I begin moving forward, dragging Aubrey along with me. Leane's heading away from my destination, so I silently follow her until I turn down the correct hallway. Aubrey still clings to my arm, and my heart breaks for her. However, I know that she has Avery now, and I'll do everything in my power to make sure she gets back to the girl she's begun to care about.

Finally, we stop in front of the correct door. My heart hammers in my chest as I reach for the handle, turning it. It's locked. I sigh, but jump as sparks sizzle in the air. An invisible hand reaches out to the panel beside the door, placing the ball of electricity on it. I watch as the panel fries, the lock clicking in the door. As quickly as the electricity appeared, it vanishes. Grinning at Aubrey's quick thinking, I push open the door.

As soon as I'm sure Aubrey is in, I quietly shut the door. Familiar curly locks flash in front of me, and I turn to see that Aubrey has materialized. She pants, sweat tricking down her forehead. I grimace in understanding. She's beginning to feel worn. Glancing around, I realize there are no camera in here. Of course Leane wouldn't want evidence of her twisted mind. I will myself to become visible, the familiar tingles returning. Sweat pours down my face as well, and my hands shake it bit with nerves. I feel like this was too easy, even with the few guards in front of the door. Leane has increased security, and she's definitely has a grudge against me.

Swiftly, my eyes scan the room. I realize that the two chairs Leane and I sat on are still present. My anger rises. Aubrey follows suit, going to a table on the opposite end of the room. My stomach twists with memories, but I push them aside. I'm not the poor girl without her memory anymore, and I'm no longer Leane's test dummy. I'm her worst enemy. 

I check along the tables, in cabinets, everywhere. Not once do I spot anything that looks like a Chip. My heart sinks lower and lower as I feel time running out. Any minute now, someone will catch us, and this will all be for nothing. I glance over at Aubrey. She catches my eye with a look of dismay written across her face. I truly thought she'd have a Chip stowed in here, but I was wrong. Dead wrong. I need to find one, and fast. We have less time than I imagined, and Molly still needs to replicate the Chips.

The handle to the door turns, and I freeze. Glancing to Aubrey, I notice she ducks behind a cabinet before turning invisible. Just in case, I guess. Before I can turn invisible myself, someone steps into the room. I prepare to fight, to protect my friend. I expect a guard, Leane, but it's neither. It's Monica.

Monica holds a finger to her lips and shuts the door. I take a step back, reach for the gun I remember is at my hip. Monica shakes her head, her eyes wide and pleading.

"Autumn, I'm not here to hurt you," she whispers. She takes a step forward and I hold my ground, a bit wary of her words. "I want to help you, just like my sister has. I'm not as bold as her, but that doesn't mean I believe in what Leane is doing."

I resist the urge to look back at Aubrey. "Why should I believe you?"

She sighs, eyes cast towards the ground. "I'm not sure, to be honest. Sometimes you have to trust blindly."

I let out a breath. At least I can take her down if it comes to that. "How'd you know I was in here?"

She smiles slightly, her eyes meeting mine. "Who do you think controls the cameras? That's why my sister keeps me around. My job is normally to watch them, to watch for anything suspicious. Why do you think no alarms went off when you opened the door where the guards where?"

My eyes widen. "You did that?"

She nods. "I saw the rug move and I figured it was someone invisible. The only person I know of, outside this base, that can turn invisible is you. I know I'm not very brave, and I know I've had a hand in everything, making Leane and Jeremy able to do their worst. But, I hope that I can make up for it."

Suddenly, Aubrey is beside me, fully visible. Monica doesn't even flinch.

"I guess you've figured it out as well?" She asks my friend.

Aubrey glances to me. "Yeah." Then, she turns back to Monica. "Do you know what we came for?"

She smiles. "Yeah, I do." She holds out her wrist, one that I know contains a Chip. "Derek informed Leane that you had a plan to steal one of her Chips. That's why she's made sure that all Chips not inside someone have been destroyed. You won't find any in this whole building."

I stare at her, body tense. I still can't believe I trusted Derek, that I put everything in jeopardy. "Why should I believe you? For all I know, Leane sent you to lie to me. To take me out when I least expected it."

She grimaces. "If Leane knew you were here, she wouldn't be that nice. Trust me, my sister has a hatred for you."

My heart sinks. She's right. "So, I have no way to get one of her Chips. We're all screwed."

Aubrey tenses beside me. "Autumn, maybe we can-"

Monica shakes her head, and I notice her arm is still raised, exposing her Chip scar. "You do have a way." She grabs something from her pocket, and I realize it's a knife. I prepare for a fight, but I realize what she's going to do as she pressed the blade into her skin. She winces slightly.

"That will kill you!" Aubrey cries.

