Matched. Placed. Perfection.

[punkyears]

Delilah looked away from Aiden for a moment, noticing a woman on a small pedestal in the front of the massive room, who had not been there a few minutes before then. Delilah vaguely recognized the woman's face that she was almost positive she had seen on advertisements for the matching of all 17 year old's. She hid behind Aiden a bit, earning her a few strange looks from other recruits.

"Hello everybody and welcome to the resistance meeting, I'm sure you're all very excited to learn more about our plans when we overthrow our cruel and controlling government and I will explain it all. But first let me introduce myself. My name is Miranda Evergreen, and I am the head of the matching department here in Society. I would like to take a minute to talk about what we plan on doing here for our new and better era. We call this era, The Freedom Era. Our new era will usher in a new, SAFE, and FREE way about our country. Diversity, culture, all of the old and wonderful things about our old world will be reinstated! But with freedom comes a prize… yes it is true that many lives will be lost. This battle will not be an easy one, and yet this is why you are here tonight! To join our ranks! Fight for your freedom, your own voice! Perfection… ladies and gentleman, is the only thing that keeps you safe, unless you are brave enough to defy the odds" Delilah gripped the back of Aiden's shirt out of pure fear. The air swooshed out of her lungs, and her knees felt weak.

What did she mean that many lives would be lost? Why in hell would a leader would put the lives of her people in the line in such way. Surely that had to be another way- something- other than war. But Delilah stopped herself. She knew better than to think that their current government would ever listen to the few that rebelled. But still, deep in her hear she believed that humans weren't born evil, and if they weren't born evil, what was to say about changing the way they think; changing the way EVERYONE thinks buy giving them the ability to think for themselves; and that meant to Delilah that everyone should get a say in HOW they were to take down the Society.

"I-I don't think I can be in this room much longer without having a panic attack." Delilah chocked out in a whisper, looking around at the exits, but they were all blocked. The feeling of frantic panic further settled into her gut, and she fought the urge to vomit.

My parents didn't die for a cause that did not first think about its citizens safely, they did not die so that their knowledge on war and peace could burn out in the fire of their deaths.



__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


Sorry but i totaly found this pic i love of the girl that Plays Delilah aka her name face;

 

[Zeph]

Aiden heard Delilah and turned. ''Ah, I got panic attacks when I first joined as well. Well, would you like to come me to somewhere more, well non-war planning-ish?'', he said. Once again, he offered his hand to her in an act to lead her somewhere that seemed less full of strife. ''I know the place to calm down.'' Now he couldn't stop thinking of his parents. They showed him this ''relaxing room'' because he felt like this was too much to handle. Taking down a full board of governors? He thought they were crazy. Trying to hide the sorrow from Delilah, he gave her a look that said come-on-you-can-do-it.

 

[Ty Lee]

The way to the actual meeting was a fair way to walk, through the tunnels Luella walked while being guided along by those of the Resistance, before finally she made her way to a larger room. The speech had already begun, and quickly the girl was frisked and her bag was checked, being cleared to enter in, though she hung around one of the entrances to the large room, listening intently.

"...Our new era will usher in a new, SAFE, and FREE way about our country. Diversity, culture, all of the old and wonderful things about our old world will be reinstated! But with freedom comes a prize… yes it is true that many lives will be lost. This battle will not be an easy one, and yet this is why you are here tonight! To join our ranks! Fight for your freedom, your own voice! Perfection… ladies and gentleman, is the only thing that keeps you safe, unless you are brave enough to defy the odds."

The chanting began, and Luella was inspired to the very core of her being by this. While she smiled, she lifted her arm up and began chanting with them, feeling the powerful vibe bore down on everyone within the room. It was evident that once people banded together, a common goal to look to, all things outside of it seemed to become irrelevant. Society, the ranks of military power... Everything converged on this single point, and the people had spoken.

The Resistance, was a power in itself.

 

[Mundane Monster]

It wasn't very hard to get to the meeting, unlike his handwriting, Marcus' drawings were a lot neater and more descriptive. James didn't have to worry about his parents, for they knew that he wasn't one for celebrating or talking about himself at all, so they had gone on ahead to celebrate his 'accomplishment' on their own. Although most people would find that odd and maybe a bit irritating, James was glad for it. This way it didn't look as though he disapproved of the system, it just looked like he was shy and modest.

When he entered the sewers, he thought he would have to strain his eyes in the dim light to see where to go next, but there was no need as there was a surprising amount of people already there. Young people, older people, even a few of the elderly. One old man looked frighteningly familiar, but when James tried to go get a better look, he was intercepted by a red haired woman who smiled brightly at him.

"Hi there! Are you new?" She asked, cheerfully.

"Have you seen me before?" James asked point blank.

The woman's smile faltered, and she glanced around nervously. "Uh...No?'

"Well, then I'm new." He stated matter of factly. It wasn't as though he disliked the woman, but he found that most cheerful people were the chattiest ones and they never seemed to relent, even when signs of 'I don't feel like talking to you' have been shown. So naturally, he opted to shut them down before they started, to avoid awkward and maybe painful conversation.

"Uh--

Before the woman could reinforce her smile or struggle to say something else, someone slung their arm around James shoulder and pulled him towards the entrance to the meeting. James struggled under the arm for a minute before he realized that it was Marcus guiding him.

