Hello everyone! Thank you for reading and I'm sorry I haven't updated in a while! Everything in italics is Diana's dream, which is most of this chapter. Practically the whole chapter.

Diana eventually fell asleep. And she dreamed.

I looked up at the clock. 10:17. The day wasn't going by fast enough. I groaned as Ms. Meadows, my teacher, continued a lecture about something I didn't bother to listen to.

Ms. Meadows was the science teacher, and it was common knowledge that she and the assistant principal had a thing for each other. The assistant principal was Mr. Angeler, and he was very strict. No one dared break rules around him, even Drake. Mr. Angeler always wore sunglasses, the type that FBI agents wore. Popular gossip was guesses on why he never let anyone see his eyes. Some of the theories could get pretty crazy.

The class would end in 13 minutes. Only 13, and then I would get a free period. Caine told me to meet him in his dorm. Drake would be there. I scowled at the thought of Drake. We didn't exactly get along, but were both loyal to Caine. Or at least Drake was loyal to Caine for now.

I looked up at the clock again. 10:18. 12 more minutes.

Then the girl sitting next to me screamed, making me jump. I looked around to make sure no one noticed.

"Ms. Meadows?" she squealed. I looked towards the front of the room and gasped.

Ms. Meadows was gone.

I immediately stood up and looked around at everyone in my class. Caine and Drake didn't share the same class as me this period. But I knew what Caine would want me to do, he's been preparing Drake and I ever since he shared his secret.

"Everyone, it's going to be okay," I said in a soothing voice. I gave them all a fake smile, but my class seemed to believe it. I reached for the girl's hand who screamed.

"It's okay," I said. She believed I was holding her hand to comfort her.

0 bars.

I held everyone else's hand in the room, and only one of them had 3 bars. A girl named Dekka.

Soon Caine's voice came over the intercom.

"It seems all of the adults had disappeared. Now is not a time to panic. I would like everyone in the school to quickly and calmly head into the auditorium in 5 minutes. I promise, we will figure out what has happened," Caine said smoothly. I noticed everyone else in the room seemed to be calming down. I smirked. If only they knew what Caine could do. What some of them could do.

"Everyone, remember to go to the auditorium in 5 minutes. I am going early to help Caine," I said. I glanced around the room one more time and left.

My classroom was relatively close to the auditorium. I immediately spotted Caine with Drake following behind him like a pet dog. I was surprised to see a 5th grader named Computer Jack, trailing behind Caine and looking confused and worried. He blushed and refused to make eye contact when he saw me.

"Excellent, i was hoping you would be here," Caine said with a smile. I decided to not return the smile.

"Why is he here?" I said, nodding towards Jack.

"He is officially my tech guy," Caine said. Computer Jack put on a smug smile.

"I'm going to keep a list of all the kids with powers," he said as he pulled out a PDA from his pocket. "You have to read all the kids before they enter the auditorium and tell me who's got powers and what level they are."

I glanced at Caine. "What will you be telling them in there?"

"Well, everyone with a power is going to head off into a room with Drake. I made him promise not to frighten them. Once I finish calming the normal kids down and making sure they don't freak out, you, Jack, and I will join Drake and try and figure out everyone's power," Caine explained.

"And then we will greet the Perdido Beach kids," Drake said and grinned. His grin was unsettling, like a shark.

"But first, I will need to find a way to make sure everyone who isn't loyal to me is dealt with," Caine said. I noticed Computer Jack shift his feet. I decided to ask him what he knows later.

"Alright," Caine said and clapped his hands together. "The school should be coming down any minute now. Better get ready."

Caine strutted into the auditorium, leaving me with Jack and Drake. I heard footsteps coming our way, and looked down the hall, seeing about a hundred kids coming. Drake grabbed a chair and stood on it.

"Everyone!" he yelled. The students all stopped abruptly and coward. Everyone was scared of Drake. Everyone except Caine and I, at least. "Single file line. Before you are allowed to enter the auditorium, Diana has to find out whether you have a power or not!"

"Way to say it lightly," I muttered, looking at all there shocked and confused faces.

"Powers?" a girl who was in my last class cried accusingly. "Is this a joke?"

"Yes, we all planned this joke. The adults disappearing, everything. Isn't it hilarious?" I shot back at her. "Now will everyone get in a line, now."

One by one the kids all followed Drake's orders. Soon it became a pattern.

"Name," I said.

"Brianna," a girl with red hair replied. She stuck out her hand.

"3," I muttered to Jack. He hesitated a little before adding Brianna to the list. Now there were four; Caine, me, Dekka, and Brianna.

"Now go follow Drake," I said and the girl walked towards Drake. "Next."

"Andrew," a kid said. He stuck out his hand.

"3," I muttered to Jack again. He added Andrew's name.

And on it went, until every kid with a power was accounted for. I could hear Caine faintly through the door, talking in his way that makes you trust him.

