PART FIVE

 

--WEST--

Phoenix.  Denver.  Dallas.

The Bane were dead in every city we came across.  Every one of them.

This should have felt like a triumph.  We’d nearly lost the world.  Point one two percent.  That was what was left of the human population, according to Dr. Beeson’s team.  Probably even less.  We’d been whittled down to that small of a number and then we’d won.

Against billions of Bane.

This should have felt like a triumph.

But the cost still felt too high.

“Are you alright?” Vee asked.

I looked over my shoulder to see her standing in my doorway.  I’d been staring out over the city, out my window, not actually seeing anything.

“I don’t know,” I replied honestly.

It was easy to be honest with Vee.

She crossed the room and sat next to me on the bed.  She looked outside as well.

“Everyone from your colony is so excited,” she said.  “But they’re also so sad.”

I nodded, my eyes glazing over once again.

“You’re sad,” she said.  Her voice was barely more than a whisper.

Her fingers laced with mine. 

And for a moment, I wasn’t quite as sad.