Override (Glitch)

below us, so you won’t see them much. Since your brother will be the new head trainer for the glitcher task force, we thought you could train with them.”
    “So there’s no other non-glitching students?” Xona asked.
    “I’m afraid not, but I’m sure you’ll feel right at home since all the glitchers are your age.”
    From the look on Xona’s face, I wasn’t so sure.
    “Is the General here?” Tyryn asked.
    “No, she’s on another mission. She’s embedded and on non-com.”
    Adrien must have seen the question on my face, because he leaned over to clarify. “Non-communication. It’s standard for deep-cover missions.”
    “Ah, and here we are.” The Professor stopped and put his finger to the touch panel beside a wide door. “The Med Center.” He beamed at Jilia after the door slid up in its tracks. “Just to your specifications.”
    Jilia hurried past him into the room. The room was brighter than the hallway, with light cell panels installed every few inches across the ceiling. The walls and floor were the same unblemished white, and the room was filled with brand-new diagnostic machines.
    Jilia looked back at the Professor, her eyes shining eyes. “It’s perfect, Henry.”
    I saw something else I recognized—another wash-down container, and a pile of packaged blue suits.
    The Professor saw where I was looking. “Until the air-filtration system is ready, you can wash and change into a new suit every day so you’re comfortable.”
    “Thanks,” I said.
    “Oh look,” the Professor said with a delighted smile. “Here’s the rest of your team.”
    I turned to follow his gaze and saw a group of people crowded in the doorway. A dark-haired boy I recognized timidly stepped in front.
    “Juan!” I said. We’d rescued him during our escape from the Community, but I hadn’t seen him since we switched vehicles at the first safe house all those months ago.
    “It’s so good to finally see you again, Zoe!” Juan said, stepping closer. “I’m not on your team, but I had to come and say hello anyway.” He gave me a big hug. “The only reason I’m alive is because of you.” He said, his voice quieter. “I never got the chance to thank you. I am forever in your debt.”
    I waved a hand, trying to hide my embarrassment. “Is Molla here, too?”
    “She’s here,” Juan said, but then looked away. I could hear what he didn’t say. Molla was here but didn’t want to see me. She thought I was the reason Max stayed behind with the Chancellor. In part, she was right. The familiar pang of guilt sliced through my gut.
    Adrien’s face stiffened briefly, his eyes going distant. The next moment he blinked and looked at Xona standing behind him. It was brief, but I could tell he’d just had one of his short-term visions “Don’t,” he said, heading over to her.
    At the same moment, Xona turned and saw the group crowding into the Med Center. Her eyes widened until they looked like they’d pop out of her head.
    “What the shunt are they doing here?” she yelled. She reached under her tunic and whipped out two weapons.
    I looked where Xona was pointing and gasped. Four Regulators were approaching from the back of the group.
    “Lower your weapons, Xona. They aren’t Regs anymore,” Jilia said, her voice far calmer than mine would have been. “These are the boys Zoe rescued when she fled the Community. I’ve examined them myself and—”
    “They’re all murderers!” Xona flicked the safety off the weapons with her thumb and aimed them higher. The Regs didn’t even flinch.
    “Hey, calm down,” said one of the glitcher boys who stood by Juan. He was dark-skinned and short but broadly built. He held out his hand, palm up. “You need to put down the weapon.”
    “Calm down? Calm down?” Xona’s voice was almost a shriek.
    “Underneath the metal, the ex-Regs are as human as you and me,” Jilia said.
    “They’re nothing like me!”
    The tips of the metal weapons Xona held began to turn a glowing orange. She didn’t notice at first, but then she suddenly cried out and dropped them. She looked down at her hand in disbelief. Small welts were forming on her palm.
    “Rand, you didn’t have to do that,” Jilia said to the boy who’d told Xona to calm down. She hurried over to Xona. “Let me see the burns.”
    I looked on in confusion. I had no idea what had just happened.
    “Don’t touch me,” Xona pulled away from Jilia, her eyes flashing at Rand. “Of course you’d protect