Aiden slumped against his seat, his head in his hands. It was dark, and he could see little from the cell that the Eskium soldiers had placed him in following his capture.

He wasn't sure how many hours had passed, but he was confident that it hadn't been a whole day yet. All he knew was that he was starving, exhausted and close to death. He'd realized that there was no way Xylem wouldn't publicly execute Aiden and his friends now, especially knowing their involvement with the broadcast meant to expose him once and for all. Even more troubling, Aiden wasn't sure what had happened to Zariah or Rania after the mission had gone awry. All he knew was that Theo had been shot, and Virgil had been taken.

Aiden had failed all of them.

A distant noise stirred him from his mindless state, causing Aiden to rise from his seat and wrap his hands around the icy metal bars. He was reminded of his Test when he was ten, and how familiar his situation was now as compared to back then. Only this time, escape was unlikely, and there would definitely be more blood spilled than that of a single boy.

Footsteps approached him, steady and sure. Aiden drew in a sharp, quick breath, bracing himself for whoever had decided to pay him a most unwelcome visit.

Thirty seconds later, a bright light stared him directly in the face, and Aiden shielded his eyes from the sudden change in brightness. It was an Official, seamless and curt, peering at him with a cold gaze.

"It's time to go," he said harshly, unlocking Aiden's cell and swinging it open. "Cause any trouble, and it will be my genuine pleasure to see you and your little friends die."

Aiden drew his lips into a thin line as he stepped out of the cell, following the Official down a long corridor illuminated by tubes of fluorescent light and towards a series of concrete rooms. The Official walked until they reached a room marked with the number four, and pushed Aiden inside.

The room consisted of a dented metal table with two chairs at opposite ends of it and a pane of one-way glass framed along the opposing wall. The interrogation room was completely colorless except for a few orangish stains that dotted the floor and walls; the only evidence that indicated that people had once sat within it. However, whether those people were alive or dead to this day, Aiden wasn't sure.

"Take a seat," the Official barked. Aiden obeyed, sitting down in one of the metal chairs offered by the table and pulling it forwards so that he was positioned squarely to it. Once he was seated, the Official fastened a new pair of handcuffs to Aiden's raw wrists, locking them tightly and making sure his hands and feet were securely chained to the wall and floor.

"You know, I never thought I'd end up in here," Aiden remarked, looking around as the Official worked. "I was always the good kid."

"That's enough talk from you," the Official snapped. "The General will be in to speak with you shortly."

The Official left the room, and Aiden couldn't help but raise an eyebrow in surprise. He hadn't expected a visit from the General, especially after what Aiden had done against him. After he thought about it some more, Aiden supposed that Xylem would probably be the gloating type, coming to give Aiden one last send off before sentencing him to death.

What Aiden could only assume was fifteen minutes later, he heard the metal door to the interrogation room open, and in walked Xylem, accompanied by four well-armed Officials.

"Colonel Aiden Lycroft," Xylem greeted him, his snakelike gray eyes alight with amusement. "Imagine me seeing you like this." The General turned to his guards, who stood attentively at his sides.

"Give us some privacy, gentlemen," Xylem waved at them dismissively. The soldiers instantly filed out of the interrogation room, leaving Aiden and the General alone in the empty space.

"I really did believe in you, you know. You were quite possibly the finest soldier to ever be recruited into the Program," Xylem smiled. "Even when you were a child, the Observers were appalled at all your gifts. Your high intellect, your incredible physical capabilities, your ability to lead and make quick decisions..." the General trailed off. "It never surprised me that you passed your Test with a near-perfect score. The only thing that deterred you was the fact that you risked your own life to save that of another's. A weakness, it seems, that will ultimately destroy you."

"We all have weaknesses," Aiden countered calmly. "Some of us more than others."

"You've failed," Xylem mused, taking the seat opposite to where Aiden sat at the table. "The Units have done nothing to respond to your allegations. They're all still blissfully oblivious. That's what makes them so excellent to control, you see. They're all so very obedient. It's been instilled in them since they first began their training, after all."

"I may have failed, but there will be others who'll succeed even after I'm long gone," Aiden's gray eyes glittered with promise. "Isn't that your own philosophy? The one you formed after Kason died?"

Xylem's calculated demeanor flickered for a moment, and Aiden could see the glimpse of anger that flashed across the General's face following Aiden's forward statement.

"You're young, and hopelessly naïve," Xylem growled. "I was too, when I was your age. But once I saw through the perfect glass image the Program was encased in, I was able to see the flaws. And that's when I decided to fix them."

"So, what?" Aiden said sarcastically. "Your solution was to take away the people's freedom to choose. And in doing so, you were the one who got to decide who lived or died. A little hypocritical, don't you think?"

"I represented the human race. If humanity had a figurehead to make the choices for them, perhaps the decisions they made themselves would not result in so much chaos," Xylem replied simply. "I became the leader that Creatan needed."

