Why Fight?

[Rose's POV]

"What are you thinking?"

"You said that those were weak?"

She was pale…

"Did you see one of them throwing fire, poison or attacking from far away?"

"No…"

"They were just bigger bees, a few had abilities, but none of them was special."

Paws appeared at my side and snuggled into me. Kamila talked suddenly

"What can you do?"

"What do you mean?"

"Your Ability… what can you do?"

I thought about a way to explain it.

"It's difficult to explain, I can make pet contracts and use some of the abilities of my pets."

"I… blow up things… I used to work in one of the greenhouses…"

She told me her story.

She used to have a husband but no children, after the meteor shower her siblings and parents all died, only a cousin survived, and he currently worked as a teacher at the school.

She used to be an accountant, after the meteor shower she started to work in the logistics department, when the greenhouse 3 was finished she was promoted, and put in charge of the management, it was when the accident occurred.

I heard about the explosion, and until now, I didn't know what happened. Kamila somehow knew that the explosion was her fault, but besides her words, no one else knew how she did it.

After the investigation, thanks to Cecily's and Dr. Harting's help, they knew that she was indeed involved and had a special ability but couldn't control it.

After de incident she didn't want to leave her house for a couple of weeks after the event it took some time but thanks to the constant pestering from Blake, they finally could get her out of her house and joined the hunting squads. She partially agreed to it to prevent people from getting hurt, and once she joined them nothing really changed and just, stayed inside her room.

I could picture it… Kamila in the corner of a dark room with a single bed and no windows, trying to not touch anything in fear of blowing something up. Even now, she is far enough so if she blows something up, she would be far enough to not hurt anyone.

"Instead of staying away from everything, why not try to control it?"

"If I can't do it, people will just get hurt again, and also controlling it means that I have to use it, I don't want or asked for it. I just want to be normal again…"

I don't know why, but her words triggered me.

"None of us asked for this… I don't know everyone's backstory, but I can tell you that no one would want to live like this."

I closed my eyes, trying to remain calm and suppressing the feeling … I remembered the acceptance letter from Aurora University and the night before the meteor shower when Spencer showed me the stars.

"I was going to start college… instead, I had to fight and see the people I love get hurt time and time again… my parents are in China… I know they are alive somewhere, but I might not see them again. No one wanted this."

Kamila just looked at the floor without raising her gaze.

"We had to learn how to do this, to protect each other. You have a choice to make now, you can either adapt, learn how to use your power to at least not hurt the people around you and go back to work… or not do anything and live with the constant fear of hurting everyone around you."

The conversation didn't go as I expected Kamila looked at me with tears.

"It's easier to fight when you have something to fight for"…

I could say anything, and she just kept talking.

"You have friends, family. All I had disappeared that day, Friends? I killed the last one alive with that explosion! Family? The only I know of is a cousin I haven't seen in ten years! Choice?!?! The only thing I have to decide is how and when to die!!"

Her face was red and covered in tears, she was breathing heavily… her last words were barely a whisper…

"The only reason I'm still here it's because I'm a coward who is too scared to die…"

We all lost a lot that day…

But still most of us had something that gave us a reason to fight for survival, but what do we do when even finding a reason to stay alive is difficult.

What would I have done if that day I woke up just to find my friends are brother dead?

I don't want to picture that… I don't think I can even get to imagine it.

I finally understood the real reason why she isn't fighting even if her life depends on it. It's because she doesn't care about her life anymore…

The things I said to her… I played them on my mind again.

Nothing of that will help her.

I might even be pushing her deeper into the abyss.

I wanted to leave that place, but I knew that I didn't want to leave this woman alone, not now…

A guy's voice took me out of my thoughts.

"Waking up alone in a different world. A world that isn't how it's supposed to be… It was the same for me."

Somehow, I haven't noticed him.

How long have been Stan with us? Did he come with Blake?

"Friends? Family? I asked myself all those questions. I decide to look for new friends… to find a new family. You always need something or someone to live for."

I focused on him as he talked… His usual goofy attitude wasn't there. Was that attitude his way to deal with his situation?

Kamila also noticed him and seemed lost, as if trying to figure out if she has seen this guy before and when did he arrive…

"I can't just look for new ones… what about…"

"The ones behind? If they loved you they would want the best for you, they will want you to be happy. When you are at the lowest it's difficult to see the big picture, you will get desperate and think that you will never find happiness again, at the beginning you make that quest your goal."

We all have our backstories and couldn't help but think and wonder about what he had to go through.

"Who are you?"

Kamila seemed to finally get some hope, something to hold to.

"This is Stan. He has a feeble presence, so it's difficult to notice him, you might not remember him."

"Difficult to notice?? Haha! That's an understatement! No one knows that I was there when we prevent that invasion, when the rescue team arrived, they forgot to take me back, and once I was in the ICU two days later they forgot my treatment!!... all that in less than three days… try to find someone else that can do that… I'm impossible to notice, but my name is indeed Stan nice to meet you."

I'm not sure if that was something to brag about, but this guy was always weird, Kamila seemed shocked by the sudden change of attitude, but it was more like the Stan I knew.

Stan extended his hand while she subconsciously grabbed it.

"Kamila…"

"I should be scouting… probably. No one told me what to do, so I kind of made my own schedule. Bye Kamila and don't die."

After his interruption, he just left, leaving us in confusion and awkward silence.

"When did he arrived? have he been around all this time?"

"I have been trying to remember, and I think that there were eight people in the first group so he must have been with them… If he has been around… I think he cooked today."

"now that you mention it I remember his voice, he made the chicken soup… He said he was there when you stopped that invasion…"

"Yeah… I tend to forget that he was there too, he saved our lives."

Another awkward silence.

"He must be strong…"

"To be honest, I have no idea."

"If his power is his presence, can't he control it?"

"I don't know, that guy is a mystery, maybe he can do it and just let us see him right now, but I don't think he can, I mean who would stay hidden while being hurt or in the ICU?"

"That's… sad…"

Some hope seemed to get into her eyes, it was not a complete change, but his words planted the seed in her mind. Stan is usually an idiot, but he has his moments like when he got Spence and me out from the burning forest or this one.

"So… do you know if he found new friends and people to care about?"

"I have no idea, but with his power, I don't think he can be too close with anyone."

Even if I wanted to tell her something good, I couldn't lie to her. With Stan's weak presence, I wasn't sure if he could have someone like that.

Kamila, instead of looking down, looked back in the direction he disappeared with respect.

"Maybe… he is still fighting to find it."