It has been a few months since that fateful summer day. During that time the government had made it mandatory for the Bonded to get special licenses. Also public fear has grown. It didn't help that some Bonded used their new power for criminal activity. Because of this people have registered their biometrics and the police now carry
biometric scanners. There have been those that have called for the Bonded to be rounded up for their own safety of course. The Bonded have argued that the whole population shouldn't be judged by the actions of a few. It seemed like things were starting to hit a boiling point. In anticipation of a war a great number of Bonded have gathered together to prepare. Some non-bonded people have joined them. Mostly they were ones that the Bonded had helped but there were a few that were more open minded than others. In one of the Bonded compounds we find Lisa, Luke, Adam, Emily, their parents, Sharonda, Mama Williams and many of her daughters.
Lisa was one of the leaders of the compound and as such she was in a meeting on this morning. It was the same old debate that had been going on for a month now.
"We need to strike at them before they strike at us" a man named Raymond said. Raymond was one of the Bonded but he rarely used his power.
"And what good will that do?" a young girl named Daisy said. Daisy had been a 40 year old woman when she became Bonded. She used her power to change her age everyday. Today she was 9.
"It will show them that we're not going just stand by while they round us up" Raymond said.
"And that will more than likely start a war" Lisa said. Lisa changed her age when she felt like it. Right now she was 18 and had been for two months now. "I will not have our group here be responsible for starting a war."
"The war has already started" Raymond said. "You just refuse to see it."
"Has there been a shot fired?" Lisa asked.
"You know that there has been" Raymond said.
"Let me clarify my question then" Lisa said. "Has there been a shot fired just because we are Bonded? And I mean sanctioned by the government."
"Well not sanctioned by the government" Raymond conceded. "But you know that there have been shots fired. You lost your cafe because someone fire bombed it because you're Bonded."
"And the police caught them and they are now in prison" Lisa said. "The cafe is being rebuilt. There is no need to take further action."
"This is getting us nowhere" a man named Dan said. He was one of the un-bonded in the compound. He was a Vietnam veteran who had been shot down and spent the next five years as a P.O.W. "We argue the same point with the same arguments every morning. We eventually get to the point where we agree to argue the same thing the next morning. I'm getting sick of it. We know that we're in the target hairs of certain people. We have been trying to show people that
the majority of the Bonded are law abiding citizens who would not harm anyone without just cause."
"We have a right to defend ourselves" Raymond said.
"Yes we do" Daisy said. "The question is when it's self defense. So far I don't see anything that makes me believe we have to defend ourselves with force."
At that moment a young boy came into the room and said "Forgive me for interrupting but there are a couple of federal agents here. And it looks like the compound is surrounded."
"Thank you Dale" Lisa said. "Show the agents in please and spread the word to get ready."
"Yes ma'am" Dale said and left.
"You know that they're here to round us up" Raymond said.
"That is a logical conclusion but it may be an erroneous one" Lisa said. "Let's hear what the agents have to say."
After a few minutes Dale led the two agents into the room and then left.
"Welcome" Dan said. "I am Dan. This is Daisy, Raymond, Lisa, and Mama Williams. How may we help you?"
"I am Agent Greenleaf and this is Agent Harrison" the woman agent said. "We're here because as of noon today all Bonded are to be put under protective custody."
"What does protected custody mean?" Daisy asked.
"It means that you will be allowed to remain here with guards protecting you" Agent Greenleaf said. "There are some conditions to this though."
"What conditions are those?" Mama Williams said.
"Well you would have to let the non-bonded leave" Agent Greenleaf said. "Also you must give up any weapons you have and turn over your crystals."
"You seem to be under the impression that we are holding non-bonded against their will" Lisa said. "We are doing nothing of the sort. All those that are here choose to be here. And as for our crystals, you wouldn't be able to keep them even if we did turn them over to you."
"If you don't agree to these terms then you will be taken into protective custody by force" Agent Harrison said.