"Glad you made it, Jamie." The taller boy said as they entered the meeting room. "Oh, it's starting. Listen closely." Marcus said excitedly.

James turned, to focus on a stage where the last person he expected to see here was standing. Miranda Evergreen, the head of the damned matching department. "Holy sh--

"I know right?" Marcus whispered, grinning from ear to ear.

As he listened to the woman speak, James glanced down at everyone around him. Some were nodding with tears in their eyes, some were smiling and emitting murmurs of 'Mhm' and 'Exactly'. Despite a few worried and unsure faces, it seemed that nearly everyone in this room was united for a single cause. And when the crowd began to chant, and Marcus pumped his fists in the air, James didn't join in, but when Marcus turned back around and saw the little half smile on his best friends face, he grinned so wide he looked like the Cheshire cat.

 

[mikailgirl]

The way to the actual meeting was a fair way to walk, through the tunnels Esther walked while following others of the Resistance as to not get lost, before finally she made her way to a larger room. The speech had already begun, and quickly she was frisked luckily she hadn't brought a bag just herself, before being cleared to enter in, she hung back kind of freaked out by what was going on. Esther listened in intently wondering if her matched was here, she had a feeling he was.

"...Our new era will usher in a new, SAFE, and FREE way about our country. Diversity, culture, all of the old and wonderful things about our old world will be reinstated! But with freedom comes a prize… yes it is true that many lives will be lost. This battle will not be an easy one, and yet this is why you are here tonight! To join our ranks! Fight for your freedom, your own voice! Perfection… ladies and gentleman, is the only thing that keeps you safe, unless you are brave enough to defy the odds."

The chanting began, and Esther felt her ears ring, this was very different then what she had heard about the resistance. Everyone seemed normal and clean, nothing like her roommates had told her. There were even many powerful people here, like the head of the matching commit, that made her gasp. She didn't really want to fight but she didn't want to be left out of what seemed like a history making event so she lifted her arm up and began chanting with them, feeling scared but part of something bigger then herself, a feeling she was learning she really liked. The Resistance, she knew was going to change history forever and she was riding along with it.

 

[WarriorHeart]

Loch chatted away with the woman, her name was Rose. She wasn't very pleased with her match and couldn't seem to say enough about the issue. Loch feigned interest with great skill while making note of the resources within the room; soldiers, weapons, paraphernalia and supporters. The resistance definitely had plenty of people behind them. There was probably a similar meeting going on in every provincial capital. Just in these meetings alone would add up to over one thousand. In the grand scheme of things, it would make little difference. Some of the armed men had obvious training but most did not. The sheer time required to masquerade would take a serious bite out of continued improvement and exercise.

Rose was still going on about some boy she liked that wasn't her match. She prattled on that the person Society placed in charge of matchmaking was a fool. Her mouth never seemed to stop running but a commotion near a small stage managed to silence her. In fact, the entire place grew still as all eyes turned to see what was going to happen next.

A small woman came out and began to speak. "Hello everybody and welcome to the resistance meeting, I'm sure you're all very excited to learn more about our plans when we overthrow our cruel and controlling government and I will explain it all. But first let me introduce myself. My name is Miranda Evergreen, and I am the head of the matching department here in Society." Loch bit his tongue to keep from exposing himself. He was stunned. How could someone so high in the infrastructure of Society be the leader of the resistance?

Somewhere in the city at street level…​

"Rodeo Clown, this is Snake Doctor. Interrogative."

"Go ahead, Snake Doctor."

"Is the corral in place?"

"Corral is set, Snake Doctor. Interrogative."

"Go ahead with interrogative, Rodeo Clown."

"Rules of engagement?"

"RoE states self-defense and hostile action."

"Solid copy, Snake Doctor."

The man behind the radio sat back and looked over some of his notes. The plan was thrown together very quickly yet it seemed sound enough to accomplish the objective. He lifted the radio and keyed in the button once more. "All cowboys, confirm hold."

Whispered and hushed voices clicked back though the speaker.

"Cowboy 3 holding." "Cowboy 2 holding." "Cowboy 7 holding." So on and so forth until fourteen call signs had confirmed a hold. Snake Doctor looked at his notes and clicked his mic once more.

"Time Keeper, this is Snake Doctor reporting perfect set."

"Snake Doctor, start the show."

"All call signs. All call signs. Showtime."

Back in the underground meeting…​

"This battle will not be an easy one, and yet this is why you are here tonight! To join our ranks! Fight for your freedom, your own voice! Perfection... ladies and gentleman... is the only thing that keeps you safe... unless you are brave enough to defy the odds"

Loch was debating with himself whether to be angry with the hubris of this woman and her group or to simply laugh at their ignorance. He played the part very well. He threw his fist in the air with the others and called for the fall of Society. He chanted and cheered until his throat began to hurt. It was at this time when he heard it.

Several metal containers came clinking and clanking into the room. The crowd split as people looked around but no one would get a good look. One by one the canisters exploded spilling tear gas at rapid rates into the chamber. Within seconds, flashbangs went off at the entrances to major tunnels. Loch was trained to handle a certain amount of tear gas but when the flashbangs went off, he was completely caught off guard. Loch couldn't hear people screaming or crying or shouting. All he could hear was the ringing in his ears. He was blinking to try and establish a constant pattern of vision. The phosphorous burn from the flashbang was designed with one purpose; to blur and confuse the optical nerves.

