Zane kept his eyes on the dark road ahead, the truck's headlights slicing through the empty stretch of pavement. Jason sat silent beside him, staring ahead. They were headed for Simcoe, where Greyson and the other freaks waited.

From the backseat, Talia broke the silence. "Emma's insane for coming up with this."

"Emma's instincts have never been wrong," Zane said. "If we're stopping Ashley, an ambush is the only way."

The truck rolled to a stop in front of the old church. Its weathered walls melted into shadow, and the faint glow of River's light barely reached the cracks running through the brick. Only Emma and River waited outside.

Zane stepped out, boots crunching on frost-hard gravel, the cold biting through his jacket.

Emma started pacing, fists clenching and unclenching. Zane forced himself to focus, pushing down the dread curling his stomach.

Preston slipped out from behind River, followed by Greyson and Maverick.

"If we're going to stop Ashley from killing all of us, we have to set an ambush," Zane said firmly.

"My mutant child, you mean?" Greyson cut in, arms crossed.

Zane wasn't sure who had spilled the secret to Greyson, but he didn't want to waste energy on that. There were bigger problems than the mutant child—and whatever it was planning.

"I'm guessing Ashley's prime target is Sunny's, but she's not there yet," Emma said. "We'll need offence and defence teams."

Emma looked around the group.

"I know we don't all agree... but Zane's already made the call."

"There's one pairing none of you will like," Zane admitted, glancing between them. "But if we want a shot at stopping Ashley, Jason and Greyson, you're our strike team. You're the only ones strong enough to face her, even if you can't stand each other."

"No way," they said together.

Jason shot Greyson a look. "I'm not working with him."

Greyson laughed. "That has to be a joke."

"Ashley power has grown too strong. None of us can face her alone," Zane said. "If you don't work together, Scarlett and the child die first. And when that happens, we lose everything. Ashley will take us down, one by one."

Greyson held his glare, but Zane caught a flicker of unease in his eyes. If they wanted any chance against Ashley, those two were their best bet. Anyone else stepping in would be walking straight into danger.

"Jade, James, Stick, and a few others will hold core defence," Zane said, scanning the group. "The rest of us will spread out—find Ashley and her followers before they reach Sunny's. Esme and Angel take the east perimeter. They're fast and balanced enough to scout and pin locations quickly."

Greyson's eyes narrowed. "If we merge groups, two leaders won't work."

Emma stepped closer, fists clenched at her sides. "You and Jason will handle the field. Someone had to coordinate from here." She glanced at Zane. "One voice. One plan."

Greyson scoffed, crossing his arms. "Him? You've got to be kidding."

Emma bit her lip. "Without a leader here, the plan falls apart."

Greyson let out a bitter sigh and shook his head. "Fine," he muttered. "Do whatever you think keeps us alive."

Zane turned to Jason, already bracing the answer. "I need some of your people like Eden, Bryce, Maverick. Anyone who can actually hold their ground."

Preston raised a hand. "Yeah... Eden and Bryce already took off. They went after Bella. Eden was going to go alone, but the crackheads tagged along to make sure she didn't throw Bella in the frozen lake or something."

Jason's voice dropped. "No one knows where Bella went."

"Will could find her," Greyson said with a smirk.

Nevaeh had explained Will's power before—he could lock onto anyone he knew and pinpoint their exact location.

Not teleportation like Cindy. Just awareness.

A mental GPS.

Greyson shrugged, still smirking. "Don't look at me. I didn't send them."

"Get your people together," Zane ordered. "Spread the word."

Greyson's smirk faded, replaced by a hard glare.

Jason looked no happier, but this was the way it had to be.

Emma stopped pacing and met everyone's eyes.

"The mutant child can take away Ashley's powers," Emma said.

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

"That's what it does, and that terrifies God," Emma said, pointing at Greyson and Jason. "All followers have to be gone first. You can handle that." She blinked hard, pressing a hand to her temple. "I hate when it does that."

"We'll come eventually," Greyson said.

Then he turned and walked off.

River and Maverick followed without a word.

"If the child weaken powers... does it work a scale?" Talia asked.

"Scarlett might know," Zane said. "But I'm guessing weaker ranks fade first, then stronger ones."

In the past few days, everything had shifted. From the storm going away months ago, and they were slowly uncovering what the mutant child might be capable of.

Jason looked at Zane with a serious expression. "Where are you sending Greyson and me? Back to that area, Emma and Esme found?" he asked.

"Yes," Zane said. "Esme and Angel are near the surroundings of Sunny's."

He sent Esme and Angel to the outside fields near the bubble because he thought it would be best. Esme was always moving too fast to track—Angel could counter that. His power could pin her in place if things got out of control.

"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..."

The mention of Bella brought a darkness across Jason's face, as she hadn't returned from wherever she had gone.

"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 used to be Catholic. Used to be unsure of herself.

This wasn't the same girl 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 shouted, grabbing the wheel.

