The silence in the drop-pod was deafening.

Around 20 or more soldiers were crowded into the small space, clutching their weapons to their chest. The ships mood was that of a funeral. They all knew what was coming. Taz was leaning against the far wall of the pod, sharpening her knife on a stone. She knew it would do nothing against the robots but she didnt feel right without it. She glanced up and met Ups gaze. His eyes flicked to the raised platform in front of the hatch door, then back to hers, silently asking the question he had dreaded. She nodded, and Up stood, sighing. It was time. The inhabitants of the drop-pods attention was instantly distracted from their impending doom, to the solemn commander mounting the steps. Up took a breath and sighed again. Then he spoke, Alright soldiers. You know how important this misson is. If its a success it could mean giving us the advantage to win this war. Up raised a hand to the back of his neck, and he locked eyes with Taz at the back of the room, before looking up and facing his men once more, Now Ive got two things to say to you. Firstly fight hard. Take down as many toasters as you can. Fight til you cant fight no more. When that happens I want you to get out of there. Find a safe place to hide until the fighting is over, and then get back to the drop-pod. Ups raised his chin in a form of defiance, which not one of the crew understood. Second never stop believing that youll make it out of there. Because when you stop believing you lose all faith in your survival, and in your team. And the whole fight becomes hopeless. Up took a deep breath then moulded his face back into its usual stern, grim look. Now get out there and win us this dead goddamn way! He roared at the soldiers who, in turn, saluted and positioned their weapons so they were pointed at the door. The drop-pod landed with a thud which jolted the people inside. Up stepped down from the entrance and made his way through the soldiers towards Taz. As he did, the hatch door opened and the landing platform lowered itself onto the barren wasteland below. With set faces, the soldiers gripped their weapons and marched down into what would end up being the last day of their lives. Up, however, had grabbed Taz by the hand and dragged her into a storage room. Taz looked up at her commanding officer in confusion, Up de fight isnt in de storage room! She exclaimed, What are we doing in - but her words were cut off when Ups lips crashed down onto hers.

The kiss wasnt soft and sweet, but nor was it passionate and lustful. It was full of six years worth of pent up emotion emotion Up realized had been there ever since he had seen her tied up like a piata at her quinceaera in that ridiculous pink dress. Taz wound her hands around his neck, kissing him back ferociously. She held him close to her forgetting, just for a moment , about the war raging outside their pod. All too soon Up pulled away, I had to do that. Because if were gonna die out there, I just want you to know - Taz cut him off, Up were not going to die! Jou said it jourself we just have to believe. Hope. Have faith. Tener fe. Up opened his mouth to reply when they heard the sounds of zappers coming from outside. They exchanged glances before Taz said, Come on - vamos! She hoisted her zapper off her shoulder before saying, an evil glint in her eye, Lets go kick some robota ass. She opened the storage room door and together the pair charged down the hatch ramp and into the fray. But just because the battle was raging around them, it didnt mean that Up didnt hear the small whisper coming from the tiny Mexican. Te amo It was a big thing for Taz to admit how much she cared. Because for her, feelings made you weak, soft, vulnerable. And feelings meant that you would let something, or someone, get in the way of getting the job done. But instead of doing what heart wanted to do, which was to turn and press his lips to hers once more, he listened to his brain and continued killing every robot in sight. But this time, he wasnt killing because he hated the robots, or because it was pay back for what they did to his family. This time, he was killing for her. Every robot he took down gave Taz a better chance of survival. Little did he know, it would be the last thing he would hear her say to him.