March part one

We traveled with Mark until the end of February. I thought the place was closer, but apparently, the speedster miscalculated. Of course, he did mention from time to time that he tends to overshoot and loses track of where he ends up. Right now, he can’t run too much because his foot is still somewhat injured from the wound Rick inflicted. Even so, he was a great help. An extra pair of hands is never a bad thing. He cooked for us at night and kept watch while we slept. It seems his speed gives him too much energy, making it hard for him to sleep. Fortunately, his powers haven’t caused any monstrous mutations like the ones we’ve encountered before. As for why he took the pill, that remains a mystery, and I didn’t bother to ask—sometimes, it’s better to leave things as they are.

But the most important thing is our destination: DreamGuard. What kind of place will it be? Will it really be worth it? The only ones who don’t seem to care about these doubts are my nephews. As soon as they heard there were people their age, they haven’t stopped talking about it. I just hope there aren’t too many girls, or convincing them to leave will be a nightmare. After all, they’re womanizers—just like their uncle. But seriously, what awaits us there? Are we walking into a trap or a true paradise? Whatever the case, I’ll always keep my hand on my weapon in my pocket.

After a week, we arrived at a moor overlooking some mountains. There was absolutely nothing around—not a soul, not a single monster. It was the perfect place to rest and settle down. If I were alone, I’d stay here until December, relaxing with my cigarettes and enjoying the view. But oh well, what can you do? Fate takes us to the most unexpected places.

Still, not everything was perfect—the place had its downsides. First, the wind was too strong, possibly carrying contaminated particles, likely the result of an Ultra’s power. The vegetation was all gray, a clear sign of contamination. And then, there was the smell—a strange scent that only I seemed to notice. A smell I recognized from my past experiences on the battlefield. Blood. It hadn’t been long since it was spilled. But the fact that there were almost no stains left behind was strange. Someone must have cleaned it up. But why? What would be the benefit? Not that it really matters. Like I said before, nothing can beat my skills with weapons. So, this will be the perfect place to spend the night.

"Hey, boys, what do you think about sleeping here? Doesn’t seem like there’ll be any trouble during the night."

Before the twins could answer, Mark stepped forward and said,

"But Jason, we’ve already arrived at DreamGuard."

"Huh?" My nephews and I reacted at the same time, scanning the area for a camp or any sign of civilization. Nothing but emptiness. Not a soul in sight for miles.

"Are you sure you’re not mistaken?" Andrew asked, worried. But Mark didn’t answer.

Instead, he simply started whistling a childish tune, the sound echoing across the wasteland. I couldn’t help but think he had gone mad from hunger. That’s what I get for trusting a kid and spoiling my nephews by letting them convince me to come here. So, I reached out to grab Mark’s shoulder.

"Hey, glowstick, I think we’d better leave. You stay here with your imaginary friends."

But Mark just kept whistling. So, I turned around and grabbed the boys, who were insisting on staying and resisting my grip. However, as soon as we took two steps, the speedster turned his head and called out,

"Okay, there it is," he said, pointing ahead.

My nephews turned around first and froze in place. I sighed, thinking this was just another one of Mark’s games. But when I turned to look, my half-smoked cigarette slipped from my mouth.

An impenetrable military base surrounded by towering walls stood right before us. I’d say it was one of the best bases I’d seen in my years as a mercenary. The fact that it was still intact despite the apocalypse was incredible.

"Didn’t I tell you the fortress could turn invisible?" Mark said casually, tilting his head.

"No, idiot! That’s something you should’ve said from the start!" Rick snapped.

"Don’t call him that, Rick. But yeah, exactly what he said. I was expecting a small camp, not the damn headquarters of an entire army."

"Ha, ha. Sorry, I wanted to surprise you. I wanted to see your faces. Come on, they’re waiting for us."

We headed toward the entrance, where massive metal gates began to open slowly on either side. A dark corridor connected the outside to the inside, and standing there were two teenagers around Mark’s age. One was a bald, muscular guy, and the other was a dark-haired girl dressed in military attire. I couldn’t help but find it odd—leaving the gate’s security to two teenagers, and unarmed ones at that? Strange. The two just stared at us, looking wary.

"Hey, Mark, you’re late," the girl said angrily, gripping the bars as she spoke.

"Way too late," the muscular one added. "Your expedition was supposed to be over two weeks ago. Hope it was worth it."

"And who are these three clowns?" the girl asked, eyeing us suspiciously.

"Hey, we’re not clowns! Well, maybe our uncle is a little when he sees a woman," Rick shot back.

I quickly covered Rick’s mouth before he could make any more unnecessary comments.

"Sorry about him, he doesn’t know what he’s saying. Hunger and exhaustion tend to mess with his head," I said calmly, flashing my best smile.

But they still looked at me with disgust.

"Apologies for my family," Andrew interjected politely. "They can be a bit… wild, even in front of new people."

Hey, don’t make me shut you up too.

I let go of Rick, who had started biting my hand, and ruffled his hair under his cap to get him to behave.

"I’m Andrew, my brother is Rick, and our uncle is Jason. Nice to meet you," he said with a smile.

"Aww, you’re so sweet! You must be the white sheep of the family. I just wanna hug you and smother you with kisses," the girl cooed, opening her arms as if to embrace him.

But I quickly stepped in between them, my expression serious. Not because I was jealous that my nephew was more popular than I was at his age, but for his safety—I had to be sure she didn’t have any strange powers. The girl frowned and turned to Mark.

"Tch, Mark, you know the rule about adults. They’re not to be trusted in DreamGuard. And he’s armed. Prescott won’t let him in."

Hmm, what does that mean? Are there no adults here? And who is Prescott? Their leader? Seems like he’s trained them well.

