#playguepals

A scream rips from Nick and a few moments later, arms wrap around him. "You are in Deadfall, you are in our home, and you are with us." A steady and calm voice of Sven reaches his ears, Nick slumps against Sven as he cries. He was unable to speak, unable to control himself this time. The nightmare was too heartbreaking to speak about, his mind told him it wasn't real but his heart told him it was. One of Sven's hands tried to wipe away Nick's tears as the other rubbed his back, it hurt to see how bad the nightmares got to the group sometimes.

It been several months that they lived in Deadfall and over those months, the group fell victim to the nightmares and horrific memories that replayed in their minds. The people that lived in the large settlement were very kind to the group as well as Heath, they tried their best to make Unit 10 feel welcomed here but in the end, the team kept to themselves. Not because they felt unwelcomed, scared or anything of that sort but because they felt so out of place. They didn't feel like this was their place they could call their own, they longed to go out into the world and make their own settlement, their own home.

"Where is Sonja and Eirik?" Enyo's voice startled Baxtiyor, he places a hand over his chest as he looks over his shoulder to Enyo as she heads down the last remaining stairs. "Heath asked them to help with water pipes and vent systems." He explains as he turns back to the old magazine in front of him, "They left a hour ago, they had breakfast so don't worry." A sigh leaves Enyo as she makes herself a plate from the pot on the stove then set herself in front of Baxtiyor, "Nick woke from a nightmare so he possible won't be up to do anything today so I'll tell Heath that on the way when I head to the bulletin board." Enyo explains as she pokes and pushes her food around for a few minutes, waiting for Baxtiyor to say something but all he did was hum in acknowledgement.

Zhi grunts as he drags himself through the door of the Unit's home, his body aches as he slips off his shoes and took off his coat before heading over to the open kitchen. "Mining is not is all cracked up to be." He said as he grabs himself some of the food from the pot before sitting down beside Enyo, "My whole body aches so bad I feel like I am vibrating." He chuckles as a smile appears on his lips as the other two laugh, "That is very concerning." Baxtiyor gasps as he tries to regain his breath as tears prick the corner of his eyes. "Do we need to send you off to Doctor Gottlieb?" Enyo giggles as Zhi quickly shakes his head as he chews quickly, "No! She will do a thousand tests before I am able to sleep-" He yells as his voice rises in pitch before he laughs. He enjoys this moments, the moments as if everything was fine and life was normal.

Heavy footsteps echo off the metal staircase making everyone in the kitchen turn their heads to see, Sven gives a sheepish smile as Nick trails behind him with a tiresome look. "Is there anymore left?" Nick whispers as Enyo nods as her eyes soften, "There is plenty, how are you feeling?" She asks as she watches Sven for a brief moment head over to the cabinet to get plates for Nick and him. "Don't really want to talk about it." Nick replies as he sits by Baxtiyor who pats his back, "That's okay. Is Sterre and Brittania still asleep?" He asks as he flips a page of his magazine. "Yeah, where's everyone else?" Sven replies before asking as he sets down the plates in front of himself and Nick. "Sonja and Eirik went to work on piping and vents, Uxue is still at the medic center." Baxtiyor explains as he looks up and to the window that was over the sink.

The pass week been hard on Deadfall, people were falling ill due to the water. Uxue been buried in work to treat the people with only two other doctors that were less than experienced in the doctor field but regardless she stayed to help train them and treat the ill causing her to sleep in the small office on the couch since it wasn't worth walking all the way home for just a hour or so of sleep. She deeply missed her Unit and hoped this illness will go away soon before she falls ill with stress sickness.

