Warmth rose from under his head, the darkness tearing itself away from his sight, his groaning registering to his before muffled hearing. As Rey fully opened his eyes, his drool ridden face met the comforting ceiling of his living room. He smiled.“A dream… Thank the Phoenix It was a…”

  “Dad?!” His gaze shot up at beckoning, his parental instincts kicking in. Rey turned to Sammy, his face displaying a look of great concern yet happiness at his fathers face.“Sammy… How long was I out, what’d I-” unprovoked he wrapped his arms around Rey’s lean figure, tears erupting onto his chest.“Jessy- Jessy said you weren’t okay! She said Noa made you get a heart attack!” His eyes widened as everything from today and before was beginning to register, along with his repressed memories. His face shifted, drawn with a deep disturbance, yet confusion. Shaking his head at the contradicting thoughts, he embraced Sammy for a while.“Never. I’m healthier than you, your sister- mom- And Noa put together! Sides, Noa is fine.Everything' is fine, I promise.” Sammy looked up at his fathers eyes of conviction feeling at ease, quickly he wiped his tears. “I’m sorry…” He said looking down.“For what?” Rey asked, still embracing him.“I shouldn’t cry… Jessy said crying only makes you feel bad… It makes you look bad.” he pulled away slightly, surprised.

  “Is that true-? Now why would she say that…? Cryin’ isn’t gonna make me look bad. It makes me feel bad sure, but you’d never-” Before he continued his train of thought, his eyes drifted over to new furnishings placed above each of their family moments, along with Ave and Rey’s work life. It was a familiar emblem of sorts. A large pair of gray wings with feathers were so long the entire floor on the display of photos, as well as on the floor. He flinched at the sight of them, gulping.“Mom also said… Noa was making stuff bad…” Although he heard him, Rey felt drawn by the wings standing before him, his breath stifled, small beads of sweat fell from his face as his mind raced through everything he’d just uncovered to recall where those wings had originated from. He held his chest.“Agh..!” He cried while holding the couch cushion tightly. Sammy the instance Rey’s sweet tone and playful face started to wane leapt from him bolting into the kitchen.“MOM! MOM!!!”“N-no… Wait… I’m f-fine…!”The pain confounded him so much he couldn’t raise his voice, nor utter any other words. kneeling over he felt his back beginning to tingle as he stared at the gray wings now dominating every thought in his mind. He shut his eyes in defiance, urging his mind to repress everything once again, begging for Ave to come sooner and put his mind to ease as she always had, though the waves of pain took much longer to cease as she never came.

  For however long it had been Avery rose, the pain still lingering. He took great effort to rise, heading into the kitchen, shielding his peripheral view from even noticing the feathers. Once into the kitchen, he held onto the table, knocking over their flower pot in the middle, then onto the walls, the beads of sweat not running down his face, he yelled.“Ave! Please! Help me!” An answer eluded him. He continued towards the basement. His chest tightening.“S-Sammy?! Ave!? Jessy?!” Despite the desperation coming through in his tone, there was still no answer. Now angry he headed to the basement, opening the door. As he had, he flinched at Ave standing there, both children on her left and right. Sammy looked sorry for his father, both of his hands balled into tiny fists, coping with the weight of leaving his father helpless,whereas Jessy kept still, staring at Rey plaintively, their eyes clear, as if they fully understood the cruelty of their actions but hadn’t the slightest care. In turn, Rey’s eyes glossed over with rage, his patience running, recklessly, he hopped down the steps.“I’m over here havin’ the worst pain, Sammy’s cryin’ murder, and you stand there lookin’ at me like that!?”“...” She stooped on one knee, looking at both children, whispering.“Hey! I’m talkin’ to you Ave!” The two ran off obediently, upset Rey picked up the pace, hopping down the stairs with less of an anger about him, but a need to hold his children. Though before he could make it down the stairs, one of the stairs collapsed from underneath him, lodging his right foot into a large hole.“GAH!” He held the rickety railing, hollering with some pain. Ave approached, walking up the stairs peacefully to meet with him, her gaze still.“You did the same thing when we carried the tanks down here. Even now you’re still careless…” She said reassuredly, though Avery was in too much pain to recognize the warmth or reminiscent tone he cried, “Take this seriously Ave! Help me!” Finally, near him, slowly Ave knelt down to Rey’s level, holding his face, her brown eyes dullening, her skin turning pale as she looked into Rey’s, searching. Rey’s slender fingers trickled off the railing, Ave fully holding him up, though he couldn’t care less, as he felt entranced in her familiar eyes as she did his. Then, without warning, she yanked him out of the staircase, his right jean pants leg covered in splinters.

  “A-ah A-about time! What the heck was that?!” He immediately snapped at her. “A precaution. I wasn’t sure who you would be once you remembered.” She said in a whisper.“R-remember? You mean… It was all real…?” Quietly shaking her head, Rey took notice of her accentuated gray locks along with her flowing hair. Slowly, he stopped breathing altogether, taking her all in, while also silently panicking to himself.“W-what do you mean? You know? But- But we didn’t meet there- We didn’t! I never went through anythin’ like that!” He raised his voice in defiance, shaking his head.“I’m sure of it! At that age I had a tutor for sure- I was a late bloomer, but I never went through any experiment! I never went through any “ritual” and all those colorful kids- They weren’t real! I never had that many friends- I didn't… I…” His rambling in the face of Ave’s deadpan expression failed to help him dispute the situation at all. Ave’s hair sat still, she held Rey’s larger hand, holding it tightly. “I’ll explain everything. Let’s go back upstairs. Okay?” She smiled, her eyes flickering between a pale brown and her usual hue, eventually settling on a complete shade of white, causing the tension to melt, and bringing a warm levity to Rey’s heart.Once seated in the living room Rey still took great care to avoid glimpsing at anything on the right side of the room, instead focusing on his plant and Ave. Though even more comforting would have been his children. “Why… Why’d they look at me like that?” He questioned, frowning at Jessy's cold exterior for the most part.“...I told them you were sick and you needed to rest. They were upset that you got up. I told them to wait downstairs so we can talk” He raised an eyebrow at the excuse, not completely sold but still desperate for other answers.“Okay… But tell me- What the heck was that!? Those memories- If they’re real, then why now!? Why today!? How the heck can my brain conjure up everythin’ like that? It's impossible- I’m not some maniac!”“You’re not, but it is possible… Classy Cleetus is how we met. But that was only after the incident… We’ve known each other long before that.” She leaned closer to him, slowly letting down his hand, he quickly shut his eyes yielding back.

  “No! That’s what’s makin’ my head wanna burst like a balloon!!” Ave leaned closer.

  “It won’t with me here.Trust me Rey. Just look at me. Please.” Her voice softened greatly, but the grasp on her wrist remained firm, he opened his eyes slowly, her voice lulling him. As he stared into her eyes- Only her eyes, he could both figuratively and literally see clearer. The fog of doubt and dismay lightened, he saw himself in her.“After you decided to play mama bird, you helped to take care of us for months. You gave us energy, you comforted us, made us laugh… We grew closer. You and I grew closer.” He smiled as he imagined a younger Ave hugging him at his most vulnerable moments, chuckling at the idea of them poking fun at each other, all while his eyes stated Fix on Ave’s.“But then, as it turned out, they were all liars, the bald man, Professor Bohdi, even… them…” Her pleasant tone faltered a bit, Rey’s eyes straying slightly, but before he could glance upon the wings again, her grip became firm enough for him to turn to her.

