The sun set with a holler as Lala struggled. Daniel couldn't make out what became of her as several people dressed from head to toe in black gathered around her.

One shove sent Daniel into a cage. He flinched when the bolt clicked into place. He wasn't alone. Cages after cages, many stacked high, held something—someone.

Women piled into cages two by two, men were alone. But the most worrisome were the children. They were bound, most slept.

The way one of the monsters carried the listless frame and tossed the child unto the pile was sickening. Daniel took little comfort when one of them scolded that behavior.

He counted twenty children, all walking. Some were small. Someone dressed in white, a white covering for his head, jabbed something in one child's arm. A minute later the little body collapsed. That, too, was deposited on the pile—albeit gentler.

Men rattled cages, women rattled cages. Daniel watched them all.

A part of him worried for Sam, for himself...and even for Lala.

One cage shook so violently it nearly fell from above.

"Shut up," someone whispered. "It won't do any good. You'll get us in trouble."

But the clangs never ceased. One smaller boy was put on the pile. Daniel guessed the man in the cage knew him.

Never in his twenty-five years had Daniel seen anything like it. He couldn't calm. Sometimes he had to remind himself this wasn't some dream. Another strange observation unsettled him though it should have brought relief. Everyone could understand one another when the monsters were close. He doubted his own ears because he recognized several markings and clothes from tribes of different dialects. Yet they were clear.

"Turn that thing off," one of their captors commanded.

A woman asked, "Are you sure, sir? Aren't we supposed to test it."

"Consider it tested. Once Maddie's got her chip, shut all external language devices down. For now, get rid of the ones by the cages."

Daniel should have marveled at what these people were capable of. His eyes drifted to the pile of silent children and he fought back his dread.

As night came, lanterns went up. Daniel recognized the place—the old temple.

His people—all people in this jungle originated from one large city. When the end came, they scattered, vowing never to return. But here they were, and these strangers knew it...knew it very well.

Lala's shriek came again.

By the time it died down, Daniel lost hope. Wearing black tar much like everyone else, Lala stepped from a group of people, a round face mask in hand.

"It won't take," she complained. "It burns to breathe it."

The one to answer her sounded like a great hollow demon. "You must force it. The longer you stay exposed the harder it will be. You will get sick."

Lala scoffed. "What will it matter now, Laura? I've been stuck here for days."

Laura held her at bay before she could walk by. "These are the rules, Five. You must force it. This feeling of euphoria is a sign that your head will start playing tricks soon. We have a long way to go to the end of this trip."

Brushing her aside, Lala walked on. Another one joined her.

"Where's your helmet?"

"It burns," Lala said. "A lot."

They closed in on the rattling cage and paused to watch it tip back and forth as the man inside struggled to get out.

"Animals," Lala's companion said.

"I give him credit for resisting the tranquilizers, though," Lala said. "Wait. What are you doing?"

"Letting him out. I wanna see what he intends to do."

But Lala said nothing. The curve of the monster might have been female. She held the cage steady, staring at the man within. And then she opened the latch and waited.

The man did nothing at first. The woman scoffed as she turned to Lala and said, "No more complaints, I suppose."

Kicking the cage door open, the man leapt out. Those muscles and strength meant he was a Gunner for sure. Daniel's people feared Gunners for their aggression.

Lala's companion turned and landed a mighty blow.

The Gunner stumbled back but not for long. The size of him meant he'd be more than a challenge.

Flick. Something zipped from the woman's hands and she brought it across the man's head.

Daniel couldn't look after that. Not after she struck the Gunner again and again without pause. It sounded like rocks striking raw flesh.

More out of fear for the man than for himself, Daniel focused on Lala. She caught sight of him but didn't otherwise move.

Finally, she held her companion by the shoulder and muttered, "That's enough."

One final kick across the Gunner's head had him keeling over onto his back. He stopped moving. Rattle and chatter in the other cages ended right then and there.

Lala's companion lifted the mask on her face and spat. "Useless mutts. Not even one of them's a challenge."

"Cover your face," Lala said. "I don't want you getting sick."

The twisted scowl faded with the lowering of that mask.

"Get your helmet back on or you won't be able to get food. All right?"

Lala nodded. "I remember. I'll stay close to the tents. Tell me when we've processed all the young."

And then she walked away. It was the last face Daniel remembered before others rushed to the cages and dragged people out. Screams sounded here and there, and then silence. The silence was so eerie that Daniel mistook everyone for dead.

Groaning bodies rested in the cages by the time it was his turn. Everything happened so fast that he couldn't make out who stripped him.

Something pinched the back of his neck. Another pinch on his shoulder and arms.

"This one's good," one of them said. "He's fit. Schedule him."

Daniel decided not to struggle. Truth be told, when they threw him into the cage again, he felt safer. Better to be in here alone than out there with them.

