[u]Location: Midland Haven Settlement[/u]

"Come on, Doc. Leave him."
"Wait, I can still-"
"He's gone. We have to go."

Morrison took my arm and tore me away from the young man. He was so young, so full of hope when he first joined the refugee group, but now...the only breath I heard was of the earth weeping over the desolation brought upon her. I deconstructed my multitool and jogged behind Valentine. Kent still sat rocking that child in his arms. "Come on, Kent," I called out. "He's right. Let's go."

Kent stood up and followed. "Don't worry, little one," he murmured to the child, "everything will be okay. Just you wait."

There were treatments for his condition, I supposed, but what would they do for him except rob him of his reason to fight? The only thing that drove me was little better - the farfetched idea that somehow, somewhere on this forsaken world, there were civilians we still hadn't extracted yet.

We ducked into a building as a pack of Voidspawn rumbled by. Lady Valentine sat with her back to the wall and her eyes closed, doubtless sensing the pack through the wall and devising a strategy.

The cut in her arm was closing nicely. Sometimes, I wished we could all have rapid regeneration like the Immortals did. But then again, their jobs were infinitely more dangerous. "We clear?" I prodded.

Gwen Valentine opened her eyes. She couldn't even look at me. I wished she would. "For now," was all she said. For a fleeting moment, she tried to look me in the eye and forced herself to smile. "For now. We should be okay. But they are headed in an odd direction. I am inclined to follow. Are you all coming?"

We all nodded. My heart began to race again at the unspoken prospect:

There may be civilians still alive after all.