I take a hit of Andre's joint before handing it back to him as Cate giggles while we make our way across campus. It's dark now and we have accomplished fuck nothing, great.

"What are you laughing at?" I turn to her in amusement, letting the fog slowly seep into my brain as I look up at the sky, missing the sun's warmth and energy already. It's felt good, firing up my anger. But unfortunately I have no one to aim it towards. ARGH! How could they just gut Luke's entire room like he was nothing, as if they weren't soaking up every penny he made this college a week ago.

I need another hit, or something stronger.

As most would think, I don't automatically go powerless when the sun goes down and it's nighttime, but it sure doesn't do me any fucking favors.

"You know what I just realized? Luke's desk drawer was full of dildos." Cate says, pulling me back to reality, sunless, miserable reality. "They're all gone, too."

Andre turns and hands the joint off to her as she chuckles at her realization. I can't help but let out a laugh before I curl up my nose. Wait, no- ew.

"So some security guard is not gonna shit for a week." Andre comments, taking another hit of the joint and blowing out the smoke. He hands it back to me, coming to a stop and I crash into his back.

"What?" Cate asks.

"Why are we stopping." I huff, exhaling smoke.

"Security camera's melted." He looks up and I follow to find the blackened camera in question.

"Did you do that?" Cate glances at him.

"No... No. Something hot did." He trails off.

"Did you do it?" She extends her look to me.

I scoff. "Uhhh, no." I throw my hands up lazily.

Cate turns back to Andre, waiting for an answer as he looks over his shoulder then back to the camera deep in thought. I am not high enough for this right now...

"Well, spit it out." I urge him.

"Your dad has it." He says, zoned out before taking off.

"What?" Cate looks at me confused and I just shrug before we quickly follow.

"It was the last thing that Luke said to me!" Andre calls over his shoulder, jogging over to his dad's statue.

I click my tongue. "Right...." I trail off, because that explains things. "Sooo...."

"You never told me the last thing Luke ever said." Cate rushes out as he stops and we catch up.

"Didn't make sense. I thought he was fucking crazy." Andre defends his lack of sharing . I elbow him. "Wha- Come on, tell her what he said to you then."

"What? What did he say to you?" She turns to me urgency.

"Find him." I mutter.

"What?"

"Find him!" I exasperate. "Okay, so he did sound a little crazy." I throw my hands up.

"Who's him?" Cate furrows her eyebrows.

"Hell if I know!" I wave my hands around like a mad woman before taking an extra long drag this time. Now I'm the one sounds crazy! Thanks Luke! No clue, no explanation, no fucking-

Breathe Iliana, breathe.

"Well, I think he hid something in here." Andre pipes back up, jumping up onto his dad's statue. Cate jerks her head back in surprise. Okay, maybe I'm too high for this...

He circles the statue before stopping and holding his hand out.

"Find something?" I ask as Cate looks around.

He cups his hands, extending his fingers out and rips open a hole in his dad's, welp- dick. He reaches in the hole and I wonder if maybe I'm actually imagining things for a moment before tossing the joint to the ground and stomp it out. That'll be enough of that for one night.

He reaches around in there.

"That is really Freudian." Cate says causing me to snort. Andre finally pulls something out and jumps down in front of us, holding up a phone.

I gasp, reaching out. "What the hell?" Luke, what were up to?

𖤓 𖤓 𖤓

Andre, Cate, and I crowd around the phone on Andre's bed as Luke pops up on the screen shuddering as he paces in his room before taking a seat. He looks terrified, and like he's been crying.

"Okay." He sighs. "If you're watching this, I guess things got fucked." I snort, understatement of the century Luke. "Okay, I know this sounds crazy, but they have Illie and I's brother." My mouth falls open. What- did he just say? "He's not dead. He's underneath the school. They call it the Woods. It's, like, this fucked-up hospital or something." My jaw hangs open as my head starts spinning, a million thoughts screaming in my head at once.

Sam's alive?

"They did messed-up things to him and me. And tried to to Iliana before she left. " Luke continues. "And Brink..." He lets out a quick sigh. "Brink is a part of this." My head starts pounding as flashes of light try to push their way through my brain.

I knew Brink was sick and twisted, obviously, but I always felt like there was more. Even more to add to the piece of shit that he was. And I was right.

"I'm gonna go in there right now. I'm gonna make him give me our brother back." Luke determines, looking off. "If you're seeing this, I guess things got pretty fucked." He takes a deep breath, turning back to the camera. "I'm sorry. Help Sam if you can, please. Find him."

