Planning

River, wrapped in the gentleness of the moment, almost feared breaking it when he slid a hand onto Finn’s waist, drawing closer, building toward the moment he had craved ever since first laying eyes on him.

But with his usual calm restraint, Finn broke the kiss. He took River’s wrists gently in his hands, holding him still.
“I think we should wait a little longer,” he murmured, cheeks flushed, his smile soft, his gaze lost in River’s.

“Wait for what?” River asked with a giggle, patience being something he was never known for.

Finn shrugged, chuckling. “I don’t know. I just… feel like we should. Are you with me?”

A flicker of disappointment stirred in River, but he kept his grin alive. “Of course. I can wait. Just this once in my life.” He let out a breathy laugh.

Finn nodded knowingly. “We have important things to think about, don’t we?”

Later, a meeting gathered them all in the lounge. Nima sat on the couch beside Sage, who looked a little better after some sleep. Raven leaned against the wall behind them, lazily filing his nails, as if nothing in the world could bother him. Cove sat cross-legged on the floor near Sage, rolling a rook between his fingers from the half-abandoned chessboard. Finn and River stood in front of them all, exchanging glances as they tried to piece together a sensible way to begin.

Finn spoke first. He explained his latest conversation with Han, showing them the watch that now allowed them to keep track of the hours. It was early evening. He laid out the new information, hinting at the possibility of escape, though carefully skirting around River’s true motivation for wanting out. He also kept to himself that Han had slipped him a pack of cigarettes for River, something he had probably forgotten asking for by now. In the plastic bag Han had given him earlier there had also been a small bag of candy, which Finn left on the coffee table for everyone to take, and some homemade tandoori chicken he set aside for dinner later.

Nima was quick to agree. “We saw what happened with Sage. What if next time it’s worse? Staying down here doesn’t feel nearly as safe as I thought.” His eyes flicked toward Sage, his concern plain.

Cove frowned. “What if this is all just… some kind of Truman Show?”

Raven gave an exaggerated scoff. “Yeah. Cameras shoved right up your ass.”

Nima let out a brief, surprised chuckle before catching himself, sitting straighter. Normally, River would’ve laughed too, but the sting of Raven’s betrayal in the showers still weighed too heavily on him for the humour to land.

“More importantly,” Finn said with quiet seriousness, “is that the guards cannot hurt us. We already knew we were somehow selected to survive, but I think it’s more than that. Our lives are prioritized above anything else, it seems.” He ended the thought with calm logic, though his words carried a strange weight.

Everyone fell silent, River included: this was the first time he had heard it, and he couldn’t tell if Finn had purposely kept it from him, knowing how easily he could act on impulse.

“We can’t forget the conditions outside,” Sage said softly, though his tone carried unusual gravity. “The fact that they can’t voluntarily hurt us doesn’t mean we won’t get hurt by something else.”

As if to punctuate his words, another violent tremor rattled the bunker. Books slid from the shelves, thudding to the floor. For a moment, it was as though the walls themselves were testing their patience.

Everyone froze, eyes shut, waiting for the quake to pass. Finn pulled River into a tight hold, Raven moved instinctively closer to shield Nima, and Cove curled up at Sage’s feet as though his presence alone could steady him. When the shaking stopped, nobody hurried back to their places, except Raven, who stepped away as if nothing had happened.

“We should gear up,” he muttered, resuming his slow, deliberate filing of his nails. The others stared at him, startled by the sudden turn.

“What do you mean?” Nima asked, his voice carrying more worry than challenge.

“We know the air’s toxic or some shit like that. So, first step: gas masks. For weapons…” he gestured around the room, one by one. “…a table leg. Kitchen knives. And these.” He held up his fists with blunt certainty.

“And how are we supposed to get gas masks stuck in here, Rambo?” River shot back, his tone soaked in venom.

Raven didn’t so much as flinch. He let the words hang in the air, offering no reply.

“I’ll ask Han,” Finn said at last, breaking the silence. “He trusts me. I hate to risk breaking that trust, but this must be done. I’ll make up an excuse, he can’t know we’re planning to escape.”

“Then don’t ask for six,” Cove spoke up suddenly. “That would scream suspicion. Ask for less, split it up… two different times at least. It’ll look more natural.”

Everyone exchanged a glance, then nodded.

“Good catch, Cove,” Sage said with a soft smile, the kind that made Cove’s chest feel warm, like an icicle surrendering to the sun.

“I’ll start working on my physiotherapy again,” Nima said. “Before this place, I could manage a few steps on my own thanks to rehab. I’ve lost that progress, but I remember how it goes. Give me a week, maybe, so I’m not dead weight. I want to come too.”

There was no protest. Who could argue, anyway?

“Alright,” Finn said, gathering them again. “Here’s the plan: we wait a week and a half, two weeks, just to be safe, so Nima has time to regain some strength in his legs. Raven, since you’re the strongest, help him with his rehabilitation. Meanwhile, I’ll try to get the gas masks from Han, one or two at a time, and gather more intel. Sage, rest until you’re fully back on your feet. Cove, take care of him, and help Raven find anything we can use as weapons. River and I will work on planning the details. Sound fair?”

The group nodded slowly, each after their own moment of hesitation. Raven thought he would’ve helped Nima regardless; Cove shivered at the idea of working alongside Raven but brightened at the chance to care for Sage; Nima was determined to walk again, even just for half an hour if that was all he could manage. And River was already thrilled at the idea of sharing something secret and dangerous with Finn.

“Let’s spend today on our tasks,” Finn concluded. “We’ll meet again at dinner.”

And with that, the council scattered.