Episode Six, Part 6:
The Boy from the Bunker

I'm still a believer, but I don't
know why. I've never been a
natural, all I do is try, try, try. 

Sol held up one of the over-hanging branches on the path, clearing the way for Wynn as he followed behind her - the pair trying to keep their movements quiet as they snuck through the forest.

"Just like old times, isn't it?" Wynn asked.

"Old times?" Sol scoffed. "No - old times is me risking my life to follow you out here, or you sneaking out without my knowledge, not a well-thought-out, smart idea."

Wynn laughed, not-so-secretly loving her teasing. "They were all smart ideas," he said, "because they all worked, and I'm still here."

"Don't get too full of yourself. You're still here because I saved your ass more times than we can both count."

"Careful, Sol; your true feelings are starting to shine through."

"Starting to?" She asked. "Huh... I'll make it easier for you; you were stu-" Sol didn't get a chance to finish speaking before Wynn grabbed onto her from behind, lifting her off of the ground and spinning her. Initially, Sol shrieked, but the shrieking turned to laughter, turned to swatting at him and trying to suppress her gleeful noises.

"We're supposed to be quiet!" She reminded him, unable to wipe the ear-to-ear grin off of her face as Wynn set her down.

"No talking. Got it," Wynn murmured, taking a step closer towards her - subsequently backing her up against one of the trees - and pushing his lips against hers. He was so dominant that Sol barely even had the chance to think about resisting; she kissed him back for a few moments, wanting anything but to pull away, though she had to.

"You've definitely got some smart ideas now, Sovereign," Sol told him, gripping onto the collar of his coat to him close, "but that'll have to wait. We need to stay on task."

"I know," Wynn nodded, already trying to refocus on their mission. "I just wanted a moment," he said. "The two of us alone, and no one else around - it almost feels like nothing else exists for a minute or two. Just you."

Sol smiled and looked up at him, her gaze warm with the heat Wynn had felt on his tongue seconds ago. "We'll get our steamy escapes and private rooms back before we even know it: you and me sneaking off to the Quarters when no one else is looking. But we have to survive first."

"Survive; take down Exile Allegiance; get home; rebuild Basilisk..."

"It'll be worth the wait."

"I know," Wynn said, closing the distance between them and pressing his lips to her forehead one last time for good measure. "I know."

"Come on," Sol announced, moving past him but making an effort to grab onto his hand. "We've gotta get there before it gets too early."

//////////

After an hour's walk, trying to navigate themselves through the unfamiliar forest in the dark, Sol and Wynn finally arrived at their destination, knowing the real challenge had just begun.

Sol dropped her bag by her feet, trying to camouflage it beside one of the tree trunks, hoping she would still be able to find it when she came back for it later. "Where do we start?" She sighed, gazing eerily at the dim-lit campgrounds a few hundred metres in the distance, trying to plan their entrance.

"You were the one who got in before," Wynn said. "I was kind of relying on you to know the answer to that."

Sol laughed a little. "Good point. But I also got caught last time. That's why I brought back-up."

"So they can take me while you make your great escape and run away?"

"It's not my fault I'm faster than you."

"Well, it kinda is, considering you were the one who trained me, taught me everything I know, and all that."

"Fair enough," Sol gave in. "I'll figure out a way in. Your move from there."

Wynn chucked in amusement as he followed behind Sol, ditching his bag beside hers and securing his weapon in his belt. "So, what's your plan?" He asked.

"Am I crazy for thinking we should try what I did last time?"

"Wasn't that going in through the side gate?"

Sol nodded, not sure if her proposal sounded ridiculous to him or not.

"For their sake, I'd like to have thought they'd have locked it by now," Wynn said. "Especially considering the Nobel Sovereign of a rival clan just managed to get in, but... For our sake, I'm hoping they're not that smart."

Without any other leads to follow, Sol guided Wynn around to the side of Exile Allegiance's camp where she had initially gained entrance, sure to maintain their discretion by the overwhelming line of trees that surrounded their grounds.

"Just there, near the sheds," Sol pointed out, watching as Wynn's gaze followed her hand, trying to identify their opening in the dark.

"What's on the other side?" Wynn asked. "Will we walk straight into the open? Into one of their huts?"

