The Broken Path

Title: The Broken Path
Fandom: Far Cry
Characters: Robbie Sandersson, Kelvin McCoy, Riley Dawson, Cain Thompson, Montana “Monty” Wilson, Natalie Charlyle, John Seed, Jacob Seed, Faith Seed, Joseph Seed, Emma Sandersson, Eli Palmer
Pairing: N/A
Ratings: T+
Warnings: N/A
Author Notes: Congrats on your ending!! Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoy one of the possible three outcomes to this story! If you’re interested, I suggested going back to pick another ending or see what might’ve changed had you picked a different option c:

Robbie held onto his head as he heard Kelvin calling for him in the distance. He hadn’t left that long ago and he couldn’t bring himself to go too far in case they needed help. Even with the instructions he left for them, he still felt a pang of guilt for abandoning them. He shouldn’t have ran into the Bliss the other day. He was seeing them again. The phantoms that tormented his every waking moment. He thought he had managed to make them go away but running through the Bliss without a respirator seemed to have done more than just made it hard for him to breathe. He was reliving his nightmares yet again.

He looked out of the corner of his eye and saw John leaning against a tree. He looked away, hoping that the man would simply fizzle out of existence. He was there the other day at the abandoned shed and then earlier at the remains of the old Eden’s Covenant outpost. When Robbie dropped the plate, John was talking to him then. Claiming that his friends were just using him. He knew it wasn’t true but he couldn’t shake the words no matter what he did. Nothing seems to be working to get rid of them. It wasn’t just John either – it was all of them. Jacob’s taunts and the Father’s judgemental gaze. All of it cut into him and didn’t have the mentality to deal with them again. Faith was there too but she never said anything. She was always just quiet whenever she appeared – always watching. The guilt that emitted from her was just too much to carry.

“So what’re you gonna do now?” Jacob asked as he towered over Robbie. “Just sit there and cower in fear?” Robbie didn’t bother to look at him. He looked at the ground, hoping Jacob would simply disappear from his sight.

“There ya go again.” The older man tutted and shook his head. “I told you that putting you down would’ve been easier. You’re weak. You don’t have a purpose and quite frankly – you never had one. Joseph trusted you to be his Judge and you couldn’t even be there for him when he needed you.”

“Go away…” Robbie muttered to himself as he shook his head.

“Sorry, can’t quite hear you through all that self-squandering pity you have.” Jacob jeered as he leaned closer towards Robbie. “What was that?”

Robbie looked him in the eye but all his confidence drained away after doing so. Even in death, Jacob still had such a haunting presence over him. Nothing Robbie could do was ever enough to rid him of Jacob’s torments. He wished Cain was with him right now. He’d know how to help him deal with this – he always did. Then it dawned on him. He had to go to Faith’s Bunker. He turned his head to look towards the direction it was in. His friends were probably on their way there right now.

“So now you wanna do something?” John said as he walked up towards Robbie and Jacob. “You’re done with all that squandering and self pity?”

“I have to help them…” Robbie said. “I promised I would.”

“You also chose to abandon them just now because you were afraid to tell them you could see us.” John retorted. “Afraid of confessing that you’re not all too well up there to your friends? I thought you trusted them implicitly?”

“I…” Robbie stammered. He couldn’t answer that one without making it sound strange. He wanted to tell them the first time what and who he saw but would they believe him? Even if they did, Riley would’ve wanted to talk him through it or go back to Prosperity. Kelvin might have done the same but he probably would’ve preferred they go to Cain and the others first then mull it over. It wasn’t a simple thing to admit – such as saying what foods you liked. This was something a lot more heavier to deal with and had implications to it. What if, when they got to the bunker and Robbie wasn’t able to focus on fighting or if he had an episode and they took the wrong turn into the Bliss again? No, he had to keep it from them. Simply so they could focus on what they were doing with one less thing to worry about.

“It’s all right, maybe it was too big a sin to confess.” John laughed hauntingly.

Another figure popped up as Jacob was about to join in. There was a loud smack that made Robbie look over to see an old, but friendly face. It was Eli Palmer. He was a figment of his imagination for sure – Robbie knew that much at least. There’s no way he would still be alive at this moment anyways. Eli always showed up whenever Robbie needed help though. Much like he did whenever he needed it when Eli was alive.

“Go, kid.” He said with a nod. “They need your help. Don’t forget to keep tabs on them.” He motioned towards something on his belt before turning towards Jacob and John to try and keep them away.

Robbie ran off towards the direction he was looking at earlier. Eli was right, he had to help his friends as best as he could. It was the least he could do for them. He sprinted through the woods, letting go of some of his cares and worries as he did so. He could still hear Jacob taunting him but he did his best to ignore him. He didn’t need to even look at a map. He remembered the way in his memory simply from having walked that damned “Path” so often trying to find people to help all those years ago.

The morning sun was up and already warming the environment below. It wasn’t quite noon yet – maybe an hour or two away from it. Riley and Kelvin had to already be on their way towards the bunker at this point. He knew a faster way to get ahead of them. To try to clear out the bunker or distract those Judges before the pair even got in there. He only hoped he had the arrows to get rid of most of those beasts.

About an hour later, Robbie had made his way towards an old bridge that was hanging together by some hopes and dreams. He was out of breath from sprinting but he had to continue. He looked across the bridge only to see fog that had risen from the river below. The gorge itself was also a little windy, making the fog rise up into the air even more. He sighed and shook his head, taking a moment to gather himself. He’d have to focus if he wanted to get through this.

After doing so, Robbie approached the bridge. He had a hand on either side of the ropes and carefully made his way across. He had one foot in front of the other. Slowly making his way across. He was a little grateful. Usually the Seeds appeared whenever he had to focus. This time they seemed to be leaving him be. Well for now anyways. They might pop up later whenever he engages those Judges however. However, that was something to deal with then not now. He had to make sure he crossed the bridge without worrying too much.

