As Ryker made his way towards the office, a thought occurred to him. Maybe that's why Kace was so worked up earlier; maybe whatever happened to Gunner when he was sent to the lab happened to Kace too?

He frowned, wondering what game the councils were playing at. What do they want from the three of them? What makes them so special? He gritted his teeth, feeling like the answer was right on the tip of his tongue and yet so far away from him.

He pushed the door open, not bothering to knock; they were expecting him so to hell with etiquette. They disgust him. What do they gain out of this? Is it for their own sick pleasure, or are they just mad and thirsty for dominance as well as power and control that they'd keep beings in captivity just to learn what they can about them even when they mean no harm? Then what, what happens after they are figured out; exile? Execution?

"Have a seat," one of them said.

Ryker had never cared to know their names; only the number of humans in the Centre; thirty to be specific -excluding the ones working in the many laboratories.

Six humans form the council; the others work as receptionists, trainers, nurses or doctors and guards. He was yet to know about the underground Labs were younger 'aliens' are locked up, studied, sometimes tortured if necessary and taught how to behave as humans do.

"I prefer to stand," He said, stopping in the middle of the room -not to close and not too far from where they sat before him.

"We insist," Another said.

Ryker narrowed his eyes, "-and I'd rather not,"

Someone chuckled, a man at the far right of the glass table, "He sure as hell doesn't need it," He said.

"It isn't debatable, Gregory, it is mandatory for all three of them to get it. We cannot take any chances,"

"I agree with you, especially the Zetrians, we cannot lose them as we did the Six we still barely know enough about their species,"

Zetrians, the six? What was he going on about? Ryker wondered, but kept his face blank.

"Anyway," there was a pause, "we have a few questions for you,"

"First one," yet another pause, "you are in the recruitment program and in the middle of a hunt, you come across an alien species in a dark alley; alone. It's a child, bleeding promptly and on the brink of death. What would you do if such a situation happened?"

Ryker frowned; thinking carefully about how he was to answer the question. What kind of answer were they expecting from him? He thought back to Gunner and Kace; their nasty attitude and unusual anger -even for Kace himself.

The only explanation to it was that they did something to them that made them cold, ruthless and inconsiderate. Knowing Gunner, he most likely answered the questions truthfully.

He licked his lips; if the hypothetical situation did happen, he'd obviously help the child by stopping the bleeding and sparing his life both from death and from the Centre, but that wasn't the answer they expected from him. Instead, he said,

"Leave the child to die, of course. I'm sure it wouldn't be of any use to you if I brought it in anyway. Unless you'd prefer to study its corpse,"

They nodded, bowing their heads and tapping away on their respective tablets which looked like a piece of thick rectangular glass on top of a glass table.

"Next question, an alien was taken in, adopted and raised by a human family. They refuse to give it up willingly and put up quite the fight to keep it from you. What would you do?"

A strange sensation seeped through him as he pondered on the question, a chill rushing down his spine. Their gaze held something within them, something akin to a knowing expression with a sardonic glint beneath it as they fixed onto him. He kept his face neutral, pretending not to notice their expressions as he gave them an answer,

"I'd have no choice but to forcefully take it from them, even if it comes to taking their lives to do it,"

Though, as he said it, yet another rush seeped across his chest, clenching his heart painfully before it disappeared. The feeling was so strange and foreign that it almost had him taking a step back and rubbing his chest; almost.

However, three council members smiled as they tapped away, occasionally sneaking glances at the other. Ryker had a feeling these questions weren't just randomly picked. They meant something, but to whom; them or him?

"Last question," The woman in front of him said, speaking up for the first time since he walked in, "your brother and a few others escape from the Centre. You as well as other soldiers are sent to go after them and bring them back. You find your brother, but he asks you to join him and run away together. What would you do?"

He frowned. What would he do? He'd run away with him for fuckssake.

"I'd take him up on his offer," was his answer.

They froze and slowly begun lifting their heads, one after the other as if it were rehearsed, their eyes bearing the same emotion; shock as well as disbelief.

"And here I thought he was loyal to-"

That was all the confirmation Ryker needed. Satisfied, he finished of his answer,

"-I would go with him because then he would lead me to the whereabouts of the others after which I would turn on my ear-piece receptors and you would know where to find us,"

The man he cut off leaned back on his seat, a grin on his face like the others, "That's it, you are officially my favourite," he said, his eyes shining with pride.

Ryker spared him a glance.

"That is all, Ryker. You are free to return to your routine,"

He spun on his heels and walked out, shutting the door behind him and deliberately dragging his feet and stretching his hearing, intending to eavesdrop,

"He is unbelievably loyal. I must say, Gregory, wiping their memories was a genius idea," A gruff, male voice said.

