Salvage Station 23

Chapter 3, Part 8

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The group sprinted toward their makeshift armored school bus, their breaths coming in ragged gasps. Liam, anxiously watching from the driver's seat, revved the engine as soon as he saw them approach.

"Go, go, go!" Olivia shouted as they piled into the bus.

Mia and Eli, who had been keeping watch, helped pull their teammates aboard. Max winced as Eli accidentally brushed against his injured back.

"What happened in there?" Mia asked, her eyes wide as she took in their disheveled appearance and Max's bloody shirt.

"Later," Olivia said tersely. "Liam, get us out of here!"

The bus lurched forward, tires squealing as Liam maneuvered them away from the hospital and back toward the relative safety of Salvage Station 23.

As the adrenaline began to wear off, all eyes turned to Rosie. She sat quietly, her hands trembling slightly, aware of the weight of their stares.

"I guess... I owe you all an explanation," she said softly.

Zoe, still shaken from her near miss with the Jack, nodded. "Yeah, you could say that. How did you do that back there? It was like the Jacks couldn't even touch you."

Rosie took a deep breath. "It's because... in a way, I'm connected to them. But not how you think."

A tense silence filled the bus. Olivia leaned forward, her voice cautious. "What do you mean?"

Rosie took a deep breath. "My parents were part of a research team studying the Jacks. They were trying to understand how the creatures were created and if there was a way to use their blood to help humans. They discovered that Jack's blood can give abilities to certain people, but only if the body is compatible. If not... the person dies."

"They injected you with it?" Olivia asked, disbelief coloring her voice.

Rosie nodded, her voice soft but steady. "They didn't have a choice. The facility where we lived and worked had a Jack breakout. It was chaos. My parents... they injected me with a refined version of Jack's blood right before everything went to hell. It was their last-ditch effort to protect me, not knowing if I'd even survive."

Mia, wide-eyed, whispered, "And you're immune to them because of it?"

Rosie gave a shaky nod. "The blood made me immune to their attacks, but more than that, it gave me abilities. Each Nyxborne-those who survived the injection-gained different powers. Mine makes it so the Jacks can't touch me. But it doesn't work the same for everyone. I was lucky."

David frowned. "So there are others like you?"

Rosie's gaze dropped. "There were. I don't know where they are now. We were separated when the facility fell. I've been looking for them ever since."

A heavy silence settled over the group as they processed her words. Olivia broke it, her tone measured but firm. "Rosie, why didn't you tell us this before?"

Rosie looked down, her hands clenched in her lap. "I was scared. I thought you might see me as one of them... that I'd be a threat."

Zoe reached out, resting a hand on Rosie's arm. "You're not like them. You saved my life back there."

Max nodded, wincing as he shifted. "Yeah. You're one of us, Rosie. This doesn't change that."

Olivia looked around the bus, seeing the mix of shock, confusion, and understanding on her team's faces. "This changes everything," she said slowly. "If what you're saying is true, you might hold the key to understanding the Jacks. Maybe even stopping them."

Rosie's eyes flickered with a mix of hope and fear. "I don't know if I'm the key. But if we can find the others, maybe together we can figure out what to do next."

The bus continued its journey back to Salvage Station 23, the weight of Rosie's revelation hanging heavy in the air. They had escaped the hospital with their lives and crucial supplies, but now they were faced with a truth that could alter the course of their fight for survival.

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