Falling Cities

F-o-s-t-e-r

We grab the two suits of armor and part ways.
I strip down to my.. oh whatever.. my underwear..
Then I work on the trousers, and, despite the iron plates aren't very heavy.
Then I move to the breastplate, I slide it over my head and work my arms into the sleeves. It's just as sleek and light as the bottoms.
The metal plates gleam in the sun, it's almost blinding.
I walk back to the lake shore too wait for Veris. I lay on my back and tinker with the pistol, luckily it isn't cocked, so I don't accidentally shoot myself in the-
"Foster?" I sit up and turn. Veris is there, standing armored in front of me.
I smile, trying to hide the fact that my breath is catching.
She's tied up her hair in a messy bun and is holding the pistol, aiming it at me.
"Careful!" I say, she lowers it.
"Do I look scary?" She says, smiling shyly.
"You look beautiful." I regretted saying the words right away.
She stares, then steps a little closer.
I didn't regret saying the words anymore.
"Do I?"
"Yes." I assure, standing up to join her.
She's very close, so close I can feel her small little breaths on my face.
She makes no move too kiss me.
Should I do it? I'd never had these feelings before, I'd never seen such a thing in a girl.
But then she does kiss me.
It's on the lips, and it's brief. She steps away, blushing deeply. I probably was too.
"I thought that bracelet was supposed to give me good sense." She fingers the pistol.
I'd liked that kiss. From her, a girl I'd met only a day ago.
I'd do anything to have that kiss agian.
I'd run a hundred miles for it.
I'd swim through the entire lake for it.
I'd stop a supercomputer for that kiss.
She walks away and I follow.
What do I say? Nothing?
I didn't want to make a mistake. I'd already pressed my luck by kissing her back. Is that what she wanted? Did she want to kiss me? Or did she do it because she knew I wanted it all along?
I felt lightheaded, I'm sure she felt no different.
"Veris?"
She immediately gives me her full attention, spinning around to face me.
"I just.. want you to know.. Whatever happens.. I.. uh, I think you're perfect."
As stupid as it was, she smiled.
"I think you are way too sexy in that armor."
She danced away, hiding her face.
Wow.
I was soooo ready to destroy a supercomputer.

We arrived at the little camp outside the mountain road.
Some of the men had set up glass jars for us to shoot at.
Veris fired and hit two out of three, I hit zero.
Oh whatever. I wasn't a good shot at all but I was the one with armor and and a super hot girlfriend.
Was she my girlfriend now? No. I didn't have time for women! I had to save the world! Or just one city...
We clambered into the backseat of a truck-not unlike the pickup I wrecked-with Emmet and Lucinda.
Lucinda was telling Veris something about TIB's mircoLOC functions.
"The code, you'll need to put in the code after you deploy the MicroLOC. It's easy, 474."
"Only three digits? Why so easy?"
"Nothing could hack TIB, she was too strong, this key, was the only thing that could possibly shut her down."
She holds up the key.
"So who takes it?" Emmet asks.
"You or Veris?"
I shrug. I never thought I'd have to make such a powerful decision, although it didn't seem like a big deal. It was like who had to call the guy to order pizza, not a big deal, but still a huge one somehow.
"I'll take it." Veris says.
Lucinda sighs.
"Alright. Veris, you're the only hope now, Foster, get her inside. Make sure nothing happens to the key. Can you do that?" Emmet says.
"Yes." But I suppose the whole "protection" aspect of it will be directed at Veris and not at the key.
"We can do this." Lucinda assures.
"'we?'" I say. "All of this" I motion around us. "Relies on us. What's the reward huh? The point?"
Lucinda glares, she opens her mouth to speak but Emmet raises a gloved hand to silence her.
"Foster. You are the best chance we have. If this city falls too TIB, she'll move to the rest of the world."
His eyes grow hollow. "Until everything is gone, all under her command."
I finger the charm bracelet.
Please work. Please help me.
I gaze out the window. Trees, the dog-who now sits in Emmet's lap, found by one of the sergeants-and the city that was created for humans.
"Make me a promise." I say to Lucinda, although I continue to look at the trees.
"If we pull this off, you'll take us out there." She knows what I meant, the world.
"There's a diner in my old town, makes great pancakes. I'll take you there." She promises.
Emmet laughs. "Really? I could take you two to a five star restaurant!"
The mood in the car drops as the giant dome comes into view.
"We're here." The driver says.
As if it wasn't painfully obvious already.