this was hard chapter for me to write, i was getting really emotional. i'm a big sap. enjoy the chapter!
apologies for typos.
Chapter 16
Natalie
I dream I am flying. I am soaring above maroon painted clouds and below me are deep navy waters. I see my distorted reflection stretch and bend as I swiftly race over the lake and I reach my fingers into the cool wetness. It billows between hands and I feel myself smiling as it brushes my skin. But then I raise my hand out of the stream and it is coated in dark red paint. I shake my head and I slowly bring my hand to my nose. I cringe. The liquid smells like copper and is sticky. I look down and I the beautiful lake has turned into a pool of blood. I fall from the clouds that are now raining huge droplets of blood. It coats my whole body and I scream as I fall into the lake. The blood swims up my nose and into my mouth, drowning me. I scream.
I scream. I scream.
"Natalie, wake up!" A sharp voice comes and hands reach on my body. I jolt upward and swing my arms madly through my yells and hot tears pouring out my eyes. A light comes on and I find myself in a room that is unfamiliar. I try to leap out of the bed I am in, but strong hands still struggle around me. I look up and I see Amar's scrunched and annoyed face. At the door is George, standing in a dark green sweater and blue jeans. His eyes are scared and he bites his finger nervously.
"Where I am?! What have you done to me!? Where's my mom! I want my mom! Dad! Dad! TJ!" I holler looking madly around for them. Amar forces me still and says "Stop it girl, you're gonna reopen your wound if you don't calm your ass down!"
I stop and my heart is pounding hard. I am crying. My body feels extremely sore and stiff. I see my wrist is bandaged by thick medical wraps and stuck together with safety pins. I reach up and touch my forehead. I wince when my fingers graze against a square gauze patch that feels soaked with blood. My head is light and my body is covered in sweat.
That's when it hits me. My home was destroyed. My parents are dead.
I sob into my palms hard and howl. I feel like someone has punched a hole in my chest. I feel the tears stream and feel they'll never end. I choke on my saliva and cough.
Amar says "We found you and your brother. We were on the way to your house to warn Four and Tris that the DGD were after you two. We got there too late."
I look up and sniff, my eyes making my vision blurry.
"TJ is alive?" I moan.
George nods and says "Yes, he's on the couch. You two have been asleep for hours. I'm surprised, I thought you'd both be out for days."
I gasp and wipe my nose with my palm. "TJ's awake?"
Amar nods and looks out the window. "Only got up about an hour before yourself. He's a mess. George has been sitting with him and I came to check on you."
I get up and find my legs are sore and my ankle feels sprained. I fall back and both George and Amar walk over to me helping me back up.
"You have to take it easy, kid." Amar says. His dark skin is smooth and long locked hair is graying in places. It is loose and covers both of his shoulders. They lead me down a long hallway into their living room. Their home is draped in dark colors and furniture, but it feels warm instead of morbid. On a wall near the kitchen are pictures of them and different people. I feel my stomach drop when I see the picture of my parents on their wedding day. Amar was one of my father's groomsmen along with George, Uriah, and my Uncle Caleb. Uncle Zeke was his best man. I don't know why I'm remembering any of it. It won't bring him back.
George and Amar lead me to their dark gray suede couch and my brother is sitting with his head down and his knees pulled into his chest. He is sobbing and I see his fingers on his right hand are bandaged. His leg is wrapped in thick bandages and there's dark reddish brown patches on the white.
He looks up at me, his face red and his eyes bloodshot. He gasps and I limp over to him. I embrace him and he cries loudly into my shoulder. I feel my own tears race down my face and I'm trying to think of anything, anything to say that will make it better. The words elude me.
"We got there in time to see the DGD vans pull away. We pulled you two out. I'm surprised you all survived that. The whole house is gone."
I feel TJ's hot breath and tears on my neck and I release him slightly. I look at Amar and George and ask "But our cousin, Andrew. Where is he?"
