Tumbled buildings and silence were all that greeted the illusion mutant upon his return to what had, not so long ago, been the proud city of New York. Now it was a ruin: the place where everything had started, before everything had nearly ended.
In the three years since the explosion Sam had had plenty of time to think over the irony of things. He had always thought that the world would end because of someone’s mutant powers going haywire, but he had been wrong. The world had not needed mutants to blow itself to bits but most people had felt the way he had a mutants took the blame anyway.

He remembered the day of theexplosion; the school had withstood the blast and become a place of shelter. Amazed by the near miracle that had saved them, they had thought themselves safe, survivors. As the days wore on they had watched with horror as the rest of the world turned to ash. But that sense of safety had been short lived, because although the blast did not kill them, ordinary everyday people did. The fear and helplessness felt by the population of New York had turned on them. They had been blamed and then they were hunted. The hatred he had felt that day would never leave him and it had been the reason that when he ran, he ran as far from the city and civilization as possible.

For two years he had lived alone, relying on the skills he had learnt as a child during times when camping and living rough had been a hobby not a necessity. He had wondered daily if he would die out there, whether because of an accident, starvation or slowly because of the radiation poisoning. But death had not come and scrapping by using the land had slowly become easier. It was not a good life but it was a life.

And then he had a chance encounter with a man out there, a man running from the city because of something he had done. Sam had not bothered to ask what, as talking about trivial things was no longer relevant in this post apocalypse society.

They had camped together that night, even though Sam had slept his knife within easy reach. And the man had told stories of how the city had changed. Sam had listened because it was rare for him to encounter anyone and any news was welcome.
The man had told of amazons and pit fighting, of what happened to people who did not belong anywhere and of a town that had come together in a semblance of order. Then he had told of a bunker in which people lived and traded, of how the rumors that the owner was a rich spoiled teenage girl.

The bunker story caught and held Sam’s attention and he had gotten as much information as possible out of the man before he left. For days he had mulled that story over, wondering if his gut feeling might be right. As the description the man had given him of the bunker’s owner brought to mind a certain blond princess who thought she was too good to live like the rest of humanity. It would not surprise him for once second if Celeste was holed up in a bunker sipping tea while the world died.

However the idea that someone he knew might still be out there alive had made him restless. Which was why after three years of absence, he had now returned to New York City.

A good nights sleep. He hadn't had that in years. The last time was actually back at the mansion before the world ended. Before the nuke went off. Teddy spent most of his time at the mansion until he crazed masses had attacked. He remembered that day well. It was a time he'd never forget and a time that had started him on the path that he was on now.

The path of survival was a hard one and he had learned the hard way. Once the mansion fell he had taken to the woods and mastered his powers and hunting skills. Teddy had spent the first year alone without any human contact. When he finally met someone they told him all the information that he wanted. Apparently he wasn't the only survivor around there seemed to be pockets and people popping up creating a civilization out of the chaos. He decided he'd check it out.

Maybe he'd run into someone that he knew. It was a long shot but it was worth a try. It wasn't long before Teddy ran into someone. He looked familiar but not someone that he knew to much about. Besides many things change in 3 years. The date didn't matter any more he simply counted the winters. If he could survive those he could survive for a long time.

Sam was busy picking his way over what had once been a grocery store of some sorts. The building must have been damaged by the blast but he was sure that it had been torn to rubble by people searching through it for the food stuff and other items it may have been hiding. Now all that was left was a ramshackle pile of rubble that had blocked his way.

He had not wanted to climb it as he knew that he would be exposed up on top and that the footing would be traitorous. Being exposed was not a good thing nowadays, away from humanity he might have been but that had only served to heighten his distrust towards his own kind. There was however no other obvious path toward the part of town he wanted to reach and he had decided to brave the climb.

During his ascent he made sure to watch for any movement other than his own. He knew that a lot of pets had found their freedom in the days that followed the disaster and now they seemed to thrive where there masters faltered. Therefore he also watched for stray dogs or other less manageable wildlife.

He was armed at least; he carried a machete strapped to his right thigh. The weapon had been one of the souvenirs he had brought back with him from a research trip in Africa. He had found it useful back then and more than a little novel. Now it was the difference between life and death and it was still extremely useful. He used it to keep his hair at a reasonable length and to shave the small amount of bread that tried to grow in. And of course it was ideal for chopping wood and digging things like latrines. However on the night he had gone to fetch it from his room, he had been looking at its qualities as a weapon more than anything else, he had needed something to defend himself with.

Pushing thoughts of the past out of his mind he concentrated on the present and was glad to see that he had reached the top of the rubble. He took a moment to look around and take in the lay of the land. The street up ahead was quiet but a small amount of movement caught his eye. He raised his hand to shield his eyes from the sun and get a better look.

