Driving down the darkened road, Zane glanced at Jason, who sat beside him in the passenger seat. They were heading to Simcoe, where they would meet up with Greyson and the few freaks there. This meeting was something they couldn't avoid.

"Emma is crazy for creating this idea," Talia called from the back.

"Emma's intuition has always been correct," Zane replied, his tone serious. "If we want to stop Ashley, we have to ambush her."

They pulled up in front of the church, Zane noticed only Emma and River. He stepped out of the vehicle just as Emma began pacing nervously. Preston emerged from behind River, revealing a Greyson alongside Maverick, who had a blotchy face.

"If we want to be ready to stop Ashley from killing all of us, we have to create an ambush," Zane stated.

"You mean my mutant child?" Greyson interjected abruptly, arms crossed.

Zane didn't know who told Greyson, but he didn't want to focus on that. There were bigger issues going on that didn't just include the mutant child and its plans.

"I'm guessing Ashley's prime focus will be Sunny's, but she isn't there yet," Emma started to ramble. "This means groups of offence and defence. I know we all don't agree, but Zane has come up with teams."

"One of the major groups will be the main disagreement," Zane started, but he already knew when he thought of them. "Jason and Greyson, you will work together."

Greyson let out a laugh while Jason widened his eyes. "No way," they both spat.

"Nobody can handle her now that she has all the powers. If you don't, that child and Scarlett will die, which means we all die," Zane stated.

Greyson kept his glare, but Zane could tell he had conflicted emotions in his eyes. If they wanted to try and hold off Ashley, those two would be their best options for now. If anyone else went, he had a feeling they'd be in great danger.

"We'd keep Jade, James, Stick, and some others at Sunny's and send others. I'd be sending Esme and Angel together, splitting them into different regions," Zane explained.

"And we can't have two leaders if we're joining as one," Greyson said.

"Since you two will be gone..." Emma trailed with her fists together. "I'd like to appoint Zane as the overall leader."

"Him? Are you serious?" Greyson asked.

"You two will be gone, which results in chaos with plans," Emma remarked, chewing her lip.

Greyson then let out a sigh, shaking his head. "Fine."

Zane glanced at Jason, already knowing the answer. "I need some of your freaks to meet together. People like Eden, Bryce, or Maverick," he implied.

"Uh, Eden and Bryce are gone," Preston said. "Those crackheads went to find Bella because Eden was going to go alone. I'm pretty sure Eden would have thrown her in the freezing lake."

"Nobody knows where she is," Jason whispered.

"Will could," Greyson stated.

Zane heard information from Nevaeh: Will had the ability to allow him to pinpoint a person's location if he knows them. It was similar to Cindy's teleportation, yet it was still different; instead of physically teleporting, Will could visualize the person's location. It's extremely useful, but Zane knew those four—Mia, Bryce, Will, and Eden wouldn't step near Sunny's unless it was for something fun.

"I didn't tell them to do that," Greyson grumbled, despite keeping a smirk.

"Load up some of your freaks so we can inform everyone," Zane said.

Greyson's smirk faltered into a glare. Jason didn't look any happier than Greyson, but it became one of the methods. Emma stopped pacing to stand in place, meeting eyes with all of them.

"The mutant child can get rid of Ashley's powers," Emma stated.

"Does it suck it out like a vacuum?" Talia asked.

"That's what it can do, which terrifies God. All the followers have to be gone first, which you can destroy," Emma said as she pointed at Greyson and Jason. She blinked multiple times, holding her head. "I hate that."

"We'll come eventually," Greyson said, turning on his heel with River and Maverick following.

"If the child can decrease the powers, do you think it's like a scale?" Talia asked.

"Scarlett might know, but that's what I'm guessing. Powers considered very low rank go first before high," Zane implied.

Everything has just been drastically changing throughout the days. From the storm going away to the information they've been slowly gaining about what this mutant child could be capable of.

"Where are you going to send Greyson and me? Back to that area, Emma and Esme found?" Jason asked.

"Esme and Angel are near the surroundings of Sunny's," Zane said, holding a flashlight to scan the area.

He sent Esme and Angel to the outside fields near the bubble, because he thought it would be best. Since Esme is always speeding around, Angel would be best to control her since his power basically glued her to the ground.

"Do you think he'll actually show up?" Talia asked, glancing back at the dim church.

