The Eternal Fire [Apocalypse, Lioness, Adventure]

A devastating war has broken out in the future, a new deadly chemical warfare waged on for years when one day a chemical bomb with something the world had never seen before was fired onto your Homeland, to save the people the government destroyed the bomb in the air before it could land, but was destroyed too close to the ground. The chemical compound inside dispersed, it's searing gas destroying the breathable air. Most had died instantly but those with access to clean air survived and lived. A few years has passed, the air was now breathable without the need of gas masks, the world with the few remaining people left delved into gangs of violence and crime you head out for supplies, although the air is cleaner, up above is the yellow and orange hellish sky, a constant reminder of the death all around you, the moment where you life changed for ever the moment. Of the eternal fire.

You walk along the abandoned roads and look at the shattered sky skyscrapers windows above.
What was once filled with life is now an empty husk of what it was.
You head deeper into the empty city looking for food and ammo for the week.
With all the gangs and guns that have infested this place It feels like humanity wanted any excuse to act like savages and kill each other.
And with anthros it felt even more tribalistic and wild.
You think saw a raider looking to stick up someone so you duck out of sight, you don't have enough ammo for a gun fight today, better be safe than sorry you think
You take a different path along the the road you can see *thier* building in the open clearing.
The Ultor corporation; A seedy company that helped the military in chemical engineering to create the perfect weapon, it was the cheapest way to end the war,
After so many drones and troops the military didn't have enough budget to keep the production up.
So a company suggest a new way of warfare; Chemical
They raced to be the first testing on the enemy towns and buildings each time perfecting the formula that could be spread through tiny particles in the air after the explosion and get inside the enemy lung's causing them to asphyxiate and die. But we were beaten to it.
Under the name "Project Phoenix" the axis forces had created a weapon that that would feel like you were being trapped in a burning building starving you from air it would cause the sky to turn yellow and orange clouds would form that would rain ash and dust. And now here you are sowing what you didn't reap
Out of curiosity and anger that this corporation had destroyed everything you head inside clutching your Remington rifle tight.


                     _________________


Apart from the debris and rubble inside it looked like any other building.
A few turn over chairs  electrical wires and roof panel tiles dangle from the ceiling above you.
You walk over to the dusty reception desk and find a piece of paper, it shows the departments floors and what they do-this must be for tours or investors.
Even though they're a company that worked for the military they tried to have a good public image saying it was the most humane way as it wasn't bloody or gory. "imagine like a bad cough for a few seconds" they used to say.
But they forgot to mention the burning sensation as you suffocate, your hands grabbing on to your chest for dear life, watching the life of someone you love fade from their eyes, a few seconds would be a lifetime of suffering.
You spot the floor where the CEO and suits must be on as it says it's off limit to the public.
"I wonder what things they have in the boss's room" you ponder.
They might have some secret documents or some dark secret from the public, maybe even from it's workers.
Your curiosity gets the better of you and you head upstairs and make your way to the top floor.
You look around the floors while heading up but it's nothing interesting, just computers a few empty vials and a few motivational posters.
You reach the top floor, it certainly looks different, all the doors have key card locks and there's a vibe that this department knew what it was doing had to kept behind locked doors.
You head down the long hall looking out to the skyline even though it destroyed everything the sky and the city view have a melancholy serenity to it.
You stare out the window but you're snapped back into reality and the sound of a door handle being violently shaken
Your adrenaline kicks in and your hold your rifle tight
You hug the wall close and shuffle to the end of the hallway.
The hallway had two corridors making a "T" shape
In a panic, you forgot which side it came from,
You don't have a pistol so CQB will be tough but you could have the wall for cover but if you lean out from the wrong side your dead.
You try to compose yourself and check you have one in the chamber.
You bring your ear close to the edge trying to hear something it's total silence feeling safe whatever was there must be gone you peer you head out from the left side.
As you do you hear the sound of a hammer being pulled back behind you on a revolver.
 "Ne dvigaytes".
You can't tell what country it's from but you know you. don't speak it.
You stay perfectly still making sure not to make any sudden movements then you hear the voice again
"Gun. You drop." You hear the voice clearly it was deep and raspy but definitely a feminine voice.
You drop the gun like it was on fire, it clanks down on the tiled floor.
"You...Ochered around" you can only guess the voice wanted you to turn around so you shuffle your body around and see who was giving you the command's.

                        ___________


You see a tall lioness aiming a revolver at your chest with the intent to kill.
She's wearing a lightweight woodland camo vest with olive green cargo shorts and a very thin red tube top with ripped cloth from her tube top tied around her arm. Her build was muscular and toned and when you see if she's wearing boots she was surprisingly barefoot.
you stare into her emotionless Amber eyes and await your face.
"Why here Chelovek."
You weren't expecting a conversation, in your mind you had already made peace and was waiting for the eternal sleep to come.
Since this might be the last conversation you have, you have no qualms about taking, even if she can't speak fluent English.
"I'm. Here. Look-looking around *too* find In-fo-ma-tion".
You pray she understood what you were saying, she lowered the gun away from your chest.
You feel a little more relaxed.
"Da? I looking too."
Your surprised at the answer she gives you but your not comfortable to ask further, you just want to get out of there.
Just before you ask to just leave her be, she reaches into her vest pocket.
You tense up again thinking the worst but she just gets out a scrunched up piece of paper.
"Kod I have the Kod."
You take the assumption based on the homophone what she's saying.
"Are you saying code?. You have a code"
She nods enthusiastically.
"Da the KO-WED for door".
She hands you the paper, it's an official Ultor paper with the companies insignia in the top left, it looks like an email printed out but it's all warn and crinkled paper the content of the email looks like somebody has crossed almost everything out, with only one word at the bottom;
"Redwood".
She taps hard at the word and points to the door
"Ya put CODE for... Door? Ya kant yoo"
She taps your chest you get the message across.
"So you want me to put in the code correct? but on one condition."
She looks at you waiting impatiently or she didn't understand what you just said.
"You let me live afterwards it's only fair, so empty your gun...go on, the doors not going anywhere."
She was going to protest but she held her tounge and mumbles under her breath as she opens the revolvers cylinder and empties the bullet's in one of her vest pockets.
"...Blyad..."
You notice the word being growled at you under her breath.
"Oh are you Russian by any chance?."
She was taken back that you understood that word, or that you know what she was saying wasn't exactly nice.
"Da you speak Russian?".
"No sorry".
She looks disappointed when you tell her no, it must be lonely that you can't talk or have long conversations with somebody.
You look at the locked door and put the code in on the paper, it clinks open, you both stand on the other side both waiting for the other one to move inside to see what's inside.
"Bet you wish I had bullets now...Chelovek."

