"A GUN?!" Windy shouted, nearly stumbling off of the loft as he recoiled himself away from the thing like a snake. Spere gently placed a hand on his thigh, and similarly to Rebel and Cloudy's dynamic, he softened his features, although remained tense, the colour drained from his face.

Rebel nodded seriously, "Pistol. We've got a couple rounds of ammo," he gestured loosely to Cloudy's backpack, "And it still works although we're not sure how."

Spere sat in disbelief, "I just am so stunned. I didn't think any guns could've even survived after this long. It's like, futuristic technology that's ancient."

"Exactly. But it works like a charm. We could use it on the dogs, but we hate wasting ammo since it's so hard to come by, so we aren't very good shots."

Spere responded, "That makes sense. If you really want to use it you can, but my offer to distract them still stands."

Rebel shrugged, "I just met you. I won't let you risk your life on me. Plus, I'll bet the dogs will get scared after I fire the first shot. It's really loud, so cover your ears when I do." He paused for a moment. "But, if you want, since you guys don't have a weapon, you can have the gloves."

Spere began to accept, but she thought. The gun would simply make Cloudy and Rebel a bigger target, and would cause more trouble than protection. But at the same time, Spere and Windy could use a weapon in case the four got separated.

The cat in her lap kneaded it's claws into her shirt, and she heard once again the misty voice, "Take the weapon, out of good favour. Perhaps someone will finish the job for you."

Finish the job for me? Spere thought.

"Death," the white cat's voice echoed back.

"Yeah, I'd really appreciate it, thank you," Spere said genuinely, taking the gloves from his hand.

Rebel smiled kindly, "Anything for a friend." He eyed her for a moment, then asked, "Are you religious?"

Spere touched her necklace, "Yeah, I guess you could say that."

"Alright. Do you guys want me to shoot those dogs now?" Rebel asked. Spere suddenly felt uneasy. It would be that easy for him to shoot her and Windy. She felt vulnerable. And more than that, she knew it would risk Windy as well. She turned to him, and in that short moment, she loved him deeply. She wanted to touch him, but more than that, she wanted to protect him, and she didn't want him anywhere near where a gun would go off. She moved her hand from his thigh to his hand, and held it tightly. He seemed surprised at the movement. "I won't if you guys don't want me to," Rebel asked, noticing.

Spere turned back to him, "No. It's fine. I've never been around a gun, is all."

"Just really cover your ears, okay?" He said.

"Okay."

Spere heard the faceless cat once again, "Do not fret; I'll cover your ears as well." She felt the gentle and invisible touch of fur along her cheeks and ears, and knew it was him. She wondered why he had been so active to her today.

Rebel shifted positions, and moved to the edge of the front of the loft, while Windy and Cloudy and Spere sat close to the back, pressed against the wall, and covering their ears with their hands. The shot still rang out loud, and ended with the yelp of a dog and the whimpering and skittering of the rest. A second booming shot, and another yelp.

Spere reminded herself that the cat was protecting her; she pulled her hands from her ears and instead wrapped them around Windy, who was practically crying with fear, shaking beside her. He eased ever so slightly, but still was tense with an unruly terror that even Cloudy didn't have. Spere didn't know what to do for him, so she just rested her face in the crook of his neck and hoped he'd feel better once the shots ended.

The shots ended with a third and final boom, which was just as muted to Spere as it had been whenever her hands had been around her ears. Then, Rebel flipped around, dropped the gun into his bag, and pulled it around his shoulders.

"Quickly, the rest will be back!" He said, and pulled himself over the ledge and dropped to the floor on his feet. Windy didn't bother to pull the ladder down; he pulled his own bag over his shoulders and dropped down in follow. Spere followed as well, the black cat on her shoulders tensely. Rebel helped Cloudy drop down. And then, the group raced out of the house, and down the street through the snow. They ran for a short while, but then slowed to a jog, and then eventually to a casual walk. They felt safe, for now. They travelled in silence for a long while.

Finally, Rebel said, "Is it alright we follow you guys home?"

Spere shrugged, "I mean, I guess so. A lot has happened though so we aren't sure you'll be invited with open arms."

"Yeah, that's okay, I guess," Rebel shrugged.

