Chapter 183: Fifi arrives.
At exactly 5:00 a.m., Sunshine opened her eyes and fought off Hades’s clingy paws. From the day they confirmed their relationship, the man had turned into superglue the moment they got int bed.
He cuddled like a heated blanked with feelings. His arms wrapped around her tightly. It was warm and comforting but a little too clingy.
Another way to describe Hades’s type of cuddling was like a toddler with his favorite plushie or Castiel and the Octopus. He was possessive with it, always snuggling against it when he lay down on the bed or carpet. He was also prone to dramatic sighs of someone tried to shift it in any way.
After two minutes or wriggling and shoving, she escaped the prison named Hades and vanished into the space. The plan was to repair one or three things before breakfast. To her surprise, she had one thousand job requests!!!
"System..." She wailed. Her cheeks drooped, she looked like she was ready to wail. "I am a repairman, not a slave to the job. Why do I have more job requests suddenly?"
[The jobs are all from Planet Virellon. This anomaly was noticed by the central system and investigated. The sudden interest in you is a result of the wonderful work you did with the repair on the Light moon.]
Sunshine cheeks firmed immediately, and she flipped her hair back with pride. "System, why didn’t you tell me this sooner? It looks like I am going to level up in two to three days. My excellent work is being noticed. If there are awards for the best repairman this year, I am winning."
The system did not respond.
Sunshine did not know it, but the system was judging her. The interest in her had nothing to do with her abilities. Her poor singing abilities had earned her some fame.
She looked at the jobs which she had pending, and this caused her to frown. The jobs were ridiculous!!
Someone wanted her to glue a cup with a crack back together.
"Unbelievable!" She exclaimed.
Another request was to fix a blender that refused to blend anything unless it was emotionally invested!
"Send it to an AI therapist or buy a new blender."
There was a request to scrape old dirt from a soup ladle.
"Buy a new ladle." She muttered.
Another to fix a pair of boots that were supposed to glide but kept floating.
"Buy new boots."
Someone had a bell that was screaming instead of ringing.
"Stop making it ring." She said with a sigh.
A smart mirror that recommended dark looks instead showed the owner her evil cool side instead of normal appearance like she wanted.
"Just buy a new mirror. Oh my God!!"
[The system has detected a number of ridiculous requests and wisdom from the host.
Mission: Open the page named The Wrench of Reason and give advice to the clients whose repairs can be handed on their own.]
Sunshine’s fingers scrolled over the virtual screen very quickly and she got to work. This part, she could handle with ease.
Giving unwanted advice was one of her greatest strengths.
****
Fifi and Cole finally made it to fortress four on foot, their vehicle had long broken down, they were tired and thirsty. Fifi carried herself with a sense of entitlement, convinced that Quinn name alone would open the gates.
Nurse Cole, quieter, held the sleeping children in his arms, his heart pounding with each step up the rocky path.
When they came close to the base, reality shattered Fifi’s queenly illusions. There was a crowd which stretched endlessly, thousands of desperate faces pressed together, all denied entry.
Men shouted at the guards. Mothers begged. Children wailed from exhaustion. But the guards were unyielding, they offered water and food which was rappelled down and advised the people to go to government bases as soon as possible.
Drones handed out maps that highlighted these bases. But the people refused to leave. How could they when they could see what could save them? They gawked at the fortress walls, looming like a promise denied.
"Move to Camp Pitbull which is five hours away." A voice from a speaker within the wall was relayed to those outside. "We cannot take in everyone. Within an hour, the mist will be passing over here and everyone outside will die.
If you look up, you will notice the watcher birds circling in the air. They are agitated and preparing to attack at any moment."
Some people started to move away; others tried to climb the wall.
"Excuse me! Let us through." Fifi said, shoving people out of her way.
It took a while, but she and Cole finally made it to the heavily guarded front. Tanks and soldiers were lined up near the small gate.
Weapons were facing out, if anyone unauthorized came close, they would be shot.
Fifi tried to walk through and when guard blocked her way, her temper flared. "Do you know who I am?" She shouted, tossing her hair back. "I am a Quinn, and this is my family’s land. You cannot deny me entrance!"
The crowd behind stirred at the name. Murmurs rippled through the masses of refugees. Some cursed her under their breath, others looked at her with hope, as if Quinn blood would be their ticket in.
Word was sent back, and her picture was taken. Dwayne came out in thirty seconds, saw Fifi and stepped back to make a call.
Within the fortress, Hades and Sunshine listened as Dwayne reported. Sunshine’s jaw clenched. "Bring her to the main gate. Not a step further."
Fifi was smug when Dwayne picked her up, certain victory was at hand. She imagined the warmth of the safe walls, food laid out before her, and the envious stares of those that she left behind.
But her confidence cracked when the car stopped at a massive iron gate and Dwayne wordlessly motioned for her and Cole to wait.
"What do you think you are doing?" She snapped, glaring at him. "Take me inside."
Dwayne’s expression was unreadable. "This is as far as you go."
Fifi’s protests rose higher, shrill and desperate. Neither Dwayne nor the soldiers flinched or responded.
While she was waiting, A group of rough looking people arrived, and they started going in. No questions asked.
Fifi screamed even more, stopping only when the figures of Sunshine and Hades emerged from the shadows of the gate.
Hades looked at her coldly, his broad shoulders set like stone. Sunshine was already bored by the situation.
"Nephew!" Fifi shouted, relief setting in.
"You cannot come in." Hades said flatly.
Before Fifi could question why, a villager bumped into her and she hissed. "I cannot come in? But these strangers can? I am your aunt.... your blood!" Fifi tried to bypass Hades, but Sunshine blocked her path.
Fifi’s face crumpled, disbelief etched across her features.
Sunshine’s eyes drifted to the child in Nurse Cole’s arms.
"The boy is not your child." She said to Cole.
Fifi’s lips parted. "He is a child I picked up and he is very sick."
"He is my nephew." Nurse Cole answered just as Fifi answered.
Hades and Sunshine traded gazes, the two people were suspicious. They were both telling lies.
"So, which of the two answers is the right one?" Sunshine asked.
Fifi let out a frustrated sigh. "Leo is Cole’s nephew, his parents abandoned him. We couldn’t just leave him. Please, let us in for the sake of the child." Her words dripped with false compassion.
Compassion was not a trait of Fifi Quinn. The couple became even more suspicious of them. Sunshine had seen many kidnappers in the apocalypse. She suspected that this was the situation she was looking at.
But why would Fifi kidnap a child? She had her own daughter!
She folded her arms and narrowed her eyes at Fifi. "Where is Colleta?"