Ones and Zeroes

Chapter 42: Let's Go Out With a Bang

We sat in the helicopter flying in circles.

They're really doing it. They're getting rid of it. All of it.

"Karl! Come in! What's happening?!" Sapnap yelled into the walkie.

"WE'RE AT THE WALL! THE WHOLE CITY SAW THE SIGNS AND FLED TO THE WALLS AND VILE BLOCKED ALL THE EXITS!" Karl answered over the loud chatter and yelling from his side.

"Where are you?! Which side?!" Sapnap asked.

Static.

"Karl?! Karl, where are you?!" Sapnap yelled into the walkie.

More static.

"No..." Sapnap dropped the walkie further from his face and turned to look at me. He just stared, waiting for me to say something.

I took in a deep breath finally and faced forward.

"Ranboo, fly us around the city's borders. We're gonna have to find Karl ourselves."

~

Ranboo landed the helicopter on a larger roof and turned in his seat to face us.

"Where are they? They can't be far, right?" Sapnap searched the ground frantically. "Karl told me they'd be on this street corner. Where is he?"

I placed a hand on his shoulder. "Hey, hey calm down. We'll find them okay. Try calling him again."

"I-I..." Sapnap paused, "okay." I watched the boy reach for his walkie again and hold it closer to his mouth.

"Karl... come in Karl." Sapnap's gaze was full of desperation, tears brimmed the edges of his eyes. "Please buddy I need you to answer. We can't find you. Please come in, I can't lose you!" His knuckles turned white as he harshly gripped the device in his hand.

My heart ached as more static flowed through the device's speakers and Sapnap gripped even tighter to the walkie.

I know how you feel.

I pushed my hand towards him cautiously and placed it gently on his forearm, to which he flinched slightly at the contact. His watery eyes stared deep into mine and I sent back a sympathetic look.

"We'll find him Nick. We can stop VILE. We will get him out of there in time." I reassured the trembling boy unpredictably.

I shut my eyes and leaned back in the seat, taking a deep breath. Past the bold and rather deceptive facade I managed to put up in that moment, was a scared and unsure boy who's hopes hung way too high for the situation at hand.

"Uhh guys..." Ranboo alerted the group. "We got a problem."

My eyes fluttered open in surprise and I threw my head over the edge to glance down at the scene. My jaw went slack and my mouth now sat agape.

Fuck...

Dozens of feet below us, every citizen in the city crowded together and pushed towards the city's exits.

"Shit." I huffed over the sounds of screaming and yelling underneath the helicopter. "That's a lot of people."

"A lot of people is an understatement. That's the whole city looking to escape." Techno corrected.

My gaze scanned the large crowd and landed on the tall walls that bordered the city, now the only entrances and exits were blocked by armies of VILE robotic guards.

"That's a lot of people. I don't know if I can get them all out with one chopper guys." Ranboo said with a slight quiver in his voice.

I let out a small sigh. "It's okay Ranboo. No matter how hard we try, we wouldn't be able to get everyone out in time. Let alone get past VILE airstrikes."