The New Regime

Amanda's heart was pounding as she waited for her impending doom. There was nowhere left for her to go - she'd been surrounded, so to speak. The Regime had finally come for her, and there was no way out.

Without warning from any noise outside, the front door was kicked in with force, causing Amanda to jump back. Seeing the same woman with the young Asian man by her side as she had seen in the field multiple times barge into her home, Amanda turned and darted further into the house - a last attempt to get away, though it was hopeless. The Regime moved too quickly, using their weightless levitation to propel after her before Amanda was even out of sight.

The woman from the Regime reached out when she was close enough and caught a fist in Amanda's hair, yanking her backwards in the middle of her scramble to the stairs. Amanda yelped from the pain searing through her scalp, the force of the pull increased by the quick death of her inertia.

"Let me go!" she screamed reaching up to grab a hold on the woman's tight grip. She tried to pry the invading fist from her hair, but the Regime woman's grip was too strong and in a quick flash, the woman used her unmatchable strength to launch Amanda across the room, her face emotionless as the smaller body collided with the wall and landed non the floor with a crack and a thud.

Dazed, her head spinning from the throw and her resounding crash to the floor, Amanda unsuccessfully tried to regain herself. She was sure something - maybe a rib - had been cracked, but tried to get to her feet despite the ache and pain taking over her body. She wasn't going to just give up. Not that easily. Not when there was still plenty of fight left in her.

Her vision focusing once her head was cleared, Amanda saw the young man advancing toward her swiftly, a syringe full of calming serum in hand and aimed directly at her. Panic seizing her entire body, blocking the pain, Amanda got to her feet, and just as the needle was about to be pierced into the side of her neck, she ducked and knocked the syringe out of the man's hand. Not knowing what else to do and not having a good solid punch in her abilities, she did the first thing that came to mine to fend him off: she brought her foot up as hard and as fast as she could into his groin.

He let out an unearthly, primitive growl of fury, barely doubling over in pain, and with no words spoken between any of them, the two from the Regime backed away, turning and leaving through the door they had kicked in only moments ago.

Breath entering her lungs in short, quick gasps, Amanda felt both relief and confusion wash over her. Why had they left so easily? Did they have another plan in store for her? Something she wouldn't be expecting?

Sensing that the Regime had left even the property around the house, Amanda edged her way toward the door. If there was any sliver of a chance to escape, now was the moment to take it.

Quietly, she opened the door and came face to face with two unfamiliar men, both with machine guns pointed right at her. They knew she was going to try to escape. They weren't leaving her alone at all. They were keeping her a prisoner in her own home until they figured out what to do with her.

Amanda had nothing left to do but wait - wait until she found out if she was going to live or die.