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artificialqueens · 2 years

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Will You Make Me Believe? 1/? (Group Fic) - Candy Cane

A/N: well folks, ive been working on a new massive project for the past month that i really, really hope yall enjoy!!!<3 for this first chapter, id like to thank Grinder for the beta and Veronica for the cheerleading yall mean so much to me u are both so appreciated 😭😭 i have a few chapters built up so hopefully i can have a semi-normal posting schedule.

Story Summary: After ten years of the government taking down major cities, the collapse of Chicago is devasting for the Rebellion in New York and the Resistance in Las Vegas. They are trying to fight back, but things get complicated when the leader of the Rebellion disappears. Bob goes looking for her and instead makes two new friends, Kim and Naomi. When the three friends return to New York, they learn that Sasha and Peppermint went off looking for Bob weeks ago. With a new goal in mind, Bob sets out with a team of her most trusted to track down her friends. But there's a much darker truth waiting for them in the Outside.

Everything is crumbling to dust around her. Buildings are falling, people are screaming and running, and the sky is pitch black even though it’s supposed to be mid-afternoon. The only thing Kim can hear is the sound of blood rushing in her ears, and she is helpless to the chaos around her.

“KIM!” she hears Trixie cry out, a bloodcurdling scream that never fails to strike terror through the very core of her being.

Kim runs to where Trixie’s voice is coming from, narrowly avoiding chunks of buildings falling from the sky, but it seems no matter how fast she runs or which corners she turns she cannot find her.

“TRIXIE?!” she screams, her heart beating faster and faster the longer it takes to find her friend, “TRIXIE!”

“HELP ME! HELP!” Trixie’s wails ring out.

But Kim can’t find her, because the debris hitting the streets and the screams of all the other people drowns out Trixie’s voice. The sun disappeared, their world crumbles and falls around her, debris crashing into the roads threatens to take her with it, bombs go off like thunder, the smell of smoke overwhelms her, people drop like flies around her with a cacophony of screams and-

And she can’t find her best friend.

Kim turns another corner in this maze of rubble and bodies. Trixie’s screams start to get louder, so she follows the sound and runs down the nearest path. She runs and she runs and she fucking runs and she-

She finds Pearl. Her body is mangled and bloodied, impaled on metal beams, skin gray and her eyes are glazed over-

Present Day, New York City, N.Y.

Kim shoots up in bed, panting heavily and covered in a cold sweat, images still burned into her eyes. She can’t breathe.

But there is sunlight streaming in through the window, the bird’s song can be heard, her blanket is big and soft, and Naomi’s light snores fill the room. Kim closes her eyes, making sure not to screw them up too tight, and inhales deeply. She allows the breath to relax every muscle in her body. When she opens her eyes, she can no longer see the destruction of her city, only the tiny bedroom she’s been sharing with Naomi for the last week.

She swings her legs over the side of the bed, relishing the feeling of hard linoleum beneath her toes, the chill refreshing her panicked mind. Her dark hair naturally spills over her shoulders in a way that it hasn’t since before Chicago was destroyed, and it has a sheen to it that she hadn’t realized she missed.

Kim, careful to not wake Naomi, walks over to the window and leans against it. People are walking around on the sidewalks, children are playing in yards, cars are speeding past each other, and Kim’s heart aches watching it all. All of them are so oblivious to the Outside, they are all living in a bubble, hidden away from the horrors of fallen cities and catching trains that don’t want them.

“Again?” Naomi asks gently, startling Kim out of her thoughts.

Kim looks at Naomi and is immediately taken by how gorgeous she is, even just awoken from sleep. There’s a pensive look on her face, her bonnet is tied neatly, and her tank top is lopsided on her shoulders, but somehow she is the most beautiful person Kim has ever seen.

Kim sighs, “…You weren’t there.”

“I know,” Naomi says sympathetically, “But that doesn’t mean you have to suffer alone, Kim.”

Kim looks back outside the window, thinking of how just a week ago Naomi, Bob, and herself were climbing a fucking mountain to get here. She can still feel the hot sun on her skin and the strain the climb had on her muscles, it’s something she would rather not redo.

“I didn’t mean to wake you up,” Kim says instead. She’s not ashamed of the obvious topic change.

“I was going to be up soon anyways,” Naomi says, getting out of the bed as she does, “Been a really long fucking time since I could have an uninterrupted eight hours of sleep, my body still isn’t used to being here.”

Kim hums thoughtfully, watching as a kid trips and falls playing hopscotch, “We’ve only been here a week, I’m pretty sure it’ll take way longer than that before you get used to… this.”

Naomi giggles softly, her voice music to Kim’s ears, and she comes up behind her to place her chin on Kim’s shoulder, hugging her tight from behind. Kim melts into Naomi’s touch, she’s never felt connected to someone like she has to this girl. Not even Trixie or Pearl, as much as she doesn’t want to admit it.

