Song of the Chapter: Through the Dark - Rogue (Electro)
The Girl ft. Cozi Zuehlsdorff - Hellberg (Color Source Remix) (Future Bass)

Through the Dark is my all time, number one, favorite song ever! I first heard it when I was going through a very hard time and it is hugely inspiring! Random thought: His voice totally cracks pretty bad at about 2:20 and it makes me laugh every time ... Rogue also has an acoustic version of this song on his YouTube channel and that's pretty cool if you wanna check that out ...

I like this remix of The Girl way better than the original ... sorry, Hellberg. You tried.

(Rogue's POV)

It's been five days and no one will come with us. They say it's suicide. I'm starting to agree with them.

"I'm not leaving them there to be used in some sick experiment!" Aero screams as someone tries to tell him to calm down. "Ephixa's already gone through that. So has Braken. I don't want anyone else to suffer like we have. They don't deserve it! No one does!"

"Alex," Au5 says. "We're all going to be caught and killed if we try to go now."

"We have nothing to fight with!" GQ says.

"But Tristam and Monstercat are there now, too! Those two are the ones who kept us together. Without them, we'll fall apart." Aero is pleading now, begging the artists to help us.

"I guess it's working, then, isn't it?" Au5 says softly.

I start to feel that rage boil up again, and I have to storm away from the conversation before I hurt someone. Evee follows me, and we leave the camp to find Nitro Fun. He didn't dare come back into camp after what happened before. He's been hiding around the outskirts and getting food from us.

"How's it coming?" the younger artist says when we find him.

Evee and I exchange a worried glance.

Nitro pauses for a second before he seems to explode and yells something in angry, rapid-fire Spanish. When he's finished, he takes a deep breath and says, "Sorry. I'm just ... I'm so mad. Why won't they listen to us? The others need us or they're going to die. It's almost like these people don't even care."

"Give it one more day," Evee says softly.

"They might not have one more day."

"It's getting late," she mumbles, changing the subject. "We should get back to camp."

"I think I'm going to stay out here tonight, with Nitro." I sit down next to him on the soft grass and lean against the tree. Evee sits next to me and lays against my shoulder. Nitro even lays on my other side, making me feel kind of like the dad of a mixed up family. That thought is kind of weird, since I'm not even close to being old enough to have a kid Nitro's age, so I shake it off and try to relax.

The night is cold and creepy. The wind howls through the trees, sending shivers down my spine. I can't sleep, and neither can Evee. Nitro is out cold.

"Joel?" Evee murmurs. It's nice to hear my real name every once in a while.

"Yeah?"

"I'm kind of scared ... "

"I've got you, Evee. I'll protect you." I'm scared, too. Scared I'm going to lose her when we actually start the invasion. Neither of them know this, but I'm on the other producers' side. I don't want to go after the others, even though Tristam is one of my best friends. I'm too afraid for Evee.

"I just ... wonder sometimes. Are we really going to be okay?" she asks.

"I'll protect you with my life." I close my eyes and try to steady my breathing. I'll never let her down. She'll never lose me like Tristam lost Braken and Noisestorm lost Phantom and all the dead or captured artists ... The chances of keeping her here are slim, but I'm determined.

A song comes into my head; one of my older songs. I take a breath and start to sing softly.

"This road's too long,
I can't make it on my own steam.
But it won't be long.
Once in a while, we're allowed to dream.

That we're gonna make it through the night.
We're gonna journey to the light.
We're gonna make it through the night.
Whoa ...

We're gonna make it through the dark.
We're gonna find out who we are.
We're gonna make it through the dark.
No one can tell us who we are.
We're a light ...
That only love can ignite."

"Your accent is cute," Evee mumbles.

I feel myself start to blush, and I'm grateful the dark hides it. "So is yours."

"No, mine's just like everyone else's here. In Canada, I mean. Yours is cute because it's different."

"You know who has the best accent? Nitro Fun."

She giggles a little. "Well, you're not wrong."

We're quiet for a minute.

"Evee ... " I start. "I feel at home with you. I don't care that we're rejected and wanted criminals. I'm home, because I'm with you."

"I love you, Joel."

"And I'm fine with this;
I wouldn't have it any other way.
'Cause we were made for this.
You and me - we're gonna fly away."

Evee joins me in the chorus, having already memorized the words.

"We're gonna make it through the night.
We're gonna journey to the light.
We're gonna make it through the night.
Whoa ...

We're gonna make it through the dark.
We're gonna find out who we are.
We're gonna make it through the dark.
No one can tell us who we are.
We're a light ...
That only love can ignite."

"Goodnight, Joel," she whispers, giving me a little kiss before curling up on my side.

"Goodnight, Eveelyn."

And oh ...
The sun will rise, the sun will rise.
And oh ...
The sun will rise, the sun will rise ...

...