He was on the other side before he knew it. He looked ahead to see Faith’s Bunker. The gates, even from this distance, weren’t even connected on their hinges anymore. One was simply gone and the other was laying in front of it. Vines, leaves, and trees sprouted from and into the concrete domain. He remembered the last time he was there with Kelvin and how they destroyed the place. All the people they rescued – including the Sheriff himself.

“Keep that in mind, kid.” Eli’s voice sounded. It was as if he was standing next to Robbie again. Even just his voice felt like a calming presence. “There’s a few more people to save. You can do this.”

Robbie nodded and started walking up the hill towards the bunker entrance. The overgrowth seemed to be running rampant – more than he had observed after he crossed the bridge. He pulled his messenger bag up towards him to see his quiver poking out of it. He had enough arrows but wasn’t sure they’d have enough firepower on their own. He grabbed one and let his bag fall to his side once more. He then grabbed his bow and notched the arrow loosely with it as he walked towards the gates.

The smell from inside was atrocious. Rotten flesh, dried blood, and just the grotesque smell from the Judges themselves. All of it was horrendous. He reached for his respirator and looked at it for a moment. Using it would benefit him but if he was already being affected by the Bliss anyways, a little more wouldn’t really matter too much. He took a second longer to look at it before putting it away. Maybe Cain or the others would need it more than he would whenever he found them.

Once inside, he heard nothing. It was uncomfortably quiet – save for the odd creaks here and there. Nothing was around… or so it would seem. It was faint, but he could hear the sound of something scratching against the metal floor. As if something was walking and trying to conceal itself. The Judges were around, this was their lair. He didn’t have to see them to know they were there. He could feel their eyes looking at him and trying to size him up. He pulled back his bow – getting ready to strike whatever would lunge at him.

His plan was simple: He had to help his friends. The only thing he could think of was to fight off the Judges and clear a path for them. He didn’t have that many arrows to use and after forsaking guns, he really didn’t have many options. He scanned the room for something to use. He found a few bricks and pipes laying around or hanging from the ceiling. Not the best thing, but he had some options at least. Now, the only question was how many Judges were with him at the moment.

Something stepped towards him and he tensed. Pulling back his notched arrow and getting ready to fire it as a Judge walked towards him. Its head was low to the ground and it started to snarl at him. It looked gaunt and hungry. He bet the others looked the same. To starve them out and make them more ferocious was one of Jacob’s tricks all right. Unfortunately they seemed to have adapted to it despite the fact they weren’t controlled by the cult anymore.

“I thought it was cruel that Joseph named me after you horrible monsters.” He said to the creature. “Until I realized the irony in why he did it. A sick way to debase someone by making them believe they’re as useful as you monsters.”

Another Judge stepped towards him. Then another joined it. One arrow for three beasts. He felt glad he remembered the layout of the bunker from the last time he was here. He’d have to take some different routes but he had to kill all the Judges he could. The less resistance Kelvin and Riley had the better. As he settled his nerves, the walkie talkie on his waist came to life. There was static for a moment followed by Kelvin’s voice.

“Okay, Riley!” He said over the device. “You can cross. I’m waiting on the other side.”

Panic ran through him. They were here already. He probably squandered his time too much earlier. Of course they’d be here already. They had the map and some extra directions he gave to them. He loosed his arrow onto the Judges in front of him and ran across the room to grab a pipe laying on the ground. He used it to swat away a Judge lunging at him and smacked another one with it. He could hear more snarling around him. Without thinking, he spun and ran in a direction. Following the long hallway and letting the Judges chase after him.

There was a door ahead of him that was ajar. He slammed into it with his shoulder and closed it. Pulling a table to barricade it as he looked for something to use to keep the wolves at bay. He found a grenade and checked it to see if it was still intact. He hoped it still worked and pocketed it. The beasts were banging against the door and he grabbed a gun left on a countertop nearby. He swore them off but at this point, wasn’t really picky about having to use it. He checked to see if it had ammo and counted five rounds. He placed it on the back of his belt and took out his bow. He notched another arrow as the monsters wriggled the door open and managed to push the table back slightly. He let an arrow loose towards the Judge that peaked its head in. He walked over to the table and kicked it slightly. To give the beasts a little more ease at getting into the room.

The door opened for another Judge and it slumped over as Robbie shot it between the eyes. The third one jumped over the corpses and into the room. He took out the pipe and swung at the beast a few times before it also slumped over. Another replaced it and another. Soon the room was filled with several dead Judges and pants from Robbie. It was so sudden and over in a flash. He collected the arrows he used and stashed them away into his quiver after he checked them. They were still usable and only had some fur and blood over the serrated edges of the arrowheads. He looked around the room again and found a flashlight. He picked it up and tacked it onto the strap of his bag across his chest. It was fastened to his left shoulder and on its side – lighting up more of the room.

He looked around again for something to use and found a walkie talkie. It had some fresh blood on it and blue tape around the antenna. It looked like the one Montana had on him whenever he was walking around Prosperity. If it was his then maybe Cain or Natalie had one as well. It was a gamble but he had to check.

“Cain? Nat? Do you hear me?” He asked over it. He’d doubt Natalie would respond but one of them had to.

“Robbie?” Natalie’s voice cracked over the device.

“What’s going on?” He asked. “There’s not enough time to explain but rescue is here.” It was quiet for a moment. Natalie was probably cursing the fact that of all people to help her, it was Robbie. He didn’t blame her. He wasn’t exactly the best person in the world the last time they met. He did kill her boyfriend and her dog…

“Monty has an infection and Cain’s hurt his leg fighting some of those Judges.” She reported to him. ”We’re holed up near the missile silo but we can’t get out. I can’t carry them both out by myself.”