"It's not as though we have anywhere better to go," Cloudy muttered.

"What happened?" Spere asked.

Rebel responded, "Nothing. After we separated from our families, we were with a small group, but then we eventually all split up as well. We've been moving from town to town following these spray painted signs and roadmaps and such to a secured town, but the signs stopped a while back and we haven't picked it up since."

Spere raised a brow, "What do you mean a secured town?"

"Like, a town that survived the event," Rebel explained. "A town that's survived ever since. I was hoping it'd be yours, but when I saw how you reacted to the gun... Well, it's not hard to tell you guys are just as lost in the stone ages as we are."

"Stone ages?" Windy spoke.

"Yeah, like from a really long time ago."

Cloudy chuckled shyly, "He reads a lot of history books."

Eventually, as the group walked, in the distance through the fog appeared the large sign of the entrance of the zoo.

"Home," Spere breathed, inhaling the cold air quietly, and hopefully. Windy's fingers brushed against hers for a moment of excitement. The small group approached the main gate of the town, where it was promptly guarded by men and women that Spere recognized. Two held swords, however there were more now, with bows and arrows, standing utop small stacks made of hay bales, like watch towers.

"We're here!" Windy shouted up at them. "You're in danger!"

One of the guards hissed, "Windy?"

"Yes! It's me! Let us in!"

"The one who killed Boss!" A second guard shouted, and heaved his bow, aiming it straight at Windy, who's eyes widened in gut-wrenching fear.

"What?" Spere spat. "We didn't kill anyone! Stonehenge and Mayhem are traitors! They attacked us all!" The two guards at floor level held up their swords aggressively, taking steps closer to the group of four.

After a moment of judgement, one of them shouted, "Call up Stonehenge! He'll decide what to do with these savages."

"Savages?" Spere scoffed, angry now. "What are you talking about? Stonehenge is the savage! He thought we were savages and tried to kill us!"

The man glared at her, "No, pity. We know how you and Windy sabotaged the group." Spere turned to Windy uncertainly, eyes wide.

"They flipped the script," she hissed. "We're not safe here."

Rebel seemed on edge, "What happened?"

Spere shook her head frantically, "A group of traitors turned on us while on a mission. We've been trying to get back to warn them, but... it seems said traitors got here first. We have to leave, now!" Rebel nodded, understanding, and the group began racing in the opposite direction all at once.

"Hey!" A woman shouted. "We aren't done with you yet!" A makeshift wooden arrow whizzed past Spere's ear and pummeled itself into the snow. Quickly, Spere yoinked Soul up from the ground and into her arms as they ran.

"Just drop the damn cat already!" Rebel snarled.

"Piss off!" She shouted back, and chucked the kitten straight at him. Somehow, Rebel caught it, groaning, but holding the cat in his arms safely as he ran. The cat seemed stiff with fear. Spere pulled her hands behind her back, and fumbled with the pack over her shoulders, struggling to unzip the smallest pocket without slowing her run. When she was able to, she pulled the gloves that Rebel had given her from it, and slipped them on. She felt safer with them on. Her right hand was the one with the blades, and she held her fingers outstretched as she ran, like a paw with claws unsheathed. A few more arrows rained on them, but missed miserably. A few people followed suit.

"Where do we go? We can't run forever!" Cloudy asked frightfully. Spere thought. If they went to the house with the locked doors, they'd be found for sure. And she couldn't bear the thought of seeing the man's dead body again.

But, before she could think of a response, Windy replied, "We need to turn around somehow! Past the main town, there's another one!"

Spere gasped, "You aren't talking about the bird folk, are you?!" Windy nodded the best he could as he ran. She shook her head, "No, they'll kill us! We can't turn around!" She glanced over at Rebel and Cloudy, "We should find the town that you two were chasing!"

"Either way," Rebel yelled, "We have to find someplace to hide out for a while!" Spere and Windy locked eyes for a brief moment.

"The barrels?" He asked, pointedly to her.

She shook her head, "No room..."

Windy piped up, "Wait! The house with the hole in the floor!"

Spere nodded, "That's good! We can hide there easily!"

