He glanced up to find the only person he had not been introduced to speaking. “We are being selfish and for that I’m sorry,” she continued. Ethan was somewhat mesmerized by her. Not only did she seem truly apologetic, but her face was familiar to him. She was younger than all the other leaders by at least ten years. She was unique for sure. Freckles danced their way up her neck and onto her round face, stopping short of her blue eyes. Her platinum hair reminded Ethan of Hadley, cut fiercely, one side longer than the other.
She wore white leather pants and a grey sleeveless sweater with a large cowl neck and a black belt. She sported fingerless leather gloves that ran up her arms, near her shoulders.
“And you are?” Hunter surprisingly asked. She grinned before answering. “Saia Reece, leader of Daventry. Please Ethan, stay.” Hunter and Ethan exchanged a glare.
“Why should I? It’s obvious you just want to use me,” he replied. Being the tactful leader that she was, she paused and thought her answer through. “It’s true Ethan, we need your help. We can’t do this without you but you will need us as well. We have to do this together if we are to succeed.” Spoken like a true politician. Ethan turned to Hunter, silently asking him what to do. He shrugged his shoulders.
“I’ll stay but I’m not agreeing to anything okay?”
“Of course, Ethan.”
They all headed back into the lab and formed a half circle around Ethan and Hunter. Preston and Tyler maintained their distance off to the side. “Danica informed us that you have heightened abilities, what kind exactly?” Emmeline asked. The others in the room stared intently at Ethan, awaiting his answer.
“He has accelerated learning capabilities,” Edred said much to everyone’s surprise. “He can learn any subject both quickly and with comprehension.” Clearly Danica and Edred had spoken about him.
The leaders stared at each other and then back at Ethan. He did not like hearing them speak about him like he was an object instead of a person.
“He also increased his sensory capacity, allowing him to heighten his hearing, vision and smelling capabilities.” Thus far the visitors appeared less than impressed with this news.
“He’s strong,” Danica mentioned from the corner of the room. That comment peaked the groups interest. “How strong?” Alistair asked, with a raised eyebrow.
“Stronger than they are,” Danica interjected confidently. “Bullshit. No one is that strong!” Garrick snarled.
“Oh Really?” Danica asked.
Suddenly Preston stepped away from the wall and stalked toward Ethan. “You’re telling me this little excuse of a boy is as strong as they are? He’s not even stronger than me!” Ethan peeked over to Edred, asking permission to engage his darker ability. Edred shrugged in approval.
“I could snap him like a twig!” Preston taunted. Normally he would be correct, considering the size and weight difference between them but today he was very wrong. Ethan closed his eyes and let the heat rise within him. His fists began to clench and unclench as he took deeper breaths. The power started in his toes and worked its way through his stomach, down his arms and into his head. There was a collective gasp when he opened his eyes, revealing glowing blue orbs.
Even Edred was caught off guard. Preston began to step away from Ethan but it was too late. The boy quickly latched a hand around Preston’s throat and lifted him high into the air. The glare he was giving Preston was nothing short of menacing and the older brute seemed reluctantly scared for his life. Tyler’s jaw was hanging in awe.
“You can put him down now Ethan,” Danica instructed. But the boy didn’t want to listen. It was difficult to reason with him when his anger was engaged. If anything, Ethan squeezed Preston’s throat even more.
“Put him down!” Tyler yelled as he ran to help his boss. Bad idea.
Ethan anticipated Tyler’s movements and threw Preston across the room, setting his aggression on the boy instead. Before Tyler could react, Ethan pushed him so hard, he flew back at least ten feet before hitting the wall with a loud thump.
Ethan stood there, in the middle of the room, seething, watching as everyone around him cowered. It should have made him feel powerful but it had the opposite effect. He felt weak, unable to control his own actions. Hunter slowly approached him. “Hunter no!’ Danica exclaimed but Hunter waved her off. He reached Ethan and very carefully placed a hand on his shoulder. “Hey, it’s me. It’s okay. It’s me,” he whispered.
