Sky could sense Poison's shock and confusion at the mention of the friend he had lost years ago.

'Cherri Cola? Are you sure? He was alive?' he asked him, his voice hushed to not alarm the others just yet.

'He was alive when I left. I tried to free him but there wasn't much time. I'm sorry.'

'We heard a broadcast, a drac talking about killing him.' Poison said, biting down on his lip nervously.

'That was me. Your friend ordered me to do it. So you would stop looking for him. Listen, I don't want to get your hopes up, but I think he's still alive. Maybe they turned him but he's too important for them to just kill him.'

Poison cursed and slammed his fist down on the table. Sky wanted to comfort him but she knew his emotions were on a rollercoaster ride right now and nothing she could do or say would help. He had to compose himself without it. She tried to collect her thoughts as if to do it for him.

Cherri Cola might still be alive. But there was a big possibility that he was one of them now. Just like the man in front of them had been. It made her feel uneasy but at the same time she knew how important it was to get information from someone who had been there, in Battery City, serving as one of BLI. He could help them get inside. He probably knew his way around the corporation, their headquarters. He knew their security systems, even though they might have been replaced ever since he had escaped.

'What's with the masks?' Sky asked, carefully picking one up. There was something weird about them, although they looked just like draculoid masks, they were different.

'I took them with me. Modified them. Took out the mind-control software that turns everyone who puts that thing on. They're just masks now and we'll need them if we want to go back in there. It's been two years since I've fled but I'm willing to return, with you. I got ten of them. But our team has to be small.' the man said and Poison looked up.

'Yeah. You just want us. The Killjoys. To lure us right to BLI.' he replied with an angry voice.

'Poison we-' Sky knew where this was going.

'Nice story. And to bring Cherri Cola into it, really clever. Do you really believe I'd fall for that?'

'Please by all means, leave me behind. Go there by yourself, that was your plan anyway, so even if I wanted to, I don't have to lure you anywhere. No disrespect, I know you are wary but as long as you two go in there together, what do you have to fear?'

*

He had a point. Poison still wasn't aware of how much power him and Sky possessed and the insecurity of it made him paranoid. He didn't know exactly what they could do. But it was time to accept that they had nothing to fear from people like him. They would walk into Battery City, undetected. The real challenge was destroying BLI from within and making sure that no innocents were killed.

The most important thing was to make sure the rebels were ready to strike where it really mattered - the border. Once the Killjoys had infiltrated Battery City and destroyed their source of power, their whole system would crack, leaving them vulnerable to attacks. And then the people would be able to flee across the border. Without people to manipulate and recruit, their strength would weaken. The rebels would patrol their own border, not being kept in anymore but keeping BLI out. Sooner or later, they would die out.

It was a good plan, a solid plan. The Killjoys would set off to Battery City, along with the man who had been a drac, whose name was Chip. As much as Poison refused to admit it, they needed him. He had too much vital information.

'Do you know where the border is?' Poison asked the Stargazer, showing him the map they had found at the gas station.

'Roughly. The woman who worked with me on creating you, her name is Lux. She knows where it is and she can help us. I know where to find her.'

'Good. Then you'll be the one who will lead the rebels south. You think you can make an attack on the border? Once we power down their security system and communication, they will be weakened enough for you to hit them with all you got. Get the people across the border, use the tunnels and attack them from both sides, do not wait for us. Their safety is more important. Can you do that?' Poison wanted to know and for a moment the Stargazer looked worried.

Poison knew that ideally, they would regroup first but there wasn't any time for that. The attack on Battery City and the border had to happen simultaneously in order to work. Finally, the man nodded.

'We'll leave in one week. That should give us enough time to get what we need. Vehicles, supplies, weapons. We also need Dr D to make a broadcast, tell everyone to get ready to leave once the border is open so they can get a move on.'

'We should also train them.' Sky said. 'Most of them are clueless.'

'I assume you're volunteering?' Poison smiled and put his arm around her as she rolled her eyes.

'Ugh, fine. But I expect you to take care of my sore muscles.' she teased and he gladly obliged.

