Prior to the next chapter I want to thank SosoSweet for the review. To answer your questions: this story starts at the night of the Halloween party, where Marlee is still in the Selection. The Southern rebels attacked during the ball. And yes, America will reunite with Maxon, but it'll take some time.

Chapter 3 - Identity revealed

I waited. I lied down under the bench, my hands covering my head. And waited. Waited until the pieces of debris had fallen.

Once the rumble and shaking was over I got to my feet.

There were pieces of rubble everywhere. But not a sign of the security guard and the woman. I started to make my way towards the desk where the woman had been only a couple seconds ago. 'Ma'm, can you hear me? Are you alright?' I asked hoping to hear an answer so I knew where she was.

'I'm here,' she replied.

'Are you alright?' I asked again while heading in the direction her voice came from.

'I can't move.'

I had reached her I and understood why. Her legs were stuck underneath debris. The wall had collapsed and fell on top of her. I sat down next to her. 'It's going to be okey.'

'How do you know?' she asked in panic. 'We're all alone here.'

'For now. But people must have heard the explosion. I'm sure they will send help.' I hoped.

'America, are you in here?'

I knew that voice. It was Aiden. 'We're here!'

He soon reached us and my eyes widened in shock. He had cuts and bruises on his face and his cloak had been ripped to shreds.

'You okay?'

I nodded and gestured for the woman. 'I'm fine. But she is stuck.'

'Alright. When I say now you pull her out, okey?' Aiden said as he stepped to the other side and crouched and started to lift it up.

I quickly went to the woman and got a hold of her arms. The woman looked like she was in pain. 'Aiden.'

'Not yet.'

The woman looked up to me, eyes wide in fear.

'We're almost there,' I said to her. 'Just a little bit longer.'

She nodded. Then looked down.

'What is your name?' I asked to try and keep her from panicking.

'C-Cara.'

'Nice to meet you. I'm America.'

She smiled. 'I knew that.'

Than Aiden shouted: 'Now!'

I started to pull the Cara away from the piece of debris. She was free.

Not a second later Aiden dropped it.

'How do you feel?'

'Considering the possibility of what could have happened, I'm fine,' she answered me.

'Can you-'

'America, duck!' Aiden shouted when I heard a loud pang.

That was gunfire. I quickly went behind a wall. 'What is going on?'

All Aiden said was: 'We gotta go.'

'What? We can't go out there. We'll be killed! And what about her?' I gestured to Cara. 'She can't walk like this.'

'She ain't coming with us.'

'What? We can't leave her here!'

Aiden grabbed my arm and pulled me towards him. 'Who do you think that he is after?' he whispered. 'If we take her with us, she'll just be another target.'

'But we can't leave her here,' I protested. 'She needs medical attention.'

'Everyone in this town heard the explosion. It's a matter of minutes before they come this way to find out what happened. Do you really want to give the rebel a couple dozen more targets?'

I shook my head. 'Of course not. But-'

Aiden didn't give me a chance to finish, cause he grabbed my wrist and started walking towards the place where the exit used to be.

I sighed, but let Aiden guide me through the rubble. Arguing with him wouldn't solve our problems. Then I saw a gun lying on the floor. And a few feet to the left… the guard. I had totally forgotten about him. 'Aiden!'

Aiden didn't let go, nor did he looked at the guard. 'He's dead.'

No. No, no no. He couldn't be. I looked up at Aiden when he stood before me, but the words that left his mouth didn't reached my ears. The world started to spin and went completely black.

The first thing I saw when I opened my eyes was a ceiling. I blinked my eyes several times before I got up.

I was in huge room with twelve beds on each side. A hospital wing.

That meant two things; I wasn't in the palace and someone had brought me here. But who? And where had Aiden go? And Cara was the one who was injured. Why wasn't Cara in one of these beds to?

I turned my head to the left as I heard a cracking sound. I a second all my questions had an answer.

Aiden had brought me here. He was sleeping in a chair near my bed. He didn't have his cloak on. That, somehow made him look less threatening. And sleeping, he looked like a normal teenager. But the dagger on his belt told me otherwise.

He too had seen a doctor, cause the cuts and bruises on his face were almost gone. Only one cut, which started next to his left eye and ended nearly at his mouth, remained. I reached out to it and placed two fingers on it.

I shouldn't have done it.

The second my fingers made contact with his skin, his eyes shot open, twisted my arm around my back and reached for his dagger.

'Aiden! It's me, America!'

After a few seconds he let go of me and sat back down.

'That hurt,' I stated while rubbing the place on my arm were Aiden had grabbed me.

'Don't ever touch me again,' he said angrily.

'Knock knock,' I heard a voice say.

I looked towards the door when it opened and a boy walked in. He was about my age, with brown hair and eyes. He wore a similar outfit as Aiden, but his shirt was grey and his trousers were brown instead of black.

'So, this is the famous Lady America!'

'What do you want, Liam?' Aiden said.

'I wanted to meet her, of course.' The boy, Liam, stepped closer to Aiden and whispered something in his ear.

Aiden nodded.

'Well, my job's done. See you!' Liam waved and walked out of the door.

'What was that about?' I asked.

'Nothing.' Aiden said. 'Are you good to go?'

'Go? Go were?'

Aiden sighed. Rubbed his temples. 'Back to the palace. I'll take you.'

I raised my eyebrows. 'Really?'

'Why are you looking at me like that?'

I stepped closer. 'Because a few hours ago you would've left me in the streets. You said it yourself that you didn't care what happened to me. And now you want to escort me back to the palace?'

Aiden sighed and looked away. After an uncomfortable silence he said so softly that he almost whispered: 'I am offering to bring your back to the palace because it is my fault that you're in this mess.'

I frowned. 'If it's anyone's fault, it is mine. That man was going to kill me. If you hadn't been there I would be dead.'

Aiden didn't reply.

'How did you manage to get us here?' I asked, changing the subject.

Aiden then turned towards me. 'Do you really want to know?'

I nodded hesitantly.

'When you blacked out I called Liam,' Aiden explained. 'He was already nearby and took you to a safe place while I dealt with the rest.'

'Dealt with?'

His eyes hardened and I understood. Then he walked towards the door.

I went after him. With his back turned to me I saw that his didn't had one dagger, but two and a few throwing knives. Who was he? 'Can I ask you something?'

Aiden stopped so sudden that I bumped into him.

I looked up to see him study my face. Then he nodded.

'You said that you were sent to kill that man in the alley.' Aiden nodded. 'By who? Who are you people?'

'I'm part of an organization which your people call: The Concealed,' Aiden said like it was nothing, like he knew I wouldn't understand what it meant.

But I did know.

As a child I heard a lot of stories about them. About an organization who fought crime all over the world. They didn't no fear and followed orders without question. That was why many countries tried to form an alliance with them. However, no one succeeded since the warriors were rarely seen, which gave them their name: The Concealed.

My father told me that The Concealed wanted to remain independent. That it was the only way to bring justice. He said that the organization worked from the shadows. And the only reason why you see them is because they have come to kill you.

I never believed my father's stories. But I should have. Then I might have known what to do when you face them.

Cause Aiden was one of them. And I was in one of their hideouts.