I didn't sleep that night. I curled up on the floor and closed my eyes, but the sounds inside the dirty cages kept me awake. I'd stopped thinking of them as cells. They were cages, just like for animals. I knew I was trying with all my might to separate myself from them, but as I laid there in the cold, all alone, I began to feel that deep, sinking terror - the feeling of being completely out of control. No matter how much I tried, I was becoming one of them.

Someone let out a wail from further down the hall, and I instinctively pulled my knees tighter against my chest. I tucked my elbows into my lap and squeezed my eyes shut, but it did nothing to block out the sounds or the crushing atmosphere.

I wanted to go home. I would have given anything to go back home to my mother, to sleep in my own bed, wake up to steaming hot cocoa, and never watch these games again.

Sometime during the night, at around one or two in the morning, the soldiers brought Leo back to his cage. Their steps were uneven. Leo was limping.

"Let go of me," the Unnatural hissed, cursing softly in pain.

"My apologies, your highness," one of the soldiers said sarcastically. They slammed the door shut with a clang and I flinched, startled.

I could hear Braken tap on the bars softly. Tap tap tap. A few minutes later, Leo sighed. "Yeah, I'm fine."

There was a long pause.

"No, they just ... used that weird thing. Remember a few years ago when Stephen Walking nearly broke out and stole that box thing? Yeah, that."

Shorter pause this time.

"I told you, I'm fine."

There was only time for a breath before he spoke again.

"Alright, alright. I just don't want you to worry." Leo sighed softly. "Howell was there." It sounded like he was picking at the dirt on the window, but I couldn't tell. It was too dark, and I didn't want to get up. Braken made a tiny squeaking noise, and Leo's voice hardened. "Yes, again. Consider yourself lucky no one has the nerve to touch you." There was an angry huff, a pause, and then Leo said, "I'm sorry, Braken. I didn't mean to say that. I just ..." His voice trailed off and I heard him try to smother his soft crying with his hand. "Braken, I can't do this anymore. I can't take it. I just want to die."

This wasn't what I had expected to hear. Sure, he'd screamed it out at me hours ago, but I didn't think he actually meant it. I sat up slowly and crept toward the window. I couldn't sleep, and I figured this would give me some sort of insight into Leo's life here.

"I can say anything I want," he snapped. "What are they going to do, kill me?" He started to laugh, but it mixed with the tears and ruined the effect.

"Are you okay?" I whispered, and he let out a yelp in surprise.

"Shut up, Rogue," he muttered.

"My name is Joel," I said defensively. "And I asked you a question."

"And I have every right to remain silent. Leave me alone, Rogue. It's none of your business."

"Did they heal you?"

"Can you even understand English, or are you just as stupid as you are heartless?"

I felt my anger boiling up. I wasn't stupid, and I wasn't heartless. He had no right to accuse me of being so. "Look, we're both stuck in the same situation, so we might as well get along. I just thought I'd ask. You're welcome for the help."

"Don't you ever offer your help again," Leo snapped.

"Why not?"

"Because Howell was there."

"What's so bad about Howell?"

He didn't answer this time. I felt I'd hit a soft spot, but I was curious. I wanted to know. Something told me to drop it, to try to go to sleep, but I ignored it.

"What's so bad about Howell?" I repeated.

Leo mumbled something under his breath.

"What?"

"Wouldn't want to corrupt your perfect, innocent little being, so I'll put it nicely," he said coldly. "He enjoys inappropriate physical contact."

A little breath of surprise escaped my mouth before I could stifle it. "That's horrible," I whispered.

"Yeah, well, that's the truth. Happy now?" he grumbled.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean -"

"What'd I tell you about apologizing? Shut up. I'm tired. It's been a long day."

I sat down and rested my head back against the wall. They told us that these games were for our own good - that Unnaturals didn't know how to do anything but fight, and that they enjoyed it. I'd seen that enjoyment watching it from the screen, but I hadn't known any better. That's what the Refs wanted us to see. Was this torture for their own good? I didn't think so.

"No, I'm not hurt."

I jumped a little, but it was just Leo talking to Braken again.

There was a pause.

"My ribs hurt."

Pause.

"No."

Pause.

"Yes, I told you, I'm fine. I was limping because he hurt my leg, that's all."

Pause.

"I'd tell you if he had, wouldn't I?"

Pause.

This time, Leo snorted a laugh. "Yeah, well, if he's gonna be so intrusive about it, I might as well tell him everything. Isn't that right, Rogue? Like exactly how it felt to -"

"Please don't," I said quickly. "I'm really sorry I asked."

Leo laughed again. "Good." He paused another moment and then said, "Goodnight, Braken. See you in the morning."

...

I finally fell asleep after that, but I'd only slept for a few hours before I woke to Leo's scream.

I bolted upright with a gasp, but slapped my hand over my mouth to cover it up. What was happening? No one else made any noise, so I assumed it wouldn't hurt me, whatever it was. Still, my eyes flickered across the dirty cage frantically, searching for a threat.

"B-Braken?" Leo whispered into the darkness, making me jump again. I heard the silent Unnatural shift and tap on the bars three times to let him know he was there. "Braken," Leo started again, hesitating. His voice was quiet and timid. "Can you ... can you ... h-hold my hand? I'm s-scared ..."

Something stopped me from laughing out loud. Maybe it was the pain, the deep sorrow and anguish in his voice. Maybe I was starting to understand. It was such a simple gesture, yet it meant the world to him.

"Yeah. I ... I had another dream," Leo mumbled, his voice cracking as he spoke to his friend. "Howell was there ... but it wasn't me, it was you, and they ... they took you away from me and you never came back, and I thought I was all alone ... but you - you were alone, you were all alone in the dark and the pain and I couldn't help you ... don't let me go, Braken. I can't ... I can't live without you."

