To say Oni'd be forever changed by what he saw that day would be an understatement. They'd worked well together, gathering new buckets from the supply room. She'd searched for seven but only found four. Therefore, they settled on the one, at least Dev did, but Oni wasn't sure why.

Gathering the sisters hadn't been difficult since they were training on time with Sen. Watching the morning unfold like that left a pit in Oni's stomach. It was the first time all seven gathered, eager and pleased to see Dev for once. Each stood at attention, each were well groomed, even Pleasant, and each smile they wore slowly dissolved when Dev plopped the bucket down on the table and made her demands.

The worst by far was when the tallest one looked around for some direction but made her way to the bucket and shoved her head in.

Now, looking back, Oni debated what a better course of action might have been. By the third sister, it was no longer about doing as they were told, but rather proving Dev foolish. At sister number five, Oni started to question his doubts about even Mercy.

Maybe she could pull it off.

He'd never know, not with Pleasant's words ringing in his ear. "He's a recruit, not your boyfriend."

It wasn't a matter of seconds but breaths. Before his sharp intake even ended, Dev darted forward, caught Pleasant by the hair, yanked her head down and kneed her in the face.

Pleasant's knees buckled under her but she didn't drop for the fist connecting with her gut. Then another.

By the time she was allowed to crumble to the ground, Dev had landed three punches in total.

Pleasant barely hit the floor when Dev raised her leg, intent on bringing her boot down.

Sen snatched her backward into a headlock.

Everything was still after that. No one moved, not even the sisters. One broke out in tears.

To Oni's shock, it was Mercy. Her tiny frame trembled, her shimmering light brown eyes fixed on her doom. Dev.

Oni had to finally look away when the other five stared down at Pleasant, unsure how to help her. Perhaps they worried if she were even alive, because Oni did as well.

Dev?

Dev resembled Sen in her rage. She twisted and thrashed in Sen's vice grip, kicking three cadets who ultimately gave up.

Sen tightened his grip on her arms until she cried out. Then, and only then, he could drag her away from the crowd and into the center of the room.

One spectator defrosted enough to approach them. "There's no hiding this one," Bray admitted. "And kicking other head cadets? Attempting to kick an already unresponsive recruit?" He scanned the room. "In front of everyone?"

"You don't have to say it," Sen told him, "I'm taking her to the brig." His focus shifted to Pleasant's still frame. "Two of those sisters, the shortest one, and the one injured, have switched names. Switch them back and get her into the med bay. Now."

Bray's disgust dissolved. Oni wasn't sure what into, but Bray's admonishment of Dev's behavior...shifted.

"Those...." The words muttered under his breath surely reached everyone. "How much more can she take from these lying mengas! I'd hit them again—"

"Bray!" Sen snapped. "Just shut up and do your job. Get her medical help."

Despite things happening fast after that, Oni's world moved in slow motion. Sen's eyes met his and it was the most ashamed Oni'd ever felt. He'd caused this.

Sen was after him. He hadn't said test the breathing for the girls. Ironically, the same way he aimed at Oni while shielding the sisters was the same way Dev aimed at Mercy while protecting Oni.

Getting Dev locked up for the day was the absolute worst.

Oni watched them cuff Dev and Sen led her out.

After that, everything moved like something in a dream. Oni, more out of guilt than obligation, cleaned the table and bucket, as well as any water that had fallen.

He was the last one in the rec room before lunch.

Flashes came and went of Pleasant's helpless expression as she watched an attack coming that she could not counter or ever hope to withstand.

A month ago, Oni would have felt some pride in being able to close up the room on his own—Pleasant was the one usually tasked with it lately.

Oni closed the doors but didn't turn away from the glass before him. He'd caused this. And he'd caused this by mistake.

Lotsu'd always said unexpected consequences were a blessing. How was this a blessing? Perhaps it was. If he was a right jerk, it would be.

The cull was a day away. People were leaving—they could go home for a day then return.

Most would argue it was to say goodbye as there was no going back from the Volunteer program if they succeeded. Other than on assignment, former Vagrants didn't enter the Outerlimits again, weren't allowed to.

Now he could see why. That ex-Volunteer, Augustus Butler, went back to the Outerlimits, revealed a few Volunteer secrets, not enough to topple a real Volunteer, just enough to give everyone a sliver of hope the fighting style he'd taught them could carry them to the end of the program as well.

He caused this today, Augustus. Because without him, these seven sisters wouldn't be here trying to do the impossible—find a cure for their ill sister.

And Oni wouldn't be here either.

In the mornings, the main doors out always opened. Dev had said it was to let every recruit know they were always free to leave. To Oni, it was to let them know they were expendable. Leave now, and other hopefuls would be here next season, and the next after that.

As Oni approached it, he felt hollow. His trance took him to the threshold but a hand on his shoulder didn't let him step through.

Oni followed it to a pair of stern blue eyes.

"Don't you need to check out with me first if you wanna come back?"

Sen's words filled Oni with even more shame. He'd wanted to check in, but why bother? He couldn't pass the cull without a lifeline and no one was going to give him one. And now he couldn't say Pleasant would recover in time to either.

Oni had no words to offer, so he stared out at the bright morning and the rubble bathing in it.

Sen held a small matrix out—the beacon to allow for reentry. "I'm obligated to give this to you. And I want to make absolutely sure you get this so there's no wiggle room to say I was neglectful. But between you and me...." He waited. When Oni mustered up enough courage to meet his gaze, he said, "I don't expect you to be using it."

He slapped the matrix to Oni's chest, forcing him to catch it when he let go, then walked away.

