Chapter Sixteen

It was Lucky that it only took four tower clears to get to 25% complete. Lance called everyone to come to the towers, where he would make an announcement. Being closer to the one in the USA, I went there. Max went ahead of me as he was called back by Lance. I told him I would see him soon.

Arriving at the tower, I looked around. Lance had been busy. There were buildings and parks. A large change from when there were just plants keeping the boundary. Though the plants still circled the area, marking the safe zone. For the other three towers I Had leveled up. Meaning that I could create larger areas for people to settle once at the towers. Making this place seems small in comparison. 

"Good afternoon, everyone," Lance's voice rang out. I turned to look at the tower. He and his group were standing in front of the tower entrance. "I have gathered you all here today to start our new lives on the other side of the tower. I ask those that are already near a tower to wait just a little longer. We want to get as many people to the towers as possible to keep everyone together. I have a person working on cleaning up another couple of towers. Those that have been cleaned are Canada, Mexico, Brazil, and soon Spain. I ask you to prepare for the next coming days!" Lance said, smiling. He looked at the cameras while waving. Once that speech was over, he answered a few questions. I didn't get to see it as Max showed up and pulled me away.

"Spain" was all that Max said as he pulled me away. I smiled, but looked back. Why did Lance even call us back if he was going to send us away so quickly?

On the plain to Spain I complained to Max about not being able to clean up more around the tower in the US. How much stronger I was now that I leveled up these last few months. Though it was barely any real complaint that I had. Max knew I was just trying to fill up time.

"Will we go back after Spain?" I asked, looking out over the ocean. We had plenty of time left to rest. During the flight, Max leaned over, falling asleep on my arm. I looked at him while trying not to move. He looked as tired as I felt. 

Landing in Spain was great. It was a nice 75 degrees out, there was a cool breeze out. I smiled, looking around. The last tower took only two months to clean up. With how much pressure Lance placed on me to rush the job. I thought of a way to do so. I would make a thin path in, then a thin path out. If I cut my path in half but make it stretch longer into the towers area, I might clean up faster.

While putting this into practice, I noticed it took a little longer to clean up, than I had thought. Not long enough that I would change my plan. I kept up the pace, taking fewer breaks. I needed to make the path as large as I could as soon as I could. With going half there, halfback, I was hoping to gain slightly more room. People gathered behind me as I cleaned up. While I had no issue with them doing so, Max was another story. He stopped sleeping, following me close behind. He would watch them not blinking as they slowly kept pace with us. I didn't worry about them being about to get to the tower.

"Do you want to take a nap?" I asked him. At this point it had been a full three days sense he last slept. When he shook his head while still staring at the other, I stepped in. "Max, I'm gonna use my skill on you. I won't hurt you. Just try to sleep. Even if it's just ten minutes," I begged softly. I waited a moment before having the plants scoop him up in a ball. He disappeared from sight while the vines protected him. Doing this the first time in the tower was something I couldn't believe now. It was almost second nature. Though I would sometimes talk to the plants, hoping to get them to talk back. I didn't want to become something like the monster that was in the last trial. However, if this skill gave the surrounding people hope and safety, I wouldn't be opposed to getting a little better at handling it.

I focused on cleaning the path before Max wakes up. If I could do it, then he wouldn't have to stay up with the people behind us. We could go to another tower, or even head back to clean up more of the towers we have already worked on. Either way, I would have to ask him when this was all over. Maybe he would even help me see Zhen Seong and Bruna. Though I have heard nothing about Bruna, I believe she is too stubborn to die. I will definitely see her again.

I made it almost to the tower by pressing past my limits a bit before Max woke up. When I saw him out of the vines, I smiled before the world blinked out of existence. I don't remember getting to say anything to him before passing out. When I woke up, I was in the vine ball with Max sitting next to me. His eyes were puffy and he wouldn't look up from the grip on my hand. 

"Hey," I said voice raspy from sleeping so long.

"I'm sorry," Max muttered, still not looking at me.

"Sorry? for what?" I blinked, waking up. I sat up and with my back crackling as I did. 