It was noon when Sonja and Eirik finally entered the home, shoulders slumped and faces looking defeated as Baxtiyor turn to look over the couch before giving them a soft smile. "I am assuming either you didn't find anything wrong or you find so much wrong that even you two can't fix it." The man states as he turns down his radio and turn over the book he was reading. "Find so much that is was impossible for us to try and fix." Sonja replies as she flops on the couch beside him as Eirik went off to the kitchen to get food and something safe to drink. "The pipes are rusted to hell and back, the vents weren't turning on to help filter the water and when Eirik looked at the water source we were pulling water from he notice it was contaminated due all the fish floating." Irritation dripped off her words as she drapes an arm over her eyes, she was overwhelmed with it all and got upset when Heath didn't know what he will do. "Is there anything you can do or...?" Baxtiyor asks worriedly as he looks out the living room window, watching the sick drag themselves towards the medic center. "Unless we find working vents, pipes, and fresh water. No, no there is absolutely nothing we can do." Eirik stressed on the word 'nothing' as he sits down in the orange arm chair to the left of the couch. Silence consumes them as worried thoughts riddled their minds as Baxtiyor turn the radio back up.

"If we don't do something, people will start to die." Brittania's voice filled with anger as she watches Heath rub his bald head as he sighs heavily, "Unless you have equipment lying around here then there isn't much we can do." His words were cold as if he didn't care but the expression was heartbreaking. Heath didn't know what to do, he had no solutions to this problem. "The Unit can explore the town, we can gather the supplies and we can find fresh water." Her voice grew louder in frustration as she watches the elder shake his head, "I will not put your lives in danger and at the same time, we need all the hands we need right now. People are sick and that could take days!" He yells as he watches Brittania start to get red in the face. "People are sick because we aren't doing anything. Will you really risk a few days that could save people to just keep extra hands? Do you really want to explain to your people that why they are dying is because you refuse to let us go find the solutions to our problems?" She screams as her hands ball up into fists, the silence was deafening as Heath just started at her before turning away. The door to his office was the last thing he heard from Brittania's fury.

A few days pass as everyone did the best as they could but even they were getting worn down, almost everyone was in the living room trying to gather enough energy before they do anything that day. The front door slams open as heavy footsteps storm in, "I am not waiting any longer. No one is getting better and I will be damned before I let anymore get ill or die on me." The anger was evident in Uxue's voice as it fills the quiet room. "So what are you gonna do?" Nick asks as he rubs the side of his face as he watches her head to the hallway under the stairs, "I am gearing up to go find our solutions!" She yells as the door to the storage room most likely slammed open. "Finally!" Zhi yells as a sudden jolt of energy rushes through him as he heads to the storage room, everyone else slowly trots behind him. "We don't have permission to leave, Uxue." Sterre reminds as a heavy sigh follows after but knowing full well the woman didn't care. "What is he going to do? Shoot me?" Uxue snares as she packs her bag as some of the people in the group share concerned expressions, "He might." Nick states as he starts to pack his bag, "But if he does then he will have to shoot me too." a grin spreads across his face as the rest start to join them.

Anger filled the air as Heath stood before Unit 10, Deadfall's gates wide open behind them. "I told you all that you cannot go." Heath states as he watches them carefully, "If you leave, if you pass those gates then you cannot return." The faces of anger turn into shock and confusion, "Are you insane? We are doing this to help Deadfall!" Zhi yells as Eirik's hand wraps around his wrist. "Are you really going to lock us out, turn us away when we are willing to go find supplies and fresh water?" Disbelief fills Sonja's voice as she looks at the citizens behind Heath, "We are doing this to save the sick and make sure everyone has fresh water!" Sonja yells as tears prick her eyes. How could someone do this? How could someone refuse help? "Lets say you do find the supplies, equipment, and water. But what if you bring back a sickness? What if we get attacked and you weren't here to help protect us? What if you start getting second thoughts?" The mayor asks as his eyes harden, he wasn't going to move from this hill. "That's it? What ifs? If what ifs are what is keeping us from saving this settlement then you are the one that is keeping them from being helped." Enyo speaks up, she almost couldn't believe what she was hearing. "What ifs is what has been keeping my settlement protected!" Heath fires back, anger consuming him as he takes a step back. "Leave and you cannot return or you can stay and help, those are your choices." The elderly man states as he watches the group carefully, they were wild cards so he didn't know what to expect. "Then I am leaving, I refuse to standby and watch people die when I know how to help." Uxue states as she walks away, Sterre and Sonja nods as they quickly follow. "I hope you survive this, I hope someone comes along and save this settlement." Zhi says as he turns to follow Nick, Sven and Eirik out, "I am sorry but we're not waiting any longer to just watch Deadfall... well fall, I hope you come to your senses and I hope someone saves you." Enyo sighs as she turns lending against Brittania and follows behind Baxtiyor out into the ruined town.