Loch was starting to choke from prolonged exposure to the gas. He grabbed Rose by her shoulders and lifted her to her feet. She was crying and rubbing her eyes while trying to spit out the noxious fumes. Loch led her around the corner and away from the chaos. He glanced over his shoulder to see Watchmen in riot gear and gas masks entering the main room. The four main tunnels were blocked off by men with shields. There were occasional breaks where a soldier would come through and take down a suspect.

A man with a pistol and a rag over his face was leading several 'freedom fighters' into a smaller tunnel. Loch hustled Rose along and jumped in behind them. They made their way to a fork. Loch followed the gaze of the armed man who saw several Watchmen posted up behind cover waiting to catch strays. Naturally, they took the other route. This did not work out either because after twenty more yards they encountered the same thing. With his hearing coming back to him and his vision close to normal, he assessed the situation as any realist would; trapped.

The armed fighter pushed the women behind him. He stared with a cold expression at the Watchmen down the way. From behind their barricade and rifle scopes, one of them called out.

"Lay down your weapons and get on the ground."

"Shove it up your ass!" The armed man shouted. He stood defiantly. Loch couldn't help but admire his courage. He shook his head at the stupidity. Loch and the others crouched down low against the tunnel wall.

"Last chance; lay down your weapons now!" The Watchman shouted.

"Suck on this!" He raised his gun towards the Watchmen but only got it halfway up before the rest of the group heard a 'fooomp!' sound. The man dropped to the ground with a shocked look frozen on his lifeless face. The hole in his head began to spill bright red blood on the tunnel floor.

Rose went crazy and started screaming. Loch tried to keep her down but she was lost in a frenzy of grief and rage. She elbowed him in the jaw and ran to where the man had dropped his gun. Rose was shot in the head trying to pick it up. Loch and the others laid down on the tunnel floor. They were quickly bound by thick, plastic cuffs and lead away.

+++++
​

Loch bounced along in the back of the personnel carrier. He was still handcuffed. He looked around to see men and women, young and old, every race and creed. Most were silent though some still had enough energy to grumble. Everybody had red eyes and dry lips from the gas. Several people were bandaged at various places on their bodies. Some wept over lost friends. Some held enough rage in their eyes that it seemed to be radiating heat to those around them.

The vehicle came to a stop and booted footsteps let everyone know this was their last stop. The doors swung open and heavily armored men began yanking them out and shuffling them between two lines of guards. They ushered them all into a building with no windows, high walls and lots of Constantine wire.

Once inside, prisoners were sorted; first, by sex and then by age. Each group was then moved into separate holding rooms. Imagine being inside a concrete shoe box with guards walking round the top. Loch shuffled along with the rest of the young men. He tried to stay close to the quiet ones but within earshot of the young men running their mouths.

"This is bullshit. How'd they find us?"

"Maybe that Miranda bitch set us up…"

"She wouldn't…" He stopped as a guard walked along the catwalk above his head.

Loch was inching closer to hear more when a chorus of rifle bolts being racked sparked his attention. The door they had been shoved through was opened and a foray of guards marched in. They snatched two men and drug them outside. Then they took two more and two more after that. The thirty or so who had started was now dwindled down to about ten. Loch was starting to get nervous. There were only a few people who knew of his involvement and if the situation did not play out accordingly, his cover would be blown.

After about an hour, the doors opened again and the guards came in and repeated their previous actions. He and one other young man, a quiet little guy with more fear in his eyes than the rest of the group combined, were taken next to last. They were manhandled into a tiny hallway where they were split up and tossed into adjacent rooms. Loch landed on his shoulder and his head snapped down and cracked against the smooth, cold floor. He worked himself around and got into a sitting position. That's when he realized the room was only large enough for him to sit. He could not stand, he could not stretch out. It was basically just a box; a box big enough to squeeze a man into and leave him. With nothing better to do and being completely exhausted, Loch closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep.

+++++​

Loch was awoken to the sound of his door being opened. Rough hands grabbed his clothes and jerked him from his cell. He was yanked to his feet and pressed against the wall.

"That's enough, Watchman." A familiar voice said. "Take him to sick bay and return to our post."

Loch opened his eyes. The light was a strain as was just waking up. He saw his brother, Stew, and nearly acknowledged him but a subtle head shake stifled any gestures from Loch. He was led away by the Watchman and taken to Sick Bay where he was placed on a gurney and strapped down.

Stew came up moments after the guard left and began to undo the restraints. "You look like crap, lil' bro." He smirked and helped Loch sit up. Loch rubbed his wrists and stretched. "Nice place you have here." Loch looked around and saw several guards on duty by the door; a worried expression darkened his face. "How am I going to-"

Stew cut him off with a raised hand. "It's been taken care of. The men who have seen you up to this point are from a different garrison." Stew looked over his shoulder to the door. He then turned back to face his brother but now he was wearing a smile. "Those men are from your garrison and they have been informed of the actions and involvement of their Captain." Stew let a few seconds go by watching Loch closely.

