《SEQUENCERS》 Chapter 1 | Migraines If you could edit your DNA for your descendants benefit, would you do it? I¡¯m the product of my ancestors DNA, each generation adding their own edits¡ª refining abilities, fixing errors, and making their own mistakes. It¡¯s told that it had all started to eradicate devastating diseases and to end unfair suffering of those unfortunate. Eventually that led to people wanting to extend life expectancy, then wanting to trial what else was possible. I¡¯m the generation where it all came to fruition ¡ª Stronger, faster, and smarter. ¡°Another Migraine?¡± Said Jake as he caught me walking out of my room, the heel of my palm rubbing my temple. ¡°Yep they¡¯re getting worse.¡± ¡°Go get a check up¡­ Today,¡± he said sternly. I had to take a few deep breathes as I felt his worry and anxiety surge its way through my body. It was a warranted type of anxiety ¡ª both our mother and father died too early from complications but I didn¡¯t want to deal with that first thing in the morning, so with a few more concentrated breathes I pushed all the sorry and anxiety out. ¡°Or don¡¯t, you¡¯ll probably be fine,¡± Jake said, changing his mind. I tried to hide my smile as I grabbed the fridge handle to see what I could scrounge up for breakfast. ¡°You little fucker, you just worked me over didn¡¯t you?¡± Oh shit A sudden shock dropped me to the ground. One that I should have seen coming when I sensed a sudden shift towards anger. Luckily I had been practicing lately and I was able to sway his emotion back to a calm demeanour. Jake extended his hand out for me to grab ¡°Sorry brother, I just worry about you. We only have each other now.¡± ¡°Okay okay I¡¯ll go down to MindWave today to get a checkup,¡± I conceded as he pulled me back to my feet. I had been avoiding going in for a checkup. It was too clinical and made me feel like a lab rat each time I went into there. The waiting room was usually filled with people, all with their own unique abilities and issues which led to a clash that was chaotic each time. I grabbed a carton of milk and my bowl of cereal, pushing the clutter from our table to set it down. We were in a cramped little apartment way up on seventieth floor and had way too much shit. We also had a nice view of the massive billboard screen that stretched up the opposite building. ¡®Gen 8 - let¡¯s make them the best generation yet¡¯ It was an advertisement for the Consortium to draw people in to make edits before they started to have children. ¡°Ugh¡± I groaned before getting into my cereal ¡°when is it enough!?¡± ¡°What do you mean? Look at us Reed. Disease free, we don¡¯t get sick, we¡¯re the cusp of human perfection,¡± said Jake as he pulled up a seat at the table. I let out a heavy sigh and pushed back my seat, ¡°I gotta go before the MindWave clinic turns into a zoo.¡± Jake was less cynical than me, like most people were. Maybe it was the increasing migraines that made me start to question the things around me. It was becoming too much and like everything else with humanity, we were becoming gluttonous and living in excess. Year after year, we were rapidly changing the thing that made us human. Our DNA. I threw my jacket on and walked out of our apartment before hopping into the elevator. About five floors down the elevator chimed that we were coming to a stop. This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. Fuck sake, I was hoping for a clear run to the ground floor for once. The elevator door opened and a woman in a tight, semi revealing dress stepped in. I was hit with a sudden spike of arousal like I just wanted to do the deed with her right then and there in the elevator, but I knew what was happening. It was a frequent occurrence. ¡°Every fucking day Amy¡­ and every day it doesn¡¯t work on me. Save it for the weaker fella¡¯s on the main drag¡± ¡°Aw,¡± she cooed as she pursed her lips. ¡°One of these days I¡¯ll get you Reedy,¡± she chuckled. Amy had similar, but weaker abilities as me, however, she used it to seduce men that didn¡¯t know any better before she would demand money from them. Yep, for all the enhancements and wits bestowed upon us, majority could still be taken down by a beautiful lady with even the slightest empath ability. The cool, fresh breeze funneled through the city as I stepped out of the building, a welcome relief from the stale, recycled air inside. The streets below were a clash of color and sound, a chaotic dance of neon lights, digital ads, and street vendors, all vying for attention. Up above, skyrails hummed as sleek trains glided across the skyline, reflecting the glow of massive billboards that promised everything from faster reflexes to longer lifespans. I kept my head down as I moved, trying to ignore the constant bombardment of emotions washing over me¡ªexcitement, desperation, greed, lust. It was like wading through a swamp, thick and suffocating. Vendors called out, their voices loud and cheerful, but their minds sharp, calculating. Each one of them was using their abilities to snag passersby¡ªan extra jolt of attraction here, a twinge of guilt there. Most people didn¡¯t even realize it was happening. I