The Boy from the Bunker - WATTY'S VERSION

Episode Three, Part 3: ✓

Episode Three, Part 3:
Sol

Training had completely worn Wynn out. He hadn't expected to be pushed so hard, or to be so bad at everything Sol introduced, and he was finding it hard to feel relieved by the end of it. 

Sol had disappeared somewhere after they were finished, not allowing enough time for him to thank her for being willing to help. Well, willing wasn't exactly how he would put it: forced into or bribed were more suitable options. 

They had spent most of the afternoon fighting each other, wrestling, trying to build up any pre-exitsing strength that he had. Thankfully, Wynn's parents had the right mind to get them used to exercise anyway they could whilst inside the Bunker. There wasn't enough room for all the kids to run around, nor did they even one of the exercise machines Wynn had seen in the basement of the Sovereigns' Qaurters, so they had to learn to adapt. 

Wynn was used to doing pushup competitions with Bas - who would always win, and he remembered bench-pressing his little sister when she was younger - something which always made everyone laugh. On rare occasions, like when everyone was uninspired, the residents of the Bunker would gather together and engage in a group workout routine, but with limited air ventilation and a bunch of sweaty bodies in a tight space, it wasn't something they tried to do often. 

By the time his training with Sol had finished, it was early evening, but there were still a few hours to wait before rations were served. 

He didn't feel like heading back to his tent and waiting; not when he knew he'd spend the rest of the night gazing over at the empty bed beside him and wondering what had happened to Ares, and if he was alive. Instead, Wynn decided he would make use of the free time and stroll around camp - trying to observe as much as he could in case it would prove to be useful: which areas were unguarded, where he was out of sight from most people, and if there were any secret pathways that caught his interest. 

After circling the camp a few times, each round having to hold back to urge to slip out of the gates, Wynn decided to delve in his curiosity and took one of the offbeat paths nearby what appeared to be Basilisk's cooking sector. 

Truthfully, he wasn't sure if he was even allowed where he was walking; the lack of other members of Basilisk being in sight told him that his suspicions were probably right, but Wynn had made it blatantly clear that he did care for the clan's rules. 

He continued on, not bothered when he would wound up, just as long as he found something to take his mind off of everything else. He had never spent a day in his life without his family. In fact, the past few days had been full of firsts for Wynn, and he wasn't finding himself enjoying many of them, but they were all he could think about. 

Ares wasn't around anymore. Neither was his sister, or his parents, or the other survivors from the Bunker - if there were any. How was he supposed to live with that uncertainty? How was he supposed to tell Quill that he might be all he had left in the world? Maybe Bas, MaReya, and Azha were all they had left, and maybe their new world required that to be enough for them, even though it never would be. He tried to hold onto hope that they were all out there somewhere, but after seeing how instinctively the attacker from Blood Riders had turned on Ares last night, Wynn was becoming well aware of the cruel realities he had to face. 

He shook his head, trying to push the dark questions away and shifted his attention to a small, wonky picket fence to his right. He couldn't help but push on it, carefully treading down the few steps to see where it led. 

There was someone sitting near the base of the steps, but Wynn couldn't make out who it was as the overgrown grass shielded them from sight. Curious, he followed the remaining steps until he was standing in a tiny, secluded area of camp which immediately gave off the impression that it was unused by everyone. 

Sensing his presence, the girl turned to face him, wearing a face full of concern. It was Sol. "Wynn? You scared me..." 

"Sorry," he apologised, kicking at the dirt under his feet. "I was just wondering around. I didn't realize it was you." 

Sol let out a breath, diverting her gaze back to the view in front of her. "I just sit here sometimes," she told him. "It clears my head." 

"You got a lot to think about?" 

She smiled; her voice tender, "not here." 

A silence fell over them, but Wynn wasn't in any rush to fill it. It was a moment of peace new to what they had shared before and, as Wynn looked out beyond the fence in front of them, he was captivated by the auburn plain stretching on for miles; the first setting sun he had seen in 14 years. 

"Wow...It's... " He murmured. "It's..." 

"I know," Sol said. "It's beautiful. Almost makes being on the ground worth it, huh?" 

A lump formed in Wynn's throat and his lips begun to tremble as a consequence. No, he thought. No part of the world would ever make up for the loss of his family; could ever equivocate or justify them not being there with him to experience it, too. 

He coughed, hit by emotion, but tried to reign it in so Sol didn't notice. 

"Wynn?" 

Dammit. He was torn between walking away, or remaining; leaving would mean he would drown in the pain, but staying would mean he'd face it. 

"...Wynn." 

Unable to process why, Wynn found himself walking closer and taking a seat on the log directly across from Sol. For a split second, it seemed that maybe facing it was possible if someone was willing to share the weight; someone to show him that not every part of the world was terrible and wicked and unkind. 

"I tried to find you earlier, but you disappeared really quickly." It was obvious he was trying to avoid the confrontation of what she had said. Even Sol could see that. "I wanted to say 'thanks'," he continued. 

"You don't have to-" 

"For teaching me all that stuff." 

Sol put a little more effort into a smile, but it was still somewhat forced. "My burden."  

Wynn tilted his head. "What do you mean by that?" 

"My responsibility," she said. "Maybe I was a little harsh with you earlier; I should be making sure you learn how to defend yourself. I brought you out of the Bunker, I brought you to Basilisk; I kind of owe it to you to teach you how to survive." 

"So you're saying that I was right?" 

Sol instinctively went to shut him down, but after her insensitive comment from moments ago, she let him savour the victory for a few moments. 

"I wouldn't use those words," she said. "But you get the point." 

Three // Part Three
You got a lot to think about? Not here.

14/08/22.