I didn't expect her place to be this clean.
Raven's quarters were tucked inside a fortified shipping container stacked over the main wall. Steel walls, low light, and a smell that was somehow part gun oil, part leather, and part… her. It was weirdly hot.
The bed was small. Just one.
Of course.
"Don't get any ideas," she said, stripping off her jacket and tossing it over a chair.
"Too late," I replied, flopping onto the far edge of the bed and trying to act cool. "But I'll behave."
She gave me a look. "You will."
Mei had opted to bunk with a scavenger friend she used to trade with. Said she was giving me and Raven "space." Also said something about wanting earplugs.
I stretched out on the mattress, arms behind my head, trying not to make things weird.
Spoiler: It was weird.
She stood at the window, checking a long-range scope like it was second nature. Her metal arm flexed with a quiet whirr every few seconds.
"So… cybernetic?"
"Prototype. Fused after a tunnel collapse when I was fourteen. Don't ask about it."
"Got it."
[Bond Progress – Raven: 2% → 4%]
+1% from asking instead of flirting. +1% from not making a joke.
I watched her back for a few quiet minutes, brain oddly calm for once. No grinding zombies. No bosses trying to mount me — in combat or otherwise. Just… quiet.
And her ass.
Seriously. That thing was a WMD.
Focus, Hiro.
I sat up. "Thanks again. For the bed."
She shrugged without turning. "Don't mention it."
"I mean it," I added. "You didn't have to trust us. Especially not me."
"…I didn't," she muttered. "But I saw how you fought. That wasn't just luck."
"You calling me talented?"
"I'm saying you're dangerous. But the kid lived, and that matters more."
[Bond Progress – Raven: 4% → 7%]
Passive Condition Unlocked: "Night Watch"
While bunking with Raven, both parties gain +10% Alertness, +5% Crit Resistance.
"Hey," I said. "I've got this new skill that lets me share passives with close partners. Nothing crazy. Just makes us a little tougher if we're in sync."
"...That why Mei was practically glowing during the breach?"
"Something like that."
Raven looked over her shoulder. "So you are a support class."
"Support... adjacent." I smirked. "Let's just say I specialize in very close-range cooperation."
She rolled her eyes but didn't call me out further.
A Few Hours Later...
The power flickered. Night had fully settled over Safezone 17. Distant growls echoed past the fence. Rain tapped gently on the metal roof.
Raven had fallen asleep in the chair by the window, arms crossed, boots on the floor.
I watched her from the bed, eyes adjusting to the dark.
She didn't snore. Of course she didn't. Just breathed slow, like a predator waiting for her next mission.
I couldn't help but smile.
Then—
[Libido Meter: 100% Charged]
Use now?
Effect: Charm Pulse / Bond Boost / Energy Surge
Damn it.
The system was tempting me. I was lying in bed next to a hot, half-dressed badass who'd just started trusting me, and now my horny bar was maxed out.
I wasn't gonna do anything, obviously. I wasn't a creep.
But damn… I needed a release or a distraction.
I slid the menu open and browsed the new loot we'd picked up earlier.
[Universal Skill Fragment x1] – Use?
Confirmed.
Random Skill Unlocked: Night Prowl (Passive)
Description: While in low light or moonlight, increase Stealth and Charm effectiveness by 10%. Bonus: +1% Bond Gain at night per interaction.
"…Oh my god," I whispered. "I'm literally stronger at flirting in the dark."
I could hear Mei in my head. "Of course that's what you unlock."
Suddenly, Raven stirred.
Her voice was groggy but alert. "You awake?"
"Yeah."
"Something's wrong."
She was up in a flash, peering through the slit window again.
Seconds later—
[Alert: External Movement Detected – East Sector]
Unmarked Figures Approaching
Probability: 78% Bandit Activity
Raven cursed. "You got weapons on you?"
"Always," I said, grabbing my bat from the corner.
She moved to the door, flipped a panel on the wall, and revealed a sleek black shotgun.
Damn. Even her hidden panels were sexy.
"Come on," she said. "If they breach the outer gate, we're screwed."
"You want backup?"
"I want someone who can move fast and doesn't panic when shit hits the fan."
"Good news," I said, stepping beside her. "I've got experience with both shit and fans."
Outer Gate – Midnight
The rain picked up. Wind howled between the metal walls. We crouched on a catwalk overlooking the east gate.
Four figures in cloaks. Armed. Silent.
"Not infected," Raven whispered. "Too clean. Too organized."
I activated Night Prowl.
My aura shifted — quieter, colder. The shadows around me seemed to like me more now.
[Night Prowl Activated]
+10% Stealth, +10% Charm Effectiveness
Raven Bond Gain Rate: +1% per interaction
"Bandits?" I asked.
"Worse. Slavers," she spat. "They pick off small outposts like this and vanish before backup arrives."
She looked at me. "You up for this?"
I met her eyes. "You saved a kid earlier. Let me return the favor."
We split off — she stayed high, I dropped low, circling behind them.
The next few minutes were blur.
Raven opened with a blast from above, catching the first guy in the shoulder.
I used the distraction to slip behind the second, cracked him over the skull with my bat, and shoved the third into a wall with a Libido Burst shockwave.
The last one turned on me with a blade — but Raven was already there, blasting him square in the gut.
When it was done, we stood back-to-back in the rain, both breathing hard, adrenaline buzzing.
"Nice moves," I said, wiping blood from my cheek.
"You didn't suck," she replied.
[Bond Progress – Raven: 7% → 13%]
Passive Buff Unlocked: "Tactical Sync"
When fighting together, increase Combat Coordination +10%, Critical Chance +5%
I looked at her, drenched, fierce, and glowing faintly from the rainlight.
Something flickered between us.
Not lust. Not yet.
But something hot and dangerous.
"You still sure I'm not worth trusting?" I asked.
Raven didn't answer.
She just walked past me, paused… and tossed me a spare towel.
"Come back up. You earned the bed tonight."
"…What about you?"
"I'll figure something out. Don't make it weird."
[New Condition Triggered – Emotional Trust Milestone Reached]
Intimacy Unlock Path: Available Soon...
And just like that, I was one step closer.
Not just to the bed.
But to her.