Much like the children, someone stabbed him in the arm. It didn't hurt much, but the world looked cloudier for it. He'd lost track of time when he awoke again, utterly miserable to find that this wasn't some bad dream.

Lala.

She tapped his face, making a strange noise one might use to call fowl.

Daniel's eyes flew open. He sat up, alert. A million questions rushed through him, but she walked away before he could inquire even one.

But the cage was open. He also had clothes. Something concerned him when he looked up and around, over half the adult cages sat empty.

The children still lay on the ground, though, so Daniel rushed to them. He could carry maybe two, three if he got creative, but no more than that. No one else of age was alert but him. He didn't care why he was still awake, what he needed was a way to bring the children.

Daniel rushed to the lowest cage. The woman inside sat slumped but he opened the latch regardless.

"Aunty, wake up. Wake up. I need your help."

No luck, she couldn't rouse. Each and every cage he visited had the same results, everyone groggy and confused, unable to listen to his words or even respond.

Frustrated, he slammed on a cage and a youth, no older than him, gaped wide, crying though he made no sound. His mouth was covered in blood. His tongue.... Thoughts fell to Lala's companion. It dawned on Daniel now—Lala's 'thief' was a 'captive' that got away. So desperate in fact that he leapt into the river of death. And Lala'd followed.

Daniel stepped away. He made a hard decision. He'd take the three children. Better some than nothing. If he was fast about it, maybe others could come back with him for the rest.

Getting one on his back wasn't so difficult but the deadweight meant he'd have to hold her. For that he used his shirt. He reached for the second infant, bringing his load to three.

Whack.

His face stung.

Whack.

Whack.

Four more blows came his way, forcing him to stumble.

"Ray. Hold," a voice said, closing in. "Hold. No need for that."

Lala.

"How'd this one get out?" the hollow voice asked.

With a sigh, Lala crouched down to take the children from Daniel's grip. She was gentle when she rested them where they once were.

The other person—Ray—picked up the older girl from Daniel's back.

"He'd need the counter agent to get on his feet so fast," Ray said.

Lala helped Daniel up. "I gave it to him," she confessed.

"You what?"

"As...as a joke. Figured it would get the blood pumping. Right?"

Body after body gathered, all wearing black.

"What's going on?" one demanded.

"One's got loose," Ray said.

"Mad was on guard, and losing a catch wouldn't happen unless she made it happen...."

Lala scoffed, "Just a little prank. Won't do it again."

"How did he get up?"

"It was just a prank," Ray said.

This time, Lala didn't defend herself.

Two of them grabbed Daniel and as his former cage closed in, he cursed his weakness; he could do nothing to save himself.

"Wait. I want that one," Lala said.

"What for?" Ray asked.

A short moment later laughter broke out. The other one—the one in charge, said, "Technically, I can't allow that."

Lala answered, "Then do it untechnically, then."

"Not when he just broke out."

"He didn't break out, it was a prank," Ray corrected.

Blood still dripped from Daniel's forehead and nose by the time two people dragged him into a tent somewhere. He rolled onto his back, appreciative of the ability to stretch his legs.

No one was there.

Try as Daniel might, closing his eyes did little to calm him. Sometime later, the flap of the tent fell and Lala walked in.

"I gave you a way out and you try to sabotage us." She spoke to herself because her gaze never fell on him. "What am I to do with you, mutt?"

The flap of the tent shot down and anchored itself into the ground. It was then that Daniel looked down to realize that he didn't lay on dirt, but something else.

A great beast of a machine rested by the door. Lala flicked it on.

She opened her mouth wide and took in deep breaths. Daniel wasn't as fortunate. His eyes burned from whatever she'd cause to release from the machine.

"Ya decent?" the hollow voice called.

Lala flopped down into a chair as she called back, "The air's on."

One of the monsters stepped in. After the tent closed itself again, she held her head covering.

Click.

Another two clicks sounded before she dragged it off.

The face Daniel saw confused him. It looked like a woman—and she was better to look at than Lala. But her head was shaved clean and her stance off-putting. Maybe it was a young man.

"You scared me. Five days down here?"

A woman. Without that strange head covering her voice was gentle.

"What happened?"

Lala sat back, stretching. "I grabbed hold of one and the idiot leapt off. So you know I leapt with him."

The woman's pale eyes widened. "You leapt?"

"Course I leapt." Lala reached down at her foot for her own headdress. "I never lose a catch, Ray. You should know that."

Ray's expression held fear and worry at first, but then it slowly morphed into admiration.

"But to risk the air...."

"I had my suit on for the journey in that muck, but it dissolved."

"But how...how'd you survive so long?" Ray asked.

The answer was no more than a smirk. They both laughed.

"Here, let me help you reattach the helmet."

Lala shook her head. "Leave it. I'll try by myself. I've got a few good days' worth of clean air in here. I'll stay put."

A voice called from outside. "Mad, are you decent?"

