The first light of dawn crept through the curtains like a reluctant witness to what was about to unfold. I'd been awake for hours, staring at the ceiling and running through every possible scenario, every way our mission against the Frost Walker could go catastrophically wrong. The weight of the red stone in my pocket seemed heavier than usual, as if it too understood the significance of what we were about to attempt.

The house stirred to life around me with the quiet efficiency of people who knew that today might be their last normal morning. Footsteps moved across floorboards, muffled conversations drifted through thin walls, and the familiar sounds of breakfast preparation began to emanate from the kitchen. But underneath it all was a tension that made the air itself feel heavy with the knowledge that we were about to face something that could kill us all with a single touch.

I found Sydney in the kitchen, already dressed and methodically packing supplies into a tactical bag. Her movements were sharp, focused, but I could see the tightness around her eyes that betrayed her own nervousness about what lay ahead.

"Coffee?" She asked without looking up, gesturing toward a pot that was already brewing.

"Please," I replied. "How long have you been up?"

"Since about four," she said, pouring two cups and handing me one. "Couldn't sleep. Kept thinking about that thing sitting in our garage, waiting for us to figure out how to use it."

The alien device. Even now, hours before we planned to retrieve the second stone, it dominated our thoughts like a malevolent presence. We'd covered it with tarps and locked the garage, but knowing it was there—knowing what it might be capable of once fully activated—made it impossible to forget.

"Any second thoughts?" I asked.

Sydney's smile was sharp. "About fighting a monster that can freeze people solid? About carrying experimental flamethrowers into combat? About potentially activating technology that could either save us or doom us all?" She paused, considering. "Yeah, I've got second thoughts. Third thoughts. Probably up to about fifteenth thoughts at this point."

"But?"

"But we're still going," she finished firmly. "Because sitting here waiting for the next Fire Spitter you had seen or Frost Walker or whatever other nightmare with fantasy like names to show up on our doorstep isn't actually safer than taking the fight to them."

Before I could respond, Christopher appeared in the doorway carrying what looked like a bundle of military gear. The heat-resistant suits Mark had provided were even more intimidating in the morning light—layers of fire-retardant fabric, reinforced panels, integrated cooling systems that would hopefully prevent us from cooking inside our own protective equipment.

He really had everything with him…

How many things did he scavenge from the whole Jackson Township actually? Or rather how many people he had tricked to scavenge for him under the excuse that it was to help the community.

"Time to suit up," Christopher announced, his voice carrying forced cheerfulness that didn't quite mask his own nervousness. "Mark wasn't kidding about these things being hot and heavy. I've been wearing mine for ten minutes and I'm already starting to sweat."

The process of donning the protective gear was both methodical and surreal. Each piece of equipment represented another layer of separation from the normal world, another acknowledgment that we were about to step into a realm where the rules of physics bent to accommodate impossibilities. The suit felt like wearing a portable oven, thick and constraining, with built-in ventilation systems that hummed quietly but couldn't quite dispel the claustrophobic sensation of being wrapped in so much protective material.

Christopher struggled with his own suit, the bulk making it difficult to move with his usual coordination. "God, how do professional firefighters function in these things?" He muttered, adjusting the position of the fuel tank harness for the third time.

"Practice," Rachel said, appearing in the kitchen doorway already dressed in lighter protective gear. Her green eyes swept over our preparations with the kind of professional assessment that suggested she was already thinking tactically about the challenges ahead. "And adrenaline. Amazing what the human body can adapt to when survival depends on it."

Cindy joined us a moment later, her own equipment lighter but no less important. As our designated medic and tactical coordinator, she would be responsible for monitoring our condition and coordinating our movements during the actual confrontation. The responsibility clearly weighed on her—I could see it in the way she double-checked every piece of equipment, in the careful precision with which she organized medical supplies.

"How are the suits feeling?" She asked, circling around Christopher and me with clinical attention to detail. "Any restrictions in movement? Problems with the cooling systems?"

