The next morning, the three leaders of the students held a meeting in an isolated corner of the factory that they had designated as their meeting area. Jordan proposed that they send out a scouting party to search for supplies and other survivors.
Katie asked, "Who should we send?"
Jordan replied, "I think you and Cara should go. As much as I'd like to join, I probably should stay here. You should bring at least two other people with you."
Katie nodded in agreement and set off to find the two people who would join them. After some consideration, she chose Cato and Amara.
Cato, a slender boy with gelled red hair and piercing gray eyes, was never known for his physical prowess. Despite being small for his age, he possessed a sharp intellect and an insatiable curiosity about the world. He had no sponsor, which limited him to only one aspect,
Amara, the most striking girl in school, was blessed with cascading blonde hair and luminous green eyes that could light up a room. Prior to the apocalypse, she dressed in stylish, revealing outfits that showcased her natural beauty. Though the harsh realities of their new world forced her to abandon her flashy clothes, she still managed to look stunning in a white crop top that accentuated her curves. She also had no sponsor, which meant she only had the aspect
Cara and her group ventured out into the silent town, armed and alert. As they walked, she scanned their surroundings for any signs of life. The stillness of the streets was eerie and foreboding. The group made their way into a grocery store, hoping to find some much-needed supplies. Inside the store, they kept their voices hushed and moved cautiously, never knowing what could be lurking around the corner.
Suddenly, Cara dropped to the floor, signaling for the others to follow suit. She had heard something. Two men's voices floated down the aisle they were in.
"I don't get why we don't just run away," one man said.
"Did you not see him? That man is a freaking psychopath," the other responded.
"That's exactly why we should run away!"
"He claims he has a skill that lets him track us by our blood," the first man sighed. "Plus, you saw what he did to those people who just said they wanted to leave. Brutal."
The men walked closer to Cara and her group, noticing them hiding in the aisle. "What are you doing here?" the first man yelled.
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"We're looking for supplies and survivors," Cara replied, sword at the ready.
"Sorry, no more survivors," the man responded. "The Soldier took them in. Speaking of that, he told us to bring in any survivors we found."
“Hey, we don't want any trouble,” Katie said, holding up her hands. The men remained unmoved. "Who's in charge here?" they asked, sizing up the group. As Cara stepped forward to speak, Amara stepped in front of her and held out her hand. "Let me handle this," she said, her eyes glowing pink. "Hey boys, we don't want to cause any trouble. We're just here to grab some food and supplies, and then we'll be on our way."
To everyone's surprise, the men turned around with a shrug. "Alright, take what you need," the first man said. "Just make it quick. The next scouts won't be as kind as us."
When the men were gone Cara turned to Amara, “What was that?” She asked,
“That was my aspect, I can amplify the emotions people are feeling,” She paused, “I’ll show you,” Her eyes glowed pink for a second, “That’s weird, I can’t amplify any of your emotions,”
“Oh yeah,” Katie smiled, “She went cold turkey a few years back,”
Cara nodded, ignoring the joke, “That sounds useful,”
The group gathered all of the supplies they needed and headed back to their base. When they returned Jordan was waiting for the other leaders.
“How did it go?” Jordan asked,
Cara gave a thumbs up,
“Some people claiming to be under The Soldier found us,” Katie added, “They said he gathered all of the survivors in the area,”
“What do you think about this Cara?” Jordan asked,
“He sounded cruel,” She said, “Also powerful,”
Jordan nodded, “We will have to be careful from now on, he sounds dangerous,” He sighed, “Onto the next order of business, My sponsor says there is going to be a big event announced tomorrow so we need to be prepared,”
Cara nodded, “If it is a combat event, I will gather a group of five other people. Not everyone here is suited for combat,”
Jordan and Katie were speechless for a moment, Cara doesn’t normally speak this much. After a moment Jordan spoke, “That’s a great idea Cara, do you need the aspect list from Katie to help with your decision,”
“No need. It will be us, Jessica and Cato,”
Now they were shocked for a different reason, “Why Cato?” Katie asked, “Nothing against him, but right now his aspect only gives him a high level understanding of science,”
“He is lying about not having a sponsor,” Cara said, “Probably,”
Jordan and Katie looked at each other in surprise. "What makes you say that?" Jordan asked, intrigued. Cara hesitated for a moment before responding, "I've been observing him for a while now, and his behavior doesn't match someone who only has one aspect. I think he's trying to keep a low profile and avoid drawing attention to himself." Katie and Jordan exchanged another look before nodding in agreement. "Okay, we'll trust your instincts on this one," Jordan said. "Let's keep an eye on him and see if we can find out more."
Cara didn’t know what tomorrow’s event would bring, but she knew she was ready for it.