Everyone sits frozen, eyes wide with horror after hearing the voice on the walkie-talkie. The fear grips them tightly, and no one speaks. Chad, who had been silently thinking, finally breaks the silence.
"We need to do something! We can't just sit here and wait!"
"Do something? What can we do? Are we supposed to go out there and fight them, live-streaming it on Facebook? We're just kids, and we don't even know how to use guns!"
"Actually, using a gun isn't that hard."
"Are you insane? We'll die if we go out there!"
"So what? Are we just going to sit here and wait for them to find us and kill us all? Haven't you heard what the guy said on the walkie-talkie?"
"Yeah, I heard. But what are we supposed to do? I'd rather surrender than get killed trying to escape."
"They killed Sally! Our friend! Are you just going to let them get away with it? Are you okay with letting innocent people die for nothing? Is that really what you're saying?"
"..."
When Chad mentions Sally, everyone falls silent. He's right—those people can't escape without facing justice for what they did, but none of them want to go out there and end up like her. Chad continues:
"I have a plan."
"And I'm not letting any of that happen."
"Huh?"
Finally, Neil speaks up, immediately shutting down Chad's attempt to get everyone on board with his plan.
"They're right. Whatever you're thinking, it's suicide. The terrorists have guns, RPGs, and drones patrolling the city. We barely made it here, and now you want to go out there again?!"
"But Sally—"
"Sally's death wasn't in vain. She's the reason we're here. She saved us, not me! She died to get us to safety, and now you want to go after the terrorists for revenge and get yourself killed? That would make her death meaningless."
"... You're right."
"Great. Now don't let me hear any—"
"That's why I'll go alone."
"What?!"
"What the?!"
"Are you nuts?!"
"Oh, I've got Nutella in the fridge. Anyone want a sandwich?"
"Now's not the time."
"Okay..."
As everyone voices their disbelief at Chad's shocking announcement, most of them criticize him for being insane, stupid, and naive. After taking a deep breath, Chad looks at Neil and begins speaking:
"My dad is a soldier, you probably already know that. But before that, he was a police officer. Every day, he went out, fighting for innocent people, protecting the peace of our country without ever thinking about himself.
I know this probably sounds hypocritical, but... I can't stand watching good people die. Just like my dad risks his life every day to protect this country, I want to protect people with my own life."
"This isn't something you can just do because you want to. This is life and death! It's something a kid like you can't possibly understand!"
"Have you seen what happened at the museum? I saw someone get killed for no reason. Those terrorists... they don't care about us. If we don't do anything, more innocent people will die, and I can't live with that on my conscience."
He turns to face the others: "We might be the only group who could actually fight back against the terrorists, and most of us have no defense skills. We could be the only ones who can save New York right now, with the entire city isolated by that massive forcefield in the sky.
Think about it! This could be our only chance to do something meaningful with our lives! An opportunity! Instead of just being another 'survivor.'"
"What you're trying to do will get us all killed!"
"Either we die trying to do something, or we get slaughtered when the terrorists find us. It's all the same."
Chad's final words leave Neil speechless, his mouth shut and eyes wide. There's no longer any reason for Neil to argue, but Chad continues, trying to reassure everyone:
"I don't want to force anyone to join me. If you're scared for your life, that's fine! I suggested this, and I'll take responsibility for it."
Neil sits down, still processing everything in his mind. As he watches Chad speak with such enthusiasm, it reminds him of someone he met during his time serving, someone with the same determination, even in the face of a hopeless situation.
"You sound just like him."
"Huh?"
With a hand on his forehead, Neil feels a headache coming on from the conversation with Chad. He can't deny the logic behind Chad's arguments, but he's terrified of the potential consequences.
In the end, he makes his decision: "I can't believe I'm saying this, but fine! I'll help you. But if things start getting out of control, we stop immediately. No questions, okay?"
That it's better to take a chance at something that might lead to a happy ending, rather than waiting for a certain bad one.
"Don't worry. You won't regret this."
"I already regret it."
"What's your plan, anyway?" Nick asks.
"Well, it's quite simple."
Chad points out the window.
"As far as I know, the military is gathering outside. Fighters are doing reconnaissance around the area, soldiers are getting armed, and choppers are ready to engage. But they can't get in because the force field is isolating us from them. From what I've observed, there's a pillar connected to the force field, meaning it all comes from one source."
"What do you mean?"
"What I'm suggesting is, if we can find and destroy the machine generating the force field, the military will be able to get in and handle the rest."
"Oh, I thought it would be more complicated, but... that sounds simpler than I expected."
"What about the president? Isn't he kidnapped?" Mike wonders.
"The president is just one man. Our goal is to save the entire city. When the military gets in, there will be bloodshed—it's inevitable."
As Chad discusses his plan with Neil and Nick, Ben curiously approaches Roy, who is sitting in the corner, writing in his diary.
"Hey."
"???"
Ben sits down next to Roy.
"I just want to ask, why are you always writing in your diary?"
"What do you mean?"
"I've seen you writing in it at the museum, on the truck, and now. I don't get it. You could wait and write at the end of the day, but instead, you do it anywhere, anytime. Why?"
"Umm... I could say it's my coping mechanism. Chad taught me."
"Chad?"
"Yeah, he saw me writing and drawing in my notebook when I was stressed, like when I was bullied by... you know, Brent?"
Ben looks away, his gaze shifting.
"So, he gave me a diary and told me that whenever I feel sad or overwhelmed, I should just write it down. Even when I feel happy, I write it down. The next day, I start with a new page, leaving behind yesterday's sadness and starting fresh. But I can always look back at the pages to remember the good times and see how far I've come, overcoming the bad memories. That's what he said."
"That's... amazing!"
"Yeah, I was surprised at first, too. Anyway, would you mind if I asked you a question—"
"How do we know where the machine is and how to even get to it?"
Roy abruptly stops as Neil speaks. It seems like they've planned out everything except for the most crucial part—identifying the gaps in the plan.
"Yeah, that's right. We lack information. I need more details for the plan to actually be complete."
"How are we gonna do that?"
Nick stands up from the chair and stares at the ceiling for a moment. "Hey, who do you think would know where the machine is?"
"Who? I think it's the terrorists since they're the ones who planned all of this. What do you mean by the... Ohhh!!"
"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"
Nick turns around with a grin, while Neil nods sinisterly.
"Let's go kidnap some terrorists."