Adam woke up to a hand gently shaking his arm. Careful not to wake Takashi, he slowly disentangled where they laid on the floor in the warehouse style prison cell where the aliens kept them when they weren't working in the mines. A few people nearby blinked awake before trying to fall back asleep. Adam followed the woman to the edge of the room near the gate before she used a bracelet on her wrist to open it for him. She whispered, "The door monitors how many people go through so I can't come with you... and you won't be able to return until your own block is done with their shift."

Adam nodded and walked through the door. As expected, it slammed shut behind him. Immediately, his adrenaline started pumping. The hall was empty. It sent a strange sense of unease along his spine. Were there really no robots here to keep them contained?

A noise made him dart to the wall and crouch. Looking around the corner, he heard approaching marching. A line of robots led a downtrodden group of people toward the mines. This was the shift he had managed to contact about finding a doctor for Takashi. He counted sentries. There was a blind spot near the back of the group he could exploit as long as he timed it right.

There! Adam seized the moment and darted down the hall. A couple people noticed him and he silently thanked them for hesitating in shock. He slid into the gap they made and worked his way into the center of the group keeping his head down. Matching the pace of the group while they looked at him in utter bafflement, he waited with his heart in his throat to be discovered.

It never happened. After one minute, his heart wasn't pounding quite so loud. After five, they had nearly reached the mine shaft entrance. Now came the real test. They'd guessed that the aliens' scanners only counted bodies. They didn't seem interested in anything except a constant work force. New workers were only brought in as others became too exhausted to continue... and no one wanted to think about what happened to those people that were taken away and never seen again.

He was practically shaking with anxiety when he finally felt the shift from metal to rock underfoot. The other prisoners kept glancing at him, but they were afraid as well. He knew they were terrified of being punished because of him. Slave mentality. That was what they'd been forced to accept. He was lucky. Most of his cell block had been garrison faculty. They'd been trained for POW circumstances. This was a group of civilians. And he needed to find that doctor the woman who'd traded places with him had told them about. Taking a pickax from the rack, he steeled his resolve and got to work.

Shiro woke up to the entire room shaking. Dust filtered through the dim lighting until the ground became still. Others were looking around beside him. Adam's jacket fell as he sat up. "Adam, what's-" He went cold when he realized Adam wasn't beside him. Whipping around, he called, "Adam? Adam!" People were starting to look at him and he stood gripping Adam's jacket in his good hand. "Has anyone seen my husband?!"

He pushed through the crowd desperately calling out for Adam and expecting a reply that never came. Then the main door opened and he stumbled back with the rest of his fellow prisoners. The hollow soldiers lined the hall beyond. One stepped into the doorway and said in monotone, "Your block is now active. Resistance will not be tolerated."

Shiro wrung Adam's jacket between his hands. A woman near him whispered, "It hasn't even been four hours."

The sentry repeated, "Your block is active. Proceed to your designated work zone." It punctuated its orders by priming its weapon.

Shiro shared a look with the other men around him and started toward the door. The rest of the cell block followed hesitantly. This was too much. Why were they being forced to work so soon after their last shift... and where the hell was Adam? A hand slipped into his and he glanced down where an unfamiliar woman walked close beside him. She kept her head down and flinched at every sudden motion from the sentries.

Silencing his questions, Shiro draped Adam's jacket over her and wrapped an arm behind her shoulders. When they finally entered the mines, there were dozens of people rushing about. Shiro stopped one man with a hand on their shoulder. "What's going on?"

"Another collapse. The southern shaft." Then he grabbed the end of a brace and hefted it with another man.

Shiro cursed and went to lift another bracing pole when the woman yanked him to a stop. She finally looked up and her face was streaked with tears. "Your husband, Adam... he came to me for help. We traded places and... Mr. Shirogane, I was supposed to be in the mines several hours ago. I'm sorry."

Shiro gasped hard and let go of the pole. He took a few steps back into the wall for support, his eyes darting down the shadowed mine shafts. Then he started running. Adam couldn't be there. He shouldn't be there. He rubbed his cheek with the back of a hand smearing mine dust into his cold sweat. "You stupid idiot jerk."

