EQG: The Last of Us

Loud door knocks wake Shining Armor up after reliving the same dream when the outbreak started; he sees Flurry Heart dying in his arms after getting shot by a soldier, a soldier he and Twilight knew that showed no sympathy, only taking orders while oblivious to the fact that he and Flurry weren't sick. Shining Armor sits up, fully clothed; he's wearing a blue flannel western-cut shirt, dark-colored faded denim blue jeans, and brown timberland boots. His hair has faded, showing signs of salt and pepper hair blending with his grayness.

"I'm coming!" Shining Armor goes to the door and opens it, allowing Tempest to walk into their apartment.

Tempest is wearing a button-down sleeves-less shirt in wine red with a faded neck jersey shirt underneath, a grey bandana, black forest jeans, and mid-calf combat military brown boots.

Tempest goes to the table to pour herself a shot glass of liquor. "Hey, how was your morning?" She drinks her cup. "Want one?"

"No, I don't want one," Shining replies.

"Well, I have some news that'll interest you or piss you off," Tempest said, finishing her drink.

"What news, Tempest?" Shining is in no mood for lollygagging.

"Good news is, while you were asleep, I did the drop for us at the West District," Tempest pours herself another drink.

"Good God," Shining Armor shakes his head in disbelief. "I'm guessing the deal went south, and the client took all of our pills, right!?"

"Relax, the deal went off without a hitch. We got enough ration cards to last us a couple of months, easy," Tempest places all of the ration cards on the table to make her statement.

"That's a first," Shining Armor laughs a bit; usually, things are difficult for the trade.

"Yea, well, that's not the point," Tempest goes to the kitchen cabinet and grabs a rag to clean up the wound she concealed with the bandana.

Shining Armor approaches her, about to hug Tempest from behind; when he sees the dried blood mark. "Care to explain the injury?"

"I was on my way back here, and I got jumped by these two assholes, alright? Yeah, they got a few good hits in," Shining Armor has doubts about the ambush. "But.., Look, I managed."

"I'll take that," Shining Armor grabs the rag and helps clean Tempest's wound. "Are they still with us?"

Tempest laughs. "Funny, but no. Those assholes are long gone. However, that's not the point. I know who fucking sent them."

"Who?" Shining Armor is now interested in getting the culprit.

"Blueblood. He knows we're coming after him, and he's shitting his pants. Right now, he's preparing to sell our shit to a higher bidder."

"Fuck it, let's fucking go," Shining Armor grabs his backpack from the closet and leaves. Tempest takes her gear and follows.

Boston QZ. A miserable place for those who are hopeless and trying to live in a fucked up world dominated by the cordyceps-infected people outside of the walls. The population is over a hundred thousand, but the numbers decrease due to the strict regulations that F.E.D.R.A. instructs on all inhabitants. People went by with their work routine enforced by F.E.D.R.A., but some people not working are trying to find solace in living. Some are starving, waiting in ration lines, cleaning up Fireflies logos with paint, and cleaning the streets. F.E.D.R.A. soldiers are patrolling the streets of Boston, having stakeouts on the rooftops, ensuring the safety of their citizens from the Fireflies or infected if the walls get breached.

The people with little hope are trying to live life to the fullest while others are telling them the harsh truths about living in the Boston QZ. It's either work for F.E.D.R.A. or killed by thugs, gangs, or infected. Those people even said that F.E.D.R.A would kill them to make an example or thin the number of residents.

Shining Armor and Tempest are outside their apartment and take in the scenery. Not much changed; just another gloomy day in the fucked up world they live in. Shining Armor follows Tempest down an alleyway leading to a small get-together outdoor restaurant. Shining stands aside while Tempest sits at a table to discuss Blueblood's location with a lackey of Blueblood.

A man walks up to Shining Armor. "Hey, man," Shining Armor turns to the guy. "You seem lost in life and out of place. If you're looking for something-" Shining Armor interrupts him.

