I'll Be There For You

VANI

Year: 2342

Month: September

Date: 23

Destination: 5 miles from the HQ – Eastern Earth

Everything happened so fast.

When Clive gave the signal, Vani and Maverick had taken positions on either sides of the entrance. Phoenix had taken care of the guards at the entrance the way he always took care of things. He'd then headed up to join Clive and Roshan at the hilltop.

Vani was trying hard not to think about her parents. They were alive. She'd first thought, I'm supposed to be angry at them. But she hadn't. What life in the past few months had taught her was that it was short. And that survival was the most important thing for living beings. So she'd let go of her anger. And had spent those few precious moments with her mom, knowing that she would return. She'd know it the second she opened her eyes to find her mom in tears. She would go back there and live with her parents. She was excited for that part of her life.

And selfishly, she wanted her friends to come with her.

She turned to look at Maverick. "Were you three serious when you said you'd come with me? To Zeroa?"

Maverick turned to look at her and smiled. "You dummy. The three of us knew the second we met aunty that we'd stay there. Her food? I miss it and I want it. Phoenix and Clive have also heard about it now."

Vani wanted to cry. "I'm really sorry for all the lies Mavey."

His eyes narrowed. "I will murder you painfully if you call me that again."

She laughed. That was when she felt it. The ground shaking. Horribly so. Her vision tilted and she stumbled, head knocking against the jagged wall next to the door.

"Ow!" She said rubbing her head.

"Hold on tight you stupid human!" She heard Naina yell from inside the barricade.

She smiled. Naina was growing on her.

That was when she heard footsteps. A lot of them.

The doors swung open and Vani's vision blurred. Standing before her were rows and rows of members of the Powers, strapped with guns and knives and rifles.

"They'd been expecting this." Maverick whispered. His face dawned with horror. "Holy shit."

She whispered into her earpiece, "Um guys, about five hundred armed members heading your way. We may have to fight them after all. Is the Resistance ready?"

Ayaan's voice poured in, "The jets are ready. So are the land members. Just say the word."

"Not yet. Let Naina's earthquake gain momentum."

The rumblings grew. She could hear Naina stomping her feet on the ground to increase the speed of the cracks. Vani worried if this would do more damage.

"Naina! That's enough! You need to get out of there before you fall inside!" Roshan yelled in the earpiece. He had a position uphill so he could see her inside the barricade. His face was pinched with fear.

"Okay!" She yelled in it.

Soon they could see her climbing up the barricade and heading to the hill. The shaking didn't stop. Good. At least until things went overboard. She tried to rack her brain to come up with the logistics of earthquakes. Nothing.

"Ok! Send the jets now!" She yelled in the piece.

As if on cue, hundreds of tiny jets shot into the sky. It looked like a murder of crows from down there.