They look nervously at each other and my stomach drops. But Amar shakes his head and says "He's alive."
I sigh with relief a little.
"His father took him. He's banged up pretty bad though. They told me he's stable right now, but his condition is still critical." George says putting his hands in his pockets.
"Who's 'they'?" I ask hoarsely.
"His father and mother. They've had to run. The DGD is coming after anybody who you two are directly related or close to."
I don't understand. I shake my head confused and TJ chokes "Then why aren't they after you two?"
Amar sighs and says "Because we work for the government. The DGD is a government operation. They know we wouldn't harbor fugitives. Or so they think."
"So we're fugitives?" TJ gasps his voice shaking with anger. "On what charges? What have we done that constitutes soldiers coming into our house and destroying it? What gives them the right to come and—-and kill our parents?"
He sobs into his arm and hold him close. His body is shaking in my arms.
George clears his throat and says "The DGD is a new government operation. They work closely with the Department of Defense of the United States Government. They are looking for individuals who are classified 'genetic hostiles'. They came into the police station last week and told us they would be moving into the city to begin operation. The genetic hostiles they are looking for apparently have some sort of extraordinary abilities, but that's impossible. What they are looking for can't possibly exist."
He looks to Amar for support but he stares at us sternly. I look back at him curiously and ask "What?"
"What happened in school today? You encountered one their agents today, didn't you?" Amar asks darkly.
I shake my head, but TJ raises up from my chest and his eyes are wide. "How did you know?"
Amar turns to the small table on his right. On top are glass decanters with amber brown liquid in each of them. He takes a small square glass and unstoppers on of the bottles with the same hand. I see him pour a small amount of the liquor into the glass and he sits the container back down.
He turns to us and take a short sip from the glass. Amar's face scrunches a little as he swallows. He spins the rest of the strong, bitter smelling spirit in the glass with his fingers and says "They came into the station yesterday. They were looking for specific individuals. The commissioner called some of the force in a meeting and told us."
I raise my eyebrows and ask nervously "Who were they looking for?"
I knew the answer, but Amar says it anyway. "They were looking for you both. Your parents as well. The DGD said Four and Tris were involved in dangerous security matters. Said they were raising their children to be genetic hostiles. But the commissioner wouldn't help them and he couldn't. Even if the DGD is government funded, they still don't have any jurisdiction here. We can't arrest people without a proper warrant or reasonable evidence. We had never heard of any genetic hostiles before, nor do we care."
He takes another swig of the drink. George continues and says "Needless to say, they weren't happy they couldn't get our help. So I guess…they took matters into their own hands."
TJ shakes his head and says "That doesn't make any sense. Why would the government treat fourteen year olds as 'genetic hostiles'? We don't even know what that means."
I look at Amar who finishes the drink. He still looks like he's hiding something.
"So…you knew someone was after us a whole day before this shit happened?" I ask feeling my body ache with pain and now rising anger. He looks up at me and blinks rapidly.
"Yes." He says simply.
"And you didn't think to tell my father or mother?"
He rolls his eyes and sighs, but something washes over me that felt like white-hot liquid. It burned under my fingers and through my legs. I found myself leaping off my feet and next thing my palm connected hard to the side of Amar's face. He stumbles back and hits the kitchen counter. I rush into his chest and find his face again.
"You son of a bitch! You knew! You knew!" My fist felt heavy as steel but light as air as I connected two blows to his face. Amar quickly shields his face before I can land another blow and he pushes me off of him. I feel George grip me under my arms, constricting my movement. I kicked him in the shins and he groaned and sank a little to floor. His grip was still tight and I felt myself crying angrily and sobbing.
"You could've—you could've…" I sob feeling George's strong arms pull me away from Amar who's caressing his jaw with his hand. His lip is bleeding and his dark skin is red from my palm print. He glares icily at me and spits a bloody glob of spit on to a wad of paper towels he grabbed from the counter.
