MZ-13

Ep. 3

"Are you ready to go?" B2 leaned at the threshold of my door.

I grabbed my last pen and nodded. "I am now." 

"Why do you need so many of those?"

"We're a traveling group, aren't we? I have to have a log, and so I'd have a lot of pens, wouldn't I?" It was partially an excuse but he didn't seem to mind. I lifted up a notebook from my bag. "I made a fake one yesterday."

He hummed in acknowledgement. "Well prepared." I walked over to him, taking his hand in mine and swinging my arms as I hummed a tune.

We walked through the empty halls in silence. Vague thoughts about what was happening floated in my mind, though for the most part it was more focused on my fingers intertwined with B2's. It was a familiar gesture. They were calloused but gentle and warm, yet he himself seemed aloof this morning. He probably thought I wouldn't notice if he acted normal, but it was pretty obvious that he was distancing himself in other ways. I brushed it off as one of those 'I'm upset but I don't want to talk about it' days of his.

The sky outside was this beautiful red, the sun only having begun to rise, but somehow the color seemed nearly ominous. A warning. It would've been way more dangerous if we traveled in pure darkness, even if it was easier to sneak out 'unnoticed' by the other residents of the apartment. I didn't really see the point in sneaking out when B2's coming with us, people are bound to notice his absence even if they don't notice ours, but it was his instructions. I guess he just wanted to delay the confusion and eventual chaos. The Defense Team members looked solemn as B2 and I passed by. While he was gone on this mission, they'd lose their chosen leader. I glanced at him, he didn't seem to pay mind to them.

We were only a group of six, we couldn't bring too many people or it'd become much more noticeable B2 had told me. He had specifically chosen Defense members who had next to no connections outside of the Defense Team. The only ones who knew about this mission were just those coming, B1, the Defense Team, and a few select members of the Maintenance Team. Some of the Defense Team members volunteered to take the role of the Retrievers. Everything will operate just fine. This was by no means a fool-proof plan, but it was the best that we could do. We don't intend to stay away for too long anyways. G32 crammed as many skills as she could, but even now she can barely shoot a gun straight. It's up to us to protect her, and I don't plan on letting anyone else die soon.

We got to the parking lot where the rest of the group was waiting, I didn't know who anyone else was except for G32 to be honest. B2 didn't seem too keen on introducing them, and it looked like they didn't have any intention of introducing themselves either, so I brushed it off. If ever I needed to call them maybe I'll just shout something particular to each. Like 'red head!' or 'kiddo!'. B2 had told me all of us here knew how to ride a motorcycle, but we only had 4, so two of us would have to double up. B2 looked at each of the members before assigning pairings, leaving him and one of the Defense members to go solo. I guess that was a good decision. He took the front and the other guarded the rear, the four of us in the middle to be guarded. We had considered just staying in a car, as it'd be easier to camp out, but there's no way a car would be able to weave through the forest like the motorcycles. It's strange how the forest grew this quickly in barely half a decade.

I was paired up with the doe-eyed youngster, he looked barely 17. Gosh that makes me feel old, even if I'm only in my early twenties. I raised my brow. "Are you good at shooting?"

"Uhm, you could say that-"

"He's our best sharpshooter." B2 cut him off. "But he isn't as used to navigating the forest as you are. I suggest you drive and he sits behind with a gun." It was less of a suggestion.