I tested the range of motion in my arms and shoulders, discovering that while the suit was bulky, it didn't prevent the kind of movements I'd need to operate the flamethrower effectively. "Awkward, but manageable," I reported.

"Same here," Christopher agreed, though he was still adjusting the fit around his torso. "I feel like a medieval knight wearing plate armor. Heavily protected but about as graceful as a refrigerator."

The humor felt forced, but it served its purpose—cutting through some of the tension that had been building since we'd first planned this mission. We needed to be focused but not paralyzed by fear, alert but not consumed by anxiety about everything that could go wrong.

Damn, I really couldn't actually believing what we were going to do.

It was while we were conducting final equipment checks that Elena appeared in the doorway.

She stood there silently for a moment, taking in the sight of our preparations with an expression that mixed determination with something that looked dangerously close to hurt. She was already dressed for combat—practical clothing, her crowbar secured at her belt, a small pack containing what were probably medical supplies and emergency equipment.

"Elena," I said carefully, recognizing immediately what her presence meant and dreading the conversation we were about to have.

"I'm coming with you," she said simply.

"No, you're not."

The words came out more sharply than I'd intended, and I saw her flinch slightly at the harsh tone. But this was too important, too dangerous, for diplomatic niceties. The Frost Walker wasn't like the infected we'd fought before—it was an evolutionary step beyond, a creature specifically designed to kill anything that came near it. The thought of Elena facing something like that made my stomach clench with fear though it was the same for the others…

"Yes, I am," she replied, stepping further into the kitchen with the kind of determined movement that suggested she'd been planning this conversation. "You need all the help you can get, and I'm not going to sit here safe and comfortable while the rest of you risk your lives."

"Elena, this isn't up for debate," I said, trying to keep my voice level despite the growing tension. "This creature is more dangerous than anything we've faced before. It can kill with a touch. One mistake, one moment of carelessness, and you could be dead before any of us could help you."

"The same could happen to any of you," she pointed out, her blue eyes flashing with anger. "Why is it acceptable for Rachel to face that risk, or Sydney, or Cindy, or Christopher, but not me? What makes me different?"

Because you are meant to leave this place with Alisha. I wanted to say it but kept my mouth shut.

"You're important," I said finally, the words feeling inadequate even as I spoke them. "To Alisha, to all of us. If something happened to you..."

"Something could happen to any of us," Elena repeated, her voice rising slightly. "That's not a reason to exclude me from a mission where you need every advantage you can get."

I could see the others watching our exchange with growing discomfort. Sydney had paused in her equipment preparations, her eyes moving between Elena and me with the expression of someone trying to decide whether to intervene. Christopher was pretending to focus on adjusting his gear, but his body language suggested he was listening to every word.

"It's not about your capabilities," I tried to explain. "It's about—"

"It's about Alisha asking you to keep me away from danger," Elena interrupted. "Isn't it?"

Of course she'd figured it out—Elena was far too intelligent to be fooled by vague explanations about general safety concerns. She'd put together the pieces, understood the real reason behind my refusal to let her participate.

"She's worried about you," I said quietly, abandoning any pretense of deception. "She asked me to keep you safe."

"And you agreed," Elena said, her voice carrying a note of betrayal that made me wince. "Without talking to me, without considering what I might want, you made a decision about my life."

"I made a decision about keeping you alive," I corrected, though even to my own ears it sounded defensive.

Elena's expression shifted, anger giving way to something that looked almost like disappointment. "I thought you were different, Ryan. I thought you understood that I'm not some fragile thing that needs to be protected from the realities of our situation."

"You're not fragile," I agreed. "But you're not expendable either. None of us are, but—"

"But some of us are more expendable than others?" Elena's voice was quiet now, but there was pain beneath the surface that cut deeper than anger would have. "Is that what you're saying?"

"That's not what I meant."

"Then what did you mean?" She stepped closer, her eyes searching my face for something I wasn't sure I could give her. "Because from where I'm standing, it looks like you've decided that my sister's fears matter more than my own choices."

The kitchen had gone completely silent.

