Jason returned to his dorm. Jim was already inside, sipping a can of lemonade from the vending machine.
"I thought you were in the middle of explaining something. Where'd you go?"
Jason could tell—this was really Jim now, not the empty shell he saw earlier.
"I went to find Caitlyn."
"And?"
"She's fine." Jason rushed to his desk, typing frantically on his computer.
Jim leaned over. "What are you doing?"
Jason pointed at the screen. Search results filled the page: headlines about superpowered individuals—telekinetics, human calculators, unexplainable feats of strength.
"How likely is it that someone out there can control minds?" Jason asked.
Jim shrugged. "Not likely."
"The correct answer is: definitely. These are just the ones the media knows about. Imagine what the underground's hiding."
"…Fair point."
Jason turned to him. "Jim, I need a favor tonight."
"Yeah?"
—
Nightfall. Liam brought Caitlyn to a quiet apartment complex—the location agreed upon with Officer Quinn and his partner.
**Knock. Knock. Knock.**
The door creaked open. Alex peeked out, scanned the hallway to ensure they were alone, then waved them in.
"Alright, here's the plan…"
—
Back in Jason's dorm:
"I need you to stay outside this room until midnight."
"What? Why?"
"No, please—listen. I need you outside. Hide in the bushes or something." Jason pointed out the window. "Bring binoculars. Watch me."
"Watch you for what?"
—
"So that when they come to pick us up—if they do—Felicia can get it all on camera. Clear, undeniable proof. If this game is real, we're catching it on video."
—
"Look, I know you didn't believe me before. Just give me one night, okay? One."
—
"So we just… wait here?" Caitlyn asked, skeptical.
"Yeah. Stay awake. I want to see what you two told me about, the thing that's gonna knock us out—whatever it is."
"Could just be… an irresistible sleep," Liam added.
—
"I'm telling you, I'll pass out even if I try not to. Then I'll vanish. Either kidnapped or—teleported."
"Teleported?" Jim blinked.
Jason threw up his hands. "I don't know! That's the point of the experiment."
—
"This could be dangerous," Liam said to Felicia.
Felicia shrugged. "Every day's dangerous for a cop. I'll stay low. They won't see me."
—
"Hide well, okay?"
"I will."
"Alright. Get into position."
"Wait—right now?" Jim raised an eyebrow. "Aren't you forgetting something?"
—
"You guys are ridiculous early by the way," Felicia said as she munched on Chinese takeout. Alex was typing on his phone nearby, probably journaling. "You two eaten yet?"
Caitlyn's stomach growled.
Indeed, Liam neglected dinner and dragged Caitlyn here far before the agreed upon 9pm.
—
Back at the dorm:
"What am I missing?"
"I'm starving, dumbass. Let's eat first."
—
Meanwhile, Samantha returned home. No greeting. No eye contact. Just a stiff walk past her mother at the dining table.
"Sam," Heather called before Samantha could escape upstairs.
"Yeah?"
"You're not going to tell me, are you?"
Samantha paused. "Tell you what?"
Heather's voice cracked. "The game's not over… is it?"
Samantha's breath caught. "What?"
"Don't pretend. I can tell. I see it in how you move, how quiet you've been."
Heather stepped forward, gently brushing Samantha's hair behind her ear.
"Why do you only care about everyone else? What about you? Why are you just like your father?"
Samantha froze. Her voice lowered. "I didn't want to drag you into this…"
"So you're going to face it alone? Like he did? Have you thought about how that ended?"
"I just don't want you to worry, Mom."
Heather's eyes welled up. "I already do. I don't want to lose you too."
Samantha threw her arms around her mother. No tears—hers had already dried long ago.
"Can you not, Mom? Please? Can you not?"
Heather held her tighter. "Sam. I will not leave you alone."
But Samantha wasn't about to let her mother join this game. She knew that's what Heather wanted. Samantha acted quickly—trained hands, reflexes honed by trauma—snatching Heather's phone and smashing it against the floor.
Heather gasped.
"You are not joining."
Samantha grabbed her mother's arms, holding her still. Heather wasn't easily contained. With a sudden kick, she broke free, dashed to the desk, and grabbed the laptop.
"Mom!"
Heather sprinted toward the kitchen. Samantha chased her down and tackled her from behind. The laptop flew forward, open on the tile floor.
**Thump.**
They fell onto the ground.
"Sam!"
"You're not joining, Mom!" Samantha locked Heather's arms behind her.
"Samantha!"
"You're NOT!"
"SAMANTHA! I already lost your father. I'm not losing you too!" Heather's scream shook the room.
Samantha's eyes welled up. Her grip loosened. She understood what her father felt now.
Heather sat up, adjusting her hair and wiping her face.
"What's the link?"
Samantha hesitated.
"Sam. What's the link?"
"…Would you rather spend a night in Antarctica or an afternoon in the Sahara? I chose Antarctica."
Heather didn't blink. "Then I'll choose Antarctica too."
She ran a hand down Samantha's cheek. "It's going to be okay."
Samantha clutched her mother's hand, holding on to its warmth. "Mom…"
They sat there on the kitchen floor, side by side, knowing exactly what they'd just signed up for. Quite possibly their impending doom.