Loch stared off at the wall. "Well, at least my friends will know I…captain?" He turned and looked at Stew with wide eyes. "You mean?" Stew nodded and clapped Loch on his sore shoulder. Loch winced. "Yep! Once it was clear the raid was successful, your promotion went straight through all the way to the OGs. Congrats, Loch."

Loch smiled and got up off the gurney. He was surprised at how weak he felt. He grabbed Stew's strong arm for support. "If it's alright with you, I would like to go home and rest. I have to work tonight." Stew shook his head. "Dad gave you the night off, but I'll see to it that you get home." The two men walked out into the hallway where the waiting Watchmen congratulated their friend. The four of them left the building and piled into an official vehicle and sped off. As they talked about the raid and Loch's promotion, Loch stared out the window at the intimidating facility. He thought about all the people inside and what they had gone through. He wondered what was going to become of them.

 

[punkyears]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Delilah stated to reach for his out stretched hand, but hesitated half way. She was shaking hard, but It wasn't that she did, or didn't trust him, it was simply that she didn't know if she wanted to be alone with the boy, especially in her current state. After much deliberation and thinking over his words to her, she reached out the rest of the way and gripped onto his hand tightly, thinking that her mental state was more important at that moment than overthrowing the government. She couldn't help but to noticed how much larger his hand was compared to her own, and how his eyes had softened a touch when he noticed her shaken-up state. She also noticed the sadness behind them that he was trying to hide. Even in her mess-of-a-state, her job training shone through and picked up on that bit of sadness, and latched onto it, filling it away in her mind to ask him about later. They turned to go, but not before she noticed some rush falling from where the sewer grates where. She reckoned it was due to the loud crowd chanting in a off-key unison, they were already shaking the cavern walls, so it was only logical to think that they could knock rust off the sewer grate, so she ignored it and followed Aiden, trying to focus on her breathing and blocking out the crowd and they slowly became quieter and quieter as they walked away from the hell that was about to break loose in the main meeting room. [/BCOLOR]

 

[Zeph]

Aiden heard the raid halfway through the tunnel. Still holding Delilah's hand, he realized it wasn't the cheering crowd, it was tear gas and despair. ''We have to get out of here. Society is raiding the tunnels. Come on!'' he shouted. He yanked her onto his shoulder and began running through the tunnels
to an emergency exit. Running through, he still had his pistol in his hand, just in case there were any Society watchmen. As he ran through the tunnel, shooting the remaining raiders, he found that they were almost there. Looking up at the entrance, he saw 2 guards. Must have been an inside job... No-one except for Resistance would know where it is..., he thought. Looking at his hand to make sure he still had his gun, he aimed it at one guard and shot him. Cocking the pistol for the second, he aimed at him too, and once again pulled the trigger. He put his handgun back into his hip, and set Delilah down. ''Ladies first!'' he said, pointing to the ladder.

 

[Adira]

Lily was watching and chanting with the crowd when suddenly she heard cries and screams. Looking around, frightened now, she saw people running and clutching their eyes as tear gas began to flood the resistance hall. Miranda was rushed away quickly as most of the people ran in terror, while others took a loosing stance to fight for the freedom they so angrily demanded. Finn pulled her quickly though a opened door that led down a damp hallway. The door was suddenly locked behind her as people rushed for the stairs. Pushing and shoving as they made their way up into the marble covered streets of the capitol city. She looked around for Finn and couldn't find him. Terrified, she took off down the streets, her heels clattering against the marble street as she fought to hold up her floor length gown.

Her breath caught in her throat as she and a few other 17 year olds approached the matching building. The boys and girls alike stood at the door to the grand building as they looked around for a sign of hope in one another. In the dark silence of the night nothing but a few terrible screams could be heard in the distance. As one girl dared to whisper "Tonight never happened." And silently, they all agreed.

Lily and the others had silently made a plan to walk in and separate instantly. Lily made her way to the table where her parents sat with her friends and they eagerly stood up to embrace their daughter in a hug. They held her close as they whispered "What happened" In her ear. Lily looked up at her parents, terrified on the inside what might happen to her if they knew, but she had a bothering urge that they already suspected the truth. The air train home was full of giggles and cheers as the happy teenagers discussed their new matches as the lights of Society sped past her in a pattern of blurred lights.

 

[Sashakiki]

Alex was heading back to where the resistance was meeting. He was half way into the sewer when he heard screams. He jumped out, afraid of what was going on down there. He closed the top off quietly and put his hood up, he didn't want to be seen and if he was, he didn't want his face to be seen. He walked swiftly down the street, ignoring the yelling from the guards as they ran after those who were running away. It was obvious that if people didn't get away, they were going to be taken away. He was turning the corner when he ran right into one of the military people. "Hey. Boy. Where the hell do you think your going" The man asked with the look as if he had just snagged a big catch. Alex gulped "Sorry sir, I just had to make a delivery to one of the houses nearby, i was leaving when i started hearing screams" He said softly. The guard looked angry, but he had no reason to take him in. "Fine, get going kid" He muttered and then left

Alex tried to catch his breath and not throw up as he walked back to the where the air train station was. What would of happened if he hadn't been able to make an excuse? He didn't want to think about it. He got on the train and leaned against the window, the train was abuzz with chatter of kids who were happy but any happiness that Alex had been feeling earlier was now gone. He wished that he hadn't even considered going back and was hoping that there hadn't been any cameras near the pot hole.

