Gone

Edilio gives Sam a DVD from the power plant, completing his mission. Sam plays the DVD with only Astrid present. It shows Astrid’s father and his coworkers working on the nuclear reactors. Pete sits in the corner, playing his Game Boy. An alarm goes off, lights start flashing, and the employees panic. They try to stop the alarms and the problems with the reactors. Pete puts his hands over his ears to drown out the sounds while the monitor reads “code one-four” (443). Looking like 14, the code means the core is melting down. Pete sobs as the hysteria builds, but then the tape cuts to static. A few seconds later, the tape shows Pete alone, the alarms off, playing his game.

Pete is the cause of the disappearances. His power transported the people over age 14 (the number on the nuclear reactor screen) and stopped the core meltdown. Astrid defends Pete, citing his ignorance, and Sam assures her that although Pete caused the FAYZ, he stopped the nuclear eruption and saved lives. Pete’s power rating would be beyond Caine’s or anyone else’s. Astrid tries to understand how the superpowers are occurring.

Meanwhile, Drake and Pack Leader force Lana back to the Darkness, though Howard runs away in terror. Lana is possessed by the Darkness. The abstract evil speaks through her, shocking her system and blaring in her mind, though she defies it by opening her eyes.

Drake screams for the Darkness to keep Lana alive so she can repair his lost arm, and the Darkness tests Drake’s strength compared to Lana. The Darkness switches to Drake as its puppet, stating to Pack Leader that he has found a better, more heartless teacher. The Darkness controls Lana to fix Drake’s arm, making it magical, not one of human flesh.

Edilio reports to Sam that they’ve searched everywhere for Lana and her dog, but they’re still missing. Edilio adds that he and others, like Quinn, have been training with the machine guns from the power plant. They discuss battle tactics, including employing those with powers. Taylor can teleport well, and an 11-year-old named Brianna has super speed. Edilio suggests they give Brianna “The Breeze” a gun to shoot and run. Sam can’t believe they’re turning kids even younger than them into murderers, stating it’s “nuts” and “wrong.”

A Coates refugee named Dekka (who has the power to suspend gravity) warns them that Orc is back. Sam and Quinn go to Orc’s house. Orc explains that coyotes attacked him, revealing his injured stomach, which has grown hard rocks. Orc is mutating into some gravel-covered beast.

At Coates Academy, Diana tells Caine they’re running out of food and supplies and should make a deal with Sam for survival. Caine rebukes her logic, using his mind levitation to fix the school’s damage. Caine says she should be kinder to him since she’s aware of his feelings for her. Diana thinks that Caine isn’t capable of real, deep love.

Caine asks Diana why she thinks his mother, Connie, abandoned him and kept Sam. She belittles his “mommy issues” in favor of the food dilemma, as they only have enough food for the next three days (463). The coyotes and Drake barge into the school. They welcome him back, noticing his tentacle-like new arm. Drake cracks the arm like a whip against Diana’s shoulder. Drake laughs and asks when they’re going after Sam.

Sam’s people hold their “council of war” (465) to prepare for Caine’s assault. Sam gives a speech about Caine wanting to win due to his ego, saying he will likely attack tomorrow night. As his birthday is tomorrow, they nominate Edilio to take over after Sam vanishes. Sam appeases everyone by stating that at least Caine will leave right after him. Sam gives everyone tasks and encourages them to keep honing their powers or weaponry skills.

Sam leads Astrid to the church’s steeple, where he has organized sleeping bags, snacks, and other essentials for her and Pete. Sam wants her to stay safe as their lookout by using a walkie-talkie with her aerial view. Sam states his mental health is worn out from the violence. He doesn’t want anyone, especially her, to get hurt. He hugs her and says he loves her for the first time, and Astrid replies she loves him too.

Astrid tells Sam that she has the power of intuition, which is hard to separate from her IQ, but she touches someone’s hand and sees streaks of fire that she thinks are their significance or soul. For Sam, she sees a blazing, bright shooting star, which inspires him.

Diana visits Computer Jack, calling in his promise to help her. Diana commands him to tell Sam about Andrew’s vanishing and to warn Sam about the light temptation so he can survive it. She states that if Sam and Caine blink out, the monster will rule and turn on them. Jack drives from the school, but Drake and his goons follow. Jack veers off the road toward the desert.

Evening arrives, and Taylor uses her teleportation to tell Sam she’s spotted cars. Astrid confirms on the walkie-talkie from the church steeple. They can’t tell if Caine or Drake are in the cars, but the opponents head to the public school. He sends Taylor to scout and readies his army.

Jack slept in his SUV in the desert last night. He wakes up, not finding any followers and realizing Sam is his only salvation. If Caine finds out about his betrayal, he or Drake will hurt him. Jack drives but crashes into a ravine. A girl and boy ambush him with a shotgun. After learning Computer Jack is a technology whiz, the boy says that they’ll let him go if he can fix his Wii. Jack agrees, worrying he’s running out of time to warn Sam.

Quinn takes his position on the daycare’s roof with his machine gun. Quinn waits for a target, and Brianna/The Breeze speeds over and updates him. They agree they have to win.

Sam and Dekka go to their school to face their enemies. Sam justifies his actions by thinking of protecting Astrid, Pete, and the others. He knows that Pete may be the only one who can end the FAYZ.

A bully named Panda fires at them, though Sam stresses that he doesn’t want to hurt anyone. Panda fires again, but Dekka uses her gravity powers to take him upward. They surge through the school using Sam’s light and Dekka’s anti-gravity against their enemies. When they reach the top, a boy named Frederico screams that Caine and Drake ran out of the school’s back exit. Sam hits him, then tells Astrid through his walkie-talkie that it was a trap.