"We'll take off collars." Kait nudged Opal. "If we can't destroy the sensors then they need them off before they pass through. Hopefully we do it fast enough they won't trigger all of them to go off at once. Taking off collars could trigger them or breaking the wall might. It will be a gamble."

"Gotcha..."

Ermine had managed to convince a few people to follow. Many thought it was a trick so that she could get ahead in the digging. Gray fared better- she'd told everyone in the bunks there was a surprise supply drop planned. Proga's bright golden markings seemed to dim back to his pre-iron removal but kids were noticing Kait's change in appearance. Many were staring. Whispering had started.

Opal was worried kids were going to lose interest and leave when Proga returned from scouting out the wall. He was frowning. "I have one, maybe two ideas. I don't know what the gate is made of." He shrugged. "I'll hit it with what I got."

"Time to start the collars then." Kait looked at Gray. "Come with me to keep them from freaking out."

"Y-yes." Gray forced her expression away from anxious.

"You really can break the collars?" Ermine stared at her.

"Yeah... I'm sure they are easier than irons." Opal hoped she sounded confident. She supposed she should start with her own. Compared to the irons, it was nothing. In fact she used maybe too much force and it was easily crushed. Ermine stared at her. At first Opal thought she might be thinking of running, but then she laughed.

"Ok but maybe pretend like you are just undoing a necklace or unlatching something. If you do it like that people will realize you're... well, whatever you are."

Opal wished she knew what that was.

Although the kids were confused, most of them seemed fine with having the collars removed. If it was allowed to happen it must be planned. They were so used to being controlled.

Opal had gotten though about half of the kids who showed up when she heard a scream.

To Opal's horror a few of the kids closest to the gate started falling, fingers clawing at their throats. The collars- they were starting to activate them.

A moment later a massive black shape was standing in front of the gate. An animal wide and squat with a massive horn on its face.

"Is... that a rhino?" Gray blinked a few times and rubbed her eyes.

Opal noticed the golden swirls. "What's a rhino?"

The animal lowered its head and charged towards the first gate. Opal covered her eyes. When she opened them there was a cloud of dust and a large crack in the wall, but it wasn't a hole. A mechanical wail filled the air.

"Get back!" Gray was running in front of the group, urging them farther from the gates. Opal saw Kait run and try and remove a collar from a choking boys neck. She jerked back at first, like she'd been stung. Opal found out why a moment later when she tried to remove one that had been activated from a now unconscious girl. The thing gave a sharp zap of electricity when it was touched. She managed to pull it off but the girl didn't move. She didn't have time to find out if she would as she ran towards the next person.

BAM

The rhino had struck the gate again. The crack was growing but to Opal's alarm it still wasn't big enough for a single person to get through yet.

BAM

Kids were starting to scream now as more and more fell. There were still kids in the trenches too. It was impossible to know how many. And not every collar seemed to be activating.

"SHUT UP AND GET IN A LINE!"

Opal froze. Gray was standing on an upside down trash can, hands cupped to her mouth.

"EVERYONE WITH A NECKLACE STILL ON GO STAND BY THE LOADING DOCK. EVERYONE ELSE GO STAND BY THE ROAD. YOU THREE- GO GATHER EVERYONE STILL IN THE TRENCH."

There was a pause, then the kids started shuffling towards each side.

"Hey! Wake up- you heard her. Go get everyone else!" Ermine pointed at the three boys who seemed to be still stunned by Gray's directions.

Opal and Kait were panting. Quite a few in the line of kids seemed terrified but none of them said a thing as she broke collar after collar. She could hear the whispers following her however.

BAM

BAM

BAM

"Listen up! If you want to live- as soon as the crack if big enough we all are going to the road!"

"But why?" Finally someone had the courage to question the chaos. "What's going on?"

"Where did that rhino come from? How are you getting it to do that?"

"This is nuts!"

"-get in trouble-"

"-trick!"

"I think it's a demon!"

The second that word was uttered the crowd became unruly again. Although they still stayed in their areas. Seeing five kids strangled to death was enough to make them all willing to get their collars removed. Kids had started arguing or crying or even some pushing.

"Stop! Just wait- we'll explain everything. Don't hit- hang on!" Gray's voice had lost some of it's a authoritarian tone. She kept trying to regain control of the crowd.

Opal's hand were starting to sting from removing collar after collar. More than that her leg was starting to pound and her head was getting lighter. She wondered how many more she had to go.

And then the siren stopped.

Everyone fell silent. Even the rhino stopped it's assault on the gate.

"I'm not sure what this means but I'm pretty sure its really, really bad." Kait whispered to her.

A few seconds later, a young girl fell. Everyone turned to look.

"She doesn't have a collar?" Opal stared in confusion.

"Did she faint?" Someone asked

Then they saw the blood.

Kait's eyes grew wide. "Gray! Gray! Get everyone to go behind the kitchen!"