A different male voice hollered behind them, "Spere! Stop running!" It was Stonehenge. Spere's gut filled with such an intense and fiery rage, that she was unsure what to do with herself but run faster, nearly slipping on the snow. "Spere! I have to talk to you!" He shouted again. Spere clenched her jaws painfully but did not respond as she sprinted. "All of you!" He shouted again. This time, his voice was followed by the whooshing sound of weapons being thrown. A few arrows, and a rope with a blade tied on the end that was swung into the air, Stonehenge holding the end of it. The knife end of the rope fell down right on top of the group, but barely missed Spere by a hair, and her heartbeat nearly stopped. It landed in the snow firmly, and then was reeled back to Stonehenge like a fishing rod behind them. He raced after them now, about a dozen people around him, Mayhem among them, chasing.

"Catch them!" Stonehenge shouted. The agonizing chase dragged on. Spere felt as though she couldn't breathe; her throat was cold and dry, her cheeks stung, and vomit lingered at the back of her mouth. Not to mention the aching pain in her side and the soreness of her wound. She was sick and tired of running. Perhaps Spere and her friends were faster, but they were also exhausted, and slowing down from aching muscles with every passing second.

Suddenly, Spere was disturbed by a yank on her backpack, and she fell backwards and into the snow. Windy skidded to a stop, and turned to her aid, quickly throwing his bag to the side. Cloudy and Rebel glanced backwards, grabbed the bag, and then ran all the faster now. Spere attempted to fight. She flipped around to face the woman who had grabbed her, and slashed at her legs with the clawed glove, streaking vibrant red specks across the snow. The woman jumped back, cussing, and then kneed Spere in the face. Her nose erupted in pain and her vision went black. As her eyesight cleared, she sat in the snow pitifully and sniffly, a thin trail of crimson blood running down her face now.

Over Spere and Windy loomed a couple more guards dressed in all black, holding them by their hair on their knees in the snow. Stonehenge gently walked past them, and then turned around to face them. Spere noticed nobody pursued Rebel and Cloudy, and silently thanked God for that.

"You've made quite the run," Stonehenge hissed. Spere was filled with fear; her sore body shook with cold and terror and exhaustion. And yet, she held her head high, and managed to catch a sense of pride and stubbornness and sass that she was used to. She glanced over to Windy, who seem overcame with fear and an unwillingness to appease. He didn't want to cooperate, either, she knew. Gently, slowly, she put a hand in one of her pockets, and grasped the golden cross necklace, and then brought her hand over to Windy's with a fond touch. He gripped her hand in his, taking the necklace from her with a solemn and almost quizzical look on his face, and tucked it in his pocket. She hoped it would protect him even if he wasn't wearing it. Stonehenge scoffed, "Tie these two up in a vacant building. Keep fires going, we don't want them to freeze." His command was followed by a series of Yes Sir's, and the woman yanked Spere up from her knees and dragged her along by the wrists. Stonehenge took Spere's bag from her and shuffled through it, his eyes widening.

"Where did you get all of this food?" He asked. Spere cursed herself for not throwing it as Windy had.

"Found it. Raided a kitchen," she said. Stonehenge began to walk beside her and her guard, in between her and Windy.

"Really?" He asked. "Any more?"

Spere shook her head and lied, "Nope, that was all."

"What was in your other bags?" He asked.

Spere hesitated, and then said, "Water bottles, weapons, clothes."

Stonehenge nodded slowly, "Are you sure not any more food?"

"Why are you so interested in it, huh?" She spat. "Suddenly you're running the kingdom and they're running out of food? Probably because you're keeping it all for yourself, fat-ass, and because you refuse to help go scavenging just like when we lived together! You haven't changed a bit!" Spere's guard's eyes widened, and Stonehenge narrowed his eyes angrily. Then, in a small fit of rage, he dropped the backpack, smacked the back of her neck, pulled her back into him, and then shoved her into the ground face-first.

"No!" Windy shouted, pulling against his guard but being held back as the group came to a stop. Spere wheezed, her breath stolen from her, and slowly lifted her body to her knees, the wet snow numbing her skin. Stonehenge lifted her chin to face him, admiring the blood across her lips, and then slapped her again. Hard.

"This is my territory now, Spere," Stonehenge whispered. "You don't run things anymore. This isn't play fighting anymore. You just picked a war with the wrong side of town."