Chapter 2: Revelations

Maranda was awoken by a series of loud bangs. She yawned, and turned back over in her bed " kids around Mu knocked and ran all the time. She didn't really think anything of it. Until they knocked again. That meant they were serious. She sighed, and slowly shuffled out of her bed, yawning the whole time she went. Looking around her bedroom, she picked up a gown, and slung it over her body. She climbed gingerly down the stairs, and went straight for the door, which banged again, just before she opened it. Persistent much? Seriously, it was 6 in the morning " Maranda gasped and covered her mouth with her hands.

 

Two large, burly Guardians stood before her. She looked them both over, and sighed. Damn, they'd given her a fright... She turned around, and beckoned the two of them in. They needed to be more careful around here,actual Guardians might've found them. She looked the both in the eyes and sighed.

 

“Take off the helmets, you two. The uniforms are bad enough. I don't need Adam coming downstairs and thinking bad of ya.” The two men sighed, and removed the helmets that covered both their faces and their identities. Footsteps caused the stairs to creak, and Maranda turned back to see the boy walking down the staircase.

 

“Speak of the Devil, eh?” Adam turned groggily to his mother, and smiled sheepishly. He hadn't been able to sleep the night, and was pretty damn shattered. His dreams had been plagued with images of the guy in the LSI unit, and re-appeared to him everytime he closed his eyes to sleep once more. So... horrifying. He shuddered, and trudged into the kitchen with a sigh and a yawn. Maranda sniggered at her son, and turned back to the men.

 

“So, Darius, how're 'Tasha and Arya?” She was asking about the guy's daughter and wife " Natasha and Arya Chiron. 'Tasha was supposedly another one of the “Ten”, not that she knew it...

 

“'Tasha? She's fine " just as arrogant as normal. And Arya's keeping her in check...” Maranda sighed, that girl was a handful. It seemed that all she wanted was some easy money, and she'd do anything to get it.

 

“Well, I think we're going to have to brief the kids ASAP. TSC might possibly be on our trail... Yet there may also be someone else. Someone that broke into TSC, looking for Aaron's notebook.” Darius' face turned into a look of shock.

 

“Not TSC? The Wild Birds didn't have anything to do with it, I'm sure.” The Wild Birds were the country's resistance army " as every dictatorship had. But... The Wild Birds were practically useless against TSC's might and power. So they made little guerilla attacks on TSC facilities.

 

“Of course.” Maranda smiled, as the two men stood up quickly. Looks like they weren't staying for tea, then. She nodded at them both. “I'll see you two another time, then?” They turned away from her, and put the Guardian helmets back on, walking out the door.

 

 

Adam yawned and picked up the bowl, pouring milk and cereal in tiredly. He smiled softly, and picked up a spoon, scooping up some of the food, eating it quickly. He was certainly hungry, even images of the night before hadn't diminished his appetite. He chewed and thought, thinking about what today was going to hold for him in Sect Mu. He looked out the door as the two “Guardians” left. That's good, they're going. Even though they weren't actually Guardians, they still made him pretty damn uncomfortable.

 

“Mum! 'Tasha's alright?” The woman laughed softly, and turned back to her child with a grin.

 

“She's fine, Adam. Don't worry about the girl, she can look after herself, far better than you can...” The boy laughed nervously at this, not denying it. He sighed, and finished off the food. Wondering how 'Tasha was doing, he walked back up the stairs to his room, and quickly changed his clothes into something more comfortable. Sporting a simple pair of jeans and a light shirt, he walked back down the stairs with a small smile.

 

“Alright. I'm going out!” His mother nodded, and began to work on the floor. As he walked up to the door, he opened it quickly, and suddenly stopped in his tracks.

 

“H... Hi guys.” A pair of burly guardians stood before him. Wait... were they the two from before? The two grimaced, and looked him in the eyes.

 

“TSC Security, kid. Don't talk to us in that knowing tone. We need to talk to you and your mother.” Adam blinked, and turned back to his mother.

 

“Muuuum!” The woman poked her head out, and her mouth dropped.

 

“Adam! Get back in here!” The woman ran for her son, and pulled him back inside the house. The boy shouted out slightly, as he was dragged back up the stairs. Once she had shut them inside his room, she pushed him against the wall. Adam choked slightly.

 

“Mum... let... me... go...” The woman released her grip, and sighed softly. He looked at her sharply, eyes narrowed. “What is this about?”

 

“They're after you.” Her words were quick and succinct. Her eyes quickly narrowed, and she looked over her shoulder, the Guardians were now making a great deal of noise, searching the rooms. They didn't have much time.

 

“Whaddaya-” She put a hand over his mouth, eyes burning in anger.

 

“Don't speak. You know 'Tasha? Do you feel anything when you stand by her?” Adam thought for a second, blushed and nodded. The woman sighed. Typical Adam. “No. Nothing like that. Do you feel something emanating from her, something 'resonating', something that you feel from nobody else?” Adam thought again, and his eyes widened " he was still pretty damn red. He nodded.

 

“I do. But what is it? What does it mean?” The woman smiled, eyes beginning to tear up. It was time. And she wouldn't be able to tell him, nor would she be there for him afterwards. TSC would have her, and she didn't know if she'd come out again.

 

“Good... Focus on that. You should be able to feel it from anywhere in the world. Open up your heart to it.” The boy blinked, and closed his eyes tightly, trying to feel for some scrap of that feeling he found from Natasha. Nothing. He opened them again, and looked his mum in the eyes.

 

“I... can't feel a thing.” She sighed, and put a hand on his shoulder, shaking her head softly.

 

“Just trust me. Think of nothing but 'Tasha. Then you'll feel it. Then you'll do it. Trust me.” Adam's eyes opened wider, and he nodded. He closed his eyes, and thought of Natasha Chiron, and Natasha Chiron only. He smiled softly, and realised that something else was coming. His body started to ripple, and he felt the room around him disappear...

 

 

BANG. The door broke down, and the two Guardians burst in on a crying woman, and nothing else. They sneered, and grabbed her by her hair, lifting her up into the air. She screamed in pain, and one of them spat in her face.

 

“Where is he?” She shook her head. The other Guradian sighed, pulled out a nightstick, and smacked her across her face, sending blood and teeth across the room. “Where is he?” She shook her head again.

 

“F**k... you.” The Guardian shouted out in rage, and smacked her across the face again, breaking her nose. Blood ran down her face, and mixed with the tears that were pouring out of her eyes.

 

“Tell me. Where is ADAM KOBOLTZ?” She shook her head once more, her final mistake. The Guardian spat in her face again, and dropped her to the ground. “You don't want to speak? Fine. You're never going to speak again.” Putting his foot onto her right breast, he pulled up the nightstick once more, and brought it down on her throat. A crack resounded through the room, and Maranda's eyes slowly closed, blood spreading out from the throat wound. The sheer force of the attack had perferated her jugular vein.

 

A...dam...