passed a stall where a man in a bright green jacket was hawking his wares, using a low-level empathy boost to make people feel like they absolutely needed his detox pills. I felt a flicker of envy from someone nearby, an old woman staring longingly at a display of anti-aging patches. It took everything I had not to get sucked in, but with my migraine pounding behind my eyes, it was getting harder to block them out. By the time I reached the MindWave clinic, I was already exhausted. The building was sleek and glassy, all reflective surfaces and clean lines, a stark contrast to the run down buildings and messy streets on this side of town. The sign above the door pulsed softly, welcoming in patients, while a subtle hum of energy buzzed beneath my skin. The reception area was a mess. People crowded the waiting room, slumped in chairs or pacing restlessly, each of them lost in their own worries. The air was thick with emotions¡ªfear, hope, impatience. It made my head spin, like a radio trying to pick up too many stations at once. I could already feel my defences fraying, the migraine pressing harder, but I forced myself to stay calm. I just had to get through the check-up and then I could head home, shut the world out for a while. A woman near the front desk was arguing with a nurse, her voice tight and sharp. ¡°I don¡¯t care what your protocols are! You¡¯ve made a mistake, and I¡¯m not leaving until I see a doctor.¡± So much for cusp of perfection as Jake put it. A kid a few seats down was fiddling with his phone, eyes darting nervously to the door every few seconds. I felt a jolt of sympathy. He was young, maybe sixteen, and I could sense the anxiety rolling off him in waves. Probably here for his first check up¡ªnerves were normal, but his felt more like dread. I wondered what he was so scared of. The receptionist glanced up as I approached, her smile mechanical. ¡°Welcome to MindWave. Can I have your name, please?¡± ¡°Reed Hark.¡± I muttered, rubbing my temples. ¡°I need an appointment.¡± ¡°You need to make an appointment, we have no available appointments today¡± My frustration boiled over and I slapped the bench ¡°I need an appointment now,¡± I demanded. I took deep breaths and locked eyes with her, the noise of the chaotic waiting room slowly lost in our gaze before shortly restoring. ¡°Please take a seat. We¡¯ll call you shortly.¡± I turned to find a seat, but then I felt it¡ªa sudden, sharp pulse of energy, for a moment, everything else faded, and I focused on that one presence. It was strong, more intense than anything I¡¯d felt in a long time, and it caught me off guard. An editing mistake somewhere in my lineage granted me dual neuro ability, a rare occurrence and what I assumed was giving me these migraines. Aside from reading and manipulating emotions, I had been accidentally been given the ability to read others down to their own most subtle abilities. A very useful thing to have in the city. My heart skipped a beat. Whoever this was, their abilities were powerful. I scanned the room, trying to pinpoint where it was coming from. It felt like¡­ a vibration, almost, humming at a frequency just beneath the surface of my skin. Then I saw him¡ªsitting quietly in a corner, a man with sharp features and dark eyes, his posture too relaxed, like he was waiting for something. He didn¡¯t look up, but I could feel the energy radiating from him, strong and deliberate, like he was sending out a signal. Something about him felt¡­ wrong. It wasn¡¯t just the strength of his presence, but the way it seemed to pulse in time with my own heartbeat, like he was trying to match my rhythm. I shivered, a cold prickle running down my spine. The door to the back rooms swung open, and a pair of security guards stepped out, flanking a woman in a white lab coat. She had the stiff, no-nonsense look of someone who was used to giving orders, and when she spoke, her voice was loud enough to carry over the murmurs in the waiting room. ¡°Attention, everyone,¡± she said, ¡°we¡¯re conducting a routine systems check. Please remain calm and stay seated. This will only take a few minutes.¡± I could sense the tension crackling beneath her calm tone. She was nervous, hiding it well, but not well enough for me. And then I felt it¡ªthe pulse from the man in the corner shifted, a sharp, jagged spike of intent. The lights flickered, and the building hummed louder, almost buzzing. People glanced around, confused, and then the screens on the walls¡ªnormally displaying health tips and cheerful ads¡ªflashed once, twice, and went black. For a moment, the whole room was plunged into silence. Then, a voice crackled through the speakers, low and distorted. ¡°If you knew the truth, you wouldn¡¯t be sitting here. If you knew what they were doing, you¡¯d run.