flawed

t h i r d

District_692
year 02 post great shock
•••

Amara POV

"Look sharp," I hissed, momentarily letting my gaze flick towards Farrah.
The thirteen year old girl nodded, her hand shaking slightly as it gripped a knife.

"Hey, don't sweat it. It's okay." I murmured, reaching into my pouch and drawing out my weapon of choice- a ninja star.

The two women rounded the corner: one blonde the other brunette, their hands gripping machetes.
Both were dressed in revealing clothing that probably wasn't doing a good job keeping them safe from the elements and both had pixie cuts and tattoos up their arms.
One of them even wore an eye patch.
I resisted the urge to roll my eyes.

"Where is that kid?" the blonde one snarled, swinging her machete slightly.
"I don't know, but I'm starving. I don't care what it takes- she had food."

I gently reached down and picked up a pebble, throwing it against the nearest wall.
It hit the weathered metal with a loud clang, causing the women to jump to attention.
"Who goes there?!"

I leapt over the stone barrier, gesturing for Farrah to stay still, and practically sashayed into view of the women, calmly letting my eyes rest on their faces.

The brunette began to laugh a dry, rasping laugh.
"A teenager? Please... at least give me a challenge."

I just smiled, letting them come to me.

The blonde woman narrowed her eyes. "Don't you talk, kid? Or did the big scary Shock steal your voice away,"

I continued to silently stare, smirking.

My eyes caught the slight tensing of the brunette's muscles and the flicker of the blonde's fingers as she made a nearly invisible gesture towards me.
In short, when they charged towards me I was beyond ready.

I flipped into the air, drawing my own machete's from their sheaths, landing behind the women and bringing my weapons swiftly downwards- looking away as the blades sliced open their backs- spilling warm blood onto the pavement.
I silenced their screams quickly as possible, letting the sharpened metal pierce through their hearts before stepping back and wiping the blood of the machete onto my worn pants with disgust.
Killing was never something I enjoyed.

Farrah ran out of her hiding place, eyes wide. "That was amazing, Mara. How do you do that?"

I smiled softly, sheathing my weapons. "Someone taught me. Someone very special."

Farrah tilted her head curiously. "What was her name?"

"It was a him. And his name was Peter. Or as I called him- Pete." I bent down and picked up the fallen weapons, handing them off to Farrah.

"How did Peter know those moves?"

This child...
"I don't know. He worked for someone who taught him the moves so he could go on missions and stuff. Now, enough questions. We have to get back to the others."

Farrah nodded, scampering back towards the stone barrier and jumping over. I was quick to follow, pushing open the heavy door that led to our underground hideout.

Farrah set the machete's down on a stone slab, running to greet the other children.
I smiled.
We had all pieced together a ragtag family. It wasn't much, but it was something.

I picked up the discarded machetes and examined the blades.
I could trade these in at the Farmer's for some food and water.
I would have to go tomorrow, the sun was setting lower and lower in the sky and soon the worst of the worst would be out and roaming the streets.