*Thomas King's POV:

(2 days after chapter 38)

The date was April 4th. It's been almost a week since Mrs. Mizuki had passed. She had been cremated and Mr. Hada had just received her remains earlier today.

Mr. Hada and Hikari were just as devastated as they were a few days ago. Hikari stayed with Isabella, hanging in the garden section. She needed someone to be there for her. Mr. Hada was emotionally overwhelmed but still had to put his grieving aside to help escaped experi-babies and their parents into the nuclear shelter. Noah, my parents, Robin's parents, and Beval's parents helped guide them here as well.

We had abandoned everything the day of Mrs. Mizuki's death and traveled to the shelter.

Three hundred experi-babies, including their parents came, desperately trying to hide from the extermination. Those of the experi-babies whom were adults came by themselves. Most of them were present at the protest where Mrs. Mizuki was shot.

They didn't come to the shelter all at once. All were instructed not to by Mr. Hada, for it would bring unwanted attention.

Instead, over the span of a few days, bit by bit people arrived, leaving their cars and phones at home, along with their lives. Some traveled by uber, others traveled by train to get to the shelter.

The nuclear shelter was located in rural Northern California. It was deep in the forest with no concerns for human contact. It felt safe if you asked me.

"To the far left is where the bedrooms are. When you see those five doors, each will lead you to a bedroom section. There are five sections with each having eighty full-sized beds in a room" I instructed an elder. She was an African American woman with black-grayish hair. She looked pretty well for her age, which looked to be about sixty years old.

"Oh, this place is bigger than I thought it would be. I was expecting smaller for an old nuclear shelter. It resembles a mall with no windows, no upstairs or stores. It's so strange being underground like this. Thank you so kindly sugar. God bless you" she smiled in a raspy, gentle voice. Her smile suddenly faded. "My daughter tried to get rid of her son, claiming he was a danger to us all because he has super strength. When I saw that those political lies were getting to my daughter, I knew me and him had to leave. A younger friend of mine is here. He was at the town hall protest and told me about this place. I knew my grandson was no danger, I didn't believe a doggone thing this government or any politician had to say. I know my grandchild. Devon wouldn't hurt anyone. He's a good kid" the older lady ranted on.

I looked at her grandson. He was so precious. He was around five-years-old. He had dark skin and black coarse hair that was in cornrows, reaching to his shoulders. He carried a monster truck.

Instead of sharing a suitcase with his grandmother, he had his very own Spider-Man suitcase right beside him. His big eyes showed slight fear.

"It's going to be the okay little guy. You're safe now. You don't have to worry. No one is going to try to hurt you any longer" I said to the boy, crouching down as I patted his head. A little smile formed on his face.

"Come along Devon" the older lady said, rolling her suitcase along to the bedroom section.

Devon looked back and waved "bye" with the hand he was holding a monster truck with. I smiled and waved in return.

Suddenly, a thought came to my mind: where was Isabella?

I walked around, passing by crying children being carried by their parents, and relieved teens hugging their loved ones. Some elders were praying to whoever they believed in.

My parents were answering questions asked by a fearful mother carrying her one-year-old baby. They tried their best to explain how things worked at the shelter.

Robin's parents were checking everything out, seeing if we were missing anything important at the shelter.

Beval's parents were in the kitchen, making a menu for tomorrow's breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The kitchen contained a big cafeteria, so no one could eat in their rooms. We didn't want mice to be a problem.

Mr. Hada and Noah were guiding and instructing people to the bedroom section until they could gather their thoughts.

For only two hundred people, the place was pretty noisy. Few of the people were already in the bedroom section, getting themselves ready to rest on such a stressful day.

I walked towards the door of the garden section and slowly turned the knob. I closed the door behind me, happy to be away from all the chaos amongst those people. I let my chest-length dreadlocks down from it's low ponytail and sighed in relief.

The room was quiet, calm and peaceful. Gorgeous flowers bloomed everywhere. All the different kinds of plants were found there, some grew leaves, some grew flowers and others grew fruits and vegetables. The room was decent in size compared to the other rooms.

I spotted Isabella sitting on a bench in front of a bush of roses. Her legs and arms were crossed. The bench was swinging back and front as she stared out in front of her.

"Yo" I greeted, walking up from behind her, placing my hands in my pockets.

"Yo, what's up?" she greeted back after turning her head.

"Nothing really, I had to escape the madness out there."

"It'll get better, Mr. Hada and the others are out there helping the people, they got it under control" Isabella replied, leaning back and folding her arms behind her head. She clearly didn't give a damn about what was going on outside the garden.

"Where's Hikari?" I asked, sitting next to her.

"Asleep. She's in the first section of the bedroom section. I laid her down about an hour ago."

"Oh, looks like she got tired pretty early" I shrugged.

"It's midnight, it's not early at all" Isabella stated as she gave me a look as if I was stupid.

"Oh, sorry, I lost track of time" I cringed, giving myself a face-palm.

There was an awkward silence between us for a few moments.

I looked at her. She was glaring at me as if she wanted to ask me something.

