A feeling of dread settled over Zack as he counted heads. The number of Rebels had been reduced to only fifty and the fight was still not over.

Around him, everyone else was sobbing. Zack felt more miserable than anyone else. Everyone else was crying only for the loss of the few friends they had lost but Zack had befriended every person inside the headquarters.

A part of him wanted to sink deep in sadness. However, he was their leader. It was his duty to keep everyone safe. He had already failed so many but he couldn't let the remaining Rebels die too.

"We all have lost our beloved ones today." Zack suddenly stood up, breaking the silence inside the kitchen. "But they died so that others could get out safely. You all are the few lucky ones who get to live. So many had sacrificed their lives so that we can be safe. Let's not waste this opportunity."

Nobody responded to Zack this time. They all had their heads low. However, when he got up and walked to the shield wall guarding the kitchen, everyone else followed him, ready for combat.

Drew disabled the shield and they all got out of the kitchen.

To everybody's surprise, there was nobody waiting for them outside. They walked through the main hall but there was no attack on them.

"This doesn't feel right. Be on alert." Zack warned.

However, nothing happened. Nobody stopped them as they got out of the headquarters and used the elevator to get them back to the house that lay above the headquarters to avoid any suspicion.

"This is so strange. Nobody stopped us as we-" Zack stopped in the middle when his gaze went to the window.

Outside the house, he could see army vehicles surrounding the house. When he listened carefully, the noise of helicopters hovering above the house could be heard too.

Zack muttered a curse under his breath. Of course that bastard Jake won't have let them go so easily.

"What should we do now?" Judy asked.

"I will call Chief." Zack turned on his phone and gave a hologram call to Bogart.

"Are you all safe? Bogart's hologram appeared above Zack's phone.

"No, we are not safe. Our house has been surrounded by army."

"Oh shit, that's not good. That traitor Jim is gonna pay for all this." Bogart muttered.

"Have you managed to get out of the ambush Jim led you into?"

"Yes, we were. I and Andy are in a car, safe from now."

"That's good." Zack stated. "But what shall we do?"

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"How many are still alive?"

"About fifty."

"That's not good. Get everyone out of here through the bus."

"That will be risky."

"I know. But there is no other option."

"Alright, I'll try to get everyone out safely. We'll meet at some rendezvous point."

"Great. Take care, Zack. I trust you." Bogart ended the call.

"You have a bus?" Drew asked.

"Yes, we do. All of us can fit inside the bus, I guess."

Zack used his scanner on phone to scan for nearby car signals. Hundred signals came.

"Are all these cars ours?" Drew inquired.

"Yes." Zack replied.

"Where do you even store so many cars?"

"You have never seen?"

"No, we always went out on foot because Ava preferred...." Drew's voice trembled in the middle.

"You know that Ava died like a true warrior. That girl had always impressed me but what she did.... That was unbelievable. I am sorry for her death. I should have-"

"It wasn't your fault. Ava chose her own fate. I am proud of her." Drew interrupted.

"Me too." Zack agreed. "And as for your question, we store our car just where everybody do- in the garage of this house. But there are multiple levels to fit all our cars." Zack said. He clicked on one of the many signals and then entered his fingerprints.

"Get ready guys. Anytime now." As soon as Zack said it, a portion of wall collapsed and a blue minibus entered the house.

"Get inside! Quickly!" Zack shouted.

The Rebels hurried inside the bus while the soldiers fired at them through the huge hole in the wall. There were pushing and shoving but finally everyone managed to get inside the bus though some were shot in the process including Drew.

"Please speak your destination." the bus computer requested.

"Just drive." Zack shouted. "Maximum speed."

"Obeying your commands might broke some traffic laws. Are you sure-"

"Just go." Zack yelled at the computer.

The bus took off in air. Soldiers fired at them but the metal body and bulletproof glass kept them safe. After a few shots, they gave up.

"Zack, there are many wounded." Judy reported.

"Tend to them. Someone needs to give orders to this bus constantly or this stupid A.I. won't let us last for even two seconds." Zack replied.

The first person Judy walked to was Drew who had been shot on his shoulder and was now trying to hold back his tears. The region where he had been shot was steaming.

Judy took out a small first aid pouch from her pocket and applied some bandages over the wound. Drew stopped wincing.

"Wow! I feel no pain." Drew swinged his hands.

"Yeah, they provide temporary relief. Useful in combats. But we need to get them properly fixed sometime." Judy said.

"Thanks."

"No problem." Judy smiled. "Now if you will excuse me, there are many people who need my attention."

For the first time in the day, the Rebels were safe. Unfortunately, as expected, that safety didn't last for long because suddenly the entire bus jerked sideways from an explosion. A helicopter that was flying above them had fired a missile at the bus.

Despite the strong body of the bus, the explosion threw everyone off their seats.

"Drive faster!" Zack shouted.

The computer's voice came distorted and then the bus stopped in midair.

"Shit! The explosion damaged the computer. I'll have to drive it manually." Zack mumbled.

He settled down on the driver's seat and fumbled with the controls but at the end he managed to get the bus started again just as another missile came towards them.

For a few minutes, everything was under control. Despite the fact that only a few people could drive manually properly, Zack was handling things pretty well. He drifted past cars that were in a panic without crashing the bus and he was also successful in dodging three more missiles.

Unfortunately, he wasn't very lucky with the fourth one. The missile collided with the roof again, making a huge hole at the top of the bus.

"One more hit and we're gone." Zack shouted.

"What should we do?" Judy shouted back.

"Does anybody else here know how to drive a vehicle?" Zack asked.

"I do." Billy, their historian friend, stepped up.

"Good. Take the controls. I need to get to that helicopter." Zack turned to Drew, "Do you have any gadget that could help?"

"I do." Drew took out a gun from his backpack that had a metal claw as its nozzle.

"Fire this gun at the helicopter and then press the green button on the left side. The elastic string will pull you inside the helicopter." Drew instructed.

"Thanks." Zack pointed the gun at the helicopter through the hole in the roof. His aim once again didn't miss. He was about to press the green button when Judy's voice came.

"I will come with you." she said.

Before Zack could protest, Judy grabbed his waist and both of them shot upwards towards the helicopter full of armed soldiers.

The advantage of surprise was very helpful for them. The soldiers inside the helicopter clearly weren't expecting some kids to suddenly fly to them. Without much trouble, Zack and Judy froze the soldiers with their Stunners (Although they were already pretty much frozen upon seeing Zack and Judy) and then turned their attention to the pilot.

"Please don't kill me." The pilot begged.

"We don't want to kill people who were misled by the government into thinking we are evils. Drop us off wherever we tell you to and then leave." Zack said.

"Misled by the government?" the pilot demanded.

"Yes, your President Kenny McLeighn feeds you with all the lies saying we are inhumane. In reality we are just a bunch of people trying to enjoy our lives after your cruel President took away everything from us. We don't even revolt much nowadays."

"And uh....you're gonna continue living that quiet life?" the pilot asked.

"Not anymore, my pilot friend. Kenny has stirred us and now he's gonna face the consequences."