A Universe of Bloody Evolution

The green and red of the unnaturally tall grass quickly gave way for purely crimson flora beyond the old trainyard. Even the wind picked up slightly, its gentle touch brushing against the plants as everything around swayed lightly, filling the area with the soothing melody of pure nature.

Or at least it would be soothing if, for once, the beasts in the distance could shut up their ugly mugs. On top of that, with Leo now perfectly aware that those pesky overgrown ants could jump out at any moment, the way back to the trio's hiding spot was anything but enjoyable.

Already he had to cut an Ameist Minion in two because it decided to pretty much jump off a random tree. That tiny thing — because for some reason the blasted ant was much smaller than others — in its infinity wisdom, thought it could perform a kamikaze ambush on a beast that moved faster than probably any Ameist ever could.

Annoying little shit. Leo scowled, wiping his hands on the grass.

The only thing that tiny annoyance succeeded in was splattering him in that accursed acid. Really, he probably should have just dodged and not sliced the thing when it appeared in front of his face. However, his instincts reacted faster than rational thinking, and the rest was history...

At least now I know that my cloak can withstand this green shit. Leo snorted, the scowl now permanently attached to his face. Have to search for positives in everything you can nowadays...

Quickly jumping behind the remnants of a fence, Leo removed the cloak and, just like with his hands and face, wiped the large piece as well as he could with what he had. It wasn't a perfect fix, but he didn't want to risk it and give the acid enough time to finally do some damage. Not when he had just gained the thing.

I must look like a fucking moron with the remnants of this shit splattered all over me. At least it isn't that visible on the cloak.

Sighing, Leo threw the fabric over his shoulders, the cloak once more connecting on both ends. He just hoped their hiding spot had some clothing inside. Or at least some scrapes. Anything really to properly wipe this green slime off his face and torso. Even if the acid couldn't burn through his skin, the constant, weak tickling was getting somewhat annoying.

Barely learned about them and I already hate those wretched insects. Give me a pack of higher-leveled Hounds over this any time...

Out of nowhere, Leo's inner beast growled lowly, the sound echoing throughout his mind. Instantly, any complaints that had been floating in his head vanished, and he focused solely on the beast's words.

The wind? Leo's brow furrowed. His gaze jumped from place to place, watching as everything in the area continued to sway. What about it? I get it was calm yesterday, but a breeze like this isn't really anything to worry about.

The beast huffed, filling Leo's head with a screech. It definitely didn't like his dismissal, not after what happened on the way here. However, he really couldn't understand what it wanted from him.

Unlike with the Mirage Ambush situation, Leo didn't feel anything. Whatever sixth sense tried to warn him before, it went on vacation now. And even if he wanted to act on the warning, what could he really do? It was just a breeze, for Void's sake.

Another growl echoed through Leo's head, louder than any other. Even the slumbering bloodlust stirred slightly, freezing him in place. Yet, this wasn't the end, as not a moment later, three simple words were branded into his mind by a voice calling straight from hell.

'Prepare. Be ready.'

Leo swallowed, his previous nonchalance about the beast's worries doused like a flickering flame.

While the progress with Synchronization allowed him to understand the beast fully, those weren't exactly words. No, it felt more like a complete understanding of the thing that now lived inside him, translating into something similar to words.

However, this time, the beast truly spoke. There was no ignoring this fact. Not that Leo even dared to do it again, as thanks to those short words, the worry, the unease, and even a bit of fear surged into his entire being, almost merging with his own emotions.

Is this how the change in weather makes you feel? Leo sent back hesitantly, and the beast whined back. He didn't even need their close bond to understand the meaning of this simple action.

Then I will be ready. We will be prepared for whatever is coming. He vowed, glaring at the swaying flora. Sorry for dismissing you. Won't happen again.

As the beast howled, the bloodlust losing its spark, Leo allowed a small smile to grace his face. Yes, he definitely still had a lot to learn when it came to the monster he had become.

But at least I'm not alone... Well, not really...

---

With the beast's warning still ringing deep in his mind, Leo resumed sprinting back to the his ex-group. Most likely, he was already pushing the self-inflicted time limit, and he didn't want to leave the trio for too long. Not before they had a talk.

What happened after wasn't in Leo's hands. Once the trio left for the safe zone, everything depended wholly on them and the survivors inside.

I just hope they won't try to slaughter each other. Leo grimaced as he slipped inside the same building he had cleared for the trio. True Stealth slipped from his body and he tapped against a piece of uncovered wood.

"I'm back. Don't attack," he called out, the raspy sound bouncing off the walls.

The hushed whispers in the living room exploded in loudness as Leo slowly approached the entrance to the chamber. Like during their reunion, Essence stirred in his soul, ready to jump out if the trio showed any kind of hostility.

"Entering," Leo warned again, finally stepping into the room.

Just like he had expected, the trio all had weapons — the firearm kind — tightly gripped in their hands. Although, and it was a bit of consolation, none of them were directly aiming at him.

