Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

At the center of a once bustling supermarket in Prescott, Arizona... all hell broke loose.

It started with a simple misstep from one Lane Walters, catching his foot on one of the shelves and tripping into shelf of rotten apples, sending the fruit flying in every direction..

Heads snapped towards the source of the noise, eyes wide in fear. Yet at the front of the group stood Jack Henderson, standing still. Calm and calculated.

Then, the sudden sound of the oncoming horde filled the room. The groans from the undead grew louder, closing in fast and Jack knew they didn't have much time.

"Everybody, run to the door," Jack whispered, his voice surprisingly calm despite the urgency

And they did. Taking soft steps, the group ran toward the front of the supermarket, narrowly avoiding the apples that had fallen just a moment ago.

Then, the first Infected spotted the group. A woman with nearly gray skin stained with blood, several open wounds and intestines left out in the open, her eyes lifeless and black. With an angry, hungry growl, the Infected immediately started heading toward their direction and all other Infected followed suit.

Not able to be quiet anymore, Jack led his group toward the front door where there would inevitably be more of the Infected who had heard the commotion from within the store.

Victor Gomez's brown eyes scanned the area ahead, spotting the entrance to the supermarket where crowds of Infected were scattered about. "Jack... I don't think the door is the best idea."

Yasmin took a deep breath, brushing her raven hair away from her face, then glanced around her surroundings. "What about the loading dock?" she asked.

Jack nodded and gestured for the group to follow him.

Everyone followed suit as Jack made a sharp turn, making his way toward the door with a faded sign reading "Employees Only" on it.

"Jack, we're going to attract a shit ton no matter what way we go," Christa Holt said, adjusting the strap of her backpack.

Jack paused for a moment before responding, only for Lane to respond first.

"I can turn back and cause a distraction," Lane said suddenly. There was conviction in his voice and it was clear he meant what he said. "If I split up, they'll follow me and it'll give you guys a straight shot out."

"No," Jack said immediately, not even considering the option. The idea of letting Lane run off alone, potentially losing him sent something deep and dark through his chest. He ignored it. "You're sticking with us."

Lane swallowed nervously, his voice shaky as they continued making their way to the door. "Jack, if they box us in then none of us will make it. I can-"

"I said no," Jack says, sharper this time. He's not letting any of them, let alone Lane run head-first into danger.

Lane went silent. He knew it was his fault he put them in this situation and he wanted to get them out of it.

"Well, then what are we supposed to do?" Kevin, his messy blonde hair falling in his eyes.

Jack thinks for a moment, the employee-only door getting closer and closer, knowing he's running on borrowed time. He knows this store like the back of his hand and knows he can get them out of it safely.

"We're gonna make them come at us only one way. Stay close to me," Jack says firmly, not asking but demanding.

The group stays silent and they enter the backroom of the supermarket. Yasmin finds a few crates next to the door and rushes Bridgette, her long, light brown hair falling forward, and Kevin to her side, barricading the door the best they can.

Jack analyzes the shelves and looks at the end of the aisle, spotting some heavy equipment on it.

Suddenly, the Infected begin to pound on the weakly-barricaded door, with it giving way as more and more Infected pound against it.

"Victor, Kevin. I need you to push that shelf once we pass," Jack says, his voice calm and collected as he points to the shelf.

"Got it," they respond.

"That won't buy us enough time," Yasmin says, "It'll give us maybe a few seconds before they're able to climb over it."

"Well, we don't have enough time to come up with another plan, unless you've got something better," Kevin mutters.

Yasmin glances around the room and sighs, realizing their options are limited.

"It's settled. Everybody, head out the door now," Jack says, his voice urgent.

They all run down the aisle and suddenly, the crates against the door are sent flying everywhere as the Infected begin to pour into the backrooms.

Finally, they reach the end of the aisle and the group pauses for a moment, watching as Victor and Kevin tip over the shelves. Immediately, they begin running and see that the Infected are staggering and stumbling over both the shelves and each other.

Jack continues leading the group to the loading docks where he quietly but slowly opens the door, not wanting attract any more attention from the Infected.

They can see that there are still a few of the Infected scattered around, but significantly less than there were at the entrance. This could work.

Jack looks around, looking for anything that can help them get out of this mess but the area seems to be cleared out and the Infected are rapidly approaching.

"We're gonna have to run," Jack says, his voice firm.

"What!? We'll never outrun them and we're only going to attract more of them," Christa says, her voice panicked.

Lane looked to the door, then back to the area outside. She was right, the infected were just about to exit the building and head straight for them.

"Now," Jack says.

Everyone begins running out of the building and, as if on cue, the horde of Infected start pouring out of the building onto the loading docks, drawing the attention of all the Infected nearby.

There was no way they were going to outrun them, something had to be done. And Lane couldn't just stand by and watch everyone suffer for the mistake he made.

Lane slowed his running down, making his way to the back of the group.

Slowly, he started to turn away from the group, separating from them gradually.

Cupping his hands around his mouth, he began to shout. "Hey! Over here!"

Jack's head spun back so fast it looked like it could've fallen off.

"Lane, no!" He shouted, only able to watch as Lane ran further and further from the group.

The plan was working, though. Most of the zombies were attracted to the source of Lane's voice and almost all of them started heading in his direction.

"Fuck, fuck..." Jack muttered, looking around for anything. Then, he spotted it. A giant, damaged propane tank on the opposite end of the loading docks. It's damaged enough to where the tank is punctured. "Christa, do you still have your flare gun on you?"

Christa quickly reached into her holster and felt her flare gun.

"Yeah...?" she said nervously.

Jack tried to keep his head clear despite the inner turmoil. He's not going to lose Lane today.

"Give it to Bridgette," he says, watching her pass it to a confused Bridgette, "Bridgette, I'm going to run over to that propane tank and draw the zombies there. When they get close enough, I want you to fire the flare into the leaking gas cloud."

"But, that'll make it explode. You could die," Bridgette says nervously.

"I won't," Jack says, "Just do it. Please."

Bridgette pauses for a moment, worried about the concern. She can't let Jack die but she knows he won't let it go. Her expression becomes neutral and she nods firmly.

Jack glances over to Lane and sees that the zombies are beginning to catch up to him. He has to act now.

Lane's legs are on fire and the adrenaline is beginning to wear off. He can only continue running for so long and he can feel himself starting to run out of breath, his panting growing heavier and his legs growing more tired. But he can't stop. Not until everyone is safe, even if that means it kills him in the process.

Sprinting faster than he ever has before, Jack makes it over to the propane tank in a matter of nine seconds. He digs through his pockets and pulls out his flashlight and begins pounding on the propane tank as hard as he can.

"HEY!" he screams loudly, "OVER HERE!"

The Infected whip their heads over to Jack and with confused gargles, begin to hastily make their way over to him.

Lane's eyes widen and he sees the Infected beginning to head towards Jack.

The rest of the group make their way over near the wall of the supermarket and Bridgette stands in front, ready to fire.

Jack stands his ground, ready to take off when the Infected get close.

Lane frantically begins sprinting back to the group as he watches the Infected draw closer and closer.

Deciding the distance was close enough, Jack begins to take a big lap around the propane tank, the zombies following him. He gains a good enough lead on them to start running away from the propane tank and he looks to Bridgette and gives her a nod.

Bridgette, who's been holding in a breath, finally breathes out as she presses the trigger, the flare slowly firing towards the propane tank.

The flare was sent out, slowly making its way with a fwooooosh sound.

Then, it makes it to the propane tank and a massive wave of heat and light blast the area, with fire catching a lot of the undead rapidly.

Yasmin peeks out behind the wall and watches the propane tank. It's going to burst any second. "JACK! OVER HERE NOW!" she yells loudly.

Jack runs even faster, his adrenaline fully kicked in. He spots Lane looking at him with worry etched on his face and just as he reaches the corner...

BOOM!

The Infected are sent flying and Jack himself is hit with the wave of impact, knocking him forward and onto the ground.

Shards of shrapnel are flying everywhere and the heat is unbearable.

Lane spots Jack in the bright light and swiftly reaches out for his hand.

Jack, slightly injured, manages to grab Lane's and Lane pulls him forward behind cover.

Some of the shrapnel flying across the lot hit Jack and cut him up, with several wounds gushing with blood.

The group stays silent as they wait for the brief explosion to end, what was only just a few seconds feeling like hours.

Finally... silence.

Any Infected nearby have been set ablaze, blown to bits, or knocked across the loading docks.

Lane was the first to say something. "Jack!" he exclaimed, running up and hugging him tightly.

"Ow," Jack says, flinching at the impact.

"Sorry!" Lane says.

"Don't be. Are you okay?" Jack asks. Despite the tremendous amount of pain all over his body, he only cares that Lane is unscathed.

"Yes, I'm fine. We need to patch you up," Lane says, examining Jack's injuries.

Victor looks around frantically.

"Can you make it back to the motel? No doubt there's countless amounts of zombies headed our way," he says, growing slightly impatient.

"Come on, he was just hit by an explosion," Christa says, looking at Victor.

"Yeah, which was awesome!" Kevin exclaims, laughing loudly.

"That was not awesome," Yasmin says, "That was reckless and we all could've died."

"But we didn't," Bridgette responds with a smirk.

Jack takes a deep breath, his expression neutral.

"We've gotta get out of here," he says. He knows he's in for a world of pain when he tries to walk but he can't stay here for long. Who knows what the giant noise could've attracted. Hell, there's still a few stray zombies around.

Lane responds instantly, helping Jack stand up. Jack winces in pain but he simply takes another deep breath.

"Think you can make it?" Kevin asks.

"Yeah. We don't have much of a choice anyway," Jack responds.

With that, the group slowly begins heading west toward their safehouse. They've just got to hope they didn't attract anything or anyone to their location.

About three hours later, the group spots a building with rows of bright orange and teal doors, each with a number next to it. Their motel.

Christa sighs in relief.

"That felt like it was fifteen miles," she complains.

"Tell me about it," Victor says, chuckling slightly.

Kevin's eyes dart to Victor, surprised at the sound of him chuckling.

"I bet your legs are gonna look great though!" Bridgette says, smiling wide.

Christa chuckles at her words, the two walking next to each other.

Lane lets out a deep breath.

"I'm really sorry, guys. We probably could've gotten so much more stuff if I didn't-"

"Don't apologize, Laney boy," Kevin responds, giving him a soft shoulder bump, "It happens."

"Yeah," Christa says, "It's not like your plan got us killed."

"He's right though," Yasmin responds, "We could've gotten a lot more stuff."

"We got plenty of stuff," Jack says, shutting Yasmin down immediately.

"I just feel like these supply runs always end up like this," Yasmin responds.

"Hey, we got more than enough stuff," Christa responds, her voice timid, surprised at her own willingness to stand up to Yasmin.

Yasmin rolls her eyes. "Well we would've been able to get more stuff is what I mean. Hell, we're already struggling as it is."

Christa fades back into the background.

"We can't do this without Lane," Bridgette interjects.

"She's right. How many times has he patched you up, Yasmin?" Jack interjects, his voice cold and unwavering.

Yasmin goes silent immediately, and the entire group goes silent. Awkward.

With that, Jack moves over to Lane who has been abnormally silent.

"Hey," Jack mutters so only Lane can hear, "how are you holding up?"

Lane's eyes go to the ground.

"It's all my fault," Lane says quietly, "Yasmin's right. If I wouldn't have knocked into those stupid apples, we would've-"

"Without you, we wouldn't have gotten out of there alive," Jack interrupts.

"Without me, we never would've been in that situation to begin with."

"You're right," Jack says, even surprising Lane who looks at him quickly. Then, Jack continues, "Without you, we would've died a long ass time ago."

Lane chuckles softly to lighten the mood. "That's not true and you know it."

"You aren't seeing things the way I see them," Jack replies, "The amount of situations you've helped us get out of... the wounds you've haled, both physical and mental... we need you more than you think, Lane."

Lane scoffs.

"Anyone could patch up a stupid scrape," Lane says.

"It wouldn't matter if it wasn't you," Jack says, no hesitation in his voice.

Lane goes silent, knowing that Jack won't back down. He can't help but feel butterflies in his chest the way Jack talks about him.

Finally, hey reach the gate of the motel. The motel used to be beautiful, built with the highest quality of wood with nice vibrant orange and teal accents with the decor and doors. Now, the once-vibrant bright wood has started to fade, looking dull and grayish in certain patches. The paint on the doors has started to chip and the once-beautiful foliage that surrounded the motel is now overgrown and filled with weeds.

In front of the gate is a couple dumpsters and a bunch of debris, trying to keep any hostile survivors or Infected out of the motel. The group walks past and goes into the pit where beautiful flowers once bloomed everywhere, now covered in weeds and overgrown grass where they keep the hidden entrance. Jack takes the lead and moves a small metal piece of debris out of the way, revealing a small hole where the group enters one-by-one.

Finally, they're home. Or rather, whatever home is now.

Jack let himself believe, even just for a moment, that everything would be okay.

But Jack knew better than anyone: hope was the most dangerous thing of all.

Chapter Text

Jack took a seat in the plush orange chair in the corner of his room.

Lane sat on one of the two double beds, his eyes glancing over to Jack. "Are you sure you're alright sharing a room with me?"

Jack looked to him and raised an eyebrow.

"Well, we've been sharing a room for over two months now, so yeah. Why do you ask?" he asks.

Lane holding in a deep breath.

"I just can't help but feel like I'm a burden to our group," Lane says, finally letting his breath out.

Jack tilted his head at Lane, his expression remaining neutral.

"Lane, we talked about this. We need you."

I need you. Jack thought. He just couldn't bring himself to say it out loud.

Lane fully tilts his head towards Jack, his expression soft and worried. He brushes a blonde curl out of his face and looks to the floor.

"It's just... yesterday, when Yasmin said-"

"Yasmin doesn't have the groups best interest at heart," Jack cuts him off.

"But what if she-"

"I told you, Lane. You're just as useful to the group as the rest of them, if not more," Jack says, leaving no room for argument. "You're our medic. We probably would've died from injuries and infections months ago without you. Not to mention, you're smart and know what you're doing."

Lane scoffed softly.

"Two years of medical school doesn't mean I can cure everything," Lane responds.

Jack didn't respond but his face gave away that he was getting annoyed. As much as he cared for Lane, he wished he had some confidence of his own.

Lane slowly stood up from the bed and moved to the window, slowly pulling the curtain apart and looking at the wasteland outside, the sun just rising. The overgrown foliage, the cracked roads, destroyed buildings... it never got easier to look at.

Jack got up shortly after him and stood next to him, peeking out with him.

"Do you ever wonder where you'd be?" Lane murmurs, as if speaking about their past lives would get them killed.

Jack hesitates.

"If all of this never happened?" Jack asks, despite knowing the answer already.

Lane continues looking outside, the occasional Infected or two popping out from a bush. Lane doesn't take his eyes off the landscape, just giving Jack a simple nod.

"Sometimes," Jack confesses, "But... I never would've met you."

Lane feels his heart stop beating for a split second before looking up at Jack, with Jack meeting his sight. Now, his heart is practically beating out of his chest.

"...and the others," Jack says, his voice shaky.

Lane feels his heart slowly go back to its normal pace then he looks back outside.

"Yeah," he mutters.

Jack continues examining outside, the silence between the two deafening. Then, Jack spots something not too far from the gate of the motel. Are those footprints? But this is facing the opposite side of the entrance so they would never come this way.

"Do you see that?" Jack asks as his eyes narrow to make out the shape and he points the best he can.

Lane tries to follow his finger.

"See what?" he asks.

"Those. Those look like footprints."

"I don't see anything," Lane responds, looking everywhere for the supposed footprints.

Jack keeps staring at the footprints. Maybe he's just paranoid, maybe it was nothing. But he can't shake off the feeling that it's something.

"Must've been from a while ago... or an animal or something," Jack says, not sure if he's trying to convince Lane or himself.

Jack and Lane continue looking outside. Lane is too scared to say it out loud but he can't help but love how close together they are, their shoulders brushing occasionally. What feels like it should be awkward silence for him is just tension that he could cut with a knife.

Then, the silence is broken by Lane's soft voice.

"Why do you have so much faith in me?"

Jack's eyes widened slightly and he looked to Lane. "I-"

Then, a knock at the door.

"It's Christa," she says from behind the door, "Bridgette and I want to talk to you, Jack."

"I'll be right there," Jack calls back.

He looks to Lane.

"I'll be back in a bit, I'm gonna go see what they need. Find me if you need me," Jack says.

Lane nods. "Always."

Jack gives him a small smile and exits, stepping foot outside, finding Christa and Bridgette waiting for him out there. Christa is holding a folded piece of paper in their hand, no doubt the map they got in the supply run yesterday.

"We thought of a few options for where to travel next," Christa said, "Our options... they're dwindling."

Jack nods.

"Let's go to your guys' room and we can discuss this privately before telling the others."

Bridgette and Christa walk two doors down and enter their motel room, which Bridgette has decorated despite it being the end of the world.

They take a seat at the table surrounded by two comfortable couches and Christa lays out the map, tucking her blonde hair behind her ear.

Jack examines the map and sees several circles, X's, and arrows.

"We used all the information we gathered from the radio and put it on the map," Christa begins, leaning over and examining it herself. She points at a destination that's circled in Seattle, Washington. "There was a place here, a camp for survivors."

"That one got overrun with Infected months ago," Jack responds, "I've heard from other survivors that Seattle is nothing but Infected now."

Christa nods, taking her marker and drawing a line through it.

"Alright. You're aware the Infected are weak to the cold... there was a military base in east Canada, in Newfoundland and Labrador." Christa says, moving her finger to the military base on the map.

Jack examines it for a moment, noting that it's on a deserted island. No doubt safe, but...

"We'll never make it that far," Jack says, "A journey that far northeast would take us over a year."

"Okay... then we have one last option," Christa says, scanning the map once again, "Glacier National Park, Montana."

Jack's eyes dart to the circle in Montana. He knows the least about this location. It could be deserted or overrun for all he knows but... maybe it's worth a shot.

"I think that'll be our best bet," Jack says finally, "What all do we know about this place?"

"Not much," Christa admits, the pessimism in her tone showing, "But we know that some people think the best way to survive the Infected is to put a mountain between them."

Jack bites his lip, concentrated. Do they really have any other choice other than waiting for the day the motel gets overrun or keep travelling on foot until they find something helpful. They've waited on miracles for far too long and they need to start making rational decisions.

"Alright, it's settled. We're gonna go to Montana. We'll start planning the journey and leave in three days tops," Jack says firmly.

Bridgette and Christa nod.

"Are you sure we'll make it there? That's still a pretty long journey..." Bridgette says, examining the distance between the two points.

"No. But it's worth a shot," Jack says.

Meanwhile, Victor, Kevin, and Yasmin are all sitting in the dining area, chatting at a table.

Yasmin taps at the edge of the table in the same pattern repeatedly. Tap. Tap-tap. Tap-tap.

"What's your deal, Yasmin? You're being quiet," Kevin says, messing around with a Slinky he got months ago.

Yasmin scoffs, crossing her eyes with her brown eyes narrowed.

"I'm just... I don't know," she says, "Jack is definitely an asset for our team but I feel like we need more input than just his."

"Why?" Kevin asks, "He's gotten us out of dozens of bad situations."

"Situations we wouldn't be in if Jack wasn't the only one taking charge," Yasmin responds.

"Jack knows what he's doing," Kevin objected, "Right, Vic?"

Victor's eyes widened, not expecting to be dragged into the conversation. He shrugged.

"I don't know," Victor responds.

"Well surely you have to have an opinion," Kevin retorts.

"I guess... I see where Yasmin is coming from," Victor says, "He isn't discplining Lane very much. Yesterday wasn't the first time he's gotten us into trouble."

Kevin hesitates, clearly shocked. He definitely wasn't expecting that to be Victor's opinion.

"Dude, how could you guys say that?" Kevin says, "Jack always has our best interests at heart. And sure, Lane makes mistakes but he's always sorry and makes up for-"

"You can only say sorry so many times before everyone is dead," Yasmin says.

