The faucet squeaked as Ava turned it off.
She stood at the sink, hands dripping. Her fingers were red and wrinkled. She had been washing them for too long.
Still, they shook.
Nazi was clinging to her leg, silent now. No more crying. Just holding on.
Ava didn't speak. She stared at her reflection in the small kitchen window. Her face looked pale. Eyes tired. Hair messy and stuck to her skin.
Her heart was still racing, like the car hadn't stopped.
Ding.
The system's voice echoed gently in her head.
[New Task: Retrieve Another Survivor – Time Limit: 6 Hours]
[Hint: Proximity Match – Subject Last Known Nearby]
Ava froze.
Uncle Ferdie.
Her chest tightened. She didn't need to think twice. He was nearby. Still alive. Probably still in that strange prepper house of his, waiting for the world to go back to normal.
But the world wasn't going back.
She dried her hands with a towel. Nazi looked up at her, eyes wide.
"Mommy?" he said quietly.
Ava crouched and brushed his hair back. "Stay with me, baby. Just a little longer."
She stood up and turned toward the living room.
Pablo sat at the table, checking the CCTV monitor they had set up. Aryan paced nearby, arms crossed, muttering to herself.
The tension in the air was thick again.
Ava stepped in. "I'm going back out."
Aryan stopped pacing. "What?"
"It's my uncle. Ferdie." She paused. "I need to save him."
Aryan's eyes widened. "You just got back! We barely made it out! Are you crazy?"
"I can't leave him," Ava said. Her voice wasn't loud, but it was firm. "He's alone. He doesn't even know what's out there yet."
Pablo stayed quiet, still watching the monitors.
Ava didn't wait for permission. She lifted her hand and opened her storage ring.
A soft glow appeared in her palm as she reached inside. A moment later, she pulled out a shotgun and placed it on the table in front of Pablo.
"You'll need this."
Pablo looked at it, then slowly nodded. "You're serious."
She turned to Aryan.
The other woman raised a brow. "And what about me?"
Ava smiled faintly and pulled out a crossbow, handing it over.
Aryan took it, inspecting it with disbelief.
"…Seriously? What am I, Daryl from The Walking Dead?"
Ava gave a tired smile. "No. You're prettier."
Aryan huffed, but a smile tugged at her lips.
Behind them, Nazi stood in the doorway, watching with big, curious eyes.
He didn't say anything.
But he was listening.
And Ava hadn't noticed the way his small fists had clenched at his sides.
Ava crouched beside Nazi. Her hands gently touched his shoulders.
"You're staying here, okay?" she said softly. "With Ate (means older sister) Aryan and Uncle Pablo. Just for a while."
Nazi's lips quivered.
He looked up at her, small hands fisted at his sides, eyes wide and watery.
"No."
Ava hesitated.
"It's dangerous out there," she said, trying to keep her voice calm. "There are bad people. Monsters. Mommy will be faster if you stay here where it's safe."
Nazi shook his head violently. His cheeks puffed, and tears gathered at the corners of his eyes.
"I don't want safe!" he cried. "I want Mommy! I go with Mommy!"
Aryan shifted awkwardly, arms crossed, looking off to the side. "He can't come, Ava. Be serious. This isn't a game."
Ava opened her mouth, then closed it.
She didn't want to argue.
But the look on Nazi's face hurt more than any of Aryan's words.
Ava stared at her son.
Nazi sniffled, wiping his face with the sleeve of his shirt. He looked small. Fragile.
But he also looked determined.
Ding!
The system flickered in her vision.
[Warning: Leaving Dependent Behind May Affect Bonding Meter.]
[Note: Some system abilities are influenced by Emotional Bond.]
Ava blinked. '...Seriously?'
The timing couldn't have been worse.
She looked up at the sky, then down at Nazi.
This world was falling apart. But even now, the system still cared about… bonds?
She sighed.
Then stood up.
"Pablo. Aryan. Watch the cameras. Keep the gates closed. If I'm not back in six hours, assume I got stuck and activate lockdown protocols."
Pablo nodded solemnly.
Aryan muttered something under her breath but didn't argue this time.
"Come here, baby."
Nazi's face lit up. He ran toward his mom.
Ava knelt down and hugged him tightly.
"You don't let go, okay?" she whispered. "Hold on. No matter what."
"I promise," Nazi said, nodding.
She opened the backseat door and helped him inside, clicking the seatbelt into place gently.
The gate groaned as Pablo pulled it open, slow and careful. Metal scraped against concrete, the sound echoing into the night.
Ava adjusted the strap on her shoulder. Her pistol was holstered at her side. A combat knife on her thigh. Her storage ring hummed faintly against her finger, inside, extra ammo, a flashlight, and emergency supplies.
Behind her, Aryan stood near the gate, arms folded, trying to look tough.
"Don't be a hero," she called out.
Ava gave a small breath of a laugh. Not loud. Just tired.
"Too late," she muttered.
She got into the driver's seat. Nazi peeked over the backrest, wide-eyed but silent.
The gate closed behind them.
The engine hummed low as they drove down the dark provincial road.
The sky was the color of rusted copper, bruised by smoke.
Ava gripped the wheel, eyes flicking to the mirrors. Nazi sat in the back, strapped in, his little hands gripping his stuffed duck.
They passed burning houses. One had collapsed entirely, flames licking up what remained of the roof.
A wrecked van blocked one side of the road, windows shattered, streaks of blood on the hood.
Farther ahead, a crashed tricycle was overturned, its driver unmoving. A slipper lay in the middle of the street.
Ava's foot hovered above the brake. Her heartbeat slowed but steady.
She didn't stop.
Then, movement.
A group of undead, maybe seven or eight, staggered from a side alley. Their heads twitched as if sensing something.
One of them turned toward the sound of her car. Then the others.
They began to chase.
Their mouths opened wide. No sound, just hunger. Limbs flailed like broken puppets.
Ava didn't hesitate.
She stepped on the gas.
The car roared forward, swerving around a fallen bike. The zombies picked up speed, but they couldn't catch up.
She didn't look back.
After a few moments…
Gunfire cracked in the distance.
Ava squinted ahead.
There, Uncle Ferdie's place. Half-buried in trees and brush, its porch light flickering.
More gunshots. One. Then two more in quick succession.
Ava pulled over by the ditch. Her hands hovered on the wheel a moment, then turned back toward the back seat.
Nazi met her eyes.
He wasn't crying.
There was no fear, just quiet trust.
Something steady and strange for a three-year-old.
She blinked, trying to understand what it was she saw in him.
"Nazi," she whispered, "You ready to hang on?"
He gave her a smile. Not forced. Not scared. Just a soft little smile.
Ava's chest tightened.
She exhaled slowly and stepped out of the car.
She opened the back door and gently lifted him out.
She placed the wireless headphone over his ears, the soft padding resting gently against his head.
A moment later, the tune began:
"The wheels on the bus go round and round…"
Nazi's little face softened into a calm smile.
Ava tightened the straps of the carrier on her back, securing him snugly against her.
She stood and gave one last look at the car.
Then she turned toward the distant crack of gunfire, pistol in hand.