"Bray your choice is simple." He began. "You give me yourself as a willing sacrifice to Zoot along with one of your children. Willingly." He waved his hand and Amber was bought forward, her body was limp and bloodstained. "We let her, the Mall Rats and your other child live." He smiled at Bray. "For now."
Bray swallowed hard. "Is she alive?" He asked. "Dale and Jody? Where are they?"
"For now." The Guardian moved towards her and slapped her face. Her eyes opened. She looked around the room and saw Bray. The guards lifted her up, her legs were weak. The Guardian stood beside her. "What do you say Bray?"
Amber looked confused. "Children." She said as she breathed heavily. She was blinking as if she was about to faint.
"Only me, not Dale or Jody." Said Bray. "I want to see them. He added.
"They are not available." Said the Guardian. "We will not harm them. They are of Zoot's blood. We will have three children with that blood. Three Chosen ones. The next generation." He smiled wildly.
"You're insane." Said Amber. The Guardian moved towards her and took a blade from one of his guards. Amber struggled as he took the blade to her throat.
"Your times up." Said the Guardian. "Give me what I want and she can live." He smiled. By now Amber had recovered slightly. She hit the Guardian in the stomach and then grabbed the knife and put it to the Guardians throat. She twisted round and walked backwards towards Bray and the others who were waiting.
"Bring me my children." She said, almost shouted. The Chosen holding them looked towards the Guardian. He nodded. They bought them forward and gave them to Bray and Lex. Lex didn't really know what to do with a screaming baby in his arms so he handed it to a reluctant Dannii.
Amber was clearly having trouble standing but tried to maintain her composure. "There is no Chosen anymore. Scatter, Zoot's dead and he's not coming back. We've won, you've lost." At first the Chosen stayed still then, gradually, they began to rip off their robes and leave the room. There was no Chosen anymore.
Amber began to wobble, her breathing became laboured, and then she collapsed. The Guardian took his chance. Soon once again he had Amber as his hostage.
He walked slowly up the stairs, looking for a way to escape, Bray, Ethan and Lex followed him. Bray passed the screaming baby over to Ebony who held the child with a little reluctance.
"Jack, find the others." Said Ebony as she tried to calm the child down. "Get Tai-San and Pride, I think we're gonna need them."
"That's a name?" Asked Jack as he left them. The others followed Bray, Lex and Ethan up the stairs leaving Dannii and Ebony looking after the children.
When he reached the roof he stood at the edge, still holding tightly onto Amber who was drifting in and out of consciousness. "What do you think Bray?" He shouted. "Should I jump with or without her?" He smiled. "Which would Zoot prefer?"
He grabbed Amber's arm and Bray could see blood and bruises. He also noticed that the Guardians robes were bloodstained. Bray knew he was about to jump. Suddenly he heard footsteps behind him, someone was running. Ethan ran straight passed Bray and towards Amber and the Guardian. He grabbed Amber, pulling her out of the Guardians grip. The Guardian fell to his death on the streets below.
Ethan rested Amber's head on his knee and stroked her face. "Amber." He said quietly. Her face was battered and covered in cuts and bruises that would get worse. Her clothes were blood stained.
"Bray?" She asked.
"It's me, Ethan." He replied, trying to ignore Bray's name.
"Ethan." She repeated, closing her eyes. "Did you find her?" She asked before she slumped onto the floor. Bray and Lex ran over. Bray snatched her up in his arms. Lex helped him; there was a lot of blood but she was still alive.
Ethan stood there and stared at his sister's body. "No I didn't." He said quietly before he ran over to Bray and together they carried her downstairs.
When Danni had seen the knife at Amber's throat she had almost been happy about it. The girl had stolen her boyfriend while she'd been captured. When she'd seen her she didn't see what all the fuss was about, why she couldn't have replaced this girl with the tribe. Standing there she looked like a nothing, a nobody. But inside Dannii knew that wasn't true, she saw the babies and felt her heart melt, she saw the look on Bray's face when he saw Amber's broken and bruised body and she felt admiration for her as she stood up to the Guardian.