Kevin goes silent, unsure of how to respond. Instead, he simply takes a deep breath.

"Do you see where we're coming from?" Yasmin asks.

"Not really," Kevin retorts, "It's clear you don't want Jack as the leader or for Lane to be here at all despite both of them having your best interests at heart."

Yasmin rolls her eyes and scoffs.

"No one said that," Yasmin says, "I can appreciate everything they've both done for us. They're both extremely valuable to us and no one wants them gone. It just shouldn't be Jack making all the decisions and Lane executing all the stupid plans. It'll probably get all of us killed one day if we let all of this go on."

Unbeknownst to them, Lane was just around the corner listening to everything they said.

He should stop listening. This is only making it harder.

No. He's done running.

He takes a deep breath and puts on the biggest smile he can muster and walks around the corner and over to their table.

"Hey, guys," Lane says with the usual warm smile on his face.

Yasmin crosses her arms and looks away.

"Hey, man," Kevin responds, smiling back at him.

"Where's your shadow?" Victor asks.

"My shadow?" Lane asks, "Oh, you mean Jack? He's with Bridgette and Christa. Top secret stuff."

"Top secret?" Yasmin asks, interested, "What is it about?"

Lane simply gives her a shrug, taking another bite out of his granola bar.

"Hm," Yasmin says, thinking deeply. What could they be talking about.

"I'm sure we're gonna find out soon," Lane says.

"You didn't ask any questions?" Victor asks.

"No? I didn't wanna bother them," Lane says, chuckling softly.

"Well if it's so important then why aren't they telling us?" Yasmin asks, slightly annoyed.

"He said he's sure we'll find out soon," Kevin says, continuing to flick his Slinky.

Yasmin scoffs and stands up from her chair. "I'm gonna go find out now."

As if on cue, Jack, Christa, and Bridgette enter the dining area and make their way over to them, with Christa still holding the map.

As they reach the table, Bridgette can't help but laugh.

"I thought you lost that stupid Slinky months ago," Bridgette says, her eyes softening at the sight of Kevin.

"You thought wrong," Kevin says with a smirk.

"Alright," Jack says, interrupting the two and gesturing for Christa to lay out the map. Christa takes the hint and spreads it out across the table in front of them.

"We've analyzed all the potential places we can travel to," Jack begins, leaning in and pointing at Montana. "We decided that Glacier National Park, Montana is gonna be our best bet."

"And you didn't think to ask us this before deciding it for us?" Yasmin chimes in.

Jack takes a deep breath. He knew this was coming but it still didn't stop the annoyance.

"It was our only option," Jack said, "So unless you have a better place to go to, let me explain the plan."

The group is silent and Yasmin scoffs.

"Bridgette and I calculated it and the distance between here and Montana is about 1,200 miles," Jack says, his finger moving from Montana to Prescott, Arizona, "We think we could make it there in about 3 months, assuming we have as little interruptions as possible."

"What's in Montana?" Victor asks.

"Hannah," Kevin responds, laughing at his own joke. Bridgette, Christa, and Lane let out a chuckle that they try to suppress as Jack glares at them, waiting to shut up.

Christa forces herself to stop laughing and begins to speak, "The mountains are gonna be good for separating us from the Infected. Plus, it's remote and there's less population density."

"And you're certain that this place is safe?" Victor asks.

Jack looks to Christa, then back to Victor, exhaling. "No, we're not."

Victor glances between the group, trying to gauge their reactions. He waits for Yasmin to speak up and express her doubt but when she doesn't, he decides to instead.

"Surely there's a safer option," Victor says, "Is there anywhere along the way or anywhere else on the radio broadcasts?"

"We've tried to look for as many options as possible. For now, this is plan A." Jack says.

"Our only option is to make it 1,200 miles on foot?" Victor asks, looking to Yasmin again. "Come on, this can't possibly be a good idea."

Yasmin paused. She wanted to argue, to challenge him like she usually does, but despite her doubt about Jack's abilities as a consistent leader, she doesn't doubt that he's smart. She decides to swallow her pride and put the group first.

"I'm on board with it," Yasmin says, shocking the entire group, even Jack. "We're not gonna get anywhere with this motel. We can only stay safe here for so long."

Victor falls back in his chair and immediately concedes.

"So it's settled," Jack says, "We're gonna head to Montana in three days. Make sure everything is packed and ready to go in case we need to leave earlier than that."

The group looked around at each other.

They've got a long journey ahead of them... but maybe not necessarily the one to Montana.

Chapter Text

"You promise you're gonna come home this weekend? You've been at UPenn for the last two months. I barely see you anymore."

"I will. I just have a lot of exams to study for and clinics I need to prepare for. It's almost time for midterms."

"You promise?"

"Yes, I promise."

"I'll see you this weekend then, baby. You're saving so many lives. I'm so proud of you."

"Thank you... that means so much to me. I'll see you this weekend then. Bye, love you."

"Love you too."

Lane jolted up from his bed in a cold sweat, panting.

Another one of those damn dreams.

He looks around the dark room, seeing that Jack is still asleep in the bed across the room. He feels a sudden sense of comfort as he stands up to grab his water bottle.

Why won't his mind shut up? Why does it have to keep reliving his life before everything went to shit. Everyone he once knew is gone.

Then, an idea struck him. The walls around the motel are relatively safe, at least as long as he brings a weapon for safety.

Taking one of the pistols from Jack's stash along with a silencer and one of his hoodies from his backpack, he slowly exits the motel.

He walks down the set of stairs and walks to the beaten up gate of the property, making his way to the hidden entrance covered by the foliage.

He crawls out and looks out onto the nighttime street. He was met with the familiar sight of the hollow shell that the world has become. A dark, empty street that was barren and lifeless with the occasional deserted car.

Putting his hood up and putting his hands in his pockets, he begins to walk. He looks up to the night sky and the stars, the one thing in his life that's always been there.

He thinks back to the way Yasmin treats him with her cold glances and annoyed comments, the way Jack has to constantly defend him. Despite being the same age as everyone else, he feels like a child. Helpless. Useless.

Yet, under the blanket of the beautiful stars in the sky, everything has faded out and it's just him now. He's done playing the damsel in distress. He can't keep moping around about what he overheard from Yasmin and Victor yesterday. He's got to prove himself.

It's ironic. Underneath such a gorgeous sky is a world full of chaos and evil. It gets hard to find your way but Lane always knows he can look up to the sky and find his way again.

Lost in thought, a twig snaps in the wooded area next to the street.

Lane freezes immediately.

This isn't an Infected, is it? It can't be.

"Hello?" he whispers.

"Didn't think anyone was still dumb enough to walk around at night. Alone."

Lane's eyes dart over to the voice. He spots a woman, no older than 40 with brown, short hair. She has a large tattoo on her forearm, it appears to be a circle with two slashes on it. But what about the twig...?

"Who are you?" Lane asks, subtly moving his hand closer to his pistol in his holster.

The woman's eyes immediately dart to his hands. Not subtle enough.

"A traveller," she responds. "You should be careful walking around at here alone. Not everyone's as friendly as me."

She's completely unfazed by his gun and she reaches into her pocket and pulls out a pack of cigars.

"What's your name?" Lane asks, ignoring her, "You don't have to be afraid. I won't attack you, I just need to know-"

"I'm not afraid of you, Sunshine. You're wandering alone with those big, bright blue eyes of yours. You got a death wish?"

"I know my way around some wounds and the Infected," Lane says.

She cocks her head then smirks like she knows something he doesn't. "That so? You patch up a lot of people then?"

Lane shrugs. He shouldn't reveal too much. "Enough."

"Hm." she says, with a slight shrug of her shoulders. "Well then where'd you pick up all that medical knowledge, Doc?"

"Doc?"

"Yeah? You said you know your way around a wound. Want me to call you 'Sunshine' instead?"

Lane's eyes narrowed at her.

"Look, if you need somewhere to stay-"

Then, he could hear footsteps in the distance behind him.

Lane's head whipped around, searching for the source of the noise, fully taking out the pistol.

Someone was approaching him and fast.

He could see a dark silhouette approaching him on the street but it was too dark to make out who... or what it was.

As the figure drew nearer, his grip on the gun grew tighter.

"Hey, I have a gun!" he whispered as loudly as he could.

Then, the figure came close enough to make out details.

The brown hair, brown eyes, tall stature.

Jack.

"What the hell are you doing!?" Jack asked, raising his voice in a whisper tone.

"Um... taking a walk?" Lane said, his cheeks reddening. Then, he began to turn around to face the woman once again. "Hey, who are you..."

His voice grew more silent as he fully turned around and saw that the woman was gone with no trace. No sounds of footsteps or anything.

"What were you thinking!?" Jack asked, fuming.

"I'm sorry, I just needed to clear my head," Lane says.

"You could've cleared your head while staying in the walls," Jack says.

"I needed to get out of there. Just for a moment."

"This was stupid, Lane."

Lane's eyes narrowed back at him.

"What were you just telling me yesterday?" Lane asked.

Jack blinked, confused.

"What?" he asked.

"What did you just tell me yesterday?"

"What are you talking-"

"You told me I knew what I was doing and that I was smart," Lane responded, "Trust my judgment just this once. Please."

Jack sighs, running his hand through his hair in annoyance.

"I just can't have you getting hurt," Jack responds, softer this time.

"And I won't," Lane responds, "You just have to give me some room to breathe."

Jack sighs again.

"Just... don't leave randomly in the middle of the night again, at least not without telling me. If something happened to you, I..."

"What?" Lane asks, a hint of challenge in his voice.

"I'm not losing you," Jack says firmly.

Lane knew that wasn't what he was going to say but he decides now isn't the best time to try and get it out of him.

"Please, let's go back the motel," Jack says.

Lane nods. "Whatever you say."

With that, they begin the very short walk back to the motel, only taking about two minutes of walking. The most awkward two minutes ever.

Lane can't help but keep his eyes to the ground, occasionally darting back to Jack. He's waiting for him to explode again at any given second but it never comes.

Then, his mind wanders elsewhere. Who was that woman? Where was she from and where did she go? She had mentioned she was a traveller but... a traveller from where?

"Did you... see any woman by chance?" Lane asks.

"A woman? I don't think so," Jack says, his voice still firm.

"Are you sure? Not running or anything?"

"Quite. Who did you see?" Jack asked, stopping in his tracks and turning around to face Lane.

"Well... there was a woman. She wasn't doing anything, she was just talking to me," Lane said, "What if she needs help?"

"Not everyone needs help, Lane. Who knows what she wanted, maybe she was trying to reel you in and kill you. Thank God I found you before she had the chance to try anything."

"That's the thing, though... she did have the chance to try."

Jack pauses then rubs his temple.

"You can't save everyone, Lane. I know how badly you want to but you can't."

"That doesn't mean I can't try," Lane says firmly, "Hell, what if I didn't convince you to save Christa a year ago?"

"That's different."

"How is that different?"

"It just is. End of discussion," Jack says.

Lane rolls his eyes.

"I'm sick of all of you guys treating me like a child cause I'm not. I heard the way Yasmin and Victor said they wanted to get rid of me yesterday."

Jack tilts his head, his eyes widening lightly.

"They said what?"

Lane bit his tongue. He's said too much.

"That's... that was an overexaggeration. They were just talking about my role in the group, is all," Lane mutters.

Just when he thought Jack couldn't get any more pissed off tonight, he was proven wrong. He could practically see the steam coming out of his ears. He groans out angrily.

"I'm going to kill those two. I'll talk to them tomorrow-"

"Jack," Lane says firmly, surprising even himself. "You don't have to fight my battles for me."

"But Lane..."

"I've made up my mind. I'm going to prove to them that I'm worthy," Lane says.

Jack stands there, unsure of what to say.

"Alright," Jack responds, "But if you need me, you know I'll be here for you."

Lane can't help but smile at his words and nod.

"I know, Jack," he responds.

Jack, trying to keep his neutral expression, returns his nod then turns around and continues walking, reaching the hidden entrance to the motel.

They walk silently back to their room, say goodnight again, then try to fall back asleep. Yet, neither of them are able to.

Jack is stuck in his own head.

How could Yasmin and Victor be so heartless? Do they want to just discard Lane? Toss him onto the side of the road for the Infected to grab him?

He tosses and turns under his comfortable blankets, unable to drift back to sleep.

And Lane... how could he be so reckless again?

He forces himself to close his eyes and try to get some more sleep.

Even just a tiny bit.

The morning comes and Christa is already up bright and early. It's her turn to make breakfast for the group today and she's happy to do so.

She exits her motel room and makes her way down to the dining area, then to the kitchen. She gets the minifridge that's operated on batteries and grabs the ingredients she needs from the fridge and from their food bag. Eggs, bread, butter, and cinnamon.

Checking the food bag, she digs around, unable to find the contents. She grabs the bag and dumps all of its contents onto the kitchen counter to see all the ingredients in front of her and find the cinnamon.

This is really all they have?

She can't help but notice that over the span of the past months, the items they're able to find in supply runs are getting less and less. Even more reason for them to get the hell out of here.

Finally finding the cinnamon (Bridgette's favorite thing ever), she begins cooking French toast on the gas stove.

Then, out of the corner of her eye, she spots Victor enter the room, his dark hair and figure shrouded in drowsiness.

"Morning," Christa says.

"Good morning. What are you making?" Victor asks.

"French toast," Christa answers, keeping her focus on the bread on the pan.

Victor cheers loudly. "Yummy! Let me guess, this is mainly for Bridgette?"

Christa can't help but blush. "No. It's for everyone."

Victor takes a step closer to her.

"Right. You just happen to be making her favorite breakfast down to the extra cinnamon?"

Christa whips her head around to him, narrowing her eyes at him.

"Now, what are you implying?" she asks, suspicious.

Victor sighs.

"Christa, you're amazing and I love you to death but you do know that Bridgette is in love with Kevin, don't you?"

Christa blinks at him, completely freezing for a moment. Then, she reaverts her gaze to the pan and continues fixing the food.

"Yeah, I know, she's my best friend and she tells me everything. What does that have to do with anything?" she answers, as nonchalantly as she can.

Victor purses his lips, his heart hurting for his friend.

"It means you're fighting a battle you can't win," he responds.

Christa takes a deep breath, choosing to not respond to him. She doesn't want to think about it, let alone talk about it.

"You deserve to be someone who chooses you to be their number one."

Christa doesn't respond again.

Victor nods.

"Alright, I got it. I'll shut up," he says, leaning against the door frame, "What are you making besides French toast?"

"I was gonna make scrambled eggs. The protein will be useful," she responds.

"I prefer sunny side up."

Christa chuckles and rolls her eyes.

"Yeah, yeah. We'll see," Christa responds, unable to suppress her laugh.

"Haha, I made you smile," Victor says with a mocking tone yet he is also unable to hide his smile.

The two continue laughing as Christa makes breakfast.

After some time, Christa finishes making breakfast while Kevin gathers the others to eat.

They all sit at their usual table, sitting together. Sometimes breakfast is chatty and other times it's completely silent. Today is a silent day.

There's the occasional clatter of silverware and plates but other than that, the room was silent.

The gravity of last night was weighing on Lane. He still didn't know who that woman was or what she was doing there.

"Has... has anyone seen a woman around the motel? With short brown hair and a tattoo sleeve?" Lane asks, finally breaking the silence.

The rest of the group looks to Lane, no one responding.

Then, Bridgette clears her throat.

"Yeah, actually... I think I saw her at the supermarket the other day."

Chapter Text

"Has... has anyone seen a woman around the motel? With short brown hair and a tattoo sleeve?" Lane asks, finally breaking the silence.

The rest of the group looks to Lane, no one responding.

Then, Bridgette clears her throat.

"Yeah, actually... I think I saw her at the supermarket the other day."

All eyes land on Bridgette, both Jack and Lane's eyes going wide. The rest of the group looks between the three confused.

Everyone stays silent, either from shock, confusion or both.

Then, Kevin, unable to hold his breath any longer, spills too. "I saw her too. A few people actually,"

"And you didn't think to mention this to any of us?" Jack asks, annoyed.

"We thought it was just another survivor group. They went their separate way and we went ours," Bridgette adds, her voice trembling slightly.

Yasmin suddenly stands up. "Alright, what is going on?"

Lane sighs.

"She was here last night. At the motel."

The panic sets in for the rest of the group.

"How could you two not say anything?" Yasmin asks, her brow furrowed with her eyes darting between Bridgette and Kevin, "These people probably followed us and who knows what they want?"

"Lane, what did the woman say to you?" Christa asks, her voice soft and calm.

"Nothing," Lane responds, "She was just... I don't know, she was chatting with me."

Yasmin rolls her eyes, "You have to give us more than that. What if you lead her right to us?"

"Hey," Jack interjects, looking to Yasmin, "This isn't the time to blame anyone. We need to come up with a plan."

Yasmin's hand reaches her forehead and she rubs her temples.

Lane scratches his head, trying to remember the details of the conversation.

"She said she was just a traveller. If she wanted to do something to me, she had the opportunity," Lane says, his voice clear, "She was just... calm."

"What if she was waiting for the perfect time to strike?" Victor adds.

Lane wants to apologize... to back down. But he won't. Not this time.

"I told you," Lane said, "I was alone, in the dark, a few minutes away from the motel. She had the perfect time to strike."

"You said you saw her last night," Yasmin says, "Where did she go?"

"I don't know. She disappeared when she heard Jack."

Victor groans, becoming increasingly annoyed. "Lane, she and her group could be in the damn motel for all we know. You just lost track of her?"

Lane pauses, hearing the growing frustration in his voice.

"Did she just disappear into thin air, or what?" Victor asks.

Jack pauses, thinking for a moment. Then, he looks to Kevin. "Kev, how many people were with her at the supermarket?"

Kevin is taken aback, not expecting to be dragged into the conversation again. He clears his throat. "Maybe, like, three or four people?"

Jack continues his train of thought.

"Come on, Lane's right. If they wanted to do something to us, she would've hurt Lane right then and there," Bridgette says.

"Or what if there's something deeper going on here?" Yasmin asks, thinking deeply as well, "If they're harmless, why are they following us?"

Yasmin's gaze is on the floor, as if she's asking herself rather than everyone else.

Christa takes a deep breath.

"Look, I know everyone's stressed but we need to keep our heads," she says.

Yasmin nods then looks to Jack.

"Jack, I think we need to speed up our operation to get out of here," Yasmin says.

Jack thinks for a moment than gives her a soft nod. "I think you're right."

"How much do we have to speed it up?" Lane asks.

Jack pauses, trying to assess the situation the best he can before making his decision.

"We're gonna try to leave tomorrow night," he says softly, as if there was someone nearby he didn't want to listen, "Everyone make sure you're ready."

Jack begins to walk out of the dining area when Kevin's voice stops him.

"But Jack," Kevin says, "What if they are following us? And what if they continue to follow us?"

Jack stops dead in his tracks, freezing for a moment.

"Then we deal with them," he says, walking out.

Everyone sits in silence for a moment, still trying to catch up with the situation.

"Damn," Kevin says, breaking the silence again, "I've heard sentences from Batman less brooding than that."

Bridgette can't help but chuckle softly at his joke despite the turmoil.

One-by-one, the group begins to exit, leaving just Kevin and Victor.

"You're still using that Slinky?" Victor asks, his eyes narrowing at Kevin.

"You got a problem with it?" Kevin asks with a smirk, not even looking away from his hands as he fidgets with the toy.

"Well, for starters you're 22 years old," Victor asks, unable to suppress his grin.

Kevin raises an eyebrow. "So what?"

Victor scoffs.

"Shouldn't you be packing or something?" Kevin asks.

"Nah. I'm already packed," he responds, adjusting his position in his chair.

"Hm," Kevin says, "You must be eager to get out of here."

"You're telling me," Victor says, "I think I'd rather die than stay here for one more day."

Kevin shrugs, still not taking his eyes off the Slinky.

The silence returns as the two sit awkwardly in their seats.

"Why do you even like that thing so much anyway?" Victor asks.

Kevin smiles. Not a playful one, but just a genuine smile.

