[ He's prepared for her to fight for the gun, ready to break her wrist if necessary to get it away. Instead, she lets go almost immediately, taking advantage of his momentary focus on the gun to slip from his grip and stomp on his foot.

The thick boot he's wearing helps cushion the blow, but it's not enough to block it entirely. Joel grunts in pain, doubling over slightly, and Ellie darts out from under his arm, hightailing it across the room. Oh, no. She's not gonna get away that easy.

Unlike Cullen, this Mirror is nimble and frighteningly fast. Unlike David, he's completely sane, and has always kept immense control over his own emotions. Another man might have let his anger and frustration get to him, might have retaliated against Ellie's attacks immediately, shouting threats or shooting wildly at her and giving her another precious few seconds to escape. Not Joel. He shoves the handgun into the back of his waistband for potential later use and charges after her, tackling her to the ground and holding her there with her arms twisted up painfully behind her and his knee digging into her lower back. ]

Uh-uh, [ he breathes into her ear, uncomfortably close. ] No more of that now. [ He presses his knee harder into her back, twists her arms up higher. Makes absolutely sure that she's secure this time, without any hope of getting away. Ideally, eventually, she'll start crying or begging him to let her go. There's nothing Joel relishes more than the sound of someone else terrified and helpless, completely at his mercy.

For the moment, he smiles grimly, pressing Ellie down into the carpet. ]

You're gonna pay for what you did to him, [ he starts, voice gravelly and low. ] You stupid little bitch. You think you mean anything to him? [ He laughs hollowly. ] I dunno how he fuckin' stands you, whining all the time. Your stupid jokes. If I was him I woulda killed you a dozen times already.

I should just kill you now. Be doin' him a favor. Maybe he'd finally see, huh? See how much better off he is without you.