A Coin Flip

Chapter 7: Safe Haven

Azul

~~~

The light hum of the shuttle's engines filled the air. Not a word was spoken between us. It was both relieving and nerve racking at the same time.

Delta was at my side, graciously letting me use his shoulder as a head rest. By now both my arms were wrapped around his left arm, gently squeezing it. It'd been a few hours since we left the institute; time seemed to go extra slow with our uneasy ally in the front, but at least I got to spend that time at Delta's side.

I'm so happy I get to be with him. He's amazing, to the way he looks, the way he talks, the way he thinks. I like it all. It's reassuring to know I have him through all this mess.

It felt like a fever dream when I woke up to what he was saying earlier tonight. I couldn't believe my ears at that moment. But I'm not sorry to say I'm glad he was the one to confess his feelings first. I just get so nervous around him sometimes. I'm sure I would've confessed eventually but this just makes things so much easier.

I hope I can stop being so nervous around him. I don't feel nervous right now. Right now I feel collected and safe by his side. But that's probably only because I'm not talking to him. I always find it hard to know what to say to him, but I always somehow find the right thing to say.

He sounds so determined when he speaks. He talks about his dreams like he just knows they're going to come true. I just love that about him. It's totally different from how I think, but you know what they say, 'opposites attract.'

"We're approaching our destination, get ready to depart." The protogen from the front informed us.

"You still haven't told us where we even are." Delta chimed in with an annoyed voice.

"We're in New Statum, to be specific, the rebels' base of operation." He replied in an equally annoyed voice.

"Rebels? What rebels?" I pitched in.

"You two haven't heard?" A silence followed after his question, prompting him to continue. " You think you two are the only protogens who went against the system? Of course not, there's many others just like you, and come and band together in one spot. Here."

I had no idea a rebel camp even existed. Thinking about it now, it seems obvious that one would exist but, I guess the military was really good at suppressing our thoughts.

I looked to my right to see Delta have an uneasy look on his face. "What's wrong Delta?" I whispered to him.

"I don't know. Something feels off about it. don't you think it's kind of strange that a freshly turned military agent knows where a rebel base is?" He whispered back in a sceptical voice.

My eyes shifted to the front, then back to Delta. "You think he would set us up?" I quietly inquired.

Delta paused to think before answering. "It's possible... Don't let your guard down." he informed me. I nodded in reply.

The shuttle trembled as it descended, its engine humming steadily. Delta leaned forward in his seat, his hands gripping the armrests as he peered out a small viewport. Through the thick haze of rain and darkness, the outline of an abandoned industrial complex emerged. Its silhouette was jagged against the faint glow of distant city lights, surrounded by a dense forest that seemed to encroach on its crumbling walls.

Delta's eyes were studying the facility with determination as we got closer. If only I knew what he was thinking.

He sat back into his seat and let out a sigh. "I really hope this place shares our goals of freedom." Delta said sorrowfully.