~August 28th, 2025~

The next few days went smoothly. Okame led the group around town in eager search for food to eat, typically ignoring the rats. The present BA members trotted around the vacant streets, searching. No luck. Food was one thing, but water was another. None of the youthful members knew whether or not you could get infected with ITEV through consuming infected water, nor did they want to risk it.

Luminous clouds overhung in the sky above, like gray blankets surrounding the sun, because of this, the area was a bit more spine chilling than before. The Abandoned Town had cobblestone roads and brick buildings that traditionally consisted of shops and restaurants. Littering most of those restaurants were rats, no one wanted to test their luck with rats, either die from ITEV or from a rodent. Okame and Maxie stumbled into an old store.

"I don't think that there will be any food here." Maxie admitted thoughtfully with a small shrug. Okame continued to look around, determined.

"Well...you never know, let's just hope, maybe there's some clean water around here."He commented positively, browsing through the shelves of dusty lamps, old deceased plants, and broken home decorations. Maxie blinked at the alphabeta, then deciding to join him in the search.

They spent around 10 minutes searching, no luck.

"At least we tried." Okame commented optimistically with a smile, exiting the store. Maxie was close onto the shorter boy's heels.

"Yep," Maxie replied enthusiastically with a reassuring grin, just as positive.

"Let's hope that the others are having better luck than us." Okame nodded, bringing Maxie into some more stores to scrounge around for food and water. Maxie looked around for anything, throwing an old used milk cartoon over his shoulder. Rats scurried away from it as it hit the ground.

Okame quickly peeked in an alley way. "Hey Maxie, you might want to come and check this out." His voice was full of concern. Maxie turned around and strode over to the alphabeta, placing a hand on Okame's shoulder.

"Yeah, what is it broski?" He asked cautiously. Okame pointed.

"That."

A discovery.
———————

Farther downtown...

Crystal and Compass were searching around themselves in a few stores for anything to eat or drink.

"Gah! This sucks."Crystal huffed, "we can't find anything." They sighed, "Grrrr. Whats the point of even being here? We've checked this area multiple times for food, it's not like some loaf of bread is going to randomly pop out of thin air."Crystal gave a frown.

Compass continued to search around, she looked back at Crystal, standing up and looking down at the lead hunter, who was crouched down near an old bin. "Must I need to remind you that I only arrived here yesterday? This is my first time here. Come on, let's keep looking."She naturally encouraged, "there's gotta be something."

The delta resumed looking around for something, she came across a Coca Cola can. She picked it up, to her genuine disappointment, it was empty.
Crystal gave a heavy sigh, continuing bitterly to rummage around all the objects in the store, "but we haven't found anything, not even a crumb of bread."

The delta looked back at Crystal once again, their tone a bit firm. "Giving up won't get us anything either. I'm not going to sit here and starve knowing I gave up, let's keep moving."Compass insisted. Crystal stood up from their spot on the frigid stone ground, shoving their hands into the pockets of their shorts and instantly giving a tiny roll of the eyes.

Compass noticed this. She faced the lead hunter. "Oh come on! You're just making this harder for the people who are actually trying! If you want to be like that why don't you search for some food yourself!" She threw her hands in the air, Compass, herself was also hungry and tired from the journey she made to meet up with the others here in Colorado.

Crystal gave a frown, looking back at Compass with the same intensity, despite being younger. The lead hunter didn't back down, "I am trying."They insisted.

Compass' hands hung by her sides, they balled into fists as Compass gave a small grimace, "Then act like it and quit whining."She shot back, "going on and on about us not being able to find food and how we are all tired and hungry!" It was safe to say that the delta was now pissed. A crooked frown on her face.

Crystal crossed their arms,"I'm not whining."They said, their voice wavering with a hint of anger and annoyance.

Compass' voice dropped a bit into a hushed even dangerous whisper. "Then do something about it like everyone else is." She told them.

The lead hunter huffed, "well what am I supposed to do about it if there's nothing that I can find?" They questioned.

"Keep looking." Compass simply responded, her voice both a bit on edge and even demanding a bit.

"I know this place better than you, I was here yesterday, I know that there was nothing around here." Crystal pointed out, knowingly.