"Let's go in the room Drake is in," I said. Computer Jack didn't answer, he was engrossed in his PDA, scrolling through names and doing who-knows-what. I rolled my eyes.

"Hey Jack," I purred and brushed my hand against his cheek. Jack's eyes got wide as he looked up at me and whimpered. "Now that I've got your attention, let's go join Drake and the others."

Jack nodded, even though I'm not sure he heard a word I said. I started towards the empty classroom, pleased that Jack was following me like a puppy.

We entered the classroom, and were greeted by the relieved kids. They had not enjoyed their time alone with Drake, who was staring down on them like a hawk.

"What's going on?"

"Why weren't we allowed in the auditorium?"

"What's my power?"

"Don't worry. Caine will answer all of your questions once he comes. You are the special ones, you will get special treatment," I said, silencing them all. I gently placed my hand on Jack's back, making him flinch, and guided him out the room.

"How many are there?" I asked him. He fumbled for his PDA.

"Diana, Caine, Dekka, Brianna, Taylor, Andrew, Bug, Frederico, Benno-" he started listing before I interrupted him.

"Just a number. I only need a number," I said exasperatedly.

"R-right," he said and nodded. Jack punched a few buttons.

"28," he said.

"Hmm. That's quite a lot," I replied.

"It's 8% of the entire population...now," Jack said. "If Caine was right guessing that everyone 15 and over is gone."

How Jack knew what the population was, I didn't know. And didn't care. "But that's not including kids from Perdido that have a power."

Jack thought a minute. Finally, he said, "I think we should expect 32 kids from Perdido to have a power, but that's statistically speaking."

I nodded. Caine wouldn't like hearing that, he won't want anyone to be more powerful than him. "Don't repeat any of that to Caine," I told Jack. He looked like he was about to ask why, but then I heard a familiar voice behind me.

"Hey Diana. Computer Jack," Caine said. "How many?"

"28. 8% of the entire population," Jack said proudly.

"Good. Let me speak to them, follow me," Caine said. He brushed his hands through his hair, straightened his uniform, and walked into the room.

"Good afternoon, everyone," Caine said with a smile. Only half of them returned the smile.

"We want to know what's going on!" the girl named Brianna called. Her hands were on her hips. "Jack, you're probably the only reasonable one! Why don't you tell us, we all know you four know what's going on!"

Jack whimpered and looked at Caine. I could tell Caine was trying to keep himself from getting to angry. Finally, he smiled again.

"Now now. What's your name?"

"Brianna," she said defensively.

"Do you have any idea what your power is?"

"Why should I tell you?"

"We're all friends here. You can trust me. Only together we stand a chance, only together we can all survive through this...unfortunate… situation."

"I don't think I should tell you. I think I don't want to be your servant."

Caine stared at Brianna, and Brianna glared back. Everyone in the room held their breath, waiting for Caine to snap. Drake stepped up.

"You will tell us, or I will make sure you regret it," he snarled.

"No, Drake. Let me handle this," Caine said and stepped in front of Drake. "Brianna, if you don't want to tell us, we will just banish you from Coates."

"But what if her power is dangerous?" Jack blurted out. He noticed everyone started looking at him and shrunk against the corner. Caine looked frustrated.

"I will deal with you later," he said coldly. "Would anyone else like to tell me their power?"

One by one, everyone willing to work for Caine told him their power, and everyone else stood with Brianna on the opposite side of the room. Caine gave them one last furious glare before ordering his followers out into the hallway.

"I need a way to keep them contained. So they aren't a threat," Caine said.

"Why don't you just let me deal with them?" Drake said and smiled at the thought. I looked at Jack, who was squirming like he was trying to decide something.

"I think Computer Jack has an idea," I said. He looked at me like I betrayed him. I smiled back at him with pity.

"What is it, Computer Jack?" Caine said. Jack nervously pushed his glasses back up.

"Well, the powers look like they're focused through the hands," he said. "So if you trap their hands…"

Caine smiled and patted Jack on the back. "Great job. I knew you were very smart boy. And smart people deserved to be respected, they deserve to be important. And as long as you stay loyal to me, you will be both of those. And more."

Jack looked like he didn't know whether to feel good or bad about himself.

"Drake, I want you to go find out how to make concrete. Bring everyone except Diana with you. Diana and I are going to talk to the others inside the classroom. Try to change their mind," Caine ordered. Drake immediately started strutting down the hallway, yelling at everyone else to keep up. Jack gave a pleading look to Caine and me before reluctantly following Drake.

"Let's go," Caine said. He started walking in the door, but then everything started to fade. I started freaking out, and then I heard a baby crying. But there are no babies in Coates…

Diana woke to the sound of Leo crying. She scrambled off her bed and cradled Leo, trying to get him to stop crying before he woke the others. But Diana realized it was too late; everyone else was starting to get up. Diana felt a little bad, but relieved because she just realized something important from her dream.

Ms. Meadows was Leo and Lily's mom, and Mr. Angeler was the General.

Which meant the General had been watching them all along.