"It reminds me of my sisters," Kevin says, his voice suddenly and surprisingly soft. Something unusual for him.

Victor can't help but smile with him.

"What were they like?" Victor asks.

Kevin sighs.

"They were my whole world. They're both older than me. God, they always managed to make me laugh," Kevin says with a soft chuckle.

Victor shrugs. "I see where you get it from then. Why the Slinky though?"

"Well... I... I don't know, it's kinda silly."

"Come on, what is it?"

Kevin finally stops messing with the Slinky, instead just examining it closely.

"My favorite movie was always Toy Story," Kevin says, "And my favorite character was always Slinky Dog, so for my birthday they would always buy me a Slinky. I'm not kidding, I had a whole ass collection."

"Of Slinkys?" Victor asks with a chuckle. "That has to be a pretty nice collection then."

"Damn right it was," Kevin laughs, his laughter slowly fading and being replaced with a frown, "I lost them a few months into the apocalypse."

Victor felt his laughter die too. "I'm sorry, Kev."

Kevin sighs.

"I just hope they'd be proud of me now."

"They would be," Victor responds softly, "And you have so many people who care about you now too, y'know?"

"I know," Kevin says, his smile returning.

Victor takes a deep breath, debating whether or not he should say what he wants to.

"Bridgette especially," Victor says.

Kevin raises an eyebrow. "What do you mean by that?"

"She likes you, dude," Kevin says bluntly.

Kevin scoffs, leaning back into his chair. "Riiiight."

"I'm serious, Kev," Victor says, his tone becoming sharper, "You've seriously never noticed the way she looks at you? Hell, the way she constantly talks about you?"

Kevin pauses, his brain catching up with everything that's being said. Bridgette really likes him?

"I guess... I dunno, I just always thought she was nice. We've been close since we met," Kevin says thoughtfully.

Victor lets out a short chuckle. "That girl is head over heels for you. Seriously, she acts like you're the best thing in the world."

"Well... what if I am?" Kevin asks, unable to resist cracking a joke.

Victor rolls his eyes.

"I'm just... I'm worried about Christa. She sees it too." Victor says.

"Christa? What does this have to do with Christa?"

Victor sighs again.

"Christa's her best friend. It's killing her," Victor says.

Kevin doesn't respond right away. His eyes go back to his slinky as he absentmindedly twists it in his hands, considering what Victor is saying.

"She won't say anything about it but I know her well enough to know that she's holding onto hope that Bridgette will see her the same way she sees you," Victor says.

Kevin swallows, feeling guilt buble in his chest despite not having anything to do with the situation.

"I just... I hate it," Victor says, looking to the ground, "I hate how she's going to get her heart broken and I hate that there isn't anything I can do about it."

Kevin tilts his head, focusing on Victor. "You really care about her, huh?"

"She's one of my best friends. She's like a sister to me... one of the few people in this hellhole that I'd take a bullet for and I don't want her to get hurt."

Kevin sits there, unsure of how to respond.

"Well, do you like her back?" Victor asks softly.

Kevin thinks for a moment but it doesn't take him long to decide on his answer. Everything is finally starting to make sense to him. "Yeah."

Victor sighs.

"Just... you're a good guy, Kev. Just be careful please. You know what's best," Victor says, standing up from his seat, "I'm gonna go make sure I have everything packed."

With that, Victor exits, leaving Kevin alone with his thoughts... and his Slinky.

Christa, sitting on her bed in the motel room, stares at her map, considering the best possible route while Bridgette grabs the last of her decorations from the motel and shoves it into her backpack.

"I just can't figure out which way we should go from this point..." Christa says, talking to both Bridgette and herself, "I was thinking about asking Yasmin. She knows her way around this place way better than I do."

"Come on, no one's smarter than you are," Bridgette says with a smile, stuffing stuff into her pack.

Christa sighs. "I don't know..."

Bridgette turns around, stopping what she's doing and facing Christa. "So what do you think you'll do when we get to Montana?"

Christa's eyes widen and she finally looks away from her map. "I... I've been dreaming about finding some cabin by a lake high in the mountains."

A smile creeps on Christa's face as Bridgette moves over to the bed and takes a seat on the opposite end, the two sitting criss-cross while facing each other.

"We wouldn't have to run anymore. We can just... relax." Christa adds.

Bridgette chuckles softly.

"That'd be pretty awesome," she responds, "I'd love to climb a mountain."

Christa laughs. "Of course you would!"

"No, seriously!" Bridgette says, laughing along with her, "You'd be so high up that you wouldn't even have to worry about everything going on down here."

"It'd be cold though," Christa says.

"Well, I'd have you to warm me up!" Bridgette says, smiling.

Christa can't help but blush. Trying to recover, she just giggles. "You're crazy."

"You're not crazy enough. But I can change that," Bridgette responds.

Christa grabs a pillow from the bed and throws it at her, still giggling.

Bridgette's jaw drops, pretending to be shocked. "You little rat!"

Christa flips her blonde hair dramatically. "What can I say?"

Bridgette rolls her eyes, then sighs as their laughter dies down. Christa works up as much courage as she can to say what she wants to say next.

"I think I'm most excited to settle down... You know, like... hopefully with someone," she says.

Bridgette nods, then begins to think thoughtfully. "Yeah, I feel the same way."

Bridgette can't help but bite her lip, looking away from Christa.

"I know that look," Christa says, "There's something you aren't telling me."

Bridgette pauses, still thinking until she exhales deeply, speaking faster than she can think.

"I really want that person to be Kevin."

Christa's eyes widen and she feels her heart sink to her stomach.

"Oh!" Christa says, trying to hide the tremble in her voice.

She can feel her heart get ripped into a thousand different pieces. Victor tried to warn her... God, she should've just listened to him. "That's great."

"Really? You think so?" Bridgette asks, a smile creeping onto her face.

Christa takes a deep breath then forces the realest smile she can muster.

"Of course," Christa responds, "I've always had a suspicion."

"Do you... do you think he likes me back?" Bridgette asks, unable to hide the giddiness in her voice.

Christa freezes, fully unsure of how to navigate this situation. She wants to scream, to cry... but she can't lose Bridgette.

"He'd be stupid not to."

Bridgette's giddy smile fades to a more sentimental one as she lunges forward and pulls Christa into a hug.

Christa is stunned for a moment, then pulls her in tighter, her tears threatening to spill.

"I just want you to know I'll always choose you over some boy," Bridgette says softly.

Christa can't find the words to say anything.

"Promise we'll stick together. No matter what," Bridgette whispers.

Christa still is unable to respond.

"Christa?" Bridgette mutters.

Christa gulps.

"I promise," she says, as a single tear falls down her cheek.

Chapter Text

Boom. Boom. Boom.

"Do you hear that?" Yasmin asked.

Jack pauses, looking up from the map on the table in front of the two.

He narrows his eyes, trying to figure out what the sound is or where it could be coming from?

It sounds almost like... gunshots? Very far in the distance.

"I'll check from the motel roof and see if I can see anything," Lane says, standing up from his chair.

Jack looks at him and gives him a nod as Lane exits the lounge, leaving just him and Yasmin.

"Alright, I was thinking about passing through Prescott Valley, northeast," Jack says.

Yasmin thinks for a moment, glancing at his finger pointing at the map. She shakes her head.

"Prescott Valley is too dangerous. I think it'd be much safer to travel through north in the countryside, then head east."

Jack thinks heavily at the potential route.

"I thought the same but that would add at least a day or two to our journey," Jack responds, biting his lip.

"What's a day or two in a two month long journey?" Yasmin asks, her voice firm.

Jack nods.

"Good point. That's the route we'll take for when we first exit then."

Then, silence falls over the two of them as they continue to analyze the map, with Jack scribbling down lines and notes all over the map.

Yasmin takes a deep breath.

"Thank you," she says, the words under her breath like she's admitting defeat.

"For what?" Jack asks, looking back to the map.

"For letting me make some of the shots," Yasmin responds.

Jack looks at her for a moment, then back to the map.

"I value your input, Yasmin. This isn't a hierarchy, everyone has a say."

Yasmin nods, crossing her arms.

Jack suddenly stops writing down his notes and after a second or two, he looks to Yasmin.

"Do you think we're gonna make it?" Jack asks, unable to bite his tongue. He can't help but feel a wave of guilt. He's their leader, he should know that they're gonna make it and he definitely shouldn't be asking about it.

Yasmin's eyes widen slightly and she's caught off guard by his question.

"If we make the right choices, then... yeah. I think we can."

Jack maintains eye contact with her, contemplating her answer. He knows she's right.

"Can I ask you something?" Yasmin asks.

Jack nods.

"How are you managing to stay as calm as you have been this entire time?" Yasmin asks, "I mean, you're a few years younger than me and you're still handling this better than I am... sometimes."

Jack shrugs.

"I can't let anything happen to anyone. I have to stay calm for all of them," Jack responds, going back to the map.

"For him?" Yasmin asks, raising an eyebrow.

Jack freezes.

"What do you mean?" he asks.

Yasmin can't help but scoff. "You know what I mean. Lane. Seriously, what is it about him? You didn't even meet him until after all this started, didn't you?"

Jack sighs. "I met him a couple months after the outbreak, so... about a year and a half ago."

"Yet you're willing to sacrifice your whole life for him. Why?"

Jack freezes once again. Hell, even he doesn't know the answer to that one. Why would he sacrifice everything for the beautiful boy he met not long ago.

Just as Jack is about to respond, the door behind them opens once again and in walks Lane.

"I didn't see anything. I looked all around and asked the others too," Lane says.

Jack nods at him. "All the more reason to get the fuck out of here sooner."

Lane can't help but smirk and he moves back over to the table, taking the seat next to where Jack is standing.

"So have you guys figured more out?" Lane asks, leaning closer to Jack.

"Yeah. Yasmin suggested we head north, then east rather than just northeast so we can avoid the populated areas."

Lane is rocking back and forth in the chair as he nods.

"Smart and protective? You're kinda the whole package, huh?" Lane asks.

"Just trying to keep us alive," Jack responds, not even flinching.

"Tragic," Lane responds with a smile, "I forgot to tell you, I have something for you."

"What is it?" he asks.

Lane gently grabs Jack's wrist and holds it out, fishing for something in his pocket. He finds it and places it in Jack's hand and Jack examines it.

A white pen with brown-orange leaves painted onto it.

"It's my favorite pen," Lane says, his smile growing wider, "I used to use it when I was interning at the hospital. I painted the leaves myself. And look, it matches your eyes!"

Jack takes the pen in his hand, admiring the beautiful leaves.

"Thank you, Lane," he says, his voice softer than he'd prefer it to be.

Yasmin's gaze darts between the two and suddenly she feels like she's interrupting something she shouldn't be.

"I'm gonna go check if the others are ready to leave. I think we need to head out within the next hour or so," she says.

"Alright," Jack says.

Just like Lane did before, Yasmin exits the lounge, leaving the room in silence.

"Is there anything I can help you with?" Lane asks.

"Uh... no, it's okay. I'm just trying to think of the best routes for the next few days."

Lane's shoulders slump. "Jack, you know I can help too. You don't have to always protect me."

"I know," Jack says, not looking up from the map.

Lane shoots him a frown and even though Jack doesn't look up, he knows he can sense it.

"I mean it, Jack. I know how much you're carrying, not just for me, but for the whole group. We're here for you too, you know?"

"I know, Lane," Jack responds again, sharper this time.

Lane sighs.

"Look at me," Lane says.

Jack doesn't for a moment, but after a second he can't help but give in. He drops his pen and looks at Lane, their eyes connecting.

"You don't have to do this alone."

"Yes, I do. Otherwise, who is gonna get us out of here?"

Lane's lips purse into a sympathetic expression and he can feel Jack's tough exterior beginning to crumble.

"We do it together. All of us," Lane says, slowly extending a hand to give Jack time to move away. When he doesn't he brushes a lock of Jack's brown hair out of his face.

"But..." Jack begins, stopping himself. He's being too vulnerable and his brain is yelling at him to stop.

Lane doesn't take his gaze away from him, patiently waiting for him to respond.

"But what?"

"But I can't let anything happen to any of you guys. To you."

Lane tilts his head ever-so-slightly.

"Why me?" Lane asks.

There it is again. Why him?

"I... I don't know."

"Jack," Lane says, extending a hand once again and placing it on his cheek, "Let us help you."

Jack is completely speechless. He knows he's gonna regret this later but he's reached a point of no return, letting Lane know how he feels. He just stares at Lane like a deer in headlights, completely unsure of what to say.

Lane moves his hand from Jack's cheek and moves it to his hand, interlocking fingers. They continue staring at each other for a good while until Jack can't help it anymore. He practically lunges forward and wraps Lane tightly in his arms. It's been years since he's felt a warm embrace and this one feels... different.

Jack doesn't know how long he held on to Lane. He just knows it's the first time in forever that he doesn't feel the weight of the world on his shoulders and he feels tears catch in his eye before blinking them away.

After a long time, Jack finally parts from the hug and sniffles before clearing his throat.

"Thank you," he says, "But I'm fine."

Lane sighs. He might not've fully let go but it was a start.

Jack moves back over to his spot, looking deeply at the map.

"Look, I had something to ask of you," Lane says.

"What is it?"

"It's Christa. I don't know if you remember a few months ago when she was telling us she lost her little sister back in central Idaho. She has hope she's still alive."

Jack thinks for a moment. "She wants to stop in Idaho."

"She won't explicitly say it, I know she doesn't wanna slow down the group but she definitely implied it," Lane says gently.

Jack nods. "It shouldn't be too big of a detour. We're supposed to be headed through Idaho anyways. Let's just not say anything to her yet. We don't want her hopes up."

"Got it. Thank you, Jack."

Victor, Kevin, Bridgette, and Christa all sit in Bridgette and Christa's motel room as they all check their bags and finalize their packing. Yasmin had just entered the room moments ago and is sitting next to Victor.

"This is going to be the longest few months of my life," Kevin complains.

"Just think of the sights we're going to see," Christa says with a wide smile as she folds the last of her shirts.

Bridgette chuckles and she gently bumps Christa's shoulder with her own. "You're so optimistic, Chris. I love it."

Christa chuckles and can't help but blush slightly.

"Still, it's gonna suck but I bet we're gonna be all new people!" Kevin exclaims, "You know what... I decided that once we make it there, I'm going to be vegetarian!"

Everyone laughs, even Yasmin can't help but scoff a little.

"Oh please," Victor says, still laughing, "What if they have nachos there?"

"Nope, I've decided," Kevin responds, "I'm going vegetarian... when we get there."

"I'll believe it when I see it," Yasmin says, unable to hide her smile.

Everyone continues laughing as the laughter dies down, Bridgette clears her throat. "I just... this is the last time we'll ever have to pack up! Montana will be... home."

"If we can survive this long, we can survive anything," Victor says.

"Slow your roll. We have a two month journey ahead of us," Yasmin says.

"Yeah, but... it just feels different this time, you know?" Christa asks.

The rest of the group nods.

"Yeah. Bridgette's gonna climb a mountain, Christa will find true love, and Kevin... will be vegetarian," Victor says.

"And don't forget Lane and Jack. Hopefully those two will hook up sooner rather than later," Bridgette says with a smirk.

"Oh my God, you see it too?" Kevin asks.

"Please, who doesn't see it?" Christa asks with a chuckle.

"Oh, you should see those two in the lounge right now," Yasmin adds, "Those puppy-dog eyes were... something else."

"I can only imagine," Victor responds.

The laughter and hope throughout the room grows more and more as the hour passes on, with the group finishing their packing. After some time, Jack and Lane enter the room.

"Alright, everyone, gather your things. We're heading out now." Jack says, holding his map and adjusting his backpack over his shoulder.

The rest of the group can't help but feel giddy as they exit the motel with the fresh air and the night sky hitting them as they make their way down the steps.

The group moves across the parking lot, facing the gate. Jack takes the front as he prepares to make his way over to the hidden entrance.

"Remember, guys. Follow my lead. This is not going to be an easy journey. This is going to be the hardest thing we've ever faced in our lives," Jack says, taking a deep breath, "We can do this. Everyone ready?"

Everyone nods, as ready as they'll ever be.

"Good. Let's head out."

Jack begins making his way over to the hidden entrance when Kevin suddenly speaks up.

"Shit, I forgot my Slinky!" he exclaims in a whisper.

Jack pauses, his sharp gaze glancing back to him. "We can pick up a new one on the way."

"No, I can't lose it. I'm just going to go grab it real-"

BOOM!

A sharp, loud explosion much like the one just an hour ago practically bursts everyone's ear drums.

Jack, with his hearing distorted with a sharp ringing, speaks. "What the fuck? Is everyone okay?"

He assesses the group and sees everyone is unharmed, with all of them groaning from the sharp pain in their ears.

Where was that? Where was the explosion? Jack turns around and he looks to the opposite side of the gate and can see the smoke. It was on the other side of the gate.

Jack squinted past the smoke and something shimmered. Was that... a flare?

Jack places a finger to his lip, telling the group to be quiet as he crouches and slowly moves to the hidden entrance as he peeks out and just as he does... he sees a horde of Infected making their way to the source of the sound.

This isn't just any horde. This is the biggest he's ever seen.

And it's headed right to the motel.

Chapter Text

BOOM!

A sharp, loud explosion much like the one just an hour ago practically bursts everyone's ear drums.

Jack, with his hearing distorted with a sharp ringing, speaks. "What the fuck? Is everyone okay?"

He assesses the group and sees everyone is unharmed, with all of them groaning from the sharp pain in their ears.

Where was that? Where was the explosion? Jack turns around and he looks to the opposite side of the gate and can see the smoke. It was on the other side of the gate.

Jack squinted past the smoke and something shimmered. Was that... a flare?

Jack places a finger to his lip, telling the group to be quiet as he crouches and slowly moves to the hidden entrance as he peeks out and just as he does... he sees a horde of Infected making their way to the source of the sound.

This isn't just any horde. This is the biggest he's ever seen.

And it's headed right to the motel.

Jack's eyes go wide and his mind goes blank as he watches the horde rapidly approach.

"Help me barricade this!" Jack says, looking around for anything big and strong enough to block the hole.

"What is it?" Christa asks, everyone immediately looking around for anything around.

"A horde. We're dead if we don't seal everywhere off," Jack says, almost eerily calm.

"Guys, the vending machine," Yasmin calls out, pointing to the broken vending machine a few dozen feet away, "Help me push it!"

No one has to be told twice as the group runs over to the vending machine and they all forcefully push it to the gate, tipping it on its side when it finally makes it over.

The sound of the gargling and groans from the undead is louder than ever, along with loud pounds along the gate as they reach the motel.

"It's only a matter of time before they start climbing the gates. What the hell are we supposed to do!?" Victor asks, watching the infected bang their hands (or what's left of their hands) against the gate.

Jack thoughtfully runs a hand through his hair, the adrenaline and his thoughts spinning too much to form a coherent thought.

Lane glances around the parking lot and his gaze meets a storm drain in the center of the lot.

"The storm drain!" Lane says as he approaches Jack, "What if we all go through there!?"

"That could work!" Bridgette says.

Jack hesitates, thinking for a moment before shaking his head.

"No. Those drains are practically as narrow as pipes, there's no way all of us would fit even if we went in one-by-one," Jack says, his voice shaky, "Not to mention, if anyone gets trapped in there, it's a death sentence."

"I can definitely fit in there, so can Christa!" Lane says, "If we just go through it, then maybe one of us could find something to lure them. Like... like a fire or explosion or-"

"No!" Jack says, "It's too dangerous and if we split up, then we die."

"So where are we supposed to go?" Christa asks, her voice small.

Jack looks around the hotel, his mind racing for any possibility but for the first time in a long time... Jack doesn't have a fucking clue of what to do.

"What if we went to the main building of the motel?" Yasmin suggests, her voice sharp as a knife.

"Then we risk getting trapped in with the Infected surrounding us and potentially breaking in," Jack says.

"Well what other choice do we have? At least it's one more wall of defense they have to get through," Yasmin responds.

Jack looks to the gate and as more and more Infected threaten to spill in, he realizes he doesn't have a choice.

