*Beval Hernandez's POV:

I woke up the next morning, tired as crap but had one thing on my mind, and that was survival.

If we didn't stay in the hideout for the next five years then we would have to either: run or fight. Fight with guns and other weapons and use them against those who are against us, but also be on the constant run. We can't get comfortable at one place for too long.

But I'm starting to question, why can't she guarantee that we will be there for five years?

But at the same time, I had to be grateful, she could've said no and left us to fend for ourselves.

Once I got out of bed, I started getting ready to take a shower, but first I thought of something.

"Maybe I should check on Gaia" I thought out loud.

Because we turned our phones off and couldn't use them, I picked up my house phone and started dialing Gaia's house phone number.

She was the one who took the situation the hardest out of all four of us, so I wanted to see if she was alright. She seemed okay yesterday, but it was always good to check.

After a few rings, she picked up.

"Hello?"

"Hey is this Gaia?"

"Yeah?"

"Hey Gi Gi, wassup? It's Beval."

"Hey Val, what'cha doing?"

"Nothing really, about to get ready to take a shower.

"Cool..."

"Yeah."

For moments, we had an awkward silence. We would sometimes get them but this one was pretty short. It only lasted for about the seconds until I decided to speak up.

"Are you okay?" I asked.

"Yeah...I'm just a little anxious about this whole thing going on, well, extremely anxious really. But I'm sure I will be okay," she responded in a shaky voice.

"You will. But look, I'm sorry for calling you Gothic on the day of Mina's party, I was only kidding. That was probably why you looked so upset while we were at the party."

"It's cool, I didn't care all that much, but what do you mean I looked upset?" Gaia asked.

"Well, when I was about to walk up the stairs to talk to Mina, I looked back and saw that you looked sad."

Gaia was silent for a few moments.

"Hello?" I asked.

"Oh yeah? Well, I don't remember why I was upset."

"You don't?" I asked as my eyebrows furrowed.

"Nope, not at all."

"Oh, well that makes sense, since it was months ago, so I wouldn't expect you to remember."

"Yea, so um, what'cha doing now? Hehe" Gaia giggled nervously.

"Uhh, about to get in the shower."

"Oh right, of course, well, I'll let you do that, see you later on, I gotta get myself situated."

"Oh ok. I was just calling to see if you were okay" I explained.

"Oh, I'm fine, thanks."

"No problem", I smiled.

"Bye."

"Bye."

I hung up the phone and hopped in the shower.

After about a ten minute shower, I brushed my teeth, put on my clothes and my contact lenses and double checked to make sure I had everything packed up and ready to go.

Once I was done double checking, I grabbed my suitcase and went downstairs.

I placed my suitcase in the living room and walked into the dining room and saw my mom and dad in the kitchen cooking. My sister Isabella was helping along.

"Buenos dias" I said to my family from the dining room.

"Buenos dias hermano," Isabella winked at me. Translation:

(Good morning brother)

She didn't seem angry anymore, yesterday she was furious. Maybe she decided to come to terms with me leaving.

"Buenos días hijo! Te gustaría ayudarnos a preparar el desayuno?" my dad said. Translation:

(Good morning son! Would you like to help us with breakfast?)

"No thanks dad, I'm not really in it today" I declined in English as I sat down.

"What's wrong with you? You love helping us cook breakfast" Isabella said with concern.

"Nothing, I just didn't get enough sleep."

"What time did you go to sleep?" Isabella asked.

"Around midnight."

"Midnight?! What were you doing up that late when you knew you had to get up early?!" Isabella asked in surprise as she slammed a bowl down on the table.

"How can I possibly sleep when I have to worry about being taken away to extermination camps by F.E.M.A guards and other authorities? Who knows, they could've broke into my house and kidnap me in the middle of the night like those W.E.A peo-"

I paused as I realized what I was saying.

I never believed in W.E.A's existence. But now, I'm not so sure. I don't know what to believe right now. All I knew was that we couldn't be out in the open.

"I understand" Isabella replied as she began cracking a few eggs.

I sighed and began playing with my cat Miguel, who jumped on my lap seconds before.

My other cat Chomper was just sitting near my chair, watching me, wanting attention as well.

After breakfast, I waited near my door for Mrs. Mizuki. I did not want to be outside where people could see me. That would've been stupid.

I placed my suitcase next to me and looked out the window, but quickly backed away seconds later as I saw police cars and F.E.M.A vans and trucks coming down the road at fast speeds.

Without me knowing, Isabella silently walked towards me and gently tapped my shoulder.

I shrieked and jumped in fear as I looked behind me.

"Hey" Isabella smiled. "Did I scare you?"

"Yeah, a little. Haha" I nervously chuckled as I scratched the back of my head. "Are you still mad that we're going to hide at Mina's place?"

