Though I try to sleep in the tunnels before I head back to Mato, I just can't do it. Like I said – Daehyun is something special like that. I keep the blanket wrapped around me for the entire rest of the trip; walking may keep me warm when I'm rushing, but all I want right now is to get back to my office and sleep. As I walk through the expansive area between the rail cars, I take in the difference in the smell compared to the mines. Sure the place is dangerous as hell, but the only smells down here are earth and stone. For those of us who have grown up in darkness, is this what freedom smells like?

I stop walking. I remember the first time I found this particular rabbit hole. Found. We didn't make it. When I was nine, Yongguk and I were first sent down into the mines and with the curiosity of children, he and I made sure we spent our extra time exploring. Mostly, we were mapping out the mines in our heads so that if ever any one of our family was to become lost down here, we would know how to look for them; however, I can't help but look back and think that it was also perhaps the last shred of childhood innocence making itself known before we were forced to grow up before our time. I was glad to have him with me when we first began. Yongguk, like myself and a couple others in our group, remembers the day he was ripped away from his family so he understood why I was afraid of being alone, why I was afraid that I would lose everybody else as well. Every time we made a trip down into the winding maze he would find my hand, pull me along when I hesitated and provoke me when I got stubborn. I'd always had a defiant streak and he had quickly learned after I jumped him in the kitchen that if I was afraid of something, he need only point it out, to laugh about it and I would almost shove him out of the way to prove him wrong. Himchan truly does have my personality pinned; Yongguk is honestly more sensible than I have ever been – which was why he was the first one to hesitate when we first found the moving tunnel.

Every tunnel in the mine has a line of lights that runs down the center along the ceiling, but this tunnel didn't. Yongguk didn't even notice it until he was pulled back by his hand when I stopped. I will never know why I felt drawn to it, but there was something about the seemingly endless blackness that called to me. I stepped towards it, letting go of Yongguk's had for the first time as my fingers traced the edges of the entrance – they were almost perfectly flat, like the earth had been simply shifted out of the way rather than broken away by man and machine. The smooth walls intrigued me but when I took a step into the darkness, arms wrapped around my waist and pulled me back.

"You shouldn't go in there," Yongguk had told me. "How can I save you from danger if I can't see you?"

He has always had more sense than me. I wiggled out of his grip and punched him in the shoulder, telling him that if he was so worried that he should stay there and wait for me. I suppose he did, because as I walked down the darkness, mine were the only footsteps I heard; for a child, and maybe for an adult too, the tunnel seemed to wind along forever until there was a soft orange glow coming from up ahead and quiet voices floated through the dead silence. I was sure to tread more carefully, my footsteps almost soundless as I came to the far end.

Two thin young men sat in a carved out room and I simply stared, terrified. One was carving out stone with just his fingertips, complaining that someone they knew was right about how loudly his companion breathed, as the other young man held out his hand which held the source of light – his hand was engulfed in flame. As he made the fire jump from one hand to the other, I gasped and they looked up, horrified. The earth suddenly moved beneath my feet and I was dragged backwards until I was literally thrown out the mouth of the tunnel.

Skinny arms caught me and we both went crashing into the opposite wall. Yongguk looked both horrified and relieved as he checked me over for injuries. I shook my head and blinked before looking over my shoulder. The entrance was gone! That was the end of our exploring for the day and as we made our way out of the tunnels Yongguk scolded me, but I honestly wasn't listening to anything he was saying; my mind was back in that tunnel, watching those men.

Both of the men were wisps compared to most of the people who work the mines regularly and neither wore the work clothing of anyone from Mato; truthfully, who these men were still bothers me to this day, but since that day we've both seen the moving tunnel regularly and even the others have come across it in the darkest corners of the mines, though no one has been stupid enough to go in since my misadventure. Oddly enough though, there have been Matoki accounts of tunnels almost reinforcing themselves before cave-ins in the rabbit holes or rabbit holes suddenly disappearing entirely when the Supervisory decides to pay a visit, only to reappear a day or two later.

I touch the walls lightly, still very aware of the explosives present. They're smooth; even today, the near perfection of these walls seems like a work of art. Whoever is sneaking around in my mines isn't an enemy and I smile to myself. "Thanks," I whisper.
 

The rest of the trip home is cold, but I appreciate the time to myself. When I finally arrive back at the beginning, I press my ear to the crates, listening for any voices on the other side and sure enough I hear several familiar people talking. With a firm shove, I move a crate out of my way and crawl out the other side to the welcoming faces of my family.

"How did the run go?" Jongup asks.
 

I nod indifferently before turning away to put away the wool blanket and opening another crate. "Nothing to report, though if you'll all excuse me I'm about to crash. I don't know how you do it, little brother. Sleeping in carts like that? You're tougher than I am."
 

Jongup rubs his head as he comes over to help. "I beg to differ…"
 

I bump my shoulder into his and we both laugh quietly as we pull out blankets and old pillows, all flattened from years of use. Yongguk and Zelo are shoving the heavy crate I use for a desk out of the way as Daehyun and Youngjae catch the things we throw to them. There's no set sleeping arrangement for us. As children we learned the best way to sleep was everyone together in a pile, keeping each other warm under our warn-out blankets. Kicking off our boots and socks, we all throw our overalls to the side then throw ourselves into a pile. Zelo grabs me and pulls me over, just like I had always done for him when we first brought him into our group, one arm around my shoulders and I lie on my stomach, my head on his shoulder as I throw my right arm over his chest. Daehyun lies down on the other side of Zelo, using his stomach for a pillow as he and Youngjae layer a couple of blankets for them to use. I feel Jongup sit beside me to lie down when Yongguk suddenly drops himself between us, bringing some blankets for the rest of us. As we all lie down and settle in, I let out an exhausted sigh.
 