Jack's gaze returns to the group and he gives them a nod.

With that, Yasmin takes the lead and heads to the central part of the motel, where the reception desk and the cafeteria are.

Jack reluctantly follows before turning back and seeing Lane staying put.

"Come on, Lane," Jack says.

Lane looks to the gate then back to Jack, seeing he's still staring at him.

"I'm right behind you," Lane says, grabbing his pistol from his holder. "I just want to grab that propane tank near the fence. If they breath the light, I'll light it. Buy us some time."

Jack hesitates, not wanting to let Lane out of his sight.

"Go, Jack!" Lane says, already making his way to the opposite side of the lot. "Just leave the cafeteria doors unlocked for me, I'll head in that way."

Jack wants to argue and he shows it on his face but the sight of what's beyond the fence is enough to send him into action. He turns and disappears into the main building, shutting the door behind him.

Lane watches as the door is shut and their view from him is obstructed, suddenly turning and running as fast as his legs can carry him.

"Help me barricade the doors," Jack says.

"Where's Lane?" Bridgette asks.

"He's grabbing the propane tank. Don't barricade the cafeteria doors, that's where he's coming in from."

The group immediately hit the ground running, grabbing as many chairs and shelves from the reception area as they could.

With the door barricaded to the best of their ability, the group made their way over to the cafeteria with Victor setting a single chair up against the cafeteria door so they could easily let Lane inside while still keeping some sense of safety.

The silence that followed was absolutely deafening, with most of the group sitting down and Jack pacing in circles.

"How did this happen?" Victor asks, breaking the silence.

The group looks to Victor and there's another brief moment of silence.

"Do we think... do we think it was maybe that woman?" Christa asks. "The one that you guys and Lane saw?"

"It doesn't matter who did this," Yasmin says, "Right now we just need to worry about getting out of here. We're sitting of ducks."

"Speaking of Lane... I thought he was just grabbing a propane tank. Shouldn't he be in here by now?" Bridgette asks.

"It's definitely been more than a few minutes," Christa responds.

"Maybe he got caught up?" Kevin says.

Jack shakes his head, biting his nails.

"He was just grabbing the propane tank, it was only about 50 feet away," he responds.

Yasmin groans.

"Jack, why would you let him veer off alone? We shouldn't have split up," she says.

Jack bites his cheek so hard that it nearly bleeds and he glances at the window for about the hundredth time.

"I'm gonna go get him. There's no way he could've left the lot and the Infected haven't broken in," Jack says, moving to the door instantly.

"No, Jack!" Bridgette says, the worry in her voice evident. "He could've just gone upstairs to grab something else."

Taking a deep breath, Jack takes his pistol out of his holster.

"Well I'll make sure he gets back safely."

"Bridgette's right," Yasmin says. "Lane couldn't have gone anywhere, just wait for him to get back. We need you to help come up with a plan and we don't have any time to waste."

Jack's hand is frozen on the chair in front of the cafeteria door, ready to move it. He takes a deep breath and considers staying for a moment... but he's not leaving Lane.

"I'm going. I'll be right back," he says, moving the chair.

He sets the chair onto the ground and places his hand on the handle of the door, bracing himself to open it. And just as Jack begins to open the door-

BOOM!

Another explosion, except this time, much louder and closer that the rumble shakes the motel.

Jack instantly freezes, the door staying shut in front of him, the only sound being the air humming.

"What was that?" Victor whispers, finally letting go of the breath he'd been holding in as dust falls from the ceiling.

The question that was circling Jack's head now feels like a deafening scream in his mind. Where the fuck is Lane?

Yasmin starts heading back to the lobby where they have a clear shot of the gate from the window and the rest follow suit, so softly it was as if they were on eggshells.

They all gather at the window and Yasmin peers through first.

"They're not at the gate anymore," Yasmin says softly.

A small sense of relief fills the room... for everyone except Jack.

"But where is Lane?" Christa asks.

No one responds... and then, the silence is interrupted with a sound of faint footsteps.

Everyone listens intently, their eyes glued to the window. Nothing comes... but the footsteps are growing louder.

"Is that him?" Kevin whispers.

Again, no one responds.

Then, the sound of footsteps is accompanied by the faint sound of low growling and moaning.

"Definitely not him," Kevin says.

"Where is that coming from? It doesn't sound like it's outside." Christa says.

With the time dragging on, it becomes crystal clear in a matter of seconds that the footsteps aren't the source of a single person but rather a large group.

"It's the horde..." Jack says.

Jack's gaze slowly draws to the door on the opposite side of the room behind the receptionist desk with "STAFF ONLY" behind it.

"Everyone, run," Jack says softly.

And with that, the employee door bursts open with the horde of infected spilling out into the room.

Jack and Yasmin head straight for the cafeteria, whereas the rest of the group heads for the opposite side where the locker room is located.

Jack and Yasmin are running as fast as they can, throwing chairs and tables to slow the horde down. Jack reaches the door first and opens it for Yasmin as he follows suit.

The two begin running to the building next to the lobby where the motel rooms are located.

"We can't go to the motel rooms, we'll be trapped on the second floor!" Yasmin calls out.

"There's a ladder at the very end of the walkway and we can get onto the roof. They won't climb the ladder!" Jack calls back.

They swiftly begin climbing the stairs with the Infected trailing them not too far behind.

They reach the second floor and continue sprinting to the end of the walkway with the wooden railing rattling as they run across it.

Yasmin makes it to the ladder and immediately begins climbing as fast as she can. Jack glances behind him as he waits for Yasmin to climb the ladder and sees the Infected are gaining on them.

He jumps onto the ladder and carries himself up until one of the Infected manages to grab his leg.

He desperately kicks at it and shakes his leg, trying to get it off but another Infected grabs it before he can fight the other one off and one goes for the bite.

Jack is deafened by the sound of a loud gunshot from above him. Yasmin has started shooting at the Infected, freeing Jack's leg. His brain catches up to the situation for a moment and he hesitates for half a second but resumes the climb.

He makes it to the top and hurls himself onto the roof and looks down as the Infected scrambles to get onto the roof but are unable to.

Suddenly, he scrambles to his feet and looks over the parking lot, seeing the Infected have fully breached into the lot and he can't find any sign of Lane or the others. He glances over to the fence and sees that the propane tank is still there. Lane never grabbed it.

He runs his hand through his hair as his adrenaline finally wears off and he begins to tear up.

"How the hell did they get in through the lobby? There's no door in there that leads beyond the gate." Yasmin asks.

Yasmin looks outside of the gate and onto the street and sees almost all the Infected at the gate have cleared out. Then, she glances to the west and sees some smoke rising, right next to the fence of the motel. That must've been the source of the second explosion.

Yasmin looks back to Jack and sees him completely still, a single tear rolling down his cheek.

"Jack," Yasmin says, her voice firm. "Snap out of it. We'll worry about the rest of them later but we need to figure something out."

Jack inhales then exhales slowly and he considers his options.

Jack scans the lot again and something catches his eye. Movement inside the lobby. Where the group had split up.

Inside, chaos ensued.

Victor and Kevin bought the group an incredibly short amount of time, stacking tables in front of the door and they're all desperately searching inside the locker room for anything to strengthen the barricade as Victor stays planted against the door, holding the tables firmly as the Infected pound hungrily at it.

"This door isn't going to hold for long!" Victor says, sweat dripping from his forehead.

"The pool is in the other room," Christa says, shouting over the loud sound coming from the opposite room. "What if we went in there and search for the emergency exit?"

"Let's do it!" Victor shouts back. "You guys go first, I'll hold these guys for just a second to give you time to run!"

"No! We can't risk your life!" Christa says.

"This door is going to bust open any second, especially when I let go of it!" Victor says. "You guys go, now!"

Bridgette nods and grabs Christa's hand as she and Kevin begin running to the pool.

Then, a loud, sickening crack. The table splintered open like dry bone as their weight crashed forward.

Victor had barely any time to react. In an instant, the entire barricade collapsed inward and the door flung open.

"NO!" Christa screams, coming to complete stop, letting go of Bridgette's hand to run to Victor.

The horde instantly jumps Victor before he even has a chance to run and the Infected begin flooding into the room once again, Victor's screams only being heard for a split second before being overpowered by the sound of the Infected.

"No, Christa!" Bridgette yells, grabbing her hand with such force it's almost a miracle she didn't break it, dragging Christa with her into the pool.

Christa sobs as she realizes she can't do anything and she starts running, the three of them going on pure adrenaline. They enter the indoor pool room and spot the emergency exit and they book for it immediately.

The Infected once again enter the room and head straight for the three of them.

Finally, they make it to the exit door and are hit with the cool air of the night as they look up and see themselves surrounded... not by Infected, but a 12-foot privacy fence.

"It's a goddamn courtyard!" Kevin says. "We're... we're trapped!"

"Maybe there's another exit! Keep running!" Bridgette says, running through the courtyard.

Kevin grabs the plastic patio chair right next to the door and jams the legs in between the handles.

They make it to the opposite end and realize... they're completely cornered.

Kevin slams his shoulder against the fence repeatedly, trying to break it. But nothing happens. Just the hollow rattle of the gate. He glances back to the chair and sees that it's breaking.

Kevin screams loudly out of pure anger.

"I'm sorry," Kevin mutters, his voice breaking.

Bridgette steps closer to him, her hand resting on his arm. "Don't be."

The loud sound of the chair and the final door being burst open by the Infected fills the air and as the three turn around... they realized there was no way out of this.

This was the end.

Without even thinking, without waiting Bridgette leans in and kisses him. A kiss she thought would be life-changing is nothing short of desperate and messy but as Kevin kisses her back... she realizes it's everything she'd dreamed it would be.

And as Christa is unable to do anything besides watch as she loses her, the Infected finally catch up to them.

Kevin, Bridgette, and Christa's screams echo long after they stop.

Jack doesn't move. He just stands there, staring at the courtyard from the roof, his shouts going unheard.

Yasmin doesn't say anything either.

"I failed," Jack says, his voice quiet and hollow despite the loud sounds of the Infected still trying to get up to them. "They're all dead. I couldn't protect them."

"Jack, we can't dwell on this right now. We need to find a way out of here."

Jack looks to Yasmin, his vision hazy from the tears in his eyes, not saying a single word.

Yasmin, shakes Jack's shoulder, her eyes landing on the propane tank that was never picked up.

"Jack," Yasmin says quietly. "That tank... the valve is still on. If you can shoot the valve, it'll flood the air with gas. If we can find something flammable, we can throw it at it and draw them out. Do you have matches?"

Jack stares at the propane tank next to the wooden fence. His brain scrambles to form any coherent thought until it finally hits him.

He takes his backpack off of his back and crouches as he digs through it. He pulls out a silencer, a match, and a glass bottle with a rag stuffed in the top.

"Lane was showing me how to make these one day. It's a Molotov," Jack says, his voice still shaky. "I'll shoot the valve then you light the Molotov and throw it at the tank."

Yasmin nods, taking the Molotov and lighter as Jack puts the suppressor onto his pistol.

He takes a deep breath and lines up the shot with his pistol. He takes another few deep breaths, trying to stop the shaking in his hands. This has to be the perfect shot.

Finally, he pulls the trigger. The bullet goes past the valve and shoots the fence.

He takes another deep breath. He knows he can do it.

Lining up the shot once again, his finger ghosts over the trigger and he pulls it.

The bullet directly hits the valve and the tank erupts in a high-pitched shriek, spinning slightly and spewing invisible gas into the air.

The sound immediately gained some of the attention of the Infected, with the closest ones whipping their heads around. Yasmin quickly took the lighter and lit the rag on fire.

"Wait for it..." Jack whispers, his eyes narrowing. "Now!"

Yasmin tosses the bottle off the roof and down toward the growing cloud of propane.

The Molotov shattered against the concrete and the fire began exploding outward in bursts of orange, racing up the side of the fence and igniting a stack of old pallets and cardboard that had been left nearby.

The flame roared and like moths to a flame, the Infected turned almost in unison, drawn by the noise and bright sight.

With the Infected beginning to pour over to the tank, Yasmin and Jack acted immediately.

They slid off of the ladder and urgently made it to the stairs then bolted for their hidden entrance near the gate.

As Yasmin begins to move the debris out of the way of the exit, Jack stops.

"I can't leave here without knowing if Lane is okay or not," Jack whispers.

Yasmin whips her head around at him.

"We have to go, Jack. You'll die before you ever find him in here."

"I... I can't leave him. What if he's still alive?"

"Look, let's get the hell out of here and then we'll think of a way to draw all of them out and then we'll search for him."

Jack hesitates, taking a deep breath. He's never felt so weak in his entire life. Most of his friends are dead and Lane might be alive somewhere on the lot yet he's still about to leave.

He nods and Yasmin turns back and crawls through the exit and Jack follows suit. There are a few stray Infected outside but Jack is able to take them out with his suppressed pistol. Yasmin takes her own pistol out of the side pocket of her bag.

"Let's head this way," Yasmin says, gesturing toward the right side of the street.

Jack follows her and they begin their trek down the street.

Jack's head won't shut up. His family died first, now it's his friends, and maybe even Lane. He didn't even get to say goodbye to him. Why the hell did he let him go for that propane tank? Where did he even go? He never even grabbed the tank.

After a few minutes of walking, they spot something. A small hole in the road with scorched and sinking asphalt and a ditch right next to it, slightly off the road that's caving in, revealing a hidden pathway.

Jack walks over to it and begins investigating it.

"I think this was where that second explosion was..." Jack says.

He looks and sees the ash scattered around with dozens of footprints in it... the horde's footprints.

"Yasmin... what was behind that staff only door?" Jack asks.

Yasmin thinks for a moment.

"It was... there was the break room and the stairs to the basement where the boiler room was." she responds.

Jack freezes and he's beginning to piece things together.

"Someone must've caused an explosion here that opened up a sinkhole. These are the maintenance tunnels that lead to the boiler room of the motel..."

"So... this is where the Infected got in?"

Jack looks to her and nods. "We need to stay on our guard. Whoever caused this is still around."

The two of them look around at their surroundings, holding up their gun.

They look to the street and they see a dark figure headed straight for them.

Yasmin comes to a halt immediately and they both hold up their gun, ready to fire at the figure.

The figure approaches them slowly and as they draw closer... they begin to make out who it is.

Lane.

Jack immediately drops his gun and sprints up to him, almost knocking Lane off balance as Jack hugs him tightly.

"Lane," Jack whispers softly, the tears spilling in a way they never have before.

"I'm here, Jack," Lane says, wrapping his arms around him. "I... I thought I was too late. But when I saw they were gone, I knew you guys made it."

Jack goes still, not fully understanding what Lane means.

"Wait... what?" Jack asks, slightly parting from the hug to look at Lane.

"That boom? That was me. I know you told me not to but I went through the storm drain," Lane says with a soft yet prideful smile. "I made the explosion to divert them away."

Jack feels his heart plummet to his stomach.

"You... you did this?" Jack asks.

"Yeah!" Lane says with a wide smile. "I was hiding out for a little while but I heard you guys talking so I came out. Where are the others?"

Jack stares at him in disbelief.

"What's wrong?" Lane asks with a slight awkward chuckle.

"The others? They're fucking dead, Lane," Jack says, his voice quiet and sharp.

Lane chuckles awkwardly again.

"What?" Lane asks, the smile on his face fading slightly. "What do you mean they're-"

"I mean they're FUCKING DEAD, LANE!" Jack shouts.

"Keep your damn voice down," Yasmin says from behind him.

The smile on Lane's face is fully gone and replaced with a look of panic.

"Wha-what?" Lane repeats. "Christa? No, no she's okay. And Kevin, no Kevin wouldn't have let anything happen-"

"Christa and Kevin are dead Lane. Victor and Bridgette too and it's all your fault," Jack says, his voice quieter but still laced with venom.

"I... Jack, I didn't mean to... I thought I was helping, I-"

"Why didn't you fucking listen to me?" Jack asks. "You're so... oh my God, you're so fucking stupid, Lane!"

"Jack, please, I'm so sorry, I... I didn't mean to-"

"Of course you didn't mean to. You never mean to do anything. All you've ever done is put is in shitty situations time and time again, it's a miracle that we didn't all die a long ass time ago!"

Lane's eyes are fully wide and his face is drained of all color.

"You... you told me that without me, we would've died a long time ago..." Lane responds, his voice frail and quiet.

"That was before you got all of our friends killed because of your stupid pride. You're absolutely nothing, Lane. Nothing but a liability and I should've gotten rid of you the day we met." Jack says, backing away from Lane. "You killed the only people who ever believed in you."

"Jack, please, I'm so sorry. I'm so fucking sorry Jack, please believe me... I'm so sorry!" Lane says, collapsing onto the floor.

Jack scoffs angrily and he looks at Yasmin.

"Let's go," he says, not even glancing at Lane.

"No... Jack, please... please don't leave me Jack! I can't do this without you, please!"

Jack gives Lane one final look and is met with a feeling of pure anger and devastation. He takes another deep breath and turns his back on Lane, walking away with Yasmin following suit.

"JACK!" Lane shouts. "Don't go... please don't go..."

Lane is frantically sobbing and continues begging for Jack to come back as he walks further and further away... and eventually, the begging stops as Jack and Yasmin's figures are fully gone.

The dead of night is filled with nothing but the sound of the wind rustling, the flames of the motel, and Lane's sobs.

And then... footsteps once more.

"This wasn't your fault, Sunshine."

Lane can hear the voice but he isn't processing it, still crying.

Then, someone kneels in front of him, with a hand on his shoulder.

The woman from the woods last night.

"Look, we all make mistakes," she says, "We never properly introduced ourselves. The name's Lockjaw. Why don't you come with me? We'll take you in."

Lane finally looks up to her and his cries stop for a moment.

"We?" he asks, his voice soft.

"We."

Lane takes a deep breath.

"Okay," he says weakly.

Yasmin and Jack continue to walk in complete silence. It's been thirty minutes of torture in Jack's head. Thirty minutes since he left Lane.

"We should head to Montana," Yasmin says, finally breaking the silence. "Do you have the map?"

Jack sighs and then nods. They stop for a moment as he takes out his backpack and unzips it, pulling out the map and a pen to mark it.

"Okay," Jack says, his voice still nearly hoarse. "From here we're gonna have to go north, like you planned."

Yasmin nods. Jack begins to examine the map and notices the detour route for Idaho that they were going to take. For Christa.

He takes his pen and redraws the route to stay on course, removing the Idaho detour.

"There should be a wooded area coming up. We'll need to head that way," Jack says.

"Got it," Yasmin says, starting to walk.

Then, Jack sees it. The pen he's using. The pen with beautiful brown leaves hand-painted onto it so delicately. The way it contrasts so beautifully with the night sky.

Yasmin, noticing Jack hasn't resumed walking, turns around.

"What's up?" she asks.

Jack pauses, still staring at the pen.

"I have to go back," Jack says.

"You're kidding," Yasmin says. "He fucked everything up."

"He did," Jack says. "But I can't leave him."

Yasmin sighs.

"Look, I get where you're coming from and I wish it was a good idea to take him along with us. But it's not. Not after all the messes he's created," Yasmin says firmly.

"I could never live with myself if I walked away. If I don't turn around now, I'll spend the rest of my life wondering what happened to him. I just can't leave him."

Yasmin hears the firmness in his voice and she knows he isn't changing his mind.

"Then... I guess this is where we part," she says.

Jack nods.

"I guess it is," Jack says. "Thanks. For... everything."

"Um... thank you too," she says, "Don't die out there."

"You too."

With one final look, the two split paths and Jack turns back to the motel.

The walk feels like forever but after some time, he can see the smoke rising from where the motel was burning down.

What could he even say to Lane? He could never take those words back. Lane fucked up big time but he never meant to, he was just trying to help. And Jack crushed him.

He finally sees the sinkhole that Lane had created and he begins to approach it.

Only to find that Lane isn't there.

Jack searches around the area, looking for any trace of him.

"Lane?" Jack calls out quietly.

He looks around.

"Lane!?" He calls out again, louder this time.