"And yet, chaos erupted anyways," Aiden retorted. "You can kill as many of them as you want to, Xylem, but without the people, you won't have anything left to rule." Aiden paused, all of the fear he once harbored for the General melting away as his anger became increasingly evident. "You killed countless innocent people, your best friend, the girl you loved - and for what? The rebels are still here. People are dying every day. Your nation is falling apart, and you can't do anything about it."

"Oh, but I have," Xylem sneered. "You can pick me apart piece by piece, Colonel, but it won't do you any good. The Eskium soldiers answer to me. I allied with them following the fall of Fifth Unit, using your little girlfriend, Lieutenant Blanche, as my guide. I've kept them well stocked with food and resources, so that when the time comes, we may unite and force the people to answer to us."

"You're a fucking madman if you think Eskium won't screw you over in the end. Our ties with them go as far back as the war that ended the world. The Other Worlders have come to end us once and for all. You've doomed the entire country if you think that allying with them will change any of that," Aiden hissed. "To them, this is about revenge, and revenge alone."

"You know nothing." Xylem narrowed his eyes. "You've lost, Colonel Lycroft. You have nothing left. Your friends await their fates in their prison cells. You're all alone."

"Maybe," Aiden said indignantly, staring at Xylem with an unwavering gaze of defiance. "But at least I'll die knowing I did everything I could."

"You certainly did your best," Xylem smirked, his lips tugging at a cruel smile. "I applaud you for that."

"We both did," Aiden answered coolly.

Aiden and Xylem whipped their heads towards the door to the interrogation room upon hearing the noise of strangled voices followed by loud thumping and thudding. Xylem reached for his gun, but before he could do anything, Aiden watched in shock as Farley, Jace, Darius, Kerian, Dax and Osric poured into the room, their weapons raised.

"What's this about?" Xylem snarled, outraged.

"Put the gun down, General," Farley demanded. "Do anything stupid, and we'll shoot."

"He won't say it so nicely the second time," Jace added. "We've come to retrieve Colonel Lycroft and his friends."

"You think you can defy me so easily?" the General threatened. "I'll kill you all."

"It's six against one," Kerian rationalized. "No matter how you play your cards, I'd say you're pretty outnumbered."

Aiden could see why Virgil had such an attraction to Kerian, despite how adamant he was about their relationship being just a fling. Her creative wit combined with her good looks and carefree attitude made her a fitting partner for someone as rambunctious as Virgil

"Gun. Down. Now," Farley recited, firing a warning shot in Xylem's direction.

Scowling, Xylem dropped his gun, and within seconds Jace and Kerian were handcuffing the General while Darius and Osric patted him down. Dax and Farley stood their ground, guns aimed at the General's head. Once Xylem checked out, Kerian and Jace began freeing Aiden from his bonds using the keys they must have taken from the unconscious Officials. 

"You've certainly done some personal training while I was away." Aiden smiled at Dax, impressed. Dax grinned in response, but his finger didn't move from the trigger as he continued to point it at Xylem.

"You've been training one hell of a recruit, Aiden," Farley praised. "Won't be long now till this kid's a colonel like you."

"That's the plan," Dax agreed, smirking.

"Jace, Osric, Darius; escort Xylem to one of the cells in the Pit and don't let him out of your sight. The rest of us are going to retrieve Virgil and the others," Farley ordered. The three soldiers nodded before escorting Xylem from the scene and guiding him in the direction of the prison cells.

"They're alive?" Aiden glanced at Farley, his eyes hopeful.

"From what we know, yeah," Farley nodded.

"But Theo," Aiden looked at the ground, rubbing his sore wrists. "He was shot."

"Xylem wanted to execute all of you publicly. The bullets in the Eskium weapons were non-lethal duds meant to stun and temporarily subdue enemies. He'll be pretty bruised, but he should be okay. They kept all of you in separate areas of the Pit because you're all very formidable when put together," Farley explained. "Now then, let's get going."

"Thanks for coming after me," Aiden nodded to him.

"We should have seen the signs before," Kerian sighed deeply. "Programmers stick together. Now it's time we make things better."

Kerian handed Aiden a gun and he thanked her before the four remaining soldiers made their way back towards the cell holding area.

"Zariah! Virgil! Theo! Rania! Any of you around here?" Aiden called out once they neared a group of cells.

"Aiden, that better be you, brother, or else I'm losing my mind down here," Virgil's familiar voice responded from the darkness.

"It's me! Farley, Dax and Kerian are here too," Aiden said quickly, all too relieved to find Virgil safe.

They found him sitting in a dirty cell towards the end of the hallway, shrouded in darkness. Farley busied himself with unlocking the door while Kerian rushed towards the cell, wrapping her hands around the bars.

"Virgil?"

"Kerian!" Virgil awed as he intertwined his fingers through hers, despite the presence of the bars.

"I'm so happy you're safe," she smiled, touching Virgil's face with her hand. "You're not hurt?"