  “You couldn’t take the pain, so you suppressed the memory. After that, you lived with your family, I found you, and I staged our “first” meeting… I wanted- no, needed, to see you again. I wanted to be by your side and take care of you, just like you took care of me. Because we’re a team, forever….And here we are… That’s the truth.”Before registering all of the new information, Rey chuckled, the memories all involving Ave making him laugh, helping him ignore the urge to confront such confounding thoughts that caused him nothing but anguish.

  He fell onto the floor, beginning to laugh manically. Later, his eyes drifted from Ave’s onto the feathers, nothing hurt anymore. He chuckled more, a smile rose up his cheeks.“Ahahaha… It makes sense… It all makes sense! That’s why I can’t remember my parents much- that’s why I couldn’t remember my childhood, and everythin’ else. It all makes sense!” He said to himself, while rubbing the thighs of his jeans with an odd amount of excitement. Out of the blue he kissed Ave on the cheek, though she didn’t flinch fully expecting it.

  “Man! Thanks Ave! It all makes sense now! You really know how to do me right- I don’t even know why I was stressin’ It’s always just been you and me!” He chuckled, Ave grinned. “Yes. You, me and our-” Excitedly, Rey cut in. “Ambition!” They both said simultaneously, they both laughed casually, but as Ave rose in her eccentricity, so did Rey. They both laughed manically, so loud in fact it echoed downstairs to the basement. Through all of the laughter, Rey’s eyes turned to a picture of a younger Kanoa, his smile widening.“We oughta go and save that kid now, huh? I miss ‘em! I’m so glad he’s our son and we brought ‘Im into this world and what not!” Ave’s laughing died down, she wiped a tear nodding along and smiling.“I do too. For all of the trouble he’s causing I’ve always been glad too.” Rey’s entire expression turned to Ave questionably, his eyebrow comically raised as his face scrunched up.“Huuhhhhhh? What’cha talkin’ bout!? Kanoa is a good boy! Trouble?! He cooks us chicken- watches the kids, he-” “Shh…” She shushed him, pinching his lips, amused with his praises, but desperately needing a hug.“Ooh! Now yer huggin’ me!” He chuckled again, hugging her back. “I’m glad we’re a family… Kanoa and the kids need you… As he changes the world, it’ll all make more sense with you…”With his eyes shut and a big goody grin he continued nodding along with a big goofy grin. “Uh huh! Uh huh! Our boy is gonna be a king!” She chuckled again.“You said it. Not me.” She let go of Rey slowly, walking towards the front door to retrieve a coat.“With the influx of electricity and ice coming down the heater will start acting funny and the house will freeze over…” From the coat of her pocket she then retrieved a clear stone of sorts, Rey stared at the stone unabashedly excited.

  “I-Is that a conduction stone?! The heck did you get that- It could only be found 30 kilometers down! But even if ya dig that far, you can’t see a thing without peelin’ off the toxins!” She chuckled at his intrigue, clearly anticipating this reaction. “ A friend, who knew a friend, who knew a friend.” “Come on now!”” He stumbled off of the couch on his knees pleading though despite his relentlessness, Ave refused to continue to banter, ending it by tossing the stone to Rey himself, his mouth drooled, lusting over it.“You’ve been asleep for a week now, Rey. In that time there’s been a horrible monster that has taken Kanoa and ensnared him completely. And so we need to catch it. I need you to help me. Please?”Obediently, his eyes glued to the reflective object he nodded.“Yes! Yes! I gotcha! We’ll save our boy! I’d do anythin’ for you, you know!

  “Pff-!” Ave laughed, whereas Rey traced his finger along the surface of the object.Both children waited outside, their loose clothes failing to sustain them in the now cold atmosphere, their rigid breaths blowing clouds of hot air.“M-m-mom is right, right…?” Sammy asked, balling his fists while rubbing them together for warmth. Jessy, whose arms were folded while pacing shook her head without doubt. “Mom is always right, don’t be stupid.” She said earnestly, her eyes resembling the paleness of her mothers.“She’s a scientist, and she’s so smart, she even knew it was gonna s-snow…” She sneezed, snot dripping down her nose. “... But if she’s so smart, why didn’t she bring us our coats… And where’d Noa-”“Just shut up.” She scowled her face looking familiarly cold.With that Sammy quickly hushed, his gaze shifting further down the block a mass of people each holding up signs and chanting strolled through the relatively quieter neighborhood, their voices powerful and absolute in their chanting

  “Down with Royalty! Fight for the majority! Rise with the Phoenix, We’ll sail straight to Venus!”. As their chanting came closer, Ave and Rey had exited their home, both wearing heavier coats, along with two small ones. As the crowd spotted the two, their chanting ceased. An older woman leading the dozen behind her quickly noticed them. She had her hair in two twin tail braids, wore black sunglasses, and a thick winter coat. She called to them, “Come with your children! Ever since that Phoenix forsaken “celebration” was held, the royals believe we’re content with the rigorous working hours, the unjust taxation, and the neglect of our region! Join us and wage war on them!”Ave smirked as Rey couldn’t stare at anything but his own shivering children, taking Sammy’s coat from Ave, he jogged up to them, quickly zipping them up, while rubbing their hands for warmth, all the while Ave descended down the staircase, amused. “And when did protests start?” She asked, tilting her head.“Word ‘round here to Willbasin spread in a fortnight about some kidnappin’ of little boys and girls South East at the edge of town! A lab of some sort was found there, it was awful! They’re usin’ our people and we’re not takin’ it anymore!”The more they spoke the more absorbed Jessy had been in her mother’s unfazed disposition, emulating it by forcing her arms by her sides while standing rigidly. Sammy in contrast retreated to Rey reaching out for his hand. Rey, surprised by the events transpiring, and the plethora of voices of surrounding neighbors each bearing long rifles and pitchforks in hand, dispersing into groups as they roamed the streets. He found his eyes lingering away from the chaos and persistent yelling to their front yard, then the pathways to their backyard. At first he noticed the first layer of snow touching down on the bright green grass, but subtly, he noticed a rubbery rubbery material of some kind buried underneath a coat of dirt with two children’s- Likely Sammy and Jessys- silhouettes spread across it. Noticing his quiet observation, Ave quickly grabbed him by the hand, drawing him back into the moment obediently. Befuddled by the news, Rey was tempted to intervene, though Ave, with a bit of cockiness in her tone, spoke.“Thank you, but we’re a bit busy at the moment. We’re off to retrieve your savior.”