                      _____________
The lioness takes the initiative and opens the door slowly
You both creep in to find a standard room just with more luxury in the furniture.
You look around and see a computer on the desk, while the lioness is busy looking through the file cabinets you go over to the computer for curiosity sake, you press the on button.
Although it was dusty it actually worked you start getting excited.
"Hey Look!, It works."
She stops what she's doing and rushes over to the computer.
Luckily it didn't need a password probably because they thought having a password for the door was good enough security.
You open the documents your heart beats faster, you may not even find anything but you feel like a spy or a agent on a secret mission, it certainly beats looking for expired tinned food.
Unfortunately it didn't have a internet connection so you couldn't see what's going on in the world or even if there's a world with living things *for* something to happen.
You check the emails mostly usual writing to coworker but you find one that was drafted it was on the day of the the bomb falling it was titled "The Open Heavens Project" you try to recall that name but you're sure you never heard of it before.
You look over to the lioness for confirmation of lack of knowledge of the name.
She shakes her head in validation.
You open the email and it read it's content.
---------------------------
"Dear  Doctor Li

As you may know, we have all heard about the Phoenix bomb, how it's going to set the world on fire and we are working are hardest to stop it, it's supposedly due any day now and we still haven't found anything to beat it, but I've heard about our solution.

Yes-I know about Project Open Heavens, so don't play dumb, it's why we have all been kept in the dark on what's be going on in HQ, how you've been getting help from NASA building it saying it was just a government given contract like anybody could believe that, you can keep the people in dark untill there dying like crabs in a bucket but not me, not Del Turner I expect to hear from you soon or who knows maybe all this will end with one of us betrayed, I even heard the rumors that Ultor were playing both sides, if true they really are the epitomy of greed.

If I don't hear from you by tomorrow I'll leak project open heaven and you'll have a real cluster fuck on your hands

Regards

Del Turner"
-----------------------
You can hardly process it.
You feel almost sick, your stomach is doing cartwheels.
The lioness is dumbfounded too, trying to read it out loud.
"Pro-ject Op-Op"
"Open Heavens..." You monotonously lamented.
Those words burn into your mind, Ultor was working on something but it was kept from everybody, even from the company's workers, a project that would stop the Phoenix bomb.
You look over to the lioness she had a face of confusion trying to understand this information and in a another language as well.
"So the project they speak. It's at HQ?". She turned to face you.
"Ugh yeah, it's far up north... near the big waterfall".
You're only half listening, you mind is somewhere else but you're snapped out of it by the lioness storming off.
"Hey wait!"
You run after her, given her size and her longer legs and strength it would look like your fastest jogging speed was her crawling speed. You catch up to her picking up your rifle of the floor not stopping.
She stops after running not even panting.
"What are you doing?".
She puts the bullets back in her revolver while she talks.
"Ya khozhu to HQ see the nebo place."
"Wait you can't be serious are-are you going to Ultor Headquarters?!"
You can't believe what she's saying maybe she's gone crazy.
"Yes, you not Chelovek?"
Your taken back by her determination and how somehow your response was the wrong one.
"What? No! Of course not"
She looks you straight into your eyes.
"You wanted secret but, no want to see what is?"
The sound of determination in her voice after finding such a huge bombshell, you just wanted to explore a empty building not uncover a secret as big as this
But, the way she words it, does she want you to come along?.

You have to admit it's exciting, it could be nothing but maybe it could bring back order and help the people.
"Okay your right, I can't go back to normal, not after knowing this, shall we go together?".
You were fearing a no but she laughs.
"Da need chelovek help me, your English, and you have gun".
Your happy at her words no matter how scrambled they may be. you smile with joy.
"Well okay then, let's get going".
You put your hand out for a handshake.
"Names Anon";
She smiles and grabs yours, her hand is much bigger but she still acts polite.
"Zdravstvuy Skoro I'm Faina".
she carries on walking and you follow behind.
You can feel this isn't going to be a Cakewalk, traveling across country with a perfect stranger, but the hope you feel about something there pushes back any doubt you have.
You head outside the building and begin your journey with your new companion.

                   ____________________


You walk for miles under the hot sun hiding behind the murky yellow sky, you're out of the city and along the suburban culdesac.
With her longer legs, she easily strides ahead of you.
Being in front, you guess this was going to feel even longer as she wasn't speaking to you.
Luckily you traveled very light, all you had was your M65 parka, faded blue jeans and you black doc Marten's, a backpack made by a skateboard company all completed by your Remington rifle that you had given to you as a present.
You start to feel tired and your legs begin aching, you call out to Faina in front of you.
"Wait Faina!, Can we rest for today."
She spins around at you as you try to keep your breathing under control.
"Skoro you want rest?, Don't you want to go to nebo?"
She seems unaware that you want to rest because you have to not because you want to, since her strength and size, you guess she doesn't need to conserve energy as much as humans do, you try to clarify what you mean.
"I do Faina but, I *need* rest, you understand resting?."
She looks confused at first but she closes her eyes remembering something.
"Da, Chelovek not strong as L'vitsa okay, we rest for the night."
Relieved you take your bag of your shoulders.
You see a house with a red door and cautiously walk to the house.
You peer inside, there's nobody in the house, you plop your bag on a chair in the living room and head to the fridge.
All the food was expired or rotting food but you see some half eaten food on the bottom shelf.
And in the freezer was warm bottles Dr Pepper.
How much you longed for those sugary drinks again.
Faina sits on the sofa her arms crossed and her head rolled back and her eyes close.
Maybe she isn't a strong as she acts.
"Hey Skoro you hungry?, Here..."
She opens up one of her vest pockets and throws you a packet of seeds and nuts, all without opening her eyes.
"Thanks, you sure".
She waves her hand to say "stop talking and just eat it"
You tuck into the food.
Your finished. but now you're just sat in a living room with a stranger with a loaded weapon.
Luckily it wasn't cold so you had no need for a fireplace.
You sit opposite to Faina, your mind wonders if she's tricking you and is waiting for you to fall asleep to kill you.
Out of boredom and nerves you try talking to Faina.
"So you from Russia Faina".
She opens one eye that darts around the room looking for you before taking a sleepy sigh.
"Da, I came here just before bomb fell."
She leans forward engaging you, I guess this trip won't be so quite after all.
"You learn English by yourself?"
"Da, I try to learn myself, but it hard for Faina"
She looks defeated and disappointed.
"Did you want me to teach you?".
Her eyes widened thrilled at the idea.
"Please do Skoro!".
You smile at the idea, something about her wanting to learn with you as her teacher makes you feel at ease.
You go over the basic phrases and sentences and sentence structure, while you pay attention to certain words she keeps saying or will use in the future, she seems like she's struggling but she doesn't give up.
After awhile she becomes too tired to continue so you call it a night.
You pull out the sleeping bag form your bag as Faina lys down on the sofa.
You feel sleepy, but your mind wanders with doubt and pessimistic thoughts and you wonder if Faina is thinking the same
"Hey Faina what happens when we get there and there's nothing there? What if this is all for nothing?"
You sighed no expecting a response. Faina turns her body on the sofa getting comfortable and responds in a low grumbling voice.
"Don't worry Skoro, we will find something, you just have hope...*got to have* hope I mean." Her optimism cooes you to sleep, you have to have hope, hope that there's something there.
 before you can say anything else Faina cuts you off obviously wanting to just sleep.
"dobroy nochi Skoro"
You get comfortable in your sleeping bag
"Goodnight Faina"

