The tall guy finally relaxed a little and gestured around the group.
"Alright, buddy. Names. Mine's Tenya," he said, tapping his chest. "This is Anna—" he pointed to the quiet girl standing beside Aiko, her eyes soft but watchful.
"That one," he jerked his thumb at a dude clutching a shotgun way too big for him, "is Izuku. He doesn't talk much. Like… at all."
Izuku blinked once, the shotgun wobbling a bit under its weight.
"And this here—" Tenya continued, nodding toward the smirking short-haired girl, "—is Aiko."
Aiko stepped forward, chewing gum like she owned the forest. "Yeah, hi. Anyway…" She reached into her pocket and pulled out a small colorful wrapper. "I actually have candy. Here. Try it."
Mirko's eyes went wide like a child seeing Christmas for the first time.
"Wait… actual candy?"
Anna giggled. "Uh-huh. It's not poison, don't worry."
Mirko snatched it, ripped it open, and popped it into his mouth. He froze.
"WTF—these are actually CANDIES."
Aiko raised an eyebrow. "What did you expect? Rocks?"
Mirko didn't answer—he was too busy chewing like he had rediscovered the meaning of life.
Tenya cleared his throat loudly. "Ahem. Buddy—it's your turn to introduce yourself?"
Mirko snapped out of his candy trance.
"Oh! Right. Yeah. Uh…" He wiped both hands aggressively on his dirt-stained shirt, straightened up like someone told him he was meeting the president, and stepped forward.
"I'm Mirko!" he declared proudly, sticking out his hand.
Tenya hesitated, then shook it slowly, like he wasn't sure if Mirko's hand was safe to touch.
"Okay…? That's all?"
Aiko folded her arms. "You're not gonna tell us how you live out here? Or like… your house or something?"
Mirko blinked. "House? Oh. Yeah. I have one."
Anna tilted her head. "You… have a house?"
Mirko nodded. "Yup. Handmade. In a tree. Kinda cute. Very me."
Aiko squinted. "You live in a tree?"
Mirko shrugged. "It's cozy. Better than being eaten alive by whatever's out here."
Tenya raised both hands. "Okay, wait—so you've been living alone in the forest, in your tree-house, for YEARS… surviving on your own… and all you have to say is 'I'm Mirko'?"
Mirko popped another candy into his mouth. "You didn't ask for my autobiography."
Aiko snorted. "Oh my god, he's hopeless."
Mirko pointed at her dramatically. "And candy-bearing. Don't think I didn't notice your kindness. I will cherish this gift."
Anna covered her mouth to hide her laugh. Izuku blinked again, still silent.
Tenya just stared at Mirko like he wasn't sure whether to be impressed or deeply concerned.
"…We are… gonna need to know more."
Mirko shrugged again. "Ask away. I got nowhere to be except the pond, and I'm already half-naked."
Aiko choked on her gum laughing.
Anna turned red.
Izuku looked at the sky like he regretted everything.
Tenya groaned. "Oh… this is gonna be a long day."
Mirko brushed dirt off his shirt like a man trying to look presentable for guests he never expected to have.
"If you want," he said, trying to sound casual but failing miserably, "I can take you to my treehouse? It's, uh… big enough. I got some expired leftover rice and honey. Y'know. Luxury stuff."
Aiko squinted. "Expired…?"
Mirko waved a hand. "Look, don't question the rice. It's emotionally sensitive."
Tenya sighed like he already regretted following this feral child.
"Fine. Lead the way. And please tell me it's not on top of some death-trap cliff."
Mirko grinned.
"Oh, it's not a cliff. It's a tree."
"Somehow worse," Izuku muttered—his first words—earning a shocked glance from the others.
---
On the way to the treehouse…
They walked single file through the overgrown forest, sunlight filtering in golden shafts between the dense green canopy. Vines draped over crumbling street signs, moss smothered broken sidewalks, and a rust-eaten bus leaned sideways against a tree like it had given up decades ago.
Mirko hopped over fallen logs like a kid on a playground, pointing things out proudly.
"That's the rock I tripped on last month," he said.
Aiko whispered to Anna, "He labels the environment??"
"And that tree?" Mirko continued. "Almost killed me. Fell during a storm. Total jerk move."
Tenya pinched the bridge of his nose again. "You… talk to trees?"
"No," Mirko said defensively. "They just have really aggressive personalities."
A bird swooped overhead and landed on a branch above him.
Mirko instantly glared.
"Oh no. Not you again. Stay up there, feather demon."
The group exchanged a look.
"Is that the same bird from earlier?" Anna asked.
Mirko nodded darkly. "It has a personal vendetta."
---
A fallen overpass loomed ahead
The forest swallowed the concrete skeleton of an old highway. Part of it hung tilted, forming a sharp angled ramp covered in vines.
"This way," Mirko said, climbing it like he'd done it every day since birth.
Tenya stared. "We're climbing that?"
