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

"We need to leave. They'll find us here. They will always find us... David won't stop until we're dead... They know if they attack, they'll win. Because they've taken out most of us... They know we're outnumbered." Kevin said, leaning forward as he gazed into the fire in front of him.

"Can't you be like Kai and just enjoy your s'mores? You're kinda being a party pooper." Alyssa sighed as she motioned to Kai who was already on his sixth s'more, face completely coated in chocolate and crumbs.

"We just went to a funeral. The fact that Kai can enjoy a s'more is literally just due to the fact that he's never had one. No normal person can have fun after attending a funeral... Sorry, Alyssa. I'm with Kevin on this one." Blake muttered as he rubbed his arms, fighting off the chill that the night brought.

"How did your family take this?" Joelee whispered to Connor who stared into the fire with tears running down his cheeks.

"Not well... His mother blamed me. Told me that I probably was the one who helped him run away. But I'm used to her treating me like that. Ever since you guys... Were taken... Every time I'd come home to visit... Despite me not remembering I was the reason... I'd still feel guilty about seeing how disappointed his mother was for the fact that I was alone when returning. When they had her identify his body she screamed when she saw him. I guess she just expected to be reunited with her son when he was alive... Not after he was gone." Connor shuddered as he remembered the awful sound, ears ringing as though he were still in the room with them as it was happening.

"She blames Esther too. I think she just needs someone to blame, now. She misses him... He was her oldest. I can't even look at Derek's siblings without seeing him when he was younger. I just can't believe I had just gotten him back and he's already dead." As Connor spoke, Kevin eyed him with a surprised expression, the ginger male seeming surprised that Connor felt any sadness for his cousin.

"It's not anyone's fault but David's. You can't blame yourselves." Joelee piped up after a moment, eyes glowing orange in the light of the fire as she stared intently into the flames.

"How can we not? You blame yourself for almost everyone's death so you know how it is. We feel this way for a reason... Survivors guilt or whatever..." Esther murmured as she ran a hand through her long, light brown, hair. The fire cracked, sending sparks spiraling into the sky as she watched with a broken expression.

"What is it?" Connor snapped after awhile, having grown tired of Kevin staring at him, his voice startling his friends who all turned their attention back to him.

"It's just... I've known you for a long time but never once have I seen you with your emotions turned on. It's a good change. I never knew you to care about anyone else. It's good to know that The Monarch hasn't taken everything from you..." Kevin admitted after a moment, causing Connor to immediately look away as he released a soft sigh.

"Kevin is right though. We do need to leave. We're putting your family in danger by being here. It won't be long until David finds us here... We need to go... Tomorrow. Just stay on the run until we can work up enough man power to destroy The Monarch itself." Connor said as he looked directly at Nathan who nodded in agreement.

"We'll find others like us. Form a group and burn that facility to the ground. If Derek escaped through different means... That means others like us probably did as well." Joelee said as she finally lifted her gaze from the flames, Nathan turning his attention to the woman beside him as he scooted closer to wrap his arm around her.

"We'll bring everyone together. Give those who are different somewhere to call home. We'll make money on the side to earn enough to buy a van. We'll stay together and fight crime... Protect those who need protecting." Nathan agreed as he hugged her close to him, smiling as she looked up to meet his deep green gaze.

"I like that. We can honor those we lost... By saving people's lives... We can't give up hope." Joelee blushed as she returned his smile, leaning her head against his chest as she spoke.

"Do you actually think that'll work? That we'll be a little traveling circus of superheroes? Have a little mystery machine?" Blake questioned which turned everyone's attention to him instead.

"It could work. David can't kill us if we keep moving. This will work... If we leave in time... Which is why I'm going to bed now so that we can leave first thing tomorrow." Kai said as he stood, finishing off his eighth s'more before he began to make his way towards the guest house where the males had been staying.

"Say your goodbyes tonight. Call who you need to call but you won't be able to use your phones until hours before we leave for our next destination. Otherwise we'll be having to use pay phones... It'll be safer." Kevin said as he stood up as well, following Blake and Kai who were already halfway to the guest house by now.

