AARON “We get it, and you get it too,” Andy’s voice said from the phone. “Do not let these fascist pigs steal what belongs to you. Stand up. Fight the government and their hunger to take our God given freedoms.” The rest of his words faded into noise. Feet carried me toward the door without thought. Elena’s hand snapped tight around mine. “Do not you dare,” she hissed, her voice low and sharp. “They are going to die,” the words slipped out as I pulled toward the door. “They chose this,” she shot back, almost shouting now. Fingers dug into my skin. “What if it was Lucas?” The question hit hard. “Would you not want someone to stop him?” “If you walk out there and die,” she said, voice shaking, “Lucas will lose one more person who could pull him away from stupid ideas like this. There is nothing you can do. Nothing at all.” Silence filled the room. Truth settled in slow and heavy. The fight drained out of my body. Pulling stopped. Her hand loosened and fell away. Nothing could be done. Only watching remained. Steps carried me back to the window. Elena stood close beside me. Andy’s voice poured from the phone, filling both our heads. “Mr. Thompson, our amazing government teacher, told us societies collapse when people refuse to do the hard things to keep them strong. Well, we are doing it.” The video shifted. Faces of his friends filled the screen. Forced smiles. Shaking hands. Blinds parted. Outside, one of the soldiers lifted a gloved hand to the side of their helmet. A second later, their head turned toward the Oliva house. The Siege Crawler halted at once. Soldiers spread out, moving to the corners of the vehicle.Weapons turned away from the Lockwood Residence. “And in the words of others who understood that,” Andy said, pride swelling in his voice, “let us roll.” Those words landed like a final sentence. “I do not want to see this,” Elena whispered. Still, the phone stayed in her hand. She could not look away. The phone was taken from her grip. “Get Lucas,” the order came fast. “Both of you get behind the island in the kitchen.” She nodded and ran upstairs, shouting Lucas’s name as she went. Andy moved around the corner on the screen, staying low. The drone followed, holding him in frame. Before he reached the gate, a blast of white light exploded across the feed. Light poured through the slats of the neat wooden gate separating the side yard from the front yard and the street.Eyes lifted back to the window. The Siege Crawler and soldiers, visible moments ago in soft moonlight, now flooded the Oliva home with powerful LED beams. A curse rang out. One of Andy’s friends swore loud enough for the drone microphone to catch it. Andy and the young woman slammed flat against opposite sides of the gate. Cinderblocks held the frame steady and offered thin cover from the soldiers beyond. “Nut the fuck up,” Andy hissed. “Fuck that,” the other boy shouted. “They know we are here. We need to surrender.” “Do not be a pussy,” the young woman yelled, facing the camera. The third boy stayed out of view. A new voice thundered through the air. It vibrated through the walls of the Lockwood Residence and spilled from the phone. It sounded like it came from the Siege Crawler itself. “Listen to your friend, Andy. Lay down your weapons and we will take you in peacefully.”Andy’s eyes went wide. “How do you know my name?” he shouted. The voice did not pause. “We are watching your social media feed right now. You have too much life ahead of you to die here.” “Do not listen,” the young woman said, gripping Andy’s arm through the gate. “We committed to this.” “Andy,” the voice continued, calm and steady. “Think about your little sister. A few of her posts make it clear she worships you. Do you want her growing up without her big brother?” “Who are you?” Andy screamed into the night. “Lieutenant Sherman. Army Electronic Warfare division,” the voice replied. “The only reason you and your friends are still breathing.” The young woman turned to the camera and raised her rifle. “How about I shoot you in the fucking face and shut you up?” Andy looked between her and the drone. Fear crept into his eyes. The confidence from earlier drained away. The voice returned. “That will be difficult, Miss Keller. I am on the West Coast. Listen, Andy. I am the only thing holding those soldiers back from wiping all five of you out right now. They have been under attack for hours. Patience is running thin.”