The tunnels congested with people trying to clear the debris. A few of the workers were from his cell block, but most of them were strangers. Shiro pushed to the front and started shoveling along beside the others. Within minutes, he could hardly breathe. He hated how quickly the labor was getting to him. His right arm had atrophied significantly even before the entire planet was turned into a prison camp. Between grunts, he asked, "What happened?"

A bearded bear of a man wielding a pickax answered, "A third of our people were working the southern shaft when the roof came down. Those bastard creatures from space immediately assumed them dead."

"How far does the shaft go?" Shiro filled a low wheel barrow with rock.

Another man, the red barely showing through the dirt in his hair, answered, "Twenty meters beyond here it splits in three directions. Each of those shafts runs less than a hundred feet, but they were even less stabilized than here."

Shiro struggled with the math like it was the rocks he heaved aside. Three paths. How much time had passed? How much longer did they likely have? What were those odds? He cursed aloud as a boulder slipped. Then one of his own crew pulled him aside.

"Shiro, stop."

"No! He's trapped back there! It's all my fault!"

A woman grabbed his good arm. "They'll find Adam."

Shiro took several panted breaths while his mind cleared. There were more than enough fully capable men here. Better than one shriveled ex-fighter pilot. "Okay, you're right. What can I do?"

The woman offered an encouraging smile and squeezed his hand. "Let's find out."

"What's our window?" Ryan whispered through the crude radios Pidge had scrapped together.

Her gaze flicked to the top of the green and black screen where a white number counted down from 180. "You've got three minutes before the sentries make their next round." Pidge watched the energy signatures pace the designated routes. "Remember, you've got my emergency blocker, but I'd really prefer not to test it this way."

"Roger, that Skywatch," James answered. "We'll be careful."

Pidge groaned, "We need to come up with better code names."

"Ah, but I liked Skywatch," Hunk complained.

Rizavi muttered under her breath, "It's better than team Lesbianage."

"Come on, Nadia, I thought it was clever," Veronica teased.

"Guys, quiet," Kinkaid hissed.

"Roger that, Mocha Grande," James jibed.

"A hundred and fifty seconds," Pidge reminded. There were a couple murmured curses and then she heard their footsteps and panting through the hodge-podged com system. "Watch your corners. I don't know if this thing picks up deactivated sentries or just the ones making rounds."

She tapped her finger on the desk and chewed her cheek. What was taking so long? A glance at the timer showed only fifteen more seconds had passed. She whined in her throat and picked at a hangnail. "Guys, where are you?"

"Fifty meters to objective, Skywatch." James took several heavy breaths and said, "Hold here. Ryan, Hunk, Ina, on me."

Pidge watched the timer tick down. "Eighty seconds. Do you have eyes on target?"

"Roger, Skywatch. Now we just have to- Get down!"

There was a scuffle on the other end of of the radios and then silence. Pidge leaned forward and scanned all her screens. "Guys, what's going on?"

"Not robots, alien patrol," was Rizavi's quiet answer. "They haven't been spotted, but they're pinned down in the supply room."

Pidge looked over at Sanda for guidance. Sanda put a hand to her chin and picked up the mic. "What's the status on the aliens?"

"They're just standing there talking. How much time do we have remaining?" Veronica asked.

Pidge's back ran with cold sweat. "Thirty seconds. Guys, you need to get some cover or you'll be seen."

"Where? Skywatch, please advise!"

Pidge shot Sanda a panicked look. "I-I-I..."

Sanda gripped the mic in a white knuckled hand. "Blow the scrambler."

Pidge watched her screen flicker and glitch as the sentries paced closer to the supply room. Everyone was dead silent. Someone's radio picked up on the aliens' conversation. Then they moved on and there were several relieved sighs. The sentries continued past the supply room and Pidge reset the counter.

"Is everyone alright?" Sanda asked.

James answered, "Yeah," at the same time Veronica replied, "We're good."

"Right," Sanda's voice lost the worried edge from seconds before as she commanded, "Get what we came for and make for your exit. Ground team is ready and waiting to receive."

"Sir," the senior class said in one voice.

Pidge nodded to the woman beside her who said into her own mic, "General Iverson, you are clear to go."

Pidge heard Hunk and Kinkaid grunt and James did so a moment after. Kinkaid asked as they lifted the crates, "You sure the gear can handle the load?"