Nothing.

Just the sound of the flames as everything Jack once knew burns to the ground.

Chapter Text

Jack never thought he would be back so soon.

But here he stands on the shoulder of Highway 69, looking up at the faded green sign that read 'PRESCOTT - 4 MILES'.

The paint was peeling and Jack couldn't help but wonder how that sign was even still hanging on.

Even after two years, Arizona clearly hasn't changed. But Jack has.

The air is still, the heat is rippling on his skin. It feels different than he remembered.

Still, he can't stop. Not until he finds her.

Adjusting the strap of his backpack, he continues walking, his vision set on the path in front of him.

Abandoned cars litter the street, exactly as it was on every highway in America.

Jack grips the pistol in his holster, ready to grab it quickly whenever he needs it.

He can't help but glance to his left, off the highway. In the distance, he sees a gas station with something orange smeared on the side of it. Something he's seen before.

He moves along to the edge of the highway and steps over the cement railing and onto the overgrown grass as he heads toward it.

As he draws closer, he's able to make out the symbol and it's exactly what he thought it was. Graffiti, a circle with two slashes. The same symbol that was marked on the van that took her.

After weeks, hell, maybe over a month, of searching, Jack can feel himself getting closer. Of course it just had to be here. Of all places.

Now Jack has a new question swirling in his mind, in a sea of hundreds of other ones:

What are the odds that he's been led exactly to the place he started?

He can't question why, not just yet. First priority is finding out where she is. Where they took her.

He sighs and enters the gas station, glancing every which way and watching each step he takes. It appears to be alone, but Jack could never be too sure.

Pistol in hand, he checks each and every aisle for something, anything.

Then, for a split second, the silence is gone.

Crunch.

Jack's head immediately whips to the side, his pistol ready to fire. Glass. Not a bottle falling, but something stepped on.

"Who's there?" Jack asks, his voice low, yet firm.

Nothing.

Jack walks over to the broken glass hidden behind one of the shelves. When he approaches the end of the aisle, he sharply takes a step forward, ready to fire at whatever.

A woman, maybe 40 or 50, sits there on the ground amidst the glass. Her hands shoot up immediately and Jack keeps his aim fixated on her.

"Don't fucking move," Jack says. "Who are you?"

The woman is trembling and Jack closely examines her features. She was thin, wearing just a black jumpsuit and glasses with a broken lens. And then he spots it... a tattoo on her forearm.

The woman doesn't say anything, she just keeps her hands in the air.

"Don't make me ask you again," Jack says.

"You don't scare me," the woman says, her voice deep and rugged.

Jack's stone-cold expression remains unchanged.

"Who are you?" Jack growls. "If you're not going to say anything, you're just as useless dead as you are alive."

The woman continues to shake, contemplating what to say next.

"I'm just a survivor... I'm trying to find food," the woman responds, her voice weak.

"Bullshit," Jack says. "I saw your tattoo. I know you're with them. Are you gonna give me anything useful or not?" Jack nods to the tattoo on the woman's arm. A circle with two slashes.

"How do I know you're not going to kill me no matter what I tell you?" she responds.

Jack shrugs. "I guess you decide if it's a gamble you're willing to take."

The woman sighs. "What do you want?" she asks.

"I'm looking for someone," Jack replies. "And you barbarians are the ones who know where they are. Where is your base at?"

The woman starts laughing. It's weak and hollow and it sounds like she could choke on her own laughter at any second.

"I can tell you, one man is never going to be able to make it inside alone," she says, still wheezing. "Shit, you're more likely to get into a Hive and make it out alive."

Jack raises his gun further, the end of the gun pointed directly between the woman's eyes.

"Where is it?" Jack asks.

The woman hesitates.

Then, with near lightning quick speed, she reaches to the side, grabbing her pistol that was tucked away, and-

BOOM!

The gunshot rings as her body drops to the ground and Jack stands there in silence, staring at the corpse in front of him and the gun she was reaching for.

Dumbass. Jack thinks.

He takes a deep breath and approaches the body, crouching down but keeping his pistol handy just in case.

He quickly pats down the woman's pockets and he feels something small in her pocket. He reaches into it and he pulls out a black key with a twisted double-pronged blade. It looks nothing like any key Jack has ever seen before, to the point where he's not even sure it is a key. He swiftly pockets it and continues patting the woman down and feels something else in the other pocket.

He takes it and examines it. It's something Jack doesn't recognize, a small plastic palm-sized object that's softly vibrating in his hand. It's silver and has one large circular button in the middle along with a plastic tube that looks like a siren. The red siren part is flashing red, yet no sound is being made.

Jack tilts the object in his hand, looking for anything on it yet all he's able to find is the same symbol that was spraypainted on the building and the woman's tattoo.

"What the hell is this?" Jack mutters to himself, continuing to look at it.

Unable to figure out what it is, he pockets the device as well and stands up.

He didn't find or learn anything useful but if the graffiti and the woman showed him anything, it means he's closer than ever.

He sighs and looks around the gas station. It's a long shot but he looks around at the empty shelves, maybe there's something else. Hell, even some food or any supplies would be useful right now.

After looking around the area and realizing this place has been completely ransacked, he knows it's time to go.

Adjusting the strap of his bag once again, he starts heading toward the door of the gas station and that's when he feels something in his pocket. More vibrating, but stronger this time.

He quickly takes the device he found earlier out of his pocket and looks at it once more, and this time, the flashing light is much brighter and faster.

That's when he hears it. The sound of engines faintly in the distance and he quickly looks out the glass windows facing the road and he can see the same type of vans he saw months ago.

Shit.

He turns around and runs to the back of the gas station, where the back rooms are and he shuts the door behind him. Not long after, he hears footsteps approaching the front of the gas station. Lots of footsteps.

He quietly makes his way out the emergency exit and looks around for anywhere to go. That's when he spots it. A ladder attached to the back of the building that leads up to the roof. The bottom half is broken but maybe he can use something to jump from to reach it.

Jack takes the device that was still vibrating and flashing urgently out from his pocket it and stomps it beneath his boot, destroying it. Whatever that thing is, it's what brought them here but maybe he can use it as a way of tricking them into thinking he escaped too.

He quickly hurls himself onto the dumpster and it creaks below him. The footsteps are getting louder and the voices are becoming less and less faint. With a leap of faith, he jumps as far as he can and manages to grab the ladder, adjusting his position and praying to God that it doesn't collapse on him.

He climbs it with an urgency he hasn't felt in a while and he makes it onto the roof of the building. He makes his way over to the opposite side to quickly see what's going on. He can hear the troops are already looking around inside the gas station and they inevitably found the mess Jack left behind.

"Dana's dead, Commander," someone says, the voice sounding masculine. "Shot in the head. We found her SOS beacon on the ground outside of the emergency exit in the back destroyed."

A long pause follows.

"Did she still have the key?" a woman asks and Jack can only assume it's whoever this "Commander" is.

Silence again.

"Shit," the woman says. "The beacon lit up not even five minutes ago and if it was by the emergency exit, that means whoever killed Dana took off south. We need to begin heading that way since whoever killed her must still be nearby."

Jack can't help but reach into his pocket and examine the key once again. Whatever it is, it's clearly important.

The footsteps disperse and Jack hears two new voices.

"What the hell was Dana doing all the way out here away from the base?" the first man says.

"Maybe she got overwhelmed by the attack last night," another responds. His voice is younger and lighter but still sharp. "Can't say I'll miss her."

"Kit," the first man warns, "don't say that out loud. Not here."

"I'm just saying... she was a snake. Liked to watch people squirm. What kind of medic acts like that?"

"Half the medics we've got," the other responds. "Look, do you want a promotion or a death sentence?"

"Why not both?" Kit responds. Jack can hear the smug grin on his face. "Either way, I'm gonna be the one who kills this son of a bitch, the one that killed Dana. That way, Commander will finally see me."

The other man scoffs.

"Whatever you say, brother."

With that, their conversation ends and Jack is unable to gather any other intel.

Regardless, he needs to get the hell out of here before they check the roof and now he knows which direction to go. The way the vans came from.

"Kit, Langley!" a new, commanding voice calls out. "Get in the vans now, we're heading south!"

He glances out and sees that there are three vans, all parked with a bunch of troops who are all wearing body armor. Whoever this group is, they're much more advanced than any group Jack has ever seen since the world ended.

The vans immediately take off south, the direction they think Jack went and he finally lets out a breath he didn't know he was holding.

He climbs down onto the awning of the gas station and jumps back to the ground.

Jack looks back toward the direction the vans came from and immediately begins walking that way.

Jack doesn't have a clue what he's in for, but whatever it is, he won't let them stop him till he's dead.

Chapter Text

With his own reflection staring back at him in the mirror, he almost doesn't recognize himself anymore.

The curly blonde locks replaced with a buzzcut, the circle tattoo with two slashes on his forearm, his eyes once filled so brightly with love and life now looked sunken and almost... hollow.

Much like his heart.

It almost made him feel something, seeing the stranger in the mirror. Almost. But he can't afford that.

Doc takes a deep breath, steeling himself to look away from the mirror.

He lets go of his grip on the edge of the sink and moves out of the bathroom and back into his quarters.

"Good morning, Sunshine," Maddox says, laying on the bottom bunk.

Doc simply rolls his eyes and grabs one of his red jumpsuits in his closet without a word.

"Not gonna say good morning to your roomie?" Maddox asks, his tone sharp.

"No," Doc says firmly, not even giving Maddox a second glance.

Maddox chuckles, his eyes never leaving Doc.

"Cold as ever, I see," he says. "You know, you'd be a lot more likeable if you dropped that whole 'dead inside' act."

Once again, Doc doesn't respond and he quietly slips on his red jumpsuit over his clothes.

"Or maybe you really are. Who knows?"

Doc exits the room and makes his way out of his quarters and downstairs to the mess hall.

He swiftly grabs a tray and whatever nasty slop is being served today.

He glances around the room and spots a girl with black coiled hair tied into a messy ponytail. Vera.

Doc nods at her and begins making his way over to her, taking a seat at the table next to her.

"Why isn't Kit sitting with us today?" Doc asks her, setting his tray on the table.

"He's on a patrol mission to find any Bastion members," Vera says. "They've been taking out more of our troops so Commander's getting pretty serious about finding their base."

Doc scoffs.

"Not going to happen. It's been almost two years since they first came up and we don't even know who their leader is," Doc replies.

Vera shrugs.

"Regardless, we're getting more injured troops by the hour. I have a feeling we're gonna be working a very long shift at the infirmary today."

Doc takes a deep breath and he glances at the foul food on his tray. The portions are smaller, even smaller than they were last week.

"I don't know how I'm gonna get through that if this is the only food I've got," Doc says. "The Raze's rations are dwindling."

"Well, once you're Head Medic, you'll get to eat like a king. Just gotta wait till Dana decides to pass that title onto you," Vera snickered.

Doc scoffs again, partially out of annoyance this time.

"I'm only 24, I'd be the youngest head of a branch by far. There's no way they'd ever pick me."

Vera narrows her eyes at him, raising an eyebrow. "Right."

Doc shoots her back his own glare, subtle but sharp.

Suddenly, the chatter in the mess hall is interrupted by the sound of two pots being banged together and Doc draws his gaze to the source of the noise.

His least favorite part of the day: daily announcements.

Cleo stands on a chair in the front of the room and Doc can't help but wonder how a woman of her age is able to climb onto the chair without breaking a hip. She clears her throat.

"Alright, listen up Raze members," Cleo says, holding a piece of paper in front of her. "First up, any member who is caught hoarding rations again will be reassigned to latrine duty for the rest of the month. You know who you are."

Doc can see out of the corner of his eye everyone's gazing falling to Silas, one of the members of the Scavengers, along with some faint chuckles.

"Second, the Quartermasters have been instructed to lower the rations that are handed out. This will only be temporary."

Yeah, right. Doc thinks to himself. The Quartermasters, the branch of The Raze that distributes inventory to all of the members, is filled with idiots. The whole reason this is even necessary is because they were distributing way too many supplies for too long and now everyone has to suffer for it.

"For our penultimate announcement, we did have a minor Infected breach on the northside but they were swiftly taken down. Hive perimeter protocols are still in effect."

Doc hears a faint grown in the sea of members.

"And for our final announcement, all members in the Medical Branch are required to head to the infirmary immediately after breakfast," Cleo commands. "No exceptions."

With that, she folds the paper into her pocket and scans the room. It takes everything in Doc to not throw his head back in annoyance.

"Just remember I'll be watching. Some of you more than others," she hisses, finally getting down from the chair.

"No fucking way," Vera says with an eye roll.

"Way," Doc snarks.

Vera sighs, taking a bite of her slop.

"This is getting out of hand. We know that The Bastion's in the city so how the hell are we not able to find their base?" Vera complains.

Doc shrugs, also taking a bite of his food. "How do we know for sure they're in the city?"

"Where else would they be?" Vera asks.

"I don't know," Doc responds. "Somewhere outside of it? Maybe even underground?"

"The Scout branch has already cleared both. Multiple times."

"Well The Raze has several bases spread out around the country. Maybe they do too," Doc suggests.

Vera chuckles. "You're hopeless."

Doc shrugs, taking another bite.

"Maybe I am."

Vera and Doc finish their food and make their way across the base to the infirmary, the small building littered with Raze members in red jumpsuits. Usually there's about 6-8 medics working at a time but today, there's at least 40.

Doc's mind races with possibilities. Whatever happened was something big and bad but why wasn't it mentioned in the announcements?

As they drew closer, the air smelled like metal, smoke, and rot. Doc could hear the shouts, orders, and moans coming from inside when the infirmary normally was much more quiet and calm.

"Jesus, it's worse than I thought," Doc says.

"And we're not even inside yet," Vera replies.

Suddenly, one of the lower-ranking medics approaches the two.

"Oh thank God you two are here," she says. "Doc, we've got two in critical and no one's cleared C-3 yet."

"Susan," Doc says firmly. "What the hell happened?"

"The Bastion launched an offensive strike on the night Troop squad," Susan replies, her voice still urgent.

"An offensive strike?" Doc repeats. Usually The Bastion only strikes defensively so what changed?

He quickly snaps out of it and decides to head into action.

"Vera, I need you to head to Zone A, they're usually the most backed up. Check and see if they need you to jump in," Doc says.

Vera immediately nods her head and makes her way to Zone A with Doc following behind her as he heads to C-3.

He pushes open the door to C-3 and he's hit with a wall of controlled chaos. He immediately assesses the room, bright surgical lamps swinging overhead, hissing of oxygen tanks, and of course the frantic orders echoing off the walls.

The floor is littered with gurneys and Doc spots two patients gasping for air. They're the ones in critical condition.

Doc strides over to them and immediately notices the once-green, now blood-soaked jumpsuits.

"Create airway," he orders to Nea, one of the nearby medics. "Prep needle. I'll decompress."

Doc kneels beside the man and with steady, careful hands, he locates the rib space and inserts a needle, air hissing out. He sees the patient's shoulders relax and his breathing deepends. Doc gently places a hand on his shoulder and nods.

"You're going to be okay. Just keep breathing," Doc whispers, too softly for anyone to hear.

He then shifts his focus to the other patient and sees the jagged gash in her thigh, rapidly losing blood. He can see the agony in her eyes.

Doc glances at the IV line, as well as the half-full saline bag. "Vasopressin, on my mark," Doc says, clamping the line and adding medication.

He applies direct pressure and decides to improvise a tourniquet with a belt and a syringe clamp and he watches as the bleeding slows.

Within minutes, both patients stabilize.

"Prep OR-kit B. We need OR-tomy on patient two. I need sterile gloves, clamps, and broad-spectrum antibiotics as soon as possible!" Doc commands.

Several nearby medics snap into motion, bringing him the items he needs.

Doc slides on his gloves and he brings his gaze to Nea. "Nea, tell me more about the incoming. How many wounded?"

"Thirty more. Two critical pulmonary, several with fractures, burns, and shrapnel."

Doc exhales. He's in for a long, rough day.

"Prep triage for the rest. Make sure you prioritize airway and I'll assist with OR cases after." Doc says to her, then turning to face the other medics. "I need someone to find Dana and tell her to redirect OR staff here immediately."

He moves fluidly back to the bedside and everyone awaits further instruction from Doc.

After an excruciatingly long 16 hours, Doc is finally dismissed from the infirmary for the day. Dana decided to not show up for whatever reason, meaning Doc had to take charge instead.

He exits the building and the warm, night air hits his face and he can't help but take a deep breath.

"Kid," someone calls out from behind him.

He turns around to see Monroe, the head of the Tech Branch, walking toward him.

"You did great today, Sunshine," he says with a smile on his face.

Doc rolls his eyes but he gives him a small smile. "It was nothing. And you and Lockjaw need to stop calling me that."

"Seriously, I mean it." he says. "I heard you kept your section from collapsing under pressure entirely and that's not something just anyone could've done. Hell, Dana couldn't have even done that. I've gotta say, I'm impressed with how many lives you've saved."

Doc freezes and for once, his emotions resurface. How many lives could he save to make up for the four that mattered the most to him? He has to shake the thought off. "Thanks."

"I'll make sure you're rewarded for it, Sunshine," Monroe says.

Doc feels something in his tone. Like there's something he isn't saying.

"Is... is that all?" Doc asks.

Monroe takes a deep breath. "Just be careful when you're out of the base, Kid."

Doc shoots an eyebrow up.

"What makes you say that?" he asks.

He sighs again and looks around, making sure everyone is out of earshot.

"I need you to stay quiet about this but... Dana was killed today."

Doc's eyes widen instantly.

"What!?" he asks. "Wh... how? And why are you telling me?"

"She was killed by someone outside The Raze. Some traveller. They're working on tracking whoever it was down," Monroe whispers. "I can't tell you everything, not yet but I'll tell you soon. They're working on finding a replacement for the Head Medic."

Doc stays silent, unsure of how to respond. What the hell is he talking about?

"Get some rest. Tomorrow won't be as hectic as today, but... you'll still need energy."

Doc nods.

"Alright. Goodnight," Doc says, turning around and heading back to the quarters.

He can't help but feel a sense of dread, like something was already moving just beneath the surface.

And soon, it would rise.

Chapter Text

Jack looks back toward the direction the vans came from and immediately begins walking that way.

Jack doesn't have a clue what he's in for, but whatever it is, he won't let them stop him till he's dead.

He makes sure the coast is clear before rounding the corner and seeing the roads the lead to the place he used to call home and he starts heading toward it... reluctantly.

The only sound is the wind blowing and his feet tracking forward and once again, he's stuck alone with his thoughts.

How advanced is this group to the point where they have fucking tracking devices and vans? And who was this 'Dana' chick that he killed?

Doesn't matter. What matters is the end goal: getting to wherever the hell their base is and Jack knows he's closer than ever.

But now he knows they'll be on edge, keeping an eye out for him but he doesn't care. What matters is finally finding out where they took her.

Finally, he's made it to the suburban streets of Prescott. He keeps his eye out for any sign of stray Infected but the streets surprisingly seem to be clear of them. He doesn't even want to imagine the way they've evolved here with the heat.

Despite being in the town that he knows like the back of his hand, he can't help but feel lost. So far, there are no signs of the Barbarians (a nickname Jack decided to give them), not even so little as their stupid graffiti on the walls.

He glances to the side where a small alley is and he stares at it. Something looks... off. Then he spots it. A super thin string in between the two buildings. A tripwire.

Jack scours the ground and takes a rock, aims it at the trap and winds up his arm to throw it and-

"Wait!" a voice calls from somewhere.

Jack immediately drops the pebble and takes out his gun, trying to find the source of the noise. Then, he looks up and spots a scrawny boy with disheveled, dark brown hair, probably no older than 16, on the roof of the short building in front of him. Jack aims his gun at him, causing the boy to throw his hands up.

"Don't shoot! I'm harmless!" the boy calls out.

Jack scoffs. "Right."

"I mean it!" the boy exclaims.

WIth his hands still in the air, he slowly climbs down the fire escape stairs and Jack watches him carefully, examining him.

