Lewis walked alongside me, back down the dark hallway of the Discord base. He was quiet. His lip swollen and bloody, his eye was bruised. I cleared my throat, "How are you doing, Lewis?"

He gave a dull shrug. "Not so good, but interrogation will do that." His eyes wandered, fixing on the light at the end of the hall. "What is this place?"

"We're not sure exactly," I said, my shoes clicking on the metal floor "It's a forgotten military base. Raine stumbled across it years ago."

Lewis snorted, "Raine...I'm going to have to get used to that." He slipped his hands inside his pockets, adjusting his black backpack. "She's been an enemy longer than a friend."

I nodded, our path ending in the door. A sliver of light around it. I reached for the handle. "Everyone's waiting in here," I said, slipping open the door.

"Alright," he breathed.

We stepped inside, blinking at the lights. "We made it," I said, moving across the room. "How are things going?"

Gwen spun back in her chair. "Got the files up." She pointed at the list of numbers, names.

Raine leaned against the wall, arms crossed. She snorted, "I'm learning more about computers than I ever wanted to."

Murray frowned at the screen. "The hard part is trying to sift through everything and till we get something useful…"

Lewis rolled his eyes. "You think that's the hard part?" He swung his backpack off, setting it down. "Nevermind you, asking me to create super viruses that can do whatever you want." He unzipped his bag. "You're lucky I thought ahead and brought my own stuff."

I lifted my head. "So is that where you ran off too?"

Lewis nodded his head. "I told your friend that," he huffed. "We don't have time to start from scratch. I needed the original malware." He pulled out a souped up Laptop, opening it up. "You're welcome."

"Good thinking," Gwen muttered, loosening her shoulders. "Murray told us about what you were really doing."

"Eh." Lewis shrugged. "I still could have handled that better. Sorry I got you kidnapped, Phyn." He looked at me with guilty eyes.

Murray kept his gaze steady. "You have nothing to feel guilty about. I asked you to tell Kendall things."

"Sure, whatever." Lewis moved his eyes to the screen."

The room shifted to quiet, focused work. Murmuring between them, they typed on keys, pointing at screens. I stood back, taking a sigh of relief. Everything is okay.

Raine wandered closer, tilting her head. "If you don't want to stand around...we could explore, talk game plan?"

I nodded in agreement. "That sounds good."

Raine took a step towards the door. "Plus if there's any ferocious animals here, we should find out sooner rather than later."

I laughed, "You sound excited. "

"Danger is exciting. How else do you feel alive?" She threw her arms up. "Gosh reality can be so dull." A leather bracelet on her wrist, marked with a little astrix, a tail scratched out like a shooting star. That symbol...that was Luca's symbol...

I swallowed my shock, waving back at the room. "We'll be back shortly, just seeing what else is out here," I called. A dull nod from Murray, a wave for Gwen. Lewis kept his head down, typing. I followed Raine out the door.

We slipped into the dark hall, the path continued, twisting around the bend. Something of a breeze hissed through the echoey tunnel. I traced my hand along the wall, following behind Raine.

My eye was drawn back to the bracelet on her wrist. I cleared my throat, "That symbol on your arm band?"

Raine nodded her head, twisting the band. "The shooting star? It's the martyr's symbol. Means one who burns bright and fast. It was a pact I had with my friends during the revolt, a reminder…" She turned her head. "Why do you ask?"

"I've seen it before. Someone told me it meant, destined for sheol, the grave."

Raine laughed, "Ya, it does, but we romanticized everything back then, lived by ideals." She took a breath, her smile falling. "I wear it to remember the good ones, the ones who were real. Not stupid sellouts like me." She made a face, sticking out her tongue.

I frowned, glaring back at her. "You're not a sellout, Raine, you have to take care of your family." I slowed my steps, the tunnel bending. "Your Mom told me…"

Raine shrugged, moving her gaze away. "Someone needed to bring in money and I'm not good at anything else. I appreciate you not mentioning it to them." She tightened her fists, loosening them. "And you're a smuggler?" She smirked. "Drake's reputation precedes him."

"Yes, he's a unique character," I chuckled, my hand catching the railing along the wall. "I don't have a lot of employable skills either, not legal ones." I smiled. "Smuggling chocolate bars and batteries feels better than stealing. I'm probably too rusty to be a good pickpocket anyway." I shivered at the draft. My smile fell as I stepped in a puddle. "I sincerely hope you're wrong about wild animals."

Raine pulled a gun out. "If there are any I'm prepared."

"How do you have this many guns?" I waved my hands at her.

"You weren't complaining when they had you cornered at the Tower." She crossed her arms, following another flicker of light. "If they didn't have such heavy footsteps, none of us would've made it off that roof."

I followed after her. "I don't know, Kendall seemed rushed. He doesn't do well when his plan is disrupted."