“I guess that makes sense,” Naomi says, her breath tickling Kim’s ear.

Kim rolls her eyes, “You guess?”

“I wish things could move quicker, ever since we got here I’ve felt constantly exhausted,” Naomi complains, “That never used to happen before.”

Kim just smiles and shakes her head fondly, she could never get tired of listening to this woman speak. They stay like that for several minutes, just holding each other and people watching. Kim wishes they could stay like this forever, fuck everything else.

There’s a knock on the bedroom door, and they both jump at the sudden sound. Awkwardly, Kim pulls away from Naomi, unable to keep a blush off her cheeks.

“Who is it?” Naomi asks, pointedly not looking Kim in her eyes.

“It’s Bob,” the woman calls from the other side of the door, voice full of annoyance.

Naomi lets out a sigh of relief, “Come in.”

Bob opens the door and slips inside the small room, making sure to close it behind her.

“We need to talk,” Bob says, stress painted on her face.

It seems ever since the three of them made it to New York, all they’ve done is talk. Kim is starting to get tired of it, reliving the last two months every single day has been draining her completely. She wishes they could’ve pretended nothing happened when they got here, but people are missing, good people who want to help change the way things are, just like she does.

Kim shares a worried look with Naomi, who seems to be equally as stressed, “About…?”

Bob inhales deeply, “Chicago.”

Kim tenses up, flashes of dust and debris flashing across her vision, “What about it?”

“We’ve managed to track down Sasha and Peppermint to the Chicago area, and… we don’t know how much of it is left, Kim,” Bob explains, her mental exhaustion evident, “But you do.”

~*~

9 Weeks, 2 Days Earlier Chicago, I.L.

“Hey, hey! Wake up!”

Kim was roused from unconsciousness, hands violently shaking her shoulders. Blearily, Kim peeled her eyes open, despite her eyelids feeling like they weighed a million pounds. Pearl was kneeling down in front of her, and even in total darkness, Kim could see her blonde hair was covered in dirt and she had tear tracks streaming down her face. The city alarms whirring in the distance made Kim wince, but she held eye contact with Pearl, unsure of what else to do.

Kims spoke despite the fact her mouth felt as dry as a desert, “Wha… What’s happening?

“Don’t panic, okay?” Pearl said, then she grabbed Kim’s arms to help her friend sit up.

Kim looked around them with horror as realization slowly seeped in. They were in a tiny cavern- Except that wasn’t right, because there were no cave systems in Chicago. She was just out on the street with Pearl, Trixie, and Shea, right? Now they were somewhere dark, cold, and cramped. She was sitting on dirt, and rubble was surrounding them.

Memories flooded into her mind. They had been out on the town for their usual dinner and a show, a Friday night tradition that began a year ago after the four friends had a particularly rough week. None of them had been expecting this, although maybe they should have.

First came the alarms, loud and dizzying, they effectively froze the four girls in their spots. The bombs began going off just minutes later. She only knew they were bombs because she had heard the sound in video games before. Then buildings started to crumble, and chunks of the city fell down onto the people it was supposed to support and protect. At that point, people around them started screaming and started running. Finally, she was able to start moving too, her friends on her heels. Every step she took she could feel the earth quaking beneath her, and that was when Kim knew that they were well and truly fucked.

“Why would I?” Kim asked, tone dripping with sarcasm, “Can’t see a reason for that.”

Shea, who was roughly a yard away from her turned to give Kim a sour look, “Now is not the fucking time.”

Kim didn’t hear her though, instead, all she saw was Shea cradling Trixie’s limp body. Without a second thought, Kim attempted to move from her spot. She was stopped by an excruciating pain shooting up her leg, which resulted in an uncontrollable scream. Kim fell backward, panting heavily from the agony and tears welled up in the corners of her eyes.

“Shit- I thought you fucking knew about that!” Pearl said. She wrapped her arms around Kim’s shoulders to bring her to a sitting position again, her grip was almost too tight but Kim welcomed the distraction from the pain in her leg.

“No idea,” Kim gasped out, eyes screwed up tightly.

She pressed her face into Pearl’s chest, crying silently and confused as all fuck about what happened to all of them. The pain was unbearable, and she knew that if she looked at her friends she would just see pity, which was somehow worse. Instead, Kim raised her head and looked down at her leg, and it became incredibly obvious what was wrong with her.

Blood was running down her shin and all down her foot, and when she tilted her head she could see the gash it poured from. Kim pushed down the dread building in her stomach, she looked away from her injury and opted to look at Shea instead. The woman wore an ill expression, her eyes stuck on Kim’s injury, but Kim knew Shea was the only one who could do what needed to be done.

“Shea- Shea,” Kim demanded until her friend looked her in her eyes, “You have to-to listen to me closely, okay?”

Shea nodded shakily, “What do you need?”

