.
"I can't… my hands are tied up, so-" she stops when she feels someone behind her and cutting the rope.
"Maybe I can help you with that," said the doctor while finishing cutting the rope. "C'mon… let's get him inside the truck…" Ellie looks at him with suspicious eyes but helps him to pull Joel up and move toward the truck.
As they were walking, Ellie started to talk to him. "Don't worry Joel, I will take you out of here… I promise."
"You're not going anywhere… princess… you're mine," Said Walter while shouting at her but missed when Ellie and the doctor got behind the truck. They open the back door and push Joel inside as quickly as they can.
The old man turned his head and looked at them. "C'mon… get inside quick…" said Charles while getting inside himself and closing the door. Ellie closes the back door as soon as Joel and the doctor are inside. "Get Joel out of here. I have some unfinished business here," she said while moving away from the truck.
"What!... no… no, just get inside the truck Ellie we don't have time for this…" said the old man with a desperate tone.
"Sorry, but I am not going to let that maniac get away… I'm going to kill him… and put an end to this," she said while grabbing a gun from the floor and shooting in the hunter's direction. At that moment the front glass windows go broken like a lot of infected starts to get inside the warehouse.
"We don't have time for this… kid. We need to get out of here… NOW!" said the old man while starting to move the truck backward. But soon before that, the doctor ordered him to stop.
Soon he does. The doctor opens the door and gets out of the truck. He grabs Ellie by the waist and pushes her into the back of the pick-up truck and jumps in. "Let's go… I got her…" he yelled to the old man. Charle pushed the accelerator and started to turn around the truck to drive away.
"You're not going anywhere you little bitch…" yells the hunter leader while moving from his hiding place and starts to shoot at them with his gun.
"Let's go, boss, we need to go…Now!" Yell his second in command as he saw a few clickers start to get close to them. The hunter started to shoot at the infected that were coming after them. The truck started to move away, but Ellie quickly went up on the back of the truck as soon she saw the hunter leader walking toward them faster.
But Ellie raised her gun and aimed at him and shot. She hit him in one leg before the truck went out of the building the same way it went in. She sat down watching how the infected started to attack the hunters while they tried to get away from them.
Ellie makes a smirk, while they start to get away "You're the one that is not going anywhere… you bastard." Ellie said when she heard the scream from the hunters coming from inside the warehouse.