Mask

One week.

In one week, everyone in The Caverns had learned about what happened. They had made contact with an unusually aggressive variant of Diamond Dogs, lost another one of their own to the dangers of this new world, and two of their strongest fighters. Current theories go from a new species, to the frozen wasteland above, to magical rocks, to even mad scientists and aliens for the beasts they encountered. Of course, Spike himself thought it had something to do with the strange magic he could smell in the air after the bombs, but never told anyone.

The beasts had prompted Mayor Mare to give the go ahead to train people to defend themselves. With Steel Wing put in the temporary hospital and Silver Spear still resting from his wounds, Mayor Mare had no choice but to hand Meteor Storm and Storm Chaser the job. It was going well, at least, according to Meteor.

Storm, however, said that Big Mac and Applebloom looked like the only decent fighters in the whole lot, and that Scootaloo had potential. Sweetie Belle had done alright in the running and athletic departments, same as Scootaloo, but Applebloom and Big Macintosh were great physical fighters.

"It'll take elbow grease and prayers to get the rest of them into fighting shape."

Mayor Mare didn't agree with her, but she did know how to actually fight, so she couldn't argue against her. Silver Spear himself was ready to train them, though the bandaging around his head and near constant yelling from Nurse Redheart had put the captain in his place. Steel Wing, who had awoken three days after the attack, would be seen flirting with said Nurse, and she would respond by rolling her eyes and letting him down. Multiple times.

Mayor Mare watched the training and even participated in some of it, though was at no point to even challenge the guards. Hell, she couldn't take them even if they had both hands tied behind their backs, but, she still trained with the others.

If nothing else, they provided an excuse for her to exercise and stay in shape.

As for Spike, her charge, she had not seen much of him except whilst eating and getting ready for bed. At the moment, she was currently looking around for the young dragonblood, Storm Chaser by her side, peering in the corners.

"You know, I heard Spike once turned into a giant monster and wiped out half of Ponyville." Storm spoke, adjusting the bandages around her right wing. "That true?"

"No." Mayor Mare said as she looked around, Storm giving a soft sigh. "He actually destroyed a few sirens and a water tower, did minor damage to a few buildings, also took down the Thunderbolts."

Storm turned white at that thought, stopping for a moment, before catching up with her, asking, "He uh...won't be turning into an actual dragon, will he?"

Mayor Mare gave her a teasing grin, before answering, "Not unless you are something shiny or a cute damsel."

"Thank Celestia...wait, I can be cu-" She was cut off as Mayor Mare lifted her hand. She brought a finger to her lips, the universal shush motion, before slowly walking around the corner of a building.

Around the building was Spike, sitting down and staring at the flickering lights of candles. The wall in front of Spike was covered in pictures, drawings, and names, the low light of the candles and the light of the buildings creating a solemn glow around the pictures and names, as if forever wanting to honor the memories of the lost. He stared at the picture in his hands, brushing his thumb over it, his tail wrapped around him, almost protectively as he stared at the picture.

Mayor Mare could spot pictures of Applejack and Granny Smith, the older woman kissing a pair of squirming toddlers, who were Big Mac and Applejack, not caring what they thought in the moment. Granny Smith herself had been old and wrinkled, hair grey and eyes filled with energy fit for a woman barely a tenth of her age. She had a farmers tan, much like most of her family, orange eyes, and her shirt had an apple pie on it, her signature scarf tied around her neck. Next to her photo stood Applejacks, petting Winona's head and watching out into the fields in her photo, her farmers tan gently colored by the setting rays, her freckles just another addition to her natural beauty, golden hair braided and trusty Stetson on her head.. Mayor Mares heart longed for the taste of those apples, and that loving cider the Apple Family always produced.