"So no internet?" Alyssa whined as she crossed her arms over her chest, looking incredibly annoyed that she had just gotten her phone back but yet she already had to give it up.

"No posting or liking anything. Don't turn on your service until we're getting ready to leave. That way they can't track us." Joelee told her which caused Alyssa to release a loud sigh of annoyance as she stood up.

"Guess I better catch up tonight, then." She muttered as she began making her way towards the house, muttering her annoyance the whole way.

"You coming in?" Esther questioned as she stood to follow Alyssa into the house, hesitating to look at Nathan, Joelee, and Connor who remained sitting in their lawn chairs.

"In a minute. Just want to enjoy the night for a bit longer." Joelee replied while Nathan and Connor nodded in agreement, Esther waving her hand to signal she understood as she ran after Alyssa so she wouldn't have to walk alone in the dark.

"Do you think this'll work?" Joelee questioned after Esther was out of earshot, turning her glowing gaze to Connor who nodded slowly.

"I do. It's a solid plan. We have money from before we left... We have ways of making money easily... As Blake said, we'll be like-" Connor cut himself off as Joelee and Nathan began to laugh as they realized what he was going to compare them to.

"Does that make me the dog of our group?" Joelee grinned which caused Connor to laugh as well despite how much he wanted to disagree.

"No. You're not a dog. You're a wolf, remember." Nathan brushed a lock of her hair behind her ear as she blushed once again, quickly ducking her head to hide how flustered she was.

"Get a room, guys. Gross. I don't need to see anything lovey." Connor groaned as he covered his eyes, smirking a bit to show that he was joking.

Joelee gave no reply as she looked up at the stars, eyes focusing on the moon as she relaxed under the bright light.

"I never thought I'd ever get to do this again." Joelee murmured after Nathan's laugh died down, her eyes seeming to glow golden under the pale moonlight as she kept her gaze transfixed on the beautiful orb.

"What's that, Joe?" Connor questioned as he looked up as well, admiring the thousands of glittering stars while Joelee released a soft chuckle.

"I never thought I'd get to laugh under the stars with my friends again. I missed this." Joelee whispered as she lay her head on Nathan's shoulder once again.

"Yeah... So did I." Nathan agreed as he tightened his hold on her, smiling down at the blonde woman in his arms as she sighed happily.

"You should get some rest. We have a big day, tomorrow." Connor said as he returned his gaze to the couple in front of him instead.

"I'll put out the fire. Get some sleep." Connor said when Joelee opened her mouth to argue, Joelee looking hesitant to listen but Nathan nodded as he stood and stretched.

"I'll walk you to the house." Nathan said as he held out his hand, helping her to her feet before he entwined his fingers with hers.

Joelee was silent as she walked next to him, keeping his hand tightly in hers as she gazed ahead with a blank expression.

"What're you thinking about? You're quiet." Nathan squeezed her hand to get her attention back to him as she jolted from her thoughts.

"Just... I get about an hour of sleep when I can... Now that I'm free of The Monarch it's easier for me to sleep but it's still hard. I'm just... I had a nightmare last night that was pretty bad... Now I'm worried that if I try to sleep again it'll ruin what little sleep I get per night. I'm always exhausted and if we have to fight crime now I'm worried that all I'll be is a burden." Joelee admitted after a moment, both hesitating as they stood in front of Joelee'a house as Nathan turned her so that she would look at him.

"What was it?" Nathan murmured as he brushed a lock of her hair behind her ear, free hand still holding hers as he gently run his thumb down her cheek.

"It was dark... I couldn't wake up no matter how hard I tried. Then it switched... I couldn't see still... But I could tell it was different because I heard screaming and felt something hot and sticky on my hands. It was really hot and I felt like I was suffocating... Where before I had been almost cold... Then I feel a really bad pain in my head and I wake up." Joelee's eyes were hollow as she spoke in a low voice, shaking in his hold as he listened to what she was saying with a worried expression.

