Outer Station Bunker #3

And today started out so great…

Robert can’t help but complain in his head as he kneels in the corner of one of the bunkers, the entrance sealed shut as the hundreds of people quietly – or as quietly as is possible in a room with this many people – chat amongst themselves, many of whom are worried about their loved ones or pets – as is in the case of the person talking with the security guard.

Why be worried about a pet of all things? I mean, come on!

The seventeen year old boy leans his head against the wall with a sigh.

Okay, maybe I’d think differently if our apartment building let us have pets in the first place. But still.

His thoughts are interrupted by the beeping sound of the screen lowering to show several people clearing their way through the zombie horde towards the bunker. And amongst those people, Robert immediately recognizes one of them as the new wolf eared girl that’s currently blowing up on the internet. But surprisingly, there is actually a second one there that he recognizes as well.

Julian?

Robert sits up with a frown.

Didn’t he only become a Guardian during the last Demonic Assault? Why is he here in this Fracture then?

The Guardians and the civilians end up stopping in front of the bunker door before one of the Guardians that Robert doesn’t recognize gives a hand signal to the camera. So the security guard quickly rushes into the security post within the bunker before opening the bunker from the inside, letting two of the Guardians along with the civilians enter inside. Although not until after two of them share a hug with the wolf eared Guardian, to her apparent displeasure.

Wait, did Julian just happen to get stuck in this Fracture? If so, he really does have bad luck…

Robert gets up from the floor finally and begins walking over to the group as the bunker is closing up again. But before he can make it to them, a large crowd forms around the two Guardians. And the crowd is very clearly split between their feelings on the two Guardians being inside with them.

Some of the crowd believe they should go out and ‘do their jobs’, while others are just excited to be able to talk directly with a Guardian.

Regardless though, the crowd stops Robert from making his way towards Julian.

Seriously?

However, before Robert can begin heading back to his little corner, he manages to catch Julian’s eye, making the guy wave at his classmate with a smile before pushing through the crowd. Which doesn’t sit well with them.

Idiot.

“Robert!” Julian shouts while navigating his way through the startled people between them until he stops right next to him, reaching his arm out. “How ya been?”

Despite all the many things that Julian’s currently doing wrong as a Guardian, Robert can’t help but grin as he reaches forward to cross arms with him as he says, “Pretty good. At least until a couple hours ago.”

Julian snorts, “Yeah, I was here to learn a little about the station by watching dad’s inspection. Didn’t expect to be caught up in yet another Fracture at the same time.”

Likely due to his obvious personality, or just because the other Guardian seems easier to talk to right now, the crowd around them begin to navigate towards her. But unlike what Robert would’ve expected, the girl takes it in stride and swiftly begins answering questions like a professional.

A legacy maybe?

He returns his focus to Julian though when the guy asks, “So what were you doing here?”

Robert sighs.

“Was supposed to be going on a field trip,” Robert begins only to narrow his eyes and add, “which you should’ve been on too, by the way,” then glances at the gate, “but then all this happened. So, yeah.”

Out of the corner of his eye, Robert notices Julian awkwardly looking away at the casual mention of him skipping school.

Even if he does have a good reason for it, and the school has allowed it, although only subtly.

“Well anyways,” Robert says, a faint grin spreading across his face as he pulls out his phone and opens the video he has saved on it before showing it to Julian, “how was it meeting the pretty wolf girl again?” Julian turns beet red at his teasing, which only incites Robert even more as he adds, “Did your knight in shining wolf ears save the dear princess again?”

This has the immediate effect of Julian reaching to grab the phone, only to end up snatching it just seconds after Robert locks it again, pausing the video of the wolf eared girl saving him from the fall in the last Demonic Assault that had been spread across the internet.

“My father is going to kill whoever let that video go viral!” Julian complains while trying and failing to unlock the phone. And eventually, after trying so many times that it just straight up locks up the phone, he tosses it back to Robert, who catches it with a grimace. “Damnit. Delete that!”

“Nope, not happening,” Robert says while catching his phone. “Especially not after you locked me out of it.”

The two then move over to a less crowded area – the corner Robert had claimed for himself earlier – before Robert says, “Joking aside, how do you actually feel about that girl?”

Julian blushes at that and looks away, “I don’t feel anything.”

Robert raises a brow and says, “Uh huh, then why are you blushing?” Then he sighs and continues, “Look, she may be a few years older than us, but that doesn’t mean nothing’s possible. And she really is pretty.”

A voice Robert recognizes as being from the female Guardian who entered with Julian enters their conversation, “Yeah, I wouldn’t raise my hopes up if I were you.”

They both turn to look at her, finding both the Guardian and one of the civilians standing just a meter behind them, with a large amount of space open around them.

How did she get away from the crowd? And does she know the wolf eared girl?

Robert frowns.

Never mind. They hugged her before coming in. Of course, they know her.

“Yeah, I don’t think I have a chance either…” Julian mutters, only to cover his mouth and blush a moment later when he realizes what he just said.

Huh. Didn’t expect him to admit it so easily.

“So, Julian, would you mind telling us more about when you met Scarlet?” the civilian next to the female Guardian asks, a faint grin stretched across his face. And Julian ends up relenting somehow, just spilling the story nonstop.

Wonder why he’s so talkative now?