"Run Ryker!" Gunner yelled slowing his pace and reached out for his brother's hand.

He was sixteen now his brother thirteen. Lucas, the man they grew to know as their father, was killed not so long ago by The Apex soldiers, men dressed in military clothing who work closely with the government. They were their little errand boys.

They were sent here to get Ryker and Gunner. How the government found their existence was a mystery. Lucas had taken upon himself to constantly dye their white hair black and introduced the brothers to contact lenses.

He taught them everything there was to the human species so they would fit and blend in easily and probably even live like normal human children.

The latter seemed impossible now as the two Zetrians were once again running for their lives. Gunner led Ryker to an alley pulling him behind him, placing a hand on Ryker's chest and mentally telling him to be quiet. Ryker's eyes shone with fear.

'What's going to happen to us Gunner?'

Ryker asked his brother through his mind. Gunner let out a sigh and didn't answer him. He himself didn't know what would become of them so he slide down and sat on the ground with Ryker mirroring his action.

The two sat in silence as they waited for the shouting soldiers to go away. Their synced footsteps faded away before there was complete silence in the street, a chilly breeze whooshed past them as they grew weary of the darkness surrounding them in the alley.

Ryker shivered and scooted closer to Gunner's side, who wrapped an arm around his shoulder and the both of them shared their warmth as one.

"Will you tell me about Gran again?" Ryker asked, his voice cracking as it was deepening, a sign he was already on his journey to become a full adult Zetrian.

His height was nearly past Gunner's shoulder who stood high at a striking 6"7. Taller than the average male Zetrians.

"Sure, Ry. She was the wisest Zetrian I knew. Her psychic gift gave her the ability to see the past, the future and peer into one's mind. I could never hide anything from her, or even lie for she would know what I would do even before I did it. She had answers to all my curious question and most important of all, Ry," He paused to look at his brother, "She loved you with all of her heart and she made me promise to keep you safe."

"Why won't you tell me what happened to her?" Ryker asked, a little frown on his face as he looked ahead.

Gunner didn't like it when he was upset so he smiled instead and ruffled the kid's hair an easy way to get a reaction from him. Ryker blinked and immediately grinned. He loved it when Gunner ruffled his hair. He didn't know why but it made his heart soar with joy.

"I'll tell you when you're older."

"How old?"

"Say, when you're sixteen, just like I am now, deal?" Gunner said grinning at the only family he has left.

Ryker nodded, "Deal."

Gunner pursed his lips once again and looked at the wall ahead of them a frown on his face as images of what happened eleven years ago came crushing back.

He took a deep breath and turned his attention back to Ryker who was watching him curiously.

"Do you think we'll ever go back home?" He asked and Gunner grinned at his questions.

He was once like him too.

"Our home was destroyed, Ry. We have nothing to go back to." he said, not wanting to give him any false hopes, something even Gran was against.

"You mean the ship?"

Gunner shook his head, "We had a home, just like earth, but with less burning heat and reasonable rain as well as flying cars but we called them Gliders and taller buildings as well as weirder animals that were free to roam around the forests to which Zetrians were banned to go to without informing a keeper."

"Keeper?"

Gunner nodded, "A group of Zetrians that protect the forest and all that's in it. They kept the animals from leaving the forests as well as kept the Zetrians from getting into the forests and harming the animals."

"I wish I would have been a keeper. I'd feel like I was the bridge between Zetrians and Animals." Ryker said grinning.

Gunner found himself mirroring his expression, "I bet you'd have made an incredible one. Gran would have been so proud." he said to him and his face lit up.

"Can I see how she looked like?"
Gunner nodded and took a breath before he placed his forehead on Ryker's and they both shut their eyes, letting their walls down.

Gunner thought of her in his head. Her long white hair which she constantly blew off her face with an annoyed little scowl on her wrinkled, aging face. Her short height and that cunning little spark she usually has in her beautiful, sharp white eyes, and her contagious smile that could lit up any room as she showed off her white teeth.