"He agreed to stop him since Luke's probably around here somewhere, but he's a follower, which means he can't do it directly unless he still has the noodle arm," Zane said. "Plus Bella..."

Bella hadn't come back from wherever she ended up going. Due to the darkness, not even Esme had found her when she'd go running around the area.

"Not to make the mood worse, but those four might crash the car into the house," Talia said. "I don't think they brought weapons, but they may have a gun."

Jason's mood did not look any better, especially with how some of the last few months had been. It surprised Zane that Bella used him for her own personal protection. Maybe it had been for attention, but he didn't know.

"Who are you going to have protect Scarlett?" Talia asked.

Scarlett was the last person who would want protection, but it was needed. She was still pregnant with the mutant child, plus she wasn't entirely a bad person.

"I thought about having Stick, James, and Maverick, if he cooperates," Zane said.

"Maverick won't, which could rule out Eden or Nevaeh," Talia sighed.

Zane knew Ashley was Catholic, along with being insecure. Yet, this wasn't the same girl they knew months ago, so those beliefs might not be there anymore.

"I might just have to use some guns, like myself," Talia implied.

"Is she good at directions?" Zane asked.

"As bad as Emma," Jason mumbled.

"There's still Preston, Mallory, Bryce, River, and Conner," Zane stated.

There were still many freaks that he was probably forgetting. It wasn't just those that Talia named off, but there may be others that could aid.

"We'll figure it all out at the meeting," Zane said.

"Let me drive!" Mia yelled.

Bryce threw a car manual at her. "You'd hit a tree, and then we'd be stranded," he said.

Mia whipped the car manual at the back of his head, causing him to lean forward in the driver's seat.

They were driving in the middle of nowhere, speeding down a long road that didn't have much snow. It wasn't the exact plan for them to all go find Bella together, but Eden going alone is deadly enough.

"Why did Bella literally go to the middle of nowhere?" Eden sighed.

"Probably so you didn't hunt her down with a shovel," Will said, sticking his tongue out.

"Is she in the cabin still?" Bryce asked, glancing at Will.

Will closed his eyes but knitted his eyebrows. "She's in a field now."

"Which way?" Bryce asked, stopping the car.

"Left," Will said.

Bryce made a sharp left turn, sending Mia flying back to the brown seats. He didn't know how to drive well, and they weren't the type to use seatbelts when it came to driving anything. The headmistress used to lecture them about the dangers because they often got charged with reckless driving.

"I was trying to put a glow stick on you," Mia pouted, cracking the purple glow stick and looping it around his head.

"Go right," Will called.

Bryce took a right down a bumpy gravel road. The faint glow of headlights illuminated the surroundings just enough for him to notice an outline of something in the field ahead. It was hard to tell whether it was a person or one of those creepy followers that pop up like acne.

"If it's Ashley, I call shooting her," Mia called, putting a hand up.

Just then, the figure collapsed just inches from where Bryce stopped the car. Eden swiftly reached for Mia's rifle from Mia while they all stumbled out of the vehicle. Will knelt down and rolled the body over. It was Bella her eyes closed, her face pale im the dim light.

"Are you sure you didn't hit her?" Mia poked Bella's cheek.

"There'd be a thump," Bryce said. "Plus, only one of us is heartless enough to do that."

Bryce glanced at Eden, who narrowed her eyes at him. Bella slowly opened her eyes, staring around disoriented at the field of snow covering the ground with all four of them around her.

"Where am I?" Bella asked, finally focusing on them.

"Hell," Bryce said with a smirk.

"Are you the hippies?" Bella inquired.

Mia and Will started laughing, holding each other. Considering they were all wearing glow sticks that Will stored in his room, plus they had messy hair and puffy clothes, they could maybe pass as them. Then again, time travel wasn't one of the things that occurred here.

"The housewife needs to come out of her trance." Eden's voice seemed to startle Bella, but seeing her hold the rifle directed at her made her let out a bloody scream.

"It looks like she missed you," Will laughed.

"We aren't hippies either," Bryce stated, sticking his tongue out.

"Oh gosh," Bella gasped. "Crackheads."

Maybe they were the worst people to come and find Bella, especially with Eden's behaviour and them not exactly caring much about rescue missions. Yet, bringing Bella back may cause some changes that need to be made.

"It's been some time, housewife. Did you learn a lesson?" Eden asked with an innocent smile on her face.

"Yeah..." she trailed off.

"And what's that?"