Their hearts were still heavy with emotions from what happened weeks ago, they heard through the radio that Deadfall succumbed to the illness and there were only a few survivors left there. Regardless, Unit 10 didn't return to save anyone in Deadfall. They powered through the wastelands, ruins, and a few lesser settlements. They were looking for a place to call their own, to build up from nothing. "What about here?" Baxtiyor's voice carries in the wind as he turns to the group from the hill he was standing on, the group looked at each other confused before joining Baxtiyor on the hill. "I think it's perfect." Zhi speaks up with a grin on his face as he turns to the group, "It's great. The houses don't look too bad, hell they look almost fixable. We can build a wall and there is enough land for farming, a river not to far off for fresh water." Sonja grins as she points at the areas she was talking about.

They found it, a place to call their own, a place to call home. They called it 22, they knew it was a strange name for a settlement but the name held many memories of their old home and currently they couldn't find a better name. Nick, Sonja, and Eirik worked on pipes, vents, heating, cooling, lights, and anything else that dealt with engineering. Zhi and Sven worked on gathering materials from a nearby mine and abandoned scrap yards, using them to build the wall and fix up the few houses. Baxtiyor and Brittania started work for the farmlands then after an makeshift barn was built, they also gather animals they were useful. Enyo, Sterre, and Uxue start to stock pile what they could find in nearby ruins of cities and towns. It was slow process, it was tiring process but after months pass they were finally getting a foot hold in this wasteland of a world. They were finally feeling able to breath and feel alive again, they know they had much more to go but for now, they were proud.

"NO!" Enyo's voice screams as she pulls on the trim of the metal door as tears start to build in her eyes, watching through the small thick glass of the door. Watching her parents, the leaders of her vault, give her weak smiles. Their hands overlapping each other's as they press them against the window, their voices muffled as the gas finally filled the rest of the hallway. "You could have made it!" Enyo screams as she slams her fists against the door, "You could have..." her voice weak as she kneels down on the concrete floor.

Sobs shake her body, she was in a tornado of emotions but Zhi knew if they didn't start moving Enyo's Parents efforts would all be in vain. Zhi's hands curl over her shoulders, "I hate to do this but we must go. The gas will start eating away the door." he spoke in a low and gentle tone. Enyo shakes her head, hands over her mouth in an effort to decrease her cries. A heavy sigh leaves Zhi as he wraps his hands around her right upper arm, pulling her onto her feet. This caused her to lend against her dear friend, Zhi wraps his arms around her as they awkwardly walked away from the entrance of their vault.

The unit of 10 was quiet as they headed away from their home, the only place they knew was safe and peaceful but now, now they were in the waste land. Their hearts and mind riddled with confusion and the mess of emotions.

Nick almost didn't remember by how fast it all went. Last night, he was working on the gas pipeline to see why it wasn't pumping anymore in farming area but him and Sonja wasn't finding a problem anywhere. Maybe, just maybe if he checked the gas pipeline that lead to the engines, he could have seen it. This morning, the vault leaders needed to send a unit into the overworld to get materials due to them running low. Everyone was on edge with that thought due to the last unit coming back deadly sick, they still haven't recovered from their illness they got. Unit 10 was randomly selected to go, the biggest unit. The leaders help make an good luck breakfast for the unit. By noon, the unit was packing up and heading to the exit.