In another spot, she spotted Rarity's fabulous photo, giving a soft, warm smile at the camera. The dress she was wearing was as beautiful as ever, and the heart shaped ruby around her neck did nothing to draw the attention away from her brilliant blue eyes. Above that was a middle aged couple, Hondo and Cookie, if she remembered correctly. The man, Hondo, had a beautifully trimmed mustache, beautiful blue eyes, and his hair was comed back, brown with a few lighter spot sprinkled in it. He wore a Haywai'ian shirt and shorts, his skin tanned from being in the sun. The beautiful woman to his left in the photo was Cookie, which resembled Rarity in facial structure. She had a big, poofy, beautiful hair style with striped of lighter purples and blues, and wore a simple shirt and shorts, her skin being slightly sunburnt in the photo. Rarity and Sweetie Belles parents.

In a third and final spot, she noticed a blank square, though sat multiple ponies and griffons, some of whom she did recognize, many she did not. The blank square drew Mayor Mares attention, before she looked down, finally noticing the photo in Spikes hands.

"Spike?" Mayor Mare called out, her voice soft and loving, almost motherly. Spikes head moved, looking at her from the corner of his eye, before he moved his head back, returning his gaze towards the photo. She walked up to him and sat next to him, saying nothing, but gave him an one armed hug, him leaning on her.

Storm couldn't help but give a soft smile at the sight. She slowly walked up and knelt down next to the pair, giving them some respectable space, but close enough to them that she could rest her hand on Spikes shoulder, if need be. She finally looked down at the photo and blinked in surprise at the sight; a photo of the Elements of Harmony, and Spike, in the middle of them.

Spike was giggling in the photo, a party hat on his head, and surrounding him were the girls. She blanked on their names for a moment, cursing her awful memory, before looking up at Spike, his eyes trailing the photo.

In it, Fluttershy was hugging him tight, an unusual sight for anyone who knew the woman, her skin a darker tone than the others, though it seemed more out of genetics than any actual outside work, her beautiful pink hair falling past her shoulders, and sweater with three beautiful butterflies being shown to the camera. Applejack was yelling and reaching for Rainbow Dash, whose skin was tan from working out in the outdoors and her weather woman job. Rainbow was currently holding Applejacks hat in the background of the photo, a teasing grin painted on her lips. Pinkie Pie, whose skin was light and was surprisingly thin for the amount of sweets she could eat, was laughing at the sight, her pink hair bouncing even in the photo, her pink shirt blank, likely to get people to stop their excuses to stare her body. Rarity, of course, was smiling for the photo, hand on Spikes shoulder, whilst Twilight was holding the camera in her magic, smiling as she hugged Spike from behind, resting her chin in his spikey hair.

"These are..." Storm trailed off, seeing the pain in young Spikes eyes, the young dragon swallowing thickly at the sight of the photo.

"My friends." Spike spoke, gently placing the photo back on the wall. He lifted an unlit candle up to his face and gently blew onto it, a green flame spewing from his jaws and lighting the candle up. "And my sister."

Mayor Mares grip tightened onto Spike, allowing him to nuzzle into her breast, not caring who saw in this moment. He felt his eyes give a familiar sting, though no tears came, Mayor Mare rubbing his back lovingly as they sat there in silence. She wanted to give him time to heal, give him time to wait for his friends, his family to come. She simply did not have that time, but she hoped she would, soon.

Mayor Mare ignored the numbing feelings coming from her legs, Spike staring at the wall again, his hand coming up and grasping hers, giving it a soft squeeze. She smiled, a small part of her mind wanted to hold him and kiss him all better, though she suppressed these feelings.

Storm took this moment to adjust and reach into her chest plate. She pulled out a photo and flipped it open, attaching it to the rock wall thanks to some sort of magic that a unicorn had casted. Despite what many had thought, it was actually Spikes idea to start the memorial wall, and he had pitched it to Mayor Mare whilst they were eating dinner together. She flattened the picture out and smiled a bit, seeing a picture of a woman there, a magic blood, wearing a sleeveless t-shirt and long scars on her arms, along with a bite mark on her other arm.

"Who is she?" Mayor Mare asked, her hand coming up and slowly scratching Spikes scalp. A low thrum erupted from Spike, surprising the two women, but Mayor Mare continued it, smiling at the sound.