The next morning, I'm woken by Aero Chord shouting, suddenly very near us. "WAKE UP WE'RE LEAVING COME ON THEY'RE GONNA LEAVE WITHOUT YOU AND YOU'RE COMING WITH US."

I bolt upright, knocking Nitro over onto the ground as he shouts "¡Estoy aquí!" in panic, the first thing that comes out as he wakes up with a jolt.

"What? What's going on?" I say. "Are you okay?"

"We're leaving. Come on." Aero's eyes are bright. "Guess who convinced them to come? We're coming for them. We're going to save them. Come on!"

He turns and runs off, and I start to laugh. I don't think I've ever seen him this excited.

Nitro asks something in Spanish, and then clears his throat and switches to English. "What's up with him?"

"I think ... we're going to rescue the others now," Evee says. "We're going to invade."

"Well," I say, "you're not wrong." I only wish she was. These next few days will determine our future together - whether we survive together, or fall alone, and I'm afraid.

●•●•●•●

(Monstercat's POV)

This cage seems like it's getting smaller. Jensen put me in here after the scientists ran some tests four days ago, but I have it easy compared to my friend.

Tristam's been tied up the same way for five days, and he looks miserable. He can't rest his back, he can't move forward or backward, and his head is forced up at an awkward angle that must hurt like crazy. He hasn't eaten or slept for five days, and he's only been given a little water each day, so he's very dehydrated, on top of that. The room is uncomfortably hot, when I know normally it's cold. The rope cuts his arms and face, making him bleed, and he's in that state where he's falling asleep constantly, but can't quite make it. He keeps jerking back upright. Jensen hasn't even come in for three days.

Today, the door opens, and there he is. He looks down at Tristam, chuckling as he almost falls asleep again, and says, "Aww, is little Leo sleepy?" He kneels down next to him, like a master to his puppy.

Tristam nods just a little, his eyes barely able to stay open.

"Oh, you poor thing." Jensen unties the bloody rope around his mouth and his wrists, and then frees his legs and unhooks the wire from the wall. Tristam tries to stand up to escape, but he collapses in Jensen's arms. The man picks him up and carries him over to his chair and then sits down, resting Tristam's head on his lap while leaving him kneeling on the floor. My friend doesn't protest as Jensen locks handcuffs around his wrists and ankles, keeping them loose and his hands in front of him. He falls asleep almost immediately, his breaths shaky and uneven. Jensen runs his fingers through my friend's damp hair, gently stroking his head as he sleeps, all while his smile grows wider. "See this, Monstercat? This is what submission looks like. It's amazing how much sleep deprivation can motivate someone."

I'm horrified. Jensen really knows how to get what he wants, and that scares me. He may be crazy, but he certainly knows what he's doing.

"Why can't you be a good little pet like Leo?" he complains. "And what kind of name is Monstercat? I'm going to call you Cocoa, because that's as adorable name for a little kitty, don't you think?"

I hiss at him, the first thing I think of.

"Bad Cocoa. Don't hiss at me." Jensen shifts Tristam's position and continues stroking his hair and rubbing his back. "Poor Leo. So tired, so weak." He begins to work, filling out papers, studying reports, strategizing how to bring us down. This goes on for hours, until he says, "I knew you were coming."

I look up from my cat nap with questioning eyes.

"Your belt is a tracking device. That's how I caught you so easily. I knew exactly where you were at all times. I always have." He laughs coldly. "They were so worried about Nitro Fun's betrayal, when the real problem was you."

I look down at my belt in fear. It was me the whole time. Nitro was right, back in the car. I try to yank it off, but Jensen hits a button that sends that piercing sound through my ears again.

"It's no use now. I have you right where I want you. My experiment is finished now, and I believe it was a huge success. I've had a problem with too many of my soldiers, so I made my own. I think you'll enjoy fighting him. I want to see you in action."

Tristam shifts and Jensen pauses. My friend mutters something in French and then relaxes again, still asleep.

"Poor Leo," Jensen chuckles. "I still have to question him." About an hour passes, and then he calls two soldiers into the room and picks Tristam up off of the ground, carrying him back to his spot with the wire by the wall. He clips the wire back on his collar and sits him up against the wall, patting his head. I watch him carefully, wondering why he's being so gentle with Tristam and rough with everyone else.

The soldiers enter the office and flinch in surprise. I guess they didn't expect the room to be this hot. My fur is damp and I can see the sweat glistening on Tristam's face and neck. His hair is wet and his clothes are soaked.

"Wake him up, please," Jensen says.

The soldiers glance at each other in confusion.

"Just slap him. That'll do the trick."

One of them shrugs and couches next to Tristam. He hesitates a second, and then slaps him hard across the face. Tristam jerks awake with an exclamation in French, his cuffed hands coming up to his face. His frantic and exhausted eyes flicker around the room in fear and uncertainty. "Que se passe-t-il?" he asks softly. His voice is rough and scratchy. He hasn't spoken in three or four days.

