The door shut behind Juan and I was left on the bed alone with my thoughts. It didn't happen immediately but I realized it nonetheless and what I had said to him finally sunk in. Despair filled my heart but still, the anger was there, I wanted to punch something and scream and cry but I did nothing. I just looked up at the ceiling, where had the words I said even came from?

"Did he really deserve that?" Ellie's voice asked. For a brief thought, it was in my head but I looked up and she was standing opposite me, towel wrapped around her and water dripping down her highlights.

"You heard what he said." I defended myself, even though I agreed with her. I lay my head back down and stared at the ceiling.

"Do you really believe he would have done anything different whether Oliver told him to watch over you or not?"

I stayed silent for a while as if I was thinking but I knew the answer. "No."

"You won't like what I'm going to say but I agree with Juan and I'm worried too."

I shot up and stared at her. "I'm perfectly fine, I just got angry today."

"If you want to lie that's fine but Juan only wanted to help and so do I." She said as she sat down besides, water made light taps as they hit the duvet of the bed.

"I know but you don't need to worry about me. Today was... a slip." I struggled to find the words.

"Nearly killing someone isn't a slip Stephy."

"I wasn't going to kill him." I began to shout at her but I caught myself. "I had control of myself."

"Juan didn't seem convinced." She said, wiping the water away from her eyes.

"Well, I am okay."

Ellie opened her mouth ready to say something but stopped herself. A minute or two passed before she spoke again. "When I joined The Foxhole there were two people I stuck to like glue. Adam and this girl my age, Lara. She was like you now that I think about it, confident and smart, the whole works. She could see an object's past, really useful for missions when trying to track someone or breaking into places. If you ask Adam, were inseparable and I..." She stopped briefly wanting to say something but chose not to say it. "Well, one day we took on this mission to Kenya. A militia group had taken over a factory, stopping the manufacture of important materials and cash flow to the community. So, Lara and I get sent to help evacuate the workers in the factory who were being held inside while another team took on the militia head-on and capture the leader to get information, what we didn't know was the leader was an Amp too. We get in and split up I teleported people in and out, when the time comes for me to get Lara out, I can't find her. I'm using energy just zipping through the rooms and I finally find her." Her voice began to falter as she spoke more and more. "The leader had ripped open her throat with his teeth. His face was covered in blood and Lara's face was just stuck looking shocked barely knowing what had happened. It took half a second for me to teleport his head through a wall but I didn't stop there, I killed every single person inside the factory that was wearing the uniform of the militia. Adam found me in the room with Lara's body and I cost the mission for us."

I just stared at her speechless. What could I even say to that? "Why are you telling me this?"

"I was angry. Everyone gets angry but I acted on it. After that day, I was a different person. It only took finally letting down my walls for things to get better. I say this knowing full well that a large part of me doesn't regret what I did but I can't say the same for you if you cross that line. Juan doesn't want to see you do that either, so when you attacked Magnisos of course we got worried. I know that you are feeling this untempered anger inside of you but you don't have to fight it by yourself."

"That's not what I'm feeling." I still tried to defend myself.

"Just listen to me." She said calmly trying to not raise her voice. "I can feel it. The anger, it's just pouring out of you and I get it. You feel overwhelmed by it all and when Magnisos said something about Oliver it felt like the last straw."

"No, it feels..." I started my brain in a mess. "I feel like I'm not in control of my emotions after trying so long to control them. When Magnisos started talking about Oliver, all of a sudden, he was in my arms again back at the church and I wanted to punish someone for it. It was just so easy to be angry even though I wanted to feel something other than that for just a second and for a second I did and I felt-" I stopped for a second and just breathed. "I knew I wasn't ready to go out in the field again."

As I began to babble, Ellie's cold hand placed over mine and she just looked at me with a smile. "Don't gaslight yourself. You are ready. You may slip but we are here for you." She sounded so sure of herself, of me. In her eyes, she looked at me like she truly knew what was going on inside my head. In her heart, I could the genuine hope and warmth but I couldn't tell what it was directed towards.

I stared into her eyes for a bit, trying to see what she was seeing in me before I pulled my hand from underneath hers. "I think I should take a shower and clear my head before I call Akari," I announced, shooting to my feet.

Disappointment trickled off her briefly before she smiled up at me. "Okay and get some rest afterwards. You'll need as much energy as you can."

