Disclaimer: I do not own Left 4 Dead, Valve does.
Author's Note: I will be shifting the Primary/Secondary Characters to whichever two survivors the current chapter is focused on.
Ties that Bind
By: Confused Confusion
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Optimistic Pessimism
Character Focus: Louis and Bill
Well, it can only get better…right?
Stay positive, guys! I've got a good feeling about this!
Humanity's gonna bounce right back, just you watch!
Cheer up, man; we're almost through this.
I knew we were gonna make it! I told you!
"You know…if you ignore the zombies and the crazy guy, this is actually a pretty nice town."
Bill felt his eye twitch in agitation, the spry old man barely able to contain the growl that threatened to erupt from his throat. He had nothing against Louis on a personal level; the businessman had proven time and again that he could pull his own weight. However, what Bill did hate was the annoying and cheery comments that kept popping out of the younger survivor's mouth. Looking on the bright side of things, especially in their situation, wasn't necessarily a bad thing, but there was such a thing as being too optimistic. The veteran just couldn't shake the feeling that Louis was failing to see the reality of what was transpiring around them.
"Pipe down, Louis," Bill ordered sharply without even sparing the dark-skinned man a glance.
Louis frowned temporarily until his face broke into a grin once again, "Come on, Bill, cheer up!"
"I said shut it!"
Louis blinked, taken aback by the outburst, while Zoey and Francis shared looks of surprise.
"Wow, Bill. What crawled up your ass and died?" Francis wondered while moving up beside the elderly man.
Bill shot the biker a cutting glance, "Back off, Francis, I'm not in the mood for your shit either."
Francis arched an eyebrow, but chose to relent. There was no point in bothering Bill when he was in one of those moods.
"Listen, Bill, I'm sorry if I upset you, man," Louis attempted, but was once again silenced by the cold glare. "Alright, alright, I'm backing down."
Zoey gave the businessman a quizzical look as he fell in step with her, "What the hell did you do, Louis?"
The dark-skinned man frantically waved his hands, "I have no idea!"
Francis stepped up to Louis' other side, a suspicious glance aimed at the younger man, "Well, you obviously did something."
"I did not!" the bald survivor cried defensively.
"Pipe down back there!" Bill barked from the head of the group.
The three reduced their conversation to hushed whispers, all eyes staring a hole through the veteran's back.
"What do you think he's so pissed about?"
"Dunno…Louis, did you take his cigarettes?"
"Francis!"
"What? Of course not, you know I don't smoke!"
"Eh, you never know…"
"But I do know!"
"What the hell did I just tell you people?" Bill snarled, not even sparing the three a glance this time.
"Sorry, Bill." Louis attempted weakly.
"I don't want your apologies! I just want you to shut up!"
Louis relented and the group fell into a tense silence.
"GET IT OFF!" Francis roared from the floor, fending off the Hunter's flailing claws as best he could with his arms.
"Dammit, hold still!" Zoey yelled in return while taking careful aim with her rifle.
"Easy for you to say!" The biker snapped back, wincing as the hooded Infected's hand slipped through his defense, the sharpened bones slicing through his cheek.
The brunette's only response was a deafening bang, the Hunter's head instantly exploding in a shower of gore. Francis kicked the corpse away, quickly snatching up his fallen shotgun. Facing the young woman, his brown eyes widened in an expression akin to fear.
"DUCK!"
Zoey instinctively dropped to the ground just as another loud blast filled the room. The brunette rolled forward, coming to a stop just in front of Francis. Whirling around, she found the barely-standing form of an Infected, its entire abdomen cut to ribbons. Bone and sinew stood out sickeningly beneath the gray flesh. Worst of all, the shot had destroyed much of the former human's ribcage, revealing a still-beating heart and working lungs.
Another shot rang out, and the Infected was thrown backwards. Rising to her feet, Zoey exchanged a grateful nod with the biker. On the other side of the large room, Louis and Bill finished dispatching the remnants of the horde. The veteran refused to meet the businessman's ever present questioning gaze, the tension around the two still very apparent.
Francis snorted haughtily. "Well that wasn't so bad."
Blurp!
As if fate were listening, a massive, round form fell abruptly from the rafters. The survivors watched in impending horror as the Boomer plummeted toward the ground. A loud pop echoed throughout the room, followed by disgusted groans. The four humans - now covered in green slime – stumbled around the room in a blind stupor.
Wiping the substance from his face, Bill growled and plucked the remains of his ruined cigarette from his lips. The veteran glared at the object briefly before throwing it to the floor in a huff. A snarl built in the back of the elderly man's throat as he sucked in a deep breath, preparing to let loose a string of loud curses.
