Irene's eyes slowly peered open, giving her a few of the dark ceiling. She could hear the others rustling around and listened as her own alarm beeped a moment later. A groan came from her throat, and she reached for her lamp, beginning to collect her things and get ready.

Today they would be heading closer to the headquarters, planning an attack for the following day. Irene's stomach twisted at the thought of being back inside that hell. She had no desire to see Miguel, her parents, and especially not Lynch. Irene's fingers closed around the sheets of her bed as she furiously remembered her time there. She hoped she could feel the slightest bit of vengeance by tomorrow evening.

Irene grabbed her duffel bag and lugged it down the steps. Most of the others were downstairs eating a quick breakfast before taking off. Elijah was sitting on Cassie's lap, his hair messy from a proper night's rest. He held a blanket close to himself and rubbed his eyes. Irene was thankful that he would be taken away to a safer location later today.

"Breakfast," Cherie hummed, shoving a bowl of oatmeal into Irene's hands.

She gazed down at the mushy substance, watching the steam rise from it. Irene rummaged through the drawers for a spoon, slowly scooping bits of breakfast into her mouth as the others trickled in.

"All right. Protocol for today," Cherie announced, seeming much too excited for someone about to go into war. "We'll be driving half the day to a location closer to the headquarters. There are a few camps set up to hold our allies and many of the troops. We'll finalize plans one more time tonight, and then the battle will occur tomorrow. You're sure the Preservers have gotten your messages, Irene?"

Irene glanced up and nodded. Lynch himself would not respond to her, but she'd managed to get into contact with a former employee at work. The news spread fast that Cassandra Black would be handed over the fourteenth. Of course, Irene had also contacted the spies she had previously worked with, making sure they knew the details and especially making sure Ernie would be at the gate they entered.

Cassie looked rather grim as Irene stared at her. If all else, Irene hoped Cassie lived a prosperous life when all was done. She deserved it, especially after all the hard work she had put in. Irene noticed Marc's fingers were loosely joined with Cassie's as they ate.

Irene's eyes ventured toward Lillian, who was speaking quietly with Mitsuki in the corner. Irene didn't know what she would do if she lost Lillian in the next forty-eight hours. She didn't care if she wasn't dating the girl anymore. She still loved Lillian and wanted to keep her safe.

Lillian glanced up, clearly noticing her gaze. Irene quickly diverted her attention back to her breakfast, hoping she had not embarrassed herself too much with such a long stare.

"Last minute rounds, everyone!" Cherie announced.

Irene wandered around her bedroom a few minutes, though all her essential goods were already packed. She picked up the picture frame of her and Elijah, the faintest trace of a smile appearing on her face as she gazed at it. Would she be able to make him proud?

I hope you never have to know the sins I've committed, Irene thought, staring at his newborn face in the image.

Irene met the others back downstairs near the door. Cherie was running around the house, turning off every light and making sure every appliance was unplugged. The cabin had never been left unattended like this, Irene had learned. Francesco had usually stayed behind to care for it in the others' absence.

Irene wondered what it would be like when she returned. Would she remain here? Would she take over caring for Elijah and find a little home for the two of them? She supposed it was something she could face later.

A small semi-circle had formed around the door as the others gathered. Irene found herself standing closer to Lillian than she had planned. The other girl was silent, and mostly everyone else was too, save for some quiet chatter.

"Are we all good?" Cherie asked. "Everyone's done all they need to?"

Irene's palms had gone sweaty suddenly. Yesterday, she had seen the tears and heard the cries of many of her housemates, but she had felt numb, only truly feeling the slightest sense of despair the night before. She had no one to share in such sentiments with. That was until...

"Wait," Irene said suddenly.

