Chapter 7: Meeting
The living room was crowded with voices, laughter, and the faint crackle of the city beyond Ava's apartment windows. Everyone had gathered, not just because she asked, but because they trusted her instincts. The conversation picked up almost immediately, their focus sharp.
"Alright," Ava said, pressing her palms against her knees. "We can't waste time. The system won't prepare for us—we have to do it ourselves. That means roles, responsibilities, and accountability. We know each other better than anyone, so let's be practical about this."
"Finally," Zephyr said, stretching his arms behind his head. "I've been waiting for my grand destiny to be revealed."
Lyra snorted. "Your destiny is sleeping until noon and stealing other people's snacks."
"Which is a noble calling, thank you very much."
"Focus," Ava said, though a smile tugged at her lips. "Let's start simple. Who's best at logistics? Keeping track of supplies, numbers, making sure we don't buy seven rice cookers and forget first aid kits?"
Brian lifted his hand immediately. "That's me. I'm already the one who manages our road trip budgets."
Lyra raised a brow. "You mean the one who nags us every time we're ten dollars over on gas money?"
"That's called discipline." Brian adjusted his glasses, smug. "I'll keep inventory and accounts. Nothing slips through me."
"Good. Quartermaster suits you," Ava agreed, jotting it down.
"Hold on," Alyssa spoke up from the couch, propping her chin on her hand. "Numbers are fine, but who's handling actual finances? Money is not the same as rice cookers."
Zephyr smirked. "What, you want to be our banker?"
"She should be," Lyra cut in, nudging her twin. "Alyssa's always the one who somehow has money left when the rest of us are broke."
"It's called being smart," Alyssa said smoothly. "While you lot were spending on limited-edition sneakers and bubble tea, I was investing. Somehow I always earn more than I spend. It's a gift."
Brian groaned. "So we're putting our apocalypse budget in the hands of a self-declared money magnet?"
"Yes," Ava said decisively, writing it down. "Alyssa's in charge of finance. She'll handle purchases, funding, and resource allocation. That way, we're not bankrupting ourselves in the first week."
Alyssa smiled with quiet satisfaction. "Finally, recognition."
"Alright," Ava continued. "Now, what about field work? Someone who can handle being out in the chaos when things start breaking down—scouting, gathering supplies, maybe dealing with strangers?"
All eyes shifted toward Kael. He leaned against the armrest with his usual quiet confidence, arms crossed.
"I'll take it," he said simply. "I'm used to dealing with people, and I don't mind a fight if it comes to that."
Zephyr gave him a lazy salute. "Congratulations, you're our official danger magnet."
"Better me than you," Kael replied dryly.
"Not arguing." Zephyr grinned.
"Alright," Ava said. "Kael's on scouting and field ops. He'll need backup though. Zephyr?"
"Ugh. You're going to make me run around too?"
"You're fast, you're resourceful, and you can talk your way out of almost anything," Ava said. "You're Kael's second."
Zephyr leaned back, pretending to sulk, though he didn't refuse. "Fine. But if I break a nail, I'm suing."
Lyra laughed, then turned to Ava. "What about medical? I've done first aid courses, and my mom's a doctor. I pick things up fast."
"That's perfect," Ava said warmly. "Medic and morale officer."
"Morale officer?" Lyra repeated.
"You're the only one who can cheer us up when we're falling apart," Ava said. "Don't underestimate that role."
Lyra's smile softened, and she nodded. "I'll take it."
Brian tapped the notepad in Ava's hand. "What about you, Ava? You can't just boss us around and not take a role yourself."
"I'm not bossing." She hesitated, then said, "I'll coordinate. Strategy, planning, managing the system itself. I'm the only one who can access it fully, so it makes sense."
"That's basically commander-in-chief." Zephyr pointed a finger at her. "See? Bossing."
Ava rolled her eyes but didn't deny it.
They kept talking, weaving in and out of arguments and laughter as they hammered out the details. Kael and Zephyr debated the best way to handle scouting pairs. Lyra suggested building a medical stash early on, since medicine would vanish fastest. Brian insisted on digital spreadsheets to track everything, while Zephyr groaned about "death by Excel." Alyssa, ever cool, reminded them not to overspend on things that glittered but had no real use.
Somewhere in the middle of the chaos, Ava realized something—this wasn't just a team. It was a family in the truest sense, a group who had grown up side by side, who knew one another's weaknesses and strengths better than their own.
When Brian raised the issue of communication with their families, the mood dipped again.
"My dad will ask too many questions," he admitted. "He'll want reports, updates. I can't lie that well."
"Then don't lie," Ava said. "Frame it as a responsibility project. Parents love to think their kids are finally being responsible. Just tell them you're learning crisis management and investing in preparedness."
Kael nodded. "We should decide on a common story. No mention of apocalypse. Just emergency prep."
"Right," Lyra agreed. "The last thing we need is to panic them."
"Or get grounded for sounding insane," Zephyr muttered.
"Exactly."
By the time the meeting wound down, the notepad in Ava's hand was nearly full. The group had clear roles: Brian the Quartermaster, Alyssa the Finance Controller, Kael and Zephyr the Scouts, Lyra the Medic, and Ava the Coordinator. Their shopping list spanned everything from water filters to multi-tools to generators, and their plan for easing their parents into it was solid.
When everyone finally stood to leave, the air felt lighter. They laughed as they packed up, tossing playful insults and promises to meet again tomorrow. Ava hugged each of them before they disappeared down the hall, her chest aching with a strange mix of pride and fear.
She closed the door and leaned against it, letting out a long sigh. Silence filled the apartment again.
Then came the familiar chime.
[Teamwork synchronization optimal.]
[Delegation Protocol unlocked.]
[Host may now grant limited system access to designated individuals.]
Ava froze, eyes widening. A new window unfolded before her, bright and clear. Roles, permissions, access settings. She could assign each of her friends to specific system functions. They would be able to gather resources and store them directly into Hope's Refuge.
Her lips curved slowly upward. The system had acknowledged their teamwork and rewarded it.
"Looks like we've leveled up," she whispered.