Gray started yelling out orders but even as she did three more fell. Some kids were ignoring the instructions, running back towards bunks or the trench.

"No! Don't go that way!"

Opal couldn't figure out which direction the bullets were coming from. "I've gotten everyone killed." She stared at Kait. "This is my fault."

"No... no you..." Kait's silvery eyes were rimmed in white.

They tried to help usher the remaining kids towards the kitchen when they heard the bellow. The rhino, sides heaving, now had red drops staining the ground under him.

"Proga!" Kait started towards him before Opal could stop her.

He backed up again and hit the gate. His cry was covered under the sound of slamming into the wall but even from here she could see his back had wounds along it. Kait managed to make it nearly to the front before she too was hit.

Opal bit back a scream. What could she do? She must have something else she could do. She broke the irons. If only her memory- if she only knew something about herself that other people didn't have to tell her. She squeezed her eyes shut, begging herself.

"Opal- what are you doing?" Ermine shook her. "We have to get them out of there."

"We'll get hit."

Ermine shrugged. "So we get hit. If they die we have no way of getting anyone else out."

"O-ok."

The rhino was no more. Instead Proga lay on his side, one hand over his chest, blood pooling on the ground around him. Kait's arm was bleeding as she pressed her hands over his multiple wounds. The golden color had nearly faded to tan on his body. Still he was smiling. "Head's not as hard as I thought it was... sorry about that."

"Hush." Kait told him. She saw the two of them. "Help me drag him."

Opal realized why a moment later. He was incredibly heavy. Even between the three of them they barely made any progress. They all jumped with a bullet popped into the ground next to them.

"Only good thing" Kait panted. "Is that I don't think its manned with the intent to kill. Its just protecting the gate, it shoots in a pattern too. Cheap machines..."

Another one exploded next to them, almost hitting her leg. Opal jumped back.

"Pull!" Kait commanded. Even as she said it, he was struck again. Proga grunted, eyes squeezing shut. Opal pulled as hard as she could. Her hand slipped and she stumbled back, falling hard, her head stuck a rock behind her and the world began to swirl. No no she couldn't go out like this. She had to stay conscious but her vision closed in as sticky blood dripped into her ear.

Heat? Was that heat she felt? No- no not again...

-----

Opal sat up in a panic, throwing an arm out against the oncoming wave.

"Ow- shit what the hell Opal?" Spark had a hand over his face. "I was just checking on you."

Opal blinked. Had she passed out? She looked around- no. No if she did, it was only for a second. Kait had Proga's arm and was sitting on the ground next to him, sweat pouring down her face.

"You left us." Opal started to shake her head but it hurt too much.

Spark frowned. "Yeah, so?"

"How'd-"

"We came back." Yue's eyebrows were lowered. "Are you ok, Opal? Your head is bleeding- again."

She touched the back of her head. "Proga- he's the one who-"

"Kait can help him once we are out. Spark?"

"What."

Yue nodded towards the gate.

Spark snorted. "You do it. I'm out of practice."

"I think your... talents? Are better suited for this."

"I'm not even sure I can." Spark muttered. He walked towards the gate, pausing next to Kait. "They shot you?"

"Just once. I'm fine. Really."

Spark's jaw tightened. He twirled his wrist, looking down at the black bands. "Fine. I'll do it. I won't need these." He removed two of the four bands from each limb and handed them to Kait. "Get back."

Opal was pretty sure she saw Yue smirk. "Far back." He bent and grabbed Proga under both arms. With a grunt he began sliding him away.

Kait and Opal exchanged a glance. He made it look easy.

Opal watched him approach the gate. She expected an explosion of some kind like before- a bigger one something really impressive. Instead he stood there. A minute passed. Then another.

She heard him curse loudly. He'd been shot? She watched his hands go to his mouth and wondered if he was going to be sick.

This explosion was nothing like last time. The flames hit the gate like a massive wave, swirling around each other into the crack Proga created early. She heard the sound of crashing rubble and the wooooof of fire flashing in and out of existence.

The next moment all of the kids were peering around the side of the kitchen. The hole was big enough for a car to drive through.

"Lets go! Go go everyone run!" Gray didn't hesitate to lead the charge.

To Opals amazement, they followed.

Proga was upright again but leaning heavily on Yue. His head occasionally dropped down. Opal went to help but Yue shook his head. "Kait- help her."

Kait was trembling as she tried to walk. "I'm ok."

Ermine rolled her eyes. "No you're not. Here." She put her arm around her shoulder and helped her forward. Opal limped alongside them.

Spark was kneeling as kids ran past him on either side. Although he looked winded he was in much better shape than the other two.

"Not bad for being out of practice." Kait stopped next to him offering a hand, forcing Ermine to halt too.

He started to get to his feet. Kait stumbled. Ermine had slipped out from under her, dropping to the earth. Blood spurted from her neck where the bullet passed through.