"I can't lose you," I said finally, the words torn from somewhere deep in my chest. "Any of you, but especially... I can't lose you, Elena. Not to this…"

For a moment, her expression softened, and I thought I saw understanding flicker in her eyes. But then her jaw tightened, and she stepped back with the kind of deliberate movement that suggested she was putting distance between us in more ways than one.

"I see," she said quietly. "So this is your decision, then. You've decided what's best for me, what risks I'm allowed to take, what battles I'm worthy to fight."

"Elena—"

"No," she cut me off, shaking her head. "I understand now. Thank you for being honest about it, at least."

She turned to go, but paused at the doorway without looking back.

"I just wanted to help," she said. "I thought that mattered to you."

Then she was gone, leaving behind a silence that felt heavy for me.

I stood there for a long moment, staring at the empty doorway and feeling like I'd just made a mistake.

"Damn..." Sydney said quietly, voicing what we were all thinking.

"She'll understand eventually," Rachel said, though her tone suggested she wasn't entirely convinced of her own words. "When this is over, when she sees what we're dealing with, she'll understand why you made this choice."

I nodded, but the reassurance felt hollow. Elena wasn't the type to forgive easily, especially when she felt that her autonomy had been dismissed. The conversation had damaged something between us, possibly irreparably, and the knowledge sat in my stomach like a lead weight.

Before anyone could say anything else, Rachel' spoke.

"I need to talk to Rebecca before we leave," she said. "I'll be right back."

She disappeared upstairs, leaving the rest of us to finish our preparations in uncomfortable silence.

I busied myself with final equipment checks, testing the ignition system on my flamethrower and reviewing the tactical plan we'd developed. But my mind kept drifting back to Elena's expression, to the hurt in her voice when she'd realized that I'd sided with Alisha's protective instincts over her own desire to help.

Damn it despite that I think I agreed with Alisha somewhere. I was already worried I couldn't keep safe Sydney, Rachel, Christopher and Cindy at the same time. Another one would be even more complicated…

Rachel returned fifteen minutes later, her face tight with frustration and what looked like barely controlled anger.

"How did it go?" Cindy asked, though from Rachel's expression the answer was obvious.

"She wouldn't even talk to me," Rachel said, her voice carrying the kind of exhaustion that came from emotional rather than physical strain. "I knocked on her door, tried to explain that I was leaving, that I wanted to work things out before we left. Nothing. Complete silence."

The sister situation was becoming as complicated as everything else in our lives. Rebecca's anger about being excluded from dangerous knowledge had created a rift that seemed to be widening rather than healing, and now Elena felt similarly betrayed by decisions made ostensibly for her protection.

And I was at the center of that…

"She's still angry about the virus revelation," Sydney observed. "About all the secrets we've been keeping."

"Can you blame her?" Rachel asked rhetorically. "From her perspective, the people she trusted most have been lying to her for weeks about things that directly affect her life and safety."

By 'we' she was obviously meaning herself and me though I was having hard time believing Rebecca trusted me this much…

"We'll work it out when we get back," I said, trying to project confidence I didn't feel. "All of it. The secrets, the decisions made without consultation, the way we've been handling information. But first, we need to survive today."

Christopher adjusted the position of his flamethrower one more time, checking the fuel connections with the kind of methodical attention that suggested he was using the technical details to avoid thinking about larger implications.

"Speaking of surviving today," he said, "I think we should go over the plan one more time. Make sure everyone knows exactly what their role is, what the fallback procedures are if things go sideways."

It was a reasonable suggestion, and we spent the next twenty minutes reviewing tactical details, emergency procedures, and contingency plans. But underneath the professional discussion was an awareness that no plan survived contact with reality, especially when that reality included creatures that defied conventional understanding of biology and physics.

As we prepared to leave, I found myself compelled to ask one final question—not because I doubted their commitment, but because I needed to be absolutely certain that everyone understood what we were walking into.

"Before we do this," I said, looking around at the assembled group, "I need to ask one more time: are you all sure you want to go through with this mission? Not the general idea of fighting infected or helping our community, but specifically this mission. Against a creature that can freeze anything it touches, using experimental weapons that could malfunction and kill us, to retrieve an artifact that will activate alien technology we don't fully understand."