  The crowd murmured among themselves confusingly.“What are you talkin’ about Ave?” A woman with short black hair and glasses called out, a familiar face to Ave and Rey who also volunteered in the mines.“Nothing. Though, if you’d like to get their attention, I suggest you use something… warm. It’s getting cold, colder than it’s ever been in Murrowsbrow, and I think they have something to do with it. “Taken aback by the discrete suggestion, Rey was just about ready to question her, although he found a lack of energy to even open his mouth against her, as he felt glued to her side and unable to cease his smiling.“The lady’s right!” A tall, sickly older man called out, his veiny hands squeezing every reserve of strength onto his rifle.“Let’s get some torches, we’ll charge the capital and light it all on fire if they refuse us!” The crowd howled with agreement, immediately moving through the front of their house while continuing their chanting, merging with another group to share their plans of rebellion. As this happened Ave chuckled a bit. “So it was that easy… Then Kanoa’s legacy…” She smirked to herself. “Come on then. We’re going to see Kanoa, everyone zip up your coats, we’ll be taking a shortcut!”

  —--

  Upon the mountain top, Kanoa and the older man stood watching as bright lights trailed down the streets of the capital of Murrows Brow. Kanoa squinted to get a better view, although, to him it merely looked like the beginning of another festival of sorts.“I wonder what they could be celebratin’ now… What do you think, sir?” He asked, turning to the man, who stared at the flurry of lights with a certain astonishment, that is until he heard Kanoa’s voice.“They’re riotin’.” He said matter of factly while licking his chapped lips.‘Riotin’...? Why?! I get MurrowsBrow isn’t the best place with work and stuff, but fire? What if somebody gets hurt…?” He asked, looking down. “... Sometimes, people have gotta get hurt to realize not to mess with others…” The man said wistfully, with a downcast look similar to Kanoa though grimacing at himself. As Kanoa began grimacing alongside him, he forced his attention towards the case of pills, one left, that being the orange pill. Determined to stay gungho, Kanoa patted the old man's shoulder.“It’ll be okay! Nobody is bad down there, not really! Now c’mon! Lorna should almost be done with the food!” He said, grabbing his arm, dragging him towards the laboratory, as he did, for the first time, the older man's scrunched up face eased, turning into a smile. Entering the hall of the laboratory a strong pungent aroma held Kanoa by the nostrils forcing him in its direction while holding Thomas’s wrist. Whereas he himself was obliging with Kanoa’s excitement, he too felt comforted by the barbecued, juicy, plump supple meat which awaited him. Reaching the end of the hallway, Lorna stood in front of a makeshift fireplace, while gently twirling a large brown chicken over a gentle fire. To the wall stood a dozen ice balls of sorts holding multiple creatures, though the most important object in the room being a cube of cheese served on a plate of the wrecked bed. Frothing at the mouth Kanoa instinctually pat Lorna on the back, she flinched.“Good job! It smells great! The seasoning is even-!” An Icicle quickly touched his nose, its sharp point piercing through a thin layer of skin, he sweat immensely only daring to breathe when the bloodlust left Lorna’s eyes.“You jerk! You did that on purpose, didn’t ya!?” Lowering her icicle Kanoa stumbled back, Thomas catching him.

  “I… I was whisperin’! You’re just bein’ all jumpy cuz you're focused… But I get it!” His smile returned as he jumped on his feet.“Once you start you just lose all focus! You really catch on quick y’know?! It’s only been a week and you’re already cookin’ without burnin’ anythin’! I’m proud of you!” Lorna smiled, proud of herself as well. “Yeah, well with a brain like mine surviving alone for so long, you learn to adapt quickly, keep up and stuff!” She said looking at her slightly cracked nails with a look of self absorption. Kanoa chuckled at her snarky tone, she raised an eyebrow confused, but upon hearing herself she laughed with him, if a bit embarrassed, but finding it easier to stomach around Kanoa.“Well. Maybe not all alone. I told you this guy would feed me what he’d bring from your town, right? That's how I learned what a fridge was used for to preserve it and stuff.” She said, reminiscing on the junk she’d pile on.“I don’t think so! That’s really cool to know… But wait, wouldn’t that mean you’ve been here as long as Lorna, sir?” He asked, suddenly intrigued by the history between the two.“I’d… Suppose.” He answered, at first rubbing his arm uncomfortably, as if unable or unwilling to recount himself. “Woah! So then does that mean you know what this-” Lorna raised her voice interrupting him “Kanoa! This chicken and cheese thing better turn out right- Especially the cheese!” She insisted, pointing at Kanoa’s pocket“Better be just like the one in your pocket, or else!” The air grew frigid, Kanoa jumped a bit at the sudden outburst. He answered firmly, “Still don’t trust me after all our huntin’!? Trust, we did everythin’ we could! We even made the cheese right, I’m sure of it!” He said confidently, though with confidence less so placed on himself, but of her.

  “And I really did mean what I said, you pick up quick, So don’t yell in my ear! Yeesh!”

  She smiled a bit, reminiscing on the difficulty of capturing each bird- the right birds to nourish them and feed their bellies, the occasional trips into town Thomas would make for herbs and spices, but more fondly remembering Kanoa’s smile and his talk of the outside world. “Yeah, yeah… Sit down, it’s almost done.”“Ah alright!” As Kanoa guided the older man to his chair Lorna laughed at his sudden politeness. “He’s old but he’s not dyin’ y’know.” She said while dispersing small ice cubes into the fire,causing it to hang a little lower.“I know! I never noticed how calloused his hands are… he works hard all by himself. It's second nature to be a little nice.”

  “Your softness could get you in trouble…’Specially when you’ll be fightin’ the woman and the other children…”“Oh what other punks do you keep talkin’ about!? They didn’t see the light, and if they do decide to show themselves Kanoa and me’ll murk ‘em easy!”She said while lowering the flame by dispersing tiny ice cubes into it. Kanoa looked down, a bit self conscious. “You really think so? I mean… I know I’m not brutal like Lorna… But it can’t help to be nice here and there, can it? Bein’ nice can save people. “You’re doin’ it! You’re doin’ it again! How many times do I have to say it!” Brusquely, she’d lay the thick chicken onto the plate alongside the equally large cheese. “Be more selfish! Everybody in this world is messed up as it is anyway… Do I have to remind you?” She asked, pointing onwards through the open door to the hall of empty rooms which once had people just like them. The old man rubbed the back of his red neck ashamedly. “I… I get that. And I am tryin’ to live more selfishly, honestly… it’s just… There could be regular people like us, hurtin’. What if-” “Forget ‘em. None of them cared to save us. So why should we? They’re all scum…” Kanoa’s mouth hung open, a mix of contempt in Lorna’s curt response greatly offending him, and yet a part of him refrained from saying anything altogether. “Now c’mon! Let’s dig in already!!!” Her shift from cold to an eccentric kid living in their own bubble was sharp and painful. Absolving the niceties, Kanoa firmly grabbed her dry ice cold hand before she could indulge. He stared at her with a front of tough, unintimidated eyes, whereas Lorna could clearly discern the rage from the obvious offense. Reeling her arm back she grumbled to herself, still feeling ethically, and morally correct, yet sharing an equally deep affliction with Kanoa’s reaction, as he did hers.

  “...Fine. I’m sorry…but not over them, over you… All I’m sayin’ is that if they want a hero, it doesn’t have to be you. Doesn’t have to be any of us… What they probably- no definitely need isn’t some hero, but a dang mirror to see the ugly in ‘em, ever think about that?” With no counterargument, aside from the two’s hearts telling them they each absolutely had to be correct, the room quickly became quiet, that is until, the man’s cracked lips open, his voice coming through as something firmer, yet monotone, he said calmly, ”The Phoenix will save them.”

