You know how people who went through nearly fatal experiences often say that their lives flashed before their eyes? How their entire lives played in a single thought, including regrets?

   Bull. Shit.

   The only thing that was flashing before my eyes was the shiny, metal gun Speck aimed at me.

   For the first time today, he wasn't wearing a cool-faced mask. His bloodshot eyes were wild with pure fury as he exhaled breaths so sharp that I could feel them on my face.

"I was wrong," he snarled. "You are just like the rest of them. Now tell me, where is it?"

"Where is–"

   The sound of the gun being cocked froze the 'what?' at the tip of my tongue.

"WHERE IS IT?" Speck boomed.

   In spite of my situation, defiant excitement crept into me. Speck's reaction gave me the confirmation I needed. I glanced at the table on the stage and sure enough, the Neuroskel was not on it.

   You know how I mentioned earlier that one sentence out of Mr. Speck's 'join me' speech stuck with me? It was the first thing he said:

   All the other mind control devices lead to this powerhouse right here.

   If the Neuroskel was the source of power for the devices in every Zavolonian's head, what would the mind control devices be without it?

   That's right, nothing. Nothing but a bunch of inactive devices that could be removed by surgery.

   Unfortunately, Speck was quick to follow my gaze which was now on the person I had to thank a thousand times for getting my pouch-tapping signal.

"Let them go, Speck," Rav held the Neuroskel high above his head in one hand, while in the other was my magnetic invention, the tech which was responsible for three major things tonight; serving as the door stopper that got us out of Sacury's lab, what had hit that passed out Yunie in the head–judging from the black, blood-like liquid around it– and most importantly, what transferred the Neuroskel from the table to Rav's group.

   Rav kept my creation with him after we got out of the lab and i knew that whoever knocked us out in the hallway didn't search us before we were brought here when i saw a bulge around Rav's pouch; at the same spot I patted and received a nod from Rav before calling his name.

"And if I don't?" Speck raised an eyebrow.

"Then consider your life's work reduced to nothing when he smashes it against the floor,'' I chipped in. "You said the Neuroskel was the powerhouse, right? If it's destroyed, the devices in everyone's heads will become useless, making everyone normal again. And I don't suppose you want that, do you?"

   Rather than blanche from that revelation, I was startled by the deafening laughter that barked out of Speck. He laughed so hard that he was indifferent to the gun loosening in his grip.

   He went silent for a while, then seeing the confusion on our faces, went hysterical once more.

"He thinks we're kidding." Rav scoffed, shaking his head. "This should make him take us seriously."

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." Our principal turned to Rav as he took finger after finger off the Neuroskel.

"Well, I am me. And I would," Rav replied, with only two of his fingers on the device now.

"Every mind control device I created has a self-destruct system within it that is activated when placed in the minds of its hosts. What will trigger this system is the destruction of its source of power. In simpler terms, if you destroy the Neuroskel and it is not repaired in the next thirty minutes, the devices would blow up in the heads of their hosts, killing everyone you know."

   Of course.

"Why should we believe you?" Rav asked.

   I noticed, however, that he now had three fingers clutching the Neuroskel.

"Whether or not you believe me it doesn't matter." Speck shrugged, making sure he made eye contact with each of us at some point before saying, "I just hope that after you destroy it, you can all live with the fact that you would've killed the very people you were trying to save. As I've already said, I'm working on other Neuroskels which will be the new sources of my other mind-control devices which are still going to be intact because they are yet to be implanted into hosts. So... this is more of a you problem, really."

   Destroying the Neuroskel was no ordinary risk. These were not the lives of random people we could possibly be dealing with here excluding the last people we saw through our camera getting shot by the placement guns. If we took the risk of destroying it, we were going to have to live the rest of our lives with the blood of Minji, Viola and many other Zavolonians, the blood of my best friend, Talise, and others on our hands.

   How then will we be the heroes we claim to be? What would make us different from him?

   Also, come to think of it, why wasn't this the solution Mr. Sacury came up with? Destroying the powerhouse seemed like the most obvious way to end all this.

