Chapter 30

"Can you be quiet, Naomi?" Cecília grumbled, irritated.

Naomi paced back and forth impatiently. She was with Cecília in front of an old house, while other Ravens patrolled the area in preparation for the meeting of the Nest leaders.

After securing the power generators, Kasca sent a message to Vann, requesting a meeting with him. It didn't take long for them to receive a positive response, and so a small group of Ravens set off for the location. One group stayed behind to protect the generators, building barricades with furniture from the residents, who were not at all pleased to see their belongings piled up to form barriers.

Most of the Ravens from Cecília's Nest stayed behind to protect their base. Kasca took only what she deemed necessary for the mission.

Naomi followed Cecília's request, stopping her pacing and refocusing on the surroundings. The house stood on a small street, flanked by similar buildings. It was a two-story house from the Ancients, patched up with wood. A four-step staircase led to an entryway that had no door, and two windows on the first floor were completely broken. The second floor was similar, with two windows missing glass and the orange roof tiles having collapsed in some places.

"I'm nervous," Naomi admitted.

"I can tell," Cecília said, sitting on the hood of a vehicle, examining her bandaged fingertips. "You'd better calm down. Vann's group should arrive soon."

"I know," Naomi replied, moving closer and sitting beside her. "Does it still hurt?"

"Not much," Cecília answered, flexing her fingers. "Sometimes I feel a twinge, but the medicine helps. What about you?"

"Huh?"

"I saw when you arrived with Kasca and took off that strange outfit of yours. Your body's covered in bruises."

"Oh, that," Naomi said.

During the last battle, she had only focused on attacking, and as a result, her chest and arms were stabbed multiple times. The armor managed to block all the strikes, but as Will had said, the armor could stop cuts but not the impact. The result was the purple bruises all over her body, which hurt every time she moved.

"I was lucky they didn't hit my legs," Naomi added.

"Yeah, really," Cecília agreed.

"The real problem here, Cecília, isn't me. It's Kasca. I saw the state she was in after using Berserker."

Kasca had broken eight of the ten fingers on her hands, and although her arms and forearms didn't suffer any serious fractures, there were dozens of cracks. She was wrapped up in bandages, her body feverish and in pain the whole time, but she refused to stop moving. Besides her arms, her ribs suffered a similar fate, and her right shin was almost entirely purple, but apparently hadn't broken—just by sheer luck.

"This time wasn't so bad," Cecília said. "She's broken her arms in at least two places, each."

"She's tough."

"She's badass!" Cecília corrected her with a sly grin.

Naomi smiled faintly at her friend, then returned her gaze to the street. She noticed a Raven on the opposite side of the street, a person dressed in black, watching the area anxiously, waiting for the worst. She didn't blame them—things were bad.

Feeling the fatigue beginning to take over her body, Naomi looked up at the sky, squinting her eyes to avoid hurting them with the sunlight. The Raven realized how long the day had been. The amount of things she had done and the people she had lost were overwhelming. She knew she would fight again before the day ended. She still had about three hours of daylight left, she deduced.

"There you are," a voice came from the entrance of the house.

The two young women turned at the same time, seeing Kasca appear with both arms wrapped tightly by her sides, sweat soaking through her clothes. She wasn't carrying any weapons. None of them were, as that was one of the rules for the meeting. That's why there was extra security around the area.

"Are you feeling better?" Naomi asked.

"Not at all," Kasca replied. "That stuff destroys the user, but I don't want to talk about my condition."

"So what do you want to talk about, then, ma'am?" Cecília asked.

"I didn't tell you everything in Vann's response," Kasca began, seeing Naomi's reaction. "Gabriel is alive. You can relax."

"Bad weeds don't die!" Cecília joked, giving Naomi a pat on the back.

"Back to the topic," Kasca cut in. "We lost the beach port. I can tell you that much—our possible allies must be feeling defeated."

"This is going to complicate things," Naomi commented.

"I don't think so," Cecília replied, with a mischievous smile. "Vann is a grudge-holder."

— Unfortunately, this time I have to agree with you — said Kasca.

