The ruins came into view as Ember plodded along the cracked asphalt, her scales gleaming faintly under the midday sun. The structures were skeletal at best—crumbling concrete walls with rusting metal beams jutting out like broken ribs. The gang’s hideout wasn’t much to look at, but it offered enough shelter to keep them alive and unnoticed. Reed dismounted first, patting Ember’s neck before motioning for Jenny to climb down.

  Jenny slid off awkwardly, her left hand gripping Ember’s harness as her feet hit the ground. She adjusted her rifle strap and glanced around, her light grey eyes scanning the ruins warily.

  Reed barely had time to stretch before Denzel, the massive ginger-haired muscle of the gang, stepped out from behind a half-collapsed wall. His broad frame nearly filled the gap, and his green eyes immediately locked onto Jenny. He didn’t say anything at first, just gave her a once-over, lingering on her missing arm. Something clicked in Denzel’s expression, and he muttered, “Oh... so that’s why you were asking about sewing arms back on.”

  Jenny bristled slightly, turning her sharp gaze on Reed, but he raised his hands in mock surrender. “Hey, it was a valid question. Just didn’t think we’d find any magic fixes out here.”

  From deeper inside the ruins, Laura’s voice rang out. “Chan, pay up!” The dark-skinned woman emerged, her hands on her hips and a smug grin on her face. “I told you. I said he’d show up with a girl. Didn’t I say it? And look, here she is!”

  Reed groaned, shaking his head as he led Ember toward a makeshift post to tie her reins. “Really, Laura? Betting on my love life?”

  “You don’t have one, so it’s a safe bet,” Laura retorted, grinning. Her attention shifted to Jenny, and her eyes flicked over the younger woman appraisingly. “And you’re... well, smaller than I expected.”

  Laura herself was anything but small. She was tall, her build solid with well-defined curves that spoke of both strength and confidence. Her skin was a deep, warm brown, her features striking—a blend of sharp angles and soft edges that seemed to draw attention effortlessly. With her tightly braided hair swept back, she gave off the impression of someone who could handle herself in any situation and didn’t much care who knew it. The bright glint in her dark eyes always carried a mix of amusement and warning, as if daring anyone to underestimate her.

  Jenny opened her mouth, but before she could respond, her eyes caught movement behind Laura. A slim figure emerged from a deeper room, squinting as if adjusting to the light. He was shorter than Denzel, his build wiry but agile, and he wore a cobbled-together outfit of old-world patches and scavenged gear. His sharp, defined features stood out—high cheekbones, almond-shaped eyes, and a straight, narrow nose that gave him an almost statuesque look. His dark hair was cut short but uneven, as if he’d done it himself in a hurry, and his fingers twitched absently, always seeming ready to tinker with something. Chan, the gang’s self-proclaimed genius and resident collector of old-world oddities, had appeared.

  That’s when Jenny gasped, her body going rigid as she pointed a trembling finger at Laura.

  “What is THAT?!” she blurted, her voice loud and sharp with disbelief. Her finger shifted immediately to Chan. “And THAT?!”

  The ruins fell silent. Laura’s amused grin vanished instantly.0020Her stance didn’t change, yet something in her posture became sharper, more dangerous. Her dark eyes narrowed as she stared Jenny down. “Excuse me?”

  Chan froze mid-step, looking between Jenny and Laura with wide eyes. “Uh... what’s happening right now?”

  Reed whipped around, his brow furrowed in confusion. “What the hell, Jenny?”

  Jenny’s cheeks flushed, but her astonishment didn’t waver. “I’ve... I’ve never seen anyone like them before. Like... their skin. It’s... different.” Her words tumbled out in a rush, her tone more bewildered than accusatory.

  Laura’s stance tightened, her fists curling at her sides. “Different? Different? Girl, you better start explaining before I show you how ‘different’ I can get.”

  Reed groaned audibly, stepping between them and holding up his hands. “Whoa, whoa, whoa! Let’s all just... calm down for a second.”

  Jenny looked from Reed to Laura, then to Chan, her gaze darting back and forth as if trying to process what she was seeing. “I didn’t mean anything bad! I just... I’ve never seen anyone like you. Everyone in the bunker... well, they all looked like me. I didn’t even know...”

  “Wow,” Laura cut in, straightening up but keeping her glare locked on Jenny. “This is some next-level ignorance. What, did your bunker teach you that the world was made for you and your clones?”

  “I don’t... I don’t know what they taught,” Jenny stammered, her words faltering under Laura’s intensity. “But I didn’t mean any offense.”

  Reed sighed, running a hand through his hair. “Yeah, let’s put the pitchforks down for a second, huh? She’s not racist, just... really sheltered.”

  “Sheltered?” Laura echoed, her expression softening slightly but still skeptical. “That’s putting it lightly.”