“If you have another walkie, grab it and change the frequency to 4-1-8.” He said. “It’s the one Kelly and Riley use. They have Abel with them and he should lead them to you. They’ll help you get out. I’ll just try to keep the Judges from getting to you while you leave.”

”Fucking dumb but okay.” She scoffed. The device was silent for a moment and he used that to his advantage. He started to look around for a map to use so he could navigate the area.

”All right, your friends should be here soon. I told them where I was.” She explained. ”The path you wanna take is the one covered in blood since you found Monty’s walkie talkie. Follow it and it’ll lead you here. It’s also where most of the Judges are too.”

”Got it.” He said as he slipped it onto his waist. He started to head out and heard the walkie talkie come back to life again with Natalie’s voice.

“It isn’t any of my business but watch yourself out there.” She said. “There should be some ammo stores on your way through that area and a flood control room if you need it. The water shouldn’t affect us but if you can lead the Judges to it, it’ll be a fast way to deal with them if you wanna get out of there.”

Robbie continued forward and he could see Jacob and John with him again. There’d be no point in trying to outrun them. They’d catch up anyways and only continue to pester him even more. They didn’t say anything. Just silently watching him as he made his way through the area around him. He tried to let the flashlight distract him as he followed the blood trail to where Natalie suggested he should go.

He came across another room and found some more ammo for the handgun he found. He took it and reloaded it. It was a second nature thing to him and something he just wasn’t thinking about entirely. He placed it back on his belt and continued forward. He kept an eye out for more Judges. He could hear and smell them nearby somewhere. Prowling, growling and doing whatever else those hateful creatures could do.

There was some growling that intensified ahead of him. Robbie took his bow, notched a few arrows and fired into the darkness ahead of him. He couldn’t see the wolves but had a sixth sense about where they were. The only “benefits” he could have gotten from Joseph and all the bullshit he put him through over the last couple of decades. His sixth sense allowed him to accurately pinpoint enemies around him with remarkable ease and accuracy. He remembered Jackie and one of her friends saying it was like he had a “wall hacks” switch or something. Whatever that meant. He was certain it was a good thing though – from how the pair described it. He walked into the room to check if there were more and was glad to see the few inside were all dead.

He looked around, seeing a deadend. Whatever happened when the others were escaping with Montana left their path blocked. Maybe the area just collapsed because it was so old and run down. He tried to look for a way out and found a ledge leading into a room above him. The metal door was open – presumably from whatever Judges had ran out of it beforehand. He reached for the walkie talkie he used to talk to Natalie.

“I ran into an issue.” He said. “There was a cave-in. Looks like I’ll have to take the long way around.”

”Fuck.” She swore over the device. ”Don’t worry about it. Your friends are making their way here anyways. You seemed to have taken most of the attention of those Judges too.”

“I can keep their attention for all you to get out.” He replied. “If Cain’s hurt, then you’ll need all the help you can get.” Natalie was quiet for a moment. He presumed she was deliberating his offer but it’s not like there were many other choices to go with. Killing all the Judges was going to be impossible; they were like cockroaches. Appeared in the most heinous places and were always angrier the next time you saw them.

”Sounds fine.” She said but sounded a little grumpy. ”Your friends probably want you to stick around so try to not get yourself killed. The cave-in probably blocked the path again but there should be an alternate path to get here. Cain and I took turns trying to find medical supplies for Monty before he got hurt. He said there was a cave-in somewhere nearby. It should still lead you to us. If you can’t make it in time, we’ll try to leave through the silo hatch above us. It’s still cracked open from your last visit here.”

“Roger.” He said. “I’ll do what I can to keep their attention.” He slid the walkie talkie back onto his belt and eyed the distance between him and the ledge above him. He jumped up and grabbed onto the ledge. He then pulled himself upwards and shimmied through as he got up to his feet. He heard the walkie talkie crack to life again and picked up.

“Look, I know we’re not the best of friends but… thanks.” Natalie said over the device. ”Thanks for coming to help us out.”

“You should be thanking Emma.” He replied to her. “She’s the reason we’re here. She was worried something happened to you three and that Monty might’ve gotten you three into some trouble.”

”She’s always thinking ahead.” She scoffed. Her tone sounded a little friendlier and felt a little foreign. He supposed she and his sister were good friends at least. ”Careful on your way here. There might be some more cave-ins.”

He slipped the device on his belt again and continued on his way. He could hear some Judges howling somewhere nearby. He made his way forward – hoping that wherever this alternate path led was the correct one. He presumed it was as he passed a doorway and saw a red “X” on the wall next to the door. Maybe Cain spray painted it on there the last time he was here. There were a few open doors ahead of him and he eyed them carefully. Taking out his bow and notching another arrow, he cautiously approached the one to his right. He turned the corner and saw nothing. He looked at the one ahead of him and saw nothing again. He turned around and shot an arrow into the ground as he saw Jacob leaning against the doorframe. He looked down at the arrow to see it had broken against the concrete floor.

“So how’s she doing?” He asked. “Still pissed at you for killing her dog?”

“Fuck off, old man.” Robbie muttered under his breath. He didn’t get spooked often but the phantoms seemed to know how to do it the best regardless. Especially Jacob. He shouldered past Jacob and looked around the room.

“You know, I bet she’s still pissed at you for killing Pumpkin.” Jacob continued. “I mean, her name was Pumpkin. She wasn’t that bad o–”

There was a smack from across the room. Robbie looked back to see someone new in the room. She pushed Jacob out the door and had a triumphant look on her face from it too. She looked over towards Robbie with a wide smile across her face. She had short blonde hair and a white and blue ombre dress. It was Emma or rather how she looked twenty years ago. She had longer hair now but this version was the one he imagined whenever he needed some assistance. He was glad she appeared though, usually she rarely did.