"Hell yeah" she nodded with a smirk.

I swear she was like the girl version of me.

"I'm gonna be fine, trust me."

"I know, I know, I'm still trying to come to terms with it. I just need you to be cautious, if something doesn't feel right, it's not right" Isabella lectured.

"I got this. Nothing should go wrong, nothing will go wrong."

"You don't know that" Isabella sung with a tease.

I just rolled my eyes and rested my head on my hand.

Even if she was teasing me. She knew and I knew that we were both fearing for my life, my safety and my wellbeing.

Regardless of how many times I convince myself and Isabella that I will be okay, I was still trembling in fear.

Isabella sighed.

"Look Beval. Me and my parents came up with a plan: if you don't stay the full five years, we, including your friends and their family will move to a deserted island where we will be safe, especially during World War 3. Then we will figure out what to do from there."

"You don't get it, there is no escaping this. In several years or so, after World War 3, we will be either extinct or set back to the stone age. Hiding is only going to save us for so long" I explained in frustration.

"Well, then why don't we do something about it? Like start a revolution against the government!" Isabella suggested.

"Yeah, like that's gonna work. The government would shut that down real quick" I said as I gave Isabella the side eye.

"Well, it's worth a try" Isabella shrugged.

"Maybe if Shimizu ever sees Danny again, he can ask him if there's anything we can do to stop this from happening, he might have the answer."

"Who is Danny again?"

"He was this creepy 20-something year old we met months ago. Come to find out, he's an experi-baby given psychic powers, and because of him, we know all about W.E.A's and the United Nation's plans" I explained.

"So, hold on, not to change the subject but, I have to tell everyone that you're dead?" Isabella asked with a cocked eyebrow.

"If they ask, just say yes and that they took me to the extermination camps already. But act sad so that they will believe it."

"That's gonna be a hard thing to do, but I gotcha little bro" Isabella said as she hugged me tightly.

I hugged her back.

"I know you're gonna try to come to visit from time to time, but I'm still gonna miss you guys" I said to her.

"We'll miss you too Beval" my dad answered for Isabella as he and my mom approached us.

Together, me and my family shared memories. I even shared secrets with them.

I took pictures with my family. That way, in case if something happens to me, they'll have a memory of me of some sort, even though my parents already had tons of pictures of me and my sister.

Five minutes later, Mrs. Mizuki came with her van. Shimizu, Robin, and Gaia were already in there, so I was the last one she picked up.

I hugged my family goodbye.

I took my suitcase and quickly made my way to the van, waving to my family one last time before I opened the van's door.

"Hey guys" I said to my friends after I opened up the door.

"Hey" they all said, expressionless.

I got into the car and Mrs. Mizuki speedily drove away. I looked at my family one last time and saw that my mother began to sob as the van drove off.

The ride to Sunnyside was quiet, abnormally quiet.

I was expecting Robin to be arguing with me and Shimizu and Gaia to be giggling at our rants and arguments, but it's none of that. It was just plain silence.

I felt fear and concern, anxiety and worry, sadness, and a determination to survive. It was all in the atmosphere and it replaced the happiness and excitement that was usually there.

When we approached a red light, I saw something across the street that took my attention away from my friends. I wished I could unsee it.

Two toddlers were being forcefully taken away out of their home and anyway from their mother by two S.W.A.T-looking guys.

The more I looked I realized that the back of their uniforms said "F.E.M.A", not S.W.A.T.

The children were crying and screaming for their mom.

The mother was crying and begging but fighting to get her children back.

As soon as the light turned green and our van was starting to go, I saw a glimpse of the F.E.M.A guard taking out his stick and whacking the woman across the head with it.

At that moment I had to look away. I looked at my friends to see if they saw what I just seen, and sure enough they did.

They looked at me as well, mouth wipe open and their eyes were wide.

They slowly looked away and went about their business as if nothing had happened.

Mrs. Mizuki saw it also. She looked at us from her rear view mirror.

"This is a sick, evil world we are living in" Mrs. Mizuki said. That was the only thing she said for the entire car ride.

I agreed with her. I totally agreed.

After about ten silent minutes, we made it to Mina's house.

Mina and her dad were waiting outside for us.

Mrs. Mizuki parked across the street from the house.

We got out of the car and got our things out of the trunk. Mrs. Mizuki went along with us so she could meet Mina.

"You guys can wait in the backyard" Mina pointed.

Me and my friends looked at each other in confusion then dragged along our suitcases around the house and made our way to the backyard. Because of how big the house was, it took us a few minutes to reach it.

The backyard itself was huge, with a big tree at the very end of the yard. The yard was surrounded by white fences.

