He is underwater. No. Not water, but a liquid. It is viscous, slippery and it's filling out his lungs. He has his eyes shut, but he can hear muffled voices. There are solid things, like thick metal cables attached to his back, and other thinner ones on his front. His limbs feel light, and he can't move them. Suddenly, the pressure of the water is disappearing, and he is feeling heavy. There's a burning on his chest and he can't BREATH. He wants to move but can't. He wants to escape this excruciating burn in his throat and lungs. He CAN'T BREATH. Something slammed across his face and... He breaths.

Marlon snapped his eyes open and straighten himself up, on his sweat damped bedsheets. He was cold, yet his perspiration slid from his forehead and down his back.

He took off his shirt and discarded it to the floor and threw his sheets to the end of the bed, closing his eyes, breathing in and out. He turned in his knees, hugging them in a bruising hold, and rested his forehead on them.

"1...2...3..."

Breath.

"1...2...3..."

Exhale.

______________________________________________________________________________

A rustling of sheets. The temperate light of a nearby lamp. A soft but sharp hand soothing relaxed muscle. Dark crimson lips whispering over an ear.

"You should keep your cățeluș under a leash. I feel like he would bite you back when you least expect it."

A strong, sculpted chest shook with a deep chuckle. Dr. Fall turned his violet eyes towards Anaïs, and with a warning under his words,

"Are you doubting perhaps my capacity to deal with my 'pups' as you say, Anaïs?"

As much as she liked when Dr. Fall got angry, she didn't feel the excitement when that anger was directed at her.

"Not at all... I was just..."

The doctor interjected her.

"I know what you meant to say, but..."

His eyes narrowed and with one of his big hands, he grasped Anaïs harshly by her chin. She knew better than to make a noise and remained silent as Dr. Fall continued.

"I didn't ask for your advice."

Anaïs nodded slowly, as much as the grip he had on her would permit. He smiled and decreased the pressure on her chin, angling it to the side and placing a soft opened kiss, earning a whimper from her.

He tucked a strand of her pitch-black hair back over her ear and added,

"Don't worry about such trivial things, I already know what to do with them. I just want to see how far they can get."

  ____________________________________________________________________

The loud noise of a bullet ejecting from a gun and hitting its target could be heard in the whole training camp. Caius was aiming again as Marlon shouted,

"You seem to have gotten better at aiming!"

Another on the mark.

Caius straightened and wiped his forehead. The sun was high in the sky, and the temperature wasn't displeasing, but dry. Marlon threw him his water tumbler.

After taking a swig, Caius inquired, "What does THAT suppose to mean?!", and lazily threw some water towards Marlon, who stepped to the side and let the water fall on the dirt beneath them.

He explained,

"Well, if I aught to be sincere with you, you aren't one of the best aimers the Cave has, and your stand is always so sloppy, that aiming would be EXTREMELY difficult and missing COMPLETELY obvious."

Caius frowned and threw some more water towards Marlon, missing every time. Marlon raised an eyebrow and shrugged,

"See?"

Caius drank the rest of his water and looking at the marked targets commented,

"They said the same thing..."

Marlon regarded him with a confused look.

"Who said?"

Caius sighed.

"The pink and green haired Hybrids..."

"You mean, Brython and Zeth?"

Caius eyed him and narrowed his eyes.

"How come you know the names of them anyways? Aren't we supposed to STAY away from them? I don't even know why they helped me in the first place and then you... You've been speaking with the Commander every time you two are near each other, which again, SHOULDN'T be happening at all. I already told you we could get in trouble for developing any relationships with the Hybrids and the commander should know better than calling you to the outskirts of the training camp and saying, or doing God knows what!"

Marlon folded his arms over themselves and while smirking, added,

"That includes fighting with them over nothing."

Caius glared and pointed a finger at him,

"Fights and relationships are not the SAME thing AND my fights with Zeth are NOT over nothing. You've been there and have seen what an ass he is."

Marlon countered,

"Do you still consider him a menace after your 'truth'?"

Caius let a silence lay heavy over them as he pondered on how to answer the question, and sighed as a result, falling back arresting his arms over his bent-up legs.

"I don't know... It's... It's complicated."

Marlon sat beside him.

"Complicated?"

Caius glanced at him; brows furrowed.

"Yes. Complicated. After we spoke with the Commander and... Brython was it? Took me with him towards the target section of the camp, he and Zeth worked on my stance and firing. Brython, even if he grinned all the time and seemed like an easy-going guy, was tough on his handling, abruptly shoving me, or slamming his palm on my back in both encouragement and reprimand. Yet, Zeth was... He was soft and patient. The way he handled me; it was different from the rest of the times we snarled like angry dogs. It was..."

Caius let the name linger in a whisper, and Marlon saw something different on his friend's face; in his eyes that he hadn't seen before, but Caius quickly raked his hand on his sweat glistened curls and cleared his throat.

"RIDICULOUS! He was ridiculous! Served him right to get stuck with me, wasting his time and..."

Marlon interjected,

"You're not a waste of time and by what you've just told me, seems like Brython and Zeth enjoyed themselves teaching you."

Caius scoffed,

"I already knew how to aim and pull the trigger. At most, they just polished my stance."

Marlon rolled his eyes and smiled.

"Of course."

Caius,

"Anyways, I know what you did there. Stop changing the subject!"