"Hey, your college major is aviation or something like that, right?" she asked, breaking the silence.

"It's actually in Aerospace and Aeronautical Engineering, why?" I responded, seeing where she was going with this.

"How good are you at driving planes?" She asked, turning her body towards mine, making the bench rock even more.

"Pretty good. Before he passed, my uncle taught me how to fly when I was nine years old. After ten years of practice, I've gotten pretty well at it. But I can't fly huge jets or commercial airplanes. Just small jets and little planes."

"Perfect, the plan should be successful" Isabella smiled as she clasped her hands together, then got up to stretch.

"Wait, what? What plan?"I asked in confusion.

Isabella placed her hands on her hips and looked down at me.

"We are going to steal a plane and rescue my brother and his friends from off that island" she said with confidence.

"Wait, what do you mean we?!"

"We, Thomas. We will leave this place, travel to the nearest airport and steal a small plane. You will drive it."

"What makes you think in that brain of yours that I know exactly where Vulcan Island is?! Noah even said it wasn't on the map."

"It's about a few hundred miles below the Phillippines. We'll figure it out" Isabella claimed with a confident smile and a thumbs up.

Even though she was my best friend and I would never trade her for the world, she was as crazy as catfish.

"Bella look, I know you miss them, I do too. But let's just wait for them to come back. I'm sure they have a plan. What'ya say?" I suggested, grabbing her hands.

"What if they don't have a way back here? Why not try to help them out by offering a ride home? Also, even worse, they're with Danny!" Isabella argued back, backing up from me as her hands left my grasp.

"Yeah, that guy was a straight douche when we were kids, but by the looks of it, it seems as though he has changed and is trying to do the right thing. We shouldn't hold grudges, Bella. It's not good for our health" I stated, placing my hand on her shoulder.

She pouted as she glared at me.

"I still have some words I need to get out to Danny. And like it or not, we are going to get them and bring them back here. Get yourself ready. We leave in an hour" Isabella said with authority as she began walking over towards the garden's door.

"But if you tell Mr. Hada or our parents about your plan, they won't allow it. They won't let us go if you ask them" I said, grabbing her arm to stop her.

"Who said I was asking anyone to go anywhere? Thomas, you're eighteen and I'm nineteen, we are adults. We shouldn't ask to go anywhere anymore. All I'm gonna do is slip a letter right on my mom and dad's bed to let them know about our mission. By the time they wake up to read it, we'll already be on that plane" Isabella explained with a mischievous smile.

I swear, she reminded me so much of my little sister's best friend, Robin.

I let out a defeated sigh.

"I swear if we get in trouble-"

"We aren't going to get in trouble Tom. They'll be too busy focusing on the fact that Shimizu, my brother, and their friends have arrived here, safe and sound" Isabella interrupted as she wiggled her arm out of my grip.

I stood there, sinking everything in as I watched her leave. I knew how to drive a plane, but I didn't want to risk bad weather or being low on fuel. The trip would most likely be a fifteen-hour flight.

Isabella will have me standing on glass if I keep refusing to go.

An hour had past. It was quiet now. Most of the people were sound asleep in the bedroom section.

Quietly, I packed my bag with canned food, water, and some pain killers from the pharmacy room, just in case. I packed an outfit, along with my college book on flying planes. That way, if I needed help on something, I could look straight in the book.

I tossed my bag over my shoulder and began tiptoeing away from my bed.

Hikari, Mr. Hada, my parents, Isabella and Beval's parents and Robin's parents were all sleeping in bedroom section one. Not to mention seventy or so other people. That gave me another reason to be extra quiet.

I faced the door, slowly closing it behind me. I grinded my teeth, hoping not to make a single sound. Outside of the bedroom section, in the empty, but large area of the nuclear shelter, the lights were still on, but dim.

When I turned around, I got the jump-scare of my life.

"Hi" Isabella greeted as she stood right in front of me.

"Jeez Isabella, you know not to sneak up on me like that. I almost had a heart attack" I whispered in anger.

"Oh please, you'll be fine...nervous-wreck-Thomas" Isabella giggled as she tossed her bag over her shoulder. She grabbed my hand and began guiding me over towards the shelter's entrance.

I rolled my eyes at her calling me "nervous-wreck-Thomas". My peers have been calling me that since late elementary school.

"Are you sure this will work?" I asked her, unsure of this whole thing.

"Why wouldn't it? We steal a plane, fly to Vulcan Island, come back and boom, we're done" Isabella shrugged with a mischievous smile as she kept walking.

"And if we get caught stealing the plane, then what?!" I asked her, wiggling my hand out of her grip as I stopped walking.

Because I stopped walking, she did too.

"Then, we'll just have to whoop some ass. I have a hammer and a knife in my bag if they wanna try it. I wish you would be more optimistic. Negativity is not good for your mental health" Isabella stated as she faced me, crossing her arms.

"Bella it's not about being negative, it's about being realistic. You need to realize that things aren't always going to go your way. Stealing a plane will cause us jail-time for a pretty long time, and what are you going to say if they ask why were you stealing the plane?! Hm? You can't say anything about Vulcan Island, people will think you're crazy!"