"It's near the back of their camp; their crops are left - that's where someone recognised me. Their centre is right, and on the other side, I believe that's where most of their people sleep."

"What about the ones on this side?" Wynn asked, nodding at the few larger huts to the edge of the fences near where they were stood. They were isolated and seemed set apart from the rest of the camp's buildings - as if they were reserved for a different purpose than the others, or intentionally on their own.

"Meeting rooms..." Sol said. "Like our map rooms in the Sovereigns' Quarters. It's where I first met Tobias."

Wynn chewed on his lower lip, noticing the hesitation in Sol to do or say anything more. "He's gone, now," he reminded her. "We should try and get in there; there must be important things hiding inside; information we're looking for. Something that'll give us an idea as to what Reegan's weakness is, or how to take down Exile Allegiance."

Sol nodded, gulping down her nerves and trying to focus on her relief that Wynn was at her side. She led him forwards down the slope, finding it harder than she expected to keep her balance in the dark twilight of the early morning, but they made it down in one piece.

"My best piece of advice is to stay quiet," Sol said, coming to a stop outside of the gate - still not even sure if it was locked. "There's less of a risk that anyone will see us, unless they have a team of guards patrolling around - in which case, we'll need to reevaluate our plan - but if they hear us, then our cover's blown."

"Understood," Wynn nodded, pretending to draw a zip over his mouth and toss away the key, earning nothing more than a playful roll of the eyes from Sol.

She turned back around, passing Wynn her blade so she could use both of her hands, and carefully grabbed onto the makeshift handle of the gate, slowly beginning to push it open.

To her relief, it moved; it was open. But it creaked and screeched and made all kinds of unpleasant noises. Immediately, Sol brought herself to a halt, certain that she wasn't moving at all - not even enough to breath, and looked over at Wynn who was by her shoulder.

He took a breath, trying to coax her into doing the same, and then nodded as if to say 'you got this. We got this.'

Once she felt calmer, Sol focused her attention back on the gate and began to push on it, gripping ferociously onto the side as if it would work at suppressing the noise. After what felt like an excruciatingly time, Sol managed to push it wide enough for her and Wynn to slip through, leaving it only opened halfway.

"We need to prop it open," she whispered. "In case we need to make a quick escape."

Wynn nodded, smart enough to not verbally communicate his understanding, and scanned the dry, muddy ground by their feet for something that would help. He gather a few rocks in his hands - none big enough on their own, but when stacked atop of each other, managed to keep the gate from closing on them. He even continued to grab a few extra, placing them on the inside of the gate so it wouldn't swing all the way back and create noise when they weren't around to stop it.

Once it was set, he looked back up at Sol, feeling accomplished when he noticed her steady breathing. 'Which way?' He mouthed, grateful that there was just enough light for her to make out the words his lips were forming in the dark.

Sol nodded her head towards the front of the hut, gesturing for him to stay close behind her as she began creeping around the side, carefully poking her head around. Barely a second later, Sol shot backwards, leaning up against the side of the small building and screwing her eyes shut - perhaps a sense that if she couldn't see anything, then no one could see her, either.

"Sol?" Wynn asked, not daring to lean past her and see for himself. "What did you see?"

"Guards," she muttered, speaking as quietly as she could but still feeling too loud. "I think. They're headed this way."

Before she could even bring herself to open her eyes, Wynn had grabbed onto her hand and carefully began to pull her towards the back of the hut, moving slow and precisely to avoid stepping on anything that would bring unwanted sound.

They stood still, hiding right underneath the window to the hut which stopped right above their heads as they stood upright, shielding them from sight.

Wynn brought a finger up to his lips then, once he knew Sol had seen, pointed towards his ear. 'Listen', he was saying. 'They won't know we're here. We can listen in to their plans'.

Sol nodded back, not sure how to communicate it, but wanted to tell him, 'this is a smart idea. You have them, after all'.

Not even having the chance to grin at herself, Sol could hear someone stepping into the hut above. Several people, actually. It sounded as though they were unloading their things, some even seeming to sigh as if the weight they were burdening on their minds was the real heaviness that mattered. Enemies or not, it was one thing everyone seemed to share.