As Bray and the other's ran after her Dannii looked down at the crying baby in her arms. Bray loved Amber, she could see that know and whatever she did she couldn't change that. No matter what she tried or how much she wanted it.
The rest of the Mall Rats remained in their 'cell' obvious to what was occurring not far away. Then they heard voices outside. At first they didn't recognise them, then the door swung open. Pride prepared to attack but before he could they were stopped by a familiar voice. "Hello." Jack's voice.
Ellie ran to him and hugged him tightly. He forced a smile and kissed her on the cheek. "I thought I'd never see you again." She said with tears in her eyes. But he didn't speak he just looked at the others. "We need your help, Tai-San and um..." he tried to think of the name. "Pride?" He asked.
"Yes." Replied Pride as he held Trudy's hand. "What do you need?" He asked.
"Bray needs help." He looked solemnly. "Amber..." His voice trailed off and he looked at the floor. "She's bad, really bad."
The others stayed silent as Pride and Tai-San left, they followed and arrived just in time to see Bray and another guy, he looked like a Chosen carry the limp body of Amber into one of the rooms. She wasn't moving, her arms and legs were limp. She looked dead.
As Bray and Lex carried her half dead, broken body into the room Tai-San, Pride, Ethan and Ebony followed. Ebony had handed over the baby to someone else, but you could still her the child's screams from inside the room.
"Get away from her." Shouted Ethan as he pushed Bray out of the way and moved to Amber's side. Tai-San was surprised, she didn't know who this person was and what his interest was in Amber. "She's my sister, you stay away." Tai-San then understood the relationship. Ebony moved to his side as he knelt down beside the bed and Tai-San examined her.
"What are you doing Ethan?" She asked, whispering so the others could hardly hear. "You can't push the people who care for her away, you don't own her." Ethan listened to her and stayed quite for a moment before standing and turning to the others.
Bray was being held back by Pride and Lex. "When she wake up we'll finish this Bray." Ethan stated. "I want to know what the hell is going on and how my little sister got involved with such pratt." He stepped closer to Bray. "But I care about her to much to hurt you...yet." He winced slightly and felt pain in his chest.
"You'd better get Sky to look at that." Said Tai-San from behind him; he turned and stared at her. "She's badly hurt, I need Trudy and Sky. She's bleeding badly." Tai-San was putting pressure to a wound on her arm, it seemed like there was blood everywhere. "I want everyone to leave." Both Bray and Ethan began to argue but a stare from Tai-San stopped them and they left the room.
Outside Bray waited and Ebony, Lex and Pride took Ethan to see Sky. His injuries were more serious than anyone had thought but he wasn't in danger.
"Do you think she'll be okay?" Asked Trudy as they all sat together in the main room. They were all quiet, thinking about things. Trudy was thinking about Pride as well as Amber. What Pride had admitted before…but Trudy really didn't know. Salene was with Ryan, Trudy wondered how he was.
Then Lex and Pride came in followed by Ebony and another person, a Chosen she didn't recognise, he appeared to be limping. They all looked very solemn. "She's not..." Began Cloe but her voice trailed off. "Is she?" Everyone looked at Lex, looking for some sign from him.
"No." He replied. No sarcasm, no flippancy. He was visibly upset. "Sky and Tai-San are with her now, Bray's waiting. Trudy..." He began and Trudy was already on her feet, passing Brady to Patsy. She tried not to look at Pride although she could feel his eyes looking at her. Lex realised at that moment that no one had been introduced. "Um…everyone this is Ethan or Byder, he's Ebony's informant." Trudy looked at him, he looked very upset, Trudy wondered why. The others greeted him lightly, not really caring who he was. "He also appears to be Amber's brother." He added. At this point Trudy was almost at the door but that made her stop, as well as silence the others.
Everyone stared at him and he smiled lightly, Ebony helping him to a seat. Trudy introduced herself and then went over to a nearby cot, sleeping babies inside. Carefully she lifted them up and one in each hand walked back over to Ethan. "This is Dale Martin and this is Jody Bethan. Your niece and nephew." She said as she handed them to him and then to Ebony who was much more comfortable with a sleeping baby rather than one that was awake.
