Hal wakes up from being shot by the mech only to find everyone gone, he panicks and goes looking for them only to be ambushed by mech and Skitters. They try to collect him and talk him into joining them via his little brother Matt (who for some reason is harnessed) but he refuses and goes on a killing rampage. After he takes out a bunch of Skitters and a Mech, Hal grabs Matt but has him pull a gun on him. "You weren't good enough and you couldn't save me." Then Karen, his mom, and the rest of the second mass come out.

I remember being outside on the bus with my Dad, i remember the Mech coming out of nowhere and shooting me, i remember my Dad promising to be there when i woke up, but that's all i can remember. My eyes are still closed and i want to see him, i want to see my Dad sitting there watching over me and i want to see the relieved look on his face but i can't bring myself to open them. My side doesn't hurt anymore and there isn't anymore gun fire but that doesn't bring me any peace, i just want to wake up and find Matt and Ben messing around outside with all of the other 2nd Mass kids.

Begrudgingly i opened my eyes, light flooded in unmercifully and it burned but it let me know that i wasn't dead. I stood up from the bed and flexed my muscles, finding a tad bit odd that i wasn't sore, but i started walking towards the door anyways; i can hear noises from the hall and i wan't it to be Dad and Ben fighting again, not that i want them to fight, i just want to see them right now. I stepped into the hallway but it was dark, it was like i closed my eyes again and despite my better judgement i continued to walk. Step by step my worry increased, i could feel my heartbeat quicken; i was scared out of my mind to see who at the end of the hallway. It felt like i was in a scary movie, the walls seemed to close in on me from every side and i knew that the monster was waiting for me at the end; i wasn't in the school anymore, why am i not in the school anymore?

I found myself at the sanctuary, Tessa was on the swings with her Dad and Clayton was walking out of the woods; that bastard shouldn't be walking at all, my Dad shot him.

"Hal, what are you doing all by yourself? Tessa has been looking for you all day."

"Why the hell are you alive, my Dad shot you before you shot me!"
"Why would i shoot you son, you've done nothing wrong! You actually helped me get all the 2nd mass kids to the Skitters, you're a hero to all these people; isn't that what you wanted, to be a hero?"

"I never-would never give any kid to the Skitters! You're a crazy bastard for even thinking that i'd do anything like that!"

"You helped us take down the 2nd Mass Hal, you killed all of them yourseld even if you didn't mean to. You are a hero to us, all of us."

Everything began to turn, i saw all of the 2nd Mass's fighter's bodies in a pile next to a fire and men tossing the corpses in. Dai and Anthony, Margaret and Jimmy, all of their bodies were already burning. I tried to scream, i tried to run over and stop the madness but my body wouldn't move. I watched as person after person and friend after friend was thrown into the fire, Anne and Lourdes, Weaver and Mike, but i wouldn't go; i was frozen until i saw my father's body laying there, the only body left.

"You're the one who managed to kill the great Tom Mason, you can throw him in."

"H-how d-d-did i do it?"

"A knife in the back."

My legs moved without my permission, my mind was trying to register what was going on! It was like i wasn't in my body, like i was simply watching through my eyes; i watched myself pick up my father's body, his lifeless eyes burning into my own, and i tossed him in. The flames consumed his body and ate away at his clothes but his eyes were locked onto mine; i felt a smile creep onto my face as Clayton patted me on the back. No matter how badly i wanted to close me eyes, how badly i wanted to go back to sleep i knew it wouldn't come. This image would haunt me.

When the fire finally took him, when he could no longer stare back at me is when my eyes slipped shut; my body collapsed to the floor and sobs wracked my body, but i couldn't feel a thing. I willed myself to stand up and willed my eyes back open, now that i was in control i was going to make everything right; but everything was wrong, my eyes opened and i was in the hospital where the Skitters held Ben. My feet carried me through the halls where the lights would flicker on and off until i was in a clearing in the woods, i just stopped short of three Skitters and two Mechs. I noticed that i was armed now, my AK-47 felt awkward in my hands and i could feel the C-4s bulging in my pockets.

"Hal? Don't fight us Hal, just come with me and i can take you to Ben."

Matt walked out from behind the Skitters with a harness on, his eyes wide and innocent, his arms outstretched towards me. I took a step towards him, i wanted to go with him, i wanted to be with my Dad again; but i wouldn't do it, they weren't going to get away with doing with to my brother. I fingered two C-4s in my left pocket and had my finger on the trigger, i tossed them both towards the Mechs and fired. The explosion took them out but the Skitters were on the move, circling me as if they were vultures; i attacked, plugging as many bullets into these fuckers as possible. They were down, i swear to god they were on the ground and dead! I wrapped my arms around Matt, the harness didn't bother me, i was just happy to see he was alright.

"Matt, thank god. Matt i'm gonna take you ho..."

My side began to burn, i could feel the pain of the cuts and the wetness of the blood; i didn't understand. I blinked and standing over me was everyone i ever loved, everyone i ever let down. Mom, Dad, Ben and Matt, Dai, Margaret, Mike, Weaver and the list goes on; they were laughing at me, like me being in pain was fucking hilarious.

"Dad, i don't know what's going on! I'm scared!"

I watched my Dad's mouth move, i could make out words like mistake and fault but it wasn't what i was hearing. My Dad's voice was soft and calm despite the slight waver. I closed my eyes.

"You're gonna be alright, i'm still here."

My eyes are still closed and i want to see him, i want to see my Dad sitting there watching over me and i want to see the relieved look on his face but i can't bring myself to open them. Begrudgingly i opened my eyes, but the light didn't burn this time; i wasn't sure if i was seeing anything really, it was blurry.

"Hal! Hal, you're awake!"

"I can't see you, Dad... DAD WHERE ARE YOU?"

My right hand, i could feel the warmth of his hand gripping mine; he was by my side again, which meant he wasn't by Ben or Matt's.

"Dad, are Ben and Matt... are they alright? Is everyone safe?"

"You and i are the only ones who were in any danger."

"Dad, i'm sorry. i didn't stab you, i don't remember hurting you! I'm sorry!"

"The Mech shot us Hal, you haven't hurt anyone! You saved lives, you're a hero."

"I DON'T WANT TO BE A HERO!"

My eyes cleared, and just like he promised be before i fell alseep, my Dad was sitting there with me. He was bandaged, he was tired, but he was here and that's all i wanted.

"i can see you Dad."

"I can see you too, you're alive and safe and that's all i care about."

"I bet you're tired of waiting for me to wake up, aren't you?"

"No, the waiting for you to be alive part is what gets me."

"I love you."

"Yeah, i love you too."