MISSION MOONLARK, kotlc

47

Sophie could practically hear the suspenseful-movie-music pounding at the back of her head as Keefe carefully gathered the colorful wires into a single bunch. 

"Hold on a second," Dex said abruptly. "Look at this. A timer."

Beneath the wires was a tiny, electronic panel, with flashing red numbers, counting down the moments until the bomb's explosion. 

15... 14... 13....

Keefe cursed. "It doesn't matter! Let's just chop these already!" Squeezing Sophie's hand more for his sake than her's, Keefe snipped the wires all together with his free arm. 

Nothing happened.

But the beeping didn't stop- and neither did the timer.

6... 5... 4.... 

No time to run, no time to hide, barely anytime to say goodbyes.

Keefe's expression made everything hurt. So much pain, and guilt, and disappointment, more in himself than anything else. In those fleeting seconds, Sophie thought about all of his potential- everything he could've done if it weren't for the Neverseen. What could they have been if it weren't for their rivaling agencies? Would they still be alive had they been nothing but normal teens? 

Instinctively, spontaneously, barely thinking about what she was doing, Sophie kissed him. She didn't want her last minutes alive to be filled with only pain and regret. But she couldn't stop the voice in her head that wondered- wished -everything had all been different.

2... 1... 0.

Sophie braced herself for the explosion. She figured 'getting blown up' could be the final thing she checked of her bucket list! How would death feel? Would it hurt? Would she be able to find Keefe- her friends, her family -wherever death took her?

But.... it didn't come.

On zero, the beeping sound became rapid, then stopped altogether. Sophie squeezed her own hand, trying to make sure this wasn't some sort of after-life hallucination. What happened?

"Great," Dex sighed, after a long pause. "We disabled the bomb but not the timer. Without the explosive, this thing-" he ripped out the beeping red timer and held it up "-is basically just a stopwatch. About as harmful as your average vegetable."

"So... very harmful," Chloe clarified. "Broccoli's been targeting me since I was born."

Biana facepalmed.

But Sophie barely cared. That was it, then? They'd saved the city? Ruined the Neverseen's evil schemes? 

"I.... I can't believe we did it," Sophie whispered. "For a moment there, I thought... I mean I really did think we were going to..."

"But we didn't," Keefe reminded her, giving her hand another reassuring squeeze. "We're okay."

"Thanks to you," Sophie mumbled, feeling her face flush. She tried to figure out why she was so embarrassed- then realized it was because she had kissed Keefe in front of all of her friends, thinking it would be the last thing she did alive.

Keefe leaned in closer and said in her ear, "Y'know Foster, it's flattering to think the last thing you wanted to do on Earth was kiss me... I had no idea you were so impressed with The Hair!"

Nothing like a trademark-Keefe joke to break the tension.

"You've known exactly how I've felt since we met," Sophie chided him, though she couldn't suppress her smile.

She was vaguely aware of Fitz scowling in the corner. "Hey guys, sweet sappy moment and all, but maybe we should get going? The rest of the city has no idea how close they were to getting blown up. We're going to get a lot of question that we can't answer if we stay here."

"He's right," Keefe sighed, like it was painful to admit Fitz was correct. "We have a lot to clean up. But that's okay, right? As long as we're together."

Fitz grabbed Chloe's hand, which seemed to surprise her. She glanced at him, then relaxed. 

"And I'll ask Agent Leto if Chloe could join the Black Swan or something," Biana added cheerfully. She looked significantly happier now that Chloe was holding hands with Fitz and not intruding on Dex. 

"Oooh! Do they have good breakfasts there?" Chloe wondered. "No broccoli, right?"

Biana blinked like she was trying to not roll her eyes.

"Come on Foster. Need a little help?"

Keefe pulled Sophie to her feet and helped her out.

Sophie had no idea where this road would take them, but this, she knew: she didn't want a normal life. Sure, maybe things would have been different. Better, even. But the spy life- it was what made her life special. It gave her a purpose. 

And as long as she had her friends- and Keefe -everything would be okay.