Maybe they really calmed a bit. Void knows it would make this conversation much easier...

Relaxing the hold on his Essence, Leo slid to the floor as far away from the group as he could. "I hope I wasn't gone for too long," he provided an olive branch, praying that at least Dylan was smart enough to take it.

Thankfully, the older man once more read the situation well.

"Not really, mate. We barely managed to get comfortable here. Well, as comfortable as you can in a ruined house," Dylan gave him a wry smile, or maybe it was a grimace. "Besides, it's not like we can tell how long you were gone... What I would give for a workin' watch."

Leo snorted. He had similar thoughts quite often, though nowadays, he found a different way to measure time. "You can always take a time-limited task for your Job. The timer it gives is better than nothing..."

Dylan hummed. "Didn't think 'bout that. Thanks, Leo, I'll check it out la-"

"Did you find them?" Tyler's voice cut through whatever the older man wanted to say. The warrior's hand already whitened from the tight grip upon his gun while his gaze narrowed into a glare.

Wonder if he can crush it with his enhanced strength... Curious, but so not the time for this. Leo sighed before nodding. "I did. We forgot about one important thing about this part of the city."

Dylan's eyebrows rose. "What do you mean, lad? Except for the old trainyard, this place is almost empty."

"ReachHope Foundation," Leo answered simply, and the only person who kept quiet until now gasped.

"I'm so stupid," Laura muttered, her weapon lying forgotten across her lap. "I have been helping there as a volunteer for the whole last summer. How did I forget about it?"

For the first time since Leo stepped into the room, Tyler looked away from him. The younger's man gaze softened as he patted the girl's shoulder. "Don't worry, Lu. We all did."

"Speak for yourself, lad. This is probably the third time I'm hearing this name. I barely have any idea what it means." Dylan stated, and pretty much everyone threw the man a look. "What? I'm all for helping other people, but it doesn't bloody mean I need to know about every charity organization."

Leo chuckled, the sound immediately putting the trio on alert again. Here goes the lighter atmosphere. Ah, whatever. He shrugged, addressing them again before the tension could rise even more. "Ignoring our forgetfulness. I indeed found the other group living inside ReachHope's building. A building completely untouched by the Void."

"How?" Tyler quickly shot back.

"Safe Zone. Temporary one, but still a legit, System confirmed Safe Zone," Leo quickly raised his hand, stopping them from interrupting. "And no, I have no idea how it formed. The System didn't want to explain, and I didn't stick around long enough to find out."

"Then we should go," Tyler nodded, moving to stand up. "No reason to waste any more time."

Yeah, no.

"Not that quickly," Leo spoke up, once more freezing the room. "There is still more I have to say. And besides, as this is most likely the end of our short partnership, I want to cash in on this favor Dylan promised me."

Tyler threw a glare at the older man as he settled down again. The mage flinched, but nodded nonetheless. "Aye, I did that, and I'm a man of my word. You still saved us a lot of pain, grief even. So spill it, Leo. What do you need from us? We'll try to help as best as we can."

Leo pressed his lips together as the tension rose. He could almost slice it with his blades at this point...

"I won't ask you for anything outrageous, don't worry," he declared. "Really, my request is quite simple and probably won't take more than a single conversation with whoever is running the place. First though, I should probably tell you about the Nest pretty much next to them."

The trio stiffened at once. He had told them about the Shadow Tail nest yesterday, but it didn't change the fact that those three had never seen one before. Now they would be living next to a colony.

"Here? Bloody hell... Is it even safe to approach the Safe Zone?" Dylan fired off, his gaze searching.

Leo huffed. "Nothing is safe in this fucking world now... But if you really want an answer, then you should be fine. The Nest took over the trainyard, and from what I noticed in this short amount of time, those rotten ants mostly stick to their area unless provoked."

"Ants?" Laura asked, most likely couldn't help her curiosity about another monster.

"Yeah, ants. Giant fuckers that easily reach my waist. They are weak, but watch out for their acid. They can spit it, and some of it escapes when you cut them." Pointing to the green splatters over his head, Leo continued. "Not much of a problem for me, but I have no idea if the same applies to you."

Despite their shattered alliance, the trio nodded. At least they still believed him when it came to dealing with other Voidlings.

"Thanks, mate. We'll remember that," Dylan smiled, the awkward edge finally gone from it. "Now for the favor. What do you need?"

"As I said, it's simple," Leo began, fists tightening as unwelcome images flashed at the forefront of his mind. "I know my brother is gone, but I have no idea what happened to his wife and child. They weren't there, so if there is even a slightest chance they made it here, I need to know. Please ask them if Ava and Adam Hale are in their group. That's all I want."

For a short moment, silence claimed the room as not even Tyler had anything to say. The younger man even averted his gaze.

"If they're there, we'll find your family, Leo," Dylan swore, and next to him, Laura nodded. "I know this partnership between us didn't really work, but even if we didn't owe you, I'd still help you. God knows we all lost enough."

Leo smiled.

"Thank you."