Monica smiles sadly, blood pouring down her arm as she cuts deeper. "I'd rather die for something than live for nothing." Before I can react, she slips the knife under the Chip and pushes. Her eyes roll into the back of her head as the bloody piece of metal flies out of her wrist and onto the floor by my feet. Monica convulses a bit as her nervous system rebels against her actions. Then, she hits the floor, blood pooling around her wrist.

I stare at the girl in shock. I'm at a loss for words, and I feel a pang in my chest. Even if I didn't know her, she just died for my cause. Slowly, I shake my head, trying to snap myself out of it. Then, I reach down and grab the bloody Chip, holding it in my palm. I realize this one is silver, and it's slightly bigger than the last one. After staring at its bloody surface, my fingers close around it, squeezing.

Aubrey places her hand over mine. "We have to go. Someone is going to realize that we're here."

I nod. "You're right. And we still have to warn everyone else of Derek's betrayal."

We turn and rush out of the room, both activating our invisibility. The Chip becomes invisible with me, and I clutch it tighter in my palm as Aubrey loops her arm through mine. However, before we can make a clean escape, Leane rounds the corner. She rushes over to the fried electric panel and screams in anger.

Rachel runs about behind her. "Are they here?"

Leane ignores her, pushing open the door. Her scream echoes off the walls, and I break into a sprint.

"I can disable their Chips!" Rachel exclaims, fiddling with something in her pocket. "Hold on, we'll catch them!"

Aubrey and I round a corner, and I don't dare to look behind me. I feel a bit smug about beating Leane, but my heart still aches for the death of her sister. Even if I didn't really know Monica, she's another casualty in this war. If Aubrey and I don't get back to the others, then her sacrifice will have been for nothing.

Suddenly, I feel my Chip vibrate in my wrist. A sharp pain envelopes my arm, and I glance in Aubrey's direction. She's completely visible, as is my arm wrapped around hers. I pull away, glancing up. I can no longer see in the dark, and my senses are no longer heightened. Cursing under my breath, I push Aubrey in front of me, hoping she'll take the hint. I can handle anyone who comes our way.

"I'm not letting you sacrifice yourself again, Autumn," Aubrey whispers.

I shake my head, wildly glancing around in the dark. "I'll be right behind you. Can you find your way?"

"Autumn-"

"Can you?"

"Yes," she sighs. "Promise me you'll be right behind me."

I don't want to lie to her, but I have to. I have to make sure she gets out." I promise." I slip the Chip into my pocket.

I hear her feet slap against the cement flooring right as a fist connects with my right cheek. Not missing a beat, I strike out with my foot, trying to take my opponent's legs out from under them. I'm met with air, and my hands ball into fists. This person can see and I can't. I start moving backwards, towards the exit. Sure, I want to make sure Aubrey gets out first, but I don't plan to stay for long. I can't win this fight while I'm trapped by the enemy.

I duck, and I hear something swoosh over my head. Probably their fist. I pretend to punch in the direction of their face, but instead sweep at their legs. This time, I hear my opponent fall with a grunt. I waste no time putting my weight on top of them, punching at their face in the hope of knocking them unconcious. They put up a good fight, landing blows to my stomach and probably cracking one of my ribs. I barely notice the pain, blindly grabbing at what I hope is their hair. I use it to pull their head up and slam it into the ground. The person grunts, and another lifts me to my feet and slams me into a wall. Stars swim in my vision, but I notice that the pain in my arm is gone. It's been replaced by a warm sensation, and I can heighten my hearing. I grin. Their device only works temporarily.

I can see, although it's a bit blurry. A face swims in front of me, and I duck just in time as they fist misses my face my inches. Taking the person by surprise, I hit them in the jaw. As they stagger back, I move to the left, away from the wall. My night vision swims into better focus. The person in front of me widens her eyes as she realizes I can see her. Thankfully, I don't recognize her. My fists begin flying, using her shock to my advantage, and my strength increases as I finally flicker out of existence. It takes a bit more strain, and it tingles a bit more than usual, but I manage.

Walking behind the panicking girl, I grab her arms and pin them behind her back. She struggles, gathering electricity into her palm and shocking me. I flinch away from her, and she spins on me. Stepping to the side, I dodge her blind punch. Now, the roles are switched. I can see her, but she can't see me.

The well-built girl laughs. "You can't win, little girl. Just give up. Backup is coming."

My anger burns, and I glance behind me. My first attacker is getting to her feet, and I realize it's Rachel. As much as I'd like to fight them now, I know time is limited. I'll beat them by beating Leane's whole operation. To do that, I need to get out of here alive. So, I turn and run, patting my pocket to make sure Monica's Chip is still in it. 

______

Welp, that was intense. Please vote and comment!

-Sarah