"It is hot as the surface of the sun out there." Nolan says, sitting down next to Ana.

Ana shrugs. "at least it's not cold like last week"

"last week was in the 70's" Lucy says, her eyebrows furrowing.

"yeah, that's cold" Ana responds, softly.

"in what world is that cold?" Angela asks.

"I'm Cuban, I'm cold if it's not above 90 degrees" Ana replies, softly.

"Oh" Lucy nods.

"I'm gonna enjoy this week" Ana grins.

"Yep. Gonna be like that all week. Good thing we're all in short sleeves now." Jackson says.

"The uniforms are still wool. Today's gonna be a nightmare." Lucy groans.

"I'm just saying I don't get out of the car for less than a felony when the needle hits 100." Lopez says.

"Your commitment to protecting and serving is admirable." Tim says, sarcastically.

"As long as I can do it in comfort." Angela replies.

Harper passes Tim on her way to sit next to Ana in the front row.

"You know the front row's for the rookies, right?" Tim asks.

"You hoping I'll sit by you?" Harper asks, raising an eyebrow and making Ana turn to look at the conversation.

"I'm just telling you how it is." Tim shrugs.

"The day I need that from you is the day I hang up my spurs." Harper replies before sitting down next to Ana.

"you can sit in the front row, ma'am" Ana assures her, softly.

"I don't need your permission, runt" Harper answers.

"Good morning. We've got ourselves a heat wave, which means what, Officer West?" Grey asks.

"Studies show that a 1% loss of body mass due to sweating decreases cognitive ability and increases anxiety levels." Jackson responds.

Ana raises her hand to get a lamemans interpretation but thankfully Grey is already translating it.

"Translation: tempers will be short, drug and alcohol use up, so stay hydrated and stay sharp. Now, while the rest of you are baking in the sun, Officer Nolan and Officer Cabrera will be flop-sweating in their very first preliminary court hearing." Grey replies.

"Oh, no flop sweats here, sir. I have reviewed the arrest report repeatedly. I am 100% ready to testify on all the facts." Nolan assures.

"I'm hoping for the best, sir" Ana says, softly, not as confident.

"Hmm. Bradford?" Grey calls.

"When did you graduate the Academy?" Tim asks.

"Oh, that was September--" Nolan answers.

"Exact date, Boot." Tim orders.

"Runt?" Harper asks, turning to her rookie.

"September 4th, 2018" Ana pipes up, softly.

"What's your weapon's serial number?" Harper asks, smirking.

"I don't know the –" Nolan responds.

"You need to know the number by heart." Harper insists. "Runt?"

"7966-52489" Ana says her gun's serial number.

"I win" Harper says, turning back to glance at Tim.

"For a DUI arrest? I didn't even draw my weapon." Nolan points out.

"If you don't even have your personal information squared away, how could you possibly know the facts of the case?" Harper responds.

"A defense attorney's job is to screw you up on the stand, by any means necessary." Angela says.

"Which means everything that connects to your experience on the job is in bounds. Got it?" Grey finishes.

"Yes, sir." Nolan nods.

[Timeskip]

"we'll do great" Ana says, softly, as much for Nolan as for herself as they drive to the courthouse.

"will we?" Nolan asks.

"positive energy equals positive results" Ana responds, softly.

"we got this" Ana encourages, softly.

"your optimism scares me some times" Nolan sighs.

"I'm scary?" Ana giggles.

"In a like, I look like a cinnamon roll, but I could kill you way, you know?" Nolan replies.

"not really" Ana giggles.

"you're just like optimistic and sunshine-y but you are also a badass" Nolan explains.

"I am not a badass" Ana shakes her head.

"you made a drug bust by yourself a week ago and you escaped from Cuba on a raft" Nolan points out.

"okay..." Ana concedes. "that's... fair"

"god, that was painful to watch, can you not take a compliment?" Nolan asks.

"not really" Ana responds, smiling.

[Timeskip]

"Hey." Nolan says, meeting up with Jessica while Ana goes over to talk to Wesley.

"Hi" Ana says, softly. "what are you here for?"

"Nolan's case" Wesley replies, making Ana nod.

"who's doing mine?" Ana asks, softly.

"Stinger" Wesley replies.

"their last name is Stinger? that's encouraging" Ana giggles, nervously.

"you'll do fine, plus you're going second so you can watch Nolan flounder and maybe learn from him" Wesley answers.

"okay... that's not bad" Ana nods, softly.

"alright, well, I'll talk to you later" Ana smiles, softly, before moving to sit in one of the chairs for cops.