“That guy didn’t know when to quit.” Emma said exasperatedly. “What a windbag.” Of course, she wasn’t actually 100% his sister. He had no idea how she acted with the Seeds other than John. She was still his sister though, so he always imagined her just being a good person like he remembered her being as a kid.

“Yeah, could’ve done without the crap about Natalie being mad at me.” Robbie said as he walked out of the room. He moved onto the one across from him and found some more ammo clips. Nothing else to use however.

“Well, just know that she isn’t entirely pissed at you anymore.” Emma said as she followed him. “I mean you can’t hold a grudge forever.”

“Have you met Joseph?” Robbie scoffed. “All the crap he put me through and I’m still certain he has nothing but discontent towards me… wherever he fucked off to.”

“What’d I say about letting him live in your head?” She asked him.

“To get him to pay rent first.” He chuckled. He looked at her for a moment and shook his head. She was just a figment of his imagination and knew it. He couldn’t bear to actually talk to his sister like this otherwise – despite how much he wanted to. She seemed to sense his concern and smiled at him again.

“Just remember: I’m always here to help you, Robbie.” She said. “But you have people that need your help. So best to not keep them waiting.”

He smiled wryly at her, not that she could see it through his mask, and turned to leave. He walked towards the remaining room he hadn’t walked through and made his way into the room it led him to. He didn’t want to leave her but knew he had to. He walked into the next room and heard one of the walkie talkies come to life. He heard his name and Riley’s voice sounded panicked.

“Robbie!” Riley said over the device. He stopped walking and just listened to her. “We found some Judges but we need some help to deal with them. I know you’re there, Natalie told us you were trying to find the Judges to deal with them. Can you make your way to where the broken Bliss tankers were? We’re trapped with them and I dunno how much longer we can hold out.”

Robbie gritted his teeth. Without a second thought, he started to make his way to where they were. Even if he was in another part of the silo, he found a catwalk that led him onto the right pathway. The halls were old and rusted but still familiar like when he ran through them the first time. He could remember how disembodied a feeling it was when he was first here. The Bliss flooded every room just about. He never understood how any of those Peggies could work through it with no issues.

He slid down a walkway that had fallen and found himself above where Riley and Kelvin were. He could hear gunshots ricocheting and barking from Abel as he tried to find a way down. He raced across the room he was in and found some stairs. He went down them and was in the room next to them leading into a set of rooms that had been washed out by whatever flooded the area. He rushed through the door, busting it open with his shoulder. The railing stopped him from falling and he saw Riley and Kelvin below him. He whistled, pointing behind him with his thumb to tell them where to go. They nodded and ran up the stairs to meet him. They raced past him and he reached into his bag to grab the grenade from earlier. He took out the safety pin and threw it on the floor at his feet as he followed after them. He slammed the door and held onto the handle, pulling it towards him although he wasn’t quite sure how the shockwave from the grenade would handle things. There was a boom and all three of their walkie talkies buzzed to life.

“What the fuck was that?” Natalie asked.

“Uh… Robbie found an explosive apparently.” Kelvin replied to her.

”Fucking great.” She sounded ready to just go home already. ”Try not to make more explosions, otherwise we’re gonna get stuck in this damned place and you get to explain that to Emma if she ever finds us.”

“Oh… she sounds mad…” Riley commented, looking a little spooked.

Robbie shrugged and gestured with his hands for a reply. Saying “she always sounds that mad to me…”. Kelvin started to snicker and shook his head. Robbie opened the door to see if it was clear and there was just a red smear on the floor and walls. He closed it, looked at his friends and shook his head.

“It can’t be that bad.” Kelvin scoffed. “That’s the fastest way for us to get to where Natalie is.” Robbie let his hand off the door handle and motioned for Kelvin to open it himself. So he walked towards it and opened it. After looking outside of it, he turned around and closed it again. “Riley, you’re gonna need to close your eyes.”

“Um…” She stammered looking between them.

“It’s not good…” Robbie signed with his hands. He paused for a moment and came with an idea. He took off his mask and handed it to her. He underestimated the amount of surprise from them both as they concentrated more on his face rather than the mask. He snapped his fingers and cleared his throat.

“Kelly, it’s not nice to stare!” Riley said as she took the mask and put it on. “Wow, it's hard to see with this thing… Oh!” She just nodded a second later as she understood why Robbie gave it to her.

Robbie looked at them both and made some more hand signs. “Just follow me. If you hear Judges, don’t look, just keep running.” They both nodded as he turned towards the door again. He opened it up and ran out. Kelvin and Riley ran after him, the former holding the latter’s hand so she didn’t look at the smears as they ran past it. Robbie went down the stairs and across the room. He felt uneasy for some reason and looked back to see Jacob and John trailing behind his friends. Great, this was the perfect time for this to kick in.

He looked ahead and concentrated on leading his friends through the bunker. He stopped after they came to a dead end. He grimaced and looked around for an alternate way out. He could hear John and Jacob pacing around the room as Kelvin and Riley spoke about something. He looked over to see if the brothers were still there and looked away, seeing that they indeed were still there. Maybe if he ignored them, they’d fuck off.

He felt an uncomfortable sensation creeping over him as he thought about what to do. He had to ignore Jacob and John. If he said anything to them while Riley and Kelvin were here, it’d be hard to explain otherwise. He had to focus on what they were doing. However, he heard something playing somewhere in the bunker. One of the songs the Peggies played in all their outposts and he looked over to Jacob and John again. Faith was with them and so was Joseph. He wanted to look away but couldn’t force himself to do so. He was frozen, reliving yet another terrible memory again.

“All right, I think we could cut through here and make our way towards the silo where Natalie is.” Kelvin said as he was pointing out where they could go on the map he had.

