By the time Genesis and Megan got to the witches' headquarters, they'd already gone over their plan. Even so, Genesis felt like she was on the verge of a panic attack. She was about to break and enter. And since it was a witches' place that she was breaking and entering into, she might face some very serious consequences.

The headquarters was three stories high with a slanted roof. The two uppermost floors seemed to be mostly windows, which seemed rather impractical for a haven of magic. Perhaps it was a repurposed office building or science lab or something? Whatever. It didn't matter. Genesis was here to find a time machine, not wonder why the witches' headquarters had so many windows.

Megan led Genesis into the headquarters' lobby. There, they saw a receptionist sitting at the desk working on a computer. The receptionist looked rather young-probably around 21 years old. Her blonde hair was tied back in a bun, and her business suit was ruffled, as if she'd slept in it. "Good evening," the receptionist said when she saw the arrivals. "Megan Hawthorne? Is that you?"

"Yes," said Megan.

Genesis looked at the receptionist and realized she looked familiar. "Wait," she said. "Is that Saige Johnson?"

"Yes," said the receptionist. "I am."

"No way!" Just weeks ago, Genesis had met some of the other TG girls who'd famously vanquished the witch Circe Reyna-Lanie Evans and Rachel Miller. Genesis knew Saige was friends with them, but she had no idea she worked for the Council Of Witches. "You actually work here?"

"I do," said Saige. "After I quit my last job, my friend Lanie Evans told me the Council Of Witches was in need of a new receptionist, so I applied for the job. They were more than happy to hire me. And I must say, it's a great gig. They pay me well, and they provide me with health insurance, and I'm already contributing to a 401K retirement plan." She pulled out a cigarette and put it in her mouth. "Plus, they let me smoke on the job."

Genesis grimaced. After the debacle with Ramona, she was pretty sensitive about people smoking. "I didn't know you were a smoker," she said.

Saige lit her cigarette and took a puff from it before responding. "Oh yeah," she said. "I started smoking just a few months after we defeated Circe. All the fame and attention was a lot more stressful than I expected. But, luckily, I found myself a stress reliever." She inhaled another puff and smiled as the nicotine worked its magic.

Megan cleared her throat. "That's great," she said, "But we are here for a reason."

"And what is that?" Saige asked.

"I have a witch in training," Megan explained, "And I wanted to take her to the headquarters to show her some of the magic experiments that are being worked on here."

Saige looked at Genesis. "Genesis Rookwood, I presume?" she asked.

Genesis nodded.

"I've heard about you," said Saige. "You'd be Rachel's childhood friend's new girlfriend, right?"

"Ex-girlfriend now," Genesis said bitterly.

"What?"

"I don't want to talk about it," said Genesis.

"Ah," said Saige.

"That's why I took her here," Megan ad-libbed. "I thought maybe it would take her mind off the breakup."

"Alright then," said Saige. "You're clear to go."

As they walked off down the corridor, Genesis breathed a sigh of relief-not just because she didn't have to smell cigarette smoke anymore, but because of how smoothly things had gone. "That went better than I expected," she said.

"I know," said Megan. "But that was the easy part."

Megan led Genesis down the corridor toward the headquarters' workshop area. They passed by rooms where witches were mixing potions and assembling what Genesis assumed were magical devices. Eventually, they came to a set of metal doors barred shut.

"Okay," said Megan. "Now this is why I needed you to come with me. Opening these doors requires the touch of two witches at once. You and I are both going to have to touch these hand scanners."

Megan had already warned Genesis of this, so she knew what to do. Genesis placed both of her hands on the hand scanners on the bar holding the doors shut. Megan did the same with the other set of hand scanners, and there was an electronic beeping as it recognized both their magic. There was a hissing noise, and the metal bar slid out to let the doors open.

"Alright," said Megan. "Now, be very quiet. We have to find that time machine without getting caught."

Genesis and Megan crept into the secret room. Strangely, there wasn't much interesting stuff in there. Most of what Genesis saw was a bunch of metal contraptions and long wooden sticks-magic wand prototypes, maybe? There was one device that looked kind of interesting. It was a metal bracelet that glittered with magic sparkles.

"Over here," Megan said in an undertone. "I found it."

Genesis turned and saw a...gun? Really? Was that the time machine? Genesis had imagined some kind of metal gateway that would have a portal in it, not a gun. Admittedly, it didn't look like any regular gun. The barrel was elongated near the end, and there was a dial-presumably date and time settings-where the bullet chambers should've been. But it was still a rather strange sight.