"She, uh...she was a naturalist. She would study animals in different parts of Equestria, damn near got her head bitten off by a Manticore when I met her. Somehow dragged me along for a few adventures too." Storm spoke, before giving a soft, shaky breath. "She was uh...planning to visit Canterlot, but was in Las Pegasus when..." She trailed off, leaving it unfinished.

They sat there in silence, their eyes lowered. Finally Spike sat up and looked back, Mare and Storm following his movements to see Meteor standing there, standing at attention. Mayor Mare sighed and gave Spike a wistful smile, brushing some hair away from his eyes.

"Come Spike. We'll get some food and cuddle up later, okay?" Mayor Mare promised, before turning to Storm. "You tagging along?"

"Yeah just, uh...just give me a minute." Storm said, giving the picture a sad, longing look. Mayor Mare gave a nod, then walked with Spike and Meteor.

"So, what happened?" Mayor Mare asked as they walked, Meteor giving a cautious look back at Spike, before Mayor Mare sighed. "He was raised at the castle, along with Twilight, which means the closest things he has to parents would be Princess Celestia and Twilight Sparkles mother. I really doubt whatever you'll say will shock him."

Meteor made another glance at Spike, before speaking, "Ma'am-"

"Mayor Mare or just Mare is fine, we've had this discussion before."

"Sorry ma'am, old habits and all that. It seems we are not as well stocked as we once thought."

"What do you mean?" The silence that met Mayor Mare made her frown. She looked back at Spike, before giving a smile as she knelt down. "Hey, I heard Big Macintosh has a Power Ponies comic, do you wanna go ask him if he'll let you borrow it?"

Spike gave a gasp and raced around the corner, only to suddenly stop when he heard harsh whispers. He slowly started to back up and strained his ears, listening to the conversation.

"Well, it seems the supplies of food are lower than we previously estimated." Meteor continued, giving the Mayor a soft look. "We are also low on medical supplies, there was an accident the other day and we are out of fresh bandages, pain killers and the like. We need to get some from the surface and soon."

"What about the farms?"

"Ma'am, normally our food would be growing out of our ears, but underground, even with the light the unicorns can supply and the mushrooms, we still won't have enough food before the crops are ready to be harvested. Which means starvation isn't a matter of if, it's a matter of when now."

Mayor Mare sighed, before rubbing the back of her neck and staring at the gems at the roof of the cavern, seeing them glow softly in the darkness brought her some peace.

"So, we need people to go to the surface, grab supplies and come back...any ideas?" Mayor Mare asked, Spikes hand gripping onto the building as he listened.

"Well, some of the doctors think it'll be hard to breathe, so we'll need some masks they are cooking up. They say it might feel like we'll be breathing in a volcano."

"Well, Spike can swim and even drink lava, I'm pretty sure if he can handle that, we can handle similar conditions in gear."

"That's another thing." Meteor interrupted, before looking around, making sure no one was listening in, before continuing, "We think the Mutts are down here because something is up there."

Mayor Mare gave a worried look, then sighed a bit, rubbing the back of her neck. Of course, the apocalypse had to be complicated, couldn't just be survival for the group. "Alright, let Silver Spear and Steel Wing know. Round up your best students, we'll talk to the magics and see if we can pin down some areas for rations and medical supplies."

Spike took this moment to slip away, frowning a bit as he thought. Well, the outside world was survivable, as far as he knew, and it apparently was toxic to them. Spike himself would be fine, he breathed in toxins and gasses from volcanoes with no issues, but the others would likely not make it far without protection.

They needed food and medical supplies, and he knew where both of those things were. He just needed to get to them.

On the migration of his kin, Spike would often go through insanely cold areas and barren wastelands following them whilst they took to the skies. However, the world had changed whilst Spike was down here, that much he knew, so he had to be prepared.

He went to his room, pulling out a case from under his bed. He brushed away some dust that had gathered onto it, unclipping it, then opened it, revealing heavy looking jackets and clothes. He slowly put on a few extra shirts, silently thanking Rainbow Dash for the clothes that was far too large for him.

