Lana

My squad goes to our room right when we land, but I head into a different building. I walk into the hospital, going to the man at the front desk.

"I'm here to see Liz from squad 35." I say. He states at me blankly, probably astonished why I didn't go shower the blood and dirt off before I came in here. But he looks down at a pile of papers.

"Liz..." He mumbles, flipping through the papers. I watch him intensely as he goes further down the list. He looks at the last paper, then puts the pile down and picks up another one. I know what the "other" pile is immediately. He stops and stares at a paper for awhile, then clears his throat.

"I'm sorry, but Liz from squad 35 has deceased."

I nod, stammering back until I reach the door. I stand outside, unable to stop the tears.

Blood. Blood everywhere. Liz's blood on my hands.

Did I know Liz that well? No. But all I knew was how I was the squad leader, and I was in charge of the people in my squad.

And I failed miserably.

I wonder who she really was, before all this shit happened. Maybe she was like me. Maybe not. Whatever the case, she was just trying to survive.

I walk inside, but instead of going to my room, I go to squad 38's. I knock, but open it right away. I see Paytah's squad all sitting, some with their head in their hands, and the little girl crying.

Shit.

"Squad 38, where's your squad leader?" I ask.

The boy stares at me, but is unable to speak. I grow angry.

"Tell me!"

"Paytah isn't here." A girl with blonde hair says. "He got captured."

Silence...

For some reason, all I can picture is Liz being shot. I watched her pain, watched her cry, watched the bullet pierce into her skin. And yet, I couldn't do anything. I felt sick, felt so horrible, and I barely even knew her.

But I know Paytah.

I run. Out the door, out the building.

Paytah was the one I went to when I needed comfort, needed to relax. Not once did I think I would lose someone I knew would be there for me.

But I know I have two others I can count on.

I'm panting, but all I can hear is..nothing.

Silence.

I run, slamming into someone on the way in. I don't say sorry, I can't.

Silence.

"Lana." I see President Jackson staring at me, fixing her hair. "I see you've heard about Paytah."

Paytah. His name makes the silence go away. I nod at Jackson. Maybe she has a plan, maybe these people aren't as bad as Paytah had said.

"You do realize this is war." She says.

No shit, I was just in battle.

"You must understand the circumstances."

"And you must understand that you need all four elements." I say.

"I'll take what I can get." Is all she says.

I was wrong. Paytah was right. These people are dumbasses who don't give a shit.

"Well, say goodbye to the water element, then." I snap.

"I'm afraid I've said goodbye to all of them."

Aira. Juris.

They realized it too. They know that without all four of the elements, we are nothing. Paytah is fire. Fire is the strong one. The dangerous, protective one. Without fire, the rest are weak. The rest can't fight without fire. Without Paytah.

As I continue to run, all I can do is smile. Well, not a smile, more like a smirk. Because bad things like this always happen. It's a given. I'm not surprised.

Paytah. Wonder how he got caught. Wonder how he could've gotten caught.

"Paytah, you motherfucker." I breathe.

I find Aira and Juris right away. Aira's eyes are red, but she smiles when she sees me. I stop in front of them, dried blood on my face and uniform. They don't seem to notice.

"Let's go get fire boy back."

***

We gather as much as we can carry. We all agreed to have our own sling backpack, and fill it up with food and water and clothes. As much as we can bring. We decide water isn't a top priority, because I have water right on my fingertips, literally. We all are sitting in Aira's room, watching Juris draw a map. Aira noticed to dried blood and told me to wash my face. I was going to say something witty, but then I realized I'm not the only one who has seen this war.

"How did it happen?" I ask. Juris glances up at me, but goes right back to drawing. Was that a don't even ask, look?

"He went back for that little girl." Aira says.

Little girl. I remember her. I watch as Paytah would always be next to her, giving her pep talks or sitting with her. She was young.

"Jazz is her name." Aira says.

"Is she alive?"

"Yes."

"So Paytah saved her."

Aira gets teary-eyed but still nods. "It was suicide, what he did. Went right back into that little house, knowing that there was probably about five people in there-"

"But he saved a little girl. That's got to count for something." Juris chimes in.

I look at Aira. "Paytah is tough. He'll make it till we get there."

"People know they can't spare his life. He's too important-"

"That's why we are getting him."

"Not only that," Juris looks at his finished map proudly, "he's our friend. Important or not, we gotta try. I would do the same for you, as you would for me. I hope." He smiles a little.

"But-" Aira looks down.

"Tell us." I say.

"Right when he tore the earpiece off, he-he told me to continue with the plan of running away without him. He said we have to leave."

"Bullshit. He knows we can't leave him." I say.

"If we were normal people with common sense, we would leave him," Juris says, "but-"

"We're crazy sons-of-bitches who can never be stopped." I say, and Juris laughs a little. Even with Aira being a wreck-

She smiles.

"Lets go, then."

••••••

Hello!!!

Sorry it's been forever!

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-Grace