A commotion at the end of the street caught the trio's attention as they saw some of Kasca's Ravens joining. Naomi instinctively reached for the knife hidden on her right leg but couldn't find it, remembering that, like everyone else attending the meeting, her weapons had been confiscated. The Corva thought it was stupidity given the current situation, but she wouldn't go against the customs of the place, something she'd learned during her training.

The commotion continued at the end of the street when a bald man appeared, his head shining under the sun. Naomi had to hold back a laugh; it was extremely easy to spot Gabriel in the crowd now, just like when he wore his flashy clothes.

— They've arrived — murmured Cecília. — How long after they must have received your message?

— Three hours — answered Kasca, still watching as eight Ravens walked escorted by their men. — Strange, Bernardo isn't among them.

Naomi observed the group approaching, immediately noticing their demeanor: heads and shoulders low, eyes hollow or vacant, they were defeated. Gabriel himself had bandages on the arm he'd injured earlier, stained with red blood marks, clearly showing he'd been in some combat.

— Kasca — greeted Vann with a nod. His eyes were the only ones with intensity in the group; he wanted to fight.

— I hope you had an easy trip here — replied Kasca with a nod in return.

— No setbacks — he paused for a moment, analyzing the three of them, and then added. — Your men decided to stay to make up for the lack of my own.

— I understand — said Kasca, exhaling tiredly. — That's very much Bernardo's style. But I'm not here to waste time, shall we?

— Of course.

The group began heading toward the house with Kasca leading the way. Naomi lingered behind, intending to talk to Gabriel.

Gabriel noticed his companion and subtly slowed down until he was shoulder to shoulder with her.

— What happened to Kasca's arms? — he asked.

— It was during the attack on the power plant.

— Things were tough there?

— Very much — Naomi replied, feeling some of the bruises aching as she walked. — And our new friends? They look like they've given up.

— Some might have, but I don't think Vann has given up yet. He seems like a vengeful person.

Naomi had to hold back a laugh again; Gabriel and Cecília were really alike. She was the last to enter the house, which had no furniture, only empty rooms, and followed Gabriel in a single-file line. Kasca led them to a hallway ahead, and they walked in silence until they reached a small room, likely the house's pantry.

Kasca squatted and pulled a ring on the floor, which lifted easily, revealing the basement beneath. Round lights illuminated the hidden room, and an L-shaped staircase would lead them down. Taking the lead again, Kasca stepped onto the concrete steps, making the sound echo through the basement.

Bowing her head slightly to avoid scraping the ceiling on the first steps, Cecília recalled that this was the second basement she had entered in less than two days. The memories of the people trapped there flooded her mind. She had sent a message to her Nest after her mission at Glory's Hole but hadn't thought to ask Kasca what actions had been taken regarding that place. Rubbing her short hair, she tried to shake the thoughts from her head and observed the place. There were more lights on the walls, enough to keep the area well-lit, and in the center of the room, two wooden chairs faced each other.

Vann sat in the chair on the right, with all his Ravens leaning against the wall behind him. Kasca took the chair on the left. Naomi and Gabriel instinctively positioned themselves facing the staircase.

— I heard you managed to secure the power plant — Vann began, looking at Kasca's arms. — But I see it came at a high price.

— At least I kept what was mine — Kasca retorted with an ironic smile.

The conversation barely began, and the tension in the room was almost palpable. Naomi observed both groups in front of her, and the Ravens of Vann, who had appeared defeated moments ago, now had their eyes fixed intensely on those in front of them.

— I don't believe you called me here to exchange barbs — Vann responded, relaxing in his chair.

— Indeed — said Kasca, crossing her legs casually. — You started it.

— I apologize for that. Now, seriously, Kasca, I heard Gabriel's account of the recent events. — Vann paused, adjusting himself in the chair, which creaked under his weight. — I won't lie to you, at any other time, I would never believe everything he said.

— We both feel that way — Kasca agreed.

— But — Vann continued seriously. — We both saw firsthand these atrocities of this so-called Doctor.

Kasca only nodded as she watched the Raven before her. She was surprised at how easily the man was opening up; truly, difficult times had a way of bringing people together.

— Kasca — Vann said, leaning over his legs. — I want you to be honest with me.

— Of course — replied the Corva, keeping her eyes fixed on the man.