"Harrison, we agreed to let me do the talking" Agent Greenleaf said. "Please forgive him. He tends to run his mouth without thinking."
"I think he said what will happen if we don't comply" Raymond said.
"Is that true?" Lisa asked.
"Well..." Agent Greenleaf hesitated. "Yes it's true. Our orders are to take you into protective custody. By force if required."
"We can not agree to those terms" Dan said. "Everyone here is here of their own free will. That includes me."
"Well here's a number you can reach us at if you change your mind" Agent Greenleaf said producing a card. "You have until noon to change your mind. That gives you three hours. I hope that you do change your mind. It will be so much easier all around."
"I can assure you that we won't change our mind" Lisa said. "Dale will show you out."
"Please reconsider" Agent Greenleaf said as she and Agent Harrison left.
After a few minutes Raymond said "I told you we should have struck before now."
"Then this would have happened even sooner" Lisa said. "It's a moot point now though. We have three hours before they come barging in. We need to be ready."
"It's unfortunate that it has come to this" Dan said. "I had hoped that this would be avoided. At least we know when the war will start."
"This is a sad day" Daisy said.
The meeting broke up and everyone went to prepare for the now inevitable. During the next three hours they paid attention to the news. It was the same everywhere in the country. The Bonded were to be taken into protective custody. Hardly any of the news anchors pretended to not know what that meant. In fact many of them expressed their relief that the Bonded would be separated from decent, normal people.
Lisa had the job of protecting those that could not or would not fight. That included Daisy today. She wanted to fight but she was 9 and could not safely fire a gun. Lisa wasn't too upset that she wouldn't be on the front lines since she didn't want a war.
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Mama Williams was nervous about the upcoming fight. She had prayed everyday for this to be prevented and now it looked like it was going to happen. She was sad that most of her daughters would be fighting today. She just hoped that no one would die today.
"Mama, are you ok?" Sharonda asked.
"No I'm not" Mama Williams replied. "I don't want this."
"At least you can bring people back from the dead" Sharonda said.
What Sharonda said was true. About a month after she became Bonded, Mama Williams had a visit from another of her daughters. Dianne had been brutally beaten by her client when she had removed her panties and he had seen that she didn't have the proper female parts. He had beat on her all through the night. She was finally able to get away when he had passed out from exhaustion. She had come to Mama Williams' since it was the closest place she could get help. When Mama Williams had opened her door Dianne collapsed into her arms. With her last breath Dianne had asked Mama Williams to bury her in her favorite dress. After that Dianne had gone completely limp in Mama Williams arms and she knew that Dianne was dead. Of course the smell as Dianne's bladder and bowels let go confirmed this. Mama
Williams held Dianne's body for an hour before she thought of trying the crystal. It was a desperate gamble and one that was sure not to work but Mama Williams tried it anyway. Dianne hadn't been exposed to all the things that Sharonda had been and was thus not as scared and lined. Mama Williams decided to only regress her a year and make her a true female. It was a wonderful surprise when Dianne began
breathing again.
"I still don't want this war" Mama Williams said. "I wish that you wouldn't fight."
"I want to help the Bonded" Sharonda said. "You gave me my life and even aged me when I asked. The government is making a horrible mistake with this."
"Well it's noon" Mama Williams said. "Time for the war to start."
A voice boomed out from a bull horn outside the compound "This is your last chance. Meet the conditions and we can end this peacefully."
"Like hell we'll meet the conditions" someone shouted.
"Your time is up" the voice said. "You have forced our hand. I wish it was different."
Suddenly Mama Williams saw several canisters fly into the compound and heard a shot ring out.
"Put on your gas masks" Dan said over the compound's loudspeakers. "They have fired the first shot. Danny is down. The war has begun."
With that sad statement people around Mama Williams put on their gas masks and got ready to shoot those that came their way. Mama Williams bowed her head for a second to reflect on this situation and to pray to the Lord. Then she put on her own gas mask and got ready to shoot.