Global Union: A New Life

by K. L. Lewis

  “Sir, where will we be transferred?” Fara asked. “It seems risky to leave the Northern zone unguarded.”

  “The Iuvian’s will be increasing their presence in the continent,” said Cobalt. “It’ll be well monitored even without our presence. In the meantime, you’ll be reassigned to the SA-Bloc, Unit 29 in Torvil. Any further questions?”

  “None at all, ma’am,” Fara said.

  “Fight for all, Captain. You’re dismissed,” said Cobalt.

  The heads vanished, and Fara turned and passed through the doors with Lucas and Iya following behind to the halls for the command chamber—a wide chasm full of militants overlooking a wide, makeshift display table and multiple screens tracking their operatives in their region. Off to the side stood ten human and parahuman recruits, where a blonde human, woman named Tehpa, barked an order to salute upon the three strolling by.

  Fara’s eyes scanned the recruits, gazing them as if she were examining museum pieces. Lucas whispered to Fara on a grey furred parahuman giving a suspicious smirk as they passed by, and with Iya’s early mention of infiltrators, she knew something was off with him. She told them to keep an eye on the parahuman, then stood erect and smiled at the recruits. “Welcome to the Amalgam Concord.”

  II

  Part Two

  CHAPTER 11 – LOVE-STRUCK

  “Good morning! It’s six o’clock! Time to wake up!”

  Damn alarm! DeMarcus’s eyes burned from the sunlight beaming through the windows. He pressed his bare wrist, then his eyes furrowed in shock—oh right, no OmniMorph. He forgot he was in a new home.

  He grumbled and glared at the annoying alarm. Then it went quiet, and a voice jumped out at him. “Morning!”

  Springing from the sheets, DeMarcus looked around and locked eyes with Jun. He noticed the bright purple walls, stuffed animals around the teal-blue bed, and hints of lavender swirling in his nostrils. This must be her room—Yue wasn’t here, and that Amy would throw a fit if this were hers. But how did he even get here?

  Getting out of bed, he lowered his head at Jun. “Sorry, I didn’t mean…I don’t even know how I got here.”

  “It’s okay,” said Jun. “I brought you here.”

  Made sense. Not like he slept-walked up here.

  After a stretch and a yawn, DeMarcus wondered what to do today until he remembered he started school. Not the homeschooling his mom did, but a public school with other kids like him. When was the last time he did that?

  “Also, mom wants to see you downstairs,” said Jun.

  “Okay.” DeMarcus left for the stairway and caught a glimpse of Amy wearing pink pants, a yellow shirt, and bows on her pigtails. She clipped past him, puffing a ‘humph’ on her way downstairs. How rude.

  Reaching the bottom of the stairs and entering the living room, he saw Jiao arranging three sets of clothes on the couch. “Good morning, DeMarcus,” she greeted. “I got you some new clothes after your old ones were all gashed up.”

  “Uh…thanks,” said DeMarcus.

  “I’ve also gotten you registered the Iyrons Academy’s lower campus with Yue. Now you only have a few months left, and I know how scary it is going to a new school, but it’s better to know something than nothing at all.”

  DeMarcus snickered at those corny words. “Oh, hush,” said Jiao. “First Yue, now you.”

  DeMarcus shrugged. “I didn’t say anything.”

  Jiao smirked. “But you thought it.”

  Jun came through on her way to the kitchen, followed by a cranky Yue yawning in her pink pajamas, scratching her messy bed hair. The sight had DeMarcus wishing for the days he slept in until his mom came home. Another part of his old life gone.

  “Anyway,” Jiao continued, “pick your outfit and prepare for breakfast in the kitchen. Your tablet is on the table in the kitchen so the school can test your placement.”

  DeMarcus looked over the clothes, picking a red shirt with black stripes on the edges, and a pair of black and brown pants. He showered and dressed in the bathroom, then joined his new sisters in the kitchen for breakfast where an open seat was available between Jun and Yue at the table, away from Amy.

  Not that it stopped her from kicking him right after he sat down. “Hey! Quit it!” he shouted.

  “Make me!” Amy taunted.

  He gritted at her, his hand squeezing his fork…

  No. It’s best not to sour things on his second day with his new family. He kept eating and commenced his test on his tablet, pausing to send a message on his social page until Amy gave another sharp kick to his knee. He yelped and growled at the girl, then flinched when Yue made a quick smack on Amy’s face.

