Bryce stood meters away from one of those followers with a metal chair, holding it in his hands. The problem was that this girl had the same power that he had, but he couldn't figure out the proper way to ambush her.

"Just throw the chair at her!" Mia called, ducking beneath the front desk.

"Eden already killed one of the followers," Bryce said, rolling his eyes.

He whipped the chair while Eden shot a bullet at the same time, but nothing happened. It wasn't exactly Will could do much with his power, but he held a different chair.

"Is that all you got?" the girl snarled.

Bryce then recognized that this girl was Lucy due to the black lipstick and eyeshadow she used to wear. He didn't realize she ended up dying, but it was probably when Simcoe burned to ash.

He dashed down the hallway, glancing around the small rooms. Seeing another chair, he picked it up and started creeping toward the door.

Gunshots went off as he peeked out, seeing Lucy make contact as he slammed her with the chair. She went flying into the opposite room as Will and Eden dashed down the hall.

"I feel like those spies in movies," Will remarked with a grin.

"I'm the helpless victim!" Mia called from the front.

Lucy had stumbled against the locked window as Eden fired multiple times. Will threw his own chair as Lucy gritted her teeth.

Bryce realized his chair was smashed to pieces. He went back to the room, wobbly grabbing the small dresser. His arms felt like bricks as he shuffled into the room, except that he was knocked down by a chair. Falling into the wall, he groaned as his head smacked against the window. Eden and Will didn't ask questions because they couldn't focus on their injuries.

The dresser had landed on his own legs, letting out a groan. The pressure ached that trying to move his legs made him grit his teeth.

Will threw another chair at Lucy while Eden shot, but he knew they had to have three items before they could actually kill her.

"We're running out of things to use," Will said.

Suddenly, Mia came running over, tossing the black office chair on Lucy as she collapsed to the ground. Lucy disappeared as all of them gaped at the sight. Out of all four of them, Mia ended up actually doing something sensible for once.

"Did that actually happen?" Will asked, turning to Mia with widened eyes.

"Eden, say some Bible verse because it's a miracle," Bryce hissed.

The three all attempted to pull off the wooden dresser from his legs. He cried out in pain before they finally pushed it off his legs, but trying to move them brought immense pain.

"Philippians said that I can do all things through him who strengthens me."

"I just wanted to try something," Mia said, sticking her tongue out.

Bryce leaned forward, trying to push himself up, but his legs shot with pain as he gritted his teeth.

"Why do you always have to get injured? You're the tallest," Mia huffed.

Setting a hand on the cold wall, Bryce wobbly tried to stand but crashed to the ground. Eden pulled up a pant leg, seeing the legs filled with blue and purple bruises. The back of his head still ached, and he felt he couldn't walk at all.

"Are my legs broken?" Bryce groaned.

"They are swollen too," Will remarked.

"Okay, maybe there's a wheelchair around here," Eden stated. "That's what they use, right?"

"I'm not crippled," Bryce spat.

Will attempted to pull him up as Eden assisted in the process. Bryce hissed in pain every time they touched one of his legs. His arms were looped around Will's neck while Eden held his legs. This position did not make the pain any better.

"What floor would have wheelchairs?" Mia asked in a daze.

"On the first floor, I saw some," Eden stated.

They reached the staircase that they used since elevators weren't going to work in a hospital that didn't have electricity. He already knew this wasn't going to be good based on Eden's impatience.

Will and Eden descended the stairs slowly, but it made him cry out in pain.

"Quit whining," Mia chided.

"Would you like Eden to push you down the stairs?" Bryce grumbled.

"Eden wouldn't push me down the stairs," Mia said dismissively.

"Do you want to put that theory to the test?" Eden hissed, her eyebrows narrowing.

"She's pushed you into a wall at least ten times," Will implied.

When they'd steal things in houses, they'd usually go in a group together. Eden would often push Mia if she was taking too long or to determine if anyone was in the room.