“I need to know if Trixie is alive, Shea,” Kim said.

“She’s alive, she has to be alive,” Shea choked out, pulling their friend closer.

Kim blinked back tears, “You don’t know for sure?”

“I- I don’t-”

“Shea.”

Finally, the woman nodded and laid Trixie down on the soft dirt. Kim and Pearl watched with bated breath as Shea felt Trixie’s neck for a pulse. All Kim could think at the moment was that Trixie had better fucking be alive, or she would bring the blonde bitch back just to kill her again for doing that to her.

Then Shea looked up at the other two with bright, excited eyes, “I feel something! She has a pulse, she’s definitely alive!”

“Holy fucking shit,” Pearl sobbed out.

Kim closed her eyes and counted her blessings, ��Okay, okay. Is she hurt?”

Shea quickly gave Trixie a once over and shook her head, “She’s just out cold.”

“Wish that were me, lucky bitch,” Pearl muttered.

Kim ignored Pearl, though she understood the sentiment, “Alright, are you hurt?”

“I’m fine- Well, as fine as I can be,” Shea said, sitting back on her heels.

Kim nodded, “Okay, and Pearl? What about you?”

“My arms are all scraped up,” Pearl said, then after a pause she added, “My sides hurt really bad, too.”

Kim frowned, that was two injuries, one unconscious friend, and three people pumped full of adrenaline that would wear off sooner than any of them would have liked. She was scared. She wanted to lay down and sleep, and pray that when she woke up her city would be saved, Trixie would be awake, and all of this could just be a bad dream. But she knew that if they didn’t get out of here soon things would be ten times more difficult.

“What supplies do we have?” Kim asked.

Shea rubbed her face roughly with her hands, obviously stressed, “I don’t know! Whatever we fell down here with?”

“That includes our bags, right?”

Pearl sighed, defeated, “So a bunch of credit cards, lipstick, and hand sanitizer. Perfect.”

Shea gasped, “Hand sanitizer! Of course!”

“What?” Pearl asked, unconsciously pulling Kim closer.

“We have to clean out her leg,” Shea said, getting up to go look for their scattered items.

“And what about bandages? We clean it and then what?” Pearl said, gently helping Kim lean against the wall of dirt so she could help Shea look around.

Kim grimaced, “We can tear some of the fabric off my skirt.”

Shea and Pearl shared a look of surprise. Both seemed nervous at the suggestion, they knew how excited she was when she first found the skirt, but all Kim cared about was getting the four of them out of… wherever they were. Clothes could be replaced, their lives couldn’t.

“You sure?” Shea asked as she bent down to grab one of their purses.

It was Trixie’s, Kim could recognize that hot pink monstrosity anywhere, even when it was covered in dirt. At least the zipper was closed. Hopefully, that meant all the hand sanitizer Trixie was obsessed with carrying around with her was still in there.

“Of course I’m sure,” Kim bit back, the pain getting worse by the second.

Shea knelt down beside Kim and opened the purse, grinning victoriously when she found what she was looking for. Pearl meanwhile was sorting through Kim’s handbag, a much larger purse that Pearl liked to refer to as the “mom bag,” and she pulled out the small pair of thread scissors Kim kept in case of emergencies. She never expected this to be the kind of emergency she would need those scissors for.

Pearl looked at Kim as she shakily grabbed the hem of her skirt, “An inch in width, right?”

“Right, if we need more we can just cut more,” Kim said with a firm nod.

Shea helped Kim stand up so that Pearl could cut all the way around the skirt, which was probably more painful than the injury itself. Once she was standing, Pearl made quick work of the garment, despite shaking like a leaf. Kim leaned heavily on Shea the whole time and kept her gaze fixated on Trixie, who was still passed out. She wished Trixie was awake, if only to have comfort from her best friend.

After Kim was sitting back down again with her back propped up against the wall of compacted debris, Pearl soaked the strip of fabric in sanitizer and wrapped it tightly around the cut, which apparently went all the way down to the bottom of Kim’s foot. The alcohol burned against the open wound, but it was better than nothing. At least her chances of dying from infection were lowered significantly. She would still be of use to her friends.

Then Trixie started moving. Slowly she sat up, eyes wide and wild with confusion as she took in their surroundings.

“Trix,” Kim breathed out.

Trixie locked eyes with her and screamed.

~*~

Present Day, New York City, N.Y.

“There’s nothing left of Chicago, I already told both of you that,” Kim says, frustration prominent in her tone.

Bob sighs and pinches the bridge of her nose, “I saw the outskirts, I know it’s not totally flattened.”

“It may as well be,” Kim argues, sitting down on the edge of the bed.

Naomi glances at Bob with a terrified expression, “Are you sure they’re in Chicago?”

“It’s our only lead,” Bob says quietly, “I’m going to have to go back for them.”

Kim snaps her head up to look at her friend, “What?!”

