I glance at the people gathered around me. Teresa's living room has become littered with people, all of them part of our cause. I stand in front of the single couch. Hailee, Ash, and Teresa sit on it while Aubrey, Cody, and Eva stand next to it. Derek watches from afar, and I can feel his eyes on me everytime I move. He remembers my breakdown a few hours ago, and I can almost swear concern flashes across his face. Alas, he did force me to allow him to sit in on this impromptu meeting.

It feels awkward addressing my friends this way. I let out a breath, folding my shaking hands behind me. I still can't believe I lost control. Sure, I learned more about my Chip. However, I destroyed the temporary leader's office when I was supposed to be gaining his support. Now he'll never support us. A knot forms in my stomach as I think of what to say, of how to fill in everyone who wasn't at school. Instead, I glance to the spot that Jared should occupy next to Eva. His absence also unnerves me, and his moodiness makes me angry. When I need his support most, he falls apart. Of course I'm worried for him, but I'm even more worried about Leane.

"I went to the government to ask for help," I gulp.

Gaps echo through the room, save the few who knew. I gesture to Derek. "This is Derek, the leader of The Others. He offered his troops to help us take down Leane. We both went to the government, but..." I trail off, running a hand through my hair. "Herold is the temporary leader until an election is held to pick the next leader." I tell them about James, and about everything that happened up to my meltdown. Everyone seems surprised, save Teresa. She doesn't seem very impressed, but Derek's presence seems to have her on alert.

"For those of you with the new Chips, they're more than you think. I had an, erm, meltdown. I discovered I could do more with the electricity, and that I used some sort of air manipulation. Just- these Chips are more powerful than I imagined. If Leane and her army have them..." I trail off.

Cody looks down to my arm, concern written across his face. "What happened to your arm?"

I sigh. "I shattered some windows and I got sliced a bit. I'm fine."

"You lost control?' Teresa shakes her head. "You do realize who he was, right? You do know who's office you destroyed?"

"At least this Herold knows who he's dealing with," Ash smirks, then rises from her place on the couch. "Look, we have new information we can use!" She glances down at her arm in awe, then back to me. "Let's look past Autumn's mishap and see how strong she is. How strong all of us can be!"

Hailee rises. "I agree, although we all need to learn how to control ourselves. We can end up harming the right person."

At the shame written across my face, she walks to me and pats my shoulder. "Don't put yourself down. I did something similar when I first got my Chip. In private, but still. It just means we're all stronger than we think. Leane's Chips can be good if used for, well, good."

I smile slightly, then turn to the others. They're all murmuring amongst themselves. I notice Teresa approach Derek. To my surprise, they shake hands. I guess she ran away from Leane, not Derek. That or they're willing to put their differences aside for the greater good. I turn to Eva next, and I can see the sullen look plastered on her face. She glances down at her watch, probably hoping Jared will call her. I let out a breath and walk over to her. Aubrey's already at her side, smiling timidly as she pats her shoulder.

"Ev, give him time," I say gently. "He's probably worried about his dad, and this has most likely gotten to him."

She shakes her head, tears shining in her eyes. "This isn't like him, Autumn. Sure, he's been grumpy before. However, not like this. Not when this means so much to all of us."

She's right. I know she's right, but I refuse to believe it. Jared's my friend and I don't want to lose him. I don't want to lose an original member of this to sorrow, anger, or whatever is eating away at him. Plus, I don't want Eva or Jared to lose someone they care so deeply for. Things can't fall apart now. I won't let them.

Instead of replying, I pull my friend into a hug. She squeezes me tight yet refuses to cry. After a few minutes, she pulls away. Aubrey's wandered off, leaving the two of us to face each other. Well, until Cody comes and squeezes her on the shoulder.

"I know my cousin, and I know he cares about this and you. Don't think too much of it. Give him time."

Eva nods, and I'm pretty sure she's fighting off tears. Wordlessly, she walks away, leaving Cody and I to stare at each other. 

He cocks a grin. "So, you shattered Herold's windows? Interesting."

I swat him on the arm, and I can't help but smile at him. "I didn't mean to, alright?"

"That's still pretty cool. I mean, you showed him who he's messing with." I can see something in his eyes. I feel a bit guilty. I have abilities and he doesn't. Sure, it's because some crazy lady brought me back and used me to experiment with her Chip. However, I wish I could get some Chips for the others that are part of this team. I never thought I'd want people to have Chips. If there's a hidden layer to this Chip, then we're in deep trouble. However, if it just gives you abilities and an advantage in a fight, it might be a good invention. If only Leane were the good guy. But, she isn't, and now we need to fight against her.

