After three hours of demanding grueling physical work, I let the team rest. All of them collapsed on the ground, panting, except for Melanie. She trotted to my side and hesitated, staring at me expectantly.

"Yeah?" I asked, turning away from the team to glance at her.

"Damian said to bring you to HQ when we finished. Are we finished?" She questioned. I chewed my lip and glanced back down at the kids on the floor.

"We're done. Alright, everyone! Good job, you did enough for today. Tomorrow we'll start the real work," I said, addressing the team. Groans came from the floor and I smiled wryly. Melanie nodded and escorted me away.

We walked for a few minutes in silence as we wound our way through the corridors. Then I asked, "Is Artesia always so mean to you?"

Melanie hesitated in her next step, then continued. She remained quiet until I stopped her with a hand on her shoulder.

"Yes," she whispered softly.

"Why?"

"T-there was this assignment, about a year ago. Just one of our easy ones, to pick up a kid and bring them here. She wanted it, but Damian gave it to me. It was to pick up Peter. We got back late, and we'd almost gotten caught by the Institute, so she made a big scene how I'd screwed the mission up. Everyone thought I was a failure, putting myself and Peter in danger. He's only one who listens or even cares about me now. Artesia decided that I didn't even exist, and she's ignored me since then, but her followers always pick on me and get me in trouble."

"I'm sorry," I muttered. "I'll talk to Damian."

"No! I mean, I'm fine. Don't trouble yourself," Melanie stuttered. I raised an eyebrow at her and she sighed. "It's easier to forget that mission when Damian doesn't notice me."

I nodded, and said, "Alright, fine." That ended the conversation.

We finally reached a pair of plain metal doors. Melanie tugged one open an held it back for me to walk through. I nodded my thanks before turning my gaze to the room.

It was magnificent. Huge screens reached to the ceiling, displaying various camera shots and sometimes snapshots of people. Rows and rows of desks formed a half circle around the giant screens, and people were fanned throughout the room.

"Hey, Eristina!" Damian called, waving me over to a desk. I walked over as Damian glanced around curiously. "Where's Artesia?" He asked.

"She's a bully and rude so I replaced her as my second in command," I explained.

Damian rolled his eyes before questioning patiently, "Who brought you here then?"

"Melanie. She really is a nice girl," I commented as Damian glared at me.

"She nearly failed her last mission and revealed to the Institute where our base was located!" He hissed.

"That was over a year ago; she's different now. She's strong and smart and desperately needs someone who won't treat her like trash. I thought you said this place was different from the Institute, but I think they're the same," I argued, straightening to my full height so I could glare right back up at Damian.

He sighed, sliding a hand along his face in defeat. "Fine, but if she fails again, don't say I didn't warn you."

I inclined my head to acknowledge his statement, and asked, "What did you want to tell me?"

"Come 'ere." He gestured for me to join him in front of one of the screens. "We've hacked into the Institute's cameras and found different videos that were recorded recently. I thought you might like to see them." Damian waved a hand at the screen, and the video began.

It showed the loading gate of my old Institute, where different supplies would come through. For a few moments there was nothing but the usual trucks going through, but then a shiny black Mercedes appeared.

I glanced at Damian, but he was focused on the screen. The driver's door opened and a man stepped out. He stretched, and I guessed he'd had a long drive. Then he shouted at someone out of the view range, but three man jogged over. They crowded around the back seat passenger's door, and waited. A signal was given, and the door jerked open.

A girl with bright curly red hair tumbled out, obviously shouting. The men grabbed her by the arms and dragged her out of view.

"Ryhan," I whispered, a sudden wave of hopelessness hitting me. Why had they taken her against her will? Why didn't they stay to complete the mission instead of kidnapping her?

"Keep watching," Damian ordered, nodding at the screen. I turned back in time to see the black car drive off and another take it's place.

"Oh no," I muttered. Who else had they taken? Aria? Atticus?

Another group of guys jogged over and the same process was repeated. A boy with curly blond hair and wearing a blue hoodie fell out. Atticus.

A small sob caught in my throat and I clamped my mouth shut so no one would hear. They'd taken Atticus.

I watched as they fought to hold him down and drag him away. He was doing better than Ryhan, but not well enough. In moments, the men hand their hands clamped down on Atticus and were forcing him to walk. In seconds they were out of sight.

"No," I breathed, staring at the last spot I'd seen Atticus. The black car pulled away. I waited for the next one to bring Aria, but no more cars came.

Damian shut off the screen. "That's it," he explained.

"What? No, it can't be. Aria's still coming," I said, glaring at him.

"We've already gone through this video and it's only trucks after. She either came earlier or didn't come in that way."

"Damian!" Someone called from the other side of the room. "You should take a look at this!"

Damian muttered under his breath then shouted back, "Coming!" He glanced at me, then grabbed a laptop off a nearby desk. "There's building plans on this and all the videos we've recovered so far. We'll send you more if we get others. I'll have someone bring you back to your room. Dinner's in a few hours and I'll pick you up then. Don't leave your room!" He ordered, shoving the laptop at me.

He turned and strode across the room, then leaned down to see a small computer screen at the desk. I watched him, dread tingling my spine.

"C'mon. I'll take you to your room," a woman muttered behind me, touching my arm. She escorted me away, but not before I glanced over my shoulder and focused on the screen Damian was looking at.

There was a girl being dragged out of a car. Her mouth was open, and she hung limply as a guy pulled her out. Obviously dead.

It was Aria.

This story has reached over two hundred views!!!! Thank you guys so much!!! I didn't think I'd get so many. So that's why I'm posting again so soon. And I've also had a lot of time. Yeah.

Anwayyyy, please comment!!! I want to know what you think and if I should bother continuing with this story because to be honest, I'm kinda bored with it. Let me know.

Bye!!!