A What If? Death Battle originally being done by The Irish VS Writer, but is now adopted by GetSkadooshed. It features Arthur Morgan from Red Dead Redemption 2 and Joel Miller from the Last of Us games and is the second bonus episode of Season 1.
| Arthur Morgan vs Joel Miller
| |
|---|---|
| Season | 1 |
| Season Episode | 2 (Bonus) |
| Written by | GetSkadooshed (Adopted from The Irish VS Writer) |
| Episode guide | |
| Previous King Shark vs Sharpedo |
Next Darth Maul vs Tai Lung |
Description[]
RED DEAD REDEMPTION 2 VS THE LAST OF US! Video Games have really advanced when it comes to story-telling. We will have the most well written main characters in video games with very American accents battle to the death!
Intro[]
(Cue Wiz and Boomstick)
Boomstick: Ah playing video games. A great activity to pass time when you are bored.
Wiz: And some video games need a great and well written story.
Boomstick: Along with a great and well written character! Especially these two badasses who are really just trying to survive in their harsh world.
Wiz: Like Arthur Morgan, the outlaw from Red Dead Redemption 2.
Boomstick: And Joel Miller, the smuggler from the Last Of Us. He's Wiz and I'm Boomstick.
Wiz: And we are going to analyze their weapons, armor, and skills to find out who would win in a Death Battle!
Arthur Morgan[]
(Cue Red Dead Redemption 2 OST - Ending Soundtrack)
Boomstick: Arthur Morgan was born somewhere in the northern United States.
Wiz: As a child, he witnessed the deaths of both of his parents, Beatrice and Lyle Morgan. His mother died from unknown causes meanwhile his father was arrested and hanged since he was a criminal.
Boomstick: Later on, Arthur would come across Dutch van der Linde and Hosea Matthews when he was 14.
Wiz: They took him in and essentially raised him as their son. Eventually, more and more people would join and the group would soon be famously known as the Van der Linde gang.
Boomstick: Arthur Morgan grew up to become an outlaw, a pretty good outlaw if I do say so myself. They pulled off a lot of successful heists but got in quite a lot of trouble as well.
Wiz: Though the day that would throw the whole gang into chaos would have to be when he and everyone else failed a ferry heist in Blackwater, costing the lives of several members and forcing them to flee west to the cold mountains to escape and evade law enforcement.
Boomstick: With the Pinkertons after them they couldn't just stay and hide forever so Dutch came up with a plan to get as much money as they can using any method: Stealing, robbing, doing work for other folks, bounty hunting, selling animals parts, and more. Once they had enough they could leave and become mango farmers in Tahiti.
Wiz: The only problem was-
Boomstick: They didn't have any goddamn faith and the muneh!
Wiz: Yup, so the gang would have to spread out and explore the five fictitious U.S. states. Arthur is known to be Dutch's toughest, most loyal, and successful follower. He is always ready to do any task that is necessary to support the group no matter how difficult it is.
Boomstick: Whether these tasks simply require delivering wagons or horses, others require a bit more firepower and guns! Oh boy does Arthur have quite the collection of weapons. He's armed with revolvers, pistols, shotguns, and rifles of all types, throwing knifes and a hunting knife, dynamite sticks, bow and arrows, a machete, tomahawks, Molotov Cocktails, a lasso to wrap and tie people up, and more!
Wiz: Arthur uses a variety of different types of ammunition and arrows for his range weapons. These include: High velocity ammo which can pierce multiple targets, explosive shells and cartridges, poison arrows, fire arrows, and dynamite arrows.
Boomstick: He also has two special abilities like Eagle Eye which can pinpoint objects, uncover trails gone cold, locate areas of interest, predict that something dangerous or bad is about to occur by analyzing his surroundings like some sort of detective spider-sense, and find out if an animal is injured or not.
Wiz: His second and arguably best ability is the Dead Eye which slows down time long enough for Arthur to lock onto a group of targets before unloading a wave of bullets at them with deadly accuracy.
Boomstick: Arthur is strong enough to toss aside wolves, push back fucking grizzly bears, snap people's neck with just his grip strength, and can send people flying onto their backs with a good single strike.
Wiz: In real life grizzly bears can weigh up to 600 pounds (Male) or 290–440 pounds (Female). However, the grizzly bears in this game are shown to be way bigger and deadlier. Most of the camp have stated that Arthur possesses the best fighting experience.
Boomstick: And they are damn correct! I mean Arthur has survived being mauled and killed animals like a lion, a panther, and large alligators, fought Hortensia who is strong enough to bend steel and withstand concrete blocks being smashed on her, fought off waves of Pinkertons, slayed some of the best gunslingers around his area, and "kind of" kicked that back stabbing bastard's ass, Micah Bell while also dying from tuberculosis. Imagine what Arthur could've done if he wasn't sick!
Wiz: Sadly this is also how he met his end. Arthur gets sick from TB, the whole gang slowly falls into chaos, people die left and right, and it eventually ends at the top of the mountain. Arthur gives his hat to his good buddy John and sacrifices himself by holding off the line. After giving a good fight Arthur passes away looking at the sunrise.
Boomstick: Joker wasn't kidding when he said all it took was one bad day.
Arthur Morgan: “You don’t get to live a bad life and have good things happen to you.”
Joel[]
(Cue The Last Of Us Theme)
Wiz: Now fast forward to 2013 where an outbreak ravages the United States. People were suddenly being infected and mutating into aggressive humanoid fungus creatures known as the Infected.
Boomstick: Could this be the unknown origin story of the Toads from Mario!?
Wiz: This huge event impacted a lot of people like Joel Miller, his daughter Sarah, and his brother Tommy. While attempting to get to safety, a soldier interrupted them and was ordered to-
Boomstick: Execute order 66!
Wiz: Sarah died from getting shot in the abdomen, the soldier got his head blown apart by Tommy, and Joel became a ruthless and cynical smuggler.
Boomstick: Joel was eventually tasked with the very important job of protecting and smuggling a young girl named Ellie. She was very special, so special that she was the key to mankind's survival in this post-apocalyptic America.
Wiz: This was because Ellie was immune to being infected.
Boomstick: I don't know about you Wiz, but that sounds like a boring ability.
Wiz: This isn't the X-Men Boomstick and in the case of the Last of Us universe her ability is extremely important, especially considering she's like the only person who can't be infected. Anyway, we're getting sidetracked.
Boomstick: Joel is in peak human condition, is a master of weapons, is sneaky as a ninja, and is brutal in hand-to-hand combat. Now when you're living in a world like the Last of Us you'll obviously need guns, lots of them! Joel carries a 9mm pistol, revolver, shotgun, hunting rifle, sawed-off shotgun, El Diablo (Revolver with scope), flamethrower, an assault rifle, military sniper rifle, and a bow with arrows.
Wiz: He's also got numerous homemade devices and tools like Molotov cocktails, smoke bombs, nail bombs (Landmines that launch sharp objects), hatchets, baseball bats, and machetes. Joel is strong enough to crush the skulls with a good hit, can take out other fit adults in a fight, and can send people flying onto the ground with his strikes.
Boomstick: For speed, he's capable of outrunning the Infected who constantly chase him and he should be comparable to Ellie who can dodge arrows. Joel has managed to survive about 30 years in the apocalypse which has globally taken out 60% of mankind, shrugged off car crashes, falling off a mall balcony and getting impaled on a metal bar, falling down an elevator shaft, faced off against paramilitary, bandits, and different types of Infected.
Wiz: These include the Runners who can sprint at intense speed, Stalkers who prefer ambushing their victims, Clickers have echolocation and enhanced strength, and Bloaters who throw projectiles and are very durable. However, some of Joel's durability feats are just him being lucky like surviving being impaled (Would've most likely died if Ellie didn't remove him), falling down the elevator shaft (Wasn't the highest floor and there was some water), and in some fights against Infected or other crazy people, he required assistance from others.
Boomstick: Sadly, even a badass like Joel doesn't get a good ending ever sin-si-since he met his end during golfing. *Wipes tear from eye*
Wiz: Yyyeeeeaahhhh, golfing...
Joel Miller: "I struggled for a long time with survivin', and no matter what, you keep finding something to fight for."
Intermission[]
Wiz: The combatants are set! Let's end this debate once and for all-
Boomstick: IN A DEEEAAAAATTTHHH BAAAATTTTTLLLE!
DEATH BATTLE![]
Joel is driving down the road of a city in a car he "borrowed". He is on the task of finding extra supplies and food. Meanwhile, Arthur has also been ordered by Dutch to find the very same things. The two come across an abandoned mall but enter it from the opposite of each other. As the two explore quietly and cautiously, Joel enters a restaurant to find a pile of food laid on the ground. He quickly grabs as many as he can and shoves them into his backpack.
Arthur lifts his bandana over his face and takes his revolver out from its holster. He turns around a corner and accidentally bumps into Joel. Both are shocked and startled.
Joel: Shit!
He sees Arthur's gun and attempts to pull out his pistol, but Arthur cocks his revolver.
Arthur: That's a mighty fine bag of stuff you got there.
Joel: You ain't getting it.
Arthur: Listen, mister, we can do this the easy way or the hard way, now I would recommend-
Joel quickly takes out his pistol and pulls the trigger.
FIGHT![]
However, Arthur quickly reacts by doing a tactical roll behind a cylinder column.
Arthur: Oh you bastard!
Arthur retrieves his second revolver, duel wielding and returning fire. Joel quickly slides over to the other side of a stand and ducks his head.
Joel: Great, now I have to deal with a cowboy. Just what I wanted to do today.
Arthur: Outlaw!
Joel puts away his pistol for his assault rifle. Then he rolls a smoke bomb near him before crouch walking away from the stand and laying a couple of bursts into Arthur's column.
In slow motion, Arthur jumps away from his cover firing both of his revolvers until landing onto his side. Joel grunts as he keeps his head low. Arthur decides to switch to his shotgun and blasts blindly into the smoke. The shotgun shells destroy and mark everything it impacts. Pieces and bits of wood, concrete, and marble shower over Joel's area.
Arthur sprints through the smoke and tackles Joel hard to the ground. The two roll around throwing fists and blocking attacks. It ends with Arthur on top and Joel on the bottom. Joel attempts to spray Arthur with his assault rifle, but Arthur avoids the gunfire by using his shotgun to push it in a different direction. Next, Arthur uses the butt of his weapon to knock the rifle away.
Joel throws a hard punch into Arthur's jaw, successfully managing to get him off. The two try to get up on their feet with Arthur attempting to get a good point-blank shot. However, the smuggler charges up a kick to send the shotgun flying away from them. The two glare at each other and raise their fists. Meanwhile, on the dark side of the mall where the Infected roam. They awaken to the sounds of gunfire before starting to wander towards the noises.
Arthur: And to think I've could'a been in Tahiti farming mangoes, but instead I was greeted by this damn nightmare of a world.
Joel: Yeah well, welcome to the reality where you don't get everything you want.
Arthur: Hmm, sounds like to me you're living a BAD LIFE!
Arthur rushes forward and throws two punches. Joel blocks the attacks by covering his head with his arms. He opens up to catch Arthur's fist. The two appear to be somewhat evenly matched. Joel uses his other hand to pull Arthur downward by his shoulder, then knees him in the stomach. Arthur backs up to regain his balance on a bench. Joel throws a left hook in which Arthur blocks it with his right arm. He then straight punches the smuggler in the face, runs forward and wraps his arms around Joel's waist, and carries him through a glass display of a clothes store.
Mannequins fall down and glass shards fly everywhere from the crash. Both combatants lay on their backs to rest a bit. Arthur sighs and stands up onto his feet.
Arthur: Come on, let's end this now because I've got some people to get back to.
Joel: Agreed.
Arthur puts his hat back on and attempts to draw out his revolver. He is quickly disarmed when Joel slaps his firearm out of his hand with a baseball bat. Arthur grins and pulls out a machete. Joel looks at the machete before looking at his bat. He shrugs his shoulders and throws the bat away, taking out his own machete. But before they could fight, they are interrupted by a group of Infected of all types. They surround the entrance of the store.
Joel: We're going to die if we keep this up.
Arthur: Oh we're all going to die, some of us will die sooner than others.
Arthur retrieves his hatchet and throws it at the closet Infected. The others watch as their fallen comrade collapses face flat onto the ground, pushing the hatchet deeper into its skull.
Joel: Great...
The Infected scream as they swarm the two. Joel chops the head off of a nearby Runner with his machete, then pushes a Clicker into a corner. He stomps on its head splattering it like a melon. Meanwhile, Arthur throws a stalker off his back and splits its head in half. A bloater fires a projectile that knocks Arthur's machete out of his hands.
