There was another thing that Julian and Lux had in common - although they might never know it, all things considered - both of them weren't made for desk work. Julian, for all his insistence that he wanted a quieter life, sort of missed active duty. He could shut his brain off and follow orders all day. Sure, being a good enough sniper to be considered for special services meant a certain degree of intelligence and accuracy, but that was all muscle memory. He aimed, he shot. It didn't really involve much thinking...in fact, it was easier when he just shut his mind off and shot. That way, he didn't have to think about the life he was extinguishing or the family that this person was leaving behind. Everything was just easier when he didn't have time to think.
He did feel a little bad for Lux, that feeling of helplessness was pretty much his life story for most of that summer between high school graduation and boot camp. "You're more than welcome to join in," he answered Lux's offer of help. "So far, I've got a couple people reporting hovering lights, which seems legit, I guess...but at the same time, I'm not inclined to believe these are aliens from another planet doing this to probe our high schoolers." Even as the words escaped him, his heart thudded just a little harder at the idea that someone was doing something to his little Lotti.