“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” Cia said as she took a seat beside them. “Most people think of the desert as harsh and unforgiving. They’d be right, of course, but it’s also beautiful and majestic in a way that you can only truly see by living near it.”

“What are you–” Ever asked, turning to look at Cia who had changed out of the uniform and into a dark green tunic and a pair of short trousers.

“I told you to check in with me before you left.”

“Why?”

“So, I could set you up with a way to get to a safer territory. Across the desert is a neutral territory, you’d be safe there. Or, well, safer than you are here.” Cia spoke slowly as she grabbed a handful of sand and let it slowly out of a small opening in her clenched fist.

“Why?” Ever asked again, finally looking up at Cia who looked at them in confusion.

“Why what?”

“Why are you doing this for me?” Ever repeated, fixing a glare on Cia who brushed her hands together as she looked back over the desert.

“Because it's my job.” She spoke matter-of-factly. “If you want our help, just come back. We’ll get you safe passage out of F.A.D territory along with the supplies you’ll need for the journey. If you don’t then at least let me give you some money so you can buy your own supplies.” 

Ever listened to Cia letting out a breath and looking down at the sand. “It’s your choice, though.” They really didn’t have much choice, did they? They didn’t even know what supplies they would need for a trip through the desert. 

‘The last person whose choice it was to help me sent me running for my life but…’ Ever glanced up at Cia letting out a sigh. “Okay. I’ll let you help me.” Ever sighed, flashing her a weak smile. “But only because you're so damn persistent.” Cia stood up extending her hand toward them which they took, letting Cia pull them to their feet. 

The D.A.F.T officer pulled Ever through the crowd, leading them back the way they had come. As they came to the door to the base, Cia let their hand go so that she could pull the door open. She gestured to the opening. “Go on in. I’m right behind you.” Ever did as they were instructed entering the building followed quickly by Cia. They watched as she pushed the door closed, locking it in place with a piece of metal. She turned to look at Ever and began walking down the hall, gesturing for them to follow.

Ever followed Cia through the twists and turns of the small base until they came to a pair of double doors. “It's a good thing you decided to come back, or else that staff meeting I called would have been a waste of time.” Cia laughed as she banged her hand on the door and then stepped back, causing Ever to mirror the motion. Their stomach twisted itself into anxious knots as they watched the doors swing open outwards, revealing the short, stocky man from the other day.

“You’re late, King.” He huffed, glaring at the two of them.

“Sorry Cruz. I had to hunt down our guest.” Cia said with a laugh, trying to make light of the situation, as she moved to enter the room. Ever felt their stomach twist further with fear and anxiety, making them feel nauseous as they followed Cia through the double doors. 

The door shut behind them with a loud thud, causing Ever to jump and feel their heartbeat skyrocket before turning to take in the surrounding room. The room had a large table in the center with lanterns on the walls lending the room to dim light. Including Cia and Cruz, there were five people of varying ages and genders spread out in the room. Some leaned up against the walls, others leaned over the table looking at whatever was there intensely. 

“Gather around everyone.” The words came from the man who had both his hands on the table. His voice sounded old and worn, like it had seen years of action and was on the verge of breaking down. “Here's the plan.”

Ever sat and listened as the elder explained the plan. Explained how they would be smuggled out of F.A.D territory across something called the Desert of the Damned. To be frank, it was the name of the desert that put Ever off more than anything. The name didn’t exactly fill them with a sense of unbridled optimism, but still they sat and listened to the plan because they didn’t have much choice. They didn’t stand much chance of crossing it themselves, but as he continued to drone on and on, they found themselves more and more on edge. 

“And that's the plan. Any comments? Objections?” The elder of the group spoke and Ever was left speechless. They couldn’t believe the insanity of what they had just heard, and they found the whole situation ridiculous. How had their life come to this? What had they done to deserve this level of karmic retribution? “Good. Then we’ll go ahead and start preparing for the mission.” Ever watched in silent horror as people began moving around the room, some of them heading for the doors, while Ever struggled to wrap their head around what was happening. How could these people be this...this...this daft!?

They were pulled to their feet and suddenly a person was in front of them looking over them muttering. “No, no, no. This won’t do at all. You won’t last an hour dressed like that.” 

Ever glanced down at their clothes, finding nothing particularly wrong with them, but apparently, they were wrong as they were ushered into a side room. They were pushed forward, causing them to stumble over their feet. Ever turned around letting out an angry. “What the hell!?” 

“I’m gonna need you to strip.” The man said and Ever wrapped their arms over their chest, heat rising in their cheeks in embarrassment. 

“What!? No way!” Ever glared at the man who crossed his arms over his chest. “I’m not undressing in front of you.” 

He closed his eyes, letting out a sigh before crossing his arms over his chest, and giving them a pointed look. “I need to measure you.” 

“What for?” 

“For your new outfit. Your current one won’t do you any good in the desert at night.” 

Ever glared up at the man, who glared back down at them. ‘What is it with these people and their complete lack of boundaries.’ 

The man let out another huff, uncrossing his arms and placing his hands on his hips. “I can leave while you undress, but I really need to measure you for your new outfit.” Ever watched as he left, leaving them alone in the room, which they finally were able to get a feel of. It was a small, almost cozy, room with a mirror on the back wall and a lounge chair off to the side. Running a hand through their hair as they walked over toward the lounge, collapsing onto it. Leaning down, they pulled off their boot before removing their prosthetic and beginning to massage their stump. After a few moments of gentle massaging, they reattached the prosthetic and stood up, letting out a sigh. 

Pulling their shirt off, they tossed it to the side as they walked toward the mirror, running their fingers over the bullet wound on their stomach, wincing as they did. ‘Oh yeah. That's definitely going to scar.’ The sound of the door opening caused Ever to glance over their shoulder just as the man let out a shocked cry.

“What? You’re the one who asked me to strip.” Ever grumbled as they returned their attention back to their reflection. 

“I-I jus- I wasn’t-” He stuttered through an answer before letting out a sigh, collecting himself. “King wanted me to give this to you.” Ever glanced over their shoulder again, noticing the beige cloth hanging limply from the man’s hand. 

Ever’s eyes widened as they spun around, snatching their binder from the man's hand, crying out. “My binder!” They clutched it to their chest as they collapsed to their knees, letting out a relieved sigh. They clutched the piece of cloth like a lifeline. It was something familiar in an unfamiliar world, and they latched onto that familiarity. It shouldn’t have rocked them to their core so much, but after everything that had happened, it just felt comforting to have something, anything, that reminded them of when they were safe. That maybe eventually things would return to some semblance of normalcy. 

However slim that chance was. 

A hand on their shoulder caused them to look up. “Why don’t you put that on, and we can get started? Okay?” Ever nodded, reaching up to wipe their eyes of unshed tears as they wrapped the binder around their chest, securing the clasps before standing up. They dragged their hand over the front of their chest, trying to ignore the stain that marred its side, before walking over toward the mirror. 

“Let’s just get this over with.” Ever muttered, holding out their arms out for the man to measure. They let the man take their measurements, writing them down in a small notebook as he did. Eventually, he closed the notebook with a quiet sound. 

“Alright. I’ll get to that. You wait here while I let King know you need an escort.” The man said as he moved toward the door. 

“I don’t need an escort.” Ever said, placing a hand on their hip and cocking a brow at the man. They didn’t need anyone to escort them anywhere. They could take care of themselves. Ever resented the fact that they had been forced to rely on these strange people for help.