Arthur: Get away from me you ugly bastards!
Joel Spartan kicks an Infected to the ground and pulls out his flamethrower, lighting a wave of them on fire and reducing them to black ashy corpses. Arthur lights two sticks of dynamite and chucks one into the crowd, blowing them apart and flinging pieces of Infected everywhere. A stalker jumps over a desk and slaps Arthur to the ground causing him to drop the other dynamite. It rolls near Joel.
Arthur: Oh no.
Joel notices and drops his flamethrower to make a run for it. Arthur on the other hand pushes the stalker off of him and also runs for it. The combined power of the flamethrower and dynamite creates a huge explosion, sending both combatants flying through the store and across the mall floor. All remaining Infected have been eliminated. Joel rubs his head and stands up while Arthur readjusts his hat.
Arthur: So back to where we were. I'm gonna need that bag.
Joel: Over my dead body.
The two stare at one another in a Mexican standoff. Arthur's hand is close to his revolver with Joel's hand close to his pistol. A random tumbleweed rolls pass the two. Several more seconds pass before they both draw their guns. Arthur enters his deadeye mode. Time slows down and within seconds Arthur repeatedly slaps the hammer of his revolver, unloading his entire gun on Joel and landing every shot. Joel falls onto his back dead. Arthur sighs and spins his revolver into its holster. He is shown leaving the mall on his horse with supplies.
KO!
Results[]
Boomstick: The timeline of this makes absolutely no sense.
Wiz: While Joel has survived for many years in a zombie-like apocalypse and carries more advanced/modern day weapons than Arthur's weapons from the 1800s. The outlaw still has what it takes to give him the win.
Boomstick: The two are about equal in intelligence and maybe durability. However, Arthur has way more experience, is a way better brawler and shooter, is slightly stronger, and is faster.
Wiz: Arthur has been an outlaw all the way back to his teenage years. Since then, he's committed many dangerous heists killing all sorts of other gang members and Pinkertons while Joel was just chilling until the apocalypse occurred.
Boomstick: And in the events of Red Dead 2 he's single handedly hunted lots of dangerous animals from bears to lions to panthers, faced Horestia who is shown strong enough to bend steel and tank concrete blocks being smashed upon her, killed some of the best gunslingers around, and managed to fight off a wave of Pinkertons by himself only to shortly engage in a 1v1 with Micah Bell while simultaneously slowly dying from TB.
Wiz: As for speed, Arthur is faster because of his deadeye. When activated Arthur is so fast that time somewhat slows down in his perspective so he easily dominates in a gunfight between the two.
Boomstick: He could probably end the fight in seconds if he used his deadeye immediately, but where's the fun in that? Well, looks like that was the last of Joel.
Wiz: The winner is Arthur Morgan!
Next Time![]
| Arthur vs Joel | |
|---|---|
| Air date | Unknown |
| Written by | Taser Lad |
| Episode guide | |
| Previous Nuthin' |
Next Pending... |
Description[]
Red Dead Redemption vs The Last of Us! The Wild West and the Zombie Apocalypse come together in a crash of worlds as Outlaw meets Survivor. Don't look at your phone for too long because in this quick-draw it won't be long till one is left standing!
Intro[]
Vince: Arthur Morgan, The Loyal Outlaw of the Van Der Linde Gang!
Frank: And Joel Miller, The Brutal Survivor of the Zombie Apocalypse!
Jack: Violence and cruelty are a deadly cocktail that a person can easily get addicted to. Whether to survive or because it's the only thing the person knows what to do.
Vince: These two were both extremely violent however their eyes were opened as they move towards reclaiming their humanity. Acting as a mentor to someone they consider as family.
Frank: This leads to the essential question for both games..."Can a person who has done such awful things reclaim their humanity?" well that sappy shit is not something we're particularly interested in. The question we want to answer is who would win a fight?
Jack: But just like every other matchup we have to go over the rules of this matchup. Because as we all know VS debates are all about specific scenarios and rules.
1: Both Arthur and Joel will be given every single one of their weapons in order for them to both be at their peak performance.
2: Joel will obviously not be getting scaling from Playstation All-Stars Battle Royale. Instead the analysis will be focusing on the Last of Us games and the comics.
- As such, The Last of Us Television Show will not be taken into consideration for this analysis mainly due to it being a completely different canon than the games.
3: Similarly while Red Dead Redemption 1 will be taken into account for scaling, Red Dead Revolver will not scaled to due to it never being fully confirmed whether both instalments take place in the same universe.
4: While for story purposes Arthur will have TB the weaknesses associated with it will not included so both combatants can be in their peak condition.Vince: Funny it's a lot of rules for two guys who don't really follow rules all that often.
Frank: Alright alright alright, Get on your stirrups guys, gals and non-binary pals and get your weapons at the ready cuz we're gonna take you on a journey to find out who would win in a Death Battle!
Arthur Morgan[]
Frank: Ah the Wild West. God I wish I was alive back then. Every time I see a cowboy movie I realise I was born in the wrong generation. I tell ya if I were born in the late 1800s I'd have been doing bank robberies left and right.
Jack: Sorry to say fella but you reaaaally wouldn't want to be alive back then. Germs were only being discussed in scientific communities so stuff like Cholera, Scurvy and Tuberculosis were pretty common. The treatments were somehow even worse. Plus the whole gun slinging thing you'd see in movies were highly exaggerated.
Frank: ...You must be fun at parties.
Jack: Oh yeah I'm great craic.
Vince: Well yeah the western is definitely far from historically accurate and truly the choices made by these bandits and outlaws basically sealed their fates. Justice always has a way of repaying debts. Nobody knows this better than Arthur Morgan.
Frank: Arthur was born in the swinging 1860s and the son of a lady named Beatrice and a famous outlaw named Lyle. It didn't take long for tragedy to enter Arthur's life as not only did Beatrice die when he was very young, but so did Lyle as he was caught by the law and hanged in front of Arthur.
Jack: Not long after that Arthur was found by two outlaws named Dutch Van der Linde and Hosea Matthews and he was inducted into their little criminal gang which eventually expanded into what would be called the Van der Linde gang. The pair raised him like a son and acted more like parents...than his actual parents.
Vince: They taught him how some essential skills like fishing, hunting, fighting and of course shooting. Eventually becoming Dutch's right-hand man.
Frank: But don't think that the Van der Linde gang were like any other group of two timin' varmints. The group had a bond similar to that of a family. With every member being as important as the other. But most of all they all believed in their leader's world-view. Arthur most of all, with his loyalty being one of his defining character traits.
Jack: Dutch always saw himself as a bit of a Robin Hood character. Fighting against the sickness of civilisation while killing those that deserved to be killed or robbed. Almost like there was a sick morality to he and his gangs actions.
Vince: However by 1899 the age of outlaws committing crimes as they wish without consequence was coming to an end. Thanks to the creation of the Pinkerton agency law enforcement was becoming more and more concentrated in their investigations. With most of the other prominent gangs being arrested.
Frank: Well as you can expect from the lingering presence of the Pinkerton Agency, fire fights in highly-populated areas was a very common occurance. Thankfully in terms of weaponry, Arthur is massively prepared for this sort of scenario...to the point where it's almost excessive.
Jack: Arthur has the usual kind of weaponry that you would expect from a gunslinger like the classic revolver's but he isn't limited to that. Shotguns, Rifles, Snipers, Sawed-off Shotguns name any sort of firearm from the 1890s and he probably has it stashed in his horse's satchel.
Vince: Oh but don't worry Arthur has some interesting upgrades to these firearms. Like bullets that explode or bullets that set people on fire...don't ask me how that works I'm not the scientist, I'm just the bloke who reads the script.
Frank: He also has a bow and arrow that was gifted to him by fellow camp member Charles Smith. It turns scenarios that would end in a massive fire fight into a lot more silent stealth missions. It's pretty cool as well that you can pick up the arrows after you fire them.
Jack: Now if you want to throw out that whole stealth side of the weapon you could always upgrade the arrows to where like the bullets they can explode or set people on fire. Arthur can also cover his arrow in Oleander to create poison arrows that can kill a human in a few seconds.
Vince: Morgan's got some throwing weapons as well just in case you think he doesn't have enough weapons on deck. Such as some Throwing Knives and Tomahawks which he is very good at using.
Frank: If you think Arthur's done with weapons that burn and blow people up then are dead wrong because he has some Molotovs and sticks of dynamite. These sticks of dynamite are no fucking joke as a clump of them are able to explode with enough force to completely blast through a brick wall like it was glass[1].
Jack: By measuring how big the hole is while and dividing the result by five (since it was a bundle) we figured out that one stick of dynamite can exert around 3.17 Megajoules of energy! This actually checks out since a stick of dynamite can also blast open a steel train door[2].
Vince: If he wants to get up close and personal Arthur has some stabby-stabby weapons like a hunting knife and a machete all Jason Voorhees style.
Frank: Finally he has a lasso which he uses to people's hands and feet together. Or if you're like me to just drag them across the ground on the top of a horse going at top speed. Ah always great fun.
Blood Feuds, Ancient And Modern
Jack: Moving along swiftly. The main reason Arthur is so proficient in a gun-fight is not only because of his great aim but also because of his absolute trump card: The Dead Eye!
Vince: Dead Eye functions by slowing Arthur's perception of time down so that he can quickly fire off accurate shots before an opponent can even react. With this he can even take out entire groups of people before they can flinch[3]. Now don't be mistaken just because he slows down his perception it does not mean he can magically shoot more bullets than his gun can hold or shoot a bloke that is out of range.
Frank: Now here's my question...what the fuck is Dead Eye? Like does Arthur have superpowers or something?
Jack: Well it's not stated exactly what it is, In our opinion it's more likely a representation of Arthur's adrenaline. Since in scenarios where the brain is pumping adrenaline time slows down for a person because their brain is processing much more information than it usually does. What's a more stressful scenario than getting shot at am I right?
Vince: Now it has been debated for years just how fast is Dead Eye? Well at it's best the Dead Eye has been able to allow Arthur to see bullets moving at slower speeds than they usually would. Which is really impressive since the Saint Denis Police carry a semi-automatic pistol similar to the Borchardt C-93 which has a muzzle velocity of 430 metres per second.
Jack: Considering this and the speed that Arthur perceived them at moving, We can figure that Dead Eye allows Arthur to react at speeds of over 348.89 metres per second! Or just a bit faster than the speed of sound[4].
Frank: Y'know you're fucking fast when the speed of you pulling out a gun, aiming and firing can be described with the word "Mach". To show just how fucking crazy that is, the fastest draw-speed in real-life is by a man named Bob Mundan. Now Bob himself was able to do the same thing as Arthur but in about 1/10th of a second. Putting Arthur at around 31 times faster than the fastest gunslinger in our own world!
Jack: This is actually pretty consistent since John Marston was able to avoid Micah's bullets from a very close distance without too much effort.[5] Arthur should also reasonably upscale from a theatre performer named Benjamin Lavarus who was able to catch a bullet in his teeth.
Frank: Arthur can also use his reaaally good eyesight to very effective follow tracks using 'Eagle Eye'. Now while this is usually used for hunting animals and sometimes humans (Bounty Hunting Missions are the best) it could also reasonably be used as a defence against being snuck up on.
Vince: But don't think that Arthur is completely reliant on his weaponry as he is a very good fighter. Like he's not pulling off Batman level stuff he can still handle himself against entire groups of dudes at once pretty comfortably. Knocking a normal person out in a few hits and even being able to kill them in even less hits when they're knocked out.
Frank: Like he can fight dudes much bigger and stronger than him. Like this dude in Valentine named Tommy who was previously ragdolling him[6]. He not only won the fight but beat him so badly that he caved his skull in[7]. I know that's supposed to make me feel guilty or something but I don't that mission was really fun.
Jack: Arthur can casually break people's necks with a choke-hold and can keep up with a Theatre Performer named Hortensia in a fight who was able to bend a steel bar and tank a concrete block being smashed on her.
Vince: Arthur usually bashes through doors like a man on fire but he can also kick down locked doors after he shoots them[8]. All this makes sense since Arthur is able to physically fend himself against wild animals such as wolves and crocodiles. Most impressively is how he can survive an attack by this massive fucking bear.
Jack: Now saying Arthur fully scales to the bear is definitely dodgy since trying to fight that thing "bear-handed" usually ends with an empty torso. However, what we can actually get from this feat is that Arthur can survive being tackled by this bear that was in a full-sprint beforehand. This is even more impressive since Hosea reckoned it weighed nearly 1000 lbs[9].