"Thank you, for talking to me," I said as I walked into the bathroom.

I spent a long time under the heat of the water as it washed off the day. It was almost peaceful like there wasn't anything more to do besides relax under the water but the moment I closed the faucet it all came rolling back. The undetermined weight I had gained slung itself on my shoulders as I dried myself off and only felt like it got heavier. After getting dressed into a new pair of jeans and shirt, grabbed my phone from inside my bag and left to find a place to talk to Akari. I wandered the halls for a bit before finding an open patio overlooking the city that glinted and gleaned in the orange hue of the setting sun. There were a few couches and chairs all over the patio, slightly untidy with unfinished drinks still on tables as though people just left the place. I took a seat at the edge of the patio, feeling the breeze roll over me carrying the smell of the city towards me. Looking down at my phone, cracks splintered from the side but it was still functioning for the most part. When I turned the screen on, there was a flurry of missed calls from Akari that lit up the screen. I started at the number for a while, contemplating whether I want to deal with Akari berating me but I needed to give her an update regardless. I placed the phone against my ear and after one ring Akari's voice rang through the line.

"Stephanie? Is that you? Is everyone okay?" She spoke quickly with worry.

"Yeah, it's me. We're all okay, for the most part at least." I replied rather lacklustredly.

She spoke in Japanese with a sigh underneath it. "How did the plane crash? Where are you now?"

"Vortex wanted Wilstock more than you let on. One of them was playing pilot and split the plane in two. Took a few of us hostage but the others saved us. Now we're at Sam's hotel in Portland and we're going to try and try to continue to California at midnight."

"Just glad all of you are okay, we've been worried ever since it came on the news."

"How are things back on the island," I asked longingly.

"Everything here is exactly how you left it and you'll be back in a few nights." She spoke warmly, her voice always found a way to temper the heart but I still felt uneasy about her. I felt as though she was keeping too much to herself.

"Good, good... but now that I have your attention can we talk about what's been going on with you?" I let the words leave me without having a chance to really recognize them.

There was silence for a second, "You know that things are getting harder for us. There are too many things and too little time to act. If I stop to explain every other thing that occurs, then I'd have less time to act on them."

"I can understand that but why put me where I am if you are just going to ask? You sent Meg off by herself, I'm sure she can handle herself but that's still not how things have operated. You placed me in charge of this mission and chose to omit information and dodge questions for some reason. You're even leaving Maxwell out of whatever machinations you have running through you. I have questions about everything, but you won't give answers. None of us can keep working like this."

More silence hung in the air, "Maybe I have been unfair to both of you." She didn't sound as though she truly believed that statement, but there was still warmth that tried to deceive. "When you get back, I'll brief you and Maxwell if that's what you want."

"I think that would be best," I said, my voice having carried a frail tone until now. Now I spoke with conviction.

"Keep me updated on everything and be safe," Akari said, her voice losing its warmth for a second to the firm voice of a leader before hanging up. My body loosened itself out, slowly hairs that had been on edge were easing themselves. I slumped in my seat watching the sun sink further beneath the horizon, there was the urge for caution that rustled in my mind. Though I couldn't tell if it was related to Akari or the mission or both.

After some time, I decided to take a nap just to pass the time before I would go and checked on Sam. Back inside the room Ellie had got herself changed into similar clothes as before and she was skimming through channels on the tv on the wall, she gave me a short smile as walked to my bed. As I got in I tried to sleep but my mind was just weighed down by my thought, in reflection. Looking back at Magnisos and how I handled it and what Juan and Ellie said to me. I knew they were right, that if they hadn't stepped in, I would have killed him. When thinking about situations like that, I always thought that it would feel like someone else was taking control of me but it was all me in that moment. I picked up that piece of metal hoping that my body would do the rest of the work and maybe it might have if Ellie hadn't stopped me. Then thoughts of Akari simmered to the surface, the sudden change in her attitude, the secrecy, the need to push people away when she was the most welcoming of all. Worry started to kick in, what did she know that she has been keeping to herself this whole time and would she tell us the truth when this ends? Time ate on as I kept chipping away at this single rock of self-doubt and unchangeable events

"Stephy, get up!" Ellie shock me out of my trance, the lights were off and I could barely make out her face.

"What's wrong?" I asked as began to recollect myself.

"Transgress is here. They've shut down power to the whole building and shut down the generator."