"Tom, it's worth a try. I don't want to leave them out there a second longer. I know this is a crazy plan, but please-" Isabella pleaded as she grabbed my hands. Her eyes were becoming teary and her voice was cracking. "I need you, I can't go a day without my brother and his friends. I'm tired of wondering if they're okay, if they're in danger or if they're still alive. Please, Thomas, I need you for this trip. I have no one else to turn to. You're my only friend."

I never seen Isabella this desperate or even cry like this since her senior prom when her ex-boyfriend broke up with her.

I had to count the odds of getting caught. It was nighttime and the airport would be less busy, but not too quiet either. Planes would still be taking off and constantly landing, which would increase our chances of getting caught. But, if we take a smaller and less noticeable jet, we would attract less attention from other pilots. First, I would need to check the fuel and make sure it's full, then bring extra fuel for the trip.

"Okay, okay, I'll go, but only under one condition."

"What?" Isabella asked with furrowed eyebrows.

"Don't kill Danny."

Isabella chuckled as she tucked a piece of hair behind her ear.

"I won't, now let's hit the road."

"Ah-hah!"

Once we heard that, we froze like a statue. I feared it was either Mr. Hada or my parents or Isabella's parents.

Nervous and ready to give an explanation, we slowly turned around. Luckily, it was just Noah.

"What are you two doing up? And with bags?" he asked with a cocked eyebrow as he crossed his arms. He seemed to already known the answer by the tone of his question.

"Oh, you see, I and Thomas were going to have a slumber party in the gardening section" Isabella lied with a constant smile on her face. I swear, she was a great influencer, but a terrible liar.

Noah blankly stared at Isabella, knowing good and well that she was lying.

"Really? Because I think I heard one of you mention "stealing a plane" and "going to Vulcan Island" Noah stated, not falling for her lie.

We both stood there, not knowing what to say. Cold sweat dripped down my face.

"Were you spying on us?!" Isabella questioned, trying to turn it all around on Noah.

"Actually no, I was walking out of the pharmacy section. I took a pain relief pill because I had a major headache from today. That's when I saw Thomas leave the bedroom section and you approach him. So, just to be nosy, I decided to eavesdrop on your conversation. Glad I did. But that's not the point. The point is, you're both planning to leave this shelter, head out to a nearby airport, steal a plane and fly to Vulcan Island to pick up Danny and the kids."

"Listen, I know we shouldn't be sneaking like this but please don't tell our parents. We won't try to sneak out and leave again, really" I desperately begged as I clasped my hands together. He began laughing for some odd reason.

"Tell? Oh no, I'm not a snitch. But what I will do is come along with you."

"Really?!" Isabella asked with happiness.

"Wait, why?" I asked.

"You need help stealing a plane, correct? You need help getting to where you want to go, right? If so, I will come with you two to get Danny and the kids. It should be no problem as long as we don't get caught. I have a map if you need it, and I know how to read it."

Isabella and I looked at each other with a hint of happiness.

"Great! So our only issue is the likeliness of getting caught" I said to Noah with a hint of sarcasm.

"Don't worry. As long as we blend in and stay within the shadows, we will be fine" Noah said to me in a calming voice. "Hope you brought a ton of food and water to last us two days."

"If we don't pig out, it should" Isabella spoke up for me.

"Perfect! Now let's get going. I would like to be there and back here as quick as possible."

"We're right behind you Noah" Isabella smiled before grabbing my wrist as we walked towards the shelter's doors.

The doors were about ten feet tall and ten feet wide. They were a dark navy green. It was metal and it closed pretty tight. Noah went over to the left of the door to where a red button was located. The button was protected by a glass, cube-shaped covering. Above it wrote: "Do not touch!". It was most likely put there for some mischievous kids to get the memo, which made no sense because it would want them to press it even more.

Noah lifted up the glass covering and pushes the red button. It produced a loud rumbling noise as the doors spread apart from each other.

The doors revealed darkness, with the staircase to an upstairs being a tad bit visible.

Outside the doors were two things on the wall to our right: one was another red button with a glass covering. Next to it was a metal latch.

Noah pressed the red button, which caused the doors to shut. Next, he pulled the latch down. The ceiling at the top of the stairwell opened from bottom to top. That ceiling was the ground.

We jogged up the steps and looked around. It was pitch dark, no people, not a single sound of a car passing by from afar. All we could hear was the sounds of the deep forest around us. The screeching of an nearby owl echoed through my big ears as the chirps of crickets surrounded us.

"The coast is clear" Noah whispered loudly before walking over to a nearby tree. He took one of the branches from the tree (which was another latch) and pulled it down.

The earthy ground closed from top to bottom and blended into the dirt as if it was never there.

"Let's go gentlemen, we got a plane to catch" Isabella said with determination as she turned on her flashlight and began walking.

As I turned on my flashlight, me and Noah followed her, making our journey through the dark, ominous woods.