“I can’t let them die out there thinking they are looking for me-”

“I don’t care! You will die this time!”

“How? How do you know that, Kim? Because so far you have a lot of warnings without a lot of reason!”

“I know because my friends are dead, Bob,” Kim finally says, tears welling up in her eyes.

She looks down at her hands, and for a second she sees dirt, ash, and blood on them, then blinks rapidly to snap herself out of it.

Naomi gasps softly, “Kim…”

The tension in the air, once palpable, melts away at her admission of guilt. There’s a new quiet between the three women, and Kim hangs her head, refusing to look the other two in the eyes. She never wanted them to know, but she didn’t have a choice. She needs them to understand her.

“...Why didn’t you tell us sooner?” Bob asks, sitting down beside Kim and placing her hand on her shoulder.

Kim stares at her hands, “Well, like most people, I don’t really like talking about my dead friends or that they’re dead because of me.”

Naomi scoffs and sits down on Kim’s other side, “You know what she means.”

“Yeah, I do,” Kim agrees softly.

They’re all silent for a few, long moments, simply relishing each other’s company. When Kim first found them all those weeks ago, she never expected to wind up being so fucking attached to them. She wouldn’t be alive without them, that much is certain. She would still be at that train station, waiting on a savior that would never arrive.

Bob finally speaks up again, “I’m not asking either of you to come with me, you know.”

Naomi smiles at her, “You’re crazy if you think I’m letting you go alone.”

As much as Kim doesn’t want to go back, it would kill her if something happened to them out there and she wasn’t there to stop it. She’s lost so much already, she cannot lose Naomi and Bob, too. She won’t allow it.

“I’ve already saved both your asses twice, what’s one more?” Kim says, smiling when Naomi leans her head on her shoulder.

Bob grabs her hand tightly. Kim hopes they don’t regret this in a month, or even a week. It’s a stupid idea, all three of them know it, but it doesn’t change anything. After everything Bob has done for her, she owes her friend this favor.

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artificialqueens · 2 years

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Will You Make Me Believe? 2/? (Group Fic) - Candy Cane

A/N: thank u again to veronica and grinder for beta'ing and motivating me!!! i hope you all enjoy this second chapter <333

Story Summary:

After ten years of the government taking down major cities, the collapse of Chicago is devasting for the Rebellion in New York and the Resistance in Las Vegas. They are trying to fight back, but things get complicated when the leader of the Rebellion disappears. Bob goes looking for her and instead makes two new friends, Kim and Naomi.

When the three friends return to New York, they learn that Sasha and Peppermint went off looking for Bob weeks ago. With a new goal in mind, Bob sets out with a team of her most trusted to track down her friends. But there’s a much darker truth waiting for them in the Outside.

The Night Chicago Fell

New York City, N.Y.

The Rebellion had been tracking the Feds’ next move for months, yet they never could have been prepared for what happened that night. Their tip said they had at least another three months before Chicago was taken down, and foolishly, the entirety of the Rebellion had believed it. The Rebellion had even contacted the southwestern-based Resistance to share the information and their plans for preventing the collapse. There was so much riding on this tip.

Trust was not something that came easily in this age of collapsing cities, but they had trusted their source, and that was something Bob would forever regret. Sure, the possibility that said source was actually a double agent had crossed her mind, how could it not? Their secret tipper wasn’t someone Bob had ever met. But Bianca trusted them, and that had been enough. Bianca had never brought up the idea of the agent being a mole, and Bob had a million other things to take care of. Somehow, it all just slipped away. That would forever be a regret.

Bob was on the balcony of the Rebellion’s headquarters, an unreasonably expensive townhouse, with Thorgy when the Chicago bombings started. It was a usual night for them, Thorgy was sipping on a glass of red wine while Bob ranted about the latest thing that was bothering her. That night, she happened to be particularly annoyed about the crowded bedrooms. Living with a dozen people created a laundry list of problems for her to complain about and she had no shame in doing so, and Thorgy found Bob’s stress to be hilarious. A win-win for both of them.

Laila frantically swung the glass balcony door open. Bob and Thorgy turned around abruptly, and they were met with big, fearful eyes. Bob immediately knew what the problem was, but she still asked, because she still held onto hope that they hadn’t run out of time.

“What’s going on?”

“It’s Chicago,” Laila said, panting for breath from having run up three flights of stairs, “You need to go talk to Bianca.”

No one had to tell her twice. She ran past Laila, went through the bedroom, and down the stairs as fast as she could manage. Dread filled up every bone in her body and terror coursed through her veins.

Bob barreled into the living room full of people, but was paralyzed by the images on the TV screen. She had seen it all before, everyone in the room had. All of them had lived through some horrible event or another in the last ten years.

No, watching Chicago collapse underneath itself in real-time wasn’t what hurt her so deeply. It was the knowledge that she could have prevented this.

