Apocalyptic Rebirth: With a repairman system space, she rises again.-Chapter 649: A happy place.

Carson lifted his dragonoid, as did a few other Fortress four guards. But their weapons did not turn on Janet, like Elise wanted. Instead, they turned on Roy, his men and her.

Dr. Roy let out a long, frustrated sigh that seemed to deflate his entire chest. He looked at the strange weaponry the Fortress Four guards were carrying and then back at Hades.

"Mr. Quinn, look," Roy pleaded, his voice dropping to a low, urgent whisper. "Can we please speak somewhere more... private? Somewhere without a live audience?"

Hades didn’t move an inch. He crossed his arms over his chest, his face turning into a mask of stone. "You can say whatever you have to say right here. If you think for a moment that I am letting Finch’s man into my doors, you are not so smart. You and your people should not have made it to Westbrook in the first place."

Roy raised his hands in a gesture of total surrender. "Fine. Fine. Look, there’s been a mistake. Yes, President Finch is interested in Fortress Four. And yes, he told us to find out what this place was all about. I’d be a liar if I said otherwise." He paused, glancing at the massive walls of the fortress in the distance. "But I would be a complete fool_ a suicidal fool_ to go back and tell Finch to attack you. I’ve seen your security. I’ve evaluated your strength. It would be a massacre."

Dominic stepped up beside Hades, his eyes locked on Roy’s face. After a moment, he leaned in and whispered, "He’s not lying, Hades. The man is terrified, but he’s telling the truth. I don’t need to search their minds anymore to figure small things like truth and lies out."

Roy nodded frantically. "I just want to open channels. Real channels. Trade between Fortress Four and Eden. You have things we need, and you clearly have the muscle to keep the roads safe. And we have money.... lots of it. Your people load up caravans and deliver to us. We pay for the goods and they cycle continues."

Hades stayed silent for a long beat, the tension in the air thick enough to chew on. Finally, he gave a short, sharp nod. Weapons were lowered.

"Trade can be arranged," Hades said. He jerked his head toward the truck. "Follow me. We’ll talk details where the wind isn’t carrying our business to every ear in the market."

Trade would give them eyes and ears in Eden. If or when his wife decided that she wanted the territory, it would be easier to take it down.

As the men began to walk off, Janet realized she was being left behind in the dust. "Hey! What about me!?" she shouted, her voice echoing off the stalls. "I’m the one who told you the truth!"

Carson stopped, turning back to look at her with a lazy, lopsided grin. He looked her up and down, then chuckled.

"That depends on what you can do, lady," Carson said, jerking a thumb toward the back of the vehicle. "You’re coming with me. Let’s see if you’re actually useful with some information or a superpower or just really loud."

He nodded at Dominic. "Get your mind voodoo ready."

************

Sunshine felt like she had stepped into a dream. She and Nine had landed on Salom, in a town called Acavis. The town was like nothing she had ever seen. The streets were painted in colors so bright they made her eyes ache in a good way.

It was like living inside a rainbow, or outside a rainbow that had thrown up. But, in a beautiful way.

The flowers seemed to lean toward you as you walked by, spraying you with intoxicating sweet scents, and the people didn’t just talk_ they practically sang their conversations. The air smelled like honey and fresh rain.

Birds sang happy songs, people stopped to greet each other, and everyone offered the other candy or some other gift, just because.

Someone fell down and everyone around stopped walking and ran to his aid.

"Nine, look at this!" Sunshine exclaimed for the tenth time, pointing at a street performer juggling glowing fruit for a group of children. "Everything is so... happy."

Nine chuckled, clutching several bags of high-end groceries. "I guess it’s a nice change of pace from your earth, isn’t it? But we can’t stay all day."

"You are the one dragging not me." Sunshine told him.

"I told you, I can’t show up at Wilbert’s house empty-handed. It’s bad manners, and frankly, the man’s kitchen is probably a desert because he is too scared to go out." Nine explained, again.

After Nine finally finished his shopping_ mostly because Sunshine kept getting distracted by delicious-smelling fruits_ they hopped into a transport vehicle. As they went deeper in the town, the bright buildings of Acavis faded, replaced by beautiful multicolored gardens. Then rolling green hills and eventually, thick, wild forests with tall multicolored trees.

When the houses stopped appearing altogether, Sunshine leaned forward, looking out the window. "Nine? Are we lost? I haven’t seen a house in twenty minutes."

"Not lost," Nine promised. "Just heading deeper in."

They got off at the base of a massive slope known as the Flower Mountain. The trek up was breathtaking; every step sent a puff of sweet pollen into the air.

"So," Sunshine panted slightly as they climbed. "How did a Repairman like you end up being a grocery delivery boy for a guy living in the middle of nowhere? How did you even meet this, Wilbert?"

Nine wiped sweat from his forehead. "Professional job, originally. His air conditioning system blew out, and I got that repair job. After I finished, he looked at me like I was a hero. He asked for a favor_ said his former shopper moved away and he couldn’t stand the thought of going into town. He hates crowds. He’s... sensitive." Nine smiled softly. "I’ve been coming back every two weeks since. He gets his supplies, and I get a bit of peace and quiet."

Nine suddenly stopped and pointed. Up ahead, almost buried under a sea of vibrant purple flowers and thick green vines, was a small, modest house. "We’re almost there."

Sunshine started to rush forward, eager to sit down, but Nine grabbed her arm.

"Wait," he warned, his voice turning serious. "Stay exactly behind me. Step where I step. This whole perimeter is booby-trapped."

Sunshine froze, her foot hovering over a patch of innocent-looking daisies. "Booby-trapped? Nine, he’s a hermit in a flower field! Why? What is he so scared of?"

She looked at the house again. It wasn’t just a cozy cottage; it was hidden, disguised like a cluster of giant flowers. It was tucked away so perfectly that you could fly a drone right over it and never see the roof.

"How does someone make enemies in such a place?" she whispered, her heart racing.