The Fallen World Part II

Chapter 17: Escape

We got out of the bank and traverse into the woods, it seems we ended up in the suburbs. The neighborhood's taken over by overgrown and it feels like a maze here. "Let's settle in Unity Station right after we get out of here." Tom said, "Unity Station?" Faye asked.

We heard chattering somewhere and ready our guns, cultists are everywhere. Some of them seem to wield those strange bats, they look painful to get hit by. I found a body of a bear sitting on the side of the car, I checked his body and found a spiked bat at his paw.

"Nice, this could do." I strap it behind my bag. "Everyone, follow me." Tom takes the lead, we swiftly maneuver our way around the houses. I think Tom's best with a crossbow, so I take out my crossbow and gave it to him, "Thanks Nell, keep Faye close to you." Tom said.

Tom crafted more bolts from his bag, and Faye checks the ammo of her revolver, then back to sneaking. Tom shot a cultist from afar, then another. "Coast is clear. Nell, lead the way." Tom said, I take the lead.

I found an open garage, there's an open lantern sitting on the workbench. "Look, a workbench. Faye, mind closing the door?" I asked and Faye nodded, "Phew, I guess we're safe here for now." Faye wipes her face.

I brought out my shotgun and ready the tools, I gave the shotgun some rifling, giving it a smooth shot. "Hey Faye, want your gun an upgrade?" I asked her, "Sure! Just don't mess it up." She said, "If you say so.".

I'm running out of parts here so I should try make this upgrade as cheap as possible. I gave the revolver a better grip for Faye, I do want to replace the barrel but I'm out of parts. "Here you go Faye." I gave the revolver to her, "Ooh, nice!".

We get out of the garage and continue our journey to the station. After a while of walking, a cultist shouted from one of the houses: "I found some!". "Dammit, here they come!" I warned my party. Tom shot the cultist who warned everyone, "Gotcha." Tom said. Faye takes cover behind a truck with her revolver at hand, "Faye, on your left!" I warned her.

She quickly turned and shot the charging cultist, he drops his bat and she picks it up. I shot one hiding behind a window and his blood stained the window and curtains. I got out of cover and hit one with my spiked bat, he screamed from the spikes pulling out his fur then I twisted his neck, a wolf swinged his bat at my torso, I screamed and fell down, "Nell!" Faye shouted and shot the wolf, he's just injured. I got up and struck him with my bat. His blood spits out and I kicked his dying body away from me.

The rest of the cultists ran away. "Cowards!" I roared as the torchlights disappear into the darkness. "I'm glad we're all fine." Faye said, "Yeah, let's get to the station already, I need someplace to take a nap." I said as I looted the bodies.

After all that commotion, we arrived at Union Station, the lights are on and hunters from Eden are patrolling around, "Oh hey Tom!" A weasel greeted him, "It's been a while, where's my little cousin?" Tom asked, "He's at the second floor room, the beds are also there if you need 'em." He said, "Thanks Grian. C'mon everyone, let's go." Tom heads to the unpowered escalator.

The insects are really loud tonight, it feels kind of nostalgic here... the white light of the station and the dark void of the outside with buzzing insects. We all get upstairs and I knock on the door. The door opens and a wolf came out, "Oh uh, hi there!" The wolf greeted.

"Well if it isn't my little cousin Christopher." Tom hugs him. The two wolves' tails are wagging, that still won't change my mind about wolves. "What brings you here?" He asked, "Just a rescue mission, and Faye here's a little injured. Mind if we stay here for the night?" I said, "Sure. Faye, come with me, I'll patch you up." The wolf leads her somewhere downstairs.

Tom and I placed our bags on the table and rest on the cots, I take a deep sigh and look at the ceiling. "What a day, huh." I said, "Yeah, it sure is." Tom replied.

Faye and Chris enters the room, Faye's wounds are patched up. "Chris has a knack for these kinds of stuff." Faye lightly punches Chris' arm, he chuckled, "I'm just doing my job." He said, Chris gets to his chair and takes his boots off, now he's playing with a handheld game console. "Hey Tom," Chris called out Tom, "What is it?" He asked, "There's this library called Pines Library somewhere around south, that's where me and my wolftrooper friends used to settle in a few days back, we left a ton of supplies there that P.A.C.C. doesn't need, I was thinking of letting you keep 'em, you up to it?" He asked, "Nell?" Tom looks at me.

"Um... sure." I replied, "How about Faye?" Tom then looks at Faye, "What kind of supplies are we talking about?" She asked, "Ammo, old armour pieces, undersuits, and emergency supplies." Chris replied, "Fine, I'm up to it." Faye dropped her bag against the wall and lie down on the sofa. "Alright, let's go to sleep and head out tomorrow." I said.

Early morning I found out Tom's not in the room, and Faye and Chris are still asleep, I got up from the cot and scratch my head, "Where'd Tom go?" I said in a lowered voice. I got out of the room and went downstairs, I see Tom leaning on a wall looking at the rain outside. "Hey Tom, why are you out here this early?" I asked, "I don't know, I just need some time alone." He said, "Oh, okay." I replied.

Both of us are just silently watching the rain. "Have you ever got a girlfriend yet?" I asked, Tom just scoffs. "Never thought of having one, I'm fine on my own, thank you." He replied. "You sure? Isn't that kind of lonely?" I asked again, "Why are you bringing this up?" Tom asked, "Nothing, I'm just curious. A lot of girls really like you back in Eden." I said, this conversation's getting a little awkward.

Tom sighs, "If you wanna say you like me just say it." Tom said, "Huh? You and me together?! No thanks." I scoffed, "Really, do you?" He asked, I went silent for a while. "I... I don't know, it just feels great to be with you all the time, even when we were kids." I said, "Huh..." He said.

I slowly approached him, I gently grab his paws, he's blushing. "Nell?" He said, my tail slowly wags and touches his. Both of our lips slowly get closer... then it happened.