An explosion shook the vault, panic voices and scurrying feet was overwhelmingly heard. Nick remembers his unit being frozen in their spots, no one knew what to do. Keep going to the exit and let the older generation handle it or head back and see what happened. The vault was home, the people in it? They were people they knew, they grew to care about and had memories with. So they ran, dropping their bags on the floor and heading towards the noise of chaos.

Sven's stomach curls when he entered the cafeteria, there was bodies laying on the ground and a massive hole where you can see the destroyed farms and half of the engines. What caught his attention the most was the gas, it was flooding the room and quickly eating away anything it came in contact of. Sven's memories were going to haunt him. He wished he tried to grab his little sister, he wished he could turn back the clock and pulled her from under the table, to bring her from the gas but instead his mind went into autopilot. He turned around, grabbing Sterre and Baxtiyor by the arms and running back to the exit. He wishes he could turn back time, even if it would be in vain, to try and save his baby sister.

The vault leaders were quick, forcing and guiding the unit back towards the exit. Their fears were finally here, they knew the gas would be the end of Vault 22. They were just trying to buy time and they did it, they bought over 50 years of time but now, now they were just trying to save a few people from the horrors. They selfish chose unit 10 due to their feelings and relationship to the people in it, they knew it was wrong but at the same time. Who wouldn't be selfish in this situation?

"Thank you." Enyo whispers as she pulls her lending body off of Zhi, a nod was received as he moved a bit closer to Uxue to give everyone space but at the same time, being close to each other. "According to the map, there is a village or something like that ahead of us if we continue down this path." Brittania speaks up as she holds a map in her left hand and a compass in her right, "We'll get there before the sun even sets." A group of hums and okays were heard from the group but no one wanting to speak, a soft thank you leaves Sven as gives a quick pat on Brittania's shoulders. It was easy to get discourage and much easier when everyone's levels were down.

The sun shown no mercy as its heat made the walk to the settlement made it almost unbearable but the roofs of the shelters finally peaked in the distance, they were about 15 minutes away. The sun was still a few hours away from fully setting below the horizon and they were more than happy to see the moon, to be greeted by the cooling air of the night.

Bags and packs of the sort were thrown onto the biggest shelter's floor as they sit down, the settlement was small and abandoned. Seems to have been abandoned for at least a decade, give or take. Eirik leads against the wooden wall as his eyes scan the group, taking in everyone's mood. Nothing has improved amongst them, no one dares to speak. The wounds too fresh to be poked and pulled at but nonetheless, being surrounded by the ones you love and feel comfort with. It helps, it helps ease the mind as it tries to make sense of the emotions it is drowning it. It is like a silent hand pulling you up from the depths, it's like a warmth of the fire that keeps the darkness at bay or maybe it's even a comfort that surrounds you when you feel lost in the big forest. Whatever it is to people, it's here, it's slow, and it's giving comfort.

A small hand rubs Enyo's shoulder as her soft hitched cries start to arrive again, Sterre knows it won't stop the build up but it was a way to let Enyo know she is here. She isn't leaving and no one else is either. Sonja and Uxue pull themselves into a standing position before they started to make the shelter more stable against the cold of the night and anything that wishes to do them harm.

As the sun hides away and the moon peeks out, a thought runs through Enyo's mind. From this day on, this is her family. They will need each other, they will need to protect and provide as a- as a unit? How strange it is like her parents knew, like they were preparing them to work as one. Did they know or was it just a well prepared situation? Was the explosion an accident or sabotage?

"Enyo?" Nick's voice pries her thoughts apart, her eyes lock with his. "Please," a small plead as he holds out a reusable bowl filled with dry foods, "Eat." Nick couldn't risk any of them going into refusal to fight, he knows he couldn't stomach it if any of them did. A weak smile appears on Enyo's lips as she takes the bowl from Nick, she wasn't hungry but it better to try and not to at all.