Lillian was crouched down near her bag on the floor, zipping something back into it. Cherie opened her mouth to ask Irene what she needed when Irene lurched forward, her hands grasping Lillian's shoulders in an instant. Before Lillian even had time to react, Irene's mouth swiftly came down onto hers. Lillian's lips tasted soft and faintly sweet, like the honey from her tea, just as how Irene had remembered it. The kiss itself was barely a second, but it felt like an eternity in Irene's mind. She felt Lillian pull her lips away, her eyes widened in surprise. Lillian stepped back suddenly as the entire room nearly gasped.

"Hey!" Mitsuki shouted, marching forward. Her dark eyes were flaming.

"Relax," Irene growled, grasping onto the other's shoulder before she could move much closer. "I won't do it ever again," Irene said, her eyes locking with Lillian's again. "I didn't want to die without kissing you one more time."

"Try that again, and I'll kill you myself," Mitsuki snapped, ripping Irene's hand off her shoulder.

"I'm sorry, Lillian," Irene said quietly. She was sorry for the kiss, but sorry for everything else. For breaking off their relationship for the first time, for betraying them, for expecting too much out of her.

"It-it's okay," Lillian answered, her face still flush red from embarrassment.

"Um...can we go now?" Cherie interrupted.

The others began moving out, carrying their things with them. Irene was the last to grab her bag. Her face had gone red now too. Why had she thought that was a good idea?

Someone cleared their throat near the doorway. Irene glanced up, realizing Lillian was still standing there, both her hands grasped around her green duffel bag.

"I..." Irene was at a loss of words. Hadn't she already apologized?

Lillian carefully set her bag down and extended an arm forward, squeezing Irene's hand in her own.

"Good luck. Let's really give them hell," Lillian said, that same bright smile on her face.

"You too. I love you, Lillian."

"I know."

...

The camps were bustling when the car pulled up. Irene had spent most of the car ride trying to ignore the heat in her cheeks that came from Lillian's kind response to the kiss. There was no hope for a romantic relationship, and Irene knew how much Lillian loved Mitsuki, but she couldn't help but feel exhilarated. Perhaps there was something to motivate her to get through this battle.

Irene stepped out of the van, stretching her arms and glancing out at the sea of people. There were certainly a large number just in this camp alone. Irene knew there were three more camps situated a few miles in different directions. It gave her hope in humanity again to see so many dedicated to the cause.

"Children should be taken to the left!" an announcer shouted.

There were a group of elderly looking folk standing tall over a sea of young children. A few infants were in their arms while others were already starting to be loaded in vans. Irene felt her heart seize as she looked at her child. He was holding onto Cassie's hand, staring around in perplexity.

I don't want to leave him.

Cassie and Marc were already beginning to walk over toward where the youth were gathering. Irene quickly followed after them, already seeing the fear on her child's face. He was beginning to fuss as soon as Cassie and Marc began explaining to him that they wouldn't see him for a few days.

"I don't want to go!" he whined, thrashing his arms.

"It'll just be for a few days," Cassie promised, her fingers daintily touching his cheek. "And then we'll be back home, okay?"

Elijah was still sobbing, despite Cassie and Marc's efforts to calm him down. Irene stepped forward, picking up the crying child in her arms. He immediately snuggled up against them, his tears still echoing.

"Give me a few minutes. I can calm him," Irene told the two.

Cassie quietly nodded, allowing Irene to take the nearby child to stand under a snowy pine tree. She held him in her arms, bouncing him slightly, like he was an infant again. Elijah was still sniffing, though he had now grown enamored with playing with the edges of his soft blue blanket.

"You have to go with the other kids," Irene told him quietly, beginning to play with his hair.

"N-no," he whined.

"None of those other kids want to go either, but they have to. Remember how I said we were fighting bad guys?"

He nodded his head.

"Well, the kids can't fight the bad guys. They might get hurt. This isn't like the games we play with the action figures," Irene warned, sounding as serious as possible. "We need to keep the kids safe."

"Why are there bad guys?" Elijah asked.

"It's not just in games or the movies, unfortunately. You'll go with those nice people for a few days, and then we'll come get you again, okay? They're going to take good care of you. They'll read you stories and feed you good food and play with you. You'll have so many other friends to play with! That sounds fun, doesn't it?"

