Jack has no idea of the crowds gathering outside, nor the chaos to follow.

He lay on the floor, barely conscious, as the glass tube around him hummed, absorbing his energy and storing it.

Rogers at least had seemed abashed when her Officer decided to start draining him; one of the other guards, too had seemed taken aback.

Good, maybe they wouldn't stop him from being rescued.

Jack had absolute confidence that his friends would come for him - that's one of the reasons he hadn't decided to be rash and fight his way out.

Still, he'd keep his eye out for an opening.

It was pretty terrifying, honestly; the shots being fired were obviously taser or dart of some kind, people falling and spazzing or slumping over. It seemed like the government didn't want a massacre on their hands, but they sure as hell didn't want to let anyone in.

Mark took the lead, darting under and between people, Phil close behind and Dan on the end. At this point none of their abilities would be much help.

"Any openings?" Mark half-shouted. The words were swallowed amongst the screaming and shouting, but Dan and Phil were close enough to hear.

"Not that I can see," Dan yelled back.

"There!" Phil grabbed Mark's arm, and his sharp tinge of look caught Dan's attention.

He was pointing betwixt the guards; there was a gap that kept swaying, open, closed, open. . . if they could duck around the corner and past the Naruto cosplayers trying to take down the guard.

If they could manage to get around them in time. . .

Mark nodded. "Okay, on Dan's signal."

Dan nodded; he was the only one who could give a truly silent signal, after all.

They managed to squeeze closer, and Dan started to sweat, carefully considering their distance.

The Naruto cosplayers dragged the guard to the ground.

run! runrunrunrun!

They burst into motion: a stray hand caught Mark across the face, and he grimaced. Phil stumbled, but his two friends kept him upright. Someone or something clipped Dan's shoulder, and though he swayed, he kept going forwards.

Stupid as it was - or perhaps mere luck, good for one party and bad for the other - a door was left open and they managed to wedge themselves in without being caught.

The commotion faded behind them and was replaced with the thrum of AC; the halls were awash with sterile, white light, uniform and simply sleek. There was no one in sight.

"So now what?" Phil huffed.

"Well, seems like all the guards are outside; that's good news in my book," Dan pointed out.

Mark was the first to start taking a step forward. "Best we can do is keep moving forwards. Jack should be around here somewhere. It's only a matter of time before we find him."

Dan and Phil looked at one another and shrugged, then followed.

It'd be a long time, they were all sure.

Jack was pulled from his semi-sleep as he heard a commotion; the scientists were dragging a containment unit with an angry someone in it. It was spitting and presumably cursing in its native tongue. The absolute rage of it had Jack scrabbling up into a sitting position, eyes wide.

"Take Subject I-4k to the backrooms with the others; I don't want its screeching to attract any attention," the Officer barked. Jack could see Rogers and the other young man trailing behind him. "Put D-14 in the adjacent room."

He managed to catch a glimpse of what was in the unit; it was small, almost like a child, or preteen, with round human features and bulbous, buggy red eyes. Although vaguely human like all aliens Jack has managed to see, this one was also really different, lacking a protruding nose or hair. It had two antennae and green skin.

Another was dragged on rollers, it's case fully on display. It looked sort of like Jack's battery chamber. But the alien inside looked more like a man carved from crystal, almost aqua in tone. Their eyes were yellow, and it nodded at Jack when it passed. It looked kind.

He was dragged from thought when he saw Rogers wide eyes looking at him. She inclined her head and looked from him to the door. Repeated the actions a few times. Then she was out the other door with the rest of her group.

Jack sat back. What had she meant? Was she. . . looking for a way to help him?

"I'm telling you; we're not lost!"

"Yeah we are."

"No we're not!"

Phil rolled his eyes; Mark and Dan had been going on for about the last eight turns, arguing over every right and left they made. There were no signs (they assumed all guards had a portable map), and so far they had only found equipment in the rooms. Not a sign of life anywhere.

They finally decided to double back and try other varying paths, when they realized that they weren't sure which way they had been coming from.

Hence the current argument.

"Look, if we had just taken a left-"

"But you saw that guard round the corner-"

"We could have waited and then followed!"