"Autumn," Cody murmurs, cupping my chin. I didn't realize I was staring at the floor. "Are you okay?"

I nod, feeling giddy at his touch. "I'm fine. I'm just thinking about- everything. About the inevitable fight, about losing the government's help, about Jared." I take a step away from him. Everything suddenly feels like too much. I let out a breath, running a hand down my face. I need to calm myself down, I know I do. However, everything seems like too much, too fast. I don't want anything to happen to the people I care about. Not my first boyfriend, not my first best friend, not Jared, my cousin, or the friends I made while at Leane's underground facility. I feel like so many things rest on my shoulders, on our shoulders.

"You're not fine. I know you," he sighs. Then, he takes me into his arms. I don't fight. I let him hold me. I let my worries fade for just a moment as I melt against his warmth, my heart thumping against my ribcage for a new reason.

Someone taps me on the shoulder, causing me to spin around to look at them. It's Aubrey, who has a timid smile on her face.

"Sorry to interrupt your adorable moment," she laughs, and I blush. "I just wanted to tell you that Hailee wants to say something."

We all turn to the place I stood minutes ago.

Hailee smiles at me. "Thanks to Autumn's discovery, us with abilities need to work on harnessing all the extra abilities we can. We need to see what our current abilities can really do. Plus, all of us, save Autumn, don't have much to do anyways. We can't exactly do much."

Murmurs run through the crowd of people around me. They all agree with her. I smile. That's a great idea. At least that will make us stronger and give us the biggest advantage we can get. 

"We all need to train." Cody surprises me by speaking. "We're not sure when Leane's going to attack, but we need to be ready.

Hailee nods. Then, she turns to Derek and raises an eyebrow. "I'm guessing your people are trained. Have room for any more?"

Derek nods with a smirk. "Of course I do. I was always the best trainer back when Leane and I worked together." His smirk turns into a hint of a scowl. "I guess you guys could come to my base..."

"You better trust us after I trusted you," I speak up.

He nods. "Of course. We're allies, and I need to trust all of you. Plus, you'll be no help if you're weak and defenseless. We'll probably need weapons, so I can provide those."

I nod. Ironically, I'm not sure if I can give him all of my trust. However, I'm pretty sure I can trust a rebel leader to know how to train people. Plus, I'm sure he has weapons similar to Leane's. He could even have some insight on her tactics.

"I'm sure Leane will strike soon," Hailee sighs. "She didn't plan to wait all that long. I have no idea if she knows she'll be meet with resistance."

"We'll deal with a plan when the time comes," Teresa pipes up. Then, she stretches her arms. "I wouldn't mind having a good workout again. I didn't leave because of the exercise."

Hailee laughs, then shakes her head. "I could do without Leane's rigorous workouts, that's for sure."

"I never saw you training."

"I trained with Leane and my twin, Monica," she explains.

"Monica didn't want to help us?" Eva asks.

Hailee gets a faraway look. It almost looks like she'll cry, but she shakes her head. In an instant, the look disappears. "No. She wanted to help Leane. Her and Leane are no longer my sisters. At least, not to me. Not after all of this."

A thought suddenly pops into my head. My eyes widen. "Would Leane come looking for us? For us that ran from her?"

Hailee's eyes widen. Then, she shrugs. She's trying to appear nonchalant, but I can see the fear written across her face. "Well, she could. But, she might not waste the resources. We need to focus on training in case Jeremy or anyone decides to attack us before the real fight can even begin." She points a finger at Derek. "Tomorrow. Dawn. Those without school meet back here to be taken to your base. The rest come after school."

I nod along with the agreement and grumbles. Hope starts to rise within me. I'm also glad that Hailee can take charge and make sure we all get the training we need. A thought strikes me and I turn to Derek. "How many people do you have that will right with us?"

He stops to think for a moment. "Maybe four hundred."

I feel a bit of relief spread through me. "How maybe does Leane have?"

"About seven hundred," Hailee answers, her pace paleing.

 "Well, outnumbered people can still win," Cody nervously states.

"Yeah, but the enemy has a huge advantage," Teresa points out.

"What if we get more of Leane's Chips?" I think out loud. It could be dangerous, but it could work. It has to.

Hailee shakes her head. "It's too dangerous. If Leane sees us back in her base, she'll kill us!"

I force myself to become invisible. "She doesn't have to see us at all." Then, I flicker back into appearance.

Hailee shakes her head once again. "Not good enough."

"Could you install them?" I press.

"Yes, but- no! Absolutely not!" She exclaims, placing her hands on her hips. "It'll be more trouble than it's worth.

"It's the only option we have. Well, unless you have a better one," Derek points out.

