Here it is, my new TT story!

Commenting remains encouraged.

Enjoy.

love, missw.


Black Swan

All characters are taken from The Tribe series. Nothing is mine; I just made up the storyline and the dialogues. Nothing would be possible without the wonderful masterminds behind The Tribe.


PROLOGUE

Bray had to go away for a while.

He sneaked to the stars that led to the roof and sat down near the edge. He hugged his knees and sighed. He looked around and the city was all around him. The city that had once been on the palm of his hands. The city that had been so suddenly taken away from him. Once it represented the possible salvation and now it was just another failure. Lately it seemed like he was failing at everything.

It felt like years since he had last held her and it felt like only seconds passed since he learnt she had died. There were days when he still couldn't comprehend she was gone. And then there were days when the realization that he would never get to see her again, on this side at least, destroyed his will to even get up. It was said dealing with loss got easier over time but for him it was still as hard as in the beginning. If not worse; it seemed like hopes of all this being only a dream were fading quickly. The phases of hopelessness and complete loneliness were coming and going. Especially now when they were ruling the city.

First few weeks after Amber's death on Eagle Mountain Bray had great hopes of building a better future; for her, mostly. So that her passing wouldn't be pointless and there would be some meaning to the pain he was feeling. The Mallrats found the desired antidote and the streets of the city were for the first time since the adults had perished, cleaned of the virus. The constant illusion of death was finally gone and the wave of optimism took over the city. It seemed like they were finally getting over angst and the quest for power that had led so many in first few months of the new world. They started stepping together and a somehow more normal life was on a horizon. They began forming markets where people were able to trade things, even for fresh produce brought in daily from Alice's farm. Streets got a new, cleaner look, some even got repainted. It seemed everyone was excited about a new start. The Mallrats started it all and as their leader, Bray was the face of the rebirth whether he wanted or not.

Then everything came to a sudden and violent end. Literally overnight everything changed. Nobody knew where they had come from but in what seemed like a second, the city was flooded with men in blue and white robes. They were called the Chosen and their leader, a guy with sandy of shoulder-length hair and a manic laugh, named the Guardian, made sure that the Mallrats couldn't intervene. His men surrounded the Mall and while the Chosen were invading, the mall was on lockdown. Nobody could escape and without Guardian's special clearance, nobody could go in.

Mallrats were panic-stricken. No one had any idea as to what was happening. Any resistance proved to be pointless. The guards were all tall and strong and they looked like they were only waiting for a potential kill. A fight that followed Lex's rebellion left them unscathed while the Mallrats were nursing their bloody wounds and aching bodies.

When they were finally allowed to get some fresh air, Bray realized the Chosen had been merciful with them. Alleys in the city were full of dead bodies; whoever had resisted when they had invaded got killed. They hadn't warned people; the Chosen killed without hesitation. Bray heard stories of people who hadn't even fought; who had out up their hands in surrender yet they killed them anyway. As a warning to others and to show who was in control. The Guardian became the leader of the city in less than a day. He relied on terror to help him rule and it was working without a flaw. People were terrified of him and didn't even dare to think about fighting the Chosen.

A few days after the Guardian visited the Mall. Panic was written all over the Mallrats' faces and they were nervously looking at each other, wondering who would catch the Guardian's attention. With affected smile the Guardian asked to see Bray. As they sat down, Bray made every effort to look at the intruder with all the hatred he could find. He didn't have to worry about appearing scared; he felt no fear at all. With Amber's death the fear for his life and well-being also disappeared. He just wanted to realize her vision of the future and the Guardian was seriously compromising it.

Guardian pretended like he didn't notice. With his psychopathic smile he tried to appear generous when he was talking about the invasion. He made it very clear that he had made sure that no Mallrat had died in the invasion because he wanted to be, as he called it, on good terms with the tribe that had saved the city from a certain demise of the virus; it had apparently even spread among his people.

"I admire people who have the courage to do great things," he said, putting emphasis on every word, "and saving so many lives certainly acquires a lot of courage. And it is, certainly, a great thing."

Bray didn't say a word. He just stared at the Guardian, with anger, well aware that he didn't care one bit about any other life than his own. Everything he did and everything he said had only one aim – to gain him more power.

Finally the smile disappeared off the Guardian's smile. He leant closer to Bray who didn't even twitch.

"I want control Bray," he said in a cold, petrifying whisper, "and no one will stop me. Not you, not your tribe. I don't want to spend my days killing people who could potentially benefit me, but if I don't have a choice, I'll do it. So don't be stupid, Bray, don't try anything. Not if you care about your people. Do you understand?"

Bray still remained silent. His eyes didn't move off Guardian's as he smiled and got up. The two stared at each other intensely before Guardian spoke again.

"You better do. Because I would certainly hate to make you understand. And believe me, Bray, I have every resource imaginable to do so. Every single painful one."

From then on, the Chosen made sure the Mallrats had everything they needed and it didn't take long for Bray to figure it out. Guardian forced them into being his ally. For the time being, the control of the city was firm; everyone was still affected by the bloody invasion. But like every good warrior what the Guardian certainly was, he wanted to make sure to have a plan B, for just in case. When people would stop listening to him, surely Bray, their saviour, could make them change their minds.

Bray wanted no part in Guardian's mind games. Had he been alone, he wouldn't have bothered. Even if it meant getting killed; for his principles, he believed it was worth it.

But he wasn't on his own; he was a leader of the tribe. People, kids, like Cloe, Patsy, Brady, his niece, depended on him. If he refused or failed at tricking Guardian, they would suffer the consequences. He couldn't let that happen. So he had no other choice but to go along with it. He didn't oppose Guardian's order to have guards present in the mall at all times. He dreaded the day when he would be ask to became the Chosen's official ally.

As he was looking down on the city that had given and especially taken so much from him, he couldn't help but to wonder if he could somehow prevent all this. The explosion, the Chosen. Had there been signs he had overlooked? Was this somehow his fault after all? Or had there been absolutely nothing he could have done differently? Sometimes things just happened, for no apparent reason. Amber's death was undoubtedly one of them.

Once again he wished he was there, with him. That she wouldn't be lying in a shallow grave, covered with stones, on a mountain that had brought them back together, for a tiniest bit before separating them forever. He tried to think about the time they had shared with happiness and love, grateful that he at least got that much. But no matter the effort, it always filled him with anger and desperation. Why? That question occupied his mind. Why had it had to happen? Why her? Why couldn't he be the one that never got out of that lethal smoke? Amber surely would find the will to keep fighting; she wouldn't be dwelling on the past and resenting the future.

And she would still be.

But she wasn't. She was gone; dead. It hurt him every time to say that word but he had to. He knew he would somehow have to find the way to move on. If not for her, for her. He believed the way he acted reflected on her memory. He still wanted to make her proud. Even if she would never get to see it, he wanted to make her proud.

So somehow he was going to find a way to beat the Chosen. To free the city. To outsmart the Guardian in his own game of chess.

Like numerous times before he promised himself he would reach their dreams.


To be continued.

Broughttoyouby::: misswinter.