"It would keep him warm, he's cold blooded!" She would say, not knowing Spike was endothermic, like them. "He'll grow into it!" She argued when Twilight would correct her with facts about him.

He tucked the shirts under his pants, already feeling stuffy, before grasping a winter jacket. He pulled the jacket over himself, zipping it up, then grasped a mask, putting it over his mouth and nose. He nodded to himself, before tugging the mask down, already sweating, walking outside. He peeked around the corners, seeing no one outside, and silently slipped into the darkness.

Mayor Mare sat there, Silver and Steel in front of her, relaxing before she could drop the bomb on them. Silver had bandages wrapped around the right side of his head, being lucky he had not lost his eye in the attack, though the bandages looked like they needed to be changed. Steel had some bandages around his chest, some of his ribs being broken in the attack. His arm was also in a sling, though the edges of claw marks were still visible through some of the bandages.

Storm had entered the room with Meteor, along with Big Mac (whose skin was kissed by a farmer tan, freckles dotted his cheeks, green eyes, his shirt dirty from a days work in the farms, and his head had an old, beat up hat, probably an old Stetson, akin to Applejacks, and his orange hair tucked and tied behind him in a pony tail), Bulk Biceps (his skin was light, hair short and blond, red eyes hardened and ready for anything, his shirt struggled to keep the walls of muscles he had in, and his wings were rather pathetic looking, but still worked), and Thunderlane (who had rather dark skin, akin to Zecora, and was wearing a aviator jacket with a thunderstorm stitched onto it, white hair cut into a mohawk, and yellow eyes filled with worry.)

"Thank you all for coming, take a seat."

All of those present sat down, Thunderlane and Bulk both sharing a glance when Mayor Mare sat back, rubbing her temples to try and stop an incoming headache. They sat there, Mayor Mare sitting up and clearing her throat a bit.

"We have a situation." Mayor Mare spoke, setting her hands down on the table, staring at the group. "We've run the numbers, and unfortunately, we don't have enough food or medical supplies to last the month."

The room sat in silence for a moment, before Thunderlane finally asked, "Well, if we don't have enough food, what will we do?"

Silver Spear stood up, walking over to Mayor Mare and handing her a piece of paper. Mare cleared her throat, before speaking, saying, "We have nailed down a few locations where food and medical supplies would be kept, and possibly some equipment to help us defend ourselves."

"Defend ourselves?" Bulk asked, adjusting in his chair, it squeaking under his weight. "I thought you locked those dog things behind the door."

Mayor Mare scratched her cheek and leaned back, giving a sigh, before responding, "That's another issue. We found out there is another cavern filled with supplies that would help us immediately...but it is wide open to the elements outside, and crawling with those things." Mayor Mare looked over the map for a moment, before tracing her fingers up The Caverns entrance and looking back at the group, "We have to trek through the snow and trees and make it to what's left of town. It'll be longer, but safer."

"What 'bout the farm?"

"What about it?"

"Well, we have food stocks there, and plenty of seeds, in case somethin happened to tha farm." Big Macintosh said, leaning forward and resting his arms on his lap. "Granny wanted to stay when the farm was hit. Said she uh...she wanted to be with the farm when it happened. So, knowin her, those supplies are still there."

Mayor Mare tapped the map in thought, before nodding to him. "Very well. Get as much as you can carry. We'll get you the necessary equipment before you head out." Mayor Mare then stood up, giving them a grim look, stating, "I probably don't need to tell you this, but, I need to reiterate just how important this is. If we don't do this, many will starve and suffer. We need to act now, before the situation becomes dire."

The group nodded to her, Mayor Mare smiling, before Silver Spear grabbed the map and adjusted it, speaking to the team, "You will split up into two teams. Team one, Meteor Storm, Bulk Biceps, and Thunderlane, you will be heading to the hospital and gathering as many supplies as you can. We need needles, blood bags, IVs, pills, anything and everything you can grab." Silver Spear then drew his hands along the map. "Team two will be Big Macintosh, Storm Chaser, and myself. We will be heading to stores for canned goods and more cooking supplies. Then, we will go through the backroads and alleyways towards Sweet Apple Acres and gather food and seeds there. If we're lucky, we can find enough food for everyone. At worst, everyone will have to ration, but they'll live until harvest, where we'll really be able to survive. Any questions so far?" Bulk raised his hand, making Silver turn to him.