"Hey... It's just a dream. It's okay." Nathan whispered as he gripped her chin gently, forcing her eyes to his as he forced a reassuring smile.

"Yeah. I know." Joelee forced her own smile as she put a hand on his cheek, gazing into his eyes as he began to lean closer to her.

"I had fun." Joelee whispered as Nathan paused, realizing that she didn't understand that he wanted to kiss her.

"So did I." Nathan said as he tilted her head up slightly, trying to hint to her what he was doing as he leaned in closer.

Joelee pulled away slightly as her eyes darkened a bit, emotions lost to her expression as she cleared her throat.

"Have a good night." Joelee murmured as Nathan tried to mask his disappointment, giving a slight nod as she turned and made her way up the stairs.

"You too." Nathan muttered as he silently cursed himself before he turned and made his way back towards where the bonfire burned in the distance.

"Did you kiss her?!" Connor yelled as Nathan walked past, Nathan flipping him off as he walked away.

"I'm taking that a... No." Connor muttered as he returned his gaze to the fire in front of him.

A snap of sticks in the forest caused Connor's head to shoot up before he quickly turned to look around behind himself.

"Hello!?" He called softly, eyes glowing blue as he used his X-ray to search for someone in the woods.

Connor quickly got to his feet as he realized there was two people not too far away from himself in the woods.

"Kevin? Kai?!" Connor questioned as he stepped towards the figures, sliding open a compartment in his hand to reveal the large gun that resides within his arm.

Connor stiffened as his eyes glowed red, hand returning to normal as he fell to the ground.

"Get him. Magdalene will be pleased." David ordered as an incredibly tall, blonde guard walked forward, tucking his pistol into its holster as he walked towards where Connor had fallen.

The guard was incredibly tall compared to David who was around 5'10, this guard stood at around eight feet tall. He was stacked with muscles, appearing to be bigger than even Axle who had been known to be a behemoth compared to every other guard there. The guard was blonde with metallic gray eyes that seemed completely void of emotion, skin seeming almost too perfect while one of his incredibly large arms was made completely of a dark gray metal that glowed with blue gear symbols.

"Yes, sir." The blonde guard murmured as he picked Connor up, slinging him over his shoulder before he began to walk towards the forest with David following close behind.

"You will stay behind and get Kevin. Understood?" David ordered a young, dark haired woman who smirked at the slightly taller male.

The woman had long, black hair that was tied back in a braid that reached her waist. Her eyes were a thin almond, being a deep brown in color and filled with amusement as she gazed at David who only stood about two inches above her.

"Yes, sir." The woman sneered as she mockingly saluted the raven haired male, David ignoring her mocking as he turned and made his way after the much taller male.

"Jerk." She muttered as she turned to watch the fire, eyes now glowing a vibrant blue, searching for any sign of movement as she awaited her prey.

_-*-_

"If those... Those... Parasites think that they can get away, they will learn very soon that there is no escape. I will not stop until I get what I want. How much longer, Banner?" Magdalene hissed as she turned to glare at Doctor Banner who visibly flinched beneath her cold gaze.

"I am almost done, ma'am. It will be done before sunrise." Doctor Banner replied as he removed the chip from the computer, turning to insert it into Connor's neck instead as he gently clicked the card into place.

"There... You can control him from any distance now. He won't feel any pain anymore so he can get damaged without reacting... I also removed all of his memories that did not involve The Monarch. His emotions are shut off... Everything you asked, ma'am." Doctor Banner's eyes held a look of sadness to them as he slid the artificial skin back over Connor's neck.

"Excellent. You know what to do..." Magdalene smirked as Doctor Banner forced the feeling of dread that filled him away, swallowing heavily as he gave a hesitant nod.

"Yes, ma'am." Doctor Banner whispered as he walked over to his computer, eyes distant as he typed the new orders with sweat dripping down his face.

Connor sat up quickly, eyes glowing red as he gazed directly at Magdalene who smirked at the cyborg.