"I wonder were the hideout is?" Gaia asked herself as she looked around, caressing her chin.

"She said it was underground remember?" Shimizu asked her.

"Oh yeah, right, I forgot" Gaia chuckled as she scratched the back of her head.

"God, this backyard is huge! How much do you guys wanna bet that the hideout is just as huge?" Robin asked us with a smirk.

"Notta, I'm as broke as a piece of glass" I chuckled as I emptied out my pockets.

"You three sure are in a good mood all of a sudden, everybody was so quiet during the car ride here. Most people would be fearful and anxious if they were in the same situation we are currently in", Shimizu said as he took his glasses off and folded them.

"Well, we have a chance of survival, so why not be happy? But at the same time, I can't help but to think about the many people in this country who don't have a chance of survival or a hideout to go to and all they can do is hide in their closet, attic or basement and pray that the F.E.M.A guards won't find them and take them away from their families. But sometimes, even prayer doesn't work. I can't even imagine the devastation that lady was feeling as the F.E.M.A guards were taking away her children, and for the guard to just hit her across the head with his stick was just appalling, and it was all because she was fighting and begging for them to not take her children" Gaia sniffed as she began to tear up, she wiped her tears. "But my point is Shimizu, we have to be thankful, because that could've been us being taken away like that. Mina could have left us to fend for ourselves and not even give a crap, but she actually cared. So many adults, children and even infants right now as we speak are being killed in extermination camps, all because of W.E.A and the United Nations and their plans for the world. Those people didn't deserve that, nobody deserves to be beaten like that, or taken away like that! They didn't even really live their lives yet, and now because the "earth is becoming overpopulated" people are being killed. You have to be thankful! Thankful that we actually have a chance to live, even if we are only staying here for five years, at least it's something!"

Gaia began to whimper and cry.

I had to go over to her and comfort her. She was really showing her true feelings, even if she said before that she was alright, she wasn't.

"No Beval! I'm fine!" Gaia yelled at me as she wiggled herself out of my hug.

"Gaia..."

That was all I could say, I couldn't say anything else. I felt everything she was feeling and I could tell that Shimizu and Robin were feeling it too. We understood her fear, we shared that same fear.

"How cruel can this world possibly be?! Killing people in extermination camps! We didn't ask to have these powers! Even the people who caused mischief and destruction with their powers don't even deserve this fate! Then some dictator will be the leader of the New World Order and it's not like we can just rise up against him, we'll be jailed or put to death if we do so! And World War 3 will destroy humanity as we know it and there's nothing we can do about it! We possibly only have several years left to live!"

Gaia started crying and weeping out loud now. Robin ran over to her and tried to hug her, but she gently shoved Robin away.

Robin ignored the fact that she shoved her away and held her hands.

"Listen Gaia, we will be okay. We have to be strong and brave. We will find a way" Robin said to her.

"Don't lie to me, please don't lie to me" Gaia whimpered, shaking her head as she wiped tears away.

"I would never lie to you, we will do our best to survive. We are warriors. If we stick together we will survive through this, we can do it!" Robin replied.

I just stood there, watching Gaia. One of our best friends were having an emotional breakdown and we couldn't do much because she kept pushing us away. The things she was telling us was the truth though, we may only have nine or twelve years left to live because of World War 3 and the destruction that it will bring. She was pouring out her feelings, the feelings that she kept inside. I had always knew Gaia was a crybaby, but I had never seen her like that.

I tried not to cry, crying won't help anything. I looked at Shimizu, he was wiping away tears with his shirt.

"Gaia. We have to maintain our composure, crying won't solve anything" I spoke up.

She just looked at me.

"You're right" she whimpered, wiping away tears.

It took about five minutes for Gaia to maintain her composure and calm down.

Mr. Talikki and Mina came after about ten minutes.

"Hello children" Mr. Talikki waved.

"Hello. Pardon me, but I have a question, what were you and my mom talking about?" Shimizu asked.

"Oh, she just wanted to make sure you guys were safe" Mr. Talikki replied to Shimizu in a kind manner.

"Oh, okay."

"Alright, let us show you where the hideout is" Mina smiled at us as she held out her hand towards the tree.

Mina and her father started walking towards the tree and we followed them.

"Okay so, where is this thing really? Like where is it exactly located?" Robin asked as she struggled to drag her suitcase along because of the lumpy snow on the ground.

Mr. Talikki just chuckled.

"You'll see" followed by a wink.

Mina smiled at me and held my hand. I held it back and smiled. Even though I was fearful at the moment, her presence made me content and not as scared anymore.

We finally approached the big tree

"Here we are!" Mina cheered.

Me and my friends just looked at each other, then back at her.

"Huh?" Shimizu asked in confusion as he scratched the top of his head.