"Yeah, they should be able to handle at least twice this weight."

"Good. We're going to take as much as we can," James said through his teeth as they strained.

Pidge heard the clip and zip of climbing gear and ropes being hooked up. Kinkaid said, "First load set. Dropping care package now."

Pidge watched through her hacked security feed as the large metal crates the aliens used to move supplies were rappelled down the side of the wall that enclosed their prison. Iverson led a team of men and women to the base of the wall where they unhooked the crates and then rushed them indoors. She looked again at her screens and reminded, "Ninety seconds."

A third and fourth crate were lowered as soon as she spoke. Fourty five seconds later, a fifth and sixth crate was lowered. Sanda said into her mic, "That's enough. Get out of there now."

"On our way," Veronica confirmed.

Pidge looked at the screens again as the students hooked onto the lines and rappelled down four at a time. When all of them were on the ground, Iverson released the anchoring point and their rope fell in a heap. Scooping it up, they simply ran after the others for the safety of the school building. When they were all inside, Pidge went through the cameras and flipped the alien's footage back to live feed. She groaned and ran her hands down her face.

"Good work, Holt. We wouldn't have been able to do this without your guidance and tech. You and Hunk are incredible," Sanda praised with a proud smile and lift of her chin as she squeezed Pidge's shoulder. "Let's go see what the mission achieved."

"Yes, ma'am."

Pidge followed Sanda from the bunker they'd made where the computers were kept through the utility access hallways to a man made hollow they'd dug into the sewers that tunneled adjacent to the school. They'd rigged up lighting and been able to hide any electric signals from the aliens with tenacity and spite. In all, Pidge was quite proud of their little resistance base.

Iverson and another man were prying open the containers when Pidge and Sanda walked up. James called, "Admiral Sanda, sir!" and saluted, followed by his classmates. The rest of adults moved out of her way in respect.

Sanda folded her hands behind her back and said, "Report."

James turned and clicked his heels. "The mission was a success on two fronts. The raid has given us alien tech and weaponry while we were able to test out Cadet Holt's sentry blocker. The sentries completely ignored us. It works, Admiral." He grinned and winked at Pidge.

Pidge practically vibrated with excitement. She'd managed to create something that not only kept her friends alive, but could potentially change everything. She beamed up at Sanda and asked, "Permission to examine the confiscated weaponry?"

Sanda smiled down at her and put a hand on her shoulder. "Permission denied, cadet." To the room she said, "This is our first large scale mission to infiltrate our enemies compounds. We have achieved more than I was willing to hope for. Thank you, everyone. Cadets, head to your quarters and get some rest. Anyone else who wishes to help catalog what we've stolen is welcome to stay."

Iverson patted Rizavi and Veronica on the back with a grin. Hunk walked beside Pidge as they made their way back upstairs to the third floor music room that they shared with the junior class. It was smaller than a lot of the other classrooms, which would have been annoying, but gave them a level of privacy. While they walked, Hunk went into detail about how the sentries had reacted to the signal jammer. Pidge asked questions, her brain not quite ready to shut up and rest, until they finally plodded into the classroom and found their sleeping space.

They all sat in a circle in the pile of bedding they shared and grinned at each other like idiots. Then Rizavi grabbed a wadded up blanket and screamed her excitement into it. Veronica tackled her as James frantically shushed them both before they woke anyone up.

Pidge hugged Hunk's arm and barely kept her own voice at a whisper as she exclaimed, "We did it."

"Oh man, I thought we were going to die when the aliens showed up," Hunk admitted.

Everyone recounted the mission adding their own details and observations. After nearly an hour, a flat pillow was thrown from across the room and nailed James in the side of the head. Ryan couldn't hold back a snort in surprise before he managed to cover his mouth with both hands. James glared into the darkness as Ina yawned and put her head on his shoulder. Pidge yawned a moment later and Hunk wrapped his arm behind her shoulders.

Veronica stretched and murmured, "We should try to sleep or Sanda won't let us play with the tech tomorrow."

There were several groans in agreement and they settled in to sleep. As Pidge curled up between Hunk and Kinkaid, she felt her pulse start to return to normal for the first time since the mission began hours before. They were finally on the offensive.