"You passed out. I'm supposed to be protecting you," Max muttered again. His hand still holding mine in a vice grip.

"Oh, well, did I hit the ground?" I asked, reaching up to touch my head. Though by how Max's eyes shot up to look at me, said I didn't have to worry much. "Hmm, doesn't feel like I got hurt," I said, rubbing my head and face.

"YOU DIDN'T HIT THE FLOOR!" Max yelled. He then pulled back looking back at my hand "The plants moved and you… we ended up in here" He was back to muttering.

"That explains it. The plants won't let me get hurt if they can help it." I said back, reaching up to ruffle his hair. "Looks like you and the plants kept me safe. Thank you." I said. Max reluctantly let me work again, though not without his supervision. Max would force me to take breaks every two hours. Would make sure I ate and even went and talked with the people following us. He asked them for how to make food and while there was a language barrier, he did a great job. He ended up making friends with another boy about his age. When I asked him about it, he would tell me they 'aren't friends' before huffing off. But when the other boy came closer and waved to him, Max would go.

It was sad to see the trip ending as we not only made it to the tower but cleaned around it. I made sure that the other boy wasn't too far from where I was working, leaving the clean area to be a little lopsided. I planned to stay longer to even out of the clean area, but Lance called. We had to return to the US now. It was time to enter the tower.

Entering the tower was an enormous event. Lances group set up multiple streams so that everyone could see what was happening. They were being translated in real time by his subordinates across the world. Max was called to report to him and had to leave my side. I told him I would see him in a little. Even if I knew that was a lie. I found my way forward and to the right of the larger group, waiting to get into the tower. There were about ten lines to enter the tower. I stood out from them and far enough to the right; I looked like one of Lance's people. Looking at the line, I tried to see if I could see the end. The people growing smaller in the distance and over the horizon. The large amount of people made me feel small, so I tore my eyes away from the line and to the tower. There, I glimpsed Zhen Seong, Bruna, and Max being ushered into the tower. The three of them looked uncomfortable about entering the tower, but didn't put up much of a fight.

"Enter the tower!" Lance called out to us. His smile looked more forced than usual. His eyes didn't smile, nor did they look happy. He was closer to the tower than I thought he would be. Standing just a few steps away from it. 

Then the line started moving. I watched as people passed me, looking at how many people there were. I saw so many people that looked from different places and heard different languages being spoken as people moved forward. Though something pulled at my conscious. Lance stood so close to the tower Like he was waiting for something. I looked around at the people trying to connect the dots. There were plenty of adults first, but Lance had announced that adults should enter the tower first in case anything happened. So families would arrive later in the day, if not tomorrow. 

'Whats the link here?' I asked myself. There had to be a reason that I felt so off. Was it the amount of people here? It had been just me and Max for the last couple of months, plus the time alone. But if that's the case, then why wasn't I bothered by Spain's clean up? Sure, it was fewer people, but there were still more people than I was used to. I stayed watching the line enter the tower quickly and consistently. It didn't take as long as I thought it would to see families. That nagging feeling in the back of my mind raged on.

I watched a little girl in a bright red dress walk up to the tower with her family. The dress was so vibrant I wanted to wear something in that color. The girl dances around, holding onto her mom's hand. I smiled, looking at the cute family. I watched as they counted the steps into the tower. One, two… the parents entered the tower. The little girl bounced off the tower back. She fell on her butt, then looked up and around. Her parents were gone.

My eyes ran to Lance to see his face was cold. He took a step to towards the tower but still in the stream's frame. "We have discovered that anyone under the age of 15 can not enter the tower. The children of this world are doomed, but we have learned you can get pregnant in the tower and even carry to term. All not lost, though those with small children will have to choose to enter the tower or stay here," He said being looking at the little girl. "Leave the children and enter the tower or don't and die here together," he said turning and walking into the tower.

The line had stopped moving as people took in what he said. Some people charged the tower to enter it. I could hear wails of people. I scanned the area to find that some parents were leaving their kids and running to the tower. Others were being dragged away by other people to leave their kids. Some backed away, trying to shield their children from the chaos.

