Different Choices

Chapter 5- Face of the Enemy

"This tea is going to help ease your anxiousness." Tai-san smiled as she set mug down in front of the blonde. Salene, Tai-san and Amber were the first ones up and the three women were catching up.

"Are you having issues with the baby?" Salene asked as she set down three plates for each of them before she took her own seat.

"Besides the stress of being kidnapped and now being with a new crazy hell bend on taking over the city." Amber scoffed, "I get these sharp pains in my side and have been having trouble sleeping." The blonde confessed as she played with her sideways fishtail braid.

"Making this deal with the Technos is going to ease some of the stress." Tai-san reasoned as she tried to see the bright side.

"A deal that still includes Ebony running the city." Salene added with a grimace.

"Why don't you tell us where you were hiding?" Amber smiled as she changed the subject.

"I spent a few weeks searching the area that Bray had told me a man fitting Ryan's description was spotted. There were a few encampments and tribe similar to the Ecos, but I didn't find any clue." Salene started to explain, "I was about to give up when a huge storm hit and force me to take shelter in a small saloon like town called Liberty."

"A powerful name." Tai-san offered.

"It's a few hour ride from the city. I had wondered into the saloon to try and find a room for the night, when I ran into Patsy."

"I can't believe that they were so close."

"The two of them had found each other in the mines and had escaped after we defeated the Guardian. It turns out that Ryan had broken his leg somewhere along the way and stayed in Liberty until he was healed enough to walk."

"The Mallrats are finally all together and it's a sign that we are on the right path."

"Did you have a vison?" Amber laughed, "If I remember correctly I was supposed to have three children. After this pregnancy, I can promise you that I am done after this baby."

"You will see that I am right." Tai-san smiled.

"Like you were about Eagle Mountain." Salene added, "Though Jack would never admit to that even to this day."

"We proved that day we would be able to overcome anything as long as we stay together." Tai-san declared.

"The Technos have already started to ensure that we agree to their terms." Alice called as she walked up the stairs and stepped into the café.

"You're up early." Salene observed as Alice began to make herself a cup of coffee.

"I've been up for hours. I headed the farm at first light to make sure out lovely new invaders didn't damage it." Alice answered as she grabbed her mug and took a seat with the other three.

"You didn't go alone did you? I know that our safety was promised…" Salene trailed off.

"You just don't trust them to follow thru until we agree to their deal." Alice finished, "Pride came with me. He is still there; I think that he needed something to take his mind off of May."

"Was everything okay at the Farm?" Amber asked.

"Yes, in fact it was better than it's been since the virus. It seems like the Technos and their leader are working overtime to make sure we agree to this truce."

"What do you mean?"

"There was farm equipment and life stock, more than enough to restart the farm and make a real go of it."

"I'm guessing it was an act of good faith on the part of the Technos."

"I don't know how I feel about all this. It was one thing to agree to support the Technos to the rest of the city. But now I feel like I am completely selling out." Alice confessed.

"I say we take all that they are willing to give us. We only have to pretend to support them." Lex spoke up as he joined the three and sat at the table across from the women.

"Of course you would." Alice shook her head.

"Your dream was to rebuild the farm to what it once was. I think that all that matters is that you now have the means to do that." Amber offered, "We are agreeing to this deal because it's what is best for the Mallrats and it will keep us safe."

"I just… it was a dream that I shared with Ned. It was ultimately the reason that he kidnapped Trudy and you."

"Ned had the misguided idea that if he took us he would get you what he wanted." Amber sighed as she wrapped an arm around her small bump, "What he did was wrong, but it wasn't entirely his fault. What he did he did out of love no matter how twisted it was. Another person saw an opportunity and took advantage of the situation to get what they wanted."

""You mean Ebony." Lex interrupted as he stood to make his own plate.

"What I mean it that you should take what the Technos gave you and follow your dream. Do it in honor of the love you shared with Ned." Amber urged as looked at Alice in the eye. She would never forgive Ned for what he had done to Trudy and her. But Amber also knew that someone else was behind the master plan.