¡± I froze, my heart pounding. The man in the corner shifted slightly, and our eyes met, just for a second. I felt the shock of his gaze like a physical blow, and in that moment, I realized he wasn¡¯t just a patient. He was here for a reason, and whatever was happening, he was right in the middle of it. The screens flickered back on, and everything was normal again. The receptionist was already on her feet, hurrying towards the back, her face pale. But I couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that something had just shifted, like I¡¯d seen a crack in the wall, and now I couldn¡¯t unsee it. As I turned back around to look at the man, he was nowhere to be seen and had obviously slipped out of there once the coast was clear and waiting room descended into further chaos. Chapter 2 | Calling Card After a pointless and frustrating appointment I pushed the clinic door open in a ¡®storming out¡¯ kind of fashion, I was eager to get home and let Jake have it for making me go down there. Fucking take painkillers is their solution!? If it gets worse come back, ridiculous! ¡°You!¡± Shouted a voice as I was plucked off the street into an alleyway. I was slammed against a wall with a forearm rammed against my throat that made me cough and splutter in a panic. I felt a rush of anger, confusion, and intrigue in addition to my own emotion. It was the man from the clinic. I managed to calm myself as I was on the brink of blacking out and began to form an empath connection with him. I forced a flood of pain into his mind, dropping him to his knees. ¡°How did you know it was me?¡± He groaned. While he was writhing around in pain it gave me a moment to pick up his DNA signature, and it was like no other I¡¯ve sensed before ¡ª like a handful of abilities squeezed together that I wasn¡¯t even sure what he was capable of. ¡°What are you¡ª ¡°I mean, who are you?¡± I asked as I gave him reprieve from the pain. ¡°Tai¡­¡± Tai got up off his knees and kept his distance this time. I had never inflicted that much pain on anyone, I¡¯d usually just use that side of my abilities to try and get my way out of trouble or try my luck at skipping queues, like the appointment at Mindwave. I had never even really explored it further than that, even on my brother. Underneath his hood was an unkempt beard and messy hair, he was tanned so I gathered that he doesn¡¯t usually walk around all cloaked up. He had piercing green eyes that were shooting right at me like daggers, watching to see if I¡¯d make another move. His breathing slowed while he hesitated to speak any further. ¡°Okay I told you my name, so tell me, how did you know it was me in the clinic?¡± He asked again. ¡°I have dual ability, and can sense others abilities¡­ kind of like a DNA radar I guess you could say. ¡°Anyway, how are you so powerful? I¡¯ve never sensed that kind of ability up close before.¡± ¡°let¡¯s eat,¡± Tai proposed. He zigzagged down alleyways through areas of the city that even I would have avoided. Something seemed off. He knew his way around like he was previously a street kid, however, the way he carried himself and spoke made me think otherwise. ¡°So are you going to tell me who you are besides just ¡®Tai¡¯?¡± Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. He ignored me and kept a steady pace until we emerged from the alleys into the more quiet backstreets of the city. He motioned me over to a small ¡®hole in the wall¡¯ food vendor. ¡°No no no Tai, you¡¯re not allowed eat here anymore. You never pay and I¡¯m sick of it,¡± shouted a flustered Asian woman as we sat on the stools, she was making a shooing motion with her hands like we were some sort of pesky pigeons stealing crumbs as she ran out of the back kitchen. I went to stand but Tai grabbed my shoulder and forced me back onto the seat. ¡±No, we¡¯re staying,¡± he said Authoritatively, to me and the frustrated woman. The woman ran back into the kitchen and hurriedly prepared a meal before returning and placing two bowls in front of us, telling us that it was on the house and we didn¡¯t owe her anything. Even I was shocked at the ease he persuaded her into changing her mind. She was sure to be pissed once she realised he had done the same thing to her again that he obviously did each time. Using abilities for personal gain or persuasion was illegal and strictly enforced by law enforcement, but it didn¡¯t really stop people like myself and Tai from using them when needed. You had to be careful though because once you got reported they followed it up eventually, unless you were unlucky enough to get caught red handed by an undercover enforcer. ¡°Alright Tai, you¡¯ve wined and dined me, now who and what are you?¡± ¡°Well what I am is a stupid question. I¡¯m human still, but I¡¯m a part of the experimental gen, and my name is Tai Swan.¡± It took a lot for me to be speechless but Tai did just that. He literally descended from the family who sat at the top of the Consortium, and I couldn¡¯t wrack my brain of why he was going around telling people to run away from the very thing his very family had built. As I drew a breath to ask him the million of questions he cut me off. ¡°We can¡¯t discuss this any further here, take this and meet me at the address tomorrow at 6pm,¡± he added as he hopped up and quickly made his way back to the alleyways. He had handed me a small black metallic card, it was thin and all it had on one of the sides was a white embossed DNA strand. The other side was blank, and It didn¡¯t have any sort of address on it like he said it would. ¡°Reed Hark?