Cold daylight spills across the landing, and the wind worries at torn metal and dust. For the first time in a long while, nobody is shouting over it.
The Teenager hovers close to Buster Jones, looking up for direction. The Hunter Captain stays back by the open service door, arms loose at her sides, watching the horizon instead of the others.
Buster Jones has a clear view beyond the landing, rooftops and distant streets washed pale under the morning light. The surface feels huge after the cramped dark below.
Leo
So, um, what now? We just keep going?
The Hunter Captain exhales slowly, then glances back at the broken door and the sealed route beneath it.
Mara
For what it is worth, this is farther than I expected any of us to make it.
A beat of silence settles in. The wind tugs at their clothes, but the landing holds steady, open and waiting for whatever Buster Jones chooses to do next.
✓ Quest Accepted
Decide whether to stay together
✓ Quest Accepted
Reach a safe place
“I look at the Captain and the kid, asking if we should stick together for now.”
SUCCESS (Fair Reasoning, rolled -1)
Buster Jones
Buster looks from the Teenager to the Hunter Captain and asks if they should stick together for now.
Leo
I think... yeah. I would rather not be alone out here.
Mara
Together is safer, for the moment. I can get us a block or two before we decide anything else.
The Teenager lets out a shaky breath and steps closer to Buster, relief mixing with uncertainty.
The Hunter Captain scans the street, then reaches into her coat and draws out a compact map chip, thumb smudged with soot.
Mara
I owe you that much. If we separate, it will be on purpose, not because the ground between us gives out.
Cold wind snaps across the landing, carrying dust and the faint echo of the sealed machinery below. The three of them stand together, deciding their next step with the city waiting beyond the edge.
Quest Complete
Decide whether to stay together