Writing this on the Eurotunnel! Just arrived in France for my long awaited holidays with my family, so I'm really excited and I actually get to write outside, in the nice weather. Bonus! Anyway please review so that I know if you're enjoying my writing because it means a lot to me that my writing is believable and you amazing readers like it.

The pair hurriedly stepped back as Matt stormed furiously past; rushing off down the empty corridor, map stilled scrunched up in his tightly balled fist.

Hal couldn't identify his emotion right now. It was like a tight knot in his chest as he examined the crimson coat on his hands, marvelling at the intricate patterns of his skin and the metallic smell of Captain Weaver's blood. That was another thing. Had he really just killed the leader of the second Massachusetts? On his first contact with them? The High Overlord would be pleased with him, perhaps let him take on a little more military command. Maybe even Karen would come congratulate him.

It had been weeks since Hal last saw Karen and she seemed impressed by the progression he had made after 'The Cleansing'. Karen had smiled at Hal, told him how proud she was of him and they had kissed passionately in goodbye before she had climbed onto the ship and left with her Overlord. Hal still couldn't forget that kiss; not because it was particularly extraordinary in any way but because when he kissed her, he felt this mysterious, debilitating pain in his heart and then, when they broke apart, it hadn't been Karen he saw before him. It had been a beautiful blond-her hair loose and free, the intricate, delicate curls bouncing back over her shoulders; her dark, piercing eyes lined perfectly with black eyeliner and matching with the slightly scuffed fabric of her tight fitting ebony leather jacket. She was thin but lightly muscled, wearing a tight fitting blank tank top and cute black jeans, held up with a stylish black belt and matched with practical black boots that reached up over her shins. The girl had the softest lips and when she looked at him it was like his heart had stopped dead in his chest; only to be shocked back into life by her sweet, fragrant scent and the warmth of her breath. Hal felt he should know her, her face hidden deep within him and every time he pictured her he got this nagging feeling and a sharp pain behind his eyes; like the memory was trying to be buried whenever it came too close to the surface.

Then there was the boy. Whenever Hal would be in his kind of shut down mode whilst they were travelling, or he wasn't required; the boy would always haunt his dreams. Perhaps haunt was the wrong word… he was just there. Sometimes he would appear when he was wake, just out of the corner of his eye as Hal was listening to someone but when he looked; all there was was empty space. Occasionally, the boy would be able to talk and Hal would have a conversation with him. The boy seemed to know so much about him-of his time before The Cleansing-and he would urge Hal to remember, to say his name, but again Hal would only feel the intense agony in his skull. Most of the time they just talked; like the boy was some kind of therapist for Hal to just dump all his problems on. He would just sit cross legged and listen to Hal as he unloaded his thoughts as a tumble of words and emotions, then he would say that the answer to all of his pains was to remember, to come back to them-whoever they were, Hal still didn't know-to beat the Overlords at their own game. The boy's curly brown hair would bounce and his light eyes would widen as he animatedly told Hal that they had taken his life away from him, turned him into their prisoner and then into their weapon. That now Hal could prove what kind of weapon they made, that they couldn't possess and control the human soul. Hal would just laugh, but the more they met, the more Hal became convinced by his words; the more he understood those little whispers in his mind. Still, whenever he got a little too brave, began questioning his prerogative; the High Overlord would show him the error of his ways…hook him up to that machine; mess with his head till he felt like his brain had been scrambled and the only bits that remained had the powerful aliens words engraved on his head.

Forget. Serve the Espheni. We are your masters. You are our weapon to command. You are our child.

Then today, at the meeting, Hal had felt that cursed feeling again. That ever-growing longing for the comfort of the other humans, the familiarity and the warmth he felt when he saw them; when he spoke to them. But when he saw his father, all his emotions were overcome with a deeply programmed hate that had been drilled into him since day one all those months ago.

"Sir?"

Hal turned suddenly to see a lone Skitter bowed low to him, quivering with resonating fear. Skitters were usually in packs but whenever they approached Hal there was always only one in sight, to be careful of his vengeful wrath. Apparently he had quite a reputation amongst the lower ranks due to a popular tale of his punishment against a rather…rebellious unit that had defied his leadership. Hal hadn't even broken a sweat taking down the entire battalion-including mechs.-single handed, armed only with his two trusty, deadly swords that had since claimed the souls of many an enemy and was invisibly coated in life-blood.

"Yes, slave." his voice was harsher and colder than he had expected, filled with authority and dismissal.

"We have spotted a human leave the suspected base complex; do you wish to begin the attack?"

Hal thought for a second "Yes, split into four groups to cover each side, I'll approach from the front with the main invasion force."

The Skitter nodded in acknowledgement and hurried off to convey the order to his fellow soldiers and Hal sat back on his perch, leaning against the cold, concrete wall and watching the new batch of kids screaming as they were processed and the harness crawled up their backs into place. Subconsciously Hal's hand moved behind him and he traced the lump across his own back and across his shoulders. It reminded him that he was different from the others, special in a way that no other was. Even Karen's harness was visible, but his was barely there; more like an extension of his body, underneath his skin. He was a freak, even amongst his own people.

But they're not your people.

Hal started at the sudden thought and hurriedly brushed the issue to the back of his mind as the pain started up again. Jumping up, he briskly walked out of the building, out into the small pavilion area outside, beneath the shadow of the structure. An army of Skitters and mechs were frozen outside, split professionally into four equally sized groups, arranged perfectly. Hal gave a small smile at their efficiency before leaping onto a patch of rubble in front of the entire group and taking his most powerful stance, careful to make his body language radiate authority.

"Today is a good day. Today we finally put an end to the human rebellion. Today we destroy the Second Massachusetts!"