THE TURNING POINT

Lena's POV As we stood there confronting Sergeant Beckett, the air buzzed like static electricity. His arrogant smirk wavered momentarily, then came back more evil than ever. Finn and Jacob tightened up next to me, their gaze fixed on the man who had brought us so much suffering. Beckett remarked, his voice full of contempt: "I'll give you credit for your courage." But bravery will not save you. "No," I shot back, heart thumping. "We are not backing down; we have learnt to fight back." Drawn in, he arched an eyebrow. Is that true? You believe you to be the first to object to me? Many have tried and all of them have failed. Finn said, "We're not just anyone," coming forward with a set jaw. "We have something you will never understand: a reason to fight." Ah, indeed. Beckett laughed, then I saw a sliver of uncertainty in his eyes from the power of friendship and all that sentimental nonsense. Though little, it felt like we were catching ground. "You have no idea what we have gone through," I said, my voice steady. You have no idea what we are capable of. He turned to face me, truly looked at me, and for a moment the front fell away. "I've seen what you're capable of," he said, a little respect mingled with contempt. Still, keep in mind I have all the cards right here. A powerful explosion went off close by, rattling the earth underneath before I could reply. We all turned, driven by instinct into proximity as anarchy broke out all around. The battlefield changed quickly, and the troops who had been so orderly seconds before were now running to re-group. "Lena, we have to leave!." Urgent, lacing his voice, Jacob yelled. "this isn't over, but we can't fight him here!" "No!" Tucked between the need to escape and the need to face Beckett, I persisted. We cannot let him go! 'Lena!" Finn's voice was forceful yet tinged with desperation. 'If we stay here, we'll be trapped!" 'Go! I will cover it for you! Feeling the wave of adrenaline, I shouted. " I can hold him off!" "Are you crazy?," Jacob yelled back with wide eyes. "Just go!" I clicked. "You have to reorganize among the others. We cannot let go of this opportunity! Their eyes showed reluctance, and I sensed the internal conflict between survival and loyalty. Jacob moved back, though, as another explosion shook the region. Perfect. Promise me, though, you will leave here. "I promise," I said, my heart weighted with the moment. As they withdrew, I shifted my focus back to Beckett, who was observing me with a mixture of amusement and interest. Shaking his head, he replied, "Brave little girl." You believe you could meet me by yourself? "I'm not alone," I said, my voice firm despite the terror whirling in my gut. "I have friends; we are more powerful together." His demeanor grew gloomy. "Friends?" asked "They'll desert you when it means most." "Not my friends," I said, my will growing. "They will always come back for me; they have stood by me through everything. Beckett laughed, a nasty sound filling our surroundings. If you believe you can trust anybody, you are naive. He sprang forward suddenly, and I hardly had time to respond. Rising with my weapon, I fired a shot missing his side of dodging. Though the fight around us kept whirling, I was caught in a dance with my opponent, my heart pumping as I battled to keep centered. "Is this really how you want it to end?" he taunted, his eyes flashing with hatred. One could join me. See the force you might be wielding! Power at the expense of others? I spat while keeping my distance. "That's not power." That's despotism. "Ah, but you're still young, Lena," he replied, his voice patronizing. "You have so much to discover about this planet." I shot again, this time striking his arm, and he staggered back, astonishment engraved on his face. He said, rubbing the hurt, "You're stronger than I thought." That will not save you, though. Maybe not, I said, a wave of confidence flooding over me. 'But I'm not afraid of you anymore." As I walked forward, I heard a yell from behind me. Lena, Be careful! Jacob's voice cut across the tumult. Turning just in time, I saw a soldier running at me from the left with his rifle squarely pointed at me. As I ready to dodge, my heart stopped; but, in a flash Jacob was there, tackling the soldier to the ground. Screaming "Get down!" he battled the soldier for control of the weapon. 'Jacob!" Watching him struggle, I screamed and felt panic sweep over me. Adrenaline coursed through me, then I aimed and fired, the bullet precisely in the shoulder. He howled in agony, releasing his hold on Jacob who slid away fast. "Are you OK?" Hurrying to be at his side, my pulse pounding, I asked. Panting as he pulled himself to stand, he remarked, "Yeah, just a little scraped up." 'But we have to go—now!" We turned barely in time to find Finn there, his face sharp. "What took place? Are you both in good health? "We're good," I said, but my heart was still pounding. But before Beckett , we must return to the others. "Agreed," Finn murmured, looking back at Beckett, now standing, anger written on his face. "We cannot let him find us unprepared." As we began to withdraw, I felt a mix of terror and resolve. We were on the edge of something, but I wasn't sure what it was yet. I couldn't shake the feeling that this wasn't over. "Lena, stay close!," Jacob encouraged, his hand gripping me as we negotiated the anarchy and the sound of fighting resounding all about. Thank goodness he was here; I clutched his hand. I'll do it. We are here with each other. We moved across the field evading troops and trash. My pulse races, the excitement of the battle coursed through me. Today I had conquered my worries; I would not let them define me. As we neared the resistance's regrouping place, a tremendous explosion shook the area. Dirt and trash shot into the air, we ducked. "Keep on moving!" Finn cried and pushed us along. We arrived at a little clearing, some of our comrades seeking shelter, their expressions tight with concern. One of them called, eyes wide, "What's going on?" "Still out there Beckett is! Jacob yelled, his voice consistent in the middle of anarchy. "We have to get ready for yet another onslaught! "Lena!!" A voice cut through the hubbub, and I turned to see Mara sprinting toward us with a wild look. "Are you fine?" We thought—" "I'm fine," I said, a surge of relief flooding over me. "We are all good." But Beckett—his regrouping—we have to be ready. "Right," she murmured, looking at the others. We will have to coordinate. We cannot let him one again surprise us. "Let's get everyone together," Finn said, his voice demanding. "We have to create a schedule quickly and fast." I saw unity developing as we crowded together. Fighting a shared adversary, we were a team. Though everyone's eyes showed dread, I could sense a sliver of optimism below it. "Mara, could you organize the others?" Using a calm voice, I asked. "We have to have everyone on the same page. "Absolutely," she said, resolving gleaming in her eyes. We are not letting Beckett prevail. Looking around at my buddies, Finn, Jacob, and Mara—each of them had developed so much in this struggle. We had surmounted many difficulties, and yet here we were, poised to stand together once more. I discovered fresh power inside me as the others gathered. I wasn't just battling for myself anymore; I was fighting for all of us. We had come too far to reverse right now. "We're going to bring him down," I added, speaking clearly. "Together," The group nodded together, the momentum in the air changing. We were driven instead of terrified. We were ready to meet whatever came next even though I knew the fight was far from finished as the dust settled around us. "Let's do this," I murmured, my pulse pounding with expectancy. The war was far from done, but now we had a strategy, and we had each other. And that would have been sufficient.