¡± A voice asked from behind me. I didn¡¯t turn to face them before I had a chance to slip the card in my sleeve. I couldn¡¯t sense them which meant only one thing ¡ªthey were enforcers. ¡°Sorry got the wrong guy,¡± I said as I kept my head down and got back to my meal trying to keep my emotions regulated. ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡± He grabbed me by the scruff of my jacket and pulled me backwards off the stool before he turned to his partner, ¡°what¡¯s the perps description again?¡± ¡°Caucasian Male, Mid twenties, regular build, 5.10¡±, green eyes, sandy blonde hair.¡± ¡°Well look at that, seems like we did find Reed after all. You¡¯re coming with us,¡± he commanded before overtaking my emotions and making me as cool as a cucumber in order to cuff me and drag me off with little resistance. Enforcers were highly skilled empaths, allowing them to sense out their targets or catch people in the act of illegal activities. I had no chance at trying to counter their abilities. It usually made for a relaxing and easy arrest at least. I was brought back to the main station for this side of the city, thrust into one of the many holding cells and back into the shitty stale recycled air. At least I had some time to practice my empath ability while in holding. I made calm prisoners mad, and mad prisoners calm. It actually became a rather fun game to pass the time ¡ª I wanted to try push them to the absolute limit. ¡°you there, stop fucking with the other prisoners minds,¡± said an officer as he banged on the glass of my holding cell. ¡°Open on cell five,¡± he shouted. The cell door opened and I was escorted along the hallway to an interview room. Inside were two men. One was a well dressed older man which looked at me with judgment, while the other was middle aged who appeared like he was a high ranking officer at the station and didn¡¯t really want to be there. ¡°Take a seat Reed, I¡¯m Chief Kayer and this is Harold Swan. ¡±We have a few questions.¡± All I could do was nod. On the list of things I was expecting, I would not have picked this. ¡°Did you see or interact with my son Tai Swan today,¡± said Harold, jumping the gun as his question prompted a stern stare from the Chief. ¡°No I didn¡¯t.¡± The Chief decided to get in before Harold this time. ¡±We have a report from the MindWave clinic that you used your empath ability on the receptionist to gain an appointment, an illegal use I might add. ¡°This was right around the same time that a man who we believe to be Tai, hijacked the clinics system to warn people off,¡± the Chief concluded. ¡°Hmm doesn¡¯t ring a bell,¡± I said. ¡±The boys lying!¡± Shouted Harold, ¡°don¡¯t be stupid now.¡± After several more minutes of playing stupid and Harold aggressively pressuring the Chief, his hands were tied and he couldn¡¯t keep me in the station any longer. I surmised that it wasn¡¯t entirely legal that he let Harold question me hence the reason he wasn¡¯t keeping me for illegal ability use. ¡±I¡¯ll be watching you boy,¡± threatened Harold as I was escorted out of the room, a threat I ignored hoping that he would forget about it if I didn¡¯t react. Chapter 3 | Warehouse Number Two Walking out of my room the next morning I was greeted by silence. That¡¯s odd. Jake was always up first and he was nowhere in our small shabby apartment. When I thought about it, I couldn¡¯t actually remember getting home or getting into bed. ¡°5pm!¡± I shouted as I checked the time and I frantically searched for a note, or anything from Jake, but the only hint was our apartment door left ajar. I couldn¡¯t be certain but I had a feeling there was something bigger at play, and that was Mr Swan and the Consortium. The card, where the fuck is the card! I started rummaging around the mess in the apartment for the card that Tai gave me. Although it didn¡¯t have a visible address on it, I still wanted to inspect it closer to see if there was anything to it. I sat there staring at it in my hands until I started to get annoyed at been given a blank card with no instructions or way of finding the address I was suppose to meet Tai at. Eventually the annoyance turned to anger. I stared at it longer, getting more angry by the second, and then, it started to glow. Warehouse 2, 510 Bay Lane, the address glowed on the blank backing of the card and I had to ponder the wizardry of of it all on the move as it was gaining on 6pm. ¡ª- It took some aggressive empath bargaining with a cab driver to make it to the address right on 6pm too. Usually they had only subtle defences against empath persuasion but this guy had been next level. He knew all the tricks and almost made me pay full price. Almost. I knew most definitely that¡¯d be another report for the authorities to salivate over. Two in a 24 hour period would start putting you on their radar, but I was already on it. The line of warehouses that number two was located in were rather bland and unassuming sitting along the edge of the harbours docks. The night was setting in and the area was rather poorly lit, one that most likely didn¡¯t have much foot traffic after 5pm, and the air was