The rant died on Bill's lips, the senior's blood running cold through his veins as his ears picked up the chilling telltale sign…
…Howls and screams rapidly approached.
"We made it! Nice one, guys!" Louis cheered as the group moved into the safe room.
Francis snorted and winced while clutching his side. "Right, made it…woo."
Zoey followed the biker closely, all but smacking Francis in the back of the head with a med kit. The brunette's attitude was just as enthusiastic, the college student sporting a few bruises and scratches herself.
Louis still didn't falter, "Come on, we're going to make it to the river. No sweat!"
At that, Bill snapped. Gripping the dark-skinned man's arm tightly, the veteran halted the younger survivor in his tracks.
The bald man tugged on his arm, but the senior refused to relent. "Hey, Bill…Yo, man, let go of my arm."
"No."
"No? What gives?"
"You and I need to have a little chat." Bill responded icily while pulling Louis around the support wall.
The businessman finally wrenched his arm free, massaging the limb tenderly. "What the hell, Bill? What did I say?"
Bill sneered at him, "I'm sick and tired of all this positive, optimistic bullshit you've been spouting ever since Fairfield."
Louis' mouth fell agape momentarily before the younger man sputtered. "So, what? You're angry because I'm looking on the bright side? Well, maybe if you weren't always focusing on the negative shit that happens…"
"You have to look at the bad side of things like this, Louis!"
"Why?" Louis shouted back, quickly becoming livid with the whole ordeal.
Bill's voice remained even, "It's the only way you'll stay alive."
"What?" Louis hissed incredulously, shaking his head for further emphasis.
"If you just look at the positive shit, you end up ignoring everything else. Consequently, you become blind to the situation that you're really in!"
Louis snorted, unconvinced. "How am I blind then? I'm aware of our situation."
The veteran simply grabbed the younger man by the scruff of his neck, forcing the businessman to look around the corner. Francis and Zoey were sitting across from one another at the far end of the room. The pair ignored the two eavesdroppers as Zoey gingerly wrapped a roll of gauze around the biker's midsection. The brunette was remarkably devoid of her usual playful and taunting remarks whenever Francis was injured or complaining. Instead, the young woman worked in methodical silence, moving the cloth purposefully and carefully. Meanwhile, Francis wore an expression of self-loathing as the biker's eyes swept over Zoey's form, mentally counting how many injuries he had failed to protect her from.
Louis felt guilt build up in his diaphragm as he observed his companions. Both looked haggard and beaten…almost deathly in appearance, but the grim determination that had gotten the group this far still burned faintly in their eyes.
Bill placed a gentle hand on the younger man's shoulder in a gesture of comfort, although the ice still remained in his voice. "We're in a life or death situation here, son. If we want to survive this and make it out in one piece, then we need to look this shit in the eye…not sugarcoat it."
The businessman heaved an almost defeated sigh. "It's not like I try to pretend the harsh stuff isn't there."
"Good to know." Although the remark sounded spiteful at first, Louis could sense the venom leave the veteran's words.
"But…"
"But?" Bill echoed with a frown.
Louis turned around and looked the elderly man in the eye. "You can't just focus on the darker side of things all the time."
Bill opened his mouth to protest.
The dark-skinned man raised his hand, stopping the older man's dispute before it could begin. "If we think only of the hell we're stuck in, then we'll be no better than the zombies that are trying to kill us."
The veteran scratched his beard, shooting his companion a suspicious gaze. "What do you mean, exactly?"
Louis outstretched his arms. "Look at us. We're still alive, aren't we? We're not dead on the streets or shambling around waiting for something to kill."
Bill looked thoughtful for a moment. "Never really looked at it that way…I guess I owe you an apology."
Louis shook his head, smiling. "Nah, man. I shouldn't have been acting like an over-cheery jackass."
The spry old man smirked and extended his hand. "We'll make a deal then. I'll agree to be a little more optimistic, and you agree to be a little more pessimistic."
Louis grinned and shook the veteran's hand.
Bill halted the gesture briefly. "That means less idiotic comments, got it?"
The businessman merely laughed and nodded, earning another smirk from Bill.
"Deal."
"If that Slater jackass doesn't get here soon, I'm gonna kick his ass!" Francis roared over the gunfire, his heavy boot slamming into the face of an Infected as it clambered onto the balcony.
"I think you'll be a little too dead to do that!" Zoey challenged mockingly while removing a zombie's head from its shoulders with a well placed bullet.
"Then I'll haunt his ass!" The biker shouted triumphantly.
"His ass, really?"
"The homosexual evidence just keeps racking up against you, Francis!" Louis laughed from the gattling gun.
"Shaddup!"