She could have stopped the bombs falling from the sky, the buildings being blown to smithereens, the people running, the people falling, the people dying. She felt sick and subconsciously reached out to hold the hand of the person she was standing closest to, who happened to be her younger sister, Monet. Monet was the only reassurance Bob had, and she would gladly take whatever comfort Mo could give her.

All the members of the Rebellion stayed in the small room to watch Chicago crumble and fall. All of the news and camera crews getting the footage were slowly taken out, either by debris or the bombs themselves. The broadcasts would only last twenty minutes. They’d watch these people continue to fight to do their jobs, even as everyone died around them. It set a fire in her heart.

Monet looked at Bob with total shock, “We should have gone to Chicago earlier.”

Bob nodded stiffly, “Yeah.”

“What… What do we do now?” Monet asked, her voice quivering.

And wasn’t that the million-dollar question? Months of research, organization, and planning had been ruined in less than an hour, all because of a bad tip. Now all those people were either dead or trapped, with only TV static left to commemorate them.

Bob squeezed her sister’s hand, then squeezed past the crowd of people around the TV as she marched to the front of the room to where Bianca was standing in the corner, arms crossed over her chest and whispering to Sasha. Bob was angry, and she was not afraid of letting Bianca know it.

“Bianca,” Bob snapped, planting herself between Bianca and Sasha, “How in this fucked up world was our tip off by months?”

Bianca grimaced, and refused to look Bob in her eyes, “I wish I knew.”

“That’s it? That’s all you have to say?” Bob asked angrily.

“What else am I supposed to say? We were too fucking late, that’s the long and short of this whole mess,” Bianca said. While her expression was as stoic as ever, her voice still carried remorse.

Sasha rested her hand on Bob’s shoulder comfortingly, a kind and sympathetic gesture that Bob appreciated. Understandably enough, they were all tense.

Sasha looked at Bianca with disapproval, “That much is obvious, Bianca. Emotions are high for all of us right now, maybe we should wait until tomorrow to discuss this further.”

Bianca sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose, “Yeah, probably.”

Bob glared at both of them, “Wait? Wait?! Are you fucking with me? Waiting is why Chicago just collapsed! If we hadn’t waited, then maybe those millions of people would still be alive right now.”

“We don’t even know if our plan would’ve worked. It wasn’t guaranteed and you know that,” Bianca argued.

“We could’ve at least tried!” Bob stressed, tears welling up in her eyes, “We just- We had a chance.”

Bianca, in an uncharacteristic moment of sympathy, hugged Bob tightly, “I know. We just have to be ready for next time. We won’t let this happen again.”

Bob melted into the shorter woman’s embrace and allowed herself to shed a few tears. There was so much more that she wanted to say, but she would never be able to. Bob knew that Bianca was hurting just as much as she was, even if it was in a different way. Things hadn’t been the same for any of them since Courtney had… Well…

Even though Bob didn’t personally know anyone in that city, it didn’t matter. People still died, lives were still destroyed, and she would mourn all of them. Parents, children, grandparents, aunts, uncles, siblings, even fucking pets… They were all real people who deserved to be grieved, they deserved to be missed, and they deserved to be remembered.

“We better not,” Bob whispered, pulling away from Bianca.

Sasha cleared her throat, awkwardly reminding the other two of her presence, “I’m going to go talk to some of the others.”

Bob nodded and watched her as she went over to Monet. When Bob looked back to Bianca, there was a darkness in her eyes. Bob hadn’t seen her look so tired and sad in years. It served as a reminder that all of them were being pushed to a breaking point. Bianca always came off so strong, or at least apathetic, that seeing her facade crack for even a second was surprising.

Bianca gestured for Bob to follow her, and the two quickly left the room. Bob didn’t know what Bianca could possibly want to say in private, but she was curious to find out. Bianca led Bob into the dining on the other side of the townhouse, basically as far away from everyone else as they could get.

“Bianca,” Bob started gently, “What-” Bianca whipped her head around, horror painted over her face, “I fucked up.”

Bob took a step back, confused and scared, “What do you mean?”

“I fucked up,” Bianca whispered, her voice hoarse while tears dripped down her cheeks.

Bob wrapped her arms around herself, unsure of how to comfort her friend, “We got a bad tip, that’s not your fault.”

Bianca closed her eyes and inhaled shakily, “You have… no idea.”

“I know that we tried, I know that our supplies are limited, and I know that we’re just gonna have to do better next time,” Bob said with all the confidence she could muster up in the moment. She didn’t know what the fuck Bianca was talking about, and she didn’t care to find out either. They were all trying to cope with the fall of Chicago.

“She would be so pissed,” Bianca murmured, and it hit Bob that this was about so much more than just Chicago.

“No, she would be proud we’re still trying,” Bob argued. In fact, she could practically hear Courtney’s voice in her head going on about the ‘fighting spirit.”

