All of us are ready for a fight. Lance, Robin, Nimda, and I all have our pucks ready and our weapons just below the windows of our cars. Cassie, Vince, and even Ivy are equally ready for a fight. Everyone except Clover, that is, she's still slumped over unconscious in the back. Corax can only succeed at bringing her back for a few seconds, and I'd rather him be ready to drop an explosive if needed instead of sitting on her shoulder.

Lance and Robin lead the way, and our car rolls closely behind them. Nimda covers our backs the best she can.

The small passageway descending into the earth gives way to a massive cavern hosting the burnt out remains of a once proud city. Sturdy barricades have been erected at the bottom of the ramp, with twenty people in cover behind them. Every single one of them has hair that has been roughly hacked off, and a number tattooed onto their forehead.

"See any snipers?" Vince whispers to Ivy, who gives a small shake of her head.

Lance stops his car near the top of the ramp and steps out, holding his massive riot shield casually in his hand. We all pile out of the car, each with our weapons in our hands, but at ease.

A bony old man stands in a small opening between the barricades. Intense eyes shine beneath his weathered face. The number thirty seven sits faded on his forehead. His clothes barely cling to his thin frame, but he has no problem holding his weapon in his hands, at ease, just like us.

"I assume you're the one I was speaking to?" Vince asks, stepping forwards without fear.

"I want the cloaks removed." The man says.

"Alright." Vince nods back to Cassie and I. "I just ask that you let us explain things before firing."

Vince thinks this is safe, I have to as well. Several of the guards around us have cybernetics, and while they look rudimentary, the pucks will be able to disable them. The few that won't be affected look weak, and that means slow. We can respond faster if anyone tries anything.

I peel off my head covering and let my cloak drop to the ground. Recognition flashes through the eyes of a few of the defenders, but most just seem confused.

"You may have heard of a bounty on these two." Vince says. "That bounty was taken out by Mara, who, once again, we killed. That bounty is null and void. Attempting to claim it will get you nothing."

"We're no bounty hunters." The old man responds. "The question is, who are you?"

"I'm Vince, a scrapper from Arc City. We came out here to give an ancient regret her due, which we did, and now all I want to do is go home and retire."

"And your wounds?"

"Ah." Vince's face drops at the memory. "We failed the first time. My family thankfully didn't fail the second time, but Ivy and I spent a few weeks in the trench. I can give more details if you need them, but the wounds are still fresh."

"I understand." The old man's face relaxes. "I can see all I need to in your eyes. I think we all carry similar wounds. We're escaped slaves, you see."

"You're right to be cautious then." Vince nods. "We hold no hard feelings, and hopefully can give you the easier life you undoubtedly deserve."

A small smile makes its way onto the man's face.

"You may stay, but do not mistake that for gaining our trust."

"We understand completely. If you have a corner of the city where nobody lives, we have no problem staying separate if it makes you more comfortable."

"The far end of the city is yours."

"Thank you, once again. If you don't mind, can you give us some time to get settled before we begin our work repaying you?"

"Of course." The man turns away from us. "Open the barricade!"

Lance takes a few steps up to the man.

"May I give you some advice?" He asks.

The old man tenses up, but fights to not let it show.

"You may." He says slowly.

"If you're hiding from slavers, you left an easy trail to follow. There's every chance they show up this storm, or perhaps send scouts to find you and regroup to assault with a bigger party after the next. I'm concerned about the state of your barricade, a few well-placed explosives would deconstruct the entire thing, and there's nothing to stop a car from breaking through with enough speed. If you'd allow us, my brother and I would like to stay behind and help reinforce it now."

"I certainly wouldn't say no."

"Everyone else, you go on through. We'll meet you in a few hours." Lance reaches out for the man, holding his hand out. "I'm Lance."

"Joseph." The man takes Lance's hand.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Joseph." Lance and Robin both step forward to help slide a portion of the barricade back, leaving enough space for our cars to head through and turn back to us. "We'll find you when the city is safe."

"You need to secure more than just this one entrance." I say, disregarding my fake voice. It feels so much better to use my real one. "During the fire I saw several of the tunnels acting as air intakes. I don't know where they connect to the surface, but they must somehow. Here." I grab Ivy's tablet, plug myself in, copy over the exact flow of the smoke I saw, and hand it to Lance.

He plugs himself in, takes the data, and returns the tablet to Ivy.

"We'll set up alarms and defenses, thank you."

Vince, Ivy and I return to our car, and Cassie steps away to drive Lance's. The people who live here have thankfully cleared out the streets from the training course we created, letting us drive easily to the far end of the city.

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"Corax? Can you keep an eye on them?" I ask and roll down our window, letting him disappear into the dim blue light of the cavern.

The scars from the fire still blacken every surface, but they have clearly begun to wash off a few of the buildings. We catch glimpses of the grave Cassie and I created through the gaps in the houses, our proclamations still screaming into the cavern. The words aren't legible from this distance with just the dim light from the bioluminescent lake lighting up the cavern, but I can see the charcoal streaks.

We drive all the way to the far edge of the cavern, stopping in front of a small collection of buildings just against the walls.

"Is here fine?" I ask.

"Yeah." Vince nods. "Park the cars beside the doors for some cover along the street."

"Do you think they'll attack us?" Despite hoping they won't be useful, I park the car where he asks. Apparently Cassie already knows the plan without me saying anything, and parks beside another door.

"No, but I'm too tired to take more risks."

We all step out of the car, Ivy pausing for just a moment to grab her tablet.

"So." She types out. "I assume you want Cassie and a room all to yourself?"