"You can go now, Zeek," the all-too-familiar voice of Reegan emitted from the hut. "Parker and I need to talk for a while. I'll walk her to her hut once we're finished here, then I'll see you both in a few hours if I ever manage to get some sleep."

"Sure you're okay, kiddo?" The man asked, sounding soft in his worry, but not convinced of Reegan's steady composure, even before he heard her answer.

"I'm fine," Reegan said. "I wish Basilisk were dead but other than that, I'm fine."

Sol pulled her gaze down from the window and looked at Wynn, the horrid scowl on her face telling him everything he needed to know. Already, within a few seconds, Wynn had to avert his eyes, worried that he wouldn't be able to bite back his laughter from Sol's evident fury if he wasn't distracted soon.

"You and me both," Zeek laughed. "You two know where to find me if you need me, day or night. Get some rest, Reegan. I'll see you in the morning."

There was silence all around as Zeek exited the hut and as Sol crouched down on the spot, she could see Zeek's feet as they climbed down the stairs and quietly walked away.

"You should listen to him, Ree," a softer voice spoke from the hut above. Parker, Sol recalled the name from a few moments ago. The use of the nickname made Sol believe she was someone close to Reegan; someone who was allowed to use such affectionate names. "You need to make sure you get plenty of rest. Today was tough."

"Hey," the older girl laughed. "Who's supposed to take care of who?"

"We take care of each other-"

"No," Reegan was quick to interrupt, but her voice wasn't stern. "I take care of you. I take care of you," she repeated, trying to emphasise her statement. "It's not your job to look after me."

"We're sisters; of course it is."

"You're younger than me; you're a kid; of course it isn't your job."

Sol couldn't see them, but if their relationship was anything like hers, Atlantis', and Chessca's, she knew the younger girl would be rolling her eyes at Reegan's order - a part of her secretly adoring the protection over her, even though she wouldn't admit it.

"I'm not a kid-"

"Just because you're a little older and a little more familiar with how things work than you were when we moved here, doesn't mean you're not a kid anymore, Parker," Reegan said. "There's a great, big, bad world out there that I don't want you to know yet. Please let me have this one; please don't argue. I have to keep you safe."

"Okay, whatever, I'm fine," Parker laughed, brushing it off as if it wasn't that serious. "I am safe, Reegan. You're in charge here, in case you're forgetting! You run this show! Why are you so worried?"

"Because," Reegan sighed, trying to indicate that she had her reasons without wanting to spill.

"Because what?"

"This stupid war with Basilisk," she said. "I can't mess this up."

"You're not going to," Parker assured her. "We're going to win this: I know that because we have you."

"I've never done this before. Your vote of confidence doesn't make a difference when I'm unskilled."

"Well, for someone unskilled, I heard you gave those people of Basilisk quite a show. You would have been out there even longer if the rain hadn't come, and maybe you'd have even won."

"We'd have won if Tobias was here..."

"Hey."

Sol and Wynn couldn't hear anything said for a few more moments, but the creaking movement of the floorboards and the heavy sigh that accompanied suggested that the two sisters were embracing one another.

"Think we've found our weakness," Wynn murmured, stepping in close so he could speak as quietly as possible - his breath ticking Sol's ear.

She nodded as he pulled back, trying to be relieved for their victory, but she could shake off the shadow of defeat she felt lingering over them. Reegan was so much like her, she realised. A young girl thrust into leadership, up against a more skilled, more ferocious enemy, when the only thing she truly wanted in the world was to keep her sister safe.

Of all the versions of herself Sol could recall - those lost in buried dreams or ones still trying to return to her foggy memory for the second, third, or even fourth time - Reegan seemed to equate the most to the memory of when she was in The City - herself and Chessca up against the world. Ironically enough, it was also the same part of her life that she kept trying to forget, but being on the island was making that a near-impossible feat.

"Come on. Let's get back and tell the others-"

"Wait!" Sol stopped Wynn, trying to get across her desperation without being too loud.

"Why? We know what to use against her-"

"There could be something else-"

"Sol..."

"Please just give me this one, Wynn. There could be something else we could use. Please."

Sensing that there was more than what met the eye, Wynn nodded and agreed to wait, carefully setting his hand on her lower back as they listened in, waiting until he felt her take a deep breath before he took one himself.