Bianca didn’t seem convinced though, she just shook her head and shrunk in on herself.

Bob sighed, “We can’t change what happened, you know that, but we can figure out how to do better.”

Bianca was silent for several seconds, then the grief and remorse on her face melted away to be replaced by a dead stare that Bob had grown accustomed to from her.

“Right… yeah,” Bianca muttered.

Bob gave her a tentative smile, “Alright, I’m gonna go find my sister. Maybe you should take an early night tonight.”

“Maybe,” Bianca repeated.

Bob squeezed Bianca’s shoulder one last time, and against her better judgement left Bianca alone in the dining room. Bianca could handle herself, she had been for several years now, and Bob knew she preferred to be left alone. She wished she could say something to make Bianca feel better, but there was nothing to say at that point. Hopefully, things really would start looking up for them soon.

~*~

Present Day

New York City, N.Y.

Bob leans over the dining room table as she examines her maps, notes, and supply lists spread out before her, her mind running a million miles an hour as she considers the best plan of action. Kim and Naomi sit down across from her, each wearing an apprehensive expression. She knows they want to help her find Sasha and Peppermint, and she will not take that for granted, but it’s still hard for her to ignore their inexperience.

Betty, Thorgy, and Laila are in the next room over, definitely in an attempt to eavesdrop on their plans and on the two newbies. Bob would chastise them, except she doesn’t want to draw more attention to Kim and Naomi than she already has by bringing them here. There were no other options, though. None of them had the money for the two girls to stay at a hotel, and Bob certainly didn’t want to leave them alone in New York after the disaster that was getting here in the first place.

Bob looks up at them tiredly and passes her map to Naomi, “According to our runner, Sasha and Pep were last seen 5 miles south-west of Chicago.”

“They got that close to the city?” Naomi asks, clearly impressed. She narrows her eyes at the marks on the map, and Bob wishes she knew what Naomi is thinking.

Kim hums thoughtfully, “That wouldn’t be too far from the train station though, and it’s easier to follow the track than just wander.”

“Sure, but that also means they could be anywhere by now. They’ve been traveling for a while now,” Naomi points out worriedly.

Bob shakes her head, “They’re still going to be close to the area, runner said they were headed north.”

Kim frowns, “North? The only thing north of Chicago is Milwaukee, and Milwaukee… Well…”

“What’s wrong with Milwaukee?” Bob asks, almost surprised by Kim’s hesitance.

“It’s not exactly that, uh, likable,” Kim explains, trying her best to not be too cruel about the city, “Or livable.”

Naomi furrows her brows, “So, why would they be going to Milwaukee?”

“It’s still intact. They might be able to replenish their resources there,” Kim explains, then glances at Bob, “And if they knew you were near the Chicago area at one point…”

Bob sighs, “Fuck, they’re just doing what they think I would do.”

Naomi shrugs, “Why wouldn’t they? You are the one they went looking for, after all.”

“I know! They went looking for me even after I explicitly said they shouldn’t!” Bob exclaims, gesturing wildly, “And here we fucking are, looking for them now!”

Bob slams her hands against the table and glares at the paperwork spread over it. Her stupid fucking friends could be anywhere. The lead they’re following is thinner than thread, nothing about what the runner saw is a guarantee. But what else does she have to go by? If this doesn’t bring her to Sasha and Peppermint, then all of them are fucked.

She breathes in deeply, the stress of the situation overwhelming her and making her sweat. They don’t know what city will be destroyed next, they don’t know where Sasha and Peppermint are, and they don’t know who the mole is. There isn’t much room for things to get bleaker.

“If only we fucking knew what was next,” she says angrily, clenching her hands into fists.

Naomi sympathetically rubs Bob’s shoulder, “We’ll figure something out.”

Kim nods, “That’s why we’re going with you. You won’t be alone.”

Bob finds it admirable of both of them to insist on coming with her after everything they’ve been through. Between Kim revealing what happened to her friends and Naomi’s hesitancy to discuss her past, they have more than enough reason to want to stay in New York. Things have happened to the three of them in the last nine weeks that most people won’t experience in a lifetime, and maybe that’s why they want to come with her. How are the three of them supposed to move on as if nothing happened? In a way, it’s easier to just go back to the Outside and continue to fight.

Bob falls back into a chair, “We need to leave tomorrow morning, before dawn.”

Naomi quirks an eyebrow, “Why not today?”

“We need a solid night of rest and time to prep for the journey. If we play our cards right, I should be able to get us a better form of transportation,” Bob says, determinedly staring at the map before her.

There’s a big red circle around the radius of where Sasha and Peppermint could be, and it makes her sick to look at it. If she closes her eyes, she can still feel Sasha hugging her tightly and smell Peppermint’s sweet floral perfume. This is the closest to hell Bob ever wants to get.