"N-"

"Uh, guys?" Phil's voice was tight. They looked to him, and then slowly turned to see what he saw.

It was a guard garbed in black, tall and imposing. He stood silently, gazing down at them.

"Uh, y'know, I think we took a wrong turn. Right guys?" Mark looked at them fervently, sweating with the feeble lie. "This doesn't look like the bathrooms."

The guard moved. . .

. . .and merely removed his helmet.

"What are you guys doing here?"

"Tyler?!" Three voices exclaimed; Mark wrapping up his friend in a great hug. "Oh man, it is so good to see you!"

Greetings were made and then put aside as Tyler pulled out a PDA-like device that apparently had a map downloaded on it. He lead the way hurriedly, listening as Phil took the lead in explaining the situation.

"Damn, they got Jack too? I'm here 'cause someone had snagged Ethan."

"How'd you get in," Dan asked, looking at Tyler's ensemble with a raised brow.

Tyler snorted. "You know I took wrestling in High School, right?"

"And?"

He gave him a flat look. "And I frequently kicked Mark's butt."

Mark's mouth opened, a finger up as he was ready to argue; then he snapped it shut, and shrugged.

A small smile crept onto Tyler's face. He continued on. "Plus, the guards here aren't the, uh, brightest."

"I mean, we slipped in pretty easily," Phil added.

Dan hummed in agreement.

"So," Mark kept step with Tyler. "Any idea where they are?"

Tyler grimaced. "It's, uh, this is a big place. I have a few ideas but it's gonna take time."

"Better than us wandering around like idiots," Phil couldn't help but mutter.

Jack watched as they dragged more people in, mostly putting them in the back rooms. His breath fogged the glass as he leaned forward, straining to see who and what were dragged in.

It was mostly species he didn't recognize, and the more different they looked - different texture skin or 'missing/extra' features - they were dragged to the back. There was only one other occupant in Seàn's room so far, and it was a Billycon who glared daggers at him.

Yeah, no help there.

He slumped back, huffing as he heard the door click across the room. He wondered what was next - maybe a species with liquid amber eyes and gossamer wings like some sort of fairie?

But then he was bolting up, mouth hanging open as they rolled in with a glass prison, setting it in the same room as Seàn and the Billycon.

It was. . .

"Ethan?"

The younger man stirred, coming out of his tuck and eyes widening upon seeing Jack.

How did he get caught?

Neither spoke besides Jack's initial whisper. They were silent as the guards finished pushing the container off of the motorized dolly.

"That should wrap it up; I think Sarge said to move the last G-class next door."

"Yeh; then maybe we can get news about outside. You think-"

They cut off as the door opened once more, and Rogers stepped in, fingers nervously tapping her clipboard. "There you two are! They need back up in sector J and E; all hands on deck!"

"Whoa, J and E? Which one should we go to, and how bad is it?" The taller guard said, hands out placatingly.

Rogers grew distressed. "I don't- I don't know! They said, there's, there's- people are breaking through and it's -" She dropped to the ground onto her knees, breathing heavily. Tight, dark curls spilling in her face and hiding her fear.

The other guard put a hand on her shoulder. "Okay, okay, just breathe okay? Aede and I will go to J since it's closer, okay? You wanna stay here? Where it's safe?"

She nodded miserably, slowly, sniffing wetly. Jack's stomach tightened as he watched, feeling bad for her; he didn't wish her any ill will.

"Tha- thanks, Jaerm." She managed. She rubbed a sleeve against her nose.

Jaerm - Jack assumed it was short for Jeremy - nods, then gestures to his fellow. Soon, they're out the door and gone.

And then Rogers is on her feet, messing with the control panel on Jack's chamber. The act dropped.

"We don't have long; I'm sure Sarge'll accept the help without question, but it's only a matter of time before another guard comes here."

Jack was on his feet, hands on the glass. "You're. . .helping? Me escape?"

She nodded. "Yeah. Look, I've seen enough aliens to know that most of them just aren't that different from humans. Regardless whether you're part human, or fully alien, this is wrong. We should be learning about others peaceably, not, not this way." She meets his eyes. "You know?"

