A/N: I just realized I accidently started putting Luna instead of Sunny as is my beautiful pup's name in her cameos. Anyways, back to Sunny it shall go! I'll be going back to correct it but if I should happen to do so again just point it out and I'll fix it at some point.
Get my little word play with Apollon/ Appalling? Ha-ha. I made a funny. Sorry, I'll stop now.
Chapter Warnings: Implied drugging
Martin sat upon the edge of the stone wall overlooking the lake below as the birds chirped in the early morning. The other slept within the old wood and brick cabin they had found the other night. The small home allowing them the freedom to stretch out further than they could within the confines of the trailer. Belle had expanded it as much as she could but the truth was most of the expansion had gone to storage, walking space and adding on a bunkroom with its own bathroom while the rest was limited by the massive amount of safety wards she had included. Originally the trailer had only had their bedroom, a bathroom, a living space, and a little corner dedicated to Sunny. It was large enough for just them and possibly a guest sleeping on the couch's pull out.
"It's kind of nice here." He says throwing a stone at the water as Patrick plops down next to him.
"Yea . . ." Patrick stares off for a second or two before facing him. "What if this is the best place there is?"
"What do you mean?"
"I mean we don't know what's on the other side of the wall. And right now, the zone feels like our place."
"No way it's my place."
"Then where?"
"We've been stock piling food for all of us when we can. It's why Belle always has us looking."
"For what?"
"She has a place or well her grandfather did, a 'winter home' I think she said he called it. He gave it to her a couple years ago after fixing it up. Her mother loved it there."
"Beyond the wall?" Martin makes a sound of agreement in response to his question.
"It's just outside Morgongava. It's supposed to be a small town a few hours drive from Stockholm, or it was before this."
"That the place you were talking about when we left the cannibals." Patrick grimaces thinking of the place.
"Yea, it should be more than enough room for all of us. All fenced in with a small greenhouse. All of it layered under her magic."
"Shit. Why are we still here then?"
"What would have been the point with how things are? We hoped we could eventually make our way there but there wasn't enough food but now . . ."
"The bunkers?"
"The last one was almost fully stocked, only missing a couple days worth of rations. The two of them survived down there for 6 years. We won't get anywhere near that on it but Belle thinks we have at least a year maybe a year and a half before it runs out if we ration it right. If this next bunker is the same, we'll have more than enough to last not only figuring a way out of the quarantine zone but settling in there too. If we have to we'll have enough food to get us through next year while we figure out a way to grow our own food since there's a greenhouse on the property. Then again if they really did manage to stop it the outside will likely be as everything was before."
"Man, I can't even picture that."
"Hard to imagine going back to those days, huh?"
"I was a nobody."
"Maybe then but now you're my second." Martin says with a smirk.
"Har-har. If we hadn't been here we would've never met each other."
"No, probably not but we did. You can't focus on the past Patrick. You'll never see what could be waiting right in front of you if you do. That happens and you lose your chance." Martin hints.
"Chance at what?" Martin sighs. He was about to answer before stiffening as a cracking and voices come over the walkie that they'd found in the Stranger's bag.
"The Strangers." Martin moves to take out the holo-map. "They're getting closer." Leaves rustle nearby and then the snap of a branch breaking under pressure.
"Shit. What was that?" They both rise. Martin readies his rifle as Patrick grabs his pistol from the side holster Belle had conjured him the other night after learning they'd been carrying them in their back pockets. She had reamed him and Ida good at that. The though of blowing their asses off ensuring they wouldn't do so again. Though in truth Patrick was more worried about Ida's then his own. They watched the path, guns aimed. The seconds pass almost too slowly.
"What the fuck?" From behind the bushes comes a long haired border collie. Patrick lowers his gun. The dog's bark is low and hoarse. The eyes appear almost entirely white and what was likely once a healthy sheen of long black and white fur is now lackluster.
"It's definitely sick." Martin steps forward a frown on his face but Patrick stops him before he can shoot. Grabbing a rock he tosses it at the dog forcing it to scurry away with a sharp whine. Martin looks at him.
"I'm just trying not to kill everything." He explains quickly looking away. Martin smiles and pats him on the back.
Setting up the holo-map on the table they look compare their locations with that of the Strangers. "Okay. They're in Sector Five now. And they went through six, seven and, eight during the night." Martin states.
"They're closing in on us, aren't they?" Belle asks from where Rasmus helps seat her, though he hovers nearby just in case she needs him.
"We're in sector three . . . 2 sectors over."
"Martin if they're already that close to us then I think it's too risky to go to the next bunker." Simone jumps in. "We should head straight for Apollon." His eyes move Belle, Patrick and Ida. Each of them subtly shaking their head in the negative. We aren't ready for what we may face there just yet.
"But we need food. We have to have something to eat, not just now but to make the journey." He says not telling her about the stockpile they've gathered. Something inside of him screaming at him to keep the information from the short haired blonde at all cost.
"But you don't even know if there is any."
"No, but we have to do a quick search. In and out, alright? Otherwise, we can't make it to Apollon." Ida speaks up, lying but knowing that no one would argue as it was her and Belle's job to ration the food.