"Calm down Natalie!" George says gripping me, breathing hard into my ear. TJ is watching nervously from the couch. I feel nothing but the angry fire in my chest and in the tears falling down my face.
"It may interest you that I did try to warn Four. I went to his job yesterday, but he was already gone. I tried calling Tris too, but apparently they were all unavailable."
"Then you didn't try hard enough." I spit at him.
"No listen, Natalie, it's not that easy." George says relaxing his grip a little, but still not to where I am free.
"The DGD had infiltrated both of their jobs. They had agents there watching them for months. I found out yesterday. They have agents all around the city. Whoever is running this operation has been planning it for a very long time. It won't be long before they get more influence in the city. I'm sure the police force is already compromised or will be soon." Amar says wiping a trickle of blood from the corner of his mouth.
"Then how are we supposed to trust you all?" TJ asks quietly. Amar looks at him coldly and says "Why would we bring you here if you couldn't trust us? My God, and Four told me you were intelligent."
"Don't you speak to my brother that way!" I say struggling against George's grip.
Amar looks at me and says "You should calm down. You're bleeding."
I feel the dark sticky drip on my forehead but I can't quell the anger pouring over me. I try to breathe and stop my heart from pounding in my eardrums.
"Listen, there's something important we have to tell you." George breathes into my ear. "Your parents…"
"What about them? They're gone." TJ chokes. I look over to him to see him struggle to not cry. He balls his hands into fists and keeps them tight against his sides.
"Yes they are." Amar says "But they aren't dead."
I look up at him and then over at my brother who falls down on the couch, his eyes wide and full of disbelief.
"What do you mean? We saw them die. That light disintegrated their bodies. It blew up our house. There's no way…" I gasp as George releases me. He still looks cautiously at me and I know he is prepared to stop if I do anything stupid again.
"No. They were captured by the DGD. For what reasons, I do not know. But an informant of mine told me he saw one of their representatives with their bodies. They were very much alive. Apparently they've been taken for genetic testing at a DGD facility here in the city." Amar says leaning against the counter.
"Genetic…testing? For what reason?" TJ asks angrily. "Why aren't we going to get them? Why aren't you all going to get them?" He points to Amar who shakes his head again.
"Kid, don't you think if it was that easy, we would've?" He sighs tiredly.
"Talk to me like I'm stupid again, I'll be the one who punches you next." TJ growls darkly.
George looks at him cautiously then at Amar.
Amar laughs lightly and says "Okay kid. You two have a temper problem you know? Okay—don't look at me like that George—It's not that easy because firstly, we don't know where the facility is, secondly, even if we do find it it will be most likely heavily guarded, and finally, the DGD didn't capture your parents to kill them or harm them. From what I can tell they are comprised of mostly geneticists. I know that whoever wants them, they won't damage them…yet. Besides they're really after you all. Or least that's what we think."
"We're coming up with a plan." George says walking over to Amar. He peers at his cheek and bleeding lip. I watch him go into the kitchen and wet a small clean dishrag with cold water. George walks back over to him and presses the cold cloth to the side of his face gingerly. Amar winces, but he smiles at him lovingly. It reminds me of my parents and I feel the tears brim over my eyes again.
"What does the plan entail? Where's our Uncle Caleb? Did they tell you where they were going?" TJ asks walking over to me. He helps me to my feet and embraces me around the shoulders.
"I can't tell you that." Amar says taking the rag from George. "He told me to keep you all safe until further orders. He's the one who's calling the shots apparently."
I look at him and feel a little angry again. Who is he to keep secrets from us? Apparently he notices and raises his hands up as if to tell me to calm myself.
"I can't tell you because I don't even know. Honestly." Amar admits with a grimace. "He said it was important for him, your Aunt Susan, and your cousin to get safe first. Their house was attacked too, earlier this evening."
"But if they don't have authority here—" TJ begins, but George interrupts him. "They have authority, but they just can't enlist the police to help them. Not yet anyway."
I don't understand any of it. How can we be so powerless to a bunch of thugs with government titles?
