Seven crept in the shadows, reminding himself his ability let him walk up to others without raising suspicion. If not for One surrendering her rights to a third of her share in the monthly packet quota, he wouldn't be risking Thirteen's ire by following their leader down specific halls and stairs leagues away from his command center or his room. Seven stuck to the walls, keeping Thirteen's scrawny frame in his periphery.

Whatever One was planning, Seven wanted nothing to do with it. Now that he was trudging towards Thirteen on his way to a familiar part of the fortress—one Seven knew was closed long ago. How many secrets Thirteen had against all of them? No wonder One and the others were furious. If they were supposed to function as a team, these things should never be kept from them. Especially when Thirteen made this place a bigger deal than necessary.

Seven followed Thirteen through the sewers, the arched ceiling dwarfing their presence so much it was easy to forget they were still in the same building. Or were they? For all Seven knew, this was underneath the city itself, and the fortress was a hundred miles away.

He skirted around the puddles of water dripping from the ceiling and some of the pipes. His nose found the crook of his arm to ward off the stale smell of stagnant sewage and things he didn't want to name. The soles of his boots brushed against the uneven floor so lightly his knees hurt after a longer distance than what he was used to.

Then, Thirteen paused, a finger pressed against his comms. "Be on standby," he said. His voice was nothing more than a hissed whisper, but with the empty sewer, it bounced off in weak echoes until it reached Seven. "I'm on my way."

The boy kept walking, forcing Seven to pick up his pace again. Thirteen hummed. "The plan? I'll tell you there," he said. "I have something in mind. Make sure you're ready when I get there."

Thirteen rounded a corner. Seven cursed inwardly, hurrying after him. He emerged from the bend and...nothing.

Where did Thirteen go? Seven stepped out of his ability's veil and stomped around. A hidden tunnel, perhaps? Thirteen wasn't nimble. Wasn't athletic either. No way he'd be able to shimmy away that fast. So...where was he?

Seven shook his head. What was he thinking? He owed One nothing to risk his standing with Thirteen by finding out more than he did. He wasn't even part of that damned opposition One was trying to ignite. Why would they rebel at this point in time? If Thirteen stopped going against Karrel and her goons, they would all be toast.

He'd just give One what he found, and they'd have to live with that. After all, he had already gotten his end of the deal. Dinner would be something to look forward to.

Karrel stepped into the dining room to find the remaining members gathered around the table. Abelle, the only one holding them together with her bright and unceasing energy, sauntered around with a casserole, scooping steaming goop into their plates. Even Verez, who usually wanted nothing to do with gatherings like this, sat on his designated chair. A frown pulled the corners of his lips, and he didn't even smile when Abelle arrived at him and dumped a ladleful of red gruel all over his mound of rice.

Maybe Verez wasn't fond of being served or he didn't like rice at all. Either way, there was nothing to frown about this early in the morning. Not with Karrel around. "Pick up that scowl, Verez," she said, rounding the table to find her seat next to him. He might think it as a punishment assuming he believed in gods who control his fate from the heavens. "Don't disrespect the food."

"I'm not frowning," he said, picking up his spoon and sticking it into his soggy mound. The peas courtesy of the garden were plumper than his mood. "You know how I am in the mornings."

"Please, you're like that even in the evenings," Kalyani said from across the table. A chorus of laughs echoed in the dining hall, Karrel included. Sometimes, Kalyani's mouth could get her into trouble, but her ability was useful. She could enchant even the trees with her voice, and thanks to her, they have a functional garden which provided them with most of their nutritional needs. They could do away with those stale red packets.

"I stand corrected," Verez said, as astute as always. He wasn't in the mood to argue, it seemed. "We lost two people yesterday."

That did it. The mood around the table plunged into the dark depths. Karrel cleared her throat and clapped her hands. It hurt, having lost Farzad and Jess, but now, they have valuable information about what that telekinesis girl could do. At least, Karrel knew it now, and that would be to their advantage. Should she see that girl again, Section M wouldn't stand a chance. She hoped they celebrated those two kills because chances wouldn't come by them ever again. She would make sure of that, even if it was the last thing she did.

"We mourn for Farzad and Jess, but we can't stop here now," Karrel said, twisting her fingers together. For her section, she had to stay strong. To lead them to victory, she would have to keep smiling and moving on. "I've already analyzed their attack patterns, and I sense a huge change. Their leader is tightening their positions, and he's patterning it after us."

Abelle took her seat after depositing the pot to the sink. "You mean, he's ripping us off?" She shook her head. "I was right when I said I hate that guy to bits."

"Please, you haven't even seen him," Ikerne said, his face, for once, mask-free. His gray hair betrayed where he was first before the dining room, and he shoveled his food with enough energy as a snail, but at least he was eating. Abelle wouldn't want anything more. "For all we know, Section M doesn't really have a leader. Or maybe it's that chick."

"Five?" Caden raised an eyebrow as he chewed. "That bitch is a pain in the ass. I can't imagine dealing with her again, especially if she's with that girl with the floaty things. My ability is close to useless when they're present."

