God's Rise | WOTG #2

Sixty-Seven

C A D E

EVERYTHING STOPPED FOR A moment as if the world ceased spinning on its axis. Ezerina jumped from where she sat and I could feel her powers permeating the air like tiny little needles. Bea's eyes widened and Kato took a step back. I stare at my best friend and the rifle in his hand.

Pumasok si Zike sa loob ng hotel room at sa sandaling 'yon ay hindi namin alam ang gagawin namin. Hindi naman namin p'wedeng basta-basta i-neutralise ang kaibigan namin. Inilapag niya ang rifle sa ibabaw ng lamesa. Napansin niyang nakatingin kaming lahat sa kaniya.

"Naiwan ko 'yong kape sa labas," sambit niya.

Huminga kaming apat at para bang nawala ang mabigat na nakadagan sa dibdib namin.

Pagbalik ni Zike ay may tulak siyang isang cart na may limang tasa ng mainit na kape. Binigay sa amin isa-isa ang tasa at umupo sa ibabaw ng kama niya.

"Sorry but we're in a hurry," Bea said. "Anong sitwasyon ngayon dito?"

Zike took a sip from his coffee and bit his lip, thinking about how he would answer the question. Before he could open his mouth, Kato beat him to it.

"May neurolink na ba sa utak niyo?" bulalas niya at napatingin na lang kaming tatlo sa kaniya. Nagkibit-balikat lang siya na parang sinabing "Kung hindi niyo tatanungin ako na lang magtatanong."

"Neurolink?"

Nakita kong nakatingin nang maigi si Kato kay Zike. At hindi ko na kailangan pang tanungin para malamang ini-scan niya ang utak ni Zike sa kahit anumang abnormal brain activity. Tumango sa akin si Kato.

"Wala, wala," sabat ko. "Kalimutan mo na 'yon."

Kumunot lang ang noo niya.

"Ano na nga bang sitwasyon dito?" tanong ko.

"Tulad ng sinabi ko kanina simula nang lumabas na lang bigla 'yong Havierre na 'yon ay naiba na lahat," panimula niya. "Pakiramdam ko nga na nasa sci-fi movie ako. Lahat ng edad eighteen pataas ay pina-enlist niya sa military. Walang humpay na training at drills araw-araw. Ngayon, nasa lockdown ang buong Districts. Lahat ng boundary ay may checkpoint at walang p'wedeng pumasok at lumabas na civilian."

The silence stretched over us. Bea pressed her lips together in a thin line while Ezerina remained quiet, sipping her coffee. Kato relaxed on his seat.

"How 'bout you guys? Nasaan ba kayo these past few months?"

Aside from discovering we have our own superpowers and constantly running away from Goldberg's forces? We just found ourselves as members of a rebellion which we didn't have any idea if it could overthrow him or not. Not to mention, we were in an extremely dangerous mission right now and we shouldn't be here catching up with our best friend.

Not that I'd say that out loud.

"Nothing," Ezerina butted in. "We're here to do some errands."

I'd hardly call these errands. Bombing Zeus—where most of the electricity of the District was coming from—and infiltrating the Capitol Palace were just errands? Okay, then, I might as well kill hundreds of soldiers and take them out like trash.

"Do you have any idea what you're superiors are up to?" Kato asked, leaning forward.

Zike bit the insides of his cheek and shrugged. "Nothing. Hinahayaan lang nilang malaman namin kung ano man ang dapat naming malaman. Nothing more, nothing less."

"What about—" I was saying when the doorbell rung. All of us sprung to our feet, ready to flee or to engage in combat. Ezerina flexed her hands and squared her shoulders, eager to have a taste of some action.