                    ___________________
You wake up the next morning and look over to Faina on the sofa wide awake.
She's looking down the scoped sight of your gun aiming at the floor.
You adrenaline starts pumping, she looks out from the scope, she sees the panic on your face when she noticed you sitting up alert in a state of panic.
"Remington 738 Da?" She plays with the bolt handle pushing it backwards and forwards lightning fast
, a much slower reload speed than you. You answer the enthusiastic lioness
"Um sorry I don't know I forgot, it's been so long that I've had it."
She looks like she's in a world of her own.
She hands you her revolver spinning it like a cowboy or another feline you Know that uses a revolver, you take it from her and admire the weapon.
First thing you notice is the weight-it's like a block of concrete, she makes it look like a toy when picking it up.

"It's a .375 Korth Combat with green night sights, it's not a tactical advantage but I really love the chrome on it. I hope one day to give it a better grip, the stock feels small with my slightly bigger hands." She's practically purring with happiness talking about her gun.
You hold it and see it's fully loaded, if she trusts you with her weapon fully loaded then that's all you can ask from her with trust.
You hand her gun back and vice versa.
You need some energy for the morning to get moving,
Faina has no problem being energetic in the morning,
You think of anything to give you a boost of energy
Then you remember the drinks in the freezer,
You don't want to but it's your only substitute for food.
You open the freezer and down the tepid drinks
why couldn't this house have water your inner voice moaned.
And awful sugary feel sticks to your teeth as you down the drink, Faina spots you in the kitchen and heads in.
"Good mor-ning Skoro"  Faina goes to the sink and drinks from the tap.
You watch her with regret drinking away.
"What?"
"Nothing" she wipes her face and walks out the kitchen.
You take a sip from the tap to wash the sticky feeling out of your mouth.
Once you were both ready to leave you press on heading to the Ultor Headquarters and hopefully see project open heaven.You walk down the roads looking at the empty houses.
What was once filled with love is nothing but rotting wood and vandalism.
"Hey Faina, what was your life before the bomb fell?."
You try to make small talk but still being on alert.
"It was okay I guess, day mne podumat'...I was life guard at the time when it fell, I was far away so the blast radius of the gas didn't effect me. You?."
"I was out of the city at the time-in the woods, I got stressed out about my work and I wanted to be alone for a while. I always just wanted to live away from it all, my friends, my family members, I just wanted to be left alone, I saw the mushroom cloud on a hillside I thought everybody had died, like some cruel god granted my wish, every day I wish I turn back the clock."

You feet buckle under your legs, your mind becomes a mesh of regret and guilt all these feelings come rushing back to the surface.
"I-I never got to see them, there last moments on this Earth and I wanted to get away from them! I miss them so much!, there last few seconds on this Earth and I wasn't there with them!, Every day I think of my parents looking out there window, looking at the bomb and all they we're thinking about was me. Dumb. Selfish. Me."

You start to get a lump in your throat and your body falls to the floor you wanted to hold back and have some composure but you can't you break into tears you don't care what Faina thinks it hurts to much
You start to weep and Faina feels uncomfortable, she doesn't know what to do she walks over and takes a knee putting her hand on your back and cooes to clam you down.

"Shhhh~ eto normal'no, ya ponimayu  we've all lost somebody. What's important is to keep moving for them. Da? They didn't live but we live for them so there life, not in vain, they be with us, always. Am I making sense human". Her words are broken but are true, her motivation and her tenacity and the way she looks at the situation is infectious she's strong physically and emotionally, you get back up on your feet and compose yourself again.
"Thanks Faina I needed that, I've been on my own for a long time, it's hard to get over such things by myself, just, wallowing in self pity." You give her thankful smile she gives you one right back
"It's okay, I understand there's no shame. Let's be making of the tracks da?."
You wipe any tears you had and move on.
You were going to reach that facility no matter what it takes as long as Faina is with you, you can make it.

               ______________________


You finally get out of the culdesac and head into the countryside.
It certainly is peaceful, the roads are clear with only the sound of the birds chirping.
 you keep looking at Faina who now is walking with you.
You start to fidget and play with your rifle opening and closing the chamber, Faina sees this and tsck's under her breath.
"No no, your too sloppy Skoro."
Faina stands behind you closely, her powerful aura keeps you silent as she holds your right hand in her paw.
"When you reload, you take gun from shoulder, and point at floor, you'll loose your sight of where you were originally aiming and have to find it again."
She brings the rifle to your neck
You can feel the gentle tickle of her whiskers touching your cheek.
You blocked it out almost instantly but you secretly wanted her soft warm cheek pressed against yours.
"You bring in closer da, see you can move arm more freely. Okay now when you reload-."
Faina pushes your neck up with her fingers
They were so warm so heavenly to feel on your tired skin.
"You want to move you neck up so your head is out of the way when you reload."
Your mind can only half take in what she's saying, the other half is wanting more of her soft hands on your skin, what would she think if she knew what was going on inside your head.
"Okay, now fire and reload for me."
You pull the trigger and try to impress Faina by going as fast as you could but you start to fumble she touches your hand your reloading with, with how she's so close and how she treats you so gentle, you wish this moment never ended but you start to get scolded.
"Pomedlenneye! Why you trying to go fast!, You think you're John Wick Skoro!."
You can't look at her in embarrassment.
"Sorry, I thought if I'm in combat it's important to reload fast and...I wanted to impress you."
Her frown fades and a hint of smile on her maw appears as she gives you a throaty chuckle.
"Don't worry about going to fast human, these things take time you just have to learn..."
She pulls and loads the bolt again and again, her hand on top of yours.
"The best thing to do is to not rush these things you may want it to happen right away but you'll ruin any momentum you had no matter how..."
She slowly stops speaking for a moment before continuing again "Much you want to, you have to be patient, and... eventually, you'll get what you wanted so you have to take it slow and when in due time you'll be ready."
Her words don't match her expression, she looks distant from what she's doing. You slowly cock your neck around to her your eyes focused on each other's pupils
Your look deep into burning bright orange eyes
"Faina..".
Your thought is evaporated by the sound of gunfire
It didn't sound close, but not to far either
A moment that was happening between you was gone
Your both now on high alert.
"We should get going. we got a long way to go."
She says authoritative but her face winced like in pain
You nod in argument and carry on.
Faina is now walking in front again but she's not paying attention to the road she's just looking at the floor.

