Apocalyptic Rebirth: With a repairman system space, she rises again.-Chapter 445: Squawk if you are in danger.

The night had finally settled over Fortress four base, its perimeter lights glowing like a sea of fireflies against the dark. The chaos of the day was gone, and peace had arrived with the stars.

The air was still cool, lending a sense of normalcy to an unfriendly apocalypse when it came to the weather.

Because of all that had occurred during the day, movie night on the base had been cancelled. People were behind closed doors, hoping to pass through the night without experiencing another mutant or mutated beast attack.

In the Quinn household--Hades and Sunshine Quinn specifically, the family was enjoying a calm family evening.

Dinner had been eaten. A meal of rice, roasted potatoes, vegetables and pork stew which Sunshine insisted on having. Tank had prepared it with usual precision. Hades had said something about the stew being a form of vengeance because she had failed to kill the wild boar.

Sunshine did not deny this. Whenever she killed the boar, she was going to roast it, and they would all enjoy it.

Now, dessert was underway. Yogurt and sliced fruit which glistened in separate bowls. Sunshine had not touched the yogurt, she was enjoying sliced fruit, basking in her glory as the center of attention in the family.

Castiel had insisted on feeding her slices of mango and apple, treating it like hide and seek. Each time she bit air, he giggled. "Mommy, daddy said you ate dinner like a dragon."

"And what would your father know about dragons?" She laughed.

"That they have a temper like yours." Castiel replied.

Sunshine rolled her eyes.

Earl sat cross-legged at her feet, massaging them with the seriousness of a physiotherapist or perhaps, a masseuse. The technique was questionable, but the effort was what mattered. "I am loosening the battle knots," he explained, pressing his thumbs into her arches. "Daddy said you run more than a zebra in the savanna today."

Sunshine rolled her eyes again. "Your father should really stop comparing me to animals."

"Are you faster than a zebra?" Earl asked.

"I am faster than a cheetah." She claimed.

"That is a lie." Ariel rebuked from where he stood behind her, kneading her shoulders with exaggerated strength. "If you had super speed like Zed, it would be possible, but you don’t." He tapped her shoulders. "You’re tense, mom, like a..."

"If you compare me to an animal because your father said so, I will demote you." She threatened.

Ariel smiled. "Like a boulder. Unlike my siblings, my knowledge is extensive. My comparisons make sense. I am going to massage your shoulders and turn you into a marshmallow."

So as not to be outdone by his sons, Hades came out of their bedroom with a comb and settled on her right side. He took on the role of combing Sunshine’s hair, running his fingers across her scalp, through the dark purple strands of her hair. "How is my technique, he asked."

Sunshine laughed. "It has been five seconds, Hades."

He nodded. "You saved thirty-two children today. Let us save you from stress tonight." He had not forgotten the image of the look of agony on her face at the medic bay of Westbrook.

She had escaped that place as if mutated beasts were on her heels.

Tank hovered nearby, offering Ariel statistics on optimal massage pressure. "Rotate clockwise for maximum relaxation."

Hunter and White were the only ones doing nothing. The dog and bear were cuddled together in a chair, watching television. Every once in a while, the bear belched because it had overeaten at dinner. It was slowly making the move away from milk to solid foods.

Ariel insisted on this, claiming that White’s teeth would fall out if he continued on a milk diet.

Sunshine sighed. She did feel relaxed. "Thank you all. I feel like a queen."

"Because you are one." Hades told her.

****

The quiet night was interrupted by an unusual night broadcast. In the information center, inside the broadcasting studio, Zulu was sitting beside her co-host Lisha.

The parrot fluffed her wings and spoke in crisp tones. "If you have not heard the good news yet, I would like to share it with you all. Today, thirty-two missing children were recovered in Westbrook town thanks to the great efforts of our squads, led by our very own base president, Sunshine Quinn. It is such a remarkable feat."

"I agree." Lisha said. 𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢

Zulu cut her off. "Humans, you should learn from us birds. We guard our chicks with vigilance. You must guard your children likewise."

Lisha thought about all the documentaries she had seen of birds throwing their young off cliffs or not noticing that they had missing eggs. But that was not mattered, the message was more important.

"That’s right," she nodded enthusiastically. "Keep your children close, especially in the apocalypse. The world has become a much dangerous place. Teach your young ones to recognize danger. Stranger danger is no longer enough, give them pepper-spray, sign them up for shooting classes. Don’t let them walk around alone unless soldiers are patrolling or at least until we put up security cameras all over the base. Think of your children as fledglings, fragile. They are gold, worth every ounce of protection."

Zulu continued. "And if danger comes, teach them to squawk loudly! Alert the flock!"

The Quinns laughed. Earl mimicked Zulu, squawking loudly that Hunter barked and told him to keep his voice down.

"That is ridiculous." Sunshine shook her head.

"Better ridiculous than kidnapped." Ariel said seriously. "You should learn how to do it Cass."

Elsewhere in the towns that made up the base, families were listening to the same broadcast. In Hunkerville, some parents cheered and turned the squawking into a game.

In the studio, Zulu was encouraging Lisha to squawk after her and learn how to alert the flock. Lisha was refusing to do it.

In Busker, children pretended to be birds, flapping their arms and squawking in chorus as they chased each other near the fields.

At the hospital in Westbrook town, the parents of the recovered children sat vigil by their beds. Some children slept peacefully, clutching their parents’ hands, stuffed animals or blankets. Others stirred, whispering nightmares of being locked up and shadows.

Some parents wept quietly, relief mingling with exhaustion. Nurses moved gently among them, offering comfort.

And in other houses, parents of children that were still missing sat in misery. Some wept. Others held on to hope that Sunshine would pull off another miracle.

"Zulu, stop encouraging people to squawk at this time of the night. Most families are just having dinner, and some are already in bed." Lisha stopped the parrot. "Be less noisy."

"I am giving free lessons Lisha; I should be praised because I am not charging for this service. Our bird child raising styles are better than your human ways. If you can learn from us, I guarantee that you will outrank cats." The parrot replied. "We build our nests with precision. Every twig, feather and string is placed to maximize safety. Meanwhile, you humans build houses with wide doors that open easily. The windows are always unlocked, and your young ones wander outside like fledglings without wings.

Tell me Lisha, when was the last time you saw a sparrow leave its chick unattended at the edge of the nest?"

Lisha frowned. "Well...never." She paused. "But that is because I have never seen sparrow’s nest in...."

"Exactly." Zulu cut her off. "Birds: 1. Humans: 0."

Lisha blinked. She had no idea it was a competition.

The broadcast continued with Zulu comparing bird and human ways of protecting young ones. Naturally, she exalted the birds to the very end.