Sterre's lantern kept the shelter they were in, dimly lit. Sven and Brittania was the first to finish, they started to gather everyone's sleeping bags and laying them out but the shelter was all too big so people had to shuffle around before sitting down on a sleeping bag they'll be sleeping in. Uxue double checks the windows, doors, and covered holes to make sure nothing can get in without alerting them in the least. After awhile, everyone starts settling into the sleeping bags as Sterre sits up in hers besides her lantern. As everyone finally lays down, the light slowly flickers to nothing. The darkness consumes them and after awhile, so does sleep.

A strangled gasp rips from Enyo as she launches herself in an upward position, frantically looking around herself as she tries to reassure herself she was okay but... the sunlight against the inside wooden panels greet her eyes, the wind rattling the covers on the windows greet her ears, and her salty tears on the tip of her tongue tells her that not only was this a nightmare but it was also reality. She isn't in the vault, she isn't laying next to her fiancé, she isn't...

"Enyo." Uxue cuts the air around her, the bulky woman sets up beside her. "What is it?" She wasn't being rude despite her tone, despite the scowl resting on her face. "Nightmares. I am already having nightmares about what happened." Her voice was small, felt so lost in the air as she watches the sunlight reach further across the wall. "I haven't fully processed everything yet but regardless, I am hit with it." Enyo's eyes drift to her left, seeing Nick. Nick was in an open sleeping bag, the front side was laying on top of Zhi as well as Nick's leg across his stomach as Nick's head is almost on Enyo's sleeping back. A small smile tugs on the corner of her lips before she turns to look at Uxue. "I'm sorry. I- I wish I could take them away or even delay them." The younger female rubs the back of her neck as a heavy sigh leaves her, Uxue knows it was inevitable for them all to get nightmares and they will get hit by it at different times but it doesn't stop the want of wanting the ability to stop these things.

They sit in silence, they lend against each other's shoulder as the watch the others around them. It wasn't long before the other start to stir, Uxue pulls away. She gets up, leaving out the only door to do a safety check. "Nick! NICK! Get your leg off me!" Zhi's yells of frustration greets the once quiet shelter, a smile that reaches Enyo's eyes appears on her lips as she looks over to Nick and Zhi. Zhi was sitting up on his elbows, his brows furrowed as he glares at the sleeping Nick. "AH!" A startled Nick exclaims as he sits up quickly, Zhi holding Nick's pillow in his hand with an annoyed expression. "Get. Your. Leg. Off." The thinner man was not very happy in the mornings and definitely didn't like limbs on him, "Sorry, Zhi." Nick chuckles as he removes his leg before getting up.

"Morning." Sonja and Baxtiyor greet, lazily looking from their sleeping bags. "I'll get the coffee ready." Sven says as he leaves the shelter with a pot to get water from the nearby stream, Sterre not too far behind him with a pot and ladle of her own to get some fresh water for the none coffee people.

Eirik started to put away sleeping bags after Sonja and Baxtiyor finally got up, Brittania started to make light breakfast while Sven and Sterre boil water. "I'm going to go get, Uxue." Enyo states as she leaves through the door, not waiting to be questioned or stopped. The settlement was quite small so it should taken at least a few minutes to see if they were safe or not.

Off in the distance Enyo sees Uxue sitting on a stump that was on a hill, she was staring off at something or nothing at all. It took a few minutes to reach Uxue but when she did, she sees what she is staring at. Pass the hill, where the stream flow down to is a wide open space with greenery and mutated animals that strangely look more beautiful then the normal ones in the picture books they see and drew. This spot was strangely, strangely peaceful. As if time was slower here, almost just almost as if there was nothing wrong in the world they were in. It felt so naturally, it felt like the times she would lay besides her fiancé in the projector room with an old movie reel playing on the wall while she cuddles into his side as he gave her a butterfly kiss on her forehead.

