The fight erupted instantly. Bob charged forward, slamming into Felix before he could swing his tail. Iris leaped into the air, her wings forming as she launched a kick at Ethan. Sly darted into the fog, his Specter form blending with the mist, while Gabe, in his Griffin form, surged forward, his powerful wings kicking up a gust of wind as he tackled Tobias.
The battle was fierce, but Bob's crew had learned from their first encounter. When Tobias raised the 'Fog Repeller' to fire, Sly struck from behind, knocking it from his grasp.
"I'll be taking that," Sly grinned, grabbing the device and vanishing into the mist.
Tobias spun, snarling. "You little—"
But it was too late. Sly reappeared next to the others, tossing the Fog Repeller toward Gabe. With a swift motion, Gabe caught it in his talons, flapping his powerful wings as he lifted off the ground. Clutching the device tightly, he soared upward, putting distance between himself and the Red Hands as they realized their advantage had just slipped away.
Darius saw the tide turning and raised a hand. "Enough! Fall back!"
The Red Hands hesitated, but Tobias and Ethan refused to retreat. Tobias, his rage blinding him, swung his claws wildly at Bob. Bob caught his wrist mid-swing, his grip like iron. With a sharp twist, there was a sickening crack. Tobias let out a strangled gasp before Bob drove a brutal punch into his chest, sending him crashing into the rubble, unmoving.
Ethan, panting and bloodied, locked eyes with Sly. "This isn't over!" he snarled.
Sly scoffed. "No, it really is." In a blink, he vanished and reappeared behind Ethan, driving his blade deep into his back. Ethan gasped, his body shuddering before he collapsed forward, the life fading from his eyes.
Felix cursed, realizing they were outmatched. "Fall back! Now!" He and Darius disappeared into the fog, leaving behind the bodies of their fallen comrades.
Bob exhaled, rolling his shoulders. "That went better."
Gabe inspected the Fog Repeller, his claws carefully nudging the device as he examined it. The casing was covered in deep cracks, the entire frame barely holding together. He exhaled through his snout. "One shot left. After that, it's toast."
He nudged it toward Sly, who caught it mid-air with a grunt. Gabe couldn't handle delicate gear in his current four-legged Glint form. Sly turned the device over, studying it. When he slid his hand into the chamber, something clicked—and his Glint flickered for a split second.
Inside the bullet slot was a small, white meteor fragment.
Sly narrowed his eyes. "That's why it works in the Pink Fog. It uses a white fragment to repel it."
It finally made sense—why the Red Hands were able to use the device despite the fog disabling most tech.
Mira gripped the edge of the cart, her knuckles turning white. "Dale! Dale!" Her voice trembled, caught between fear and hope.
The creature ahead didn't look like her brother anymore. But Mira recognized him—she knew his transformation, even twisted by the Fade. There was no doubt in her mind.
When he didn't respond, her breath hitched. She called again, more desperate now. "Dale! Dale! Dale!"
Bob turned quickly, ready to hold her back if she tried to jump out, but she didn't move. Instead, Dale moved toward them. His steps were unsteady, twitching with the unnatural jerks of a Stray Fade. He was closing the distance, drawn toward Mira's voice like a lost echo from his former self.
For a moment, his expression shifted—subtle, almost human. But it might be just a reaction to the sound.
No one moved. No one wanted to be the one to end it, not with Mira watching. The hesitation hung heavy in the air.
But Dale was getting too close.
Gabe made the call, his voice was sharp, decisive. "Sly shoot him—use it! Now!"
Sly didn't hesitate. He tightened his grip on the Fog Repeller, braced himself, and pulled the trigger.
A burst of white energy engulfed Dale, forcing the corruption away. His monstrous form wavered before shrinking back, until finally, Dale was human again. He staggered, his breaths ragged, confusion filling his eyes.
Mira sobbed. "Dale! You're back!"
But Dale didn't move. His hands trembled, his breathing uneven. Then, he whispered, "Mira…?"
Bob knew it before anyone else. Something was wrong.
Dale looked down at his shaking hands. He took one step forward, then stumbled. His form was human again—but only barely, and only for a moment. Whatever held him together was breaking down. His eyes went dull, and the Fade began creeping back in.
Dale clenched his fists, his jaw tightening. Then, before anyone could stop him, he reached for a broken piece of rebar on the ground. With one final breath, he plunged it into his own chest.
Mira screamed as Iris quickly moved, wrapping her arms around the girl and covering her eyes before she could see the worst of it. Bob stood frozen, unable to stop it in time.
Dale fell to his knees, then onto the ground. His body stilled. A moment later, a single white fragment rolled from his chest.
Silence.
Then—
"No… Dale… please, no…" Mira's voice broke between sobs, her body shaking. "You said you'd come back…"
She collapsed into Iris's arms, crying uncontrollably. The crew stood motionless, the weight of the moment pressing down on them.
Bob clenched his jaw, then reached down, picking up the white fragment. He looked at it, then at Mira.
Bob knelt down and gently placed the white fragment into Mira's small hands. She stared at it through teary eyes, gripping it tightly as if afraid to let go. A fresh wave of sobs wracked her body, and she buried her face deeper into Iris's shoulder, clutching the fragment as if it were the last piece of her brother she had left.
Nobody spoke. The white fragment resting in Mira's hands was more than a rare artifact, it was proof that Dale had protected her, even in the end. His final gift. Something that would let her return to any safe zone safely—something he himself had never been able to do.
The Pink Fog swirled around them once more, heavy and indifferent.
Later that day, they brought Mira back to the settlement where they'd first found her, the same place where the survivors had taken her in after Dale disappeared. She didn't say much. Just held the fragment close as the caretakers welcomed her back with quite relief.
