It was working.

Slowly, the word was spreading of an anonymous organisation that opposed the government. And people were rejoicing. On one of my few trips to Jiona, I got close to the city centre. Ordinary citizens were out, bustling round the markets trying to find any scraps of food cheap enough for them to purchase. But the slightest joy was undeniable: a skip in someone's step here and there, a mark in the wall every now and then. All the rebels had remained unknown successfully and for the time being our identities were safe; there was no immediate new danger. We were safe. We were happy. And still, there was hope.

People believed in us without any evidence that we were real. It was inspiring and made you appreciate the vast numbers in just one city. We were changing people's lives.

The mission was for reconnaissance, just like Harleen had done previously. I was out with three others but I barely knew any of them. The leader was called Sofia or something but I had no idea where the other two concerned. They kept themselves to themselves and I was happy enough on my own. Still intent on leaving after the rebellion, I focused on my target but the skip in my own step was undeniable too. I had felt up and down myself lately and had even related to Lucas somewhat. I still resented him and I resented my likeness to him even more but I found myself understanding how every mediocre day could be draining.

Except today.

As I said, people were hopeful and that hope was contagious. I enjoyed watching people go about their daily life with their own fires that had been set alight. We had to ensure that we did something before the flames could diminish. And we would do something. The date we had set for the broadcast was drawing closer. A week tomorrow to be exact.

I wished I could tell them. I wanted to be able to give them definite hope, a real cause to believe in. Extreme promises and secrets would have to do. Yet it was working, wasn't it?

The group pressed on and with every step I longed for my original squad. Last I checked, no one else had been Refracted after Harleen. Obviously, after both prototypes had escaped they deemed the project to still be in its rough stages. They hadn't given up though. And if they could believe in something so futile, then I could definitely have faith in our very, very, very promising rebellion.

Soon I would be reunited with Elyse and she would be safe and I would be safe and we would be free.

We walked away from the market, heading down darker streets and alleyways. Rachel had emphasised how essential it was that we had at least a very basic understanding of the layout of Jiona. When the day came to revolt, we had to move rapidly and there would be no room for error. For Jiona, our focus was the warehouse which held Lucas' despicable inventions. It didn't matter whether the revolution was successful or not, Lucas could destroy us if he had even one of those machines. Security was especially tight as we drew near and soon it became apparent that we couldn't get any closer.

VISORs swarmed and patrolled the area. The clicking and whirring brought back a lot of memories but I had developed more control and I barely noticed them as I suppressed each one. I only imagined my goal as I stared at the warehouse through a pair of binoculars. Automated locks were fitting on every hinge of the only double doors. It would take a while to break in.

On the day of the rebellion, we hoped to draw the security away to various points across the district. If the VISORs stayed put then we could gain control of the rest of the city which would prevent Lucas accessing them anyway, then we could all move in and take the VISORs on in one go. Either way, we had it figured out. The hardest bit would be persuading everyone to join us.

Everyone. We needed everyone. Absolutely everyone.

Yet our numbers were exponentially growing and that gave hope in itself. More people ventured out of their cities hoping to find us and we welcomed anyone that did. Our own camp had quickly filled out and others had reported the same, however our already depleted resources couldn't keep up with the demand which produced its own problems.

"Ready to go?" Sofia asked.

I lowered my binoculars and we went back the way we came. Even though they were locked in the warehouse, I still shuddered at the thought of us turning our backs to such pure evil. Personally, I believed that everyone had some capacity for evil one way or another but those things behind us change everything. There was nothing good about them.

I wanted to tell people of the rebellion. I wanted them to join us. But I wanted to warn them too. I wanted to warn them of the immense danger they were putting themselves in.

I wanted them to run.

There was little conversation as we walked back. Narrow alleys forced us to walk single file and it would have taken too much effort anyway. Panting, we forced every breath through burning chests. Foreheads were creased with the physical exertion and sweat gathered in droplets. In only a few weeks, I had reached an impeccable fitness level but the distances we walked still felt impossible. Like everything else we did, this wasn't for the weak-hearted.

And I doubted myself.

But as we neared the markets again, the hope returned. I just had to accept that there were positives and negatives to every outcome. We were fighting for the positive ones.

At some point, I had been overtaken which left me at the back of the group. I jogged faster to catch up despite the harsh rays Helios beat down on me. In my mind, I began to visualise the city, every necessary road to cross, very street corner wide enough for us to gather, for us to recruit. We would need to ransack stores, get supplies, build an army.

Good and evil, positives and negatives...

The positive of overthrowing the government would be obvious, no more oppression only freedom. Nevertheless I couldn't help but feel as though we should have taken some more time to consider the negatives.

Running a country was hard, let alone a planet. Every store we ransacked would mean no food for a starving family. Every city we overtook meant no jobs nor trade nor anything. Everything would be brought to a standstill.

Were we prepared for that? Really truly prepared?

I hoped that civilians had considered all that too before they made the decision to join us, even to believe in us.

Hope was contagious and even now I felt it tugging at me. But we had to be wary.

I crossed a particularly wide road with a wide alley joined onto it. Something glittered off to one side, catching my eyes.

"Hey, guys! Wait up!" I called after them.

Despite being unsure as to whether they heard me or not, my curiosity - again - got the better of me and I had to investigate. The air was eerily quiet as I turned the corner and received a full view of the glistening silver that permanently branded a brick wall.

The symbol graffitied onto it was huge and showed impressive dedication to our cause. At the end of the day we had to choose something to fight for. The warming sensation in my stomach only confirmed my choice again. Positives and negatives aside, this was something we had to do. Something they wanted us to do.

"What is it, Verity?" Sofia shouted to me.

"Come look at this!"

Their pounding footsteps signalled their arrival as they turned the same corner and stood next to me. Each person was stunned into silence at the magnificent facade in front of us.

Perfectly angled to Helios' beams of light, the silver painted an image across the wall: a backwards 'R' with a lightening bolt sliced through it. Next to it, four simple words were written.

"We are not Refracted."