A.N. Surprise! hehe super short chapter ahead.

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ADRIEN

"Get on!" I shout just as I arrive back at a medical station where there are still a vast amount of people moving to the emergency buildings.

As soon as they see me, some run to the vehicle and climb up on it then start to help those still on the ground. Once it reaches its maximum capacity, I change gear and drive them to the nearest emergency building.

This occurs for some time as there are a lot of people who need shelter. As I do my task in bringing those to safety, the explosions continue, and there was even one near us when I was driving a group of people to the nearest building.

Other soldiers join in bringing the crowd to the emergency buildings. Even Chloé is leading one of the biggest groups of people, I catch a glimpse of her instructing a group to follow her fast. Monarch has also gone to help others but is mostly taking charge of the updates coming from both sides, the rebels and government.

I get down from the army vehicle and lend it to another soldier to continue bringing the rest to the buildings. There is a growing problem now. We underestimated the amount of people that would join us for the movement and are now reaping the consequences of the unsure safety for everyone. The buildings are reaching more than their maximum capacity yet there are still more people outside than compared to those inside. The medics and nurses are making it a priority to bring the severely injured ones inside the buildings for treatment. It's these kinds of sacrifices that become too painful to even ponder on.

Grabbing my comms from my pants, I press the button and speak into it, "Lahiffe, give me updates on your end."
 
"Lahiffe, speaking," Nino's voice is heard after a while. "Team is checking through those who are injured, continuing to bring severe ones to the medics inside, over."

"Any information on where the next attacks could be?" I continue, "It's awfully quiet."

"Negative," he says and I clench my free hand to form a fist.

"Damn it," I murmur under my breath and press a button on the comms to continue speaking, "Continue with your work, Lahiffe."

"Roger that."

I hook the comms on my pants and run to an area that was one of the first affected by the explosion, dodging people and vehicles in the process. There must be something that I can find there which can lead me to whoever is planting those bombs.

I'm only sure of one pattern - the explosions do not occur in the same places and they are taking down each medical station. Now, since they suspiciously stopped, I do not know what could happen next.

"Agreste, Thaddeus speaking." My comms suddenly goes off again and I grab it to bring it near my mouth.

"Go ahead."

"Received updates from the north," Monarch informs me, "The leader of the government has called for a press conference now."

"About what?"

"...I heard she's going to step down," he tells me, leaving me gaping in shock.

It can't be.

I knew that we were fighting for an outcome like this, but to know that it's happening at this moment feels surreal.

"Monarch," I say into the comms, finding my voice again, "report to me immediately the details in her speech. We need to know everythi-"

"Agreste! Watch out!"

Someone grabs me from behind and we dive to the ground as another explosion goes off from the south, causing me to lose my grip on the comms and it lands far from me. The ground vibrates beneath us and I cup my ears to try and deafen the loud sound and ringing in my ears. Coughing, I shove away the person who grabbed me and a breath hitches in my throat when I see who the person is.

"General Hugo?"

"Agreste, you idiot, why are you still here?" He spits out, propping himself up.

"I'm going to stop what you are doing!" I tackle him and hold him on the ground. He fights back and grips onto my arms tightly just as I try to deliver a few blows to his face and body.

"Stop it! I was the one who gave the warning signal!"

"Liar!"

"Cross!" he shouts out loud and pushes me off him. Panting heavily, he holds me down as I stop fighting back. I grit my teeth, deciding to let him continue. "If I gave out more, the rebels would have noticed something fishy going on." He stands and I follow right after, keeping a strong stance as I stand in front of him. "I gave that warning signal to let you seek shelter as well. Why the hell are you still here?!"

"Why should I tell you? I can't even trust you-"

"Adrien!" He reaches out and tightly grabs my arms, shaking me firmly as if trying to bring some sense to my mind. "The rebels have surrendered," he whispers, sounding like he is pleading for me to understand him.

"What?" I ask in disbelief.

"We have chosen to surrender...to you," he continues. "But I just found out today that some were planning behind my back to attack you even if it will kill them in the process as well."

My eyes widen when I suddenly realize it. No wonder why none of us expected it or even noticed anything out of the blue. I push him away from me. "They are hiding amongst the people here," I whisper.

He nods, pursing his lips. I look around, watching how there were still a lot of people outside the buildings. Yet, that is not the only problem here, what if there some who are in any of the buildings?

"How many are they?" I ask immediately.

"Ten for each medical station of yours," he states sternly, "Five explosions have occurred already, I took out three on my own without setting off the explosives."

"That's why it's been quiet for some time," I add.  

"The ninth one was just minutes ago."

"So, we have the tenth left," I utter and then grab him by the collar. I bring him close to me. "Tell me where the tenth one will be," I demand him.

"Either the second or third station, I cannot recall correctly," he answers in a rush.

"People from there have been evacuating to the emergency buildings, that person can be in one of those buildings now-"

"No, they won't," he immediately cuts me off.

"How sure can you be-"

"Because there are still more people outside than inside those buildings of yours. If they want to kill many at once, they would have been doing it in the buildings but no, they stuck to keeping it outside where the people are still in a crowded frenzy." He shoves me away by the chest and jabs a finger at me. "Adrien, they don't just want to kill. They want to make one last public statement."

"Then we need to find that person, now," I state and start to run to the crowd forming outside one building that I remember is where those from stations two and three were assigned to evacuate to. I stop abruptly as newfound panic creeps up to me, my blood turning cold.

It's the building where Marinette is in.

I frantically look around, going through every face in the crowd hoping to see a familiar face or someone I might know from those meetings before with the different groups of rebels.

General Hugo follows me and pulls me through my jacket before going any further into the crowd. "You stay out of this!"

I point at the building and shout back at him, "That's where Marinette is in right now!"

"Which is why I want you to leave!"

"That person could already be in that building! You wouldn't even know!"

"Adrien, for her sake," he pleads, "you need to-" he freezes in spot, locking his gaze on something or someone behind me.

I turn and gasp sharply once I see a lone fist raised in the air in the middle of the crowd moving and making space for the severely injured to enter the building.

Raising one's fist, for the rebels, is the symbol of giving up one's life for the fight.

"That person is going to do it," General Hugo utters and moves straight away to that same person. I start to go fast with him.

"General, the people around-"

"Too late, I need to deflect the explosion somehow!" He shouts, going against the crowd. "Adrien, get back!"

Once he nears the person, a man, wearing a backpack which I assume is where the explosives are, he instantly tackles him to the ground and I could only reach a hand out at him before everything changes right before my very own eyes.

"General Hugo, NO!-"

The blow sends me flying and leads me to see all white.

The sound turns from something loud to a soft yet constant and irritating ringing noise in my ears.

I turn numb...I don't even know if I land somewhere or where I am.

I can't feel anything around me. I think...I think I'm lost.

With every bit of strength left in my body, I try to feel the ring on my finger, thinking of Marinette even if it's for the last time...

But it hurts, and I'm tired. So, so tired. Maybe...exhausted.

Since I was young, people have always been telling me that moments before you die, you will see a replay of your life and your greatest moments flash before your eyes.

But I wish it would also show the what-if's, the what-could-have-been's if I continued to live. I want to see myself live with Marinette. I want to see the children we would both raise together. I want to see her grow old with me. I want to see how our future would play out if only I continued to live.

I was also never told that life gives us neither of the two. Instead, all that one gets is darkness.