If Liv had to have a takeaway from her journey, it was travel took forever.

It had already taken days of travel on the buggy before they arrived at a harbor, the docks sparsely populated with boats tied down, waiting to ferry them across the beautiful blue waves. After that, they had to get on the buggy again to drive once more, that trip almost as long as the two previous combined. The awkward tension, while still there as an undercurrent in every word uttered, every action done, had mostly disappeared as the days went on, her conversations growing more and more pleasant in turn. The boss, too, had quieted down after they boarded the boat. It was far too late to turn back at this point, and it had put two and two together. They had gone so far, and yet, it was still taking so damn long.

Despite everything, she found herself enjoying the company of her saviors more and more by the day. By the end of their journey, her understanding of her new friends had increased. Ean wanted to join Hellfire to defeat demons, be a hero, and eventually ascend to the status of a "legend". Olivia, on the other hand, wanted to make a ton of money so she’d never have to work again, eventually retiring to some deserted island. Their dreams made Liv think of what she wanted. A clean bed, water, and company sure. But that was that enough? She hadn't really thought about it until now.

Liv slumps further in her seat as she watches the plains pass her by, Ean dead asleep on Olivia's shoulder, Olivia leaning on his head as she– too– sleeps peacefully. The rolling hills have long since vanished, replaced by lands as flat as can be, not a hint of the emerald green she saw anywhere. In the distance, she can see a concrete wall jutting high into the air extending high into the air surrounded by a entrenching moat– presumably to defend against attacks from humans or beasts. A massive, wooden door sits in the middle of the south most wall, one that doubles as a drawbridge. On said door is a large emblem with a flame within, a blade sticking out the top big enough to be seen from miles away.

The Buggy pulls in, the door falling open with a deafening creak, allowing them entry to the gated fort. Inside was a sprawling mass of tents and wooden cabins, people bustling from place to place, chatting with abounding weapons and armors of all shapes and sizes. Liv had known there would be quite a few people, Ean had described them as "continent spanning", but this was beyond her wildest dreams. There were hundreds of people at a minimum, perhaps thousands. It was almost too much to process.

“Aye, you daydreaming again?” Alexis calls, cutting through the torrent of thoughts pouring through her mind.

“Err… Nah. Just a bit overwhelmed by the ‘mount of people.” Liv says, keeping her shoulders squared as they dismount the Buggy. She wasn’t exactly lying, she was overwhelmed. The voices, the smells, the sight of it all was baffling to her, something she could only ever see in the few the books with especially large pictures.

“Hah! This is one of the small ones! Few of the bigger ones number in the millions.” Alexis smirks, bumping her with his elbow.

“That’s a hell of a lot o’ people.” She mutters, her voice dusted with awe.

“Yeah.” Alexis sighs. “Used to be billions of us a few decades back. Technology, games, n’ opportunities as far as the eye could see. Wish us older folks could've saved it for you kids. All we got are the dregs now. Still, I think you would've liked it."

Liv looks down, her hands slipping into her pockets. She thinks for a moment, trying to imagine a world like that. It all just seems so foreign. This world, this place that's supposedly normal already feels so alien. She feels frustration bubbling in her chest, an unpleasant feeling she tries to curb, one that just won't stay silent. “Guess we’ll never know.”

Alexis frowns at her clearly frustrated expression, a response bubbling in his throat. He lets it die, his hands falling into his pocket as he shakes his head. “I guess we won't.”

The rest of the short walk is silent, the jubilance soured by the weight of reality. Eventually, they arrive near the center, a concrete cube looking building smack dab in the middle of the compound. It's stout, just as tall as it is wide with that same emblem burned into its door, not a single other entrance aside from said door anywhere on its surface, a sore sight amongst the cabins and tents littered around the compound.

Alexis looks to Liv, giving her a quick pat on the back, a smile Liv’s gotten used to shining on his face. “Good luck, kid. See ya on the field.”

Liv looks back to him, her own frustrations forgotten. She feels a strange warmness well up inside her, a smile creeping across her face as she chuckles, rubbing the back of her head, her voice warm and fuzzy as she speaks while waving. “Yeah… See ya soon, Alexis!"

Liv turns to the doors, alone for the first time in over a week. She shakes her head, her hand landing on the door, turning the knob as she opens the door. The interior is lighted artificially with bulbs, bright and fluorescent. The inside is nearly barren, the only furniture of note being a desk with a carpet and two chairs. Behind the desk was a tired, spindly looking man with thin, black hair. He has a greasy quality about him, scratching away on a paper with a pen, papers stacked high on said desk. His head spikes up as Liv closes the door, his sunken eyes growing wide as he sits up fully.

“A-ah, hello! Who might you be?” He questions, slowly putting his pen down, placing his full attention on Liv. His eyes widen further as Liv approaches, her hand reaching out to grab his with a hard, firm grip.

"Liv." She says simply but curtly, giving his hand a simple, quick shake. He looks on at their clasped hands, his now near bulging eyes colored with a clear confusion and fear.

"L-Live?" He asks, his voice plagued by stutters as he looks up at Liv with fearful eyes. "A-A-Are you thr-r-reatening me?"

Liv blinks, taken aback by the question. Why the hell would she be threatening him? With a quick shake of her head, she lets go of his hand, rectifying her statement. "My name."

"Oh." The man says, looking down at his palm as he slumps in his chair, his eyes returning to their previous sunken state. "I-I see. My apologies."

"It ain't yer fault." Liv says, taking the seat on her side of the desk. It was cushier than she would've thought, her back melting into the cushioned wood as she speaks. "Do ya know Alexis?"

“Alexis? I believe he was away on a mission in South America,” He says slowly, his hands coming to dig through the mountains of paperwork. Eventually, he finds the promised paper, his head nodding as he scans it. “I believe he will return in a week if you have any business with him.”

“Nah, I came ‘ere with' em.” She says, allowing herself to break eye contact, looking around as she speaks. “I don't got no place to go, so I figured I'd join y'all. I can do that, right?”

The man’s sunken eyes, somehow, widen further than before as he looks at her. Disbelief seems to be the dominant emotion on his face, though it quickly melts into a sense of belief and shock as he observes her. “I guess I'll have to go speak to him. I'm sure he’ll be rewarded for a find such as yourself." He returns his sunken eyed stare to her, a rhythmic tapping humming through the air like a metronome as he asks. "Do you have a Synth Weapon?”

She nods slowly, looking down at the gauntlets. Olivia and Ean had explained it to her in passing, though most of the nitty gritty went over her head. She just knew her weapon could do something, and thats all she thought she needed to know. Current her wanted to beat past her into the dirt for that.

The greasy man nods to himself, a whistle escaping his pursed lips as he begins to dig through the mountain of papers once more. He seems to find the treasures he seeks, tossing Liv a pen as he sorts through the large stacks. "Well, we can start the process now. Do you know how to write?”

Liv nods. Her mother taught her some simple writing, like how to spell her name, and most of the alphabet so she could read the signs when looting stores. Of course, she taught herself some as well. She wasn't stupid, after all. She slowly slips one of her gauntlets off, the pen coming to rest between the crook her middle finger. It couldn't be that much harder than digging.