"My name's Bobby," the boy says. "The tripwire's just an alarm trap for any hostiles."

"And how do you know I'm not a hostile?" Jack asks, his gun still raised.

"You don't have the tattoo," Bobby replies.

"That doesn't mean I'm not hostile," Jack says.

"Well, are you?"

"I can be."

Bobby giggles, his hands still raised. "You're not as cool as you think you are."

Jack raises an eyebrow. "And you talk too much."

"Can't help it," Bobby shrugs. "I'm bored and I haven't had a conversation in a while, y'know?"

Jack doesn't reply.

Bobby glances at the pistol, still aimed at his brain and he gives Jack a half-smile. "If I was gonna kill you, wouldn't I have done it when you walked into my trap.

"Maybe. Or maybe you're luring me into something worse."

Bobby sighs and takes a seat on the curb. "If you're gonna shoot me, can you at least let me finish my granola bar?"

He reaches into his pocket and Jack's finger hovers over the trigger until he sees a half-eaten granola bar Bobby pulls out.

"How old are you?" Jack asks.

"Sixteen," Bobby says, taking a bite then talking with his mouth full. "Well, almost sixteen."

Jack finally lowers the gun away from Bobby, not putting it away quite yet, and rolls his eyes.

"What are you doing out here? Where are your parents?" Jack asks.

"They don't know I'm out here," Bobby says with a mischievous grin. "I told you, I got bored."

"And what's with the trap?" Jack asks.

Bobby shrugs. "I set it up myself."

Jack sighs. This kid is annoying as hell but he might be his ticket on figuring out where he's headed next.

"You mentioned the tattoo so that means you know about whatever group is around here," Jack says. "Where's their base?"

Bobby shrugs again. "The Raze's base? I don't know, no one really tells me anything."

Jack holds back an annoyed groan. Still, he already got some information. The Raze.

"I wonder why." Jack says sarcastically.

"What'd they do to you? Must've been pretty bad considering how grumpy you are," Bobby says, finishing his granola bar.

Jack's eyes narrow at him.

"They took someone from me and I'm getting her back," Jack replies.

"Who'd they take?" Bobby asks.

"Not your business."

Bobby groans. "God, why does everyone say that? You're acting like a name is, like, a code for a nuclear missile or something."

Jack doesn't respond.

Bobby leans back on his elbows. "So what now? You gonna threaten me until I magically remember where they secret evil lair is?"

"No," Jack says, finally putting his gun in his holster. "If you don't have any more information then I don't need you anymore."

Jack turns away from Bobby, beginning to head back on his path.

"What if I do have more information?" Bobby asks.

"With how much you love to talk, I'm sure you would've told me already," Jack continues walking without sparing Bobby a second glance.

"I mean... I know where they patrol. Where the vans usually go, where they don't go. I watch a lot. Not much else to do," Bobby rambles.

Jack stops in his track, his curiosity clearly piqued. He looks back at Bobby.

"You've been tracking them?" Jack asks.

"I dunno if I'd call it tracking... more like observing. From a safe distance," Bobby smiles. He pauses, then speaks again. "Okay, maybe sometimes not-so-safe. That tripwire's caught a couple Raze scouts before and... yeah, they weren't really happy about it."

Jack blinks.

"You're an idiot," Jack says.

"Takes one to know one," Bobby replies with a grin.

Jack takes a deep breath and rubs his temples.

"Alright, smartass. Where do the vans go to?"

Bobby grins, knowing he won the conversation. "I can show you."

"No."

"Then I guess you'll never find out."

Jack stares at him with nothing but pure annoyance and there's a long moment of silence between the two.

"Fine," Jack grumbles. "I can tell you're already gonna be a pain in my ass."

"Good to know!" Bobby says with a wide smile, standing up from the curb.

Jack watches as Bobby sprints over to Jack's side and Jack notices he has nothing on him, not a backpack, not a weapon... nothing.

"Do you have anything to even defend yourself?" Jack asks.

"Nope," Bobby says, his smile not going away.

"Oh Jesus Christ," Jack says to himself, beginning to walk as Bobby scrambles to follow him. "What all do you know about this... what were they called?"

"The Raze," Bobby responds. "I don't know much about them or where their base is, but I've seen their patrol vans come from the northwest side of town, which is where I set most of my traps. They only run the north and east but the vans never roll out from there. It's weird."

Jack narrows his eyes. "So they're not coming from where they control."

"Nope," Bobby responds, trying to walk faster to keep up. "Makes you wonder, right? Hey, I never got your name."

Jack doesn't respond, he just thinks to himself.

"And how advanced are these people?" Jack asks, ignoring the question.

Bobby shrugs. "Probably pretty advanced considering they have cars in an apocalypse."

Jack sighs. It may not be much information but he knows more than he did ten minutes ago and that's enough. Now, he just has to stick with this stupid kid until he takes him to the location of the vans.

For what feels like forever, Bobby continues to lead Jack to the northwest.

The afternoon sun is starting to set and just as Jack notices, he hears the sound of cars approaching once again.

Jack swiftly takes Bobby's arm and pulls him toward the overgrown weeds hidden in an alley right next to them and he crouches down.

Surprisingly, Bobby stays silent as they watch the vans drive by with the same symbol etched onto the side of it that was on the building and the woman's tattoo.

When the coast is clear, Bobby begins speaking again.

"When the vans go back, that's when the troops start patrolling the streets for Infected or... anyone else," Bobby whispers.

"Shit," Jack mutters under his breath. "They're gonna be extra cautious now too since I think I killed one of their bigwigs today."

"Nice," Bobby chuckles. "They're also gonna be extra cautious since someone blew up a big chunk of their patrol last night."

"Who?" Jack asks.

For the first time, Bobby hesitates.

"Doesn't matter."

"You seem to know a lot for a kid who's 'just bored.'"

Bobby shrugs. "I listen. People talk. Especially when they think you're not worth noticing."

"There's something you're not telling me," Jack replies harshly.

Bobby scoffs. "You have things you aren't telling me too."

Jack rolls his eyes but he knows he doesn't have time to question him right now. He needs to act before the troops come out.

"Alright, we're gonna stay low for tonight," Jack says.

"I can't. My parents-"

"Your parents will be more worried if they find your corpse tomorrow morning," Jack snaps.

"Alright, alright," Bobby says, swallowing hard. "There's one place they don't usually patrol we could go to, but... it's risky."

"How so?" Jack asks.

"It's next to a Hive."

Jack goes silent.

"The Raze has been wiping out all the stray ones so I think it's only active on the inside, but... if it thinks something is too close..." Bobby trails off.

"What have these Infected mutated into?" Jack asks.

"Well, their hive formed during some sort of fire a while back. They mixed with the heat and some sewer system I guess. I've heard they burn hot on the outside, but they almost, like... stay wet underneath. Like their skin's boiling but it never peels."

Jack's eyes widen and his heart stops. Some sort of fire a while back.

"Well, unless you have any other ideas, we don't have a choice. We'll just have to stay quiet and dilligent," Jack says, standing up. "Lead the way."

"Yes, sir," Bobby says with a grin as he takes Jack in a different direction from the one before.

After about a thirty minute walk, Jack starts to feel something in the air change and he slows to a halt. Something's very wrong.

The air is much thicker, hotter, but not from the sun. THe kind of hear that clings to your skin. The breeze is gone and swallowed by something else and each inhale Jack takes feels like he's coating his lungs in ash and mold. And the smell... faint but rotting and burnt.

The world is much quieter too. No insects, no birds, no ambiance of any sort.

Then, Jack sees it. The Hive. He's seen countless hives, each different in its own way, but this one was unlike anything he's ever seen.

What used to be buildings now lie buried beneath a dark, resinous shell, like the charred insides of a beehive stretched over rooftops and fused into one giant mass. Veins of hardened tar-like flesh snake along the pavement, pulsing ever so faintly under his feet. Heat radiates from the structure in slow, horrific waves.

The worst part? Jack knows the exact area of town he's in. Inside that Hive, probably at the center, is the motel.

For the first time in a very long time, he feels nothing but pure dread at the mere sight alone.

He spots some Infected crawling around right outside the Hive but they're too far to spot Jack and Bobby. Jack looks at them closer.

They aren't walking like other Infected do, they're crawling but they're crawling incredibly fast. They have black, charred skin and none of them have any hair at all. The sight makes his skin crawl. Jack has never seen any Infected evolve to this level.

"It's pretty bad," Bobby whispers.

"No kidding," Jack replies.

Finally, Jack forces himself to look away from the Hive and he glances around starts heading into the nearest building. It's cracked and broken down but it's better than staying out in the open.

Bobby follows him into the building and Jack brings his gun back out in case any Infected are inside.

"That's not gonna do anything for you," Bobby whispers, looking at the gun.

"What do you mean?" Jack asks.

"Bullets don't do anything."

Of course they don't. Why would it be that easy?

"So what does do something?"

"Well they're still weak to the cold like most other Infected are, but they're especially weak to the cold. The Raze uses fire extinguishers to kill them."

Jack nods and puts his gun away. As they fully enter the building, Jack quickly looks around for Infected. When he sees none, he glances around the room for any fire extinguisher and he spots one in a glass case. He runs over, breaks the glass, and takes it in his hands.

Bobby can't help but giggle slightly. "You look stupid as hell."

Jack glares at him and continues moving forward, holding the hose of the extinguisher out. He heads to the second floor of the building, picks the furthest room that appears to have once been a conference room and takes a seat in the corner with Bobby following suit.

They sit in silence for a moment before Bobby inevitably interrupts it.

"So are you ever gonna tell me your name at least?" he asks.

"Still no," Jack replies, annoyed.

"What if we're in some sort of battle and I need to call out your name?" Bobby asks.

Jack glares at him again and sees his unwavering resolve on his face. He's never going to shut up if he doesn't tell him.

"Jack," Jack grumbles.

"Now was that so hard?" Bobby teases.

Jack sighs and he props his backpack up, leaning against the wall comfortably.

"Get some rest, you're gonna need it," Jack responds.

Bobby groans then lays down on the floor, shutting his eyes almost instantly.

Jack looks out the window, part of the Hive visible from where he's sitting. He can't help but wonder...

Are they in there? Surely they must be.

His thoughts are interrupted by the sound of Bobby snoring and Jack can't help but roll his eyes and glance at his unconscious state. Jack couldn't help but wish he could fall asleep that easily, the way he used to.

He stares for a moment, looking at the way Bobby uses his hands as a pillow and Jack draws his gaze to his backpack, the one he's currently leaning back against.

He takes a deep breath and grabs the backpack and lift's the top of Bobby's body up by his shoulder and slides the backpack under his head for support.

This is gonna be a long night.

Hours pass and it feels like an eternity for Jack, who's still sitting against the wall with the fire extinguisher propped up next to him.

He can't help but feel the wind change.

At first, Jack just thinks it's the heat giving way to night. But then, the air thickens. It's warmer and somehow almost... damp or humid.

He hears a groan coming from outside and he instinctively reaches for the extinguisher.

He's completely still, not even blinking.

Then, he hears something else.

A screech.

Definitely not human, it almost sounds like a boiling sound, like steam escaping flesh.

Jack glances around the room and through a shattered portion of the wall, a flicker of heat-distorted movement pulses in the dark. Something is watching them.

"Bobby," Jack says, his voice hoarse and low. "Get up. Now."

Chapter Text

He entered the kitchen, the familiar scent of cinnamon reaching his nose, and he felt his shoulders finally relax.

“There he is!” she says, running up to him and wrapping her arms around him before he can even process. “It’s so good to see you. Did they let you out early or are you ditching med school already?”

He laughed. “Surprise! I just wanted to see your face before Christmas.”

She parted from the hug slightly, still holding his shoulders.

“Well, you’re lucky… I just made your favorite meal.”

His eyes brightened, as if he was a little kid who spotted Santa Claus. “Chocolate chip pancakes?”

She chuckled, moving back over to the stove.

“Of course. Take a seat at the table, your sister should be up any minute.”

He moves over to the table, his smile not dissipating even for a moment.

“You’re the best, Mom.”

Doc jolted up from his bed in a cold sweat, panting.

Another one of those damn dreams.

He takes a deep breath, laying flat on his back with his hand brushing the sweat off of his forehead. The clock next to his bed reads 2:22AM.

Across the room is the grating sound of Maddox’s snoring and Doc can’t help but groan silently.

Out of all the damn roommates I could’ve been assigned to…

Flipping over on his side, he reluctantly tries to fall back asleep… but he can only hear Monroe’s words in his head.

"She was killed by someone outside The Raze. Some traveller. They're working on tracking whoever it was down," Monroe whispers. "I can't tell you everything, not yet but I'll tell you soon. They're working on finding a replacement for the Head Medic."

The words echo over and over again, so many times that Doc almost thinks he’s actually hearing it out loud.

Groaning again, Doc sits up from the bed, moving his hand to run through his curls only to feel the buzzcut on his head instead.

He finally gets out of bed, grumbling angrily at his thoughts. He swiftly moves to the door before his gaze meets the red jumpsuit hung up on his closet door. He should probably wear it just in case… nah.

He throws on his green military jacket and slips out the door like a ghost.

His brain is on autopilot as he moves through the halls and before he knows it, he’s outside with the warm Arizona air hitting his face waking him up almost instantly.

His feet are moving before he can even control them, straight to the outskirts of the North Wall, the area that almost no one goes to, at least not at night.

If he’s gonna be stuck in his own head, he’s going to at least do it in a place he feels comfortable. Under the blanket of the beautiful stars in the sky.

His thoughts are running rampant. Dana is dead. Who’s gonna take her place? Is it gonna be me? Surely it isn’t, I’m way too young for that… right? And who is the traveller that killed Dana? And why?

He sighs deeply before tilting his head up, his gaze meeting the stars once again. He can still see neat circles and arrows in blue ink on a paper map, laughter as friends pack up coming from a motel room, the room bright from the hope for tomorrow.

It's ironic. Underneath such a gorgeous sky is a world full of chaos and evil. It gets hard to find your way.

He snaps his head back to the path ahead of him. Going down that path means remembering their laughter, their plans… he can’t afford that, not tonight.

Instead, he focuses on the way the concrete feels underneath his boots. The sound of the wind rustling. Then… the noise of footsteps behind him.

Doc immediately turns around to see a tall figure behind him. Commander Lockjaw.

“Commander,” Doc says, his voice levelled.

“Still taking nightly strolls I see,” she responds, furrowing her brow.

“I had a bad dream. Couldn’t go back to sleep."

She sighs. “Sunshine, you’re instructed to stay in your quarters for a reason. Security is going to be a lot tighter for a while.”

“Why?” Doc asks, despite knowing the most likely reason.

“I have a feeling you know why, Doc,” Lockjaw responds, her voice firm.

Doc raises an eyebrow.

“Who killed her?” he asks abruptly.

Lockjaw takes another deep breath.

“We don’t know,” Lockjaw says. “What we do know is he took something from her.”

“What did they take?”

For a split second, there’s a slight glint in Lockjaw’s eye… like an idea.

“Something important,” Lockjaw says. “Do you think you’re ready to lead, Sunshine?”

Doc shoots her a puzzled look. “Lead what?”

Lockjaw smirks.

“Come with me.”

With that, she begins walking away and Doc quickly follows suit behind her. They walk closer to the edge of the north wall and Lockjaw makes her way to a steel hatch painted the same color as dust. “N7” is written on it in faded text in white and Doc watches Lockjaw crouch down and adjust the latches on the hatch.

Finally, the hatch opens and Doc is hit with the sudden smell of pipe sweat.

“Stay close,” Lockjaw says, dropping down the hatch.

Doc follows her and drops down into the narrow service corridor, the walls lined with rusted pipes that stretch down the wall.

“Where are we going, Lockjaw?”

“To your first test,” she says, her usual smirk returning.

Doc can’t help but feel a chill go down his spine as they make their way down the corridor until they finally reach the end.

They step out into a buried motor pool and Doc looks around, about five vans in his sight with tarps draped over them with a false dock door on the far wall.

“This is where the vans are stationed?” Doc asks, looking around.

“Yep. We want the vans to stay hidden from The Bastion and… other travellers.” she responds.

She walks up to one of the vans and takes the tarp off of it and gets into the driver’s seat.

Doc reluctantly follows, opening the passenger door and taking a seat.

Without a word, she turns on the engine and the feeling of being in a car again makes Doc feel almost nostalgic.

“You’re still not going to tell me where we’re going?” he asks.

“You’ll find out, Sunshine. Stop asking.”

Doc doesn’t respond, instead he looks out the window.

He watches as the van moves to the false door, leading them through the tunnel. Questions swim through his head, each different than the last one.

Where are we going? What is this test? Why are these vans in such a secluded place? How much of the world outside The Raze did he not know of?

Finally, they reach the end of the tunnel and they’re lead to a secluded area and he can see the buildings less than a mile away.

They’re just outside of Prescott.

Doc expects for Lockjaw to begin driving into town… but instead, she drives around it.

Still, he’s amazed by the outside world. How long has it been since he’s been out? God, he can’t remember. Two years maybe?

“Do you miss it?” Lockjaw asks, and Doc jumps slightly, wondering if she can read his mind.

Doc pauses.

Miss what? The sound of the flames, the smell of the sewers, the constant knot in his stomach? The way it felt knowing someone cared for him, protected him. Maybe even loved him?

“No,” Doc responds.

Lockjaw raises an eyebrow, not taking her eyes off the road.

“You hesitated.”

“I just… I haven’t thought about it in a long time.

Lockjaw snickers, the road getting bumpier.

“They took a key,” Lockjaw says.

Doc’s train of thought instantly disappears and he whips his head around to Lockjaw.

“Who did?” he asks.

“Whoever killed Dana.” she replies.

“A key to what?”

Then, Doc finally looks ahead and sees what looks like a large, abandoned warehouse that’s fortified from the outside. Is it keeping people out? Or in?

Lockjaw doesn’t respond, parking near the building. She gets out of the car and Doc gets the memo to follow suit.

They quietly shut the car door and make their way to the fortified building. That same chill down Doc’s spine returns but this time, it’s a shudder.

“We call this place the Penumbra.”

“The part of a shadow where the light and dark mix,” Doc says. A statement, not a question.

“Precisely,” Lockjaw smirks.

“So… the key that Dana’s killer stole… this is where it goes?” Doc asks.

Lockjaw nods. “Correct again. All of the department heads get a key to this place.”

“So we still have access to this place? Why is it such a big deal-”

Lockjaw shoots him a look, one that he immediately recognizes too fast.

“What is this place?” Doc asks firmly.

“I told you to stop asking questions, Sunshine.”

Doc doesn’t respond and they finally approach the gate of the Penumbra.

Lockjaw reaches into her pocket and slowly pulls something out. A black key with a twisted double-pronged blade. She inserts it into the keyhole of the gate and it slides open automatically, with a path leading straight to the entrance of the seemingly abandoned building.

With nothing but the sound of crickets and wind, they make their way to the door, a pit in Doc’s stomach churning more and more with every step he takes.

They reach the door and Lockjaw opens it with the same key used for the gates.

A narrow corridor stands in front of them, with fluorescent lighting flickering on and off. There are a handful of doors on the sides. The temperature immediately feels much colder than it should be on an Arizona night.

They start walking through and Doc spots an old, rusted elevator at the end of the corridor.

He looks at the metal, hollow walls and he can almost swear he hears something. Is it… coughing?

“This place isn’t abandoned,” Doc whispers under his breath.

“It’s not supposed to be,” Lockjaw replies, her voice much lower than before.

Lockjaw gets on the elevator, which he can now tell is a cargo lift. He reluctantly steps on, as if the floor on it will collapse. She pulls a lever down and the lift immediately begins its descent down, maybe a little too far down.

The lift creaks and groans as they near the bottom of the floor and finally… they’re standing in front of a big, metal door.

Lockjaw stops at the door and tilts her head to Doc.

“Do you think you’re ready to lead, Sunshine?” she asks once again.

Doc looks back at her.

It isn’t too late. He could tell her no, turn around, go back to The Raze, and pretend none of this ever happened.