"Fine." Simone mumbles out.
This bunker was different. Despite its appearance they could drive right up to it. Built around it there was a concrete structure that looked incredibly similar to a massive water tower and the bunker entrance was located right at its center base. The tower was massive enough that they could drive Blue right under it and circle it's base so that they could drive straight out all while being covered from the rain. It would provide them an easy exit if they had to leave the bunker for any reason and leave even if it was raining as Blue would be kept dry so long as the wind wasn't strong enough to send it flying their way.
Martin's eyes find Ida's for a moment as he drives Blue up the dirt path. "You feel it too?" He asked and got a scowl from his friend.
"This place freaks me out."
"We stock and go."
"What about Simone? She'll ask questions when our bags don't run out of room."
"Lea could distract her." Ida gives him a look. "I know, I heard it when I said it."
"Lea's too sweet besides she'll probably want to stay in the RV with Philip. I swear that man plans on adopting us all." Martin lets out a laugh before responding
"Probably, but not Simone." Ida rolls her eyes.
"That girl could drive a nun to murder." She says as he drives Blue around the base and turned it around so they're facing the path they'd just driven up with the RV door just steps from the bunker's entrance. Ida turns to him after she steps out. "Are nuns even still around?"
Bunker-Communal Area
The bunker was used. Papers and water bottles scattered about. Children's drawing covered the wall and at least half the papers thrown about. Simone looked around as the others began looking for supplies. "We need to leave." Simone says and turns to Patrick who is eating a nutrition bar as he searches the cupboards and begins taking things down. "It's a family Patrick."
"So what?" He questions before taking another bite and leaning back against the counter. Should have known she would start something. She was too quiet on the drive up here.
"We can't just eat their food."
"Why not?"
"Because they'll starve to death!" Patrick just stares at her a moment before standing straight and turning his head side to side.
"I don't see anyone but us here so that's not my problem. They left." Patrick tells her.
"What's going on?" Martin says walking in after raiding the storage area and packing the few months worth of food that was their in his bag. Ida walks in behind him after catching sight of Bella pointing something out to Rasmus in the med bay area, likely teaching him what to look for.
"Of course it's a problem!" Simone's voice pitches.
"Suddenly we can't eat their food." Patrick tells Martin.
"Why not?"
"They have children! Look for yourself. Look at the drawings! They'll starve when they come back!"
"I wouldn't count on that." Bella-Donna says as she walks into the room frowning and her eyes hard. Rasmus is just behind her, his eyes moving to every corner as if he expects to be attacked at any moment. "Look at this." She hands a tablet similar to the ones they've seen in the other bunkers that are used as command centers.
Moments Earlier, Med Bay
"What you want to do is look for things that we're not only low on but that could come in handy or be multi-purposed."
"Like what?"
"Well duct tape for one, when there isn't medical tape. There's also honey."
"Honey?" Rasmus lips upturn despite his brows furrowing in confusion. "How?"
"For one it practically last forever so long as it's stored properly and it's hard for bacteria to grow in. It's good for making some food taste better, making soaps, and it can be used as a medicine."
"How can honey be medicine?"
"Certain chemicals in it kills bacteria and fungi. So it's good for things like burns, wounds, swelling from inflammation, or coughs. It can also speed healing up. Doesn't mean it won't hurt though. I burnt the palm of my hand and my fingers while I was straightening my hair once because I got distracted. I ended up coating my palm and the burnt part of my fingers in it and wrapped it. It was pretty painful especially with the blisters since it stings but my hand was almost back completely back to normal within a week or two."
"Really?" He looked at her wide-eyed.
"Mm-hmm" She hummed in agreement as she watched his hand push against some papers on the counter as he leaned against it to reach into the back of the upper cabinet. "What is that?"
"What?" She points out what caught her eyes, a tablet that was hidden underneath the papers thrown over it. "It's just the command control tablet."
"Pass it here maybe we can find out when the people that were here left." He hands it to her and as she turns the screen on it opens to a multitude of videos, each selection showing a different face on every page. As she skimmed the pages she realized there had to be hundreds each one only being a few minutes long at the most. Her finger presses against one in the center of the screen.
Woman's Voice: Let me go! Let me go! Please, I'll do anything! Just let me go! Please. Please!
Rasmus moves to her side and they watch. They watch as the woman is strapped down to the medical recliner. She begs the man to release her. She begs him not to inject her with something.
"That looks like the same needle that doctor, Margarite, planned to give me." Rasmus says lowly as he balls his hands into fists.
Woman's Voice: Please! Please, no. Noo!
He presses it to the woman's neck and injects it despite her protests and struggling to get loose. "Oh my God." Bella-Donna whispers as the woman in the video begins spews bile within the few seconds the man uses to move away from her. The video ends.
Bunker- Communal Area
Simone takes the tablet Donna holds out and plays the most recent video that's displayed, one marked as happening a week ago while the others watch behind her. A man's voice is heard first.
Doctor: Test subject 451, male, fit, 37 years old, injected with 20 ml.
