"Why?" 

The question worked its way out of Faethe with a quiver, panic welling up within her like a bottle ready to burst from being too full. Her sunlit blue eyes were wide with worry as they not only scanned over the knife wound, but the rest of her mistaken victim as if her mind couldn't process the man in front of her. In her panic, she yanked her hand back away from the knife, its blade remaining buried deep within the person's left shoulder like a child not wanting to let go of its parent. However, that didn't seem to matter to the man now staring down at injury he had just sustained. Shock plastering itself all over his face as crimson dripped from the open wound site, barely plugged by the blade jammed in place. 

"I'm sorry, oh god. . . I'm so so sorry." 

Faethe didn't know what else to do aside from apologizing profusely, especially since the injury given was her fault. 

What she thought had been a Predator or Scorch had been none other than Callen himself. How he had managed to follow her without her finding out was far beyond Faethe's thoughts. Though, the bigger question that had entered her mind was: why was he actually there in the first place when she had left him in the Walled City when she stood outside the gates. She watched the gates close between them, so this whole situation was confusing her. 

Before she could ay anymore or gain a response from the man standing in front of her in shock, that horrible high pitched screeching reverberated through the entire building they were standing in. The sound bounced off the walls and hit both Faethe and Callen like a lightning bolt to the system. Their attention being drawn from the injury and instead, both stared in shared silence towards the front of the building. Silent fear building around both Faethe and Callen, a sudden tension rising to the point it made the air feel far thicker than the humidity already made it. 

"We can take it, it's only one Scorch." 

Faethe's sunlit blue orbs shot back to Callen's, his chocolate brown gaze slowly turning back to her own and locking with them with amazing intensity. 

"No. . ." 

Callen grunted, his teeth clenched tightly as he reached up and pulled the dagger from his shoulder. Pain crossed his paling features at the same time a gasping breath burst from his lungs. The agony he was feeling was mirrored within his eyes, but it was all too obvious that the soldier was fighting to hide all the pain from her so she wouldn't worry. 

It wasn't working. 

". . . We need to get out of here. The entire entrance is crawling with both Scorch and Predators, we won't get far going out that direction." 

Faethe's own skin paled at the realization they had only one exit they could escape from. To their dismay, it would out the back like her original plan. However, with both Scorch and Predators outside, she began to wonder if they were even going to be able to get out. 

While her mind processed the situation they were now in, Callen reached around and wrapped an arm around Faethe's shoulder. He forced her to turn around, giving her a small nudge to get her feet moving, even if her attention was nowhere near being on their escape out of there. His arm only fell when she began moving on her own, Callen's hand resting lightly on the spot between her shoulder blades in order to assure she kept moving towards the far end of the building. 

Everything began moving in slow motion for Faethe as her mind raced to catch up with the fact they were actually moving. Time slowly rushed back to her, spiraling into a normal pace as she allowed her gaze to dart around what could have been a hallway once upon a time. She had no idea where they were going and was relying on the short and quick directions Callen was calling out to her, which seemed to be leading to her original destination out of there before fear had taken over her. 

"Just tell me where we are going and I can find it myself." 

There was a hesitation from Callen, his silence drawing Faethe's attention over her shoulder. She looked to the soldier behind her, desperation to get out of there overwhelming her at the sight of his hidden pain and own determination. Though, it didn't stop the urgent panic from escaping her voice when she spotted the grouping of Scorch forcing their way through the narrow hallway and the barely big enough damages surrounding them. 

"Cal!?" 

"There!" 

Callen's finger jutted out, pointing towards a large hole in the far wall that led to the outside world. Freedom from the confines of the building was finally within their reach. It was a godsend that the ash littering the ground had become thinner in the direction they were running, making it a little easier to get a foothold and sprint forward. However, it also meant the Scorch were going to have an easier time reaching them and they were already fast enough without the added help of mother nature. 

