As he navigated the winding passages of the underground town that was created, he took a deep breath, enjoying the somewhat earthy scent and freshness of the air, no doubt Elena had somehow ensured the air would flow freely as a very faint, almost unfelt breeze seemed to blow through as he slowly made his way to the surface. His gaze drifted over the rough walls and the smart, if crude adaptations that made this hidden town livable. With each step new thoughts seemed to fire through his mind, It had become a sea of information that he was slowly working through from recent conversations.
The group of warriors that had followed for instance had christened themselves the "Disabled Destroyers." A stark, defiant name they had chosen not out of self-pity but rather a fierce pride in their varied missing limbs and battle scars. It was their declaration: these imperfections were badges of honor and proof of their relentless spirit to fight and persevere even after all they had been through. Yet a shadow of skepticism still lingered in his mind. Such straightforward, almost brutally simple pride often suggested a less complex intellect. Perhaps it was an occupational hazard of the warrior; battle, in a world like this at the very least, rarely demanded intricate philosophical thought, only swift action and unwavering resolve from what he had seen in the various media he had read, of course there where exceptions but this lot seemed rather simple, either by the way they spoke and acted.
He had heard and even seen that in their ranks a clear but surprising leader had emerged: Ray. Though an archer by trade and so expected to be positioned at the rear of tactical formations she had somehow managed to become the leader of the warrior group. But even so he had some measure of doubt on how seriously they saw her in that role. The girls had spoken of her with reverence, attributing the group's continued survival and formidable strength to her sharp mind and keen eyes. He hadn't met her though or any of the Destroyers yet for that matter but the picture painted suggested they had become a rather formidable and disciplined force. Having heard and learnt that he felt a tentative hope blossoming in his chest about their odds of survival. A group that so clearly valued strength and survival and had a proven leader was likely to be a massive boon to his growing camp but something still felt rather uneasy and unnerving to him about them that left him feeling on guard when it came to them.
Saya, however caused a different kind of feeling in him. A stronger sense of trust similar to what he had for Alice even though they hadn't had much interaction. It wasn't only the shared nature of their sadism, a morbid bond that was formed or even her guiding words that told him exactly what he needed to know. It was more of an instinct, a deep-seated gut feeling that whispered of an undeniable connection to her, an understanding that went past words and actions. With Saya, he felt a strange sense of equilibrium, a recognition of a kindred spirit but in a way he couldn't understand.
The old man though gave him a rather unsettling feeling. John mentally recoiled slightly when he gave a small smile and a wave in his direction when he saw him looking, it was a familiar anxiety that prickled his skin mostly due to his past encounters with elders in this changed world. The encounter with the last one he met still fresh in his mind, along with his inhuman nature. Yet, Lesh had left a rather direct note that vouched for this man, oddly he didn't know where he had even gotten the pen to write his note, or any of his note but he knew he could trust Lesh and his judgment. He had to learn to trust others even if he had some bad experiences previously, or to at least compartmentalize his biases when it came to people who seemed similar, especially if this fragile community was to thrive.
As for the others, he was still rather uncertain. The builder was a recluse who rarely left his planning room yet according to the girl he was a whirlwind of energy, on various ingenious plans for expansions and fortifications while the ideas were fresh regardless if others properly understood them or not, noting them all down in a small notebook he apparently always had on him. John understood why he did it that way though; a safe haven was only as secure as its defenses and an idea could slip away as fast as it came. Then there were the mages, a perplexing pair who frequently vanished without a trace without care of the warnings they would get for it. While their disappearances hadn't yet led to anything overtly troubling, something still felt off about their actions, a subtle feeling he couldn't quite pinpoint, a whisper of unease that compelled him to make a mental note: to try and take some time to investigate them discreetly and find out what they were up to.
The remaining three, according to the girls, were equally as interesting. Smith, the mineral vein maker, had been trying to practice his skill again since joining, apparently it was an order from Lesh to help him get better control and to increase his stamina for his skill. Because of that a small, deposit of iron had slowly formed, but also seemed to have faint traces of copper and even a tiny bit of gold if he was lucky when using the skill, the deposit had slowly been expanding under his persistent efforts, each time the iron would be collected along with any of the other metals and stored in a small shed they had created to store them. Nick, the tracker had also proven to be rather invaluable. His keen senses and resourcefulness, coupled with the brute strength of the Disabled Destroyers, were directly responsible for the camp's various supplies: the stoves, the crucial gas bottles and the array of pots, pans and utensils that filled their communal kitchen where all found by him using his skill without needing conflict, or so he was told but John was admittedly doubtful about that fact.
His ability to locate resources with such precision was a godly talent when used right, especially when protected by a strong group. He planned to take full advantage of his skills real soon not just for basic resources and needs but for the elusive tech items he promised Lacy, hoping for computer parts and perhaps a generator or two if they could before trying for something much larger like projector and movies to allow some fun recreational activities to help everyone unwind a bit and bring some enjoyment to everyone, something he believed would be vital for moral. He rarely saw the fighters and the like in manga, anime or even in his novels manage to have luxury or leisure like that so he really wanted to give them something like that. To provide that small escape to keep their moral high.
The girls' words about the last individual though, the alleged candle maker hadn't helped his unease that had built up from Lesh's note about him. He was allegedly quite the shadowy figure who was prone to sneaking around and had already earned a stern warning for inappropriate remarks directed at Ray along with a broken hand, something that had happened when he tried to make unwanted advances only to use the exact same hand to wave at her with a mocking smile the next day according to the girls. But it was the other strange behaviors that truly elevated him from an annoyance to a potential threat in Johns mind, according to Lesh's note and the girls he would have low, muted conversations with himself, a seemingly strange obsession with John even without ever meeting him, appearing in multiple places seemingly at once and a truly chilling account from the girls who swore they'd witnessed him tear open the air in front of him before stepping through a bizarre, shimmering rainbow crack. Lesh had intended to keep a watchful eye on him but with everything that went into building their camp dad left little chance to watch him. He couldn't and wouldn't fault him for that though, Lesh had done incredible work and John knew without it, this haven wouldn't exist.
Slowly he made his way to his office, plans on how to go forward already beginning to form with a desire for a balance of caution and decisive action. First, he would gather his core advisors: Ash, Alice, Elena and the old man even though he unsettled him. Next, he would ensure the Disabled Destroyers with Ray at their head would be ready to intervene should a fight break out. His initial target would be the mages; from all the media he had and reading the last message from Fae he knew the mages held the most potential for danger, even though those where magus and not like the mages he had he would still need to look into them as they still held the highest likelihood to destroy everything that was being built up. If they proved innocent and where only training or doing something that would help their camp then it would be ideal, it would prove they were invaluable asset, potentially even turning the tide if the situation with the candle maker went bad.
Reminded about Fae he took out his phone, tightly gripping it as his thumb instinctively swiping across the screen. A flicker of hope surged within him, a silent prayer as impossible as he knew it was that there would be a message from Fae yet instead met with the usual icons and no new messages. He quickly composed and sent a short message saying how he hoped she was safe wherever she was. Curiosity in the now current down time led him to discover that most of the other functions including his music files were still intact and usable. No doubt something Fae had done and honestly a small miracle in this desolate world and a fleeting smile touched his lips as still having something to use as an escape. But the warmth of that moment quickly faded, replaced by a cold wave of growing unease in his gut. He didn't know what caused it but for some reason a feeling of cold dread seemed to wash over him, a feeling of coming dread like a rock dropping into his gut, a warning that something bad was coming. That feeling put his original plans to confront the mages and candlemaker on hold till he could find the cause and put an end to it before something happens.