"If you say look for the light, I'm going to break your jaw, beat the shit out of you, make you eat it, so I can beat it out of you a second time," Shining Armor coldly says since he's aware of the motto of the Fireflies and has a deep detest of them.

The man backed away fearfully and ran from Shining Armor. Tempest pays the lackey with a week's worth of ration cards after receiving the info and departs. She approaches Shining Armor and walks away from the outdoor venue.

"We got him," Tempest smiles wickedly. "Blueblood is on his way to a red-tagged building on Stillman and Cross."

"An old building once used by Rich," Shining Armor remembers another well-known store owned by Filthy Rich before the outbreak came.

"We take the old subway tunnel under Haymarket, get into the building from below, and take Blueblood by surprise," Tempest said. She's eagerly ready to beat the shit out of Blueblood.

"Sounds good. I'm looking to pay this fucker back," Shining Armor imagines breaking every bone in Blueblood's body.

Twenty minutes later. Tempest locates barred doors that lead to the subway tunnel. Shining Armor takes the bolt cutters from Tempest and breaks the chains to the door. The two walk inside and prepare themselves for possible ambushes by other smugglers within the Boston QZ. Tempest and Shining take out their pistols and flashlights.

"Ready?" Tempest asks Shining Armor.

"Let's not keep the fucker waiting," Shining Armor goes down the stairs with Tempest.

The subway tunnel is dark and powerless due to F.E.D.R.A. using the reserve energy to empower the Boston QZ. The light Shining and Tempest uses views of the rats roaming on the tracks and water from broken pipes raining down. Shining and Tempest used the subway tunnels numerous times and had no problem running into any infected or smuggler. Using their flashlights, there are different ladders and doors with different markings that smugglers use as bulletin marks whenever they read the map.

After ten minutes of travel, Tempest reads the map and locates a white painted mark with a period in the center and a half-circle outline. "Found it!" She climbs up the ladder and opens the door. "Not much further."

"Good," Shining Armor follows Tempest while checking his surroundings for dangers.

The room Tempest walks into appears to be a small-maintenance office room with a computer installed. She inspects the room for an exit.

"OOOH! OH FUCK!" Tempest screams at the horrifying image plastered on the wall.

"What! What happened?!" Shining Armor rushes over to Tempest when he sees the gruesome detailing written on the wall.

A man covered in fungi cordyceps is on the wall; the jaw is stretched with stained yellowish tendril roots blooming, the eyes are eyeless with fungi sprouting, and the rest of the body is frail, faded, and skeletal.

"He's finished," Shining Armor said after observing the body.

Tempest exhales from the startling experience. "Yeah. I know. I just.., I wasn't expecting to see anything like this down here."

"So, he wasn't down here last time?" Shining Armor asks after seeing how badly the body decomposed due to the cordyceps.

"No. You think he came down after he was infected?" Tempest theorizes the possibility of the man's demise.

Shining Armor sighs. "No. I believe down here is where he was infected."

"Let's get moving," Tempest said; she and Shining needed to stay on course and not get distracted by anything else.

Shining Armor follows Tempest slowly and silently. He believes any other infected person would lurk; Since one person died infected, more could be around the area.

The silent moving wasn't needed when Tempest finds the ladder, leading upward into the store owned by Rich. After a few minutes, the two arrive in front of a door; leading into one of the hallways of the building.

Tempest attempts to move the door and feels something weighty behind, blocking it. "What the fuck? Someone put a piano in front of this?" She slams it a bit.

Shining Armor sniffs. "You smell that?"

Tempest takes a whiff of the smell. "Yeah, gunpowder," She and Shining flash their lights on the floor and see a pool of blood. It drips, indicating that it's fresh, not old.

Shining Armor takes his pistol out as Tempest shoves the door open. A body slumps over to the left as Tempest walks out to investigate. Shining pursues and sees many of Blueblood's men dead in the hallway.

"Well, there's the fucker," Tempest is upset that Blueblood has a bullet in his head next to a burnt-out car battery. "The battery is dead."

