For the first two days since their arrival at Peregrin, the Riot had avoided direct contact with any other human beings. Other than occasionally speaking to Cameron over the radio, they were utterly alone. Had anyone stayed at the camp since the Plague, they were long gone, and never to return. However, that also meant Kamai was not about to come back. They had arrived there hoping they would find her, but sadly, that seemed to be impossible.

Impossible, at least, until Jacob Hart came sprinting down the hill one morning with a warning.

"People are coming," he revealed to his friends, as they looked up at him with fear and concern flickering in their eyes.

"What do you mean?" Natalia asked, "What people?"

Jacob's heart was racing, "I don't know. There were a lot of them. Maybe fifteen? Twenty? Carrying bags and stuff like that. They might be coming here."

"Were they armed?" This was a very reasonable question, as the four of them stood no chance against an army of fifteen.

"Are we armed?" added Marley. Her cynical dose of reality was always necessary. The answer was not a surprise, but still not the best of news. They had some knives, but none of them were trained to fight.

"Diplomacy," Jacob declared, "That's what we need. Donny, take the lead."

"Why me?" Donovan looked up, startled by this newfound responsibility.

"You're articulate. Just say something smart," the other boy shrugged. All of their heads whipped up towards the gravel path, as they heard footsteps approaching. Walking down was a girl with a dark ponytail. The way she carried herself beamed with confidence and bravery, and it was clear that she believed she may have come across her promised land. She and Donovan met in the center of the camp.

The stranger's eyes scanned over the surroundings, "Is it just the four of you?"

"What is it to you?" Donny frowned, crossing his arms and trying his hardest to maintain the appearance that he was in control. That he and his friends had any true claim to this land. They'd been there for two nights now; they were foreigners.

"There would be space to share," she shrugged casually.

"Not that simple," Donovan shook his head, "Who are you, and where do you come from?"

"I could ask you the same thing," said the explorer.

A different idea struck him at this moment, "Kamai Wells. Does this name mean anything to you?" If he stuck out this olive branch, perhaps the two sides could come to some reconciliation. Besides, it seemed Kamai was the only soul in the forest who knew the details of this sanctuary. It was likely, in fact, that she sent these people.

"What does it mean to you?" she hesitated.

Donny was not about to answer, but he would respond with yet another question, "Did she send you here?"

"What's your connection?"

"Don't know who you are, don't see any reason to tell you. Go tell the rest of your group," he declared, a new assertiveness in his throat.

The stranger took a step forward, glaring at the boy, "I don't take orders from you, got it?"

Donovan took a deep breath, gulping at this powerful girl in front of him, "Bring down your people. Then we'll talk." The stranger seemed satisfied with this response, so she shoved him slightly and began to make the journey back up to the road. When she was far enough out of sight, Donny turned around and addressed his friend, "Get to the boat shed. If they're enemies, we can't take them all. If I'm standing here alone, they probably won't hurt me."

"I'm not gonna leave you," Jacob smirked, and then received a tired look from his best friend, "You're going to make my life living hell if I stay."

"Pretty much," Donny nodded. The other boy sighed and led the girls down to the dirty shack near the docks. This was likely the one place where the newcomers wouldn't look if they decided to raid the camp. Once his friends were hidden, the de facto leader turned his attention back towards the hill, and watched as the group began to descend. The stranger was still in the front, leading them down with the same tricky poise as before. By her side stood a taller boy wearing a dark jacket, worn out around the edges.

"You said we'll talk," the girl announced, repeating Donovan's words from earlier.

"Your proposition?" he challenged, waiting for the group to declare what it was exactly that they wanted. Perhaps they could work together. Four people was hardly enough to hold down this fort. As he spoke, a girl near the back of the group shot her head up. She had been distracted by the camp's surroundings, lost in the time when this place was her magnificent second home. But his voice shook her back to reality, and she pushed straight through the crowd.

"Donny?" she gasped when she could finally see him. His face broke into a relieved smile when he saw the girl's pinched face and bouncing dark curls. "How long have you been here? Where's Coby?"

"Good to see you too, Kamai," he grinned as the two hugged, "And he goes by Jacob now, for your information."

Kamai just laughed, "Jacob? Really? Too formal for my liking." By now, the group of newcomers was staring at the duo in confusion, and Donny couldn't help but notice a scowl forming on the jacketed boy's face. Kamai turned to her friends and said, "This is Donovan Mayler, an old friend. We can trust him. Donovan, these are the Ravens of the Grove."

Donovan reached out to shake the original stranger's hand, and she returned the favor. There was definitely a certain coldness in her grip, as though she didn't quite trust him. He couldn't blame her. He wouldn't have trusted himself either, nor did he really trust these people.

"I'm Mai," she said curtly.

"Donny," he smiled. Mai gestured to the boy beside her, and he clicked his tongue, as if contemplating what to say.

"Sebastian," he said hesitantly, eyeing the Rioter suspiciously.

"Is the City in the Grove yet?" Donny turned to Kamai, desperate for an excuse to break the daring eye contact with Sebastian. "Is that why you came now?"

Kamai nodded, "They'll destroy everything. We had to get out. Is that why you guys came?"

Donny sighed, "Harper's a psychopath now, if you were unaware."

"Oh, that's nothing new," she laughed, "There's a kill order on me for a reason." At this, Donny couldn't help but notice Sebastian turn to a shorter girl whose face was hidden by a red bandana. He glared at her, as though he was surprised by this information, and she was responsible for informing him.

The girl stepped forward, pulling down the mask, "There's twenty of us. Do you have space?"

"Em—" Sebastian began, trying to pull her back.

She quickly cut him off, "We don't have any other options."

Donovan looked between this new speaker and his old friend, who gave him a supportive nod. He sighed, "We have four. There's plenty of space, on the terms that we work as one team. Riot and Ravens, together."

Sebastian began to shake his head, and Mai stepped in to argue, "Alright, but since we have the majority in people, we have the majority in power. Deal?"

"No!" the previously masked girl interjected, "He's right. We share power. Two jackets, except Dylan still has the other one. You know what I mean."

"You don't get to make the rules, Emma," Sebastian snapped, receiving a sharp scowl from the other.

Donovan paused, unsure of how to assert his power. He did have one idea, although it was something he would never risk using. Still, he casually added, "We have a radio to connect to the City. If you dare tread on the Riot, our shared enemy will be here within three days time. They'll kill Kamai on spot, and imprison the rest of you for having supported her. Since we're the ones who would have turned you in, we'll be let off clear. Understood?"

"You would never," Kamai whispered, eyes widening at his violent declaration. This was not the Donny she remembered. That boy was a wild soul, afraid of nothing, yet always looking out for those he cared about. He never feared hurting himself, but hurting another person was a powerful evil. Before the coup, he would never dare make a statement so violent. She would have expected this from Harper, perhaps, but never from good old Donovan Mayler. And where was Coby all this time? Where was Jacob hiding? Why did they feel they had to hide? She feared her friends were nothing more than strangers now.

"It's up for discussion," Sebastian said eventually, and it appeared that Emma was about to protest once again. "Until then, we have a deal."