Bryce didn't flinch. He snatched the car manual off the dash and threw it at her face. "You'd hit a tree in five seconds," he sneered. "Then we'd be stranded."

Mia hurled it back, the manual smacking the back of his head with a solid thud. Bryce lurched forward, swearing under his breath as he tightened his grip on the wheel.

The car tore through the middle of nowhere, the snow thinning to crusty, uneven patches along the roadside, crunching under tires.

This mission hadn't exactly been the plan, but letting Eden go alone would've been suicide.

"Why did Bella pick this frozen wasteland to disappear into?" Eden sighed.

"Probably so you wouldn't track her down and beat her with a shovel," Will said, sticking out his tongue.

Bryce shot Will a look. "She still in that cabin, or did she run?"

Will closed his eyes, eyebrows furrowing. "Not there. She's out in a field."

Bryce slammed the brakes. The tires shrieked over ice, the car fishtailing into a controlled skid that rattled through his bones.

"Which way?" he asked.

"Left," Will said casually.

Bryce yanked the wheel left. The car careened off the slick road and crashed onto a rough gravel path. Stones spat from the tires as everyone lurched sideways.

Mia lurched forward with the force of the stop, before snapping her back with a grunt.

Smooth driving was never Bryce's strength—especially where rules were more suggestion than law.

"Relax. I was just trying to bind you," Mia said, cracking a purple glow stick and looping it over his head like a crooked crown.

"Right!" Will called out.

Bryce swung the wheel right. The headlights sliced through dense shadows, throwing long, twisted shapes across the trees.

Something loomed ahead—too dark to tell if 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, raising a hand.

Bryce squinted into the dark. The figure didn't move.

Then the shape buckled and collapsed.

Slam.

Bryce stomped the brakes. The car screeched to a halt, tires slipping against the ice and gravel.

For a beat nobody moved.

Then Eden bolted from the car, snatching the rifle from Mia's before anyone could blink.

Will dropped to his knees beside the fallen body and rolled it over.

It was Bella—eyes shut, face pale as death in the weak wash of headlights.

Mia pressed a fingertip against Bella's cold cheek. "You sure we didn't hit her?"

"There'd be a thump if we hit her," Bryce said, smirking. "And let's be real—only one of us has the heart for that."

Bella's eyelids fluttered open, her gaze flickering wildly across the snow-covered field and four unfamiliar faces familiar—and not so familiar—faces looming over her.

"Where... am I?" she whispered.

"Hell," Bryce said, smirking.

"Are you... the hippies?" Bella asked, frowning.

Mia and Will burst into laughter, clutching each other as they doubled over.

With glow sticks tangled—Will's personal stash—wild hair, and oversized clothes, they might've fooled anyone into thinking they were a ragtag band of modern-day hippies.

"The housewife needs to snap out of her trance," Eden sneered.

Bella flinched, the rifle pointed at her that made her let out a bloody scream.

"Looks like she missed you," Will said, laughing.

Bryce stuck out his tongue. "Yeah, no chance we're winning any awards for 'hippies of the year.'"

Bella's eyes went wide. "Oh God... crackheads," she whispered.

They were the probably the worst people to track down Bella; Eden's moods were unpredictable, and none of them cared much about rescue missions. Yet, bringing Bella back may cause some changes that need to be made.

"It's been a while, housewife. Did you finally learn your lesson?" Eden's smile was pure sugar-coated spite.

"Yeah..." Bella trailed off.

Eden tilted her head slightly. "And what's that?"

"Don't use people for personal gain."

Eden's eyes snapped narrow, her smile twisting into a sneer. "Did it ever hit you that you're nothing but a selfish bitch?"

Bella nodded slowly, her gazed locked on the snowy ground.

Six months of isolation wasn't something people survived untouched, especially not Bella, who had lived it alone.

Mia twisted the purple glow stick on her head. "Your soldier was quite hurt," she said casually.

"Why the hell are you wandering in the middle of nowhere?" Will asked, eyebrows raised. "Don't you know Ashley's out there with all our mutant powers?"

"And Scarlett's mutant kid's supposed to save us all," Bryce said with a smirk. "But Ashley wants it dead."

Bella's eyes shot wide open, breath catching in her throat. "A baby?" she gasped.

Eden laced her fingers together, her voice smooth. "Yes. God has blessed us with a child."

Mia shrugged with a goofy grin. "If you hadn't bailed so earlier, you'd know the news by now."

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 the one who had never been exposed to the news.

Eden's lips curled into a sneer. "Or maybe Bella's just disgusted by the idea of fifteen-year-old having a kid."

"I had scares back in the seventh grade," Mia admitted casually.

"I'm just..." Bella's voice faltered.

Bryce raised an eyebrow. "Bella, this is today's world. Teenage pregnancy isn't some shock anymore."

Eden smirked. "We partied young, smoked, drank, and the list goes on. If you wanna judge anyone for having a kid, talk to Cassie. Oops, she's part of the vanished."

Mia jumped onto Bryce's back, grinning wide as she wrapped her arms around his shoulders. "We're basically Bella's old friends," she teased with a wink.