thick with the seaside smell, stagnant from the lack of breeze. Warehouse Number Two, there it was, closed. Great. I knocked. Knocked again. Nothing. As I stepped back to make sure I was indeed in the correct place, I noticed a little keypad with a fob sensor. Running out of ideas, I pulled the calling card out again. It had surprised me out of left field earlier so I thought it might as well open a door while it¡¯s at it. A loud click clack of the door unlocking filled the air as I pressed the card against the sensor, I was 20 minutes late screwing around with the door and all I thought was that they could of at least let me in. I pushed the door open, triggering the lights to thump on one after the other until it reached the very back of the warehouse, illuminating a very anti-climactic empty space. I felt like some sort of idiot as I walked l around the warehouse, like it was all some magicians joke. As I got to the centre I turned around for one last look before leaving. Until I felt a sudden surge of energy around me. Someone was there and was charging up to strike. I couldn¡¯t see them but it was getting stronger and I bolted for the door. The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. After only a few steps a sudden jolt zapped my body and then black consumed me. ¡ª- Tai was sitting across from me as I slowly came to. I was laying on a couch in a place that definitely was not a warehouse. ¡°Thanks for the welcome,¡± I said as I sat up. ¡°We had to make sure you weren¡¯t followed.¡± ¡°Oh yeah, followed by who?¡± My tone giving away that I knew who he was referring to specifically. His dad, Harold Swan and the Consortium. ¡°The same person who had a go at interrogating me at the police headquarters yesterday? ¡°The same person I¡¯m guessing kidnapped my brother?¡± I sensed a spike of concern when I asked, and I could tell I was right in my guess. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, he¡¯ll just be using him as collateral to try and get to me. We¡¯ll find him.¡± I was in an apartment, some kind of headquarters for whatever it was and it was cramped with about the fifteen or so people working around the space. I went all the way to a warehouse on the docks of the harbour just to be brought back into the city. There were screens everywhere, work spaces, and a big whiteboard style screen on one entire wall that was filled with a bunch of text, drawings and digital documents. I wondered over to the large board to get a better look, it looked like research cross between detective board. ¡°What¡¯s all this?¡± I asked, turning around to Tai. ¡°We¡¯re looking for the original sequence pairs. Over generations they slowly removed all information about the original from the public eye, and the only people who hold it now¡ª¡° ¡°The consortium,¡± I interrupted. ¡°Go figure.¡± Tai nodded and turned to study the board alongside me. It had each corporation that made up the Consortium: GeneTech, The main pioneer of DNA sequencing and editing technology. They hold patents on the core editing processes and software, making them the gatekeepers of all DNA modifications; LifeSpan, focused on enhancing longevity; MindWave who were responsible for Neurology side of things; and, BioForm who specialised in physical enhancement edits. It seemed that the team had already started making headway on reconstructing the original sequence but I had no idea how much data was required to complete it or why I got dragged into this mess. ¡°So¡­. Are you guys some sort of rebellion then?¡± Tai let out a quick laugh, ¡°yeah I guess you could say that.¡± ¡°From what I¡¯ve found out over the years in my research and before I fell out with my father, is that they are making additional edits. Illegal edits. ¡°How do you control the masses? Make them more agreeable and suggestible. Why are there so many issues, why were you in MindWave? Because they purposely make people dependent on them.¡± I couldn¡¯t sense any deceit from Tai as he spoke, he was genuine and passionate about what he saying and it gave a reason as to why his father was so determined to track Tai down. ¡°So why did you invite me here and show me all this?¡± ¡°Because you have a rare dual ability. Even from my time growing up around the Consortium I have yet to run into anyone who can read and sense other people¡¯s abilities. You¡¯d be an asset to us, to the Sequencers.¡± I was flattered at the proposition and surprised to hear Tai had never run into anyone else with the same abilities as mine, but I wasn¡¯t sure if I wanted to jump straight into a rebellion, even if I had already started to doubt the legitimacy of the Consortiums agenda. ¡°I tell you what. You help me get my brother back and keep him safe, and you can tell me all about how we retrieve the original sequences, then I¡¯ll join your little club,¡± I proposed. ¡°Deal,¡± Tai smiled, extending his hand to shake on it. He pulled out his phone and put in an address. According to him it was one of the Consortiums ¡®off the record¡¯ sites and it wasn¡¯t too far from the apartment Jake and I shared either. ¡°That has to be it, let¡¯s go,¡± I said in haste, hopping up to my feet and ready to roll. ¡°Woah not so fast, it may be less heavily guarded than some of the other buildings of theirs but it doesn¡¯t mean it will be easy. We¡¯ll have to come up with a plan.