As the pair made a list ditch sprint, they reached the opening that had become the focal point of their escape. Faethe vaulted over the stone and rebar that stood in her way, tossing herself out of the building and into the baking sunlight. The moment her feet hit the ground, she spun around and thrust out her hand for Callen to take hold of. Her free one pressed against the wall near the opening, giving her a sense of stability while she leaned on it. She prayed her feet didn't slip on the building of soot and ash under her feet, not a fan of possibly impaling herself on the debris that rested under and around her. 

"Come on Cal, you're almost there!" 

Faethe shook her outstretched hand in absolute desperation, her eyes falling on the Scorch hoard closing in on their location. The mere sight of them rose the fear she already felt within her to a new height she never thought she was capable of actually feeling. 

The Scorch's human bodies were twisted and mangled, flesh oozing off the bone like it had been melted off. Boils, burns and blisters covered their twisted forms, while eyes of pure black only had sights for Faethe and Callen. Their screams were high pitched and garbled by the thick molten liquid dripping from their mouths, reminding Faethe of a wild dog drooling everywhere. The sight was absolutely repulsive and down right terrifying. If they didn't get away now, there would be no getting away for either of them. 

Callen reached out his right hand, frantically grasping for Faethe's outstretched one. It was his only lifeline he had to getting out of there, but, it wasn't like it was his only one. He was almost certain he could have clambered through on his own without the extra pull. However, the knife wound he sustained was still bleeding out and the pain was becoming quite annoying with each movement. Add in the hot and humid weather that remained a constant along with the exertion from running, the adrenalin rush he once had beginning to wane, everything was draining out of him like someone had left the water running in the faucet. 

Finally reaching their escape route, his fingers barely grazing Faethe's before she was pulled out of his reach within a blink of an eye. 

Callen's own panic surfaced as he curled his hand around the stone wall, giving him the leverage he needed to hop the debris field and rebar below him, sending him outside where he needed to be. 

Managing to clear the exit, Callen stumbled on the ash covered ground, nearly stumbling and falling face first into the black powder that covered nearly everything. Only when he managed to get his footing more grounded did his chocolate brown gaze dart towards Faethe and where she lay on the ground, wrestling with a Scorch that had broken from the heard. It had somehow become smart enough to roam its way around the building and catch both of them off guard, tackling Faethe down to the ground in hopes of a quick fight. . . or snack. 

There was no room for second thoughts to cross Callen's mind, not when Faethe was fighting for her life. There was a quick glance towards the dagger grasped tightly within his hand, his gaze shifting towards the wrestling duo as he came up with a quick solution to their situation. 

Fiery molten liquid oozed from between the Scorch's clenched teeth, snarling down at Faethe as if she had just insulted it in the worst way possible. It dripped onto the ground around Faethe's head, sizzling and disintegrating the ash around her. Black eyes were locked onto her, determination and an animalistic rage boring into her. The Scorch had nothing on its mind but to take out its targeted prey. Sadly, the targeted prey just happened to be Faethe. 

A scream released from Faethe as some of the ooze dripped onto her arm, sliding down her skin and burning whatever flesh it managed to touch. She tried to ignore the pain, fear turning into frustration as she worked to keep the gnashing teeth and flailing limbs from connecting with her skin. It was bad enough she would forever have that burn on her arm as a reminder of that moment, but she didn't want to even think about what would or could happen if she became infected and turned into one of these molten creatures. 

"Callen, help!" 

Desperation laced each of Faethe's words as her eyes deviated from the Scorch to Callen, who was no more than a couple steps away from her. Her dagger in his hand was held high in the air as he rushed forward to take out the Scorch from behind, however, his steps were halted in absolute surprise. 

Just when she thought Callen was going to pull the Scorch off of her and take it out, a large explosion rang out from the distance and the attacking Scorch immediately froze in Faethe's hands. Its face was blown out, spilling in every direction on and around Faethe, stunning the young woman as her attacker lay limp against her hands. From her peripheral, she could see Callen glancing around in confused panic, his entire being on high alert as he searched for the shooter that took out the Scorch. 

Surprisingly, he didn't have to search long. 

"Come on! Over here!" 

