People gathered in shock and fear, their eyes staring directly at Cassandra as if she were a movie star. Among the crowd, some people seemed genuinely amazed that Cassandra had finally matured into the teenager she wanted to be. No longer was she just a baby or toddler, but something who could assist.

"Hello everyone," she said, flashing a smile at the many puzzled faces. "I understand this might come as quite a surprise, but it's part of my mutant powers."

She had spent hours dealing with the overwhelming sensations coursing through her body. Although he did t full understand the extent of her power, one thing was clear: she couldn't grow past being a fifteen-year-old.

"First and foremost," she began, raising her finger. "Ashley has been terrorizing, which is the first step. We have to get rid of those followers by distracting them all to have them either change sides or destroy them."

That is just how it should be. Her parents work their way out of Ashley's mess, step by step. No objections should be raised since she would not sit by if people did not listen. People must understand that it is the only way to go based on what she knows.

"What if we don't want to help?" Maverick called.

"Then it's not my fault if you die," she said bluntly.

She has seen some people her parents considered idiotic when people didn't listen. It was like learning that Luke, one of Ashley's followers, thought it was a good idea to open the power plant using his noodle arm. That didn't end up working but just made a mark.

"I'm saying the way we get out of this, which I know everyone might not agree with, but you have a likely chance of dying if you go alone," she started. "We have to work together if you want to stop that psycho; it has all these mutant powers, and I'm sure people don't want to be burned alive or thrown around like dolls."

All of them agreed, while giving them that hope; however, this host body could wait. She didn't want to deal with that situation, especially with whatever Divina had in mind.

Cassandra then felt a sensation as if someone was trying to play with her mind. She quickly scanned the crowd, her gaze landing on that boy who talked out. He was attempting to use illusions to distract her mind. those illusions. She snapped her fingers, which sent him screaming while everyone looked startled.

"Stop interrupting my speech," Cassandra spat. "As I was saying, we don't want anymore deaths."

Even if she knew, there would be people who weren't all going to listen to her. She jumped up from the wagon, floating in the air with her legs crossed.

From above, she scanned the many faces gathered in a group or the odd few in the distance watching for ugly Ashley. There were many she learned names through her parents minds, but others she didn't know.

"Defeat the followers, then focus on the host body situation," Cassandra declared. "Zane will be creating side groups to convince or fight followers, because that's how it will be. I'll be busy doing something with my father and Jason."

Cassandra wasn't exactly sure if her plan would work, but it might, considering what she wanted to do.

"I've killed one follower, but others want to leave," Cassandra said. "I'm determined to defeat this thing, just like most of you."

Cassandra carefully set herself down on the wagon, landing like a fairy. As she looked around at those gathered with her, she recognized some faces—many had powers or some that had assisted at Uden Academy in the past.

She had seen not just memories of people's names and powers, but also their relationships. She saw how Jason and her father seem to hate each other by always bickering. She also saw how her mother almost got shot by one of those followers, which she had destroyed herself.

When she hopped off the wagon, Cassandra placed both hands on her hips. Compared to others around her, she appeared healthy and clean due to the power she used to grow herself from a mix of eating and sleeping. She knew she wouldn't be clean for long, considering the clothes she wore were dirty.

Scarlett came walking towards her. "I'm going to talk to your father," she said.

Cassandra glanced around, feeling somewhat lost and unsure of whom she approached to talk to. She had learned her parents' view on certain people, so she had to follow from what she knew so far.

"Where's Scarlett?" Cindy asked.

Cindy was someone who was there during her birth and had the supernatural power of teleportation. Both her parents didn't have a problem with her since she helped mainly with her mother's pregnancy.

"Talking with my father," Cassandra replied.

"What did you do to Maverick?" Cindy asked.

"I reflected his power," Cassandra stated.

"So, you'll sleep, then go to the bubble surrounding us?" Cindy asked.

"That's what I intend: set early, so I can commence what needs to be done," Cassandra said as she spun on the toe of her shoe.

"What plan is this?"

"It's secret."

