"Here. Have this." Naya hands me a phone.

"What about you?"

"I have another... Wait!" she stops me as I turn around. I turn back to face her.

"What?"

"Have this too." I take the small white object. The Naya Tower.

"This one's the updated one, so you better keep me updated," she adds, trying way too hard to sound threatening. I end up laughing.

"Whatever. Stop it! I'll kill you! Get up, let's get started." She kicks me out of my laughing spree.

I nod and get up, but can't help laughing at the sight of her face- again.

Once I've 'recovered', as Naya would put it, we start walking. I check the jacket's pockets for my stuff quickly- gun, taser, phone, tower, pills, nightlock...

"You have the guns, right?" She says, and rambles on...

Why won't she shut up?

"Stop annoying me, kid! I have experience and I'm prepared."

Naya immediately quietens. And it becomes too quiet for me immediately.

"Why aren't you saying anything? Don't you care for me anymore?" I dramatically say, in an attempt to lift the tension.

Naya lets out an exasperated sigh. "You literally just told me to shut up. What are you? Bipolar? Split?"

"Possibly..." She just turns away and doesn't bother saying anything.

Did I say something wrong?

I should fix this.

"I'm sorry Naya... I'm just really stressed out. I haven't properly slept in weeks. And this is a very risky mission and I'm just concerned. Obviously, I am prepared. I'm still nervous and anxious and..."

"Ok! Man, just... chill, ok? We've got this. I have a gun, you've got a gun. The guard's probably sleeping. We'll make it through."

How is she so enthusiastic?

"Plus, I understand. I really do," she adds. I smile at her.

We finally reach the fence. Something is different, but I can't quite see what...

"They've raised it higher," Naya says, almost like she was answering my thoughts.

"I can see that," I reply, unnecessarily. Naya just scoffs and looks from side to side.

Ah. Nostalgia.

From where I stand, I have a full view of the exact spot we met in. Memories of the day just popped into my head. And I can't help wondering how weird we would've looked...

"That's enough reminiscing! Get going!" Naya briskly starts walking along the fence.

"Where do you think you're going, young lady?!?" I yell.

She walks on, gesturing me to follow. I manage to catch up.

Isn't she sick?

"Finding the guard station."

"And how do you propose we do this?" Seriously, how?

She looks at me like I've grown another head. And she's the one with the weird head...

"Now I know why y'all have smaller heads..."

"That," I cough, "was very offensive."

"Oh, it was meant to be."

"But seriously, how?"

"You have a huge castle. How would you guard it?"

"Umm... I don't know."

She sighs. "There'll obviously be more than one station, probably at regular intervals. So it doesn't really matter."

I can't believe she had to create such a scene for that.

"Like I wouldn't have found that out," I scoff. She just chuckles and walks on.

~

For the first time in forever, I've realised how depressing our town actually is. A little distance away from us stands a small, grey shed, with complete exposure to the scorching sun.

It has a fake roof, which barely offers protection from quite literally any kind of weather. The land surrounding it for about ten metres is cleared of any forms of life. I don't think even cockroaches live there.

It has just one window, which is covered by bars. Outside the shed sits a guy on a stool, just casually staring at a spot with his head leant against the wall behind him. Next to him sits a rifle of some kind. And all of this makes it look almost like a prison of some kind.

Naya lets out a loud breath. "Well, it's our lucky day."

She grabs her pocketknife and holds it up, carefully.

Wait a second...

"Is that mine?"

"Um... no...?"

That is mine. I glare at her.

"Ok! It is. Have it." She tries to give it back to me.

But she should have it. "I wanted you to have it anyway."

She smiles and nods. "That helped me out of one of the darkest times of the war," I add.

She smiles and turns away quickly.

"But wait, how is it our lucky day?"

"Guy's asleep. There might be people inside, though," she frowns.

He's asleep!

That's probably how enemies entered. Straight through our gates, 'cause no one was guarding them.

"...but it should be worth the risk," she adds.

"Did you notice?" I point at his weapon.

"Yes, it's the latest kind. I made the protot... oh my god!" her eyes widen.

"How did that get here?" She exclaims.

"Who had the..."

"It was at school! Now I know that the Institute is a part of this," she cuts me off.

"What do you mean?"

"Our projects were mostly inventory. They used us. For ideas! We didn't for grades. Oh my god, Will! I've been making these weapons only to be an ally to them. To destroy mankind."

"Come on, it can't be that bad..."

"It is."