*

After they had shared their plan with the rebels, Sky and Kobra worked together on dividing them into two groups: those who had to be taught and those who could teach. They focused on handling guns and explosives, as well as some close combat and what had to be considered when fighting agents. Basically a crash course on what Poison, Kobra, Jet and Ghoul had taught her when she had first arrived.

It was weird being in the position of the trainer now. Especially since Sky didn't feel like she did the guys justice although they disagreed. But the rebels looked at her with so much hope and expectations that it not only gave her confidence but it also made her feel like she owed it to them to give her best. Even the men showed her respect, something she had only known from the rest of the Killjoys so far.

The day was over too soon and most of the rebels were still exhausted from their journey, the sleepless night weighing heavy on Sky as well. They decided to go to bed early to start working on their plan by sunrise. Poison had moved into Sky's room for good, making his bed available for the Stargazer and she was glad he was with her again, particularly now that they didn't have a lot of time to spend alone. They needed to make the most of it and they did, not willing to give up these newly discovered pleasures. Making love was even more intense now, the feeling of Poison's breath on her skin, his warmth and the strong, regular beating of his heart, she truly felt at one with him knowing that their love for each other had literally saved their lives. She sometimes wondered if it was just how it felt to be in love with someone or if it was unique to their relationship but Sky somehow hoped that it wasn't, so other people could experience it too. Falling asleep knowing that he belonged to her was the best feeling ever.

Poison and Jet left early the next morning to meet with Dr D again so Sky, Kobra and Ghoul started with the training. In all honesty, Sky felt slightly silly, preparing the rebels for something she wasn't even prepared for. They had no clue as to what would happen. She tried her best to share Poison's hopes but this all still seemed like an utopian dream to her. Of course, she didn't let it show.

The guys returned with a truck. It had room for about twenty people which wasn't a lot but it was a good start.

'Tommy Chow Mein said he will have two more in about three days. There's also a BLI transporter coming. We can hijack it. It would solve all of our transportation problems.' Poison explained later that night.

'Do we really want to do that? Our plan has to go undetected. We can't attract too much attention, we're lucky no one has noticed the movement of all those people. Are we sure we want to take the risk?' Ghoul had a good point but Poison looked determined.

'We've done it before. And we need the extra supplies too. We can't keep feeding these people, we don't have enough. Plus, we need the drac uniforms.' he replied and Sky shuddered at the thought of posing as one of them. It was just another risk they had to take.

*

Sure enough, four days later, they had gathered everything they needed. Including the BLI truck. It had been easy. Jet triggered an explosion which made the dracs bring the vehicle to an abrupt halt, then the Killjoys had killed the agents inside. Unfortunately, there was no food among the supplies, but water and weapons as well as gas which was definitely better than nothing. Most importantly, they had the transporter and the uniforms.

The rest of the week passed quickly. Too quickly. Poison didn't feel ready although the anticipation among the rebels should have made him excited for their mission. He was hopeful, but wished they had had a little more time to prepare. Everyone had done a great job at not only training them but giving them a positive attitude towards what was to come. But he still couldn't ignore the fact that a single agent had defeated him at the cabin, had killed him. And as crazy as it sounded, as aware he was that he couldn't have seen it coming, he still blamed himself.

'It won't happen this time. We'll walk in there as dracs, remember? They won't even notice us. We do the job and leave again before they even know what's going on. They're too arrogant to assume that some rebels would even get as far as Zone 2. It's gonna be like the Trojan Horse, you know, from that old book?' Sky told him the night before their departure. He smiled at the comparison, it was one of his favorite stories.

'I think I'm more worried about everyone else than myself. Not everyone is blessed to have a personal lifesaver with them.' Poison pulled her closer to him, wrapping the blanket around them. The nights had begun to get colder although the days were still blazing hot out in the desert sun.

'They'll be okay. They learned a lot in these past few days. To be honest, I was kinda frustrated at first but they really worked their asses off. They believe in us and I believe in them. We're all Killjoys now.' she said.

'Does that mean I'm not special anymore?' he pretended to sulk but giggled as she rolled her eyes at him.

'You'll always be special.' she answered and although they were joking around, he knew she meant it.

That night, he dreamed about the house on the beach.