~~~Trudy~~~

"On your left, Tru!" Mika screamed. It was unnecessary and louder than they should probably be in here, but he was a sweet boy trying his best.

"Thank you, dear," Trudy said, already sending her magic spell to break the rabbit's feet before it could jump again. She followed that up with a quick spear thrust into its heart. There was no need to prolong its suffering longer than she had to.

The creatures were almost cute. Though perhaps a touch too large when they stood nearly at her height. Plus, their needle-like teeth and glowing red eyes didn't help. Such a shame. She'd always loved rabbits since having one as a pet, but then, that had been quite some time ago, and she had eaten her share of the animals in the interim. It was all part of the natural circle of life.

Well, it had been.

There was no denying the unnatural circumstances she found herself in these days. Some good. Some bad. For one, she had magic spells. That was new. Unnatural, but not bad. In fact, she quite enjoyed casting spells. It was intoxicating and made her feel powerful. No wonder the kids were so into that Wicca stuff back in the day!

She only used one of her spells out here; one called Force Impact. A nice young man named Nathaniel had given it to her and only asked that she bring back food for the base every time she went out. It wasn't a big and flashy spell like the magic some folks used, and it left her quite tired if she used it too many times in a row, but it got the job done. It definitely made hunting rabbits easier.

Trudy thrust her hand toward another hopping rabbit, timing her magic as it landed and its muscles tensed for the next hop. She made the spell as flat as she could, and at about the thickness of a dinner plate, it could break bones. It might do more damage if she could make it thinner, but that would have to wait.

The rabbit's hind legs broke, and she finished it before it could scramble closer with its forelegs and try to take a bite from her. They did that if you weren't quick.

Defending themselves from attacking creatures and zombies was one thing, but venturing into the animals' dens and slaughtering them didn't feel right. Especially considering they would only take a few back for food. It reeked of irresponsible and wasteful culling, and the only reason she went along with it was because there were never any corpses left the next day. With no signs of an outside attack either. The obvious implication was that the remaining animals in the lair were eating their dead, which... well, things had changed. As long as they weren't rotting in the fields, she could accept it. Besides, they bred quite a lot faster now...

Eventually, no more rabbits emerged from the tunnel leading deeper in, and Dean called for a retreat to the entrance. Right on time, too. Her mana was low, and she could see the signs of fatigue on a few others as they gratefully sank to the floor wherever they could find a clean spot.

"How we doing?" Dean asked while taking a quick look outside the cave. "Everyone okay?" He sat down at the entrance to keep watch. "Hallie, how's your leg?"

"It's okay," the girl in question replied, touching the bandage.

"We have the rest of the potion..."

"No!" Hallie said. "We should save it! I can still fight... and someone might get hurt worse."

"You might get hurt worse because you're limping," Dean said, his voice earnest. "And I don't want you risking yourself like that."

"I'm fine!" Hallie squeaked, then ducked her head to hide her blushing face behind a curtain of hair. She had it bad for Dean, and Trudy didn't blame her. The boy was a gorgeous snack, what with that chiseled jaw and those brilliant baby blues. If only he wasn't over eighty years her junior...

Abby, sitting beside her, alternately glowered at the other girl for the attention she was getting or beamed at Dean whenever he looked her way. It was painfully obvious why both girls had leapt at the chance to join this team the moment they laid eyes on him. Ah, to be young again.

Unfortunately for both of them, the boy was oblivious to their attention. Why were the pretty ones always like that? Of course, there was a chance that he was a boy's boy, but she'd never gotten that vibe from him. Either way, he completely missed the girls' reactions and turned to Trudy instead. "How are you doing, Miss Trudy?"

"Boy, how many times I gotta tell you to stop it with that miss nonsense?"

Dean smiled. "At least one more time, Miss Trudy."

"Cheeky, but you best stop treating me like an old woman! Don't think I won't bend you over my knee..."

"But Miss Trudy," Dean said, grinning wider. "You're a hundred and ten years old, and if I recall correctly, you are the one who told me I best not forget it." He tilted his head and touched his chin as if deep in thought. "Repeatedly, and usually while threatening me with a spoon."

