Warning ⚠️: This book contains graphic content. Viewer discretion is advised.

"Shouldn't be too hard." Nathan murmured as he stood next to Kayla, having frozen time when he noticed a guard pointing his gun at her.

Nathan took a deep breath as he gently pushed Kayla aside before he turned and ran over to where the guard stood, rubbing his hands together nervously as he tried to keep his breathing even.

"Just do it, you pansy." David groaned as he plucked a bullet from the air, patting a brown haired boy on the head before he walked over to Nathan to show him the bullet.

"Not a big deal. They're frozen, remember? You can manipulate anything around you as long as you can pick it up... But you can't drive anything. If it's not alive or small enough to fit in your pockets, it can't come with you when you time travel." David explained before he snatched the second bullet out of the air, winking at Nathan before he tucked both bullets into his pocket.

"How do you know those bullets won't tear out of your pockets the moment I resume time?" Nathan rolled his eyes as he began to snatch bullets out of the air, tossing them to David who immediately tucked them into his pockets as he released a soft chuckle.

"Because I've done tests that have proved once they have been removed from the air during the time of which they're frozen, they lose inertia. An object in motion will stay in motion until acted upon by an outside source. The outside source being you and me. Basic science. But I have a feeling you skipped science class." David teased as Nathan gave a sarcastic laugh, pulling out his pocket watch as he walked closer to David with an annoyed expression.

"Yeah I missed the last three years of it, actually. Sad story, got kidnapped before I could finish high school. But you already knew that." Nathan said which caused David to release a laugh as the young boy grabbed his shoulder, pushing the dial back into place as the two hid behind a large plant near the back of the building.

Kayla looked rather confused as she fell to the ground unharmed, skin starting to return to normal before she went on guard again as she shot a guard in the elbow with her ice, causing the surrounding skin to turn blue with frostbite as ice began to crawl up his arm.

The brunette boy ran towards a guard at astonishing speed, taking the guns from each guard with ease as he dropped them behind where Killian held his force field.

"Stay on guard! Get rid of their guns! They're powerless without them!" Joelee yelled as she punched a guard in the face, eyes glowing gold as she watched the scene unfolding around her.

No losses so far was a very promising sign.

The young brown haired male appeared next to Joelee, gently tapping her shoulder as he grinned at her with a smug expression.

"I believe I have that handled." He said as Joelee began to gaze around the room, realizing that all of the guards were now unarmed and stood with their hands up in surrender.

"Wow, you work fast..." Joelee patted his shoulder before she turned her attention to the guards once again, motioning for her friends to back her up as she narrowed her eyes dangerously.

"Surrender." Joelee warned as her friends all raised their hands in warning, the group stepping forward to stand right behind her as they activated their powers to show that they meant business.

Loud, slow claps were heard coming from the viewing window above them.

" Very well done, children. You won... With no losses. Most impressive... But the big question here is... Now what?" The Boss woman said as she walked into view, the glass sliding open as she walked onto a balcony above them.

"Now you let us leave before we burn this place to the ground." Joelee warned which caused Magdalene to release a soft chuckle before she snapped her fingers, allowing around a hundred more guards to pour into the room.

"I apologize, you were saying?" Magdalene questioned as Joelee gave a small smirk, turning to whisper something to the brunette male who nodded before he seemed to disappear.

"I was saying..." Joelee paused as more people began to appear behind her as well at amazing speed, the brunette boy appearing next to her after a few moments as he wiped the sweat from his face.

"Super speed is gross." He muttered as Joelee's smirk grew and the kids began to walk towards her group, a few whispering something to Killian and Nathan before they all got into fighting stances as well.

"As I was saying.... You let us leave... Or we burn this place to the ground." Joelee warned as she smirked at Magdalene who kept her face void of emotion.

The guards seemed to visibly hesitate as Joelee turned her attention to them, raising her hands as she gave a reassuring smile.

"We're not going to hurt you. Most of you are innocent in this... Come with us and have a chance at a normal life. We'll protect you all. Don't worry about your boss... She has no say over you as long as you decide to come to the good side." Joelee glanced back at Kai who stood holding hands with Sam, the male nodding his thanks when Joelee caught his eye.

"They belong to me. They know nothing else, Lowell. After all, where will you go? You're no longer human... You will no longer have normal lives. It is best to just stay here, where you now belong." Magdalene tutted as she began to gage the teens reactions, watching as a few looked away at her words.

A brown haired guard, having already been unarmed began to walk towards them, ignoring Magdalene's mortified scoff as he came to stand next to Mary who gave him a gentle smile.

"You own nobody. No amount of money can give you control over our lives." Joelee sneered as a few guards joined her ranks, Magdalene watching with a look of visible distaste.

"We shall see about that." Magdalene's words caused a chill to travel up Joelee's spine, the look in her eyes causing Joelee to hesitate before Joelee turned her glare to the remaining guards.

