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Chapter 44 - Last Shot 2

Bryan no longer hesitates. He tightened his grip on the Fog Repeller, aimed, and pulled the trigger.

 

A burst of white light exploded from the device, swallowing Dale whole. The corruption recoiled, peeling away from his skin like smoke burned off by fire. His monstrous frame shrank and reshaped, muscle and bone folding back into a human form. When the light faded, Dale stood there again, human, trembling, barely holding on.

 

Mira's voice cracked. "Dale! You're back!"

 

But Dale didn't answer. His hands shook, his breaths uneven. Slowly, his lips moved. "Mira…?"

 

Thomas sensed it before anyone else. Something was wrong.

 

Dale looked down at his hands as if seeing them for the first time. He tried to steady himself, took a step, then fell to one knee. His skin started to pale, color draining as if the fog was seeping back inside him. He grabbed his head, groaning, his fingers digging into his hair.

 

"It hurts…" he choked out, voice cracking. "It's… it's coming back." He tried to rise again, but his legs buckled. His body trembled violently, muscles twitching as dark lines began crawling under his skin. "I can't stop it… I can't…"

 

The pain ripped another sound from his throat. His body fought against itself, the brief human form slipping away piece by piece. His eyes dulled as the Fade crept back in, reclaiming him.

 

He clenched his fists, teeth grinding. Then, before anyone could react, he grabbed a jagged scrap of metal from the ground.

 

With one final breath, he drove it into his chest.

 

Mira screamed. Iris flinched beside her, instantly pulling the girl close and pressing Mira's face against her shoulder before she could see. In the driver's seat, Thomas froze, his hand halfway to the door, too stunned to move.

 

Dale dropped to his knees, then collapsed. The movement stirred the dust around him. A single grey fragment rolled out from his chest and stopped beside his hand.

 

Silence filled the air.

 

Dale had turned human again when the Fog Repeller hit him. But he could already feel it slipping away. He knew the moment would not last. Rather than let his little sister see him turn into a monster again, he ended his own life.

 

"No… Dale… please, no…" Mira's voice cracked between sobs, her whole body shaking. "You said you'd come back…"

 

She collapsed into Iris's arms, crying uncontrollably. Iris held her tighter, one hand on the back of her head, whispering nothing because there were no words left.

 

Inside the car, no one moved. The weight of what just happened pressed down on them like a thick silence.

 

Thomas clenched his jaw. He opened the door and stepped out. Kneeling beside Dale's still body, he picked up the grey fragment that had rolled from his chest. He held it for a moment, staring at its dull glow, then turned back to the car.

 

He walked to the passenger window and gently placed the fragment into Mira's small hands. She stared at it through teary eyes, her fingers closing around it as if it might vanish. A fresh wave of sobs wracked her body, and she buried her face deeper into Iris's shoulder, clutching the fragment like it was the last piece of her brother she had left.

 

"Your brother is now free from the fog," Thomas said quietly.

 

"Free from the fog," the others echoed, their voices low. After that, nobody spoke.

 

The grey fragment resting in Mira's hands was more than a rare artifact. It was proof that Dale had protected her, even at the end. His final gift. Something that would let her reach any safe zone safely, something he himself had never been able to do.

 

They drove back to the waypoint. The air in the car was heavy, and no one spoke.

Later that day, they brought Mira back to the same group of survivors who had taken her in after Dale disappeared. She said little, only clutching the grey fragment to her chest as the caretakers welcomed her with quiet relief.

 

When everything was settled, the group left the waypoint and continued their journey.

Days passed.

 

They were still weighed down by what happened, but life had to move forward. Mira's life too. They could not take a ten-year-old with them through the fog, so they returned her to her people. With the grey fragment bound to her, Mira was safer now than she had ever been before.

 

Bryan was in a video conference while they traveled.

Thomas drove, keeping one hand on the wheel and an ear on the conversation. The air was tense but focused. They had set up regular meetings to share updates, and anyone could post in the group chat if something came up. It was how they stayed ahead, no longer wandering blind through the fog.