"What are they looking for?" TJ asks looking at them both directly in the eye. "Do not lie to us."
Amar looks at George who looks down at the graphite colored carpet underneath his feet. He clears his throat and says "They're looking for individuals with what they call a Resurgent gene. They're looking for people with superhuman abilities and genetic codes."
TJ scoffs and rolls his eyes, but I look at him curiously. I remember his fight at school from earlier and him trying to explain it to me. He mentioned how he moved faster and stronger, but I did not believe him. I have never seen my brother get into a fight and now that I really think about it, there's no way someone as scrawny as him could beat Randy.
Amar looks at him and says "Don't act like you don't believe it. You experienced it today at school right? Your fight?"
My brother's face drains of color and he presses into me.
"How did you know that?" He chokes.
George says "Our informant says they heard one of their agents talking about it. She was there to observe you. Said the agent's name was R5 or something."
TJ doesn't say anything. I know they're telling the truth from the look on his face.
"So what happened kid?" Amar says leaning forward a little. TJ looks darkly at his hands and retells the fight in the locker room. When he finishes I cannot believe my own ears or my brother's words. But one thing TJ is not good at, is lying. Usually anyway.
Amar and George look at each other and then back at us.
"That means your sister probably has the gene too then." Amar says nodding at me. I shake my head and say "I've never…I can't do any of that stuff. That's impossible."
"Not impossible." Amar says walking over to us slightly. "Just very rare. I've seen people like you before. Or rather someone."
George looks incredulously at him and shakes his head in disbelief.
"You can't possibly be talking about him, honey. He's a myth. An old wives' tale."
He turns and grins at George then at us. "No he isn't. I knew him. I saw him."
"Who are you talking about?" TJ asks nervously.
"The Black Lion of Dauntless." Amar says standing in front of us with his hands placed on his hips. "He was just like you two, Resurgent, and very powerful. Very deadly."
"Wait, what is all this? What's a Resurgent? I'm not it. I'm human. I'm not some crazy super powered person who can fly and shoot lasers out of my hands. You all read too much." I say angrily. I didn't have time for tall tales about some Black Lion of Dauntless. My parents are missing and I want to do something about it.
"If TJ had an episode today, then I'd wager you'll soon have one too. When I worked for the Bureau of Genetic Welfare, there was a room with a file that talked about the Resurgent gene. But it was labeled a failed experiment because the results kept failing. I guess that the DGD found it and started working on it again. If they have it, then they must have been working on it for a long time."
My head hurts and all I want to do is sleep. George frowns at me and my brother then says "Perhaps it's too much for one night. You should go rest. Or try to. I'll change your bandages before you sleep, yes?"
Amar says "Are you all hungry? There's some roast chicken and rice in the fridge. I can heat it up."
TJ and I shake her heads in unison. He grimaces at us and sighs. "Alright then, but you'll have to eat in the morning. You can't starve yourselves. It won't solve anything."
I look at my brother who begins to motion toward the back of the apartment, but he stops suddenly and says "Wait—what about our grandmother? Where is she?"
George nods and says calmly "She's safe as far as we know. The DGD came to get her at her job, but that's one smart, tough old woman. She fled the building and presumably the city before they even set foot on the property. I believe she was on her way to find you and your parents. Your Uncle Caleb contacted her and relayed the news."
I thought of my grandmother and I wondered how she doing. I wish I was with her instead of here. I couldn't help but feel a little abandoned by her. Why wouldn't she try to find us and take us with her? I shake the selfish and ridiculous thought out of my head and follow my brother back to the small guest room I woke up in.
"Thank you for taking us in." TJ says softly to Amar and George who both give us a solemn nod.
"We're going to do everything we can. I swear we'll get them back." Amar assures me by looking me in eyes. I want to believe him.