                    _________________


You reach a clearing and see a quaint traditional village, you walk closer into the village where you hear the sound of a woman sobbing in the distance echoing in the air.
You spot the figure ahead, she's on the floor on her knees on a patch of dead grass near the front of a empty cottage, you instinctively rush over to her. Faina tried to grab your arm to stop you as you ran past her.
"Wait! Skoro!". But it falls on deaf ears.

You reach the crying woman, her clothes are ragged and torn she hasn't got a weapon on her nor does she have a place to hide one so you don't suspect or feel threatened by her.
 "Are you okay" you say trying to comfort her.
Faina comes over to the both of you, pistol drawn.
The woman notices you and lifts her head up.
"Please help me! Some raiders attacked me! And I hurt my leg running away from them!."
You go to move closer to her but Faina stops you.
"Wait, something doesn't feel right Skoro..."
You look at her surprised, she glares at the woman with suspicion.
Faina raises her pistol to the injured woman's head and pulls the hammer back on her revolver, you try to bring her arm down be she's too strong for you.
"Faina what are you doing! she's hurt!, she needs our help!".
The injured woman screams in fear.
"Aah! Please don't kill me!, Talk some sense into that, *creature* before it kills us both!."
Before you can say anything Faina spits out her disgust at the woman's comment.
"Ha! sushchestvo slishkom umnoye dlya vas suka, so you hurt da, by the raiders?. So, where did they go!."
You've never see Faina this riled up, the anger comes of every word in her native tounge, you try calming her down.
"Faina, please, she doesn't even have a weapon, how can she hurt us."
Faina lowers her gun slightly and turns to you and moves you away for her, she speaks quietly so the woman can't hear her talking.
"Skoro, please, I'm trying to save us! She's lying. You shouldn't trust her."
You make your argument for the helpless woman.
"And why not, I trusted you didn't I..."
Her face saddens and her eyes scan your face of determination and trust for the woman.
"Skoro..trust me..ona lezhit, davay ub'yem yeye! u neye yest' nozh!"
Faina brings brings her gun up again, you don't know what she's saying but she's angry and shouting.
"What?! Faina, I don't understand you-'
Before you finished, Faina brings her gun to the woman's head, the woman starts to beg for her life, acting hysterical.

"P-Please she's not listening to you! I'm not lying I swear! I don't have anything!, they left me to die out here!, of course I don't have a knife".
It takes a moment to realise but her choice of wording sounded off.
"Wait...do you understand what she's saying."
She clammers up not speaking, you wait for an answer.
"Well...do you understand her?".
Her face turns from sadness to malice and she let's out a whistle.
"It's a trap!" Faina shouts, as she puts a bullet in the baits head.
Three men open fire from the opposite side in a cottage.
You scramble around dodging the gun fire falling over.
Faina grabs you by your parka and brings you inside the cottage near the patch of grass.
Your both now huddled under the living room window as gunfire hails through it.

                   __________________

You both huddle close under the window, pinned down from the gun fire. Faina pats your back to get your attention, you look over to Faina as she points to the bullet ridden stairwell. She gets closer to your ear so you can hear over the booming sound of gun fire.
"Go upstairs!. I'll cover you!."
Faina returns fire to the house not looking where she's aiming. She pats you on the back as a signal to head upstairs. You make a break for it and run up the stairs, you find a bedroom on the side of the house where you can find a vantage point to return fire.
You creep along the landing to the bedrooms window, luckily there was netting on the window so you had a stealthy advantage.

You slowly push enough netting aside so you can poke out the barrel of your rifle. You aim out the window looking for the raiders, you see one poking out the houses front door, you time his movements correctly as he leaned out from the house to spray Faina's position and get a clean shot killing him in one hit.
They spot your position and return fire back to your window. The bullets whizz past your ear like angry wasps the glass pane shattering into a thousands pieces. You move away from the window taking the scope off your rifle, you wait for the gunfire to die down on the stairs and join Faina back downstairs.

"What now!."
Faina looks around the room, not sure what to do, then she looks at your rifle's barrel. She presses her hand on your chest.
"You stay here. I have a plan."
She barks into your ear and runs off Into the kitchen, when she comes back, she brings back a large kitchen knife. She grabs the barrel of your rifle and puts the knife under it, she takes the cloth wrapped around her arm and ties it around the rifle making a shoddy bayonet. She takes the rifle from your hands and looks out the window to find there position and looks back to you again.

"I charge, you cover" before she gets up you grab her arm stopping her.
"No!, I won't let you, I'm doing it!."
You take the rifle back Faina gets angry.
"Skoro!. Give. me. GUN!"
You put your arm on her tensed up shoulder
"It's okay, cover me from the window. You have to trust me..." Faina wants to protest the idea but admits deafeat.
"Okay... but don't you dare die on me now." You nod with a confident grin and give Faina the single to cover you.

She fires from the window to the enemy's position, you Sprint inside the house, the raider moves into the hall way where you ran inside and aims his pistol.

Before he can fire his pistol, you jab the knife in his chest keeping your momentum untill you fall on top of him, the bayonet breaks off your gun sticking inside the attacker's chest. You get up from the floor picking up his pistol and use it as your primary weapon as you put your rifle on your shoulder.
You listen to the sound of footsteps, you counted three men firing so it's not over yet.

The gunfire stopped when you charged in, you're trapped in the house with him, but if he was downstairs he would have killed you already, he must be upstairs.

You aim up the top of the stairs. Looks like this is going to be a game of cat and mouse. But one cat is the other house so now it's a house full of mice.

You check the doorways upstairs making sure to make as little as noise as possible. You spot the room where the gunfire was coming from, you take a chance and shoot through the door. It's soon followed by a sound of a lound thump.

You go over to the door slowly, you peer inside trying to look where the body fell but the body that you thought you killed was know chocking you from behind.