"Planting crops would give us something to trade and help the city out." Alice gave in.

"Plus the equipment will make it easier." Salene smiled as the others began to file into the café, "We will help in any way we can."

"Are we going to join hands and sing around the campfire?" A sarcastic voice called from the stairs, where Ebony stood with two bags.

"Our guests kick you out of office already or are you just running for the hills?" Lex wondered.

"No, I just didn't want to share my home with a bunch of strangers." Ebony answered as she set her bags down and headed up the stairs to join the rest.

"What are you talking about?" Bray asked as he slid into a seat next to Amber and wrapped an arm behind her chair.

"The Technos have decided to make their headquarters at the hotel. According to their leader, Ram, it gives them the best vantage point. They have already moved all their equipment there."

"They are organized." Trudy remarked as she settled Brady into the highchair.

"You met with their leader?" Amber asked.

"Yes and….." Ebony began to answer but stopped when footsteps could be heard from the entrance.

A few moments later Jay and Ved appeared with four others with them. The four were carrying boxes that they set down by the fountain, "More incentives for joining the dark side?" Lex asked as he stood at the top of the stairs with Bray and Ryan.

"Medicine and energy bars." Jay nodded towards the boxes, "To show our good faith for today's meeting."

"We are already agreeing, so you can stop with the act." Alice rebuffed as she grabbed her mug and headed back towards her room.

"Let's get this meeting over with." Bray sighed as he helped Amber from her seat and handed her coat to her.

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"You really have them both wrapped around your finger." Ved commented as the group reached the front of the hotel, which seemed to have a quick transformation. There were now vehicles and a group of Technos standing guard outside.

Jay was talking with two men that stood at the door, while Lex and Bray were taking in their surroundings. Ved took the moment to have a conversation with his sister, "What are you talking about?" Amber asked as she looked at her younger brother.

"The Sherriff and Zoot's brother." Ved commented, "They seem to be protective of you. They rarely let you talk alone with your brothers."

"Please, you've been here two days." Amber scoffed, "They're protective because we don't have a reason to fully trust you."

"Are you apart of that we?"

"Do you blame me Ved? I haven't seen you two in almost three years and one day you just show up out of the blue."

"We joined the Technos to have our best chance." Ved tried to reason.

"The two of you." Amber frowned as she wrapped her arms around her midsection.

"Amber." Ved reached out.

"You left me to deal with the death of our parents alone. The two of you left in the middle of the night with a note. So Jay could be the hero and save his girlfriend." Amber blurted out. She had enough of her brothers brushing off how they were separated and acting like everything was fine. She didn't realize just how much resentment she held against them.

"Hey." Bray greeted as he and Lex moved to the two once he saw what was taking place with the two. Amber let Bray wrap an arm around her to bring her to his side.

"You just can't help it can you. You just open your mouth and insults come out." Lex smirked.

"Ram is waiting for us in the command room." Jay interrupted as he came to join the four, unaware of what was taking place.

"You okay?" Bray muttered as they followed Jay into the hotel.

"Hormones." Amber gave a small smile.

"Let's meet this big bad." Lex jointed the two as they filed down the hallway and came outside a room where two more Technos were standing one man and one woman who had a half mask on and braided hair.

"Before you meet with our leader, you're going to need to go thru an airlock chamber. It's in an effort to keep everything sterilized." The female voice as she nodded towards the plastic chamber that rested in the doorway.

"It's safe?" Amber asked.

"Yes, not damaging at all." She nodded for Amber to go in first, who was closely followed by Bray and then Lex.

Once through the airlock the three were in a room where one wall was lined with screens that looked to have security cameras from all around the city and a bunch of Technos were moving back and forth. A man with spiked hair with red tips sat with his back to the entrance talking with another braided woman. As the man turned the three were shocked to see that he was in a wheelchair, "Well the famous leader of the Mallrats."