The Day We Went To Mars - Sidemen Fanfiction

**Chapter 10**

~Graduation~

T-minus : 12 months

6 months later

"All six of them have been flagged up in the system for one reason or another; abusive history, family problems, commitment issues, anger control, extreme altruism, depression."

"And the lack of practical experience is a big factor to consider, sir. They are all resourceful, I'll give them that, but no one can make use of something they don't know about."

"They've all got too close to uncovering some of our more furtive operations; it would be best to keep them close."

"They seem to have ticked all of our boxes."

The six boys worked like a well oiled machine, stepping around each other in the boxy room they had only just started to call home. Six months of early mornings and tight schedules had quickly conditioned them; each and every one understanding their fundamental role in the complex mechanism of a smooth operating system.

Early morning? Tobi would awake on time along with Vikk, the two of them pulling the covers from the other beds as Tobi had done for his best friend on their first day. It was strange how quickly a group of strangers became a group of brothers.

Ten minutes to get ready? Josh would emerge from his shell, his mind working on the puzzle, a game of Tetris with timings instead of coloured blocks. Ethan was on hand to allocate bathroom time as fairly as possible, taking merely one look at each boy to decide who needed the extra five minutes. It was strange how quickly the boys stopped minding the regimented schedule.

An evening of down time? The four walls were no boundary for Harry and Simon. New games developed rapidly: a firm favourite being 'bunk bed bench ball' which became part of the slick routine for group 7. And, somehow, it never seemed strange at all for the boys to be hunkered down on opposite bunk beds, small tennis balls firing between the two feuding sides and cushions serving as shields.

Amongst all of this, the days had passed like the second hand of a ticking clock. It was as if someone had scrolled down through pages of memories and information, of exams and challenges, conflicts and successes, only coming to rest on the final day. It was the end of one mission and, perhaps, the start of another; lift off, or not.

The matching uniforms were swapped for one day only, replaced with matching suits. The group stood in their smart attire in front of the solitary mirror propped against one wall, each taking in the sight of the next in their identical blue three-piece and black tie. And finally, after weeks and months of hearing the same question from Vikk at the door, he uttered it once more.

"Is everyone ready?"

Three groups remained, each of them congregating for one more stand off. Twelve teams had been eliminated, leaving a capable group, JJ's frequently dysfunctional team and the Sidemen. Really, there were two choices; the right one and the one the agency would choose. As Simon had predicted, they were expendable, a lab rat experiment. It only made sense to pick the group of six deeply flawed human beings, for science, they would later justify.

The ceremony was conservative; there was just a small attendance of the most trusted and qualified professionals in the agency. It was no TV talent show; the suspense was cut short by a pointed speech and rushed handshakes.