The Boy from the Bunker - Season 4

Episode Six, Part 5:

Episode Six, Part 5:
W i t h o u t   F e a r

Joren heaved as he gave a final knock against the wall, watching as the last brick fell out, allowing enough room for Kodiak and Elara to escape the room. Rather than trying to free the door, they had decided to create another hole in the wall, so that they didn't face the risk of more of the ceiling falling through on them. 

Kodiak climbed out first, making sure it was safe enough for Elara to step through, and he held onto one of her hands until she was out. 

Most of her family were there waiting for them, as well as Aeryn and Dreea who came to make sure they were okay. 

Before Elara even had a chance to look around at everybody, Quill had engulfed her into a hug, lifting her off the ground as he held her so intently. Ares made his way over to them, being next in line to hug his little sister, grateful that for a few more moments at least, she didn't know the truth about what had happened on the Ground.

As she stepped away from Ares, she peeked around him, waiting for the third hug to come her way. But Wynn wasn't behind Ares and her panicked eyes scanned the room around them, she noticed the sorrow on everyone's faces. Kodiak seemed to notice as she did, instinctively drawing closer to Elara as they didn't know what was coming. 

"What is it?" Elara asked distantly, feeling her hand lace with Kodiak's at her side. 

Was it Wynn? She thought. Had something happened to her brother? Is that why Ares and Quill looked so distraught? 

Her breathing began to pick up, her shattered heart struggling to beat in the face of so much fear. 

Ares had been holding back because the words were too painful to say. He didn't want to admit it, nor did he want anyone to say it again, but he couldn't leave Elara in the dark anymore. 

"Fabian and MaReya are dead," he confessed. 

Elara's eyes welled up with tears. She shook her head, demanding for more information.  

"No. No... What happened?" 

"They were right by the explosion," Azha answered, feeling like he had to take the burden off of everyone else in his family. "They got trapped under the rubble. They...didn't survive." 

Kodiak let Elara bury herself into his side, trying to comfort her whilst also searching for the answers he knew hadn't been given yet. 

"Where's Wynn? River?" He asked, looking over at Dreea for an explanation. 

She sighed along with Ares, the both of them looking away uncomfortably. 

Elara peered up from Kodiak's chest, obviously noticing the hesitation in their answer. Her watery eyes pleaded with her brother for him to say something. For him to say that Wynn was still alive... 

"Jonas didn't make it, either," Ares informed them, seeing the realisation settle on Kodiak's face before his sister. 

"Wynn and I found MaReya and Fabian," Bas spoke up, stepping forward from the wall he was leaning against. Elara could see that his eyes were red and swollen and that he still seemed to be crying from whenever he had started. 

"Then River and Wynn found Jonas..." He added. "Neither of them are dealing with it too great." 

Feeling the empathy for his family member, Quill walked over to Bas, slinging one arm around his shoulder. Bas was grateful to him because of it. 

"Where are they now?" Kodiak asked, wanting to see his friend as he was sure Elara was feeling the same for her brother. 

//// 

The door beside them opened, and neither Sol or Wynn had much care left to look over. Luckily, their family had enough of it to carry them through, and Elara and Kodiak both raced to their person. 

Wynn was sitting on a bench that was sticking out from the edge of the room, meanwhile, Sol was sitting on the ground with her back to the wall and her knees bent upwards. 

Elara crashed into Wynn before he even noticed her running. He remained still for a moment, but once he realised it was her, he wrapped his arms back around her as she was already doing to him. 

"You're okay," she promised him. "Everything is going to be okay." 

On the far side of the room, Kodiak stood in front of Sol. He reached down and grabbed onto her arms pulling her to stand up as well. She effortlessly leaned into him, glad that he already knew what had happened without her needing to tell him what she had found. 

"He depended on me," she whispered. "I was his dependant. And I let him down. And he's gone." 

"No," Kodiak shook his head. He pulled away so Sol would look up at him. "This is not your fault. What happened to him- it's not your fault. You were incredible with him, Riv!" He exclaimed, his voice still quiet so it didn't stir her. 

Sol shook her head, dropping her hands from around Kodiak. 

"Hey. You saved his life," Kodiak declared. It was a strong enough statement to gain Sol's attention - like he was luring her in with what she wanted to hear, even though she knew she didn't deserve it. 

"He was the son of your enemy, and you rescued him, and you loved him like he was your own family. I don't care what you say otherwise. That makes you a hero to me. To him." 

Sol tried to smile up at him, to let him know what he said was close to healing her heart a little bit, but she couldn't bring herself to give one. 

All of a sudden, Kodiak's head turned to look over his shoulder having heard the movement going on behind them. Sol's eyes followed, watching somberly over at her friend. 

Ares was walking behind Wynn, holding onto him gently as he guided him out of the room - to a space where he could clear his head. 

But as Wynn reached the doorframe, he grabbed onto the edge wall, stopping them both from moving. Ares waited to see what he was doing, as well as Quill and Elara who were standing just outside the room, waiting for their brother. 

Wynn let out a breath, then slowly looked up, looking at Sol. 

There were no words exchanged, but in a moment of stillness, something unspoken between them. 

Sol nodded once, her heartache matching his, and then watched as Ares and Wynn continued out of the room. The person she wanted most in the world, right then, was Jonas; but as Wynn disappeared, she couldn't but feel the same way about him. 

Six // Part Five
That makes you a hero to me.