"I won't pit you against them again, don't worry," Karrel said, raising a palm towards the boy's direction to placate him. "They seem to be having problems keeping Ikerne away."

She turned to the gray-haired boy. "It's because of your reflection barrier, right?"

Ikerne nodded, his throat bobbing as he swallowed the present bite. "After Five scratched me back then, I've been having problems with it, though," he said. "But I think I can keep it up longer in the next counter. Five and I have an unfinished correspondence."

"That would be my line," Verez answered. "That girl is insane, defying even my ability. Made me think for a second my brain was malfunctioning."

Karrel whipped to Verez. "Did you let her see through you?" she asked. "Does she know about your limits now?"

The fear hammered home further when Verez shrugged. "Who cares?" he said. "I can be more prepared next time. I shouldn't judge those people based on the battles I've won so far. Lesson learned."

"As you should," Karrel added. "But enough about that. What are your plans this afternoon? I was hoping we could do a round of cards."

She pertained to the box of cards Daylin found when they were cleaning their headquarters. The box was dusty, but when cleaned enough, the cards were the most unique thing she had ever seen. It was easy to play too, with everyone making up the rules themselves. It was a tactical and memory game, and she had a score to settle with Verez. With him seeing six seconds to the future, he was a formidable opponent.

"I have to check on the garden and Kaylani too," Abelle said. She craned her neck from her seat towards the lobby beyond the dining room's arch. "I haven't seen her since last night. Is she not coming to breakfast? I saved some stew."

Karrel gestured for the girl to sit down. "I'll find her, don't worry," she said. "She can't have gotten far."

Abelle didn't look too worried after that, finishing her food until she burped. She's going to complain about bloating later, and Karrel didn't want to be in the same room with her for that. As if on cue, a set of footsteps pattered from the hall. Kalyani burst into the dining room and braced her knees to catch her breath.

"Something's wrong in the barn," she huffed out. "The pipes—the pipes are leaking. Hurry."

Karrel shot up. "Tell me on the way. Are the tools there?" she asked.

"Girl, sit down and finish your food first." Abelle waved at her to emphasize her point. "It's getting cold. You've still got a lot."

Karrel flashed the girl an apologetic look. "I'll get back to it," she said. "We can't afford to lose more water through the pipes. Getting enough every month is already tedious."

She didn't wait for Abelle to get that into her head. Together with Kalyani, they speed-walked towards the shed made of wooden planks beside the plots of land where Kalyani grew her vegetables. The fruit-bearing trees the girl cultivated since moving into the headquarters stood strong, their colorful fruits inviting Karrel to have a taste. But not now.

They entered the barn. Kalyani pointed to the opposite end of the room, turning her back to Karrel. "They're over there," the girl said, her breathy voice too unusual for her. "Can you hear the drips?"

Karrel strained her ears. No drips. There weren't even pipes in the barn.

Oh. A trap.

Her suspicion was confirmed when the doors to the barn slammed shut, locking off the sun and the fresh air outside. She cursed. How foolish had she been? She believed something so absurd just because it was Kalyani. But it wasn't Kalyani. That sweet girl wouldn't betray Section H. Besides...who would have the guts to stage a trap like this without a counter? That only meant one thing, right?

She wasn't going to die here.

But her options were open. She fiddled with the bug in her watch, one that would connect straight into Verez's spectacles. Section M wasn't the only group who developed their own comms. Perhaps, Karrel was guilty of copying them, but at this point, she'd say she "took inspiration".

She considered banging a fist on the door, letting everyone know where she was, but her captor might be watching. It wasn't a good impression if she turned tail and ran. Okay. She straightened her back. Whoever they were, come at her.

A series of whirrs and clicks resounded from the floor. In the scant light fleeting through the gaps in the planks and the doors' gap from the compact soil, Karrel had to wait for her eyes to adjust to the glimpse of a black box lying a few steps away. Then, the whirring stopped. One final click, and a beam of light spread from the box, flooding white-blue light from what looked like a lens.

"I assumed you know who I am," the figure formed by the light built up said. "Hello, Karrel."

Karrel clenched her fists. "I don't," she replied. "Only a fool would try and provoke an enemy without the counter's signal."

A beat passed. Two. "Are you certain we are only allowed to kill during a counter?" He cocked an eyebrow at her. This smug prick. Who was this guy, and who did he think he was? "Have you tried to see what happens if you do?"

"I can kill you right now," Karrel answered. "Show yourself. Where are you?"

The figure tutted. "Not so fast," he said. "I'm here to talk."

Karrel frowned. What the hell was that? That was the weirdest topic shift she had ever encountered. What was going on? Well, fine. She'd indulge him. Whoever this lunatic was. "What do you want to talk ab—"

"You've got a nice territory out there," the guy interjected. Karrel scowled. Rude! "I'm here to make a deal. Or, if you don't want to, I'm here to start a conversation."

She scoffed. "What kind of conversation was that?"

"The kind where you tell me what I want to know and I let you go," a voice said behind her. She turned to find a scrawny boy pointing a gun at her with a face rivaling the face in the light. When had he gotten here, and why was he smirking at her? "We meet at last, Karrel from Section H. I'm Thirteen."