Past

Cody was upset.

He wanted to help those people too, probably as much as his friend, but he knew the cost. They couldn't afford to take unnecessary risks. When he looked at Archer, he could tell that he felt the same.

This wasn't a game. They didn't have an army. It was just them. They couldn't afford any casualties, major injuries or even capture.

Sure, there could be other people trying to fight for what's right, but there wasn't any proof. For all the young rebel knew, they were the world's only hope.

He liked Sam, he really did, and he understood where he was coming from. Even if his method of getting it across was harsh, everyone got out safely.

Once they got to the bunker, nobody spoke to each other. Sam was pointedly ignoring Sabrina for the time being. His face an almost perfect facade of calmness, but Cody could tell. The subtle twitching of his eyebrows, the tight clenching of his fists, his breathing patterns and also the way his movements were more methodical and less care-free.

Cody may have been young. They all were. Emotions were their driving force, but the young boy observed everything. He knew almost everything about his friends by reading their body language, it was something that Riley taught him.

Sometimes when your friends are having tough times, you have to be the stone that grounds them.

While the blonde boy was good and reading their emotions, he wasn't all that great at addressing them. Sometimes he'd get a lucky shot since he wasn't as awkward as Archer, and cheer someone up, but usually he'd just stay with them, so they're not alone.

He was trying his best. Since they snuck into the outpost, it sunk in how real this is. They couldn't afford to break apart. This was only their first attack.

Sam walked briskly towards the planning table - which they built, since the coffee table wasn't doing it for them - and projected the hubs schematics as well as the new information they collected. They got transport and cargo delivery schedules.

Riley sat on the chair opposite Cody's own. No doubt, she was also assessing the emotional state of the other people in the room. Archer standing off to the side leaning against the wall. The usual scowl was replaced with a slightly less annoyed one. He was probably concerned as well.

They had to pay attention to the two hurricanes in the room. Both trying their best not to spiral out of control, until they couldn't.

"If you have something to say, say it," Sam said sharply, eyes still scanning the new information.

Sabrina hovered near the entrance ever since they arrived. She didn't really move at all, her arms were crossed, and she glared.

"Well?", Sam pressed

Sabrina could very well contain her emotions, but when it came down to other people, she was especially vocal about it.

All hell broke loose.

Cody tried not to listen. He hated fights. Physical combat, he could handle because it meant bad guys were getting what they deserved, but when his friends fought? He felt like everything was going to break apart, and he'd be alone again.

As the volume grew, Cody made up his mind and left to their sleeping quarters. Riley jumped in, trying to mediate the fight. Keyword "trying".

But when two headstrong people got into a fight over something they truly believed in? You best bet they'd be going at it for hours. It was up to Riley to try, and make them see both sides. Cody believed in her, and he knew she could resolve this.

Cody sat down on his bunk and reached under his pillow to retrieve a cube that Archer had given him. It was a stress toy, he'd deduced. Archer knew him well and he knew Archer too. They were extremely close. Archer took him in when nobody else would, even when the older boy couldn't even fend for himself yet.

He laid down and his mind wandered to the past. He never knew parental love, all he knew were the walls of the orphanage. It looked ancient, it probably was. Cody thought he'd always be alone, that no one would even spare him a second glance.

Until one day...

Cody was backed up against the wall, cradling his food. They barely got anything in the first place. The other kids swarmed him for his meal earlier, he couldn't let them take this too. He was so hungry. Maybe if he stayed hidden, they'd leave him be.

Unfortunately for him, they didn't.

Three teenagers surrounded the little boy. He was scared, but he couldn't give up his food. They demanded it. He told them no.

The boys grew angry, one instigating a fight, one staring at him intimidatingly and the leader? He was advancing. Cody closed his eyes, waiting for the blow and the weight of the food on his lap to vanish, but it didn't. Instead, there was a thump with a yell of protest.

"What's your problem, dude?", the bully yelled.

Cody opened his eyes and looked at the back of his mysterious savior. The bully did the same and looked to see if he could recognise this person.

It took a little while, but once he knew who it was, his eyes shone with fear and uncertainty.

"Leave. Him. Alone," the stranger warned.

Cody knew that voice. He'd heard it multiple times, and they were always during the greatest fights in the orphanage. This was the kid that was always sent back from foster homes due to his anger issues. This guy was the scariest person at St. Rita's.

Nobody knew his real name, but everyone called him Archer.

And Archer was defending him.

______

"Hey buddy," a familiar voice said. Cody looked up to see Archer. The older boy tilted his head towards the bed as if asking permission to sit down next to him. He nodded.

Archer sat down and looked at Cody with what he thought was worry. Most people would say that Archer was judging them, but Cody knew that he expressed himself in a certain way. Archer didn't push him though, he just sat there and waited for the smaller boy to talk to him.

"I was just thinking," Cody said softly. Archer perked up, "About what?".

"When we first met. How you stood up for me, even though you didn't have to."

"It was the right thing to do," Archer said as if that simple action didn't change the course of Cody's entire life.

"Was leaving those people there also the right thing to do?", Cody asked, his voice so incredibly small.

Archer's eyes widened. "What's wrong, bud?", he asked gently, arm looping around the blonde's shoulder. Cody relaxed into it.

"I- I don't know. I know we couldn't have done much, but still... Are we bad people for just abandoning them?"

Archer's chest constricted. Cody sounded so small and afraid. And guilty. He shouldn't be feeling guilty.

"No," Archer stated factually. Cody blinked up at him. "No, we're not the bad people here," he continued.