The question was blunt, perhaps brutally so, but I needed them to make this choice with their eyes fully open to the risks involved.

Sydney was the first to respond, her voice steady and sure. "I'm in. We've come too far to back down now, and besides, sitting around waiting for the next monster to show up isn't exactly a safe alternative."

Christopher nodded his agreement. "The alien device could be the key to understanding what we're really dealing with. If there are others like you out there, other people with viral enhancements, we need to find them. And if there are more artifacts, more tools we can use to fight back, we need to know where they are."

"The potential benefits outweigh the risks," Rachel added. "If the device can identify other enhanced individuals or locate additional alien artifacts, that information could be invaluable for long-term survival."

Cindy's response came more slowly, but when she spoke, her voice carried quiet determination. "I'm scared," she admitted. "This whole situation terrifies me. But doing nothing is just another kind of death sentence. At least this way, we're fighting for something that could make a real difference."

Their responses satisfied something deep in my chest, a need to know that I wasn't leading them into disaster purely through my own hubris or desperation. They understood the stakes, accepted the risks, and had made informed decisions to participate. Whatever happened next, at least I wouldn't have to carry the guilt of deceiving them about the dangers involved though if something happened to any of them, I will never able to forgive myself.

As we gathered our gear and prepared to leave, the rest of the household began to emerge for what might be our final farewells. Alisha appeared first, her blue eyes moving over our assembled group with maternal concern despite being barely older than some of us.

"Be careful," she said simply, but the words carried weight that went beyond their literal meaning. She was entrusting us with Elena's safety by keeping her behind, and both of us understood the implications of that trust.

"And thank you Ryan. Truly," she added to me since I convinced or rather forced Elena to stay here…

"Don't worry…" I said.

Daisy emerged from the kitchen carrying what appeared to be a thermos of coffee and a bag of sandwiches. "I made these for you," she said shyly, pressing the supplies into Rachel's hands. "I know you probably have your own food, but I thought... I wanted to do something to help."

"Thank you Daisy," Rachel smiled.

Though Daisy was scared to fight anything, she was really supportive for us.

Liu Mei appeared next, her approach more dramatic than the others. She'd clearly been waiting for the right moment to make her entrance, and she delivered her farewell with the kind of theatrical flair that was characteristic of her personality.

"Try not to embarrass yourselves," she said with her usual haughty expression, but there was something underneath the arrogance that suggested genuine concern. "And if you're going to activate ancient alien technology, at least do it with some style."

It was probably the closest thing to a sincere expression of good wishes that Liu Mei was capable of delivering, and I found myself oddly touched by her characteristic blend of superiority and affection.

"Got it Princess," I said with a smile.

Liu Mei raised a brow but smiled. "Good luck, Abraham Lincoln."

Miss Ivy remained in the background, silent as always but watchful. Her eyes followed our preparations with professional interest, and I caught her making small adjustments to the medical kit Cindy carried, adding supplies or repositioning equipment with the kind of efficient precision that suggested extensive experience with field medicine. She didn't speak, didn't offer verbal encouragement or warnings, but she seemed concerned for us, at least I wanted to believe it.

As we loaded our gear into the vehicle and prepared to drive toward what might be our last battle, I found myself taking one final look back at the house. Elena was visible in one of the upstairs windows, her figure silhouetted against the morning light, watching our departure with an expression I couldn't read from this distance.

I will definitely make it up to her once back.

"Ready?" Sydney asked from the driver's seat, her hands already gripping the steering wheel hard.

I settled into the passenger seat, feeling the weight of the flamethrower across my back and the warm presence of the red stone in my pocket.

"Let's go fight a monster," I said smirking. "And hope we're still alive to regret it afterward."

"You got it man!" Christopher grinned back placing his hand on my shoulder.

"This is gay, Chris," Sydney had to open her mouth.

"Fuck off Sydney."

Thank you Christopher.

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