"How many of them are there?" I asked while throwing the covers off me and collecting my things that were scattered around the room.

"Too many to fight our way out, especially in our condition." She replied, looking out the window, down at the street.

"We need to get to Wilstock. Plan from there." I finished putting the last of my important items into my bag while Ellie got to the door. She opened it and outside it, almost as if they knew when to get to the door were Juan and Lydia. They both looked concerned but prepared, even Lydia who had been through Hell on her mission.

"Then let's not let the man wait and get there," Juan said under a light pants.

"Wait, check your powers," Lydia told us. I tried to pick out the emotions of the people around me but got nothing.

"They have dampeners," Ellie said before I could get the chance.

"That is a problem for later. First Sam." I said, to keep some calm but without my powers, it seemed vain. We all sprinted down the hallway, past the rooms that opened up to a glass wall on the right that opened up towards the city while the left lead deeper into the hotel. At the end of the hall was the presidential suite that was where Sam was and Juan didn't hesitate to push the door open. At the other end of the door was Fisher with a gun aimed at Juan's head, neither of them flinched though. The room was beautiful, it was like something pulled out of a home improvement magazine. The ceiling was raised and windows saw out in three directions letting the only light in the room, it felt like I had just walked into someone's fancy mansion. Even in the darkness, I could make out the sitting area with an electronic fireplace, a dining area with a full-on dining table and the bed that was by the window at the furthest part of the room.

"Sorry, but our stay here is going to need to be cut short," I announced. Fisher lowered his gun and held it by his side, readying himself.

"That's a bit obvious," Sam replied, gesturing to the darkened room. He stood from his seat in the sitting area.

"Is there any way out of here that doesn't put us in direct confrontation with Transgress?" Ellie asked Sam.

"I may own the building but I don't know the structure." He replied. "Besides with three Amps and whatever Juan can do we can get out of here, right?"

"There are three reasons that's wrong." Lydia started. "Firstly, they have dampeners so we're powerless. Secondly, we need to avoid conflict with Transgress because if we kill anyone it's another thing they'll use against us and we are on this mission to make ourselves look better. Fighting back should be a last resort. Finally, Transgress isn't stupid. They either came here for you Mr Wilstock or us or both. Either way, they wouldn't have come unprepared and my best guess is that there is at least two Gemini downstairs."

"Well. This could be worse." He said.

"I don't see how. We're trapped." She replied slightly agitated.

"She's right, but we can probably still get out of here. Any ideas, anyone?" I asked looking around the room.

There was a pause. Everyone, including Lydia, struggled to think of an idea. "I saw a laundry chute down the hall next to the Elevators as I was scouting the floor," Fisher said with a click of his finger.

"From up here, that's a long drop." I said.

"Also, I'm pretty sure you and I don't the facilities to fit down a laundry chute big man," Juan said to Fisher.

"We can go down a few floors using the stairs to a point where can use the chutes." Ellie said. "Juan and Fisher will need to find another way down."

"What are our odds?" I asked Lydia.

She looked lost and her eyes darted back and forth trying to find the numbers. "I... I don't know. Low." She finally mustered, agitated by her conclusion.

"Low is the best we have to work with. Now we need to move. Let's get to the stairs." I said as Fisher stood next to Sam.

We ran to the stairwell and hopped down as many flights as we could while we could simultaneously hear soldiers running toward us. After each floor, the group of soldiers got smaller as small teams broke off at each floor but the herd was still huge. Of the thirty-floored hotel, we made it to the twenty-second before we had to push back into the hallway and make our way to the chutes from there. There were two sets of stairs on opposite ends of the building and we took the closest one to us, another group of soldiers were probably coming up those stairs we ran. The only solace I took was that they would probably have to go through all the rooms before they find us, hopefully, it would be enough to give us time. Fisher led the pack with Sam at his heels, and Ellie and I held the back. We turned a corner and it would have been a straight shot to the chutes but the unexpected happened, the elevators dinged open and two guys stood inside both wearing the same leather jacket with a silver Transgress logo over their hearts. One had stringy black hair that shined with grease that dropped just short of his dark brown eyes and the other had hobbit-like brown hair, he was shorter than his associate with his hand on the controls of the elevator and staring down at his phone. They were in the middle of bickering with each other before they noticed the six of us in the hallway.

"Huh, you were actually right." The taller one commented walking out of the elevator.

"Percival, I literally showed you the cameras as we were coming up." The shorter one replied as he followed him out.