Ryker gritted his teeth at the revelation but walked on to the glass elevator with a stoic face, very much aware of the security camera around the hallway. So, something did happen to them that day.

He frowned, no wonder he couldn't remember anything past being dismissed by the council and being lead to his chamber with his brother ahead of him. No wonder they were that robotic. Of course, he couldn't tell Gunner just yet; not until he was himself again.

For now, he had to keep up his cold demise for as long as possible and have the council completely convinced that he was on their side. A crazy sense of familiarity washed through him but he shrugged it off and made his way into his chamber where as expected, Gunner was, sat on his 'bed' with his knee bobbing up and down.

He snapped his gaze towards his brother as soon as he walked in and shut the metal door with a soft bang. He met him half-way across the room; his golden eyes searching his little brother's white ones worriedly. Ryker awkwardly punched his shoulder and broke eye contact in case they were being watched,

"Missed me?" he asked, side stepping from his and taking a seat on his bed at the right side of the room.

"You wish," was Gunner's reply, catching on.

'Are you alright?' he asked through their mind-link.

"Sure seemed like it,"

'I'm fine. They didn't send me to the lab,'

'That's weird,'

"Don't flatter yourself," Gunner said a loud with a tiny smirk.

Ryker looked up at him with a raise brow, "Are you telling yourself that? Or me?" he said smugly.

'While you were up there, did they ask you some questions?'

Gunner nodded subconsciously answering Ryker's question before he rebounded, "Aren't you the little smartass," he said the nodded his head towards the window sill next to Ryker's head, "pass me those," he said, referring the case laying on top of it that held his contacts.

'Can you remember any?' Ryker asked as he reached for the case as tossed it at Gunner who easily caught it.

Gunner took his time putting them in, at the same time pondering for an answer,

'Something about if I come across an injured alien kid on the brick of death, a human family that have an alien kid living with them and if you escape the Centre and ask me to come with you what would I do,'

He huffed and blinked the contacts into place before grabbing his jacket and swinging it over his shoulders. Ryker pursed his lips and pointed at his own jacket behind Gunner, hanging by the wardrobe on his right.

'How did you answer?'

Gunner grabbed the jacket and deliberately threw it at his face. It hit its target and he grinned victoriously while Ryker scowled and flipped him off.

'Truthfully, I said I would help the kid, tell the parents it's for the child's own good and threaten them if I have to but not harm them and obviously I'd take you up on the offer to run,'

"Do you think I was too hard on the girl earlier?" Gunner asked.

Ryker shrugged, "Since when do you care about other people," he added, chuckling.

'The questions were to test your loyalty to the Centre, though I'm not sure about Kace. The guy is too loyal so why would they send him to the lab?' Ryker said, putting in his own contacts after zipping up his jacket.

Gunner sighed and sent him a tight smile, "Let's go,"

Ryker nodded and walked out after Gunner, "I hope we won't see her again,"

Gunner chuckled lightly, "I'm sure we won't,"

'I gave them sadistic answers and they seemed satisfied. Impressed even, I think that's the reason why they didn't send me to the lab; because to them, I'm already inconsiderate, cold or whatever. What happened in the lab made you -I don't know, angrier than usual? You need to fight it next time,'

Gunner let out a sigh, his jaw jumping and his grin forgotten; replaced by a scowl,

'We need to figure out a way to get out of here soon. I'm sick of this place,' was all he said, before cutting of the link.

Ryker gritted his teeth, a frown on his face. This was exactly why he didn't want to tell him about their wiped memories. If this was his reaction to the lab, then what would happen if he told him about it? He'd surely do something rational. They walked in silence to the shooting arena, each other them occupied with their own thoughts.

🔱🔱🔱

"Who's the lucky boy?" Gran asked as she wiped off the window, watching as Ziera cleaned the kitchen counter with a sunken look on her face.

"What boy?"

Gran raised a brow at her, "I've seen that look enough times to recognise it anywhere sweetie, now spill,"

She sighed, biting her lip and swallowing the lump in her throat. "He's this intense, perspective, cold but kind-hearted underneath guy. I miss him so much Gran-," she trailed off.

"Oh my, you've got it hard," Gran said with a chuckle as she approached her, wiping her hands with a clean cloth.

"I do," Ziera admitted, leaning on the counter.

"Does this boy know how you feel about him?"

She nodded.

"And?" Gran pushed on,

Ziera bit her lip, "Well, we got separated after I told him how I felt about him,"

"Separated?" Gran asked with a frown.

Ziera searched her face. There was something about her frown that gave her a weird sense of familiarity, but she didn't think much of it.