Girl: What's going on?
A little girl's voice come across and the man turns around to show a girl no older than 8 at the most had walked into the room.
Doctor: Sweetie, I told you to wait out there didn't I? Hmm, where's your seal? Is it in the bedroom? Is it sleeping in there? You know what I think he's awake in there.
The man speaks lightly to her but it is clear he is frustrated.
Girl: I can't hear anything.
The little girl says back as she looks at the man strapped down and then back to the doctor.
Doctor: Can't you? I'm sure I hear it calling for you. Hurry back to him! I think he's hungry.
The girl runs out of the room and the man moves around to the far side of the recliner.
Doctor: Look that way.
He commands the man who complies almost robotically. The doctor place the injector at his neck and injects.
Doctor: The patient is not showing any immediate signs of illness.
Unknown: Give me a visual from your end.
The voice is incredibly familiar to Bella-Donna and then a translucent box appears showing a gray hair man that is just as familiar. She glances to Rasmus, catching his wide eyes that look to her in such horror and anger that she can feel her own heart breaking for the boy that once looked up to his father as his hero. The man strapped down speaks his head turning to face the doctor as the blank look he previously had fades away into confusion.
Man Strapped Down: What's going on?
Frederik Andersen: I see you. Is he immune?
"What?" Simone whispers as she watches the video and takes in the sight of her father in the small translucent box in the corner of the video.
Doctor: There's no reaction. No spasms. No, no. wait, wait, wait! Here they come.
Frederik Andersen can be seen pinching the bridge of his nose as the man that was strapped down begins convulsing. He vomits on himself and the little girl from before can be seen walking forward watching on in fear.
Girl: Dad? Dad!
Frederik Andersen: Do you have more subjects?
Doctor: Uh, yes a . . . a girl. Eight years old.
The doctor says almost hesitantly as the girl continues to scream for her dad, the man that is dying in front of her. "What the fuck is this shit?" Ida says horrified for the poor girl. Patrick stays silent but grips Ida's hand both for and to give support. Simone watches on blankly while Rasmus moves away quickly and vomits in the sink. Tears trail down Bella-Donna's face and Martin turns her away, wrapping his arms around her despite his eyes not being able to look away.
Frederik Andersen: Are there any shots left?
Doctor: Yes, but . . . uh
Frederik Andersen: Proceed.
Doctor: . . . Yea. . . yea. Copy that.
Girl: Don't! Let me go! Dad. DAD!
Bella-Donna sobs at the girl's screams. She flashbacks to the DoM.
Sirius had been just within her reach after dodging an Avada sent from Bellatrix when he was accidentally hit with a stupefy that Ron had cast. The spell sent him falling back into the Veil of Death. Dumbledore ordered Remus to grab her and just like that Sirius slipped through her fingers, literally. If not for Remus grabbing her and pulling her away Sirius' fingers wouldn't have slipped out from hers. Their finger sliding against each other as she reached out to grab hold of him only to be pulled away. If not for Dumbledore's need to keep her in the dark they wouldn't have been there in the first place because she would have known it was a trap from the start. If not for Ron's envy the two-way mirror Sirius gifted her would never have been broken and she could have made sure he was safe. If not for Ron's greed and lust her mind would not have been addled by the Amortentia laced treacle tarts.
"No! Let me go! Sirius! Sirius!" She screamed her hands still outstretched as he disappeared into the Veil, poison green eyes locked onto the frightened molten silver wide eyes of her godfather.
"We need to get out of here. If we stay here we'll be next." Patrick's voice cuts through the fog, snapping her back to reality.
"We won't because we're leaving now." Martin's rubs his hands up and down Donna's back in comfort.
"To Apollon?" He questions and Martin pauses at that, remembering that they'd told the Andersen siblings that they would take them. They can't still want to go there can they?
"Patrick, they're looking for a cure." Simone says and Martin closes his eyes momentarily. There's no fucking way I'm taking Bella-Donna anywhere near that place.
"They're injecting people with the virus." Patrick tells her.
"They're looking for a cure." Simone repeats but Bella-Donna can't helping wondering who it is she's really trying to convince, them or herself.
"You can't honestly believe that!" Ida scoffs at the girl's ignorance. "They killed that little girl! She was 8, Simone. And they killed her father and then they killed her!"
"It's about immunity. That's why they're injecting it!"
"All I see is a man killing another man and then-" Patrick says.
"I don't want to talk about it, Patrick!" Simone cuts him off.
"That's too bad because I do!" Rasmus says. "You know who that was! You know who the man who ordered that doctor to kill that little girl was?"
"Rasmus, shut up!" Simone yells.
"It's our father!"
"Stop it!" Simone shouts at him.
"He's a monster!" Rasmus tells her.
"Shut up!" She yells as her hand moves to smack him across the face. Bella-Donna grab her shoulder, stopping her and Simone turns around her hand coming at her instead. Bella-Donna grasps her wrists before bringing her own arm back and punching her in the face. Simone collapses to the floor.
"Don't you ever put your hands on him."