  Denzel stepped forward, his massive presence filling the awkward silence. “Okay, everyone, let’s cool it. Reed brought her here, so I’m guessing she’s not a total idiot.” He gave Jenny a small, awkward smile. “You’re just... new to the surface, right?”

  Jenny nodded quickly, grateful for the reprieve. “Yeah. Very new.”

  Chan finally spoke up, scratching his head. “Huh. Never thought I’d live to see someone shocked by us. I mean, we’re not the weird part of the wasteland.” He gestured vaguely toward the cracked horizon. “You’ll see.”

  Laura huffed, crossing her arms. “You’ve got a lot to learn, kid. But you’re lucky I’m feeling generous today.” She looked Jenny up and down one last time, then smirked faintly. “For the record, I’m Laura. And yeah, I’m ‘different.’ Deal with it.”

  Reed finished tying Ember and turned back to the group. “Well, that could’ve gone worse.”

  Jenny, still flustered but recovering, glanced at him. “You could’ve warned me.”

  Reed raised an eyebrow. “Warn you about what?”

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  Jenny hesitated, her gaze flicking toward Laura, then back to Reed. “I don’t know... just, never mind.”

  He tilted his head, his grin softening into something closer to curiosity. “Didn’t think anything out here could throw you off your game.”

  The tension from Jenny’s earlier outburst began to ease as the group settled around the small campfire in the ruins. The flickering light played across the jagged walls, casting long shadows that danced as Reed stirred the embers with a stick. Denzel sat cross-legged, his broad frame taking up more space than anyone else, while Laura leaned against a crumbled pillar, her arms crossed but her gaze fixed on Jenny with a mix of curiosity and skepticism. Chan perched on an overturned crate, his hands fidgeting with a small device that looked like it might’ve once been part of a toaster.

  “So,” Reed began, leaning back with his characteristic grin. “Jenny here has quite the story to tell. Don’t you?”

  Jenny glanced at him sharply, her jaw tightening. She wasn’t about to spill everything—not her mistake, not the guilt she’d carried since leaving the Bunker—but the basics? Fine. They deserved that much.

  “I’m from Bunker Seven,” she said, her voice steady but guarded. The words hung in the air for a moment, and the group exchanged glances. Reed had explained the concept of the Bunkers to them before, but hearing it straight from someone who’d actually lived in one was different.

  “And?” Laura prompted, her tone sharper than necessary.

  Jenny’s gaze flicked to her but didn’t linger. “And I was sent out on a mission. To find Bunker Four. That’s all.”

  “Sent?” Chan asked, his voice carrying the faintest hint of disbelief. “You mean they actually let you out? Or did you sneak out?” His tone was curious, not accusatory, but Jenny still bristled slightly.

  “It was my mission,” she said firmly, avoiding the question entirely. “I had my orders. The surface... it’s not what I expected. Nothing is.”

  “Yeah, I bet,” Laura muttered under her breath, earning a warning glance from Denzel.

  The fire crackled softly as silence settled over the group. Jenny shifted uncomfortably, her fingers brushing the strap of her rifle. The sound of a distant rustling broke the quiet, faint but distinct. Her head snapped toward the noise, her body tensing as her left hand reached instinctively for her weapon.

  “Relax,” Denzel said, his deep voice rumbling with amusement. “It’s just Mewlissa.”

  Jenny blinked. “Mew-what?”

  As if on cue, a large feline emerged from the shadows, her tabby-striped coat shimmering faintly in the firelight. She was bigger than any housecat Jenny had ever seen, her lean, muscular frame resembling that of a wild predator. Her eyes glowed faintly in the dim light as she paused, sniffing the air before padding over to Denzel.

  “That’s... not a cat,” Jenny said, her voice low.

  “SHE’s a cat,” Denzel corrected, a note of pride in his tone. “Just not one of those little housecats you probably had in your bunker.”

  Mewlissa sniffed around the fire before curling up beside Denzel, her long tail wrapping neatly around her body. She purred softly, a low, rumbling sound that seemed to resonate in the quiet.

  “She’s not dangerous,” Reed said, smirking as he saw the wariness still etched on Jenny’s face. “Well, unless you’re stupid enough to mess with her.”

  Jenny’s eyes lingered on the cat—or whatever she was—for a moment longer before she let herself relax. “Mewlissa,” she muttered, the corner of her mouth twitching slightly. “Really?”

  Denzel grinned. “Best name I ever came up with.”

  “She’s not wrong about the size, though,” Chan chimed in, glancing at Mewlissa with a thoughtful expression. “She’s bigger than most wildcats I’ve seen. Probably adapted to the surface. Everything else has.”

  Jenny didn’t respond. She watched as Mewlissa stretched lazily, her sharp claws glinting briefly in the firelight before retracting. The sight of the large cat nestled so comfortably beside Denzel was strangely calming, a small pocket of normalcy in an otherwise chaotic world.