Shiro clenched his jaw as the tunnel shook again. Another earthquake or just a passing ship? The lights flickered, the workers pausing in fear, but the tremors passed without triggering another collapse. They sighed in relief and kept digging.

They were close now. Two bodies has already been recovered, threatening to smother the final wisps of hope Shiro still had that they'd find Adam alive. Then came the moment of truth. The mine shaft opened up beyond the collapse into the main tunnel. A raised lamp revealed a half a dozen men and women bloodied and dirty.

Shiro looked over the survivors, but couldn't find the one he wanted most. Fighting back tears, he leaned against the tunnel wall fighting for breath while others helped the survivors to safety. Someone asked, "Is this everyone?"

A man being helped by two others nodded weakly. "There were about thirty five in the branches. We were the lucky few to get out before the ceiling came down. Or maybe they were the lucky ones. Finally free of this death hole."

Shiro reached out to stop them. "Wait! Did you see a man you didn't know? African descent with dark brown hair and eyes. Black T-shirt and glasses? His name's Adam."

There was something, a spark of recognition in his eyes, and the man answered, "I'm sorry, I don't know where he was when everything went to hell."

They continued helping the man down the shaft. Shiro's hand slowly fell. Over twenty dead... It would be days before all the bodies would be found. Would they even be recognizable by then? Shiro covered his mouth to stifle a sob and the wispy hope in his heart was extinguished by cold reality.

"Doctor coming through. Please make room."

Shiro's eyes darted toward his voice. He walked around the curve of the tunnel, a pack across his body by a shoulder strap. His glasses were cracked and he wore a dusty shirt stained with sweat. Shiro's lips trembled as he breathed, "Adam."

A woman followed a few steps behind Adam. She let him shoulder through the crowd for her, only stopping by the wounded. An open satchel revealed precious medical supplies. Adam cleared the work space and knelt beside the woman as she tucked her hair behind an ear.

Shiro pushed through the crowd and called again, "Adam!" When Adam looked up, Shiro fell to his knees and hugged him as hard as he could. "I thought I'd lost you."

Adam sat back on his heels. He blanched with wide eyes. "You thought I was..." He reached up to hold Shiro's head in his hands and kissed him, crushing their lips together. "I'm sorry, Takashi."

"Mr. Shirogane, I need your assistance."

Shiro looked at the doctor in confusion, but Adam cursed and immediately went to her side. Shiro finally noticed Adam's shirt was dark with more than sweat as he held the bandage where the doctor instructed. Shiro recounted his own limited medical training and asked, "Can I help?"

The doctor said as she readied her suture material, "Hold him still while I sew this up. I'm out of pain killers."

Shiro nodded and braced to keep the man from moving as the needle approached his bloodied leg. To the patient's credit, he simply clenched his jaw when the doctor began to work. Shiro looked at Adam, but this was hardly the time to grill him for answers. He was alive and that was all that mattered. He could explain where he'd been after they'd dealt with the current emergency.

Screaming woke her up. Pidge shot up hurriedly to see James and Ryan already at the door. Veronica and Nadia were trying to keep the juniors calm. Ina crouched by the window. Hunk squeezed Pidge's hand and together they crawled to Ina. She whispered, "The aliens have come. They've taken five people so far."

Pidge looked out the corner of the window. A vehicle waited just beyond the gate. Several dozen sentries kept the adults separated from the children. A squad of aliens paced in front, their commander pointing to individuals that were pulled from the crowd. The children crying was ear shattering above their parents' protests.

"We have to get down there!" Hunk said.

"And do what? We don't have any way to stop them yet," Veronica countered.

Pidge looked at James. "My blocker! It could shut those fucking robots down and then we'd be able to kill the aliens."

"James, no. It's too soon," Ryan replied. "We can't risk losing the little ground we've gained."

James paced in a circle and ran his hands through his hair. Thinking quick, he stopped and looked at Pidge. "You're sure it would work on that scale? Katie, we have no room for error if we do this."

"It'll work," Hunk stated. Looking at Pidge, he said confidently, "If we boost the energy from the generator and broadcast the signal from the roof, we could probably take out their whole operation for a couple miles."