"I know, Tiara, I know," Mark replied. "But trust me, he’s different. They’ve been taking care of me for two weeks since I couldn’t run. That’s why we were delayed, and I owe them one, so I brought them here."

"Then I don’t see why they can’t enter," said a voice from the shadows.

A young blond man wearing glasses and an oversized commander’s uniform stepped forward, as if he’d been listening to the conversation from behind the gate. Yep, this just keeps getting weirder.

"I’m Prescott. I’m sort of the commander of DreamGuard. A pleasure," he said politely. "Come, let’s go to my office—I just made some tea. Oh, but Jason, could you please put out your cigarette?"

Commander, huh? Those are some big shoes for a 17-year-old. Are there really no adults here? Also, the fact that he already memorized my name and is making me put out my cigarette? That’s pushing it.

My nephews looked at me for permission to enter. I sighed and nodded—there wasn’t much choice. Then, I put out my cigarette with the sole of my shoe while the so-called commander smiled at me.

As we walked through the gates, deafening noises filled the air. Screams? Or laughter? I hoped for the latter. And when I finally saw the source of the sounds, I couldn’t help but mutter,

"Shit."

The sound was laughter—children’s laughter. The entire military base seemed to have abandoned its original purpose, transforming into a giant playground. Everywhere I looked, there were only children playing, with a few teenagers keeping watch.

A place that should have been covered in shades of green, gray, and black was instead painted in pastel pinks, blues, and purples. Many of the base’s structures had been converted into play areas, complete with slides, sports courts, and all kinds of childish nonsense.

It seemed to be true—there were no adults here.

The only remnants of the base’s military past were a few vehicles and a stable filled with horses. But not a single weapon in sight.

What a disappointment. The only thing I was looking forward to in this place.

Suddenly, a little girl spotted us and shouted:

"New people!!!"

And all the children rushed toward us, surrounding us with basic questions like our names and where we came from. I didn't bother answering since all their questions were directed at my nephews. They seemed a little nervous, not having interacted with kids their age in a long time, but I gave them a push on the back to encourage them. Slowly, they started to open up.

I watched them for a while until Prescott placed a hand on my shoulder, insisting I come to his office. I didn’t want to leave them, but he said:

"Relax, trust me. Your nephews are strong; nothing will happen to them."

I had no choice but to nod and follow him. Mark walked with us, and Tiara trailed behind at a distance, acting like a bodyguard.

The office looked like any other commander's office, but it was covered with photos of an older man and medals with a name that wasn’t Prescott’s. Everything seemed strange until I noticed a picture of the commander alongside a younger blond boy. That’s when it clicked.

Prescott sat down and gestured for me to do the same. I declined, leaning against the wall instead.

"Oh, right, you can smoke now. Sorry, I just didn’t want the kids to inhale it. And Tiara, could you make some tea for us, please?"

Tiara nodded and opened a cabinet filled with different types of tea.

"Thank God," I muttered, pulling out a cigarette. "But sorry, I’m more of a coffee guy."

"A coffee for you, then. Tiara, if you don’t mind," Prescott said with a smile before turning to Mark. "Alright, Mark, care to explain the situation?"

After a while, Mark laid everything out—what had happened over the past month, our deal, and our journey.

The young commander nodded once he finished listening.

"I see... I understand your situation. You and your nephews must have been through a lot."

"Nothing out of the ordinary. Like you said, they’re strong kids," I said, proudly talking up my family.

"They do seem tough. But now, they’re safe here in DreamGuard," he said, extending his arms as if presenting his masterpiece. "That being said, there’s something about this deal I don’t entirely like."

He stood up and looked out the window at the children playing. Instinctively, my hand moved to my gun. I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off about this kid.

"You see, our military rations are running low, and we really need the food Mark found. So, how about this? You and your nephews can stay here as long as you want, and when you leave to continue your journey, we’ll give you our weapons. We don’t really need them much anyway. I’m sure they’d be useful to you, considering you're not an Ultra, and bullets are scarce."

It was tempting. We had time to spare on our journey, and extra ammunition was always a good thing. But something about this place still bothered me.

"Alright... but I need some answers about this place first."

"Of course. What’s on your mind? I’ll answer whatever I can."

"Alright, then—what is this place, really? How did you get your hands on a base like this? Where are all the adults? How have you managed to feed everyone until now? Where do you get the pills for your powers? Why aren’t there any Ultra-Mutants in this wasteland? Why none of you mutated? How is the fortress invisibles? And most importantly..." I cleared my throat and gave the young commander a piercing glare. "Why do the kids here seem so damn happy when the world is ending in months?"

A heavy silence filled the room. Prescott just smiled with his eyes closed, as if he had expected that. I thought I had finally left him speechless—until he suddenly slammed his hands on the desk and started laughing maniacally.

"Because this is DreamGuard! And here, we protect the dreams of children—no matter the cost! That’s the answer to all your questions! Hahaha!"

Mark and Tiara looked at him like this was just another normal day. Seriously... what the hell have I dragged my nephews into?

"What the..." I started, but before I could press for real answers, an alarm blared throughout the base. Prescott's radio crackled to life.

"Commander, an Ultra-Mutant wave is incoming. More than last time." A voice came through.

"We’re on our way," Prescott answered calmly, switching off the radio. "Tiara, initiate Code Orange. Get the children into the underground storage with the usual excuse. Mark, you’re with me. And you, Jason—come along. Your questions will be answered."

Prescott took on a firm, commanding stance—like a real soldier. But what truly caught me off guard was the white glow that suddenly filled his eyes.

It was then that I realized—this kid was an Ultra. And not just any Ultra. A powerful one. Even stronger than Mark.

Instinctively, my grip tightened around my gun. If my nephews’ lives were in danger, I wouldn’t hesitate to use it. Even if it meant breaking my own rules.