"Yes, I was wondering, why aren't we heading towards the castle?" The group shared a confused look, Bulk adjusting in the far too small chair and tapping a finger on it, elaborating, "Well, Princess Twilight Sparkle -" Mayor Mare winced at that name, gripping her arm, a motion unnoticed by most of the group, "- lived there. Having met her before, I know she would probably have some books and spells which might help with food underground or healing injuries."

Silver gave Mayor Mare a glance, who rested her face in her hands, closing her eyes, then responded, "Well, at the moment, we should worry about food and medical supplies. We'll go back for those books and scrolls after this run, and after we get some rest."

"Alright, everyone. Go report to the doctors and scientists to get your gear." Silver ordered, the group leaving, except Steel Wing, who shifted in his seat. "Steel Wing, I want you to stay and rest. I know you are feeling cramped in these tunnels, but right now, you are the only one I can trust to keep everyone safe if the Mutts decide to attack."

"Sir, permission to speak."

"Granted."

"I got my ass beat the last time those Mutts got me, is it really wise to keep me here?"

Silver Spear and Mayor Mare shared a look, before Mayor Mare nodded, Silver looking back at Steel, "Well, you were under prepared last time, so, the metalworker has something special in mind for you. Go see her when you have a moment."

"Yes sir!"

When he left the room, Silver Spear looked at the Mayor and smiled, "Although the docs'll be pissed, I feel like I need this. You sure you won't come with? Heard it'll be one Tartarus of an Easter Egg hunt."

Mayor Mare smiled, then adjusted the papers on her desk, replying, "Thanks for the invite, but I think I'll pass. I have paperwork to catch up on, and a dragonblooded boy to look after."

"End of the world and you still have to do paperwork?"

"My own personal Tartarus."

Spike walked over to the boarded up gem room, flicking his long tongue out, a backpack on his back. He stared at the walls, scanning it for any weaknesses, before kneeling down and testing the bottom of the structure. He was about to pull when he heard some scraping against the ground. He shot up, his eyes searching in the darkness, only to feel hot breath on his shoulder, making him shiver. He stood up slowly, before twirling around, rock in his hand, ready to strike the beast.

Instead of the beast, he looked down to see Winona, on her back Owlowiscious, and Tank by her side. It seemed Angel and Opalescence were doing their own thing. Spike knelt down and scratched behind Winona's ears, simultaneously petting Tanks back, careful not to harm his machinery.

"Hey guys, don't worry, I'll be back. I won't leave you guys behind." He adjusted on his seat. "Try to keep an eye on everyone while I am gone, and Owlowiscious, no telling Mayor Mare. Not a word." He turned around, the owl twirling his head to Spike.

"Who?"

He strained a bit, before looking back at the Owl, "Mayor Mare? The person who has been taking care of me?"

"Who?"

"The lady who watches over me?"

"Who?"

"Beautiful? Grey hair? Blue eyes? Cute lips you just kinda wanna kiss sometimes?"

"Who?"

Spike raised his hand, ready to yell at the owl, before giving a huff, mumbling out, "Forget it." He started to pull, the board breaking off, a loud snap echoing out. He looked around, Winona giving a soft whine. "I promise I'll be back, I just need to help get food and medicine."

He ripped the board off, kneeling down and crawling under. He got up and wiped the dirt off of his body, then peered under the boards, saying, "Keep everyone safe while I am gone. I'm counting on you guys."

Spike stood up, ignoring the gems around him as he walked through them. His heart yearned for the gems around him, but he needed to help the others first. He clambered up a gem, sniffing the air, then continued on. He could smell fresh air, but it was distant, he had a bit of a walk ahead of him.

