The Individuals

Story#20: Starlight

This ending is going to be so entertaining

***

A gunshot boomed through the air.

Shock filled everyone's eyes and twisted our faces.

We were so close.

We were right there.

I was the furthest away, but I could still easily see the horrified expressions on everyone's faces.

Axel was in front of me and despite how cool and calm he always was, he looked just about as scared as I did.

Zane and Ashly were ahead of him and closest to the scene. Blood splattered across their faces. Zane didn't look much worse, but Ashly...she's usually so cheerful and hopeful, but the look she had on her face, it was like everything she believed was just crushed in front of her.

Meanwhile, the bomb's impending chant continued on, filling our ears and the cleared-out streets.

***

We all sat there in our chairs, looking down at the floor with gloom-ridden and ashamed looks. Chief Holand paced back and forth in front of us with a file in front of him.

" At 12:15 earlier this morning, you four arrived at the scene. By the time you arrived, the police on the scene had already cleared the streets and secured the perimeter. About 15 minutes earlier, an unidentified craft flew and crashed in the center of the city. Around five were killed due to the impact and 27 were injured. The known villain, Killer Quantum, then appeared and revealed that he was the owner of the craft and on it was a bomb set to detonate in two hours."

" He claimed that the bomb had an explosion radius larger than all of Megalocity. At 12:27, when you four had gone to confront him, he pulled a gun to his head and killed himself."

" It has been about half an hour since then. The bomb is too large for any of the equipment we have on hand to move, and it would take too long for something that could move it to get here. The craft that initially moved it was completely destroyed on impact. Although our EODs are still sleeplessly working to try to disarm it, currently, it seems unlikely that they will be able to. And now, with Quantum dead, nearly all hope of the bomb's disposal has been crushed."

" It is currently 12:49. The bomb began ticking at twelve o'clock. There's only one hour and eleven minutes until it blows. Evacuation efforts have long begun, but as you might already know, not everyone in Megalocity is going to be able to escape in time."

Coming to a stop, Chief Holand looked down at us. We all looked up at him. Much like us, he had a downcast look on his face. Not once in my life had I ever seen him look like that. With an uncharacteristically low voice, he began to call us out one by one.

" Starlight Red, Ashly Graham...Starlight Blue, Zane Graves...Starlight Green, Axel Burningham..."

Finally, he turned to me.

"...Starlight Yellow, Elias Bayley..."

" It is with the utmost respect I am going to say what I'm about to say to you. For years, you four have helped protect Megalocity from all sorts of criminals and creeps, despite being so young. You have done more than we could ask and for that, this city, no, this country holds you in the highest regard."

I could see him start to furrow his brow.

" There is only one way we could think of that could potentially move the bomb."