“Wow…I just…wow. I know I keep saying this, but you two are really something amazing. I keep thinking of all the things you could do—how much help you’ll be to us. Incredible.”
The Children's League's main goal with the kids with special powers is to use them as weapons, no more, no less. Claire is fascinated when Ruby and Martin tell her about their abilities and can't hide her excitement almost giving their main goal away to the two kids. She made up a fairytale story about their organization as being there, fighting for the kids' rights but as we later learn the reality is far from that.
"A city with no people."
Claire brings the Ruby and Martin to the city where they will meet one of her partners. Ruby is overwhelmed by the lack of people, lack of life there. This sums up the state of things after the discovery of kids with special abilities. The outside world is full of despair, dead, cold. It describes the post-apocalyptic state of things.
"Years at Thurmond had taught me to stop believing I could ever get away from the life people were so eager to set for me. I don’t know why I thought it would be any different on the outside."
Ruby discovered the ulterior motives of Claire and the Children's League by seeing the thoughts of Claire's partner. She saw a memory of him mercilessly killing two teenagers with special abilities. Ruby decided to run. Disappointed she came to the realization that nowhere is safe for a person like her. There will always be someone who wants to control her life.