Hailee runs a hand down her face. "We'll find a way!" Suddenly, she flickers out of sight. "Hey, Autumn, I think I just learned your invisibility trick!"

I laugh, happiness surging through me. If she can unlock that, hopefully the others can unlock more as well. "Well, now come back into visibility."

"Um, how?" She mutters.

A smirk slightly. "You have to want to. Just- think about becoming visible again. Imagine it."

A few moments later, a slightly frazzled Hailee reappears. "Well, that happened."

I laugh. "Yeah, it did." I turn to the others around me, all gathered close to Leane and the couch. 

Derek leans against the couch observing Hailee. It's not just admiration on his face, or curiosity. It's something else that I can't place. "I'd like one of those. If I learn more about them, maybe I can learn how to disable someone else's and add more features to it."

If he can actually do that, we can have a small advantage.

Hailee huffs. "I said no!"

"Autumn can just slip in, and-"

"Well only I know where the Chips are," Hailee states smugly. Then, she lets out a breath. "That will be our last resort. For now, we just need to train."

She turns to walk out, and all those living with her follow.

Cody taps me on the shoulder. "I'll walk you home."

I lightly knock on the door. My foot taps against the familiar porch as I wait, taking a step back. The chairs still sit in their same positions and I sigh. The events of the past twenty-four hours buzz by, of the meeting I just left. Before I go home, I need to talk to James. I need to tell him that I took his advice and what happened. I feel like I owe it to him. he was just trying to help.

"Autumn, the lights are off," Cody mutters from behind me. "maybe they're sleeping, or they're out."

I'd say he offered to walk be home because he wants to make sure I got home safely, but I can more than defend myself. Maybe I'd say it was to be nice, but I know he wants to spend more time with me after all that's occurred. So, he stands behind me as I ring the doorbell and pound on the door once again.

Glancing behind me, I can see the sun dipping below the horizon. Oranges and pinks blend with the clouds. The sight comforts me a bit as I turn back to the wooden door. "Hello? James? Mrs. Jenny?" I call, pouding one more time.

I rock back on my heels. "They should be home. Where else would they be? They don't work!"

Cody gently grips my shoulders. "They could be getting food. Or just walking around."

I shake my head. "I just- don't think that's it." Something feels wrong.

My boyfriend spins me around to face him. His hazel eyes burn into mine and I can see the worry shining in them. "Autumn, it's okay. Just calm down."

I close my eyes and gulp in a deep breath. "I'm just worried, that's all." Then, my eyes fly open. "I mentioned to Herold that James sent me! What if-"

About that time, the door swing open. A gun is pointed in my face, and it's not help by either James or Mrs. Jenny. Panic begins to settle within my chest. As Cody moves to stand in front of me, I push him aside.

"What do you want?" The girl hisses. She seems to be in her early forties., with chin-length black hair, burning brown eyes, and a wide physique.

I take a step backwards, bumping into Cody. "Put down the gun." After everything, it really doesn't scare me that much.

"Are you here to take my mom, too? Huh?" She screams. "I won't let you!"

My eyes widen as I hold up my hands. "They took James?" I realize this must be their daughter.

She lowers her gun. "You knew him?"

I nod. "Yeah. He's my neighbor." Should I be telling this girl I live in the neighborhood? Maybe not. "What happened?"

Her eyes widen. "You're Autumn. The girl who got rid of Chips."

I nod again. "Yeah, pretty much."

She holsters the gun. "You know my dad?"

"Yeah," I mutter. "Did the government take him?

She slowly nods. "Yeah. My mom called me."

"She's safe?" I feel relief that she's safe, but panicked that James isn't.

"She's safe," the girl whispers in confirmation. Her eyes brim with tears. "I can't fathom why they'd take him. He retired from the government. I thought he'd be safe. I thought things were different in the government now, that they wouldn't just take people." She wildly glances around. "We shouldn't be talking out here. Who knows who we can trust anymore. Want to come in?"

I glance at Cody, who shrugs. "Sure." I follow the girl into the house. She closes the door after Cody walks in, then leads us through a small hallway to a kitchen area. Branching off to the left must be the livingroom. Mrs. Jenny sits at the wooden table, a plain white mug clutched in her slightly wrinkled hands. She looks up at me and smiles without making a move to get up.

"Hey, Mrs. Jenny," I squeak, awkwardly waving at her. This is all my fault. James could die, and this is my fault. Everything is my fault. I gulp, pushing my inner berating aside. "This is Cody, my boyfriend. He also helped me with the whole Chip thing and is still helping me."

"Hi," Cody smiles, taking a step so be can stand beside me.

"Nice to meet you, dear," Mrs. Jenny grins. "Take a seat. Molly, please make these teens some tea."