Bella's face tightened, arms folding. "They were at least controlled," she snapped.

Eden spat the words like venom. "She still sounds like a bitch to me."

Will shook his head, grinning. "Nah, she's just not ready for our brand of chaos yet."

Mia burst out laughing, flashing a peace sign. "We're the real party animals here!"

They were the type to crash any party just to have fun. Nobody usually bothered asking questions, and excuses came easy when they did.

Eden smirked knowingly. "Pretty sure we crashed at least one Simcoe party."

Bryce chuckled, shaking his head. "Two, actually. Like that time Will totally smashed the fence post."

Soon, all four of them were laughing.

Bella's eyes went wide. "Wait... I think I was at that party."

Bryce flashed a sly grin. "Mia actually jumped off the roof into the pool, and almost landed on the deck."

Mia laughed. "Will chucked a chair at the fence, and thought it'd hold but nope. The host was seriously pissed."

Simcoe parties were rare escapes, happening only occasionally. Mia had spotted a post on social media about one hosted nearby. To stay under the radar, they all used fake names, pretending to be friends of the host's family.

"Nobody caught on because you faked your names..." Bella trailed off.

Will winked. "Smarter move, honestly. Plus, the party was basically dead by the time we rolled in."

Bryce remembered the party mostly being people sitting around the kitchen, eating nachos and drinking alcohol. There were a few people waiting to get into the pool until they showed up.

"We pretended to be American exchange students," Bryce said with a sly grin. "Nobody questions tourists."

Mia punched the air. "No real names, no leads. Simple."

Bella eyebrows furrowed. "Wait, Chloe said stuff was stolen from the home?"

"Strawberry ice cream, fairy lights, Advil, and makeup," Mia remarked. "Stealing's a breeze once you get the hang of it. We even snagged a laptop once, and Will hacked for us."

Stealing was almost second-nature by now. Sometimes it wasn't even sneaky—they just slid stuff into shirts or pockets while no one was looking.

"Point is, you've seen us at those parties," Bryce said. "And since we saw you face-first in the snow, I'm guessing you're headed to see your soldier."

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.

Will grinned. "Let's make it a parade!"

Bryce grinned, shining the tiny flashlight into Bella's face. "Or would you rather stumble through this darkness on foot?"

"Fine," Bella snapped, shielding her face from the light.

Eden whipped a snowball right at Bella's face, wearing a perfectly innocent smile. But everyone knew better that there wasn't an ounce of innocence in Eden Weber.

"This won't be some cute reunion with hugs and tears," Mia warned, wagging a finger at Bella. "You'll probably end up shooting someone—if you even can."

"I can," Bella shot back.

Eden leaned in slightly. "Maybe this time you'll actually do something noble."

Bryce got why Bella disliked Scarlett, but hating Eden? That was just hilarious. Then again, Eden's twisted mind had plenty of to loathe her.

Will smirked. "Who knows? Maybe she'll pull some over-the-top lover sacrifices. Real end-of-the-world drama."

Eden's voice turned serene. "Hebrews says, 'Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.'"

Mia shoved Eden into the car, forcing her to sit beside Bella, who immediately turned and rested her head against the cold window, avoiding eye contact. Bryce slid into the driver's seat while 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 sweet smile.

Bryce rolled his eyes. He knew Eden's sweet smile for what it really was—a taunt, polished and dangerous.

He turned the key, and the engine coughed to life. The familiar rumble should have been comforting, but the car remained silent.

Mia fidgeted with her glow sticks, glancing at the radio dial. No static. No music. The tires didn't hum against the icy road.

The engine kept running—but the sound vanished. No vibration. No hum. Nothing.

The air went unnaturally still.

A weightless pressure built in his chest—like rising too fast in an elevator that wouldn't stop.

"Whoa... Mia pressed her face to the glass. "We're in the sky."

Bryce snapped his head around. The snowy road was gone. They weren't driving anymore—the car was suspended in a void of darkness. No stars. No sound. Just a weightless drift that made his stomach twist.

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

Bryce craned his neck, straining to see through the endless black. Then something flicked in the distance. A shape. A person. Ashley. The last face he expected to see after six long months.

"Ugly girl!" Bryce shouted.

Suddenly, the world dropped beneath them. His stomach lurched as if on a roller coaster hurtling downward. The car slammed onto the ground with a brutal jolt, darkness swallowing the interior. Pain flared at the back of his head, and he instinctively rubbed the spot.

Will's voice dropped to a whisper. "Do we run? Or freeze and pretend we are dead?"

"Play 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," 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 plopped herself against the red cushioned area inside the trailer. She felt an unfamiliar stir deep inside her—not the usual maternal feelings inside or protective instincts, but almost awareness. A fetus wasn't supposed to feel anything beyond movement.

"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 had begun to lose weight, was still trying to find 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 hadn'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 cushioned window 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 changing 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 underlying 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 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 a 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 a 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 to talk 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.