Astra's POVThe hurt in her chest is what makes her go through the ruins of her old office. A keycode there would fix all her problems.She limped, touching the tender spot on her head, feeling a wave of dizziness hitting her. She needed to grip her broken down desk for support. Opening the drawers, she found it at the very bottom, still glued after all this time. Perfect. Pressing the buttons with the numbers she had remembered by heart, the keypad pinged, before going green, the walls sliding down and exposing another room. Lights flicked on one by one, and at the end of the hallway protected by a glass case was exactly what she was looking for, They will all pay. She walked forward, and made slow steps to the concotion that had started it all. This had been the very first testing of the product, one that had long ago been perfected. And she was going to take it. Shattering the glass case, and grabbing it in her hand, she rolled up her coat sleeve,
Jonathan's POVWe're in the main building of Main City. The cameras are facing us, and the smallest groups of kids that I've seen. The survivors. They are the only ones that made, desperate to stay alive, and be reunited with their families. But after everything that's happened, they look like empty shells of what they use to be. It's Celia who's talking into the cameras; the feed is being shown to every available screen in the city. She looks more like an adult than the child she is, and I feel a wave of sadness. "We have no government, and we have no one to lead us. The time to choose what we do and how we do it is now. We ask that each person vote on someone they trust to be the leaders. No one that approved of the Testing trials, or experimenting on children may enter." and when she says this part, there's fire in her eyes, as if she's daring them to do it. "We're on our own now." she says, as the cameras cut out. Several months later...I wake up sore fr
Rumors have been going on around a country not far from Main City. Anthem. A prosperous country with even more advanced technology-and even more secrets hidden within the Capital Tower. Children and young teens are going missing. The Officers are coming up empty handed, but even they cannoy deny something strange is going on over there. And that's where Celia and her team come in. Contacted by Anthem's leading lady Saoirise Renn, she's desperate to get some answers and hopefully get the children back home safe and sound. Something is taking the children. Someone has plans. Celia and her teammates are determined to take down the kidnappers.Jonathan's POVTruthfully, I don't want Celia and the others to join in on this mission. Not that I don't need them; more of a I want them to lead as much normal lives as possible back home. Their childhood has been taken from them; they don't need to witness the disaster in another country. But I know when we're
The country Anthem was founded in the year 2099, after the collapse of the British Empire. Due to several wars that had been breaking out, an uneasy truce forming. Though famous for their trades, their science was blossoming, advanced technology coming out almost every year. Until they caught wind of what was going on in Main City. Instead of being appalled, they were intrigued, dipping into the funds for Anthem's cities building being put into purchasing young children, and being wired to their desire. Secretly, they were being sold off into distance countries used as either bodyguards or assasins needed for shady governments. Some were even experimented enough to be kept as pets. Once the animal DNA came into play, they did whatever they wanted to those poor chidlren. Until an escape was planned and half of them went missing. Now, catching the attention of a certain team, Anthem's most ugliest secrets are coming into the light. And
"Our goal is to initiate the very best soldiers, to protect our thriving society. After careful consideration, we've decided that your son, Jonathan Lee has met our standards and expectations. Please fill out the rest of the forms with the needed information and we'll get started right away." My mother beams at the letter, her hand on my head. At seven years old, I knew this was something big. I just couldn't fathom how. As she begins to excitedly talk to my father about it, I peek at the note some more. Re-reading it, I see that it doesn't have a yes or no option; it basically screams we want your kid, and this is when we're getting him. "I thought the training didn't start until he turned thirteen. Doesn't this seem a little too soon?" My father questioned. Despite he himself having gone through the same training, he questioned everything and everyone. He had a better understanding to this life, and that made him one of the best soldiers there was. Standing
"He is the one." The squad leader said, handing a chart to his boss. "You were able to determine that from just nine months of him being here?" she replied, going over the chart, doubt in her words. As she scanned through the pages, a frown formed on her face. "We're sure these numbers are correct? Do you test him again, and again?" "I did. Three times each." "Jesus, you could have killed him! He's only seven." "That's the thing, Boss; every time I tested him, he scored higher than the last. I don't know how that's possible but it is." She dropped the folder down on her desk, taking a seat. "You know what this means?" "He's too perfect to be a soldier...but he can be of use." She nodded, tapping her fingers against the desk. "You already have the letters, right?" "I have someone working on it as we speak." "Such a shame, such a shame. What a waste." "We are sorry to say that despite our very best trainers trying to impr
10 years later...I pulled my hood up as I walked through the destroyed streets of Umbridge Town. My feet dragged against the cracked cement of the sidewalk, a hunched figure pattering along with me. Stopping, I felt my body shudder as I coughed, shoulders shaking with the nasty sound. The small person accompanying me stopped, placing their hand on my leg. I waved off their unspoken worry, my ears perking up at the sound of someone approaching us. Since the streetlamps were barely flicking on, lighting up the depressed sight of town, three figures emerged, throwing down their hoods, angry steel blue eyes boring into my own. Of course they'd appear; I was easy bait. The ringleader of the group stepped up, standing at 6 foot 3. He had a vest on that was unbuttoned, the color once light blue but so dirty it had turned gray. He had thick bands of muscle with faded bruises and almost healed scars, hair buzzed near to his scalp. I stared at his face, taking in his crooke
The Markets. The most dangerous place for anyone, especially if you're an orphaned girl under the age of eighteen. They're sold like livestock, and the worse part was they had close ties with the School. Celia was lucky to escape, finding solace with us down here. I'd tried my best to keep her away from me; I had to be responsible for myself, now a small kid was getting in the way of that. She'd been stubborn, seeking me out whenever she had the chance, showing off trinkets that were very impressive for someone her age. And after a while, I enjoyed her company. We were just two kids trying to survive against the odds that were given to us. And then she got homesick. Bad. She began to wander off to the Main City, always being brought back by one of the helper bots, or a concerned adult. Until one of the visitors noticed Celia's gloom, and decided to exploit it for his own benefit. His name had been Destry, a malnourished thirty-something year old. He'd been pass