"Bah! Kids these days have no respect for their elders!" she grumbled but couldn’t keep the smile off her face. Trudy loved the boy like he was her own grand... great grandchild.

She had plenty of those. Somewhere out there. Hopefully surviving. She'd done her best for her family, and they'd put her in a home. Not a bad one, but it had hurt. Looking back, she knew they'd done what they had to. She'd been a handful. Something Dean knew well from his time caring for her, including the aforementioned spoons.

He was a good egg. The only one who had stayed when the world ended. He'd fought for them. Fed them. Given them cores so they could fight with him. Then he watched as, one by one, they fell. Until it was only the two of them left.

It wasn't his fault, but she knew it pained him to lose the people in his care. Even if they'd all been on their way out before the world ended. That was what made him one of the good ones. Unfortunately, it also meant he'd insisted on following her when Nate's people found them and she joined the hunters. She got back at him by insisting he be the team leader.

He might be a bit overprotective now, but she'd work on him. He'd get there.

On that note, she shook her finger at the uppity boy. "Don't you make me go looking for a spoon!"

"Yes, Miss Trudy."

Trudy sighed. She'd never get rid of him at this point. Oh well. At least he was easy on the eyes... Maybe a girlfriend would help distract him? Hallie was right there. She only had to make him notice the girl. Speaking of which, while the others were already used to their back and forth, Hallie looked... worried.

"What is it, dear?" If she was trying to impress Dean and hiding a more serious injury... "Let me see your leg."

"It's not my leg!" Hallie protested while Trudy climbed to her feet. "I just suddenly got a bad feeling..."

Dean also stood up at that. "Is it your intuition?"

"I... don't know, but Nate told me I should always listen to my feelings."

"Inside or outside?" Dean asked, all business once again, as he scrutinized both the dark tunnel leading deeper into the lair and the opening leading into daylight.

Hallie shook her head as she and everyone else scrambled back to their feet. "I can't tell! But..." She clutched her chest, and tears sprang into her eyes. "It feels terrible!"

Dean decided quickly. "Everyone outside!" He caught Hallie as she tried to limp past and forced the half-empty potion into her hand. "Drink this. Now. We're running all the way back."

His good looks were one thing, but he really took things to the next level when he got all commanding like this. The poor girl looked to be in a trance as she took and drank the potion, her wide-eyed gaze locked on Dean until he dragged her out into the sunlight. She blinked in the sudden glare and broke from her trance. Only then did the girl remember she was terrified as she looked frantically around. "Which way..."

"Come on, you kids. This..." Trudy hesitated and moved back toward them when she saw something coming closer through the trees. Coming fast!

She didn't hesitate to put herself between the children and whatever it was. She'd lived a long, full life, and they were only barely getting started. She wouldn't let them...

The incoming blur resolved into a man who looked familiar, and he was talking to a coin. "...wolves won't slow it..." He trailed off as he slid to a stop and stared at them in shock. Then he cursed. "Shit!"

"Nate!" the man yelled at his coin. "I've got a team at the rabbit lair! Sector eleven!" His gaze jumped to the cave opening behind them. "All of you, back inside!"

He hustled them in while still talking to his coin. "We're hunkering in the lair, but I won't be able to protect them forever! I need backup!"

"What's happening!?" Dean demanded.

"A swarm," the man said, then shook his coin before yelling at it again. "Nate, can you hear me!?"

Nothing happened.

"Please tell me you didn't pick today to stop working!?" he pleaded and tapped madly on the coin before glancing around the cave's antechamber. "All of you, watch the tunnel! Keep the rabbits off me and stay out of my way! I'll hold ‘em at the entrance. Do you have any potions!? I'm sure I'll need as many as..."

"I just drank the last one," Hallie whispered, her voice horror-stricken as they felt the ground start to rumble beneath their feet.

"Shit!" He drew his sword and faced the entrance, yelling at his coin again. "Tell me you heard me, Nate! Rabbit lair! Sector..."