I listened silently, thinking about everything, the games, the Unnaturals, the cages, the torture.

These were people.

That single thought hit me like a freight train and wouldn't leave my mind. I'd lived my whole life thinking they were just pieces of this game, believing what the Refs told us, thinking that there can't be another layer. I was wrong. Everyone was wrong. How could I have been so blind? How could they not see this? How could they have brainwashed me so well that I didn't even notice these people, these human beings, were just like I was, even when they were right in front of my face?

Instantly, I hated myself. I hated my love for the games. I hated all the money I'd made off of bets. I hated every person who sat as a spectator like I did, never wondering what was happening behind the scenes. I hated myself so much that it physically hurt. It drove into my chest and ate away my soul. The shame seemed to creep off of the walls and stick to my skin, leeching off of my thoughts, my mind, my everything.

I wanted to go home, but most of all, I wanted to take these two with me. I wanted to end their suffering, no matter the cost.

...

The next morning, I tried to dismiss my previous thoughts, telling myself that I must not have been thinking clearly. How could I be this "hero" they were looking for? But truth rang in every word of it. The pain still lingered in my chest. I couldn't go back. I'd learned things I couldn't unlearn, and frankly, I didn't want to unlearn them.

Why was I thinking this way? They'd kill me for sure. I had to convince them I was still human.

No. These were people. They were only doing what they had to to survive.

But there had to be some truth. Why would they tell us these things if there wasn't?

I stood up very slowly, yawning and wincing as I tested my sore neck. I was immediately drawn to the window again, and stared into it, gripping the bars again.

Braken stared back at me, his blue eyes exhausted and blood shot. He gave me a ghost of a smile and put one finger to his lips. His other hand was still grasping Leo's.

Leo was still asleep, slumped over against the wall, his left arm hanging in the air, his fingers tight around Braken's hand. His face was red and tear streaked, and covered in nasty blue and purple bruises, mostly around his eyes and cheekbones. Those hadn't been there yesterday. If Odden's hammer had hit him in the face, he'd be dead. No, they had come from last night.

My cold fingers brushed against my face and I winced. Someone had to stop this.

A pair of women sauntered down the hallway, rolling a cart with a big metal pot on it. One of them spooned globs of mushy grey stuff into paper bowls, and the other stuck the bowls into the cells, between the bars. The first one noticed Leo still sleep, and banged on the bars with her spoon. "Wake up!" she yelled, and Leo woke with a yelp, hitting his head hard against the wall.

They continued serving breakfast, laughing to themselves. They skipped Leo's cell and kept on walking. "Hey," Leo called tiredly. "Aren't you gonna give me some?"

"Not if you wake up late," one said over her shoulder.

"Not if you get into fights like that," the other said, and they pranced off, giggling.

"You can have mine," I said, poking at it with distaste. It jiggled in response.

"I don't want yours," he grumbled, rubbing his face and cringing. "We only get fed about twice a week. Three times if we're lucky. You'd better eat it yourself, or you're not going to survive tonight."

"I didn't think you cared," I said, poking it again. I couldn't decide if it could really be called food or not.

"There's also a small chance you might get sick and die, so there's a plus."

I snorted a laugh, and Leo actually cracked a smile back. I scooped up a little onto my finger and stuck it in my mouth, and then nearly gagged and threw it back up.

"Bon appétit," Leo said, laughing a little.

I shot him a glare and hunched over the bowl, contemplating if it would come alive and eat me before I could eat it. It seemed like it had enough personality.

I glanced up in time to see Braken hold his bowl out, up to the bars of their window. He let Leo take a scoop of mush with his hand and then they both slurped their breakfast noisily, sharing a laugh afterward.

"What do you say, Braken?" Leo said with a smile. Braken signed something back and scooped a little more out of his bowl with his hand. "The noisier it is, the less you should taste it," Leo repeated, nodding in satisfaction.

"That's disgusting," I muttered. I put another small blob in my mouth and choked it down, forcing myself to keep eating. If what Leo said was true, I needed as much energy as I could get.

It actually didn't taste like much, once I got used to it. I just held my nose and swallowed it whole before I could taste it, and it actually started to fill my empty stomach. I felt heavy and sluggish afterward, though, and wondered if they'd fed me cement or something.

"No, it's okay. You need it more than I do," Leo said, and I glanced over to see Braken trying to shove the bowl through the bars. Leo gently pushed it back, and I noticed there was a decent sized lump of mush inside. Braken was trying to give it to Leo. "Really, Braken," the other said, more forcefully this time. "You need to eat it yourself."

Braken shook his head and pointed at Leo's side, where his shirt had been stained with blood the night before. He made a few signals with his hand and pointed forcefully again.

Leo looked down, winced, and looked back up. "I'm fine now. Promise."

Braken gazed into his eyes for a moment, and then gently touched his face, reaching through the bars. Instinctively, I backed up, as if he'd been reaching for me, but Leo only flinched when they made contact. There were so many words, so many voices in those blue eyes.

"I'm okay," Leo said, hesitating again. His fingers crept up to his cheek and held Braken's hand there, against his face. "I'm just glad it was me instead of you. If anything happened to you ..."

I heard something in his voice, then, those unspoken words I knew Braken had heard as well. There was no point in living if he didn't have him.

Braken was still for a moment, holding his hand up on Leo's face. He was thinking hard, his eyes troubled. Eventually, he pulled his hand away and took Leo's, tracing something on his wrist.

Leo smiled sadly, rubbing his face. "Thank you, Braken."

Braken grinned back and signed something quickly, pointing at me.

Leo spun around and stared at me, and then his eyes hardened. "No. Not him. Not anyone."