Nolan joins her a second later, sitting down next to her. They watch as the prisoners are led in, wearing bright orange jumpsuits and chained together.

"That's my guy, the one with the ponytail, Brant Reggie, 23-152, DUI drugs." Nolan points out, talking to both Ana and Russo

"How do I know the guy next to him?" Jessica asks.

"Oscar Hutchinson, he's my guy" Ana replies, softly. "he was one of the escaped prisoners on the bus."

"kinda the reason we got together" Nolan adds, talking to Jessica.

"How romantic." Jessica remarks before the judge calls court in session.

"Good morning. We've got a lot of cases to get through today, so let's just jump right in." Judge Stevens starts.

"Uh, hi." Hutchinson says, raising his hand.

"Mr. Hutchinson, you've been in my courtroom enough to know that this isn't a Q&A." Judge Stevens answers.

"Yes, Your Honor. I just wanted to say I don't mind going last. I think these men beside me deserve to be heard from first." Hutchinson remarks.

"And you're in no hurry to go back in the hole. Interrupt me again, and I'll have you gagged. Call the first case." Stevens orders.

"People of the State of California versus Jonathan Ryland, homicide in the first degree." The Bailiff reads out.

Rylan is led to sit down in front of a crying couple. Ryland smirks back at the two while he sits down. The husband stands up to throw a punch but the wife holds him back.

"ma'am, are you two okay?" Ana asks, softly.

"That man killed our son." The wife sobs.

"oh" Ana says, softly.

"I'm so sorry." Nolan replies.

[Timeskip]

Nolan is on the stand and it's already painful to watch.

"Officer Nolan, did you have training at the Academy for DUI suspects?" Wesley asks.

"Uh, yes, sir. 40 hours of alcohol and intoxication recognition." Nolan responds and Ana throws him a thumbs up.

"Did they test you on that training?" Wesley asks.

"Of course." Nolan answers.

"And did you score 100%?" Wesley questions.

"No, but I -" Nolan starts, making Ana wince.

"Okay, so, on the date in question –" Wesley starts.

"March 16th." Nolan butts in, making Ana's face scrunch up.

"Yes. That date. Did you see my client behind the wheel?" Wesley asks.

"N-No. Your client was already out of the car by the time we arrived on scene, but the driver of the vehicle he hit -" Nolan says. Ana is chewing on her lip, trying to send Nolan a smile but it's weak.

"Allegedly hit. And please only answer the questions that I ask you. Now, did you get fingerprints from the steering wheel to prove that my client was the driver?" Wesley questions.

"No, but the other driver -" Nolan starts.

"The other driver, as you call him, suffered a head injury. Are you telling me that you identified my client based solely on that man's say-so?" Wesley asks.

"Your client owns the car." Nolan responds, making Ana wince as he gets defensive.

"Your Honor, can you please instruct the witness to answer my question?" Wesley asks.

"Officer." Judge Stevens warns.

"Yeah. Uh, yes. I ID'd your client as the driver of the vehicle based on the witness statement." Nolan answers.

"Okay." Wesley nods.

Ana's face scrunches up, but she still mouthes "you're doing good" to Nolan.

[Timeskip]

Ana's phone starts to buzz and she stands up, her eyes widening.

EMERGENCY ALERT BALLISTIC MISSILE THREAT INBOUND TO LOS ANGELES IMPACT IN 29 MINUTES SEEK IMMEDIATE SHELTER THIS IS NOT A DRILL

"Nolan" Ana calls, walking over to him and showing him the phone.

"Order! Order in my court! Order! Order! Everyone, be still! Clearly, we can't continue, given the missile alert. Deputy, take the prisoners back to holding." Judge Stevens says as everyone starts to panic.

"Let's go. Come on." Nickerson says.

"Screw that. There's a nuke coming!" Hutchinson exclaims.

Ana tries to call Tim but the lines are already jammed

"Got anything?" Nolan asks, walking over to Jessica with Ana following.

"The lines are already jammed." Jessica replies.

"same here, and I can't get anyone over the radio" Ana replies, softly.

"People are panicking. We've got to help them out. Should we evacuate?" Nolan asks.

"No. No." Jessica answers.

"Hey, hey, everybody. Excuse me. Everyone, if I can have your attention, please. Uh, I'm Jessica Russo, Department of Homeland Security. Now, I haven't gotten in touch with my office, but there is a good chance that this is not real." Jessica says, standing up on a table.

"Hawaii had one last year, it's quite possible that it is fake" Ana adds.

"What if it's not fake?" Nickerson asks.