Hallie suddenly gasped and pulled everyone's attention to her. "The bad feeling..." She stared wide-eyed back at them as the rumbling intensified into a roar. "It's gone."

"Maron!" A tiny voice came from the coin, barely heard above the growing noise that seemed to come from every direction at once. "Stanley's coming for you. Just hold..."

The voice vanished beneath the racket, but it didn't matter. Trudy saw the effect it had on Maron. Hope blazed back to life on his previously stricken face, and while she couldn't hear what he said next, she saw his lips form the words as he exclaimed, "Thank God!"

A new feeling grew on the heels of that message. A feeling of being watched. A feeling of being seen. Of being known. It was a new sensation for her, and not entirely unpleasant. Though it definitely felt... intrusive. The feeling rose in intensity until, abruptly, it vanished, and the earth-shaking roar diminished to a mere rumble once again.

Maron snuck a peek outside the cave, grinned back at them, and then slipped back out into daylight. They all shared a look before following.

Outside, they found a war zone, where a handful of humans fought against an army of... raccoons? Something close to that, or maybe wolverines? Either way, they were the size of grizzly bears, with claws and teeth to match.

Orange light bathed the area directly past the entrance, emanating from a man with a large sword that would require two hands to hold up, let alone to wield it in combat. Or so she thought at first sight. She was wrong.

Every animal in that orange light moved in slow motion as they charged, and even that movement ground to a halt when they got close to the man at its center. She recognized him. It was James, one of Nate's friends, and unlike the animals, he never stopped moving as he waded deeper into the mob. His sword never stopped, either. The massive blade danced in his hands as if lighter than a feather as he alternately beheaded, stabbed, or merely cut the throats of the unmoving beasts.

Others flanked him, keeping well clear of his sweeping blade but remaining within the confines of his orange aura.

Trudy knew Ezekiel and his sister Eve. Both of them were precious children, and she hated to see Ezekiel out here on the battlefield, though at least he wasn't fighting. He huddled behind an armored figure with a hand on their back while they dealt out death.

Except... that armor? She'd seen it before in Eve's workshop... was that Eve under there?

Trudy had never even considered that the girl might also create weapons, though it all made a sort of sense when she saw how Eve fought.

She advanced in lockstep with James, but instead of a sword, she carried a rifle, and it released repeated booming cracks with no visible fire or smoke from the barrel. However, it had a very visible effect on the animals she pointed it at. Blood spurted from the holes that appeared in the heads, torsos, and limbs of the creatures. Not merely one at a time, either. Her shots went through multiple bodies before stopping.

Meanwhile, twin turrets on her shoulders fired almost constant pencil-thin beams of light that always struck delicate points on the charging beasts. Eyes, noses, even inside their open mouths...

Trudy didn't know the woman on James' other side, also throwing out lasers, but she'd seen her around a few times. Her lasers were also far more impactful on the battlefield. The beams flew less often, but they were as wide around as Trudy's thigh, and they burned through everything in their path with one high-intensity and instantaneous flash.

She also knew Silas, and he, like Eve, had helped a lot with the children. Only, once again, she hadn't considered that he would use his exquisite powers of creation for such a violent endeavor. A cloud of floating crystals surrounded him, but there were no sparkling butterflies. No twirling ballerinas. There was none of the delicate beauty that she'd seen from him before. These crystals were simple, wicked-looking things. They were implements designed for one thing and one thing only. Killing.

They flew in a storm of flesh-seeking missiles, each one unerringly plunging into eyes, heads, and throats.

Serenity walked on the far end, where a fiery snake swirled and danced around her as she advanced. Any time an animal approached too close, that fire would flick out, cracking like a whip where it landed. Every time it struck, bones shattered, blood flash-boiled, and it left behind a dead animal or one well on its way.

Trudy had barely taken in the scene before her when a flash of movement caught her eye and pulled her head up in time to see the wolverine-slash-raccoon pouncing from above. She didn’t even have time to lift her spear or cast her magic before the entire animal split apart down the middle. Then, both halves, including the blood, shot off in different directions and vanished into the forest.

She'd never seen that before... but she'd heard about it.