"I didn't even stand up for them. Not like Lia. Not like how you did for me," Cody said, his voice shaky. "I don't know how we're going to do this if I can't do my job properly. Maybe if I hacked faster or even thought of something else instead of running away, we could have saved them."

Cody sniffled.

And Archer felt terrible.

He's been blaming himself this whole time?

"Cody...," Archer whispered, horrified at himself for not noticing earlier.

"Cody, it's not your fault. The fact that you're taking the blame for something that clearly isn't your fault, shows how good of a person you are."

Archer hesitantly wound his arms tighter in what he hoped was comforting, knowing fully well that Cody needed a hug.

"The reason why you didn't do anything is because you were being smart in that situation. There wasn't much any of us could do without risking something major. You did the right thing," Archer consoled. Cody sniffed again, burying his face in his palms.

"I just wanted to be strong like you guys," he whispered. Archer scoffed involuntarily because he couldn't fathom the absurdity of it. Cody stiffened at the action.

"You are strong. Probably stronger than all of us," Archer said simply.

Cody laughed at that, "Yeah, right."

Archer sat up to look Cody in the eye, "You think I'm bluffing?"

Cody sat up too, "Obviously, you are."

"I'm not," Archer said. Cody was about to refuse it, but Archer stopped him. "You know what's going on out there?", Archer asked pointing up, "The world out there is a mess. You've beat up a lot of those soldiers who are hurting everyone. You help out with literally everything, taking it all in stride. You're always lifting everyone up. Cody, you're the one responsible for keeping my sanity in check. And you're calling yourself weak? What am I then?"

Cody sputtered, "But that's what normal people do?"

"Yeah, people with normal lives. We didn't have that," Archer said bluntly. Cody winced, but he knew where the older boy was coming from.

He looked down at his bunk, bundling the blanket in his palms before going in for a hug in a quick swoop. "Thank you. Thank you for everything," Cody said. Archer, a bit shocked at the sudden affection, slowly wrapped his arms around the smaller form. "I'll always be here. That's what big brother's do, right?"

And so, they just stayed there until the voices on the outside drowned out.

xxx

The boys woke up with a start, not even noticing that they were dosing off. They looked around blearily and turned towards each other.

"How long you think?", Archer asked.

Cody shrugged, "Probably an hour or two."

Accepting that, Archer stood up and stretched. "Yep, definitely an hour or two. I still feel tired."

Cody just put a hand on his shoulder and nodded solemnly.

Archer looked at the boy next to him and saw that his eyes were still a little red and puffy. He ruffled Cody's hair, "Why don't you freshen up while I see what those morons are doing?"

"Sure thing."

Archer watched as he disappeared through the bathroom door, his steps more confident now albeit still a little sleepy.

On the other side of the door was a whole different world. It was as if the fire had been extinguished, but the smell of smoke still lingered. Sabrina and Sam sat together planning their next step, both of their faces clearly showing how uncomfortable they were feeling, but they had to suck it up. Riley was just staring at them with a can of soda clasped in her hand.

Archer settled next to her without so much as a word, hoping she'd get the idea. "How is he doing?", she asked him.

Of course, she noticed that Cody was out of it. "He's okay now."

She took a sip and swirled around the contents inside the can as she spoke quietly, "They were at it for a while, until I stepped in and yelled at them. You shoulda seen their faces," she chuckled, "Any who, we came to a compromise. Lia wants to help the people and Sam doesn't want to take unnecessary risks, so right now they're trying to figure out a foolproof plan to get information and get the people out in one swoop."

"Good work, Riley," Archer congratulated. "Not quite. If we're getting them out, what good is it if they're captured again? We don't know which place would be safe enough to house these people. They definitely aren't going to fit in this bunker," she explained and tossed the now empty can into the bin.

"Oh," Archer helpfully said.

"Yup," Riley agreed, popping the 'p'.

"About that," Sam started speaking. Archer didn't even realise that the two of them had left their seats to come and stand next to them. "I do know some people living out there by the farm areas. It's big enough and there aren't many sentry patrols, but they still are pretty prepared if they were to show up."

"How do you know these people?", Archer asked him. "I was with them for a bit, but they weren't really happy about me going on the offensive and putting them all at risk so, I left."

"Will they even keep these people there? And even if they agree to it, how will we escort so many people that far without getting caught?", Riley inquired.

"I don't know, that's why I have to talk to them. There's a path through the forest. The bots are too big to pass through, hopefully that could give them enough cover," Sam explained.

"Are you sure we can trust them?", Sabrina asked Sam, carefully asking a hidden question, because if Sam knew about her and was a part of them, wouldn't they know too? Maybe since they're so cautious and want to save themselves, they might turn her and her friends in.

"Mostly. They may be a bit thick-headed, but they'll do the right thing... Some may need more convincing."

"It's better than nothing," another voice pointed out. Everyone turned their heads and smiled as Cody entered the room.

"It's a plan then," Sam concluded, "Lia and I worked out a way to get in and out with the stuff we need. We just need some supplies."

He turned around and grabbed his own tablet. He started scrolling through with a concentrated expression. "I've been going through what we collected and there's going to be a cargo delivery to one of the outposts in the area. If we raid that, maybe we could get some good tech and make the rescues go smoother."

"Wouldn't their transports have more security, especially if there's tech on it?", Cody questioned, scratching his head.

"Yes. But you forget that I'm a master at stealth. All we'd need is a diversion, a trap and some seriously synchronized butt-kicking."

Sabrina and Archer looked at each other and shrugged.

"When is it coming?", Sabrina asked, turning to look back at Sam.

He looked up at her with a grin.

"In a day's time."