Unedited
Colony Six: Military District ( Underground Secret Base)
'' Wh-what did you just s-s-say?'' Raven barely got the words to pass through her trembling lips. Shock. Anger. Denial. Just like a volcano that was setting to erupt, she too was teetering on the edge of exploding. The only thing that was allowing her to keep some semblance of sanity was the denial part. There was no way her loving parents would do something so abhorrent to her and Annika. How do you bind two humans to one another? Surely she had heard wrong. There was no way that it was even possible.
'' You have to understand, we did it to protect you both,'' Her mother said. She sounded so desperate for Raven to believe her. '' We knew the watchmen would soon replace us. When that happen no longer would we have had protection. We would be like everyone else. Victims of whatever future experiment the Watchmen concocted. Your father and I were fine with them possibly taking their anger out on us. But we worried about Annika at that time. A baby. No way to defend herself against their cruelty. She would need a protector. Someone strong enough to fight for her against them, the Watchmen. Loyal. That would put her life before their own. What better guardian would there be then the watchmen's own precious Halo's.''
'' How... How would you accomplish such a thing?'' Raven's wall of denial was slowly breaking. Her mother sounded so believable. She couldn't help but begin believing.
'' I studied human behavior. Their emotions. Hate. Anger. Jealous. Love. Loyalty. And many others. I researched which emotion was stronger. And found out it depends on many variables. Their upbringing. Environment. The people they came into contact with. They all have an influence on a person. They help shape people into who they are. But I also learned that people interpret situations differently. Every person's mind is divergent. Their brains cells elucidate. So, in fact, every person is different because their minds are different. Two people placed in the exact same room will take in details differently.''
'' But that was the problem,'' Her father cut in to add. '' The human mind is unpredictable. The Halo's, although robotic-like, are still human. With human minds. A mind constantly gathers information. It learns as the body grows. Changes. That was why the treatments before weren't stable. It needed to expand along with the mind. The old treatments were stationary. Used to form babies minds. Not adults. It would be like trying to force an adult into children's clothes. They would rip apart. Burst at the seams. And in vice versa, That was what was happening to the adult Haloes. Your mother's new treatments were the adult versions. That was why the babies that were injected with it died. The serum was to advance for young minds''
'' Wait.'' Raven interrupts. '' What does any of this have to do with me and Annika. We were not injected with any baby or adult serums used to make Haloes...Right?'' Her heart was pounding. Please say no. She thought panic. She didn't feel like an emotionless robot. And her sister showed many emotions as well.
When her parents turned away to look at one another with guilty eyes, Raven's heart dropped. She felt the blood leave her face. Her legs started shaking. She felt light-headed. The room started to spin. She would have fallen to the ground if strong arms hadn't wrapped around her to keep her steady. She knew it was him. Didn't have to look back. Instead, she tried to focus on her blurry parents. She fought the waves of blackness that threaten to overcome her. She needed to know. That she wasn't some fucking science project.
'' Are we Halo?'' she asked.
Her mother eyes widen in surprise at her question. Quickly shaking her head. She moved closer towards Raven. Stopping a foot in front of her. '' No. No! You are not! Women are not allowed to be Haloes. The watchmen would have killed us all if that would have happened. We would have never done that.''
Raven signed in relief. Thankful her parents hadn't gone that far. Annika surely would have killed herself. Arms tighten around her. She jerked in surprise. She had forgotten he had stopped her from falling. Okay, buddy, your free feel is up. She thought as she moved to leave his arms. They tighten. Preventing her from withdrawing. Annoyed. She pushed hard on his arms that were wrapped tightly around her waist. They were like steel. Immovable. Frowning she peered at her parents in question. Why were they not helping? Surely they see the situation going on.
Her father's voice seemed hesitant as he spoke.'' Raven, although, we didn't inject the Halo serum. We...'' He spoke each word slowly. Like it pained him to say them. '' We injected Annika's developing brain, when she was still inside your mother's womb, with...- with brain matter and blood cells thae was taken from one of the strongest Halo's at the time. And we did the same thing when you were conceived.''
Raven now knew why neither of her parents moved to help her. Her legs went weak again. His arms keeping her upright. '' You.. you experiment on me? On Annika?'' she whispered, rasped. '' We...we are you're... your children. How-how could you?'' Rage. It burned through her. So hot it heated her body. Provided much-needed strength for her to stand on her own. She began to struggle like a mad woman for freedom from his tight hold on her... She kicked. Punched. Bit. At any piece of skin available to her. His hold did not loosen. Instead, he tightens it. Her back pressing hard against his muscled chest.
Still struggling, she glared angrily at her parents. '' What am I? Can I still call myself human? Is my mind, my own, or some fucking body else's?'' she yelled at them. '' Everything I have ever felt. Thought about. Loved. Was it actually my own emotions, huh? Or was it what that person would have felt or liked? Wha-who am-,'' She busted into tears. Angry tears. Unable to finish talking. She sagged once again. Her energy slowly draining away. How could they do this? What the hell was she? Was Annika?