“But those Judges could pop up again…” Riley muttered as she looked at it. She was fidgeting with Robbie’s mask in her hands as she tried to help Kelvin come up with a plan.

“Robbie can handle them.” Kelvin said as he looked over at the hooded man. “Ri– Are you okay?”

Riley whipped her head to look over at Robbie and saw him staring at something. Without his mask to hide his features, it was easier to tell that he looked spooked. She looked at Kelvin, who looked clueless, and got up. She walked over to Robbie and saw him visibly jump as she tentatively touched his arm. He was tense and looked afraid of something. There wasn’t anything in the direction he was looking at but maybe it was something else. He looked at her with a pair of wide eyes. He relaxed a second later, realizing it was just Riley.

“Here, in case you want it back.” She offered his mask back to him.

He took it and looked at it. Staring at the blank expression before effortlessly chucking it at the wall where the Seeds were. The wooden cover cracked into two big chunks with a few smaller pieces. He started at it for a moment as he saw the blank expression on the broken headpiece. He truly hated that mask even if it was his idea to wear it. Using it to guard himself from the world around him and seeing it broken made him feel like a weight had been lifted from his shoulders. Something he wanted to revel in but couldn’t because there was something he still had to do.

“Go.” He said to them as he looked at the fractured wooden pieces. “I’ll deal with the Judges, just get them out. Natalie might know a way out so follow her. Cain was hurt from the sounds of it and Monty is incapacitated. So no you can’t come back to help me. Just get them and go back home.”

“And leave you for dead?” Kelvin asked, sounding incredulous. Rightly so… had Robbie not just heard what he didn’t want to hear from the Seeds as he stared at them.

“I’m not the one that needs saving.” Robbie said, turning his head to look at Kelvin. “We came out here to save them. So go save them. Let me do the heavy lifting.”

“But…” Kelvin stammered.

“No, he’s right, Kelly.” Riley interjected. “We came here for Cain and the others. We have to get them out.” Kelvin looked at her and didn’t look like he wanted to argue with her. He still looked conflicted however – his expression looked pained. He turned and nodded his head as he looked back at his map. He then looked over at Robbie, this time looking a little more defiant and confident.

“And you have to come back home too. Jackie’s gonna be upset if her other favorite uncle isn’t home too.” He said. Riley stood next to him, looking just as confident as her husband was feeling.

Robbie looked at him for a moment before nodding. He decided to let it go for now – the sudden boost of confidence both his friends shared at the moment. Kelvin walked towards him and showed him the map. He outlined the path he and Riley were going to take. He also showed a path for him to take that led to where the others were too. Robbie took the map and studied it for a moment, trying to memorize what he could. He handed it back to Kelvin and watched as his friends got ready to leave.

“So are you gonna tell them?” John asked. “About what you’re really gonna do?”

“Course he ain’t.” Jacob scoffed. “He’s too chicken shit to tell them.”

“He wouldn’t.” Joseph added. “It’s not his place to tell them about what’s going to happen anyways.”

Robbie hated all three of them with a fiery passion. He hoped they were all burning together in their own horrific misery. Why did they have to plague him so much, why couldn’t they torment someone else… He looked at his friends again, all the while knowing what was going to happen. He had to help them. It was the promise he made.

Robbie walked ahead of them as he felt his mind swimming in unease again. That overwhelming feeling hadn’t entirely left him at all. He could still feel the brothers watching him as he walked through the hallways. The trio stopped near a door. Robbie peered inside to see more Judges in it and flicked his head back. He motioned for them to hide behind some of the rubble nearby. Natalie and others had to be on the other side of the door judging by the blood and claw marks on the ground on the other side of the room. He took out the pistol he picked up earlier and took a deep breath. He had to do this. He pivoted around the door, so he was standing in the doorway, and shot at the Judges. There were a few yelps and howls then it turned into growling as they seemed to have noticed Robbie. He spun on his heels and ran off into the adjacent hallway leading into another part of the missile silo. The wolves tore right after him. Completely ignoring the two hiding nearby.

He could hear the walkie talkie spark to life again. He could hardly make out what Natalie was saying as the wolves snarled at him. He sprinted forward until he nearly fell into the giant hole in the ground. He looked around for an alternate path and saw some sketchy hanging pipes ahead of him. Without waiting, he swung across them to the other side and shot at the Judges after he planted his feet onto the metal grate. The wolves wanted to get to him but weren’t sure whether they should jump or not. A couple pushed ahead and leapt into the darkness below. He had to get rid of them but he didn’t have another grenade. He reloaded his gun and swore as the clip he was about to reload fumbled out of his hands and fell into the abyss. He chucked the gun at the wolves since he couldn’t use it anyways. That’s when he felt something in his pocket. He took it out and realized it was another grenade. He figured it must’ve been because of Riley when he tried to give him his mask back earlier.

He took out the pin and threw it at the wolves. He spun around and huddled as close to the wall as he could and covered his head. The explosion was loud as its shockwave rumbled and reverberated through the silo. He looked over to see the path behind him caving in and laughed. Of all things to happen, this was it. He took out a walkie talkie and raised it to his mouth.

“That explosion was me and I think I’m stuck.” Robbie said. “It caved in my only way out and I’m stuck in the missile silo.”

“Fuck, hold on.” Natalie said.

”Glad it came in handy.” Riley’s voice chimed over the device. “Not so glad it got you trapped.”

“Would’ve preferred this over the alternative.” He said to her. “If I didn’t have it, they would’ve turned around to go after you guys anyways. That should be all the Judges left here unless they’re hiding in the lower levels somewhere.”

”Oh shit! Abel!” Riley shouted over the walkie talkie. She sounded startled about whatever the wolf had done.

”Robbie, listen for Abel’s barks.” Cain coughed over the device. “He’ll lead you outta here. He left to get you.” Cain coughed a few more times after that. He didn’t sound too well.