He squeezes your throat tight with his arm locked around your neck, He uses his other arm to get the pistol from your hand, you fire all the bullets before he could turn the gun on you, you run backwards slamming him into a wall, he loosens his grip, but he took the gun from your hand, he pushes you away with your back turned against him.

You turn around and feel the butt of the cold hard pistol smack your forehead, you fall to the ground, the man stands over you as he reloads the pistol with a magazine from his pocket, he let's out a sister laugh in victory, but it was cut short.

Faina grabs the man by the throat lifting him off the ground and with her tail pulls the gun away, you watch helplessly on the floor as the man still being choked speaks to Faina.
"What's the matter old friend?, can't I see your face before I die?, When did you become a coward?!".

In one swift motion she turns her wrist round facing the man, she give a deep growl and her pupils turn into ferocious slits. She has turned into a feral, blood thirsty lioness.
She squeezes tighter around his neck, her claws making cuts on his neck. his face turning fiery red.
"YA uvizhu tebya v adu... Faina."
"Net, yesli ya vizhu tebya snachala... Roman." And with that cold delivery, she snaps his neck like it was nothing. His body flops to the floor in front of you.
You head is still aching and it all happened so quickly, it's hard to process what happened between the two of them
She sees you and calms back down checking your wound.
"Are you okay Skoro".
She helps you up onto your feet, your head feels woozy,
You look to the floor and pick up his pistol checking his pockets for more magazines, instead you find a piece of paper with crude writing on it.


-------------
Roman

There's only me left at the bunker today.
You'd think your spy friends before the bomb fell would stay at a hotel, hell maybe they even worked at that shitty Ultor place, but luckily for us we have a lot of room for guns and ammo. So just hurry up and kill some poor fuckers and come back also, don't let Lucy be the wounded civilian she's a terrible actress, she's gunna get you guys killed one day.

------------------------------------

You're still trying to think with your head still pownding but words like spies and shelter stick out,  you show Faina the paper who is disinterested in what you have to say.
"Look, Faina, it says there's a shelter near the Ultor headquaters, maybe that rumour in that email was true! we should check it out-".
Before you can properly finish what your saying Faina is already walking away out of the house, you chase her down, your head hurts and a thumping vibration feels your head with every step.
"Hey Faina wait!, we need to check this out! we could find something at the shelter. We might get some guns there".
"NO!" Faina shouts at you with her mighty voice stripping you from your confidence her voice rings inside your head, you're taken back at her blunt response.

"What! No?, what do you mean no!, Faina, I thought we wanted to start the Open Heavens project and we need guns so why not!".
She has no response, she just folds her arms, "It's not important Skoro we're getting close, I saw a tourist pamphlet in the house, the waterfall is close so that means we must be close to Ultor HQ, it's not important alright!." You hear the frustration building in her voice but you press on as to why she doesn't want to.
"Not important?!, what are you talking about, how can you possibly know whether or not-"
She picks you up by the scruff of your parka, that feral animalistic anger returns in her eyes.
POTOMU CHTO NEKOTORYYE VESHCHI LUCHSHE NE ZNAYUT, I YESLI VY ZNAYETE, CHTO KHOROSHO DIYA VAS, VY ZATKNETES!."
She drops you back down and snaps back to her natural composed self, she has a sudden realisation of what she did and tries to comfort you putting her hand on your shoulder.
"Skoro im-". You bat her hand away, the shouting from her and your head is becoming unbearable. "Well fine!, If that's how you feel... I'll just-" you eyes become heavy and you start to lose your train of thought. "I'll go on.. without-" before you could finish your sentence, you pass out collapsing on the floor, Faina rushes to your aid
"SKORO!".
She picks you up and cradles you, checking your forehead which has begun to bleed from a deep cut.
"Don't worry my little Chelovek, I'll get you patched up even if you grow hate me, I'll never leave you".

                _________________


You wake up in a bed in what looks like a bunker,
there's a wooden desk with a bulky computer on top by the side of you and a bookshelf full of books with the spines written in a different language. You sit up and see the computer screen blinking and flicking, almost inviting you over to see what's on the screen. You call out to Faina but there's no response, your voice just echoes. You feel the tightness of a band aid on your head. Faina must have tended to your wound while passed out. You used your strength to go over to the computer to inspect it where you see a few messages on the screen. Nothing important, but you see one with the date the bomb fell, you see an email titled "Open Heavens" in English, you prehensive click it open and read the email;

----------------------------
"To the Resistance

I hope you are well in the fight of our enemy. You have been sent on a mission over sea's because of what they're making; The open Heavens project. Your mission is to sabotage and destroy this weapon at all costs, those dumb fools at Ultor are working both sides, but little do they know we are playing them too, this mission is of the upmost importance, in case you don't know who's who when you arrive, go to the village near the Ultor corporation's head office, and a few miles north will be a bunker, there, you will have your brothers and sisters there waiting for you, they will ask you why you're there, tell them who you want to see, their names are.

Gin Amaya
Ant Kam
Max OD
Oleg Grin
Roman Grobrov
Faina Ivanov
Yuri Putin
Reznov Stopov


You will try to inflitrate their HQ and branches and stop the project, even with your life. Good luck and long live the emperor.

PS: I have the code for the security doors, Ultor security are lazy shits and every security system they have all open with one simple code word; Redwood
-----------------------------------------------------------


You feel sick, and it's not because of your head wound,That name burns into your mind, you wish you didn't see that name on there but there's no mistake.
You trusted her with your life. She let you come with her on her journey only to find out she was was going to destroy Open Heavens the whole time; The person who talked about hope and moving on, was trying to rid the last hope anyone could have in this world. Your sadness turns to anger and you jump out of bed. You can't believe you trusted her and fell for her lies.

 As your blood is boiling and you're thinking of what to say when you see Faina, you hear the sound of a door opening. You were so angry you could kill whoever walked in with your bare hands. You lean your head around to the door to see who it is, *She* slinks in; You are filled with hate for her, but there's a little part inside you that can't, she feels your glare and walks towards you not looking in your direction. Your feet start moving on there own as you charge at her, she doesn't flinch. You lash forward, clenching your fists into her rock hard abdomen.

"YOU LIAR! YOUR WITH THEM! YOU ONLY WANTED ME HERE SO YOU COULD USE ME!." Your burst of rage dies out with each hit. Your anger resolves into sadness. Faina looks down at you as you start crying. "I-I trusted you, I-I shared my feelings with you, we said we were going to save everyone. For their sake. And you just used me...". She cooes softly running her fingers through your hair as you bury your head into her chest. "Shhh it's okay, I understand how you must be feeling, I'll tell you everything." Her deep voice sounding motherly and protective of you. She helps you sit back on the bed,
after all that blood rushing to your head from anger you feel like it's about to burst like a steam pipe.