"Bethan." He repeated quietly.
"It's for you and your other sister Bethany, a mixture. Then there's Dale for Dal, you probably knew him and Martin for Bray's brother." Said Trudy moving away slightly, sensing that all eyes were on her at the mention of 'Zoot's real name.
"You were the Supreme Mother." He stated. It wasn't a question. "I was there, when you were taken away, I know what they did to you." He said not taking his eyes off the babies. "Dal's dead right?" That was a question.
"Yes. He fell, dying in Amber's arms." Said Pride. Trudy moved away from them and quickly out of the door. She could here them telling him, all about the tribe, what they'd been through. Telling him everything from the beginning.
Deep in Amber's subconscious she was going over a time not so long ago really, but it felt like a lifetime away from her life now.
~~~~4 years previously~~~~
13-year-old Amber sat at her desk and watched her brothers play soccer with their father outside. She wanted to go out and join them but didn't have the time, she had a school paper due next week but she'd hardly started it. She just couldn't concentrate. No matter how much she tried. Not so long ago her family had been, as it still appeared to outsiders…perfect. They had the perfect house, enough money to be well off. Five children, but that had all changed. Now they had four 'perfect' children and Bethany.
Bethany, that name rolled over and over in Amber's mind as she tried to figure out how it had happened. How one moment they'd been so close and the next everything had changed. It hadn't been a secret, they'd always known that both Bethany and her oldest brother Ethan were adopted, it had never been a problem, never been an issue before now.
Suddenly it was, it was an extremely rare occasion now that Bethany would be around and when she was it wasn't fun at all. She now referred to Amber as LMP which stood for little miss perfect, Will had delighted in telling their parents that. To say they weren't exactly jumping for joy would be an understatement if ever there were one. That was months ago and probably the first serious row they'd had, Bethany had stormed out of the house and not come back for 3 weeks.
Even then nothing had changed. A door slammed downstairs and immediately Amber knew who it was and turned her stereo on, preparing for another row to commence.
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Bray swallowed hard. "Is she alive?" He asked. "Dale and Jody? Where are they?"
"For now." The Guardian moved towards her and slapped her face. Her eyes opened. She looked around the room and saw Bray. The guards lifted her up, her legs were weak. The Guardian stood beside her. "What do you say Bray?"
Amber looked confused. "Children." She said as she breathed heavily. She was blinking as if she was about to faint.
"Only me, not Dale or Jody." Said Bray. "I want to see them. He added.
"They are not available." Said the Guardian. "We will not harm them. They are of Zoot's blood. We will have three children with that blood. Three Chosen ones. The next generation." He smiled wildly.
"You're insane." Said Amber. The Guardian moved towards her and took a blade from one of his guards. Amber struggled as he took the blade to her throat.
"Your times up." Said the Guardian. "Give me what I want and she can live." He smiled. By now Amber had recovered slightly. She hit the Guardian in the stomach and then grabbed the knife and put it to the Guardians throat. She twisted round and walked backwards towards Bray and the others who were waiting.
"Bring me my children." She said, almost shouted. The Chosen holding them looked towards the Guardian. He nodded. They bought them forward and gave them to Bray and Lex. Lex didn't really know what to do with a screaming baby in his arms so he handed it to a reluctant Dannii.
Amber was clearly having trouble standing but tried to maintain her composure. "There is no Chosen anymore. Scatter, Zoot's dead and he's not coming back. We've won, you've lost." At first the Chosen stayed still then, gradually, they began to rip off their robes and leave the room. There was no Chosen anymore.
Amber began to wobble, her breathing became laboured, and then she collapsed. The Guardian took his chance. Soon once again he had Amber as his hostage.
He walked slowly up the stairs, looking for a way to escape, Bray, Ethan and Lex followed him. Bray passed the screaming baby over to Ebony who held the child with a little reluctance.