She was always beautiful.

Grandad had always cherished her and treated her like the jewel she was. A rare jewel that was supposed to last forever but didn't. Her days came to an end as did the rest of so many Zetrians -if not all.

Gunner opened his eyes and leaned back. Ryker opened his own, his eyes shining with longing and desperation. Hell even a tiny speck of annoyance. He bit his lip and looked ahead, hugging his knees as he went quiet for a whole minute or more before he spoke up.

"I wish I met her" he said, more to himself than to Gunner.

His brother was in front of him suddenly, crouched to his level as Ryker placed his head on his knees.

"Gran loved you, Ry. We have each other and that's all that matters right now." he paused and waited for Ryker to lift his gaze, "I promise that no matter what, I'll always be on your side, okay?"

Ryker swallowed the crazy lump in his throat and nodded before he shot forward and wrapped his arms around his big brother. The person he admired, loved and looked up to the most.

"Alright." Ryker said.

🔱🔱🔱

Five years later

The present

Ryker woke up bright and early, got out of bed, headed out his room -after grabbing his towel and walked down the almost empty hallway not bothering to put on a shirt. A few people were walking about going on with their business which was heading to or coming out of the shower.

Girls had towels around their body and guys around their waist as usual. Ryker ignored the stares that never seem to tire of him and picked an empty bathroom. Once in, he took a quick cold shower to wake himself up completely and within a few minutes, he was out.

Agent Kace just so happened to be approaching the showers as well when Ryker stepped out.

He smirked and crossed his arms, his eyes on Ryker, who paid on attention to him, walking past him. Apparently Kace was in the mood for holding a conversation with Ryker as he gripped the man's bicep causing it to go taunt and a frown to form on his face. Kace raised a brow and let his arm go.

"Cold shower?"

Ryker said nothing and instead gritted his teeth, waiting to hear what he really had to say.

"I will enjoy breaking you Ryker. You'll wish you told us where your friends ran to when we asked you before."

Again, Ryker kept his mouth shut, waiting for him to get to the point, lifting his gaze to meet Kace's brown ones. He must have had an impatient look in his eyes because Kace suddenly got to the point.

"You and your brother are to report to the council immediately."

Ryker frowned and looked away, licking his lips before he walked on without a word. Not that he had any.

Why was he suddenly summoned to the council? He wondered as he tapped in the pass code to his room and the doors slide open.

The council were the heads of the Centre. They decide who's going to do what and monitor them from the control room. Everything they did was monitored twenty four seven, studied and recorded as the humans in charge watched the 'aliens' as they go about with their life and co-exist with each other.

No one inside the Centre was human; either mutated or an alien -unless they were working as an employee for the council.

Ryker put his contacts in and deliberately took his time changing into a black wife beater and his military print pants before he sent out towards the room, not giving a shit about his black dyed hair.

Once he got up the top floor of the Centre, he stepped out of the glass elevator and made his way to the desk in front of him where a human sat, tapping away on the computer screen in front of her.

He stood in front of the desk and waited for her to notice his presence. She did and slowly lifted her gaze. Her eyes widened and she fixed up her hair. She sat up straight and cleared her throat. Ryker frowned but said nothing.

"How may I help you Agent?" she asked, almost purring.

Ryker almost cringed at the inappropriate thoughts running through her mind and refrained from looking into her eyes.

"I've been asked to see the council." he said simply, his voice deep and intimidatingly low.

She sighed and blinked at him before she composed herself.

"O-of course." she stuttered, lowering her gaze from his handsome face and reached for a card. She held it out towards him.

"Your brother is already inside."

Ryker nodded, wordlessly took the card from her and made his way down the hallway, feeling her lingering gaze on him.

A huge mahogany door stood before him at the end of the hall and next to it was a card reader fixed and connected to the electric door hinges on the other side of the door.

