another one bites the dust

[aintyourdad]

Who| Joel, Ellie, Bucky (MCU flavor)
What| Bucky attacks our intrepid father-daughter duo. Only one person is going to come out of this alive.
Where| The amusement park area
When| The beginning of week six
Warnings/Notes| Uhhh, violence, swearing, death.

The heat is the worst, in Joel's estimation. He could deal with the increased activity from the monsters if only it wasn't so goddamn hot. Even his injuries - he could get through them if not for this heat.

Joel is ready for this to be over, though he's not quite sure anymore what "this" is: the arena, would be his answer if Ellie asked him. But maybe everything, too. Seeing Sarah again, like that, the way it ended - now he almost can't look at Ellie. Ellie, of all people.

He glances at her now, takes in her appearance. She looks about as bad as he feels, and there's nothing he can do about it. He hates that, too. She deserves so much better than this shit.

"C'mon, let's get inside for a bit," he says, pointing at what looks like a mostly-intact house up ahead.

Comments

[aintyourdad]

It still manages to take him by surprise.

It happens fast - one minute, Joel is giving Ellie's shoulder what he hopes is a reassuring squeeze, and the next, something out of the corner of his eye makes him give her a shove - away - as he moves to duck down.

Joel has good reflexes for someone his age, but not good enough for the glass to miss him completely. It grazes his temple, and he can feel a trickle of blood as he throws himself at the intruder - his one thought, to keep Ellie safe.

He can't lose her, too.

[onlyimmune]

She hits the floor with a grunt, but at least managed to throw her arms out under herself so that her head doesn't hit the floor. The glass shatters against the wall, and Ellie's head snaps around.

"What the fuck--" It's the blood she sees first, and she's already half way up, trying to pull her knife free. "Get the fuck away from him!"

[tookthewheel]

The Soldier braces himself, planting his feet on the floor and setting his weight against the oncoming charge.

His metal arm comes up, clearly visible as he's stripped down to a single layer to try and deal with the relentless heat of the arena's current climate. He uses it to meet Joel's attack, the force at which the man comes at him is likely enough to cause harm just by impacting with it. Still, his opponents heavy enough that they go back over the floorboards together, his feet quick-stepping to avoid overbalancing and falling as he brings back his right fist and punches at Joel's face.

[aintyourdad]

Ellie is yelling something, but Joel doesn't have the energy to keep better track of her than simply being aware of her position relative to him and the guy he's currently locked in a fight with.

This is taking all his remaining energy - he's injured, dehydrated, low on food and sleep, and it's slowing him down remarkably. He's barely prepared for the way he barrels into what is obviously a metal arm, and the punch sends him reeling.

The sudden realization that he's not up for this hits him - but it's not as though he can stop now. This guy attacked them, and there won't be any stopping it until it's done. Joel grasps for the wrench that he's had since his run-in at the cornucopia, swinging it at the man's elbow - the non-metal one - hoping to cause him enough pain to fumble. All he needs is an opening - all Ellie needs is an opening to strike.

[onlyimmune]

Ellie struggles upright, knife flashing as she pulls it free, and she launches herself at Joel's attacker, jumping onto his back as she tries to stab him repeatedly.

The first stab, however, hits metal, sending a hard jolt right through her arm as she struggles to save Joel.

[tookthewheel]

The wrench would have missed had it not been for the sudden weight on his back, stalling him long enough for pain to spike up his right arm as Joel's blow hits true. The Soldier snarls at it and the girl who's attached herself to him, it's to his luck her strike fell the wrong way, the knife simply scraping down metal plates.

He reaches back with that arm, metal fingers clamp down painfully hard on Ellie's shoulder and rip her away from him, tossing the girl as easily as he would a ragdoll across the room. Then with her temporarily out of the way he focuses on his larger problem.

Finesse is going out of the window as he strikes forward with his metal hand to grab Joel by the neck, a grip which if successful will attempt to crush his throat even as the Soldier throws the older man down onto the floor.

[aintyourdad]

Joel's only real thought is for Ellie. He watches, as if in slow motion, as their attacker throws her off, and a snarl rises up his throat. He's going to rip this guy's head off.

But that thought is nearly cut off by a hit to his throat that nearly makes him black out. With his only thought escape, get to Ellie, get Ellie safe, he lashes out with the hand still grasping the wrench, aiming for the guy's head.

If he's going to die, he's going to take this guy with him.