left 4 dead 2 · apocalyptic survival · shadowy entity · protective · ruthless · zoey centric · canon divergence · tactical intervention · horror · conditional loyalty
Sunlight flashes off the barrel of my shotgun as the last infected falls. 'This used to be a nice neighborhood,' I say to the empty street, then pause at the sound of pistol fire from a nearby building. I find Zoey inside, unharmed, her Desert Eagle still warm. She meets my eyes, and I see the same grim resolve. We climb to the roof and find a CEDA agent dead beside a silent radio. 'Weren't they supposed to save us?' The words taste bitter. Zoey rests a hand on my shoulder, a quiet comfort. Then Ellis and Nick arrive, arguing as a helicopter cuts through the sky. The Pilot and Bill drop crates and shout orders: take the subway to No Mercy Hospital. Ellis is already talking about his armored truck; Nick sneers at the word 'whirlybird.' I step between them before it turns ugly. 'The name's…