Sequoya and Aaron reached the district gates, where several busloads of Poleepkwa were being transported back into the slums. They stood from a distance as the gates were under the watchful eyes of the MNU constantly patrolling the area. Aaron looked up at Sequoya hesitantly. Sequoya, however, kept her gaze toward the gates. Aaron glanced at the gates nervously, wondering if she was seriously considering taking him through the gates.

"We should go around them," he said, hoping to dissuade her from taking the risky route. But, instead, she peered down at him, glancing back at the gates. "Yeah, we should find a spot where they won't see us."

She led him away from the gates. They kept their distance from the fence if any lingering patrol came through the area. Once they were far enough from the gates, they cautiously approached the fence while attentively observing their surroundings. Although there seemed to be a few Poleepkwa on the other side of the fence loitering and socializing, they paid no attention to them. Sequoya let go of Aaron's hand as soon as they got close to the fence. She crouched down to give him a brief hug before they parted ways.

"Is this where we will meet again?" he asked.

"It could be. I was hoping to find a better spot," she replied and stood up. "We will meet here tomorrow, same time."

"Will you be safe going back?"

"Of course, I'll be safe. Don't worry about me."

"What if something happens?"

"Nothing will happen. Just try not to think about it."

"What if I can't?"

Sequoya kneeled closer to him and gave him a comforting smile. "Try." was her only reply and gave him a peck on the head. Aaron winced the moment her lips touched the sensitive part of his head between his antennas.

"I'll see you tomorrow, okay," she said.

"Okay!" he said and went through the barbed wire fence.

She waved at him as she walked away. He waved back at her before turning to run back to Christopher's shack.

He got halfway there when a youngling had crossed his path, making him stop. Aaron recognized the youngling. His greenish, brown exoskeleton with golden eyes, he was the one who had bumped into him earlier today.

"Sorry about running into you." The youngling said. Aaron snorted at the youngling and walked past him. The youngling followed closely behind him.

"I'm Alex. What is your name?" he said.

"Go away!" Aaron snapped. He didn't want anything to do with the youngling, not after what his brother did to him.

"I said I was sorry."

Aaron kept walking, but the youngling kept following.

"What do you want with me? Go home!" Aaron snapped.

"I want to say I'm sorry about running into you, and I'm sorry about my brother," Alex replied. He stood in front of Aaron, stopping him once more. "I'm sorry." He said one more time.

Aaron peered into Alex's pleading eyes, seemingly desperate for his forgiveness. "Apology accepted. Can you please leave me alone?" he said as Alex's face lit up.

"Can we be friends?" Alex asked excitedly.

"Why do you want to be my friend? I made you cry."

"I forgive you."

Aaron was hesitant about letting this youngling be his friend. For some reason, he had a feeling that there was something suspicious about Alex, other than the fact that his brother was a Poleepkwan gang member. He wanted to tell him, no, but he didn't want to hurt his feelings again.

"I need to get back home," Aaron said. He was making an excuse to get away from Alex. He walked past him once more, knowing that he would just follow closely behind again.

"So do you?" Alex asked.

"What?" Aaron responded.

"You know."

"Know what?"

Alex laughed in a series of clicks. "You're funny!"

Aaron took it as an insult and retorted, "No, you're funny."

Alex continued to laugh. Aaron ignored him and kept walking past the rows of shacks. The smell of raw meat emanates from one of the shacks, making Aaron's mandibles lubricate with saliva.

"Meat!" Alex blurted out. "Can you taste it in the air?"

"Yes. It makes me hungry for a steak." Aaron replied.

"I like to eat them when they're still bloody," Alex said.

Aaron turned to Alex and saw that his mandibles were also dripping with saliva. They were both hungry for steaks, although Aaron preferred a cooked steak. They walked in silence for a moment, thinking about food. Something that was hard to come by each day since the Poleepkwa got such low pay.

"My brother told me that he saw you go through the fence," Alex said.

"So what!" Aaron replied.

"Don't you know you're not supposed to do that?"

Aaron didn't respond and kept his gaze straight ahead to see Christopher's shack in the distance.

"Where did you go anyway?" Alex asked.

"Someplace special." Aaron replied.

"What place is that?"

"Someplace special." He repeated.

"You don't want to tell me. Do you?"

"Why should I tell you?"

The younglings grew silent for a moment as they walked past several Poleepkwa walking in the other direction.

"Are you a Poleepkwan gang member?" Aaron asked.

Alex sighed and lowered his head. "No," he replied while he kicked at the dirt in disappointment. Then he turned his gaze back to Aaron. "But I want to be."

"Why?" Aaron asked curiously.

"Because I hate MNU."