He walked forward, adjusting the bag on his back, looking at the wall in front of him. He dug his fingers into the wall, smashing into it, slowly climbing up, then mantled over the side, giving a soft huff as he looked back. His eyes scanned the walls, sniffing the air again, before slowly walking up, careful not to shatter or disturb any gems.

After all, he shouldn't be here, not really, but he needed to go up to help The Cavern. He'll bring back food and medical supplies from the castle. It may be dangerous, but he needed to do this. He stepped over another gem, humming to himself, before his thoughts turned to the others and his strange dream.

He did not recognize the voice talking to him, and certainly not that hand reaching toward him. It felt very human, but it clearly wasn't. Pure black skin, it felt powerful, yet peaceful, like it genuinely wanted to help him. He didn't know what that creature was in his dreams, but it tore through his nightmares and brought him peace, and for that, he needed to find it and help it in some way.

Spike was many things, but an ungrateful lad was not one of them. He heard the rush of wind and scrambled through the gems, finally finding his target; a metal door.

His eyes scanned it, before he yelped, seeing a skeleton to the side, holding a pickaxe in its hands. He put a hand on his chest, trying to calm his beating heart, before inspecting the skeleton. Whilst holding a pickaxe, it looked like its ribcage had been broken by something sharp. He looked on its helmet, the headlamp broken and smashed, and have of its skull was caved in.

It looks like the skeleton had been there awhile, and some animals had gotten to it, as its ribs were chewed on, and the right tibia had strange marks on it. He knelt down and sighed, lowering his head. "May you find peace with Faust." He quietly said, before standing back up and walking towards the door. He pushed on it, hearing it screech loudly, wincing as he pushed it open.

Had he been paying attention, he would have heard something scraping in the darkness, along with a chitter.

"Hey, beautiful, Captain Silver Spear you had somethin for me?" Steel Wing flirted with Nurse Redheart, who rolled her eyes.

Big Mac sighed loudly, before lifting the smaller man up and moving him aside, "Calm down, Romeo, we're here for it too."

Meteor Storm and Storm Chaser shared a look, Nurse Redheart humming as she looked back, "Time Turner, the devices?"

Some rustling behind her was heard, before a Earthblooded man walked through, carrying a box full of strange devices. He set them down and gave her a soft glare, "For the last time, it is The Doctor! Not Time Turner!" He heard a throat clearing and looked over, his face turning from frown to excited grin, "Oh! How wonderful, you are all here! On time too!"

Big Mac shared a look with Bulk, who shrugged, before looking back at the man, "Uh...yeah, so, the Mayor said ya were wantin to give us some stuff?"

"The Mayor?" The Doctor scratched his cheek in thought, before snapping his fingers, "Ah, yes, Mayor Mare, right! So, I got the equipment right here." He adjusted the box, Thunderlane leaning in to peer into the box.

"What kinda quack science experiment did we just let ourselves be talked in to?" Bulk whispered to Big Mac, who gave the Doctor a soft look.

"So, what do these thangs even do?"

"I'm glad you asked!" The Doctor pulled out a strange mask, the mask being big and bulbous in the front, with a clear glass view. "This, I call this a rebreather! This bulbous part right here is detachable, and you are able to clean it. It will help you breathe in the environment up there, and you get two."

"How do we clean it?" Thunderlane asked, Silver Spear walking up behind the group, seeing Steel Wing giving a flirty look to an obviously uninterested Redheart.

A vein appeared in his forehead, before he walked over to the side, then yelled, "ATTEEEEEENTION!" The group shot up in a line, The Doctor and Redheart both staring at the magicblooded man. "Continue, Doctor."

He brushed his lab coat, giving a uneasy smile. "Right...so, you'll need to find a building or some nice shelter, click a little doodad here-" He pointed to a button on the bottom of it, then continued, "-and wipe it down, before replacing it. Of course, this is a prototype, so if it doesn't snap open, don't panic! You have at least thirty minutes of air in your filter."

Nurse Redheart cleared her throat and said, "The hospital should have some cleaning supplies, if you need some for the filters."