Ethan turned toward him and closed his eyes. He took a deep breath and accepted Hunter’s embrace, wrapping his arms around the other boy’s neck. Hunter held him tightly until the heat of his anger subsided. He was relieved when Ethan opened his eyes and Hunter was once again met with his favorite shade of blue. The action seemed to appease the rest of the observers, causing them to straighten back up. Hunter was still busy calming Ethan down, lovingly stroking his hair and whispering in his ear.
“Maybe we should take a break?” Danica suggested.
The other adults agreed and quickly shuffled out of the room leaving Hunter and Ethan alone. Hunter didn’t miss the glares shot their way from both Preston and Tyler who all but hobbled outside. He couldn’t exactly blame them for their anger but truthfully, they had it coming. He leaned back from his embrace to regard Ethan. “You okay?” Ethan nodded, connecting their bodies once more. He buried his head into Hunter’s shoulder, sighing in the process.
“I hate how angry I get. I feel like I can’t control it.” Hunter went back to petting Ethan’s hair. “It gets better. I promise.” This time it was Ethan who leaned back from the embrace. “I don’t know what I would do without you,” he whispered. Their foreheads met as they both sighed deeply. Ethan welcomed the calmness that Hunter exuded, craving it like a life line. His world had been turned upside down but somehow, in Hunter’s arms, he always felt safe.
After about twenty minutes, the adults returned to the room, armed with sandwiches. Ethan wanted to deny the food in front of him, telling himself that he was too emotional to eat but his stomach protested, craving the sustenance at once.
Danica walked over to him first, holding an apple and cheese sandwich, his favorite. He couldn’t help but grin and thanked her for the meal. Hunter was given a roasted vegetable sandwich which he gladly accepted. They ate in relative silence, sparing glances at each other before Edred addressed the room. “I think it’s time we tell them about Kowend.” Hunter tensed as Ethan glanced around, noticing everyone’s agreement before returning his gaze back to Edred. The older man walked up to the large computer screen in the room and inserted a file drive into the side of the machine. He waited patiently for the file to load and then turned his attention toward Ethan and Hunter.
“Ethan, these are the residents of Kowend. They are the ones who started all of this; the MalJari.”
Ethan stared at the screen as he watched the image load. The second he saw the full picture he let out a sharp scream and scrambled backwards, hitting his body against the wall.
Hunter surveyed Ethan, watching as shaky breaths left Ethan’s mouth. He closed his eyes and shook his head, letting his body fall to the ground. It seemed as if his visions were overwhelming him again, causing him to grab his knees and pull them to his chest. Hunter ran to him to try and calm him down but it didn’t work. “Ethan?!”
He leaned down and heard Ethan mumbling something over and over. “What’s he saying?” Danica asked. Hunter put his ear next to Ethan’s mouth to listen. He was repeating the same two words with his eyes clenched shut and his body shaking in fear. Hunter pulled away and faced the others with shock in his eyes.
It’s them, it’s them, it’s them…
CHAPTER 10
E than opened his eyes slowly and licked his chapped lips. He wasn’t sure where he was but smiled when he noticed Hunter sleeping next to him. The sandy haired boy was resting peacefully with an arm protectively draped over Ethan’s waist.
His head was aching but other than that he appeared to be fine. He sat
up carefully as to not wake the other boy and took in his surroundings. If he had to guess, he’d say he was in an office on an oversized couch.
As comfortable as he was, he still needed to wrap his mind around what had just happened. He remembered the picture of the Kowend residents. That must have sent him into a panic attack.
After another minute, Hunter stirred and opened his eyes, immediately searching for Ethan. “You okay?” Ethan nodded but frowned. He was still reliving the images in his mind and they were affecting him more than he wanted to admit. “I… think so.”
He took a deep breath and stood up, with Hunter following after him. At the same time, the door opened revealing Danica and Saia. They stepped inside apprehensively, stopping a few feet from the boys.
“Ethan, I’m glad to see you’re up,” Saia stated. There was a definite sound of relief in her voice that Ethan appreciated. “What happened?” he asked. He sat back down on the couch with Hunter mirroring his movements.