"Excuse me?" Jensen says.

"Que se passe-t-il?" he asks again.

"Leo, I know you can speak English. What are you saying?"

"Je ne sais pas," Tristam says. "Je ne comprends pas. Que se passe-t-il?"

One of the soldiers snickers. I think he understands, but he doesn't say anything.

"Leo, I will ask you one more time. You will speak in English or suffer the consequences."

"D'accord."

Jensen seizes a fancy cane from under his desk and swings it aggressively at him, but freezes right before it slams into the side of his head. Tristam flinches and ducks a little, rubbing his bleeding mouth with his wrists nervously.

"I don't want to hurt you, but if you're going to be uncooperative, I'll have no choice," Jensen growls. "I'm going to ask you a question, and you're going to answer in English. Do you understand?"

Tristam nods, his eyes wide and afraid.

"Good. When are the others going to attack? Do they have weapons? How do they plan on breaking in?"

Tristam's expression grows more confused the more Jensen speaks. He starts to say something, but hesitates. "P-pardon?" he says timidly.

The way he says it makes it sound like he's still speaking in French, and Jensen's eyes darken in rage. "I said, in ENGLISH!" he screams. The cane swings with an almost inhuman speed and slams into Tristam's head, knocking him backward with a cry of pain. The impact rips open a cut on his forehead, blood dripping into his eyes. Tristam cries out again as Jensen grabs him around the throat and slams him against the wall. His eyes are wide and terrified, and he's breathing fast and hard. "You may be perfect, but I can settle for less. After all, you don't need arms or legs to fly, do you?" Jensen growls.

"Je suis désolé," he whimpers.

"He says he's sorry," one of the guards mutters.

Something in Tristam's eyes makes me nervous. He's genuinely terrified and really doesn't understand. He's almost ... delirious. I call to him, but he doesn't even look at me.

"Give me your hands," Jensen orders. Tristam just stares at him, wide-eyed. Jensen growls and grabs his arms, yanking them toward him, and Tristam cries out again at the sudden movement. Jensen rests his knife against my friend's wrist, the point digging into his skin. "Speak to me in English or I'll cut you. Just like your ... how do you say friend?"

"Ami," the soldier mumbles. "'Ami' means 'friend'."

Jensen grins at Tristam. "I'll cut you up, just like your ami."

"Mon ami?" Tristam asks softly. "Braken?" He glances at the knife against his arm and his face goes pale. "S'il vous plaît, Monsieur - "

He cuts off with a shriek of pain as Jensen slices his wrist once, twice, and a third time up his arm, watching as the scarlet blood washes down his wrist and pools against his clenched fists. "One more time," Jensen says. "In English."

"S'il vous plaît, Monsieur, je ne sais pas!" Tristam cries. "Je ne sais pas ... "

"Wrong answer." Jensen cuts him again and he tries to yank his hands back in vain.

"Sir, I really don't think he knows what you're saying," the soldier says after a moment of Tristam repeating himself over and over. I can't watch as Jensen cuts him every time he speaks.

"Of course he does," Jensen snaps. "He was talking with me earlier. He speaks English just as well as he speaks French."

"Are you sure?"

Jensen pauses and stares at my friend. Tristam stares back with frightened and tear-filled eyes. Finally, the man says, "Then I suppose we'll have to come back, when he speaks English. He'll give in eventually."

He drops Tristam's hands back on the floor and stands upright, wiping the bloody knife on his pants. Tristam watches, holding his wrists protectively against his chest. "Je te déteste," he mutters under his breath.

"What did he say?" Jensen demands.

The soldier who's translating winces and says, "He says he hates you."

Jensen whirls with the cane and hits my friend hard over the head. "You will not talk to me that way!" he shouts.

Tristam ducks for just a second, but from this angle, I can see that hatred burning in his eyes. He looks up, directly at Jensen, takes a breath, and starts screaming curses at him until the other soldier quickly gets a gag in his mouth.

"What'd he say?" Jensen orders. I find my grip on the bars of the cage tightening.

The first soldier thinks for a second, and then quietly answers, "He called you a variety of things ... most of which I'm not going to repeat. Filthy cow was in there somewhere ... and son of a - "

"HOW DARE YOU SAY THAT TO ME?!" Jensen screams at Tristam, cutting the soldier off. "YOU ARE LUCKY YOU ARE SO PERFECT, OR I WOULD KILL YOU RIGHT NOW!"

Tristam elbows the guard holding him and yanks the gag out of his mouth. "Tue-moi," he hisses. "Je vous l'osez." The soldier translating sighs softly and rubs his forehead.

"What was that?" Jensen snaps.

Tristam smiles a little, the fury still burning in his eyes. "Then kill me," he whispers. "I dare you."

With another scream of rage, Jensen hits him so hard, he collapses without a sound, unconscious and barely breathing as the deep gash bleeds all over the floor.