They reached the dark first floor of the hospital. It was evening with the moonlight shining through the windows, and all of them were exhausted.

"There's one!" Mia pointed out.

Will and Eden tried to put him in the wheelchair without hurting him, but that didn't work. The wheelchair had been uncomfortable, as all three of them started to laugh.

"I wish I could take a picture of this!" Mia exclaimed, laughing so hard that tears streamed down her cheeks.

"Who's pushing me back to camp?" Bryce hissed.

"I want to see if I can ride it like a car," Mia said, shooting up her hand.

"Before you fall down?" Bryce inquired slyly.

Mia stood back on her feet, grabbing the red handles behind. "I feel like the husband pushing the wife out of the hospital," she said.

"I'm pretty sure I didn't have a baby, and I certainly don't want you to be my husband," Bryce said.

Eden pushed Mia away from guiding his wheelchair and grabbed the handles instead.

"I'd look perfect in a suit," Mia gloated.

Eden pushed him out of the hospital and onto the destroyed highway. There were trees fallen all around with the odd car still flipped over from what they could see.

"Isn't that what Rebecca said?" Will asked with his tongue out.

"I wasn't even hurt when she dumped me. It's her fault; she couldn't accept that I liked guys too," Mia said.

Rebecca was one of Mia's past girlfriends that she dated for a short span. She never tagged along when they'd sneak out of campus, but they had met her a couple of times during lunchtime. Before she was a music geek who played the flute and sang, who tutored Mia in math.

"Eden numbs her movements, then bye-bye, Rebecca," Will remarked.

When Rebecca broke up with Mia, she wasn't hurt at all because it was Mia. However, Eden decided that she should get some sort of revenge despite Mia being the one who cheated. This was around the time they first discovered Eden had powers, which they took advantage of because of Rebecca's religious beliefs.

"Emma is going to yell at us," Mia groaned, glancing back at him.

"No, it will be panic," Bryce corrected.

"Who knew that Bryce Cross could actually fall in love?" Will commented with a smirk.

Bryce stuck out his tongue. "I could, because I'm romantic," he snickered.

He had no idea it was even possible at first. For the longest time, it was all one-sided, which was agonizing. It's hard enough to see why someone would not return your feelings, but it's worse knowing she was being used.

That's why he wanted to be there for her. When she was having her breakdown, he wanted to help when she'd cry from the distress of being betrayed. Even trying to help her overcome her negativity about herself.

"You're even younger than us," Mia huffed as she attempted to play with his hair.

"I'd be in ninth grade now," Bryce remarked, pushing Mia's hands away. For some strange reason, she enjoyed playing with people's hair.

When they finally reached camp, they all stood blankly. There weren't many of those creepy followers standing around, or barely any people. He didn't think that Ashley came storming through because everything would be on fire.

"Mark!" Mia called, almost stumbling toward him.

"I'll grab Emma," he said, rushing off as Eden wheeled him on the uneven grass.

When Mark came back with Emma, she screamed. Bryce knew that was coming.

"I don't have a bone sticking out, if that makes you feel better," he said.

"Okay, bring him to this area," she said, making a lot of hand gestures.

"Bryce got thrown back into the wall," Will explained, but he stared blankly at the campground.

He gritted his teeth as they stopped in front of the tent as Hanna came over, attempting to lift him out. Eventually, it took two to have him sit on one of the blankets.

"We're going to find something to do," Mia said with a goofy smile, waving a hand back.

Emma set both of her hands on his legs, her eyes wide and staring directly at his injured legs. He looked around and noticed that nobody else was injured, but they were alone.

"Are you going to say something?" he asked as the pain in his legs made him groan.

"I was worried," she mumbled, but he still heard it.

"I banged my head too," he stated.

Emma set one of her hands on his forehead.

"It might take a couple of days until you walk naturally."

"More time seeing you then."

He tried to sit up, gently shifting his position. He placed one hand on the back of her head, drawing her lips to his own and kissing her. Emma drew back, her eyes widened, and her cheeks flushed.