She was determined that no one would know her plan, everything Jason or her father, when they go to the bubble. To her, secrecy was paramount; it allowed her to strategize without outside distractions.

"It's not something deadly?" Cindy asked.

"It's something that needs to be done," Cassandra said.

Cindy looked at her with unease. Did she not trust her response, or did she believe it to be dangerous? It wasn't exactly that they would be in danger, but some might be.

Her mother had told her about the outside world. It was filled with much more than just burned buildings, destroyed landscapes and broken cars. Well, she wasn't exactly sure if adults rested outside this bubble. Cassandra did not like the sound of adults, but she knew what she had to do.

She teleported away, staring at the bubble that was an illusion of an expanded field. She pressed a finger against it, watching as a white light emanated from her touch. Gradually, the light began to expend outward, illuminating the edges of the illusion and causing it to flicker and fade away.

"I told you time's up," Cassandra declared sharply.

"I'll still kill everyone." She heard Ashley's voice in her head.

Cassandra pressed two fingers together as she watched the brilliant white light expanding around her all. The illusion that enveloped them began to dissolve, fracturing in to countless tiny pieces that scattered like pieces like an eggshell breaking apart.

"Stop!" Ashley yelled in her head.

"I won't stop until you're gone," Cassandra said.

"You wouldn't," Ashley grated.

"Look at how much of a coward you are, God. Barely able to stand to think what that human will do," Divina snarled from inside her mind.

It was just as if all three had been facing each other, but it all happened in her mind.

"Aren't you the scared one, goddess?" Ashley barked.

"Of course, but I'm not cowering," Divina snarled. "Doesn't that show your panic? I can't wait until I get to fight with that mutant child. After all, I get to choose whose body I take."

"Regardless of who you take, you won't have their powers."

"Don't you get it? Once I choose a body that gives itself up, I get my powers back. That's when we'll kill you. Try to kill all those humans, but you have a new blockage. Plus, if she is just like her father, she won't be changing her goal anytime soon."

She closed her eyes, and found herself in the middle of a dark void, an endless expanse that seemed to stretch in forever. Ashley was on the right side, while Divina stood as his male illusion on the left. No matter how they attempted to hide their true feelings behind layers of anger or mockery, its was clear; they were terrified.

"I'm going to destroy you two monsters," Cassandra spat.

In her eyes, they were nothing more than monsters, filled with malice and chaos. She didn't care a out any help they received. Divina's past efforts like sealing holes or torturing Ashley meant nothing to her. Too Cassandra, those were not acts of kindness; they were merely used to piss off Ashley.

"You're quite pathetic for thinking that. Do you really think you can stop me?" Ashley snarled.

Cassandra slowly raised both palms towards them. She spread her fingers as the two started began to levitate in the air, both with wide eyes.

"Let me down, idiot!" Divina barked.

Cassandra froze them in the air, their struggles pointless against the force. A beam white light began to form in her hand, illuminating the dark void around them. She directed the light straight at Ashley and Divina. The beam shot forth striking both in a striking flash.

They screamed and fell from the air. Cassandra slowly walked over with her hands in her hips. The two twitched side by side in the ground. The only ones affected by the light would be the fallen stars, who were trying to manage their way to stand, but it wasn't working.

"Your games are over," Cassandra declared. "Because I will stop the both of you."

She could hear their thoughts of unspoken fears and hidden information a round her mind. Among those thoughts were things they kept from everyone else, including Emma. It was clear they were scared—terrified, even—that of this information were to come to light, everyone would knew the truth. She opened her eyes as both voices vanished from her mind. Soon enough, the time will come for someone to sadly die.

Lying back on the bed in the RV, Jason ran a hand over his face. It wasn't his intention to team up with Greyson or Cassandra; that had been never part of the plan. He wished he could have just hung back or something.

From what he had seen of teenager Cassandra, it was clear she had Greyson's tenacious personality. Its was strange, but she wasn't going to let him stay back. Whatever her overall goal had been, it all started with the bubble around them.

"Seriously," he mumbled.

It wasn't that he was running around doing other jobs, because he couldn't do that anymore. He had to stick with the job that could be the most dangerous of all.