“You had another panic attack. It was pretty bad. Edred had to sedate you.” Ethan searched around and realized the other leaders were not there. “Where is everyone?”
“You were out for a while. They have retreated to their accommodations within the city walls,’ Saia explained. Ethan glanced at Edred briefly before staring at his hands, his fingers fumbling with anxiety. “I know them. I remember them. How is that possible?” He turned his head toward Danica.
“There’s a reason you can mutate the serum Ethan.” Each of them listened intently as Danica spoke. “A reason that you can learn as they can, have strength like them and do what you can do.” The realization struck Ethan like a heart attack.
“You guys did something to me to make me like them. It’s why my eyes are like this, right?”
Hunter let out a soft gasp of shock while Danica and Saia moved closer to them. “But my eyes were different before the injections.” Ethan paused and swallowed hard. That would mean that Godrik somehow manipulated him before he was alive.
“He used their DNA, didn’t he? That’s why my body was in a separate room? He was splicing my genes with theirs and that’s why I’m reacting to the serums?” He was shaking now, biting his lip to keep the tears at bay. “Part of them is inside of me,” he said brokenly.
Hunter took Ethan’s hand and laced their fingers tightly. He cupped Ethan’s cheek and turned his face. “I don’t know who I am anymore,” Ethan sobbed. Hunter brought Ethan’s face to his chest and held him as the younger boy cried silently. Moments later, Ethan pushed off Hunter and stood up abruptly, wiping the tears from his face. Hunter regarded him quizzically and stood as well. “Ethan?” He leered at all of them with a stern expression.
“This ends now.”
*****
“I don’t know if this is a good idea,” Danica stated. They were waiting in Ethan’s dwelling where he told Caleb, Hadley and Abby to meet them. He said it was an urgent matter that could not wait. They were all surprised to receive the call, promising to get to his apartment as soon as possible.
Ethan refused to move further with any discussions until his friends were made aware of the situation. It was the least he could do for them. Ethan waited anxiously in his room, pacing back and forth. He had no idea what he would tell them or if they would even believe him but they needed to know the truth.
He figured at least Abby would believe him since she was his best friend but what about Caleb and Hadley? Would they simply laugh in his face? Would they be scared? Or worse, would they hate Ethan for telling them? As they say, ignorance is bliss.
Hunter walked up to him and placed his hands on Ethan’s shoulders, forcing him to stop pacing. “You’re going to wear out your shoes if you keep that up,” Hunter joked. Ethan didn’t react to the comment. He instead stared at Hunter with trepidation and fear. He remembered how he took the news and it wasn’t exactly well. He bit his lip in concentration.
“Ethan,” Hunter whispered. He soothingly rubbed Ethan’s arms, attempting to calm him.
Suddenly the pair jumped at the sound of a visitor. Ethan walked into the main living space and ordered the computer to open the door. He smiled when he saw Hadley. His smile turned into a frown when he realized how scared she was.
“Is everything okay Ethan?” she demanded as she stepped inside the dwelling. She noticed Danica’s presence along with Saia and Hunter. She stopped and stared at the others, unsure of what to say.
“Hello Hadley,” Danica greeted. She nodded her head slowly and returned her eyes to Ethan, confusion written all over her face.
“It’s okay Hadley.” He pointed toward the couch. “We need to wait for two more people and then you’ll find out what’s going on,” he said, smiling. “I promise.”
She took a seat and much to everyone’s surprise, kept her mouth shut. Ethan resumed his pacing, though now it was in the living room, earning him an eye roll from Hunter.
He was about to say something when they were alerted to someone else at the door. Abby walked inside with Caleb trailing in after her. The red head stopped at the sight of everyone else in the room and turned back to Caleb, silently asking if he knew what was happening. He answered her with a simple shrug.
“Come in Abby. I’ll explain everything,” Ethan said. He had his friends all sit on the couch while Danica took the chair next to him and Saia and Hunter sat at the dining room table.
There was a tense silence in the room. The trio of teenagers were anxiously awaiting any detail of what they were doing there but Ethan was frozen. He had no idea what to tell them or where to begin. Danica, sensing this, stood up and motioned for Ethan to take his seat.