"You're definitely not leaving camp any time soon," Reegan said, leaving Sol and Wynn trying to figure out what parts of the conversation they had missed when they were talking.

"But Terra Firma Tribe are gone!" Parker pointed out. "There's no one lurking around our perimeters trying to attack us whenever we leave our gates. And you've always said I can go down to the shore with the guys from my training class when Terra Firma Tribe were gone-"

"That was before any of us knew about Basilisk," Reegan said, "and anyway, the point I was making when I said that was that you're not leaving when there's a war going on!"

"Reegan, come on," the younger girl whined, clearly dissatisfied with her sister's answer.

"Mom and dad would tell you the same thing."

"They'd want me to be able to live; have fun; that's why we left The City-"

"We left The City to keep you safe. That's my job now. And I'd give everything, even my life, to make sure nothing happens to you."

"Don't say that," Parker argued, her voice weak - low with an unfavourable hurt.

"I have to," Reegan said. "So you know what's at stake; what I'm willing to do to protect you... I'm sorry I won't let you out," she continued. "But before you know it, we're all going to be free; no more Terra Firma Tribe - certainly no more Basilisk - and no more wars. Ever again."

At the feeling of a lump forming in her throat, Sol held her breath, sharply turning her head away from the direction of the hut. She grabbed onto Wynn's hand to signal that she was done, and quietly let him lead her back over towards the propped-open gate.

Wynn guided her out, slowly working to shut their escape without being heard, and immediately made a dash towards the tree-line where they would be out of sight.

"You okay?"

Sol nodded, too hollow to say anything or even bring herself to look up at him. She reached down for her bag - having to pull it out from underneath his - and tried to begin walking back to camp.

"Sol-" Wynn stopped her, uneasy to know that something wasn't right. "What happened back there? What's wrong?"

"We need to get back before someone sees us."

"Stop," Wynn insisted, tugging on her wrist and eventually bringing her to look his way. "You're freaking me out. We just figured out Reegan's weakness; I thought that was supposed to be a good thing?"

"It is," Sol said, though, her voice was anything but convincing.

"Then why are you so adverse?"

Sol furrowed her brows and brought her lower lip up between her teeth, chewing softly. She didn't know how to tell him.

"Sol."

"You're right," she shook her head, forcing a smile onto her face. It would have almost appeared believable if Wynn didn't know her all too well.

"I'm not buying it," Wynn said. "You changed your mind? You don't think it's a good idea?"

"Dreea and Kodiak will be relieved that we have an idea at all," Sol replied. "And by now, they've probably figured out that we're not at camp; we should get back before they send some of our people to look for us. I don't want to put any of our guards at risk to find us when we need to make sure we have enough guards to get us off of the island."

Wynn hesitated, trying to dig through his mind to find a suitable answer, but Sol had already taken off before he could say anything. He knew it was pivotal that they had figured out Reegan's weakness, despite not knowing what their plans were to do with the information, so he couldn't understand why Sol was suddenly so wounded or, in what he could only name - devastated.

//////////

"Did you find them anywhere?" Dreea asked, meeting Kodiak back at the entrance to the camp's building.

He shook his head, evidently frustrated, and let out a mournful breath. "You'd think we'd be used to it by now - those two disappearing," he said.

"If I'm used to anything, it's saving their asses," Dreea replied, rolling her eyes at the thought of them both being in danger somewhere. "Think we should both go looking for them, or one of us stay back?"

Kodiak sighed, unable to stop his thoughts from immediately drifting to Elara and Izzy and the excruciating worry of leaving them behind without his protection.

"I get it," Dreea said, softening into a smile as she reached out, fondly squeezing onto his arm. "You stay here - keep this place up and running. I'll get a team organised and start a search-"

"How do you that?" Kodiak asked, barely letting his mind catch up to him before he started speaking. "Given what's just happened with Chessca, how do you bring yourself to leave? I'm terrified of Iz and Ell even being out of reach..."

Dreea dropped her head momentarily, wishing she had a decent answer for him. "I don't know," she admitted. "I guess being invincible doesn't seem all too hard when I know you've got my back."

Kodiak managed a smile, eased at Dreea's words, but he still wished the circumstances were different. "Stay safe out there, Scary Sovereign."