Suddenly, he heard a knock on the door. He sat up, and opened the trailer door to reveal Bella. At first, he just stared blankly at her while her eyes met his.

"Can we talk?" Bella asked.

He let her inside with the rectangular trailer door slamming behind her. He sat on the long red seat as she sat on the opposite side, but neither said anything.

One thing he noticed was that her hair looked uneven, like it was burned. She had her gloves off so he could faintly see the scars on her hands from the storm.

"It's been a while," she said awkwardly.

It had been six months since she had left him with just a single note, delivered by Bryce. She had left to change, as the letter stated, but she still had left without giving a clear reason for their break up.

"Yeah," he replied.

Nevaeh had told him that she discovered more details. As her ability fell within the range of mind reading, she had read Esme's thoughts about everything she had heard on the day when Bryce and Emma had gone to retrieve the letter.

"I needed to isolate myself," Bella began, looking down at her fingers. "To figure things out."

"Did you?" Jason asked.

Bella didn't say anything, but she stared back up at him. It almost seemed like something else was bothering her.

"I'm a selfish person," she murmured.

"Why did they find you hiking?" Jason asked.

"Running out of food." She didn't look at him when she said that.

Jason had been missing Bella, but at the same time being irritated. She had left because he had been dismissive to her needs. She wanted him to be safe, which resulted in her hands having scars on them.

Emma didn't heal Bella's hands due to overwhelming distress and nausea. She had apologized constantly for this.

"They said they found you falling over," Jason said.

"Lack of food," Bella replied.

Bryce said she had been walking in a field that was maybe miles away from where she had been staying. She appeared like River did when Nevaeh and Bella first found him, except her skin wasn't frostbitten, and her face didn't look like a ghost.

"I needed to think about some things. Fixing myself..." she trailed off.

"I've just been here," Jason said flatly.

"I should have come sooner."

"For what?"

"To see you."

Was she admitting that she missed him? Jason couldn't be sure, but he knew he missed her deeply.

"I know trapping you was wrong," Bella began, her voice filled with remorse. "I should have given you more freedom."

Without warning, Bella her lips crashed onto him in a desperate kiss. Her hand rested on his cheek while the other slipped under his shirt, sending shivers down his spine. He pulled back for a moment, his eyebrows knitted.

"I thought you didn't..." he trailed off, but Bella silenced him with another kiss.

In that moment, he realized that he would accept any changes in Bella if it meant having her back in his life. He had missed her more than he had ever realized, and there was no longer any refusal. He was willing to do whatever it took to be by Bella's side once more.

The dimly lit campsite of Sunny's was filled with people staring into the fires. Greyson glanced around, knowing exactly what his objective was after spending time with Scarlett. He saw Cassandra bending down in front of the water, playing around in it.

Cassandra was his own mutant daughter, born only two days ago. Despite her age, he couldn't help but notice how similar she looked to Scarlett. Cassandra looked over at him with her blue eyes widening, and then bolted towards him with a smile.

"Hi father! Are you excited to get to work together?" She stood in front of him, seemingly unaware of the people watching.

"Do you know what we're doing?" he asked.

"Yes, I'll need your help with something. Now, we just have to wait for the soldier. I hope he knows what we're doing," she muttered with contempt. "We're going to the bubble."

Greyson had an idea of Cassandra's plan when it came to going to see the bubble. With all the information Scarlett had told him about what her overall powers, he knew what she wanted.

"The soldier is busy," Mia slurred, with Will beside her. "He and the housewife are chatting, Miracle Child, but I'm not sure if it's all chatting, right?"

Mia started laughing with Will while Greyson narrowed his eyes at her. The two automatically fell to the ground in front of them before looking back up with muddy faces. Nobody had touched them, but Cassandra had a dark look in her eyes.

"I told him we were going when I said it was time to go."

"Chop, chop, soldier!" Greyson heard Nevaeh's voice. "You can't leave two determined people waiting."

He spotted Jason walking over with Nevaeh trailing behind, clapping her hands. He stood in front of the two as Cassandra nodded and turned, as they began walking through the fields still filled with snow.