So, was she friend or foe, did she want to help, or to only sabotage.You await what she has to say. Dreading every word that would follow.Okay I'll tell you; Yes, it's true, I was an agent sent to sabotage project open heaven, I arrived here the day the bomb fell, luckily we all had supplies and food to last us for months, and we had access to gas masks so we could head out. With the enemy defeated, we turned to raiding and formed a gang. One day I got tired of it and wanted to leave, Roman was angry, he bannished me from the area saying he'd kill me on sight if I ever returned, so I walked, I walked for miles for days, for months. My mind kept thinking about the Open Heavens project and what ever happened to it. I looked over my belongings and saw old scrap of paper, I knew if I ever got captured they'd see the letter and kill me without hesitation, so I crossed out the names and left the only important word I needed. I remembered that the email mentioned the lackluster security Ultor had, I thought about going back to there main building but I traveled for so long I forgot the way there, so I just kept living my day to day live until I saw one of there offices, I went inside and I headed up to there bosses floor and found the door, but the code was in number form for each letter, I didn't know that number was what, I tried to break the door handle but I couldn't open it, then I heard a noise, I thought about killing who was there but then I was struck with an idea. So I told you what I wanted to do, and you helped me, I had just given up hope on finding anything before you read that email. It gave me hope. Hope to make a mends and atone for my sins. I thought you wanted to too, so I thought you could accompany me in case I had trouble with any security again."
Faina sits down on the bed and holds your hand firmly.

"But I never wanted to hurt you Skoro, I really did want to do good, I swear my intentions was never wrong!." Faina is almost in tears.
"Pozhaluysta, ver' mne I never wanted to hurt you believe me. You're the only person in this world that I care about. Why would I want to destroy what little is left, I want to have a normal life. I want things things to go back to the way they were." she begins to cry, never in a million years did you think someone who looked so strong and powerful would be brought to tears at the thought of you not liking her or distrusting her.

You feel sad and sorry that you thought that way of her, you wrap your arms around her waist taking Faina off guard.
"I'm sorry Faina, I believe you, I saw it and, my emotions got the better of me. It's okay I knew you wouldn't want to harm me, it just...stings a little ya know."
She pats your head softly purring.
"I'm so glad my Chelovek, we are so close to ending it, we can be happy...uh, that's it's over, I mean."
As much as you love this moment your head begins to ache.
You drift back from the hug and lie back down, Faina gets off the bed and comes over to your head resting on the pillow. "You're still feeling a little woozy, get some rest and you'll feel much better."
She leans into your forehead and kisses it softly, her surprisingly soft golden fur chin brushing against your forehead and you feel a slight tingling feeling of her whiskers gentle touch. Faina turns out the rooms light letting you go to sleep.
"Good night my sweet Skoro." She whispers hushing under her breath.
You would have answered her, but you had already fallen asleep. You decide resting for your head to clear from aching and to rest your resolve, to finally be ready when the time comes when you reach Ultor and finally see the open heaven project in all it's glory with no room to doubt; It has to be there.

                       _____________

You wake up feeling refreshed and your head clear, your mind thinks about that kiss on your forehead last night, how calming it felt to feel, and how happy you were feeling her gentle touch. You look around and see another room with a shower and sink inside, you take a refreshing shower and get dressed. You sit in the bunkers main area. The formally Know raider tenants make it look more like a home, maybe even blood thirsty gangs missed a piece of the good life. Faina was deep into a book to notice you when you sluggishly walk in, it's a Russian to English dictionary, you just watch her reading. "Skoro is an adverb meaning; quickly or before long, what I really should have been calling you is bezymyannyy, looks like I'm getting rusty eh?".

Faina speaks turning the pages not looking up from the book. "Excuse me?..." You befuddled reply, not really up to pretending you didn't see her name on that list, but it's not like she's still fighting anymore, there's nothing left to fight for. Best to let go, you've come this far together you have to see it through to the end. "I was using it wrong, but I guess that's a good thing, huh *Skoro*." She looks up and gives you a playful grin as she swishes her tail through the gap in her chair. "You're in a good mood this morning." You reply as you rub your eyes and sit next to her. "yeah, well, it's been nice having the old necessities back, don't you think~". she pours you a coffee from a steel percolator, you close your eyes and take in the nostalgic smell of the fresh coffee. "Aaah~ That certainly takes me back." You take a sip, so refreshing, words cannot describe how much you missed this. Since you and Faina we're in good moods you wanted to bury the hatchet about the whole email thing, you clear your throat to signal you're going to talk about something serious.

"So, listen... about what I saw, I'm sorry that I-". Before you can finish what your saying, Faina covers your mouth with her finger hushing you. "It's fine, let's just drop it da?; Water under the bride." Even if it was a very serious moment you think at the last word she said. "Sorry, what's under the water under again~." You can't help but give a smug grin at teasing her. "The bride, right?, That's the saying isn't it." You start to laugh and only laugh harder when trying to stop yourself, Faina punches your arm playfully. "Hey, Ne razvlekaytes' I can eat you for breakfast if you're not careful." The mood is light and cheery, it feels as if nothings changed, that you could walk outside and everything would be just as it was. You wished this morning would last forever but you can't waste the daylight, you grab your things and both head out of the homely bunker. Maybe it would have been better to just stay here, but would Faina even want to?. It's pointless to dwell on it, you can't stop after getting so far, Maybe after this is all over you'll ask Faina about staying in that bunker permanently, best to leave it under the bridge as Faina said...or bride apparently.

                      _____________

You walk for miles and miles taking in the luscious greenery, you talk with Faina about nothing and everything, it dawned on you that you never asked about her family, you asked intrigued. "So Faina, how was your family. "...you have any relatives in this country?." Faina goes into a daydream. "I haven't thought about them in a long time Skoro...I'm sure they were proud of their daughter doing her part for her country." She smiles talking about her family, a look of happiness on her face as her tail flickers and swishes in the crisp morning air. You want to know more about her-everything. You let Faina talk for hours and hours, you couldn't care less if there was danger ahead, all that mattered was her and you being her walking human diary.

It's the afternoon and you reach the waterfall, the sun is slowly setting and the moon is visible in the blue sky, you watch the waterfall in all it's splendor, if you were to close you wouldn't have been able to hear yourself think it was so loud. You decide to rest for the night as you and Faina are both tired, even though the situation you were in was dire you looked at the slender lioness doing her push-ups and other cardio in front of you using your parka as a bed sheet and your bag as a pillow, watching Faina train looked like a 80s montage with the scenery behind her, she gets tired and lays down next to you, your heart races a little, you want to be closer, you want to bury your face in her soft golden fur and never let her go, and to be more than just travelers on the same path in life. You wait for her to relax and settle down for the night and watch the starts begin to appear.