”Do what he said and follow the wolf.” Natalie ordered. “Just be sure to not kill him this time.”

Robbie scoffed and stood up. He waited for a moment to try and listen for barking and heard something scrambling above him. He saw Abel barking at him a moment later. He completely forgot Abel was even with them earlier he was so freaked out about the Seeds. He looked for a way to get up to the wolf and saw a couple shifty looking metal platforms he could use to climb towards.

“Here you go, being the goddamned hero again.” Jacob laughed. “Always with the hero shit. Don’t you ever get tired of it?”

“Nope.” Robbie replied as he climbed to the grate above him. “It annoys you so I need to keep doing it obviously.”

“Careful, you might go on another killing spree this time.” Jacob taunted.

“Your music box doesn’t work.” He said as he leapt to the next grate. “I found that thing as Joseph was looking for his little “getaway into exile” and smashed that fucker to pieces. Then I went into your bunker and finished smashing everything Pratt couldn’t. It was a good stress reliever. The only shitty part was you weren’t there to see me do it. Well, the actual you anyways.”

Robbie had climbed up to Abel as he spoke and turned to look at Jacob staring up at him. The wolf tugged at his pant leg and ushered him towards where they were supposed to go. The pair ran down a hallway and it felt like they were going up. Within moments, he found the sunlight and covered his face as they walked outside. He looked around and didn’t see anyone. He and Abel were the first ones out. He turned to Abel and knelt down to the wolf’s eye level.

“We have to go back for them.” He said, trying to reason with him. Abel whined and shook his head. Refusing what Robbie suggested. However, a second later he seemed to relent. Maybe he was worried about Cain’s well being. Robbie stopped the wolf and pulled the creature in front of him.

“Stay here.” He said. “I’ll go get them. Just be sure to give Cain the biggest hug you can give to him, okay?” Abel barked, his tail wagging slightly at the mention of Cain. “You have to stay.” The wolf whined as Robbie walked away then ran back inside. He couldn’t hear anything going on inside. He didn’t want to risk using the walkie talkie unless he needed to. It did fizzle to life however a second later.

”Robbie, we need your help.” Riley said over it.

”We’re near the way out we took, remember?” Kelvin’s voice cut in. “There’s some Judges on the other side and we can’t take them out.”

“I’ll be right there.” Robbie said as he sped off.

He ran into more rooms and hallways. Kick and bashing down the doors around him just so he could make a clear path for the group to take to where Abel had led him earlier. He could hear the gunshots ahead and busted down a couple more doors before seeing everyone. Kelvin was the first one who reached him.

“Go down that way.” Robbie said, pointing to the door he just walked out of. “All the doors are open in the path I took and it’ll lead you straight to the surface where Abel is. If you need help, whistle for him and he’ll come down.”

“Right.” Kelvin nodded as he told Riley and Natalie what Robbie had just told him. Riley grabbed Montana, throwing an arm over her shoulder as Kelvin did the same on the other side. They ran through the hallway Robbie was just in. He looked over at Natalie who motioned towards something behind her as she was trying to carry Cain.

“They were Monty’s but you’ll need them more.” She said as she walked past him. “Careful not to bring the whole damn place down.”

He looked at what she was talking about and saw a quiver. He picked it up and recognized some of the hi-tech arrows in it. There were explosive and incendiary arrows. He added them to his quiver and looked over to see the Judges ahead of him. They looked like they were agitated. They growled and snarled as they realized Robbie was there. He could easily leave them alone, however knew Montana would want to come back to the bunker. There could be more clues to wherever his girlfriend might’ve ran off to. So with that in mind he knew he had to kill the Judges glaring at him. Robbie dug for something in his pockets and pulled out an MP3 player along with a pair of earphones. He stared at it for a moment as he mentally prepared himself for what was about to happen.

He had found it some time after arriving in New Eden. He kept it on him even after the village swore off technology of any kind. He swore off using it even more after realizing what song was on there. He kept it on him, however, in case he needed it and he supposed now was the time for it. The only other person who knew he had it was Cain but he never said anything about it. Probably presumed Robbie trashed it or something. He put in the earphones and fiddled with the player for a moment before hearing that sickening tune. “Only You” started to play through the earphones and he could feel his body tense up. Even after all these years, Jacob’s bullshit still had an effect on him. His vision went red and everything was a blur.

He could hear Jacob laughing around him but he couldn’t really tell if it was real. He didn’t care to find out either. His instincts kicked in as he fired arrows at the wolves, killing them or injuring them all as they lunged at him. There were a few explosions and fire started to spread around the room he was in. The sickening smell of burning meat started to rise from the dead wolves.

“Over there!” Eli’s voice sounded right next to him as Robbie took his combat knife from the back of his belt and reflexively swiped at a Judge that was lunging at him.

It looked like something out of a video game. Robbie was acting as if he were performing quick time events as he slashed and lit the wolves on fire. Within moments, none of them were standing but the anger he was feeling still coursed through him. He knew where to go to satiate it but he shook his head, dropping his bow on the ground.

“No!” He shouted as he hit head against the concrete wall. He felt a blossom of pain on his forehead and saw a bloodied mark on the wall. He shook his head then buried it in his hands as he slid to the ground and formed into a ball. He took the MP3 player and chucked it across the room. Hearing it clatter and the song that played on it instantly ceased as it broke into several pieces.

Fuck, this couldn’t be happening right now. He knew this was something that would be building up but this feeling needed to go away. He screamed to try and waste the excess energy he had in his system. Doing so for a few more minutes until his throat hurt. He could hear someone talking behind him but it was out of focus and out of mind. Muffled at best. He needed help, he didn’t know how to stop this feeling. Then it hit him, he knew one way to resolve this. It might be the only way too. However, a wave of uncertainty smacked into him abruptly.