"Nah, I'm alright," Virgil answered, returning her smile. "How 'bout you get me out of here?"

"I unlocked your cell probably thirty seconds ago," Farley pointed out casually. Aiden did his best not to laugh at Virgil's reddening expression. He'd have plenty of time to make fun of his best friend later.

"Well, that's one down, three more to go," Dax spoke, quickly changing the subject, much to Virgil's relief.

Virgil hastily exited the cell, and their group continued down the corridor, calling out until they were met with another familiar voice.

"Aiden? Virgil? It's Rania! I'm over here!" she shouted.

"We're coming!" Aiden hollered in reply. Dax took the keys from Farley and sprinted ahead, unlocking Rania's cell and freeing her from her handcuffs. They wasted no time in continuing their search until Virgil spotted an unmoving body within one of the approaching cells and skidded to a halt.

"It's Theo," Rania gasped, her eyes wide and afraid. "Is he alright?"

"He's fine," Farley assured her. "Dax, why don't you and Rania take him to the Medical Bay? Let Imogen know I sent you, she's got the Foyer area locked down."

"No problem, boss," Dax saluted. "We'll meet you guys there later." Without skipping a beat, he and Rania were supporting Theo between them and taking off towards the exit of the Pit.

"The Foyer?" Aiden looked at Farley in amazement after Dax and Rania had gone. "How many Programmers are on our side now?"

"You've got all of Second Unit at your disposal," Farley dipped his head. "Once we got over the shock, those of us with higher ranks got together and figured out how to get you lot back safely."

"You're a miracle worker, Nikolaos," Virgil grinned.

"You lot are the miracle workers. I'm just the cavalry. Now then, all that's left is Zariah, I believe," Farley squinted in the darkness ahead. "We'll keep going this way, see if we can find her somewhere over here."

Aiden, Virgil, Kerian and Farley continued heading forwards, calling out to Zariah. As the minutes seemed to drag on, Aiden became more and more worried. What if something bad had happened to her?

"She's fine, Aiden. I know she is," Kerian promised him, picking up on his anxiety. After all the times they'd been able to read him, Aiden had determined that girls had an exclusive talent for identifying his every mood.

"I hope so," Aiden admitted.

"Yeah, don't worry about her, brother. Zariah's too smart to die," Virgil added.

"No offense, brother, but your girlfriend is much better at comforting people than you are," Aiden retorted.

The search for Zariah seemed to stretch on and on, and despite Kerian's constant reassurance, Aiden couldn't help but shake the looming feeling that something bad had happened to her.

Their group stopped in their tracks upon seeing Zariah pinned up against a wall, an Official grabbing her by the throat as she stared at him murderously.

"Feisty, are we?" the Official jeered. "Bite my hand again, girl, and you'll get a lot worse than a gun pointed at your head."

Aiden sprinted down the hallway, punching the Official square in the jaw before jabbing him hard in the ribs with his elbow and striking him across the head with his gun.

Zariah stared at him in surprise, her posture relaxing. Farley, Virgil and Kerian sprinted up to join them, Farley unlocking Zariah's handcuffs while Virgil and Kerian began handcuffing the Official and retrieving his gun.

"What's going on?" Zariah asked once her hands were free, scanning the group for any missing faces. "Are Theo and Rania okay?"

Aiden nodded. "They're fine, we're all fine."

"Good," Zariah exhaled. Her brilliant blue eyes shone as brightly as ever, and all Aiden wanted to do was wrap his arms around her, protecting her from the rest of the world. His heart ached from all the worrying that he had done, but spending time with Zariah would have to wait.

"Let's get out of here," Farley suggested. "We'll catch up once we get to the Foyer. For now, we've got to figure out what the hell is going on here."

"I agree," Aiden replied. "The sooner we're out of this place, the better. Did you guys clear the Pit when you came to get me?"

"Yeah. Everywhere is clear of Officials up top. I've got teams above us who are busy putting them all in cells as we speak," Farley confirmed.

"Good work. I'll host an assembly in the Foyer once everything's been sorted out," offered Aiden.

"Sir, yes, sir," Virgil shot him an impressed look. "Looks like General Lycroft has stepped up to the plate."

"Well, you're the one with the plans, Aiden," Farley shrugged. "It does make sense that you'd be the one guiding us through this thing."

"He's right," Zariah put in. "You started this, but we'll finish it together." 

"We can figure all that out eventually. In the meanwhile, we should be focusing on strategies to get in contact with the other Units and Roman," Aiden shook his head.

"Roman? The rebel we rescued all those months ago?" Farley furrowed his eyebrows.

"That's him," Aiden answered. "It's urgent. I'll explain later."

"I won't question you. You've been right so far, so it's not my place to say otherwise," Farley responded by nodding curtly. "Kerian and I will start rounding up the soldiers. We'll get a broadcast going too."

"Thanks, Farley," Aiden said. "It looks like it's all up to us now."