For a long minute, Oni stared down at it.

Useless. It was all useless. He was useless.

But that wasn't what upset him. That wasn't the saddest part—it was having the best day of his life the night prior, all with an agenda.

Being a Volunteer wasn't going to happen. But that hadn't been his focus. The comfort of the Volunteer program offered him a glimpse into something beyond scavenging. And there'd been friendship. Dev had all but carried him on her back.

So he hated himself for how he'd repay her now.

It'd all been wishful thinking. And he thought about that when he left the compound without saying goodbye to Dev—her A-CAN medicine hidden in his shirt. The medicine whose location she'd entrusted to him. The medicine he handed over to a less-than-pleased Lotsu. The medicine he stole from her and intended to replace with candy from the Outerlimits.

Lotsu examined the pills. "Thought I'd never hear from you again. Now you bring me this? It looks like candy."

A disgusted scowl hung on his face but Oni was the one truly disgusted—Lotsu didn't know the betrayal he had to go through to get this.

"It's not candy. The cadet's father was pretty high up and got it made to look like candy to make it easier to take."

Lotsu picked his head up. His eyes drifted from the bag of candy in Oni's hand then back to the pills yet again. A nod of his head prompted Oni to allow him to peer in.

"But why candy from the Outerlimits. He's so high up, why not one from the Inner City?"

Oni took offense. He hadn't known Dev's father, and considering what it took to steal these, he felt insulted on Dev's behalf.

"Volunteer's still a Volunteer. And a Volunteer's a Vagrant. Maybe he liked this candy. I don't know!"

The shout took Lotsu aback. He was slow to step away but did so and conceded defeat. "Okay. Okay. Don't get emotional."

Emotional.

Pleasant's bloody frame flashed before him. He fought back a retch.

"That's the most we can get," Lotsu said, nodding to the bag in Oni's hand. "Look around and see if you find any more from other head cadets that look like candy and switch 'em out. These are right fancy and they'll be a good trade."

Despite his instructions, Oni didn't respond, a fact that had Lotsu concerned.

"What's wrong?"

What was right?

Oni debated where to start. The fact that he wasn't getting past the cull or the why. Surely, he wouldn't say trick a girl. Oni was sure of this but each time he formulated the words to confess his mistakes, a barrage of imaginary yells came his way.

Did you just meng us for tail?

You chose her over me and who took care of you all this time?

How could you throw this chance away?

They came and went but lying to Lotsu had never served much of a purpose. He'd be mad but then he'd figure something out. At the very least, he'd let Oni come back.

"And it's just in time," Lotsu said. He hurried away to his part of the room then returned. "You'll be right chuffed."

Something wrapped in a cloth slid into Oni's hand.

"Here. Hurry up and open it."

Oni let him take the bag of candy. What he discovered upon unwrapping the cloth stole his last breath.

Lotsu waited, beaming. "What'd you think? It's nice, yeah?"

"Yeah." Oni disassembled the gun then reassembled it yet again. "Yes! This is really nice."

He wasn't the only one impressed. "Whoa. Sonini, you can arrange it one-handed?"

Oni lowered the weapon, cursing his habit. "Y—yeah, we...we learn to."

He'd lied.

And that lie came with consequences because Lotsu stood proud.

"You're doing it—you're gonna make it." It sounded more like a question. "I—I wasn't sure. But you're doing it." He hesitated then said, "Then I bet right."

The gun was near pristine. That spoke of expense.

Oni looked him in the eye. "Where'd you get this?"

Lotsu lowered his gaze, shaking his head. "Don't matter now. With this A-CAN, I can pay it off."

Grip tightening on the weapon, Oni fought to keep his mouth from opening and allowing a string of colorful swears to leave him.

Trades.

Trades were stupid and costly and with no way to give them back.

They shared a long bout of silence that had Oni dying inside. Lotsu'd counted on him—had had such confidence in him that he'd risked a trade with nothing as payment. Nothing but the A-CAN Oni'd promised.

And that wasn't all.

"What about the uniform?" Lotsu glanced back and nodded to the new set Oni'd bought. "Not that I don't appreciate his one." He handed the candy over, pleading, "But I need one from a head cadet. Ain't you close at all?"

For that, Oni had no answer. And he would have stayed there squirming like the worm he was if not for a gong sounding in the distance.

"Best get back," Lotsu said. "This gun's the best fit for you. The newer ones in there are calibrated different. Some even need an external power source. This way, you know all your shots are yours. You can't lose with one this old and steady."

Oni took in the rags Lotsu still wore. "You should use one of the uniforms," Oni insisted. "That's what I brought 'em for. Not for trade."

They surely couldn't pay for an actual gun. It'd been hell getting the first one they'd practiced on, and only for a short while before it moved on to someone else. But to have a private one of their own...was madness.

"Yeah." Lotsu hesitated. "Maybe. But...don't wanna bring no attention to myself just yet. Not until I'm ready to go in. I'll be entering with the next rotation. So you'll be seeing me."

Oni's lungs warmed. The prospect of not doing this alone felt good. But how? There'd be no way of waiting on the other side for Lotsu's arrival without getting past the cull, which he couldn't.

A bigger problem presented itself. Whenever he thought of switching Dev's medicine out, he felt sick. She didn't deserve this. She certainly didn't deserve the cancer she risked without the real medicine.

"Go on, Sonini." Lotsu said, "Go back. And I'll see you on the other side." He held Dev's A-CAN medicine up and laughed. "Won't have much of a choice if these ones don't pan out."