We spend two days in Amar and George's apartment and I feel myself going mad. Our wounds are healing, George helps to clean them and redress them after we bathe and before we go to sleep each night. He is kind and warm. Both him and Amar try their best to make us comfortable, but I can't help but break down in tears through the day. I try to force them back, but I can't. I don't sleep and TJ doesn't either. He cries himself to sleep and all I do his hold him. I have never felt more helpless and weak in my life.
I think of my parents and how strong they were. How strong they are, I mean. I think of my mother's amazing strength and my father's unyielding courage during the attack on our home. I try to find my own strength in them, but all I feel is the hollow pang in my chest.
I'm sitting by the open window of the guest bedroom in a large black chair an argyle print in the fabric. It is stiff, but comfortable and I'm grateful for the back support it gives me. I'm not as sore as I was two days ago, which is surprising because I survived an explosion, but I won't complain either.
I look out of the high window into the city and see the sun reflect on the glossy edifices in the distance. The light bounces off each glossy surface and the streets way below are moving with different colored specks. People are moving along and going about their days as usual. I think about how ignorant they are about what's going on now. How this Department of Genetic Defense has infiltrated the city and threaten the peace. How they are taking people off the streets and not being stopped. Government or not, they are nothing but a bunch of criminals. I hate them more everyday and I want nothing more than to find their headquarters in order to kill every single one of them. I surprise myself at the murderous thoughts that fill me.
I look away from the window and a cool breeze hits the side of my face softly. It makes my dark hair fly around my eyes and I brush it back against the wind. TJ is sitting on the floor with his sketchbook on his lap. I peer over to see what he's sketching.
"Are those…Dad's tattoos? And mom's?" I ask leaning a little closer to get a better view. TJ looks up a little at me. He looks sad and a little embarrassed because he covers up the drawing with his right arm. I roll my eyes lazily at him.
"You act like I haven't seen you draw a thousand times. Let me see it." I say motioning for him to move his arm. He moves it hesitantly and I can fully see the sketch now. In the middle are Dad's five faction tattoos with the Dauntless flames surrounding them. But Mom's three bird tattoo is circling around the flames in a wheel formation. It's is so detailed and realistic.
"TJ you're pretty amazing, you know that?" I say grinning at him. He looks at me oddly but then his mouth forms into a warm smile.
I look at the page and see small red drops drip on the page. They are dark and crimson in color and bleed on the image of our parents tattoos. I notice TJ's right that is bandaged with thick gauze is leaking and running down his arm.
"You're bleeding Tobias." I point and he looks down at his arm and then at his sketch. He sighs irritably and tosses the sketchbook off his lap onto the floor. He gets up and heads across to the bathroom in the hallway.
I study the image now smeared with bloody marks and imagine them inking across each faction symbol and bird. I see the blood pouring all over the page and then flooding the floor. It is hot and thick as it comes near my ankles. I see it washing over them and scalding the skin of my feet. I try to move from my seat, but the blood is coming closer. I smell the copper and I begin to feel my heart race under my ribcage. I yell but the blood comes closer and closer.
"Natalie!" TJ's voice comes out of the air. I yelp and look up at him. The blood has vanished and I'm gripping the arms of the black chair. TJ gasps and recoils back to the doorway.
"Your…eyes…what's wrong with your eyes?" He trembles pointing to me.
"What are you talking about?" I say glaring at him. But as I do I feel something pull me out of my chair. I lock my gaze with his and I'm falling in the stern blue hue of his irises. Images flash in my mind and suddenly I see TJ standing alone in a dark room. His face and eyes are covered in fear and suddenly the floor under him disappears. I hear my brother's screams in my ears and then he's dangling from the top of the Hancock Building. The railing he's holding is dissolving under his weak fingers. He loses his grip and is falling fast. He's falling into sea of spiders all crawling around each other. They are colorful and dark, their bodies hairy and legs long. Then they catch fire and TJ falls in with a screech.
