Mara leapt over the car blocking the entrance to a chain-link fence that surrounded an abandoned factory. Despite little incisions here and there, there was no evident gap for us to squeeze through. It would be tough for us to jump over its spikes without getting scratched as well. I noticed the vehicle itself wasn't in a great condition either. Its tires were, unsurprisingly, missing. And the fading cobalt paint was mostly devoured by rust. Raising my chin, I began analyzing the metallic structure ahead. Old was the first word that came to mind as Mara already made her way through hay, not giving us the chance to complain. She strode firmly, without any hesitation, which was rather strange when taking into account her usual cautious behavior. Nonetheless, due to its relatively high fences and the lack of obvious gaps to sneak through, it didn't appear to be a horrible place to take cover for the time being.

Compared to our scout's agile and confident movements, all I could do was hold the backpack above the missing hood and stolen engine, squeezing myself through the gap left between the car and the fence. The rest of the party, however, just stepped on its frame with an exaggerated lunge and jumped to the other side. Yeah, thanks a bunch.

"Move a bit faster," said our scouter, this time a bit more serious as she passed by some massive pipes and reached the wide opening into the building.

As one might imagine, dense grass punctured through the floor and vines clung to the lustrous walls of the factory. There was even some moss growing on the bottom of each pillar, proving once again that nature was bound to win in the end.

"This place is poorly lit," grumbled Lucas, his eyes slowly getting adjusted from the afternoon outside to the darkness inside. I stared at him, but the only things the beast tamer was focused on were the cables hanging from the ceiling.

Other than the coral rays seeping through the garage-like entryway and three wrecked glass panels above it, there was no other source of light. I doubted they'd be functional after so long, anyway. But once we got accustomed to the change, there should be no problems whatsoever.

"What do you think?" questioned Mara—completing an immaculate pirouette as she assessed the whole area—leaving her typically frigid facet as a proficient scout tinged with a sly grin.

Mara lived here, in this forsaken part of the world. From what I know, she was visiting some of her relatives outside of the city when the Overflow occurred. There wasn't really a place for her to return to once it was over. Despite her initial joy, seeing someone as arrogant as her with those hollow eyes was disheartening. I hoped the others didn't notice it, or else they'd be drowned out by the same emotion. That of longing for home.

"It's good," I told her, trying to match her cheers as I glanced at Logan and Edward for their approval. Both just gave me a subtle nod, assuring me that my reasoning was correct.

"Sure," answered the barbarian, his harsh voice echoing throughout the whole factory. "A suitable place for our gory duel, Lucas."

"I thought that was a joke and we just came here to rest," he mumbled in return, clearly upset that he couldn't avoid one of Logan's grueling training sessions.

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As I was about to take a decent seat to spectate the show, I observed Mara, who was completely out of it. Her glassy gaze lingered on nothing in particular. Even though the rest were oblivious to that subtle change, I picked on it. That had to change. I couldn't let the others know about it and sour everything. Not after I've done my best to change the previous suffocating atmosphere. I made up my mind, then—

"Hey!" she yelped after I slapped her shoulders. "Just why?!"

"Toughened up and pay attention," I said. "You're not going to miss Logan having his ass handed to him, am I right?"

"Gray!" growled the barbarian, acting as though I betrayed him. "Who's side are you on?!"

"On whatever side that's not yours."

"You must be an utter moron then," he slammed the tip of the axe against the ground, countless thick veins and dense muscle erupting through the surface of his thick skin, which was mostly devoid of any flab. A buffalo indeed. His physique was on a whole different level compared to ordinary mortals. "Maybe I should beat the crap out of you instead!"

Nope. Maybe some other time.

"So you just wanted an excuse to beat the crap out of me," Lucas sobbed, his entire life drained out of him. "Fine. Just bully the new guy. I don't care..."

After watching us for a moment, and ignoring the pout on Lucas's face, Mara's lips crept upward. Then she burst into a delightful laugh. Tears almost poured down her cheeks as she wrapped an arm around her bent abdomen. When she calmed down and took in a deep, refreshing breath, her face regained some color.

"Thanks," said Mara—wiping a tear that was about to fall with the back of her hand—now looking better than ever before. "I needed that."

"The hell are you talking about?" Logan scratched his ear with his little finger, not having a clue about what was going on. Where had those keen senses gone now, lumberjack? "Because after I warm up a bit, the two of you are joining in the fun as well, brats. Lucas, what do you think about being my sidekick when that time comes?"

"S-sidekick...? Really...?" He sighed. "I have no problems in that regard..."

"I knew you'd get it!"

I almost chuckled as I heard that. It's been a while since I fought against Logan. Unlike an ungrateful brat, primarily Lucas, who was adamantly opposed to learning a thing or two from a veteran, I was eager to see what he was made of. With that it was official. Lucas, who became the new chick of our party, was about to reach adulthood and become a full-fledged chicken. Although I never celebrated it myself, happy birthday, Lucas.

"Excellent!" yelled Mara, pointing the tip of her sheathed saber toward my face. I tilted my head to the side, avoiding it. "Then you're going to be my prey, Gray! Wait, if Lucas becomes Logan's sidekick, then—uh, I meant partner. My partner. Let me rectify that. You're going to be my partner, Gray. Okay?"

Although I've never had the chance to spare with her before, unlike Logan, I was still taken aback for a second by her enthusiasm.

"Just sit down and watch the show for the time being..." I spat out, trying not to get swept by the sudden barrage of emotion. "And this prey isn't going down easily by any means."

Certain events made me state that with a unexpected amount of confidence. It was quite unusual of me to say that, but I suppose even a rat fights back and bites the cat when cornered, am I correct?

"And thus, you became a sidekick too," chuckled Lucas as he saw me slump on the ground—elbows on top of my knees—right beside the backpack. This wasn't the place to be worried about getting dust on my pants, so I had no problem lying on the ground.

I gulped as I realized I somehow got entangled in their twisted game. It seemed the consequences of my cunning idea had finally caught up to me. Now, I'll suffer alongside my victim. My wish to increase the morale of our party turned out to be more successful than intended... perhaps a little too successful.

Despite my inner turmoil, it was nice to see everyone smiling like that for a change.