Compass impulsively threw her arms up in the air in annoyance. "Fine then! If you're going to make this situation feel hopeless, I don't want you around! I'm gonna find some food and share it with everyone but you." The delta was fed up.

Crystal merely gave a cold look towards Compass, some guilt even sparkling in their eyes. They just sighed, "fine."

The two high ranks split ways.

A brawl.
———————
Near the outskirts of the town...

Melon and MaL were searching around as well. Melon scavenged in a dusty wooden crate as MaL checked some old torn up bags.

"Yooooo!" Melon yelped in triumph, holding an orange up in the air. MaL looked in Melon's direction, a wide smile on her face at the sight of food.

"Nice! Keep it since it may be a bit until we come across more food." MaL advised the younger member. Melon looked back at MaL, her mouth full with half of the orange.

"What-" she asked, "...you want some?" the lead hunter offered the other half of the orange. MaL looked at Melon, a bit of amusement present in MaL's expression. MaL scratched her neck awkwardly,

"God dammit, Melon." The lead healer gave a small laugh. "Just...save the rest. I guess." MaL declined politely, Melon did as she was told, stashing away the rest of the orange in a pocket. There was suspicious movement in the distance, the sound of debris being moved and tampered with. MaL looked towards the direction of the sound, high alert as Melon got out a whip that she had carried around for self defense.

"What was that?" Melon's face was now serious, both curious and vigilant. The lead hunter stayed close to MaL, the two shuffled over towards the sound.

A figure of a human appeared, a shorter than them and the same height as Okame and Crystal. They wore a black hoodie with some black shorts. They had tan skin. Their eyes a deep dark brown, they looked to be around 13 years old. They stared anxiously at Melon and MaL.

"H-hola." They stammered, "who are you?" They demanded suspiciously, their cracked voice still quite shaky. "Friend? Or foe?"

Melon narrowed her eyes, "I don't know, it depends on how you act, then I'll decide." She responded defensively, alert and ready for anything that may happen, the lead hunter threw the newcomer the rest of the orange from earlier, in which they accepted.

The tan human looked anxiously at the orange oddly, as if they foolishly thought it were some odd machinery. Once they were satisfied and realized it was a normal orange, they ate it gratefully. "Thanks..." they mumbled.

Melon allegedly gave a curt nod, "So, what is your name and what are you doing here?" She asked, intentionally holding her whip up to give the newcomer a warning to not try anything that would cause harm.

"I-I'm Geo, I'm came here to meet up with some other people." They explained, "put down the weapon, I-I don't mean any harm." Geo pleaded.

Melon and MaL shared the same look of wonder, could this be the Geo from BA? "Oh! Geo from BA, I suppose? It's nice to actually meet you. I'm Melon, BA's lead hunter, remember?" Melon chirped, walking over to them and giving them a hand shake and side hug.

MaL smiled once more, giving a wave to Geo.

"Y-Yep." Geo responded, a bit shaky from the minor shock of running into their fellow pack members. Melon noticed the warrior trembling.

"You good?" She asked in concern.

Geo just gave a short response. "I'm fine." They merely insisted. Geo, a warrior of BA, had told their family that Okame needed all of the BA members to meet up in Colorado, surprisingly, their parents agreed. This was because they had family to visit who had gotten ITEV, so, from Mexico, they all went to visit their relatives. Geo's parents decided to stay longer with their ill relatives, Geo was upset by this, running off to meet up with BA. They got lost and panicked due to not being able to navigate through everywhere properly, Geo was shocked once they were able to run into some of the very BA members that they were supposed to meet up with.

Melon just shook her head, "Obviously not, so what's up?" She urged. Geo opened their mouth to answer, MaL held up a hand, gaining both of their attention. In her other hand she had her phone, she was carefully reading a text. The lead healer looked up at the warrior and lead hunter with a frown plastered on her face.

"Well...something is going on with Maxie and Okame.." she shoved her phone back into her pocket as she quickly put on her sweater. "We should go to help those broskis." MaL commented.

Geo nodded, "yeah, let's go help them." They allegedly agreed, Melon held out her whip, ready for action.

"Alright, bet." She grinned, prepared to help her friends.

A reunion.