“I’ve got this,” she whispered.
Danica took a deep breath and began to tell Abby, Hadley and Caleb the truth about their lives. They sat there, mouths agape as she informed them about the tattoos on their wrists. the gestation facilities below the streets and the other cities, including Kowend.
Ethan refused to face his friends, turning his attention instead to his hands, fumbling them on his lap for the better part of Danica’s speech. They were completely silent, even after she finished speaking. Ethan feared the worst; they wouldn’t believe him. But he got something else entirely. “I knew it!” Hadley shouted.
Abby and Caleb glimpsed at her as though she were crazy. Thankfully, Hadley took no offense. “Well it’s obvious, isn’t it?” she continued. Ethan asked her to explain.
“Remember when I told you about the trains? It all makes sense now. The trains ship the materials to Kowend at night. That’s why they had to change the mileage logs; because I caught on.” She spoke as though everyone should understand what she was talking about. Ethan found it quite endearing.
“Abby?” Ethan addressed his friend. She gave a small shrug in reply. “I guess it makes sense. At least now I know where all those awesome clothes are going,” she said sheepishly. Hadley smiled brightly at her.
Ethan now turned his attention to Caleb who had yet to speak. Normally the blond-haired boy was so confident and easy going but right now he was confused and unsure of himself.
It wasn’t easy information to hear. Ethan knew that but he was also getting concerned over Caleb’s non-reaction. He expected him to get mad or have questions but instead, his friend sat there silent, staring at his hands. “Caleb?” It was Abby who called to him.
Instead of answering, the boy abruptly stood up and pushed his way to the door. Ethan went after him, determined to find out what was going through his mind. “Caleb!” he shouted, running after him. He reached him in front of the elevators, forcing the taller boy to face him. He could see the apprehension in Caleb’s eyes. “Talk to me. What are you thinking?” Ethan asked.
Caleb shook his head. “It’s not true Ethan. At least it doesn’t have to be,” Caleb replied. That statement made Ethan’s face frown in confusion. He tried to place his hand on Caleb’s shoulder but it was brushed off. “It is true Caleb. You have to know that.” Caleb continued to shake h
is head.
“No! You don’t understand! I’m happy. I’m finally happy and my life finally makes sense and now you’re telling me it’s all a lie?!”
“It is a lie Caleb! It’s what they want you to believe!” Caleb laughed humorlessly. “And you know everything, right? Mister big shot level 1 technology?” Ethan rolled his eyes at his friend’s sarcasm.
“This has nothing to do with my job Caleb! I’m telling you the truth!” As the words left Ethan’s mouth, Caleb pushed him against the wall letting his anger radiate from his limbs. He didn’t say anything as he stared at Ethan, teeth gritting and clenching.
“You know I’m right Caleb. You feel it, deep down.” Caleb let go of Ethan and turned away from him. “What if I don’t want it to be true?”
Ethan regarded him sadly. “I’m sorry Caleb.” He touched his friend’s arm. “Nothing has to change.” Caleb looked back at Ethan. “I’m not so sure about that.”
Ethan watched as Caleb stepped into the elevator, the doors closing between them. He wanted to tell his friend that it was okay to be scared and unsure of the future, but in the end, he simply let his friend leave. At least now he knew the truth.
When Ethan walked back into his apartment he heard Hadley and Abby talking to Danica. They appeared to be in a heated discussion over what they were going to do about Kowend. Something Ethan himself was wondering.
“You can’t expect Ethan to be the only answer to this problem!” Hadley stated excitedly. He saw Abby nod in agreement. He really did love his friends. “Yeah, we obviously should help too,” Abby added.
“We’re really smart,” Hadley boasted. Both girls smiled as if they had somehow won an argument.
Hunter noticed Ethan’s entrance and padded over to him. “What’s going on?” he asked Hunter. He grinned before answering. “Hadley and Abby are insisting on helping with our mission to Kowend. Apparently, we can’t do this without them.” Ethan loved the smirk on Hunter’s face.
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