"Move." Joelee warned as her eyes glowed gold, a few guards seeming to back away in fear as Joelee took a step towards them.

"Let them go." The guards looked up at Magdalene who watched the scene in front of her unfold.

"Ma'am, please-" Axle began as he pointed his gun at Joelee who narrowed her eyes dangerously.

"You will not defy direct orders. Let them go." Magdalene's gaze was cold as she glared at Axle who immediately lowered his gun.

"Yes, ma'am." Axle glared at the young teens as they passed him, his glare fixating on Kai as the raven haired male actively avoided his gaze.

"Traitors. The lot of you." Axle spit out as he watched a few more guards slip into the group as they made their way towards the exit.

"Steroid head." Joelee shouted back to Axle who narrowed his eyes as Joelee and her group slipped through the broken decontamination chamber before making their way towards the elevators.

Nathan pulled the dial from its place once again as he and David slipped out from behind the large ficus.

"It didn't happen this way before. That's promising." Nathan murmured as the two began to worm their way to the front of the group.

"Floor above this is a decoy. The elevators can only be activated by someone with a monarch butterfly tattoo... The code is in the wings so we have different clearance levels. The elevator will only take you to the decoy floor unless you scan your tattoo first. I'm the only one here with clearance to get above the decoy floor so... We're going to have to blend in for them to escape. I think that's why Magdalene let them go... Because she knew even with the guards help, they wouldn't be able to leave through this way. She's smart, really. But I'm certain she take into consideration that they had a backup plan... Or at least... That's what we'll say. Really, they're lucky to have you because if they didn't, they'd be stuck here despite their best efforts." David scanned his wrist to see if it would let them leave when Nathan returned time back to normal.

"If all else fails you'll just have to reveal yourself when the time comes and scan your wrist for them to prove your loyalty so you can escape too." Nathan said but David shook his head as he gave a small smile.

"No can do. I'll help them. But my work here is not done. I have to stay." David's words caused Nathan's eyes to widen as the male opened and closed his mouth, seemingly at a loss for words as David and Nathan made their way into the center of the group, Nathan covering his head with the hoodie he wore as he clicked the dial into place.

The group began to file into the large elevator, Joelee staying behind with the second group as they allowed the first group to enter.

"Everyone will get out of this. If you need help, tell me. I'll be there as soon as I can." Joelee called after Killian who turned to give her a reassuring smile just as the doors shut behind them.

The elevator began to travel upwards, causing Nathan and David to hold their breath in anticipation as David really didn't want to give himself away for fear of Magdalene finding out he helped.

The doors opened, causing Killian to peek out with a confused expression, he turned and pressed the button once again, closing the doors for a second before they opened to the same room.

"This can't be right." Killian murmured as he stepped out of the door for a moment before slipping back into the elevator.

David began to slowly make his way forward, keeping his head down as he opened a compartment near the buttons where he scanned his wrist, the elevator  immediately dinged as he quickly backed away, eyes avoiding everyone else as they turned their attention to the elevator buttons.

"Woah." Killian murmured as he quickly backed away, the doors sliding shut before the elevator began to travel upwards again.

"Must've gotten stuck." Killian assured them as a few people began to whisper quietly to each other, Killian still looking nervous as the doors opened once again, blinding everyone momentarily as they entered a lobby where the sunshine streamed through the large windows, causing the group to have to slowly make their way out as they tried to adjust their eyes to the bright light.

As the last person filed out of the elevator, Nathan immediately pressed the button to send them back down to the others, David scanning his tattoo once again so that it would go to the correct floor.

"This is a lot harder than I thought it was going to be." Nathan muttered to David who gave a soft chuckle as the elevator began to slow to a stop.

"To be fair. You said it yourself... Everything is different now. You have no idea what's coming. Step on a butterfly and all that jazz... You full on wiped out a species of butterfly. That's why this is hard for you. You used to know everything, now you know nothing because you changed everything." David said as the doors slid open, causing Joelee to arch her eyebrows in confusion as she stared at the two males.

"We're here to let you know it's all clear." David put on a thick American accent as he spoke, causing Joelee to eye him cautiously but she said nothing as the rest of the group filed into the elevator.

David pressed the main floor button, discreetly scanning his wrist as the elevator began to slowly travel upwards with the remaining group.

Joelee eyed David and Nathan out of the corner of her eye, noticing how familiar Nathan's scent was despite all the new smells around her.

"Once we get out of here, be on guard. We're not safe yet." Joelee warned as the elevator slowed to a stop, doors opening to reveal Killian already waiting with a large smile but the light temporarily blinded everyone within the elevator which gave Nathan enough time to slide open the dial once more.

"This is actually starting to get hard. Stopping time isn't as easy as it looks." Nathan told David as the two slipped from the elevator to make an escape without Joelee questioning them.

"She recognized me... She kept eyeing me throughout that whole elevator ride." Nathan waved his hand in front of his younger selves face, admiring his own strong jawline while David watched with an annoyed expression.