 Faethe pushed the body off of her, letting it roll off to the side. It thunked beside her with a sickening slosh, a sound she never thought to associate with a body. Now she wasn't going to be able to unhear it. 

The new voice calling out to them, though, had lifted her curiosity and snapped her out of the shocked stated she had been thrust into when attacked. However, now she wanted to know more than ever who was out there and where they got the weaponry to take out a Scorch. 

She wasn't able to dwell on the thought for too long, Callen sidling up beside her and pulling her to her feet. Both Faethe and Callen were hyper aware of their surroundings, both looking around in an attempt to find the shooter that had saved her life. They were curious if it was only one shooter and how say they truly were out there with them around. Never since The Fall had any living person been found out in the Wastelands. It had always been Predators and Scorch out there, threatening to attack at any given chance. The fact someone else was out there surviving had surprised the duo. 

"Who's there!?" 

Callen called out, his eyes darting around what surroundings he could see. He made absolutely certain that one hand remained wrapped around Faethe's wrist while the other tightly held onto the knife. What he wasn't expecting was for Faethe to smack him on the arm with her free hand, the smack reverberating to the stab wound. It caused his body to go rigid and an uncontrollable hiss of pain to escape from his lips. 

When his eyes found Faethe's, she was glaring up at him. 

"Quiet will ya, do you want to attract more Scorch than you already have? Not to mention, we don't know who is out there and I really don't want any nearby Predators to pop out either." 

He had to admit, Faethe had a good point. He already got them into trouble with the Scorch in the building and what Predators remained at the front end. It didn't seem fair that he kept getting them into trouble, even if he didn't mean to. 

As if only now remembering the Scorch inside the building, both Faethe and Callen turned to where they had just made their escape. Scorch were starting to clog the hole, some even making their way over and out to where they were currently bickering with one another. If they didn't move now they were most certainly going to get overwhelmed and not make it back to The Walled City alive. 

"What are you two waiting for, death!? Get a move on!" 

It was as if whoever was out there had read his mind and focused his thoughts on the situation. Callen was about to take Faethe and just run in a randomly decided direction to put some distance between them and the Scorch when Faethe called out in surprising excitement; 

"Look, there!" 

Faethe was pointing towards something off in the distance, Callen's focus following towards whatever it was she was trying to show him. 

At first, Callen didn't see anything and nearly missed what Faethe was pointing at. However, at the last second, he saw something or someone disappear behind a set of buildings in the distance. They were quick and clothed in all black, but Callen was certain he had seen someone there. 

As hesitant as he was about the situation, Callen nodded. He figured it was their best chance at survival out there, especially if whoever was out there had saved Faethe like they did. 

"Alright, lets go. You stay right beside me, you hear?" 

Callen glanced at Faethe, nothing but pure unadulterated seriousness slipping over his features. 

"Don't worry, I had no plans of leaving you. . . not like I could if I wanted to, anyways." 

Faethe held up her hand, showing Callen that he still had a good hold on her wrist. As if that was enough of an answer for him, Callen set his sights on the building across what would have been a road before The Fall. He took off at a jog without so much of a warning for Faethe, she barely managing to stay on her own two feet with the speed her Wasteland wandering companion had decided they were going to run at. 

Passing by their initial exit, the duo gave a wide birth to the Scorch falling out of the hole. Callen made sure their path was as open as it possibly could be, taking the dagger in his hand and bringing it straight down onto a nearby Scorch that thought it could use them as an attack dummy. It strayed from the heard and was far too close for comfort to where Callen and Faethe needed to go. Some Scorch were still screaming and screeching, reaching out and trying to grab for their runaway victims. All it did for the Scorch was trip them up even more, making for an easier escape for Faethe and Callen. 

However, that also meant there would be a huge hoard following after them once they got up on their feet again. 

As Faethe and Callen crossed the open Wasteland's soot covered streets, they only hoped they were putting their trust and lives into the right person. If they weren't, this may very well be their final adventure. 

They only prayed that wasn't the case.