"Every time I see you in action, I doubt you less. It's not a very interesting power but definitely useful. Maybe I should trust your powers more." Percival said as he punched the other boy in the arm. "You probably know who we are so let's not waste time with the charades, Sam Wilstock and Elaine Colts come down with us and I'll kill your friends quickly."

"No. We taking them all alive. They're more useful alive and you know that."

"We only need the two, Hamish. What real use are the others?" Percival asked.

"So, you're Percival Ward. Honestly, the way they talked about you when I was still in Transgress made you seem less lanky," Juan started. "but you have to be Hamish Black. You are almost exactly how I pictured you." Juan said, almost trying to antagonize them.

"You're the traitor, aren't you?" Percival asked, taking a step forward toward us. We all took a step backwards in unison.

"I prefer the term double agent."

"Doesn't matter what you call yourself. If anyone here deserves to die more, it's you."

"You should listen to your friend." I interrupted. "We have more use alive than dead, especially me. I mean wouldn't you like to know what I told my friends."

"Don't care." He took another step closer.

"Percival, that is actually important. Remember what I told you about the bigger picture." Hamish said to Percival, grabbing him by the shoulder.

Fisher grew antsy and drew his gun. "Screw this."

Juan tried to shout to him not to but he pulled the trigger. Everything moved in slow motion but Percival, threw up his hand and the veins in his hand glowed dark purple until his palm was layered in a light violet hue. The bullet crumbled to dust as it touched the skin of his hand, he stared down Fisher as his eyes became filled with inky black with violet veins pulsing within them, inking his iris with a vibrant lavender. He was a few meters away from Fisher but he closed that distance in a blink of an eye, he snatched the gun out of Fisher's hand and it corrode in his palm. Everyone wanted to react but we had no clue what to do, we'd forgotten how to move. Percival grabbed Fisher by the neck and threw him against the wall. "Those don't work on me. What a useless effort and I was even thinking about taking you all in alive."

"Protect Wilstock." Fisher coughed up the words as he was being choked out by a boy that shouldn't be able to have that strength.

"Let him go!" Sam shouted, wanting to run forward, but Ellie held him back.

Percival turned his gaze to Sam, eyes still inked over and just smiled, a perverse and twisted smile as his veins went purple once more. "He clearly means a lot to you. Shame." Fisher's veins around his neck began to go purple, followed by his skin becoming a dried black moving away from Percival's hand. Fisher began to let out a blood-curdling scream of pain as his body began to dry and decay, all the while Percival never broke eye contact with Sam. Slowly Fisher began to crumble to pieces, his face frozen in pain and voice caught dead in the air and soon enough there was nothing left of him except a pile of dust by the foot of the boy. "Hand Sammy boy and the Colt's girl and maybe I'll make your deaths quicker than his, but not you traitor. I want you to suffer."

"I'm going t...t...to kill you!" Sam stuttered through his shout, trying to fight past Ellie.

"You're welcome to try," Percival replied as he placed his boot in Fisher's ashes.

Anger boiled inside me. The way he spoke with no care for anyone, made me grind my teeth down to their roots. Hamish pulled at his hair in disapproval and did nothing else but stare at Percival. From behind me, my hand was yanked and dragged by Juan as we were running away from the two Gemini. Looking back, Percival held his hand in front of Hamish to indicate not to follow him as he walked forward with confidence. We made it to the stairway and ran down the stairs for floors before booking it to the closest laundry chute, lucky for us the floor was empty with no one to slow us down. It was a clear shot at the chute; Juan forced the cover off the chute and threw it aside to give it a big enough opening. "Wilstock, you first." He announced.

"He killed Fisher! Are you just going to pretend that didn't happen?" He asked, his eyes red with tears staining his cheeks.

"There will be time to grieve when we are safe," I said to him. "Right, we don't have the luxury."

"Use your arms and legs to slow your descent and slam the side of the chute when you get to the bottom to let us know someone else can come down," Juan told Sam as he pushed him to the chute. He looked at us for a second before shakily getting into the chute and disappearing below. Ten seconds passed before we heard the slamming against the chute.

Next Ellie went down the chute and as I got in after her, Percival rounded the corner. Juan noticed before I could. "Wait for Lydia at the bottom."

"What about you?" I asked as Percival got closer.

"I'll figure it out." He said as he pushed me down the chute.