Chapter Text
Alumni Grove was quiet and empty. Right at the city's edge, this university used to house the brightest scientists of their time. Now, it was abandoned, and all the scientists were moved to various military hubs and stations. Because of this, it was a perfect place to escape from the law.
Silver, who had naturally taken a leadership role, introduced Rain to the area. The leadership came in part from Silver being an ex-sergeant. The other part was his seniority and height. Both made the man seem daunting in nature. His unfriendly, resting expression didn't help either.
The only similarity Rain shared was being a soldier. Other than this, Rain was the younger of the two, close to average height, and his expression tended to read as uneasiness or worry. When it wasn't either of those two things, his gaze was distant, and his mind elsewhere.
Both had deserted at the same time. In fact, they left together. Naturally, it had been Silver's plan, and Rain followed. He never questioned why they left or why Silver brought him along, but he was happy to leave the forces. After all, they were the reason for his lost limbs. While he had replacements for each, they were growing old and painful. Typically, services would be offered to repair or replace troublesome limbs, but since their leave, they didn't have the luxury of showing their faces in public.
The wind whistled through the hollow campus. An old farmer's market stood at the center. Since Silver had been alive, it had always been bustling and full of life. In recent years, however, many seemed to abandon their stations for one reason or another. It seemed like Silver wanted to say something but bit his tongue. He waved for Rain to follow him indoors.
Inside the main university building, scattered papers and water damage covered the rugs and tiles. Lights flickered but never stayed on. Rain stopped at the entrance, taking in the grand halls. He could only imagine what they looked like before they had been abandoned. He couldn't even wrap his head around what it would've looked like before the apocalypse. Students, actual students, going to class here to learn and build better futures. Sure, he had gone to school and gotten an education, but it was nothing like the education stories he had heard about the past.
“Come,” Silver spoke somewhere between a demand and a request. He led the way to what seemed to be used as a food court. At its center, a makeshift medical bay was stationed. Files and books lined the shelves along the inner wall.
“Look through these first,” Silver wasn't one to use subjects of sentences. As Rain started sorting through documents, Silver did the same. Rain wasn't entirely sure what they were looking for, but he was hoping once he saw something important, he'd know.
Occasionally, Rain would glance over to Silver to see what he was doing. He prayed there would be any clues to what he was supposed to be doing. Fear wasn't the word he'd used to describe his feelings towards Silver. Stress was a better one. Fear of creating stressful situations was the best description.
While the two had worked together for a few years before deserting, they weren't exactly friends. They were more like glorified coworkers. Aside from their obvious differences in superiority, Silver never viewed Rain as someone below him. On the contrary, Rain felt like a subordinate in comparison. This created an uneasy dynamic between the two.
It had been almost a year since their initial departure. In that time, they spent most of it camping in the wilderness. The north side didn’t house many residential spots. Those that were residential were occupied by soldiers and families. Crossing through the north island proved a much more difficult feat than either had planned. Constant military supervision made extensive travel extremely difficult. Silver knew things would get easier once they crossed the bridge to the south side.
Crossing the bridge itself also proved to be challenging. Leaving in the spring meant the river wasn’t frozen. A frozen river would’ve made their travels much easier. Aside from the people of Bargetown, no one walked on the icy river. Unfortunately, the river ran, and the two found different methods of crossing.
Just beyond the south entrance of the bridge was a city. For some time, it was the metropolis of the desolate island. Everything everyone needed lay within the buildings of that city. Skyscrapers were valiantly lit up at night, and the streets bustled during the day. People from all over the nation traveled to greet the excitement the urban area offered. None of that excitement was experienced during Silver or Rain’s lifetime.
During their time, the city was still filled with life, but nothing like what was described in stories. Now, the life was under strict mandates. Curfews, education, and dress codes were all mandated by the government. Rules had loosened over the years, but Silver could vividly remember when children and adults alike dressed in the same clothes. Groups were escorted by military personnel for ‘safety.’ Even his walks to school were under heavy supervision. Soldiers of the Civilian Operational Patrol (COP) stood at the corners of every street. Without the liveliness, the postmodern buildings felt more suffocating than utopian.
Rain didn’t experience as harsh legislation in his time. Dress codes had relaxed, but larger groups were still escorted. Smaller groups weren’t given the same treatment. The escort teams were no longer as large as they had been in Silver’s time, but they still existed. COP officers no longer lined the streets. They were found in high-density areas, specifically outside residential buildings, markets, and social locations.