Turning the bend, the light flashed again. Lines scratched into the metal, angry, wild scraps. The blue light flickered, staying as I stepped back. They're words…

"Death to the Remedy," Raine's whisper echoed off the walls. "That's your group…"

I nodded. And the same phrase as the one in the cursed city. I narrowed my eyes, brushing my fingers over the slashes."Whoever wrote this was very angry."

"Or desperate?" Raine tilted her head. "Maybe it's a last attempt at a taunt ?" Raine spun around, resting her back against the wall. "Trying to make it sting, revenge." Her brown hair fell over her eye, biting on her own words. "Do you think it’s wrong? Getting revenge when there's no chance of justice?"

Dark, dead eyes, Merle's twisted up bird face caught up in my mind. I took a shaky breath. "Some things are awful enough that they need to be accounted for. How that should happen...I don't know." I bit my cheek. "I'm not convinced it's simple either way."

"It really isn't…" Her fingers slid over her eye patch. She pursed her lips, twisting her bracelet. Raine straightened her shoulders, her grin returning. "Sorry, I'm in a mood, feeling antsy." She trudged through the puddle. "Don't mind me."

The light faded, blinking to a hazy glow. Something stood at the end of the hall, or rather someone. Blue light danced across her grey cloak, leaning against the wall, arms crossed. Cold grey eyes and messy curls hung over the woman's shoulders. I sucked in a breath, Emery's eyes on mine. How on earth…Kendall is in Avarice.

Emery stepped off the wall, walking around Raine, who didn't notice the phantom. I stood stiffly. Emery's gaze burned through my confusion. "I told you, history repeats itself," she hummed, her voice as cold as her eyes. She traced her fingers over the marks. "Only a matter of time till everything you bury resurfaces and rears its ugly head." She formed a fist, hitting the wall. "Stupid birds…"

Raine continued forward, turning her head. "Are you coming, slow poke?"

Emery snorted, shaking a finger at Raine. "I like her, more gumption than you, and maybe less stubborn too." I scowled, biting back a witty response about her own stubbornness.

Raine gave me a weird look. "Phyn? Is something up?"

I turned my head, my mouth stuck shut. What do I say? Raine's eyes shifted to something over my shoulder. She slowly backed up. "Hell…"

I shook my head. "Whoever it is, Raine, they aren't real," I said, walking towards her.

Emery turned her nose up. "Not real? Wow."

Raine drew her gun, stepping in front of me. "Is this the shadow-man?" she said. I gave a weak nod. Her jaw quivered "How…?"

"I don't know-" my words cut off as she turned back. Grabbing my wrist, she yanked me down the hall. Stomping through puddles, Emery's cloak chased behind us.

I pulled my wrist free, stopping in place. "Who are you seeing?"

She stumbled back, wiping her cheek. "Geier, stupid Dr. Geier," she hissed. "He's smirking at me behind those owl glasses." She aimed the gun back in the direction where we ran from. "He wants another bullet through his smug face-" Her face loosened. "Kendall's still at the tower…"

"I know."

Fear flashed across her face. "He can't be here."

"I know."

Emery laughed, leaning on her staff. "Time to build a new theory, Phyn."

I bit my cheek, looking over my shoulder. "He can't be the shadow-man...It's impossible."

Raine shook her head. "It has to be him, he was there...he used it to distract the guards at the party. It has to be Kendall-" Raine shook her fist at the wall. "Would you just shut up!" Breathing heavy, she paced. "I hate this."

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Emery sighed, leaning up against the wall. "Think it through, Phynley, Murray left after the meeting in Lattice, but you still sensed two irregular beats...maybe there are two people with powers."

"That doesn't make sense." I shook my head. "That would mean…"

Raine stepped back. "Maybe he can use it remotely?"

I pursed my lips. "I've never exactly seen him use the gifting...we don't really know it's him." I lowered Raine's gun. "There has to be someone here."

"But who?" Raine scrunched up her face. "I think Lewis would be too young to be a part of the experiments, Murray already has powers, and Gwen just seems unlikely." She threw her hands in the air. "By your logic, I'm the best suspect." Her face fell. "Oh crap...I've been around for most of the incidents, I told you it was Kendall...I wouldn't blame you."

"You couldn't have kidnapped me, you were breaking into Drake's office."

She scowled at me. "I could've hired someone."

"Unlikely," I lowered my voice. "Besides, we can't really rule anyone out. Who knows if someone can have two abilities, or if they started experimenting on younger people. Lewis is not that much younger."

Raine blinked, her face twisting in horror. "They wouldn't do experiments on children...would they?"

"I don't know, I wouldn't be surprised." I kept my voice low. "I'm trying to think this through. Lewis was unconscious during one attack, and neither Lewis or Gwen could have dragged me down the stairs in the other."

Raine scrunched up her face. "Murray was nowhere to be found...but that seems absurd."

