Xander had let everything the boy said slide off him as if it was rain and he was a tarp. So it caught him off guard that there was a deep ache somewhere in the dark abyss that everyone said his heart was. He cast a sideways glare at the boy as his hand twitched with the urge to break something, preferably a bone in the fragile looking body next to his own. For a moment Xander honestly pondered shattering the boyâ€™s jaw so he wouldnâ€™t have to hear another snarky comment.<br/><br/>It wasnâ€™t until they reached the control room and he had swung the door almost closed that he realized the rather short trip to their destination had been nearly unhindered. There were two people that had tried to intervene, one guard the boy had taken out and another Xander had nearly decapitated with his bare hands. The blood under his nails told the story of how more blood splatter had ended up on his clothes and his favorite jacket. Heâ€™d have to soak the damn thing if the week kept going like it has been.<br/><br/>The characters that flew over the screen and allowed the boy genius through back doors spun by faster than even Xander could keep track of. He had never seen anyone type that quickly in his entire career both legal and illegal alike. He shook his head for a moment before peering out the crack in the door to see if anyone was trying to gain entrance to the once secured room.<br/><br/>The distant sound of the fire fight stopped and the quiet that settled over the compound was errily devoid of life. Something wasnâ€™t right here. This was going far too smoothly for it to be anything less than a setup. He tried to remember the events that had lead to this point and he fought the urge to smack himself. Xander didnâ€™t know why he hadnâ€™t seen it sooner, every effort to go the opposite direction had been stopped. They had been lead to this room like lambs to a slaughter and they had blindly followed.<br/><br/>Xander let out a string of curses that would make even the most hardened sailor blush. â€œStop!â€ He bellowed as he spun around and grabbed the kids shoulder jerking him back from the computer consol only to see the beginning of all shut downs start.<br/><br/>Taylor had just pushed open the door when he was met by a gun pointed directly at his head. â€œWhat the fuck is going on?â€ He asked as he stared at the screen. He didnâ€™t see anything that should cause the hardened criminal to show this much concern. â€œWhat. The. Fuck. Is. Going. On.?â€ He demanded enunciating each word as he slapped the gun away from his head.<br/><br/>â€œWe were setup.â€ Xander responded as he looked away from his brother and back at the screen. It was at that very moment that his fear was given validation. â€œSelf destruct in 5 minutes.â€ The automated voice proceeded to count down by the seconds, the voice echoing in the room and from the halls.<br/><br/>â€œJesus.â€ Taylor let out a breath of exhaustion as his shoulders fell in near defeat. Every turn they had made, every move they had executed from the time Xander had caught them to this moment had been decided for them. They had been played and they were too blind to see it. His green eyes met the weary brown green of his brothers before he finally looked down at the boy.<br/><br/>The words Meko had spoken to him earlier came back and the lump returned. He couldnâ€™t let him down. He couldnâ€™t let his warrior down without trying to get out. What kind of man would he be if he didnâ€™t at least try and get them out? â€œThe explosives must not run off this mainframe or else theyâ€™d be disabled.â€ Taylor stated the fact aloud as he tried to make sense of it all but it still received a no shit look from Xander.<br/><br/>â€œWe donâ€™t have time to hunt it down, not even with boy genius over here.â€ Xander had read Taylorâ€™s first thought as he walked over to the door. â€œThey probably have a plan b stationed around the building just in case we escape and we donâ€™t have time to make it to the roof.â€ Yet another fear of Taylorâ€™s was announced a loud by his oh so helpful asshat of a brother. â€œThen we donâ€™t go out the doors.â€ Taylorâ€™s trade mark grin curled onto his features as he looked at Meko. â€œDo you think you could use Rune as a shield for the three of us?â€