Stanley. He sat cross-legged in the sky above everyone, staring down at them with pitch-black eyes that whispered of terrible things hidden within their depths.

Then the darkness cleared, and Trudy saw the glowing light of his eyes reappear before his gaze swept away. Those were the eyes she'd seen before. Only once, but she hadn’t forgotten the sight. How could anyone forget such a dapper gentleman?

The world had descended into violence and chaos, yet he still put in the effort with that immaculate suit and impeccable grooming. Never mind his stern countenance and those piercing violet eyes...

"He scares me," Hallie said quietly, drawing Trudy’s mind back from tantalizing and lurid imaginings. The poor girl was practically huddling behind her as she watched Stanley fly slowly after the others, the sounds of violence receding with them.

Mika nodded in agreement, then murmured, "I heard that he'll kill you as soon as look at you!"

"Don't believe everything you hear," Maron said loudly, his voice reprimanding. "Sure, he's terrifying, but trust me, when shit hits the fan, there's no one you want on your side more than him." He glared at Mika and Hallie. "I hear either of you spreading bullshit after he saved your asses today..."

"I wouldn't!" Hallie protested.

Mika followed up with a muttered agreement, then lifted a hand and summoned the magic to coat his sword. "Should we... help?"

Maron shook his head. "I could take those things one at a time, but you guys will get slaughtered. What are you, early E-grade? No, there's a reason Nate tells you to stay in the clean zone. He keeps these lairs weaker so you can get your feet wet without dying."

"Is that all it is?" Mika asked, staring at the retreating battlefront with a longing expression on his face. "Higher attributes and better skills?"

"Some of it," Maron said. "But it's also fighting day in and day out. I saw some of those skills in the early days, and trust me, they weren't anything impressive. That power you see out there is from thousands and thousands of dead monsters. Literal rivers of blood, sweat, and tears. You have to eat, sleep, and breathe fighting if you want to stand at the top like those guys."

He shook his head. "Don't even ask about Stanley. His power is on a whole other level, and no one, aside from maybe Nate, knows what the deal is there."

"I heard he can wipe out entire lairs in an instant," Dean said. "Is that true?"

The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

Maron glanced toward the people fighting their way ever deeper into the swarming monsters, or rather, through them, then said quietly, "It's true. You saw that one that tried to jump on us? I've seen him do that to an entire swarm. All at once. I don't know why he didn't do it here, and I'm not asking."

"Maybe he's letting his team get some leveling?" Hallie asked.

"Stanley doesn't have a team," Maron said. "Other than maybe Caffeine? That was Zeke's team, though they're more like bodyguards. I think." He shook his head. "Those details are all way above my pay grade, and I like it that way." He pulled the coin from his pocket. "Maron here. Thanks for the save, Nate, and thank Stanley for me, yeah?"

Nate's voice came from the coin. "Thank him yourself."

"Come on, man," Maron said. "I like to keep my head down!"

"I'll let him know," Nate said. "But can you escort the rabbit team back and gather up a few others in sectors ten and nine on your way? I'm pulling in all the lower grades until we can confirm there are no lingering problems from the swarm's incursion."

"Deal."

Maron tucked the coin away and looked at them. "You heard him. Let's get going."

"I don't get it," Mika finally said as they jogged behind Maron toward another lair. "Don't you want to get stronger? Like Zeke's team? Or like Stanley?"

"Nope," the man said instantly and without hesitation. "I like being a scout, and that's enough for me."

"But why?"

It was quiet for a time, with nothing but the sound of their feet pounding across the ground. Too quiet. There was no birdsong. All her life, whenever she was in nature or simply anywhere this rural, there was always birdsong, but not anymore. Birds were no longer a delightful part of the world but another potential threat. Maybe she would cultivate some... gentler species once things settled down.

Maron answered the question eventually. "If you think you want to be strong, like, really strong, then ask Nate about the trial."

"What's that?" Mika asked, his excitement rising.

Maron glanced back at him briefly. "You are new. Well, basically, he hurts you. A lot. All you have to do is keep fighting, and you pass."