"Don't use people for personal gain."

"Did you realize you're a selfish bitch?"

Bella slowly nodded, looking down at her feet. It's not every day a person could spend six months alone in isolation, but that did happen to people who had COVID.

"Your soldier was quite hurt," Mia implied, adjusting her purple glow stick on her head.

"Why are you even walking in the middle of nowhere? Don't you know Ashley developed all those mutant powers?" Will asked.

"And Scarlett's mutant child is going to save us all, but Ashley wants to kill the baby," Bryce stated.

Bella appeared horrified. "A baby?" she gasped.

"Yes, God blessed us with a child," Eden said, lacing her hands together.

"If you hadn't left sooner, you wouldn't have heard the news," Mia said dumbly.

Bryce assumed she didn't know due to Eden's unhinged behaviour of drugging her when the secret was revealed. Everyone slowly learned about there being a mutant child and the parents, but she was one who had never been exposed to the news.

"Unless Bella is disgusted with the idea of someone having a child at fifteen," Eden sneered.

"I had scares when I was in seventh grade," Mia said.

"I'm just..." she trailed off.

"Bella, this is today's society, not when teenage pregnancy has been low," Bryce remarked.

"We partied young, smoked, drank, and the list goes on. If you want to criticize someone for having a child, talk to Cassie," Eden started. "Oops, she's part of the vanished."

"We're basically Bella's old friends," Mia called, jumping on Bryce's back.

"They were more controlled," Bella spat, crossing her arms.

"She still seems like a bitch to me," Eden spat.

"I think she's just not used to our chaos," Will said.

"We're the real party people," Mia implied, holding up a peace sign.

They were the ones who could go to any party just to have fun. People normally wouldn't question who they were, and they often made excuses.

"I think we went to one Simcoe party," Eden stated.

"Two, because Will broke the fence post at one," Bryce remarked, and all four of them started laughing.

"Wait, I think I was at that party," Bella gasped.

"Mia jumped off the roof into the pool, almost landing on the deck," Bryce said.

"Will threw a chair at the fence, thinking it wouldn't break, but it did. The girl who hosted it was pissed," Mia spoke between laughter.

Simcoe parties were a rare thing they escaped for them—a chance to let loose and enjoy themselves from the normal things. They didn't happen often, but Mia found a post on social media that someone was hosting one. They used different names of being friends with the girl that owned the house because using real names could get them caught.

"Nobody figured it out because you faked your name..." Bella trailed off.

"It's the smarter approach," Will replied with a wink. "The party was already boring when we got there."

Bryce remembered the party had consisted of some just sitting in the kitchen eating nachos or drinking alcohol. There were a few people waiting to get into the pool until they showed up.

"We all faked we were transfer students from America," Bryce said with a smirk.

"That way, if they press charges, they can't find you," Mia cheered, fist up.

Bella's brows furrowed. "Wait, Chloe said there had been things taken from the home."

"Strawberry ice cream, fairy lights, Advil, and makeup," Mia remarked. "Stealing is easy when you get the hang of it. Once we got stole a laptop, so Will hacked it so we could use it."

Theft had become a common crime among them whenever they attended those parties. Sometimes it didn't require much sneaking around; they could simply hide items in shirts or pockets.

"The point being, you've seen us at parties. Since we saw you fall, you are probably on your way to see your soldier," Bryce said.

Bella didn't say anything. Bryce wasn't exactly sure if she had changed or just couldn't stand isolation. It could be both, but that meant a reunion between the two lost lovers.

"We should do it as a parade," Will cheered.

"Or would you rather walk your way in this darkness?" Bryce asked, pointing the small flashlight at Bella's face.

"Fine," Bella spat, shading a hand over her face.

Eden whipped a snowball at Bella's face with an innocent smile. Yet all three of them saw that smile as coverage because Eden Weber didn't have a dash of innocence flowing through her body.

"It's not going to be some mellow reunion where you embrace and apologize," Mia started, waving a finger. "You will probably be shooting someone if you can do that."

"I can," Bella spat.

"Maybe you'll do something noble for once," Eden snarled.

Bryce understands Bella not liking Scarlett, but not liking Eden is hilarious. Then again, Eden did not like her for obvious reasons in that insane mind of hers.

"Maybe one of those dramatic sacrifices for the lover," Will remarked.

"Hebrews said do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God," Eden said.