"What are we doing?" Jason called.

"I said we're going to the barrier trapping us," Cassandra sighed, shaking her head. "We go to the bubble, where I do my thing, and then we find Ashley, and it's all easy steps."

They began walking without waiting for Jason. They were near the bubble in one of the fields as the snow barely covered the fields anymore, with the sky still pink. Greyson glanced at Cassandra, who beamed a bright smile. It still confused him because it has been overwhelming. She wasn't some random child, but his own.

"We have to destroy those followers afterward, since my plan performs in three steps," Cassandra explained.

The three of them stopped as they looked at an expansion of the field they stood in. It stretched out for miles in front of them.

Cassandra set her hand on the bubble, causing it to emit a blinding light, forcing Greyson to shield his eyes.

All around, it seemed too crazy, like some kind of puzzle. The facade disappeared as they stood facing a road. There had been apartment buildings nearby, with people walking by. Some stopped as they stared at what was revealed on the opposite side.

As people rushed forward, tears streaming down their faces, some held up signs, while most recorded the scene on their phones. News reporters surrounded those who faced them instead of simply observing. Greyson felt stunned because, compared to them, they looked like drug addicts.

"There are so many people," Cassandra remarked beside him.

Despite the reveal, cars continued to travel normally on the road and the bright blue sky could be seen on the opposite side. Everything that once was in this world happened on the outside while they were trapped.

Cassandra's gaze then fell upon a small grocery store nearby. "This is where you come in, father," she declared.

The adults around them seemed to stare in horror at the sight of them. She pointed to the grocery store, which was another Foodland.

"Focus your powers on that," she instructed, gesturing towards the grocery store.

Greyson focused on the store as it slowly lifted off the ground. His arm ached, but this gives them something. Cassandra was definitely smart, like him. It wasn't possible for them to even touch the bubble.

The store slowly made its way inside the bubble. Something being absorbed into the bubble wasn't possible from anywhere.

Greyson felt his own eyes widen when the store fell flat in the field. Those on the outside stared in horror as Cassandra walked back to face the group. He watched her knit her eyebrows, looking up to see many helicopters.

"Are they stupid?" she spat as she stuck up her palm, sending the helicopter soaring away. He assumed the military, but no military could stand up for everything they witnessed.

Greyson watched as the large crowd fell like dominoes. It was almost like an earthquake had hit, and some people tried to hold their ground, but it didn't work.

"What'd you do?" Jason panicked.

"It's what happens when I get something from the outside," Cassandra said, twirling on her heel and glancing over at the grocery store.

Greyson hurried over to the store to explore the building, which was currently without power. To his surprise, there was actual food available, not just cabbage or fish. He picked up an apple and stared at it before taking a bite. It was real food, just like on the island.

"Are you satisfied?" Cassandra asked, standing in front of him with a smile.

"You knew this, didn't you?" Greyson said.

Cassandra sat down across from him, crossing her legs. She grabbed a box of chocolate chip cookies, all which looked freshly packaged. She studied the plastic container as if it were a work of art before eating one.

"Of course I knew. Take a store through the bubble to get food for you and Mother food," Cassandra said, offering him a cookie.

She ran her fingers through her long, dark hair, pushing it back from her face. As Greyson glanced over, he noticed Jason slumped against a fruit stand, eating a pear.

Cassandra asked, tilting her head in genuine confusion. "Why are you scared of me?"

"I'm not," Greyson said.

"Are you scared of being my father?" Cassandra asked.

Greyson nodded before he could stop himself. He's the Dauntless Leader, but he fears his own daughter.

"Mother said she's scared I'll be raised wrong. Is that why?" Cassandra asked.

"No," he said, glancing over at Jason, lying on the cold floor.

"You're afraid to tell Mother you love her," Cassandra said. "I'm right."

Greyson didn't like being proven wrong, but this had been one of them.

"I know you didn't have much love growing up, like Mother," Cassandra implied. "I have learned everything from seeing your memories from the first meeting, schemes, but I didn't visit the dirty stuff. I can control everything, but I don't control people, so it's important you tell her."