"That doesn't sound bad," Mika said, then amended. "Well, not that bad."

"Have you ever lost a limb?" Maron asked without looking back. "Or held in your guts with one hand while still trying to fight with the other? Because, with Zeke on hand, Nate can do all that and more without killing you."

Mika didn't reply.

"Nathaniel did this to you?" Trudy asked. It sounded extreme, perhaps straying into the realm of torture. Though with magical healing...

"Not to me," Maron said. "I bailed from the training. Like I said, being a scout is good enough for me. I'm strong, and I can hold my own in a fight. I don't need to be able to defeat an entire army solo."

"Did..." Mika hesitated before continuing. "Did Stanley do the training?"

"No," Maron laughed. "I heard he started it. Thought people were too soft, or some such."

"That's horrible!" Abby exclaimed. "Only a sadistic person would want people to suffer more!"

Trudy was about to say something, but Dean took the words right out of her mouth, and he sounded so much like her; even the inflection was spot on. "Hush, chi... Abby."

She caught the moment he realized, including the annoyed glance her way. That poor boy was definitely spending too much time around her.

"I know you like to... talk, Abby." He meant to say gossip. "But I better not hear you spreading what is obviously hearsay about a man who I'm pretty sure just saved our lives."

The girl lied. "I would never do something like that!"

"It is fine," Trudy said. "We will talk with him when he returns, so you can learn the truth and gossip about that instead."

"I don't gossip... wait, no! I don't want to talk to him! He's terrifying! Didn't you see his eyes!? It felt like he wanted me dead..."

"Bah!" Trudy spat. "Young'uns these days only want pretty boys to swoon over. In my day, we chased after men! Men with some fire in their eyes!" She glanced at Dean. "And those men dressed to impress..."

Dean didn't bat an eye. "I'm still not going to dress up as an army man for you, Miss Trudy."

She grinned. "One day, boy."

"I don't get it," Abby said. "Why would you want him to..." Then her eyes went wide. "Eww!"

Trudy cackled, Maron chuckled, and even Dean cracked a smile as they ran on. It felt good to laugh. Good to run. And she was pretty sure she could run further and faster now than at any time in her life before.

They gathered up a few more hunting teams from various lairs before all heading back home and only got attacked once. By a snake. A hairy snake. Which was wrong on so many levels.

Maron proved himself quite capable when he turned into a blurring streak and decapitated the creature before it could attack anyone. Then he tasked all of them with carrying the fifty-foot-long and still-twitching thing back to base because Nate would want to study it...

"It's new," Maron said. "He's got people studying everything, trying to figure out how it all works." He glanced over the line of people trudging beneath their burden. "Which reminds me. You guys probably aren't there yet, but don't try to keep secrets about any class or skill evolutions you get. Not only will he reward you for information, but the big brains can usually help you figure out a path to new and better evolutions once they know about the first one."

Trudy had heard rumors of that, but it was nice to have confirmation, and better still to know that someone was actually trying to learn instead of merely speculating.

The man himself met them in person on their return. He was all smiles and reassurances that everything was fine and that he would have them all back out hunting again as soon as possible. Them, and all the other groups, milling about aimlessly after having their day cut short.

Under the smiles, Trudy could see the weight Nathaniel carried on his shoulders. He tried to hide it, but she'd been around the block a few too many times to be fooled by him. It was the kind of pressure that would either forge him into the strongest of leaders or it would break him. She leaned toward the former. He had a certain strength of conviction, and it burned like a fire inside him.

Trudy also caught Maron before he could slip away and dragged him to Nathaniel. "I don't know if you are giving out medals, dear, but this fine young man certainly earned one today."

Maron blushed and squirmed. "I didn't do..."

"Hush, dear," Trudy said, patting his captive hand gently. To Nathaniel, she said, "Some might have run right past us out there, but he did not. He didn't hesitate to put himself in harm's way on our behalf, and I wanted to make sure you knew that."

"Thank you, Trudy," Nathaniel said with an honest smile. He'd even remembered her name. "Maron is indeed one of our best, and don't worry, I'll make sure he's well rewarded."