Mia shoved Eden into the car beside Bella, who placed her head against the window. Bryce took the driver's seat as Will sat in the back this time.

"I'll make sure she doesn't numb her movements," Will remarked.

"It's encouraging," Eden said with a smile.

Bryce doubted Eden's words. He knew she didn't want to encourage Bella but rather taunt her. No, it wasn't taunting, but what she's known to do best. He started the car as Mia began to bounce in her seat, playing with the glow sticks. She tried turning up the volume on the radio, but no sound was produced.

"Whoa, look, we're in the sky!" Mia gasped, pointing out.

Bryce noticed he was no longer driving in the thick snow. Instead, they seemed to be floating casually in the air, but it was too dark to even figure out what was going on.

"Maybe it's one of those rides that goes up and down fast," Will gasped. "I don't see anything."

Bryce leaned up to see if there was anything else besides darkness. He caught a glimpse of something—or
rather someone—he never expected to see again. It was Ashley, who they hadn't seen in six months.

"Ugly girl!" Bryce called out.

They fell to the ground with such speed that he felt his stomach drop, as if he were on a roller coaster. When they landed, the sudden impact jolted them hard, plunging the interior of the car turning dark. He felt a sharp pain in the back of his head, rubbing the back of it.

"I don't know if we should run or stay still and act dead," Will whispered.

"Act dead," Mia said.

Ashley stood in front of the car with her palms extended toward them.

"I think she's going to burn the car," Eden whispered.

"We need to run!" Bella panicked.

"She might not shoot us," Bryce whispered.

They all watched Jason's glowing light cause the car to burst into flames with all of them inside.

"I've found nothing in the books about strange growth," Cindy said.

Scarlett had herself plopped against the side of the trailer window on the red cushioned seat. Strangely, she felt some feelings inside of her that weren't just the maternal feelings between mother and child. It's almost an emotion, but a fetus can't have any emotions other than repeatedly kicking her on a regular basis.

"Probably something to do with it being a mutant child," Scarlett said. She placed her hand on her stomach, feeling the baby kick. It was almost as if it sensed where her hand would be.

"Zane has a plan gathered for whatever Ashley has planned. The freaks from Simcoe will gather for positioning," Cindy started. "I know Greyson and Jason are going to team up together."

Scarlett could see how that would play out. Both of them would either be bickering or staying quiet, with maybe Greyson throwing Jason a couple of times.

It's been six months since she had physically seen him. Scarlett didn't realize that adjusting to life here would be difficult. Not because of being nicer, but for once, she chose someone else over Greyson. Strangely, she missed him, which surprised her when she realized it.

The two of them had always been connected for planning and plotting, but it became grander during the island's stay. It wasn't from the endless times spent making love or having that luxury, but she confessed to him that she loved him. She knew why he didn't say the words back because he had never been taught.

"They'll probably be here in the morning," Cindy implied. "Zane plans to have Stick and James be two of the protectors."

Stick, who has begun to lose weight, is still trying to find his redemption mostly through God. James ended up forgiving her for her past actions. Both have superhuman strength in different ways, which could prevent Ashley in some ways when they escape.

"Even the crackheads went off to get Bella," Cindy said bitterly. "Your child will be able to absorb Ashley's power, according to Nevaeh."

There were many claims by Emma that Divina was toying around inside her body. It's not just about her being able to do all these strange things. She floated a plastic plate in the air or even had this strange white light glowing on her palms.

However, she can feel the danger because all these powers aren't her own. That echo has said, "Strengthen the powers, or I'll help soon."

"You're the prime target in Ashley's killing spree," Cindy said.

Scarlett already knew she was the prime target. This mutant child growing inside her would end up saving them, but it hasn't been born yet. The door of her RV opened to Stick and James, who seemed like a strange pair together.

"I'm going to find Emma," Cindy said, bopping away.

"You can sit," Scarlett said.

The two stood awkwardly but sat down on the opposite window cushioned area.

"If Ashley attacks Sunny's, we'll try to get you to Wasaga Beach," James started. "We can't get you to the island, but Wasaga Beach does have hiding places, such as the change rooms."

Scarlett didn't want to hide in a nasty change room. If it somehow kept the baby safe, though, she'd do it.

"If that plan fails, we'll try to escape with one of the cars. You said you could use the child's powers?" James asked.

Scarlett spread her fingers with the white, glowing light on her palms. "This isn't the only one, but I don't know what it does," she stated.