Ryker swiped the card and waited as a light turned green and there was a soft sound somewhat similar to that made by a canned soda bottle when you pop it open before it swung open on its own.

Ryker stepped in and the door automatically shut itself, clicking as the hinges clamped shut as well. He licked his lips and looked around the huge room. In front of him was a table with six seats. Behind it sat a six human in each seat.

Three males and three females. His frown deepened as he eyed each and every one of them, loath hidden deep down in his gaze. In front of them were two seats in which Gunner occupied the town of the right. Ryker looked at the glass window behind the seats, out into the open.

It was funny how his freedom was separated from him by a giant piece of bullet proof glass in a huge dome shaped building known as the Centre.

"Have a seat."

Ryker hesitated but forced himself to do so, taking the only seat available, and his eyes on the woman in front of him. Her mind was blank for now so he waited, his eyes never leaving hers.

"Why was I summoned." he asked, his eyes narrowed.

"Straight to the point I see." one man said from the far end of the table.

Ryker licked his lips, refusing to look away from the woman as she physically tensed. He almost smirked but held back.

"Your brother asked the same question just as he too sat down." another man said, watching the boy.

He took a seat, his eyes on the woman that unfortunately sat in front of him.

They were obviously trying to keep them out of their head, but for how long?

"We prefer to be looked at in the eyes when we address you." A different woman said this time, trying to get him to stop.

Do they suspect they can read minds?

"Why are we here?" Gunner gritting out, his eyes never wavering from the woman's own.

He could hear her rapid heartbeat from where he was sitting and almost smirked when she gave in for a brief second.

What she didn't know was a second was enough for him to get through to her and find out what he needs to know.

Gunner looked away satisfied. As did Ryker not long after and leaned back on his seat.

"We want the both of you to be partners as Apex soldiers." The man at the far right of the table begun...

Ryker frowned, his jaw jumping.

"No."

"You must think you have a choice. We tell you what to do, or have you forgotten that?" The woman Ryker had been eyeing somewhat gritted out.

"The both of you are fast, intelligent, psychic and have great hearing abilities. Qualifications we cannot let go to waste. I wonder why we hadn't recruit you sooner as well, Ryker."

"I won't become an Apex." Ryker threatened, his jaw locked tight and his voice lower than it usually is.

The air suddenly shifted into an unexpected chill, Ryker's clear disapproval hanging in the air, before a man spoke up. He cleared his throat.

"Then we will be forced to take drastic measures."

"I was demoted. I do not wish to be recruited again." Gunner remarked, siding with Ryker.

"We figured you'd be against it. I am sorry for this, but the two of you are valuable to us. We need to have you on the team." A man who had been quiet the whole time dictated before he motioned with his finger for someone to move in.

A figure walked around the table and stopped in front of it. In the girl's hand was a tray with a cloth over it.

Ryker frowned and so did Gunner.

"Last chance to do this willingly." the woman at the end said.

Ryker only licked his lips and Gunner stayed still, his eyes on the girl his eyebrows furrowed.

She nodded and two hands were suddenly holding Kace and Ryker down onto the seats as black cuffs sprung from the seats' arm rest and clamped around each of their arms.

The two didn't struggle and simply watched emotionlessly as the girl took of the cloth covering what was in the tray. Two syringes came to view with a dark blueish liquid in it.

Ryker and Gunner shared a look, both of their faces morphed into confusion and anger as they looked back at the council members.

"This drug will make you forget everything. Your names, how you got here, who we are." One of them said.

"I have to say, I almost hate doing this to you two. You are our prize and jewel. It'd be such a loss if the drug reacted negatively with your systems."

Just as the council member talking, there was a sharp sting sensation before a jolt of pain shot up from their neck to their heads.

The brothers let out a groan of pain almost simultaneously as the pain intensified almost as if spreading to the whole of their head. Their vision became blurry before spots of black appeared and spread out like a virus as it eventually consumed them into its darkness.

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