There was a figure making its way towards him, its pace was slow but steady. Sam tensed, he did not like meeting others but he needed information. Information that would hopefully help him locate this bunker he had heard off. Without moving from his position of strength on the high ground, he called out to the stranger.

“State you’re business.”

His tone was harsh and there was no “what’s your name” or “how can I help you”, not anymore.

The days of civility and courtesy had gone out the window after the apocalypse. It was dangerous to try and make friends these days because it always seemed like someone was just waiting to stab you in the back and take whatever they could get from you. Teddy's friendly nature had disappeared, mostly. He'd spent too long hiding, fighting, and spying on people to know that no one really like having him around. It even seemed like other mutants didn't like having him around sometimes. His rough appearance had changed him and he started to doubt that even if he found someone that he knew he wondered if they would recognize him. It had been three years after all and a lot had changed since then.

Teddy raised his hand in a waiving motion. "I'm looking for the town. It's supposed to be around here." Ted stated. He didn't offer to much more information then that. He'd learned the value of it the hard way. Just a year after he'd been on his own he ran across someone and after he'd talked with them for a while the man tried to kill him. Luckily for Ted he hadn't succeeded, but that night he learned the value of withholding info. In the sun he could see the man's unkempt appearance and his weapon hanging by his side. The man had the high ground and so he had the advantage. But Teddy wan't looking for a fight. He was just passing through. The man continued advancing closer to the ruble with no intent to climb. As he got closer the mans face became clearer. At this point he couldn't make out who ti was but he thought that he recognized him now more than he thought before. But looks can be deceiving and he wasn't taking any chances. Teddy had acquired a few weapons along the way, the most important of which was a bowie knife that he kept on his hip.

He'd had a chance to take a gun or two once before but he left them behind because the trouble with finding ammo for them was very hard to do; especially when he was living in the forest. He also didn't like the loud noise that they made. They would easily give away a position in a second and you would have far more trouble than you wanted to deal with too soon. He would suffice with the knife.

Sam waited for a response from the figure bellow. He tensed as the boy raised an arm, his first thought was “crap, gun”, but it turned out that he was wrong. All the figure did was wave which made Sam frown slightly, why wave? Did this guy know him? Well the mystery would probably remain intact because for the moment he had no intention of getting any closer to the stranger.

"I'm looking for the town. It's supposed to be around here."

Sam had heard about the town but he had not really had an interest in it so he had not enquired as to its location. He had no real interest in trying to rebuild a poor copy of the life he had lived before, those days were gone. What he was interested in however was information and maybe this kid would have some.

“Hey, have you heard of a bunker? Any idea which way it might be?”

He knew that asking for directions was a dangerous sport. People could very well send him into a trap and he would take any info he got with a pinch of salt. The new rule around here was trust nothing and no one. He took a second to look around and check no one was sneaking up on him from behind. It would not do get ambushed while concentrating on someone that for the moment had proved harmless enough.

This guy still didn't seem to trust Teddy. But he couldn't blame him, deceit was the new language and treachery was the new currency. It didn't seem to matter to most people who they were talking to or who they'd been with since the apocalypse. All that seemed to matter to most survivors was who could they trade and how much could they get for them and the information that they had.

Teddy had been away for a while and he hadn't heard anything about a bunker. He could pretty easily find something out, after all who suspected a teddy bear. There were plenty of things to worry about here but there weren't many that he couldn't handle. Especially now.

"I haven't heard anything about a bunker." But I can find out for a fee. Ted thought. His powers had been what kept him alive all these years and he'd learned a thing or two about it's uses since the world went to hell all those years ago.

Ted's interest in the city was purely for selfish reasons. He'd spent all those years alone, so he saw no need to join the city. Of course he could always use his talents for helping one side or the other. All he had to do was find the place.

The youth did not seem to be of any use to Sam and his thoughts turned back to the task ahead. He was going to have to find more information on the bunker from somewhere but where? It was going to be hard to find someone trustworthy enough to rely on and he had no idea what had become of New York since he’d left. The idea of walking into the unknown grated but there seemed to be no other option.

With his mind made up Sam started heading down from his vantage point towards the youth; he had decided that if the kid had been going to sprint something on him he probably would have done it by now. And besides he couldn’t stand up there forever because as much as the high ground is an advantage it also makes you highly visible for miles around. He descended slowly carefully picking his footing so as not to fall or injure himself. Injury nowadays was fatal.

He had kept his eyes on the boy the whole time, still cautious of him, and was now only a few feet away. As he drew closer something about this youth sparked a sense of memory but he could not quite put his finger on it so he pushed it away. He made his way past the boy and took a few more steps before an idea came to him.

“You mentioned you were going to the town. Is that close?”