"Expecting something else?" Megan asked.

"Yeah," said Genesis.

"Well, this is what I'm gonna need," said Megan.

"Alright," said Genesis. "I guess you just put the date in that you want to go back to?"

"It seems so."

Genesis thought back to the date of Charlotte's sleepover. "March 9," she said. "That was the day Ramona had her first cigarette. That's when we have to go back-"

"Oh, I'm not going back to that day," said Megan. "I'm going even farther back."

"What?"

Megan glared at Genesis. "Genesis," she said. "Or should I say...Gene."

Genesis' heart stopped. "What?"

"Isn't that who you are?" Megan asked. "Gene Rookwood, the guy who tried to rape me?"

"So you do remember..."

"Of course I do," said Megan. "Mirna's mass memory-altering spell didn't affect me, because I'm a witch. I never forgot anything that you did to me...you guy-slut."

"But-but I've changed!" said Genesis. "I don't sexually harass women anymore!"

"Cut the bullshit," said Megan. "If there's one thing I've learned, it's that a leopard never changes its spots. And you, Gene...you have no idea much your attempted rape really affected me. When my dad found out, he was furious at me. He told me he was very disappointed in me, that I couldn't stand up for myself when a guy made an advance on me. 'I raised a better daughter than this,' he said. He and my mom got in a big fight, and then he walked out on us. Ever since then, we've been living in poverty. And it can all be traced back to you. That is why I'm going back in time to when you were just a little kid. I'm going to kill you and prevent you from trying to rape me, or Cassy, or anyone else in the first place!"

"No," Genesis protested. "You can't do that!" She thrust out her hand and launched a fireball at Megan. Megan held out her own hand and absorbed the fireball in her fist. Grimacing, Genesis waved her hand and made a rack of tools fall toward Megan. Megan had to dart to avoid getting hit by the tool rack.

"September 1, 2014," Megan muttered as she fiddled with the dial on the time travel gun. "You would've been about nine at the time, yes?"

"Yes," said Genesis. She still remembered that day. She'd been Gene back then, and it was his first day of Third Grade. He'd gotten in a fight with the school bully and walked away with a black eye. Gene had sat down on the curb outside the school crying about the fight when an older girl came by and comforted him. It was one of the sweetest memories Genesis had of her old life. But now it looked like that day might be ruined.

"Well, it looks like it'll be your last day," said Megan. She fired the gun at the wall and opened a red portal. "But I can't have you following me." She raised her hand, ready to fire another spell at Genesis.

"Hey!" a new voice shouted. Genesis turned and saw Charlotte charging into the room.

"What the-Charlotte?" Genesis asked.

Before Megan could react, Charlotte threw the book she was carrying at her. The book hit Megan in the head and made her drop the time travel gun. Genesis took her chance to throw another fireball at Megan. This time, she hit her square in the chest. Megan doubled over in pain and clutched her torso.

"You bitches," Megan cursed. She probably would've kept fighting, but then the light from the portal started to fade. "I must go," she said. "But be assured that I'll have my revenge." She jumped into the portal, which promptly disappeared.

"Oh no," Genesis gasped. "She actually went back! She's gonna...she's gonna kill me!" She looked down at her hands, wondering if they were gonna start fading before her.

"I know," said Charlotte.

Genesis looked up at her friend. "How did you know?"

"Tina broke down," said Charlotte. "She and Megan have been working together to sabotage you. They gave Ramona cancer, and they drugged Jesse so he'd cheat on you and you'd get the wrong idea."

Genesis slapped her forehead. "I knew it," she said. "I knew I couldn't trust Megan!" She sat down on the floor and started crying. "Why? Why did I have to be so stupid? I thought Megan might somehow remember that I tried to rape her, and I was right!"

"Genesis, calm down," said Charlotte.

But it was no use. "This is all my fault," Genesis sobbed. "It's because of me that Megan's about to erase me from history. I...I'm really not worthy of Mirna's gift."

"Hey," Charlotte said, sitting down next to Genesis. "This isn't your fault."

"Yes it is."

"No, it isn't. What Megan did was very bad, but it was her choice. No one forced her to swindle you like this."

"But...but what am I going to do now? Megan just went back in time to kill me. For all I know, she's already aiming a gun at my head."

"Speaking of guns..." said Charlotte. Genesis followed her gaze and realized Megan had dropped the time travel gun before going into the portal.

"We can still stop her!" said Genesis.

"Then let's do it," said Charlotte.

To be concluded...