The Marked People

Humanity lies within

Indigo

Before anyone has time to shoot, I lunge. Phoenix is smart enough to know to duck and get out of my way as I move between the five who had weapons trained on us. The first is unconscious and lying on the ground before anyone has realised I'm attacking. I'm ripping the gun out of the hands of the second by the time the others are training their weapons on me. They're panicking and it gives me the advantage.

If they were smart they wouldn't bother trying to aim at me, they'd fire at Demon and Phoenix, use them as hostages. Except I'm the threat, the animal spreading chaos and so their eyes focus on me. Gun shots sound out but they're low, trying to aim for my legs. They don't want to kill me, just incapacitate me.

Their mistake.

I might have hated every second of those experiments, but now they're the only thing that keeps me dodging bullets. Snarling I duck, and grab the my next victim, bringing his head down to meet my knee. A sickening crunch as his nose breaks and he drops to the floor, screaming and clutching his face.

I'd been hoping to knock him out, but I doubt he'll be much of a threat like this. Turning I'm about to lunge to the next one, a woman this time, when fire races through my thigh. I whirl trying to find my attacker. Winter stands a handgun in his grip, eyes focussed.

He shoots again and I drop to one knee, trying to keep my mouth closed as a scream works its way up my throat. It's just pain, just pain. I can ignore it, I've felt worse before.

But to my left Phoenix is yelling to me while Demon shouts at them to stop firing. I'd forgotten that that Summer, Winter and Spring could be armed. I'd been so focussed on the threats I could see, I hadn't even thought about the unseen ones.

The warehouse goes silent once more though behind us there is a banging no the door. No doubt it's Patrick coming to try and get in after hearing the gunshots. The doors are locked though and Sumer motions to them. "Someone keep him quiet out there."

A guard from behind moves, exiting out the door they'd brought Demon through. Only the faint whimpering of the man whose nose I'd broken now echoes off the walls. Panting I try to get back to my feet, but my leg buckles under the pain of two bullet wounds.

"Indigo, please don't make this anymore difficult." Spring says calmly, trying to bring back some sort of peace to this situation.

But I'm past calm, and instead I spit. "You have a funny way of showing that you want to be friends."

Winter keeps his gun trained on me while keeping his distance. With my bad leg there's no way I can close the distance before he fires again. "Come with us and no one else gets hurt. We'll get those bullets out of you and by the time your wounds are healed we'll have everything we need from you."

Demon drops down to his knees beside me, hand pressing on the wounds and I flinch at the force but let him. He looks at me, almost begging now. "Indigo. Please." He turns to look at Winter glaring as he does before turning back to face me, "They shouldn't have done this, shouldn't have forced you. But you know it' the right thing to do."

Except I don't know if it's the right thing. If Marked People could have their own children without dying, it would save everyone. But is it right? Is it really right to force an entire species to change their DNA. Because New Horizons wouldn't be giving people a choice. Maybe it is for the greater good, but that doesn't make it right.

Demon's voice is lower now. "Look, I know how it looks. But they're going to do it anyway. Help them and you'll have a say in how they put their plan into motion. Refuse and they'll still go through with it, you just won't have any control over how it happens."