Betty speaks up from the threshold to the dining room, Laila and Thorgy right behind her, “There’s no way in hell you three are going alone.”

Bob turns to look at her sharply, this is the last thing she needs right now, “There is, actually, because you and everyone else are staying here.”

“And let you go get yourself killed for a second time in one year? Are you fucking crazy?” Betty asks, stepping forward boldly.

“Betty, you know I have to go look for them,” Bob says tiredly, her voice bordering on begging.

“Yeah, but that doesn’t mean you have to be so stupid about it,” Betty says, rolling her eyes and propping her hands on her hips, “You need strength and safety, and you’re not going to get that from those two. Look at them, can they really handle themselves out there? Because I bet those newbies don’t have half the experience I do in the Outside. ”

Naomi tenses up and stands up defensively, “Newbies? Newbies? You have no idea the shit I have been through. You don’t know what I’m capable of, so I suggest you don’t fucking try it with me.”

Kim rubs her face, “Naomi-”

Betty scowls and cuts Kim off, “Exactly, I don’t know you. So why would I trust you to keep my friend alive?”

Thorgy taps Betty’s shoulder, “Hey…”

Both girls ignore her though, too wrapped up in their argument to try and calm down.

“Who says I haven’t already?” Naomi says, practically seething as she takes a few steps closer to Betty, “Someone had to get her back here alive, you know. The three of us went through something out there, and that’s why we’re going back with her.”

“And you really want a repeat of that disaster?” Betty says, shifting her gaze to Bob. She stares her dead in her eyes with a darkness and certainty that Bob hasn’t seen from her in a very long time, “Bob, you know me. You know I can handle myself better than any girl out there. You need me in the Outside. Trust me, you're better off with me.”

Bob grimaces and gets up to stand next to Naomi while holding eye contact with Betty, “It’s not safe out there, no matter how experienced you are.”

“Then let me go with you,” Betty demands, “There’s strength in numbers.”

Bob groans and pinches the bridge of her nose, frustrated that no one gets her point, “I don’t want to risk losing everyone, Betty.”

“Well, I can’t risk losing you again!” Betty says, tears welling up in her eyes, “Do you know what it was like these last few months? The waiting, the not knowing, and then having a fucking funeral for you! Then you just waltz back in here like we haven’t been grieving you for weeks! Weeks! I never want to live through that again. I never want to have to tell Monet you’re dead again.”

Bob winces and takes a step back, she can’t look away from Betty’s accusatory gaze. She’s breathing heavily, anger flowing off of her in waves. Thorgy slaps Betty’s arm like she’s chastising a child, Kim stands up from her chair, and Laila crosses her arms over her chest. Bob does feel guilty for making her go through all of that, even if it wasn’t intentional.

Bob sighs and turns her eyes to the floor, unable to look at Betty any longer, “Look, I’m sorry, I know this hasn’t been easy-”

“You’re right! It’s been fucking awful, and that’s why I’m going with you. …I have to know,” Betty says, leveling her gaze with Bob’s.

Bob takes a few steps forward to pull her friend into a tight hug, “I’m sorry.”

“You better be,” Betty murmurs, returning the embrace.

Thorgy crosses her arms over her chest and steps through the threshold, “I want to go too.”

Bob stares at her, “What?”

“Oh come on, Bob, you’re not an idiot,” Thorgy says, rolling her eyes.

“But apparently you’ve lost your damn mind,” Bob snarks, pulling away from Betty, “It’s dangerous out there, Thorg’, real fucking dangerous, and you have never been in the Outside.”

“That doesn’t make me useless and you know that.”

“It does make you a liability,” Bob says, barely repressing her anger.

Kim throws her hands up into the air, frustration written all over her face, “Will all of you stop acting like toddlers? This isn’t a game. We are running out of time and there are lives on the line, so just make up your minds already!”

Everyone stares at her, and Bob can’t help feeling both proud of Kim and a little embarrassed by her bickering with Thorgy. She hasn’t known Kim for very long, but she’s smart and driven, which is how Bob knows that they’ll be friends for a while yet. Kim is also right, they don’t have time to be fighting with each other, not when Sasha and Peppermint are out there.

Laila smirks, “I knew I liked her.”

Bob chuckles and side-eyes Laila, “You always have perfect timing, girl.”

Bob goes back over to the table and frowns at her notes. It would be a massive risk to take so many people into the Outside, and it would leave their base emptier than it’s been in years. She wonders briefly what Sasha would do, then what Peppermint would do. As much as she doesn’t like it, she knows exactly what they would do in this situation- what they did do.

“Alright,” Bob sighs, “You two can come with.”

Betty and Thorgy smile victoriously, while Kim and Naomi look at her with confusion. She’ll just have to explain her reasoning to them later.

Thorgy claps her hands excitedly, “Okay! I’ll go put supplies together.”

“Hold on, there’s one condition,” Bob says.

