Chapter 3: Where is Kym?
Ben's POV
The rescued mission was a success although there were some glitches. We almost got ambushed by the skitters and mechs but with the help from the rebels skitters and high-tech weapons from the volms, we managed. I was glad both dad and Colonel Weaver were there. I was also glad that Pope and the Berserkers were with us too although they could be a nuisance. And though I hated Pope for calling me names, he and the Berserkers do help in many ways. We needed the fighters of 2nd Mass to make this mission a success.
We got a truckload of harnessed kids and teenagers. This has been the many missions that we have been doing for the past months ever since the volm gave us the machine to take off the harness without any complications.
As we arrived back to our camp, I saw Lourdes and a few of Dr. Glass' assistants who were tending to some minor injuries at the vicinity of our camp hurried up to our truck to lead the harnessed kids and teenagers to the 'de-harnessing' machine. Kym was nowhere in sight. Usually she would come to welcome us back after every mission. That's strange.
'Hey Ben, good job today,' Hal patted me on the shoulder. Maggie flashed me a wide smile next to him.
'Good job to you both too. If not for you guys, there would have been more casualties. We nearly got ambushed by them,' I said. Everyone did their part and cooperated well thus the sudden attacked by 'them' could be easily fend off. Matt who has joined our mission came running towards us.
'It was so cool! Did you see how I fired at those skitters?' he was so proud that dad finally allowed him to join us in some of our missions. I remember those days when he complaint how everyone was treating him like a kid. And when I finally showed him how to shoot, I got reprimanded by Hal. Now that I come to think of it, Hal has his reasons. I had mine too. I just wanted Matt to be ready to fight if he ever encounter those skitters. He nearly got harnessed by them a few months back. We were very grateful that we were on time to save him and the rest of the kids. I can't bear to think Matt having had to go through what I went through. No doubt the spikes gave me extraordinary strength but it would be good to be normal and this is what I want Matt to have, normalcy although this world is already in chaos.
'Great job boys', dad said as he came over to us too with Cochise, the volm whom the 2nd Mass has formed an alliance with.
'We were glad that the volms were with us today, dad,' Hal said as he gave a nod to Cochise who nodded back.
'It was a success and we will be de-briefing after lunch. I have some matters to attend to with Cochise,' dad said with a smile before ruffling Matt's head. We could see his affection towards our little brother. We knew also how conflicted he was in the beginning when he was contemplating whether to allow Matt to fight alongside with the fighters in 2nd Mass. But Matt proved himself as a good fighter.
'Hey Benji, where's your girlfriend?' Denni came over and can't help but to tease me. She always calls me Benji just to spite me because she knows how much I hated to be called that. Referring Kym as my girlfriend has been going on for months because Kym and I were always seen together. I just brushed it off because I know she is just kidding. Denni is just like me. She had her harness removed weeks earlier when we rescued her and some of the kids. She decided to join the 2nd Mass fighting team thus at times we will be partnered together especially when we have to involve the rebels skitters. We channel for them whenever there is a message for the 2nd Mass.
'Stop calling me that and Kym is not my girlfriend', I sounded exasperated. She just smiled. We had become good friend too not only because of our similarity but because she is a very nice person. Besides Kym, she is the one who understands what goes through my mind when I think about my spikes.
After we have brought all the kids to the de-harnessing machine, I went to look for Kym. There's just so much I want to tell her about the mission, as always.