"I-I guess so," Elijah murmured. "But I still wanna stay. I wanna be with Mommy and Daddy."

"Well, I'm your real mommy, and I'm not letting you," Irene spoke sternly. "And Cassie and Marc wouldn't either. I know you don't understand. You won't until you're older, but everything I've done is to protect you. That's why you lived with Cassie and Marc for such a long time without seeing me. I'm going to keep you safe because that's my job. Everything I've done has been for you."

"I'm scared," Elijah said, shoving his head closer to her shoulder, clearly not comprehending anything she had previously said.

She pressed a hand to his small back and sighed. "It's okay to be scared sometimes. But you'll be okay. You'll be safe. So will you go?"

He glanced up, his eyes becoming teary again. Irene wiped a few tears from his face until he nodded his head. She sighed in relief, walking back to the others. Cassie and Marc were pacing awkwardly, looking up excitedly as they saw Irene emerge with a better-behaved Elijah.

She set him down, watching him run to them. Irene's heart shattered at the sight, but it only made sense. They kissed his tiny cheeks and gave him hugs and said their good-byes. Elijah had his back turned, about to go off, when Irene crouched down and grasped his hand.

"Will you say good-bye to me too?" Irene asked.

"Yes, Irene," Elijah said, giving her a small hug.

Irene smiled, wrapping her arms tightly around the child. "I love you, Elijah," she said, planting a kiss on the top of his head. She had always loved him, and never planned to stop. He was the best thing that had happened in her life.

Elijah glanced up at her with those pale blue eyes of hers and leaned his head forward to kiss her cheek.

Irene pressed a hand to her mouth and held back a sob. She let go of his hand, watching as he went off with the others. The farewell felt more real than ever before.

A hand gently grasped onto Irene's shoulder. Irene turned, noticing Cassie. Her eyes were sparkling with tears too, having sent off the child she was raising for the past few years. Irene stood up and hugged the girl tightly, crying into her shoulder.

"It'll be okay," Cassie promised. "He'll be safe."

I hope he knows how much I love him, Irene thought.

...

Irene clutched her legs close to her as she sat around the bonfire. She watched the embers crackle and the flames reach high. They were once again being debriefed on the plan for tomorrow. As Irene had planned with Cherie, they would pull up to the gates to "hand Cassie off," so to speak, and then begin their siege. Afterwards, they would each split off into separate ranks, with Irene joining with Cassie and Marc to surge towards Lynch's headquarters while Lillian, Mitsuki, and Wyatt headed toward the prisons.

Irene wished she had been put with Lillian's squad, but she also couldn't wait to see the look on Lynch's face when they marched into his precious headquarters. Kicking his ass had been refreshing, but she couldn't wait to see his civilization crumble to the ground too.

Her stomach was still queasy though. Dinner had been light, and Irene supposed she probably wouldn't have a large meal again until after the battle. She was nervous and desperately missed her son, but she knew he was safe.

"Off to bed then," Cherie told the others as they finished up food. Irene had a tent to herself, though she almost wished she at least had someone else in there with her for comfort. She doubted she'd be well-rested when sunrise came.

"And you all have the walkie-talkies?" Cherie asked. Each member of the battle had received one to hear important breakthroughs in battle. The connection was sometimes weak though, and the battery life not that long, so Cherie had emphasized that it only be used for important messages. There was even a special channel she had designated for the group of them to stay in touch and share relevant updates.

Irene rose slowly and managed to find her way to her tent. As predicted, she slept poorly that night, kept awake by her thoughts of the battle and the future. When sun was starting to rise, the armies were gathering and preparing to head out.

Irene greeted the others, finding them deathly silent. Everyone's faces were pale with worry, and their limbs shook with fear. They would be the first to enter the headquarters, the other armies following moments behind. Irene patted the gun in her pocket and climbed into passenger seat of Cherie's van.