Today, officers were rarely seen in the city. While the city was just as alive as it was ten years prior, forces were slowly pulled out. One could still find an officer when needed, if needed, and they still hung around ‘high-value’ areas, where trading and bartering took place. The only change was Alumni Grove.
Completely abandoned, the two were alone in the grove save for the occasional mutant. It was rewarding to be indoors again, knowing the harsh winter was approaching. Silver continued sorting through pages and documents and files. Rain’s eyes strained at the messy handwriting or the occasional stain that made letters illegible. He sighed and looked to a different shelf, growing tired of the sh*t he was reading now. Something from the top shelf caught his eye. A box, still sealed, that looked like it had been there for years and years.
Rain knew he wouldn’t be able to reach it from where he stood. Looking around, he thought it best to scale some of the nearby shelves. With his back turned, Silver suddenly heard a loud thud and an ‘oough!’ He spun slowly to see Rain flat on his back with his arms tucked close to him. The wind had been knocked out of him. Without saying anything, Silver walked over and lent a hand to help him up.
“My joints are really starting to lock up,” Rain attested.
Silver glanced at Rain’s joints but didn’t doubt him. He walked out of the medical bay and motioned for Rain to follow. The two walked to a nearby food station. Over the years, it was used for a bar instead. Silver hopped over the counter and began rummaging through the bottles below.
“Getting yourself a drink?” Rain asked.
“Mm.” One of many noises Silver used to show he disagreed or disapproved. He continued searching until he eventually found what he was looking for. He stood with a few rags, a metal sponge, and baking soda in his hands.
Silver waved for Rain to follow. They walked across the hall to the old medical station. The room had been converted into a makeshift hospital with scaffolding and tapestries creating rooms.
The two walked to the second floor, and Silver instructed Rain to take a seat on any of the beds. When seated, Silver began applying a baking soda and water mixture to the severely rusted areas.
“Let that sit,” instructed Silver.
Rain looked down at his arms and legs. “This'll help?”
“For now. Ll'find you better remedies soon.” Silver paused before continuing, “Wait here.” He walked downstairs and into one of the rooms.
Rain looked around the empty building. From where he sat, he could see every corner of the room, the hallway and entrance, and the place he assumed used to be headquarters. He wondered what it would've been like at its peak. Maybe Silver knew. He had already been serving at that time. Rain's mind wandered, imagining the medics caring for the sick and the sick waiting to be treated. Why had this place been abandoned? Seemed like a well-functioning location. All the infrastructure seemed up to date, save for a few water-damage spots on the vaulted ceilings. Proximity to a highly infested area could explain it. Rain shuddered at the thought.
Both Rain and Silver came from the Mutant Assault Defense System (MADS), so they were more than well-equipped to face any infested area. Even still, Rain preferred avoiding as many mutants as possible. His last few encounters with them left him limbless and close to death. Continuing his look around the area, he grimaced at his own memories.
Silver came back within the following hour.
“Where'd you go?” asked Rain.
“Looked around,” Silver responded while checking the concoction on Rain's arms and legs.
“Did you find anything?”
“Some supplies. Packed them already.” Satisfied with the progress, Silver walked away and towards the railing, looking out to the first floor.
“How much longer do I have to keep these on?”
“Not much.”
Rain wasn't satisfied with Silver's communication skills. He wanted to know things and be kept in the loop. Getting information from Silver felt like pulling teeth. He thought for a few minutes before continuing the conversation.
“Where are we going next?”
Silver didn't respond. He stared out into the room, unmoving. His back was entirely to Rain. Must be lost in thought. Rain sighed, knowing he had been ignored. Whether it was intentional or not was something he couldn't figure out.
Only a few moments passed before Silver spun around and grabbed the metal sponge he had brought with them. He gestured for Rain to give him his arm. Without saying a word, he lightly scrubbed at the baking soda mixture. Underneath revealed that most of the rust was coming off. When he would finish scrubbing an area, he'd take an extra rag and wipe away any excess.
Thinking aloud, Silver said, “Ll'stay here for as long as we can. No need to rush anything.” He looked around the room as he worked, “Few places got some decent bedding w’can use.”
Rain only agreed because he didn't feel he had any other choice. Thinking about it, he probably've agreed anyway. There didn't seem to be any imminent danger here.
The two found a place to call their own. They set up their supplies, picked which beds they'd use, and designated jobs for survival.
Every other week or so, Silver would take a day from his usual tasks. He'd tell Rain he was going resource gathering, which he did, but Rain grew suspicious. For the time Silver was gone, he should've returned with far more supplies. He didn't want to question how Silver did his job, but things weren't lining up. Somehow, he felt things would be answered soon enough.
