After the shooting incident Katlyn drops off the radar to everyone for a couple days except Nathan who spent the night with her letting her spend the night at his place, his mother more than happy to have her over. As much as he wanted to know what happened Nathan never asked, and he didn't mention anything to his mom about the blood on her hands when she arrived. The next morning Katlyn had returned home and spent the last few days going over everything that's played out, thinking about the things she's seen from both the military and the Resistance. She weighs the risks, the cons, and the fact her life will be in consistent danger regardless of the decision she makes.

She decides to make a visit to the Safehouse, and discuss it with the others there. She crosses the Zone border and makes her way to the Safehouse. She knocks on the door, a female Fighter with black hair, brown eyes, and light skin opens it with her hand on her pistol. She's seen this same woman before.

"I'm looking for Clara or Serena, are they here?" Katlyn asks.

"No, they're in New Town right now. Would you like to come in, and I'll contact them for you?" The woman asks with a polite tone.

Katlyn nods her head, thanking her and enters the apartment and is quickly greeted by the others who she's familiar with. The woman steps aside after closing the door to try and get ahold of either of the other two while Katlyn sits down on a ratty couch near a chair where one of the other male Fighters with Blonde-ish short hair, and dark brown eyes is sitting smoking a cigarette.

"You smoke?" He asks, a cigarette sat on lips offering her one. He says no, and kindly declines.

A semi awkward silence quickly fills the space as the Fighters and Katlyn try to figure out what to do around each other.

"So... this is what you guys do all day? Just sit in this apartment?" She asks, awkwardly trying to break the silence.

The Fighter takes a hit of his cigarette before answering, putting out the cigarette.

"Nah, not always. Sometimes we get to interrogate prisoners. That's far more entertaining." He says, looking directly at her with a serious look.

Katlyn's eyes widen slightly, she gets nervous and looks around at the others who have the same serious stares, making her even more nervous.

They interrogate people here? Seriously?!

She looks back at him for a moment, a grin sprouts slightly, then turns into a laughing smile as the others begin to laugh as well.

"HAHA! AH I really had ya going there eh? I'm just fucking with you girl, don't worry." He says, still laughing.

"We don't interrogate people here. What you see is basically the highlight of what we do in this shithole all day. We keep the place safe, and watch enemy movements in the area." The female Fighter explains with a grin, obviously amused by the look on Katlyn's face.

Well, these guys are assholes for that one. But at least they have a sense of humour.

The Fighter who initiated the joke puts his hand out to Katlyn,

"Nells, John." He says introducing himself.

Katlyn meets his gesture shaking his hand, introducing herself in return. John introduces the others: The other male Fighter with black hair and dark green eyes is Kelly, and the woman is Maya. The four start talking about different topics: their lives, interests, life inside the zones and what brought them to the Resistance. Maya's story catches Katlyn's attention,

"I grew up here in this neighbourhood actually. My mom she uh... she was the best. She worked two jobs just to make ends meet but she was so positive. Always smiling. She taught me even if you don't have a lot to give what you can." Maya says with a very emotional tone, a light sniffle.

Katlyn asks her what happened to her mother since it's obvious she isn't around.

"She... she was taken in an ATTF Raid. She wasn't even NVR but they took her all the same just because the store she worked at was suspected of being an NVR front for refugees escaping the Zone. It was bullshit, but despite that no one from that day has been seen. And it's been almost two months." She continues, her voice a mix of emotions: Anger and sadness. Kelly puts his hand on her shoulders comforting her, I'm fine.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

There's a sudden loud banging on the door, catching everyone's attention. John sits up straight, in the chair, Katlyn turns to face the door while Kelly and Maya's head snap towards it. The four look at each other in confusion,

"They shouldn't be here yet." Maya says, looking at her watch.

John stands up slowly picking up his hunting rifle leaning against the wall behind him as he stands up, Kelly picks up the AK that was laying on the counter. Katlyn slowly gets up while staying low.

Pop! Pop! Pop! Pop!

Shots rip through the door several of which strike John, sending him backwards into the chair again. Katlyn dives down in front of the couch, FUCK! The shots stop, and Katlyn dashes over to John, he's dead. She looks over his body briefly, sees his pistol, takes it and runs over to Kelly and Maya as the door is blasted open. Wood splinters fly across the room as Maya and Kelly bring their weapons up covering each other with Maya moving towards the back first behind Katlyn and Kelly watching the door from his angel.