"Fetch." Magdalene whispered as Connor gave an obident nod, climbing off of the large metal table as he began to make his way towards the door with Doctor Banner watching in disappointment.

"I'm sorry." Doctor Banner whispered, not caring if Magdalene heard him as he clutched the photo in his pocket tightly.

_-*-_

"Joe, get up." Alyssa exclaimed as she smacked Joelee in the face with a pillow, Joelee releasing a growl of annoyance as she covered her face with the blanket.

"Go away. I just got to sleep like twenty minutes ago." Joelee mumbled as she pulled the blanket tighter around her head.

"No! Get uuuup!" Alyssa hit her with the pillow again, causing Joelee to release a louder growl as she kicked her leg out, sweeping Alyssa's foot out from under her, sending Alyssa tumbling to the carpeted floor with a grunt.

"That's it!" Joelee snapped as she shot up in the bed, standing in a predatory stance as Alyssa released a loud gulp before she quickly crawled towards the door.

"Well at least she's up...." Blake muttered as Joelee chased Alyssa around the house with a wild look in her eyes.

"HELP! SHE'S GOING TO KILL ME!" Alyssa screamed as she bolted towards the living room, Joelee in hot pursuit a bit further back.

"STOP, DROP, AND ROLL!" Blake yelled before he paused as he realized what he had said.

"Wait, that's for fires.....JUST IGNORE ME AND RUN!" Blake yelled to Alyssa who glared at him while diving behind the couch to hide.

Joelee charged into the room, growling angrily as her golden gaze snapped to Blake who looked terrified.

"Where'd she go?" She hissed as she narrowed her eyes at Blake who shrugged with a large gulp.

"Don't lie, Blake. I can tell when you're lying." Joelee took a step towards Blake who flinched as he pointed to the couch.

"Um, p-please don't kill me..." Blake stuttered out as he leaned away from her, Joelee's gaze snapping to the couch as she began to stalk towards it.

"Alright, Alyssa. You have two options... Surrender and come out with your hands up... And I'll accept an apology without consequences... Or you can continue hiding and I'll.... Well, I don't think you want to know what I'll do." Joelee said in a low voice, Alyssa releasing a loud gulp as she slowly began to rise from behind the couch with her hands in the air.

" You made the right decision." Joelee said as she slowly stalked towards Alyssa who gulped once again.

" Sorry, Joe...." Alyssa said with her hands still over her head, looking worried for her life as she eyed Joelee cautiously.

" Okay, well unless there's food I'm going back to bed to try and sleep." Joelee muttered as she turned to make her way back upstairs only for Blake to block her path.

"We're getting ready to leave. Connor and Kevin were already up and gone when I woke up so I'm assuming they went for a run before the trip." Blake said as Joelee slipped past him, looking slightly annoyed that he had tried to trap her downstairs.

"I'll get dressed, then." Joelee said as Nathan and Kai entered the room, looking confused as to why there had previously been so much commotion.

Nathan gave a soft chuckle as he watched the younger girl bolt up the stairs on all fours, his lips pressed into a goofy sideways grin.

Nathan felt a chill run up his spine after a moment, sensing a dark presence behind himself as he slowly turned to see Connor standing at the very back of the group.

" Oh, Connor! There you are! We were worried." Alyssa smiled at the taller male who remained silent as he simply stared at Alyssa with an emotionless expression.

" Conner? Are you alright?" Kai asked, slightly unnerved by Connor's cold, emotionless stare. The hair on the back of his neck raised, his heightened senses seeming to see the older male as a threat.

" Exterminate the targets." Connor growled as his hand opened to reveal the barrel of a gun, his friends immediately taking a step back.

" What?" Blake backed up with wide eyes as Connor took a step towards Kai who put a hand on his leg, dread filling him as he realized he'd forgotten to grab his knife from his room.

" Exterminate the targets." Connor said again before his gun began to power up to reveal a bright red light.

"That can't be good." Nathan whispered as the laser gun went off, hitting Kai straight in the chest as the male instantly collapsed to the ground.