41 Section 40: Trecherous Neighbors

Morning has come, as usual, the scavenger teams would split into two. Thanks to the gas we got from the previous scavenging, we can use both trucks for scavenging. Joel was assigned to the IT team and cooking team, he's pretty good with his hands. The scavenging has been running pretty smoothly, there's no sign of those humanoid enemies on the streets.

As Jean drives the car, Kallen and I sit on the back of the car with our legs crossed. Adrian has been humming some stupid goofy song about surviving in doomsday.

"We're alive, and yet we aren't" Adrian hummed. "Then what are we!!".

"We're human" Jean answered Adrian. "Bro, you're being dramatic".

"Come on now, I just can't take that Spooderman died at the end! And someone else became the Spooderman!? I can't just accept that!" Adrian complained.

"Ah, so your bad mood is caused by Spooderman death" Jean chuckled. "You're so childish, Adrian".

"Says someone who borrows Superwoman comics" Adrian answered sarcastically.

"HEY! DV makes a different story than Spooderman! They're more mature!" Jean growled.

"No, no! DV makes a boring story! They're just not my type" Adrian scowled.

Both young adults still had an argument about which comic is the best. I could only sigh at the pathetic sight of my team. Kallen chuckled as he saw the childish arguments between Jean and Adrian.

"They're lively, aren't they?" Kallen grinned.

"They sure do" I sighed. "They're a bunch of clowns".

"Well, there's nothing wrong with being clowns sometimes" Kallen smiled at me. "Candice taught me about that, there's nothing wrong about smiling and being happy".

"I see, even if you see it that way" I looked at Kallen perplexed.

Kallen patted my head, he's encouraging me with his gentle words.

"Yeah, brightened up big sis" he added. "I used to be like you, but that has changed since I met Candice".

I raised my eyebrows when he mentioned his past about Candice. Since we're in the mood, I might as well ask about their relationship I suppose.

"So Candice is not your younger sister?" I asked the confused boy.

"Um, well if you want me to be honest" Kallen scratched his head. "I ran away from an orphanage, cause they were about to adopt her".

I see, so both Kallen and Candice have no parents. They are orphans, asking this question makes Kallen's expression bitter. I probably shouldn't push that question further, if only to hurt Kallen more.

"I'll tell you about it later after we finish our mission" Kallen tried to pose a fake smile.

"No need to, if it's painful for you then don't" I crossed my arm.

Kallen lowered his gaze, he gazed at the long streets behind us with an empty nostalgic gaze.

"I'm not strong enough," he added out of nowhere. "To protect my younger sister, I need more training".

He clenched his fist, pain surging through his tightened chest. A droplet of tears fell from Kallen's eyes.

"Maybe she'll live better with her new parents if I didn't run away with Candice at that time," he talked to himself.

Kallen is depressed, he's guilt-tripping himself. He gritted his teeth and wiped droplets of tears on his tanned cheek. The teenager has been trying to be a strong parental figure for Candice, I can see that from his determination to protect and shield Candice from unwanted danger. However, he blamed himself for something that I couldn't understand.

Perhaps this is not the right time to push for answers.

"JEAN! LOOK OUT!" Adrian's shout surprised both Kallen and me.

The car stopped abruptly, both Kallen and I were unprepared, and then we fell on the cold steel of the back truck.

"Sheesh, don't be careless" Kallen complained while he rubbed his pained nose.

I accidentally hit my head on the cold steel, now the pain is reverberating through my head. I looked at the front street, there's a stack of drones in front of us. Mountains of dead drones were neatly stacked and hung on a wooden panel.

There is a big white paper with black paint, "GET OUT FROM HERE" plastered on the drones' face.

"Who did this?" Jean asked, flabbergasted.

"Is this the new intel sir Vladimir just told me?" Kallen spoke anxiously.

He seems to know something I don't, I asked Kallen for the information he received from Vladimir.

"You know something about this Kallen?" I asked the petrified teenager.

He nodded his head anxiously, he swallowed his saliva with uneasiness.

"Sir Vladimir told me that there's another group of extremists that kills people outside their groups for living," Kallen explained. "This seems to be their place, but I don't know what sir Vladimir planned for this".

Vladimir already briefed me before we went to scavenge, he said he will plan an attack on another camp. I wonder whether he meant this camp?

"Is this the camp that Vladimir wants to attack?" I asked Kallen about the plan.

