The apartment buzzed with a strange mix of tension and camaraderie. Mallory sat at the kitchen counter, her gaze fixed on a plate of cookies that had miraculously appeared. Scraps nibbled on a biscuit at her feet, wagging his tail lazily. Across the room, Kaelyn leaned over Altair's shoulder, studying a holographic map projected from his tablet. Zara twirled a pair of knives absentmindedly, her feet propped on the coffee table, while Vanessa was on the couch, flipping through Altair's notes.
Mallory broke the silence. "So, we're really doing this? Fighting a group of power-hungry lunatics with zombies and mutant armies?"
Zara smirked. "What's the alternative? Let them win? Not my style."
Kaelyn shot Mallory a pointed look. "Besides, you've been surprising us lately. Swinging wrenches, saving lives. You're almost a hero now."
