Cai closes the red-bound book, and I yawn, leaning on his arm. My muscles are sore, from sparring with Isaiah and Austin all day. After dinner, Cai and I just read until it gets late, and we finally finished The Scarlet Pimpernel tonight. 

“Apparently, there’s a sequel or two to the story, but I can’t find them anywhere,” Cai says, setting the closed book on the box next to his bedroll, and putting both of his arms around me. I close my eyes, yawning, as he kisses my forehead. “You know, unmarried couples aren’t allowed to sleep in the same room. I think Flint added that rule,” He mumbles, brushing my hair. 

“Of course he did,” I mumble, sitting up. “I’ll see you tomorrow,” I tell him, and he nods, kissing me slowly before I leave. Isaiah and Austin are already asleep. I sneak into my own family’s room, and smile at Casey, who cuddles the kitten to her chest. She and Teddy named it Peach. 

“Any luck finding the switch?” The voice in my head asks, waking me once I start to fall asleep. 

Not yet. I don’t think it’s in this building. I think, sighing. There’s another tall building, close to the center of the cloud. I’m sneaking out tomorrow. 

“Good. Now you can sleep,” The voice praises, then goes silent. I hug my thin pillow tightly. It’s too cold in here. 

“Where are you going?” Isaiah asks, following me as I move out of the cafeteria, in the direction of the sneaking-out place, instead of the training rooms like we agreed. 

“Looking for useful supplies,” I answer, putting my bag over my shoulder, and pulling my hair into a ponytail. 

“He’s not buying it,” The voice in my head says, and Isaiah folds his arms, staring at me. 

“You’re not going out alone,” He says, reaching for my arm. I elbow it away, and keep walking. “Olive!” He grabs my arm again, and turns me to face him. I stare at the ground. “You need to keep yourself out of trouble. I’ve got a responsibility to Caden, to keep you safe.” 

“I’m fine,” I tell Isaiah. 

“No, you’re not. What if some creep out there wants to hurt you, or something else?” He asks, gesturing out. 

“There are always creeps. I’ve survived them, and this time, I know how to fight. You taught me,” I argue, and duck under Isaiah’s arm, shoving open the sneaking-out room’s door once I get to it. 

“What am I supposed to tell Caden about you being gone?” Isaiah asks, sighing. 

“I’ll be back before he’s even done with his daily work. He thinks I’m training with you, and I won’t be out longer than training hours. He won’t know.” I pat Isaiah’s arm. “I don’t want him to worry. Don’t tell him.” 

“Your boyfriend’s such a nerd,” The voice in my head mutters. 

“I can protect myself,” I grumble, heading away from the building, after climbing out the window. I’m wearing armor, and I know how to break someone’s nose if they attack me. 

“I’m sure you can protect yourself,” The voice in my head tells me. “Do you want today’s news?” 

“No,” I say aloud, since nobody’s around to hear me talk except the voice. There’s a chuckle inside my mind. 

“Lady Bellerose won the election, since the governor cut you and your annoying boyfriend out of it.” 

“He’s not annoying,” I snap. The voice laughs. 

“Sure he isn’t,” He mutters, then continues. “The champions all went home, except Ashton, who is now engaged to Angel,” He explains. “Oh! And Solomon Connolly is dead,” He adds. 

“You couldn’t have led with that?” I ask. “How did he die?”

“Murder. But they didn’t find the culprit. Angel is blaming it on you,” The voice explains. I sigh. “Of course, it’s probably her anyway. Especially from what I’ve seen through your eyes about her character.” I nod. 

“What’s her plan, now that she’s in charge?” I ask. 

“I’m currently trying to search deeper investigation files, looking for that answer,” The voice says, and I can hear a faint sound of computer keys clicking. My jaw drops. 

“Are you a real person? Like you have a body outside of me?” I ask. “You’re just speaking in my head over a microphone?” 

“Yes,” The voice says, sighing. 

“Where are you? Are you on the island?” I hear a long sigh. 

“Yes, and if you somehow manage to find me, I’ll tell you everything. How’s that for a deal?” He asks. My jaw drops. 

“Okay, um, I’ll find that switch later.” I listen into my head, and hear a generator rattling, from the voice’s side. 

The island is silent, most of us dead, so I can easily hear loud noises like that motor. I spot a generator on the street after some walking, with wires leading up to an upper window. 

“Do you think there are any bad things that will happen if I turn off the switch?” I ask, snickering. The voice starts to answer, and I can hear it both in my head and up above. 

He pauses, and I see a pair of amber eyes in the window before the shutters close. I run to the door under the window, but my limbs aren’t moving. I’m staying still. What? 

“Go back to work, Olive,” The voice groans, as I curse up at him. 

“You promised me if I found you, I’d-” He shuts my mouth for me somehow, and I kick the dusty street, running off. I mutter more curse words as soon as he allows me to talk again. 

I reach the tall building, and shove the door open, sighing. It’s got eleven floors from the outside, but only ten floors on the elevator buttons. The elevator doesn’t work, though, so I’m taking the stairs. At floor ten, I search for anything to get to the secret eleventh floor. 