"Jack, find the others." Said Ebony as she tried to calm the child down. "Get Tai-San and Pride, I think we're gonna need them."
"That's a name?" Asked Jack as he left them. The others followed Bray, Lex and Ethan up the stairs leaving Dannii and Ebony looking after the children.
When he reached the roof he stood at the edge, still holding tightly onto Amber who was drifting in and out of consciousness. "What do you think Bray?" He shouted. "Should I jump with or without her?" He smiled. "Which would Zoot prefer?"
He grabbed Amber's arm and Bray could see blood and bruises. He also noticed that the Guardians robes were bloodstained. Bray knew he was about to jump. Suddenly he heard footsteps behind him, someone was running. Ethan ran straight passed Bray and towards Amber and the Guardian. He grabbed Amber, pulling her out of the Guardians grip. The Guardian fell to his death on the streets below.
Ethan rested Amber's head on his knee and stroked her face. "Amber." He said quietly. Her face was battered and covered in cuts and bruises that would get worse. Her clothes were blood stained.
"Bray?" She asked.
"It's me, Ethan." He replied, trying to ignore Bray's name.
"Ethan." She repeated, closing her eyes. "Did you find her?" She asked before she slumped onto the floor. Bray and Lex ran over. Bray snatched her up in his arms. Lex helped him; there was a lot of blood but she was still alive.
Ethan stood there and stared at his sister's body. "No I didn't." He said quietly before he ran over to Bray and together they carried her downstairs.
When Danni had seen the knife at Amber's throat she had almost been happy about it. The girl had stolen her boyfriend while she'd been captured. When she'd seen her she didn't see what all the fuss was about, why she couldn't have replaced this girl with the tribe. Standing there she looked like a nothing, a nobody. But inside Dannii knew that wasn't true, she saw the babies and felt her heart melt, she saw the look on Bray's face when he saw Amber's broken and bruised body and she felt admiration for her as she stood up to the Guardian.
As Bray and the other's ran after her Dannii looked down at the crying baby in her arms. Bray loved Amber, she could see that know and whatever she did she couldn't change that. No matter what she tried or how much she wanted it.
The rest of the Mall Rats remained in their 'cell' obvious to what was occurring not far away. Then they heard voices outside. At first they didn't recognise them, then the door swung open. Pride prepared to attack but before he could they were stopped by a familiar voice. "Hello." Jack's voice.
Ellie ran to him and hugged him tightly. He forced a smile and kissed her on the cheek. "I thought I'd never see you again." She said with tears in her eyes. But he didn't speak he just looked at the others. "We need your help, Tai-San and um..." he tried to think of the name. "Pride?" He asked.
"Yes." Replied Pride as he held Trudy's hand. "What do you need?" He asked.
"Bray needs help." He looked solemnly. "Amber..." His voice trailed off and he looked at the floor. "She's bad, really bad."
The others stayed silent as Pride and Tai-San left, they followed and arrived just in time to see Bray and another guy, he looked like a Chosen carry the limp body of Amber into one of the rooms. She wasn't moving, her arms and legs were limp. She looked dead.
As Bray and Lex carried her half dead, broken body into the room Tai-San, Pride, Ethan and Ebony followed. Ebony had handed over the baby to someone else, but you could still her the child's screams from inside the room.
"Get away from her." Shouted Ethan as he pushed Bray out of the way and moved to Amber's side. Tai-San was surprised, she didn't know who this person was and what his interest was in Amber. "She's my sister, you stay away." Tai-San then understood the relationship. Ebony moved to his side as he knelt down beside the bed and Tai-San examined her.
"What are you doing Ethan?" She asked, whispering so the others could hardly hear. "You can't push the people who care for her away, you don't own her." Ethan listened to her and stayed quite for a moment before standing and turning to the others.
Bray was being held back by Pride and Lex. "When she wake up we'll finish this Bray." Ethan stated. "I want to know what the hell is going on and how my little sister got involved with such pratt." He stepped closer to Bray. "But I care about her to much to hurt you...yet." He winced slightly and felt pain in his chest.
