Chapter 9: BREAKING POINT
Day eight started badly.
Sofia was screaming.
I bolted awake. She was on her knees in the center of the hall, hands pressed to her temples, eyes wide and unseeing. Blood ran from her nose.
Miles reached her first. "Sofia. Sofia, look at me."
"Too loud. Too loud. Make it stop. Please make it stop."
But we were alone. Six people. No one else for miles.
"What's too loud?" I asked, crouching beside her.
"The silence. It's SCREAMING. I can't—there's nothing but I hear everything. My own thoughts are eating me. Please."
Miles looked at me. "Mental break. She's been holding it together but the adjustment is too extreme. City noise to nothing. She can't process it."
"What do we do?"
"Keep her calm. Talk her down. Possibly sedate her if—"
Sofia grabbed my arm. Her grip was weak but desperate. "I need noise. Not much. Just—just one more mind. Two more. Something to focus on that isn't me."
Ruth was standing now. "She needs more people?"
"I think so." Miles checked Sofia's vitals. "Her power needs stimulus. The silence is as bad as the noise. She needs balance."
I'd planned to wait. Recruit slowly. Build stability first. But Sofia was breaking and I couldn't let that happen.
"Okay," I said. "We recruit. Find more people. Give you other minds to read."
"Soon," Sofia whispered. "Please soon. I don't know how long I can—"
She slumped. Miles caught her. "Unconscious. Stress response. She'll wake up but Marcus, we need to solve this fast. Days, not weeks."
I stood. Looked at the others. "I need to go back to the city. Find mutants. Bring them here."
"I'll go with you," Danny said immediately.
"No. You're needed here. Fire, cooking, heat. I'll take Ruth."
Ruth nodded. "When?"
"Today. Now. We walk to town, catch a bus, hit the Rusty Nail tonight. Find people who need shelter and are willing to come back with us."
"That's fast."
"Sofia needs fast."
Miles laid Sofia on her cot. "I'll watch her. Tom, Danny, keep the fire going, keep water flowing. Ruth, keep him alive."
Ruth grabbed her pack. "How long?"
"Two days minimum. Three probably. Depends on who we find."
I grabbed my jacket—torn, bloodstained, still the only one I had. Checked my pockets. Nothing. We had no money. We'd have to panhandle for bus fare.
"Marcus." Miles stopped me at the door. "If you can't find anyone willing to come immediately, come back anyway. Bring anyone—even if they're not ideal. Sofia needs this."
"I know."
Ruth and I walked. Twenty miles to town. We made it in five hours. Ruth's pace was relentless—she could carry that military pack forever and not tire. I struggled to keep up. My feet, barely healed from the first walk, opened new blisters.
We reached town at noon. I'd been here once, barely noticed it. Population maybe three thousand. One main street. A diner. Grocery store. Bus station.
The bus schedule showed one departure to New York—4 PM. Four hours.
We needed money.
Ruth and I split up. She panhandled near the grocery store. I took the diner. Two hours of begging. People avoiding eye contact. Some gave quarters. Most gave nothing.
We met back at the bus station with $8.47. Enough for two tickets with nothing left over.
The bus ride took three hours. Ruth sat rigid, watching everyone. "Haven't been back since we left. Didn't think I'd miss it. I don't. But it's strange being here."
"We're not staying long."
"Good."
We reached the city at 7 PM. Went straight to the Rusty Nail. The bar looked the same. Smelled the same. Magda was behind the counter. She looked up when we entered.
"Marcus Cole. Thought you'd given up or died."
"Built something instead."
"That right?" She poured two beers without being asked. "You actually did it? Built your mutant paradise?"
"It's not paradise. But it's ours. And we need more people."
Kyle was at his usual table. Black eyes tracked us. "You look like shit, Cole. Even worse than before."
"Week of hard labor will do that."
"So you're back recruiting?"
"Yeah. Know anyone desperate enough to try?"
He laughed. "Half the people in here. Other half are too broken to try anything. What are you offering?"
