I like thinking about a reader who is a lot like Joel from The Last of Us. Lost someone close to them like a brother/son/nephew/cousin/etc. and shut people out afterwards. Went years turning away the world. Wary of strangers and even acquaintances, trusting maybe one person completely (from home world), and does not want to be with the group.
Only later in their travels does reader grow closer with the boys and more protective, until eventually the chain is taken(like Ellie) by a too massive/powerful hoard and its just reader left to try and get them out. Que taking out a bigass base (or multiple, damn Joel 😭🙏🏻) on their own to save the people they now view as family in the most brutal way possible, all morals out the window.
"What did you do?...."
"I saved them (her)"