"Fantastic," Shining Armor sarcastically expresses in anger. "We needed that fucking battery for next week's trip!"

One Week Ago

Shining Armor and Tempest approaches Blueblood's office in the Southern District Pier after receiving intel about a working car battery. Shining Armor longs to reconnect with his sister, Twilight Sparkle. She left the Fireflies many months ago and headed to Wyoming.

Shining Armor groans bitterly. He hates waiting for spoiled brats who think they own everything. "Where is he?" Shining complains.

"He'll be here in a few moments. Blueblood does have other clients to attend to, Shining," Tempest reassuringly says, wholeheartedly knowing how badly Shining yearns to reconnect with Twilight since he believes Twilight may not handle the outside world fondly.

"God, he's taking forever!" Shining moans. He looks behind and sees many of Blueblood's workers moving crates and taking inventory.

A security guard with a stolen F.E.D.R.A. uniform opens the door to Blueblood's office. "He has arrived."

Shining Armor and Tempest walk inside the office. They see Blueblood going over some documents from the last shipment. The security guard close and guards the door from any F.E.D.R.A. agents or anyone seeking retribution or raiding Blueblood's supplies.

Blueblood is wearing a leather jacket, a white buttoned shirt, black denim jeans, and black boots. "Ah, here are my two favorite people!" Blueblood charmingly and elatedly says. "What can I give you on this lovely day?"

Tempest speaks for Shining Armor. "We have sources that you acquired a car battery."

"Indeed, that is correct!" Blueblood takes a cigarette and lights it. He smokes to ease his tensions of the day. "Why would you need a car battery? Surely, you two lovebirds love it here."

"Cut the crap with your goodie two-shoe persona. You don't need to deceive me," Tempest sternly says, getting straight to the point.

Blueblood tosses his cigarette aside. "Alright. Here's the real me," Blueblood snobbishly says. "Now, answer the question. Why do you need my car battery?"

"We're leaving this hellhole and searching for a dear friend. Nothing more or less," Tempest coldly replies.

"What's in it for me? Do you have something worth valueable in exchange for my battery?"

"What do you desire? We wouldn't mind trading for the car battery."

"What about him?" Blueblood nudges his head at Shining Armor, who remains silent during the conversation.

"Do you have a juiced-up battery or what? If not, I'll reveal incriminating details about you giving false necessities to all of your customers."

Blueblood horridly gasps. He doesn't want someone to ruin his reputation. "No-no, that'll be bad for business. I'll give you a battery ready to take you anywhere you want!" An idea comes to Blueblood's mind. He knows that Tempest and Shining have impressive weaponry, something that his crew lacks. "You need to control your boy! Otherwise, no car battery!"

Shining Armor glares at Blueblood and does the arms cross while he waits for the meeting to conclude on a good note.

"Don't pay attention to him, focus on me. What do you want in exchange for the car battery."

"I'm expecting another shipping in a few days, and I fear raiders and Fireflies may come and slaughter us unless we borrow some of your guns. Lend us your best weaponry to fight them off, then we'll return them to you with the car battery," Blueblood intends to double-cross them once he receives the guns. "Do we have a deal?"

Shining Armor groans, but what other choice does he have? F.E.D.R.A. soldiers are useless to bargain with, and no other factions within the Boston QZ want affiliation. Shining Armor sighs in defeat which gives Blueblood much-needed satisfaction.

"You will give us our weapons? Fully stocked with ammo and provisions?" Tempest reads Blueblood's body language.

"I swear in my name and honor that I will fulfill my end of the arrangement. In one week, you'll have everything you need for your journey," Blueblood extends his left hand, ready to solidify the deal with a handshake.

"Don't make me regret trusting you," Tempest shakes Blueblood's hand.

"Trust me. You and Shining will have an adventure unlike any other," Blueblood smiles. "In your graves, that is."

Present

Shining Armor stomps the deceased face of Blueblood in anger. He hates being lied to and cheated on.