He lowered his voice and whispered,

"What have you been up to with the FHDOEZ? You just disappear like that from my side and appear hours later out of nowhere, at ease, yet you know there's no one that knows you better than I do and behind that façade you put on, there's an uneasiness and concern. Whatever you and those Hybrids spoke of, clearly made your nerves go in disarray. What was it?"

Marlon remained silent, starring at his friend. He thought about what Commander Z.O. asked of him; his mission, and knew he had to be careful with his wording and choosing. How many of the Humans in the Cave felt choked and restrained by SARPE? How many of them, even with their fear and anger, were willing to arm forces with the Hybrids, pushing their differences aside and fight for their freedom?

Marlon has known Caius for a very long time. He was his best friend, his brother and family yet an ugly feeling, he never would have imagined resurfacing in terms of his friend, crept its way into the front of his mind.

Doubt.

He was doubting Caius. He was doubting that even with all their shared experiences, their bond and time spent together protecting each other's backs, suggesting he joins him in an insurrection against those that saved and kept him alive, or even point out the fact that the lifting an insurrection against SARPE was suicidal, Caius would simply say no, and turn his back on him and the others. He knew Caius wouldn't do such a thing. They have the scars to prove their loyalty to each other; the same on their arm, a thin line going from one end to the other. That was their pact and Caius wouldn't break it. Even he wouldn't break it. Yet, deep down, the doubt lingered and left him wordless.

Caius,

"Marlon...?"

Marlon believed in him. He could start with Caius and together they could find others, but it wouldn't be today.

Marlon,

"I will tell you, but not now... Not today..."

Caius frowned, and Marlon could feel the concern emanating from him. Caius was right to feel that way. An insurrection wasn't a joke they could both laugh it out and take it as a little children's games. There were lives involved, not only theirs and the FHDOEZ, but also the rest on the Humans and Hybrids of the Cave, especially the young ones. In this moment, even if his childhood wasn't the brightest, he would prefer to be a child again.

Ignorant.

Naïve.

________________________________________________________________________________

Zeth was at the fighting ring with Killian. He and Brython had a go before Zeth gave him a kick that sent him at full force, out of the ring, and towards the far end wall of the room. Hybrids didn't have to contain their strength, or other of their 'talents' when they fought each other and engaged in competitions. It was a way to release their pent-up stress and let themselves go for a time.

Zeth threw an upper punch, but Killian blocked it, quickly grabbing Zeth's wrist and forearm, throwing him over himself, and slamming him hard over the metal floor. The metal thundered and carried its vibration off to where Brython was speaking with Z.O.

Brython yelled,

"I HEARD THAT!"

Zeth glared back and stood up, getting ready for another round.

Z.O. added,

"You made him mad."

Brython chuckled and leaned back on the wall behind him.

"I make everyone mad, but in a good way."

Another sound of metal being blundered. Another exasperated growl.

Brython eyed the fight between Zeth and Killian and then to Z.O.

"Zeth seems tense."

Z.O.'s eyes furrowed.

"So, you've noticed it. I'm sure it's about what we've being talking about."

Brython hummed.

"I don't know what he's worried about. First time he's scared of something, considering the fact he is bloody violent on missions. He is the most fearless person I know! That is of course, not counting Killian... Or you...Or me..."

Z.O. grunted in understanding and commented,

"It's not the first time he's been worried about things. He might not have shown it explicitly, but he was tensed like that when Lieutenant Marlon's friend got his ribs broken."

Brython exclaimed,

"HA! So that was why he was all flowery touching the guy!"

Zeth caught ear on what he said, getting distracted and receiving an enigmatic blow on his right cheek.

Brython yelled again laughing hard,

"Stop hearing on other people's conversations!"

Z.O.,

"He wouldn't be listening if you hadn't yelled it."

It was Zeth's turn to hook his leg over Killians and with his elbow, slam it directly over the center of his chest. Killian went flying straight towards Brython and Z.O., but before he could make impact with either of their bodies, they both moved aside, watching as Killian's body passed between them and with a hard thud hit the floor.

Zeth came marching towards them, menacing, and exclaiming,

"I was NOT 'flowery touching' anyone!"

Brython shrugged while snickering,

"Of course, you weren't."

Zeth's glare intensified.

Z.O. raised a hand,

"Cool yourself. He's not going to stop, so better ignore him Zeth."

Killian stood up and with an undisturbed expression inquired,

"Who was flowery touching who?"

Zeth's glare changed its victim.

"No one was... You know what, forget it! I'm done here!" 

Z.O. held him back by the shoulder.

They all remained silent until he broke it.

"You should, like Brython says, 'loosen up'."

Zeth raised an eyebrow and frowning looked down, evading eye contact with either of the FHDOEZ members.

"I'm... I'll... Ok..."

Z.O. slowly, clapped him on the shoulder.

"Everything will be fine."

It was a lie, and they all knew it. He could see the same uncertainty in Marlon's eyes. None of them knew how this would play out at the end but that didn't mean they would torment themselves thinking of the worse outcome.

Zeth slightly nodded, an unreadable expression on his face.

"Right..."

He slowly exited the room, leaving Brython, Killian and Z.O.

Killian commented,

"Didn't know Zeth could get anxious."

Brython looked at him, exclaiming,

"Right?!"

Illustration: Portrait of Zeth