"Ha!" Dreea laughed. "Who's gonna scare me? Exile Allegiance? They'd be so lucky."

Kodiak smiled along as Dreea moved past him, already approaching a group of attentive guards who she was rounding up for her search party. As he found himself longing to go with her - to save his fellow Sovereigns; to fight whatever dangers came their way at Dreea's side - just like old times - there was a commotion at the front gate.

He glanced over at Dreea instinctively, sharing the same look of panic as her, and began hurrying in time with her to the camp's borders.

"What if it's them?" Kodiak asked. "How do we protect Basilisk and fight off Exile Allegiance when we don't know where the hell Riv and Wynn are? What if something's happened to them?"

"They'll be okay," Dreea assured. "They're-"

The gates opened - by the instruction of one of the guards - revealing two long-awaited faces.

"They're complete idiots," Dreea finished, storming over to Sol and Wynn with a well-rehearsed look of disapproval, fury, bitterness - all things that would send anyone else running.

"Where the hell have you two been?" She demanded an answer, not even allowing time for them to take their conversation out of the open - like the central building where Sol was already headed towards.

"Uh, last minute plan," Wynn forced out a nervous laugh, doing his best to avoid Dreea and Kodiak's impatience glares, and hoping that Sol would chip in with her own explanation.

"And you didn't think us to let us know that you guys would be leaving?" Dreea asked. "Anything could have happened to you."

"Ah, you were worried about me? That's cute," Wynn smirked, even managing to earn a reluctant laugh from Kodiak, and an amused eye-roll from Sol.

"I'm serious, Wynn," Dreea growled. "Kodiak and I were worried sick. How were we supposed to know if you guys were okay, or if you needed help, or if something terrible had happened? We have no radios."

"You're right. And we're sorry," Sol said, letting out a long-held breath as they reached their designated meeting room in the building, finally having the privacy they deserved. "We were talking and an idea got the better of us, and we didn't think... You know what Wynn's like-"

"Hey!" Wynn laughed, nudging his elbow into her arm. He wanted to believe that her teasing was her way of saying her fears had subsided, but her reserved tendencies and refusal to take the joke any further made him think otherwise.

"Well, what was the idea?" Kodiak asked. "And please tell me it's something to do with getting Exile Allegiance off our back,  or going home. I'd really like that."

Wynn frowned sorely, glancing over to his side as he waited for Sol to answer him, but she was glancing down at her hands - pressed firmly against the table, and he knew that she couldn't reveal their small victory with any kind of relief.

"We went to Exile Allegiance to get information on Reegan. An advantage, you could call it."

"And did it work?" Dreea asked.

Wynn nodded. "Yeah. Yeah, we have our upper hand; we know what her weakness is; how we play this game."

"And what's that?" She continued, looking over at Kodiak to see if he was any wiser.

"Her sister." 

Six // Part Six
Of all the versions of herself Sol could recall - those lost in buried dreams or ones still trying to return to her foggy memory for the second, third, or even fourth time - Reegan seemed to equate the most to the memory of when she was in The City - herself and Chessca up against the world.

"I guess feeling invincible doesn't seem all-too-hard when I know you've got my back."

4K words! I really liked this chapter! I liked the early-season vibes with Wynn and Sol and them sneaking out of camp to go on a mission, and I especially liked that small moment between Kodiak and Dreea (I never get enough of scenes between just those two (something I'll get around to in the edits)).

I can't believe we have ONE MORE EPISODE LEFT! Do you know how sad that makes me to write that!? I'm excited to reveal the name of the FINAL EPISODE when it comes out! It's a title that holds a significant meaning in my heart and, in this series, and I couldn't think of a better name for the last episode. ♡

Also, I'll never get tired of the banter between Wynn and Dreea! I love his cheek when he says "you were worried about me? That's cute"! An unexpected friendship I never saw coming but one that I'm so, so grateful for. ♡

Also, ALL TOO WELL (10 MINUTE VERSION) (TAYLOR'S VERSION) (FROM THE VAULT) (SAD GIRL AUTUMN VERSION) !!! I love how unnecessarily long the song title is... Like, that's the actual name of it. You can't make this up...

A 19-minute read. Big things coming up for Sol. The next episode will be fundamental.

19/11/21.