The group stands in front of the steel gate, bracing themselves for the world beyond.
The peace inside the base is rare—and for someone like Anna, who is constantly being sent out, it feels even more fleeting.
"This is all your fault," Drew scoffs, malice aimed squarely at her. "If you'd just grabbed the supplies the first time, we wouldn't be going out again."
Anna answers without looking at him, her voice tired and flat. "You seem delusional. If you want, I can slap you again—see if that fixes your head."
"What?!" Drew snaps, pride stung, clearly not expecting that level of disregard.
"Again?" Quin says, confused, but the tension is broken as Andy approaches the gate.
"Are you guys ready?" she asks, reaching for the heavy handle.
Everyone except Drew gives a small nod, breaths heavy, anticipation tightening around them.
"Please come back as soon as you have the supplies," Andy says softly, sounding like a worried mother.
"Where else would we go?" Anna replies, brushing her off. She hates being treated like a child—even though she knows, in some ways, she still is.
Andy steels herself and pulls the gate open.
Crash.
A piece of wood drops through the doorway, clipping Andy's knee. Everyone jumps back, hearts racing. After a moment of panic, they realize it's just a plank—likely knocked loose during the ravager's rampage and left resting against the door.
Blood trickles down Andy's leg.
"Are you okay?" Anna and Quin ask at the same time.
"I'm fine," Andy insists. "Just a cut." She peers outside. "It's clear. You should hurry before it gets late."
The group snaps back into focus.
"I'll lead," Zane says quietly.
No one argues. They line up behind him—Quin, then Anna, then Drew.
Anna feels a shiver crawl up her spine. "Can you take the back instead?" she asks Quin.
"I can't," he says. "I need to stay close to the leader. Navigation."
"Then can I switch with Drew?" she presses.
"No," Quin replies. "That position is meant for the weakest. Why all the complaining?"
"Yeah," Drew adds smugly. "You're wasting time."
Anna backs down.
They grip the shirts of the person in front of them, shut their eyes, and step out. Andy watches them leave before closing the gate and going to tend to her wound beside the Chairman's quarters.
The Chairman steps out. "They gone?"
"Yes," Andy replies. "I hope they're safe." She looks up. "What happened to you?"
"It's nothing," he says dismissively.
Outside, the group moves through the streets, nearing the convenience store where they left the supplies.
Something lingers behind them at a distance—following, as if sensing a faint trail.
The store is unchanged. Dark. Lifeless.
They retrieve the bags still sitting where they left them.
Drew opens one, scoffing. "This is it? Flour and oil? I'm risking my life for trash?"
"That's all there was," Quin says. "This place was already cleared."
"Then we can't go back with just this," Drew argues. "They'll send us out again in a few days."
"He's not wrong," Zane says. "Are there any supply points nearby that haven't been cleared?"
"No," Quin answers. "This was the last confirmed safe one. The others are unknown."
"Then we check the unknown ones," Drew insists.
"That's dangerous," Anna says. "We don't know what's there."
"Dangerous is coming out twice," Drew snaps. "Better to do it now."
Zane nods. "Statistically, we're safer pushing forward than returning and going out again later."
"But those places haven't been checked," Anna argues.
"What do you think that means?" Drew scoffs. "That's just Douglas' excuse to hoard good stuff while we fetch scraps. Ever notice how he's the only one who hasn't lost weight?"
"Josh still has a fat ass," Anna mutters.
"He was obese to begin with, you bitch," Drew shoots back.
Against better judgment, Quin and Anna relent.
"So where?" Quin asks, unfolding the map.
Drew points to the nearest marker. "Here."
Zane shakes his head. "That's close to gang territory."
"The gang?" Anna echoes, unease creeping into her voice.
"Then where?" Quin asks.
Zane points behind the base. "That's safer."
"No," Drew snaps. "Too far. That defeats the point. We'd just be going ba—"
"Stop being reckless," Anna says. "You're only thinking about speed."
The ringing explodes in her ears.
Something is close.
"Stop inter—" Drew starts.
"Quiet," Anna hisses, finger to her lips. "A creature's nearby."
Drew slaps her hand away. "And how would you know, you psycho?"
Anna ignores him, turning to Quin and Zane. "The way we came isn't safe anymore." She glances at the map. "We go with Drew's route."
Quin nods slowly. Zane looks uneasy. Drew looks furious—and confused.
In the end, they move toward the nearest supply point, deeper into gang territory.