  Kanoa grinned at the reference of the Phoenix, elated to hear a reference to it after so long. “Right, the Phoenix!” Lorna tapped the table, her chin resting on the table while staring dead eyed at the steam rising from the golden brown chicken’s crispy exterior. “Yeah! Yeah, Phoenix, can I stuff my face now!? I haven’t eaten in months!” “You don’t even need it! Look… We can eat, but only if we say grace, it’ll be a prayer!” She grimaced, rocking in her chair back and forth while groaning.“Come on, It’s easy! Just cross your hand over your heart, stick your fingers in the air, and listen to me talk!” She glanced over to the older man who already began the ritual as instructed. “You’re annoying.” She said before doing as Kanoa instructed. “And you better pray we get more pills or somethin’...” She said looking over at the empty case which Kanoa had entirely forgotten about. He scratched the back of his, wondering how he would fight without any more energy to accumulate, though looking at Lorna’s closed eyes, for once going along with his way of life, He laughed fervently.“Dear Phoenix, thank you for this wonderful meal! I appreciate all you’ve done for us, bringin’ me and Lorna and… The always helpful… Older adult man with us. We hope that everyone down below is alright… I hope my parents will be alright…” He paused briefly, the faces of his mother and father’s gratitude just a few nights ago, still leaving a pang of sadness as he couldn’t foresee when next he’d meet them.“I wish them all of the best, and as much as I miss them and everythin’, if you're takin’ care of them… And please do the same for every other family who was ever like us, please… Please bring us some more pills so we can get real strong- then protect everybody else…in the name of the Phoenix.”

  “Skaa.” The man said plainly, before retrieving a clay knife and fork from his pants pocket. At first Lorna first noticed the odd comparison between themselves and their “captors”, though she took an even closer notice to the solemn tender look of care, overpowering the upset from earlier.

  “...Those guys really mean a lot to you… Huh?” She asked, rolling her hair with her finger, awkwardly, unsure of how to process such emotion. “Course I do! I grew up around ‘em, duh!” “Right…” She replied, the twirling of her fingers stopping. As the older man chomped satisfyingly at the large piece of chicken, her eyes beckoned Kanoa’s to stand.“What? What is it?” He stood, curious. “C’mon. I wanna show you something.” she asked, and for the first time, there was a certain excitement in her normally combative tone, Kanoa smiled.

  —--

  At the edge of town the rowdy upsurge of citizens went into screaming matches, battling against The field of guards surrounding them by the gate of the capital, though in the background, two figures in large hazmat suits emerged from the sewers, two smaller figures slithered out covered in gray liquid from head to toe. Though before the quartet, faced a far more impenetrable destination laying before them, despite the words left to meander in the back of their minds, along with the cold irking them particularly Avery who had never been fond of the cold. Part of him felt a beckoning to run towards the familiar and unfamiliar faces alike, in hopes of warming himself and his family. The venom and their lecherous language towards the security of the city hall hadn’t mattered, as Rey could foresee the potential ramifications of their actions, although, the rickety staircase in which Kanoa laid impeded him from speaking out. As Ave took off the mask of her hazmat suit revealing her now completely grayed hair with very subtle reminders of the chestnut streaks she and Rey shared, she pointed towards the mountain, a smile on her face as she held onto Jessy's hand as if solely speaking to her.“He’s at the very top. See? He was only away for a little while, not that far either” her tone softened consoling Jessy who nodded along. With a teasing smile while scraping the gray goo from her suit, Sam grimaced, flinching, she raised her voice cockily,”See!? I told you! Always right! You’re always such a baby!” In an attempt to be playful, she threw the sludge onto Sam who squealed, landing on his face.Rey immediately removed his germ ridden glove sacrificing the cleanliness of his hand to wipe the miscellaneous thick murky goo from his cheek. Rey shot a glare at Jessy’s face, she flinched, then petulantly answered, looking away from her father,”What? I didn’t say anythin’ wrong…”

  “Jessy, relax. And you. Relax.” Ave stood in front of the two before a quarrel could persist, her particular eyes fixed on the festering rage and defensive look spread across Rey’s face. The deeper she gazed into each of his sharp, angular eyes the softer they became, unraveling all of his anger, along with the cluster of sentences he’d prepared to scold Jessy with. He smiled, rubbing the back of his neck flustered.“Well gosh… When you stare at me like that… I’ve got no choice but to calm down…”He said, smiling. Sammy’s lips quivered as Ave wiped the remaining crud from his face leaning in. She whispered something Rey couldn’t hear, though it hadn’t mattered to him,her lips after a few moments leaned away from Sammy. “Up. Now. We’re almost there.” At the foot of the staircase, each of them removes their suits to congestion on the narrow set of stairs. Rising from the tensely heated city, they quickly learned to continue onwards continuously as the weight of a misplaced foot from Ave, caused a part of the stair to wane, then slamming onto the floor/ Rey gulped, holding the shoulders of both of their children.

  “Careful now… Kanoa’s waitin’...” Rey noticed how the anxiety he had felt was reflected by Sammy, whose eyes were glossed with anxiety, whereas Jessy just like her mother silently cheered, extending the palm out.

  “If I walk up I can get to him faster! Right mom?!” Bewildered by the suggestion crossed his face, she smiled. “You’re not wrong. But we’ll all see Kanoa, together. Remember our promise Jess?” She asked, taking hold of her hand, still walking stridently, she shook her head. “I remember… Sammy does too.”“What’s this promise now?” He asked, the concern rising subtly. Ignoring him, Both continued onwards, the enlargement of the mountain with each step taking up their attention. Sammy spoke, his voice hushed.“I-It’s why I ran from you, dad… It’s why… Why those guys are down there with all the fire, yelling…”“What…?” Their steps faltered a bit, Sammy’s weighed look lightening as the concern he’d been waiting for finally broke through, he spoke with more urgency,”Mom made us promise to treat each other like a real family. To help each other no matter what. She said we’d do that by…” He paused, thinking back to his mother’s phrasing.”Unleashing the Potential we have as a…. team. No matter how sad you get, or Noa… We gotta get your potential out, it’s the only way…She says it’s every family's ambition...” Upon hearing the reference of ambition, his mind went back to the long gray wings hitched above their family photos. HIs pace slowed as the meaning of those both Ave and him understood, even if not consciously on his side, left a sour taste in his mouth. His mind lingering on the orange woman- Or rather “Felix’s” smile, the suggestion to leave MurrowsBrow, it was all becoming vividly reminiscent of something.“And your mom really said that… With that look? The same look she gives me…?” He nodded, though corrected him. “It’s not a look- It’s-” “What’s holding you two?” Ave asked, her and Jessy’s pace grew to a pace, despite the rusted metal steps screeching from underneath them, waning in its support. “... Ave…” He held onto Sammy's hand, jerking his head upwards to her now totally snow white hair, the brown dullness in her eyes turning completely white, along with Jessy, who clinged onto her pointed her curiosity more to her father and brothers grand stand than anything else.