Frank: Oh wait yeah I can do one of these! Kinetic Energy stuff is easy enough. Taking Hosea literally let's say the bear weighed 990 lbs or 449 Kg's. Assuming it was running at 15 m/s, Arthur would've been smacked with 54 Kilojoules to the face! This would obviously scale to his own punching power since he can harm people who can harm him.
Vince: Despite how other people and even Arthur himself call him stupid or a fool, he's actually proved to himself as very cunning. Not only is he a very fast learner as seen with how he became a master of the bow and arrow with a short lesson, but he's also shown to be a great strategist. Not only has he helped plan for robberies but he's shown to be a very quick thinker coming up with plans to escape from the Law entirely on the spot.
Jack: These skills and strengths made Arthur the perfect candidate to be a debt collector for a German bloke named Strauss. However this would prove to be the worst decision Arthur ever made as one of these people that owed Strauss had Tuberculosis and in the chaos he coughed in Arthur's face.
Vince: The symptoms were pretty slow. A small cough here and there. However, the fits became more severe until Arthur was passing out from coughing up blood. It was at this point where Arthur had went to a doctor and he was diagnosed with Tuberculosis, and because of his constant smoking and physically demanding life...he didn't have a lot of time left.
Frank: Because of this diagnosis Arthur had a bit of an epiphany where his life of selfishness and violence had done him no good, that he would spend the rest of his days doing good. He became certain with this purpose as Dutch's teachings lost all meaning and he became more and more paranoid. This is made even worse when Dutch begins to trust one Micah Bell more and more...you know the racist, sexist with absolutely no good qualities.
Jack: Despite this Arthur became charitable giving money to those in need and helping the Wapiti Reservation however he could. But most of all, he wanted to help John Marston along with his family escape from the gang as the idea of it disbanding became basically certain.
Vince: As the days of the Van der Linde gang finally came to an end, Arthur learns that for a while Micah Bell has been a rat and was giving information to the Pinkerton agency. But sadly didn't believe this, leading what was left of the gang to be split in two. With Arthur and John being forced to flee for their lives not only from the invading Pinkertons but also from men who they had considered family.
Frank: John was eventually able to escape, leaving Arthur to fight Micah on his own. Even though he was dying from Tuberculosis he managed to keep up very well. Hell in certain endings he was able to take out Micah's eye! But in the end Arthur was eventually defeated, whether by being shot in the head or getting to die peacefully while watching the sunset, Arthur succumbs to his wounds and sickness and dies.
Jack: *Starts sobbing*
Vince: J-Jack you okay?
Jack: Y-Yeah it's just...he was so funny and kind and so fucking handsome...IT'S NOT FAIR!
Frank: I've never seen you like this before...although I can't blame you I cried at that ending as well. But hey at least John managed to escape from the gang and was given the opportunity to start again. To live a peaceful life with his family in Beacher's Hope just like Arthur would have wanted.
Vince: However after nearly a decade John managed to find Micah and took revenge on him in the most satisfying kill in any Video Game ever. But this proved to be a massive mistake as the murder of Micah lead the Pinkerton agency right back to John and his family.
Frank: John was forced to kill what remained of the gang such as Bill Williamson, Javier Escuella and even Dutch himself. His chance for a peaceful life was destroyed since immediately after he was shot and killed by the Pinkertons. Leaving his son Jack alone to become the gunslinger that nobody wanted him to become, motivated entirely by vengeance.
Jack: *Sniffle* W-Well this is the message of Red Dead Redemption. That while you can make peace with the actions you committed and become a better person than you were before, true Redemption comes from also accepting the consequences of your past actions. Ultimately, Vengeance drags your past into your present and destroys your future.
Arthur Morgan: "You been loyal, I been loyal. Look what that caused. You know, all that ever mattered to me was loyalty. It was all I knew. It was all I ever believed in... but not anymore John. Soon... you gotta go. Go... don't look back."
Joel Miller[]
Frank: Okay so maybe the Wild West was shit but hey you gotta admit a Zombie Apocalypse would kick ass! Like not only do you not have to pay taxes but you get to go around the place shooting Zombies with a big shotgun like a fucking badass. Ah, that's be so cool.
Jack: Fella that'd be even worse than living in the Wild West. It'd be less you fighting Zombies with a boomstick and more wiping your arse with a leaf or dying from an infected wound. Plus you'd have to deal with isolation along with the trauma of seeing people die violently in front of you, some of these people including potentially your friends and family.
Frank: You ever see that meme where that dude says "Quit having fun"...yeah that's you!
Jack: I aim to please hun.
Vince: As much as Jack's love of wrecking fantasies. He is correct. The Zombie Apocalypse is not as good as it seems. It's scary as fuck and...really depressing. Just like Arthur there is no character that explores the realities of this situation more than Joel Miller.
Frank: Joel was born in 1981 and unlike Arthur he lived a relatively normal life. He had a passion for music and he had gotten married to a lady and had a daughter named Sarah at a young age.
Jack: Despite being handed such responsibility at a young age and being divorced, Joel tried his best to be a good single father. Despite working long hours as a Carpenter to provide for Sarah, Joel still tried to spend as much as possible together with her. Because of this they were very close.
Vince: So close in fact that on Joel's 32nd birthday, Sarah even went out to buy him a nice watch as a birthday present. As this was happening though...the idea of a Zombie Apocalypse became more and more apparent.
Frank: Zombies in Last of Us aren't like the usual "Rrr Braaaiiiins" type of Zombies that you may find in a movie. Instead they are created from mutated Cordyceps. So while they still do the whole cannibalism business but they more look like mushrooms after a while. What makes it worse is that even the spores left behind from these Infected are enough to make a person turn.
Jack: It didn't take long before all sense of society was completely gone, While the Military were trying their best to contain the spread it was all for naught. Complete chaos had taken over Texas in a matter of hours.
Vince: Joel, Sarah and his brother Tommy tried to escape from Texas to apparent safety. However in the chaos a soldier had shot at Sarah and Joel was forced to hold her in his arms while she died. Jesus that's a fucking dark way to start a game holy shit!
Frank: Because of this traumatic event and being alive during the end of the world all of Joel's warmth and humanity slowly eroded away, turning him into a broken man who will commit horrific acts to survive. With it being implied that Joel and Tommy attacked innocent people for their supplies.
Jack: Twenty years later and because of a mix-up with a local militia known as the Fire Flies, Joel was made responsible for the transportation of a young shite talker named Ellie. Little did Joel know that Ellie was actually immune to this virus and she was to be transported across the country so that a vaccine could be made. Deffo not a tall order anyway.
Vince: Well not for Joel anyway since he has a comically spacious backpack filled with enough goodies to get this job done!
Frank: Despite the Last of Us not being an open-world game, Joel also has a shit ton of guns. Plently of pistols, revolvers, shotguns and rifles. Must be a really tough backpack to be able to hold all that.
Jack: He also has some weapons for up-close and personal combat such as wooden planks, baseball bats, machetes, hatchets and pipes. Joel's not even picky as he tends to use anything he finds as a weapon such as bricks and glass bottles to either cause distractions or just...the usual bashing someone in the head with them.
Frank: It's still very funny to me how you could go full-on Home Alone 2 in Last of Us.
Vince: I think having bricks thrown at them would be the best ending for the Wet Bandits if they decided to break into Joel's house (what a crossover) since he has some pretty brutal throwable weapons like Molotovs, Smoke Bombs and Nail Bombs[11]!
Frank: Now lemme tell ya while a Nail Bomb's actual explosion is obviously gonna cause a lot of damage but the worst part of them is that the explosion sends out nails which causes massive injury to anyone standing anywhere near by the epicentre. Joel's ones aren't any different...hell they even seem more powerful as they can blast limbs off their victims. Human or not.
Jack: From that clip of the Nail Bomb that we showed earlier we can eyeball that the radius of the blast is about 1.5 metres which would mean that they explode with a force of 1.13 Megajoules!
Vince: Just like Arthur, Joel has a bow and arrow which while usually used for hunting are great for stealth kills. Plus the preservation of ammo is a big factor when living in an Apocalypse...take a shot every time that word is used.
Frank: Jack wouldn't mind that too much eh?
Jack: Wow because I'm Irish?
Vince: Wooooooooww Frank that's fucked up mate!
Frank: Wait I-I didn't mean it like that...I wasn't *sighs* Joel can also upgrade his arrows so that they can be strapped with explosives. Allowing him to blow entire groups of people to pieces no problem[12]
Jack: *giggles* Ah brilliant! Well, anyway one of Joel's most powerful weapons is his Flamethrower. It obviously does what it says on the tin and shoots fire which cooks anything and anyone in the game that gets in front of it. Including these massive infected called Bloaters that are basically the strongest things in the entire verse being able to bust through walls without too much effort.
Vince: Don't think that Joel is just reliant on his guns because he can definitely tango on his own. He's an absolute brute in combat. Being able to easily overpower people with brute strength using his environment to his advantage.
Frank: I have never seen a dude boxing Zombies but nevertheless Joel does that fairly frequently. Hell, he's even known to stomp their heads so hard that they explode like a watermelon brains, skull and all. Now it's been found that to full on crush a skull it would require at least 500 kilograms of force or around 4903 Joules!
Jack: Now we do need to be careful when it comes to fully scaling Joel to this 4903 Joules. When Joel does these same sort of moves against humans their heads manage to stay intact. This leads to the idea that Infected skulls aren't as durable as they used to be when they were human (especially in the case of Clickers) this makes sense as it has been stated their "bodies are flayed open and consumed"[13] So basically 4 Kilojoules should be treated as his absolute limit. Anything higher and it's probably an outlier.
Vince: Joel isn't any glass cannon as he has been able to long falls and a severe car crash without any serious injury [14]. He should also be able to scale to his brother Tommy and Ellie who were able to survive being punched through wooden floors and wooden bannisters [15]. Similarly Joel should at least be somewhat as quick to react as Ellie who was able to evade an arrow [16].
Frank: But we are forgetting one of Joel's most useful tool, what fans call the "Listening Mode". This ability allows for Joel to use his hearing to get a clear view of an entire room including how many enemies there are. He can even use this to hear through walls! Jesus does Joel have like superpowers!
Jack: Well...no definitely not. This is more like Joel focusing on his surroundings, drowning out any useless noises so that he can fully focus on listening for enemies. While that doesn't sound as cool it's still extremely helpful when he has to sneak up on someone. Speaking of which Joel's most useful skill in his travels is his mastery in stealth.
Vince: It's definitely helped Joel survive scenarios that he probably wouldn't already. Most impressively was when he managed to take out an entire building of heavily-armed soldiers on his own [17]. Like just put that into your head...he killed an entire hospital filled with heavily-armed paramilitary soldiers...on his own. WHILE ALSO BEING MINIMALLY DETECTED! Bloke is a fucking ninja...a middle-aged Texan ninja!
Frank: Makes a lot of sense since Joel can sneak up on Clickers who use Echolocation so he makes such little noise that something that sees with noise...gets snuck up on. Pretty sneaky.
Jack: With all these skills and weapons Joel managed to survive this journey along with Ellie, even when basically everyone they came across died a very tragic and extremely violent death. While they may have started off as being somewhat antagonistic towards each other, but overtime they became really close to each other to the point where Joel saw Ellie as his own daughter. *Sniff* Oh great I love being emotional!
Joel: Oh, baby girl...It's okay It's okay...
Vince: For the first time in decades Joel had fully opened himself up to love. Because of how similar Ellie was to Sarah it's very likely that Joel thought of her as his second chance of being a father...sadly this was not how things were evidently meant to go.
Frank: See when Joel and Ellie finally made it to that Firefly base, he finally discovered why they wanted Ellie in the first place. Remember how she's immune to the virus? Well they wanted to operate on her brain with the hope of finding a vaccine...however this operation would be fatal.
Jack: After all this time of bonding...and healing from his past trauma and just like that it was gone. They expected Joel to basically hand off his daughter to unknowingly die for an operation that might not work. Sure it might help heal this fucked up world...but it was still his daughter. So Joel did something drastic.
Frank: Systematically Joel went around the hospital murdering everyone in sight. Even killing one of the last doctors left on earth who could possibly make a cure. Basically destroying any chance of humanity actually being able to recover with the aid of a vaccine. All for the girl that he grew to love more than himself.
Vince: This act was inherently selfish but...it's understandable. A lot of people in this scenario would do the same. This shows what Last of Us truly is about. People. Last of Us explores what people find most important and what they would, what would they sacrifice in order to protect the things or people they find most important. Ordinary flawed people who will do anything for their loved ones.
Frank: Because Joel lied about doing this for years, Ellie grew apart from Joel and was enraged by his actions. Feeling that his selfish act of love took away her purpose. Fucking hell heavy stuff.
