The waiting was agony.

I waited in a big room full of equipment for communication, screens and desks with buttons everywhere, everything glowing in a blue light. They would be in contact with all soldiers at all times once the raid started. I didn't know how I would feel hearing Tobirama's voice in a war situation. And I wasn't keen to find out.

"Remember!" Lana shouted to the room. "Two tasks. Left side, you're in charge of the raid. Right side, you will broadcast Helen's speech live. It's very important that you wait until the raid is on the news before you start broadcasting. Wait one minute in. That way, more people will have gathered around their televisions. Broadcast it on all channels, and all computer screens with Internet open. Timing is key for effect!"

I was sitting down, spinning my chair around. I felt desperate to do something, helpless that I couldn't. I started thinking about my own motives for this. For people like my family to be taken out of the social structures that had been constructed to keep them at bay. To enable people to explore who they'd become without the intervention of chemicals. For same-sex relationships not to be treated as something that needed to be eradicated. And for me and Tobirama to be able to express our love freely, without risk. What are your motives, Tobirama? Helen was the most mellow alpha I had ever encountered. But Tobirama was the most dominant one; what was in it for him? I made sure to ask him when he came back. If he comes back... No. I refused to go there.

Finally, there was someone speaking. I recognised Carolines dark, clear voice.

"Our helicopters are approaching target. Bombs dropping in three... Two... One..."

I heard explosions.

"We're in. We're landing five out of seven helicopters on the roof. The other two will be hoovering for a while."

"Good, Caroline", Lana said. "I want all your soldiers listening to you and to me. I want you, Tobirama, Richard and Fatemeh in contact with me at all times."

"Peter", Caroline said.

"Excuse me?"

"Sorry, Lana. Saying "Roger" makes me very self-aware."

Lana snorted. "Who's in charge of the group looking for the information?" she asked.

"I am."

I almost threw up hearing his voice.

"Good, Tobirama", Lana said.

"Helicopters landed in three, two, one. Okay, now go go go!" Caroline egged on.

What followed was an excruciating sound of machine guns and screamed.

"Two enemies shot. Three. Four. Shit! One of ours." No no no no no I hate this. I fucking HATE this! Of course I knew people would be killed. I just hoped it wasn't my boyfriend and I hated myself for it. The others that were shot in his place were just like him; with partners and a life and hobbies and educations and jobs. Yet, they weren't mine.

"Keep pushing forwards", Lana said. "Camera on so I can see what you're up to."

At that, a set of three times three screens on one wall lit up, and we were able to see the view from Caroline's perspective. My heart desperately searched for Tobirama, but I couldn't see him as it was all covered in so much smoke and dust.

"We're spreading out in five groups. Tobirama!"

A man turned round, and I recognised his face immediately below his helmet. I cried out, putting my hands to my mouth. My boyfriend is fucking RAIDING. I hated every aspect of it. The military clothes, no matter how hot. How dirty his face was. Him holding a machine gun as if it was the most natural thing in the world.  I felt a hand on my shoulder and looked up. Another person in the control room who I'd said hi to before comforted me. I leaned in and took it while watching. My boyfriend's white hair was seen underneath the helmet, and it suddenly struck me how beautiful I found his face. Please, come back. Please, please come back to me.

"Tobirama, take your men. You know what to do."

That was when it struck me how incredibly talented he must have been in order to lead a group of militaries after only one month's training.

"The raid  broadcasted on the news!" a worker in the control room announced.

"Good!" Lana said. "Wait one minute from now before hacking."

Caroline's screen showed the killing of multiple people and I felt sick to my stomach. This has to happen, I tried to convince myself. It has to happen.

I didn't convince myself.

Suddenly, there was a large explosion.

"Shit!!" Caroline screamed. "Tobirama! Tobirama, are you okay?"

There was no answer.

No.

"Tobirama!!"

No no no no no no no.

"Shit, Lana, I've lost contact with him."

"Fuck..." Lana whispered. "Keep going. Make your backup team go after the information!"

Caroline gave orders. There was running. Everything became a mess for a while.

"One minute is up!" someone shouted.

"Broadcast!"

Another set of screens lit up, and on it were Helen, looking more frail than ever, live on screen, clad in a fantastic mint-green suit on a mild backdrop of the nature of the beta-rebellion hideout.

"Hello. As you might know, my name is Helen Senju. I am a professor in endocrinology."

Her voice was mild, confident.

"Tobirama!! Where the fuck are you, you big whore?!" I could hear Caroline scream.

Stop.

"As you might have heard, I have joined the beta rebellions. As  has Izuna Uchiha, the first omega medical student, and his family, alongside my son, Tobirama Senju. Tobirama Senju is currently raiding the alpha research post. The reasons are many."

Make it stop.

"A while ago, my research discovered two new parts of the brain."

And Helen went on to explain everything. Her calm, strong, soothing voice, so different from her deteriorating body, became the backdrop of the raid. And all we could do was stand in the control room, watching everything unfold.

"Izuna Uchiha is neither alpha, beta, or omega. Or, he's all three."

I don't care. I don't care. Just give me my boyfriend back. PLEASE.

More screaming. A machine gun going off. Caroline's scream. A bigger explosion. The screen went black.

"Caroline? Caroline?!" Lana screamed.

There was no answer.

Helen kept talking. About the alpha- and beta-equina. About the contamination of the water. About bonding and marriage and divorce.

"I am so sorry to have to be the one to inform you that you have all been modified like this. It is not my desire, as I believe there are people who could do a better job informing you than me. But since it's my research, I believe it's my duty to tell you. We are not rebelling because of dissatisfactions only, but because whether our brains should be modified or not should be a great ethical discussion, and not something that is forced upon us."

The TV-screens buzzed by the absence of him.

"With that, I ask you to join us. At eleven pm tonight, trains all over the country will leave to our base. Please, join us, and let us take back what has been taken from us. Thank you."

The broadcast ended, leaving us all in a big, black nothing. The seconds passed, and nobody said anything. It was a silence so thick, it got into your ears and pierced your eardrums.

"What..." The woman next to me, who still had a comforting arm around me, spoke. "What do we do now?"

"Lana!" A non-binary person came running into the room. "Lana! It's Helen! She collapsed! She collapsed after the broadcasting stopped!"