  “That promise! Why did you tell ‘em to make that promise? And why’ve you been tryna suppress the truth!?! After his outburst, a wall of fire erupted in the background, Sammy and Jessy’s gazes shifted towards the a storm of citizens climbing over the gate towards the capital, some challenging soldiers with their own weaponry, others hurling rocks and bricks of clay stolen from a nearby ceramics shop, though the majority, in an attempt to liberate their rage burnt the nearby wooden buildings, a ring of fire encroaching the center of Murrows Brow. Despite the influx of this chaos, however, both eyes lingered on the other, Ave looking down on Rey with a look of fatigue, and Rey, looking up in pursuit of the truth. “...That was faster than normal.” She said, genuinely impressed. She let out a drawn out sigh, her eyes and nose alike catching wind of the burnt asphalt polluting the clean air. “But to answer your question. This is the truth. I’ve told you again, and again, and again, over and over. It’s like we’re on a carousel…The only difference being that only today, did I decide to take matters into my own hands-Only today did I choose to involve our children in a job you can’t seem to understand!” The displeasure of having to speak was apparent, a frustration Rey couldn’t wrap his head around, one that scared him, bringing about the pain he felt lighting his brain on fire, he relented. Although the firm grasp of Sammy became his strength, as his own grip loosened, he persisted.

  “What are you talking about?! What truth is there Ave? What truth is there in bein’ here forcin’ Kanoa to do whatever it is you’re tryin’ to force on ‘im?!” The wind behind them intensified, their hoods and locks flowing as snow flakes urged on as well. “He will guide them!” She exclaimed, her voice steeped with confidence. “The other one up there, Kanoa will absorb her- He will help us! Because he’s the first- the one, the only child who can utilize so much energy! The only one with the right heart to look out for not just his family- but the world!”Recognizing the phrasing as something akin to something a professor would say, Rey felt a mixture of confusion and resentment towards her words. “You hated them, hated us! Why are you talkin’ like one of ‘em now? And more importantly why can’t I remember anything?! Stop hiding from me!” Jessy inched behind her mother, believing her words, their promise, but unable to ignore the vulnerability of her father. After a bit of prodding and an internal back and forth on Ave’s part, as she watched the orange fire rise and rise, the chaos intruding farther, sounding alarms even farther than the Southern region, she spoke slowly.“I held onto your wings because I knew you would think you’d be strong enough to handle the truth. I know you want to be, but some of us can only shoulder so much… Rey, after you took care of us, went along with the project for those months, holding our bickering, grief and hate of the world and everything else, we all became able to fly, even you. You and I, we… Were a team.” In anticipation of her next words, and out of habit he slicked back his hair.

  “Then what…?” He asked about shifting in his boots. “Then… Ms Friend took all of that progress away. She ruined us.” The tightening of Rey’s chest commenced, the searing pain in his mind, coupled with the image of his gray wings caused his mind to race back in time, his son being the only anchor before his view on everything around him could completely obstruct.

  —--

  As the group of teens sat in the yellow light of the cramped room, Felix throwing her arms in the air to catch Connie's baseball, Haris meditating below a dimmed lightbulb which occasionally flickered, and Ave and Rey sitting in a corner talking, their conversation swinging between light banter and something serious. “No- no way! I get you’re tyin’ to be nice and help, but that wasn’t advice, that was them tryin’ to cover for themselves. I don’t care what they said, it was for them.” He folded his arms, moving the locks of hair from his now longer face, his old slick back completely undone.“I hear you. I do. But it’s the life you want, isn’t it? You’ll be free. With us.” Ave said, her eyes totally apathetic, her tone stiff. He shook his head, knowing her words to be the truth, though wanting to reject them all the same. “Quiet! Just be quiet for a sec, you wouldn’t get it!” He raised his voice, staring at Ave with the intensity he would’ve projected onto his mom or dad. “I didn’t even say anything… And you know I’m not wrong. They’re not winning, they only win if you convince yourself of your freedom, and the future you want is wrong, just because they want something similar.” His tone quickly hushed. After careful consideration, he sighed.“You’re right… Thing is… As scared as I am about flyin’, and with the amount of energy my body gives to you guys, is it even possible my wings will start to sprout?” He asked, his tone still hushed, seeking some affirmation deep down.“Not at all.” She said coldly. The discouragement crushed him no matter how hard he tried to play it off. With a lax sigh, disguising the whimpering tone underneath, he asked,”Then why’d you even say anythin’...? If you know it’s not realistic why-""Taking care of five “aliens” at ten while going through puberty yourself isn’t realistic either. You’re an exceptional person capable of exceptional things. From what the big eared suck-up said the other day, we have two weeks until the experiment is over. Until then, get your wings Rey. I believe in you.”Her eyes lightened, inturn making Avery more relieved to see something other than apathy from her. The days of her confidence felt so far he’d forgotten how piercing her words could be in moments like these. He smiled. “You’re right… Hey… We should call you “light”, because you’re the light of my life!” He snapped, pointing at her awkwardly, a part of him expecting her to laugh at him, or swoon even, but she didn’t, her face stiffened. “Ave is fine… I’m your other half, remember? Ave and Rey.” She said seriously, in a way that surprised him.”Right, other half. How could I ever forget!” A bit pained at seeing him joke about forgetting their bond, she gave an insincere smile, in an attempt to seem more nonchalant. Noticing her fakeness, Rey grabbed her by the cheek pulling her playfully. “Don’t you start throwin’ that line at me pertendin’ everythin’ is fine! That look is faker than ol’ elephant ears!” He chuckled. “What no way.” She chuckled along with him, pinching his cheek as well. As the two continued their playful charade, Felix side-eyed the two, their hair rising passionately.

  Over a week, for each “meal” Rey would produce would go towards him than in service of the team. Although he himself rarely ate his own “jello” almost always ate three square meals a day. Though strangely, they’d refuse Rey to reuse the same plastic silverware, sometimes lab assistance would sneak in late at night, purely to steal his plates, cups and utensils. Outside of that he would go to her and the others for the same moral support and community he had given to them. Although in the same predicament, Conny and Felix particularly became more withdrawn over the previous months, either out of resentment for humans as a whole, or hopelessness. Though Harris, looking lankier and more lax than ever, supported Avery, offering emotional support on how wings springing from your back really felt like, and in his words, the liberation of it.“I thought it would hurt. I thought it would feel disgusting, to tell you the truth…. Buttt…. It’s not all bad. It’s nice. I feel free.” Rey raised an eyebrow, at first expecting a sarcastic remark only not to receive one. “But the Phoenix- and your people, I thought you weren’t alright with it. Doesn’t it hurt you’ll have this thing to live with forever now..?” “No.” He answered quietly, and resolutely. The others, keeping themselves busy with pieces of paper to draw, though Connie and Felix specifically gazed at his genuineness with disgust. “Thing is. People always have these taboos and rules with pointless stuff… You said before flying is like… What was it? Gliding around without any say? I haven’t flown yet, but I sure hope it’s like that…… That’s how I wanna live.” He looked up, smiling,”like a cloud, floating on, and on… It’s a blessing, not some curse. So don’t wring your undies in a bunch…. Get it?” He said, rubbing his shoulders. Rey smiled at his phrasing, a bit hopeful, relieved even. Though even then, he noticed the still leering eyes on him as he returned to draw alongside them.The week of their release Rey could feel a subtle itch on his back, yet still no wings. He frowned as he continued to eat the orange goop, suckling it down like a noodle, still thinking of Ave's face, his heart raced, though his mind steeled. “I should work on my back muscles, maybe that’ll help too…!” He whispered to himself, smirking at his cleverness, though as he went through the exercises in his mind Felix skipped up to him,

  her hair now sown to her feet, but the overall image of her remained the same.

  “Hey hey Avery! You got a sec?” She asked surprisingly politely. “You know I’ve got time, that’s all we have in here, now what’s up?” She laughed almost mockingly at Avery’s comment, enjoying getting under his skin. As she beckoned him to lean down to her level she whispered to him,”Is it true you’re gonna fly off with our leader? Leave one of us to be the new Kanoa!?

  “W-what?! A slight red crept across his face at the notion, he staggered the idea halting any rebuttal. “I mean… With all your eating, and the flying talk we figured something was up.” She said twirling her hair, staring at Ave who laid in her capsule looking at the ceiling contemplatively. “She’s been super bummed ever since you took on all of the responsibility and everything… She really cares for you. Even enough to wanna use your name! Whatcha think? Think it’s love at first sight, think she’s the one champ?” With a grin on her face Felix continued, pressing her finger against Rey’s chest, daring him to speak his innermost thoughts, daring him to not bite his tongue for once. “It’s not like that! I wouldn’t leave you guys… No matter how I feel.” He rubbed his arm, uncomfortable. Felix frowned. “Ah I see. You’re just boring.” “H-huh?” She leaned in, her drapes of hair blocking the movement of her lips on both sides of her, making it hard for the cameras above them to make out her words. “If you left with her, let me be the next Kanoa, I'd wipe the floor with these losers and act on the plan I decided months ago.” He leaned back, disturbed by her sudden quiet animosity. “W-why would you say that, none of us are-!” “SLOW SLOW SLOW! YOU’RE SO SLOW! YA BIG DUMMY, JUST ADMIT YOUR FEELINGS!” Connie and Haris stared at the two confused, Ave sat lost in her own world. Felix then kicked his shin, forcing him to hunch back down to her level.

  “Seriously, you are slow. Read the room. We all have wings. We all could live as the next Kanoa, if we wanted to.”“But we stay cuz-” She interrupted,”It’s not her anymore. These saps don’t have it in them to seriously hold on to a grudge that long…The only thing keeping us here is the fear of heading back home…” She looked towards Connie, her low cut a thing of the past as her kinky hair stood tall, though inside it was apparent from the constant tearing through her hair, coupled with the reckless swinging of her feet that much had weighed on her mind in anticipation for the end of the week. “Complacency…” She turned to Harris, already meditating. “And last but not least… You, lover boy! (Or I guess, Mama bird), cuz it’s not just with our leader, no, no. With all of them. With your kindness and affection. They did a bang up job putting you here with us. Making them so dependent on you… But I’m not fooled. Not fooled like them, and not fooled like you.” His leg still recovering from the pain, his forehead became vexed as his eyebrows furrowed, he asked,”And what's keeping you here? Lemme guess, the security? Cuz you just don’t feel anythin’ huh? But I saw you when you were upset, and I was still able to make you feel better so don’t even try pullin’ that with me!” Felix smirked. “You’ll see. We’re completing this mission. But I only need two. If you’d like to take her far, far away, run away, have some kids and stay here for the rest of your life… That is if she really loves you!” Instinctively he tried to grab her by the collar, she swerved effortless, She laughed yet again pleased at bringing out the worst in Rey.

  Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  “Hey, what’s going on in there?!” A familiarly snarky voice shot from behind the two, this time, on equal footing with her, Rey stared at Ms Pemberton, who somehow aged alongside them, crows feet stood at the edges of her eyes, her ginger hair began to gray, but most noticeably, the signature wrinkles which spread across her twisted face in her bouts of rage were now imprinted onto her, Rey frowned, not sure whether to pity or sneer back at her. “N-Nothin’ just playin’...” He clenched his fist attempting to satisfy his rage. “Yeah? Well Professor Bohdi would like to have a word with you, boy. Think of it as a summary report.” He frowned at her insistence of calling him boy, though was left confused with the rest of the room, excluding Felix as to what there could be to report. “And here I thought we were only his tools… I guess there was a working heart under all of the dust and cobwebs afterall…” Ave chuckled. “Barely.” “All of you be-” She hacked before letting out her usual rage, hacking just like Professor Bohdi, minus as much of the mucus. She sniffled, hitting her electric rod against the door. “J-just hurry up. Now.” Rolling his eyes, he walked out of the room, Ave waving to him, though as she did Felix merely stood there with her long thick bangs hiding her eyes.

  Upon entering a research lab, Ms Pemberton leading, finally leaving the endless yet vacant hallways he hadn’t seen in months, Rey stared at the room with amazement, surprised there were places in laboratories that could look peaceful. The artificial light hanging above them brought a peace to the room, complementing the array of plants Avery could tell were well nourished- Perhaps this was a greenery? He thought, hoping to pass through more plants. Though as they walked down a short hallway with gadgets to the left of them, and pictures of an at first friendly looking younger man, to an old man with Yellow eyes, did Avery remember where they had been. She knocked on the door, his wrecked tone came through,”Come in.” They entered the small room with photos of the man and his coworkers throughout the years scattered about, coupled with childish drawings, only assumed to be from his “Children”. “Avery Jones…” The man said, the bumps and sagginess of his skin diminishing a bit, throwing Rey for a loop. “It’s… Great, to see you… Ms Pemberton. Please, leave.” She nodded, though gave Avery an annoyed look, coughing followed as she shut the door. Upon closer inspection, on the desk laid a small black case Avery only barely noticed, Professor Bohdi spoke up. “Please….. Sit… So. So.. Much to speak of…” He smiled, even his teeth even looked whiter. Avery sat with surprising obedience, he recalled the sickness, everything he had done to him, and yet his anger stayed misplaced. “How are… Your friends?” “... They’re okay.” “Hm…. Good… They’re anxious…. I’m sure. But there is no need to worry… Of this world or not, all I ask for is one Kanoa… Then the rest will be free.” Reminiscing on Felix’s words he gulped, holding onto his knees. “... But they’re all already the person you want ‘em to be, right…? So what’s stoppin’ you from keepin’ one and gettin’ rid of all the rest?” He hadn’t anticipated such a bold question on his part, although Professor Bohdi sat unphased, Rey’s heart bounced with anxiety, the thought of a death match as Felix foretold disturbed him, though even more, choosing between one of them caused him to shift about. “...Yes… However…You’re mistaken… The one I call Kanoa is not of the ones you’ve raised…” Rey paused, his mind unable to wrap his head around Professor Bohdi’s words. As his mouth hung open, his pupils narrowing, small breaths of air coming out, he interrupted, elaborating.“Do you… Recall the meals we have given you…?” Silently, he nodded his head. “The meals we gave you… were eaten at a consistent rate during the first weeks of your arrival… However, as the months have… rolled by, you’ve eaten less and less, abstaining from meals altogether…. Do you recall this, Avery?”