Kelly walks backwards out of the kitchen space, and down the hall. There's the sudden sound of something hitting the floor, BANG! a loud bang and sudden flash fills the space blinding Kelly, he yells out from the nonlethal explosion. HIs vision comes back just enough for him to see the shape of a rifle, he tries to bring his weapon up but the piercing pain and burn of a bullet ripping through his shoulder sends him backwards onto his back. Maya fires several shots from her pistol into the man who shot Kelly: the man is wearing the uniform of the ATTF. Maya grabs Kelly from his arms and drags him backwards,

"You have a gun! Fucking use it, Goddamn it!" She shouts at Katlyn who is in the back room by the door.

Katlyn freezes for a moment, not like before when she was at the encampment, but hesitates to use the gun. She takes a breath and runs through the basics: check the mag, the chamber, safety. She flicks the safety off, takes a deep breath and fires towards another ATTF member who enters the apartment. She pulls herself back behind the wall as a third ATTF soldier enters firing at them.

"Ah fuck! Fuck, that hurts like a bitch!" Kelly shouts as Maya drags him beside the bed, Katlyn slamming the door closed.

"At least you're still alive! Can you shoot?" She asks.

He tries to raise his arm groaning in pain barely able to move his arm, he shakes his head letting out a pained breath. Maya grabs the rifle and shoots through the door, emptying what remained in the magazine. She throws the rifle onto the bed drawing her pistol again as everything goes silent. She listens closely as she mouths for Katlyn to open the door.

Maya slowly walks up as Katlyn's hand nears the knob, she turns it slowly and very slowly inches the door open, CRASH! The door is rammed open, an ATTF soldier charging through it and crashing into Maya and throwing her onto the bed. The two struggle, wrestling with each other, Katlyn after regaining her balance brings her weapon up, but before she can fire her hand is forced down as a shot fires into the floor, an elbow strikes her in the face and the gun ripped from her grip. Blood runs down her nose as she's spun around, and an arm wraps around her throat. She groans and struggles feeling pressure increasing against it. The grip tightens, her vision begins to fade and her breathing turns to constricted gasps.

A single shot is fired, the tension around her throat is released, she falls to the ground taking two very quick breaths while grabbing her gun. She quickly brings it up, points in the direction of the ATTF soldier and fires twice, both shots striking him. He rolls off of Maya shouting in pain, Katlyn fires, landing a kill shot through his head. Maya gets up and looks out the door down the hall while breathing heavily, aiming down the hall.

A series of shots from different guns is heard from outside the apartment: Automatic and semi-auto fire for a brief moment.

"Kelly! Maya!" A familiar voice yells into the apartment.

"Here! Back here!" Maya yells in response.

Serena, Clara, Adam and two Fighters enter the apartment. Katlyn runs out of the room, wrapping her arms around Clara who tightens her grip as she wraps her arms around Katlyn as well. Serena power walks past them as the Fighters start taking the gear and weapons off of the soldiers.

"Serena! I don't know what the hell happened! We were just sitting here when they busted in." Maya explains quickly, stuttering slightly trying to process everything with how fast it happened.

"Hey, breathe. Okay? It's not just here. Safehouses across the district were hit. Roadblocks have the area restricted in and out of the district. We barely got through."

Katlyn and Clara release each other, Katlyn's hands shake slightly but she tries to hide it.

"What do we do now?" She asks with a shaky tone of voice, trying to hide the fact she's shaking.

"We get the hell outta here. Grab everything we can carry, and abandon this area. If the ATTF has this area mapped it's a lost cause to try and stay here." Adam says with a firm tone.

Serena agrees, and orders everyone to start packing up everything of value and use. Within minutes everything is cleared out, everything except their fallen comrade, they are forced to leave him behind unable to carry him. They take his weapon and ammo before leaving.

The group leaves the building and begin leaving the area but don't try to leave the Zone, they navigate their way out of the Hastings District into a neighbouring neighbourhood where the NVR has a stash spot in the basement of an abandoned house they use to house refugees when they are trying to leave the Zone.