“It’s okay.” A woman’s voice said to him. It was Faith. She never spoke but he remembered her voice so clearly. He couldn’t look at her, not with the way he was feeling at the moment. She might be scared away.

“Hey, Robbie, it’s okay.” She repeated herself. He could feel her against him as she hugged him. Her hands visibly interlocked in front of his face as he felt tears fall down his ragged and worn features. Was he really about to do this?

“She’s right, kid.” Eli’s voice sounded in his ear. Robbie could see him sitting against the wall next to him, looking relaxed. “It’ll be okay.” He looked over at Eli and saw him smiling. Not a care in the world. “Just remember, it’s gonna hurt a lot.” Robbie chewed his bottom lip for a moment as he contemplated what he was about to do. He nodded and looked back at Eli. The man just smiled and nodded back.

“Well, don’t keep them waiting.” He said. “See ya soon, kid.”

He blinked and they were both gone. He steeled himself for what he was about to do. A bit of regret sat in the back of his mind for a moment as he got to his feet. He made his way through the pathway he used earlier and retraced his steps. As he neared the exit, he could hear a few voices. He stopped. The Sun’s light tried to etch the darkness of the bunker away as best as it could. He stared at the hard line of the shadows for a moment. Was he really about to do this? Surely there was another way… No this was the only way he could think to do. He succeeded in his promise – he helped his friends and got them out of the bunker. They knew the way back from here and didn’t need him anymore. Nobody did. He took a deep breath, the ramblings Jacob drilled into his mind trying to take control over him once again. He was wasting time.

He walked back out into the light, hearing his friends talking ahead of him. He readied himself for what he was about to do once more. There were only two people that would know exactly what was going on with him at the moment. He knew Natalie wouldn’t catch on right away but Cain would… He stopped for a few seconds, trying to push down the urge to kill as far down as he could. He couldn’t let it ruin his plan. That song tore into his mind again and he shook his head to try and get rid of it.

“Hey Robbie!” Kelvin shouted. “We’re over here!”

’Patience, Robbie.’ He told himself. ’Just look for Natalie and be careful of Cain.’

He looked up at Kelvin, who was waving at him. The urge to charge towards his friend nearly took him. He simply nodded and was thankful his hood hadn’t fallen off when he was killing those Judges earlier. He scanned the group as he walked towards them and found Natalie hunched over Cain. He grimaced but it was now or never. He took a glimpse around to see where Kelvin and Riley were. He found them busy trying to help Montana. Abel was next to Cain and Bear was whining next to them. Likely worried for Montana’s safety.

Robbie pushed down the urge again as he approached Natalie and Cain. He hoped Cain wouldn’t catch on but out of the three of them, he’d be the only one to catch on to what was about to happen. He looked at Natalie for a second. She was going to be so mad but this was the solution he chose. He knew exactly what to say to her to send her into a blind rage too – which is what he needed at the moment. He took a deep breath. This was it.

“Natalie?” He called out to her. His voice nearly betrayed him as almost stammered to speak. She spun her head to look at him. She looked peeved already. Like anyone in the middle of doing something would be. He paused for a moment as she replied to him saying “what”. The tone even sounded annoyed. He clenched his fists, pushing that urge down again as Cain looked up at him.

“I…” He stammered. “I saw you with Phoe–” He didn’t even have to finish his thought. He saw the reaction right away. Anger ran through her eyes as she stood up.

“Keep my sister’s name out of your fucking mouth.” She said, announcing every word slowly in an angered and measured tone. She grabbed something behind her and brandished it in her hand. It was her gun. Robbie sprinted before she had the chance to use it. She tore after him in a determined sprint. Cain sputtered to life as the pair ran off.

“Nat! WAIT!” He coughed. He staggered to his feet but he saw it for a moment. The manic look in Robbie’s eyes. He wasn’t really himself and he had to stop Natalie from doing something she might regret. He knew the pair never truly got along – even before Jacob’s death. The pair always avoided each other but Natalie never pursued Robbie simply because he was Emma’s brother. She never had the heart to upset her friend just to get some revenge. Cain wheezed as he stood up, the beating he took from those Judges the other day were catching up to him. Abel whined at his side and he threw his arm in the direction the pair ran off into.

“Go stop her.” He ordered the wolf. Abel dashed off without a second thought. He looked over at Kelvin and Riley. “Stay with him, I’ll deal with this.” He ran off before he could hear their replies.

Robbie sprinted as far as he could to drag Natalie away from the others. Even if Cain wasn’t at his best, he’d still try to stop them. The former terror of Hope County was now the voice of reason. Irony had its moments after all. He swerved through the trees and growth as he ran and found himself standing at a ledge. It was a long drop into the gorge below. He couldn’t even see the bottom because of all the fog. It hadn’t dissipated at all since entering the bunker. He backed up to try and find another way but there was a loud snap behind him. He felt a sharp pain in his left shoulder and another little below it on his back. He yelled from the pain. She caught up to him. This was it. He looked at the ledge, feeling a wave of fear crash over him as he realized what he was doing.

“Just have a little faith.” Faith said as she appeared next to him. He looked at her for a moment and turned to face Natalie.

“Sorry about that.” He said to her, looking her in the eye. She seemed to have realized what he was doing. He felt that urge to kill crash through him. He couldn’t contain it anymore. “Thanks.”

Cain burst through the brush as he saw Robbie lunge towards Natalie. Without hesitating, she fired her gun at him a few more times. He staggered backwards but it was too late. Cain watched as Robbie fell into the gorge below. All he could do was stumble towards Natalie. The gun dropped from her hands as he approached her. She turned to see him and just buried her face into his chest. She was upset. Probably for the wrong reasons seeing as she and Robbie just never got along to begin with. Cain always blamed Jacob for that – he didn’t pit them against one another but he was the catalyst for it regardless. He wrapped his arms around Natalie and tried to calm her down as Kelvin and Riley joined them. He looked back to see them and shook his head.