"Ah, no! It's another camp" Kallen corrected me. "It's a small camp with a bunch of young adults around your age big sis".

I raised my eyebrows as I heard that, there's a chance that my friends are there as well. Hopefully, they're not though. I wouldn't want to harm them amid this chaos, and there's that Vladimir problem that I need to take care of.

"Oh yes, sir Vladimir told me that there will be a meeting tonight! So please, don't forget to attend the meeting" Kallen reminded me.

"Sure, whatever" I scowled as I remembered Vladimir's arrogant smile in my memory.

We decided to turn our steering wheel, and headed the other way for scavenging. Then again, I doubt there's anything left around this area. The area we're in right now is near the crazy settlement Kallen talked about, the extremist. I still have no idea about how extreme they are, but they seem dangerous.

"So where are we heading to Jean?" Kallen asked the relaxed driver.

"I was thinking to avoid that creepy stacks of drones area, it's kinda unsettling" Jean sighed.

Adrian nodded in affirmation, he tapped Jean's shoulder.

"Yeah, we're not like those horror main characters who dumbly trespass a sign saying 'GET OUT' and then got haunted by some scary ghost! We're smarter than them bro!" Adrian nodded.

Kallen, Jean, and I laughed merrily as we heard Adrian's usual jokes. I wish this could last forever, but actions still need to be made. Something about Vladimir is fishy, and I intend to find out his secrets by staying here.

* * *

We arrived at home with plenty of snacks, although not as much as the first day when we first scavenged. I feel like those mysterious extremist scavengers might be the cause. However, without proof, I'm not entirely sure. Not long after our arrival, Ender's team arrives with injuries and bruises around their bodies.

Ender himself was injured around his body, there are stab and scars wound on his back and hips area.

"ENDER!" I yelled and caught him when he was about to fall.

The only one with minor injuries is Chrysant, even the duo Tom and Milla fell unconscious from the car. Exhaustion engulfed their bodies it seems.

"CALL THE OTHERS TO HELP ME CARRY THEM!" I shouted at anyone on the premises.

Joel, who was still wearing an apron, immediately scurried over to my side to help me carry Ender.

"Is Ender okay? He's badly injured" Joel gazed at him in concern.

"I don't know Joel, he looks terrible" I tried to hold myself from crying in front of Joel.

Ender didn't speak a word, he just breathed heavily next to our ears while we carried him to his bed. Glass asked the others to help her carry the remaining injured people, Chrysant was hugged by her older brother. Tristan runs over to Chrysant and pulls her into a familial embrace.

"Chrysant! Are you okay!? Are you hurt!?" Tristan scanned his younger sister for any injuries.

"Just minor injuries, don't worry Tristan" Chrysant frowned as she hugged her brother back in a tight embrace.

Kallen clenched his fist as he saw the injuries team two suffered, he ran over to somewhere I don't know. He's probably informing Vladimir about this predicament. As Joel and I set Ender on the bed, Ender started to open his eyes slowly. He twitched his exhausted eyes.

"Oh, Aria and Joel" he chuckled. "Thanks for carrying me over here".

"No problem, do you need anything Ender?" Joel inquired about his health worriedly.

"Maybe a glass of water would be nice" Ender grinned cheekily despite his heavy injuries.

Joel nodded and left the premises, I stayed next to the injured Ender. I held onto his hands, he groaned in pain as he moved his body to face me.

"I'm sorry, did I worry about you?" Ender asked delicately.

"You're such an idiot! I hate you!" I scowled at the injured Ender and clenched his hands.

"Ouch! That hurts!" Ender winced in pain.

"I'm sorry" my voice started to stutter as droplets of tears fell on his palms. His hands are so cold, I thought he was going to die. I don't want to lose Ender in front of me.

"Excuse me, let me see his condition please" a woman suddenly barged in between me and Ender. It's an old woman, her grey hair makes it obvious that she's around sixty. I was shoved aside by the old woman as she checked Ender's condition.

She wears a baggy sweater and her wrinkled skins clearly show her age.

"This young man is in dire need of medications, please call the other to help me out with this" the old woman spoke gently. "As for you, young lady".

The old woman pierced her gaze on me as if she could see through my sorrow and sadness.

"Please step aside, you wouldn't want to see your loved one screams in front of you wouldn't you?" the old woman sighed.

I looked at Ender who was half-awake on the bed, he looked at me and flashed his usual kind smile.

"Don't worry about me, I'll be fine" he replied with a heavy breath.