  He did work with Speck on creating this monstrosity after all. And those clues we found in the lab had nothing to do with getting rid of the Neuroskel.

   I hated how all of the above was making Speck sound less and less crazy.

   The four-finger and thumb grasp Rav had on the Neuroskel plus the sober expressions everyone wore showed I wasn't the only one affected by our principal's words.

   But then I was shocked by the words that came from my mouth, "I guess we'll just hold onto it until we figure out a way to destroy it without killing anyone."

   That straightened Speck, "You won't."

"Like you said earlier, this Neuroskel is a result of our combined efforts," I said, "All I need is time to know more about its makeup than I already do. And unlike you, I have incredible people on my side that I will be working with every step of the way."

"And where will that be?" he chuckled. "In the same run-down motel you came from? Or are you going to run to an equally disgusting one now that I know where that is like you did the last time? That's right, Landon told me everything up to the very details of your perfect plan."

   Those last words took a while to sink in. When it did, however, the fear I expected never came.

"How do you know that?" I asked, sheer bewilderment evident with every word.

"Know wh–?"

"I never told Landon that we moved."

   As a matter of fact, I remember forgetting to tell him and upon realising that later, making sure not to bring it up because I didn't want to freak him out and ruin our chances of having him on our side.

"Yes, you did."

"No, I didn't."

"You did."

"I. Did. Not."

   Although that exchange didn't last longer than a minute, Speck's breaths were heavier by the time we were through. His cocky composure was not as sturdy as before and he was giving a few too many blinks at the moment.

   I stared at the passed out frame of Landon not too far from us.

   My eyes and ears, Speck had said while we were in the lab.

   Although his dreads were spread out on the floor in haphazard directions, he still had a resting face that almost made me forget that he was with Speck from the beginning and sold out Dorian. Without meaning to, my eyes raked over his facial features, which were more prominent now that most of his hair was brushed away from his face.

  But something I saw that made his flawless face less so caused me to frown.

  Before I knew it, I was leaning forward to get a better look and when I did, I shrunk back with a harsh sharpness, new emotions of fear and horror making me regret my decision.

"Beth, what's wrong?" Cami asked, concerned.

"Are you okay?" Rav added.

   I couldn't lie to them if I wanted to. Not when the multiple dots that led to the truth were connecting before my eyes.

"Beth?" Dorian's voice, though laced with worry, sounded stronger.

   After what felt like eternity, I finally had the courage to say, "It's not him."

   Ignoring the universal 'whats?' coming from Rav, Camila and Dorian, I focused on Speck, shaking my head as I said, "Landon is not a traitor. He never was. You've been mind-controlling him. I should've known Landon wouldn't willingly do your sick bidding."

"Beth, where is this coming from?" Dorian gawked.

"Dorian, great, you're as close to him as I am." I pointed to the side of Landon's head. "What do you see?"

   I watched his already pale face grow whiter. Stare still stuck on Landon, Dorian then gave a not-so-hushed whisper, "Placement gun marks."

"I don't how Speck knew all that stuff about Landon, but I know Speck is lying. They've never talked to each other in any way until today. Until after a mind-control device was put into Landon's brain. Landon is not a traitor," I said, sneaking one last glance at him and turning away before the guilt conjured up within me could eat me alive.

   I'm so sorry for not realising it sooner, Landon.

   As if that wasn't heart-wrenching enough, I couldn't close the chapter on this right away. Not when something even more tragic had to be addressed.

   I took a long, deep breath, trying not to tremble as I spoke. "Still, Mr. Speck knew everything we did. And the only people who knew of our move to another motel–with the exception of Talise–are in this very room."

   Dorian's jaw dropped, "Are you saying..."

"Yes." I made eye contact with Mr. Speck again. "Landon may not be the traitor, but it doesn't mean someone amongst us hasn't been mind controlled all this whi–."

   A deafening yelp and a subsequent thump coming from the audience area of the assembly pod drowned out that last word. 

A/N: Who then, if not Landon? Any guesses? I'm particularly proud of how I created this whole faux traitor thing! Who suspected anything?

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