Meridian | The Second Life III [COMPLETED]

20 - All We Are

- R I V I A N -

"Okay," Evan says, throwing on his backpack and looking at the four of us gathered in the kitchen. "What is our plan?"

"We're not sure, to be honest," Zach sighs, laying against the old stove. "We've been discussing that for a hot minute."

"Well, let me offer my two cents," he comments, gulping and sitting at a chair beside the dining table. "I know the situation in the Sanctuary isn't good, but I have to go there... if anyone survived, I have to help them."

"Figured as much," I say, stretching my chest. "Will you keep an eye out for any Battery survivors?"

"Of course," he replies, nodding, looking around at us. "So what are we doing, then?"

"I want to search for survivors at Battery," Catey begins confidently. "We need to know who survived."

"I'm joining her," Eagle chirps, looking at Catey and nodding before turning back to us. "We'll see what's left."

"I'm going with Evan," Zach adds. "After that, I'm making it back to the radio station. We need to get ears on any comms we can."

"What about you, Riv?" Catey asks, looking my way.

I gulp, looking at Evan. "You know Cross better than any of us," I state. "What does he do next?"

Evan stretches his neck, thinking. "Well, before today I'd say he'd do anything to hunt us down. Now, I'm not sure," he sighs. "That person with him..."

"Yeah, who was that, anyway?" Zach interrupts, squinting.

"I think it's Aubrey," Evan says, and Catey's brow raises. "Which means he lied, which means I don't have a clue what he does next."

I look around the room, which seems unhappy with the answer. "Then we need to take them down. Who knows what they do next?"

Catey and Eagle both look at me in concern. "What do you propose, exactly?"

"I hunt them down," I state, and Zach turns his head my way.

"Alone?" He asks, bewildered.

"That's suicide, Rivian!"

"Hell no, you're coming with us."

"Wait," Evan interjects, trying to quiet the chaos I just made. "He's right. They need to be dealt with."

"I don't doubt your abilities, Rivian," Eagle comments, turning away from Evan. "But that is a terrible idea. We have to work together, in a unit!"

"Right," I sigh. "That's what you and Catey did last week, no?"

"Rivian," Catey mutters. "That's the only time that's ever happened, and it's because we had special info. We don't have that now. Eagle's done this for months because it's her specialty."

"You'd be searching for two people in the entire city when the Z's just demolished everything" Eagle adds. "Not to mention those two somehow knew what the Z's were going to do."

"I'm with the girls on this one," Zach says. "We do need to do something, though. Eventually."

"Fine," I grumble, looking at Catey. Maybe it's a bad idea, but when will they let me prove myself? "I'll go with you guys and get the info from Blake. We just saw what they can do; if we give them enough time to strike again, we may not live to get another chance."

- C R O S S -

"Lost them," Aubrey grumbles, sitting down across the room. We're still close to the river, although I don't know where we've ended up exactly. She slams the foregrip of her rifle into the end table, rattling the dusty lamp atop it.

"Aubrey, it's okay," I sigh, trying to calm her down. A second pound on the table confirms that I'd failed.

"It's not," she counters with a sigh. "I barely hit him! He should be dead as shit!"

"Maybe," I admit, stashing my pistol in my backpack and turning her way. "Doesn't matter, though."

She looks my way, focusing away from the abuse of her rifle to the surprise of my statement. "Why?"

"We're getting the fuck out of here," I sigh, setting down my backpack and sitting on a counter. "Out of New York."

"Very funny," she laughs, shaking her head and slowly realizing what I said. "Wait, seriously?"

"Yes," I state. "We're getting out of here."

"What?" She asks incredulously, looking at me like I've gone insane. "Are you fucking serious Cross?"

"Yes!" I repeat.

"What's gotten into you, dude?" She questions, mouth agape. "First you changed the plans to save Evan instead of killing him like we were told and now you want to abandon the plan altogether?"

"It'd take a miracle for Chuni to lose, Aubrey," I attempt to explain as her face gets redder and redder. "What happens when they're all dead? What do you think happens to us?"

"Cross, he promised us we'd live!" She retorts, throwing her hands in the air. "Just like him!"

"He's a fucking psychopath!" I counter, nodding my head. "It works against his plan to keep us alive. He'll kill us, Aubrey."

"But," she stutters, fidgeting. "We can take him, dude!"

"Not if he has a horde," I mumble.

She looks down at the floor, shaking her head. "You just expect me to run away with you?"

"You know what happens if we stay!"

She jumps up, picking up the radio as my eyes go wide in fear. "Chuni, do you copy?" She says, glaring at me.

"No!" I exclaim, jumping up to rush her. She pulls up her rifle, though, clicking off the safety and bracing it against her shoulder. I watch in horror as the barrel raises to face my direction, the radio steady in her off-hand.

"Copy," I hear from the radio as I watch a tear slip down her cheek. "What's your status? Over."

"No," I whimper meekly, choking on my breath. "Aubrey..."

A look of realization goes over her face. I watch as the rifle begins shaking as she holds back the bursting dam of tears. "We," she stammers into the radio, breathing heavily. "...lost Evan. Continuing pursuit. Over."

"Copy," Chuni responds as she drops the radio. It hits the ground violently, breaking some of the dials from the housing and knocking the batteries out. Her rifle follows suit as she slides down the side of the counter and sits on the floor, balled up and crying.

"I'm sorry," she sobs as I rush over, sit down, and hug her.

"It's okay," I mutter, breathing a sigh of relief. "I know you don't need protecting, but I promised Mom that I would." That was the last thing I'd ever told her when everything went down.