"We were supposed to run away together, but they were about to catch us and we had nowhere to hide so he sacrificed himself and lead them away from us so that we had a chance to be free. They caught him, Gran. He let them catch him,"

"Ziera, you can't keep worrying about Ryker, we'll find him. Hell he might even find us," A new voice said.

It belonged to Dragha who stood by the door while Secile sprawled herself on the couch, completely exhausted. Gran stilled, but the three of them were oblivious to it.

"I know but-"

"He's fine, this is Ryker were talking about," Dragha said, cutting her off. He hated seeing her like this; weak, hurt, in pain and just broody. That isn't her, Ziera is stronger than she thinks; something everyone knows except herself.

"D-did you say Ryker?" Gran stuttered, just as Reever and Kai walked in looking worn out.

Reever frowned at the mention of the name while Kai shoved Secile off the couch as took her position as she glared at him and shot up her feet.

Dragha blinked at Gran but nodded.

"White hair?"

He nodded again.

"White eyes?"

Nod.

"A brother called Gunner with golden eyes and white hair as well?" Gran asked.

Dragha nodded again, a bored look on his face. Ziera's eyes widened slowly realising it, "No way," she whispered, "they're your-you're their...you're their grandmother!" she exclaimed grinning widely.

Gran broke into a huge grin, Kai was already asleep, Reever was gapping like a fish out of water, Dragha was still mindlessly nodding and Secile was frowning, wondering what was going on.

"What are we talking about?" She asked.

"Where are they? Are they here?" Gran asked, ignoring Secile and waiting for Ziera's answer. As was Reever; Kai was snoring at this point.

Ziera brought her lips between her teeth, figuring out if she should tell them and how she would do it. Immediately, Gran and Reever's grin fell from their faces, the light in their eyes vanishing as they assumed the worst. Her eyes widened,

"No, no, no, they're alive. Most likely, yes,"

Gran's shoulders sagged in relief while Reever's eyes narrowed. "Most likely?"

"Who are they?" Dragha asked confused.

"My grandsons," Gran answered.

"What about your grandsons?"

"She knows them, dear," Gran said.

Dragha turned to Ziera with a frown, "You know them?" He repeated.

"Them who? Who's them?" Secile asked.

"Gran's grandsons,"

"What about her grandsons?"

"Ziera knows her grandsons," Dragha said.

Secile turned to Ziera with a frown. "You know Gran's grandsons?"

Ziera blinked at them. Was that rehearsed or something? She wondered, taken aback by what just happened. Gran was beyond amused and Reever was now holding a bottle of water, halfway empty.

"We all know them, its-"

"We do?"

"What?"

"Ryker and Gunner!" Ziera exclaimed, nearly face-palming herself but fighting the temptation.

Secile and Dragha's frowns deepened, "what about Ryker and Gunner?"

Ziera gave in to the urge and face-palmed herself, "They are her grandsons,"

"Whose grandsons?"

"What?"

"You guys!" Ziera exclaimed, pinching the bridge of her nose in annoyance, "I give up,"

There was a few beats of silence. One beat passed, two, three-

"Wait-"

"No,"

'Holy shit they're your grandsons!' They exclaimed simultaneously.

"That's awesome," Dragha said with a grin.

"Great, now that that's over," Reever spoke up pointing at Dragha and Secile, "why aren't they with you?" he asked, bored.

"Well..." Dragha begun as he took it upon himself to explain, filling them in on how they escaped, how Ryker choose to get caught but give them a chance to be free, how he let Gunner catch him, how Gunner saw them but turned a blind-eye and pretended he didn't, how they walked for days looking for an isolated place off the radar to stay and came across this place, how they have someone on the inside letting them know how they're doing, how strange and unlike themselves they've been acting and how they might be getting into the new recruitment program and would be allowed to leave the Centre, "...and yep, that's pretty much it so far,"

Gran had a hand over her chest at that point as she shut her eyes with her being on the brink of tears. She took slow breathes, composing herself as Reever said nothing, only kept his gaze on the ground, his jaw jumping.

"They're fine, really, I mean, it's Ryker and Gunner-," Secile rushed out in an attempt to lighten Gran and Reever's moods.

"Yeah, I mean, they're the strongest and smartest people we know. They can handle whatever comes their way; good or bad,"

"We have to get them from the Centre though and we'll need all the help we can get," Dragha chipped in.

Gran nodded, "Well we are obviously going to help dear. I miss my grandsons,"

Kai had sat up with a confused face, his arms spread as he stretched. "What are we talking about?" he asked.

Five pairs of eyes snapped towards him unbelievingly.

He blinked.

"You're kidding," Dragha said, shaking his head. There was absolutely no way in hell that he was going to go through what he said earlier again.

He looked at Gran who waved Kai off, "I'll fill you in later Kai, now back to cleaning, we have two more floors left,"

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