As my eyes passed over the people, I saw someone I never thought I would see again. The blond hair pulled back into a bun with a small child on their hip. Skyler was standing there looking at the tower. My mouth opened, but no sound came out. I watched as they placed their child on the ground. They never looked at their child as they ran to the tower. I gasped, trying to call out, but still no sound came. Skyler disappeared into the tower. My body moved at that moment.

Running up to the tower, I ran to where the camera was sitting. All of Lance's people were gone from this tower. I figured they were gone from the others, too. I made my plants grab everyone and lift them high in the air. Had them even pick up those I couldn't see at the other towers. The movement drained my energy quickly. Standing in front of the camera, I smiled awkwardly. "Hello, I'm Noa Sander. I'm the one controlling the plants that have lifted most of you up." Taking a breath, "I know this is scary. I know Lance sprung this on us last minute, so we would make rash decisions. Truth be told, I'm not sure I can save everyone, but I'm willing to try. Any adults that have no kids or teens above the age of 15 enter the tower quickly and carefully. As for parents, guardians, and younger children, I will take you in and protect you from the radiation and fallout of the war. I will protect you until your children are old enough to enter the tower with you. All I ask is that you help bring those whose parents have entered the tower with you. I will wait in the US for you," I said slowly, having the plants let go of the people. Backing up, I looked out over the crowd. 

"If you could bring any children without parents over here." I requested, pointing to where I had been standing. I waited, moving the plants that I knew carried children that had been left already. It hurt. I wanted to cry and force the tower to open, but I couldn't. Despite my fear, I had to be strong. I couldn't add to their fear or people will get hurt. Thanks to the now calmer movements of people, I got the children to the right of the tower. People walked into the tower, parents said goodbye to their sons and daughters. Some grandparents forced their kids to go through while promising to raise the kids well. A couple of parents walked over and set their kids off with the others, then walked into the tower, not looking back. Every time I saw a parent not look back, I wondered if they were like mine who would eventually abandon their children anyway or if they ever cared about the kids. 

I tried not to look at them as they entered the tower. The energy it took to have plants wrapped around so many people around the world was already taking all my attention. Every now and they I would feel people's struggle against my vines. My breath shakes as I breathed out. Hours of slowly releasing people from the vines. We were entering the ninth hour when someone walked over to me. 

I looked down to see a little boy looking up at me. I remembered him. He was Skyler's kid. "H-hey buddy, what… what's up?" I asked, trying not to squish the people still in vines. He didn't day anything but lifted a toy dog up to me. I smiled. "That's a cute dog. Whats it's name?" I asked.

"bob" he said with a smile. 

"That' a good name. Will you and bob do me a favor?" I asked, looking up towards the adults that stayed. One of them would have to take over and for a little. Running out of energy, I needed to rest. Anyone still tied up would be free to run into the tower. I'm unsure of how many are left over. It just feels like many people. When the little boy nodded his head I asked, "would you go get one of those adults please?"

With a serious face and a stern nod, he ran off to the other adults. I watched him go and saw him talk to a few adults. They glanced over at me. There were three women and two men that ran over from the group.

As they got closer, I spoke. "I won't be able to keep the vines up for much longer. Therese a chance that I'll pass out when I do. I need someone to take control and tell everyone where we are so they can get to safety." They nodded and looked at each other.

One woman walked forward. She turned to the camera and started speaking clearly and loud. "Hello, I can help. My name is Amanda Brown. I am a teacher and will help guide you all to the tower in the US. Those of you that want to leave. Please know that you have time. Noa cleaned up five towers long before the deadline. There is no reason to rush. The tower will not reject you. Walk carefully and you will get to the safety in the tower. Those of us staying We will do our best to help you get here. For now, stay with the children near the tower." She said, before turning to me. "Let go. We can take care of this part." She smiled. I smiled back, hoping that trusting her was the right choice. Not that I had another choice to begin with. Letting the vines go, I watched for a moment as the people leaving lined up and entered the tower by walking. They made room for families to join the sidelines. I smiled and sat down. My eyes felt heaven and kept closing for longer periods of time before I finally gave in.