Her breaths were growing frantic, and her heart felt as if it were about to explode. She was slightly comforted by the sight of army vehicles behind and soldiers on foot, but Irene feared whether or not their plan would actually work. Anything could go wrong at any moment.

The sky was turning a deep blue as the sun rose over the winter sky. Though the drive couldn't have been more than an hour, it felt like an eternity for Irene. Her breath hitched as she caught sight of the familiar broad walls and tall towers of the headquarters in the distance. She clutched the edge of her seat, flashbacks of trauma filling her mind.

I'll set those memories right today, Irene thought as she checked again that her gun was loaded.

They were closing in on the headquarters now. Irene took over Cherie's seat in the driver's seat and urged the others to keep their heads down. Cherie briefly turned her head to look at everyone. She gently smiled, particularly looking at Cassie. "It'll be okay," she said. Irene hoped she was right.

The army had remained hidden in the brush now, leaving only their vehicle out in the open. The car crawled slowly to the south gate. Irene had just received a response that Ernie was in position to let them in, but there would still be more guards not a part of their plan they would have to deal with.

The car was coming closer and closer to the narrow metal gates. Irene dryly gulped. This would be it. After today, after right now, there was no going back.

Cassie made a small groan in the back of her throat that seemed to only be out of fear. Irene turned her head, staring into the girl's hazel eyes with intensity.

"I'll keep you safe," she promised. Because if anyone was to make it to Lynch and truly end his reign, it was Cassie.

The car was halting near the gate now. Though she knew the gate would be opened regardless due to Ernie, two guards were stationed near the front, obviously expecting Irene and Cassie. The others had crouched down in their seats while Cassie and Irene remained sitting.

Irene tucked her gun into her pants and stepped out of the car, her feet crunching onto snow. She slowly approached the guards, her limbs trembling. She couldn't tell what the guards were thinking when they looked at her. They were curious, but she could not tell if they sensed her betrayal or not.

"You have the human-spirit?" one asked, carefully holding his gun.

"Yes," Irene said. She motioned for Cherie to roll down Cassie's window, and Cassie stuck her head out, looking as frightened as someone who had been captured. There was a moment of silence and tension between them before one of the guards muttered something on his device, and the gates gradually began to open.

"Welcome back, Miss Ellis," the other said, his greedy eyes staring into Irene's. She only had to wait a few more minutes, just until those gates fully opened. The metal gates creaked, but they were slowing, just about to hit the wall when a shot fired.

The guard standing next to Irene slumped to the ground, scarlet beginning to stain his clothes. Cassie's arm was leaning out the window, a gun grasped tightly in her hand. The other guard barely had time to make eye contact with Irene before she grasped her own gun and the bullet fired through his chest.

"Inside, now!" Irene shouted as the sounds of army vehicles rumbled in the distance. The others leaped out of the car quickly, firing shots at any nearby guards. Irene could hear the sound of tires rolling across the road and footsteps marching down to the gates.

A slump of collapsed soldiers lay at the others' feet. Suddenly, a blaring alarm sounded throughout the headquarters, already alerting the community. But Irene could see the military coming closer. In a matter of moments, their numbers would grow rapidly.

An even louder noise began to echo over the blaring alarm. It sounded like metal pushing against metal, and a large screech filled the air. Irene was technically inside the headquarters, but she could see something beginning to emerge from the gate.

The same sound echoed in a circular pattern among the entirety of the headquarter walls, but most specifically on top of the gates. They were frozen for a few moments as it happened, the walls drawing back to reveal large cannons, designed to fortify the headquarters.

Irene suddenly made the connection to Lynch's odd silence. Perhaps he did not know they were specifically attacking this day or time, but he knew an attack was imminent, and instead of battling the gathering forces, his response was to make the headquarters nearly impossible to enter.

The gates shut behind Irene and the others with a bang. A gunshot sounded from the watchtower, and though it was high up, Irene could have sworn she heard a body hit the ground.

Ernie.

They were trapped.