Nicole Pov
I scanned the room, feeling the weight of our situation pressing down on me. The mall was still our best shot at survival, but it wasn't going to hold up forever. Viktor's cluttered store had provided us a temporary refuge, but we couldn't stay here indefinitely. We have no supplies, no weapons. Viktor's store only holds a few of Jasmine's old weapons, and the rest are cosplay props—wooden swords, and foam axes. Useless. I scanned the shelves, appraising everything I could, but there wasn't a single item that gave us any useful buffs. No food except candy, and we all know how long that will last. We needed a solid plan, and fast.
"Alright," I began, my voice cutting through the silence. "We need to get our priorities straight. First, we're going to need weapons. We're not going to survive on our wits alone. We need knives, axes, anything we can use to fight. The goblins aren't going to give us a chance to negotiate."
Jasmine crossed her arms, her gaze sharp. "Agreed. Weapons first. We should hit the sports store near the back of the mall. It's probably stocked with what we need."
I nodded, already working through the plan in my mind. "Right. Then, we need medical supplies in case anyone gets hurt. The pharmacy's our best bet for that. If we can't find food there, we'll have to head to the food court."
Viktor chuckled, leaning back in his chair. "And if we run into more goblins or other survivors in the food court?"
I shot him a look. "We'll clear the area first. No one gets separated. We stick together, and we move quickly. If there are other survivors, we will take a wait-and-see approach. If they need supplies, we can direct them to available resources, but we won't be giving any handouts. We are all in the apocalypse and don't have time to babysit, especially without being safe ourselves."
"Yeah," Sloan added, his tone dry. "We need to be quick and efficient. We need food and supplies, not another fight."
"Right," I said, acknowledging his concern. " We move fast, we move smart. No risks unless we have no other choice. After the sports store and pharmacy, we head to the food court for whatever's left."
Jasmine shifted slightly, looking at me with an unreadable expression. " First are we going back up to the fifth floor for the food court there or the first floor? Also what if we find those women the goblins took?"
I could feel the tension in the room tighten at the mention of it. "We will be going to the first floor because it's closer to the exit when the barrier comes down also should have more supplies since the loading bay is somewhere down there. We don't know what we'll find. We can't go chasing shadows, but if they're alive and we can save them, we will. But we won't put ourselves in danger for them. Not unless we're sure we can handle it."
Amber, a young girl from Mitch's group, raised an eyebrow. "And what if the goblins are still using them? What if they're…" She trailed off, the implication hanging in the air.
I swallowed hard but didn't flinch. "Then we clear the area, and we handle it. No one gets left behind."
Viktor leaned forward, raising a hand. "And if we can't handle it?"
"Then we regroup and live to fight another day," I said firmly. "We're not going to take unnecessary chances. Our lives come first. But we're not going to just stand by and let people suffer either."
"You're right about that," Giselle said quietly, eyes fixed on me. "I've seen enough of people turning a blind eye."
I glanced over at her. "We all have."
A few others in the group nodded, some with quiet agreement, others still uncertain but willing to follow my lead. I didn't blame them; this was a tough call. We were all in survival mode, and doing the right thing wasn't always easy.
"So, weapons, medical supplies, and food. That's the priority," I continued. "Then, we figure out what comes next."
Jordan piped up from the back of the room, his voice quiet but determined. "We should also think about setting up a base. If we clear enough space, we can fortify it and have a place to come back to."
I hadn't even considered that yet, but it made sense. "We'll keep that in mind. Once we've got everything we need, we can start thinking about securing a more permanent base. But first things first—survival."
Viktor was looking thoughtful now, his previous levity gone. "This store's medium-sized, but it's no fortress. It's just a temporary safe house. We'll need more than weapons and supplies to stay safe here long-term."
I agreed with him, but I didn't want to get distracted. "We'll cross that bridge when we get to it. When we are out looking for supplies everyone keeps their eyes peeled for any good locations. It must be easy to defend and have enough room for all of us. There are twenty people here in our group so be mindful of that."
"What are we going to do about the people outside? There were about five people in Viktor's store when we got here." A soft voice said making me turn towards it. It was Sol staring at me. He stared at me with an intensity that made me feel like I was under a microscope. His gaze held a question—one that wasn't just about the plan but about whether I was strong enough to lead them through the hell we were about to face. I don't like that questioning look, but I won't let him doubt me. Not now, not ever.
Keeping my gaze on him, "We will ask them if they want to join, but we are under no obligation to protect them. If they come with us they will have to contribute, or they can stay here. The choice is theirs.", I said in a calm tone. Sol nodded at me and looked away and I caught Jasmine giving me an approving smile. I ignored her and looked around the room, scanning the faces of the others. Some of them were anxious, others resigned, but none of them vocalized their objections. Just how I liked it.
"Sounds like a plan," Logan said from the corner, his arms crossed, the skeptical look still on his face. "But we'd better get moving. This place won't stay safe for long."
"Agreed," I replied. "Everyone, gear up. We head out in twenty minutes and introduce yourselves to each other. It's better for communication. No more delays. Before we leave, we need to know who's actually coming with us. We're not running this mission with any loose ends." I stared at Viktor, and he gave me a cheeky grin. I rolled my eyes and turned to the door. "Laney, go out there and ask them if they want to join. Make sure they understand their responsibilities." Laney nodded and headed out of the office.
The group slowly began gathering their things, which wasn't much, each of them quietly processing the weight of the plan. As we moved out of the office, I felt a mixture of determination and dread. We were about to venture out into unknown danger, but it was the only option we had.
"So who is coming with us?" I asked the people outside. Two people raised their hands, a man who looked like he was in his early twenties and a young girl who looked like she would be in high school. They looked alike, so I assumed they were siblings.
"My name is Josh and this is Liz. I will protect my sister and we won't be a burden. I have a makeshift spear which I can use as a weapon." Josh said nervously holding his sister's hand and holding his "spear" in the other. His "spear" was just the pole with a knife taped on the end. Not really a weapon but it will have to do. I nod to him and he breaks out into a big grin. Now there were only four people left. A man, a woman, a teenage boy, and the girl who left upset from Mitch's group.
"Stacy, are you staying?" Mitch said in a low voice.
"Why would I go with you? Y'all will probably let the goblins take me like those other women. No thanks, I will wait for rescue here." Stacy said defiantly. Mitch stares at her for a few seconds before nodding.
That's fine. No point begging for people to come. I walked to the door with everyone following me.
"Let's do this," I said, looking around the room one last time. "We stick together. We fight together. And we survive."
As the group made their final preparations, I turned to Jasmine, who was already loading her weapons. "You ready?" I asked her.
She gave me a nod, her eyes focused but calm. "Always."
I took a deep breath. This was the plan. It wasn't perfect, but it was all we had. And if we were going to make it out of here alive, we were going to have to stick to it.