¡± Chapter 4 | Ungrateful Rescue Pulling up it looked like an ordinary storefront at the bottom of one of the residential buildings, one that I had walked past many times since living just a few blocks away. ¡°What it¡¯s in a cafe is it?¡± I scoffed sarcastically as Tai brought his car to a stop across the road. ¡°There¡¯s a basement underneath. That¡¯s the site. ¡°Let¡¯s get a coffee, you¡¯ll have to persuade the staff to let us out back.¡± Tai didn¡¯t allow me a chance to get a word in before he took off across the street, leaving me to enter the cafe without the slightest idea of how I was going to approach it. It was quiet inside the cafe with only a few people sitting around drinking tea and coffee. As soon as I opened the door the counter girl locked eyes with me, a pleasant smile on her face waiting for me to get that little bit closer to welcome me and take my order. A few steps for me to think of a reason to go into the back. ¡°Hiya, how¡¯re you doing today. What can I get for you?¡± Said the girl in a happy, welcoming voice. She might have had a smile and a happy tone but that was not what was going on underneath when I started to sense her. She was irate, about to explode at any misstep. It completely threw me off. ¡°Hey uhh¡ª ¡°So I got a call to come check out issues with your electricity box out the back,¡± I stammered. Oh damn I fucked that up. I quickly locked eyes with her to attempt to calm her. I of course could do this from a distance or without looking at her but direct eye contact made any connection stronger and more effective. ¡°Oh yeah and who did you talk to?¡± She snapped back. I was losing it. ¡°They didn¡¯t leave a name.¡± She started to go mental ¡ª shouting, cussing, and crying. She slid down the to the floor, her head in her knees. ¡°Well that¡¯s one way of doing it,¡± said Tai as he decided to join me again. I broke the poor girl but at least she was out of the way now and let us make our way to the back. The back linked into a communal space, with a door leading to each shop. Except for one. ¡°This is it, are you sensing anything yet?¡± Whispered Tai. ¡°There¡¯s someone close by, they¡¯re distracted.¡± ¡°Perfect.¡± Without so much as a warning, Tai kicked open the door and struck the guard across the side of the head in a quick and admittedly impressive way. The guard dropped to the floor and Tai picked up his weapon before walking over to some conduit that ran along the wall. ¡°Thought you said we needed to stick to the plan!¡± I said. This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. ¡°Nah, was starting to take too long, time to improvise.¡± Tai dragged his hand along the conduit as we walked further into the entrance, a hum electricity gradually grew louder before I started to hear some pops around the corner and a smell of burning plastic. As we turned the corner, I could see, what I guessed were,two smouldering security cameras. ¡°Wait. Did you do that?¡± He ignored my question and motioned me over to a doorway,he touched the electronic lock and zapped it open. He had the same ability as Jake but to a stronger extent ¡ª Bioelectric manipulation. It would have been eating up all of his energy reserves. To short circuit the cameras and then to open a lock, to me, was insane. No one could have that much sustained generation, but there he was still looking sharp as ever as we entered the next room. The entrance was nothing but a snaking hallway, with dark concrete walls and stone floors that opened up into an office layout behind the door we just entered. There were a bunch of offices with large windows, most were empty, in fact majority of the place was empty and seemingly pointless. ¡°Jake¡¯s close,¡± I whispered to Tai. I could feel the panic and the familiarity of my brother. As we zigzagged around the basement office I tried to calm him the best I could from a distance, but at the same time I was picking up two more people. ¡°Argh fuck,¡± I groaned, my head started to thump and spin, my eyes ached, and I fell against the wall, only just holding myself up. It was the first time I had simultaneously focused on multiple things at once. I was trying to calm Jake; pick up a new set of emotions from the approaching people; while trying to read their abilities. ¡°What, what is it?¡± Said Tai as he grabbed me. ¡°Two people,¡± I started to pant, the pain in my head was excruciating. ¡°A couple of pissed off regenerators.¡± Regenerators had the ability to rapidly heal themselves, and getting into fights with them was an absolute pain in the ass. You had to fight them for long enough for them to tire out or deal strong enough blows on them to tire them out quicker. Like all abilities, their energy was not infinite, you drew it from your own body. ¡°Ah shit, get yourself together Reed.