"Well, then you got about 28 minutes until you find out what Hell feels like." Hutchinson responds.

"well I think that depends on where the bomb hits, if it hits out sea, we won't die, just be hit with severe radiation which will kill us later on" Ana pipes up.

"Okay, that kind of talk isn't helping anything. The DHS has scenarios planned for this situation." Nolan says.

"We have. Yes, we have. And, um, the most likely target is downtown." Jessica adds.

"And how will we die then, Officer Cabrera?" Hutchinson asks.

"well... it won't be painful but it'll be immediate" Ana offers, softly, fidgeting.

People panic and start to leave.

"Okay. Wait!" Jessica yells.

"Order." Stevens exclaims.

"Wait! Wait! The blast radius is likely between 10 to 15 miles. And with an impact expected in 27 minutes, there isn't enough time to get far enough away, which is why we need to get underground. Judge, sir, is there a bomb shelter in this building?" Jessica asks.

"No, but the holding cells are downstairs." Stevens replies.

"Let's go." Nickerson asks.

"I hate to break it to you, but those cells leak when it rains. They're not gonna do squat in a nuclear attack." Hutchinson pipes up.

"He's right, even the bomb shelters built in the sixties might not do much, modern day nuclear bombs are much more powerful than they were in the 60's" Ana says, softly, to Jessica and Nolan who are trying to figure out what to do.

"okay-" Jessica says, none of them sure on what to do.

"Now. Come on. Let's go." Nickerson yells.

[Timeskip]

"Why don't you just let us go, man? It's the end of the world. Give us a few minutes of freedom. Don't make us die in these chains." Hutchinson exclaims.

"we're still not sure if this is real" Ana reasons, softly.

"Shut up, Oscar. You're not getting out of those cuffs." Nickerson says.

"We ain't asking." Ryland threatens.

The prisoners surge forward but Nolan and Ana quickly get them to backup.

"Back up. Back up. Right now. Right now." Nolan orders.

[Timeskip]

"Ana, what are you doing?" Nolan asks when he sees Ana typing something in on her phone.

"Looking up when this building was built" Ana replies, softly.

"it was built in the 60's" Jessica says, looking over her shoulder.

"So there has to be a bomb shelter here, all public buildings installed one during the Cold War" Ana realizes.

"Hey, the judge and bailiff, the ADA, and a bunch of other people from the aisles are missing" Nickerson points out.

"They lied to us about the bomb shelter" Ana realizes, softly.

[Timeskip]

Jessica and Nolan are leading everyone else from the courtroom down to the basement where the bomb shelter is. Ana is leading the prisoners, because Hutchinson has decided that he likes Ana for some reason. He's not the first odd person to decide that he'll keep Ana safe and he won't be the last.

"hey, wait, hold on!" Ana calls, when they get to the bottom of the staircase and Stevens is about to close the door.

"Step back." Stevens says, pulling out a gun and pointing it at her.

Nolan steps between Ana and Stevens.

"What are you doing?" Nolan asks.

"What I have to. Back up I'm closing this door." Stevens replies.

"What about the rest of us?" Jessica pipes up.

"If she's right about the nuke, then this is ground zero. Won't be safe to go outside for weeks. We don't have the supplies in here for all of you." Stevens answers.

"So you're gonna kill two cops and all these others just to save yourselves?" Nolan asks.

"And the rest of you you're all good with that?!" Ana calls to the other people in the room.

"I'm not gonna tell you again. Back up, so I can close this door." Stevens orders.

"Okay. Okay, fine. You win. I give up." Nolan says, bringing his hands up but quickly disarming the judge.

"Pretty cool, right? They taught me that at the Academy. Come on." Nolan says, moving the judge aside so everyone else can enter the bomb shelter.

"You're making a big mistake." Stevens insists.

"And you're under arrest. Sit down right there. Get cozy." Nolan replies.

"alright, everyone in" Ana says, softly, leading the prisoners in. When the husband from earlier who was already in the shelter sees Ryland coming in with the rest of the prisoners, he freaks out.

"No, no, no! Not him!" Reyes yells

"Hey, hold on, they are human beings with the right to live" Ana says, softly, getting between Ryland and the Reyes.

"He killed our boy in cold blood" The wife yells.

"I know, ma'am, but that doesn't mean we leave them out there. Everyone has done terrible things and everyone deserves a second chance" Ana insists, softly.

"or a thousandth chance" Hutchinson mumbles.

"well, yeah" Ana agrees, softly, looking back at Hutchinson and knowing that he has been given so many chance.

"here, let's get y'all sitting down on these benches here" Ana says, softly, leading the prisoners to the back on the benches.