Betty cocks her head to the side, “What?”

“We don’t spilt up. No matter what, we all stick together,” Bob says, leaving no room for argument, then she points at Kim and Naomi, “That goes for you two as well.”

Everyone nods and agrees to her stipulation, though Kim and Naomi don’t look happy. Bob is surprised, but thankful, that Laila doesn’t insist on joining them. At least someone understands her and her worries. Thorgy exits the room with Betty on her heels, muttering something about calling a guy. Bob hopes she means their automobile source, but there’s no telling with Betty.

Laila, however, gives Bob a sad smile, “Courtney would be proud, you know.”

Those words hit Bob like a truck, and for a brief moment she knows in the depths of her soul that Laila is right.

“Thanks,” Bob whispers, and with that Laila slips out of the room.

When Bob turns around to look at the newest members of her crew, Naomi is leaning against the table, lips pressed tightly together, while Kim just stands there looking worried.

Bob raises an eyebrow, “Look, I know it’s not ideal…”

Naomi scoffs, “They’ll just slow us down and you know it.”

“They mean well,” Bob offers, though she knows Naomi is right.

“What are their skills?” Naomi asks her.

“Betty is our best gunman, her aim is perfect and she never misses. And Thorgy is trained in medicine, she’s better than any nurse,” Bob explains, “I promise, they’ll help us.”

Kim still looks skeptical, “They don’t know what it's like out there. I didn’t until just a few weeks ago.”

“I know, but Betty spent a year out there alone, and Thorgy’s done her research,” Bob reassures her, walking forward to take hold of both Kim’s hands, “We can do this, okay? In and out.”

Both of her friends know it’s a lie. This rescue mission could be weeks or it could be months, but Bob’s confidence consoles them.

Naomi stares at where Bob’s hands are holding Kim’s, an unfamiliar fire in her eyes, “What do you need us to do?”

“Pack. Take whatever you want from our supplies, but I recommend only bringing essentials. Then y’all can shower and go to bed, enjoy the luxuries while we still have them,” Bob says, squeezing Kim’s hands before releasing them.

The two leave the room quietly and Bob feels guilty for taking them back out there with her. She knows she wouldn’t be able to go without them, that they would just follow her, so at least they’re all going together. At least they will have each other. Betty did have one really good point- There is strength in numbers.

Now all she has to do is wait for Monet and Brianna to get back from their supply run. She doesn’t know how she’s going to explain this to them, or if she even can. She’s only been back a week, and she doesn’t want to hurt them all over again. Regardless, Bob has to do this. There are no other options. She can practically hear the inevitable screaming match now.

An hour later, her prediction comes true.

Monet and Brianna enter the townhouse through the front door, their tote bags and backpacks bursting at the seams, and they see the travel bags stacked in the foyer. Bob hears Monet before she sees her, anxiety bubbling up inside her just from the sound of the door being opened.

“What the FUCK do you think you are doing?!” Monet screams, bursting into the kitchen to find her sister packing up dried and canned food, Bri right behind her.

Bob stands up and faces her sister. It’s a miracle the betrayal in Monet’s eyes doesn’t immediately kill her.

“I have to,” Bob says softly, “You know I have to.”

“You don’t have to do shit,” Monet says, her voice full of pain. Tears are streaming down her face.

Brianna stands right beside Monet and glares at Bob, and while she doesn’t say anything, the disapproval on her face speaks a thousand words.

“They are out there looking for me! I can’t stay here and live this cozy fucking life when they could die in my name,” Bob explains, throwing her hand over her heart.

Bri narrows her eyes and flips her blonde hair behind her shoulder, “I’m not happy about it either, but they made their choice. They knew the risks.”

“So do I! Why else would I be doing this?”

Monet wraps her arms around herself and stares at the floor, “Because you’re reckless, you have a massive fucking heart, and you never listen to me.”

“Monet-”

“No,” she interrupts, shaking her head, “Go. See if I fucking care. But don’t come crying to me when you realize you’ve wasted your time, or you’re dead for a second time.”

With that, Monet turns and runs up the stairs, probably to go lay in her bed and pout. Bri shoots Bob yet another angry look and chases after Monet, leaving Bob standing in the middle of the kitchen, hurt by the words from her closest friends. She has to find Sasha and Peppermint, she has to bring them home. There’s no way she can come back empty-handed now.

It’s a search and rescue mission at its core. They have to find their friends, they have to bring them home safely, and it’s not going to be easy. Bob knows that, but she still holds out hope that they’ll be back in New York soon. Milwaukee is days away, and the dust around Chicago has just settled, it would be a miracle if they were back in New York in two months.

At least she won’t be alone this time. Bob will have her friends, the people she trusts to make the journey a little safer. Now, more than ever, Bob has to prove Monet wrong. The stakes have never been higher, and Bob will be damned if she doesn’t rise to the occasion.

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