"I love you." Bryce swore that her jaw dropped, almost as if she didn't hear the words correctly.

Saying those words was something he's been harbouring for months; it's like a weight off his chest because he's been waiting to say those words.

Emma then had tears in her eyes, which Bryce expected. "I love you too," he smiled as he kissed her before pulling back.

"You shouldn't be getting distracted, healer; your handsome boyfriend wants to walk." Bryce said slyly. "Plus, it's quite a pain not being able to kiss you more."

Emma flushed a dark shade of red, which Bryce knew she wasn't going to cover her face. It wasn't because she learned not to, but her hands were on his broken legs.

"I don't want to do this with you either," Talia spat.

Preston had been listening to the constant fighting between Talia and Maverick. He was invisible, not out of pure want but because he didn't want to act like a third wheel physically.

"Then go back, Lia," Maverick barked.

They walked outside, where the power plant was located. All three of them were searching for followers, but this wasn't the group he intended to go with.

"I can't, because I'm searching for these followers," she grumbled.

Zane told them not to use their powers on each other. They haven't done so yet, but at some point they will. He would rather be at camp reading some comic books than be with these two. It would have been easier if he had hidden somewhere, but people always had eyes on him.

"Why did Zane park us together?" Maverick snapped, glaring at Preston.

"Teamwork?" Preston said, despite being invisible.

It wasn't that Preston had worked with Maverick much. Greyson had ordered him to do small jobs, but after Maverick lost his fingers, he was useless to Greyson. Power-wise, he was still usable, as Greyson would say, but not for security or shooting in battle.

"I doubt he wants teamwork out of this," Maverick grumbled, shaking his head.

They took a gravel road that led past the power plant. Preston missed when they relaxed at Uden Academy before taking one SUV because walking everywhere is exhausting.

"Are you still upset that you got sent there?" she started. "Do you think I really wanted you to go there? Mom never listened."

"I know, Lia," Maverick spat, stopping to stare at her. "We both didn't want it, but look where we are."

They were on an empty gravel road, surrounded by empty fields of nothing but dirt. The grass was long and seemed to stretch on forever.

"Then we don't have to fight over this!" Talia exclaimed.

Preston felt like he had been watching a fight between Jason and Greyson, except there wasn't any physical fighting.

Maverick groaned in frustration, shaking his head. "I know we don't!" he snapped.

Preston then noticed something ahead. It looked like a person was rushing toward them. He had a knife tucked in his pocket, latching onto the handle of it.

"I think someone's coming," Preston said.

Maverick and Talia both bickered, unconcerned by his own words. If this follower had Jason's power, they'd all be burned.

Preston gripped the handle of the knife for defence.

"I'm the last one," the boy spat.

Maverick and Talia finally got the attention, but this wasn't Jason's power. Preston stared as the boy's entire body erupted in flames, aimed at them. It was now official: they were all going to be roasted.

"I'm ready to be burned in hell," Preston said.

"Who had that ability?" Talia asked. "That toddler!"

"All the toddlers are dead," Maverick spat, with a glare directed at the boy in front.

The follower didn't move but shot golden fire from his hands. They all raced away as Talia held out her palm, a giant vine flowing from it and looping around the boy's neck, but it burned instantly due to the fire searing his flesh.

"We have to work together," Talia said, staring at Maverick. "Preston, try to find some distraction."

"I'm not in the mood to die today," Preston commented, turning invisible.

Maverick and Talia went near the boy as Preston crept around with the knife. The flames headed in his own direction as he felt a burn on his arm, yelping.

He went behind a tree, seeing that his arm was dark red. He poked a finger at his arm, but it didn't fall off. Perfect; he didn't lose an arm.

"It's not working!" Maverick roared.

Preston came from behind the tree, holding his knife. He was still unnoticeable due to being invisible, but that boy seemed to be searching for him.