More screams came from the school entrance as another group of people were forced out of the building. Ryan scowled and said, "If we're going to do this, we need to do it now."

James groaned, his eyes flicking around the room as he thought of a plan. "Pidge, go to the bunker and do what you have to. Ryan, Veronica, make sure she gets there. Hunk, you're on the generator. Ina, Nadia, and myself will find the admiral."

They started jogging down the hall and split up to complete their objectives. The back stairwell went straight to the basement elevator access. Hunk took off toward the utility shed where the generator was housed. Ryan slammed a fist on the elevator call button and they waited impatiently. Ryan and Veronica crouched, their eyes locked down the hall. Pidge didn't have their discipline. She rubbed her arm, her breath stuttering through her teeth. She looked at the elevator again. Come on!

The door to their left flew open and four sentries marched into the hall. Ryan pushed to his feet, backing up at the same time he raised his fists. The first sentry reached out a metal hand and wrapped its cold fingers around Ryan's neck, lifting him off the ground. Veronica shouted and tried to kick it. A dull thud was all they heard. Then a different sentry grabbed Veronica's leg and yanked her off her feet.

Pidge took a panicked step backwards as the other two sentries advanced toward her. The elevator dinged. With a frantic glance over her shoulder, she turned and ran for the elevator. She didn't take more than three steps before a vice circled her forearm. She shouted as her shoes slid in the linoleum and she was dragged backwards.

The sentry that held her arm shoved her to the front. Ryan was tossed next. Pidge fell against a wall of lockers when he stumbled into her. He leaned on the wall, his hands on either side of her as he coughed and gasped for breath. Then Veronica rolled past them on the floor. She groaned as her head hit the ground. Ryan pushed off the wall and grabbed Pidge's hand before going to help Veronica up.

"V, you okay?" Ryan reached out and brushed aside Veronica's hair to look for blood.

Veronica winced and touched her head, but her fingers came away without any signs of an open wound. "Just a bruise, I think."

The sentries lifted their guns and started marching shoulder to shoulder in the hall. Ryan pulled them behind him and whispered, "We're being herded outside. Don't let them separate us."

They stayed close, nearly stepping on each other. Ryan never let go of Pidge's hand, his other arm snaking around Veronica's shoulders in case it really was more than a bruise. They emerged squinting in the sunlight. The cries of the people had died slightly, though it was hard to pick out the aliens' voices barking orders to the sentries above the din.

Then Pidge heard Hunk's loud protests. She spun on the steps of the school trying to find him. She gasped and tore out of Ryan's hold to sprint across the yard. She ducked through the line of sentries and screamed as she punched the alien that was dragging Hunk toward the front gates.

In surprise more than pain, the alien startled and turned. Hunk managed to pull loose and shouldered the alien aside. He grabbed Pidge around her chest and tackled her. The blast from an energy pistol flew over them. Just beyond Hunk's shoulder, Pidge saw an alien aim their gun at Hunk's back. She gripped Hunk's shirt tighter in her fists and squeezed her eyes shut.

"Hold your fire."

Pidge sucked in a desperate breath. Hunk was shaking as hard as she was. The alien lowered their gun and looked up at the one who'd spoken. The commanding officer glowered down at them in disgust and said, "Get up, primitives."

Hunk kept one arm wrapped securely around her chest, and pushed up with his other hand before holding her to him where they knelt. The alien demanded, "Are you with child?"

Pidge's mouth went dry and she barely choked out, "What?"

The alien in charge narrowed their gaze and tapped their arm. Pidge flinched as the light of a scanner passed over both of them. The alien's lip lifted in repulsion and he said, "The female's body is not ready for reproduction. Return the bonded pair and select a replacement."

The alien that had aimed their gun at them reached out. Hunk pulled Pidge to her feet and backed away. "Don't touch her!" There was a defiance she'd never seen from him in his eyes as he glared at the aliens.

"Move, scum," the alien retorted and raised their energy rifle again.

Pidge squeezed Hunk's bicep and stood so close. They'd only been closer when they were sleeping, her head on his chest. With a glance to make sure she was alright, he started back toward the assembly. The sentries let them through. Pidge pulled Hunk further until her legs gave out. He knelt on one leg and lifted her into his lap just holding her until the panic faded.

