MATTY POV

Matthew Mason woke up suddenly, bolting upright in bed as he searched the room for any sign of danger. His heart was hammering in his chest and the uneasiness he felt made his stomach churn. The room was strangely cold on his sweaty skin and the darkness pressed in on him from every angle. Matty glanced to his brothers' beds, slowly rising from his own and walking over the polished floor, his bare feet padding softly as he stepped. Ben had his back to him, his blankets half hanging off his prone form, making the spikes on his back plainly visible on his exposed skin. Next to him, Hal slept comfortably, his chest rising and falling with each deep breath, the exhaustion clearly lined in his pale, handsome face. Matty hesitated, he didn't want to wake Hal up in case it was just a nightmare but his gut was so sure that something was wrong. He didn't know why he didn't want to go to Ben, maybe it was just because he wasn't the oldest, or a deep mistrust of him because of the Skitters and the harness. Either way, Matty crouched down beside Hal's bed, watching his eyeballs roll around underneath his closed eyelids, mumbling quietly in his dreams. Matty reached out to his brother's shoulder, rocking him slightly as he watched his brother frown. Hal's eyes fluttered open, his pupils wide and his eyes unfocused.

"Hal?" Matty whispered softly, shaking him again "Hal wake up! Something's not right."

Hal rubbed the sleep from his eyes, sitting up stiffly and swinging his legs from under the thin sheets. His clothes were rumpled, his hair stuck up messily at odd angles, strange from his normal meticulous style.

"Matty? What's up?" Hal's tone was tired and disorientated as he stared at his brother with concern.

It took Matty a moment to realise he was shaking like a leaf in a hurricane and he had hot tears spilling down his face "I don't feel safe, please can you check we're okay?"

Hal gave him a small smile, looking relieved "The sentries would have alerted us if we were under attack…but if it'll make you feel better, I'll go check, okay?"

Matty nodded desperately and Hal embraced him, the simple contact already making Matty feel calmer, and relaxing his harsh breathing. Hal obviously pleased by the reaction, gently navigated his little brother back to bed, tucking him in with a light kiss to the forehead.

Wiping a stray lock of hair away affectionately, Hal said "I'll be back soon, you just go back to sleep."

The young man wandered away, fluidly putting a coat over his shoulders as he walked out the door. Matty listened to the deafening silence for a minute then felt his eyes grow heavy as he fell back into a restless sleep.

HAL POV

Hal tried to wipe the bleariness from his eyes as he strolled through the empty corridors of the base. All he could think about was how tired he was, he had been working nonstop for days now and with only a few hours' sleep. The planning and debriefings had kept him up and thinking, he had barely eaten and the dizziness was starting to creep up on him. Hal turned left, searching the hallways; he could go back to sleep, but he felt a duty to his little brother that kept him moving. A few lonely people passed, giving him odd looks as to why he was voluntarily up without being on active duty till finally Hal pushed open the front doors and emerged into the crisp night air. The lookouts on the rooftops gave him a nod of acknowledgement then continued to stare out over the surrounding area. Smoky breath curled from his lips as he blew on his hands, and rubbed them together, scanning the woodland nearby. Matty was right, something was seriously wrong. It was too…calm. Hal's ears pricked as he thought he heard a muffled scream and his breath hitched as he tried to fathom what it was, and the source of the noise.

Suddenly movement to his left caught his eye and he spun round as a Skitter leapt at him, pinning him against the ground, claws digging into his shoulders. The lookouts were gone and a couple of Skitter's now took their place, bristling atop the roof. Hal cried out a struggled desperately, expecting the alien bearing down on him to end his life with a single, powerful swipe. The whole camp was now alert to the danger, shouts echoing outside and footsteps thundered on the ground. But the aliens weren't entering the buildings or attacking the civilians, nor was he finding any pain as he was torn to shreds. The Skitter heaved Hal to his feet, black eyes staring at him blankly and held him in place. Another person emerged from the shadows, her blond hair fluttering in the bitter wind.

"Hal." Karen deadpanned; her voice cold and emotionless as she approached.

The Skitter pushed Hal forward onto his knees, as if he was bowing before her like a slave to a master. Hal lifted his head and held her gaze firmly, trying to stop the fear showing in his face. The shouts were getting closer as Karen leaned down, her face inches from his.

"We've been looking for you."