Eventually reaching an area where they can ease their pace to a more relaxed walking speed Adam taking point with the other Fighters looks back at the others, Katlyn helping Serena carry Kelly who got a little weak along the way coming down from the firefight. Maya sees the stare he's giving her, a disapproving one.

"She saved my life today, you know." She says, pulling his attention to her.  He doesn't reply to her, only looks forward.

"You've been giving her shit I hear. I understand your issue with them, but if she was anything like them wouldn't be here. Give her a chance." She continues, hoping to convince him to give her less issues.

"You know I can't do that, Mai. I don't trust them. I can't" He says with a dismissive tone, still avoiding eye contact with her.

"If you can't trust them for you then do it for me. Or is the fact that the daughter of a Black saved my life not worth enough for you?" Maya says with a sharp tone, a tone that gets his attention strong enough that he looks at her.

Before he can say anything she's gone back to the others to check on Kelly. Adam's expression turns somewhat saddened, feeling as if Maya thinks he isn't grateful she's alive, when he is grateful Katlyn saved her.

The group reaches the house, Serena enters  the basement first, pulling a cord that turns on a light revealing: a couple folding field beds with pillows, bottled water, a shelf with a few canned goods. The group drops their gear, taking seats on the floor in the same space the gear is sitting feeling and looking visibly tired as it's later in the afternoon now.

"I've reached out to the Cell Leader on the Westside, he's gonna send a vehicle for us in the morning that'll take us to New Town." Serena Says as the group makes themselves comfortable.

Maya grabs a couple water bottles, and hands one to Katlyn while sitting down on the floor next to her, Katlyn drinks almost half the bottle at once after being on the move and dodging patrols and checkpoints for the last few hours.

"Hey, thanks for saving my ass back there. I owe you one." Maya says, sipping on her water. Katlyn doesn't reply.

Maya can see it in Katlyn's eyes she's that she's never shot someone before let alone kill someone.

"Some say it gets easier. Taking a life." Maya says, voice low.

"What do you say?"

"I say, it gets easier to pull the trigger, just harder to live with. End of the day it comes down to your willingness to choose, your life over theirs or those around you. You made a choice, a choice I'll never forget because you saved my life, and Kelly's." Maya says, giving Katlyn a light smile, Katlyn smiles back.

Maya's words do make a bit of a difference for how Katlyn is feeling knowing saved two lives, the shock of taking a life still sits heavy on her shoulders. Clara watches as Maya starts to joke with Katlyn a bit, she knows Maya is a good person for her to have around after what happened. Kelly walks over with his freshly bandaged shoulder and arm, and starts joking, making them burst out with laughter.

As the night sets in, Adam and the Fighters take their first watch allowing the others time to rest after the events of the day. Maya gives Katlyn her bed, and takes the sleep to rest on. As much as Katlyn appreciates the offer it feels wasted on her since she doesn't sleep more than a few minutes at a time. Eventually she decides to go upstairs with Adam and the others feeling the need for fresh air.

She walks into a fairly spacious living room where they are all sat around a small gas lamp with a radio playing some music.

"What are you doing awake?" Adam asks while sitting next to the window facing the street.

Couldn't sleep. Today kinda took sleep off the available choice list tonight." She says with a semi joking tone, a joke that doesn't stick with Adam.

Katlyn rolls her eyes and rests her head on her hand not being in the mood for his antics tonight, she doesn't try to say anything else to him. He looks at her, and sees the expression on her face.

"Maya told me you handled yourself well today. Saved her life. I know I gave you shit yesterday for being the daughter of a Black, guess I judged you too quickly. Thank you, for what you did." He says avoiding looking directly at her. He doesn't expect her to reply because how do you say, you're welcome, after what she had to do.

Katlyn is surprised by the fact she actually said something kind to her after the few encounters they've had together he's been just a jerk to her simply because of who her dad is. He doesn't expect her to reply because how do you say, you're welcome, after what she had to do.

As the night goes on the other Fighters had shifted off with Adam but chose not to sleep but just stretch out a bit to get blood flowing in his legs again, the music that was playing is suddenly interrupted by a broadcast, but it's not a government broadcast.

A message from the Freelands beyond the Zones: we've seen what happened. The merciless raids carried out by the ATTF. We mourn with you for those you lost today. To the people and Cells of the Zones, you aren't alone. We stand with you. United with you in this fight. Our day will come. Believe in the Cause