Oh my god... that's him. That's who Luke told me to find....

"I love you, Andre. I love you, Illie. Tell Cate I love her, too." Luke says as my hands start to shake and my vision blurs with tears. No matter how much you fucking cry, and think you're out of tears- they just keep fucking falling.

"Sam?" Cate speaks first. "Your brother who killed himself?" She looks at me.

I swallow. "Yes, that Sam." I snap, letting out a shaky breath.

"Yeah, he had, um... schizophrenia or some shit, right?" Andre glances over for confirmation. I nod. "And he died in that facility, that, um..."

"Grove." I finish.

"Yeah, some-something Grove."

My baby brother is alive. He could be alive right now? He's been alive this whole time?!

I think back to Luke mentioning him a few days ago before we went clubbing and my whole body goes cold.

Everyone said he was crazy, mentally-ill, unstable... But I just wanted my brother. And they took him away and we never saw him again. And they told us he killed himself- Oh God. I knew that was a horrible idea, I knew it. I had a bad feeling, and so did Luke....

"Unless he didn't." Andre's voice brings me slightly back to.

"I mean, that sounds insane, right?" Cate looks at us in disbelief.

"As insane as Luke killing himself?" I ask.

"Schizophrenia runs in families." Cate continues. I snap my head up to look her. "I-Is there any chance Luke could've had it?" She grasps at straws for an explanation, before her eyes connect with mine. "Is there any chance you have it?" Me?

I stare at her, my brows knit together as I open my mouth to say something before closing it. No. No, I will not let what happened to Luke get pushed off as some psychotic break. If he had schiz, he would've come to me, there would've been signs like there was with Sam.

Right?

'And tried to to Iliana before she left'. Luke's words ring in my head.

Andre jumps up. "I don't know. Maybe."

"I mean, he was partying with us the night before. And he seemed happy." Cate says. "Iliana, you just got back. He had been talking about that for months. Why wouldn't he tell us?"

Why wouldn't he tell me?

"I don't know." Andre struggles out, turning back around. "But what if Luke wasn't crazy." He looks at me and my gaze locks with his as I look up at him with pleading eyes. I know my brother wasn't crazy. Loud, obnoxious, powerful, but he was never wrong. Cate glances between the two of us, like she isn't sure. "I just think... Oh, shit." He stops.

"What?" I rush out, on edge. I rub my temples. This whole day has turned into one big nightmare. One big never-ending nightmare.

"The interview. Um..." He turns back to me apologetically, knowing I have to come. Fuck. I got an email earlier that said I have to attend the interviews, under contract, or else. 

"Go. I got to get a few hours' sleep anyway." Cate tells us. "My head kills from all the pushing I've been doing lately."

"No, we-we should stay, because we need to figure out everything that can about..."

"Andre. Andre seriously." Cate cuts him off, standing abruptly. "Iliana's gonna be in trouble if she misses something else." She points at me. "It's all right to want it. It's not just your dad."

I stand, wrapping my arm around his side. "And that's okay." I assure him. I know his dad puts a lot of pressure on him, but I know he wants to be a hero himself, without his dad breathing down his neck.

Andre rolls his eyes at us.

"You want to make number one, maybe make it to the Tower." Cate continues.

I push into him with my hip. "You can gladly have it." I mumble, resting my head on his arm.

I wanted to be top ten so badly freshman year. And I was. I was the first freshman to ever make it in the top ten. Luke most definitely would have if he would've broke out of his shell sooner, but me? Unfortunately, I had no problem showing I was worthy real quick, and that landed me number seven, then number five.

I was number two before I left early sophomore year.

"It's okay." Cate says softly. "Underneath that scumbag candy shell, there's a fucking hero. Luke always knew it."

I smile. "And I know it."

"And I do, too." She finishes and Andre pulls us both in for a hug.

I just wish Luke was here...

𖤓 𖤓 𖤓

𝟶ʙᴜᴛᴛᴇʀʙɪsᴄᴜɪᴛ𝟽 sᴘᴇᴀᴋs!

The unstoppable trio... enjoy it for now folks!

Rereading this and editing it made my head and chest hurt lmao, it's just so much and ugh, my heart for Illie :(

She blames herself for everything and so much is happening so fast- but anyways, hope y'all enjoyed this chapter & peep the little mention of her powers hehehe, next chapter is gonna be good!! Soooo see y'all there!! <3