"Say... Faina did you have a family of your own?, You try to be causal as possible not wanting to hear a yes but your heart is racing.
"No, no family why?" She asks curiously.
"N-No reason, just curious 'is all...". You try not make it a big deal, but now comes the big question, you feel more scared now then being shot at by raiders.
"So-uh, did you have a boyfriend?".
She sits up, your almost sweating with what she might do.
"No, I never met anyone I liked, most were konvul'sii who thought being rough and tough around me was sexy. I was in the army most of my life so I'm kinda of sick of it. Most guys would try and act tougher cause I was tall and a lion. In the end I decided to give up looking until I left the army. I don't care about that stuff you know what I mean. I am thinking about settling down with someone~". Faina strokes your hand with her finger going in circles like a child drawing on a window.

"I've been seeing him allot lately, he's very sweet, brave, and never backs down and has a certain energy about him that I can't help but love...but I'm not sure if he's ready~".
Your heart pounds from your chest as your stare into her eyes, you lock fingers with Faina and lay on your side.
"Well I think he's ready too." you both smile, Faina purrs deep warming and vibrating on your chest you both yawn and decide it's best to sleep ready for it to be all over tomorrow.
"Hey Faina..." you whisper, eyes closed.
"Yeah, my human~" she sofly purrs.
"Even if we don't find anything... and there's nothing there, it wouldn't have been a waste of time cause meeting you was worth it."
Faina grabs you closer, letting out the last few words before drifting off to sleep. "Me too Anon, me too".
You both fall asleep, holding each other tight, for tomorrow is the final part, to see if you can be bring any hope into this cold-uncaring world, but having Faina in your life, the world seems less colder now anyway.

                   __________________

You finally reach the infamous HQ, it's ominous and haunting, the windows are broken and cracked and parts of the building is crumbling. You grab your rifle tight and you head up the short flight of stairs, you stop at the entrance doors, you look at Faina looking around the front in case there's anybody watching. Faina stops looking and nods for you to head inside.

The building is tall, it's got a large open area with the companies insignia cracked in the marble floor. You look around and see nothing of interest. Faina checks the reception desk and pulls out the draws and throws them across the room in anger and echoes when it's hits the floor. "There's nothing here Skoro!". You rush over Faina on the verge of tears. "Hey, don't worry Faina we'll find something. There wouldn't be company secrets by the entrance for people to see, come on, let's keep our cool and keep looking. Faina smiles and pats your shoulder.
"Keeping me in check I see, you're right, let's keep looking." Faina takes the lead as you walk around the large building. She reaches the back of building and drops to her knees near large window frozen in place, you rush over to see what's the matter and you finally see what made Faina frozen stiff.

Out in the field there was a large white cylinder surrounded by tree's. It was covered in scaffolding and metal support frames, it was the size of a rocket. No words can  do justice of the sight that you see. Faina runs across the window and out of sight. "WAIT!". Faina is too fast but you try your hardest, you reach a sliding metal door that leads outside you push your body through and see Faina running in the distance. Outside you can fully appreciate the size of the cylinder. You use every fiber in your body to catch up but run out of steam near a small building near the large cylinder. Faina is trying to catch her breath by the door. You catch up to her. Talking with every free breath. "What. The. Hell, were you thinking, Faina...". Faina gets up from the wall she's leaning on. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry! But it's real! Anon It's actually real!". She laughed taking deep breaths you feel a sense of happiness too, all that time worrying that it never existed and her you are standing only a few meters away. "So this is it, you ready?". You check your rifle and hold it tight, Faina gives you a look of fiery determination. "ya rodilsya gotov!." Faina checks her revolver and spins the chamber. You hug the wall ready to breach the building. With one mighty kick she kicks the door down and you breach the dimly lit building.

When the dust of the knocked down door clear you see faint green lighting everywhere next to bottles and test chambers, you slowly and cautiously walk further in. You see a large setup of computer monitors and buttons and switches and then all of a sudden a female figure jumps out from table. Judging by the lab-coat, she must be a scientist. She was dirty and tattered and laughing under her breath, it was no debating that she'd had turned crazy. But something feels familiar, you haven't met a scientist before but something about it rings a bell; then, it hits you.

"Doctor Li? Doctor Li is that you?". Faina looks at you confused. You tell her that the email when you went inside Ultor was going to a doctor. "But there's nowhere that's her Skoro, she's been in this derelict building for ten years!" Whether it was or wasn't her you didn't care, you didn't come all this way for her, but you needed answer's from her. "Hey! Can you understand me! Is this  the open heaven project!." She scurries away filing through paperwork and vials on a desk near a monitor. She starts laughing like a mad man.
"Yes. Heaven. A happy place. I helped made. We had it we really had it but poof it's gone-nothing left."  You can't make out her ramblings. You didn't come this far just to listen to some bat shit lady and your blood starts to boil you sprint to the scientist and start choking her. "I DIDN'T TRAVEL ALL THIS FUCKING WAY TO MEET SOME BAG LADY! WHAT IS OPEN HEAVEN HOW DOES IT WORK! WHY DOE-". Before you squeeze and air out of her Faina pulls your hands away, sobbing heavily. "What's wrong with you! You've become a monster! Anon!. Your choking the poor woman, her mind has tuned to mush. Just leave her be Anon." You start calming down, you can't look her in the eyes, you rub her arm as some kind of apology. "I'm sorry...my anger got the...the best of...". Your eyes are to busy focusing on the documents on the table behind her. You see a large stack of paper with the NASA Logo with the
Title "Patent for the Head Military of U.S and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration". You pick up the stapled paper. The text has been sharpied out for most parts but there's one part of the page it's been scribbled in, it looks like religious text, you read it out loud.

"And He said to him, Truly, I say to you, you will see the heavens opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man."

Faina comes over and reads for herself, her tall height made it easy to lean over you and read the contents of the dossier. You see a line drawing of the machine outside put labels with lines. You read the description of "Open Heaven".
R&D #13521 codenamed "Open Heaven" with help of the U.S Government and the NOAA developed are large scale cloud-seeding machine that can cover large scale areas. Due to the size of OH the amount of Iodide (Pub Chem CID (6432717) needed would be tripled to cover capitals.

 OH will fire from section 1DF and release traveling (2,000 Meters) and explode causing mass rainfall until all hazardous and chemical gas [Redacted] used by [Classified] are dispersed and gone.

