Finnegan thrust his hand into the hedge, splitting leaves and branches in an effort to peer through.

"I think there is a road on the other side of this," he hissed quietly, gesturing Salena to his side. She squinted, adjusting her glasses, and shrugged.

Carrissa wailed. "What's the point: we're all going to die!"

Salena, having cried all the tears she could cry, whipped her head around to glare at the other girl.

"That's not a road."

Salena's breath caught in her throat and she spun, pressing her back into the hedge. Ms smith was frowning daintily at hazmat, her hand resting gently on mr Irving's arm, but the yard was otherwise bare.

"Who said that?" The teenager demanded.

Two heads jerked up to her, the third lolling vaguely. "Said what?"

"Are you kidding?" Salena demanded, wide eyes.

They shook their heads slowly. She turned to Finn, but he just shrugged. Finally, she glanced at Carrissa, who looked her up and down in disdain.

"I'm not crazy," Salena declared, sticking out her chin. "I am NOT crazy."

There was a moment of silence, disturbed only by hazmat's low groan.

Mr Irving went to comfort the girl by saying something like 'we've all had a long day...' But there was no need.

"You're not crazy," a voice announced loudly, "they're just deaf."

Salena let out a sigh of relief as the others started and glanced around.

Carrissa squeaked. "Did she just say we're all dead?"

"Deaf," Finnegan annunciated, shaking his head, "and you're kind of proving her point."

Salena frowned. "'Her'?"

Both of her peers raised their arms to point at the balcony above then. They were in a small, hedged yard, staring up at the verandah of the house. An elderly woman was leaning on the railing in a shapeless floral nightgown, her head cocked to one side.

Carrissa made a noise under her breath.

"They're tulips," the woman snapped, staring at the girl, "if you must know."

"I didn't ask," she replied, tossing her hair expertly over her shoulder.

"You didn't have to."

Ms Smith stepped forward, biting her lip. "We're terribly sorry for trespassing," she said, lacing her fingers together, "we will be on our way in a moment as soon as we figure out which way we are going." The last bit was said with a wry look at Finn.

"You'll be doing no such thing, sweetie," the woman scolded, turning away from them and back to her house. "Now hurry upstairs and we'll see what we can do about hiding you all from those nasty buggers behind you."

Five mouths fell open and hazmat tossed, nearly toppling me Irving. A feat since neither were small men.

The coach found several pairs of eyes swivelling to him, and he shrugged.

"I don't suppose anyone has a better plan?" He asked, but not expecting a reply, he dragged hazmat towards the staircase.

Austen's hand clapped softly onto ebony's mouth, but she held herself standing. His other arm, aimed for a sinking waist, instead wrapped around her butt. Her eyes, just above his knuckles, widened in alarm, anger and shock.

Phitz stared at then both in their compromising position as they was a clatter at the fence. There was another thump and then the fence bordering the school toppled, smacking into the earth with a sold thwack.

Ebony watched over Austen's shoulder, refusing to meet his gaze as his hand cupped her butt. He leant forward cautiously to whisper in her ear.

"Don't. Move."

He removed the hand from her mouth, leaning his head against the wall behind her. Ebony sucked in a sharp breath as their chests brushed, and she met Austen's eyes. She looked away.

Men were filing into the yard, all in pitch black shirts. Each had a gun extended in their hands and they moved in a professional fashion, methodically checking the yard.

"Who are these guys?" Ebony exhaled against Austen's neck. He shrugged, tickling her nose as the action whipped hair into her face.

Very gently, he moved his hand off her butt, slipping it gently to the sure of her thigh. He assured himself that removing it completely might draw attention to them. Which, of course, it would.

Two guards walked up to their hiding spot, shaking the planks. None of them, to the great relief of the teenagers, broke away or moved, and one of the men walked to the door. The other dragged a torch from his pocket, raising the beam to scan the area.

Phitz bit his lip. He had slipped behind a cupboard, effectively shielding him from prying eyes, but the other pair were only tucked back into shadows.

With the same thought, ebony bit back a whimper, pressing into the wall as the light approached their reaction. It skipped over phitz's cupboard without pause and moved steadily towards them.

With his spare hand, elbow propped against the wall with his head, he stroked her hair.

"Shh," he crooned, meeting her eyes. Ebony could read the panic in them, and before she could think better of it, she pulled him close.

"Think thin," ebony murmured, arms wrapped around his waist. After a stunned moment, his top hand moved to stroke her cheek.

"Think invisible, more like," he chuckled, as the light drew closer.

Invisible, ebony thought, scowling lightly. She'd been invisible all her life, but now when, she needed the talent, it wouldn't be of any use. Please, she begged, thinking of shadows, of lemon juice on paper, of sleight of hand magic tricks. Invisible. Please.

The light touched ebonys shoulder, travelling across her face and to the back of Austen's head. It paused for a heart wrenching second, lingering on his back. As the bean darted down, ebony watched it dance around in the dirt beside their feet. It licked at their shoes, but drifted away slowly, leaving a shocked ebony staring at the ground.

Austen's eyes met hers, echoing her confusion.

The door was thrown open, but it collided with the dresser, sending out a loud crack. The suit shook the gate, seeing if he couldn't wriggled his way in, but the furniture held firm.

"It's all clear, sanders," he barked, rejoining the other man.

A figure stepped into the yard, nodding at the suit. She was wearing a pant-suit as well, much more fitted than the men's. She looked around the yard in disgust, flicking a lock of chocolates hair behind her ear. She was wearing dark sunglasses, with a bold red lipstick across her lips.

"Then let's keep moving," she snapped, pointing at the gate across the garden. "Looks like they're on the move. Don't be afraid to smash a few gnomes in order to exterminate these rats." She ordered. "Move out."

Quickly , the men flung the next gate open, storming through with guns raised. Carefully, the woman followed. Picking her path across the garden with care.

She paused by the gate, looking back at the yard with disdain. "Lab rats, that is."

She slammed the gate behind her and disappeared, much to the relief of all three teenagers.

Austen let out his breath. "Thank God."

"That was impossible," ebony gasped, quickly letting go of him and scrambling away.

He sighed, dragging jus hands back to his side. "You've said that a lot today."

"I've meant it a lot today."

Phitz let out a shuddering breath, and Austen looked at him in concern.

"You alright, mate?"

"She meant that," he muttered, stepping out of the cupboard to sink onto a box.

"That it's impossible? Yeah, I've heard." Austen glanced at each of the others, one on each side if him and breaking down in their own way.

"No," Phitz spat, glaring imploringly at his best friend. "The female suit."

He frowned. "You mean about the extermination of the rats? I know, right? It's all gotten hard core."

Ebony snorted. "Shut up, Austen."

Looking hurt, Austen opened his mouth, but Phitz cut him off.

"She called us 'lab rats'," he muttered, catching his head in his hands. "And it's true. I know without a doubt that it's true. I don't know how, I guess it's just another impossible thing, but it's true." He raised his eyes sadly. "And the 'exterminate' thing," he sighed. "That's true too."