I've recently started re-watching the series and decided to write my own take on season six.
Bray carefully peered around the corner, checking that the coast was clear before sprinting across the deserted street, the hands of his two companions safely resting within his own. They weren't in the city, he knew that, it had always been obvious to him that he'd been taken out of the city, taken away from Amber. He considered himself lucky that he'd found them there, lucky that the Techno's had decided to take over the mines and the makeshift prison's that The Chosen had left, lucky that he wasn't completely alone. The other two, however, were unlucky, that the techno's had decided to make the chosen prisoners their own form of slaves. He'd never know why they stayed at the camp when they could have ran when the chosen guards deserted.
He'd heard that others had disappeared since he'd been taken. Rumours of Cloe, in particular. He'd been told they'd deleted her, like they had tried to do to him, but he would never be deleted, he let them believe, but they had failed, he'd always intended to escape, alone, or with the two women trailing behind him.
"Bray!" One called, stopping and forcefully pulling him back. "Do you have any idea where we're going? Everyone's saying the city was destroyed, we can head in that direction, but will they really still be there, in the mall?"
"She's right." The other agreed. "We can't go there, we don't even know that they're there. Even if the city wasn't destroyed, it won't be how we tried to make it. It won't be safe."
"I have to find Amber." They knew he was determined. "I don't even know if my child was a boy or a girl. They're my family. I have to find them. Trudy and Brady too."
"Bray." The first companion made him face her. "Amber's not stupid. She won't be in the city, and it's a long way from here, how are we even meant to cross the ocean. We weren't just taken out of the city, Bray, we were taken out of the country."
"We have to try, Patsy." He snapped. "We have to find them."
Patsy sighed. "We don't even know that they're there. If we go there, and they're gone, we've travelled all that way for nothing. We're not going."
"I have to go." He insisted. "And we have to stay together. Just because the prison camp turned into chaos, doesn't mean they're not looking for us, we have to keep moving."
"Yes." Patsy agreed. "We have to stay together, but not in the city. Whatever has happened to it, it's not safe."
"If they're looking for us." The second person reasoned. "The first place they'll look is the city, the mall, weren't you found near the city? Patsy was taken from the city, they must know that by now. We can't go back, Bray. I know you love Amber, and I know you need to find your child, but going back there, it's too dangerous. If you go, you have to go alone."
He surveyed them both, as determined as he was, they were both strong-willed. Patsy had grown up so much since she had been taken, hardened by the brutality she had been shown, vowing vengeance after hearing of Cloe's fate. She wasn't the same girl she was when she had been in the mall. Bray had no idea what the Techno's battle with her was, all he knew was that all of the prisoners The Chosen had taken had remained prisoners.
The brunette hadn't changed at all. Persuasive, strong, persistent. She'd been that way since the day he met her, believing in the greater good when everyone else had given up. He'd believed she was dead. The Guardian had told him she was dead. He'd lied. Danni was very much alive. His relief at finding her at the prison camp, Patsy by her side, had been overwhelming. Mallrats looking out for eachother, even if they had been captured. He loved her, he'd always love her, he couldn't just turn that off, but there was too much water under the bridge, and she didn't seem at all interested anymore anyway. She'd already heard of Amber's return when he was reunited with her. Patsy had filled her in, telling her all she knew. Bray often wondered whether the impression of Amber that Danni held was true to life at all, Patsy used to be known for glorifying everything. He never once questioned her on it, worried that if he did, her currently positive view on Amber may be altered.
He knew bringing Patsy and Danni along when he left was a risk. But leaving them behind had been an even bigger one. The chaos in the camp was leading to murder, and they were his family. Biology meant very little these days.
"Where do we head then?" He questioned them, perhaps a little too harshly. "If you two are the fountain of all knowledge, where do we go?"
"We go East." Danni decided. "Towards the ocean, like we planned. If they got out of the city alive, they would have had to come this way. Once we reach the coast, we can head back inland, maybe find someone who knows if they're here. If they are out here, if they did get away from whatever happened in the city, we'll find them."
He knew he had to agree. They were right, he knew they were, but a part of him longed for the mall, for home. "Ok, we head East, we find Amber, we find ALL the mallrats, because they're fine, they're all fine."
Patsy and Danni shared a sceptical look, but saw sense not to inform him of their cynicism. What were the chances that all of the mallrats were safe? They were almost certain that Cloe was dead, and there had been rumours than many of the others were missing.
"It'll be dark soon." Bray concluded, taking the lead. "We need to find somewhere to stop for the night. We'll set off again tomorrow."