Tempest grabs Shining's right shoulder. "Enough."

"What the fuck are we supposed to do?!" Shining Armor stops and kicks the wall across from Blueblood's corpse.

Tempest sighs. "I don't know."

Echoes of a person wincing catch Tempest and Shining's attention. They two draw their guns and slowly walk to the location. Sounds of grunts become louder as the two get closer to the culprit. Shining Armor leans on a wall with another hallway interceding the one they're in and looks to his left. He sees a woman hunch over, trying to help a comrade from the supposed attack with Blueblood or something.

Shining and Tempest slowly turn and walk cautiously when a door to a room opens. A young girl with a knife attempts to stab Shining Armor. Using the girl's momentum, Shining tosses and slams her into the wall, aiming his gun at her head. She looks up, glaring at Shining Armor.

The two women overhear the commotion of a young girl colliding into the wall and hear her grunt in pain.

"Shining?" She sees Shining Armor for the first time in months.

"Chrysalis?" Shining sees Chrysalis and what appears to be Ocellus.

Chrysalis is wearing a white racerback sports bra with a charcoal grey tank top on top, khaki tactical pants, and brown combat boots. She has a bullet wound on the left side of her ribs.

Tempest sees Chrysalis and Ocellus. She then notices the young girl Shining is aiming his pistol at. "Chrysalis."

"Tempest," Chrysalis has cold feelings about Tempest but pushes them aside. Chrysalis turns to the young girl. "Sunset, are you okay?"

"Yea," Sunset reaches for her knife, and Shining steps on it. "Asshole!"

"I can't believe Blueblood screwed us over with you, Fireflies," Tempest is pissed off that Blueblood attempted to sell her car battery to them despite it being dead.

"What do you need a car battery for?" Shining Armor sternly asks since Chrysalis is the woman that drove Twilight away from him. Sunset attempts to take her knife back. "DON'T!" Sunset puts her hands up.

"Not at her!" Chrysalis and Ocellus point their guns at Shining and Tempest. "Point it at me."

Shining Armor death glare Sunset into submission, then points his weapon at Chrysalis. Chrysalis and Ocellus lower the guns.

"To answer your question, I need it for a better use than your reason to go after Twilight. No offense, but Twilight is one woman."

"You're the fucking reason why you turned Twilight against me," Shining Armor is preparing to kill Chrysalis for ruining his last bit of family with a false promise.

"With the car battery, we were planning to move Sunset out of the zone tonight. Due to slight delay of my forces, I'm thinking, you're going take smugger her out of the zone."

"I ain't going with them!" Sunset protests. She refuses to leave Chrysalis behind.

"Tempest. We don't have time for this," Shining said. He wants nothing to do with Chrysalis' plans.

"You don't have any time? Fucking soldiers will arrive here at any moment due to Blueblood's fucking dead ass! I suggest you take Sunset."

"We don't smuggle people!" Shining Armor barks at Chrysalis.

"Listen!" Chrysalis shouts. "There's a team of Fireflies waiting for Sunset at the Capital Building. You get her there, we'll give you a truck full of provisions and guns for the trip."

"And if they're not there, we'll shoot Sunset," Tempest interjects herself into the bargaining chip.

"Deal!" Chrysalis quickly accepts the terms.

"Seriously?!" Sunset is upset with Chrysalis' quick decision-making.

"Tempest! May I remind you what's out there?" Shining Armor rudely remarks, indicating the swarm of infected near the Capital Building.

"Look, we were going with a squadron for that reason. Right now, F.E.D.R.A. is on their way, my numbers are thin, and all I have is you. Unlike Blueblood, I tend to keep my promises. So do as your told, and get Sunset to the Capital Building."

Shining Armor groans and lifts his foot, allowing Sunset to retrieve her knife. "If you have things, get them, kid."

"Fine!" Sunset scoffs and enters the room to retrieve her backpack.

"And, Shining. Don't fuck this up."

"Fuck off," Shining Armor responds to Chrysalis' statement.