  “Well, she’s part of the team,” Denzel added, scratching behind Mewlissa’s ears. “So, you’ve met everyone now.”

  Jenny nodded absently, her gaze shifting back to the fire. The gang was unlike anything she’d expected—rough, strange, and unpredictable. But at least for now, they were her best chance.

  The firelight flickered against the ruins as Jenny recounted her story, her voice steady and matter-of-fact, though it was clear she was choosing her words carefully. The gang listened intently, even Laura, though her arms stayed crossed and her expression skeptical.

  “I grew up in Bunker Seven,” Jenny began, her grey eyes fixed on the flames. “Spent my whole life there. It’s... different from out here. Everything’s clean. Controlled. We’re trained from a young age—to fight, survive, shoot—but it’s all drills. The surface was always something we read about, something the older generations warned us about.”

  “And yet, here you are,” Chan said, leaning forward, his curiosity evident.

  Jenny nodded. “They sent me out on a mission to Bunker Four. Communication was lost years ago, and my orders were to find it and re-establish contact.”

  Denzel gave a low whistle. “Big job for one person.”

  Jenny hesitated for half a beat before continuing. “The surface wasn’t what I expected. Nothing is where it’s supposed to be, landmarks are gone, and everything’s... twisted. I heard someone calling for help and ended up walking straight into a trap. Cannibals.” Her left hand tightened briefly on her rifle strap. “They almost killed me, but Reed showed up just in time.”

  Laura’s sharp gaze shifted to Reed, who was leaning back against a rock, a faint grin tugging at his lips as Jenny continued.

  “He fought them off, got me out, and... well, saved my life.” Jenny glanced at him, her tone softening slightly. “I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for him.”

  Her eyes dropped for a moment to her right shoulder, where her missing arm ended in a neatly bandaged stump. The faintest shadow crossed her face, a flicker of vulnerability quickly replaced by resolve. “Not all of me made it out, but... he did what he could.”

  The group fell silent for a moment, the weight of her words hanging in the air. Denzel shifted uncomfortably, his broad shoulders slumping slightly. Chan’s fidgeting paused, and even Laura’s sharp expression softened briefly.

  Reed cleared his throat, his grin returning as he puffed up his chest. “What can I say? I’m a hero.”

  The sudden shift broke the tension like a crack in the ice. Jenny shot him a flat look, but the corners of her mouth twitched upward despite herself.

  “Uh-huh,” Laura drawled, her skeptical tone cutting through the moment like a knife. “And how exactly did you know to save her? Were you stalking her?”

  Jenny blinked, her brow furrowing as her attention snapped back to Reed. “Actually, yeah. How did you know? We never talked about that.”

  Reed’s grin froze, and a faint flush crept up his neck. “Uh, well...” He glanced at the others, searching for an escape route that didn’t exist. “You see, I, uh, just happened to be in the right place at the right time.”

  Laura raised an eyebrow, clearly unimpressed. “Right place, huh? So, what, you just hang around places waiting for cannibals to set traps? Sounds... convenient.”

  Jenny’s gaze joined Laura’s, both of them staring him down with expectant looks. “Yeah, Reed. Convenient.”

  Reed rubbed the back of his neck, trying to muster a convincing defense. “Look, it’s not like that. I saw her walking around, figured she looked... lost. And, uh, you know, too clean for the wasteland. Thought I’d keep an eye on her, just in case.”

  “Too clean,” Laura repeated, her tone dripping with sarcasm. “Right. That’s why.”

  Reed held up his hands in mock surrender. “Okay, fine. Maybe I was curious. She’s… well, I’d never seen someone like her out here. Thought it was worth... keeping tabs.”

  Jenny squinted at him, her expression unreadable. “Keeping tabs?”

  “Yeah,” he said, flashing an awkward grin. “Look, it worked out, didn’t it? I saved you.”

  “Not the point,” Laura said, shaking her head. “You’re lucky she’s not trying to shoot you for being a creep.”

  “Creep?” Reed scoffed. “I prefer ‘knight in slightly rusty armor.’”

  “Sure you do,” Laura muttered, rolling her eyes as she leaned back against the pillar again. Jenny didn’t say anything further, but the faint quirk of her lips suggested she wasn’t entirely convinced either.

  Reed let out a breath, deciding he’d survived the grilling for now. “Anyway, what matters is we’re here, and we need supplies. Help us out, and you’ll get to hear the rest of my heroic tales.”

  “Heroic tales,” Chan echoed with a chuckle. “This just keeps getting better.”

  Laura gave Reed one last withering look before turning her attention back to the fire. “You’re lucky we’re stocked up. But don’t push your luck.”

  Jenny glanced between them all, silently wondering what exactly she’d gotten herself into.