Formalities aside, it was still earlier than usual, but Trudy went ahead to her little corner in the large workroom. She found a bit more waiting for her attention than expected and had to go check with Patty. If those little rascals were stealing...

"Of course not, Trudy! They were all absolute angels, and I would have given them bigger scraps before if I had known what they were doing with them!"

Satisfied, Trudy got to work, using her one other magic spell, her favorite spell. Transmutation.

She wasn't turning lead into gold or anything like that, though she probably could. It would simply take forever, and besides, she was making something much more precious than gold. She took out each piece of animal pelt and cleaned them up first. Trimming hide, softening and sometimes shortening the fur, and molding it all into a specific shape.

It took time, with most of it spent waiting for her mana to regenerate. She had some visitors along the way, bright little spots of sunshine that made it all worthwhile.

"Trudy?" one such visitor asked in a tiny voice. "You said you would make me one next... please?"

"Of course, dear! Did you decide what you want?"

"A rabbit!"

Trudy eyed the child, then looked at her current project and realized she'd unconsciously been making exactly that. She must have rabbits on the brain today. Though her version would have less scary teeth and no red eyes. Much more cuddly.

"And..." the little boy said hesitantly. "Will it move? I want... I would really like the... a hugging rabbit..."

"We'll have to see if Eve comes... Oh, there she is now!"

Eve trudged wearily across the room, but her posture straightened and her pace picked up when she saw Trudy and the child at her side. She smiled at the boy. "Hi, Ben. Trudy, did I see you out there today?" Her smile faltered. "When Stanley..."

"You did, dear." Trudy caught her hand and pulled Eve down to sit on the bench beside her. "Though I had no idea you could..." She looked at little Ben, waiting impatiently beside her. "Run along now."

"But..."

"But nothing. I'll find you when I'm finished."

He ducked his head. "Yes, Ma'am."

Trudy cleared her throat. "What did I say about calling me that?"

Ben flinched. "I mean... Yes, Trudy!"

"Very good. Now go play!"

Eve squirmed when Trudy looked back at her and wouldn't meet her gaze. "You never told me you could fight like that."

"What does it matter?" Eve said, still refusing to look at her.

"Because I worry about you, dear!"

Eve flinched and finally met her gaze. "Oh."

"You could have reassured this poor old woman! If I'd known that you were strong... and that you have such strong friends looking out for you... well, at least I would know that you are safe."

Eve smiled, but it was weak and drained away as the girl slumped in her seat. Until she stared at the floor and whispered, "None of us are safe, Trudy. I don't know if we will ever be safe..."

"Nonsense, dear! I saw you out there, and if nothing else, you have that Stanley fellow watching out for you, right?" Eve had never mentioned him, and that was despite the ever-present gossip the man inspired. Her reaction now was telling... fear and... guilt?

Had that boy done something to her!? Heavens knew men with that much power weren't above pressuring someone to get what they wanted. Or taking it by force. And most men only wanted one thing from a pretty little girl like this.

"Eve," Trudy held the girl's hand gently. "Tell me true now. Did Stanley hurt you?"

Eve flinched slightly but didn't reply.

"Did he force himself on..."

"What!?" Her eyes shot wide, and her cheeks flushed red. "No! Nothing like that!"

"Hmm," Trudy studied her. "I know he has a commanding presence, and there's nothing wrong with getting caught up in the moment, even if you regret it later." Eve's face flushed darker with each word. "You just tell that boy that it's over, and don't let him..."

"I didn't sleep with him!" Eve hissed. "Why would you even think that!?"

"Then talk to me, girl. Anyone with eyes can see that you're all twisted up about him, and it ain't healthy to keep that inside, so let it out."

Eve slumped and stared at the floor. Trudy waited, holding her trembling hand but saying nothing. Finally, the girl whispered, "He tried to kill me."

"Hmm... Well, seeing as you're still alive and working together, I say you give him a solid punch in the nose and let bygones be... Except that's not the whole of it, is it?"