"Uh-huh, I think you're more excited to finally have some alone time with Vince." Cassie immediately responds.

"Sounds like a plan." Vince speaks up before she can respond again. He pokes his head inside one of the rooms, only to frown at the barren stone insides. "I'll need some help setting up some light and bedding."

"Sure, we'll get you two settled first." Cassie comes over to our car, opens the trunk, and begins to unload anything that will help. She piles in my arms sleeping bags, handheld lights, extra blankets, and cleaning supplies.

I carry them all into one of the buildings, and Cassie gets to work clearing a section of the floor of soot and debris. Only once a corner is as clean as it will get does she begin to lay everything out. First to go down is a blanket, with the sleeping bags unrolled on top. A portable light is enough to light up the room, even if we have to turn off the car headlights for some reason. She even goes as far as to open up the medical kit and spread out some supplies they both undoubtedly still need.

"How's that?" She asks.

"Good, thank you." He leans his rifle against the doorframe, walks over to the far end of the room, and lays down atop one of the sleeping bags. "I'm going to try to get some sleep."

"Alright. We'll be back in a few hours with some food." I say.

"We'll be right next door." Cassie reassures him.

"Sounds good. Thank you, both of you."

"Make sure he actually gets some sleep." Cassie whispers to Ivy as she passes her, and Ivy responds only with a grin. Cassie leads me out of the room, back to the trunk, and begins to unload the rest of our supplies.

Setting up our room goes quickly. Cassie does the same thing, cleans off a section of the floor, lays down a blanket, and sets up one sleeping bag for each of us.

"I don't need one." I remind her.

"It's still going to be nicer to sit on than just the floor." She says.

"I guess, thank you."

She doesn't sit down in our new bed, instead she leans against the door frame, her foot tapping against the ground. I can see right through her and her worries.

"Corax is watching Lance and Robin." I say. "If anything happens, we'll know."

"You're right." She gives a few small nods, but her foot doesn't stop tapping entirely.

"We can go help them if it would make you feel better."

"No. I'm not leaving Vince."

Cassie's ears perk up and she stares at the door, drawing her pistol but leaving it at her side. I grab mine, just in case.

The door opens and Clover shuffles through, cradling her small box in her arms. A short cord connects Clover to the box, the wire wrapped tightly around her arm. She doesn't even glance at us, just walks directly past us and slams into the wall, slowly sliding down it into a sitting position.

Cassie glances at me, silently asking me to deal with her.

"Are you ok?" I approach slowly, taking a seat right next to her.

"No." She says quietly.

"What's wrong?"

"I thought things would get easier."

"What did you think would get easier?" I need a little more than that to go off of.

She doesn't respond, and I reach for her hand, giving her a small squeeze. She clutches the small box tighter the moment my hand touches her, and she turns away from me a few degrees.

"Everything."

"Is it Vince that's making things harder?" I ask.

She gives a small nod.

"The way he looks at me." She says quietly. "He knows Her. He wants me to be Her. He misses Her, and She misses him. All I have is his story, the people She saw him kill, the things She saw him do. She liked him, trusted him, but only because Silver did."

"If he was still that person, I wouldn't be here right now." Cassie says. "I'd be stuck in Silver's office while they tried and failed to drill into me a whole load of nonsense about politics and running a scrapping gang. You should talk to him. He doesn't try to hide his history, and he doesn't run from it."

"That's not what I'm worried about." She says quietly.

"What are you… Silver." Cassie says quietly.

Clover gives a small nod.

"I hold no feelings for him. Her memories, they mean nothing, proof I'm not Her. She's dead. She killed herself and I'm just the echo of Her screams She left behind."

"And you're worried you won't care for Silver?" Cassie guesses.

Clover gives us a shallow, shuddering nod.

"It sounds like that worry means you do still care for them." I say.

She stays quiet, and I have to place a hand on her shoulder to bring her back.

"That is also a problem." She says. "That's proof that I'm Her, that my disregard of Vince is something wrong, that I'm failing Her, failing myself."

I glance at Cassie and she glances back at me, silently asking each other if they know what to do. I guess I should be the one to talk, although I have no idea what to do either.

"Which one do you want to be true?" I ask, my voice betraying my absolute lack of confidence.

Clover only gives a limp shrug with her shoulders.

"I need someone to tell me." She whispers.

"Can Kismet help?"

"No." She shakes her head. "Few of us have been through this, and our voices are lost in the whole. Those who returned no longer speak, just enjoy the blissful certainty of existing as an us."

"I'm sorry." I say quietly. How the heck do I help? There has to be something I can do. "I don't think anyone can give you an answer."

"I know."

"Do you think you want to return to Kismet?" I ask quietly. I don't know if that's a good thing for her to do, but she does deserve the option.

"No. I have to help the Child, and Silver deserves to speak to whoever I am."

"How's the child doing?" Cassie asks in a desperate effort to say anything.

"Quiet. Recovering. Being a conduit burnt her out, but I'm helping."

"That's good. Do you need anything?" I ask. "Can I help at all?"

Clover only gives a shake of her head and lets herself go limp, still cradling the box.

"Do you think she's going to stay here?" Cassie whispers.

"Probably."

"Great." Cassie makes her way to our small sleeping area and lays down.

I join her, laying atop my sleeping bag and reaching out to take Cassie's hand in mine.

"Do you think she'd like me to read to her?" I ask with a knowing smile.

Cassie lets out a near silent snort.

"Maybe." She says. "I'm going to get some sleep. Make sure you read loud enough for Vince to hear it.

"I will."

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