— There's a thought that's been bothering me for some time. I've been thinking about many things on my way here, but one has stuck in my mind. Do you think the Bunker is involved?

Naomi felt her hands sweat. Vann had raised a question that all the Ravens there had been pondering, but no one had dared speak of it, as it could be considered treason against the Bunker, and such an act was punishable by death.

— Yes — answered Kasca, noticing the stir her answer caused, she continued. — Not exactly the high ranks of the Bunker, but I'd wager that some of the Militias are involved in this.

— I came to the same conclusion — Vann agreed, relaxing again. — Gabriel's account intrigued me when he described the Doctor's facilities. A person alone wouldn't be able to set up a lab without funding and, especially, personnel.

— The number of those modified people surprised me — said Kasca. — One person alone wouldn't be capable of all of this.

Gabriel paid attention without saying a word, the two Nest leaders in front of him said everything he and the others were thinking, but lacked the courage to speak aloud for fear of being considered traitors.

— We'd better focus on the main point of this meeting — Kasca said, putting an end to the topic.

— Of course — Vann simply replied, nodding, and continued. — What do you propose?

— A union of our Nests — uncrossing her legs, Kasca continued. — They managed to subdue the central Nest because of a surprise attack, and they managed to lock down the city. I won't lie to you, Vann, the situation is terrible for us, alone we don't have enough manpower to deal with this.

— It became clear we wouldn't handle it alone — Vann replied, remembering the earlier defeat.

— Together we can subdue them — Kasca continued, standing and stretching her left hand toward the Raven in front of her. — What do you say, Vann, are we going to end this rebellion?

Vann looked at her for a few moments, then exhaled in a playful manner, standing and returning the handshake, saying:

— It's not like we have another choice.

— Exactly — Kasca replied tiredly.

Naomi noticed there was hope, the weary faces of everyone were changing, some dared to smile, and she herself smiled without realizing it. They would have to fight for their lives, but now there was a way to win.

Heavy footsteps from the upper part of the basement drew everyone's attention. Cecilia noticed a shadow appeared at the top of the staircase, blocking the light for a moment, when a head with a jaw replaced by metal appeared. A woman with metal protruding from her shoulders to her hands calmly descended the stairs, two metal plates protected her ribs, and her right hand was entirely replaced by a claw that was holding something.

All the Ravens watched the monstrosity descending, feeling growing terror. Cecilia froze so much that she could barely feel her fingers. Right behind the modified woman, a man completely dressed in white appeared, sliding down the stairs while looking at everyone in the basement. His white coat had dozens of red stains, a surgical cap hid his hair, and a mask covered his face. The Doctor descended imposingly while analyzing the Ravens, stopping halfway down the stairs, leaning on the railing with his hands dangling over it. He was wearing blue plastic gloves soaked in fresh blood, with some lines of the viscous liquid starting to drip down the plastic, hitting the basement floor.

— Found you — the Doctor said casually.

— How? — asked one of Kasca's Ravens.

— Found you! — the Doctor replied, mocking in tone. — Ravens are so tiresome.

— That voice — murmured Vann, turning extremely pale. — This can't be real.

— You were supposed to be dead — murmured Kasca grimly.

— Dead? — asked the Doctor, leaning even more over the railing. — I don't remember anyone finding my body or even trying to search for it. Ravens are so simple-minded.

Naomi felt her hands sweat as she looked at the Doctor and his escort of two modified individuals, but all the other Ravens in the room wore the same expression of disbelief. She noticed Gabriel shared the same feeling as her.

— You keep saying Ravens are tiresome — Vann retorted, standing up and staring at the Doctor without hesitation. — But you're nothing more than one yourself.

The Doctor simply dropped his head, letting it sway between his shoulders, slowly bringing his bloodied hands to his cap, removing it without flinching and revealing his long hair tied in a bun at the back of his neck. Tossing the cap to the ground indifferently, he lifted his head again, glaring at everyone in the basement before removing his mask.

At first, Naomi was surprised, the man before her was actually attractive. The Doctor, with his light brown eyes and similarly colored hair, simply stared at the group below him. He was young, no older than thirty-three, and didn't smile, maintaining a neutral expression. To Naomi, it seemed the man was bored.