Then, he hears a familiar voice in his head.

You're absolutely nothing. Nothing but a liability and I should've gotten rid of you the day we met. You killed the only people who ever believed in you.

The voice isn’t real, he knows it isn’t. But it feels deafening. He clenches his hand and shakes the voice off.

“I’m ready.”

She gives Doc a nod and turns her attention back to the door. Her hand reaches the handle and she opens it, the hinges creaking loudly.

The first thing Doc notices is the smell. After several years of working around wounds, he thought he was immune to it all. But the sting of tears in his eyes say otherwise as he’s forced to close his eyes for a moment… then open them again.

Cages. The first thing to catch his eye are the ceiling-high metal bars. Then, the figures behind those bars. Dozens of them.

It’s almost silent for a second, just the sound of shuffling as the figures move as far as they can away from the door. He hears coughing, sobbing, some hushed voices.

Doc has seen a lot but he’s never seen anything like this.

He starts walking forward on his own accord, his eyes scanning the people in the cell. His jaw is clenched tight but his lips are parted just barely enough to betray the shock on his face.

Every prisoner has their eyes glued to Doc, waiting for… something. For what, Doc doesn’t know.

Doc examines every little detail on every single person he walks by. The bloodshot eyes, the countless bruises and wounds, the hollow stares. Everything.

Then, he stops dead in his tracks as he reaches the final block of prisoners. Children. All children, some of them no older than 7 years old.

He just stands there and stares, completely unable to say anything.

Then, a figure moves out of the corner of his eye and someone quickly runs up to the bars. A blonde girl, maybe a late teenager, grips the bars. This girl, she looks like… no. No, that wouldn’t make sense. She’s holding a little girl with dark skin and unkempt black hair.

“She’s been bleeding out for days. Please. She’s just a kid.”

Doc stares at her, still as speechless as before. Finally, he takes a breath to speak when he hears footsteps behind him.

“Get back,” Lockjaw says, her voice sharper than a knife.

Doc looks at the girl and can see a flicker of something in her eyes. Determination maybe?

“Are these all Bastion members?” Doc asks, turning to Lockjaw.

Lockjaw scoffs. “No, Sunshine. Bastion members have a much worse fate than this.”

Doc feels his heart sink to his stomach. What could possibly be worse than this?

“Let’s head out,” she says, already turning to the exit.

“That’s it?” Doc asks, following her.

They exit the room and Lockjaw shuts the door behind her.

“That’s it,” she says.

Doc clenches his jaw. “Why did you bring me here? What test do you have for me?”

Lockjaw chuckles.

“This was the test,” she says. “Leadership isn’t just about giving orders. It’s seeing the ugliest parts of the world and knowing how to deal with them. That’s what you’re seeing tonight.”

“Lockjaw… who are these people?” Doc asks, his voice surprisingly steady.

She begins to walk back toward the cargo lift.

“They’re people who don't fit our vision.”

He wants to keep asking questions. To figure out why The Raze would keep people in this dungeon for simply ‘not fitting their vision.’ Surely, there’s a good reason why they’re here, right?

“How so?” Doc asks.

“You’ll find that out soon enough. When you’ve officially become a leader.” she responds. “Let’s head back to The Raze.”

Doc gulps nervously, seemingly following her blind as he steps onto the lift with her.

The dawn passes by and suddenly it’s morning already. Doc has already found his usual table at the mess hall. No sign of Vera yet, despite Cleo already finishing her obnoxious daily announcements.

Finally, he spots the girl with her usual black ponytail making her way over to his table, tray in hand with a blonde boy walking next to her.

“Hey, Doc.” Vera says, taking a seat.

“Hey Vera, hey Kit.” Doc responds, his voice exhausted.

“Long night?” she asks with a faint smile.

“I guess you could say that,” Doc says.

“I bet it was nothing compared to the night I had,” Kit smirks. That's when Doc notices the black eye on his face.

Vera chuckles and rolls her eyes. “What? You mean waking up unconscious in an alley, Kit-Kat?"

Kit glares at her and she chuckles again.

“Seriously,” he says, stuffing broccoli in his mouth. “Someone woke up the Hive.”

Doc’s attention is immediately caught and he sits up straight before he even realizes.

“Who?” Doc asks.

“It was some raider. I think it was the same guy who killed-” Kit says, cutting himself off immediately.

Vera raises an eyebrow. “Killed who?”

“Dana,” Doc responds.

Kit immediately shushes Doc, looking around as if the whole mess hall was listening.

“Dana’s dead!?” Vera asks.

Kit shushes louder this time, his shush actually causing heads to turn in their direction.

“Sorry,” Vera says, chuckling. So not sorry.

Kit groans angrily. “Doesn’t matter. I almost had that son-of-a-bitch and the stupid kid he was with.”

Doc’s stomach churns. A kid. He can’t help but wonder what The Raze would’ve done if they had gotten caught. Thrown them in the Penumbra? Or worse, whatever it is they do to Bastion members. It doesn’t matter, The Raze has a reason for everything they do and everything they do is for the good of the world.

“So you were near an active, triggered Hive and your first instinct is to try to catch a random straggler?” Vera asks, shooting him a disapproving look.

“I really want a promotion,” Kit whines. "My knife was literally up to their throats."

Vera rolls her eyes once again. She grabs the fork on the table and whacks him on the head with the dull side.

“Ow!”

“Don’t be an idiot and risk your life for a random straggler and maybe I won’t hit you next time,” she smirks.

Kit rolls his eyes but he can’t hide the smirk on his face. "I'll get them next time," he mutters.

“So what happened with the stragglers and the Hive?” Doc asks.

“I have no idea,” Kit responds, shrugging. “They sent us back here when they realized how bad it was.”

Doc forces a nod, poking at the food on his tray and he can feel Vera's suspicious eyes on him but he doesn't care.

All he can see is that girl behind the bars and the kid she was holding.

All he can hear is her voice.

“Please. She’s just a kid.”

Doc doesn’t touch the rest of the food.

Chapter Text

Jack hears a groan coming from outside and he instinctively reaches for the extinguisher.

He's completely still, not even blinking.

Then, he hears something else.

A screech.

Definitely not human, it almost sounds like a boiling sound, like steam escaping flesh.

Jack glances around the room and through a shattered portion of the wall, a flicker of heat-distorted movement pulses in the dark. Something is watching them.

"Bobby," Jack says, his voice hoarse and low. "Get up. Now."

Bobby grumbles, getting up and holding his body up on his elbows.

“What’s going on?” he asks, the sleep still in his voice.

Jack looks at him and shushes him with his finger, then points to the window. The realization reaches Bobby’s eyes.

Jack slowly stands up and Bobby follows suit, their eyes glued to the windows that line the conference room.

Then, Jack spots it. An Infected, similar to the one he saw earlier but closer up this time.

Jack has seen the way the Infected have mutated over the years. Water Infected, rock Infected, Ice infected… never once has he seen anything quite like this variation.

Just as Jack is about to whisper to Bobby to get back down, the Infected makes a gargled sound as it whips its head around, spotting the two.

It screeches immediately, jumping through the glass and Jack readies the fire extinguisher and fires it just as the Infected is about to reach them, causing it to immediately fall to the ground and continue screeching in pain.

Jack and Bobby stare at it as it twitches violently.

“We need to get out of here,” Jack whispers.

But it’s too late.

Jack glances out the window and sees the dozens of Infected are swarming their way to their building and in a flash, he’s not in the building anymore. He’s right back where everything went to hell.

But he isn’t going to let that happen this time.

Jack grabs Bobby’s arm and immediately begins running out of the conference room, sprinting straight to the other side of the building where a big window is.

“Jack, where are we going? The stairs are that way!” Bobby says, pointing behind them.

“They’re about to start pouring in. If we don’t get out a different way, we’re gonna get cornered,” he says, not even looking at Bobby before smashing the window, hearing the glass fall onto the pavement below. A two-story drop.

Jack wastes no time and swiftly hoists himself over the window and drops down into the alley below, his feet slightly hurting from the impact.

He looks up and sees Bobby looking down at him, fear in his eyes.

“Jump, Bobby!” Jack calls.

“I… I…” He mutters.

“Jump! It’s not that far down!”

Bobby glances behind him and hears the horde rapidly approaching him… then they fill the room, heading straight for him.

“Jump!” Jack repeats.

Bobby looks back and sees the countless amounts of Infected crawling their way to him.

Finally, he jumps into the alley and he barely lands on his feet, almost stumbling over.

Jack grips Bobby’s shoulder and looks straight at him. He needs to run, he knows he does.

“Are you okay?” Jack asks frantically.

Bobby nods and Jack grabs his arm once again and they take off down the alley with the Infected pouring out of the window to chase after them.

The two run faster than they’ve ever run before, twisting and turning down the alley trying to lose the Infected but it’s no use. These creatures are relentless in a way that Jack has never seen before, slamming against walls and the chain-link fence without their speed slowing down even a little bit.

Jack darts down another alley and spots a rusted door into a narrow stairwell. He opens it for Bobby, motioning for him to go in before entering it and slamming the door behind him.

They continue to race up three flights, the door buying them a brief period of time before the Infected knock the door off its hinges. Once they get to the top, Jack slams the door shut behind them but they can hear the Infected are already halfway up the stairs.

“They’re climbing,” Bobby pants.

Jack doesn’t respond, instead he just throws his shoulder into the rooftop door and they spill out into the open sky. The air hits their faces with the faint hint of ash from the Hive but there’s no time for them to breathe, not yet.

Across the rooftop next to them, Jack sees searchlights faintly light the night sky and Jack feels his heart plummet to his stomach.

“Someone’s here!” someone yells. “Movement on rooftop two!”

Jack and Bobby freeze for a split second, which is almost too long. A flashbang explodes near the far wall, with the disorienting light splitting the night sky.

Jack knows there’s no more time to waste as he grabs Bobby’s brown jacket and sharply pulls him behind the AC unit right as bullets begin to rip across the rooftop edge.

“Holy shit!” Bobby says.

They’re caught right between the crossfire of the Infected and The Raze.

“What do we do!?” Bobby asks.

Jack closes his eyes for a brief moment.

“Just wait,” Jack responds.

“Wait for what?”

As if on cue, the door to the rooftop busts open and the Infected are immediately drawn to the loud sound of gunshots from across the rooftop, so much so that they don’t even spot Bobby and Jack on the opposite side of the roof.

Jack glances over, watching as the Infected crowd over the edge of the roof, some jumping straight over to the other rooftop and some plummeting to the ground below.

The gunfire quickly moves from the AC unit to the Infected that are locked onto them.

Jack can hear the screams of some of the soldiers as the Infected make their way over.

Then, a few Infected that were still pouring from the doors spot Bobby and Jack and immediately change their path to them instead.

They lunge at Bobby, who’s closer to the door and Jack is moving before he can even think, shoving Bobby behind him and spraying the fire extinguisher at them, knocking them to the ground. This splits the attention of the Infected between The Raze members, who have switched to a weapon resembling a flamethrower but it sprays like a fire extinguisher, and Bobby and Jack, who’s still trying to kill all the Infected after them.

“Bobby!” Jack shouts over the loud chaos of the night. “Go down the ladder!”

“What about you!?” Bobby shouts back.

“Just go!”

Bobby hesitates for a split second but he knows there’s nothing else he can do.

A few seconds later, the extinguisher hisses and shrieks. Jack squeezes the handle again.

Nothing. Just a small cloud of dying mist.

“Fuck,” he says, instantly tossing it in front of him with all of his might at the Infected, temporarily knocking it down.

He immediately turns around and sprints toward the edge of the roof where the ladder dangled. His fingers gripped the railing of the ladder as he immediately began his descent as fast as his legs and arms would take him.

Halfway down the ladder, something grabs his backpack and Jack looks up. An Infected is attempting to grab him and pull him up.

Jack struggles for a moment then makes the decision to ditch the bag but just as he does so, something from below is thrown up and hits the Infected directly in the head, disorienting it briefly as it lets go of the pack and Jack is able to secure it back onto his back.

Deciding he has no time to make his way down the ladder, he drops down and Jack feels a sharp pain in his ankle and he sucks in air sharply, trying not to make even more noise.

“Jack!” Bobby calls out from behind a dumpster.

Jack spots him and wastes no time as he attempts to run to Bobby, nearly stumbling over from the pain in his ankle.

He hurls himself against the dumpster, sitting down.

“Are you okay?” Bobby asks.

“Fine,” Jack says, still breathing heavily.

They sit there for a moment and Jack listens from below, hearing The Raze members call out in distress as backup arrives for them.

“I know where to go,” Bobby says abruptly. “My parents.”

Jack pauses, wanting to object but he knows that it’d be the best option for now. He just had to pray he wasn’t walking into a trap.

“Where are they?” Jack asks.

Bobby hesitates. “It’s complicated.”

Jack sighs. “Let’s go then.” Jack says, wincing in pain as he stands up. Bobby swiftly grabs his arm and helps him up.

Bobby moves his hand away, waiting to see if Jack still needs help. When Jack starts limping toward the end of the alley, Bobby starts following.

“Lead the way,” Jack says.

Bobby nods.

Just as the two peer out of the alley onto the road, they hear scuffling behind them. Jack doesn’t even have time to react before he’s abruptly tackled to the ground by someone from behind and is dragged backward into the alley. Jack immediately starts fighting back.

The two continue fighting on the pavement when he notices for just a brief second that the attacker stopped fighting. He hears Bobby grunting, trying to get the attacker off Jack and they push Bobby into the brick wall, with Bobby yelping sharply.

Jack takes the opening and knocks the attacker onto their back and Jack is able to get a look at who it is. The blonde boy he spotted at the gas station. What was his name again? Kit?

Jack doesn’t care to think about it as he starts punching Kit in the face, pinning him to the ground. Just as Jack goes for the second punch, Kit manages to free his hand and he stops Jack’s hand abruptly.

Kit shoves upward and Jack is thrown off balance just long enough for Kit to retake control and roll him back over. Now, Kit’s on top with his knee digging into Jack’s ribs and he lands a brutal punch to Jack’s jaw.

Jack winces and his ears ring from the impact.

Then Kit punches him again. And again.

Jack attempts to lift his arm to block but he feels his strength leaving his body and the way the blood is pooling in his mouth. His breath stutters. This kid is trying to kill him.

“This is for Dana,” Kit says, keeping Jack pinned to the ground as he reaches into his holster. Jack assumes it’s for a gun but he pulls out a dagger instead.

Kit smirks as he places the blade against Jack’s throat, the tip of it pressed slightly against Jack’s neck.

In the split second that Kit starts to dig his knife into Jack’s throat-

CRACK!

Jack assumes that he’s dead until he sees Kit fall onto the ground sideways, unconscious.

Bobby stands behind him, holding a broken brick in his trembling hand. His eyes are wide.

“I… shit, I didn’t know what else to do,” Bobby mumbles, his voice shaky.

Jack forces himself to get up, coughing up blood along the way. He places his hand on his throat and feels only a slight puncture, no bigger than a scab.

“Thank you,” Jack says, still catching his breath.

Bobby nods and drops the brick to the ground.

Jack glances at Kit’s lifeless body and quickly reaches into his pack for his pistol in his holster and he places it to Kit’s head.

He puts his finger over the trigger and just as he’s about to shoot, he can’t help but look at Bobby.

Bobby’s staring at the gun in Jack’s hand, as if he was bracing himself for the gunshot. Not with approval or bloodlust but with dread.

Jack looks back to Kit and he tries to pull the trigger… but something in him won’t let him. Then, for a brief second, he feels a deep sense of disapproval, but not his own.

Jack closes his eyes, taking a deep breath.

Then, reluctantly, he lowers the gun and puts it back in his holster.

“He’s not worth it,” Jack mutters, more to himself than to Bobby.

He struggles to stand and Bobby immediately runs to his aid, helping him up once again.

Without the two saying a word, Bobby leads Jack out of the alley and back onto the street with the distant sound of gunshots.

They walk for a while in complete silence until Bobby can’t help but speak again.

“Why didn’t you kill him?” Bobby asks.

“I was saving my bullets,” Jack responds.

Bobby shoots Jack a “yeah right” look.

Jack looks at Bobby and wants to double down but instead, he sighs.

“I… I had friends once,” Jack says softly. “Killing them wouldn’t have been what they want.”

Bobby blinks, surprised at Jack’s sudden openness.

“Is that who The Raze took from you?” Bobby asks.

“No,” Jack responds. “Those friends are gone now. All of them. I just… I still feel them sometimes. In the birds that sing too early in the morning. In the silence after the gunfire stops. It’s like they’re still out there for me. Watching, waiting. Hoping I still do the right thing.”

Then, Jack lets out a breath he didn’t know he was holding.

“So… who are you looking for then?”

Jack sighs again and he doesn’t respond at first. Bobby takes the hint and instead of prying like he usually does, he goes silent. Then, Jack speaks.

"All I know is that the Raze has her," Jack says. "I don't know where but I'm going to get her back."

They continue to walk about a mile east and Bobby travels down an alley and makes his way to a dead end where a manhole is.

“Here it is…” Bobby says, crouching down and fiddling with a hatch that Jack didn’t notice was there.

Jack blinks in disbelief. A sewer? Really?

“Your family lives in the sewers?” Jack asks. “Do they happen to be turtles who eat pizza by chance?”

Bobby smiles at Jack in disbelief. “Oh, so you are capable of cracking jokes.”

Jack keeps his blank expression as Bobby starts climbing down the metal rungs against the vertical shaft.

Jack follows him and makes his way down into the sewer and they’re met with a tunnel splitting into several directions.

“This way,” Bobby says, helping Jack down one of the paths as he limps down.

After some more walking, they finally reach the edge of the tunnel and there’s a metal door with a sign that says “Water Treatment Sector B - STAFF ONLY”

“Bobby, where are we?” Jack asks.

Bobby smirks.

“Welcome to the Bastion, my friend.”

Chapter Text

The rain knew what it was doing today.

Doc felt it hit his hair and he couldn’t help but make a mental note that he needs to buzz it again soon. Now isn’t the time to think about that though.

He looked around, everyone including himself wearing a white jumpsuit around the closed casket at the center of the Raze courtyard. White, the jumpsuit used only for funerals to symbolize life.

“Dana was so much more than just our Head Medic,” Monroe says, standing at the podium. “She was a hero. And she will never be forgotten.”

He gives everyone a nod before returning to one of the seats at the front with the other Raze executives. Then, Lockjaw makes her way up to the podium. She clears her throat.

“This,” Lockjaw says, pointing at the casket. “Is what our enemies do to us.”

She scans the crowd and Doc sees her gaze land on him and Vera.

“Dana wasn’t just a soldier. She was a daughter, she was a leader, and she was a goddamn pillar of this unit. Almost all of the medics standing before you were trained by her. She risked her life every single day… and someone who didn’t earn the air they breathe took her from us.”

Lockjaw takes a breath and Doc can feel everyone tense up.

“We don’t grieve quietly here. We don’t bow our heads and accept loss. We fight. We honor Dana the way she would’ve wanted us. By avenging her and making sure no one else shares her fate. We are The Raze and we burn threats out of the dark. And I swear, whoever did this…”

She raises her head, her voice as sharp as a knife.

“They’re going to be wishing we just killed them.”

Without another word, she steps off of the podium and Cleo takes her spot, dismissing everyone and allowing them to pay their respects.

Vera and Doc take a seat at one of the dozens of tables, the most isolated one.

Doc doesn’t say anything right away, instead he fidgets with a thread on his jumpsuit.

“Spill,” Vera says.

“Huh?” Doc asks.

“You always do that thing with your jumpsuit when you’re thinking about something. What’s on your mind?” she asks.

“Nothing, today’s just a heavy day.”

Vera stares at him and Doc feels her looking straight through him, the way she’s able to do with everyone. Finally, he meets her gaze.

“It’s just… I don’t know. This funeral feels way different than the other ones that we’ve had.” he admits.

Vera’s posture shifts and she glances around them.

“I get what you mean,” she says. “Things have been… sketchy recently.”

“What do you mean?” Doc asks.