 

[Ty Lee]

The flash bangs were what caught Luella off-guard.

The way the entire situation unfolded was something to behold, but also something to fear. People so drawn into the image they had created along with Society, that they would stamp on anything which dared ruin such a thing. This was what Luella was completely and utterly against, though she could do little to curb the rise of screams and gunfire.

As if a stroke of luck was taken by her, she was pulled away rather vigorously, her form flailing about though she couldn't see for the time being. The tear gas was burning her throat, and even with her eyes closed, it caused her to scream and her flailing became too much for those who held her. If only she could see, she would've been able to get herself out of there.

Luella felt herself rise, as if still being held and someone climbing upwards, the sound of boots to the ladder nearby were enough to cause her to relax a little. Even in the case of Society finding their way into the tunnels, there was always going to be secret paths and the like riddled along such an underground system. Down here, even with technology as it is, radar could not pierce the solid metal which the city was built upon. All of this, the escape, went on in the matter of a minute or so.

Soon, everything stopped, and the sound of a few people gasping for breath were evident to Luella's senses. Luckily, she had not been shot dead or even captured, but the stinging pain at her right thigh was hard to ignore.
"Argh! Holy shit! What the-- HELL!" Her thigh was suddenly gripped, and then the sound of tearing rung out through her ears as a bandage was applied.
"Listen, you got shot in the thigh as we were climbing - luckily, we've now slipped away from them, but we have to keep moving, and keep vigilant." A male voice spoke, but the security officer could not recognise it - it was likely that some strangers had pulled her away, and while she didn't mind being alive, the touch of a male upon her thigh of all places - it sure made her swell up in anger, at least on the inside.
"You'll be alright, girly. It's just us four, shouldn't be too hard to evade the coming storm. We were lucky that this wasn't a full on invasion, else we wouldn't have gotten away." A female voice soon sung out, and she sounded rather sweet - but a little old all the while. The fourth member of this spontaneous group didn't seem to have a voice, or so Luella thought, but for now, she could simply revel in the pain of the thigh shot.

They soon began to move along, stepping over metal mesh while Luella held onto the female she had heard. She was still blind for the moment, and she was well aware that it would take a while for her vision to reset and become available again.
"Where are we?" Luella asked, her eyes closed for the moment as they stung beyond belief when she tried to open them. It was unfortunate that she didn't anticipate such a thing, the rebellion against Society being all too enticing, though she couldn't fault herself for it now. She still lived, breathed even, and she hoped her face had not been known while down there.
"We're heading East, in one of the sub-tunnels which also run beneath the city. We're assuming these Society jerks took other directions, but this one was relatively free. It's a complex system, and we're lucky it's so far underground. Though, girly, we may have to drop you off someplace on the surface, and you can make your own way home. Remember, we were never here, and we cannot be found, ever. Else... Society will grip our necks, and destroy us from within." The woman spoke gravely, as if she had seen the dangers of all of this before, though Luella couldn't tell merely from tone of voice. She was a visual kind of girl, and this situation did not suit her one bit.

The four continued on, deeper they went, though at one point they stopped once more. Luella's eyes didn't sting so much, but they were indeed very red, and vision was at a minimum.
"Girly, this may be it. You're going to slide down this tunnel, and you'll emerge on the far eastern end of the city. We couldn't really provide any real landing pad, so be prepared for... The stink."
"What do you mean-- no wait, please, don't just--" Luella soon lost her footing, and she fell hard into a tunnel which slanted downward, and here was where she picked up speed. Though, there was also another thing, the sound of gunshots.

Luella may have just kissed Death on the lips.

Sliding along this abnormally long, slippery tunnel without being able to see was quite the hassle, and with no way to slow down, she was scared that she'd end up as good as a tomato soup. Though soon, she began to rise up, and then, Luella became airborne. By now, she had lost consciousness, the speed and tumbling in such a tunnel causing her to silently fly through the air - into the dumpster she went. It was lucky she was going at the right speed, because any faster wouldn't have softened her landing.

So, for now, Luella was in a stinky, smelly dumpster, all while unconscious.

At least it beat being dead.

 

[Mundane Monster]

When the flash bangs made their appearance along with a swarm of authorities, James and Marcus were off like a shot. Marcus yanked his friend along to a circular door that James hadn't noticed until just now when everyone began to scatter. Marcus grabbed the crank-like door handle and soon the door began to roll to the side, revealing a dim tunnel with only a speck of light glittering from the end of it.


Surprise and horror coursed through him when he was suddenly shoved to the ground. He scrambled to his feet and whirled around to see his best friend smiling at him and pushing the circular door closed.
"Marcus, what are you doing!?" James screamed, launching himself towards the door.

"Go towards the light, dude. I'll see you later." Marcus whispered before slamming the door closed. James stumbled backwards, his breath coming in at an irregular pace. His heart was slamming into his rib cage and everything hurt. He had never felt like this before and he didn't know what to do. Why didn't Marcus go with him? What was going to happen to him? Didn't he realize that he was in danger?

His frantic thoughts were interrupted when a loud bang echoed through the tunnel and the circular door seemed to rattle in place. James heard the voices of the Society authorities from the other side. They were trying to ram it down. They must have seen him and Marcus enter it.

