"Hey Pidge?" I asked quietly after we had gotten back. I left shortly after showing my dad the truck of stuff to find Pidge in the garden where she usually is, learning the names of everything. 

"Hmm," she hummed, sitting quietly on a bench in the shade of an apple tree.

"That guy that saved you. Where do you know him from?" I asked, noticing how she tensed up at the mention of the guy.

"Um, I can't tell you that," she whispered. I know she doesn't like talking about where she came from so she must know him from there.

"Okay, can you tell me about him?" I asked, trying not to push her into silence.

"... he cares," she said before getting up and heading inside. At least she told me something...

~~

"KEITH! Where have you been?" Shiro called out, running up beside me as I headed to our house.

"Talking with Pidge a bit. Why? What's up?" I asked, not looking up from the ground as I thought.

"Your dad gave us these," he said, holding up a bag I knew to be a scavengers bag. "We're scavengers now!"

"Wait, really?" I asked, looking at him in shock.

"Yeah! Isn't it great. And all it took was us bringing back a truck of supplies," he said with a proud smirk.

"Did you tell him Lance gave the truck to us?" I asked, seeing his face drop and knowing the truth.

"Well, no. But check it out, we get to train with the mamora squad now," he said, holding up a training pass.

"It wasn't earned though," I said, frowning deeply.

"Hey, we brought the truck back right? So we earnt it fair and square," he said, shoving my bag into my arms and running off to the training deck.

I let out a sigh and continued to our shared house. I chucked my bag onto my bed and headed back outside to climb onto the roof. I sat looking out over the wall and sighed, taking a deep breath of fresh air. But something smelt off about it.

I opened my eyes and stood up, looking over the wall better. I looked around, stopping when I saw thick black smoke raising from the treeline in the distance. It looked like it was coming from the 12th quadrant... where the warehouse was.

I jumped off the roof carefully and ran to the main house. It was where my dad stayed and helped assist people to keep this place from going insane.

"DAD!" I burst through the door, thankful to see he wasn't with someone. I probably looked crazy right now.

"Yes Keith?" My dad asked, his eyebrow raised at my sudden appearance.

"There's black smoke coming from the direction of quadrant 12. It looks to be in the area we searched," I said quickly.

"Black smoke? The spotters haven't told me-," my dad began but was cut off by a knock at the door. "Come in."

"Sir, there is smoke raising from the 12th quadrant. Should we be concerned," Ben, a spotter, said calmly. My dad gave me a glance before calmly facing Ben again.

"Tell everyone to remain inside and for the other spotters to keep an eye out around the walls while keeping out of sight. Notify me with the radio if anything happens," my dad said before excusing the tall male beside me.

"I-," I was trying to find an excuse but I knew I would get a lecture anyway.

"How did you know about the smoke?" My dad cut in.

"I saw it," I said blantly.

"From where?" I was asked.

"Um.. the roof," I said, looking down.

"You were told not to go up there. Why don't you listen to me?" My dad snapped.

"Why should I? Mum listened to you and she's dead," I shot. Feeling my chest tighten at my own words. I took a shaky breath and looked away once more.

"That was different," he said quietly.

"Really? I know you're trying to hold me back. That's why I was a scouter for so long. I'm not defenceless!" I raised my voice a little to make sure he heard me.

"You don't know... what it is like. Your mother wasn't defenceless either. She was better at defending herself than everyone here. But she was still taken by this new society. You are all I have left of her and I will take care of you even if it means being taken as well."

The room fell silent as tears fell down my face. I was looking right at my dad as tears sparkled in his own eyes. I took a deep breath before wiping my eyes.

"How?" I asked, my voice breaking before I could finish my sentence. "How did she die?"

"She was stabbed," was all my dad said before signalling for me to leave. I dipped my head and left, heading back to my house. I had time to ponder on everything as I did. Some how my mind wandered to Lance.

Why did he give us all those supplies? Why did he wear that mask? And why was he so concerned about Pidge?

I remembered his warning. 'The hunters'. Who are they really? I know they are dangerous and come out at night most of the time. Are they the people Pidge was with to begin with? It would add up. But what doesn't add up is Lance. How does he tie into all this? So many questions. So little answers. I need to sleep. I'll think about it in the morning. I have all day to think about it.

"Hey Keith!" A voice shouted to me. 'What now?' I groaned mentally.
I turned around to see Thace running up to me. I forced a smile as he beamed at me.

"Heard you were a scavenger now. Congratulations," he said, holding his hand out for me to shake, which I did. "So your dad told me about the smoke around the 12th quadrant. He said if it's died down by morning we go out and search it. Want to come, Shiro has already said yes and it's just us so far."

I wanted to say no but I knew if Shiro went I wouldn't hear the end of it so sucking down my want to have a lazy day I nodded.

"Sure." He gave me a firm slap on the shoulder and smiled.

"Great, see you at the gate at 8," he said before striding off somewhere else. I let out a heavy breath and rubbed my shoulder. Man he's strong.

I quickly finished my walk back to my house and got ready to sleep. Normally I would climb onto the roof but my dad would be watching so I can't tonight. Not yet at least.

I let out a sigh when I felt my blankets against my skin. I immediately felt sleepy and drifted off to sleep.