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I threw Henry back into the escape pod. I felt my body hit the hard metal floor. I hit the button to close the door, sealing me and the Toppat out. I rushed to my knees, only for the door to slam in my face. I slammed the attacker’s face against the glass window. “CHARLES!” “Don’t worry about me.” My hand flew to the glass. “I’ll find another way!” The pod launched. The pod launched. I watched helplessly as the space station grew smaller and smaller. I watched through the slot the escape pod used to be in as the pod retreated towards Earth. My eyes flitted around the space station as I looked for anything that proved Charles had made it out. After a swift hit to the back of the head, the Toppat in my grasp was out cold. “Come on Charles!” I sighed. “Time’s running out!” I reached a hand up to my busted headphones. I held my breath as I watched. “Hey Henry, you there?” “I’m here Charles!” “Man, they really roughed me up.” I continued to stare down the space station, only to see no more pods emerge. “Got ‘em though.” My hand pressed against the window as I watched the ever-shrinking space station, my knuckles turning white from the force. “There’s got to be another escape pod around here somewhere.” I could hear Charles grunt in pain. “We did it though, we got them.” I suddenly realized what was going to happen. “That was a pretty good plan!” no, No, NO! I felt oddly at peace with what was about to happen. I tried to find a way to make the pod go back, but in the end, it failed. I was willing to die for my best friend, for anyone really. All I could do was watch helplessly as I knew Charles was in that space station, and there weren’t any more escape pods. After all, that was what was called for in the line of duty, willingness to die for your country. I had never been an optimist before, but I found myself hoping and praying to any god that was out there, that Charles would make it out alive. My shoulder flared in pain as I smiled, knowing that we had taken down the Toppats. “Charles! You have to make it out of this alive! Please!” We had Completed The Mission. I knew my best friend wouldn’t be coming out of this, but I didn’t want to accept the reality. Did I regret anything? He was Charles Fricken Calvin, he always had the greatest plans! No. He was the bold action man! “Could say it was the greates-” Charles’ voice cut out, replaced by static.
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The space station exploded. I screamed as I pounded against the window. Tears began to fall. I couldn’t believe what had happened. I pressed my forehead to the window, before sliding down to the floor. I reached hand up to my earpiece. “Charles, do you read me?” I was met with static. “Charles do you read me?!” I asked with more urgency. No reply, more static. “CHAAAAAAAAAAARLES!” I wailed. I began to sob more. Charles was gone, and he was never coming back. My first thought was, “How do I tell the general?” He and Charles were like father and son, and now I had to break the news that his son was dead. “THOSE BASTARDS WILL PAY FOR THIS!”