Apocalyptic Rebirth: With a repairman system space, she rises again.-Chapter 674: Children’s rights....evaporated.

Two of the children started to cry. Around Sunshine, some people shifted uncomfortably. They were adults, some of the kids in the group looked no older than six. One teenager was even carrying a toddler. From all looks, it seemed like they were bullying harmless kids.

But Sunshine knew better. In her past life, the little ’pack’ hunted her team once. If not for a windstorm that stopped them, maybe they would have died in the hands of the little terrors of the apocalypse. But it was not yet too late to save them.

She had no plans of giving them the chance to do such vile acts again.

Sunshine paced in front of them, her boots clicking on the pavement. "But first I want to know. How did you get here? Reaching Kingsbridge was practically a life-or-death experience.

The kids went silent. One rolled her eyes. Another yawned loudly, as if being interrogated by a woman with a private army was the most boring thing in the world.

"We’re not telling you squat," Estella muttered. She crossed her arms across her chest and puffed her chest. "Torture us if you like."

"We crossed the river," Caesar interjected, eager to get into Sunshine’s good graces. He had seen the suits, the walls and her ability to suppress superpowers. As long as he got her to board his bus, her things would be his things.

World domination would not be impossible.

He was already picturing an army of soldiers with superpowers and those suits at his command.

Raydon, who had been quiet until now, stepped forward. "The toxic river? Don’t be ridiculous. That water is now pure acid. It eats through rubber boots in seconds. People stopped using it to cross at least a month ago. How could a bunch of kid’s swim across that?"

Caesar pointed a trembling finger at two small children, barely ten years old, who were huddled at the back of the group. They looked innocent enough, with wide eyes and messy hair.

"Them," Caesar said. "The twins. I watched them do it. They did something to the water_ somehow, they cleared the toxins just by being near it. There was an abandoned water taxi which was mostly rusted. Another kid that controls the wind used it to ferry us across. Then, we walked through the mutated trees until we reached here." 𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮

Emmet cleared his throat and spoke like a confident general. "You must be surprised that they did that. We can do a lot more. We can make a proper deal here and you can use our team to distract your enemies, we may look innocent, but we are quite...." he stared at the moon as if searching or the right words.

"Dangerous and impulsive." Major Elio helped him complete his statement.

Sunshine scratched her ear. "And we already have a kid’s squad with those qualities."

"When you say it out loud....it sounds bad, but we have merits," Emmet said, breaking the silence with a shaky attempt at his former bravado. "We are hungry, the least you can do is feed us, I hope you guys have something better than canned beans. We are kids with a specific palate."

Sunshine didn’t smile. "Take them through decontamination, then lock them in the juvenile wing. Double the guards and monitor them closely. And someone bring me a drink. It’s going to be a very long night."

The air quickly shifted into a thick with the scent of dry earth and unwashed desperation.

Emmet glared at Sunshine angrily on hearing her words "Lock us up? Why? You have no right to do that to us!"

The soldiers were already on the move. Screams covered the area as the kids were thrown onto the vehicles. They called out Emmet’s name like he was a savior that would save them. But Emmet could not even save himself, he looked like a ruffled pigeon as the guards grabbed his elbows.

"I came here thinking that we could work together!" Emmet shrieked, his voice cracking in that unfortunate way only a broken-hearted teenagers could. "I came here for a partnership, Sunshine Quinn! You can’t just_ this is literally a human rights violation! It’s highly unprofessional to imprison a minor! Not to speak of the fact that I saved your father from superhuman traffickers!"

Sunshine didn’t even blink. She stood by the idling vehicle, a pillar of pure exhaustion, watching him as if he were a particularly loud bug she couldn’t figure out how to swat away.

"Listen, I have information!" Emmet yelled, his sneakers dragging through the dust as the guards hauled him away from the gate and toward the truck. "Relevant information! Tell Hades Quinn! It’s about Peter Strauss! Sunshine Quinn, listen to me! I’m a valuable asset!"

Sunshine rubbed her temples. The name Peter Strauss bounced off her brain like a pebble hitting a brick wall.

"Ma’am," Raydon called. "What about him?" He pointed at Ceaser who had shrieked, acting invisible.

"Take him to the main prison." Sunshine ordered. "And, just in case, shoot him with a suppressant because he could be hiding his abilities."

Ceaser shook his head frantically. "You cannot do that; I am the president of this country! I will behead you for this!"

"Ma’am," Day said, holding the car door open. "Ignore the idiot."

Sunshine motioned vaguely with one hand_ a ’get-him-out-of-my-sight’ gesture_ and slumped into the backseat. The last thing she heard before the door thudded shut was Emmet yelling something about "unrealized potential" and "letting him go."

The drive to the medical wing was silent, mostly because Sunshine was busy trying to remember where she had heard the name Peter Strauss. She took a vita E drink, while wincing. It was there; she just couldn’t seem to find it in her mind.

"It’s probably not important," she muttered through a yawn.

When they pulled up, she saw a familiar silhouette pacing outside the medic bay. Hades Quinn didn’t just wait_ he vibrated with a sort of restless energy. The moment he she stepped out of the car; he was on his feet and moving.

He didn’t say a word at first, just wrapped his arms around her in a hug that felt like a safe harbor. He pulled back just enough to scan her face, his eyes searching hers for the inevitable cracks of exhaustion. And he knew her grudge against Dustin, in this life and the past one. "How are you?" he asked softly. "Really?"

Sunshine let out a breath that was half-sigh, half-groan. "I don’t know. I honestly don’t. But I’m pretty sure my soul has left my body and is currently taking a nap in the parking lot."

Hades gave a small, lopsided smile. "Fair enough."

"What did the doctors say about... Dustin?" she asked. "Will he live or should I summon Father Nicodemus and light the funeral pyre?"