Arc 1 - Chapter 28: A Single Full Moon

(Quintiles 22, 59 / 11:49PM)

“I told you guys a million times. It’s better if no one dies.” Said Gwen.

“Is it not too much to ask for our plans to succeed…” Said Luke.

“Be careful of what you wish for…”

In the building they all called home, they all sat in a circle in front of a fire pit. With the sky being cloudy, the burning of wood unleashed embers into the starry night, smelling the smoke with their unclogged noses.

Just this once, they were given the reward of tranquility. Even though the stars above couldn’t penetrate the clouds, at least they could breathe.

“I’m surprised Fred managed to make such a cool bullet. Tranquilizer darts? That’s honestly pretty scary.” Said Gwen.

“It was easy to create, but Luke was the one to give me the idea. He wanted to limit the amount of lethal casualties.”

Fred raised a cold beverage up toward his lips, opening his mouth slightly as he arched the bottle back. Letting the soft liquor barrage down his throat, he pulled the bottle away, and gasped for breath. Swiping away a bit of beer from his right lip, he noticed Luke and Benn were the only ones in the group to not have a bottle in their hands.

“I’ve never seen you drink beer Luke. All of us have tried it except you, so what gives?”

“Tried it once, but I spat it out fast. I’m not good with alcohol in general.”

“Maybe you had tequila or vodka.” Said Gwen.

“No … it was normal beer.”

Everyone began to laugh, leaving Luke to grumble underneath his breath. Out of all of them, there was a particular one that made every boy turn toward…

“snorts and giggles … oh man … snorts and giggles … that’s too funny … snorts and giggles.”

Luna covered her mouth with her hand, geekishly snorting as she giggled. Luke looked away, his face blushing a crimson red as he was clearly nervous. Seeing his state, Luna wore a devilish smile, and stared at him drunkenly.

“What? Not gonna look at me? You know I’m not that angry~”

With a beer bottle in her hand, she made her way toward Luke, her smile only growing more devilish by the second. Towering over him, she kept her gaze on him, despite his eyes being pinned onto the grass below.

“Hey, look at me, would you…?”

Tugging his shoulder with her spare hand, it was as if the alcohol had turned her into a needy woman. Unable to see Luke being toyed by her, Hope stood up from her seat.

Her hands shaking, her eyes unwavering, she placed herself right in between Luke and Luna. Extending her arms outward, while keeping her right hand gripping her bottle, she continued to glare at Luna.

While Luna glared at her back.

“Move. I’m talking with Luke.”

Hope didn’t falter, as her soulless eyes stared deep into Luna’s sharpened ones. Not backing down, she shadowed her like prey, her anger quick to burn.

Everyone else sighed, shaking their heads at the same old gimmick both Luna and Hope had for the past six years.

“I said move!”

“Leave him alone.”

“Don’t care. Move you bitch!”

“Whore.”

“Say that again!”

“sighs … There are other guys in the world, you know?”

Putting herself in between the two of them, Gwen glanced at both of them. As the two rivals took a step back each, Hope returned to her seat, eyeing Luke as she had her hands clasped together. Meanwhile, Luna was face to face with Gwen, her fists quivering relentlessly under her intense strain.

‘Why does everyone butt in my way?!’

Eyeing Gwen with a bulging vein, Luna tried to control her anger. Wanting to punch her, wanting to push her, she couldn’t. Having her hands low to her waist, Gwen placed her hands onto her hips, while tilting her head.

“Just get another bottle to smooth you out. Come to think of it, this is your third bottle right?”

“Yeah, and?”

“You’re drunk … and the last time you were drunk, you tried to drag Luke to your room.”

“Shut up!”

‘Why were my emotions loose during that whole incident…’

Unfortunately for her, her thoughts were heard loud as day for a given telepath. Smirking at her, Jack let out a soft chuckle, leaving the others around him to already make space for him…

“Just say that you like him.”

“Stop using your stupid telepathy!”

She stared at Jack, giving him a death glare that brought his face pale. Ignoring Gwen, she made her way towards Jack, her eyes purely focused on the quivering young man. Still sitting on his seat, he dropped his beer bottle, and raised both his hands up…

She vanished.

‘Aww shit…’

Teleporting behind him, she grabbed both of his arms, and started to yank them like strings of yarn. Feeling his muscles and tendons being stretched, he stuttered and tried to tap out, but Luna kept pulling.

“Wait, Luna! You’re going to dislocate them!”

“This is payback for that stupid song you sang six years ago—”

“Luna! Do you want this?”

He took out a strawberry glazed donut from his pocket, raising it up high for Luna to eye it. Cherry filling leaking out from the top, she slightly opened her mouth to lick her lips.

“You can’t win me over with food!”

“If you want, I could eat—”

Instead of sprinting, Luna teleported in front of Luke, snatching the donut from his hand in back of him. Her mouth continuing to drool, she gobbled up the strawberry glazed donut, causing her to loosen her body and muscles like jello.

And from the other side of the firepit, the outcasts all watch these events unfold. Drinking beer and eating teriyaki chicken, their mouths were coated with the harsh stench of alcohol, yet their smiles were warm.

While their cheeks flushed.

“Having the attention of two girls…” Muttered Gary.

“For a time, Fred had some attention, remember Gemma?” Said Diego.

“Yeah … I still miss her.” Said Fred.

“A shame that she sacrificed herself.” Said Gary.

“And don’t forget Ryan’s death too. We lost two good people and for what? To get stronger? The four of us didn’t even get our blessings…” Said Stan.

Six years prior, they all drank soda or juice. Being men, and with the drinking age being 18, they all satisfied themselves with booze. Remembering all the fond memories they had over the years, the memories of those 13 candidates…

“Honestly … training wasn’t that bad.” Said Fred.

“Other than The Array, we had it easy for these past six years. We’re in good shape, we know how to somehow fight, and we continue to invent like old times.”

Gary raised the beer bottle toward his lips, seeing his reflection alongst the brown glass. Staring at his image, he remembered those times he got up, those times he ran until he passed out, and times when…

He laughed.

—“I think that’s just part of growing up. The older we get, the more we reflect on the things we took for granted.”—

Without being saddened, a single tear trailed out from his right eye. Swiping it away so that nobody would notice, he cleared his throat, continued his stare at Luke and his new group.

Even though Stan, Fred, and Diego knew Gary flowed a tiny bit of emotion, they kept it to themselves.

But then Fred looked up, seeing the cloudy sky starting to break free. A light, a dim glow against the horde of darkness, also brought with it a cavalry of … stars.

The prison of clouds breaking apart, Fred yelled at the group in front of him.

“Hey, you guys look up! Everyone look up!” Yelled Fred.

Standing up, garnering everyone’s attention, he pointed his finger up high into the heavens above. Squirming like a little kid, he let his eyes sparkle at the light that shone down on them evermore.

“The clouds are finally breaking free!”

In that moment, Lagefor received the biggest reward it could get.

Just this once, the light pollution from the city failed to block the stars above. With the clouds dissipating beyond the horizon, the gentle rays of Terra’s moon shone on the entire city of Lagefor.

—A single full moon…

Seeing the super full moon with their very eyes, their irises reflected against the moonlight. Drawn to it, savoring it, it was like all their suffering and pain they accumulated from the past six years was drained out from them.

“How long has it been since we saw a single full moon?” Questioned Stan.

“That’s once every decade. I guessed we lucked out.” Said Diego.

“The moon…” Muttered Luna.

But all it takes is one bad day… for it to all come back.

In that final scene, it was just the eleven of them, all wishing, hoping, and dreaming that these days will never end.