"He said it was an accident," Eve whispered. "That he didn't mean to, but..." She glanced around the room fearfully before continuing in an even quieter voice. "I hurt him back... I took something from him... something I can never give back... and I think he'll kill me if he finds out what I did."

Trudy sighed. There it was. This poor girl was getting all ate up over something that probably didn't matter nearly as much as she thought it did. "Tell him."

"What!? I told you, I can't!"

"Ya took something, right? So apologize, make it up to 'em somehow, and move on. You don't, and this guilt will poison you 'till you break."

"He'll kill me!"

"Did you kill someone? One o his?"

"No..."

"Death is the only thing final, girl. I've seen Stanley, and he might be frightening, but I think he'll give you a fair shake." Trudy smiled. "That, or he kills you and you don't got to worry no more."

Eve gaped at her.

Trudy laughed and patted her hand. "I'm still serious about talking to him, child. Trust me, I've been around a long time and seen so many man-made problems that could'a all been solved if we only talked it out."

"I..." Eve stiffened in terror as she stared at something behind Trudy.

Trudy turned, following her gaze, and saw a flash of white drift out of sight in the far doorway. "Heya, Stanley!" she shouted and turned to Eve. "There ya go. Ready?"

"You can't be serious!" Eve hissed, then stiffened when the man himself came back into view and drifted through the doorway, his legs folded and with a little black dog laying in his lap.

Stanley stared at each of them in turn as he floated closer before focusing on Trudy with those blazing violet eyes. "What?"

"Don't what me, boy!" Trudy hollered at him. "You say hello, or heya, or nice to meetcha!"

He glared, eyes flashing. "You called me, woman! I have shit to do, so don't waste my fu..."

"Stanley! Stanley! Stanley!" Denise sprinted into the room, hollering her little head off the whole way. She crashed into the man's leg and then stared wide-eyed at the dog in his lap. "Can Caffy come play!?"

Stanley didn't yell at the child, but his hands settled gently and protectively on the dog while pain flashed across his face. "He... can't right now. He's... tired."

"Awww," Denise whined. "But it's too early to be tired!" It was strange... Trudy didn't think she'd ever seen the pug sleep.

Denise reached out, and Trudy saw Stanley tense but otherwise do nothing as the girl gently pet Caffeine's head. "Do you want to play, Caffy?"

Stanley held his breath, desperate hope clambering into his expression as he watched the girl.

But nothing happened. The dog didn't stir, and Trudy saw the hope come crashing back down hard. Down into the lowest depths of fear and despair.

"He'll..." Stanley swallowed hard. "I'll bring him back... once... when he wakes up." As he spoke, she watched him bury all that fear back where he'd been keeping it before. Back behind the angry mask he showed to the world.

"Okay!" Denise said before sprinting from the room as fast as she'd come in and almost colliding with Nate as he entered.

"Stanley," Nate twisted easily around her dashing form, dodging her completely without breaking stride or interrupting what he was saying. "Please reconsider. You can wait one more day."

"No," Stanley growled without looking away from Caffeine. "I've been trapped in here for too long already. This is my only lead. I can't keep sitting on my ass, waiting for those bastards to show up and do some new and fucked-up bullshit!"

Trudy glanced at Eve to see if the girl knew what this was about. She did, but she wasn't talking, only watching the argument with a bleak expression.

"One day," Nate said. "Give me one more day. No, give Caffeine one more day! You can't go after them like this. Not alone."

Stanley wavered. "I won't be alone."

"I know you aren't counting on them," Nate scoffed, then shook his head. "That's still beside the point. You know I'm not lying about this. You can see it. I know you can. Look at me, Stanley!"

Stanley's eyes turned into those bottomless pits of darkness again as they swept up and over Trudy to settle onto Nate.

"You go after them tonight, and it ends bad. For all of us. I don't know how. I don't know why, but look at me, Stanley. Feel what I'm feeling and don't go!"

She didn't know what the young man was feeling, but his expression looked worse than Eve's...

"What if..." Stanley whispered, then swallowed before continuing. "What if it always ends bad? What if we can't win? Ever."