“Since they announced Dana’s death, they’ve been trusting me with some more responsibilities at the infirmary,” she says. She leans in closer to Doc and talks softly. “I’ve noticed some inconsistencies with some of the logs.”

“Like what?”

“I was talking with one of the soldiers. They found a stray child weeks ago who had several untreated wounds and illnesses so I checked the logs and there was no record of the child.”

Lane freezes. Maybe this was one of the kids in… it doesn’t matter. He can’t let Vera know.

“The Raze doesn’t take everybody in, Vera.”

Vera’s eyes narrow slightly. “No, but everyone is promised a new beginning here. Not bringing in a sick child, that… that goes against everything The Raze stands for. What I stand for.”

“There’s an explanation for everything,” Doc replies.

Vera’s eyes narrow at him and once again he feels her looking straight through him. Just as she’s about to respond, Kit takes a seat at their table and Doc notices that his black eye has begun to fade.

“Hey guys,” Kit says, his voice softer than usual.

 Oh thank goodness. Doc thinks.

Vera doesn’t take her eyes off of Doc. He’s not getting off the hook this easily but at least Kit bought him some time.

“You guys doing okay?” Kit asks.

Vera doesn’t respond and Kit’s eyes linger on her for a second too long.

“Vera?” he asks.

“We’re fine,” she responds, a slight edge to her voice.

Kit blinks at her, caught off guard.

“Things are just… tense,” Doc says. “We don’t know what’s gonna happen in the Medical Branch.”

Kit can’t help but feel like he’s drowning in the tension between Vera and Doc.

“I’m gonna go talk to Dana’s family,” Vera says, standing up from her seat.

Doc doesn’t say anything and Kit watches her leave.

“What’s her deal?” Kit asks.

Doc shrugs his shoulders.

Vera glances behind her and sees that Kit and Doc have finally left her sight. Then she looks to the several large crowds scattered about. Theoretically, almost all of The Raze is here, which means one thing.

The infirmary is unattended. And that’s exactly where Vera decides to go.

Everyone seems distracted. Perfect. She cuts across the yard and walks for a few minutes before the infirmary meets her gaze.

Aside from a few soldiers resting on the beds, the place is empty and quiet.

“Vera?” one of them asks, sleep still in their voice.

She quickly looks at the soldier, one with second-degree burns from the Infected. Vera gives her a gentle smile and approaches her.

“How are you feeling, Melody?” Vera asks.

“I’m… I’m still alive,” Melody responds. “You remember my name?”

“Of course I do,” Vera says softly.

She always remembers their names.

“What are you doing in here?” Melody asks.

“I’m just checking in on you guys,” Vera responds. Half-truth.

“How was Dana’s funeral?”

“It’s… sad.”

Melody nods.

“Is there anything I can do for you before I check on the rest?” Vera asks.

Melody shakes her head and Vera nods.

“Just get some rest, okay?”

Vera walks away and heads to the back of her medical wing. She quickly looks behind her, making sure no one is following her and she heads into the backroom where numerous medical supplies are. Then, to the door to Dana’s office.

She slowly reaches out to the handle and goes to open it. Locked.

Again, she checks behind her, then looks back at the door.

She takes a bobby pin from her pocket, then unties the purple bandana from her wrist and ties her black curls up with it.

She inserts the bobby pin into the keyhole, fiddling with it for a few seconds.

Do I even remember how to do this? She asks herself.

She takes out the bobby pin and bends it a certain way, the way her brother taught her all those years ago and tries again. Suddenly, her fingers remember faster than her mind does.

Just as she’s about to give up… Click. She quickly opens the door, her feet taking her inside before she even realizes it.

“Okay,” she whispers to herself. “Gotta make this quick.”

She immediately makes her way over to the filing cabinet and starts digging through it, skimming through several last names and medical conditions. Then, she finds a section labeled ‘RELOCATED’ and she immediately pulls out the files.

She pulls out a piece of paper, describing a patient but their name and age are blacked out. She recognizes the handwriting on the file as Dana’s. Why would she censor her own words? She immediately skips to the next one.

This one has the name blacked out as well but there’s a note paperclipped to this particular file and this handwriting isn’t the same as Dana’s. It reads:

I need you to falsify more entries. Don’t sign off on anything until you see the patients yourself at The Penumbra but don’t worry about ghost cases.

Vera feels her chest tighten. “Ghost cases?” she whispers to herself.

She flips the page over, hoping for a signature, more writing, anything but there’s nothing.

Then, a shadow moves across the filing cabinet and Vera freezes immediately.

“What are you doing in here, girl?”

Vera turns around. Cleo.

“I was just-”

“Snooping?” Cleo asks, her eyes narrowing. “You think I don’t recognize that look?”

Vera clutches the file close to her chest and she stands up straight, her eyes narrowing back.

“No, I… Dana trained me. I wanted to get some of her notes so I could help take over her duties more efficiently. She left a lot behind and I figured the documented knowledge could help the Medical Branch.”

Cleo raises an eyebrow. “So you decided to break into her office?”

“No disrespect, ma’am.” Vera says quickly, her voice steady. “But this base doesn’t run on grief. We need our people alive and we’re stretched thin. If there’s anything that can help me be even half the medic she was, then I’ll take it.”

There’s a tense pause and Cleo takes a step forward.

“You should leave that for the next Head Medic.”

Vera’s arms drop to her side, still clutching the files.

“What’s stopping me from getting that position?” Vera asks.

Cleo eyes widen ever-so-slightly in surprise and she scoffs. “You think you deserve that title? You remember that place we saved your ass from, right? You think someone of your upbringing deserves such a prestigious title?”

Vera’s posture shifts slightly and she feels a slight jolt of anger course through her veins but she straightens up again.

“I do, as a matter of fact.” Vera replies. “I always finish what I start.”

Cleo scoffs again. “Then tell me what you started in here, girl.”

Vera sighs and holds up the file. “It’s just a list of unarchived patient transfers. It’s probably outdated and useless but I wanted to see how Dana prioritized cases.”

Cleo stares at her for a moment, looking at her up and down.

“You’re smart,” Cleo finally says. “But you’re not as subtle as you think you are.”

“I wasn’t trying to be.”

Cleo walks over to the cabinet and runs her fingers along the edges of it.

“You’re aware we’re watching everyone closer now,” Cleo says, almost too casually. “After what happened to Dana. With the Bastion and those two stragglers still at large?”

“I’m aware,” Vera responds softly.

Cleo leans in slightly and holds out her hand, gesturing for Vera to give her the file. “Don’t give me a reason to watch you more than the others, Vera.”

Vera sighs and hands Cleo the file. “I won’t,”

“Good,” Cleo says, making her way back to the door. “Now get out of here.”

Vera nods and exits the room with her. Cleo shuts the door behind Vera sharply and locks it, making her way out of the infirmary without another word.

Vera lets out a breath she didn’t realize she was holding.

She looks back to the door and she hears a voice inside her telling her to reopen the door and go back to digging. But she knows better not to, at least for now.

Instead, she reaches into her pocket and pulls something out. A piece of paper she managed to slip away from the file without Cleo noticing.

Meanwhile, Doc and Kit are still sitting at the table with the gloomy rain growing heavier.

“Can I ask you something?” Kit asks sheepishly.

“What is it?”

“Do you think… do you think Vera likes me?”

Doc raises an eyebrow. “Do you want her to like you?”

“No,” Kit blurts, answering a little too fast.

Doc’s eyes narrow at him. “I don’t know, Kit.”

Kit chuckles awkwardly.

Doc stares at him unimpressed. “Uh-huh.”

“It’s just… I don’t know. She seems different with me, like more intense.”

“That’s just Vera,” Doc responds. “She doesn’t do surface-level.”

“Me neither,” Kit responds, trying to sound casual but definitely failing. He pauses for a brief moment. “Does she trust me?”

Doc doesn’t answer right away.

“I don’t know,” he says.

Kit scoffs. “I bet killing those stupid stragglers will make her see me differently.”

“Kit,” Doc says. “Why are you so obsessed with these people?”

“I just… want to avenge Dana.”

“You risked your life to kill them. Hell, it’s a miracle they didn’t kill you.”

“I almost had them,” Kit grumbles. “Next time, I won’t miss.”

Doc stiffens slightly, the air between them growing colder.

Doc looks over and finds Lockjaw staring at the two of them, her eyes laser-focused on the two. Doc stares back and the two don’t do or say anything. Finally, Lockjaw walks away, over to Cleo.

“What was Vera doing?” Lockjaw whispers to her.

“She was going through files, Commander.”

“What files?”

“Unarchived patient transfers,” Cleo responds.

Lockjaw’s jaw tightens and her gaze drifts towards the infirmary in the distance.

“Did she find anything she shouldn’t?” Lockjaw asks.

“I took the file before she could,” Cleo says.

There’s a brief moment of silence until Cleo speaks again. “Should I tighten the leash on her?”

Lockjaw thinks for a moment, still staring at the infirmary.

“No,” she says finally. “Let her keep digging. The deeper she goes, the easier it’ll be to…” she trails off.

“Easier it’ll be to what?” Cleo asks.

Lockjaw finally looks to Cleo and she doesn’t say a word. But Cleo knows exactly what she means.

“Let’s see how our new Head Medic handles all of this first,” Lockjaw responds, looking away from Cleo again.

“Our new Head Medic?” Cleo asks.

Then, she follows Lockjaw’s gaze only to find what she’s now looking at… is Doc.

Chapter Text

“Bobby, where are we?” Jack asks.

Bobby smirks.

“Welcome to the Bastion, my friend.”

Jack glances around the tunnel, then back at the metal door. “What the fuck is the Bastion?”

Bobby looks at him, still with the shit-eating grin on his face, then turns around then does a special knock on the door, one that feels familiar to Jack.

Tap. Tap-tap. Tap-tap.

Then, a slit appears in the center of the door and Jack is able to spot a man, probably a guard, inside.

“Name?” the voice asks.

“Bobby Reyes,” he replies with his usual smug smirk. “Plus one.”

There’s a brief pause.

“Clearance code?” the guard asks.

Bobby leans in and whispers something for a few seconds, Jack tries to listen but he isn’t able to hear anything.

Then, massive clicks come from inside the door and after a moment, it groans open, revealing a narrow hallway that’s dimly lit.

“The hell?” Jack mutters.

Bobby walks back over to Jack, helping him past the gate when a man wearing a bulletproof vest and an assault rifle in hand. He approaches Jack and Bobby and quickly locks a metal cuff around Jack’s wrist.

“Sorry,” Bobby says to Jack. “That’s the procedure for visitors.”

Jack doesn’t say anything.

“Your parents nearly had a panic attack, Bobby. You know protocol.” the guard says.

Bobby groans. “Thanks, Bryan.”

Bobby continues to help Jack through the hallway.

“Just a warning,” Bobby says. “There’s a lot of stairs ahead.”

“Great,” Jack replies.

“Gotta stay safe from The Raze somehow,” Bobby says.

Sure enough, in front of them is a large, winding set of metal stairs and Jack is barely able to see the concrete bottom of it.

Jack uses the metal railing to limp down the stairs as Bobby matches his pace and after what feels like forever, they finally reach the bottom which leads to another corridor lined with cement.

The two begrudgingly continue down the path and they enter a large room with a tall ceiling and vines lining the walls and Jack stops dead in his tracks.

The room is massive, there’s a bunch of tables with people sitting and chatting at them, another big area of the room with a bunch of children running around, and several other archways leading to other areas of the base with people walking in and out of them like it’s a school hallway.

He hears something he hasn’t heard in years. Laughter, chatter… happiness.

Jack is speechless and can’t help but take in the life that lights up this room.

“Amazing, huh?” Bobby asks, smiling at Jack’s reaction.

Jack looks at him, still dumbfounded and pauses. Just as he’s about to speak, he hears two booming voices from across the room.

“BOBBY!” a woman screams.

Jack looks to the source of the noise and sees a beautiful woman, no older than the age of 50 stomping toward him with a man, appearing to be around the same age as her.

They walk up to Jack and Bobby and she quickly whacks Bobby on the head.

“What the hell were you thinking!?” she yells.

Then, she pulls him in for a deep hug.

“Mom!” Bobby grumbles.

“Where were you!?” the man asks, who Jack assumes is his dad. “And who is this?”

“Jack Henderson,” Jack says, extending his hand.

Bobby’s dad takes it and shakes it firmly. “Mark.”

“He needed help,” Bobby mutters. “He’s… new to town.”

His mom whacks him on the head again. “What did I tell you last time!?”

“No, he’s on our side this time. He’s against the Raze.” Bobby protests.

His mom looks to Jack, then back to Bobby, then to Jack again and she sighs.

“I hope he wasn’t too much trouble for you,” she says. “I’m Jenn. Welcome to the Bastion.”

Jack gives her a nod then begins to walk forward, wincing slightly from the pain in his ankle.

Jenn’s gaze immediately falls to Jack’s ankle. “What happened?” she asks.

“Jumped off a ladder,” Jack responds.

“Didn’t stick the landing,” Bobby adds with a smirk. Jack can’t help but glare at him, eliciting a giggle from Bobby.

“Here, we’ll take you to the infirmary,” Mark says, wrapping Jack’s arm around him, walking him down one of the many archways.

Several people greet Mark, Jenn, and Bobby as they pass them and Jack almost feels a sense of… community.

They follow a winding corridor down a new hallway and Jack can’t help but feel disoriented from the twists and turns this place has. Finally, they reach a door with a sign reading “MEDICAL” over it.

Jenn opens the door and a woman with long, blonde hair sits at the desk and immediately stands when the four enter. The room is cement from top to bottom, just like the rest of the Bastion base so far.

“Mr. and Mrs. Reyes!” she says with a smile, walking over to them. “Who’s this?”

“This is Jack,” Jenn says. “He took a fall off a ladder.”

The blonde woman nods and leads him to a chair in the corner of the room, next to a table with some medical supplies. Jack takes a seat at the chair and she immediately begins looking at his ankle.

“So… what exactly is the Bastion?” Jack asks.

“We’re a community,” Jenn says. “We’re all the survivors of… The Raze.”

 “And what exactly is The Raze?” Jack questions.

“The Raze,” Mark says. “Is a totalitarian faction that takes over the surface of Prescott.”

 “They’re bigger than us,” Jenn says. “But we know where to strike. They don’t.”

Jack nods.

“They took someone from me and I need them back,” Jack says.

“They’ve taken some Bastion members too,” Jenn replies. “The Raze is… they’re inhumane to say the least. We’ve taken in some people who used to be a part of them. Our leader’s top priority is getting back our members that are being held hostage.”

“Do you know where the hostages are?” Jack asks.

Jenn sighs then shakes her head. “She has… ideas, but nothing concrete.”

“Can I speak to her?”

Jenn pauses. “She doesn’t just meet with anyone…”

She glances at Bobby, then looks back at Jack.

“But I can vouch for you. Just don’t waste her time.”

“I don’t plan to,” Jack says.

Jenn nods and she stands up, gesturing for Mark and Bobby to exit the room with her.

“I’m gonna stay here with Jack and make sure he’s okay,” Bobby says.

Jenn nods and she and her husband exit the room, leaving Jack, Bobby, and the nurse.

The nurse gives Jack’s ankle one last look before finishing bandaging it up.

“Well,” she says, standing up and looking at him with a warm smile. “You’re all patched up. You’re lucky. No break, just a sprain.”

“Luck’s not really my thing. But thanks,” Jack replies.

She chuckles, tucking her hair behind her ear. “Well maybe your luck is changing.”

Bobby stands behind Jack, raising an eyebrow and watching the two with a smirk.

“You’re gonna want to stay off of it for a day or two,” the nurse says. “But, if you’re feeling bored, you can usually find me here. Name’s Ellie.”

Jack nods. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome to stay here for as long as you like,” Ellie smiles softly again. “Try not to jump off any more ladders, hero.”

With that, she gives him one last look before turning around and exiting the room where Jack can only assume is the backroom.

Bobby giggles mischievously.

Jack immediately looks at him, his expression unamused. “What?”

“You gonna ask her out or should I?” he asks.

Jack rolls his eyes. “You’re fifteen, Bobby.”

Bobby shrugs. “I’m just saying, she patched you up and flirted. Seems like you could use a beautiful blonde healer in your life.”

Jack doesn’t reply right away, he leans back against the chair, looking at his bandaged ankle. “I’m not really looking for anything.”

“Bro, why not?” Bobby asks. “You’re a good-looking dude. Mysterious, traumatized… chicks eat that up.”

“I fell in love with someone once,” Jack says, looking from his ankle to Bobby. “Didn’t work out.”

Bobby blinks. “Ooookay… that sucks.” he says, his smirk faltering. “Do you want to talk about it?”

“Not really,” Jack replies.

“Alright, no judgment. But for the record, I think Ellie’s cute.”

“Great,” Jack mutters. “Maybe you should sprain your ankle then next time.”

Bobby chuckles at Jack’s words and Jack can’t help but let the faintest smile show.

Bobby’s laughter dies down and he sighs, taking a seat on the edge of a supply cabinet. “You haven’t really told me much about your life before… all of this.”

Jack shifts slightly in the chair. “There isn’t much to tell.”

Bobby snorts. “Come on, I know that isn’t true. Just… tell me something. Who was the girl you were in love with?”

Jack scoffs and looks to his hands, which he didn’t realize he was fidgeting with. “Boy.”

Bobby tilts his head. “What?”

“The boy I was in love with.”

Bobby’s eyes widen and he pauses, completely knocked off guard. Jack glances at him.

“Oh, no like… like that’s cool!” Bobby says, stumbling over his words. “Like, there’s nothing wrong with that or anything.”

Jack’s smile creeps back in and he looks back at his fidgeting hands.

“So… what happened with you and him?” Bobby asks.

“I told you,” Jack responds. “Didn’t work out.”

Bobby goes silent, unsure of how to respond.

“Yikes. What happened? He, uh… didn’t get eaten or Infected, did he?”

“I don’t know,” Jack shrugs.

Bobby doesn’t respond, examining Jack as he fidgets with his hands. “Well… I’m sorry. About whatever happened.”

“It’s alright,” Jack responds. “Just taught me a lesson. You can’t get close to anyone in this world anymore.”

“Well what about… that person you’re looking for?” Bobby asks. “Or me?”

Jack glances back at Bobby without a word.

Bobby holds the stare for a moment, then exhales. “Sorry, that was dumb.”

“No,” Jack responds quietly. “It’s not dumb.”

Bobby raises an eyebrow but he doesn’t say anything.

“It just… it isn’t that simple.” Jack adds. “People don’t stick around. Not anymore.”

“You’ve stuck around,” Bobby says. “Even when you didn’t have to.”

Jack chuckles dryly. “Kid, it’s been like two days.”

Bobby shrugs with a soft smile. “And look where you are now.”

Jack can’t help but sigh. Just as he’s about to respond, the door to the infirmary opens and Mark walks through.

“She’s ready to speak to you, Jack,” Mark says.

Jack nods and Bobby quickly runs over to the chair to help him stand.

“I’ll take him there, Dad.”

Mark nods and he disappears down the corridor.

“Guess this’ll be a little mini tour for you,” Bobby says, walking Jack down the same corridor and Jack is able to see down the several hallways that line the current one.

“So that one down there,” Bobby points at one of the hallways. “That’s the cafeteria. The one next to it is the courtyard, which is where we came from to get here.”

Jack nods and looks down each hallway that Bobby points at. Bobby tells him about the countless rooms that the Bastion has. The sleeping quarters, a gym, detention bay, and many others. Jack can’t help but feel lost already.

Finally, the make their way down one final corridor where another big door is, where two guards stand outside of it.

Bobby talks to one of the guards and they open the door for the two.

They enter and Jack immediately spots the wooden desk with the big chair at it. Then, he notices a figure in the corner of the room, studying a map. The leader.

“Hello, ma’am,” Bobby says with a smile. “Jack is here to speak with you.”

The woman slowly turns around to face the two.

Jack stops dead in his tracks… and so does she.

“Jack?” she asks, her eyes wide.

Jack is speechless for a moment.

“Yasmin?”