Jack: Eventually a woman named Abby, the daughter of the aforementioned doctor, found Joel along with Tommy and ambushed them. Joel realising why she was going after him, accepted his fate letting her beat him within an inch of his life. However, Ellie found Joel only to get a front-row viewing of Abby caving his skull in with a golf club, killing him instantly *blows into a tissue*.
Vince: Joel's death caused Ellie to go into a blind rage and went after Abby in search of vengeance. Leaving behind nothing but dead bodies and anger behind her. Even committing acts that are just plain evil like killing a pregnant woman. Ellie and Abby eventually fought, where Ellie was brutally beaten with her fingers bitten off.
Frank: Even after this Ellie had a chance to be happy. A chance to live with her girlfriend Dina along with an adopted child in a nice home. But Ellie needed that vengeance no matter what. She followed the trail once again, finding Abby close to death. Saying that this was a fight was a bit of an overestimation. Ellie dominated the weakened Abby...and even after all this she showed her mercy.
Jack: This didn't matter though because when Ellie returned to her home...only to find it empty as Dina had left her. Leaving Ellie alone to hold Joel's guitar...a guitar she couldn't even play because of her missing fingers. Ultimately, Vengeance is like a parasite that infects everything around you, infects your vision, only when it leaves do you realise that you have driven away everyone around you...leaving you alone.
Joel: "If somehow the Lord gave me a second chance at that moment… I would do it all over again."
Intermission[]
Vince: Alright Boah’s the research is all done. We have ran the numbers and sumarised their stories and now it’s time to finally find out who will win.
Frank: Bullets will be exhanged and fists will be flying. That we can promise you. But who will win? Well that’ll be discovered very soon.
Jack: Alright then it’s time…for a Death Battle!
Battle[]
Chapter 1:[]
Exterior. Jackson, Wyoming. Evening.
The cold wind washed through the wintery night like an icy paint brush held by a careless artist. Snow dashed the concrete roads and grounds of this small town. A town whose residents were survivors who had strived toward the regeneration of the human spirit tainted by decades of violence and disease. The dedicated residents of the town lived in cabins and houses that were decorated by fogged windows and white-covered tile roofs. These people had spent years of their lives surviving…but not actually living. They scoured for resources and possibly committed indescribable acts that they previously would have found demonstrable. However, with this long overdue peace, these traumatized people have the opportunity to rest and hopefully build up the broken pieces of their ego and morality that had shattered when this plague began.
One of these houses was lit up by a light above its porch accompanied by the tuning of a guitar. The guitar was held by a man, a man who had seen things no other man should have ever seen. Practically half of this lifetime was spent angry. An anger created from an indescribable pain and trauma that he had no idea how to channel healthily, using the lawlessness of the land as a funnel to burn everything around him like a fire in his violent fury. Fury was much easier for him to express rather than actively facing the deep well of sadness that had been dug further and further each and every day. Now that there was no need for this bloodthirsty violence…all he could do to keep his mind on a different track was to solemnly strum the strings of his guitar. He sighed as his fingers danced across the strings without a second of thought like it was second nature. A rhythm echoed from the hollowed instrument, one that while sounding pleasant to the naked ear still revealed feelings of repressed sadness and a life-altering trauma
“Oh bury me not…on the Lone Praire…” he sang, his voice deep and powerful but matching the melancholic tune. His long graying hair dangled down as he slumped his head down over the guitar. His fringe of dark and light covered his wrinkled face. “These words came soft and painfully from the plaid lips of a youth that lay…” He continued, the ripples in his jacket and jeans belied his muscular physique. While his hands may delicately play the instrument they used to be tools to enact his fury. His scarred and bruised knuckles acted as permanent reminders of his past. “On his dying bed…at the break of day! On his dying be~d…at the break of day!” He tilted his up revealing his wrinkled face, his beard of similar colour to his hair showed his age. This face however for some was the last thing they had ever seen. A face that was contorted in an expression of bloodthirsty wrath as he repeatedly beat them while they screamed in agony. A face that had been covered in the blood of others numerous times over. The blood of his own daughter had similarly stained his face and no matter how many times he tried washing it…it felt like it would never come off. This is Joel Miller.
Another memory flooded him once more like a tsunami. The memories of his greatest mistake…on how he had lied to the person that he had grown so close to that he considered her a daughter. Lied directly to her face like she was a fool. He never regretted the actions he took that day at the hospital. They were those of love that he didn’t even need to think before doing. But he hated that he lied about it. He hated that ever since then there seemed to be a separation between them, like an invisible wall had formed between them making a conversation feel like it was impossible. Oxygen expelled from his nostrils as he lurched over his guitar that rested on his knees, rubbing the corner of his eyes as he felt his throat being weighed down by a lump that felt like a ball of concrete.
“Joel?” A familiar voice broke through Joel’s darkened thoughts. He looked up to see his younger brother Tommy who stood a few feet away from him on the stairs of the porch with two rifles clung from his shoulder with a strap. Joel evidently was so deep in thought that he couldn’t even hear his brother’s approaching footsteps. An insincere smile formed across his beard as he gently placed his guitar by his right foot. “Yeah…I’m fine Tommy…just a little tired” Joel said as he brushed his hair with his left hand, playing up his exhaustion to throw off Tommy’s worry. He had already told Tommy everything that had happened in the hospital…but those feelings that clung onto him like a cloak was something he just did not want to talk about tonight. “What’s going on?” He asks, his calming voice betraying the pointedness with which he asked that question.
Tommy could read his brother like a book; he could tell that he was in pain but he knew that prying Joel would not be constructive. He sighs as he answers “Okay…well me and a few others are gonna go out to patrol. If you’re up for it I’d like for you to come with us”. Without a second thought, he quickly stood up and grabbed hold of Tommy’s shoulder “It’d be my pleasure little brother” A smile was shared between the brothers as they walked down the porch stairs careful to not slip due to the remnants of melted snow that percolated on the steps. Tommy released one of these rifles from his shoulder and gave it to Joel. The older man looked down at the gun and then through the sight. When satisfied he put the gun over his shoulder just like Tommy had done just before.
They walked down the empty streets their shoulders became quickly covered by the flakes of snow that pelted down from the darkened clouds that hung over the small town. Joel looked around the seemingly bleached streets and a feeling of sadness dunked him like a bucket of water. How things had changed since he had first arrived here. A place where for the first time in decades he saw children playing not having to consider the horrors of life. But when this snow…this god damn snow hit their town it completely took them off-guard. Temperatures had hit well below zero making the production of food for this flourishing population almost impossible. A world where they used to worry about monsters that would feed on flesh…and now that they were away from these monsters they had to worry about starvation. There was a sickening irony that Joel recognised as he scratched his beard.
Finally, the brothers arrived at a small wooden stable that housed a group of horses. Tommy went ahead first unhitching his own horse and did the same for Joel’s, leading it to him by pulling its stirrup. “Thank you” Joel said with a nod as he grabbed hold of the stirrup “After you.” He joked allowing Tommy to go ahead of him. Eventually, they both climbed on top of their horses accompanied by two men named Obidiah and Jameson who wore thick winter clothes. The four men and their horses made their way to their destination; the exit to the town. A massive wall made of wood that when looked up at seemed to get taller and taller, the only thing that separated this community from the uncertainty of this town. “Alright open ‘er up!” Tommy commanded swinging his fist up and down; two fingers pointed outwards. Two men wearing heavy set coats followed this command and pulled on the wooden doors.
CRRRRRKKKK!
The colossal wooden doors seemed to screech in agony from their hinges as they were pulled open. Joel’s hair blew backward as the cold wind blasted towards him like a shockwave, droplets of snow flew into him like bullets making him cover his face with his hand and squint. Taking note of the bunched-up snow that weighed down the already tremendously heavy wooden doors, Joel felt as if a higher power was pushing them away. Trying to warn them that nothing good would come from leaving these gates. Joel decided not to think about that any further. The four horsemen moved outward into the frigid night.
Joel could barely hear himself think. The thunderous wind whistled past his ears like an explosion. The noise of it was almost unbearable as he was barely able to hear the rhythmic sounds of hooves crushing snow beneath them. The winter darkness made it hard for Joel to see in front of him as the night sky loomed over him and the other watchmen. He knew it was cold but didn’t expect it to be this cold outside the small town’s wooden borders. He could feel this cold dig through his skin and clothes directly into his bones like daggers. He looked behind him to see Obidiah and Jameson still following their hands acted as roofs over their eyes as they watched around them trying to see the tiniest of movements.
They had finally moved about half of a kilometre away from the town’s gates before Tommy had spoken up. “Alright, we’ll take a left and loop around from there” His voice was hoarse as he yelled through the bellowing winds. “I think we should stay together for now! Just so we don’t get picked off” Joel added to this command. Tommy nodded in agreement as the convoy took the left towards a forest wrapped around the walls. It was the most obvious spot for nefarious intruders so it made sense to check there. They moved slowly through the snow, the hooves of their horses completely covered in white. “Jesus can’t see anything. I’ve never seen snow like this before!” Joel complained with white puffs of air escaping from his mouth with every word. “I don’t understand it. It’s May for godsakes! It just won’t stop!” Tommy responded as he tried to brush his long hair out of the way of his eyes. “Makes you wonder if we’re getting punished by God. Especially with the Pneumonia that’s been spreading around the town. Pneumonia that we have no vaccine for.” Tommy continued while Joel followed after him and sighed in response.
"I was going to ask Ellie to come with me to look at some of the run-down stores around here…maybe something was left behind by the Scavengers” “It’d be good to check but…well I’d believe that being possible when I see it” A silence followed from this response. Anxiety brushed over the two like a gale-force wind forcing an end to this conversation. For minutes after this conversation, Joel had resigned himself to a level of concentration that made every small noise around him as loud as his own heartbeat. It was a skill that was crucial in his survival for many years. Even through the whistling wind he could hear it…
SNAP! WOOSH!
The sound of a stick snapping in half. Joel was the first to notice it as he turned around frantically, fast enough to find a small blur traveling quickly through the air toward Obidiah. Before Joel could even yell out in an outburst of adrenaline the blur found itself embedded directly into the side of Obidiah’s throat. Gargles of blood escaped from Obidiah’s crimson mouth as he tried to scream out in agony, only for blood to lash from his sickly wound. Tommy, Joel, and Jameson could only look on as Obidiah fell off his horse like a weight. Slamming into the leaves in a bloodied heap. It was not long before the purity of the snow had been defiled into a sickly dark red.
Despite this snuffing of a human life in front of him, Joel’s eyes were blank and unfeeling. Things like this had become a regularity in his life. Something that was sickly normal. Immediately, Joel jumped off his horse and shooed it away by smacking it “GET OFF YOUR HORSES WE’RE TOO EASY TO TARGET!” He yelled; Tommy nodded in agreement as he and Jameson jumped off their horses and sent them away with a smack just like Joel did. Joel shifted his shoulders caught the falling strap and held the rifle in his hands. He clutched the weapon in anger as he crouched down to go towards the forest where the arrow had come from.
Despite the tingling cold in his calves, Joel kneeled down, creeping through the blanketed ground. His movements are slow and careful as he tries to stay as quiet as possible. Joel soon noticed one of the attackers lumbering around with his exposed feet, the skin completely red from the cold making every step wince-worthy. The rest of the man’s appearance was similarly wince-worthy, his face was horrifically disfigured with a small sloped forehead that led to barbed wire hair. His eyes were hidden underneath his protruding hairline that acted like a roof almost supported by his thick reddened nose. It was clear to Joel that this man was inbred which was the main identifier for being a member of a gang that had terrorised the area for years. A gang that reveled in horrific violence and torture, The Murfree Brood.
The muscles in Joel’s jaw clenched as he squeezed the rifle in his hand to the point where Tommy thought he would snap it in half. “Course it’s them damn Murfree’s…” Tommy growled to which Jameson spat in disgust. Joel had tuned out this chatter as he started moving slowly and carefully towards the distracted Murfree. The Murfree turned away as he shivered violently, “Gad damn where them fellers! Was hopin’ to take one them’s shoes!” he didn’t know it but he had his back turned to Joel who was getting closer and closer.
When Joel was close enough to the turned Murfree he moved like a viper. Snapping violently forward and wrapping his arm around the man’s throat. He tightened his vice-like grip quickly constricting the Murfree’s airways. He gasped and flailed as he tried to escape but Joel was steadfast as he did not let up for a second until finally…
SNAP!