"I see." Silver Spear said, peering down at the mask. "You...wouldn't happen to know what kind of environment is up there, would you?"

"Best we can do is guess. Doctor Fauna thinks the magic and radiation may be mutating the animals up there, and that the Diamond Dogs near the surface turned into the Mutts you fought before." The Doctor sighed a bit as he pulled something out, giving it a soft look, before saying, "I'm sure you all know how much we hate violence, ignoring the guards here. Unfortunately...we will have no choice in this savage world."

"Is that what I think it is?" Storm Chaser asked, staring at the object with hunger and admiration, ready to grasp it.

"No way..." Big Mac mumbled out, staring at the object, his eyes scanning over everything.

"Now that is a thing of beauty." Steel said, making Silver nod in response.

"You guys are weird." Thunderlane mumbled out, ignoring the glare Meteor gave him.

"This is a specialized crossbow. I have modified the original design so it can autoload and fire. Although we have no wood down here, I had changed the shaft type to metal. You will have to get used to the weight, I suggest practicing before you guys head out." The Doctor spoke, adjusting it a bit, before twirling it around, showing the underside, "This is where you can attach any flashlights or other such items. Be warned, it may impede the accuracy a bit, so be careful."

"Anything else?"

"Lemme see here..." The Doctor rummages through the bag, pulling out some knives, Silver immediately grabbing one and twirling it around in his hand, gaining impressed looks from Big Mac and Bulk. "Oh!" He pulled out a wrist bracer and a strange, sleek machine with a trigger on the side. He adjusted the bracer, the armored side being rolled over to show a digital clock, blinking zeroes on its screen, along with a strange device near it. "This will show you how much time your filter has before it quits on ya."

"What is this?" Silver asked, pointing on the little glass item on the bracer, putting the knife into a sheath on his chest.

"This is the Magic Counter, it reads magic and radiation and gives a loud clicking noise when you are in danger. You can use it to scout out locations, keep yourself safe from magic and radiation, and...well, it looks cool, to be honest. The bracer itself is armored as well, so if something bites you there, it might take awhile for it to even scratch these sensors and damage them." The Doctor said, giving a soft hum, before pointing at the machine with a trigger on it, saying, "This will recharge your batteries and any shops you come in contact with. Be careful though, lights attract attention, and we'd much rather have you all stay safe than endanger your lives for some medicine and food."

They started to bundle up in gear and warm clothing, Bulk needing to adjust his items a few times, trying to make room for his muscles to breathe. Silver attached the mask to his chest, giving a hum as he flexed his arms a bit, trying to get used to the warm feelings, being stuffed inside armor and the hot clothes on top of himself. As they were about to head out, Doc cleared his throat, gaining their attention.

"One more thing," The Doctor spoke, before adjusting on his feet. He looked down, giving a soft sigh, adjusting the spare items outside the box a bit. "We don't know if anyone else survived, but if they did, they may need help. This new world of ours is harsh, nearly impossible to survive. If they did survive, the likelihood is that they may have done some terrible things to survive. So be very wary. And if you can, try to help out the folks with good hearts, we could always do with more hands back here, in the Hospital."

The group started to head up, Steel Wing sighing as he walked with them. They stopped at the gateway, Steel scratching the back of his head, saying, "I should watch that one entrance when I have time. Gotta make sure you guys don't hit your ass on the way out."

Big Mac turned to Steel, the rest of the group moving up, before leaning in, whispering out something, Steel nodding a moment, before ushering them out. "Don't take too long now."

The door started to grind behind them, Steel giving a sigh at the screeching and grinding of metal on metal action. It gave a soft rumble, as it opened, the massive metal door moving out of the way, Silver gave everyone a look, clearing his throat.

"You all have approximately thirty minutes for each filter, so let's try to make this fast. We'll split up at the main gate, then reconvene there. Any questions?" When nobody said anything, he looked back towards Steel, "I'm countin on you, Steel Wing. Keep this place protected until we get back."

"Don't worry, sir, I'll keep everyone safe."

"Alright everyone, move out."