The sun gradually descended, casting a mesmerizing reddish-orange glow over Sector Five. The carriage rolled to a stop, halting near a weathered industrial edifice that emerged like a relic from a forgotten era.

The recruits, including Theo, gaped in awe at the sight before them. They had never ventured this deep into the desolate Wastelands. The outer walls of the building were cloaked in layers of rust while colossal production towers loomed overhead, spewing thick clouds of smoke.

Nozomu assumed a position at the forefront of the carriage, directing his words to Pop, his voice resonating with authority, "We'll set up camp here for the night."

Nozomu gestured for everyone to disembark, but frustration surged through Pop, fueled by his ignorance of their purpose for being there.

"So, when were you planning on telling me why we're here?"

Nozomu halted abruptly, his gaze meeting Pop's eyes with an icy intensity mirroring the chill of winter.

"That's an order, Pop," Nozomu replied sternly before stepping out of the carriage.

"All right, I hear you. You are the boss, after all," Pop muttered, his words tinged with reluctant acceptance.

"Commander," Nozomu corrected him sharply.

"Whatever! Same shit, anyway," Pop retorted, his tone laden with dismissiveness.

Pop's demeanor relaxed as the wind subsided, and a calm settled over him. Theo and the others followed Isabella, joining the procession up the rugged dirt path toward the factory.

Curiosity tinged Theo's voice as he sought answers, "Where are we exactly?"

Dawn's eyes brimmed with excitement as she interjected, "Is this your base?"

Isabella turned her attention to the group, ready to satisfy their curiosity.

"Ah, not quite. So, this place is called Benny's Iron Fortress," she revealed, anticipating the flurry of questions that would follow.

Now intrigued by the peculiar name of the structure, David couldn't resist asking, "Who is this Benny person?"

Isabella replied hurriedly, sensing the impending inquiries, "Let's just say he's an old friend of ours."

Clarissa, voicing her suspicions aloud, interjected, "If this isn't your base, then why are we here? It seems rather suspicious if you ask me."

"You have a point there," Aeda nodded, acknowledging Clarissa's point.

Curtis intervened, appealing to Clarissa and Aeda, "Come on, don't be like that, guys!"

Aida chimed in, reprimanding her twin sister, "Yeah, be nice, Aeda."

Clarissa's statement left Isabella astounded. "They sure do ask a lot of questions. I guess that's a good thing."

The group finally reached the front entrance of the factory. Nozomu tapped loudly on the door, following a specific sequence that appeared to serve as an entry code. After a brief pause, two young men opened the door, granting access to Nozomu and the rest.

Inside, the layout resembled a bustling manufacturing plant, with heavy equipment, machinery operated by workers, and an assembly line of products. All the workers ceased their activities as their gazes fixated on the group trailing behind Nozomu.

Benny Lanark, a man with a glistening bald head and a brown beard, was smeared with grime and grease. He walked with an eyepatch covering his right eye and fingernails, notably blackened by dirt.

"You know what? I had a feeling I would see your face around these parts soon," Benny said to Nozomu, catching him off guard.

"Yeah? Why is that?" Nozomu inquired.

"Nowadays, all I hear are rumors about some fool alongside his band of merry men and their escapades across the Wastelands. It was only a matter of time before you came dragging your shit to my front door," Benny jested.

Nozomu attempted to persuade Benny. "There's still a lot more work to do. Benny, why don't you reconsider my offer?"

Benny shrugged off Nozomu's comment, saying, "It's been such a long time. You've grown into quite a fine man, Nozomu. I'm sure he would have been proud," ignoring Nozomu's plea.

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

Nozomu's mind briefly went blank, but he quickly regained his composure. Benny noticed the momentary lapse and swiftly changed the topic. "Bella, my sweet girl. You've blossomed into quite a remarkable young woman yourself."

Isabella stepped forward, positioning herself next to Nozomu.

"You think so?" she asked, showcasing herself by twirling in front of Benny.

"Of course I do," Benny replied, taken aback by the noticeable physical growth of the two. "It's like you were both just kids the last time I saw you..."

"It's been quite a while, hasn't it, Benny?" Isabella exclaimed joyfully, wrapping her arms around him in a warm embrace.

"It certainly has," he responded, his eyes glancing at the group of teenagers behind them. Curiosity was evident on his face as Benny questioned them, "So, who are they? I know you two couldn't have popped this many out."

A tinge of embarrassment colored Isabella's cheeks while Nozomu stood beside her, his expression unreadable.

"Get your head out of the gutter. They're recruits who recently joined. Being cooped up here for so long has turned you into a pervert. Eh, old man?" Nozomu retorted playfully.

Benny swiftly fired back, a mischievous glint in his eye, "Watch your tongue, son, or I might just make you sleep outside tonight."

