"Don't move or your friend gets lead pumped through her skull."

Cheers faltered almost immediately at the unfamiliar voice.

The group shifted in unison to see a tall girl that looked around sixteen who had pinned Atlas against her while holding a pistol against the terrified girl's head.

"Woah, woah!" Ryft's eyes widened. "This isn't necessary!"

"You can't stop at this city. We're guarded and off-limits. Move on, raiders." The girl snarled. She had long dirty blonde hair with faded blue dye at the ends. She had bangs and blue eyes. Her face would have had a friendly resting expression if it wasn't contorted into a defensive anger.

"We come in peace!" Silver was trying to edge closer to Atlas. "We don't want to take over!"

"That's close enough- and where the hell did your friend go?" The new teen scanned the group. "There was nine of you, I'm sure."

Fang realized first that she was talking about Cricket and spoke immediately before anyone could respond. "What do you mean? We're all here."

The girl's eyes narrowed as Soul and Spirit nodded furiously, and Jade glanced around.

"You're planning something." She angled her head to look at Fang. "I'm watching you- gah!"

Suddenly, the gun was yanked out of her hand and she was shoved away in the same movement by an invisible force. She hit the ground and Atlas stumbled forward, right into Silver who embraced her.

The gun hovered in the air, aimed right at the assaulter's head. Cricket eventually faded into view, standing over the girl.

"That was really badass." Raven whispered to Jade, who nodded, eyes wide.

"You have powers, too!" The girl on the ground tried to sit up, watching Cricket intensely.

"Yeah, and I hope yours is explaining really fast because that's what you're gonna have to do." Cricket hissed, halting the new girl in her movement.

"What's your name?" Raven piped up from the group.

"I-I'm Cavy." The girl glanced towards the group of ragged teens. "Des Moines Scout."

"Is there a group living here?" Ryft asked, moving in behind Cricket.

"Yes." Cavy looked afraid, though oddly confident at the same time. "I'm only trying to protect them."

A moment of silence, tense and uncomfortable.

"So.. are you raiders?" Cavy asked, moving to stand. "You don't plan on taking over, righ-"

"Hey, stay still." Cricket adjusted her aim.

Cavy finished standing, ignoring Cricket's order. "It's not loaded."

Cricket blushed in embarrassment, dropping the weapon. "Oh."

"No, we don't plan on invading anything." Jade spoke up, stepping forward. "We just want a safe place to stay."

"Yes," Silver added. "We were run out of our town by a gang a few weeks ago."

"What town?" Cavy tilted her head.

"Sioux Rapids." Fang grunted. A man of few words.

"That's... that's the town that was targeted, right? By the bomber?" Cavy looked surprised and didn't wait for an answer. "How did you survive?! Was the destruction bad?"

"Yes, barley, and yes." Atlas spoke up, clearly irritated. "Yo, can we move on or..?"

"Right!" Cavy dusted her shirt off and bent over to pick up the gun. "You guys don't look too dangerous, so let's go!"

—

Cavy led the teens closer to the distant skyscrapers, gracefully weaving through cars as she went. The Sioux Rapids group was having trouble with the large obstacles, however. They weren't used to dodging around cars in large parking lots or crowds on busy streets.

The cars were packed tighter and tighter the closer they got to the city. Many were crashed into each other, as if desperation had taken over in the frantic evacuation attempts of the city. Oddly enough, there wasn't a single body to be found inside the cars.

Cavy made a sudden turn towards a pinned semi truck. It had the logo of some moving company on the sides that was mostly rusted away. The back was open halfway and Cavy informed the group to stay outside while she went in. After some clanging and a curse word, Cavy returned, but this time carrying a large backpack.

She later explained that the semi truck was a place that the scouts stored some stuff while they went out. In her case, she left some parts she collected behind.

"But why would you leave those parts behind?" Atlas asked, narrowly missing the corner of a blue pickup truck. "Couldn't someone steal it?"

"Well, I got a danger sense and knew if I had it with me that I'd be weighed down and unable to fight." Cavy explained without slowing down. "Then I saw you doofuses making a racket on the horizon."

Ryft looked somewhat insulted while Silver giggled.

Raven tugged on Jade's sleeve, making the other girl slow down so that they were both a few paces behind the group.

"I don't feel right." Raven whispered. "Something's wrong."

"I don't know.." Jade glanced at Cavy, who was chatting away with Atlas, Cricket, and Silver. "She seems nice to me."

"No, Cavy's fine." Raven shook her head, embarrassed she hadn't specified. "I meant me. Something's wrong with me."

"Oh! Are you getting sick?" Jade glanced in Raven's direction. She didn't look too sick, though it looked like she was having a breakout on her face and neck. That was to be expected when you didn't shower for weeks.

"No. Yes. Probably." Raven scratched at her eye. "But it feels like needles are trying to come out of my skin."

"Oh..." Jade glanced ahead. "Why haven't you told anyone?"

"I don't wanna freak anyone out, especially if it's nothing." Raven sighed.

"But what if it's some kind of mutated disease and what you're feeling is bone?" Jade shuddered as she recalled a fantasy book she once read about a disease that triggered severe bone mutations. Caused by some kind of moss, she thought. It was hard to remember.

Before Raven could answer, they caught up with the rest of the group who had stopped at the base of the first building.

The Sioux Rapids group stared up in awe at the skyscrapers while Cavy scanned the streets ahead. She flashed a quick signal towards the sky and waved everyone forward.

"What was that all about?" Cricket asked curiously, she was still wary of Cavy, but curiosity overpowered suspicion.

"A signal to the guards above so they don't shoot you." Cavy said cheerfully, skipping onwards.

The first building was a strange one- it was a rectangle shape though it was tilted in a different direction than the otherwise neat grid of buildings. A road split at a sort of half-circle and went around it.

They veered left, going down a street marked "Center St." occasionally, they'd see a teen slip into an alleyway or make their way across the street, but there were no crowds.

They followed this road along the deserted sidewalk for a few blocks until they came upon a rundown YMCA. The "Y" had fallen off of the front of the building and a majority of the windows were boarded up, but it otherwise looked structurally sound. A few skyways connected it to a couple of neighboring buildings, making it connected to a majority of the city.

Cavy pushed through the intact glass doors and held one open for the group to step into the lobby.

Five teenagers were hanging around, sitting in chairs or chatting to each other. All action stopped when the Sioux Rapids group arrived. All eyes were on the small town kids.

Cavy, of course, strolled on past them like it didn't matter. She led them to a cement staircase and climbed three floors before stepping out into a hallway.

"Where are we going?" Fang piped up, staring around suspiciously.

"I'm taking you to see our leader." Cavy shrugged. "Don't worry, he's a chill dude."

Fang perked up at the prefix 'he'. He hadn't seen another male since the Fallout Freaks. And they'd all tried to kill him.

A usually gloomy Fang being in higher spirits lifted the mood for everyone else as they walked down the hallway and stopped at a heavy spruce door. A wing symbol was carved into the wood, probably with car keys by the looks of it.

"Well, here we are." Cavy knocked on the heavy door and a female voice called from inside.

"Come in!"

The door swung open and Cavy nudged the large group all inside.

"Found some fresh meat." She laughed to the teen at the desk, a thankfully joking tone ringing in her voice.

An average sized blonde male sat behind the large spruce desk, a shorter and younger female standing a few feet away.

"Hey there." The male grinned at the group. "I'm Goose."