"Quit hiding, you invisible freak," the boy spat.

Preston watched Talia shoot vines from her palm. It looped around the boy's ankle, sending him slamming to the ground. He wasn't someone noble, along with not being a fighter for blood matters. All he had been taking from what he had seen over this period of being in this chaos.

Suddenly, Preston came within striking distance of where he could throw the knife. The problem that happened was that fire shot directly at both Talia and Maverick, burning their bodies in flames.

Preston stayed invisible, but their bodies had burns like the storm caused. Talia twitched as Maverick groaned as they rolled on the ground. Having that toddler die in the fire had been a good thing, but not now.

"I'll burn you too," he taunted.

Preston looked between the two siblings and the boy. It wasn't that he had an idea of what to do. Sneaking around carefully, he attempted to stay quiet in the empty field. He didn't have a clue if this regular kitchen knife would kill him. Seeing a tree, he had an actual idea.

Creeping over, he watched the boy have his palms facing Maverick and Talia. The girl was cute, but he had to figure out a way to keep them alive.

He pushed himself up into the tall tree; the branch wobbled as he spotted Maverick grabbing Talia's hand. Preston slid up on the branch and aimed the knife at the follower glowing in flames.

"I love you, Mav," Talia said.

"I love you, Lia," Maverick said.

Preston threw the knife at the follower from the tree.

The boy burned the rest of Maverick and Talia's bodies to ash. The follower was destroyed while Preston sat on the branch. He swung himself down and glanced at the two of them.

Their bodies were blackened with ash, but their hands were intertwined. Preston formed the sign of the cross out of respect, even though he didn't like Maverick.

What happens now that the final follower has been destroyed? He didn't know, but he wanted to leave before Ashley killed him.

"Well, I'll figure out a way to get back to camp."

People were beginning to arrive back from fighting followers. Mark had to stroll around the entire area, checking to see if any of the followers were still guarding it. However, when he went looking for the followers, they vanished. He looked around from the edge of the field, but all of them were gone.

"They vanished?" Mark asked.

"All of them slowly disintegrated away," Xander stated, pointing around where they should be located.

Mark knew he had to inform Zane whenever he got back from figuring out the food status. He didn't expect Zane to assign him to watch camp. Maybe because he was a fisherman with his crew. Not someone famous in this hell like Jason or Greyson, but some guy.

"I think all the followers are gone," Cindy implied with tears in her eyes.

"Someone beat the last one? Who was left?" Xander exclaimed.

"Maverick's group, along with Jason's," Cindy said. "Then it becomes who Divina picks."

Mark realized this was the final endgame, much as in a video game. You must defeat the final boss without getting injured or killed. All endgames are subject to change, especially when new characters are introduced.

"There's no way I could do that," Xander said, shaking his head. "It seems scary to die."

Mark didn't choose either, because it's not something he'd choose as a person. Not the noble action of allowing someone to possess one's body.

"Did Jason make it back?" Mark asked.

"I thought about bringing him back myself, but Cassandra is there," Cindy implied.

"Our numbers are decreasing more and more," Xander stated.

Everyone knew they were still decreasing, but Mark didn't even want to count how many were actually left.

"I'll wait to see if they arrive," Mark informed.

He walked to the medical tent instead of the infirmary, now that the church had been destroyed. Of course, when he arrived, it was the same sight as when someone was seriously injured. The difference this time was Emma was sleeping beside Bryce with her hand on his.

Mark shook the girl slightly, and she stirred from her sleep. "What's wrong?" She rasped.

"You need to stop sleeping on the ground," Mark said, helping her up. He set her down on the one cot they managed to get.

"Bryce and James are still hurt," she murmured, rolling off the cot. "Stick died too."

Mark dragged Emma back up onto the uneven cot, setting her down.

"And the last follower is defeated, but I think something bad happened," she yawned.

"Death?" Mark asked.

"Maybe I should sleep," she murmured as her eyes shut.