Joel could feel that sickening crack move throughout his body like an electric shock. The Murfree’s body became weak and slumped limply against Joel. While the Murfree was given a painfully deserved death he was granted some level of dignity as Joel delicately put his body to the floor, however, this was less likely a form of empathy on Joel’s part and more a concern about making any noise by suddenly dropping the man’s corpse. But while Joel was crouched a bullet whizzed a few feet above his head. He looked up only to see another Murfree, one wielding a machete, falling to the ground in a bloody heap. Joel turned around to see Tommy holding his rifle, smoke trailing from the barrel like a cigarette.
“Ideally you come back with your head still on your shoulders” Joel smiled in response to Tommy’s joke. But this moment was interrupted when Tommy and Jameson were suddenly tackled by Murfree’s, camouflaged by the darkened trees. Joel did not have a second to react when he was faced with the exact same fate. “Hehe look I caught lave one!” The monster mocked as he stood up stomping on Joel’s temple. Joel yelled out in agony as the barrage of stamps continued raining down on the side of his head, the worst part was that he was facing directly towards Tommy who was in the process of trying to fight off his attacker. Just a few inches away Jameson was lying with his arm spread in a blood heap, The Murfree viciously smashing a rusty Machete down onto Jameson’s caved-in skull with a gleeful smile on his face. The sight of this…the continuing pain that reverbed through his skull like a drum…
“RAAAAAAGGGGHHHHH!”
…Made him snap!
He yelled out in bloodthirsty fury. The wrong time for the Murfree to plummet his barefoot toward Joel’s skull again as he soon found out. Joel gritted his teeth as he gripped the Murfree’s ankle with his right hand, with the other he grabbed three toes and with one mighty pull ripped them from his opponent’s foot. The Murfree yelled out in agony as he tipped over, blood escaped out from the pit of red that once held his middle three toes. Joel capitalised as in one movement he pushed himself up and pinned his muscular weight against the Murfree’s chest. The Murfree had barely managed to wheeze in agony before Joel had grabbed a clump of his wiry hair. Joel did not waste a second as he slammed Murfree’s head against the ground with all of his furious might.
THUNK!
THUNK!
THUNK!
Three impacts to the back of Murfree’s skull finally led to it giving way. An explosion of red erupted as the Murfree’s was practically crushed into a fine paste. Joel looked down at the splattered cadaver beneath him and began breathing frantically, remnants of his fury and adrenaline that escaped from his lips. “O-Oh G-good God!” Joel heard making him turn back to where he saw Tommy fending off his attacker. Thankfully, Tommy was still alive as his attempted murderer had stood up in fright his hands shaking like a leaf. Tommy took advantage of this, rising from the ground with rock in hand and cratered it into his skull sending him tumbling over.
(Stop Music)
Now there was only one man left, the one standing over Jameson’s bloody corpse. He immediately dropped his weapon and raised his hands in the air in surrender. “W-WAIT P-PLEASE DON’T KILL ME PLEASE!” he pleaded in his thick accent, his dirtied hands shaking like a leaf from the adrenaline. As Joel stood back up and grabbed his downed rifle he did not dignify that plea for mercy with a response, glaring daggers at him as he took aim.
“W-W-WAIT H-HANG ON I-I CAN HELP YOU! Y-YOU’RE LOOKIN’ FER SUPPLIES RIGHT!?” This pleading frustrated Joel as he gripped his gun tighter with fury but Tommy signaled for his brother to put the gun down, Joel unwillingly did so as he exhaled pure anger from his nostrils. “Yeah, we are.” The man smiled revealing his jagged yellow teeth that sat on his bleeding gums. “A-Alright there’s a hidden military base just north of here. Out near Dewberry Creek…it’s dug in the hills.” He said through laboured breaths and winces of pain. He continued; “We heard that it’s empty after those bitin’ folk came along a year er two ago…that its filled with supplies like ammunition a-a-and medicine!” his voice as shaky as his hands. Tommy looked quickly at Joel his green eyes widened, while Joel cynically scowled in response
“You can’t seriously be believin’ him he’s clearly lying!” he whispered harshly as he leaned closer to his brother. “Yeah he could be…but what if he isn’t? This’d help us a lot, Joel! Look we could check in the morning. It can’t hurt to at least check right?” While Joel was usually the one to make these decisions…Tommy had a point. It couldn’t hurt to at least take a look. He sighed as he lowered the weapon slowly his eyes closed in anger.
“Oh thank god a-are yall gonna let me g-?!”
BANG!
The Murfree yelled out in pure agony as he held onto the crimson crater that replaced his knee. “Well in terms of killing you? Good news is that you don’t need to worry about that. But that doesn’t mean I believe you. So this is insurance just in case you’re lying…and if you are lying…well all I’ll say is that you’ll wish I had aimed for your head!” Joel holstered the rifle and walked towards the wounded Murfree, grabbing hold of his overalls and dragged him behind him like a wheelie-bag. Tommy followed after his brother silently as he glared into the Murfree’s eyes. Making sure that he understands the threat. When the two brothers and their prisoner escaped from the forest they whistled for their horses.
The sound of galloping hooves was all Joel needed to know that the two horses were on their way through the seemingly endless white fog. Within what felt like seconds the horses finally arrived stopping a few feet away. Joel helped Tommy stack the already frostbitten corpses of their companions onto the back of his brother’s horse. After, he looked down on the Murfree finding that he had passed out. Joel grabbed onto the knocked-out man’s back and with some effort threw him onto the back of his horse. The two brothers mounted their steads and rode off to get back to the town.
“As much as I’ve dreaded ever coming into contact with those Van der Linde boys…I’d have preferred to see them than these brutal bastards!” Tommy yelled from behind as Joel was following him. “Yeah well, at least they didn’t manage to get in. Who knows what the hell they would have happened!” The two brothers made sure to look around them, every tree line, every square inch of snow could be housing backup Murfree Broods. “So do you actually believe that there’s some hidden military base? That has everything we need…seems kind of suspicious don’t you think? It sounds like it could be a trap!” “Well...he’s probably lying but we don’t know for sure. Maybe it is real. If it is a trap then we’re just gonna have to fight our way out of there. It’s a risk worth taking.” Joel ruminated on this and looked on as the entrance of the gate became more and more visible.
His eyes went blank as the gate was pushed open, a view of the small town as some men and women walked out of the opened entrance. “We ran into them, Murfree bastards…Jameson and Obidiah didn’t make it. Brutal Bastards!” Tommy cursed as the aforementioned men and women grabbed hold of the resident corpses taking them away so that they could have a proper burial. “We managed to catch one of them as well. We’re gonna keep him alive for a bit…now that doesn’t mean you have to treat him well.” Joel joked, one of the two men chuckled as they also took away the unconscious Murfree. The two brothers marched their horses slowly through the opened entrance. After a few seconds, they both got off their horses. Joel intended to take hold of his horse's stirrup but Tommy grabbed hold of it instead. “Hey don’t worry I’ll handle it. I’m thinking we should leave early…like five maybe. And Joel…you should invite Ellie out for the search tomorrow…it might be good for the two of you.” Joel nodded his head in appreciation to which Tommy then brought the two horses towards the stable leaving Joel on his own again.
Joel stood still like he was frozen in place he looked down as he felt anxiety boiling inside of him. His breaths became laboured as he felt like someone had reached into his chest and was squeezing his heart. Joel’s consciousness glazed over as he began mindlessly walking towards a wooden cabin that seemingly pulled him towards his tranced state like a magnet. He did not even realise how he had started moving when he reached the door. He felt like he had teleported but there was nothing he could do about it now. He slowly raised his hand, enclosing it so that the joints of his fingers and his knuckles were facing the wooden door.
KNOCK!
KNOCK!
Nothing. Seconds pass and nothing happens. The lights were on but the lack of noise from inside would make anyone believe that it was empty. Joel sighs again and opens the door. The cabin was very cozy on the inside, the walls were adorned with posters of people that the nearly sixty-year-old Joel wouldn’t even be able to guess the identity of. Might as well have been aliens to him. He smiles to himself as he looks around the home, he is glad that after all the trauma that he and Ellie faced throughout the Apocalypse, she was able to live a somewhat normal life. Where she could just be a teenage girl. With a full life of possible happiness ahead of her. Finally, he came across Ellie’s study room, its decoration reflected her personality as textbooks were placed on the shelves alongside comic books. He always thought they were silly, especially with their corny catchphrase in it; “Endure and Survive”.
Joel finally found Ellie in this room, her fiery red ponytail facing him. “Ellie?” He called as he stepped towards her. She didn’t respond because of the wired earphones that she wore while she doodled in her sketchbook. Since she couldn’t hear him Joel took the opportunity to lightly nudge the leg of her chair causing it to swerve as Ellie jumped from shock. She hastily took out her earphones and turned around, only calming down when she saw Joel standing there. “Jesus you almost gave me a heart attack.” she said jokingly turning her chair fully around to face Joel who smirked in response.
While a few months ago they were very close but ever since Joel had taken her from the Firefly lab they have been…somewhat distant. Not outwardly malicious but they weren’t as joking with each other as there was an air of awkwardness that filled their interactions. While Ellie didn’t know the full extent of what happened that day she knew that Joel wasn’t being fully honest with her.
Ellie quickly tried to mend this silence “So um Joel what’s up?” forcing Joel to respond quickly “Well…me and Tommy found a fella who claimed that there was some military base full of medicine just north of here. So me and Tommy were gonna check it out in the morning. I was wondering if you wanted to join in?” The dreaded silence once again filled the room as Ellie thought about this proposal. Joel looked to the floor fully expecting to hear her say no. “Okay yeah sure” she said quietly. His face seemed to lighten up hearing this. “G-Great! Tommy was saying that we’ll probably leave around five.” Joel said in a noticeably happier tone, Ellie nodded “Yeah okay see you then”
“Yeah…see you then…” Joel turned away and walked out of the room, stopping in his tracks to look down. It was nice that he may be able to spend time with Ellie but it doesn’t change the fact that he had lied to her…told her that her immunity to the virus meant nothing to hide and that he had killed everyone who could possibly rebuild the world to what it used to be. Just like then he was desperate to regain the father-daughter relationship. He had to come clean. He thinks to himself that he may tell her the truth after this search for the abandoned military base. But the thought of how Ellie would react to this…that she would rightfully hate him. The thought of it was just too painful.
Chapter 2:[]
Exterior. New Hanover. Evening.
Hooves step delicately onto the pale ground, the subtle sound of crunching accompanied with each step the creature took. Its large and jagged antlers that spread like wings easily identified the creature as an Elk. The Elk looked around itself trying to find any subtle sign of a predator that could attack it, when safety felt assured the creature perked its head down trying to use its tongue to brush away the snow to get to the suspected grass underneath. The sharp cold wind blew across its body like a volley of arrows causing it to shiver. Luckily for the Elk, it found a patch of grass that it quickly began to chomp down on…
WOOSH!
An arrow sailed gracefully and quickly through the air, within a second making home within the side of the Elk’s throat. An artery was punctured in that second. The creature didn’t have any time to respond, a small yelp escaped from its mouth before it limply toppled over. Death quickly took over the creature before it could suffer any more turning limp. An intentionally painless death on the part of the hunters who trudged down a hill that they had used for a vantage point, two large men who looked like they had done this numerous times before. “Thankfully it didn’t suffer at all” One man said, a Native American with long black hair, his voice was calm and low. No aggression lived within his soul and it was easy to tell.
The other man was white and had long medium-brown hair that reached down that reach over the top of his ears, and a dark grey hat that had string wrapped around it lay atop his head. He pushes his arm through the gap between the string and the bow allowing it to rest on his left shoulder. “Yeah…well I just wish that we could’ve gotten more to eat for camp.” The man said, his voice commanding but also comforting. A voice belonging to a man who committed acts of selfish evil…but also acts of selfless kindness. Truly a paradox this man was an Outlaw who had morals and was willing to do good. To many people he comes across he’s a guardian angel who had not only saved their lives but also gave them wisdom…but to Lawmen they see him as the violent right-hand muscle of a hardened gang of criminals. But either way, they knew him as Arthur Morgan.
Arthur suddenly coughed reflexively bringing his enclosed hand to his stubbled mouth, a grim reminder of the disease that he knew was going to eventually kill him. He didn’t let himself think about it too much…or well any more than he already did as he spat the remnants of his spluttering that he had become all too familiar with. His hunting partner Charles Smith looked over at Arthur with concern in his eyes, while he was well aware of his gangmate’s condition it still frightened him every time he heard Arthur’s sharp coughs. “We should probably get back to camp…knowing our luck today this is probably the most we’re probably going to get” Charles said patting Arthur on the back. “Just to warn you feller it’s gonna be a bumpy ride!” Morgan joked as he picked up the Elk’s corpse and carried it on his free shoulder, Bringing it towards his horse that was trotting up to him.