"Where is it? This better not be a joke!" Robin lowered at Mina.

"Wait for it..." Mina said as she winked.

Mr. Talikki, pressed his fingers against the trunk as if he was typing in something. Next thing I know, part of the trunk of the tree opened like a door, making a rumbling sound.

I stared in awe.

When I looked into the tree trunk, there were stairs that lead to deep darkness. I couldn't see the floor, that's how dark it was.

"What the?! How did you do that?!" Robin asked, freaking out.

"I along with Mina's mother, who unfortunately died a few years ago, personally built this hideout. It was built about five years ago. The purpose of building this place was that so if anything happens, we would have a place for shelter. And now, I am giving you the privilege to stay in it for the next five years" Mr. Talikki responded with gratitude.

"Wait, wouldn't you need this for World War 3?" Gaia asked.

"Nope, we already have plans for that" he responded without looking at Gaia. He was too busy fixing his tuxedo suit.

"Plans? What pla-"

"Alright, let me guide you there" Mr. Talikki interrupted Gaia as he took out a flashlight, ducked into the tree trunk and made his way down the stairs.

We looked at each other and just shrugged. We followed him and Mina whom was still holding my hand.

It was extremely cold and dark, kind of like Gaia's attic.

Well, it was dark until Mina's dad turned on...a light.

The hideout was way more hip than I thought it would be which kind of surprised me.

The place was pretty big, it looked like somebody's basement, but with a flat screen television, a king sized bed, a bathroom with a shower, a closet, a telephone, a washing machine and dryer, a treadmill, and another closet where a whole lot of food, water, and medicine was stored.

They also had AC, that obviously wasn't turned on in a while.

I swear, rich people do the most.

"Okay then, I'm a little shook" Robin said with amazement as she looked around.

"Get yourselves settled and make yourselves at home. Have you all already had breakfast?" Mr. Talikki asked us.

"Yeah" we all said as we nodded our heads.

"Alright then, Me and my dad will bring you lunch and dinner so that way, you won't have to come up. Also, to get out of here, you'll have go press that red button over there. Once you do that, the door of the tree trunk will lift up. It will remain lifted for about thirty seconds, until it shuts again" Mina explained as she pointed to a red button that was on the wall to our right. She continued.

"The good part about being underground is that no one can hear you, even if you play something extremely loud. These concrete walls block out sound. So if the F.E.M.A guards come, they wouldn't be able to hear anything. Lunch will be served at 2 pm and Dinner will be served at 7 pm. Oh and by the way, the password to the Wi-Fi is "Cupcakes" with a capital "C". Make yourselves at home!" Mina explained.

Mina blew me and kiss and she, along with her dad left the hideout.

We all waited until we knew for sure Mina and her dad was above ground to talk.

That's when Robin started to rant.

"You call this a hideout?! I call this a freaking man-cave! I swear, rich people have the most unnecessary shit. A flat-screen TV?! A dryer and a wash machine?! If this is supposed to be a shelter, why does it looks like somebody basement?! How on earth do we need all of this to survive?"

"Why do we even need Wi-fi anyway?! We don't have our phones with us, we disposed of them! All this is unessessary!"

"They probably set up WiFi down here so that whoever is staying here can stay connected to the outside world via television. And there is a house phone over there to stay in contact with our families. Setting up WiFi was a smart choice, in my opinion" Shimizu explained to Robin as he sat on the bed.

"Yo, pass me the remote, I wanna see what's happening on the news" I said to Shimizu.

He picked up the remote that was right next to him, and threw it to me.

I caught it and turned on the TV. I changed the channel to the San Francisco news channel and just as I suspected, they were talking about this whole horrific situation.

The lady on the news was telling us that about how already a thousand people have been taken to the exterminated camps today, and it's only eight in the morning. The news channel showed videos and camera footage of experimented children being forcefully taken away from their parents, and even showed experimented teens and adults struggling and fighting the guards as they were being dragged into F.E.M.A vans to be taken away.

I had to change the channel after that, it was too upsetting for me. I changed the channel to something random and passed the remote to Gaia.

"Here, you decide on what to watch" I told her as I threw the remote at her. She caught it and changed the channel to Disney Channel.

I flopped on the bed, laid flat on my stomach.

The day went by pretty smoothly. Mina and her dad brought down lunch at around 2 pm and dinner at 7 pm, it was delicious. We watched some movies and even played my personal favorite game "Have I Ever".

The weird and awkward part about all of this was the fact that we had to take turns using the shower and the girls took forever in the bathroom. We also had to sleep in the same bed. All four of us. It was king sized, so I didn't really mind but I was honestly not looking forward to it, especially knowing that Robin was a wild sleeper.