Running down the tunnel with all his strength, James soon found himself alone in the darkness with only a speck of light to guide his path. Thankfully, the tunnel was mostly smooth so he only tripped a couple of times.

Finally after what seemed like hours, James breached the other side and found himself a few blocks from the train station. Turning back to look at the tunnel one more time, James started the short walk to board the train.

-

When he got home, his parents were too busy celebrating to notice his dampened mood. Not that he ever looked any different from he normally did.
Seeking comfort, James entered his grandfather's room where the man was staring off into space. James knew better than to interrupt the elderly man's gazing, so instead he slumped into the rocking chair and stared into space too.

 

[WarriorHeart]

The day following the raid was a day like every other. People went to work. Children went to school. The sun shone bright and the birds sang sweet melodies. However, in cities all around the country, small groups of people clustered around large monitors to read a message.


From your friendly Dept. of Public Works:

Society has decided to upgrade the water and sewer systems. This will mean a better service in the long run but at the cost of a minor inconvenience. There will be rolling disruptions of water and/or sewer systems throughout your city. Area businesses and residents will be notified an hour before work is to be performed and will last no more than an hour or two. Thank you for your patience and understanding as we continue to improve your quality of life. Thank you for your patience and understanding. Have a perfect day.


Most people went about their business thinking that Society was just looking out for the interest of its population. There were some who knew the reason for a sudden interest in the sewers. Though, no one could talk about it since it never happened.

 

[punkyears]

Delilah looked at him, and nodded, releasing his hand. She gripped her heels in her left hand and stepped onto the first of 20 or so metal foot holds. She heard the screams getting louder and the rumble of falling stone her throat closed up again. She froze, but felt Aidens large hands gripped her hip and butt, thrusting her upwards and out of the sewer hole. She rolled out and down an embankment. She felt her dress being pulled on by broken twigs and small rocks, coming to an abrupt halt before one of the many rivers that flooded through the Capital City. She didn't notice Aiden at first, and she decided that it wasn't safe for either of them to be seen together; do she bolted away from the river and twords the direction of her hotel. When she reached it, she ran inside, ignoring the judgmental looks of citizens; citizens abiding by what the government asked of them. Forced of them. As she fell backwards on her bed, she was even more confused about how she felt (about the government, matching, and her personal feelings on life in general), and fell asleep.

 

[Zeph]

Aiden popped out of the hole, covered it back up and looked around. Delilah got out of here. Good. Claire! Aiden immediately remembered about his sister and bolted for their apartment. Running down the sidewalks, he spotted the place he and his sister lived at and arrived. Hoping Society didn't do anything to her, he knocked on the door and waited for the quiet, innocent voice that was to answer. ''Hello?'' ''It's me, Claire.'' he answered. She opened the door and hugged him. Sighing, he closed the door and jumped on to a couch. ''What happened, Aiden? You look kinda.. more Aiden-y than most days...'' He laughed. ''Something happened at work today.'' said Aiden. Claire knew what he was talking about. There could have been people watching, so understanding or not, she needed to be cautious. Leaning close to her ears, he told her about the raid and escaping with his Match. ''I want to see your Match!'' said the tiny girl, excitedly.

''Are you this impatient at school?'' teased Aiden. Claire shook her head with a mischievous laugh. ''Well, you're gonna have to wait a week. That's when the meeting starts.'' She crossed her arms. ''Considering the situation you two were in, I think you liiike her!'' Aiden frowned. ''She's cute. I can't argue with that. I also think she can see what I'm feeling... Her job said so as well.'' Aiden sighed and relaxed on the relatively comfortable but cheap couch.

 

[Scout]

Devlin had just made his way back into the grand room the dinner was held when he caught of a glimpse of a creased paper in someone's hand with small, chicken-scratch writing on it. Though he was only able to read a single word before his mother called his name to get his attention; however that one word confirmed his suspicions: Resistance. He knew that whatever else lay on that paper was more information about the Resistance meeting he heard someone talk about on the shuttle ride over, but it was too late for him to delve into it now. His mother already spotted him. There was no going back--no going to that meeting. It would be too suspicious should he suddenly turn away, and even more suspicious if he excused himself from the table later. There wasn't a bone in him that could lie to his mother without feeling guilty.

Turning bright green eyes to his mother, Devlin weaved his way through the group of people and chairs alike to get to the designated table, taking his spot next to his mother. The second he sat down his hand was snatched up by the petite fist of his mother, all but engulfing the small hand in his larger one. She gave it a small squeeze, looking to him with excited eyes. "So how is she, Joe?"

He knew she wanted the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, but the fact of the matter was he didn't know. They never met, he couldn't formulate an accurate opinion about the girl--he wasn't even sure if he liked her yet. She could be whiny, clingy, have a high-pitched voice that hurt his ears every time she opened her yap; he could hate her guts. However he could also love her very existence; adore the subtle wrinkle of her nose whenever she concentrated too hard, cherish the way she seemed to glide across the floor like a dancer when she walked, or treasure the musical twinkling of her laugh. There were so many things swirling around in his head, but none of them sufficed as a proper answer to give his mother other than one word. A word he knew would tickle her pink.

"She's perfect mom. You were right."

