Metal Man

Chapter 8: I blow up stuff

Jade's statement was met with complete silence, which didn't surprise her. She had expected them to mull over this for quite some time. But she didn't have the luxury of letting them process it. 

"We need people who will fight beside us when the time comes." she went on. "Not now, but soon. There are plenty of people in the catacombs, but we don't know what state they are in. Please." she said. 

The multitude of responses was immediate and almost overwhelming. 

"No!" shouted a voice. 

"Never!" 

"When?" 

"We will fight!"   

"Fake!" 

"You're crazy!" 

Jade was beginning to despair. If they couldn't make up their minds, that was as bad as "no".
"Wait!" The woman who Jade had first talked to strode to the front of the room, beside the chair Jade was standing.

"We must wait until out leader comes back." she said. "Then he will call for a vote."

Jade just about hung her head in her hands. Votes could take much longer than the time frame she had. Then what the woman had first said hit her.

"Your leader's gone?" she said, not bothering to pretend she knew everything anymore. 

"Yes." said the woman. "He was the one who led your sick friend away." 

"Him?" Jade said, remembering the wispy-haired man who always said, "of course."

"Yes," said the woman, looking Jade squarely in the eye. "We will wait and vote."

Jade closed her eyes briefly. It was the best she could do under the circumstances. "Alright," she consented. "But remember, you don't have much time to make a decision. A week, at most." Jade didn't need a clock to know she was going to be cutting it very close getting to the subway, so jumped off the chair and raced out the door.

But as she was running, she spotted something. She glanced at it, knowing if she went towards it, she wouldn't get on the train. But it might be her only chance. 

"I will get to Rome, Rosemarie." she promised to thin air. "I will." 

And she went in the direction of the object.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"And who are you with?" said the officer on duty, sounding worn thin. Good. I had made sure to get there at the last second. 

"I'm with her," I said, pointing to a random woman rushing on the tram. "Please just let me on otherwise it'll leave without me. She's got my ticket."

"Alright," said the officer. "Go. But if you're lying..." I didn't let her finish the threat. I ran on the train and sat down in a chair that had an empty seat. Despite her foul tricks, one of the few things I knew about Jade was that she kept to her word.   

She had minutes left before the tram left, and I began to lose hope. Then it started moving, and I knew she had no chance of getting on now. 

I slumped over, knowing I was alone on the train now. I turned and stared out the window at the fast-moving world. Maybe Jade would get the next one. Just maybe. I prayed she wasn't in any trouble. Fear, trauma, and despair flashed through me, threatening to break me.