Half the time, she tries to get out of the cot or stays lying on the ground. It normally follows with Mark having to say something about Bryce, which sets off some alarm in Emma.

It's not that she's scared of Bryce, but he constantly teases her with some flirty or sly comment. Not the way he insults Mia, which follows with her jaw always dropping.

With Emma, it isn't in a bad way, but a way to help her grow from being extremely insecure, which has worked.

Mark glanced around camp before spotting Jade. She was talking to Conner strangely, because those two never talked to each other. When Jade saw him, Conner walked away from her.

"Did everything go okay?" Mark asked.

"It went fine," she spat coldly, rolling her eyes. "Only Esme's feet were injured, along with her cheek bleeding. I doubt she'll be staying here long. Esme probably still wants to beat Ashley. From what I assume..."

Jade almost seemed upset as Mark knitted his eyebrows. Esme made it out alive, so shouldn't it be a celebration? He knew it was stressful to some, especially because she went after Ashley alone.

"We can't exactly freeze her feet down." Mark attempted to make a joke.

"Do you ever worry that someone you care about will get hurt?" Jade asked.

"Yuh," he replied, perplexed.

He did worry, like any person, that people close to him were going to die from that monster. Ashley still roamed this place like a bug, with all the powers ready to kill them at any moment.

"It's frustrating when they don't listen or return the..." Jade stopped herself, glancing at him. "Never mind."

Jade walked away from him in the direction of the burning fire. He felt he missed some information but shrugged it off. He went through the campground, making sure there wasn't any sign of Ashley.

People have started guarding in the fields, like switching shifts. Standing at the edge of the garden, Nelson stood with a few others picking some cabbages.

"It's a little late," Mark called.

"They wanted to pick some of them. I actually enjoy farming," Nelson said. He shrugged as farming became his new passion.

Nelson wasn't big in this place either. He was when Burger King still had food, but then he shifted more to Party Culture. Now that Party Culture was probably burned to ash, he didn't have much of a job anymore.

"No strange sightings in the field?" Mark asked.

Nelson shook his head as he dropped a cabbage in a bucket. "No, but you know what I always find strange?" he said. "Do you remember that period when it came down to cans?"

Any person remembers how they barely had any cans, and the most you'd get was at least one slice of lettuce or a couple beans. Even with some proper food now, it made his stomach feel strange.

"I never thought of it, but we barely had any animals in this place," Nelson remarked.

Now that Mark thought it over, he was right. There were never any birds that flew in the sky or raccoons getting into the trash they left around. He remembered some kids crying to Jason at one point that their animals were gone, like his cat.

"I thought they went on the outside like all the adults," Mark said. "Unless they all died in those first couple of weeks."

Nelson turned back to the small garden in front of him. "Ever think back when the only worry used to be sports or school?" Nelson asked. "I miss hockey."

Mark was never close to Nelson, who played hockey for some competitive league. He had a couple of classes with him when they were in school, but now they made contact due to the farming business Zane helped set up.

"Eventually we might get back to normal," Mark said.

"Quite possible," Nelson said.

However, the air didn't feel like what it had when all those followers were around. Was this how the air felt before all this started?

"Get some rest, dude," Mark said with a nod. He turned to walk away but met sights with Emma.

"Why does it feel weird?" she asked.

"Shouldn't I be asking you that?" Mark asked.

"I don't have an answer, but maybe something else?" Emma questioned, chewing her lip.

Mark dreaded the thought of there being more problems.

"It could be about anything. Maybe Divina selected the body but can't take over until Cassandra tells it," Emma rambled, still dozy.

"We'll find out when she's back," Mark said.

The air felt ominous, like the feeling of walking into an abandoned house in the dark. Whatever it was, it didn't feel welcoming at all. It was how the danger felt when they were desperately clinging to survival.

The host body choice is coming in the next chapter. I'd advise you to grab your tissue boxes.

Who do you think Divina will choose?