Mirko shrugged. "It's either this or walk around for like… forty minutes."
Aiko was already climbing behind him. "Yeah, Tenya. Don't be a coward."
"I'M NOT—"
"Sure, sure," she said, smirking.
They reached the top and crossed the cracked asphalt. Grass pushed through the fractures like nature was reclaiming every inch.
Izuku paused, staring out over the forest stretching endlessly into the horizon.
"…Didn't know it looked like this from up here."
Mirko nodded quietly.
"Yeah. I watch sunsets here. Makes the world feel less dead."
For a moment, silence settled between them—soft, fragile, almost warm.
Then Mirko suddenly stumbled on air and nearly rolled off the side.
"BRO—" Aiko grabbed him by the shirt.
"I'm fine!" he squeaked, not fine at all.
---
Finally, the treehouse came into view
A giant, ancient tree rose in the distance—wide trunk, thick branches, leaves glowing like emerald glass in the afternoon sun. High above, perched between two massive limbs, was Mirko's handmade shelter—patched wood, scavenged metal, rope, and smoke-marked planks.
The ladder creaked as they climbed, ropes swaying gently with each step. Sunlight flickered between the leaves, casting shifting patterns across their faces as they approached Mirko's home.
Anna reached the top first. She pulled herself onto the wooden platform, eyes widening as she took in the structure.
"Wow…" she breathed. "I wasn't expecting this."
Mirko climbed up after her, chest puffed proudly.
"I know, right? Not bad for one guy with zero building experience and a really questionable hammer."
Izuku poked his head up through the opening, glancing around with a raised brow.
"I mean… the houses back in the quarantine zone were better than this."
Mirko froze.
"I heard that, buddy."
Izuku shrugged. "Good. I said it loud enough."
Mirko crossed his arms.
"Well, this is handmade. My own two hands. Blood, sweat, tears… and a lot of screaming when I hit my thumb. But still."
Tenya climbed up next, nodding with genuine surprise.
"It's… sturdy. I was prepared for something far more primitive."
"Wow," Mirko muttered. "You guys really think I'm a caveman."
Aiko was the last one on the ladder. She climbed confidently—maybe too confidently. When she was only three steps from the top, the rope suddenly snapped loose from one side, and the rung twisted sharply.
Aiko's foot slipped.
Her small gasp was cut off as her body tilted backward, weight shifting into open air.
"Aiko!" Anna shouted.
Izuku lunged forward, but he was too far.
Tenya reached out, but he couldn't grasp her arm in time.
Mirko didn't think—he moved.
He dropped onto his stomach at the edge of the platform, arms shooting downward. With perfect timing, he grabbed Aiko by the wrist just as gravity yanked her the opposite direction.
Her legs swung out over empty space.
For a split second, the world seemed to freeze—the leaves rustling, the ropes creaking, Aiko's breath hitching.
Mirko gritted his teeth, muscles straining as he hauled her upward. Their hands slipped for a terrifying moment, but his fingers locked tighter, and with one strong pull, he dragged her onto the platform beside him.
Aiko collapsed onto the wooden floor, panting.
"Holy—holy crap…" She stared at him, eyes wide. "You—you saved me."
Mirko flopped onto his back dramatically.
"Girl, you almost died. Don't thank me—thank my adrenaline. He did all the work."
Tenya kneeled beside her, checking her over.
"You're not hurt?"
"No," she said, brushing hair from her face. Then she pointed at Mirko. "But he's ridiculously strong for someone who eats expired rice."
Mirko shrugged.
"Protein is protein."
Anna burst into relieved giggles.
"You two are insane."
Izuku grumbled under his breath.
"Great. Now the feral tree boy's a hero."
Mirko shot him a smug look.
"I heard that too, buddy."
Aiko sat up, cheeks a little red.
"I… uh. Thanks. Really."
Mirko scratched the back of his neck.
"Anytime. Preferably not while I'm hanging off a tree thirty feet in the air, though."
The group finally stepped fully into the treehouse, looking around as Mirko gestured dramatically like a proud tour guide.
"Welcome," he announced, "to Casa de Mirko."
Anna chuckled.
"It's actually… cozy."
Izuku sighed.
"Yeah. Fine. Cozy. Whatever."
Aiko smirked.
"I like it."
She nudged Mirko lightly. "Even if it's built like a Pinterest board gone wrong."
He grinned.
"I'll take that as a compliment.
Mirko leaned back against one of the wooden beams of his treehouse, arms crossed, curiosity practically glowing off him.
"Anyway… you guys mentioned you're runaways," he said, brows raised. "What could be worse than living in a settlement? I mean, I've been eating moss-flavored air and expired rice for years—so that city must be heaven, right?"
Tenya let out a humorless laugh.
"Mirko… it's not the paradise you're imagining."
The tone in his voice made the air shift.
Even Aiko stopped fiddling with the loose rope on the floor.
