Set Me Free ▪︎ Joel Miller ▪︎

▪︎○ Twenty One ○▪︎

Her feet moved quickly and quietly, taking calculated steps towards her target. She was closing in like a predator would its prey. Her breathing was steady, calm even. Though her mind raced with angry thoughts, flickering to her own previous experiences with hunters in this city. When they had hunted she and Matt. When they had excitably hunted a child without care nor concern.

She feels her resentment boil over as she moves out from behind an old truck and smoothly wraps an arm around one of the hunter's neck. She pulls him back behind cover - away from the eyes of his fellow cold blooded murderers - then, she slides her knife along his throat mercilessly.

His hands claw at his own neck as she releases her grip on him, allowing him to crumble to his knees whilst choking on his own crimson blood. The gargling noises he echoes leaves her feeling a sense of satisfaction before she shakes her head at the feeling.

She would not become like them. She would not find joy in the death of another human being - no matter how shitty or evil they may be. She was better than that; she would be better than that.

So, she stumbles back behind cover, quickly manoeuvring around the cars silently until she is within grabbing distance of the second of the three hunters. This time she drives her knife repeatedly into his lower back, her anger intensifying as she mutters insults his way; her previous thoughts of being better long gone.

She let's his body fall limply to the floor with a thud, his breathing slowing until no longer existent. His blood stains the concrete, running like a small river down the road while in her peripheral she is able to witness Joel taking out the final of the three assholes.

"It's clear," she shakily announces as that anger fades away, leaving behind a growing emptiness.

"Holy shit..." Ellie breathes out, her eyes widening at the deceased men lay before them.

Joel storms towards Olivia, an angry glare locked intently on her figure, "What the hell was that?"

She shrugs and turns to climb over the large bus, "that was called karma," she throws simply over her shoulder, an edge to her tone.

"Liv," he calls her name sternly as he steps atop the bus, watching the two females jump down onto the other side, leaving him to do the same. "You're smarter than that."

"They're dead and their 'friends' are none the wiser. So, relax."

"You shouldn't sneak off on your own, especially when you're outnumbered." he chastises but Olivia shrugs him off, feeling little regret or guilt for her actions. She felt nothing for those monsters, they were cruel and sadistic, so, she decided when it came to handling them, she'd be just the same.

"I wasn't outnumbered," she mutters with an eye roll, waiting for him to catch up to she and Ellie as they walk through the abandoned QZ entrance. "You were there,"

"That ain't the point," Joel sighs, running his hand down his face with evident frustration as he falls into step beside her. "We gotta work together here. You runnin' off ain't gon' do any of us any good, especially if you end up dead."

Olivia frowns, dipping her head in thought as she processes his words and the truth behind them.

He was right - of course he was. This wasn't an opportunity for her to take her revenge or anger out on the hunters. This was just a fucked up situation with danger lurking around every grim corner. Which only meant that her focus had to remain on keeping the three of them moving and breathing. Joel was true in what he was telling her, they had to be smart and get out together.

Ellie depended on her and Joel... well, Joel seemed to prefer her company and her backup in most situations. She'd even dare say he cared for her in his own little Joel way and perhaps that was why he was being so serious about her silently sneaking off and taking the two men out alone.