Doctor Li (CEO and head scientist of Ultors research program) will be in charge. And has rights to all property and utilities of Ultor research department.


It's hard to take in, all these numbers and codes but from what you can grasp from the document, the open heaven will fire but only from one place "1DF" you see the woman who must be doctor Li, she's mumbling under her breath and has her hands in her pockets. You lean down to her level and make sure not to scare her again but she flinches and starts to whimper when you get close. Faina takes your arm and gently moves you away and takes your spot in front of Doctor Li. "Doctor Li? My name's Faina, it says that open heaven is fired from section 1DF, how do we do that?". She speaks sofly and calmly, that attitude must have worked as she points to a control panel Faina walks over to it. You can't see as your too far away. "What is it?" You ask impatiently.
"There's a few switches I think this one is the right-". Before she can finish Doctor Li pushes a button under her desk she was kneeling under. The room is covered in red lights and flashing, Doctor Li runs to Faina with her fist clenched Faina is to preoccupied pressing buttons on the control panel. You run over and grab her arm tightly, she clenches her teeth with pure hatred and rage.
"DIE! WE DIE!".

Doctor Li rubs her hand on your face a yellow glistening dust, it's sharp like sand paper and itchy like a rash. You Yelp in pain as you stumble back, Faina hears you and screams. "ANON!!" She rushes over to you. It stings your face but you're okay, Faina let's out the deepest growl as she picks up the doctor by her head off the floor, she squeezes and screams as you hear a crunching sound as her body falls to floor Faina goes over to you "Anon are you okay, I was so scared". You hug her tight. "Yeah I'm fine just stings a little". You say that to calm her down, but you're finding it harder to breathe, must have had the wind knocked out of you. You go over to the control panel, lights are blinking and sirens are blaring all around you. "That must have been a fail safe in case they were invaded!, It's going to destroy everything! We have to turn open heaven on and launch it!." Faina presses buttons widely but nothing happens, as she does this your chest begins to tighten you know what's going to happen next.

"Faina.." you grab her flailing arm to get her attention
"You need to leave, this place is going up." She shakes her head in confusion. "What? No! What are you talking about! Your coming with me and-." You stop her trying to deny what's going to happen next. The pain is becoming harder to speak.
"Faina, please... there isn't much time." The tears begin to  swell in Faina's eyes. "NO! NO YOU CAN'T WE WE'RE SO CLOSE AND NOW YOU-YOU". You put your finger on her lips while your chest wheezes heavily and you feel light headed, Faina sobs wiping her tears on her vest.
"Shhh~ it's okay... don't be sad...it. was, all worth it, in the end..go...go and..live,for-me..". You give a Faint smile as a tear you so desperately held back seeps through. Faina can't control herself as she kisses you and hugs you tighter than you have ever been hugged, like it was going to choke the gas out of you and everything would be fine.
"Okay...I promise..I'll always Love you Anon!".

She starts to break the hug holding on to your arms and working her way to your hands, you pull her back for a moment as you kiss her cheek as to not pass on any traces of powder in your mouth from kissing her lips, your chest is an unbearable pain as you can only muster up a few short words. "YA tozhe tebya lyublyu...Faina". She wipes the tears from her eyes and runs for the exit. Hopefully it was enough time for her to escape. If you weren't going to make it at least she can.

You head to the control panel, it hurts to breathe from your nose but you press any button you can to deactivate it. You see a key in the panel, it shines under the glowing red lights of the alarms. You twist and hatch opens. It's a tiny flip switch for a finger. You don't have anything to lose, you flip the switch and pray a million times in a second, it worked. There's a loud noise outside, a loud thud and metal clanging sounds that goes right through you. Your chest is to tight to stand as you fall to the floor, you can't die here-in all places, you hold your breath to ease the pain as you drag your body to the front door, your face almost turning blue, your head appears out the door and then your whole body, the fresh air makes it a little easier but it's not enough, you lye on your back and stare up at the cursed polluted sky one last time, the sky that ended your life here, but also made you meet the love of your life who can live on because of you in a smog less, polluted world. You close your eyes as your hear a loud ascending sound near you and let out one final breath.
"It was always worth it."

Faina runs as fast as she could not looking back and just focusing on getting away from the explosion, Faina arrives at the front of Ultors car park.

I left Anon there dying like a stray dog.
How, how could I leave him like that.
After everything we've been through, he was my friend, my traveler...my lover.
It pains me think I'd be dead too, and Anon wouldn't want that. I'll live for you my Chelovek, I'll make a cosy cabin and live in the woods and I'll live the life you always wanted.
I think I'm far enough to-

 "What's that noise?. Is that place really going up!."
Faina looks round to hear the sound behind her, it grows louder and louder until a loud bang. The cylinder that was supported by beams was launched into the air followed by a trail of smoke, Faina watched it go higher and higher until it disappeared in the murky yellow sky.
Faina doesn't move and watches to see what happens. It's quiet, there's not even a blow of wind, it's like mother nature herself is waiting with bated breath. After hearing nothing a very faint sound can be heard above.

It sounds like thunder and lightning, but it keeps going, and to Faina's amazement, the clouds start to turn dark grey above her, and at the drop of a penny Faina felt the most wonderful feeling on her face she never thought she'd feel again.

 The rain comes down like it was monsoon season, Faina can't help but dance around laughing and giggling and every touch of droplet dampening her fur. The rain is heavy and unrelenting it almost feels biblical.
"Like the heavens have opened up..." Faina talks out loud the joy of feeling the cooling rain is over as quick as the rain touches her face. As this happiness came at a price.  Faina emotionally drained, kneels on the wet tarmac looking at her reflections in the puddles of rain.
"We did it...we finally did it, to be honest Skovo; I didn't care if it was there in the end, I just wanted an excuse for you to be with me. But now we can't...". Faina stops herself as the rain begins to subside and stop, leaving a few droplets of rain. Faina looks up to the sky and see's a break in the clouds and saw what she always wanted, saw what Anon wanted and died for; A clean blue sky.

Faina looks up and smiles with joy at the sight, a new future lies ahead and all the troubles of the past can be washed away in the rain and can start again in the bathing light of the sunny skies. A tear rest in Faina's eyes as she walks slowly away taking in the ocean blue sky above her.

"Don't think I forgot my promise Anon...I'll live for you too, untill I'm with you forever joining you up above in our own open heaven, people will never know the truth of what happened here, how you sacrificed yourself for a chance of hope for the future, and I'll make it my life mission to fill people with the same hope I gave you and tell the whole word what happened here and tell them of that brave wonderer who freed us from the Enternal Fire.


End