"I know," Greyson remarked.

He knew he loved Scarlett, but saying those words wasn't something that came easily to him. He could barely remember if his adoptive parents had ever told them they loved him. It could have been the day they discarded him at Uden Academy, but everything was a blur now.

Cassandra then widened her eyes and stood. "Someone's going after Ashley alone," she grated, chewing on her pinky nail. "We're leaving!"

When Greyson got out of the store, he was met with a chaotic scene: many ambulances and police cars were lined the streets, their lights flashing. People were rushing around because Cassandra had caused an earthquake in the real world.

There were more cameras surrounding people broadcasting, but they couldn't hear any of them. None of the cries where people sat injured or maybe dead. Cassandra's plan was brilliant, which was from him. She was intelligent at planning, like how most of his plans have worked out.

"Wait, should we start contacting someone about the food?" Jason asked.

"We have to get rid of the followers, or that person going alone is going to die," she said.

"Who is going alone?" Jason questioned.

"Speed Demon," Cassandra remarked.

"Where do we start with followers?" Greyson asked, his hand on his hip.

Cassandra glanced back and forth before they set their sights on one."Bingo," she said as she sped her way there.

Teagan stood there with a neutral expression, her eyes directed at Cassandra. "Mutant child," she whispered, almost in tears.

The first thing he could assume was that the followers wanted to leave Ashley. It was the only thing that made sense considering what Cassandra had said about them.

"You all want to leave Ashley," Cassandra said.

There were fifteen more who showed themselves, all of whom Greyson did not recognize. They all gathered as a crowd, nodding their heads.

"We no longer want revenge," someone said.

"We don't want people we know to die. It's wrong," one of them said in tears.

"Do you wish to perish or aid?" Cassandra asked.

"Aid," Teagan confirmed.

Cassandra held out both palms facing them, her eyes closed. Greyson watched the followers slowly fall to the ground, but they didn't pop like normal. One by one, he watched in shock as they drifted into slumber.

"What happened?" Jason asked.

"They left Ashley's side," Greyson stated.

"They aid by locating or fighting," Cassandra explained as she shot the white light from her hands.

"You're quite fearsome," Divina's voice praised as they spotted the male illusion with a smirk. "God's slowly losing followers, then I get a body."

"People aren't listening fully," Cassandra scowled with crossed arms.

"When you get this body, does the process take more than just two months?" Jason asked.

"God slowly loses the powers when I get a body. Since the mutant child had erased them, which were primarily created from godrin," Divina stated.

Scarlett told him about that substance when Divina was her doodle body. Now, it was an actual illusion they were talking with.

"God may end up burning where you're staying, but it's about who I choose," Divina snarled.

"Who are your primary choices?" Greyson asked before he could stop himself.

"That's a secret," Divina snarled.

That didn't exactly help Greyson, because there may be a choice he might have to make.

"But it's a sacrifice? Do they just say words?" Jason asked.

"Choose me," Divina rolled on his tongue. "I pick between my choices."

"Is that your endgame?" Cassandra asked.

"Yes, because the world is seen. Followers are dying, which will make me victorious," Divina laughed. "Let me see this grand power of yours."

"No," Cassandra said with crossed arms. "I know why you want to know."

Divina raised his eyebrows at her. Greyson was aware that Divina probably just wanted to know Cassandra's powers in order to establish everything.

"God will be quite angry with you. Actually, it is already," Divina laughed.

"It constantly screams at me. Every time it tells me something, I threaten it," Cassandra spat.

"I hope you get rid of those followers soon. I miss traumatizing God," Divina sneered, disappearing from sight.

"Divina's crazy," Cassandra said flatly. "She's like," she snapped her fingers in thought.

"Luke," Jason stated.

Luke, who ended up getting killed by him, along with being a useful henchman. Now he had become one of those followers, or quite possibly dead.

"Okay, we have to go search for those followers," Cassandra said, looking at the ones she had. "Half stay while the other half goes to Sunny's."

They vanished from view as Cassandra nodded, turning to the two of them.

"We have to get moving if we want to get out of this place," Cassandra said.