Maybe if the town was trying to be a replica of normal society he would be able to find some information there.

"From what I've been told it shouldn't be more than a few miles from here. But now a days you can't really rely on information from some people." Teddy said. He in fact doubted wether or not this town even existed, but it was a good place to start even though he had no intention joining them and living under someone else's laws. Ted found that his own morals and laws were good enough to keep him alive and to keep him from being trapped. He always felt it good to sleep in the woods, and thanks to his powers he could do that with relative security, knowing that no one would look for him.

Teddy was going to continue on his way and he didn't really care if this guy tagged along. It might be a little safer traveling with someone else by his side, but it could also be a little more dangerous. It'd be one more person for him to look out for. Wether the town lay within a few miles or a few hundred miles didn't matter to him. If there was a town that was going to be the main place where any news and any serious business would be happening. And if you wanted to play both sides, like Teddy, you needed to be in with as many people as you can. The trick was going to be finding them all.

"Does this mean that you're coming along?" Teddy asked the man in front of him, a little unenthusiastically. Now that he was closer he could certainly see more details in his face. He did look familiar but it had been years since he'd seen anyone that he knew and the years had certainly put some wear and tear on everyones features. Unless you were around them daily, it would be hard to recognize someone from the past. Teddy shrugged off the feeling and started walking. "If you're coming then keep up." There was really not much to talk about but he might recall something about this guy from the past the more time they spent with each other.

"From what I've been told it shouldn't be more than a few miles from here. But nowadays you can't really rely on information from some people."

The teen’s remark about the accuracy of information made Sam smile a little. In a twisted way he found it amusing to watch all these people that had been so nice and civil to one another a few years ago completely loose their faith. It was amusing because people had never been honest to each other even back then, it was just that our lives weren’t on the line at that time so the lies could be ignored.

"Does this mean that you're coming along?"

The question brought Sam back to the issue at hand; was he going to continue on alone in the hope of stumbling across this bunker or was he going to risk going to this town? Both options seemed full of pitfalls but the more he thought about it the more only one would give him a definite answer. If he went to the town he was sure to find someone who could tell him about the bunker, whereas if he wondered alone he might never find it. This made up his mind; he was going to return to today’s equivalent of society… even if it was only for a short time.

"If you're coming then keep up."

His comrade did not wait for him to give his answer and just headed off down the street opposite. He fell into pace with the boy careful to keep him on his left as this gave him the best positioning in case of attack.

As they walked Sam kept to himself, he did not feel that talking was a good idea. It would draw attention and stop them from properly being able to hear a potential threat. It was strange how paranoia was a normal trait in today’s humans because to be honest if you were not paranoid you were dead. And it was this very trait that made Sam turn in his tracks about half an hour after they set off. He had heard something fall and although it may well only have been a rat that dislodged it he was not taking any chance. His hand went to his weapon and he waited.

It had been a long, tiring trek back to New York from Montreal. The second the bombs started to fall years ago, Aadi had turned tail and headed for home. All transport was down after that first bomb that struck New York, and by the time she finally crossed the border into Quebec it was too late. Her home lay in smoking, radioactive ruins.

Waiting for survivors (her friends, her family, where were they?) had proved to be both useless and dangerous. Anyone who did survive the bombs that fell was out for themselves, and it wasn't long before Aadi learned the hard way that the dog eat dog world from before the bombings had become just that: a dying space where only the fittest would survive.

Her family had loved to go camping in the Canadian wilderness, back when she still talked to them. At the time, she'd found it an annoyance. But now, those silly skills on how to light a fire, how to set up shelter...they were what saved her.

That and the lessons on what wild plants not to eat from her culinary school, if she was lucky enough to find a patch of vegetation that hadn't been turned to ash.

Aadi looked up and down the abandoned New York streets, picking her way around the rubble. She couldn't afford a twisted ankle right now, so she moved from stable spot to stable spot with less gravity to weigh her down, like walking on the moon. Of course she had to be careful not to go too high: she'd already had her fair share of being shot at.

Except if she didn't get up above the ruins at some point, she'd have no clue where she was going. Finding a safe spot to try, she leapt up a good ten feet until she could poke her head above the rubble.

Only to see two people not that far from her at all. Where had they come from? Swearing mentally, she dropped back down quickly. Too quickly, landing awkwardly on the rubble and sending pieces of concrete scattering. Aadi froze. That was it, she was dead. Two against one.

Not if she had something to say about it. Carefully creeping around the pile of rubble (floating to avoid another stupid mistake), she peered around the concrete to where she'd seen the two others. They'd heard her blunder, and were watching. Aadi's hand slowly crept towards the knife at her side. They were outside of her ten-feet gravity range...she was a sitting duck unless she got close enough to attack.