Of course, Aaron knew something about Alex he didn't like. Alex's older brother has a strong influence on him. He wanted to be just like his brother.

They reached Christopher's shack.

"Is this where you live?" Alex asked.

"Yeah, for now," Aaron replied and made his way to the front door.

"It was nice talking to you," Alex said.

"Yeah, you too," Aaron replied coolly.

"Hey, Aaron!" Alex called out. Aaron turned and looked at him.

"I'll see you around." The golden-eyed youngling said and ran off, leaving Aaron standing there baffled. He didn't remember telling him his name.

That night …

It was past midnight; David had just finished closing up the store along with the help of his human co-worker. David hated him because the human complained to their boss that he needed a Poleepkwa to work with him during the late hours. His bastard boss had appointed him, of all the Poleepkwa to choose from, without any consent. He wished he could negotiate with him without costing him his only job.

The red Poleepkwa walked from the street and into the outskirts toward District 9. The land that separated the city from the Poleepkwa territory was about the length of three football fields. By this time, MNU were done patrolling, and the gang members usually wandered the area. David always walked through the darkest of places.

He passed a group of Poleepkwa gathered around a large trashcan with its contents burning within. He could sense one of them approaching him from behind, but he kept pacing ahead. It wasn't long before the Poleepkwa had caught up to his side. David breathed in his scent and knew exactly who it was.

"What do you want, Seth?" he demanded. He wasn't in the mood to be bothered.

"You know I do not go by that name anymore." The Poleepkwa replied.

"I don't give a shit!"

Seth stood directly into David's path, making him stop. They were eye to eye now. "David, I'm sorry that things didn't work out between us, but you must understand …."

"Understand what? By joining a gang, you became just as degenerate and arrogant as those Nigerian bastards. You disappoint me!" David snapped.

"That is not true! They killed my brother!"

"But he killed an MNU worker."

" I joined the gang to get back at the human race for what they did to me. To us. Remember what they did to your parents."

David looked away, trying not to remember the painful memory of witnessing his parents being gunned down by the MNU during a riot that they weren't involved in. "I don't want to remember!"

"I know how you feel." Seth placed his hand on David's arm. David responded by striking at Seth, who quickly moved out of the way to avoid the blow to the head.

"No! You don't know what it's like to have to raise your own brother. Alone!"

Seth took a couple of steps back as David appeared to be preparing to throw another blow, but he held back. "You backed out on me when I needed you the most."

"What was I supposed to do? Stand by and let the humans get away with murder. They will all pay for what they have done to us."

"Two wrongs don't make a right!"

"What?"

David sighed in frustration and began walking away from Seth. "You should have stayed in school."

"David!" Seth called out to him, but David ignored him. "David, wait! There is something I think you should know about the MNU."

"Not interested." David had enough of hearing the rumor going around District 9 about the MNU experimenting on Poleepkwan prisoners.

"But Aaron is in danger!"

David stopped as soon as he heard him say his brother's name. There was no possible way that Aaron could be in danger. He's with Christopher. David turned to face Seth as he approached closer. "What makes you think he is in danger?" he asked sternly.

"The MNU are clever and relentless, as you know. Undercover MNU workers take younglings out of District 9 and into their underground complex. They are experimenting on them, some as young as hatchlings."

"Aaron knows better than to stray too close to any humans. I assure you he is safe."

"How do you know he is safe?"

"I just know. Now get out of my way!" David pushed Seth aside and walked past him.

"But your brother …" Seth continued but was cut off by David.

"I don't have to listen to what you have to say anymore."

"Perhaps you should listen. I have seen Aaron wandering outside District 9 with a human."

David tried to ignore him and kept walking, but Seth followed. "I know you don't believe me, but it is true. Just ask Christopher where he goes after school."

"You lie!" David spat out in anger. "Aaron would never betray me like that."

"Maybe you don't know Aaron as much as you think you do."

"Oh, and you do!" David quickly turned with his three-clawed hand, ready to tear into Seth. The Poleepkwan gang member immediately went into his defensive stance. "That is not what I meant. What I meant to say is that Aaron is keeping something secret from you."

"I already know that, but they are not the reasons that you think."

"Did he mention someone to you that he refused to talk about?"

David didn't respond but merely shifted his gaze toward the ground. Then Seth continued, "He did mention it to you, didn't he! Then you would know who I am talking about."

David turned away from Seth and walked away once more. This time Seth didn't follow pursuit. Instead, he stood there watching his former best friend walk away from him.

David finally reached his shack with thoughts racing through his head. He didn't want to believe what Seth had said was true. It couldn't be true. Aaron had described his friend to be a Poleepkwa, not a human, but then why would Aaron want him to make a promise not to be angry.