Part 2 – Finding A Home

Falco let out a horrible gasp and grabbed onto his side. He could not remember what had happened, even as he looked at his surroundings. He sat on a worn bed, in a building without electricity. Luckily, there was a fireplace lit, and sunlight pouring through an empty window – both working together to light Falco's rather restrictive corridor. He was bandaged, though that term must be used lightly – for his bandages were little more than tattered pieces of cloth. Still, it appeared that someone had taken great care of him. He looked around his room a little more closely, and spotted resting on the floor a backpack along with a rifle. Not Falco's own, in fact, Falco's supplies were nowhere to be found.

Then, there came a knock on the door, Falco tried to stand from his bed, but found it impossible. The door opened, and Falco had no choice but to lay patiently for whoever might enter. To his surprise, it was a white furred vixen came through.

"God, you're awake!" She said ecstatically, "My father will be so happy." The vixen walked over to Falco's side, stretching out her hand as if to check up on him. In reaction, Falco immediately blocked her advanced with a waving hand, causing the vixen to laugh softly.

"Who are you?" Falco said defensively, keeping his eye on the doorway, "You realize you moved a licensed mercenary, right? Without his permission?" The vixen laughed at Falco's warnings.

"Right…" She said with a slow nod, "My father said you might be like this… considering all things. I'm Amy, by the way." She said with a salute, "Nice to meet you. Were you part of the UGA?"

"What the hell is the UGA?" Falco said with the grunt, trying to sit up, "Holy shit… what the hell happened?"

"You've been coming and out of it for about three months, we've been trying to get that wound healed up for you, but Dad said it was bad. Really bad, so it hasn't healed. We thought maybe the fever had gotten you, that you weren't going to wake up for good." Amy said, now moving over to the backpack and rifle. She picked up the rifle quickly and checked it. Falco looked at her with surprise.

"You know how to use that thing? How old are you, twelve?"

"Sixteen." Amy said defensively, "Dad says I can handle it."

"Your dad sounds like a swell guy…" Falco said, throwing his feet off the rickety bed he lay on, and then he tried to stand. The pain was like hell, his could feel the stitches in his side. Sloppy stitches, and with each step, they felt like they would pop. His legs were weak, he felt nauseous, he only made it a few steps before having to take a seat on a nearby chair, "What the hell happened to me…"

"We found you in a jet. It crashed sky with the rest of them. When everything went black." Amy's words were weak, she watched Falco with curiosity. It began to click then, Falco remembered it at once. His R-Wing, like the rest of his squad, had shut off without any kind of warning. It just fell out of the sky. He did his best to stabilize the fall, his seat's ejection system failed.

"Everything went dark?" He asked Amy curiously.

"Yeah, everything. One day the lights were working, then it all just didn't." Amy said as she looked out the window, "The world is scarier now… but Dad says we'll make it." Falco wasn't sure what to say, he had many questions – but he knew Amy would not know any of them. She, like him, was in the dark. Afraid of what would come. There was a knock on the door, loud and invasive.

"Amy, we need to get more water!" The voice shouted, opening the door shortly thereafter. Falco looked up, surprised to find standing in front of him a large, grey furred Reynard. His eyes golden, a smile resting across his face, "Well, look who finally woke up!" He said with a laugh.

"Pleasure…" Falco said weakly.

"Yes, yes it is." The Reynard walked over to Falco and extended his hand, "What's your name?"

"Falco."

"Falco, eh? Mine is Benton." The Reynard said, still smiling, "Welcome to your new home." Falco shook Benton's hand with some uncertainty.

"New home, huh?" Falco said, now making another attempt to stand. This time was easier, his body seeming to gain some composure over itself.

"Yes sir. A new world. I run the area we're in now, you know, and your friends are more than welcome to stay here." Benton said, walking over to a table in Falco's room, there rested several instant meals on it, "Hungry?"

"Friends?" Falco said curiously.

"Sure, you know that cat thing and your toad friend, right? They weren't too far from your crash site. They're here, with you." Benton said nodding slowly, "They work out in the fields with me, gathering what we can. There good to have, considering there background. Weird looking creatures though… like you…"

"Were there two vulpine with them. A vixen and a Reynard. One has orange fur, the other blue…" Falco said eagerly, Benton shook his head.

"Sorry son, can't say I saw them." Benton turned to him, and something in his smile unnerved Falco. Perhaps it was only his current state, perhaps he needed rest. He nodded slowly, "I'm sorry. Would you like to see the others, at least?"

"They're here now?" Falco said.

"Just outside, waiting on me. Shall we go, can you walk?" Benton asked, Falco nodded, and the two made their way outside the door.

"It was nice meeting you, Falco!" Amy said with a wave, and Falco waved back, making his way outside the door slowly. What he found was nothing short of shocking. It was as if the world had stopped turning. Foliage was overgrown, vehicles rested on the streets, burnt, destroyed, or simply stalled. The buildings which made up the small town appeared as though they had been through a warzone. The only thing which appeared halfway descent was a camp resting in the town's park area, and there, Falco spotted both Katt and Slippy standing next to three reynards. As soon as they saw Falco, Katt let out a shout and rushed towards him. Falco raised his arms with a smile on his face, and the two embraced.

"I thought you were never going to wake up…" She said with a quaking voice.

"I'm alright…" Falco replied gently, "I'm ok." They let one another go and Katt looked to Benton.

"We found this group a couple days after the crash, or they found us. They've taken us in, we're working together to survive." Katt said. Falco looked back in confusion.

"Survive what?" He asked, looking to Slippy, "How's it going?"

"Eh…" Slippy said with a half smile, "It was better when you were asleep." The two laughed.

"Falco." Katt said, causing Falco to look back at her.

"Sorry…"

"It's fine, but listen, you need to understand, the world is nothing like we knew it. Alright? I don't know what happened, but it's like the entire galaxy has gone dark. There are these things now, it's like they were waiting for this to happen. We have to fight them off, keep them at bay…"

"The Feral." Benton said plainly, walking up to the group, "There's a lot you've missed birdy. You've got to sleep through the hardest of it. But let's make it plain what's happening here. You're world, what you knew before, is gone. These creatures pour out of caves and tunnels like rats, they destroy everything. We work together to survive, or we all die." Benton said, looking to the rest of the group, then back to Falco, "We have roughly fifty people here, we have a chance to find more if we're careful."

"We survive." Falco said with a nod. Looking to Katt and Slippy, "Thanks for taking us in."

"Are you kidding me? I should be thanking you, having mercenaries with us? Heh, I'm the lucky one…" Benton threw a rifle over his shoulder, "So, let's get to surviving."