The Forgotten

Not Demon Spawn

I glance at Lance. I'm not the only one watching him. Shain is still keeping a close eye on him. I understand why she's upset. Lance knew bodies were going to start turning up. Raven's, presumably Cardinal's (even though it didn't), Tabitha's, and Jess'. He didn't warn anyone. People might be alive.

Yes, I very much understand Shain's angst.

Finally Will speaks, "When we turn eighteen, we are supposed to work for the government...as slaves. The thing is, the government wants even the slaves to be...better...I guess is what you'd call it. They wanted as little defects as possible. Those who have a defect so serious they cannot work, they are sent abroad."

"Where?" Shain asks.

Lance surprises me by answering, "They're sent to Africa. It's not a concentration camp, but it's similar. It's worse than the Compound, so I hear. At least the Compound had air conditioning."

"So, Will, what does that have to do with..." I stop. "Oh my gosh, you were sent there." He nods. "Why?"

"I had a...defect," Will said cautiously.

"Explain," Shain ordered hostilely.

"I have Parkinson's disease," Will admits. "My seizures prevented me from working, so they shipped me off. I was actually on the ship.

"That's when Lieutenant Brace showed up. He told us that we could change everything, not just for us, but for every other person in the world. All it would cost were the lives of people that ruined ours. For most of us, it didn't seem like too large a price to pay. It didn't hurt Brace's case that he got us medication to help our defects. Thanks to him, I don't jerk around. I owed him, so I repaid him. It was wrong, I know, but...I wanted a life. At the time, it felt like a fair exchange."

I want to hate him. I can accuse him of being selfish; I can condemn him for being selfish. I, however, cannot accuse him of being a heartless jerk. He thought, still thinks, he's going to change things for the better. To him, this is for the greater good.

This sucks. Why can't he be demon spawn? This would be so much easier if he was demon spawn.

"Eris, what do we do?" Shain asks. Funny, how I ended up leader. Blah.

I decide, "We need to find the other Forgotten and...incapacitate them."

"It won't work," Will repeats. "They're trained in the best forms of fighting, You don't stand a chance." I smirk.

"You have met me, right?" I ask. "Plus, we have Lance."

Will replies, "Yeah, but Shain's an open target. She can't do crap."

"I shot you," Shain retorts.

"Stop fighting," Lance says. "Shain, he is right though. You need to get somewhere safe." Shain scowls.

"That's stupid," she tells him. "If I'm alone, they'll find me. They don't want to kill any of you... that we know of. Anyway, I'm guarded when I'm with you guys. They won't shoot openly if they care who they hit. They won't otherwise."

"But..." Lance begins. Will cuts across him.

He says, "Shain would be safer with us."

"Now I'm not so into the idea of staying," Shain states. Will glares at her.

"Who's us?" I ask Will. "Because you better not be including you."

"You need me," he says adamantly.

"No, I don't," I snap. Will shakes his head, looking exasperated.

Will explains, "I meant you as a collective term, the three of you. Shain can't defend herself. You and Lance have to fight the Forgotten. I can protect her."

"Like I'm letting you 'protect' her," I say angrily. Will stares at me.

"Eris, I've already killed my mark. Every Forgotten was assigned their own target. I'm not supposed to kill Shain, and the one who is wouldn't appreciate my assistance, no matter how helpful," he confides. "I was assigned Jess. Any adult I can kill. The youth are marked though."

"How do they decide?" Shain asks. Lance looks nervous at this. Shain notices. "What?" She demands.

Lance sighs and states, "The ones that could have been us." This surprises me and Shain.

"Excuse me?" Shain asks. Lance continues.

"The people that chose Jess are Will's biological parents. They would have raised him, not Jess, if it weren't for this system."

I don't have anything to say. How do you respond to that? I feel bad for the parents now. Imagine that. But I do. Their real children are murdering the children they've raised. It's really messed up and twisted. Sadly though, I understand the logic. It's good logic, if you're a maniac.

"Fine," I decide. "If Shain agrees, she can stay with Will."

"I never said I was staying," Will says quickly. "I'm coming with you, even if it's just as a meat shield." He looks down at his still rapidly bleeding limbs. "Not that there's much meat left."

I sigh.

"Fine, Shain, can you take him to the hospital?" Shain doesn't look pleased. One look at Lance and she agrees.

Lance helps lift Will, since Shain can't.

"Can you get it from here?" he asks her. She puts her arm around Will's back to support him.

"I'm fine," she snaps bitterly.

I watch her and Will leave. I hope this isn't the last time I see them. Shain, I mean. I think I can live without seeing Will again. It'd make my internal conflict a lot easier.

I turn to Lance. "Shall we go kick some butt?" He grins.

"Sure. Sounds fun." I roll my eyes.

"Stop trying to be cool, it won't work." He raises an eyebrow.

"Turning on me now that you can't pick on Will?" he asks, beginning the search for the little killers.

"No," I say, "I just...I just...ugh. I don't know. I do it naturally. I think it's a tactic to keep people away from me."

"So, what does that say about the people who don't stay away."

"They're idiots," I state. Lance laughs. I continue. "But...they're also loyal, and kind of sweet."

I shut up at the sound of footsteps. Before I can react, Lance pulls me around the corner. Good thing too. Otherwise we would've been blown.

When the people get closer, I recognize their voices.

"So don't mess it up," York says. A slightly familiar voice replies.

"I won't. Jeez, you'd think I was a baby."

"You killed your charge, you've managed to fool them so far. Now all we need is Shain."

"Shame about Rubin. I had been so looking forward to killing him," she girl says.

So, is Rubin not dead?

"I know. At least we don't have to excess kill. Once we get Shain, we're good. We can kill the first man and lady live and we'll be done with the United States, right?"

I stop listening. Shain's parents and brother—it sounds like they're alive. That's a relief. Now why is the question. I get for the parents, wait until they endure their children dying. So...what? What's the big plan?

We need to find out, and fast.