With Arthur mounted atop his steed they embark on their journey. The golden light of the sun slowly descending into the horizon acted as a lantern for them to follow. While the wind howled in their ears like wolves they were steadfast and made their way through the bleached desert. Arthur clutched onto the collar of his thick heavyset coat as he found himself in the midst of another coughing fit as he tried to stay focused, not wanting to fall behind Charles in the blizzard. “You alright Arthur?” he yelled from behind him. The concern in Charles’ voice made Arthur smile after he spat onto the snowy floor, “I’m fine I’m fine. Even if I wasn’t this ain’t really the best place to take a break” Charles chuckled in response “That’s very true. Thought that since we escaped from that mountain it would be a while before I saw snow again…little did I think that the mountain followed us”
“Well, that’s just it…” Arthur began a somber tone crept into his voice “It seems that ever since Blackwater all we’ve been doing is getting followed. If it ain’t the O’Driscoll’s then it’s them FEDRA boahs…” Charles nodded; there was a truth in that. A whole lifetime of criminal activity and all it took was for one heist to go wrong and the whole ship was sinking. The Van der Linde gang had been running for what felt like months now. Every time they tried to settle down in any outlying town it was not long before they were discovered and forced to run. It had been very hard. Tensions were high as membership had dwindled to a parody of the tight-knit family that they once were. With them either evacuating for safety and a chance for a new life…or they had lost theirs and had made a grave their new home.
“If there’s a God…wouldn’t surprise me if this was his doin’ for the lives we lived…”
Arthur had zoned out for the majority of the ride towards Beaver Hollow. He felt like he had been doing that more often since he was diagnosed with Tuberculosis. The many thoughts that rushed throughout his head…the random memories from his life that would force his attention towards them. He regained his composure as he and Charles made their way up a hill slowly rising hill. This hill was one of the few places spared from the torrential snow, while it was still present it was not nearly of an inconvenience. As they got higher up in the hill Arthur looked to his right towards a town that had become very familiar to him. Well, saying it was a town may be too generous as it was essentially a human-pig sty, a collection of wooden houses inhabited by people who wouldn’t be too different from the Murfree Brood. He always hated this sight because it reminded him too much of the state of the Van der Linde gang. People stuck in the past scrambling around the snow for scraps refusing to do anything to improve their lives.
But the sprawling forest in front of them was affected by the blizzard just like everywhere else. The once powerful trees were defiled and naked, their leaves stripped and dropped to the ground only to be hidden by the snow. However, despite this, there was a beacon, a single flame that burned as bright as a star through the rapidly moving pale winds. As Arthur and Charles instinctively came closer and closer to their lantern the more they could see the place where they had set up camp; A massive cave illuminated by what looked like a campfire. The entrance was so deep that it looked like a portal to a dark world without end that had always made its home in the center of the hill. As Arthur squinted his eyes he saw a young man holding a rifle, any details of this individual were impossible to infer as they just looked like a shadow of the winter season.
The man raised his rifle and pointed it toward Arthur and Joel with one fluid motion. “Whose there!?” the man said his Mexican accent while subtle was still enough to identify this man as Javier. “It’s us!” Arthur yelled loudly in response. Javier responded by lowering his rifle and welcoming them without saying a word. Arthur knew their friendship had come to a close but it was still sad to see that he had chosen to follow Dutch’s insane ramblings like a moth to a flame. They rode on past the snow and past Javier when finally the overhang of the cave acted as a roof, they hopped off their horses and walked forward. Arthur had the limp elk over his shoulder like a carpet as they made their way towards an orange light. Before they actually made it to the improvised campsite they heard his raspy voice.
“Oh look Blacklung is back!”
It was a voice that was enough to get a guttural reaction from Arthur, a voice that made him scowl on instinct. Made even worse was that the owner of the voice had walked up to Arthur and Charle. He was a sickly selfish man who was a complete parasite to the gang ever since he had gained Dutch’s sympathies. His name is Micah Bell and he was the person that Arthur believed was using them like mosquitoes would an animal. To simply feeds off of them for his own personal gain and then leaves them when it is not convenient. Arthur sometimes wondered to himself if Micah did this not only to survive…but maybe he gets a kick out of it. Maybe the chaos, the crimson fires that he would leave behind was enough of a satisfaction. The intentions were less paramount to the insidious manipulation that he draped over Dutch’s eyes like a cloth.
“Gotta say Blacklung I thought you’d turn yella and turn tail with redskin over there. But…I’m impressed that you’re willing to still be loyal.” Charles’ lips curled in frustration as he clenched his fists. Arthur was less patient as he quickly retorted “Could say the same thing about you. You wouldn’t know loyalty if it were burnt in your damn eyelids!” He growled as he aggressively moved forward nearly shoving Micah out of the way making him laugh cockily.
Arthur finally made it to the improvised campsite where he is met by Pearson. He hands over the carcass, acknowledging Pearson’s thanks. He looks further down the cave to see a tent. Inside, a lamp creates light that completely overtakes the interior. The bright light allows Arthur to see the shadowy visage of the leader of this gang…and a man whom he had considered his own father, Dutch van der Linde. It saddened him how this silhouette of this man did not inspire him anymore, it’s a terrifying thing when the beacon that you followed for your entire life has become dim. Their ideals become hollow as a faint afterglow. What caught Arthur off guard even more was that Dutch…didn’t move. He was completely still.
Was he always like that?
“God damn it Dutch…”
While the food helped somewhat the inescapable tension that had followed the group for months now was creeping itself back in like a shadow. Arthur lifted the spoon from the bowl of Elk stew and placed it into his mouth, he looked forward to seeing Dutch sitting between Micah and the new lackeys he had brought with him. Arthur couldn’t remember their names but he knew he didn’t like them. There they were sat alongside Bill and Javier, all looking at him with distrusting eyes as if Arthur was truly the traitor. As if those decades of loyalty he had pledged had meant nothing, that at the first sign of trouble, he would turn tail and run. What made it even worse is that Dutch was among the glaring audience. His dark eyes burrowed into his soul like drills.
But Arthur’s train of thought was interrupted by a soft sigh beside him, he looked down to see the infant Jack Marston standing in front of his mother Abigail. “Mama I’m still hungry” the child complained, “I’m sorry Jack…there’s nothing left” she responded sadly. Arthur looked at Abigail and knew immediately that she had given up her meal. “Hey Jack my eyes were bigger than my stomach. Have the rest of mine” he offered handing the plate to Jack’s tiny gloved hands. “Oh wow, thanks Uncle Arthur!” his smile reaching from ear to ear. Jack gleefully began eating before Abigail could protest. “Thanks, Arthur…” She sighed with gratitude. “Wouldn’t feel right seein’ him go hungry. You have any idea where Marston ran off to?” he leaned forward as he said this using his elbows as support atop his knees.
(Stop Music)
“He told me that he was goin’ out to look at a ‘tip’ but whatever that is remains to be seen” Arthur and Abigail chuckle “Well as long as he comes back this time then I don’t mind too bad” as he said this however he could hear Javier yelling in the same direction that he and Charles had come from. “Speak of the devil” Abigail joked as the silhouette of John Marston came closer toward them. He wrapped himself tightly in his long gray coat to protect himself from the sharp cold winds. “Thank god there ain’t any wolves out there” John joked his grin almost as visible as the scar that ran down his face like a birthmark. He greeted his wife and son before he turned to Arthur, his face looked like it had been carved into stone. “Arthur, need to talk to you about somethin’”. Without a second thought, Arthur stood and followed John. They moved away from the fire to where nobody else could hear them.
John leaned toward Arthur “Arthur I found somethin’...that could be a big help here”
“Well you don’t need to make a song and dance about it”
“Well, I ran into a couple of O’Driscoll stragglers. Didn’t think there’d be much left of em. Anyway, he told me that over at Dewberry Creek, there’s a military base hidden there. The place was apparently emptied a few weeks back.” Arthur looked at John trying to be patient despite the fact that he wanted him to get to the point. “Here’s the important part. Apparently, the place is loaded with not just food but medicine too. I think there could be somethin’ there.”
“I mean that sounds like a good fantasy…” He sighed as he rubbed his mouth in an attempt to combat the coldness that crept up his face as he continued “But it feels too…convenient. From what I’ve learnt these past few months…” Arthur looked toward Dutch once again who was huddled over the fire a glazed-over look in his eyes as Micah spoke words of hellfire into his eyes “That anything that sounds really convenient…is probably bullshit.” John sighed in an understanding response “Look I get that but what if it is real? Just the thought of an empty building full of food just sitting there while we’re starvin’...God it just makes me angry beyond words” Arthur nodded his head as he released a heavy breath. “Yeah me too…but I don’t know if I can risk going out in that storm for something that…could be bullshit you know? Even worse is that we can’t be the only fellers who have heard about this. At best we run into some other fellers or at worst the place is already empty…” Arthur hated saying this, he wanted to believe that this was real. The thought of such a site of promise existing makes his stomach flutter with hope…but he had to be realistic. To not only protect himself but the other gang members along with John and his family. John nodded in agreement.
Arthur put his hand on John’s shoulder to comfort him. But this loving act was interrupted when Arthur looked up to see Micah walking towards him with Dutch beside him, he could almost see the invisible lead that Micah had on Dutch and it made him sick. Micah wringed his gloved hands together as he walked toward Arthur and John: “Oh look Marston and Blacklung are having a little chat?” Even just this sentence nearly made John want to leap on Micah and dash his brains in “I hope you guys aren’t convin’ with each other. Because as you always say Arthur…the camp always gets its take!” Micah made sure to add emphasis to this sentence almost like he was enjoying not only infuriating Arthur and John but also sewing distrust between them and Dutch at the same time.
“Yes, boahs…” Dutch spoke as he leaned forward like a disappointed parent, he spoke with his usual theatrical voice…a voice that would convince a man to do anything but it was defiled with a threatening aura “I don’t much appreciate secrets. Especially when it’s family. So please…tell me what you boahs were talkin’ about!”a silence proceeded this threat as John exhaled loudly from his nostrils. He looked up at Arthur who silently beaconed him to repeat what he just told him. John did this while Arthur glared at Micah. That cocky smile on his face that revealed too much of his bulky ugly teeth, was enough to make him grit his teeth in fury.
“Well that’s mighty interesting. Veeery disappointed that you boahs would be hidin’ this from us!” Micah taunted as he clapped his hands together the gloves dulling the sound of the impact of his colliding palms. Dutch rubbed his chin in deep thought his eyes emptily staring into space “Wouldn’t have thought that the O’Driscoll’s would still be going after Colm died…god damn cockroaches!” The fury was palpable in Dutch’s theatrical voice. His eyes lightened up as he unhooked his hands from his chin “Well let’s steal from him beyond the grave! We’ll ride there tomorrow!” Arthur’s eyes widened in response as Dutch quickly turned around with Micah following behind him. Arthur and John looked at each other nervously as he soon followed after Dutch. “Dutch do you really think that’s a good idea? That storm ain’t gettin’ any better and to be goin’ out there for somethin’ that could be nothin’ is just sloppy!” Arthur reasoned making Dutch stop and turn around slowly.
“Maybe sloppy is what we need Arthur. Can’t have good without a sacrifice. Any sacrifice I’m willing to make because I still believe Arthur…and I don’t need to sneak around to move toward that dream!” Dutch’s snide remark quickly silenced Arthur making him stand with his head tilted down in silence. Dutch once again walked toward the campfire. “I have just been told that there’s a base full of supplies in Dewberry Creek. We’re gonna take the risk tomorrow morning to ransack this place.” He spoke aloud. His voice was captivating like the voice of God himself. Everyone looks at him as he continues. “Because unlike some other people here…” he says as he looks toward Arthur and John “I am willing to do anything to keep this dream going. We are going to get out of here…and we are going to thrive with the boost that these gifts will afford us!” While there were days when Arthur would have been inspired by Dutch’s almost hypnotic form of speaking, those days were over, because now to him it was all just hollow…a flowery speech with all the right words, like a king with a forked tongue to his desperate footsoldiers.
John looked back at Arthur “I feel like I should have kept that to myself…” Arthur sighed as he once again put his hand on John’s shoulder just like before he had been interrupted. “Look. Nothin’ we can do now…” Arthur looked towards Charles, hunched over the campfire still eating his meal as he nodded in response. He turns his attention to Sadie Adler who similarly nods through her blonde fringe nods just like Charles as she sharpens her knife. He looks back at John “We just need to watch each other’s backs”.