“That man you saw before? It was who you thought it was.” Cain said to them. And now for the shitty part, to explain what happened to Robbie’s friends. He supposed they could do it on their way out of the area. Who knew when or if more of those Judges would show up anyways.

“I can explain but we need to go.” He said to them. “Monty’s only going to get worse if we spend more time here.” Kelvin and Riley nodded, giving Natalie a distrustful look before they left. Cain sighed. This was going to be a long trip home.

Months had passed since the incident at Faith’s Bunker. The group had returned to Prosperity and everyone that was injured or incapacitated had recovered. Kelvin and Riley didn’t interact much with anyone after telling Kim and Emma what had happened. The grief they felt about what happened to their friend was just too overwhelming. Even after they held a funeral service for Robbie, it didn’t do anything to ease their pain.

Eventually, Kelvin left Prosperity and ventured back towards Faith’s Bunker. Determined to find his friend. Natalie and Cain offered to help him but after making various treks there, gave up. There simply wasn’t any trace of Robbie anymore. He did find one keepsake: the charm bracelet Riley had made for Robbie before their journey. Kelvin still searched regardless and did eventually return back to Prosperity. The pair worked through their grief together. He had apologized for leaving her alone for those long spans of time but they had found a way to work through the loss of their friend.

One day, a few years later, a group of strangers made their way through Fall’s End. It wasn’t an unusual sight as people started to venture through the county again. A young girl was sitting on one of the barrels near the outpost Prosperity had. Her mother was busy fixing up some food for the travelers that were gathering nearby. The girl watched her mother intently and listened to her instructions.

“Go with your Aunt Jackie and pass these out to the people there, okay?” Her mother said.

“Yes mom.” The girl giggled as she followed a dark haired woman. The woman’s piercing blue eyes were one of the features that made her stand out.

“Ready to go, kid?” Jackie asked. The girl nodded vigorously. “Alright, stay next to me. I don’t wanna make your dad mad again.”

“Okay!” The girl chimed as she clung to Jackie’s side. She had a hand grasping the older woman’s denim pant leg.

The pair walked towards the strangers. Jackie offered them the bundled food in the basket she was carrying. She set it down and handed it all out to the people around her, making sure everyone had something to eat. The girl saw one of the strangers off to the side. Without thinking, she grabbed one of the bags of food Jackie had in her basket and made her way to the lone stranger. She offered the bag to him with a wide smile on her face. The stranger had a hood on but she could see a tangled beard and he had some matted red stuff smeared over his dirtied clothes. The stranger hesitated for a moment before taking the bag from her.

“Thank you.” He whispered to her. His voice sounded hoarse like Uncle Cain’s when he didn’t drink enough water.

That gave her an idea. She spun around on her feet and ran towards her mother again, asking for some water. Her mother nodded and picked up a basket of water bottles, handing one to her daughter. She followed the child as she ran off again towards the stranger and offered the water bottle to him. Again with a wide smile on her face as she offered the item to the stranger. The man seemed to be struggling to move towards her again. He winced in pain and made a sound to indicate as much. So the girl stepped closer and put the water bottle on the bench next to him. She moved her hand away for a moment only to grab the water bottle again to try and open it for him. However the effort was fruitless, her palms were too sweaty and she frowned. The stranger took the bottle and held it in front of her. Allowing her to open it with his assistance. She had a hand over his and another over the cap, this time opening it with some ease. She set the cap next to him as he drank from it. He did so hungrily – as if he hadn’t taken a drink in a long time.

“Thank you.” He mumbled.

“You’re welcome!” She beamed with her innocent smile once more. “You can ask anyone with a basket or um… a uh… red cloth around their arm if you need any more.”

She turned to leave but felt the stranger’s hand on her shoulder. She looked back with her curiously big eyes. He set down the water and food she had given him. He held up a hand for her to wait for him as he reached into his jacket for a folded piece of paper. She looked at it curiously. It was yellowed and torn on the edges. It looked like the old papers her father had in his notebook filled with tickets. She reached over to take it only to see her mother’s hand instead. The stranger looked a little surprised by the action, or at least shaken about something. He held onto the woman’s hand with his other hand.

“Can you give this to Kelvin?” He asked. “Just tell him it’s from a friend.” He released his hands and looked at the girl. “Thank you for the food and water.”

“You’re welcome!” The girl smiled, ignoring her mother’s protective grasp on her shoulders. “Mom said we should always help those in need!”

“I’m sorry for scaring you, I didn’t mean to…” He mumbled. It was more to the girl’s mother than to her, however.

“If you need anything else, just ask.” Her mother said, the charm bracelet she wore glinted in the sunlight. It caught the man’s attention. The girl watched as the man’s lower face quivered, like he was hurt or something. He simply nodded and the mother took her daughter away.

“Mom? Why did he want to give that to dad?” The girl asked.

“No clue, but don’t go near him again okay? Stay near me or the others here.” The mother said. “I don’t want you to get hurt.”

“Okay mom…” The girl nodded as she climbed onto a few boxes. She sat down and looked around. Her chin resting on her hands as she leaned her arms against another box. She looked around, not finding anything to grab her attention. Until she heard a weird noise from her mother. She looked over and saw her wiping something off her face as she stood up. The girl’s mother looked frantic, looking around for someone.

“Mom?” The girl asked. “What’s wrong?”

“Wait here.” The mother said as she ran over to Jackie. The pair looked around for someone only to be disappointed. The mother returned, looking upset as she was crying about something.

“Mom?” The girl asked again.

“It’s nothing.” She said, shaking her head. She wiped her eyes and looked at her daughter with the best smile she could give. “The man who gave you this was someone your mom used to know.”