"Make sure you wake me up," I mumble to no one in particular, knowing I will be too tired to get myself up.
 

Yongguk replies that he will in a tired low voice that I feel rumble through his chest as he drops his head between my shoulder blades, one arm around my waist. I feel Zelo yawn and I can't help but yawn myself; I almost laugh as it travels through the group, but sleep claims me before it can pass my lips.
 

*****

As the days slowly turned into weeks, I came to be one of the people to be training the two new recruits. They're both sharp and I wish I could keep them here with my group, but I know Zelo's right to tell me to send them away. While the other districts do have their own people to aid in their resistance efforts, people who would be good for piloting anything other than an exo suit are rare. VIXX's field team is full, but they're the closest district with a rebel force relying on mechas and, given they have the ability to cloak their ROVIXX, they find it much easier to move around in the open. Whenever they're with Youngjae down in the Shelter, I hear nothing but good things about them from all the workers, and the fact that these girls can not only help Jongup build but also problem solve and repair existing equipment, I know they belong in the cockpit.
 

A hand smacks me in the side and I turn to see Yongguk standing beside me, watching them work too.

"I hope you're not too attached to them," he said bluntly. "Daehyun's going to be setting out for VIXX tonight to bring the boys in."

"I know. Thanks for handling everything in my place, by the way. Training new recruits and getting them up to speed really should be a two or three person job. It really pulled me away from every little thing that's been going on these past few weeks and I know it's been a pain in the keeping things like this hidden when we've got Rats in the area. They haven't been down here, have they?"

"They have, actually. We all got really nervous when they found their way down into the southeast quarter and the central vertical shafts."

"The central shafts?" Now I am starting to worry.

"It's okay. The entrance to the Shelter kind of… disappeared."

"Oh my god… Don't do that to me," I complain. "Did they notice the difference in the stone?"
 

"They did and they asked about it, but as smart as they are, they don't know the mines. We passed it off to them as being a "naturally occurring geological anomaly" in this area." Yongguk laughed to himself. "That new foreman, Wonjun, is so full of . I love it. Does he have his tattoo yet?"
 

I shake my head. "Himchan is the only one I trust not to screw up something that important, so he'll be getting it after VIXX returns to their base with the recruits. Yongguk... We really got lucky this time, didn't we?"

"We did. Whoever you met all those years ago really saved our asses this time, but in all honesty I'm really not surprised the Rats found their way down here. As much as I hate doing anything that could even remotely help the bastards ruling this world, you know as well as I do that they're coming around because we aren't sending enough up to the surface for government use."

I purse my lips in serious thought. "I know. I will talk to the people down in the Shelter. I know they've been working on a new project recently; I can see what they can do in terms of material usage."

"I was talking to him about that earlier, actually. As far as I'm aware, they're finished building which means they won't be needing any more materials for some time."

"Granted, but that won't solve the problem of needing materials later on. We will have start skimming the mine's output. The rise in production will keep the government happy and it will keep our people in the Shelter supplied."

Yongguk doesn't say anything, simply nodding slowly. I look over at him. He seems oddly serious, even for him, and I turn back to watching the recruits.

"Are all the guys coming out from VIXX?"

"I would assume so."

"Including N?"

"Probably...?"

He nods again. "I will make sure Himchan and Youngjae make it, then. Last time you had me make a run to VIXX, Hyuk mentioned N wants to meet Hongbin's teacher and the designer of their ROVIXX... And to meet you face to face."

It's my turn to nod slowly as I raise one eyebrow. I have no idea what he's getting at, but I know he's not happy. "If that's everything, then I'm going to head down to the Shelter to talk to Youngjae and get him to talk to Jongup. Um… The Shelter has reappeared, right?"

"Two days after it sealed itself up, and the Rats have been gone for about four days now. As far as any of our sources can tell, we're in the clear," he replied with a half-smile.

As with anyone else in our little group, I punch him in the arm before I turn to leave, only to be stopped. I look down at the hand holding my elbow before looking back up at him. "Something on your mind?"

"I…" he tries, not taking his eyes off his hand. Suddenly he lets go. "I should go, too. I need to talk to Zero anyways, so I'll let Himchan know what's happening."

By the time I return from the Shelter and the messages are out in the group, Daehyun is already waiting for me in my office. Contrasting against his all-black attire, Daehyun stands in front of me in his white mask, a zipper painted across the hard surface with a black bow-shape over his nose. Every person in our group has a mask for when we have to do field work, but my brother is the only one who needs to wear his on a regular basis. I hear my door being forced open just before the others file in. Normally Daehyun leaves without much fanfare, but this is an special, if not vaguely odd, occasion; we aren't fans of even outsiders from Mato coming down into the mines, let alone those from other districts. This isn't necessarily because we don't trust them, but more because Matoki are trained to move swiftly and silently. We are essentially a stealth force. A couple of people from VIXX picking up the recruits may be a little trying, but I worry about how well we will navigate the tunnels unnoticed with six outsiders and two newbies in tow. Daehyun must read the worry on my face because grabs my shoulders and head-butts me lightly, saying everything his mask prevents. Everything is going to be fine, big sister. Just wait and see. We will get our chance soon enough. And then he slips through the crates into the waiting darkness.

"It's late," Jongup mentions suddenly, pushing the crate back before opening the one with our bedding and throwing it all to us.

Curling up with them, I'm once again using Zelo as my pillow and being used as one myself. "I'll see you guys in the morning."