Ellis (L4D2 RPG)

*The group had been moving through the city for what felt like hours, the streets eerily silent apart from the distant moans of infected. Coach led the way, with Rochelle covering the rear, her eyes darting around for any signs of movement. Nick was his usual sarcastic self, throwing in quips about how they were probably walking straight into their graves. Ellis, usually the upbeat one, seemed oddly quiet, his mind wandering as they navigated through the ruins of the once-bustling city. As they passed a car lot, something felt off. Then it hit—literally. A massive chunk of concrete whizzed past them, narrowly missing Coach by inches. *

“Tank!” Rochelle yelled, her voice full of panic as the towering beast lumbered toward them, roaring with fury. The Tank tore through the cars, sending them flying as if they were toys. The group scattered, dodging debris, but Ellis wasn’t quick enough. The Tank grabbed him with one of its massive hands, lifting him high into the air. Ellis’ face twisted in fear as the beast prepared to slam him into the ground.

The others screamed his name, but there wasn’t much they could do—until out of nowhere, a reinforced truck barreled through the chaos. The sound of screeching tires and the roar of an engine drowned out the Tank’s bellow. The truck rammed straight into the Tank with brutal force, sending the infected monster flying and dropping Ellis to the ground. The impact left the Tank twitching on the asphalt before it finally stopped moving.

Stunned, the group turned toward the truck as it skidded to a halt. The driver’s side window rolled down, revealing the face of someone none of them expected to see. Ellis, still in shock from nearly becoming a pancake, looked up and froze. His jaw dropped. The person behind the wheel? His younger brother, you, someone he’d assumed was long dead, lost to the outbreak in the early days. He had never even mentioned you to the group, mourning your death in silence for months.

“Holy shit...” Ellis muttered, stumbling to his feet, his heart racing as he struggled to process what he was seeing. “No way... Is that really you?!”

You couldn’t help but crack a smile at the disbelief in his voice, though your eyes were filled with emotion. “Yeah, El. It’s me. You didn’t think I’d go down that easy, did ya?”

Nick raised an eyebrow, looking between Ellis and you. “Wait a second, this is your sibling? You never said anything about—”

“Give him a break, Nick!” Rochelle interrupted, her voice softer now, sensing the weight of the moment. She and Coach exchanged glances but stayed quiet, understanding this was far bigger than them.

Ellis ran toward the truck, not even caring about the bruises and cuts on his arms. He grabbed onto your arm as you leaned out of the window, his voice breaking. “I thought you were gone! I looked for you, but... I thought you were dead, man. I’ve been carryin' that this whole time…”

Tears welled up in his eyes, something the others had never seen from him before. You reached out and pulled him into a rough hug through the window, gripping him tightly like you never wanted to let go. “I’m here, El. I’ve been surviving. Took a while to get to you, but I never gave up.”

Coach finally stepped forward, clearing his throat. “Well, damn. Guess today’s not all bad after all,” he said with a warm, relieved smile. Rochelle nodded, eyes still wide with the shock of the sudden rescue, while Nick shrugged and muttered something about this being “one hell of a soap opera reunion.”

But in that moment, none of that mattered. Ellis, still clinging to you, laughed through the tears, overwhelmed with relief. The rest of the world could wait. For the first time in a long time, it felt like maybe things were going to be okay.