Unlike Naomi and Gabriel, who were seeing an unfamiliar face, Cecilia, on the other hand, bit her lips as her mouth dried up. She knew that face, all the Ravens in the city knew it, and the anger for not having recognized him by his voice when she heard it earlier grew in her chest.

— Why Lorenço? — Kasca asked, standing and glaring at the newcomer, her eyes red with rage.

Naomi finally understood, feeling a chilling cold seize her chest. She exchanged a quick look with Gabriel, who, like her, had understood why everyone was so shaken. Lorenço was the leader of the Central Nest of Pit Two, the same Nest where Mateus had gone, and never returned.

— What a meaningless question, Kasca — Lorenço replied, leaning back on the railing. — Because I'm a Raven.

— Don't give me that crap! — yelled a Raven standing beside Kasca. — Have you lost your mind, Lorenço? You're causing a massacre in the city!!

Beside Lorenço, the woman with the modified body threatened to step forward and attack the Raven who confronted the man who left her body in its current state, but stopped the moment she saw Lorenço raise his right hand, signaling for her not to advance.

— This reaction is so predictable — Lorenço began, lowering his hand.

In the brief moment the man made the move to stop the modified woman's attack, Gabriel noticed that he was wearing a bracelet on his wrist with a small ring attached. The creature looked at the small object with intense fervor, clearly desiring it.

"First of all," Lorenço continued, glaring at the young woman disapprovingly, "Tell me something. Everyone in this place has slit a throat and lives as if it's something common, or trivial. I know some of you consider me a monster, but I see nothing but a bunch of psychopaths, who have walked hand in hand with madness for so long, they don't realize something simple." A small smile spread across his lips. "Each of you here is crazy, sick, disgusting, and above all, hypocritical. I am truly crazy, girl, just like everyone here in this basement, or in this damned world the Ancients left for us."

The Corva didn't respond, standing still in place while watching Lorenço. Seeing the worst of humanity was something that deeply affected a person, and everyone in the room knew that. They lived with human rot, and the price for it was sanity. Crows flirted with insanity.

"And every Crow beside me chose this because they believe in my ideas. I'm not promoting a massacre, but an idea that's spreading," Lorenço paused for a moment, then began to laugh softly, his eyes filling with tears as he recovered from his laughter. "If this is what you expected to hear, Corva, then I'm sorry to inform you, it's not. They chose to stay by my side for the coins, because there are big people with a lot of power interested in my research, and they're willing to lose ten, a hundred, a thousand, or ten thousand lives to reap the fruits of my work."

Lorenço gestured frantically as he revealed these things, proud of his work, and in this brief moment, his arrogance slipped through in front of everyone.

"What work?" Gabriel asked.

"Isn't it obvious, kid?" Lorenço replied immediately, walking over to the modified woman beside him and grabbing her iron jaw, showing it to everyone. "I'm making humanity evolve, getting us out of the stagnation we've placed ourselves in. Iron instead of bones, so our limbs don't break; pipes instead of veins so we don't rupture and die from blood loss. And the next step, machines instead of organs, until we achieve perfection."

Everyone went silent as they watched the man smile with such pleasure over his creation, a silent agreement filled the Crows: Lorenço wasn't just stepping into madness; the man had drowned in the deepest insanity.

"I don't know you," Lorenço suddenly said while looking at Gabriel.

"We were sent by the Bunker," Naomi interjected.

In an instant, the duo became the center of attention. Lorenço released the woman's face and focused intensely on the pair.

"Are you the survivors of the S.L. incident?" he asked.

"Yes," Naomi answered.

"Interesting. That drug was a mistake, just a prototype."

"What?" Kasca asked, clenching both fists so tightly her knuckles turned white.

"You," Gabriel said, feeling his mouth dry. "You made the S.L.?"

"Of course not!" Lorenço answered immediately, his voice clearly indignant. "I'm not interested in that. I want to improve the body, not create a drug to control someone. But I know who made it."