Just like he predicted, his mother squeezed his hand tight, green eyes much like his own on the verge of tears. "Oh, Joe. I knew it. I knew you would be happy with her. I hope the very best for you."

Now he felt the guilt rise up his throat, but he swallowed it down and put one of his effortless smiles on his face, giving his mother a quick kiss on the cheek before turning his attention to the food placed in front of him. It looked delicious compared to the regulated nutrition-packed food they were fed every day. Too bad he lost his appetite.

***

By the time the ceremony and celebratory dinner was over, it was well into the night. Because Devlin lived in one of the further provinces he was allowed to stay in a hotel room with his mother for the night on the premise that they would leave the next day without hassle and he would return his suit before he left. The square of the green vest he wore underneath would be shipped out to him a few days later.

Sleep was restless. It felt like as soon as he fell asleep he was woken up by some horrible feeling clawing around in his head; it felt like something bad had happened. Maybe he should've gone to the Resistance meeting. Maybe that's why he's feeling so odd. Thoughts of the Resistance and what could've happened should he have gone to the meeting were the only things that clouded his mind every time he woke up. Before he knew it it was morning and his mother was telling him news she heard when she had breakfast, complimentary of the hotel that housed t hem for the night.

Rubbing a fist on his eyes in an attempt to remove the sleep, Devlin let out a quiet yawn and nodded his head, giving his mother the impression that he was listening to every word when he was actually tuning out her voice. What did he care about upgrades to the sewer systems? Despite his lack of care for the subject, he did get a similar feeling to what he felt last night when he thought of the Resistance. It was impossible for the two things to be linked together...

Or was it?​

 

[Ty Lee]

The night had been hard on Luella's body, as it would be when one sleeps within a dumpster. She mused sometime later, the morning being treacherous even for her, as the sound of something metallic and the feeling of falling definitely was a shock to the system. With a yelp, she was almost flung into a garbage truck, of all things.

"Whoa! Whoa whoa whoa!" She squealed lightly, managing to grasp the side of the inner walls of the truck, her heart racing already, before she pulled herself up and avoided becoming part of the landfill - cleverly reduced and posing no threat to Society itself. She jumped down to the side of the truck, before she held her head, the splitting headache being enough to almost throw her off balance.

"Oh... ruddy hell!" Cursing, she soon made her way to the opposite sidewalk, not without almost being hit by a car in the process. It was only then when she noticed the condition of her leg, and the second wave of aching, agony and pain causing severe discomfort. Luella ground her teeth together, trying to steel herself, even if the throbbing intensified when she did this.

Making her way along the streets, she had only a single intention - to return home and make sure her father was okay. While he was an ageing man, he was the only man in her life whom she respected to a great degree, willing to trust him with her life. A sigh emanated from her vocals, all while her eyes seemed so level for one who had only recently woken up.

The way home was a long one, and without energy, Luella had to stop many times just to keep herself from passing out. Her drive and determination was admirable, and definitely paid off in a desperate situation such as this, and while she believed herself to be rather powerless, the sheer amount of motivation she held would've been desirable to some people, higher up at least.

----•----

She soon arrived home, jogging the last few paces while she looked at her door, realising that there was an orange slip upon it. She pulled it off, and examined it, before she placed her forearms against the door and lowered her head somewhat. Unlocking the door took only the swipe of her wrist, as she held a key within her pocket which allowed this ease of access to be possible.

Once inside, Luella locked the door behind her and rushed straight to her bedroom, dumping the orange slip in the trash while her vision went rather blurry due to tears forming a little sooner than she had hoped. Her father had been taken away, having been caught moments after the Resistance had met up. She was utterly devastated, and even the knowledge of having a weapon nearby seemed to sway her in a direction of self destruction. If only she could lose that much control of herself, she would have thought had her mind been free of her late father.

She threw her clothes off, rushing into the shower where she cleaned herself off, every last nook and cranny squeaky before she sat herself down and cried to herself, with the shielding of the running water to hide the noise. The seventeen year old did not need this at all, the timing being absolutely bad, and now she had other things to worry about. Though, until that evening came by, she knew that she could at least sleep for the rest of the day, to distract herself from the realm of the living. Her dreams were always so vivid, even a bit real, if she really thought about it.

Once finished, she dried herself off before throwing on some comfortable lingerie and her nightgown, all before she went back to sleep upon her bed, not being able to help the sobbing for a little while. She was fast asleep in the matter of half an hour.

----•----

The day flew by, and the sound of bells tolling woke Luella up just in time to get ready for the ceremonial dinner which was being held that evening. She groaned lightly, sighting the Orange slip within the trash, before she forced her gaze away and opened up her clothes closet. The female would have to dress up for this occasion, at least for that night, and she dreaded the prospect of having to wear a dress, honestly believing she would be better suited within a suit, of which she had none.

Finally picking something which tickled her fancy, vaguely at least, she got herself prepped up for the night. Luella merely hoped that the antics going on the night before wouldn't place her in trouble, and while thinking of it, she could've sworn that this could be akin to a trap. Throwing the thoughts aside for the moment, she got changed and looked at herself sullenly within the mirror, gazing to the side while she posed a little, a smile creeping upon her lips. "... This is it, huh. Nothing like a night out! Or so some say."
[spoili]dress: http://images.asos-media.com/inv/media/1/6/3/6/1386361/image2xl.jpg[/spoili]

She rang a cab, which was there within the next ten minutes, and soon she was on her way into the lion's den. Even while wearing closed toed heels, she felt so naked without her tomboyish features exposed to the maximum, and she could only predict that the night wasn't going to go as she hoped it would. 'A celebration about how we're all going to be set for life... What a nuisance to put up with.' She thought, yawning while she did.

