Blind Man's Bluff is a Left 4 Dead 2 Nick/Ellis fanfic by ladyredms that takes place in a presumably alternate universe where the group doesn't meet up on the roof of the evacuation center. Rather than a campaign-by-campaign story, this story spins a different twist to the survivors' adventures, giving the universe a more realistic take while exploring their adventures during the zombie apocalypse in search of salvation.
But mainly, the story focuses on the characters, following each of their interactions with each other and each of them developing as people as well as learning to trust each other.
The story underwent a rewrite, with its most recent update on October 2020.
Blind Man's Bluff provides examples of:
- Ax-Crazy: All of the Angels. These guys are treating the damn zombie apocalypse as a roaring good time, and they even use knives instead of guns in order to get as close to their carnage as possible. And based on their philosophy, they're pretty firm believers in Social Darwinism.
- Special mention must be given to Brenda and Jerry. Especially Jerry, who seemed to delight in torturing Ellis.
- Berserk Button: If you hurt a single one of the survivors, you can count that the rest of them will rain hellfire on you.
- And if you're especially suicidal, then you'd harm Ellis in front of Nick. It doesn't matter if he's unarmed, he will try to annihilate you and all of your friends with his bare hands. Unfortunately for him, Brenda had a katana, so all he achieved through that was a katana through the shoulder.
- Beware the Nice Ones: Besides Nick, all of the Survivors are very friendly. But if you hurt one of their own, then they'll show you why they managed to survive so well in the Zombie Apocalypse.
- Break the Cutie: To date, Rochelle had to witness Chris getting his armed ripped off by a Witch when he saved her and Coach's lives. And then she had to hear his cries of agony as his arm was cauterized. And Ellis had his optimism in humanity challenged many times, starting with the ruthless female robber to getting almost tortured then slaughtered by Jerry. Then he had to watch Jerry die.
- Bunny-Ears Lawyer: All of the Survivors. Although they all have their quirks, there's a very good reason that they're all still alive during the Zombie Apocalypse.
- Character Development: All of the characters get loads of this. Rochelle slowly gains acceptance of the situation, Coach learns to share his worries with others, Ellis wisens up after one too many Break the Cutie moments, and Nick smoothly undergoes the transition from a self-obsessed asshole to a self-obsessed asshole who cares about his group.
- Chekhov's Gun: Sugar and the bullet that Nick slipped into Jerry's gun.
- Cloud Cuckoo Lander: Ellis. His cheery countenance and happy ramblings tend to either amuse, confuse, or irritate his teammates. How he manages to recount Keith stories at the drop of a hat during the zombie apocalypse is a miracle in and of itself.
- Cold-Blooded Torture: Jerry tries to inflict this on Ellis.
- Cool Big Sis: Rochelle serves as this to Ellis.
- Crazy Enough to Work: All of Ellis's plans. All of them. But special mentions include exploding a Tank with a gas station during one of the most badass car chases in history, setting zombies on fire using fire and fast food grease, and, for the kicker, summoning Witches using nothing but bags of sugar to bring down Brenda.
- Deadpan Snarker: Everyone has their moments, but standout examples have to be Nick and Rochelle.
- Door Stopper: This fic is 357 chapters long and is still continuing.
- Dude, Not Funny!: Nick tends to get this reaction In-Universe. Especially in the earlier chapters, with Nick's behavior towards Ellis. This seems to have mostly disappeared mostly due to his Character Development. However, this still pops up from time to time, like when Nick jokes about Chris's severed arm. Coach was not amused.
- Elite Mook: The Tanks serve as this big time. Each time they appear in the story, you can expect all hell to break loose. Especially when one Tank manages to chuck a slab of concrete right at them, some of the fragments striking Coach in the back of the head, causing them to lose their car and leaving him incapacitated.
- Even Evil Has Loved Ones: Brenda goes almost hysterical with rage when she believes that the Survivors brought Chris to his doom.
- Even Evil Has Standards: Even Brenda is absolutely horrified at what the military has done.
- Chris is horrified when Brenda gloats about Ellis being mercilessly murdered by Jerry. It's partially what prompts his Heel–Face Turn.
- Everyone Calls Him Bar Keep: Everyone calls Sam Coach. Except Nick.