"Quiet!" Bill ordered sharply, earning a disapproving glance from the businessman. The veteran continued in a less cutting tone. "Something's coming."
The dwindled number of Infected began to disperse, sprinting back into the shelter of the trees. The scene left a weight in the stomachs of the survivors. A scattering of the hordes of Infected meant one of only two things: a Boomer exploding elsewhere or a…
"TANK!" Louis screamed while pointing to the right side of the boathouse.
The survivors barely had enough time to catch a glimpse of the leviathan before a large piece of rock was sent hurtling toward them. Leaping in opposing directions, the humans were scarcely able to avoid the deadly projectile as it crashed into the side of the building. The boathouse shuddered and groaned in protest from the assault. Francis and Zoey darted around the back of the structure, dropping down onto the patio as the Tank hoisted itself onto the balcony. Louis and Bill, meanwhile, practically threw themselves down the staircase inside the house.
The veteran stopped abruptly, detouring to grab a discarded gas can from the main room.
"What the hell are you doing?" Louis shouted after noticing the spry old man was no longer following him.
"Keep going, I've got your back!" Bill ordered in return as the Infected behemoth began muscling its way down the narrow stairwell.
Louis gnashed at his teeth before complying, sprinting through the doorway while the bearded survivor kicked the red container onto the base of the stairs. Backpedaling outside, Bill fired at the canister, igniting the contents within. The Tank literally burst into flames, roaring in agitation as the flames licked at its rapidly charring flesh.
"What the hell did you do?" Louis demanded as Bill caught up to him.
"Hopefully solved our Tank problem."
The businessman glanced over his shoulder, taking in the sight of the burning section of the boathouse. Louis felt his jaw drop.
"Bill!"
The sound of a boat horn cut out whatever the younger survivor had in store for the spry old man. The duo turned their attention to the source of the noise where a white light was cutting its way through the river's thick fog.
"Over here!" Francis roared from the edge of the dock, flaming bottle in hand. Zoey ignored the biker's wild arm-waving, too enthralled in the task at hand: covering her other two companions.
A loud crash causing Bill to glanced behind him, his aged eyes widening in fear. The Tank – still ablaze – had smashed through the wall and was now bounding after them with renewed fury.
"Christ! Is it me or did that thing just get faster?" Louis screamed in terror while sprinting down the dock.
"Incoming!"
The veteran noted the Molotov soaring over his head…and shattering across the face of their pursuer. The Tank skidded to a stop, howling in pain as the flammable liquid and shards of glass bit into its eyes. The remainder of the volatile substance splattered across the wooden planks, bringing a wall of fire roaring to life. The Saint Lydia II floated to a stop at the end of the dock as the two straggling survivors caught up.
"Hurry up, get on!" Slater's voice ordered over a small speaker that was attached to the small cabin.
As the four clambered onto the vessel, Bill let out a sigh. "That was close."
"What. The. Hell?" Francis muttered in disbelief as he gazed starboard, his eyes locked onto something beyond the towering inferno.
"MOVE!" Zoey screamed at the cabin, seemingly aware of what the biker was seeing.
The boat's engine roared to life, the ship lurching forward from the effort. Louis strained his eyes to the point of pain, trying to find what it was that was freaking out his comrades so much. Brown eyes nearly popped out of their skull as the businessman made out the silhouette of the still-standing Tank. The monstrous Infected stabbed its meaty hands into the ground, pulling up a large piece of earth.
"Oh…shit!" Louis screamed as the object was sent soaring toward the fleeing boat.
"DOWN!" Bill's command was met with no resistance as the four ducked, barely avoiding the projectile as it hurtled past.
The veteran cautiously poked his head up, noting the fiery dock and boathouse disappearing from view, once again being consumed by the thick fog. The elderly man popped a cigarette from his carton out of habit. "Huh…looks like he missed."
Louis grabbed the railing of the boat and tremulously pulled himself into a sitting position. "Holy shit…we almost died!"
"True." Bill nodded, eyeing the dim orange glow ahead with mild suspicion. The veteran flashed the younger man a knowing grin. "But it could've been worse."
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A/N: Rock Chalk, readers! Sorry about dragging my feet with this chapter. I know it seemed a little forced…because it was. I had a some trouble figuring out how to go about it due to the fact that you hardly ever see any interaction between Louis and Bill that it's difficult to gauge what kind of relationship they have. After looking over the game's dialogue and their personalities, the only thing I could really come up with was that given Bill's history, he'd be a very negative person. Meanwhile, Louis is undisputed as the group optimist. I don't know about you guys, but Louis' constant cheery comments would be uplifting at first…but would begin to annoy the crap out of me.
Up Next: Francis - Louis
As always, reviews and feedback are appreciated.
- C.C.