"She's a shapeshifter and a mind reader. If she didn't recognize you, I'd think she was stupid. Though I don't think anyone here would fully comprehend there being two of you... Not without evidence. You're lucky the human mind is an easily tricked thing. She'll probably think she was imagining things if she doesn't see you again." David paused as he walked towards the large glass doors, motioning for Nathan to follow as he began to make his way out of the building.

"Where are you going?" Nathan called after the older male as he hurried behind David who turned to smirk at him.

"Well they'll need a ride to escape. The Monarch won't be able to chase them if they're in a company vehicle. Especially a delivery truck. It would raise too much attention and potentially launch an investigation. We get them that vehicle and they have a free ride to anywhere they like." David explained after Nathan caught up to him, tossing the bullets from his pockets into a nearby trash can as the two walked past it.

"How do you know they won't just send the cops after them for stealing their stuff?" Nathan questioned as the two entered a rather large warehouse where a large array of trucks were lined up just begging to be stolen.

"Because this has happened before. And Magdalene refused to let us go after them for fear of the press taking notice and launching an investigation into why a bunch of missing kids... Stole her delivery truck." David's reply caused Nathan to arch his eyebrows but he gave no reply as David walked over to where a security guard stood.

David cracked his knuckles before his fist flew forward, hitting the man directly in the nose before he grabbed the mans keys, walking over to a large delivery truck where he quickly unlocked it and climbed inside.

"Was breaking his nose completely necessary?" Nathan muttered as he climbed into the truck next to David who smirked at the younger male.

"If I want to remain anonymous.... Then, yes." David replied as he placed the keys into the ignition, preparing to start the large truck as Nathan released a sigh and clicked the dial back into place.

The truck started up as the guard released a loud grunt of pain before falling to the ground, David quickly pulling out of the warehouse as he drove at an alarming speed towards where he knew everyone would eventually get out.

"When I pull up and you freeze time again, we're going to have to part ways." David warned as he turned in to stop in front of the doors, Nathan allowing him to come to a full stop and put the truck in park before he once again pulled the dial from its original place.

"What are you going to do now?" Nathan questioned as he climbed from the truck, watching as David made his way back towards the building.

"Have you take me back in time where you'll drop me into the past. Don't worry, I will never come across a second version of myself. I'll be staying in an office with around thirty other scientists to create an alibi." David explained but Nathan looked hesitant as he rubbed the back of his neck nervously.

"Oh, so you completely change the future as you know it but you won't help me? I literally just risked my life helping you out. Come on, man. I need to stay here..." David begged as he stared into Nathan's eyes desperately, Nathan looking extremely uncomfortable as he released a quiet sigh.

"This is why I need to stay." David pulled something from his pocket, showing it to Nathan who stared down at the item with a frown.

"Yours?" Nathan questioned as David gave a slow nod, Nathan groaning loudly as he turned the dial back a few hours before he grabbed David's arm.

"This is extortion." Nathan muttered as he pushed the dial in once again, causing oa light to flash around them before they disappeared.

_-*-_

"The sun." Joelee murmured as the group began to walk towards the door, all looking shocked to see the sun again after so long.

"Hey, you..." Joelee paused as she realized she couldn't spot the two men from before, the scent lingering so that she knew she wasn't crazy but yet they weren't among the crowd anymore.

"Look." Killian motioned out the door, turning Joelee's attention towards where she realized there was a van just waiting to be taken.

"Well that's plot convenience if I ever saw it." Joelee muttered as Connor walked forward, eyes flashing blue before he gave a quick nod.

"It's empty. Let's go." Connor pushed open the glass door as they began to run towards the truck, Connor climbing into the drivers seat as Joelee occupied the seat next to him while everyone else climbed into the back.

"Hurry!" Joelee exclaimed as they all began to file into the back of the van, the sound of an alarm ringing within the building causing everyone to hurry as the last two kids pulled the van doors closed behind them.

"Go, go, go!" Joelee exclaimed as Connor put the van into drive, slamming on the gas as the vehicle roared forward at an alarming speed.

The van sped down the road, Connor glancing nervously in the rear view mirror as they drove.

"Why aren't they chasing us!?" Brianna exclaimed as she gazed out of the van's rear, tinted, windows.

"Because of the publicity. The Monarch hates being anywhere near involved in a scandal. Magdalene pays to keep the tabloids good. If they hunted us down in this it would be a scandal and gain a lot of attention." Connor replied as he turned onto a road with darker pavement, the signs signaling that they were on a highway now due to Connor's speeding.

"Relax. The danger won't appear until we have to stop." Connor murmured as everyone began to find a comfortable place in the rather cramped space of the back.

Nobody knew what the future would bring, not even the hooded figure who had managed to get into the van at the very last second. His grip tight on the golden pocket watch he held as he kept low to the ground, preparing for when he would have to make a quick escape.