Tears swell in her eyes as she grabs Uxue's shoulder, "Hey." she whispers. Uxue turns her head slightly, "Beautiful, ain't it?" She asks knowing full well of the answer. "Yeah and so close..." Enyo trails off as the tears finally fall, lovely memories play in her mind as she watches the scene before her. "We need to head back, breakfast is being made." Enyo removes her hand after she finishes speaking, watching Uxue stand up with a nod. "We thought you both got lost," Sonja jokes as the two finally enter the shelter, "We were about to start a search party." Soft chuckles and giggles ring out in the small building as the two settled in, "Hope your not leading or it'll be me finding y'all." Uxue jokes back to Sonja making the curly haired woman gasps in offense. "My direction isn't that bad!" Sonja exclaims as she furrows her brows, "But your tracking skill sucks." Uxue states before taking a bite out of her sandwich with a smug smirk. "I am being bullied! This is bullying!" Sonja exclaims as laughter fills the room.

"No one needs to use the bathroom before we start?" Nick asks the second time as everyone looks at each other before shaking their heads, "Okay, good." He states as Brittania looks up from her map with a smile. "Nice! Okay, this walk might take all day but the map says there is an active settlement in a nearby town. We will reach the edge of the town by noon, give or take." She exclaims with excitement as she leads the unit. The group paired in twos in a filed line so they didn't get in each other's way if they need to fight but one got each side so no one was overwhelmed about being attacked from an opening.

It was a little after noon, due to being so long since they traveled the waste land, they were able to get a little more exhausted then usual but regardless they were doing quite well. "The settlement is nearby that water tower." Brittania points towards what used to be a water tower, looking like it was about to fall any second with even the littlest breeze. "I hope it doesn't fall." Zhi whispers as he grimaces at the thought of it destroying the settlement or just breaking a defense, regardless of what it does it will definitely cause chaos amongst the ones that live there.

Unit 10 stood before the settlement, a sign above the scrap metal gates read 'Deathfall'. Not the most... welcoming name but regardless, the appearance didn't name of the place. Baxtiyor slams the side of his fist against the gate door before standing beside Brittania again, after a few minutes someone appears over the wall to the left of the gate. "WHO ARE YOU?" Shouts the looking elderly man, "We are Unit 10 from Vault 22!" Enyo responses hoping an unit from the pass explorations came here. "WHAT?" He exclaims before a few seconds later, "DID SOMETHING HAPPEN TO UNIT 16?" He asks, worry evident in his voice as he lends against his spear and waves a hand to someone or some people behind the gate. "No." Enyo's voices wavers as she tries to swallow down her sadness as the gates open, "No! Our vault unfortunately got destroyed and we are the remaining survivors!" Uxue spoke up as she places a gentle hand on Enyo's back to lead her into the settlement.

"I am Heath Best, the mayor of this settlement." Heath exclaims as he leads them further into the large settlement, towards a large building, most likely his own. "Are..." Heath begins before a heavy sign leaves him as he settles down in a chair behind a desk as sad eyes met the unit's, "Are you really the only survivors?" He asks woefully as he runs a hand over his balding head. "Unfortunately." Uxue spoke as she stood behind the couch Zhi, Nick, and Enyo rests on. "A explosion went off in our vault causing a harmful gas to spread, we are the only ones that made it out." She explains as she watches the man frown as he wipes the corner of his eyes, "What is your unit number?" Heath asks as he takes out a paper and a pencil, "Unit 10." in unison they replied to the old man, a brief smile appeared on the mayor's lips as he nods while writing down the Unit 10.

"Welcome, Unit 10, to Deathfall. I'll show you where you will be staying at, you are welcome to stay as long as you wish." He states with a soft smile and gentle eyes of a grandfather that is proud to finally meet his grandchildren. Deathfall, how ironic the name was, it felt safe. Heath Best felt safe, maybe they were being too trusting or maybe just maybe, Heath was someone they felt familiar with.