¡± I decided to try and block it all out, including my connection with Jake. It eased the migraine and got me to my feet just as I saw Tai run forward, jump, pull his knees to his chest, turn in the air 90 degrees, while hurling himself in the direction of one of the men running toward us. When he was mid-air and close enough, he kicked out both his legs, straight into one of their chests. The thud filled the room, sending the man flying backward and crashing into the wall. With Tai temporarily on the floor, I set my sights on the second guard, and got into a comfortable stance as he rushed toward me. Jake and I enjoyed practicing anything where we could inflict pain on each other in a controlled manner, so naturally we gravitated toward any sort of boxing or martial arts ¡ª activities that paid off in similar situations to that I was about to find myself. I stood my ground, waiting patiently, luring the guard into my range. As he got close I shifted my weight onto my back foot, pulled one knee up, and used the momentum of my hips to throw my foot outwards in a kicking motion. My foot hit him in the sternum, pushing out all the air from his lungs, and making him stagger a few steps backwards. I put my weight back down on my front foot and pushed closer to him, throwing a surprisingly effective hook, jab, cross into his head. It rattled him only for a second as he quickly regained his composure. Tai came in from the side and slashed the side of his face. The guard raised his hand and felt the small cut down his cheek, not even fazed by the blood on his hand as he started stepping toward me again. By the time he reached me the cut had closed in on itself. Fucking regenerators. I could see Tai off to the side, occupied by the other guard again. With no hope of immediate backup, me and the guard started exchanging blows akin to a hockey brawl. I started to fade before finally Tai was back in. He jumped onto the back of the guard I had been punching on with, wrapping his forearm across his throat, and hooking his legs around him before pulling him backward onto the ground where he slowly but surely choked him out. I rolled the guard off the top of Tai and helped him up. Tai let out a small laugh, ¡°that wasn¡¯t so bad was it.¡± Admittedly, his reaction and sudden disregard for any of his own plans had made me laugh too. ¡°Alright let¡¯s find Jake, I¡¯ve had enough brawling for today.¡± We quickly stepped over the bodies of the two guards, Tai did a number on his one, who was laying in a pool of blood and definitely not healing himself out of that situation. After a few minutes we found a locked office That had Jake inside pacing back and forth. I wasn¡¯t too sure I wanted Tai to unlock it either. Once Jake spotted us, he stopped on the spot and glared at me in such a way that I knew I was in for it once we got back home, plus his panic had turned to rage. As Tai raised his hand to the electronic lock, I stared at Jake and tried my hardest to rush calmness onto him. Once that lock popped open, he did some popping of his own. He pulsed Tai, sending a shock through his body before popping a hit to his head, and then proceeded to do the exact same thing to me. ¡°What have you gotten yourself into Reed? Gotten us into? I got fucking kidnapped,¡± he shouted before walking away. ¡°Do you even know where you¡¯re going?¡± Laughed Tai as he called after Jake. ¡°I¡¯ll manage. Fuck you guys.¡± He was pissed but to me that wasn¡¯t unusual. Even as ungrateful as he was to be rescued, I was happy he was safe and unharmed. Chapter 5 | The D.H Tattoo Over the course of a week, I had been meeting up with Tai and the increasingly growing number of people joining his cause, aka his rebellion. He was adamant about not giving it a label but he had no say in the matter, even the media had started noticing some of the increasing activity around the city. Although some of it was fed to them on purpose ¡ª like how the chief of the police lets his buddy Mr Swan interrogate whoever he wanted. Tai wanted to accomplish three things. First, complete the original sequence; Second, build distrust of the Consortium; and third, destroy his fathers legacy. Things were about to heat up. We were still under the radar but had started to paint targets on our backs. I tried working on Jake with no luck, though were were at least on talking terms again. ¡°You know, if you don¡¯t come with me.. you¡¯ll probably get kidnapped again right,¡± I announced, breaking the silence while we ate breakfast together. ¡°I¡¯ll be ready next time,¡± a confidently spoken Jake announced. It went silent again, the only sound being the crunching of cereal until a loud thud thud thud. We both turned to face our apartment door. ¡°That someone knocking Is it?¡± Asked Jake, keeping his voice low. ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡± There was a pause between each thud and I started to feel anger. ¡°Quick get up, it¡¯s either enforcers or it¡¯s the Consortium thugs.