Closing her eyes, she almost drifted off into sleep within the cab, before she arrived at her destination and let herself out. Gazing upon the building for the second time in as many days, Luella made her way inside and shied away from the larger groups which formed around the place. Even now, looking as much a woman as she may ever look, she was as shy as a bloom within winter.

 

[punkyears]

She ran; ran as fast as she could but the heavy, boot laden steps still echoed loudly behind her

"You can't run from me Delilah." that sickly sweet voice call after her. She ran until she smacked into a concrete wall, falling with her back to the wall, facing her pursuer. She connected with their steel eyes, and screamed as her perfect match shot her.


Delilah woke up screaming. This wasn't the first time this week, hell, it wasn't the first time since being back in the capital city. She had returned home for a few days to catch up with her family, and to return her dress and heels to her home closet. The recruiting was still hot on her mind, and even more so when her little sister had asked if she could see her match, Aiden. She had different versions of the same nightmare at home, but this one was new. She figured it was triggered by the familiar sights of the capital, and tried to dismiss it as she slipped into the scalding shower. She hissed as the water touched her skin, swiftly moving for the cold water button. The hotel she was placed in this this time for the banquet was even more elaborate than the first, made up of white marble and gold trimmed EVERYTHING, as well as Egyptian cotton sheets and a memory foam mattress.

The flat screened tv screen sat turned off as she blow- dried and curled her hair, only putting on some mascara and some setting power to keep the shine of oil away. It was tradition in her family to where white to their matched banquet, so when she had picked a short white dress that exposed her cleavage, and tall heels, her grandmother had almost had a heart attack and her brother had wanted to call off of work and come with her to act as her own personal watchdog.

She pulled on the dress, zipping it with a bit of a struggle. Two white, flowy panels fell to the floor on either side of her, but the body of the dress in itself was probably only a few inches below her butt, and a low sweetheart neckline exposed more of her chest then she was normally comfortable with. But she was 17, and she was meant to have a good time and try new things, so she had gotten over it quickly and so had her grandmother and brother (reluctantly of course).

She made her way down the marble staircase, trying her hardest not to fall down head first and make a fool of herself. She watched other girls in a different array of dresses around her, and she felt partially naked compared to the other girls she saw. She slightly regretted her choice in dresses, but knew that it was her choice, and she was happy with it. She received a few hungry looks from young men, but grimaced at their advances. She glanced at the bright moon, and hurriedly made her way to the banquet hall

(Dress)
http://m.imgur.com/oEX86T2

 

[Sashakiki]

Alex rolled over, another night where sleep had barely come to him. He sighed and sat up, glancing at the clock. It was early, still way to early for any normal person to be awake. He looked at the ceiling for another hour before deciding to get out of bed. He was staying in a small motel, he hadn't wanted to have to take the train or anything back into the city plus it got him away from his mom and family. After the recruitment incident, he hadn't been sleeping well and his mother had started questioning him about his tiredness and there was only so many times he could brush her off. He took the blanket off and sat on the edge of the bed.

He jumped into the shower and let the hot water roll over him. The capital had wanted to put him in a fancy hotel with the other guys but he had declined, wanting one last night of normalcy before his new life began. He jumped out and toweled off, turning on the news so that he would have something to listen to when he got ready. He put on a suit that he had picked out. He hadn't wanted to wear one that was all black so he had chosen one that was more grey. He liked it even if it was a little bland. He blew his hair dry, for once, and then finished tying his tie. He slipped on his shoes before turning off the tv and going outside. His hotel was within walking distance so he started making his way there.

Tux: https://encrypted-tbn1.gstatic.com/..._L43stj7DTjweVy9NWnTeasrPJOcLkHmp0ZdvnOKUR2PA

 

[Zeph]

Aiden woke up in his bed alarmingly and drowsily, with a seemingly agitated Claire next to him. He always laughed at the face she made when she was annoyed. ''You sleep too heavily!'' said the girl, as she punched Aiden in the leg. It didn't really hurt much, but this was the usual drill. Aiden slept too heavily, Claire got annoyed of trying to wake him up, and eventually hit him to wake him up, which worked. ''I'm up, I'm up!'' said Aiden, jokingly. He rolled off of his bed and onto his feet, and ruffled Claire's hair, which annoyed her a lot. Apparently, she was very grouchy EVERY morning... ''Hey! Stop that, Aiden!'' she said, giving him another punch.

He walked towards the bathroom and brushed his teeth, took a shower, dried off, and dressed in his tuxedo Claire wanted him to wear. It fit perfectly on him, and he asked Claire how he looked. ''You look great!'' she said, with a smile. He smiled back, and said ''You stay put, Claire. Don't break anything!'' She nodded at him as he waved goodbye to her, and sighed when he finally closed the door.

Aiden dusted his pants off and walked towards the hotel where the ceremonies would be held, hopes held high that the Resistance would still be showing up.

Tux

Tux: