The Last of Us: Escape The City
Channel: dontstopremembering
Date: 2021-10-13

As Joel enters a room using the outside ledge he is grabbed from behind by a man. Ellie tries to help with her switchblade but is knocked aside. The man notices her and while he is distracted, Joel throws him off and heavily beats him. Ellie shouts out to stop, as they spot a boy pointing a gun at Joel. The man however tells the boy that it is all right, and introduces themselves as Henry and Sam, two brothers and survivors from another group. Henry comments on how hard Joel hit him, Joel confessing he was trying to kill the man. Henry confesses the same; he only stopped attacking when he saw Ellie. He thought Joel was a Hunter but "they don't keep kids around." While Ellie thinks that they can help each other escape the city, Joel is not so trusting.

The two pairs come to a mutual alliance and make their way to a hideout the brothers had holed up. Evading the Humvee and taking out more Hunters, they reach the hideout, an office overlooking the Hunters' guard post to the bridge. Finding out that the pairs are both looking for the Fireflies, Henry tells Joel that his group of survivors had planned to meet up at an abandoned military radio station just outside of Pittsburgh by tomorrow night. Henry explains to him that the guard post to the bridge is protected by a bunch of hunters but is a skeleton crew at night, meaning that's the time to escape. Joel agrees although Henry becomes hostile when Joel questions their motives but calms down upon learning Joel is searching for the Fireflies also. Joel then suggests they rest until nightfall.

That night the four make their way toward the guard post. After stealthily taking out two Hunters, Joel and Henry sneak toward the gate, avoiding the Hunters' searchlight as the snipers joyfully kill a Clicker while Ellie and Sam hang back. To distract them, Joel finds a generator powering the searchlight and turns it off, prompting them to hide as the Hunters investigate the problem. Eventually, a fight breaks out, leading Joel and Henry to kill the Hunters.

Afterward, the adults open the gate, though not before the Humvee returns and spots them. Locking the gate to buy them some time, the group tries to climb over a truck. Henry, Sam, and Ellie make it on top but the ladder breaks under Ellie's weight, leaving Joel stranded. As the Humvee prepares to bash the gate open, Henry abandons Joel out of fear, followed by a reluctant Sam. Ellie returns to Joel's side as they retreat into a bar to avoid the Humvee gunfire. After taking out the Hunters inside, Joel and Ellie run to the bridge, with the Humvee in pursuit. Blocked by the rubble and a large hole on the bridge, Joel prepares to make a last stand against the Humvee, but Ellie bravely jumps into the Allegheny River below, forcing Joel to follow. Joel reaches Ellie before she drowns, but the current slams the pair into a large rock and knocks them out.