Catalyst

JUNE 29, 3246

It took a week of silence for anything to happen again. No protests occurred, NewCUBIC Agents were perplexed by this and were stationed around for a few days. No one came by the Venice household. We were being watched as well, for a few days. The entire San Fernando Valley was a ghost town.

As I was walking to the market, I saw a familiar figure in my peripheral vision. "Quinn!" I shouted, my voice as clear as day through the silent town. The blonde girl turned in surprise.

"Adeline?" She called back. "Oh my god, we thought you were dead!"

This was my turn to be surprised. "Dead?" I asked, slowing to walk beside her. "Why would you-"

"All the NCG Agents around. We haven't made a move since you vanished at the Flash Rally." Quinn explained. "What happened to you?"

I sighed. "It isn't NCG. It's NewCUBIC."

Quinn was taken aback. "They're real?"

I nodded gravely. "And they want something with me. They grabbed Will, but let her go."

The blonde frowned. "Then where is she?"

"What do you mean? She should be back."

Quinn shook her head. "Wherever they took her, it wasn't home."

My eyes widened. "Oh god. Will."

◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊

After I caught up with Quinn on the occurrences of our rebellion, I called my mother, informing her that I wouldn't be home soon. Of course, like any good mother, she agreed but told me to watch my back.

I followed Quinn into an old, building, full of ramps and garages. Back in the United States era, it was used as a car parking area, but in New California, the only people with cars work in the government.

"Why would anyone be in here? It's really unstable." I muttered, eyeing the dead cars and caved in areas of concrete.

Quinn jumped down a spot where the ground had caved in. "Exactly. Only people who know where to go would come here. I've been living down here since they grabbed my mother." I nodded, hopping down and landing softly in the darkness. "They found the old rally spot, so we needed someplace new. Besides, some others have joined my parking community finally." She shrugged, grabbing something in the dark. I heard a click, and light filled the underground parking lot.

Looking around, I gasped in awe. "Whoa, Quinn. Did you do that yourself?" Along the concrete walls, there were colorful scarves, sweet little drawings, and doodles. One wall was a large mural that was faded, but one could tell that it was once a vivid landscape.

Smiling, Quinn shook her head. "The scarves are me, but these drawing and paintings, I imagine people created them underground when the War occurred."

I nodded. "I can see that. They all just scream 'hope.' If only luck was on their side."

Quinn grabbed my hand, yanking me along. "Wonderful. But come along, Adeline. We've got people to address."

I froze. "Wait, people? Quinn, I'm not ready, I don't know what I'm going to say, or-" My protests were halted by the girl shoving my forwards onto the ledge. Immediately, I heard the whispers.

"Is that Adeline?"
"I thought she was dead?"
"I thought she had run away to The Rubble!"

The whispers grew and grew until I couldn't hear myself think. "Oi, can it!" I shouted.

The murmurs died down. "I didn't run. Of course, I didn't run, we're still fighting them. This isn't over!" My voice was clear over the waiting group. "It'll never be over until they see us, women, as equals. I will keep fighting them, and they will strike back. They held me captive, a group of the government called NewCUBIC!" Murmurs broke out once more. "Yes. It's true, they exist. They held me there, they took Wilhelmina Caper and we don't know where she is!" The crowd cried out in outrage.