  “When someone says ‘quit,’ how about you listen?” Yue scolded.

  From the dull shake of Jun’s head toward the two, DeMarcus figured it was always like this. It made him wonder what he got himself into as Amy began crying crocodile tears. “Yue hit me!” she shouted.

  Her cheek was barely red. But Shen came in with a stern look toward Yue. “Yue, what have we told you about—”

  Yue pointed at Amy. “She kept kicking DeMarcus after he told her to stop!”

  Shen shifted to Amy. “Amy, now you know better. DeMarcus has barely been here for a day, and that’s not how you treat family.”

  Amy pouted, sticking her tongue out at Yue. As Shen passed them for the fridge, Yue raised a fist at Amy until Jun snapped at them. “Knock it off, or I’ll smack the both of you!”

  The younger sisters kept to themselves, knifing each other with their glares. DeMarcus tensed at the chance of two going at it, and his chair creaked as he leaned away from the thought of someone as nice as Jun following through with her threat. Are sisters really like this?

  Jiao walked into the kitchen and went for the garage. “Amy! Time to go, sweetheart!”

  Amy hopped out of her chair and ran out the door as Jiao spoke to the remaining three. “Yue and Jun, show DeMarcus to his new school. Tyrone’s probably waiting outside, so give your brother a quick tour of the neighborhood as well.”

  “Yes, ma’am,” they said in unison.

  “And be careful out there,” Shen warned. “I’ve heard there are more militants hiding among people. Although, it should be common knowledge for you all not to talk to strangers.”

  DeMarcus’s eyebrow rose. “Strangers?”

  “Come on, DeMarcus,” said Yue. “We saved your life and let you live with us. How are we strangers?”

  Shen chuckled. “Okay, let me rephrase: just be careful out there. You never know who’ll snatch you up.”

  DeMarcus rubbed at his bandages. He wasn’t going to let that happen again.

  Jiao left into the garage. “Well, take care. And have fun at school, DeMarcus.”

  Yue finished her plate and rose out of her seat to go back upstairs. “I’m gonna go get dressed.”

  Shen walked out of the kitchen and into his office muttering, “Well, back to work.”

  It was just DeMarcus and Jun in dead silence. DeMarcus clicked his shoes and looked around as he wondered what to say, his ears twitching from the echoing plinks of Jun’s fork tapping her plate.

  “So,” Jun began, “what’s it like in Iuvia?”

  “What do you mean?” DeMarcus asked.

  “I heard that’s where you’re from. You’re an Iuvian, right?”

  “I was born here in the NAF, and I’ve never been to Iuvia. I have family there, but I don’t know how to reach them.”

  “That’s sad. What about your mom?”

  DeMarcus looked away. “I don’t wanna talk about it.”

  Jun nipped her lip. “Um, okay. What…about your injuries? What happened?”

  DeMarcus’s face scrunched at the memory of the people who attacked him. “Some masked people chased me around the city trying to kill me. Broke my OmniMorph and took off my dad’s medallion too.”

  “I’m sorry…I didn’t mean to remind you of all that.”

  “Well, that therapy helped a bit. Still hurts t
hinking about it though.”

  “Ahem.” Yue interrupted. She approached the table with a small navy blue backpack that she tossed to DeMarcus. “Here you go. We’d better get going. Ty’s waiting outside.”

  They left the house and stepped onto the black tiled walkways, spotting Tyrone lounging by the corner. He smiled and waved at them as they approached. “What’s up?”

  “Morning, Tyrone,” Jun greeted.

  “Hey, Ty,” said Yue. She took off her OmniMorph’s earpiece and placed it on her ear, flicking a monocle over her eye.

  “What are you doing?” Tyrone asked.

  “Just recording my brother’s first walk to school with us.” She said with enthusiasm as she faced DeMarcus with the monocle’s camera. “And you’re live!”

  “Uh, what do I do?” DeMarcus asked.

  “Just act natural.”

  “Meaning?”

  “Normal, expected, usual?” Yue listed. “Be yourself?”

  DeMarcus gave a crooked smirk. “Hey, everyone! I’m DeMarcus Maahes, and this is annoying.”

  “Hmm, smartass—I like it!”

  Ty jumped in front of the camera, wrapping his arms around DeMarcus’ shoulder. “Let me do the intro. Welcome to the neighborhood, man. Allow me to give you a tour.” Tyrone leapt on the wall, pointing at the brown and white house across the corner as Yue filmed him. “That over there’s where I live!”

  DeMarcus leapt on the wall to see. “It’s a pretty big house.”

  “Not from the way you sound.”

  DeMarcus shrugged. “Well, I have seen bigger. Not that I lived in them though.”

  “Now that’s just mean.”

  “Oh, come on. Let’s quit standing around and head to school already.” Yue rushed.

  DeMarcus and Tyrone dropped to the ground and continued to the bridge. Tyrone smiled at Yue. “So impatient,” he taunted.

  “Such a show off.” Yue retorted. “That head of yours is just gonna keep getting bigger.”

  Tyrone shrugged and smiled. “I can’t help feeling like a star.”

  “Well, don’t burn out like one,” Yue sassed.

  Ty snickered. “I won’t. ‘Cuz then I’ll be cold like you.”

  “Okay, you two. That’s enough,” said Jun.

  Tyrone blew a raspberry at Yue, who smirked and flipped him off.

  “Anyway,” Tyrone continued, “when we get to school there’s a few other folks we want you to meet. You’ll love ‘em.”

  New friends already? And what about this Rafeal person they mentioned yesterday? With his wounds almost healed, the last thing DeMarcus wanted was trouble on his first day.

  They reached the bridge and took a tram across the sparkling azure river toward the city. Almost seemed like there wasn’t an attack weeks ago until the news reminded everyone with a broadcast of a memorial in the city, followed by a briefing of a small HDF attack in the nearby city of Chicago that the police and local military dealt with. Just trouble everywhere.

  Upon departing the tram into the city, they were greeted by other kids on their way to school. DeMarcus watched a parahuman girl break from two of her friends and greet Tyrone with a kiss. She smiled and twirled the long curls of her brown hair, and her long sandy tail wagged as a bright tinge of red appeared on her peach face.

  “Hey, Jasmine,” Tyrone greeted. “How’ve you been?”

  “Fine,” Jasmine answered. Then she looked at DeMarcus. “Hi. Who’re you?”

  Before DeMarcus spoke, Tyrone introduced him. “Jazz, this is my new friend, DeMarcus. He’s coming to school with us.”

  “Nice meeting you. I’ll see you around.” She waved.

  The soft coo of her voice sparked a twitch in DeMarcus’s tail as she rejoined her friends. Continuing down the street, he shied away from the attention of other walking students asking Ty and Yue about him—he never expected to be such a big talk among the other kids. Then a group of girls across the street caught his interest, with his eyes locked onto the girl leading the group—a beautiful, olive-skinned parahuman with luxurious gold hair billowing down to her curled, fluffy tail.

  Her bright purple shirt and skinny white pants had his tail flicking up until Ty gave him a soft nudge. “Got the hots for Crystal Shay, man?” Tyrone asked.

  “Ugh. Don’t bother with that spoiled hussy,” Yue scoffed, closing her monocle.

  “C’mon, give your brother some support,” said Tyrone, “DeMarcus might have a shot if he says he’s from Iuvia.”

  “For the hundredth time, I’m not from Iuvia,” said DeMarcus. “I barely know what it’s like other than my parents came from there.”

  “But Crystal doesn’t know that,” said Tyrone.

  “Yeah, lying’s the perfect way to someone’s heart,” Yue sniped.

  Despite the sarcasm, DeMarcus agreed.

  “Besides, Ty,” Yue continued, “you never lied to get a girl. Why the hell should he?”

  “Well, it’s not technically lying if he has family in Iuvia.”

  “I’m pretty sure it is, Ty,” said Jun.

  “Okay, fine,” Ty relented. “Don’t have to rip on me. Just trying to help a guy out.”

  “Well, I wasn’t gonna lie anyway,” DeMarcus said. “Just get her interested.”

  If only he knew how.

  After a long walk, they reached Iyrons Academy’s Lower Campus, a silver and blue, Y-shaped building that slanted up three stories. Arrows on the sidewalks directed to other parts of the academy like the oval Gymnasium at the back and the Administration block in the center. And further beyond that was the X-shaped building of the Upper Campus for the older students.

  DeMarcus took a deep breath as they stepped onto the campus, his eyes still locked on Crystal until Jun held him back. “Hold on, DeMarcus. I can tell you haven’t been to a public school,” she said. “So here’s some sisterly advice: be careful. Girls like Crystal love seeing guys like you fight for their attention, and you don’t need that kind of drama.”

  A boy called out to the group. “Hey, Ty! Yue!”

  Two kids ran toward them, a human boy with tidy brown hair, and a grey-tailed parahuman girl with a blonde ponytail over her shoulder, both pale under the sun. After greeting Ty and Yue, they shot puzzled looks at DeMarcus. “Who’s he?” asked the boy.

  “Mitch, Sarah, meet my brother, DeMarcus Maahes,” Yue answered. “DeMarcus, this is Mitch Shoa and Sarah Tovar.”

  “Um…hi.” DeMarcus greeted with a shy wave of his hand.

  Mitch shook his hand. “Hey, nice to meet you man!”

  “Wait, brother?” Sarah questioned.

  “He’s adopted,” Jun answered. “Although we’re trying to find any family he might have. Anyway, I’ll see you guys later.”

  As Jun made her way to the Upper Campus, DeMarcus and the others went into the academy’s lower campus. Mitch and Sarah kept their curious looks on DeMarcus. “So, DeMarcus, where are you from?” Sarah asked.

  “I used to live in Houston before coming here,” DeMarcus said.

  “What happened to your parents?” Mitch asked.

  DeMarcus made a grim look away, seeing Yue and Tyrone gesturing Mitch not to ask. “Uh…never mind,” Mitch relented.

  “Move, dwit!” shouted a boy ahead of them. A parahuman boy shoved another boy to the ground. Long, dark, curly brown hair, dark rings on the tan of his skin and tail, with eyes like a domino mask. His elaborate gold shirt and blue pants gave DeMarcus every hint to who this person was.

  “Lemme guess. That’s Rafeal?” DeMarcus asked.

  “Yep,” Everyone answered flatly.

  DeMarcus sighed in disgust and continued into the Academy. He could already feel how this day would go.

  Stepping into the school’s main hall, it was like entering a mini market where children purchased their materials printed from the vendors. Small blocky drones hovered around and displayed the school news, the history of the building’s founding after the Solar War, or the time and class periods. The floors a
nd walls illuminated the name of the halls and rooms, and a directory fountain showed the building’s layout in front of a large solar tree. To the building’s right was the gated Yard where students hung out and ate breakfast, with the window shifting images of today’s menu.

  Strolling through the hall around the students were teachers with their egg-shaped Assistaroid robots hovering with them. A lone red Assistaroid zipped towards the group and stopped in front of DeMarcus. “DeMarcus Maahes?” it asked.

  “Um…yeah?” DeMarcus answered.

  “Welcome to the Iyrons Academy!” said the Assistaroid. “Your school registration has been confirmed, and your early test scores placed you as a Level 4 student.”

  Yue wrapped her arm around DeMarcus. “So, is he gonna be in my class?”

  “We are aware and have considered your relation to DeMarcus, Ms. Sun,” the robot said. “However, based on his earlier test scores and staff recommendation, Mr. Maahes’s first class will be Advanced NAF History I with Mr. Bann in room 211 for a critical topic about to begin.”

  DeMarcus’s tablet vibrated as his school schedule flowed on its screen.

  “Great!” Sarah exclaimed to Tyrone. “That’s our class.”

  “It’s good you are acquainted with Mr. Iyrons and Ms. Tovar, Mr. Maahes. We hope they will make you feel welcome in class.” The bell rang, and the Assistaroid rose into the air. “First period is about to begin. Have a good day.”

  The Assistaroid flew away, and the gang separated through the hall as everyone scurried for class. Yue wished DeMarcus good luck as Tyrone guided him to their classroom. “We’re getting into the UCR Fracture,” he said. “Now you might already know a few things, but I can teach you a lot of stuff you don’t.”

  “Thanks, but I can manage,” said DeMarcus. “I’ve had some—”

  He bumped into a pale-skinned, black-haired parahuman man with round black ears on the side of his head. The man stood like a statue, his thin tail swaying as he looked down on DeMarcus. “Watch where you’re going,” the man said.