The two of them shared a genuine laugh. Their bond was evident.

Later that evening, Theo and the other recruits were seated around a circular table in what appeared to be the facility's dining room. The area around the room was spacious, offering a view of the distant forest through its large windows.

Aeda voraciously devoured a heaping plate of food while her sister Aida sat beside her with a more modest portion.

"Aida, you should eat more. Don't you want to grow up strong like me?" Aeda mumbled through a mouthful of food, her appetite seemingly insatiable.

"But Aeda, we're only five minutes apart," Aida softly reminded her, though her words seemed to fall on deaf ears. The fact that Aeda was older was what mattered. No matter the mere minutes between them, Aeda, being the oldest, remained prominent.

Bryce snatched a mouthful from Arthur's plate, prompting Arthur to retaliate. The two engaged in this food-stealing back-and-forth until Curtis, also stuffing his face, intervened, pounding his fist against Arthur's head, effectively ending the dispute.

Meanwhile, Clarissa ate her meal quietly, her desire to avoid attention clear. Theo, Dawn, and David sat nearby, nibbling on their food.

"This place is pretty amazing, don't you think?" David inquired, addressing the two of them.

Theo surveyed the surroundings once more, taking note of the containers scattered throughout the building, storing a vast array of items: light and heavy armor, swords, shields, spears, and more.

"I'm not so sure, man. It looks pretty run down to me," Theo replied, using his fork to pick at the food on his plate.

"Bella claims that this place produces the highest quality armor and weaponry in all of Sector Five," Dawn chimed in, causing a perplexed expression to cross Theo's face.

"A dump like this!? I find that hard to believe. I just can't—"

Theo began to unleash a torrent of thoughts, but his words ended abruptly, halted by Curtis, who interjected in the middle of his sentence.

"Yo, Theo, Dawn, David," Curtis's voice carried a tinge of urgency, capturing their attention.

The atmosphere shifted, and David, ever the eloquent speaker in social situations, wasted no time responding.

"Hey, Curtis, what's up?" David's swift reply revealed his natural knack for conversation, who often never struggled to find the right words.

Curtis's gaze remained fixed on his plate as he spoke, his voice struck with vulnerability and determination. "You guys don't have to be so distant..."

His words hung in the air, causing a puzzled expression to crease on David's forehead.

"Distant? What do you mean?" David's perplexed tone reflected his confusion.

Curtis paused, his head still bowed, before addressing the table.

"We may not have had much of a relationship before all this, but now... We all share the weight of grief. Everything we've ever cherished in that town is sadly gone forever. That feeling, that loss, that's something we all have in common now. It's something that connects us all. We don't have to face it alone. That includes you three as well."

Silence enveloped the group as Curtis kept his head low, his words resonating with a heartfelt plea.

"I guess what I'm trying to say is... Everyone! You're all precious to me now. We survived, and now it's safe to say we're riding off toward either death or glory. So don't you think after all that we're like family now?"

Curtis's voice brimmed with passion as he clenched his fist, his commitment unwavering. "I promise, no matter what lies ahead, I'll always protect you guys."

The table remained hushed, absorbing the weight of Curtis's words, until Clarissa broke the silence with a casual sip of her drink. "Count me in. As the eldest, it's on us to set an example."

Curtis's eyes widened with excitement, his fist forcefully striking the table. "Right! You get it! Rissa! I knew you would!"

Clarissa responded with a hint of nonchalance, her words tempering Curtis's exuberance.

"Rissa...? And settle down. No need to get carried away."

"Right," Curtis said with a smile before easing back into his seat, and the others started chiming in, their voices blending with newfound conviction.

"Looking out for one another..." Aeda mused aloud, her voice carrying a sense of contemplation.

"Like family..." Aida mused, her voice trailing off with warmth and nostalgia.

Arthur reassured them, his voice steady and reassuring, "There's no need to worry. We've got each other's backs."

Bryce chimed in, his voice brimming with confidence, "Absolutely! We're a team now!"

Curtis spoke, his voice heavy with gravity as he acknowledged the weight of their reality, "It's hard to believe, but we've willingly chosen to join this group, making ourselves enemies of the God-King."

Clarissa's voice, laced with determination, added to the conversation, "If we continue to act like children, we're putting our lives at risk."

Curtis seized the moment, his words resonating with conviction as he tried to instill this realization in each of them, "That's precisely why we need to consider the person we want to become to survive this."

"Indeed. The stakes are too high now," Clarissa affirmed, her hand gently caressing Mimi, who sat by her side, licking milk from a bowl.

Curtis's words struck a chord with Theo, causing him to gaze out of the glass windows, lost in his thoughts. The weight of his father's last words on that fateful morning consumed his mind.

"The man you want to be someday..." Theo murmured to himself, his voice barely audible in the quiet room.