With one comforting pat to John’s shoulder Arthur leaves allowing him to join his family at the campfire. Now alone Arthur walks towards the entrance of the cave. The sight of snow pedals falling delicately falling from the sky like dancers in the wind enthralled Arthur giving him a sense of peace as he takes out a cigarette out. Lighting it from a match and taking a deep breath he was quickly reminded by the declining state of the gang. That not only was his family falling apart. Not only was he losing life with each bloodied cough. But also the possibility that he can’t makeup for the years worth of horrible actions that he made throughout his life. He isn’t a believer but the thought of standing before the gates of brimstone is enough to reawaken a fear he hadn’t felt since he was a little boy…
“What a god damn mess!”
Chapter 3:[]
Exterior. Dewberry Creek. Morning
The sun had only recently raised over the darkened horizon, bidding an ominous greeting to the new day. The sun’s deific light spread across the land with no time at all, swarming the snow-covered mountains and valleys in its condemnable golden light turning the pale snowy grounds into that of hellfire orange. The darkened clouds in the sky loomed over the land reminding its residents that the warmth of a new day needed to be fought for to be enjoyed.
Joel rode on through this new day. Bouncing rhythmically up and down as his horse trotted through the pale glazed uneven ground. However, he was not on his own as a convoy of trusted comrades rode through the path. While he led ahead just behind him were Tommy and Ellie who were being followed by three men Seth, Justin, and Carl who acted as backup just in case this exploration went ary. Ellie looked at the awakened sun with glazed-over eyes, distracted by its beauty but also by the intrusive thoughts that followed her like ghosts. One that would stay in her head from the moment she woke up to the moment she went to sleep
What happened at that hospital? Joel always told her that they tried to make a cure…but it didn’t work out well. That they weren’t able to make a cure but she didn’t know if she could trust that. It was a weird feeling for her. She heard Joel’s words and believed them like scripture like she always did…but it was his face. His face completely betrayed any notion of believing him…mainly his eyes. The guilt that swam through his darkened pupils felt like neon signs that read “I’m lying” but she wanted to believe him more than anything. The thought of him lying to her face made her sick. But maybe it was time that she asked…perhaps it is better to rip off the band-aid now and ask after this bunker situation is handled.
“You okay Ellie?”
“Yeah I’m fine”
They rode on through the pale new day with the laid-out Murfree swayed limply with each stride that Joel’s horse made. Embedded in the hallway of snow that covered their path were the strewn corpses of creatures with rotting flesh and blank eyes and mouths covered in blood, some of the cadavers’ heads were completely deformed to the point where they were more akin to a fungus, a parody of the human form. Their decayed skin wrapped tightly around their skulls like frozen over plastic bags. “Well that’s at least a positive to this storm…those Infected don’t like it much either” Tommy said with a smirk. “Well silver linings they always say.” Joel joked as the limp Murfree had slowly awoken. His exposed body shivered as the cold wind submerged him like a wave of ice water. But he didn’t say anything. Nothing at all. His fight had completely left him as he knew that there was no way that he could escape this encounter.
“Been meaning to ask. I overheard from somebody in town that there is a whole gang of these guys. What is he a cowboy or something?” Ellie asked jokingly not knowing how accurate her statement was.
“Well funnily enough he kinda is.” Tommy responded.
“What no way!”
“It’s true. Back when the outbreak started society broke down pretty quickly. After that there was a good chunk of the country that weren’t getting supplies and since there were no people to actually enforce the law…it just kinda naturally devolved if that makes sense. Basically, there’s a whole section of the country that acts like it’s the 1880s.”
“Well…shit…that’s crazy!” Ellie shook her head from side to side in disbelief. “Although now that you mention I do remember hearing some people talking about a Glanton Gang when I was younger…didn’t think they’d be cowboys”
“What I will say is that if it was them boys we would have been in a lot more trouble that’s all I’ll say.” An exasperated sigh escaped from Joel’s mouth as his chest expanded and contracted with the release of tension. He had heard that they were in Mexico so they shouldn’t be too much of a problem. But that relief was quickly slain when he remembered that this was prime ‘cowboy country’ with plenty of gangs that could possibly get in their way. The rising sun painted their silhouettes into the snow like a portrait as they silently rode on.
As the edge of the cigarette burned down a plume of smoke billowed out, swirling into concentric grey cloud before vanishing into the wintery atmosphere. Arthur took in this smoke as he looked over the frozen bog that was Dewberry Creek. It was an area that Dutch had previously thought of moving the gang to but it only took Arthur one glance to realise why this plan fell through. Arthur didn’t know what would be more frustrating. That if there wasn’t anything then they would have completely wasted their valuable time and effort which could be better distributed or if there really was a military base…then he and Charles missed it. The thought that they cluelessly rode through the valley of lifelessness and completely missed their salvation. The salvation that was practically staring at them. Beckoning them to enjoy the fruits of its contents.
The ambiance of the winter morning was interrupted for Arthur by the cacophony of clops from behind him. The rest of the gang consisting of Dutch, Micah, Javier, Sadie, Bill, Charles, and John had caught up to Arthur after what felt like the calmest hours that he’d felt in weeks. “Spread out!” Dutch commanded pointing furiously forward “I want every inch of this shithole searched. I’m not letting this slip through my fingers!” It was a very direct order so everyone followed darting in different directions while Dutch lingered behind with Micah beside him like a ball to a chain. Sadie, John and Charles quickly followed Arthur like a convoy. John seemed to have a look of shame on his face as he rode, Arthur wished he could offer some sort of support to his brother but frankly…it was too difficult for him.
Time seemed to flow like molasses as minutes felt like hours to the outlaws while they slowly explored the expansive area. This wintery weather made it harder to search than it usually would for the gang as it involved as much shoveling away snow as it did actually looking for any indications of the base. It was slow and strenuous work so the fact that nothing was found yet created a sense of hopelessness in the air. The idea of this being a complete and utter waste of time was becoming more and more likely. As can be expected from this hope being quashed a frustrated tension burned through the cold air. This was most prevalent in Bill Williamson as he cursed loudly and stomped backward in frustration. “Great job Marston!”
“What you say?!” John yelled as he turned his head to Bill who in response stomped towards him with his fists tightened like vices. Bill pointed his finger at John’s face in a fury.
“I said great job Marston for completely wastin’ our goddamn time!”
“I didn’t even want to come here. It was Dutch that was so insistent on stealing from Colm ‘from beyond the grave’ I only mentioned that to Arthur in secret you idiot!”
“Well there we go if I were to make this mistake I’d never live it down. ‘Bill you idiot how the hell did you believe that bullshit?!’ ‘Bill you moron’ but when it’s your mistake you don’t take responsibility. TAKE RESPONSIBILITY YOU ARROGANT BASTARD!”
“Hey!” Arthur yelled as he stepped between the two and placed his palm on Bill’s large torso and shoved him away with just enough force to not knock him over. “This ain’t helpin’ things! So why don’t get back over there you dumbass!” there was something about this sentence that infuriated Bill and it wasn’t even that he was called a dumbass. It’s that Arthur was right. He growled and stomped away towards the low cliff of frosty grass that once acted like a ramp to the rest of the grassy area. The cliff while small still towered over Bill reaching heights of maybe 15 feet thanks to the deepened ground from the snowstorm. Bill faced the cliff and reeled his foot back and in a blind wrath that only a child’s tantrum could rival he rocketed toward the dirt wall with all his might…
CLANG!
A metallic clang escaped from the impact reaching the gang members like a bell. They all looked on in confusion at the origin of the sound and stared at the cliff while he tried to keep the pain in his foot at bay so that he didn’t humiliate himself in front of the gang more than he already did. “What the hell…” Dutch mumbled as he quickly strode towards the cliff and curled his fingers before tapping on it, surprised by the metallic sound that repeated from before with less frequency. “Well that’s certainly interesting…” Micah moved quickly to Dutch’s side and rubbed the pale grass with his palm only for it to fall like leaves from a tree. “Boys get over here help me get all this grass off!” they followed this order and grabbed the fake grass and dirt by the fistful and after a few minutes enough of it was torn off to reveal a massive door made of steel that stood at around 10 feet tall.
Arthur grabbed the brim of his hat and lifted it lightly as if he did not believe what he was seeing. “Well guess you were right Marston!” Arthur said looking towards John a feeling of relief that he hadn’t felt in a while flushed over him. Sadie looks at Charles with a smile before she steps back to get a view of the whole door “But how do we get in?” she questioned aloud. Bill smiled almost like he was waiting for that question. He quickly ran towards his horse and fumbled with his saddlebag, pulling out a bundle of dynamite. He excitedly marched to the wall making everyone step away. Bill placed the bundle to the cliff but as he was about to set it alight he was stopped by Arthur putting his hand on his shoulder. “Wait this might not be a good ide-” “Got any better ideas!?” Bill interrupted him impatiently. For once Arthur actually didn’t know what to say so he stepped away a safe distance. Bill smirked as he set the bundle alight and ran to safety. The gang all watched as the small flame made its way to the bundle…
BOOM!
An explosion quickly blasted outward engulfing the cliff within less than a second. The sound could be heard for miles as birds flew away in shock fleeing for safety. A wall of smoke stood where the metal wall once was and when it died down all that was left was a hole. Dutch unfolded his arms as he was the first to make his way to the hole holding his pistols in each hand while Micah, Javier, and Bill followed after him like dogs. Arthur looked at the remaining gang members the ones that were closest to him. The ones that he truly trusted more than anybody. He went towards his own horse and pulled a rifle from his saddlebag like Bill had done before. He ran to the cliff and faced his armed comrades.
“Watch each other’s backs!” this request was met with a knowing nod before they all followed Arthur into the dark empty crater and into the abyss. Ready for whatever fight may face them…
“I gotta take a piss” It was the first thing that the stoic Carl said and it was as expected stern like he did not need to explain himself in the slightest as he steered his horse towards the direction of a wall of bushes. The rest stopped and looked at him as he hopped off his horse and wandered into the forest disappearing into its darkened embrace. Ellie scoffed at this unprofessionalism while Joel scowled at the valuable time being wasted here. “Make it quick Carl we can’t waste too much time here!” Joel bellowed into the frozen forest. There was a gap between Joel’s yell as palpable as the cold air for a few seconds before it was interrupted by Carl once more “Joel, Tommy c’mere you’re gonna wanna see this!”
They all glanced at each other before they followed after Carl’s voice. It did not take long before Joel looked upon Carl slumped down over what looked like a collection of frozen sticks. Joel and Tommy got off their horses and stepped towards him and looked upon Carl’s discovery. A rusted-over hatch stared back at them with a valve that stared back at them with flakes of frost permeated on its hazel material. The hatch was well hidden with the wheel-shaped handle basically ground level obviously covered by the bramble of sticks and helped by the storm that created a layer of ice and snow like a carpet. “Holy shit a secret entrance!” Ellie yelled with excitement only to get a silencing look from Tommy as he placed his finger to his lips “Oh fuck sorry” she quickly apologised covering her own mouth.
No words needed to be exchanged for the mounted party members to hop off their steeds and make note of the weapons they have on them. Joel could feel it again that sense of fear that pumped through him like a drug…but that still could not compare to that adrenalic fury that made his heart beat faster and faster. His eyebrows dropped down in response to this guttural fear and fury as he glared down at the hatch and made note of the rifle that rested limply on his shoulder. Joel then nodded to Carl who twisted the wheel and pulled it upward. Joel looked down the hatch to see a ladder that seemingly led into an infinite blackness almost as if it would lead all the way through the planet and into space. Joel turned around to Tommy and Ellie and gave them a knowing nod and crawled into the opened hole and climbed down into the darkness.
Joel was the first to venture into the narrow downward valley of the unknown with only a small torch attached to his left shoulder. He crawled downward being immediately followed by Tommy and Ellie above him then Seth and Justin with Carl leaving last and closing the lid. Joel shifted his body awkwardly so that the light could shoot straight through the darkness to give any indication of a bottom. “We have a bit of a climb so if you’re below anybody make sure to warn them if you take a break” After Joel said this they finally began their descent. With the engulfing darkness of the trail, it felt for Joel like he was in one of those sensory-depravation tanks that used to be around before the end of the world. This senselessness is only interrupted by the subtle sounds of exertion from the climbers with gasps for exhausted air as their hands wrap around the metal ladder like vices.
They continued moving down with the end of the ladder beckoning them like a lantern however they were interrupted by the distant and muffled sound of an explosion the sheer energy of which made the ground twitch and creak like God had punished them with an earthquake. “What the hell is that!?” Justin yelled out in confusion as he hung on for dear life. “Sounded like…dynamite. Jesus Christ, we shouldn’t have waited till the morning!” Tommy cursed out in frustration “Look we both know that wasn’t possible. We just need to make sure we keep our eyes peeled when we get down there. No hesitation either…I have a feeling we’re fighting for our lives!” A silent agreement was held as they continued down and were finally met by the comforting light of the end of this vertical tunnel.