---
The radio crackled in Gabe's hands as Bob's crew sat huddled around the mobile safe zone cart. The air was tense, but focused. They were fully connected to The Web now—the encrypted communication network Gabe had set up. It wasn't just a backup anymore. It was how they'd stay ahead, no longer wandering blind through the fog.
"Alright, let's see if we're the only geniuses using this thing," Gabe muttered as he adjusted the frequency.
Static buzzed—then a voice came through. Familiar. Marcus.
"You're live," he said, voice clipped but clear. "Good. Thought I'd test the line."
Bob leaned in. "You better not be selling us an extended warranty, man."
There was a short pause before Marcus replied dryly, "Not my department." His tone shifted slightly. "Listen. According to our latest reports, there's increased Fade movement near Sector D-12. No solid numbers yet, but the area's hot. You might want to reroute if you're headed that way."
Gabe pulled up the map on his tablet, frowning as he marked the sector. "That's exactly where we were going. How recent is this?"
"Within the last 12 hours," Marcus said. "Could be a migrating cluster. Or something worse."
Bob sighed. "Great. I was really hoping to get mobbed today."
Iris shook her head. "This just proves The Web works. We're finally ahead of something for once."
"Use it smart," Marcus said. "I'll update you if anything changes."
The line clicked off, leaving only soft static behind. For the first time, the crew wasn't walking blind. They had real-time intel. They could plan. Move with purpose.
Not just survive—adapt.
---
After following Marcus' instructions and avoiding Sector D-12, Bob's crew arrived at a safe zone—a scattered collection of makeshift buildings fortified just enough to keep the Fades out. It wasn't much, but it was a temporary haven for traders, scavengers, and those looking to regroup.
A few hours later, Bob stood with his arms crossed, staring at the rusty, barely functional pickup truck parked in front of them. The seller, an old man missing three teeth and wearing a torn jacket, gave them a confused look.
"You actually wanna buy that thing?" he asked, rubbing his chin. "Ain't much use for cars anymore, y'know. Roads don't go far, and most people ain't exactly goin' on road trips these days. And even if you do, cars don't work in the Pink Fog. Engines fail, batteries drain, something about that mist just eats away at 'em."
Bob grinned. "Yeah, but we're not most people."
The old man shrugged. "Your call. It's yours for ten boxes of rations and a couple of Pink Fragments."
Gabe scoffed. "You're charging Pink Fragments for this rust bucket?"
The seller raised a brow. "You're the ones dumb enough to buy a car in a world where no one drives."
Bob handed over the payment without arguing. They had bigger plans for this truck. Once the deal was done, they got to work.
The pickup truck wasn't just a new ride—it was an upgrade born out of necessity. Their old cart, which had served as their mobile safe zone for so long, had shown its weaknesses when the Red Hands chased them down. It was slow, exposed, and too fragile for real combat situations. They needed something tougher, something that could handle real threats.
That led to the first step: converting the newly acquired truck into the new mobile safe zone. They had large white fragments, powerful enough to generate a protective field around the vehicle. With careful placement, the entire truck became a moving shelter against the Pink Fog.
The second step was modifying it for Gabe's Glint his Griffin form. They built a customized harness, allowing him to strap in and lift the truck when needed—perfect for bypassing collapsed roads or avoiding unnecessary trouble.
As they finished setting up, Sly leaned against the truck, arms crossed. "Alright, I'll say it—this is actually kinda smart."
Bob smirked. "You doubted me?"
"Always," Sly shot back.
Gabe inspected the harness, testing the weight distribution. "This'll free me up a lot. I won't have to pull the cart all the time now."
"Yeah, but we still gotta conserve gas," Iris reminded them. "Just because there's fuel in the Pink Fog doesn't mean it'll always be available when we need it."
Bob patted the hood. "Then we use it smart. Drive when we can, fly when we have to."
With that, their new mobile safe zone was officially ready.
---
As they prepared to move out, Bob took a moment to reflect on how much had changed—and how much they had changed with it.
His Goliath Glint had evolved. Now, instead of just forming one weapon, he could create three to four—a club, gauntlets, a throwable stone or block, and a long pole. The ability to shift between them mid-fight would make him even more unpredictable. More than that, he had started learning how to revert to human form within the Pink Fog, something that hadn't even crossed his mind before being hit by the Fog Repeller. Right now, he could only hold his human form for a second before shifting back, but it was progress.
Gabe had reached Stage 2, unlocking the ability to manifest an aura. This meant he didn't just transform—his sheer presence alone radiated overwhelming energy, making his enemies feel the pressure before he even attacked. His transformation was now automatic after one hour of exposure to the Pink Fog.
Iris had also reached Stage 2, but something about her aura was different. Instead of scaring off Fades, as was typical, hers provoked them, making them more aggressive. This was likely a result of her training to channel emotions and desires into her transformation. It was progress, but also a risk. If she couldn't control it, she could unintentionally draw in threats. Like Gabe, her transformation was now automatic after one hour of exposure to the Pink Fog.
Sly was moving fast. Now at Stage 1.5, he was absorbing Fog power at an increasing rate. His shadow step had evolved into a deadly strike, a single, decisive attack infused with Stage 3 power. This wasn't just movement—it was a kill shot. His transformation time had shortened to two hours of Pink Fog exposure, meaning he was catching up faster than expected.
Bob cracked his knuckles as he climbed into the truck. "Alright. Let's see how far we can go before something tries to kill us."
Gabe sighed. "You just had to say it, didn't you?"
Bob grinned. "Gotta keep things interesting."
With that, the engine rumbled to life. They moved forward.