"You'd better get Sky to look at that." Said Tai-San from behind him; he turned and stared at her. "She's badly hurt, I need Trudy and Sky. She's bleeding badly." Tai-San was putting pressure to a wound on her arm, it seemed like there was blood everywhere. "I want everyone to leave." Both Bray and Ethan began to argue but a stare from Tai-San stopped them and they left the room.
Outside Bray waited and Ebony, Lex and Pride took Ethan to see Sky. His injuries were more serious than anyone had thought but he wasn't in danger.
"Do you think she'll be okay?" Asked Trudy as they all sat together in the main room. They were all quiet, thinking about things. Trudy was thinking about Pride as well as Amber. What Pride had admitted before…but Trudy really didn't know. Salene was with Ryan, Trudy wondered how he was.
Then Lex and Pride came in followed by Ebony and another person, a Chosen she didn't recognise, he appeared to be limping. They all looked very solemn. "She's not..." Began Cloe but her voice trailed off. "Is she?" Everyone looked at Lex, looking for some sign from him.
"No." He replied. No sarcasm, no flippancy. He was visibly upset. "Sky and Tai-San are with her now, Bray's waiting. Trudy..." He began and Trudy was already on her feet, passing Brady to Patsy. She tried not to look at Pride although she could feel his eyes looking at her. Lex realised at that moment that no one had been introduced. "Um…everyone this is Ethan or Byder, he's Ebony's informant." Trudy looked at him, he looked very upset, Trudy wondered why. The others greeted him lightly, not really caring who he was. "He also appears to be Amber's brother." He added. At this point Trudy was almost at the door but that made her stop, as well as silence the others.
Everyone stared at him and he smiled lightly, Ebony helping him to a seat. Trudy introduced herself and then went over to a nearby cot, sleeping babies inside. Carefully she lifted them up and one in each hand walked back over to Ethan. "This is Dale Martin and this is Jody Bethan. Your niece and nephew." She said as she handed them to him and then to Ebony who was much more comfortable with a sleeping baby rather than one that was awake.
"Bethan." He repeated quietly.
"It's for you and your other sister Bethany, a mixture. Then there's Dale for Dal, you probably knew him and Martin for Bray's brother." Said Trudy moving away slightly, sensing that all eyes were on her at the mention of 'Zoot's real name.
"You were the Supreme Mother." He stated. It wasn't a question. "I was there, when you were taken away, I know what they did to you." He said not taking his eyes off the babies. "Dal's dead right?" That was a question.
"Yes. He fell, dying in Amber's arms." Said Pride. Trudy moved away from them and quickly out of the door. She could here them telling him, all about the tribe, what they'd been through. Telling him everything from the beginning.
Deep in Amber's subconscious she was going over a time not so long ago really, but it felt like a lifetime away from her life now.
~~~~4 years previously~~~~
13-year-old Amber sat at her desk and watched her brothers play soccer with their father outside. She wanted to go out and join them but didn't have the time, she had a school paper due next week but she'd hardly started it. She just couldn't concentrate. No matter how much she tried. Not so long ago her family had been, as it still appeared to outsiders…perfect. They had the perfect house, enough money to be well off. Five children, but that had all changed. Now they had four 'perfect' children and Bethany.
Bethany, that name rolled over and over in Amber's mind as she tried to figure out how it had happened. How one moment they'd been so close and the next everything had changed. It hadn't been a secret, they'd always known that both Bethany and her oldest brother Ethan were adopted, it had never been a problem, never been an issue before now.
Suddenly it was, it was an extremely rare occasion now that Bethany would be around and when she was it wasn't fun at all. She now referred to Amber as LMP which stood for little miss perfect, Will had delighted in telling their parents that. To say they weren't exactly jumping for joy would be an understatement if ever there were one. That was months ago and probably the first serious row they'd had, Bethany had stormed out of the house and not come back for 3 weeks.
Even then nothing had changed. A door slammed downstairs and immediately Amber knew who it was and turned her stereo on, preparing for another row to commence.
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