The heartbreaking cries of their daughter caused both of them deep sorrow. But it had to be done. There was no another way to protect them. Mary's hand went to her chest and grab at her shirt. Like she wanted to squeeze at her own heart. She knew she did the right thing. She protected her daughters. But seeing her daughter so distressed brought doubt. She felt her husband shift to her side. Looking up at him she saw the same pain and doubt she was suffering on his face.
Mary and Eric looked sadly at their daughter. They knew she would react this way. Who wouldn't? They were at a lost. They didn't know how to continue. If they should even continue? But her determination to see that Halo force them to. In reality, she wasn't supposed to meet him. Not yet at least. Neither of their daughters was. Out of all the Halo's, how the hell did it just happen to be the two connected to their daughters? It was... oddly suspicious.
Nathaniel Pov
They were miles from the Military District. In the outskirts of all local districts. The Dead Man's Desert. It was said to be impossible to survive living there. No water. Food. Or protection from the harsh elements was provided. At yet Alexander seemed to have not only survived it but had set up a rebel base with many others.
He should be gathering as much intel as possible. Mapping locations. Faces. Weapons. Everything. So he could report it back to his superiors. Years. They had been searching for Alexander for years. Every district in every colony was closely monitored for any movement he might make. Mistakes he could make in revealing myself. And yet, he always seemed to slip by. Now Nathaniel Knew how. It was because he and his fellow rebels were in fact not residing in any district by outside of them.
This was a very important discovery. The Watchmen would be very pleased to know this. That he had discovered Alexander and the fact that it was possible to survive outside a protected Colony. There might be other rebels out here. The Freedom Fighters for one. Their leader was also hard to pin down. Yes. He needed to escape and relay this information immediately. That was want he was should to do. Want he was commanded to do. Taught to do.
But currently, something he wasn't gonna to do...
Why? Because of a certain coffee skinned, curly haired female, that's why. There had been plenty of chances for him to escape. The van when he and Annika. When they had enter the camp. And when he was escorted out of Alexander's tent. It wasn't a lie when he mocked Alexander's lack of fighters. His security was seriously weak. The weapons were old fashioned. The twenty-first century old. And to add insult they bound him with Rope. Him. A trained soldier. A high position trained Halo soldier. Laughable if he had a sense of humor. It was like they wanted him to escape.
Annika. She would not have got very far. Even though Dead Man's Desert was now proven to be habitable, it was still a desert. The climate was harsh. Hard and Dry. The possibility of finding an oasis was next to none. The sun could burn skin to the point of unbearable pain. If left unprotected. The nights would be just as bad. It would be a struggle to survive. He would struggle to survive; but, in the end, his training would allow him to live. But Annika, even though she lived in the inefficient district, wouldn't last a day. And that he wouldn't permit.
The thought of dying caused unfamiliar pains in his chest. So, he had to think of a plan. Gather needed materials for her survival. That's why when he was ushered out the tent he didn't object. Although leaving her in Alexander's hands was hard he knew it had to be done.
A sudden jolt to his cheek brought him back to his current predicament. He was kneeling on the ground with his hands and ankles tied together. With rope. The fools. In front stood two males. One was white. His skin looked pallid. Which told him the man was new to the desert because a tan had not set in. His eyes were amber colored and monolith shaped. His nose was thin and pointed at the end. His mouth was small with thin lips. Even kneeling he knew he was taller than the man. He had to five-ten at the most. This was the bastard who throw that weak-ass punch at his cheek. The smug grin on his pale face said so.The other looked Greek. He had an olive-colored skin tone. His nose formed a straight line from base to tip, rather than rounding or curving over the bridge. Eyes very large brown colored with thick eyelashes. His curly black hair had red streak strands in it. He stood slightly taller than his partner. Throughout the entire '' interrogation'' he would constantly look towards the other man for instructions. He was weak. They both were.
The second he was brought into a new a tent they both started pounding on him. Each hit just as weak as they were. It wouldn't even leave a bruise. Nathaniel had taken that time to scan the tent. Looking for the things they would need to cross the brutal terrain. There were none here. It held nothing but torture devices. Useless in the desert. He started to grin. But completely useful for escaping.
It was time to go. To kill Alexander. And go save his girl.
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I am so sorry for the last chapter. It was so poorly written and short. It didn't seem very well-thought out. I guess I still had the itis from eating too much. Not to mention Danny's annoying ass. Lol.
This chapter is dedicated to him. He went to Sam's Club and bought a bundle of junk food along with my favorite ice cream. Yummm! Ben and Jerry's Cherry Gacria ice cream.
P.S. What is your favorite ice cream? And what do you think about this chapter? Do you have any questions? Predictions? Please tell. I'm very curious?