Rain falls in thin, endless sheets, soaking through your jacket no matter how tightly you pull it around yourself. Jesse walks a few steps ahead, scanning the empty streets of Seattle like he expects danger to crawl out of every shadow.

You can’t blame him.

“This was a bad idea,” you mutter, stepping over a collapsed street sign.

Jesse glances back at you, not slowing. “Yeah,” he says simply. “Still doing it.”

That’s the thing about him, no dramatics, no speeches. Just decisions. And once he makes one, that’s it.

You tighten your grip on your weapon, eyes flicking to the abandoned storefronts lining the road. “You really think they came this way?”

“Tracks didn’t lie,” he replies. “And neither does Ellie when she’s this mad.”

There’s something unspoken there, worry, maybe. Or something heavier. You feel it too. Ellie doesn’t do anything halfway.

A distant crash echoes somewhere deeper in the city. Both of you freeze instantly. Jesse raises a hand, signaling you to stay quiet. You nod, heart pounding, as he moves closer to the edge of a building and peers around the corner. After a second, he motions you over.

“WLF patrol,” he whispers. “Two, maybe three.”

You crouch beside him, trying to steady your breathing. “We avoid them?”

He gives you a look. “We’re not here to pick fights.”

“Could’ve fooled me.”

A faint smirk tugs at his mouth, but it fades quickly. “Stick close.”

You follow as he leads you through a narrow alley, boots splashing softly in puddles. Every sound feels too loud, every movement too slow. The city feels alive in the worst way, like it’s watching, waiting.

“Hey,” you whisper after a while. “When we find them… what then?”

Jesse doesn’t answer right away.

“We get them out,” he finally says. “Alive.”

“That’s the plan?” you press.

“That’s the only plan.”

You study him for a moment. There’s tension in his shoulders, something he’s not saying. “And if Ellie doesn’t want to leave?”

He stops walking. Rain drips from his hair as he turns to face you, expression serious. “Then we convince her.”

“And if that doesn’t work?”

His jaw tightens slightly. “Then we try harder.”

It’s not a real answer, and you both know it. But it’s enough, for now.

A sudden screech cuts through the air, followed by the unmistakable sound of infected nearby. Your head snaps toward the noise.

“Great,” you mutter.

Jesse exhales sharply, already moving. “This way.”

You run after him, adrenaline kicking in as the danger closes in. Whatever doubts you had, whatever questions lingered... they don’t matter right now.