Jack nodded. "Thank you. Fer everythin'."

She smiled. "No problem. Now," she steps back as the glass slides down. "Run."

"I'm gonna get my friend first," he nods towards Ethan. "But word of advice; the rock-lookin' guy in the back seemed friendly, he might help. And, that one," he dropped his voice carefully, tipping his head towards the Billycon. "Careful wit' that one."

She nods once more. "You got it. Well, good luck, uh. . ."

He grabs her hand and shakes it. "Seàn."

"Alice."

No more words were said; Alice Rogers went to the back room to complete her work, and Jack hurriedly releases Ethan. Grabbing his hand, Seàn pulled his friend along, heart beating rapidly.

Time to get out.

There was a scare at one point, as two guards came towards them; Tyler shoved his friends into the nearby room, except for Phil, who he kept in his grip. "Play along," he murmured.

The two guards jogging towards them slowed. "What's going on?"

Tyler, chiseling his voice out of stone, tilted his head towards Phil. "Caught one trying to break in; pretty sure he's here to rescue some of his friends."

He couldn't gauge the expressions through the tinted visors, but the short one nodded. "Extraterest?"

"What do you think?" It was spoken flatly.

Tall grabbed his fellow's arm. "Jeremy, we don't have time for this; they need backup now."

Short reluctantly let his partner pull him away; he gave Tyler a nod. Tyler returned it.

Once the other two had rounded the corner, Tyler opened the door so that Mark and Dan could come out.

Dan looked at Phil, crinkling his brow. "What?"

Phil had a small smile twitching into a grin. "Weird that he had me and not you guys as the decoy."

"Yeah, Yeah; it's funny. Let's go!" Mark tugged them along, hurrying after Tyler.

They raced to catch up, only to stumble to a halt as Mark and Tyler crashed into someone else.

Maybe their good luck was over.

But no, it wasn't someone - it was someones.

Just the someones they were looking for.

"Guys?" "Tyler?"

"Jack!" "Ethan!"

"How did-" "When did-"

"Are you-?"

"Guys!" It wasn't the voice but the sharp influx of worry! that shut them up; Dan had his hands out, fear evident on his face. "I know that this is a really emotional moment for everyone but we gotta go, right now."

It was then that the realization settled in; they were mostly aliens with less humans in a highly militarized base in a foreign country (for most of them), trying to escape said base during an idiotic frenzy of a raid.

Tyler took the lead. "There's another exit closer to us than the one we took in; near the aircraft hanger. I don't know if it's guarded or not, but. . ."

"We need to try," Ethan cut in.

They hurried in grim silence - freedom so close yet so far. This was the final stretch, after all.

And for the most part, the hanger was empty; save for a few guards in the far door, pushing people back out. Tyler cocked the stun gun, and raised a brow at Mark.

Mark shook his head; he'd rather not hurt anyone if he could help it.

There was a sharp something that raced to him, and he looked at Dan, who was close to Phil; the Brit was whispering lowly, hand stretched out and pointing at. . .

He met the others' stares, grinning.

Mark felt himself smirking.

Oh, that could work.

Suddenly, the big door to the hanger was opening, the giant motors rolling it up like a garage door. The guards at the small door yelped, confused between keeping the people out at the door, or rushing to feebly stop them from entering through the now very big entrance.

For the roommates, it was an exit.

Ethan decided to crawl forwards, creeping quietly, while the others hung back, and had activated the door. He hurried to his feet and ran after them, catching Dan's outstretched hand as he pulled the him along; Tyler kept the lead with the stun gun at ready and Jack by his side, Mark and Phil keeping their eyes open for dangers as they bolted.

A great, rushing crowd made its way in.

A small group fled out.

Their feet kicked up dust as they raced past; bodies, hopefully just unconscious, sprawled out around, more civilians than guards. And while their exodus did garner the guards' attention, they were more concerned with the ones breaking in rather than out.

At least until they had passed the gate, and then many, many trapped aliens were making their way out.

But Mark's group was long gone by then, out across hot desert and scrubland.

They had successfully escaped the raid.