In this Together

Alexia could barely sleep, she lay on the bed staring at the ceiling of the room. The faint him of the barrier outside seemed louder than usual, an ever-present reminder of the danger creeping closer.

She got up and left for the study room, before she could make it over to the study room, the sounds of footsteps pulled her from her restless thoughts. Quinn leaned against the door of the study, his shadows swirling lazily around like smoke.

"Couldn't sleep either?" he asked, his voice low.

Alexia walked over to him, sidestepping and entering the room, sat on a couch before she responded. "How can anyone sleep with that horde breathing down on our necks?"

 Quinn gave a lopsided grin. "Fair point. But stressing yourself about it won't make it go away. You're thinking too much. You've got a plan, right?"

"Plans don't mean anything if we can't execute them," Alexia muttered, rubbing her temples. "And we're running out of time."

Quinn pushed off the doorframe and walked over, crouching in front of her. "Look, I get it. You feel like it's all on you. But it's not. You've got me, Damien and soon, Alex. We'll handle this together." His voice softened. "Stop trying to carry everything alone."

Alexia looked at him, surprised by the sincerity in his tone. For once, there was no teasing smirk or sarcastic comment. She nodded slowly. "Thanks, Quinn."

He stood, the shadows at his feet rippling in response to his movements. "Get some rest, Kane. We'll need you at full strength."

She watched him leave, his silhouette disappearing into the dim hallway, before she walked back to her room. A part of her wanted to argue, but exhaustion won out. For the first time in hours, she lay back down and closed her eyes.

Alexia woke to the sound of faint whispers. The pale light of the sanctuary's natural light spilled through the blinds, cutting through the dimness of the room. She sat up, stretching her aching limbs before pulling on her boots and heading towards the living area.

Quinn lounged against the wall, idly spinning a shadow-formed dagger in his fingers, its dark edges gleaming faintly. Across the room, Damien stood near the window, gazing out at the forest beyond. A faint hum of energy surrounded him, barely perceptible but undeniably present. 

Alexia looked at the both of them before she joked "Don't need to rub it in that I'm the only one without abilities." This made both of them laugh.

"You're up early though," Quinn remarked without looking up, his voiced laced with dry humor. "Didn't think you'd join the world of the living before noon."

Alexia ignored him, her eyes drawn to the map displayed on the table. The glowing red path of the horde's approach seemed brighter in the dim light.

"Any new ideas?" she asked, her tone brisk.

Damien turned, his expression calm but focused. "We stick with the plan. Fortify the choke point, set traps, and prepare for contingencies. But we need to move fast. The horde is closing in."

Alexia nodded, pointing to the bottleneck highlighted on the map---a narrow alley flanked by towering buildings. "This is our best shot. If we can lure them here, we can funnel them into a tight space. It'll slow them down and make them easier to pick off."

Quinn tossed the shadow dagger into the air before making it dissipate. "And what happens if they break through? Or worse, if some of these evolved infected shows up?"

"Then we adapt," Alexia replied sharply. "That's why I upgraded your abilities. We'll all assist each other, make sure to have each other's back."

Damien stepped closer to the map, his gaze critical. "We'll need more than just traps and abilities. Supplies will be crucial. Ammunition, weapons, anything we cam use to hold the line."

Alexia glanced at him, a faint smile tugging at her lips. "I've got it covered. The system will be giving me the items we need, and I've been stocking up. Between what's in my space, and what we can craft, we'll have enough."

Quinn exchanged looks with Damien, skepticism flickering across his face. "You've got an answer for everything, don't you?"

Alexia met his gaze without flinching. "Someone has to."

Before Quinn could retort, Alex's voice broke through the tension. He was sitting on the couch, with Damien who had walked over to his brother, his face pale but his eyes determined. "I can help."

"You're still recovering," Damien said firmly. "You'll only slow us down." He continued bluntly. 

Alex shook his head. "I'm not dead weight. I can set traps or act as a lookout. Anything to take some of the pressure off you guys."

Alexia hesitated, then nodded. "Fine, But now heroics. You follow instructions, or you stay behind, besided I'm only letting you come with because your abilities are dormant, you need a triggering situation."

"Deal," Alex said, leaning back with a faint smile, even though he didn't know what she meant by abilities and why he was dormant."

Alexia turned back to the map, her mind racing. "We need to start now. Quinn, you and I will scout the choke point and clear out any stragglers. Damien, stay here and work with Alex on assembling the traps."

Damien's eyes narrowed slightly. "Don't take unnecessary risks. If something goes wrong, fall back or return to the sanctuary immediately."

"We'll be fine," Alexia said, her voice steady, meanwhile Quinn responded with a 'Yes sir.'

As they moved to gather their gear, Alexia couldn't help feeling the weight of responsibilities pressing down on her. Failure wasn't an option.

"Let's move," she said, taking Quinn's hand and flashing them out of the system space.

With Quinn at her side, they stepped out of the basement, into the bank and out the bank, headed towards the choke point. The only had once chance to prepare.