Touching down on an outcropping of concrete so her full concentration could be on them instead of maintaining her weightlessness, the surface suddenly broke under her and she fell the three feet back to street level with a loud crack and cloud of dust.

Teddy headed off in the direction that he'd been told was where the city was. The other guy fell in next to him. So now both were headed towards the city, assuming they found it. They walked on in silence. Neither of them seemed very interested in talking. Maybe it was because neither of them had much to talk about. It's not like they were friends anyways. Or maybe it was because both of them lived alone for a while so it was more of a fact that they'd learned the value of quietness.

The rubble was everywhere. Most of the buildings weren't even standing anymore. He'd spent so much time away that he was now worried about other people. The paranoia was almost to much for him. He was concerned that people were going to pop out of every place imaginable; and since the place was covered in rubble there were plenty of places for people to surprise them.

Case and point. Suddenly there was a person hanging above the rubble for a second. At least he thought it was a person. It might have been some other kind of animal. Teddy saw the girl come around a pile of rubble. "Someone else is here." He said to the guy next to him. His hand moved to his knife; but he didn't unsheathe it, not yet anyway. They were still a good distance away and there was no telling what exactly she was going to do, if anything.

The crack was as noticeable as the sound it made. There was something different about this girl. She might have been a mutant for all he knew, but she wouldn't be the only mutant on this trip, but he had no reason for dispelling that information, not yet, maybe soon.

The silence of the next few seconds seemed to drag on forever. Sam was sure he had heard something and the sudden lack of noise was making him very edgy. It had never been totally quiet out in the woods; there had always been the noise of the stream or of some small animal. But the city was different; making noise around here got you killed so silence reigned supreme.

When the silence was finally broken it was with a large crash. A girl spilled unceremoniously into the street just a short distance away. This made Sam relax somewhat, with an entrance like that whoever she was she was no danger to them. She might be a decoy though so he started scanning the area for others. Nothing moved so he gingerly turned his attention back to their unexpected visitor.

“You following us?”

His question was blunt and to the point. He would determine what to do next depending on her answer. You could say that the card were in her hands now. He just wished that he had a more useful mutation, something like being able to read minds or maybe even to just be able to tell if he was being lied to would be good. But he had no such luck, he did not even have an active power with which to attack or defend, so he would just have to rely on his gut feeling and a bit of luck.

Wincing and pulling herself up into a sitting position, Aadi bit her tongue to avoid swearing at the concrete that had decided her weight was too much for it. Her fuming lasted for two seconds before she remembered just what had caught her attention in the first place, and her gaze snapped towards the two strangers.

Crap. They'd seen her, she'd fallen right into their line of sight.

She didn't see guns yet, but that was no guarantee of anything. Everyone had weapons now. "You following us?" The older one of the two guys was speaking, the younger one just watching.

Aadi slowly pushed herself into a crouching position, eying them. Still out of her ten-foot range. "No," she replied finally. "I am lost. Who are you?" Her French accent had faded somewhat over the years, most of the travelers she encountered speaking English.

She's lost. Perfect. Well aren't we all in this day and age? Good luck finding yourself then. Teddy thought. He was in no mood to give directions. No one had bothered to give him directions when he was lost. There was no reason they should give her directions. There was also no way of knowing how either Teddy or the other guy would know what she was looking for or where to start looking.

Against his better judgment he asked, "What are you looking for?" He didn't think he would know anything that she was looking; especially since he was pretty new to the area but it didn't hurt to ask. What's the worst that could happen?... Oh right, post apocalypse...Everyone wants to kill everyone else, or at least cheat and steal everything from them leaving them defenseless.

The stuffed animal shifter looked at his traveling buddy for some support. He didn't really want to stand around and have a conversation with someone but if they didn't... God knows what might happen to them. Wether it was by her hands or by someone she might be working with. Right now Teddy just thought it best to play it cool and try to avoid any unnecessary interactions.

The younger of the two boys was asking her a question. What was she looking for? Aadi knew the answer in her head. Shelter would be nice. A place where the world hadn't completely gone insane would be even nicer, if such a place existed. What of the few friends she'd made before the apocalypse? It was a stupid thing to ask these two though.

They hadn't attacked her yet, and were actually talking to her. Was that something to be glad about, or a trap? Aadi was at least comforted in the fact that if they'd had a gun, she'd be shot by now, and if they tried to get in knife range they'd be sky-high before they could land a hit. She'd made the mistake of letting someone get that close once, and never, ever again. The knife wound and following infection had nearly been the death of her.

"Shelter," she replied to the question after a moment. "If there is any left here. Would you happen to know?" It couldn't hurt to ask. There was only so much wandering around on her own she'd be able to do in this jungle gym of a city.