  He shook his head again, the warmth traveling up his face and clenched jaw both urging him to jump at him. “Yes… Well… We had collected the plates of saliva from each utensil. Examined the crumbs of food, and discovered…. An infection of sorts…” “Infection!? What infection, I’m perfectly fine, fine as day!” His before pleasant tone ramped up into something more forced, the confusion stilting his judgement from either yelling in defiance of his words, or hearing him out.

  “Yes.” His harsh raspy voice cleared, the confident affirmation causing hairs to stand up on him.

  “T-then I’m not understandin’- What’s wrong with us? Why aren’t you even considerin’-""The infection I speak of is not a plague or sickness… No. The energy you have ingested then, and the proximity in which you always are has found something very, very, very interesting. Because of you, Avery Jones…” He leaned closer, his thin lips parting to form a most unpleasant smile. “You are the first human to increase your energy after birth…” Avery flinched, his guard and suspicion roused. “W-what?! That’s impossible-! You said- ol’ elephant ears- Kirby said-!”

  “Science is always a rapidly expanding field… It was a mere accident, a chance, but upon noticing this, along with flaws in our own plans… We believe… That the birth of Someone, in which we can control how much energy they have would be even more revolutionary…!” The weariness in his voice dissipated at that moment, Rey’s eyes widened with horror, the months of the growing pains he’s endured with the constant reminder of his ever fleeing youth, the demeaning Ms Pemberton who would shock him out of spite, the adults who stood by watching them, the now false affirmations of being “Free”, Rey could feel everything welling up at him, especially upon seeing his own pain stricken eyes reflected in the yellow soaked eyes of the monster who could smile in the face of science.

  The chair from behind him fell to the floor, he grabbed the man's collar, he continued smiling. “Listen! I’ve been real nice- I’ve keepin’ everythin’ together for them and you! And you’re tellin’ me you idiots never thought to test this out!? To have a human near a buncha their kind and see if you could change things?! You’re tellin’ me I wasted my time!?”

  “...” His smile fell at the mention of childhood. “Answer me!” His rage pierced the thick walls of the room, Ms Pemberton, mucus with a bit of blood on the cuff of her lab coat kicked down the door.“What’s going on here!?” Avery’s grip tightened, he turned to her. “Stay outta it!” With an apathetic voice, Professor bohdi nodded at her, with a fed up expression, she waved the baton in Avery’s face.“You’re lucky he tolerates a brat like you, I wouldn’t.” She headed for the door, but before she could leave, a loud roar erupted from professor Bohdi. “WAIT.” She stopped, the command pulling her back into the room, sweat spreading across her face as she had never heard his voice so unbridled with rage.

  “Ms Jones… Is it true you have a child?” She paused, the question causing her eyes to dart away from the both of them. “I…. I never-""Answer truthfully.” The firmness of his voice coming back she gulped, simply nodding. “Yes…. Yes, I do. A girl, her name is Louise… She’s… A problem child, I don’t enjoy talking about her much…” She paused, “Do I have to sau the more? What is this about?” Her voice raised towards principal Bohdi, though projected onto Rey, his eyes peering into the slight glossiness of her eyes which she suppressed. “Oh… Nothing. I just wanted to ask… Do you believe that because of the problems you have with your own child, you have the right to treat others as… brats…. As you say?” He asked, his tone slow, his eyes narrowing/“N-no… I-” “Closer. Come closer.” As she did, Avery let go of Professor Bohdi’s collar as he kept urging her to fully close the gap between the two. As she faced him head on, he frowned, staring at her aged sagged skin, the marks from the constant furrowing of her eyebrows and her quivering lip, which he shook his head at.

  “If the Phoenix were here… He would… Discourage you from the path you walk… . Why should one suffer to fight for a world with you in it?” Quickly, he grabbed her by the shoulders, his large hands keeping her in place, Avery jumped back as Professor Bohdi’s yellow eyes shot a light into Ms Pemberton's eyes. She screamed, the light blinding her. As she struggled swinging her taser about, Avery called out to them both. “Stop! Stop!” Mr Bohdi rose, easily disarming the stick from Ms Pemberton, then, with pure blunt force, knocked her on the upside of the head with one clear swing. With her screaming ceased, Avery retreated into a corner. “W-why?! Why did you-!”

  “Shhhh…. Take a look.” Opening Ms Pemberton's unconscious eyes to reveal her now grayed pupils, Professor Bohdi opened the case, extracting an orange pill of sorts and a white one, stuffing the orange one into her mouth then the white into his own. A few moments later, after swallowing the pill and a small bout of hacking at the dryness, a yellow hue invaded her sclera, similarly to Professor Bohdi. Touching the temples of her face while opening his and her mouth, a blue light jumping from her own mouth to his appeared, professor Bohdi swallowed, the veins on his hands dissipating. “Better…” He said, his voice clearer and stronger. “D-did you just eat her…!? What’s wrong with you- W-why would you–!” “Avery. You’re a pure soul. You know that? Let me let you in on something…. Did you know nearly thirty years ago something similar to this happened here in Murrows Brow? And I mean with an event similar to your friend's crash landing on our planet…” He continued, kneeling down to close Ms Pemberton's unfocused eyes. “These people, we call power sources, we attempted to use them as such, but obviously, they proved much too strong for us to handle. It was only through basic decency and ensnaring them with the yellow light you and your friends are helpless against, did we manage to obtain these.” He flashed a variety of pillows, each colored Red, Green, White and orange.

  “Why’re they the same color as-” He shut the case decisively.”It’s not a coincidence. After taking a piece of each subject's hair, saliva, sweat or bone marrow, did they manage to engineer the residue of the energy that was left over into capsules. The problem? Once ingested by a human their behavior not only changes drastically like the others, but they die within months.”

  Walking to the hallway of photos of his past mid twenties self taking photos with groups of people, though at the very end he stared at a picture of himself no older than nine smiling with a woman in a labcoat who shared a great resemblance to himself, with brow strawlike hair, large eyes, and a perpetually thin lipped smile, in turn his own smile faltered. “Unfortunately, I was the one of the many who faced these intensive effects… I was so young… Like you, my body became warped….” He covered his face, contemplating the pain he suggested, Avery tempted to reach out to ms Pemberton to bring her to infirmary instinctively halted at the sudden stomp of Professor Bohdi, his voice picked up his previous enthusiasm and vigor,”But for some reason. I refused to die!” He slammed the door, smiling at Avery walking towards him slowly, Avery’s body jolted away from him.“My body was always so weak, yet resilient, so I was naturally damaged by the side effects, but strengthened from the energy poured into it! Maybe it was the immense surge of purpose I felt- a personality compatibility between the one I absorbed and the person I am, or perhaps I was made for this sort of treatment, but after I survived, I knew that I could be more. I knew I could recover my youth and I knew I could find someone- Kanoa so I could live forever and fly alongside the Phoenix, forever!” At the mention of the Phoenix his anxiety and disbelief paused, he held his mouth out of fear over what this man- this monster could do to him, but the idea of a scientist mixing religion and science in the same world, for some reason, made him die laughing. Professor Bohdi, not knowing better laughed alongside him, despite how serious he had been, extending his arms towards him Rey’s laughing ceased, he let out a scream.