- Evil Gloating: Brenda delivers a rather nasty one to the survivors about how Jerry was probably viciously torturing Ellis. And how she would kill them after Jerry delivered Ellis's corpse to them in pieces.
- Eye Scream: Almost happens to Nick, courtesy of a particularly grabby zombie.
- Genius Ditz: Although quirky, Ellis is damn good at making plans.
- Good Is Not Nice: Nick. He'll frequently spout off things that are unpleasant to hear, although they are necessary.
- Good Parents: Ellis and Rochelle's parent(s). Coach is quickly becoming one as well.
- Handsome Lech: Nick. Although his amorous exploits don't only extend to women.
- Heroic BSoD: Coach suffers a minor one after seeing a Charger, which makes him remember about how a lot of the football team he was coaching turned into them and pounded the rest of their teammates to death. Nick snaps him out of it, though.
- Heel–Face Turn: Chris does a rather surprising one though, in the coolest way possible.
- Heroic Will Power: All of the survivors have this. Even after receiving injuries that should leave them in a crippled pile of pain, they push through it in order to help the others.
- Hoist by His Own Petard: This happens to Jerry. After he tries to shoot Ellis, instead, his gun blows up in his face due to the bullet that Nick slipped into his gun.
- Hope Spot: Chris refuses to shoot them. So Brenda decides to do so instead.
- I Coulda Been a Contender!: Coach could've had a career in football if it hadn't been for his knee injury.
- Ironic Name: The Angels. Who are anything but. Lampshaded in-universe.
- I Surrender, Suckers: A thief tries to pull this on the Survivors. It doesn't work.
- Keet: Ellis is always the most cheerful and chatty of the survivors.
- Kick the Dog: You can tell if a situation is bad when one of the survivors does this to Ellis. They always regret this later on, though. Although it's especially cruel when Brenda and Jerry do this.
- Nick's wife Angelica does this. She divorces him even after he's hysterical with fear for her and beaten so severely he ends up in the hospital. Why? Because he ran out of money buying her things.
- Kissing Cousins: Nick says this about Ellis due to his place of birth. Ellis and Rochelle aren't amused.
- Left for Dead: Just like its namesake. However, it seems that it's taken a much darker tone. It's heavily implied that the military abandoned all the surviving humans, and did something so horrible that it left even Brenda shaken.
- MacGyvering: Ellis, with the most unlikely of things. This includes sugar and fast food grease.
- Mercy Kill: A thoroughly pragmatic one by Nick. He shoots three zombies that were dissolving in Spitter acid to get the rest of his horrified group moving. And, debatably, when he shoots a chained-up zombie.
- Mexican Stand Off: One goes on between Ellis and Brenda.
- Morality Pet: Ellis and Rochelle tend to serve as this to the entire group. Ellis is Nick's biggest morality pet, though.
- Not So Above It All: Although she's usually cool, suave, and collected, Brenda almost loses it entirely after the Survivors say they're calling the military.
- O.O.C. Is Serious Business: If any of the characters display this, the situation has gone bad. Of particular note, Ellis actually goes quiet around Jerry.
- Papa Wolf: Coach to Rochelle most definitely. But he's definitely becoming this to Ellis too.
- Parental Substitute: Coach to both Ellis and Rochelle.
- Also, one of Nick's teachers, who he claims he regarded as a father.
- Politically Incorrect Villain: There's heavy suggestions that Jerry is this.
- Roaring Rampage of Revenge: Nick is extremely close to exacting one of these on the Angels after Brenda says that Jerry will kill Ellis.
- True Companions: All of the survivors become this to each other. It's more or less summed up the best in this passage:In silence, pressed close, there was an instant of examination. They took stock - let it sink in that they were all together again, alive. Hurt, but safe. Scared - but safe. Something had long since settled between them, an unspoken but very real tie. Something familial, forged out of a bond as strong as blood.
- Ungrateful Bastard: The female thief. After being let go, she still tries to stab them in the back.
- Vitriolic Best Buds: Although the "friends" portion can be debated, Coach and Nick nonetheless respect each other. Usually with a whole lot of snark.
- What the Hell, Hero?: Nick delivers an absolutely BRUTAL one to Coach after he accidentally sets a horde on them. Needless to say, it hits home.
- Yaoi Fangirl: Rochelle serves as this. She knows about Ellis and Nick's relationship, and she's definitely supportive of it.