"Stop it! Stop it!" His voice rings out to me and I see him on the floor against the wall of the guest room. His face is damp with sweat and he's gripping his face as he cries. I don't understand what is happening. I raise up and walk over to him, but he glances up into my eyes and scurries away from me with his head down.
"Tobias…what's wrong? What is it? Where does it hurt?" I sputter trying to reach out to my brother who hits my hand away.
"It's not real…it's not real." He gasps, his eyes bulging outward and moving rapidly. TJ blinks slowly and tries to calm his breathing. He swallows hard and sighs in quick breaths.
I don't understand what just happened. But then I get a glimpse of my reflection in the bathroom mirror across the hall. I do a double take and then rush toward the mirror.
I gasp when I stand in front of it. I feel my heart lump in my throat.
My eyes. My eyes are burning orange. I blink. I blink. I try to change them back to normal but I can't.
I blink seven more times before I scream.
I scream and scream at my reflection.
George and Amar burst out of their bedroom and find me sobbing on the floor of the bathroom. I hear George go across the hall to my brother. I cover my eyes with my arms, I feel the tears dampen them through my sobs. Amar crouches down to me and touches my arms lightly.
"Let me see, kid. C'mon."
I move my arms down slowly and feel my eyes burn and pulsate. As my gaze meets Amar's he stiffens and I begin to see him in the same black room my brother was just in moments ago. But then I see nothing but him staring at me in the bathroom. His face is ashen as he looks at me. I look away from him but he turns my face softly back toward him. He studies my eyes and I feel myself gasping for air.
"What's happening to me?" I moan, the spit from my mouth bubbling up as I open my lips.
Amar says nothing and says "You have to calm down Natalie. Concentrate."
I don't know what he's talking about but I try my best. I try to close my eyes and focus on my breaths. I feel my heart race in my chest and ears, but I try to just breathe more. I think about my mother's face, her smile in the mornings at breakfast. I think about my father's warm hugs he'd give when he come home from work. I think about my brother's laugh that is hearty and light. I think about my family happy and safe again.
After about five minutes of deep breathing and Amar's strong, warm hands rubbing my back in small circles, I open my eyes. They sting but I stand up with Amar's help. He releases me and I turn toward the mirror. My eyes are back to the brilliant blue they've always been. I grip the dark porcelain sink with two hands. Then I hear a small crack underneath both my palms. I step back and hold my left hand to my mouth to suppress a gasp. Where my hand just were are deep pressure cracks in the pearl gray. I turn to Amar who stares blankly at me.
He shakes his head and leaves the bathroom to go across the hall inside the room where George and TJ are. I follow him slowly and when I get inside, George is crouched in front of TJ who's sitting on the bed. His frame is trembling slightly and George is whispering calmly to him. I see TJ nod and wipe his face from glossy tears on his cheeks.
Amar looks at me and then at my brother. He crosses his arms and says "I knew you all were Resurgent. I knew it."
George and TJ look at him. TJ eyes me nervously and then looks away toward the window. I look down on the floor and try not to cry. I can't believe I did that to my brother. What's worse, I don't even know what I did.
"You experienced all the effects of a fear simulation TJ. I almost experienced it myself. It'll be alright, it was an accident. Natalie didn't know what she was doing."
He turns to me and says "You saw your brother's fears didn't you? You saw him in a fear landscape."
I'm not sure what to call it. I nod anyway.
Amar sighs deeply and wipes his face with his hand.
"She just cracked our sink too Georgie." He says looking at George who looks wide-eyed at me.
"I'm so sorry…I didn't know…what's happening to me?" I gasp looking at my hands.
"You're Resurgence is activating. Now you see what the DGD is after." Amar says with a grimace.
"What do they want with us?" TJ asks still slightly trembling.
"They want to control you all. They want to train you to use your abilities for their purposes." Amar says sternly.
"For what?! We don't even—I don't even know what I am." I say. My palms are sweating and my eyes are still stinging a little.
"You're the evolution, kid."
I look at Amar who stands with his arms folded. George looks at me darkly and sadly.