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It was one of the few days Silver took a break from his tasks. He made his way around the city, sticking to its edges to avoid being faced with people. Walking 20 minutes outside the city, he approached a decline to the island's sandy beaches.
Continuing his walk along the wall of the bank, he came upon a cave. The cave was humid and surprisingly warm, providing good shelter from the harsh winds off the lake. Strolling inside, a small hut came into view. The thing couldn't have fit more than one resident comfortably. It was well-lit, showing someone was living there. Silver approached the door and gave a patterned knock.
“Come in,” a voice called from inside.
Silver entered. The voice was from an old friend of his who still actively served - Radar. The first, and really only, floor had a small living space, bed, and desk. With such small quarters, everything felt cramped and awkwardly pushed together. Silver looked around. Radar must've been in the loft. He took a seat on the couch and waited for him to come down.
Radar shortly appeared after. “Don't you think Rain'll get suspicious with your frequent visits?” asked Radar.
“He'll survive,” Silver was rather curt. More curt than usual.
“What? Got some important business to deal with?” teased Radar. He sat on the recliner positioned in the corner of the room.
“Got a favor to ask.”
“Oh, yeah? I'll need something in return, y'know?”
“Right,” Silver seemed to ignore his remark. “If you can manage, d'wanna buy new appendages. Any model'll do.”
“Of course I can manage. What do you take me for? A chump?”
Radar always had this sort of sh*t-eating grin on him. He was close to Rain's age and stature, but his dark hair and eyes set the two apart. To outsiders, he seemed like a real dick, constantly making jokes. To friends, he still constantly made jokes. The only difference was his favors or serious attitude when needed.
Radar's favors sometimes extended outside of friends. With his current position as a specialist, he was often secluded from large stations or military hubs. This made it easier to help out people who had fled from service. Using the benefits of being in the military, he often lent resources or locations as havens to those who were wanted for treason. Silver was one of those people.
“How many do you need?” Radar continued.
Silver responded, “Three arms and two and a half legs.”
“No sh*t! Rain's got no limbs?”
Silver wasn't one to roll his eyes, but Radar could tell he wanted to.
“C'mon, after alllll I do for you. You owe me a lil humor.”
“Humor's a luxury.”
“It's f*ckin’ contraband with you.”
“Can you do it or not?”
“Yeah, yeah, I can do it. God, it’s like getting blood from a stone with you.”
Silver stood to leave, but Radar blocked his way. “Now, hold on! Where’s our nightly chit-chat?! We have a deal.”
Even though Silver could easily push Radar out of the way, he sighed and sat back down. The two spent the rest of the afternoon just talking about whatever. Silver’s end of the deal was to actually talk about himself, while Radar provided information on supplies and safe havens.
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The sun had set by the time Silver got back to campus. Rain was packing away some supplies and storing laundry. Silver never announced when he arrived somewhere, he just appeared. Having lived in this situation for a few months, Rain had grown used to it. In fact, he had grown almost fond of their living situation. While it wasn’t ideal, having someone who seemed to understand his situation was pleasant. He didn’t know much about Silver, but he knew he had faced similar challenges in his past.
“Plan to move soon,” asserted Silver.
Rain snapped out of his dream-like state. “Huh? Why?”
“Saw some folks wandering the area. They’ll probably wanna settle here.”
“So… Why does that mean we have to leave?”
“Been here a long time. If w’are being followed, it’s best to get a move on. If we’re not, those people’ll probably come here.”
“So what if they come here?”
“Shouldn’t be around too many people. Could lead to trouble. Remember last time we tried reintegrating?”
Rain thought back to when he was shot for refusing to pay for some goods. In his defense, the cost of the product was way too high for what the product was. Not to mention, he didn’t necessarily have the means to pay anyway. “Fine,” he obliged.
“Ll’leave in a week.”
Rain huffed but didn’t argue.
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Rain and Silver began packing for their move. When Silver finished his part, he took out a can of food and began eating. He left half of the can full, so Rain could eat when he was done. Silver sat on a couch that was falling apart and leaned his head back with his feet on the table. Rain finished soon after and sat beside Silver to eat the rest. He looked to Silver. His chest's slow and steady rising and falling let Rain know Silver had fallen asleep. His stillness otherwise was statue-esque. Rain put the can of food down, rested his head on Silver’s shoulder, and fell asleep.
In the morning, Silver woke up first. Without moving too much, he gently shifted Rain’s head so that he could continue sleeping while Silver carried out final preparations. Before finalizing, he stood and stared at Rain for a few moments. It was times like these when Rain seemed fully at peace. He only wished he could consistently give that to Rain.