“A little help?” I ask, after looking through every supply closet in the office building twice. No hidden trapdoors or staircases. Just desks and paper and hand sanitizer. 

“Check the ninth. What do you even see in your boyfriend?” The voice asks, sounding bored. I shove open the metal staircase door, and quickly jog down the concrete steps, sighing.

“I don’t think that’s any of your business,” I pant, reaching the ninth floor, and shoving its doors open. The voice chuckles. 

“You have no privacy, Olive. And who am I going to tell? You’re the only person I’ve talked to in years,” He says. 

“Well, I don’t want to talk to you,” I hiss. He sighs. 

“Find the switch, turn it off, and then I’ll explain everything. Then will you answer my question?” He asks. 

“Fine,” I hiss, and open a closet on the ninth floor. There’s a ladder. “Oh, my gosh, it’s here.” I start to climb, my hands shaking, and my head surfaces on the eleventh floor, in a small closet with only a door. Through the door is a larger room, which is filled with massive yellow containers of gas, labeled with the governor’s seal. There’s at least thirty of them up here, all connected by tiny hoses which lead up to the ceiling. I stand on a stepstool, since each of these metal containers is about eight feet tall, and slowly close each of the valves. I have to move the stepstool several times, but soon, they’re all closed. 

“Good work. The cloud should wear off soon,” The voice praises. “Oh! Watch out, Olive, there were some security measures, I just looked at the building plans.” The door locks behind me, and another kind of gas fills the room. It’s deep blue gas, coming from vents on the floor.

“What is that stuff?” I ask, stepping away from vents near me. 

“Trifluoronitrosomethane,” The voice answers. “I’m researching it now.” I hear the tiny click-clack of keys. “Okay, it’s abbreviated TFNM…” He mumbles. 

“What it’s going to do to me is more important!” I yell, stepping back again, the gas closing in. 

“Don’t breathe it in, Olive. Try to find fresh air!” The voice tells me. I look around the room, spotting the one window. I run over to it, and try to slide it open, holding my breath as the gas starts to rise. The window isn’t moving. “Wait, you’re on the eleventh floor. Olive, don’t fall. Try to get to the ladder instead,” My voice tells me, and then I hear something like a disconnection. 

I groan, and cover my mouth, running to the door. My elbows get bruised and bloody, as I try to knock the door down. This isn’t working, so I take a step back and kick. An automated voice comes from above the wooden door. 

“Please do not resist.” A robotic arm descends from the ceiling, pointing a laser in its elbow at me. I watch the laser travel up my chest, and lock right under my chin. The arm grabs my neck, and pushes me back into the cloud of TFNM as it chokes me. Blue fills my vision, then red, then black.

About ten minutes of coughing and gasping for air continue, or ten seconds or hours. I’m not sure. It could even be ten days. Or years. Oh! My back hurts so much, I am probably several years older. 

There’s the sound of a gunshot, then another. My very pretty robot necklace loosens. I roll onto my side, groaning, my eyes filling with tears. 

Someone grabs me around the waist, and drapes me onto their chest, holding onto my waist tightly as they take the very narrow passage down the ladder. I am lulled to sleep as the person takes steps down the long, long staircases to dreamland. 

“Are you breathing?” The voice in my head asks, but he’s standing above me, as I’m laid on a couch after the staircases. I try to think about the answer to his question, and soon feel my chest rising and falling. I nod, and he fixes my hair with a warm hand, sighing. My eyelids are too heavy to open. I hear his voice curse. “You’re even prettier in person, Olive,” He tells me, sighing. 

“Breathing hurts,” I strain, and he nods. 

“I think the website said to gargle water for that. And it’s probably on your clothing, so wash all of that when you get home, and wash your skin. Get fresh air,” He lists off. I nod. “Do you think you can walk?” 

“Yeah,” I force my eyes open, but he’s disappeared, with the sound of footsteps. I see the heel of his boot turn the corner. I shakily push myself to my feet, holding on to the couch arms with white knuckles. 

The window is tough to climb to, and I keep almost blacking out on my way up. Luckily, Isaiah isn’t there to ask why I’m half unconscious and barely breathing, so I run to my family’s room and quickly shower, my armor clattering to the floor as fast as I can get it off. 

“Are you all right?” My voice asks, as I’m putting on some dry clothes, my arms shaking as I slip my hands through the sleeves. 

I think so. I think in response, zipping up the black jumpsuit that Arthur gave me. The clouds are clearing outside. 

“I noticed. You’ll have your powers back quick, since it was only a short exposure to the clouds with you being back. Your Iron friends will still take a month to become Magnets.” I nod, hugging myself tightly. 

You owe me an explanation for who you are. I remind him. There’s a long sigh. Come on, I almost died because of that whole thing, I think I deserve an answer. The voice chuckles. 

“After your dinner tonight, I’ll explain everything. You need food, and you can nap this afternoon after lunch,” He promises, and I nod.