"Evolution?" I mutter.
"The DGD won't stop till they get you both. They won't stop till they find all others like you. I'm sure what their plans are, but they need to be stopped. We can't fight against a bunch of Resurgents, that much is for certain. But what we can do, is teach you how to fight. It's clear that's what has to happen." Amar says walking over to foot of the bed where my brother sits.
"Fight? How? We don't have time for that. Our parents could be somewhere being tortured or mutilated right now! I don't have time to learn how to properly throw a punch, Amar!" I gasp. I shake my head and grip the front of my jeans.
"If you want to get your parents back, then you will. Trust me, Tris and Four are safe for now. We need to make sure you all can protect yourselves."
"You are going to teach us?" TJ asks nervously. I can't imagine my brother hard-bodied and knuckles scarred from fighting. He's too kind and too gentle for that. Just like our mother described him.
"No." Amar says. "But I know someone who can."
George looks strangely at his partner with his eyebrow raised. "Amar, you can't possibly—he's a myth! Even if you did know him, he's probably dead by now! Don't do this."
He raises a hand up and shakes his head. "No he isn't dead. Because I helped him escape."
George's eyes widen and I look at both of them.
"How do you think I faked my own death when they tried to off me in Dauntless?" He chuckles moving past me and out of the door. He swung his long hair that was in a ponytail over his shoulder. I am still loss at who they are referring to.
But TJ piques up and says "You're talking about the Black Lion of Dauntless, aren't you?"
Amar nods and smiles widely at us both. "Yes. It just so happens I know where to find him. He moved back into the city. He's been here for about six or so years already. He still doesn't trust people so he lives in the underground."
I turn to him and say "The underground? You mean to tell me he's living in the old subway and train systems? Those places have been closed off for years, he can't possibly live down there."
He does nothing but grin at me.
"You'd be surprised on who or what lives in this city, kid." Amar says nodding toward me.
He turns away from the three of us and says "We can't travel during the day, and night isn't really safe either, but it's the best option. I'm going to find him now. See if he'll teach you. Be ready to leave by midnight tomorrow."
TJ looks nervously at me, then at George. "But I thought you were going to keep us safe?"
Amar sighs and says "I didn't want to say this. But the police force has been compromised. The DGD has successfully infiltrated and is taking over. Their agenda is quickly becoming our agenda. You two aren't safe here. I'm sure they'll be tapping and monitoring everyone on the squad. Besides, nothing could be more safe than learning to defend yourself. I know that the Black Lion will teach you. After that, someone will find you, either your Uncle or someone. I won't tell you not to worry about your parents, but it's important that if you help us you can at least know to properly throw a punch. Or knife."
He turns to leave out the apartment and George gets up. I hear the door slam as Amar leaves and an elevator ding in the distance. How could that be though? The elevator was down the hallway and three turns the right.
George looks at both of us and says "I would suggest you two get all cleaned up. I'll make you something to eat and pack you some food. Trust Amar. He knows what he's doing. Or least I like to think so."
He leaves us and in a few moments I hear the kitchen sink turn on. I look at my brother who looks more terrified than he's ever been in his life. I walk over slowly to him and pause.
He looks me cautiously in my eye and I say "I'm sorry TJ. I didn't know I could—I'm sorry. I never meant to hurt you."
He nods slowly and then sighs. His feet are dangling and hovering inches above the ground.
I sit next to him and put my head on his shudders and sigh. He takes my hand into his own and I grip it tightly.
"So we're going to learn how to fight." TJ whispers with tremble.
I nod against his shoulder and think about my fist connecting with whoever ordered the attack on my home and took my parents. A blade shoving in their chest. A bullet soaring through their skull.
I was going to learn how to fight.
But I was also going to learn how to kill.
The thought made my stomach churn, but fill with joy at once.
What a strange, wondrous, and terrible feeling.
TIME TO LEARN HOW TO KICK SOME ASS NEXT CHAPTEEEEERR.