By Your Blade (Loonatics)

Last of Us

3 Years Later...

"Aye, Marty! The boys at table six need more laggers!" The bartender yelled into the small kitchen. Marty nodded, and pulled out five more mugs. He then walked them over to the alcohol spray lever. As he filled them, he placed them on the main bar section on the counter.

Another bartender walked by, and picked them up with a metal platter. "Here ya go guys." He said happily, as he handed them back out. "Thanks Ajax. Got any plans after your shift this evening?" A man asked. "Yeah.. We're celebrating our Christmas tomorrow, where everyone else can be there." The bartender answered.

"Good, good. Be careful headed home. Don't want the police bots catching you on the streets." Another human said. "I'm always careful. I can dodge em." The bartender chuckled. "Yeah... I wish it was still the same. Ya know, before Knix took control of the Earth." One sighed.

"The world was much simpler then.." One took a sip and sighed. "Yeah... If only the Loonatics were still here..." The bartender said sadly, as he looked up at the portrait of them on the wall. "That was a tragic day... The day the world ended." One told Ajax.

"Yeah. Well, have a safe night boys. I'm headed out." The bartender said, as he grabbed his coat, prepared to head out into the snow covered world. As he walked out the giant double wooden doors, he accidentally bumped shoulders with a stranger walking in. The stranger had on a hood, and a black cape that wrapped around them.

"Sorry stranger." The bartender said, as he walked out. Through the dark hood, all you could see were two solid white eyes. No pupil or anything. The stranger walked to the counter, and took a seat. "What can I get you... Sir?" The bartender guessed the sex of the figure.

"Boston lagger." He briefly answers. The man nodded, and turned around to get his drink. As he sat and waited for his drink, he felt someone put his hand on his shoulder. He quickly turned around. "Hey punk... That's my seat." A big body builder told him.

He just blew it off, and turned back to face the counter. He then grabbed his shoulder, and spun him around on his pivot chair. "I'm not asking... Now get out! Before I throw you at the police bots!" He yelled in his face. The hooded man could smell the alcohol on his breath, know he was drunk.

He once again, turned back to the counter. "That was your last chance pal!" He yelled. As he he threw a punch at the hooded man, he immediately turned around and caught his fist. As the big man threw another haymaker, the hooded man dodged it and jumped high in the air out of the chair.

He then kicked the big man in the stomach with his large feet. Throwing the buff man on the ground. As the hooded man landed, his cape sprawled up, revealing a set of light chest and body armor. Around the armor, was sloppy looking athletic tape wrapped around his torso.

"Bring it on." It slightly said. The apocalyptic looking figure stood its stance, as everyone watched in silence. He got up to his feet, ready to punch the tinier man. He tried to uppercut him, but he blocked it and kicked the big bald guy in the jaw.

As he cocked back from the hit, the hooded man took the advantage of it. With the short time he had, he then roundhouse kicked him in the ribs. The big man flew into the wall, knocking the Loonatics picture off. As he thought it was over, he felt two bigger people grab his arms.

"Get him out of my bar! I don't need no trouble around these parts!" The southern sounding owner said. He was then thrown back out, into the cold snow, as the doors slammed shut. "Bunch of neanderthals." The voice said, he he stood back on his knees and palms.

As he stood up, he the took his hood off. Revealing, his grey and white face, with large, pointed up ears. "Can't trust anyone these days. Especially during a revolution." He said, as he patted all the snow off of him. He then started walking back into the cold, dark streets on the day before Christmas Eve.

He had to quickly swipe to the side of a building, to hide from the police patrol. The curfew for all life was 12:00. No one was aloud out after then. Even by the second. He saw their lights get brighter as they passed him. Feeling safe again, he walked down a thick and dark alley way.

All he saw, was graffiti everywhere. Along with hobos, and trash lying on the ground. "Time for revolution!" The graffiti said. The world was a dark one now. People did whatever it took to survive. To them, it felt like the apocalypse.

The grey rabbit got through the alley, as he came in on a long street with nothing but security cameras and street lamps. To pass, all he has to do was walk behind the cameras, like he knew how to do. He walked all the way down the road, as he stopped at a small, town up building.

He went around the building, to the back door. He entered the home, as he threw off his cloak. "Finally. Home." He sighed in relief. He saw the fire in his fireplace was still going, so he lakes over and sat in front of it on the floor. Above it on the mantle, was a silver sword, with a red hilt.

Above the fireplace, was a medium sized picture. It had 6 anthro animals on it. All wearing skin tight black suits. One had a pink triangle on their chest, another with a pink, then a purple, a red, an orange, and a green. But, it wasn't a normal picture.

Two of the faces were crossed off, with the words "apprehended" stamped on their chests. Just looking at the picture, made the rabbit depressed. "If only... I knew if you were still alive." He said, sadly. He was lonely. No one left in his life was left.

He then gazed at the sword on the mantle. Just looking at it gave him memories. Good memories. Then... The fateful nightmare. He threw off his body armor, leaving him sitting shirtless with armored pants sitting on the rugged floor.

Underneath, he looked at a scar on his lower abdomen. It was a rather large one, with one to match on his back. No matter what he did, it pained him to do anything. Even, stand up. He grunted painfully as he did so. He then flicked on a switch, turning on a flickering light in a kitchen.

He looked in a cabinet, and pulled out a carrot. It was one of the only things left inside the whole kitchen. Times were tough. Food wasn't easy to come across. Neither was water. He took the carrot with him into the living room where the fire was.

He sat down in a patted but torn chair. There wasn't much to do either. No tv. Barely a small radio. And electricity was rare. He just happened to live in the area where it was used greatly. He turned on the radio sitting beside him, and listened.

It was an argument going on between two different men, about revolution. "No! Revolution will only lead to more war and death!" One person said. "Revolution, will save us! We just have to grow a pair and stand up to this world dictator!" One shouted.

"Look at the world, Hank! Everyone is weak! Fired! HUNGRY! No one is willing to fight!" He shouted back.

"Because you're one of the few pathetic people just sitting around, letting this bastard slaughter innocent men, women, and children!"

"It's keeping the rest of us from being butchered like a heard of cattle! Risking a few lives keeps the rest of us safe." One sternly said. The rabbit couldn't take it anymore. He had to change the channel. Listening to murder, made him sick to his stomach.

But as soon as it started playing music, the power went out. "Dammit... Not again. Rolling blackouts." He sighed with frustration. He finished his carrot, then grabbed a bucket of water. Once he did, he put out the fire quickly. "Time for bed.." He sighed. He walked into a dim, run down room he called his "quarters".

He changed from his street armor, to his long, warm pjs. "Another bad night, of course..." He said depressingly, as he dozed off into a quick, and deep sleep.