Ray froze up. "Andy...." She scanned the tent and hurried to the other side. "If he asks, you didn't see me."

"Why do you assume he's not here for me?" Lala watched Ray's fast retreat.

"Very funny." She slipped out without trouble and the tear mended itself again.

"The air's on," Lala said, louder.

Everyone dressed in black, but this person wore white. Daniel wondered if this was a woman, too. That strange head covering—helmet made the voices sound menacing.

After the white helmet was off, Daniel could see it was a man.

"Five days, Mad. Five days?"

"Yes, yes. I know. But it'll hardly matter now, right?"

The man froze. "What does that mean?"

Lala shrugged.

"Oh no. Did you get the tests confirmed?" he asked.

Gaze low, Lala nodded. "I got it confirmed. The tumors are there and they're spreading pretty fast. And I'd thank you to keep this between us, Andy."

Andy stared at Lala so long Daniel expected them to perhaps embrace. The man struggled with something to say.

"Is that why you did it? Why you came down here? On some kind of death wish?" His accusation came with a sting. "She worships you. She copies everything you do. She lifts her helmet in foul air because you dare do it. And look what that's led to."

"I tell you I'm dying and you tell me about your lover." Lala met his gaze, finally. "And I don't blame you for that, but we're all responsible for our own actions."

"And you want her to get sick like you?"

Silence came after that.

Daniel couldn't believe the interaction. If something Lala did got her ill and her friend was at risk, he could understand the man's anger, but this was hardly the time to bring it up. At least...he could have found a better way to say it.

"She'll die without you," Andy said, finally.

Lala opened her mouth to answer then closed it again. She held the helmet in both hands and said, "You two'll work out and she'll get distracted once you marry. I'm sure."

Andy made a sound. "Yeah...about that."

"What does that mean?"

"That's what I came to talk to you about. Nobody can believe I'm with a Volunteer. And I didn't get why at first, but...the aggression's getting tiresome now."

Lala had nothing to say.

"My family's one of the largest air producers around..." Andy began.

"So why would old money like that take on a Volunteer?" Lala said it gently enough but she looked embarrassed.

With a sigh, Andy put his helmet on the floor and reached for Lala's. "And I've come to reattach it. You say it burns but we've gotta force it. So here goes." He paused and pulled at her collar. "What's this mess?"

Face coloring, Lala took the bandage off and shook her head. "Just a joke."

What transpired next confused Daniel to no limit. The man forced Lala's head back and broke the helmet in two. The first part he put at the back of her neck but the front he forced onto her face.

She let out a shriek.

Daniel stood. As she twisted and thrashed, he searched around for something to hit the man with.

And then it stopped.

Lala's husky voice sounded near evil from behind that black helmet. "It's taken."

"Good. No need to help the tumors along with this foul air." Andy said, stepping back.

Boosh. Boosh.

Something zipped past outside. Lala shot to her feet and rushed out. The man was slower in turning to the exit. Instead he stared at Daniel, confused by his presence.

"What in the world are you doing here?" Andy asked.

Boosh.

A scream broke out and the man dragged his helmet on and rushed out.

The flap anchored itself once more. Daniel struggled to open it. Nothing. There was no way to. As he thought to give up, he noticed a small hole in it.

He smiled. This great big tent looked so sturdy, and yet, here it was with a hole in it. He put his eye there and looked out.

With all those black bodies running around, it was hard to make anything out. Five. The number Five shined on a helmet three times. A helmet with the numbers five, five, four was next to come into view. Someone called Lala Five. The way she moved meant that was the right one.

Lala caught the weapon of Five-Five-Four before she shot again.

It was hard to make out what the target was. Daniel shifted around. Under the lanterns he followed the trail of blood to a crumpled body. The Gunner.

"It's so damn boring here. Figured I'd give him a running start," Four said.

Five-Five-Six was the next helmet. "Are you out of your mind?"

"This was a bad move," Lala said. "And wholly unnecessary."

"I got the idea from you. If you can do it, why can't we? It was just a joke."

There was silence after that, black bodies moving from here to there.

"The setting was too high," Four said.

Two people went to clean the remains. The fact that they took it into different directions made Daniel stumble back, shuddering.

An hour passed before the flap opened and Lala walked in.

"Mutt?"

When she caught sight of him, she calmed.

She didn't afford him another glance as she turned to unfold a large sack. After she checked the dials on the machine by the door, she took the helmet off and sat on the floor.

"Where am I? How long must I stay here?" Daniel asked.

Lala froze up.

"How long must I stay here?" Daniel asked again.

The slow pace with which Lala turned was a testament to her fear. She gripped something on her hip along with it.

When she faced Daniel again, she didn't advance, only waited with a look of horror.

Heart pounding, Daniel willed himself to demand, "How long do I have to stay here?"

Lala's face was the very definition of shock. "You...you can speak? Did you just speak?"