"They're going to try and send Greyson and Jason out quickly to prevent Ashley from finding Sunny's," James said, starting to play with his fingers. "Jason said she's bad with directions, along with underlining issues."

Scarlett was well aware of Ashley's inability to see, let alone being dyslexic. Cindy appeared back in the RV with Emma, who appeared horrified.

"Something is wrong," Emma said, glancing around. "I believe Ashley caused some kind of harm to someone."

"It's not at Simcoe or here, then where?" James asked.

"Bryce and them went to find Bella." Emma seemed startled by her own words. "That means Ashley is probably near their location. Ashley either killed or burned the four or five of them."

"If Ashley tries to hurt you or Daddy, I'll do something."

Scarlett stared down at her baby bump, her eyes narrowing. It isn't possible for the baby to do anything as a fetus. One solution drifted in Scarlett's mind, which she hoped wasn't true. If this baby had the personalities of both of them, it would have a plan.

"We're going back to Simcoe because we need to move quickly," Cindy said.

"This isn't good," James panicked.

"The baby has a plan," Scarlett said, eyeing both of them.

"What type?" James rushed.

"Intelligent," she sighed, placing her hand on her stomach and feeling a kick.

With how the simplest words echo in her mind from the baby, this baby seems good. Is that even possible when it has evil parents?

"Does this baby actually have any personality traits?" James asked.

"It definitely doesn't want me hurt," she sighed.

During that peaceful period of just worrying about the mutant child, she was actually forcing herself to read the large number of parenting books or names as if it were a celebration. It was no celebration because she's carrying a child who has given earlier symptoms than normal and is supposed to be a powerful mutant.

If this had been normal society, the headmistress would have called her parents, but they wouldn't come. It wasn't because of her having a baby, but because of her.

The last call she got from her parents was from her mother, ranting about the harm she had inflicted on her career. Normally, during parent week, all the parents can come stay or spend time with their children. She found it another sappy event that had caused some sideline schemes with Greyson by telling stories to the parents of someone she didn't like.

Now she was being that parent, except she wasn't being dismissive of her child. Seeing her mom always leave the house at different times of the day, she stopped thinking her mother would truly care for her again. That's why, when her mother's laptop had been left open, she created an email, informing all the staff about her calling in sick many times.

Scarlett remembered that she didn't feel guilty about sending that email. She found out about Uden Academy through an ad online, and she took the opportunity to get sent there. Enough of grubby schooling, housing, and parents, because she wanted to do things her own way.

Not throwing herself at men for cash, but taunting them. Seducing them before laughing at how desperate they act. Most of those she seduced had been that way, except Greyson. They became friends after she made a snarky comment about her roommate at the time. Greyson had come up with the idea to physically throw all her things out the window.

It was almost like they were both schemers, but Greyson always had the plan. They had been like that for years, until she wasn't using him anymore. Scarlett had always found Greyson attractive, but it wasn't just lustful nature.

After reform camp, Greyson would punish anyone who spoke about them having sex. It unfolded a new layer in their relationship because she saw him vulnerable. Is it a new level of vulnerability talking about having a child even when they shouldn't be parents?

"We'll make sure Ashley doesn't come," Stick whispered.

"Zane's meeting should be starting soon if Greyson shows up," James remarked.

Scarlett wouldn't be surprised if Greyson didn't show up at all.

"I think they might have someone stay with you now that Ashley is out," James mumbled.

"I assumed," she sighed.

It's not that she can run like before. Pregnancy has come with a lot of disadvantages that she knew about, but having them was worse. The vomiting would still be the worst of it all.

"We can talk more later," James murmured as he stood, looking around awkwardly. He may use his powers more often, but he's still that embarrassed geek who finds her pretty.

"Right," Stick whispered, slowly standing.

Both of them left as Scarlett let out a long sigh. Greyson was coming to Sunny's for the first time. People have been telling her it isn't safe to be out, but when you have to pee frequently, it doesn't help.

"I feel like a lovesick fool," she mumbled.

She was lovesick because she missed the feeling of his lips on her skin or his hand caressing her cheek. Simple things she missed or yearned for that weren't in a seductive way, but because she was missing everything that happened on the island.

Scarlett glanced out the dark window, seeing many other trailers surrounded by it. "Maybe you will come," she whispered.

The crackheads have found Bella, but that didn't seem to go as planned.