"True…" The blue light reflected over the water. I cleared my throat, "It may sound weird, but I can sense artificial powers. There were two different people with abilities that day."

Raine sighed, "So you're back to me." She held out her gun to me. "I understand if you would prefer to hold this."

"I don't think it's you, Raine." I pushed it back into her grip.

She locked down her eyebrows. "Why not? I could totally pull off being the badass secret villain."

"Sure, but if you are, I'll just tell your mom." I smirked at her.

Raine dropped her jaw. "Whatever," she pouted, putting the gun back in my hand. "Take it, I have another."

"Course you do," I snorted.

Raine peered down the hall we came from, taking a step. I followed after her. "Are you heading back?"

She tilted her head, her gaze locked ahead. "If someone's making us see stuff, they might be waiting for us."

I lifted the firearm. "Is that why you're insisting I have a gun?"

Raine rolled her eyes. "Am I that easy to read?"

I shrugged my shoulders."You often hide your intentions behind a bold front. That was your whole acting performance at the Tower."

"Wow." She rolled her eyes.

"People act in patterns if you pay attention long enough you start seeing through them." I frowned, my face reflecting in the water. Didn't work so well with Wren.

Emery walked beside me. "If I had stayed, maybe I would've sniffed him out." I nodded my head. I miss her so much.

Raine turned her head back. "Alright then, based on your intuition which one is it?"

"What?" I stopped, blinking at her.

"Gwen, Lewis, Murray, or me." She pointed back at me. "What does your gut say?"

"I've been wildly wrong before. I can't trust my gut-"

"Ya, you can. It's not a final, just an impression." Raine stood in the middle of the path, light creeping back around the bend.

"Um…" It feels wrong to say anyone's name. "...I don't know."

Raine sighed, "Alright, don't tell me." She turned forward. "But keep that person in mind, don't drop your guard," she said, walking back towards the door.

I took a breath, following after her. The gun awkward in my hand. I was so sure it was Kendall. My hands shaking, I clenched my jaw. Raine vanished through the door, I paused for a moment. Now I don't know...

Stepping back into the glow of the room, my eyes darted between the computer screens. Antsy as I examined each of their faces. Everything seems normal.

Gwen looked up from her work. "You guys are back fast?"

Raine shrugged, hopping up onto the desk. "There's some flooding further down. I was worried about the structure."

Gwen raised her eyebrows."The building's metal...but I guess there could be further damage somewhere."

I waved my hand away. "We really only found empty hallways, it wasn't too interesting."

Murray's eyes glued to the screen. "How disappointing," he muttered.

"You'd rather they found something dangerous?" Gwen scoffed.

Murray hid his smirk. "It would be more interesting, yes."

Lewis looked up a second for a moment, dipping his head back down. "Can we keep things quiet? I focus better in silence," he muttered.

Raine blinked at me, mouthing, "Who is it?"

I glare back at her. "Wait."

Typing keys, strained focus, I stayed back from their work. I paced, watching for any oddities. Murray tapped his fingers, a headphone to his ear. Where do I start?

Emery groaned, waltzing through the door. "The silence is killing me. Start grilling people, or go back to stomping down halls."

I bit my tongue, scowling at her. Not so hasty.

She sighed, traversing across the room. She stepped around Lewis. "How about I help you out with my observations." She rested her hands on the back of his chair. said, walking around Lewis. "He's tense, sweating bullets. Stress can mean a lot of things, but it's worth noting." Turning, she snorted at Murray. Her heels stomped up to his chair. "He's not the most transparent person…not as secure in his leadership skills as he pretends. Hard to know all his motivations. The lone wolf runs away for a reason."

And Gwen? "Gwen," Emery laughed. "She's a difficult one to read. So self assured, controlled, living beneath her potential. I can't help but think she wants more, that may be my own bias." Emery lifted her head, blinking back at me. "If I was really here maybe I would be more useful." This is only my own thoughts.

Raine tensed up, darting her gaze away from the wall. She's still seeing stuff too…but no one else is?

Emery rolled her eyes. "Stop dwelling, you're clouding your own judgement. Make up your mind."

I shook my head, muttering, "I don't need to pick someone."

Lewis lifted his head, his eyes meeting mine. "Phyn, who are you talking to?"

I covered my face. "I'm sorry, I'll be quiet-"

He shook his head. "No…" His jaw clenched, his eyes were glossy. "Are you seeing something?"

Murray set down the headphones. "What's going on?"

Raine sighed, leaning her head back. "Y'all freak out about every little thing."

"Asking a question is freaking out?" Gwen frowned, tilting her head.

Raine froze, a nervous smile across her lips. "No, but everyone talks to themselves, it's not a big deal."

Murray raised an eyebrow at me. "Who don't you need to pick, Phyn?"