¡± The door blew open from what I was guessed was a breaching charge, sending a mix of wood and metal flying inwards toward us. Behind the debris? Enforcers. Our apartment was tiny and we were seventy floors up ¡ª the only exit our apartment door. I grabbed the first thing I could find, my bowl of cereal. I sent it hurling toward them, and It was a projectile of beauty. A sturdy white bowl with a tail of white liquid and traces of grain just barrelling towards them. The impact minimal but aggravating. In my haste and although it wasn¡¯t effective, I turned to grab Jake¡¯s bowl.. not my brightest moment. During my lapse of judgment however, I saw another thing of beauty. I saw Jake do the most un-manly under arm throw of some small triangle looking object. Despite the tense scenario we were in, it made me laugh in disbelief. ¡°You¡¯re absolutely joking aren¡¯t you,¡± I shouted at him. Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. ¡°What!¡± He said, not seeing the problem. Jake, to his credit was more prepared than I thought, like he said he was going to be. Although he hesitated while I jumped into action with my bowl, he was calmer than he¡¯d usually be. I could see why. The little object he so gently flopped over onto the floor, hummed before dropping the four enforcers to the ground where they all writhed around in jolting pain. Jake had rigged this little thing as a stunner with his bio electricity. ¡°Quick it won¡¯t last long,¡± shouted Jake as he grabbed my arm, pulling me across the enforcers laid on the ground. They were in pain but I could feel their anger growing. When we got to the elevator it was all jammed up from the enforcers, likely not wanting to give us a quick escape in case we did what we actually did. Best them. The only way down was via the stairs and we were making quick work of them, our adrenaline fuelling the rapid descent. I put one of my headphones into my ear and called Tai, we had only a few more floors until the bottom and I needed to find out what the hell it was we should do. We couldn¡¯t go back to our apartment as It was the second time we had uninvited guests show up. Tai told us to get to warehouse two again by the docks instead of his HQ incase they found its location, but if we couldn¡¯t make it to keep an eye out for any sign of the white double helix. It was the symbol for Sequencers and any where you saw one they were either a part of, or friends of the movement. ¡°Let¡¯s go out the back exit,¡± I said as we got to the ground floor. We legged it to the back and barged through the door. Caring about a quiet exit was the the last thing on our minds, but as soon as the morning glare faded it was obvious the situation was more dire than I could of imagined. We were encircled by a small army of law enforcement, all pointing guns at us and screaming, then hitting us with a barrage of empath. When you got hit like we did, it feels like sedation, your adrenaline fades out and you feel a calmness drape over you ¡ª like the best of drugs. Under the influence of the empaths and between some sneaky hits while they cuffed us, I could just make out two men standing off behind a vehicle. The Chief and you guessed it, Mr Swan. There¡¯s no way they¡¯d do something so silly in broad daylight I thought. Or did they really still have that much control? ¡°We¡¯ll take them in, Chief,¡± offered one of the enforcers as he swooped in, grabbed me, and motioned to his partner to grab Jake. ¡°Thank you Sergeant,¡± said the Chief, while Mr Swan gave an approving nod. They threw us into the caged back of their SUV and made off down the street, screeching as they exited onto the main drag. The effects of all the forced empath started to wear off as our apartment building dropped into the distance and some more time from the broken connections lapsed. ¡°Pull over into here for a second,¡± ordered the sergeant pointing to a nearby alley. His partner pulled in and slowly pulled to a stop, the sergeant unbuckling his belt before opening his door. ¡°Hop out and get the perp out,¡± he ordered again, pointing at me. It was a major oh fuck moment, but then I noticed a small tattoo on the sergeants neck, the top of which was only visible as his shirt got pulled down the slightest as he exited the car. A double helix. The partner did as he was ordered and opened the back door on the side I was seated, Pop pop pop. The sound of three shots quickly rang out. Blood splattered across the window that was now shattered and the Sergeants partner started gasping for air as he held onto the door for support. I quickly formed an empath connection with him and gave him peace in his final seconds. Did he deserve it? I¡¯m not sure, but I couldn¡¯t stand watching it and feeling his frantic emotions. The Sergeant raced to unlock our cuffs while he called in an escape attempt. ¡°There¡¯s a blue door just up there. Go through it and follow the double helixes,¡± demanded the Sergeant. ¡°They¡¯ll be here any second.¡± With sirens already getting louder there was no time for thank you¡¯s or follow up questions about how many other law enforcement were a part of the Sequence, we had to run for the door as quickly as possible. Jake flung the door open, holding it waiting for me to get through, and police vehicles started pouncing on the end of the alleyway where we just were. I slammed shut the door plunging us into darkness except for a small glow ahead of us. It was a subtle double helix not too far ahead of us. The first marker.