Apocalyptic Rebirth: With a repairman system space, she rises again.-Chapter 523: Meeting Vicente, in this life.

Cars stopped.

Engines idled.

Somewhere behind them, the Mist hissed a little louder, like it was amused to receive visitors, or anticipating the delicious meal of those who would be unlucky to cross its boundary.

Sunshine straightened, voice calm but deadly as it spread through the transparent covert earpiece in her ear. "Alright, looks like Ferry land’s welcoming committee just arrived; we should say hello. Stay sharp, don’t do anything without my orders. Unless you are attacked, then by all means, defend yourselves."

Nimo checked on her acid grenades. She would defend herself alright.

The dust hadn’t even settled around the tires of their armored vehicles before Sunshine Quinn stepped out. She looked less like a hardened commander and more like someone who had just been interrupted during a very pleasant nap_ Unbothered by the Ferry land men’s bravado.

Behind her, the rest of the squad piled out. They moved with a synchronized, terrifying grace that shouted, "one wrong move and you are dead." to anyone with half a brain.

Sunshine marched toward the massive man who was blocking the road. He was wide, scarred, and currently doing his best impression of a stone wall with his arms folded tight across his chest. Behind him, his "militia" stood with white-knuckled grips on their rifles, trying very hard not to let their knees shake.

"Howdy. I’m Sunshine Quinn," she said, her voice bright but tight. "Leader of this fortress four team. We are new to Ferry Island. Might you introduce yourself to us?"

The big man said nothing. He just tightened his folded arms, his biceps bulging in an attempt to look immovable.

Sunshine let out a sigh so loud it was practically a theatrical performance. "Right. The silent, brooding type. Ideal for dark romance enthusiasts but not so much for me. Look, we’ve had a long drive, as you can see that the weather is completely unfriendly. Water is rare and precious, and I really don’t want to get blood on these boots because then I would waste good water washing them. They’re new. So do not start anything stupid. We are not here to fight."

"You’re trespassing," Stefano finally grunted, though his voice cracked just a fraction. "More than that, you are interested in poking around the wrong place. No one comes near the mist without the boss’ approval."

"Like anyone wants your mist." Nimo muttered, rolling her eyes.

"Actually, we’re reclaiming," Sunshine said loudly over Nimo’s voice, stepping into his personal space. Stefano flinched_ just an inch_ but it was enough for everyone to see that he was uncomfortable. "We aren’t here for your stash or whatever Vicente hides in the mist. We just want the bodies of our residents. They died in this town, and we’re taking them home. Their loved ones would love to give them a proper send off. So, we take them and we leave. Simple, right?"

Stefano narrowed his gaze. "You know Vicente and about the stash? That means you are really here for it, Renzo was right." They were liars. What dead people had they come to claim? Besides, it was an apocalypse and people dropped dead on the streets all the time. Nobody bothered to bury them. They left them there or dumped them in mass graves. The starving animals and people sometimes ate them.

So, he did not buy Sunshine’s answer. He did not like her name as well. Who named their child Sunshine?

"Are you dumb?" Nimo asked sharply. "She literally just told you that we are here to retrieve dead bodies. They are over there. You can watch us load them and we will be out of your hair in thirty minutes, max."

Stefano scoffed. "Whatever, I do not care what you say. You are not getting past me. And I am not afraid of those strange weapons you are holding. Dragonoids, I have heard. If you fire them, I am willing to die with half of your group in the mist. I suggest you exercise patience and wait. You cannot continue to move freely until Vicente gives the green light."

Nimo growled.

The rest of the group was eager to prove to Stefano just how powerful they were, and they wanted him to see how wrong he was when he found that they could survive in the mist.

Sunshine held up her hand, stopping all movement. They needed to buy some time for their drones to be planted in vital areas. Waiting for a while did not matter. In fact, the big guy was lending them a hand, unknowingly. "I understand, we’ll wait. I was meaning to meet Vicente anyway." She said and walked back to her vehicle.

She leaned against it and opened an orange candy Ariel had given her. A candy from Boulder Creek!

Meanwhile, Stefano’s allies arrived and both groups started sizing each other.

From behind Sunshine, Trey leaned over to Poncho and whispered, "Check out the guy on the left. He’s holding his gun upside down. I bet he has never fired a weapon in his life."

"These are fools obviously, not worth our time." Poncho cut into an apple with a pocketknife.

"Don’t underestimate them." Hadrian reminded the men through their earpieces. "Remember, some of them are mist walkers. They have fought things more deadly than you."

Sunshine agreed.

The dust cloud announced Vicente’s arrival as more vehicles joined them, but the man who stepped out of the lead vehicle looked more like a retired huntsman than a warlord. His hair was black, with strands of white on the right side. He lacked the rugged, dirt-stained edge Sunshine remembered. Even his physical appearance was different. Less scars, more black hair, less anger in his eyes and there was no mist around him.

He was not as scary as he would be in future. Yet, the effect on Stefano’s crew was instantaneous. They straightened their spines, sucked in their guts, and looked at Vicente with the kind of wide-eyed devotion usually reserved for gods.

"Well, well," Vicente began, his voice surprisingly humorous. "To what do I owe this pleasure? Emily warned me you were coming to annex my territory. I didn’t think you’d be so eager to measure the drapes."

"Emily Stafford was here to warn you about us?" Nimo asked, not that she got a reply but the whole squad registered Vicente’s words.

Vicente scanned the Fortress Four group, his gaze drifting past the exo suit clad humans as if searching for the leader to talk to.

Stefano, desperate to be please, pointed a shaky finger at Sunshine. "That’s her, Boss. Sunshine Quinn. She says she’s the leader."

Vicente’s eyes narrowed, flicking over Sunshine’s dusty boots and overall. "I remember you from the news, the housekeeper turned princess. A bit shorter in person, aren’t you? Listen, if there’s a deal to be struck, I’ll make it with Hades Quinn, I believe he is the real person in charge. Bring me the big man and we can talk business."

Sunshine let out a sharp, jagged scoff. "Hades didn’t feel like the drive. So, unfortunately for you sir, I’m all you’re getting. We aren’t here for your territory, Vicente. We’re here for the children_ our residents who died at this orphanage. We’re taking them home."

Vicente tilted his head, a flicker of genuine curiosity breaking through his arrogance. "Your residents? Why would they be here and how did they die?"

"They were murdered." Sunshine answered flatly.

Vicente clenched his jaw. Fortress four residents murdered in his town. A fight was inevitable, whether it was true or false.