Chapter 163: Escape From the Ship

Five minutes until the ship exploded. Five minutes to live.

"Thomas. Can you disable the self-destruct?" I asked. Trying to stay calm.

"Maybe. But it's complex. Military grade. Encrypted. I'd need time." Thomas examined the systems. "More than five minutes."

"Then we abandon ship. We evacuate. We get off now." Cole grabbed life vests. Started handing them out.

"We're in Antarctic waters. We'll freeze to death in the water." Sarah pointed out. Again. Still true.

"Better than exploding. We survive cold longer than we survive bombs." Maya took a vest. Put it on.

"Wait. There's another way." Nina was looking at monitors. "The ship has an emergency pod. Escape vessel. Designed for exactly this situation. Holds ten people. Self-powered. Can reach Chile."

"Where? Where is it?" I demanded.

"Lower deck. Opposite side of the ship. Two minutes to reach. Maybe less if we run." Nina plotted route.

Four minutes left.

"Everyone move. Now. Fast. Don't stop for anything." I led. Running. Full speed.

We ran through corridors. Down stairs. Past confused Eraser soldiers who didn't know what was happening.

"Ship is exploding! Evacuate! Get to lifeboats!" We shouted. Creating more chaos. More confusion. More panic.

Three minutes left.

Reached lower deck. Found the escape pod. Door sealed. Locked. Protected.

"Thomas. Open it." I ordered.

"On it." Thomas used magic. Forced the lock. Broke the seal. Opened the door.

Two minutes left.

"Everyone in. Now." We piled into the pod. Cramped. Tight. Barely enough room.

Thomas hit the launch button. Nothing happened.

"It's locked from the bridge. Safety protocol. Someone needs to authorize launch from command center." Thomas read the error message.

"Victoria. She has to unlock it. Or we're dead." Cole realized.

One minute thirty seconds left.

"I'll get her. You stay here. Be ready to launch." I ran. Back to the bridge. Fast as I could.

Burst in. Victoria still there. Sitting. Smiling. Waiting to die.

"Unlock the escape pod. Now. Or we both die." I grabbed her. Shook her.

"That's the point. We both die. You don't get to win. You don't get to survive. You don't get to live." Victoria laughed.

One minute left.

"I'm not asking. I'm taking." I dragged her to the console. Forced her hand on the scanner. Biometric lock. Needed her handprint.

The system beeped. "Authorization required. Voice command needed."

"Say it. Say unlock. Say launch. Say it now!" I was desperate. Frantic.

"No." Victoria smiled. Refusing. Choosing death.

Forty five seconds left.

I hit her. Hard. Knocked her down. Grabbed the radio.

"Thomas! Can you override? Can you fake her voice? Can you do something?" I yelled into radio.

"I can try!" Thomas's voice came back.

Thirty seconds left.

Through the radio I heard Thomas. Speaking in Victoria's voice. Perfect copy. Perfect mimic.

"Override authorization. Launch escape pod. Code Victoria Sterling Alpha Nine Seven."

The system processed. Thinking. Deciding.

Twenty seconds left.

"Authorization accepted. Escape pod launching in three. Two. One."

I felt the ship shake. The pod was launching. With everyone inside. Without me.

Fifteen seconds left.

I ran. Sprinting. Desperate. Trying to reach them. Trying to get out.

Ten seconds left.

I wouldn't make it. Too far. Too slow. Too late.

"Lita! Jump!" Cole's voice. Shouting.

I reached a window. Saw the escape pod. Fifty feet away. In the water. Moving away from the ship.

Five seconds left.

I jumped. Through the window. Into freezing water. Swimming. Desperate.

Three seconds left.

Arms grabbed me. Pulled me. Dragged me.

Cole. In the water. In wolf form. Swimming. Saving me.

One second left.

He reached the pod. Threw me inside. Climbed in after.

The ship exploded. Massive fireball. Huge blast. Devastating explosion.

The shockwave hit us. Threw the pod. Spinning. Tumbling. Almost capsizing.

But we survived. Barely. By seconds. By luck. By family.

"Everyone okay? Anyone hurt?" I checked. Shaking. Freezing. Alive.

Everyone was fine. Wet. Cold. Scared. But alive.

"Victoria?" Sarah asked.

"Dead. She chose death. Chose to go down with the ship. Chose to die rather than let us win." I looked back. At the burning wreckage. At my cousin's grave.

"She was family. Twisted. Evil. Broken. But family." Maya looked sad.

"She was an enemy. Who tried to kill us. Multiple times. I'm not mourning her." Nina was cold. Practical. Honest.

Through the bond I felt Sarah and Maya's conflict. Sadness and relief. Grief and gratitude. Loss and survival.

Victoria was gone. The Erasers had lost their leader. The ship was destroyed.

But we were alive. We'd escaped. We'd survived.

Again. Always. Forever.

"Where do we go now? Back to California? Back to safety? Back to hiding?" Luna asked.

"No. We go to Antarctica. We attack the Eraser base. We finish this. While they're confused. While they're leaderless. While they're vulnerable." I decided. Bold. Risky. Necessary.

"We're six people. Soaking wet. Freezing cold. Exhausted. Against an entire base full of Erasers. That's suicide." Cole was realistic.

"Maybe. Or maybe it's our only chance. Our best shot. Our final opportunity." I looked at everyone. At my family. "Victoria said three Guardians left. Thomas. Mei. And Jin. If we don't stop the Erasers now they'll kill the last Guardians. They'll eliminate supernatural beings. They'll win."

"Then we go. We fight. We finish this." Sarah agreed.

"Together. Like always." Maya added.

Through the bond we connected. United. Determined. Ready.

The escape pod had supplies. Weapons. Equipment. Everything we needed.

"Antarctica base is three hundred miles south. Pod can make it in ten hours. We rest. We prepare. We attack at dawn." I planned.

Ten hours until the final battle. Ten hours until we faced the Erasers completely. Ten hours until we ended this war.

Or died trying. Like always. Like Luna Triad. Like family.

The clock was ticking. The mission was clear. The stakes were everything.

We'd survive. We'd win. We'd save the world.

Or die trying. But either way we'd fight. Together. Always together.