"Territory. Shelter. Clean water. Food—not great, but sustainable. Hard work. No guarantees. But it's a real place. Away from this." I gestured at the city outside.
"Selling point could use work," Ruth muttered.
Magda leaned forward. "How many people you got?"
"Six. Need at least two more. Four would be better."
"And you're offering what—labor camp in the wilderness?"
"I'm offering the chance to build something instead of hide from something. To live without fear. To use powers without apologizing."
"Still sounds like a labor camp."
"Maybe. But it's our labor camp."
She considered. "There's three kids. Came in last week. Powers manifested, families threw them out. Young—fifteen, sixteen. Sleeping in an abandoned building two blocks from here. They'd probably come."
"Ages?"
"Too young. But they're dying slow out there. You want to help them or not?"
Ruth looked at me. I looked at the bar.
Three kids. Fifteen, sixteen. Danny's age or younger. I'd wanted adults. People who could contribute immediately. But Miles had said bring anyone. Sofia needed minds, not productive citizens.
"Where's the building?"
Magda gave directions. Ruth and I left the bar and walked two blocks. The building was condemned—boards over windows, graffiti everywhere. We found them in the basement.
Three teenagers. Two boys, one girl. Dirty. Scared. Powers visible.
One boy had feathers growing from his arms. The other's skin shifted colors constantly—camouflage he couldn't control. The girl had extra eyes. Four total. All seeing in different directions.
They scrambled back when we entered.
"Easy," I said, hands visible. "We're not here to hurt you. I'm Marcus. This is Ruth. We're building a settlement. Place for mutants. We need people. You need shelter. Interested?"
The boy with feathers spoke. "Who are you?"
"Someone who got tired of hiding. Someone who built something. It's not much yet. But it's safe. And it's ours."
"Where?"
"Upstate. Abandoned factory. We have six people. Water. Shelter. Food. Hard work. But no one hunting you."
"Why would you help us?"
Good question. Why was I helping three kids I'd never met?
Because Sofia is breaking. Because we need population. Because I remember being alone and scared even if it was only for weeks instead of years.
"Because I can," I said. "And because you deserve better than this."
The girl with four eyes studied me. All four eyes independently, which was disorienting. "You're not lying. I can see lies. Heat signatures. You believe what you're saying."
"I do."
They looked at each other. Some wordless communication.
"If it's worse than here, we leave," the feathered boy said.
"Deal."
"When?"
"Tomorrow morning. Bus at 6 AM."
"We don't have money."
"Neither do we. We'll figure it out."
Ruth and I left them there and walked back toward the Rusty Nail. We needed four people. We had three. Not enough.
"The kids will help Sofia," Ruth said. "More minds. Even young ones."
"I know. But we need someone who can contribute. Someone with skills."
"Marcus Cole."
I turned. A woman stood in the alley mouth. Twenty-something. Hispanic. Burn scars on her arms. I knew her—Sofia. No, not Sofia. Someone else from the church basement. Had I met her? No. But similar.
"You don't remember me," she said. "I was at the Rusty Nail. Weeks ago. You talked about building territory. I didn't believe you."
"And now?"
"Now you're back recruiting. Which means either you actually did it or you're the most committed liar I've ever met." She stepped closer. "My power kills plants. Touch them and they rot. I've been fired from every garden center and farm I've ever worked. But in a city, I'm useless. And I'm tired of being useless."
Her name hit me. Marissa. Plant death. Beta-class probably.
"You'd come? Tomorrow?"
"If you're real. If this isn't some trap."
"It's real. Hard work. Basic conditions. But real."
She nodded slowly. "Then I'm in. Where do we meet?"
"Bus station. 6 AM."
"I'll be there."
She walked away. Ruth looked at me. "Four people. Three kids and a plant killer. This is our recruiting?"
"It's what we have."
"Sofia better appreciate this."
We slept in an abandoned building that night. Couldn't afford a room. Ruth took first watch while I slept. Then switched. No trouble. Just cold concrete and distant sirens.
