We spent ahree days clearing the lower city. After clearing out all the Antithesis at the aquafarms, and defending the breached wall, sweeping the streets and killing the remnants felt routine; almost simple. The only thing I spent my points on during that time grade to my truck, turning the extended cab to a sleeper. After so many days sleeping on the bench seat, I just wao be a little more fortable during the nights, and to not wake up early with knots in my back.

  During the day I set the truck to follow behind the established front line, signalled Epona or Silent Saber when there was trouble, aed the worst of the remnants so they couldn’t be used again. Angelina’s squirrels did locate an infant hive during one of our patrols, but it was only half developed. It didn’t even require direct Samurai intervention to eliminate, just the APC full of rabbits and a handful of flesh melter grenades. Dealing with it was almost anticlimactic.

  We tinued ing the lower city, until the third day, when my team got hat the city nning to open all the shelters.

  “Just like that? They’re fident that the city’s clear?” An asked. The eeam was taking a break, after their test sweep.

  “What? Are you holy surprised? Even at a walking pace we cleared the lower city three times over. Our team might have been a little more effit thahers, with the bination of Evelyn’s bears and my squirrels, but with the number of Samurai oreets it was only a matter of time before the city was cleared out.” Angeline replied, while nibbling on ara rge bag of chips.

  “Still… I ’t believe we cleared out a whole city that fast.”

  I shrugged. “We had to, the whole reason that the Family brought so many Samurai together in the first pce was the extreme time straints. The w is that a shelter should be able to support the residents for seven days, but I’m sure many panies cut ers. The army is rushing to check all the shelters iy, to cheany were forced to open early.”

  “You holy think there are pahat would skimp so hard on supplies that residents would have to pop the doors of their shelters within four days?” Caitlin had been brushing her horse, half listening to the versation, but she turned when she heard what I said about the shelters.

  “Holy, in the grand scheme of things, skimping on supplies is a retively minor issue,” I told her.

  “That’s a pretty pessimistic way of looking at things.”

  “I like to think I’m more of a realist. I’ve had some bad experiences with corp ruers in the past.”

  Caitlin looked like she wao follow up, but didn’t, so Angeliook trol of the versation. “Well I, for one, am gd things are winding down. I like earning points, but I was really starting to feel worn down after fighting the Antithesis for several days straight.” She stretched out, then colpsed onto the bench she’d been sitting on, ying there like a zy cat. “When are we supposed to head back?”“Hel wants to debrief our team when we head bap. She’s expeg us in two hours or so.” An replied. It had taken a full day for the man to stop being so jumpy around everyone, and participate with the group. The st day he’d really calmed down and mao act, well, normal.

  “Guess I should start cheg if all my stuff is squared away then.” I replied, “Since all bears fit in the IFVs now, Angeline put her squirrels in the bay truck.” I paused for a moment, looking at the mass of squirrels hanging on the side of my truck, and frowned, “Not sure why you o buy so many of them though.”“Friends are fun!” Angeline ughed while rolling side to side on her bench, “They’re an effit way to scout, and since I perpetually have my goggles up for scouting and my bat potential is fairly low to begin with, I was thinking of pig up some bodyguards. I may bother you with that ter.”

  “Sure, but wait until we get back. I’m pnning on overhauling my bears soon.” Seeing Angeline nod in response, I quickly took off to chey troops. If there was one dowo having so much equipment, it was keeping track of everything.

  After pag everything up, we swiftly made our way bap. While the Samurai encampment was retively empty, the military and civilian camps were hives of activity. Angeline, who was travelling with me iruck, stared at it out one of the side windows. “They must be pnning to let people bato the city already. That’ll be quite an uaking. Hopefully they don’t ask us for help.”

  “I doubt they will. We’ve been here for close to a week ing up Antithesis, and they really don’t need heavily armed Samurai to ferry people.” I replied, “but then again, you never know. Someoh a big head may ask for Samurai assistance, I for one, will turn them down. We’ve done enough.”

  Angeline nodded, but tinued watg the activity anyways.

  Sihe Samurai encampment was mostly empty I was able to park the semi fairly close to the tral a. There wasn’t enough room for the IFVs, but we didn’t hht now, so I sent them to nd oskirts. As soon as the truded An and Caitlin came over to meet us.

  “It’s a lot quieter here than I expected.” Caitlin remarked as the group made its way towards and. “They must really be winding dowions here.”

  “’t say I’m surprised. With so many Samurai iy we mao do a real number oithesis. I doubt there’s much left to kill in there.” I pushed open the fp to the tral tent and attempted to let everyone inside. Most of them o move the fp a little more to get past, but I pretended not to notice. The inside of the tent was dark, and the only one inside was Hel, sitting at the back with her feet up on desk.

  “Wele back kids, have a good time?” Hel asked, with a smile. As roached I could see she had a gss of alcohol, and the bottle was on the desk. “You all did well out there, we probably wouldn’t have cleared the city so quickly without you.” She took a quick sip of her drink, then offered the bottle to the group. “Drink?”

  Angeline frowned, “Should you really be drinking right now?”

  “Don’t worry about it. The city is pretty much secure now, so the Family has decided to wind down the major operations here. We have trol of the streets, the vast majority of Antithesis have been eliminated, and all the wall breaches have beeified and plugged. The family is going to station a dozen or so extra Samurai here to keep an eye on things for now, but things are stable. You’re wele to stick around and earn some extra points if you want, but my reendation is that after w for so long you all need a break.” She took another drink, “So go home.”

  “That’s it?” I asked, more than a little surprised.

  “What did you expect, a medal? The army is too busy dealing with the civilians, and the civilians are too busy w about themselves. Samurai are respected, but at the end of the day our rewards are the points and tokens earned during the job. That, and the respect of your peers.” Hel took one more swig of her drink, then locked her eyes on me, “By the way, Magpie and the twins wao see you off but, unfortunately, they’re too busy anising the Samurai still iy. They sent their regards, and said they’ll message you when things calm down.”

  I nodded, but was uain on what to say. The entire group was quiet for a minute, so Hel just shooed us out of the tent “Go home. Your job’s done.”

  “That was anticlimactic.” An said, dejected.

  “Maybe, but I’m gd to be done here,”I replied. “My family just moved into a new pce right before I left Calgary. I was gd I could help the people here, but I kinda just want to go home.”

  Caitlin looked over at me in surprise. “I didn’t expect you to be a family person.”

  “I just don’t like to talk about it so much, it’s safer to keep these things to yourself where I’m from.”

  “I’d just like to sleep in my own bed agaierminating Antithesis is fulfilling, but I really want a break.” Angeline said, trying to relieve the awkwardness a little. “Will you two head home together?” She asked Caitlin and An.

  “Yup, I left my truck over there, it’s the oh a horse trailer. Shouldn’t take us more than a few hours to get back to Sacramento.” An smiled a little. “I’ve never been one for long good-byes, but I’d like to say it’s been nice w with you. Keep in touch.”

  “You too!” Angeline surged forward, and grabbed Caitlin and An in a hug. It looked pretty awkward. “I’ll have Dyana send you our taformation.”

  her Caitlin or I were versationalists, so we just waved good-bye as the team split in two. Angeline and I went one way, Caitlin and Aher. Angelihrew her arm over my shoulder as we walked bay truck. “That was some adventure huh? If it wasn’t for the Antithesis invasion here we may never have met, but now we’re friends forever, fed in battle!”

  I gnced over at her, a little suspicious. “That’s true. What do you want?”

  That’s when Angeline spun around, a smile on her face. “ I bum a ride? I need help carrying all my squirrels.”

  I just ughed, “Yeah, I do that. What are friends for?”