When Natalie finished drying the rooster and finally stretched out on her bed, curiosity got the better of her. She grabbed her tablet and searched for the right way to bathe a chicken. To her surprise, the encyclopedia she had downloaded earlier had an entry. It read, "The best way to bathe a pet chicken is with sand. Using water can cause illness or even death." Natalie stared at the screen in disbelief. She got up, walked back into the living room, and looked over at Cash, who was still strutting confidently around. "You picked the shampoo yourself. If you end up dead, it's not my fault," she muttered. She twisted her words to justify herself. "You chose the shampoo. Sand doesn't exactly come with bubbles, so I just honored your preference." Cash was nothing like Lucky. He wasn't sharp at all and didn't understand a single thing she said. He simply paraded through the house with his chest puffed up, looking like he owned the place. Natalie sighed, reassuring herself. If he really did keel over, she could just fry him up and serve crispy chicken to Olivia. Judging from the way Olivia looked at those hens earlier, she would probably enjoy it. Cash had no idea his owner had already mapped out his afterlife in her head. He strutted across the room with bold steps, chest held high like a little soldier. As he passed Lucky, he shook his feathers smugly. Lucky bared her teeth, ready to pounce. Natalie pulled her back quickly, guilt tightening in her chest. "Lucky, knock it off. Come on, let's go to bed." She wasn't sure if the rooster would survive the night. Lucky shot Cash a proud glance as if to say, 'Enjoy the couch. The bed's mine.' Natalie and Lucky curled up together and slept soundly for nine full hours. When they woke, the sun had already gone down. Outside, the night boiled with noise. The streets filled the moment darkness fell. Some fought over supplies, others cried over the dead, and a few ran screaming as mutant rats chased them through the alleys. Natalie cracked the window and checked the temperature. 125.6 degrees. The heat had climbed again. Before, that kind of temperature only came during the day. At night, it usually dropped into the 110s. But now even the nighttime heat had passed 120. That meant tomorrow would be worse. She frowned, trying to remember whether the 140-degree wave was tomorrow or the day after. It didn't matter. She wasn't going outside anyway. Harold and Olivia would be back from scavenging fuel tonight, and then they'd stay inside too. As long as the air conditioner kept running, they would all be safe. Natalie leaned out the window, watching the restless crowd below. She couldn't believe how much energy they had in this heat. Shouting? In this kind of temperature? They looked fine for now, but she knew their bodies were already breaking down. Once the temperature hit 140, plenty of them would drop instantly. She closed the window with a sigh. In that brief moment, two massive flies slipped inside. They were huge, at least twice the size of normal flies. The pair clung together as they circled the room, buzzing with a sickening hum. Probably a couple. Natalie looked around for something to kill them with, but before she could move, a shadow darted in from the living room. It was Cash. He moved with explosive speed, flapping his half-grown wings. With a sharp leap, he landed on Lucky's back. Then he darted up onto the dog's head, kicked off for height, and launched himself into the air. His wings snapped open as he snatched both flies out of the air in a single bite.He landed smoothly, smacking his beak in satisfaction. The whole thing was over in seconds. Natalie froze, eyes wide in shock. This rooster was a fighter. She rushed over, relief flooding her. "Cash, you're alive?" The bath hadn't killed him. Not only was he fine, but he was also a skilled bug hunter. She never thought he could catch insects midair. Her respect for him grew instantly. That seamless string of moves was flawless, like watching a martial artist in action. A true warrior rooster. Lucky, however, was furious. The rooster had used her head as a springboard. Well, fuck you too, you cock wanker!Seeing Natalie beam with pride only made Lucky angrier. She lunged at Cash, determined to tear him apart. And just like that, the dog and rooster clashed again. Lucky had the size and power, but Cash was fast and agile. They darted around the room, each trying and failing to overpower the other. Natalie stood there, torn between laughter and frustration. Her home was chaos. But it was vibrant chaos. She realized she didn't need to force Lucky to train anymore. With Cash around, she'd get more than enough sparring. Seeing that Lucky wasn't actually in danger, she left them to it. She went to wash up, pulled food from her storage space, and set the meal on the table.By the time she sat down with her plate, the fight had ended. Both dog and rooster ran over in sync, sitting at her feet with eager eyes. Natalie laughed. Once, only Lucky begged at mealtime. Now she had a duo.