Head researcher Stalin stood at the end of the table, his face half lit by the red emergency lights. Tremors from the monsters above could be felt from the walls.
"Turn it off," he said. One of his assistants in white coat across the room turned on the grey overhead lights. Behind Stalin, the other researchers followed by trained soldiers came with arms and supplies they gathered.
"Is everything in the data centre, okay?" Stalin asked, grumbling. His old bones were getting tired of all this but he had to endure. This was his duty. The least he could do is help the people here evacuate.
"Yes, sir." One of the working satellites accepted backup and scattered across the military servers across the world."
So much has been lost at this point. But the knowledge they stored in data can always give them another chance. As long as they have that information, humanity hasn't lost this battle yet.
"Good." Stalin breathed a sigh of relief. At least, they still have a fighting chance. All the research they did after the apocalypse was in there. Even in the worst case, the other military facility will be able to make use of them.
"The next priority is the people. How is the evacuation coming?"
"No problems there as well. With the estimated monster impact being half an hour away, we will still be able to get most of us out with all the weapons and equipment necessary."
Everything seemed to be going well so far. There was still something troubling they were expecting to encounter on the way to the bunker they were evacuating.
"Any other messages from the lieutenant?"
"Yes. The reinforcements have met up with lieutenant Bucky Sarge. We heard they pinned down the wanderers that attacked them, keeping them in check. We're free to move."
Except that, there was still one concern left for Stalin.
"How are the injured men doing? The commander?"
Without doubt, area six has suffered significant losses against an unknown assistant. Even though keeping the casualty to minimum, many of the skilled men were injured—including their commander Leo who was in an unconscious state.
"The commander is fine sir. We might be able to bring him with us. But," He hesitated. "Most of the soldiers can move and evacuate with us but I'm afraid we might have to leave some of them behind. And." he hesitated. "The other soldiers unable to evacuate told us they were okay with it."
"Is that so…?" Stalin felt sad to hear that. The ones who sacrifice the most are always the strong men who give hope to others while costing theirs.
"At least, they want to fight the monsters holding the fort behind us while we evacuate."
"What? They said that."
"Yes, sir. It appears most of them lost their family members before coming here. They want to stay behind and fight until the end. What should we do?"
Stalin can understand their resolve. There was nothing left for him in this world. No one is waiting on the other side of this battle. It's almost too easy to give into despair.
But the reason they pick up every time they fall is not for themselves. It is so they can give hope to those who come after them.
"How much of the annihilator series are we leaving behind in the armory?"
"...!? Sir, you don't mean—"
"Give those weapons to them. We can't bring everything with us, can we?"
If they are going to lose these men either way. Stalin wanted to give them a chance to create hell for monsters. His eyes told him how serious he was.
"Y-yes, sir. Right away."
***
"Don't think you've won with this," Crimson warned Bucky. "I will pay you back for that bullet."
"I wouldn't dare to be careless," Bucky retorted. "Not until we get out of this place.'
They were walking side by side in the front while followed by the soldiers that came as reinforcement. They helped organize the civilians and other soldiers. If anything they helped ease their hearts, not more trouble as Kai hoped.
With much difficulty and choices they made, the fight was avoided, or maybe stalled, for now. Bucky was the only one Crimson knew to get outside this Bunker and they couldn't have him going amok and killing them with his powers.
If they didn't agree to a compromise, they had to agree for mutual extinction. Obviously, they made the better choice. But that's just for now. They are equal in grounds of negotiation and power, so each chose to obey the other. But this thin line of truce might fall any moment.
'They must be thinking that,' Kai thought, trying his best to hide among the crowd. 'Even so…'
"You're quite the talented guy, huh? That was incredible, dude." Sunny said, pulling on the rolling chair and aiding to his captain.
"Haha…yeah."
The last act he pulled to make this truce happen was reckless and bold. He had everyone's attention now, making it harder to blend in. If they realise his true identity, it will cause another uproar.
He is dangerously close to exposing himself. 'Damn it.'
Many among the crowd were already onto him. Even without a magical core that lets him use his powers, Daksha was still hanging around him, hiding his presence and morphing Kai's appearance.
'Hm? I sense magical energy here,' Mera thought. As one of the Crimson's team, and a telepath, she can tell when there are magical anomalies around her. But she always stays quiet about her findings because she doesn't like Crimson very much.
'Could it be… a monster?'
She would incur another round of stampede if she reports to crimson that. What she sensed was daksha.
'No. I must be wrong.'
***
Words can hardly describe what Hilda was feeling right now.
"Move! I said move it, man!"
"The hell are you talking about!? You're in my way!"
Robert was having a fight with one of his friends right in the middle of evacuation. John, one of the few friends he cares about chose to stay behind while the others evacuated.
'Just because he can't convince him to come with him,' Hilda thought. 'They're fighting like children.'
She was both exasperated and depressed at the same time. Although, she would be lying if she said she can't understand how Robert feels. He can't stay behind with John if he wanted to, he still had reasons he had to continue fighting. But that meant this would be the last time they would see each other.
"Hah? What was that? Are you jealous I got to try the other annihilators before you? Too bad you can't handle it in your current state, right?"
John mocked how he needed someone else's help to walk.
"Who are you calling jealous? I don't like them anyways! Stop spouting nonsense! You want your hands broken?"
"Hmm? ah, sorry. I'm deaf to barking dogs. What did you say again?"
"I said, I should poke more holes in your head so you can hear better—"
"Stop it, you two." Hilda just had to intervene at this point. "Come on guys, is this really the last conversation you want to have?"
Robert gave a weird look. Even John was less enthusiastic to hear that. This is where they part ways and they had to accept that. Hilda was guilty of dampening the mood but the time was short for all of them.
Another tremor from the ground above shook them, hastening the evacuation process all around them. People move around them in hurry, helping those who can't while others prepare for the fight to come.
"Anything else you got to say?" John said with a serious look. "I have to prepare for the fight too, you know."
Robert knew that. He still had so many things to say to him—Goodbye wasn't one of them.
"Yeah, I have one last thing to say to you—"
Everyone has different reasons to fight in this messed up world, be it family, friends, or to just give hope to those who need help, they do it of their own will. Those who carry this will, they pass it on to the ones they protect, continuing the cycle.
"When you go into battle—"
As long as those who remember them exist, the ones who give hope, the will to survive continues. Humanity hasn't lost this fight just yet, no matter what apocalypse awaited them.
"Give them hell."
===