The answer was right in front of her, Naomi realized. The leader of the Nest, escorted by two abominations, knew, and if she could get her hands on him, she would get all the answers she needed. But Lorenço's companions would easily kill her. Everyone in the basement knew this. There was no way to win against those things unarmed; they were at the enemy's mercy.

"So why distribute the S.L.?" Gabriel asked, his face red with anger. He had lost three partners because of it.

"Coins," Lorenço replied indifferently, then continued, "That drug you fought, kid, was nothing but a prototype, a failure. But even though it was flawed, it was worth profiting from, and the real drug kept being perfected until it was ready!" And with a wrist movement, Lorenço showed the bracelet.

The two modified creatures immediately looked at the object with desire. The woman at the bottom of the stairs approached, desperately sucking in air, trying to inhale the powder, but her efforts were interrupted when Lorenço slapped her face, sending her back.

With a chill, Naomi recalled the Crows captured by the Big Brother a year and a half ago. Now it made sense why they obeyed him: they needed more drugs, making them so obsessed that they would go after it and their partner. What happened before was now repeating itself. The people who underwent modifications, in addition to having their bodies violated, were also drugged to the point of losing their free will.

"You seemed so outraged about making a drug," Vann said, clenching his fists, veins bulging in his neck. "But you use it without hesitation."

"It would be stupid not to use it," Lorenço said, putting on a tired expression again. "I still haven't achieved what I want, so I need to keep the test subjects under control."

"Why?" Kasca suddenly started, grabbing everyone's attention in the room. "Why attack your own Nest? They were your Crows, Lorenço!"

For the first time, Lorenço looked uncomfortable, shifting his weight from one leg to another.

"It wasn't something I enjoyed doing," Lorenço began. "I knew my Crows well enough to know that few would accept. Unfortunately, loyalty isn't always something you can buy. Of course, some I trusted, they were out during the attack. Running the risk of a message reaching the Bunker was too dangerous, so I chose to destroy my own Nest."

"You're afraid of the Bunker," Cecília said, a bit shocked.

"It would be stupid not to be," Lorenço replied.

"Let's stop with the nonsense," Kasca said. "You didn't come here just to talk. You're going to send those two things with you to kill us." It wasn't a question; she was certain of it.

"I didn't say earlier," Lorenço spoke again. "I'm a Crow, I know about these meetings. It's forbidden to bring weapons, and things are settled through dialogue. And that's exactly what I intend to do." Of course, the guards outside are dead; I don't want to take any chances.

Cecília shared with all her Ninho comrades the feeling of hatred for having lost her partners. But before anyone could say anything, Lorenço continued.

— If I were in your place — he pointed at Kasca and Vann with his blood-stained gloves. — I would form an alliance, and exactly for that reason, I'm going to show you something before I make my offer.

Lorenço signaled to the woman beside him, who understood what she had to do. The modified woman stretched out the arm holding something, letting go of what she was grasping.

A circular object hit the floor with a hollow, unpleasant sound and rolled to a stop a few steps from Vann. Kasca felt a wave of hatred fill her being, along with despair. Just a few steps away from her was the head of Bernardo.

— I decided to bring this head along with some news — said Lorenço, his eyes cold. — An hour ago, all the Corvos from your Ninho, Vann, were killed.

— What? — Vann stammered, along with several other Corvos he had brought along. — Then why didn't I hear any fighting?

— Simple. Just like every leader of the Ninhos who has strategies to fight the other Ninhos in the city when necessary, I had one too. I used several sleeping gas grenades, shot from a distance. Then all I had to do was order the throats to be slit. Unfortunately, I had to use all of them, but it was worth it.

— Son of a bitch — Cecília muttered.

— Don't worry, I don't intend to kill any of you. These meetings have a rule: no fighting — Lorenço's voice was full of mockery. — I'm going to make an interesting proposal. You have until the end of today to join me. Those who refuse will be killed as soon as night falls.

— Are you serious? — asked a Corva behind Vann.

— Of course.

— You're the one who will be dead by the end of the day, you traitor — the Corva spoke again.

Shaking his head tiredly, Lorenço ignored the insults and threats he received from the Corvos, who were furious with his audacity. His escort got nervous about the threats to their leader, but they were calmed by him with a wave.