He lifted himself down slowly careful to not make a loud noise as he delicately landed on the metal floor beneath him. He took a second to breath as his other colleagues did the same maneuver with the same silence as a leaf falling. Without a second of thought they all pulled the weapons from their shoulders and cradled them with all the confidence in the world, they then crouched down and moved on. In front of them was another long hallway that stretched so far that the end looked like a complete shadow. Splashed across the metallic walls were haphazard splashes of crimson blood from wounds belonging to men that they will never truly know. The dreams they had or the personalities they harbored were completely dashed and they weren’t the wiser…even the appearance of these poor victims was a complete mystery. But the survivors didn’t have this in their minds as they slowly moved through the hallway.
Despite their slow movement, it took no time at all for them to actually reach the end of the hallway to which they were met by a metal door that had long since broken down leaving it to hang slanted like a battered flag in a thick storm. Joel delicately pulled the door open dreading the thought of it creaking and was immensely thankful when it didn’t. He moved through the door held it open for the fellow survivors and gently pushed it back into place before he followed after them into this mysterious unknown.
Ellie looked around the dimly lit monolith of a room barely illuminated by one dim light from the roof. To both sides of her were walls that seemed to move away from her, these walls harboured rooms of which Ellie could not see the contents with sprawling shattered windows being the only indication of this, separating them was a handrail that stared into the abyss. Metal crates were strewn about like tissue. Curiosity got the best of her as he moved to the handrail and carefully looked down. There she saw the full breadth of the base a spiral of metal floors two storeys high including the one they stood on accessed through staircases and ladders. The square opening allowed Ellie to make out that the far-off ground was not metallic and was in fact reminder that this whole base was just dug into the hills as it was a large square of dirt with a strip of natural light illuminating it.
“Jesus the size of this place…” Even Ellie whispering this made her feel like she could hear an echo from her voice. She quickly decided that it would be better to go back to the group. Suddenly a whistle from the ground floor faint but very much present like the devil’s fidel nearly made the survivors jump from shock. Joel tried to keep himself and the rest of the group calm as he focused on listening to what was going on.
“Someplace they got here…gotta say Marston you mighta hit the jackpot!”
“What is this, two floors?” A voice with a Mexican accent responded “Even if there’s nothing here we could definitely use this place as a hideout for a while…”
“That may be true my boy but she would at least have a look around. Bill and Javier, you go to the top floor. Arthur…John…you go up with em. The rest of us stay down here. Don’t stay quiet neither we don’t wanna get picked off 'case there’s other fellers here!”
“Oh shit sounds like there’s a few of them” Ellie whispered to herself. Without saying a word Joel reached up and opened up the first door to the left and opened it and made his way in allowing his colleagues to come in and close it behind him. The room they arrived in was barely illuminated by the light from outside allowing them to see flipped-over chairs, knocked-over cabinets, and shattered desks. The survivors quickly made a line underneath the window waiting and leaned against the wall with their blades and in Ellie's case knife in hand. Joel sat beside Tommy and tapped the back of his head against the wall and shut his eyes in anticipation.
Arthur sighed as Dutch gave this order and looked toward John. Bill and Javier were the first to move going to the left-hand side. They walked through the dirt floor towards a metal ladder that led to the overhanging floor above them “We’ll take this side you and Marston take the other” Bill ordered as he climbed up the ladder first and was followed by Javier, his voice was harsh which acted as a reminder of his previous temper tantrum. Arthur walked alongside John wordlessly until they got to another ladder whose position mirrored the previous one on the other side of the room. “After you” Arthur joked with a gesture, Marston smiled as he climbed up the ladder and after he was stood on the metal floor Arthur followed him.
After he reached the end of the dirty metal ladder and pulled himself up and stood up beside John who had his gun unholstered. Before Arthur could say anything he began coughing again with the flecks of blood only being stopped by his firled fist. “That cough’s getting worse…” John commented as he turned around to face Arthur. “Don’t mean that I can’t fight!” Arthur wiped the side of his hand against his jacket and pulled a Cattleman and Schofield from holsters on his hips. John nodded his head and so they moved ahead and opened the first door to the left of them as Arthur watched Bill do the same thing.
The room was surprisingly clean, unlike the rest of the base with only dirtied walls being the only complaint. This was helped however by how empty it was with only a long and thick workshop table present composed of what looks like metal. Pieces of a dismantled rifle rested on the table. “Not much to look at here” Arthur commented as he walked towards the table and noticed a lamp whose bulb had long burnt out. Arthur took hold of the lamp and held it to his eyeline.
“Huh”
“What?”
“Don’t think I’ve seen nothin like this before. Like I’ve seen them lightbulbs before alright…but not one like this” He said with a smile moving it to John’s view as he walked over.
“Now that you mention it…don’t think I’ve seen something like that before” Arthur passed the lamp over to John and held it to his eyeline and scanned its every detail. “Looks like something that’d be in Jack’s stories” John commented as he placed the lamp back down on the table allowing for them to look at it with Arthur placing his hands on his hips. He reached into the inside of his coat, grabbed a notebook and a pencil and drew the lamp within it. However, they were suddenly interrupted by the sound of a struggle from the other side of the floor along with Bill’s yell of anger. “Shit!” Arthur cursed as he quickly rearmed himself and rushed out the door with John following behind him.
Through the darkness, he noticed that around ten feet away from him and on the other side of the gap was Javier with his hands raised in the air. The reason? Because Joel had put his rifle to the back of Javier’s head and by the look in his eyes…he was willing to do anything. It didn’t take long for Arthur to notice that Bill and the rest of the gang on the ground floor had all raised their weapons and pointed them at Joel and Javier. Behind Joel the rest of the Survivors swarmed outward like the Romans did in a vomitorium and pointed their weapons as well it was easy to tell that while they were scared...they absolutely meant business. "Shit don’t shoot!” Arthur yelled out defiantly only for it to be nearly ignored by the fellow gangmembers.
“Look let’s all just calm down” Arthur said with his guns raised
“We don’t want any trouble!” Joel yelled out not letting his gun down for a second. “We’re desperate for food and medicine. If you let us just take that…we’ll gladly leave without hurting your friend!”
“Like hell we’ll do that!” Micah complained loudly.
“Shut Up Micah!”
A silence had cloaked the entire base in a thick fog of tension. What was most likely seconds had felt like hours to every participant. Arthur sighed.
“We can’t just let you take everything…we have too much to lose. We have women and children that we need to feed. You and your boys take half and we take the rest.”
Dutch loudly scoffed “Look son despite what some of my colleagues may say…” He quickly glares at Arthur with that silencing glare that he had become accustomed to. “Do you know who we are? We’re the Van der Linde gang! And we don’t make deals with just about anybody. So let go of my friend and leave…or we’ll just shoot you!”
Joel exhaled in anger as he basically thumped the barrel of his gun against the back of Javier’s head. “We have women and children too…so we will do anything to survive. ANYTHING. Including shooting your friend here in the head!”
(Stop Music)
BANG!
Suddenly the sound of a gunshot rang out from across the base like a sonic boom from a fighter jet. Joel turned his head just in time to see sparks of light erupting from a bullet making contact with the wall just inches away from his face. The smoke flowing from his gun like a river indicted Bill Williamson of firing this shot and his shocked expression of the shot missing proved as evidence to this.
All eyes turned to Joel as he yelled out…
BANG!
And fired a round directly into the back of Javier’s head. Blood and brain matter splattered from the newly created crater where his face was. Arthur exclaimed with sadness prevalent in his yell as Javier’s limp body slumped over the handrail like a towel. It was less than a second before complete chaos erupted with everyone taking cover. A gunfight quickly began with no hope of stopping now without a mountain of corpses. Arthur and John rushed inside the room to take cover on each side of the doorway.
Joel ran back into the room behind him with Tommy and Ellie while the rest took cover anywhere they could. Joel glared from outside the doorway with his rifle in hand.
“Javier…” Arthur solemnly said to himself. “YOU BASTARDS I’LL KILL ALL OF YOU!”
Chapter 4:[]
IN PRODUCTION...
COMING VERY SOON!
Chapter 5:[]
Chapter 6:[]
Chapter 7:[]
Chapter 8:[]
Epilogue:[]
Results[]
Advantages and Disadvantages[]
Arthur Morgan:
Joel Miller:
Soundtrack[]
The name of this track "Last Chance for Redemption" is not only a reference to the titles of both opponents' original games but also references how both games are inherently about redemption in their own ways.
The music in this track would be mostly composed of slow guitar strums with moments of high intensity to reflect the brutal action that will be presented in the fight but also the tragedy inherent with both characters. Okay look I'm not great at describing music and my raging pretentiousness can't hide it as much as I try.
Connections[]
- Arthur and Joel are both cynical and brutish protagonists from some of the most popular (and amazing) Video Games in recent years.
- Both had to experience through extremely violent and morally ambiguous lives for around 20 years. (The Apocalypse had started 20 years before the events of the first Last of Us game. While Arthur had been under the wing of Dutch van der Linde for 20 years)
- They weren't always like this as they used to have a family including a child they had held dear to them however because of events outside their control, these children were killed. Causing them to lose their innocence and become the men that they are now. (Joel lost his daughter Sarah just as the Apocalypse began. Arthur used to have a son named Isaac who was killed by bandits)
- They both have people who they were initially very antagonistic towards however as their stories progressed they over time started to see them as surrogate family members (Joel initially was very hostile towards Ellie but over time he began to view her as like his own daughter. Arthur began the story by hating John Marston but eventually began to see him as a brother)
- The narratives of both of their games involve them regaining their lost humanity and becoming better people.
- Eventually they manage to regain their humanity. However just as they had begun to be better people they were betrayed and killed by characters who are widely hated by both fanbases. (Abby and Micah respectively)
- In response these surrogate family members chased after these hated characters as revenge. But as a result of this quest for vengeance they end up destroying their chance for a happy life. (Ellie chases after Abby and while she doesn't kill her, this quest still left her alone as her girlfriend Dina broke up with her. John managed to get his own home for his family but killing Micah actually lead the Pinkertons to his home. Causing the events of Red Dead Redemption 1 where he will eventually be shot dead)
- Arthur and Joel are one-men armies with weapons and skills that make them basically unstoppable.
- They both have abilities that involve their enhanced senses which give them an advantage over their foes. (Arthur has Dead Eye while Joel has Listening Mode)
- Despite coming across as violent brutes they both have soft sides to them. They are both witty with people they are close with and they also are great artists (By looking at his journals Arthur is a very talented illustrator being able to do detailed drawings of environments and animals on the spot. While Joel is a very talented musician, particularly in playing guitar. Even when Joel was younger he dreamed of becoming a professional musician)
- They're also my favourite Video Game characters :)
Bibliography[]
- ↑ Chapter 4: "Banking, The Old American Art"
- ↑ Chapter 1: "Who the Hell is Leviticus Cornwall?"
- ↑ Specific example is taken from Chapter 2: The Sheep and the Goats but is an overall gameplay mechanic
- ↑ I was made aware by Jesterofgames (thanks very much btw) about a scene in The Last Enemy That Shall be Destroyed where before John's death he seemingly sees the bullets of rifles moving slower than they normally would. However after looking at the scene I realised I don't really see it. There is a flash yes but it's very clear that John cannot react to these bullets. They completely blitz him. This however doesn't discredit Arthur's dead eye because these rifle bullets move over twice as fast than Arthur was shown to perceive.
- ↑ Epilogue Part 2: "American Venom"
- ↑ Chapter 2: "Americans at Rest"
- ↑ As seen in Chapter 2: "A Quiet Time"
- ↑ "Chapter 4: Revenge is a Dish Best Eaten"
- ↑ "Chapter 2: Exit Pursued by a Broken Ego"
- ↑ "Epilogue Part 2: "A Really Big Bastard"
- ↑ Last of Us 1: "Bill's Town"
- ↑ While the explosive arrows are only available in the remake of Last of Us Part 1, as a Gameplay Modifier. Since this is actually a feature of the game and isn't a Mod, I decided that it would be fine to use.
- ↑ The Art of The Last of Us Part I.
- ↑ Last of Us 1: "Pittsburgh"
- ↑ Last of Us 2: "Seattle Day 3 (Abby)"
- ↑ While this feat has hilariously been calced at 1.8 m/s...I won't be using that calc because it just is kinda unfair on poor Joel. So instead I'll just be saying that he can react around 50 m/s...what I'm not fucking Death Battle leave me alone!
- ↑ Last of Us 1: "The Firefly Lab"