"I know we can win," Nate said. "There's a way, and I will find it no matter what! Just give me another day."

Stanley went back to staring at Caffeine for long moments before he finally whispered, "Okay."

"Thank you!" Nate gasped as relief practically poured off him. "I'll have this place ready for war by tomorrow. Just in case..." He immediately jogged from the room, yelling for James as he went.

Trudy worked in silence for a while, crafting the animal pelt more and more into a rabbit shape. She gave it big, floppy ears with fur like velvet, large back feet for hopping, and front legs just long enough for what they needed to do. Then she handed it off to Eve, who stuck another of her metal contraptions into the stuffing-filled interior.

That was when Stanley finally reacted to whatever Eve was doing, and his head snapped up to look at her. Eve flinched at the attention but didn't look away from her work.

Trudy met his gaze when it came around to her, and she saw no sign of the rage from before. In those eyes, she saw only a terrified man hanging on for dear life. A man teetering on the brink of losing everything and one who was searching desperately for a way through.

"I know it looks dark, dear," Trudy said softly. "But the sun will rise tomorrow, and it will get better."

He opened his mouth... hesitated, and then vanished in a gust of wind.

"That boy shouldn't be alone right now," Trudy said, staring after him. "Doesn't he have anyone?"

Eve hunched in on herself. "I'm sure Nate will go check on him later." She held up the rabbit. "Here, it's done."

Trudy didn't take it and only waited for Eve to look at her.

She finally did. "What!?"

"You know what."

"I can't tell him now! Not while Caffeine is... I'll tell him when Caffeine wakes up..."

"That's not what I'm talking about, girl, and you know that. He is your friend, and he needs you."

"He's not..."

"Friendship ain't always easy. Sometimes they hurt you, and sometimes you hurt them, but if it's a true thing, then you forgive and you stick with them. Through good and bad."

She stood and pulled Eve up with her. "I know you're hurting now, but I think deep down, you care. You know he done right by you and yours. Don't you?"

Eve looked up from the floor with tears gathering in her eyes. "He saved my life." She choked, then sobbed, "He saved Zeke!"

Trudy pulled her into a hug. "There you go, dear. You see? He's not the big bad monster you been makin' him out to be, now is he?"

"But he scares me... every time I look into his eyes, I see..."

"No need for none of them soulful gazes with the man. He jus' needs to know he ain't alone."

Eve shook and made a noise somewhere between a sob and a laugh, but the girl pulled herself together quick. Too quick. She was too afraid to have a good cry, even when she needed one.

"Now, before you go doing that." Trudy held up the rabbit. "How 'bout we make a little one's dream come true?"

Ben's eyes went wide when he saw the rabbit that was nearly as tall as he was. He reached for it, then hesitated. "May I?"

"You may," Trudy said, and set the rabbit down on its large feet. "But first, it needs a name."

"Hoppy!"

"That is a wonderful name! What do you think, Hoppy?"

"I... like it," a voice said from the rabbit. "Hi, Ben. I am Hoppy." It spread thick, fluffy arms wide. "Can I have a hug?"

Ben came in slowly, arms going around it and squeezing gently. "You're so soft..."

The rabbit's arms wrapped around him, and Ben blinked up at Trudy. "Thank you. I love him!"

"I love you, too, Ben," the voice said from inside the rabbit.

Ben squeezed tighter as his face twisted, then he burst into tears.

"I love you, Ben,” the rabbit said again. “Everything's going to be okay."

He only sobbed and held on even tighter until Trudy pulled him and the stuffed rabbit into her arms. Then he threw one arm around her as well and held on for dear life.

"I can't make very many," Eve whispered, and Trudy saw her nervous glances toward the other watching children. "But maybe a few more..."

"Thank you, dear, and don't worry about that. You run along to where you need to be."

Not all the children needed or wanted a talking, hugging teddy... rabbit. Only a few. Only the desperate ones who had nothing and no one else. Even then, they only needed it long enough to open the door.

Eve was doing a very good thing here, even if it was guilt that motivated her at first. Now she only needed to help Stanley, and in doing so, help herself.