"Oh, it's-"

Mrs. Jenny waves a hand. "It's nothing, just courtesy." Even in the midst of tragedy, she's such a sweet lady.

Molly obeys her mom and walks to the old stove a few feet away. Cody and I walk across the checkered tile and sit at the table. I sit beside Mrs. Jenny and Cody beside me on my right. Glancing around the slightly cramped space, I realize that it's homely. It's definitely cosy, and it gives off a vibe that I assume only older, elderly-lady inhabited houses can. It almost puts me at ease. Almost.

Mrs. Jenny takes another sip of her tea. I can see the sadness and worry brimming in her eyes. "I heard Molly tell you what happened."

I nod.

"When?" Cody asks. "Did they take him, I mean?"

"A few hours ago," Mrs. Jenny supplies.

My gut twists. After my meeting with Herold.

"I'm so sorry!" I blurt out. I can't keep it in anymore as a few tears trickle down my face. "It's all my fault?"

Mrs. Jenny furrow her eyebrows while Molly nearly drops the mug she's holding under the brewer. 

"Dear, it's not your fault," Mrs. Jenny sighs. "It's the government's."

I shake my head. More tears fall and I brush them away. "No! I followed his advice to ask Herold for help! I mentioned to Herold that he told me to go to the government! That your husband knew Herold and said he'd be helpful!"

"So?" Mrs. Jenny questions. "How'd it go, by the way?"

"Autumn," Cody mutters.

I swipe away more tears. "Horrible. Herold refused to help, and I lost control and shattered his windows."

Mrs. Jenny's eyes widen. "Oh my."

Molly plops a mug of tea in front of me, then Cody, then sits down with her own. How she carried three hot mugs at once I'll never know.

"Okay, Herold has to be a real piece of work to take my dad just because he was trying to help. Besides, from what my dad's told me, you need the government's help! Doesn't he realize the world the way we know it will change? That the government will change?" She bangs a fist against the table. "I can't believe it!"

Cody takes a tentative sip of his tea and smiles. "Um, this is delicious. Thank you, Molly."

"Thanks," I mutter after him.

"Welcome," Molly sighs. "Oh, I forgot sugar."

"Would you mind?" I sigh.

She shakes her head, then goes to the cupboard, grabs a bowl of sugar, and plops it in front of me. I take the spoon attached to the side, open the lid, and pour a few spoonfuls into my cup. Then, I stir the sugar around, watching it dissolve as I wish my problems would. Then, I put everything back in it's rightful place. Molly once again sits at the table and I take a sip of my tea. Delicious, but not good enough to make me forget the pain in my heart.

I gently set the mug down. "Still, this is my fault. I never wanted any of this to happen! Can this day get any worse?"

Cody places his hand on top of mine on the table. It comforts me, but not enough. I don't think anything can.

"It's not your fault!" Cody finally snaps. "Don't blame yourself. The government now isn't that much better than the old one."

"I agree," Molly sighs. "However, I would have appreciated my dad not being brought into this-"

"MOLLY!"

"He already was," Molly grumbles. "This is just more reason for us to act. It's a wake up call that the rebel leader isn't all we have to worry about."

"We?" I laugh, wiping away the last of my tears. "You have nothing to do with this. Well, besides your dad. Cody and I need to worry about an upcoming fight with around seven hundred soldiers with abilities!" I mean, they're basically soldiers.

"If you can shoot as good as you can point a gun in Autumn's face, we need all the help we can get," Cody states. "Molly, if you want to help-"

"I'll do anything to save my dad. If he isn't already-"

"Please don't think like that," Mrs. Jenny whispers.

"Sorry, Mom," Molly sighs. 

"What are they doing with him, anyways?" I wonder aloud. Then, it hits me. "He knows about the problem at hand. Maybe Herold wants to eliminate talk of the upcoming threat."

"But, why? He must know what's at stake!" Molly cries. "Something isn't adding up."

"It's not," I mutter. Glancing at my watch, I sigh. "I better get home."

"Can I get your contact information?" Molly asks. 

I nod, and we exchange information. Then, Cody and I gulp down our tea. After we express our thanks, I hug Mrs. Jenny, wave to Molly, and exit the cozy house. One thing is for sure: more is going on than I originally thought, and I need to get to the bottom of it. 

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Unedited! 3788 words! Another long chapter! Long or short chapters? We're over 61,000 words now! Yay! Already longer than Removed and we still have more coming! Please vote, comment, and leave your thoughts on all that happened! Also, I started a Youtube channel to talk about writing and stuff! More info is on my message board! Thanks to everyone who has subscribed, liked, and commented! I actually vlogged me writing this! So check that out once it's up!

-Sarah