She wasn't sure how much time passed before the aliens left. The people ran back to their children and the children without parents. One person, then another hugged Pidge and Hunk. She lifted her face from Hunk's shoulder to see the rest of their team. The reality that they'd almost lost Hunk was in each of their frightened eyes. How stupid they'd been to think they actually had a chance to stop those bastards from space.

Shiro and Adam spoke to several of the miners until they found a couple willing to trade cell blocks with them. They walked beside the doctor helping the injured miners back to their prison. She was concise, keeping to the point. She was empathetic, even if pushed to her limits and strapped for resources. Shiro wasn't as sure about her, but Adam had been helping her for most of the day. She'd agreed to help them right before the cave in.

It brought mixed emotions. Amputation. It might save his life... or end it, and not just from a botched surgery. Adam had hardly said anything about it. Shiro knew how scared he was. How terrified he was about being left alone. They stumbled through the halls of the prison beyond fatigued. It was too much. Even without the extra work, they were being pushed beyond what anyone should suffer.

The door of the cell block opened, but there was nervous chatter within. Shiro looked up to see new workers already waiting. Anger made him choke. It hadn't even been a day since the cave in and the aliens had replaced them like fodder. Adam shivered and pulled his fraying jacket tighter around him. Shiro leaned into Adam's shoulder. Together they wandered to where rations were distributed, taking their share and going to sit by the wall.

The newbies asked some questions. Shiro saw them as a group of frightened rabbits, huddling together for protection. They'd learn soon enough that the wolves were out there, beyond the mines. He put his head on Adam's shoulder and closed his eyes to sleep.

"Hey, that jacket... are you from the garrison?"

Shiro blinked up at a man around his age. He had cropped brown hair and a broad chest. His strong physique screamed frat boy. Adam stretched and answered. "Yeah, we both were. My name's Adam. This is my husband, Takashi. We were teachers there when the invasion started."

Shiro waved a tired hand. "Nice to meet you. What's your name?"

The jock folded his arms and answered, "Chad. So, ah... are there any other soldiers here?"

Adam smirked sardonically. "What, hoping to start a rebellion?"

Chad rolled his shoulders and looked away. He whispered, "We wouldn't be the only ones."

Shiro sat up straighter and raised an eyebrow at Adam. "What do you mean?"

Chad leaned on the wall and glanced around the room. "The aliens have some kind of breeding program set up. Your cadets are being held at a high school with about four thousand other kids and adults my age. Admiral Sanda and General Iverson are leading some kind of resistance. The seniors have been running small missions through the sewers and crazy stuff like that for a couple months."

Adam's eyes widened and he looked at Shiro. One name was on both their minds. Shiro squeezed Adam's hand and asked, "Did you meet a boy named Keith? He's late teens, dark hair and eyes. Feisty. Likes to pick fights."

"Keith Kogane?"

Adam took a relieved breath and nodded. "Yeah. He's our little brother. Is he alright? The last time we saw him..." Shiro furrowed his brow and rubbed the back of Adam's hand with a thumb.

Chad frowned. "I'm sorry, but I never met him. The aliens took him and another student as well as a woman named Coleen. I think her daughter was a cadet."

"Pidge. Oh god, Takashi."

Shiro took several deep breaths and swallowed the lump in his throat. That woman had taken Keith. He just knew it. Shoving his emotions aside, he licked his dry lips and asked, "The other student, do you know their name?"

"McClain. His first name... I'm sorry, I didn't pay attention to the stories the cadets told about them."

"Lance. She took Keith and Lance." Shiro squeezed Adam's hand.

Adam asked before Shiro could say anymore, "Hang on... stories?"

Chad's eyes widened and he lifted his chin. "Oh yeah. The cadets have turned those two into martyrs. All the kids there wanted to pretend to be them when they played." Chad wiped a hand down his face and pushed off the wall. "Anyway, if we find a way to start fighting here, count me in."

Shiro watched him walk away and whispered again, "She took them, Adam, that alien woman who had Keith."

"I know, Takashi. I'm not sure why, but I believe you. But we know Keith." Adam squeezed Shiro's shoulders and kissed his temple. "Keith is a fighter. And with Lance, he will never give up. He's our little brother, Takashi. And a hero to those kids."