- - - -
The boat hit solid land before any of them thought it would, but only Ellie remained awake, along with May, whom, being the one who provided the boat, had nominated herself navigator.
She glanced down at Jack, then over at Lottie and Salene, surprised that the sudden halt of the boat had not woken any of them.
"Well, we've found land." May spoke up, and Ellie looked up to see she had made her way to the back of the vessel. "Now all we have to do is figure out whether that's a good thing, or a bad thing."
"Can't be any worse than certain death." Ellie responded, turning away from the other woman. "We'll survive, or we'll die, 50/50."
"When did you become so..." May started, thinking before continuing. "Depressive."
"It's logical, May." Ellie answered. "We will live, or we will die. We'll find Alice, or we won't."
"Ellie." May sighed. "You know, Alice is probably long gone."
"My sister is not dead." Ellie snapped. "I can feel it."
"I don't mean dead." May answered. "Just, too far to find."
"She wouldn't just go off and leave me." Ellie insisted. "If she had the chance, she'd come back for me."
They both glanced down at a stirring on the floor, silenced as Trudy sat up.
"What's going on?" she managed to get out before yawning. "We're not moving."
"Land." Ellie muttered, sitting down next to the still sleeping Jack.
"Already?" Trudy queried, turning to May. "Are you sure we're far enough away, shouldn't we go further? Do we even know if it's safe. We can't be sure if it's safe, and we couldn't have left the city that long ago."
"It'll be fine until at least morning." May decided, finding an empty spot on the floor and looking over the other sleeping figures. "I need to sleep, can one of you keep watch?"
"I will." Ellie confirmed. "I can't sleep anyway."
As Trudy and May drifted out of consciousness, Ellie looked out over the expanse of land in front of them, and admitted to herself something that she rarely ever admitted: She was scared.
- - - -
Patsy sighed as she glanced over at Bray, keeping watch at the door of the abandoned tavern they had decided to stay in for the night.
"Give it up." She complained. "The whole village is deserted, it doesn't look like anyone has been here for months."
"You can never be too sure, Patsy." He responded, his eyes not leaving the door. "I've had both of you taken from me before, never again, okay."
"There's no one here to take us." She responded. "What are you so afraid of?"
"There are bad things out there, Patsy." Bray insisted. "Things that none of us understand. The threats will keep on coming."
Patsy sighed, turning and heading back to Danni, whom was sitting in the corner, reading a book she had found behind the bar by candlelight.
"He's lost it." Patsy frowned. "Anyone would think I was still a kid."
"Let him if it makes him feel better." Danni commented as Patsy sat, her eyes not leaving the book. "Let him believe we're weak women, that can't look after ourselves, it makes him happy."
Patsy giggled slightly, then gasped, surprised by the sound, none of them had heard it since the mall.
A loud thump from one of the upper floors of the building startled them, automatically making all three look towards the ceiling, hearing footsteps.
"Deserted for months, Patsy?" Bray almost smirked as he quickly moved from the door, towards the centre of the room, prepared for a fight.
"Who's there?" The voice was familiar, but somewhat weak. "What do you want?"
They stayed quiet, preferring to let whoever it was come to them.
Danni stood as the footsteps came closer.
"I said who are you?" The voice was firm, but still weak. "Leave here, or you'll be sorry."
They stood firm, and the door was suddenly pushed open, slamming again the wall, almost shaking the whole building.
The girl's eyes went wide when she saw them, her red hair longer than Bray remembered, she was taller, but still, it was most definitely her.
"Tally?" He asked, wanting to confirm his thoughts.
She nodded, slowly walking towards him, turning slightly and noticing Danni and Patsy.
"What happened to you?" Patsy questioned automatically.
"I'd expect it's along the lines of what happened to you." Danni answered the question for the girl standing in front of them. "Do you know her?"
"Are there others here?" Bray asked, ignoring Danni's question for the time being. "Andy?"
"They caught him." She finally spoke, her eyes back on Bray. "I got away but they caught him. KC too. Alice was there for a while, but they took her before we made a break for it."
"So, you're alone?" Patsy asked, wondering about the fates of the other mallrats.
Tally nodded again.
"Not any more." Bray decided. "But you need to tell us everything."
- - - -
Ellie didn't remember falling asleep, but she knew she must of, because as her eyes opened, she could tell it was no longer night, that dawn had taken over. She could also tell that the new home they had found, was, in fact, inhabited, and the face peering down at her looked far from friendly.