Restore Me

Warner has a panic attack; Kenji, who saw a distressed Juliette fleeing, enters the room and helps Warner retrieve medication. When it takes effect and Warner’s panic abates, Kenji demands information. However, Warner takes too much medication and seems intoxicated and gleefully self-castigating, concerning Kenji. He grows alarmed when he sees Warner’s scars—Warner reveals in Ignite Me that these were due to his father whipping him annually on his birthday. The two bicker, playful despite their serious concerns, as Warner explains that he kept secrets about Juliette’s past from her, which caused her to break up with him when he told her the truth.

In an excerpt from her journals, Juliette urges herself to run from her tormentors, no matter the cost of this flight.

In the narrative present, Juliette runs through Sector 45, using physical activity as a distraction from Warner’s revelations. She wonders if the voice she heard after being shot was real or a hallucination. She fights against memories of herself as a “terrified little girl” (221), as the recollections remind her of her helplessness as a child. She is furious and hurt that everyone in her life has used her without her consent. She uses her super strength to destroy a broken-down bus to vent her anger. She screams so forcefully the bus splits in half, a new application of her power.

Suddenly, she realizes that Nazeera was the one who warned her in Chapter 20. She sees that Nazeera is nearby, sitting atop a tall freeway sign. She shows Juliette that she has superpowers that let her fly.

Kenji is shocked by Warner’s revelations and hurt that Castle didn’t confide in him. Kenji warns Warner that keeping secrets is “setting [him] up for a lifetime of pain” (228). Kenji laments Warner’s black-and-white attitude toward honesty and ridicules him for not wanting to fight for Juliette’s forgiveness, comparing Warner to a robot. The two bicker, but there is a new friendship between them. Kenji encourages Warner not to lose hope that he and Juliette can reconcile.

Delalieu enters in a panic; the daughter of the supreme commander of Europe has arrived, and Delalieu cannot contact Juliette. Warner admits that the new arrival is his ex-girlfriend. Kenji predicts that this will make Juliette angry and teases Warner about it.

An excerpt from Juliette’s journals, the text of which is almost all struck through, discusses feeling trapped and confused by the powers within her.

In the narrative present, Nazeera flies Juliette to a tree far from the Sector 45 buildings. She confides that she’s never revealed her powers before. Nazeera asks Juliette what she learned about her past and confesses that she finds Juliette familiar, though she is uncertain if they know one another. Juliette is surprised when Nazeera is understanding of Warner’s motives and sees Warner and Juliette’s relationship as reasonable, as Juliette’s allies have long argued against her close relationship with the former commander. She suggests, however, that Juliette stay away from the “drama” between Warner and Lena Mishkin, the European supreme commander’s daughter and Warner’s ex-girlfriend.

Juliette is shocked to learn that Lena and Warner’s relationship was encouraged by their parents, but that Warner broke up with Lena after two years together. Lena was angry when Warner began dating Juliette, as their breakup was less than a year prior. Nazeera admits to hating The Reestablishment and wanting to help protect Juliette. She encourages Juliette to forget her interpersonal concerns and focus on her political enemies. She agrees with Warner that The Reestablishment likely wishes to abduct Juliette, though she doesn’t know if they plan to kill her or continue experimenting on her.

Juliette asks if Haider is trustworthy. Nazeera doesn’t confirm that he can be trusted, though she insists he dislikes The Reestablishment. This is particularly because he experienced suicidal ideation and self-harm after brutal training exercises, the details of which he won’t disclose. Warner helped Haider through his mental health crisis.

Nazeera is delighted to show off her supernatural powers, which include going invisible, like Kenji. Juliette is jealous; her powers have always felt like a burden, not a source of joy. Nazeera is disappointed to share a specific power with Kenji. They grow more solemn as Nazeera discloses that The Reestablishment intends to destroy Sector 45 and kill everyone inside. She offers to help evacuate residents to save them.

Lena slaps Warner when she sees him, then she screams that he is “a monster” for breaking up with her by leaving a message with her mother despite their multi-year relationship. He encourages her to forget him and insists he never loved her nor indicated that he did. She attacks him again, but he subdues her and sends her away. Warner feels overwhelmed, blaming his emotions for “everything […] falling apart” (257).

In an excerpt from her journals, Juliette personifies loneliness as “a bitter, wretched companion” that leads to self-doubt (259).

In the narrative present, Juliette moves her things to a room separate from Warner’s, worrying both about her romantic troubles and about the threat to Sector 45. She sets up her possessions in Anderson’s former quarters and finds his collection of expensive alcohol. She thinks about her lack of “traditional teenage experience[s]” as she drinks some of the liquor (261). She grows intoxicated and decides to shave off her hair. She likes how the buzz cut makes her “look so much older […], angry and a little scary” (264).

Kenji and Warner enter the room, alarmed to find Juliette drunk and with her hair shaved off. Warner worries that this was an act of self-harm. She tipsily speaks about how she misses their relationship already. Warner puts her in a cold shower to help her regain her sobriety. She asks him to join her in the shower, but he refuses.

Despite wanting to give in to Juliette’s pleas to stay, Warner leaves her to sleep alone in her bed, as he fears she will regret drunkenly asking him to hold her. He seeks a place to be alone and is disgruntled to find people in every part of the base, especially as he considers himself “beholden” to all of them. Unaccustomed to friendship, he finds their attentions overbearing. He throws himself into work, blaming himself for not better expecting The Reestablishment’s sinister motives and for not better preparing Juliette for the upcoming symposium.