When Rain finally awoke, they started their travels outside the city. Not that the walk was far, but it was much more strenuous with all their supplies on their backs. Silver took him down the path he had consistently taken the past few months. Rain didn’t know where they were going but recognized they were getting closer to the shore. What could possibly be there that they needed? The weather didn’t help with his excitement either. He knew the cold air would only become harsher as they got closer to the water.
Silver had brought them to Radar’s temporary station. He led the way into the cave and up to the front door. Following a familiar pattern, he knocked on the door. This time, Radar answered.
“I knew you’d have company,” exclaimed Radar. “Come in, come in.”
Both moved into the house. A wave of uneasiness washed over Rain. He didn’t know this man, but he recognized the uniform he wore. It was the same one he had worn in his time enlisted. He figured Radar must’ve been new as he had never seen or even heard of him before now.
On the floor were various sets of new limbs. “Take your pick,” offered Radar.
Rain whispered to Silver, “What the hell is going on here?”
Radar could see Rain’s apprehension from a mile away. “Ah, I see,” he said directly to Rain, holding his hand out to shake. “I’m Radar. Kinda offer supplies to people you like.”
“People like me?” Rain was immediately offended.
“Yeah, y’know,” Radar looked between Silver and Rain, “Deserters!”
Rain’s eyes twitched with annoyance.
Silver finally spoke up, “He worked under me for a few years.” He was crouched over the options, deciding which he wanted.
“Then how come I’ve never met him?”
“He’s a specialist. They kinda all sit far from the squad. Send reports back about how safe locations are, work on new tech. That sorta thing.”
Radar nodded in agreeance. Seeing Silver’s complete trust in Radar, Rain eased up a bit. He still wasn’t too sure of this figure. For all he knew, Radar could be offering goods to extort them later on. Even still, he knelt beside Silver and looked through his options.
The two eventually picked whatever they wanted and switched out what they had for what they chose. Rain struggled a bit more, only recently being afflicted with his current condition. Radar had offered to help him, but he wasn’t easily trusting and would’ve rather struggled alone than let a stranger near him.
“I can see you still are skeptical about me. What can I do to amend that?” Radar spoke in a rather serious tone, unlike the one he had greeted the two with.
Rain just squinted and glared at Radar. He wasn’t sure what Radar could do, but he wanted him to do something. “Tell me about yourself,” he settled on.
“Hmm, alright.” Radar began talking about himself with relative ease. He didn’t feel he needed to hide things, especially not from people whose trust he wanted. He rambled on about his enlisting, how long he served, how he served under Silver, and what he did now. Not that he was entirely sin-free, he kept a clean track record. Radar had hoped it was enough to prove to Rain that he wasn’t out to get him.
The two had finally finished switching out parts. Silver ended up assisting Rain in the process. “You two are more than welcome to stay here for a few days. I won’t be staying much longer, but while I am here, it’s nice to have the company,” offered Radar.
Silver asked, “Why’re you moving so soon?”
“New sergeant, new rules.” While Radar despised the new sergeant, he never held his issues against Silver. He knew there were plenty of reasons someone would up and leave. It was unlike him to hold grudges.
Silver raised his brows, “Who’s the new sarge?”
“Some dick named Jasper,” Radar was heavily annoyed at even the mention of the man.
“Jasper?” Silver seemed surprised.
“Yeah… Why? You know him?”
Silver nodded.
Rain chimed in, “How do you know him?”
“Used to work together. Years ago. Can’t say I’m fond of him.”
“Whoaaaa, big words from a small talker. Must mean you really don’t know him!” A smile grew on Radar’s face. He looked to Rain for affirmation. He could see a slight smile grow on Rain’s face. “Sooo? What’s the story?”
“There’s no story. Just don’t like him.”
Recognizing he wouldn’t get Silver to talk, he began complaining about Jasper. He went on about how cruel he had been to other soldiers, his unjust rules, and his surprise visits.
“He’ll eventually figure out you’re colluding with ‘enemies.’” Silver spoke up again.
“And when he does, I’ll just have to kill him before he kills me,” Radar joked. Silver wasn’t amused. Jasper was a serious threat to Radar’s safety. He knew power was the one thing Jasper would do anything for.
The three continued chatting late into the night before all turning in. Radar went to his bed, a cot was set up in the loft for Rain, and Silver slept on the couch. With Jasper in such close proximity, Silver wondered what the future held for them.