— Don't forget — said Lorenço, casually walking up the stairs. — Join me, or enjoy the last day of your life.

Just as he appeared, Lorenço disappeared, and the sound of footsteps from those following him could be heard. Silence finally dominated the room, and what was once hope now turned into despair and defeat.

Several Corvos sat against the walls, while others lost all will to fight. Kasca stared at Bernardo's head with an unreadable expression, forgetting the pain of her cracked bones, unsure of what to do.

Gabriel exchanged a glance with his partner, smiling sadly. They would die in this city, he thought. He would take as much as he could with him, but in the end, it wouldn't be enough. He struggled against discouragement but was losing.

— There's a way — Vann spoke in the midst of the morbid silence.

Everyone looked at the Corvo leader. The unity of the Ninhos was their last option for victory, and it had been taken from them so easily. They didn't want to hear heroic speeches from the man or empty words to keep them from giving up. But what they saw on Vann's face was someone about to commit something terrible, and clearly, he didn't want to do it.

— What? — asked Kasca, tearing her eyes away from the decapitated head, and looking deeply at her colleague.

— I need to speak with you alone — Vann responded.

That took Kasca, and everyone, by surprise. She analyzed the other once more before finally accepting. Everyone left the basement, dissatisfied at being excluded from the conversation, including Gabriel and Naomi.

When the basement door closed, Kasca sat down in front of Vann. The silence between the two seemed to form a wall between them, and the smell of blood from Bernardo's head began to permeate the place.

— Did you notice, Kasca, that he was afraid of the Bunker? — Vann began. — I still believe the people involved are there, but they must be operating in hiding.

— What's this way? — Kasca interrupted bluntly.

Vann falls silent, breathing deeply, appearing embarrassed. Gathering courage, he speaks.

— Remember what he said about the Ninhos being prepared in case another one rebelled?

— Yes, — replied Kasca, narrowing her eyes at her companion.

— There's a way, but I don't think you'll like it.

Kasca listened to the Corvo without saying anything, hearing his idea. She felt her hands growing cold with each word, and then, when she realized that Vann had finished, she spoke.

— How do you know about this?

— It doesn't matter now. I need to know if you're on board.

— You know I have no training, — Kasca said reluctantly.

— I know. Unfortunately, I know. — Moving closer to her, as if confiding a secret, Vann continued. — We have at most two hours and a few minutes of daylight, so I may need a distraction.

— For what?

— If it takes longer. I thought of you; after all, your battle reputation is incredible, but your current state complicates things.

— I know someone who can draw attention while you get things ready.

— Great, we need to head back to your Ninho and start immediately.

— Vann, — Kasca began seriously. — You could be executed for this.

— Don't worry, I intend to pay the price for it.

— If you say so, — Kasca said, standing up and heading towards the stairs, but she stopped at the first step and turned to face him. — I just hope you don't regret this.

Vann gave Kasca a tired smile, and she opened the hatch, leaving him alone with the head. She lowered her face into her hands, murmuring only to herself.

— I already regret it.

Kasca returned to the street where the Corvos were, and to her surprise, their weapons went unnoticed by Lorenço's men. She could feel their piercing gazes as they passed, but she dared not look at them. She needed to show strength.

Then she saw who she was looking for, heading directly toward Naomi, who noticed her approach immediately. With a wave, both Corvas distanced themselves from the others. After walking several houses away, they turned to face each other.

— Maybe you'll need to do something.

— What?

Reaching into her medicine pouch, Kasca pulls out a bottle and stretches her hand toward Naomi, who, without thinking, takes the vial. Looking at what she held, Naomi's eyes widened.

— This is Berserker!

— Yes.

— You want me to use it?

— If necessary, — Kasca held back from saying probably. Then she explained to Naomi what she wanted her to do.

Naomi listened carefully as she held the bottle, eyeing the brown liquid with apprehension. She realized that Kasca was withholding something about the plan, but she said nothing.

— I need to be a distraction if necessary, — Naomi commented.

— Yes.

Placing the Berserker back into her medicine pouch, Naomi looked seriously at Kasca. If there was truly a way to win, she would help.

— Of course, — Naomi replied, her expression serious, as she listened to the older Corva's instructions.