Enhanced

XXIII

0521 hours.

Though his reactions had been quick, he wasn't immune to the nerves in the mercenary's fingers. His gun had been set off and put a bullet through his chest and through multiple major organs in his body. He groaned a little, already beginning to grow unconscious as he went over to grab his helmet. Cody reattached it to himself and spoke into the microphone as he got up and faces the console screen a final time. 

"..Guys..?" He called out as he slammed his fist onto the button, his body failing to keep him up right as he tumbled to his arms support. "..I-I..Got it.." He reassured them as his eyes began shutting on himself. The panel appeared on screen and he dragged his finger accordingly from the power generator and to the tower.

Then, he fell back to where he was. The assuring sound of the power spiking and returning to the tower eased his soul as he laid there and waited.. Waited for.. Well, he didn't know at this point. His eyes filled with uncertain and guilty tears as he looked up to the ceiling. Everything that happened was leading to this moment. Every moment of joy he shared with every friend he made on the camp, every training he had with Miles on the range, every class he shared with Katherine on being a Strider, every run around the track, every meal they've shared togther.. All.. All of them lead to this. Cody cried softly as he began to hear their own sniffles from Miles' shared frequency.

"You.. Idiots.." Cody chuckled painfully, "I can hear all of you crying like morons back.. Back there.." He bantered with the rest of them, hearing faint giggles that receded into the same silent cries of remorse they had. But with that they also gained relievance.

The soldiers that tried to enter into the tower began to back away as Aiden spoke loudly enough for the entire camp and the closest military base to hear, "Mayday, this is Cadet Aiden Parish of Never Camp: Michigan." He started, "Foreign forces have infiltrated the camp and we require immediate assistance. I repeat, foreign forces have infiltrated the camp and we are requesting for military assistance." He spoke, making Cody's smile turn even brighter than it already had been.

Cody laughed, the sting of the pain discerned from his voice as he took his final resting place in the bunker. They did it. They finally did it. "Have fun guys.." He said with a dying joy, "You all deserve it.." He carried further, Miles lowering his rifle as the sound of the helicopters on the pad aside them began to whirr with power. "..I can' t believe splitting the pistol still works." He smiled, making them chuckle along with him longer. 

"Copy, Never Camp. We are mobilizing troopers to your location now. Over and out." The radio responded, Aiden falling back into the chair with relief.. And even more relief given by Cody.

A moment of resolution came to him as they all sat exhausted wherever they had been. They shared a communal silence, all of them quietly shutting their eyes as they thought of the night that they just went through. There was nothing they could do for now. They were left not needing to think about what to do next or how to do it, but what has already happened. All the moments they shared compiled to this very moment. Thinking about it, Cody realized that many moments indeed led to many 'to this very moment' moments. A funny thought that grasped his mind before his death.

Cody felt the blood in his vessels escaping, each milliliter like a portion of his life that died. It was getting close. His mind focused very carefully on repeating his life like a movie till he was finally gone. It was just unfortunate thinking that two curious minds lead down to this. But he didn't care. He simply cared about the little things. The first time Cassidy introduced him to Miles, the first time he'd watched him in action. Those little things. He sighed, letting out his final words before he succumbed to the afterlife.

"I.."

"..I love you.. All, so much." 

And then he fell to his peaceful sleep.