6 AM came. We went to the bus station. The three kids were there. So was Marissa. Four new people. Scared. Hopeful. Desperate.
I counted our money. $0.47. Not enough for six tickets.
"Problem," Ruth said.
"I know."
Then Danny walked into the station.
I stared. "What are you doing here?"
"Following you. Left last night after you did. Figured you'd need help." He pulled out crumpled bills. "Sold some stuff from the Ironworks in town. Got thirty bucks. Enough for tickets?"
I wanted to yell at him for leaving New Haven. Wanted to hug him for solving the problem. Did neither.
"Enough for tickets. Barely."
We bought six tickets. Had $2.13 left. The bus ride was quiet. The three kids huddled together. Marissa sat alone, staring out the window. Danny fell asleep.
Ruth leaned close. "Ten people now. Two kids, one teenager, one plant killer, one fire starter, one super strength, one healer, one phaser, one telepath, one human with a weird power. That's your nation?"
"It's a start."
"It's a mess."
"That too."
The bus let us out at the town. We walked. Twenty miles. The kids struggled. Marissa kept up. Danny bounced with nervous energy.
We crested the hill at sunset. New Haven spread below us—rusted, broken, beautiful.
"That's it?" the feathered boy asked.
"That's home."
We descended. Miles met us at the entrance. Saw the new arrivals. Saw Danny. His face went through surprise, relief, resignation.
"Sofia?" I asked.
"Stable. Sleeping. But she needs—" He saw the kids. "Minds. You brought minds."
"Four new citizens. This is—" I realized I didn't know their names.
The feathered boy spoke. "I'm Jason. This is Marcus—" He pointed at the camouflage boy. "And that's Keiko."
"Two Marcus's," Ruth muttered. "Fantastic."
"I'm Marissa," the woman with scars said.
Miles nodded. "Come on. Let's get you settled. Food's not great but it's warm."
They followed him inside. Danny stayed with me and Ruth.
"You left without permission," I said quietly.
"You needed help."
"You left your post."
"Tom and Miles could handle one day. You couldn't handle no money for tickets."
He was right. I wanted to argue. Couldn't.
"Don't do it again without telling someone."
"Okay."
Ruth headed inside. Danny started to follow. I caught his arm.
"Thank you. For coming. For the money. For solving the problem."
He grinned. "That's what family does, right?"
Family. We'd been together two weeks. But yeah. Family.
Inside, Sofia was awake. She saw the new people and something in her face relaxed.
"I can hear you," she said to them. "Your thoughts. Surface level. It's—it's noise but good noise. Like music after silence. Thank you. Thank you for being here."
The kids looked terrified. Marissa looked resigned. But they were here. New Haven. Population ten.
[RECRUITMENT QUEST COMPLETE]
[POPULATION: 10]
[REWARDS: CITIZENSHIP SYSTEM UNLOCKED, 500 EXP, +1 BOND SLOT]
[LEVEL UP!]
[YOU ARE NOW LEVEL 7]
[NEW FUNCTION UNLOCKED: FORMAL CITIZENSHIP CEREMONIES]
[BOND SLOTS: 2]
The System pulsed. New options. I could now formally bind citizens. Create official oaths. And I had two bond slots—meaning I could borrow two powers if I formed the bonds.
But first, we needed to integrate four new people. Get them fed. Warm. Safe.
Tomorrow. Tomorrow we'd formalize everything. Tonight, we'd rest.
Ruth found me by the fire later. "Fifteen days left on my deadline."
"I know."
"We have ten people. Water. Shelter. Food. Basic functionality." She paused. "I'm not leaving. Deadline's still active—you could still fuck this up. But I'm not leaving."
"Good."
"Don't make me regret it."
"I won't."
She walked away. I sat by Danny's fire and watched ten people find places to sleep. Ten people who'd chosen this over the world that rejected them.
Two weeks. From nothing to this. Keep going. Keep building. Don't stop.
The System hummed agreement.
New Haven. Population ten. Still breathing. Still growing.
Tomorrow we'd make it stronger.
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