Panicking, I laughed, "Who has the best hearing. You win, Murray, very impressive."

Lewis kept his head low, a bead of sweat dripping down his temple. He's more than just stressed. Emery faded in and out, Lewis gripped the laptop. Oh no...

Emery clapped her hands, her voice warped, "There you go! You made up your mind. That wasn't so hard."

"Don't start," I huffed at her, drawing everyone's eyes. I bit my cheek, moving my eyes toI Lewis. No more games. "Yes…I am seeing things, so is Raine."

Lewis shook his head. "I'm…" He shut his eyes. "I don't mean to...I can't help-"

Murray stood up, something scary in his eyes. "What's going on, Lewis?" he growled. The room falling silent, Murray stomped after him.

Raine hopped off the counter. "Cool it, let him explain." Gwen crossed her arms, lips pursed.

"No more secrets, Lewis," she said.

He set the laptop down, hands shaking. "I think Phyn's been calling me the shadow-man…I don't know how to say this."

"So it's true? You're the one with the power?" I muttered. "I don't understand how that's possible, you couldn't have dragged me down the stairs or attacked me at the Tower."

He nodded. "I know...It's more complicated than that."

Murray's eyes went wide. "This makes no sense. I would know if you were an experiment...Kendall-"

"I told you it's complicated." He crossed his arms, backing up. "When you recruited me, I wasn't sure what to do...I've been trapped for so long."

Gwen muttered, "What do you mean?"

Lewis hung his head. "My powers are a little different than Murray's or Phyn's. I don't really have control of them." He winced. "Someone else does."

"What?" I blinked at him. Is that even possible?

Lewis sighed, slumping back down in his seat. "You won't find my name on any files, or records, only a very tight circle knew I even existed." He lifted his eyes. "Just a nameless orphan without a past or a future."

Raine clenched her jaw, hanging back. Gwen stepped closer. "Lewis...that's-"

"I'm being a bit melodramatic." Lewis slouched his shoulders. "I didn't know what was going on then, what they were doing and it was never explained to me." He chewed on his lip. "They were nice to me. I got to spend a few hours in this shiny lab, I got sweets when I was good."

Murray swallowed a lump in his throat. "Gosh...they actually took a kid." He paced, wringing his hands. "So that's where you met Iris?"

Lewis nodded. "They thought a woman would be better at dealing with a kid, whatever that means." He rolled his eyes. "She helped me understand what was going on, how to use my powers. I remember she was the only one who treated me like a human being."

Murray scratched his chin. "And you didn't have the same effects as the fourth trial?"

Lewis shook his head. "My 'trial' was different than the others...plus I think I was vetted more thoroughly at the start, they looked at my genetics and stuff."

My gaze faltered to the floor. "You said someone else has control of your powers, that's how Kendall fits into this. He's been using you for his dirty work."

Lewis squirmed in his chair. "Yes."

Murray threw his hands in the air. "Why did you never say anything? I could've done something, we could've leveraged this." He turned away. "You let us believe it was Kendall."

Lewis raised his chin. "You don't know what it was like...he has a choke hold on me." Sweat sticking to his brow, Emery vanished.

"Kendall can trigger your ability…" I murmured, loosening my shoulders. "That's why...when you were unconscious, or distant."

Lewis nodded. "Victor can force my ability, even channel it through himself. He's the shadow you see, I can't walk through the images like he does."

Murray spun back, wringing his hands. "So you are saying Kendall has some sort of ability too?" The two irregularities...

"Geier tried some new theories out." Lewis darted his eyes. "He wanted super soldiers he could control."

Murray gawked at him. "And Kendall actually volunteered?"

"He worked closely with Geier, and they had a similar vision of the future. Most of the risk was shouldered by me."

Murray paced. "If you had just told us, we could've stopped this. Kendall's been running circles around us-"

Lewis's eyes wild, he threw a fist on the desk. "Trust me, Kendall would've escalated if you knew...this was about minimizing his plans. Trying to stop him from using my powers against you as little as possible. I did my best."

Gwen crossed her arms. "And how about now? Were you planning on continuing to hide this from us?"

Lewis shrugged his shoulders, fear leaked through his gaze. "I know I'm a liability...that's really why I left." He lowered his head. "I'll finish the malware and stay behind...that's the best I can do."

Raine clapped her hands together. "That sounds fair, huh?" She turned her head to each of us. "We need him, no time to be upset about secrets."

"Agreed." I nodded, the room tense, quiet.

Lewis met my eyes. "I'm sorry...I really mean that," he said. "I didn't want this to happen."

I gave him a weak smile. "I know." This is just more complicated than any of us know.

He picked up his laptop again, returning to his focused typing. Murray shot me a wary glance. "Don't worry," I mouthed, stepping back from Lewis. I turned my eyes to the screen. "This doesn't change anything, we leave when we're ready."