"Is that everyone? Thank you. All right." Nolan says, closing the bomb shelter door.

"Be a lot more comfortable without this chain, you know? We can keep the cuffs on." Ana bites her lip.

"Don't push your luck, Oscar." Nickerson replies.

"Here" Ana says, softly, separating the chains from the two benches since three of the prisoners are sitting on one bench and three of them are sitting on the other. Ana gets out her own cuffs, putting one on her wrist and the other attaching to the chain of one bench.

"could you do the same?" Ana asks, softly, tossing Nickerson another pair of cuffs and he attaches his wrist to the other bench's chain.

"thank you" Hutchinson says as Ana sits down on the floor next to the bench.

"for what?" Ana asks, softly.

"they'd have left us up there for dead without you" Hutchinson replies.

"everyone has a right to live and the right to another chance" Ana argues, softly.

"mmm" Hutchinson hums. "hey, what's up with you and that hot older officer?"

"who are you talking about?" Ana asks, softly.

"you know, your TO dude, what was it? Bankford?" Hutchinson guesses.

"Bradford" Ana corrects, softly. "and I have a new TO now"

"right, but aren't you guys dating?" Hutchinson asks.

"what? no" Ana replies. "no, he's dating someone else. why?"

Hutchinson shrugs. "just saw how you looked at him."

[Timeskip]

"This shelter was built in the '50s. Now, nukes are 10 times as powerful today. Odds are good that this building collapses when the blast hits." Hutchinson points out.

"Shut up, Oscar." Nickerson replies.

"It's basic science, my man." Hutchinson replies.

"he's right" Ana sighs, softly. "even if the bomb shelter survives, we'll be trapped under tons of rubble."

"what happened to your optimism?" Nolan asks.

"I'm being realistic" Ana replies, softly. "but whatever happens, it's going to be okay."

"you a Christian or something?" Hutchinson asks.

"no, no, I gave up on God when I was still a kid" Ana answers, softly. "I'm just saying that there are worse ways to die"

"oh yeah?" Hutchinson asks.

"I almost died from a virus that makes you cough up blood and bleed from your nose until you bleed out" Ana replies, softly.

It gets silent quick.

"okay, that's definitely worse" Ryland agrees.

"so, do you like that man? Bradford?" Hutchinson asks when no one else is paying attention.

Ana sighs, closing her eyes. "I think I do" Ana confesses, softly.

"you know, there isn't a better time to confess" Hutchinson reminds her.

"he's dating someone else" Ana replies.

"and we're all about to die, who cares?" Hutchinson points out.

Ana huffs, pulling out her phone.

"I'll leave him a voicemail" Ana decides, softly.

She calls him and it immediately goes to voicemail because the phone lines are jammed.

"um... hi, it's Ana" Ana starts, softly. "I just-... we're all about to die a-and Oscar says that I should confess, s-so here it is. I like you, a lot, like romantically" Ana admits, softly. "that's it, I-I just thought I should c-confess before we all die" Ana hangs up, sighing.

"attagirl" Hutchinson nods.

"two minutes" Ana sighs, looking down at her phone where it's counting down.

[Timeskip]

"will we know when it hits?" Nickerson asks.

"we'll feel the heat of the blast, even in here it could be enough to burn our skin off" Ana responds, softly.

"it'll also feel like an earthquake, the ground will rumble and such" Russo adds.

"thirty seconds" Wesley exhales.

Ryland, who is on the edge of the other bench reaches out and takes Ana's hand. Ana gives her other to Hutchinson and soon everyone in the room is holding hands, waiting for their demise.

[Timeskip]

"hey, kid" Hutchinson says as Ana escorts him into a police van.

"yeah?" Ana asks, softly.

"you're the first cop I've ever liked" Hutchinson replies.

"I'm gonna take that as a compliment" Ana smiles.

"it is" Hutchinson nods. "and good luck with Tim"

Ana pauses, not sure how he knows Tim's first name, but two guards close the back of the van. Ana watches the van leaves, a bittersweet smile on her face.

[Timeskip]

"hey, I got a call from you and it said there was a voicemail but the voicemail was all staticky and I couldn't hear a word you said" Tim says, jogging up to her with Rachel behind him.

"yeah, we were trying to see if I could leave voicemail through the bomb shelter walls and get a message out about where we were, it was a last ditch effort, nothing to worry about" Ana lies, easily.

Tim nods, buying the lie and walking away. Ana sighs, watching Tim and his girlfriend walk away.

"I like you" Ana whispers, too quiet for anyone to hear.