Mirko blinked. "Okay… then what's it like?"
Tenya exhaled slowly and sat down, back against the wall.
"The quarantine zone isn't really a 'city.' It's a cage. A big one."
Anna nodded, hugging her knees.
"And we're the animals in it."
Tenya continued, voice low and steady.
"There are walls everywhere. High steel ones. Most people inside never leave. They don't grow food—they depend on ration drops. Three times a week. Tiny amounts. Never enough."
Izuku's jaw tightened.
"And if the drops are late? People starve. Or fight. Or… disappear."
Aiko's fingers drummed anxiously on the wood.
"The Council controls everything. Food, medicine, water… freedom. If you question anything? You're labeled 'unstable.' And unstable people get relocated."
Mirko frowned. "Relocated where?"
Silence.
No one answered.
Tenya broke it eventually.
"There's another building," he said quietly. "A facility near the center. People who go in don't come out. We don't know what happens to them. Or maybe we do… we just don't want to admit it."
Anna's eyes glistened.
"My uncle went there. For sneaking extra food from the ration line."
Mirko swallowed.
"This is… way worse than I imagined."
Tenya nodded.
"And then there are patrols. Armed. Heavily. They're not exactly soldiers, but… they're trained. And they obey the Council without question."
Aiko scoffed. "They're more like attack dogs with guns."
Izuku finally lifted his eyes.
"And they don't tolerate runaways."
Mirko stared.
"So… let me get this straight." He held up a hand. "You guys didn't just 'leave.' You escaped."
Tenya nodded.
"And stole food?"
Aiko raised her hand proudly. "Three bags of rice and canned peaches. Absolutely worth it."
"And stole guns?"
Anna half winced, half grinned. "Technically we borrowed them. Indefinitely."
Mirko's eyes went wide with awe.
"Damn. That's— that's really badass."
Aiko smirked.
"We're rebels now, I guess."
Tenya rubbed the back of his neck.
"And now, yeah… the Council's patrol squads are probably tracking us. Not quite soldiers, but—"
"They might as well be," Anna cut in. "Same guns. Same training. Less brains."
Mirko raised both brows.
"So basically… I found four wanted fugitives in the middle of the woods?"
Izuku deadpanned, "Pretty much."
Mirko let out a low whistle.
"Well damn. And here I thought the infected bear was my biggest problem today."
Aiko laughed, shoulders finally relaxing a bit.
"Nope. You've got us now."
Mirko grinned.
"…Lucky me.
Mirko leaned against one of the wooden beams, arms folded.
"So… you guys have anywhere to go in mind? A plan? A map? A vision? Anything?"
Tenya shrugged, exhausted. "Well… nope."
Aiko flopped onto one of Mirko's makeshift seats, legs dangling over the side.
"We pretty much found our new settlement," she joked, waving her hand around the treehouse. "Welcome to Home Base 2.0."
Mirko blinked. "Wait—my treehouse?"
She grinned.
"Yeah. It's cozy. Rustic. Smells like adventure. And mold."
Mirko rubbed the back of his neck.
"I mean… yeah, I guess it's fine. As long as I'm not sharing my bed with anyone."
Aiko sat upright, eyes wide.
"Wait really? I was joking. But damn—" she gave him a small, surprised smile. "You're actually a good guy."
Izuku muttered under his breath while checking his shotgun.
"Oh, that's easy. This idiot is actually soft-hearted."
Mirko pointed at him instantly. "I heard that. Loud and clear."
Aiko snorted.
Mirko continued, waving a hand toward the open forest.
"And bro, what do you think I would do? Leave you out there? There's a psycho bear two blocks down. That dude OWNS the neighborhood. Y'all are gonna run into him one day and I'm not ready to lose any of you yet."
Anna shivered. "Psycho bear…?"
"Red eyes. Angry all the time. I think he needs therapy."
Tenya raised a brow. "Okay… animals aside, you're saying we can stay?"
Mirko nodded.
"Yeah. I mean—company doesn't hurt. And looting is easier with more hands."
Tenya blinked. "Umm… what do you mean 'looting'?"
Mirko looked at him like the answer was obvious.
"What—you think I grow rice? That I have honey-bees hidden under the treehouse? Nah, man. I loot to live. I scavenge. Old buildings, stores, warehouses… anything that survived the collapse."
Aiko raised her hand. "Oh thank GOD, a normal person. I thought he ate leaves for a second."
Mirko glared jokingly.
"It was only one time. And I spit it out."
Anna giggled behind her hand.
Tenya frowned thoughtfully.
"You really survive by scavenging alone…? No protection? No backup? Nothing but a handmade treehouse and pure luck?"
Mirko shrugged, leaning back proudly.
"And sick reflexes. Don't forget those."
Everyone exchanged a look.
Aiko whispered, "This man is insane."
Anna corrected softly, "Insane… and alive."
Mirko grinned. "Damn right."