 

"Alright, everyone can hear me?" Bryan said as the call connected.

 

A familiar voice answered. It was Marcus.

 

"You're live," Marcus said, his tone clipped but clear. "Good. Thought I'd test the line."

Thomas leaned closer to the driver-side window, trying to join in. "I can hear you, Bryan. Can they hear me?"

 

"No, they can't hear you. Stop talking," Bryan replied, still focused on the call. He was in his winged tiger form, flying low beside the Hammer truck as it moved steadily down the road. The truck rumbled forward while Bryan kept pace in the air, staying near the outer edge of Hammer Safe Zone's radius.

 

Marcus's voice came back through the speakers. "You're not talking to me, right? Anyway," he continued, his tone shifting to business. "Listen. According to our latest reports, there's increased Fade movement near Sector District 9. No solid numbers yet, but the area's hot. You might want to reroute if you're headed that way."

 

Bryan frowned, recalling their planned route. "A lot of Fades in District 9? That's exactly where we were going. How recent is this?"

 

"Within the last twelve hours," Marcus said. "Could be packs, could be a caller, or something worse."

 

Thomas let out a long sigh. "Great. I was really hoping to get mobbed by Fades today," he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

 

Iris shook her head. "Good thing we found out before going there. Guess Bryan's web group actually works."

 

"Use the information smartly," Marcus said. "I'll update you if anything changes."

 

They discussed other topics for a few more minutes before the call ended. The intel they received was recent and valuable. Now they could plan ahead and avoid getting blindsided by Fades again.

 

The crew decided to avoid District 9, following Marcus's warning. They took the longer route, circling around toward District 10, which ran parallel to it.

 

After hours on the road, Thomas's crew reached a small safe zone made from repurposed buildings. Some of the old structures had been reinforced and turned into housing, while others were reshaped into walls. Cars, trucks, and shipping containers were stacked and welded together to form barricades around the perimeter. It wasn't large or fancy, but it was secure enough to keep the Fades out and serve as a brief stop for traders and travelers.

 

A few hours later, Thomas stood with his arms crossed, staring at the modified Hammer. It now had a reinforced strap and a harness designed for Bryan's Glint, his Winged Tiger form. With it, Bryan could latch onto the truck and lift it into the air when needed, helping them bypass broken roads or steer clear of trouble instead of clearing every path by hand.

 

Thomas grinned. "Great work, old man."

 

The old man shrugged. "As long as you're satisfied. That'll be ten single ration boxes and a couple of Pink Fragments."

 

Bryan scoffed. "You're charging Pink Fragments for this harness?"

 

The seller raised a brow. "That's not easy to make. The strap's built in, and the vehicle can still run normally."

 

Thomas handed over the payment without a word. They had bigger plans for the truck anyway. Once the deal was done, they started setting it up.

 

When they finished, Nevin leaned against the side of the truck, arms crossed. "Alright, I'll say it. This is actually kinda smart."

 

Thomas smirked. "You doubted me?"

 

"Always," Nevin said.

 

Bryan checked the harness, adjusting the straps and testing the balance. "We should only use this when necessary. Don't treat me like your private plane. The car still runs fine on the road."

 

"Yeah, but we still need to save gas," Iris reminded them. "Just because fuel exists in the Pink Fog doesn't mean we'll always find it."

 

Thomas patted the hood. "Then we use it smart. Drive when we can, fly when we have to."

And with that, their mobile safe zone's flight mode was officially created.

 

As they prepared to move out, Thomas cracked his knuckles and climbed into the driver's seat. "Alright. Let's see how far we can go before something tries to kill us."

 

Bryan sighed. "You just had to say it, didn't you?"

 

Thomas grinned. "Gotta keep things interesting."

 

The engine rumbled to life, and the truck rolled forward into the fog. None of them knew that ahead, they would soon cross paths with another crew like theirs, one unlike any they had met before.

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