  “W-wait! No! I’m–!” With the swiftness of his veiny heavy hand and Rey’s defenses being dropped briefly, he forced a green pill down his throat, he at first gagged, though as his vision turned white alongside Professor Bohdi, all of his senses- his thoughts ceased entirely. When it was over, Avery quickly felt himself all over, prepared to take on Professor Bohdi’s old decrepit skin, to perhaps feel the same trail of mucus he’d always battled again in the back of his throat. Yet as he touched his chin, he felt a softness he hadn’t felt in quite awhile. The lack of peach fuzz on his face was alarming, even if everything else felt virtually the same. “W-what did you do to me?!” Professor Bohdi cleared his throat. “Simply… Retribution.” He said, clearing his throat once more as the mucus fought up his throat. Although he still looked younger from when they first met, the whiteness in his teeth and clearness of his skin, apart from a few wrinkled still signs of visible de-aging, Rey had noticed a subtle sagginess to his neck. It hadn’t taken long to connect the dots, he stood up.

  “Y-you’re crazy! Crazy if you think any of this is right! She might’ve been a jerk through and through but even she- No, none of them deserve to be used like this!”Professor Bohdi stood by the door of his office. “It was not… My choice to do this… It was my only option for clarity in…. Me…. Don’t you feel the same way? You nurtured them for so long… handled their feelings just to have clarity in your own self….” He flinched, a weight falling onto his chest despite believing his innocence. “W-what?! I’m nothin’ like you, the only reason I–!” “If you’re going to say it’s for them… I don’t believe that…”He pointed to his now wrinkled coat. “Your anger was not of selflessness, but out of needing to feel you were contributing to the greater good- to feel your time as their “Friend” was not wasted…. You are pure Avery. Your parents told us of the kindness in your heart- your aptitude for empathy… Though do you know why you do good, deep down…?” He coughed. Avery answered undoubtedly,”Cuz it’s the right thing to do, nothin’ else!”“... Then answer me this… Why have you not run away from me in search of help…?” He paused, unaware himself. “W-why-!? That’s cuz I still wanna-!” “Because you still wish to convince me otherwise…? Because you want to prove their worth to validate the months spent throwing your youth away…?” Professor Bohdi’s tone took on a grave tone as he approached Rey though this time kneeling to his level, staring deeply into his dark brown eyes.

  “Avery Jones… You’re contradicting yourself… Is it not for the greater good to let these children leave Earth… to deny your ego and live knowing everything you’ve done here is a waste? Is it not bordering on selfishness to let a woman I had just knocked out stay unconscious because you can’t accept that reality?” He stayed silent, his eyes straying away from Professor Bohdi’s intense eyes. Not satisfied, Professor Bohdi held him by the shoulders, forcing them to continue locking eyes. “Your obsession with… Professor Friend. Deep down… You regret, yet don’t wish to regret empathizing with her, don’t you?” Without saying a word, Avery could feel the walls- the defenses in his mind used to guard him from those feelings fall, leaving him vulnerable, his eyes scanned the entirety of Professor Bohdi’s face, deeply wishing for any sign of weakness in him. “And now…. You wish to justify that mistake with them… Your heart, although pure, is flawed. I can admire that… Which is why I gave back some of the pain I had caused…”

  With tears glossing his vision, Avery struggled to plead,”W-what are you? Why are you talkin’ to me like you know what’s in my heart- You can’t even see yourself- Can’t even see how–!” His voice cracked, pulling up the mucus rising in his nose as tears fell. “flawed you are!”“... Is it wrong to want to feel in control? To be the person I was- or you may perceive as “wishing to be?” When we make choices, the trajectory of our life can help, or hurt others… I’m aware I may be selfish, impure, but you are uncertain, you confuse being a good person with purity… I see you, and I could never take the energy of a bystander like you. Every scientist here is the opposite…” gently he wiped a tear from Avery’s eye, wanting to smack him away yet not having the nerve, he flinched.“For the rest of this week, I will allow you to mull over a choice… To choose the trajectory of your own life. Either…Stay here. Continue to work with me to nurture the new Kanoa, forget the false kindness which has led you to this point… Or leave, and finally confront our Ms Friend- your Ms Skyler…” With that Professor Bohdi rose, humming a playful tune while setting Ms Pemberton flat onto the carpeted floor. “Feel free to leave now… Even if you had gotten help, no one would have believed you…” Internalizing his words, Avery said in a far more tamed tone.”W-what about me…? Y-you don’t think-””No. You won’t run. Because right now your adolescent brain is still….. Processing. You do not know better…. Now go.”

  —--

  Quietly Rey returned to the tiny room they had been stowed away in. With the assistance of a scientist with a keyboard to unlock the door, he walked in silently, his face deterred from greeting them altogether. Each of their faces lit up as Avery entered, though his obviously less cheery disposition. The door closed behind him. Ave, who'd still been laying in her capsule, rose, leaping out the moment his tear stained face rose. She approached him gently, but eagerly.

  “Rey, what did he say? She asked a bit anxiously. Felix chuckled. “Yeah “Rey” is everything alright?” He stared at their faces, without properly digesting their expressions, the only things on his mind, being the two choices, and his unequipped mind. Although he hadn’t known why he’d even be considering the latter, his goal had always been to seek Ms Skyler, to make her pay…

  “Avery…?” Harris approached him, his for once normally narrow and apathetic eyes rose with growing concern for Avery’s detachment. Though unable to play off his sadness, unable to reveal the truth, yet with all of their helpless eyes on him, he spoke slowly, his normally expressive tone turning monotone, cold.”Nothin’ happened. I just. I just need help… My wings, I have to fly, now.”They each looked at his eyes of anguish, partly confused. “W-why Avery? You’ve been thinking about this ever since last week, and to be honest…” Connie paused, searching the room for the best words possible, only to be left disappointed. “I don’t… We don’t like it… -and this isn’t about the Phoenix anymore. It’s not about our people either, it's-””The fact that you’ll abandon us and-""Quiet you!” Connie yelled, raising her voice for the first time in awhile without it coming out as shaky. “...It’s about…you, b-but not like she said- You shouldn’t have to do something you don’t want to, no matter what your world tells you.” Harris nodded. “You’ve got the look of someone who looks totally hopeless and… Ashamed… That face doesn’t suit you… Talk to us, whatever he said, we can take the burden with you… For once…” As they inched closer to him Avery’s eyes stayed to the floor, his brain hammering in the hypocrisy of his actions, rejecting their comforting words.“They’re right Rey, you- we… We all really-” He snapped, his brows furrowed as his face wrinkled into a venomous look. “You don’t get it! None of you get it! You think this is about protectin’ you guys?! Ha, D-don’t… Don't make me laugh- Seriously, don’t.” All excluding Felix backed away, their expressions twisting with his into, though more out of caution than rage. “I need to fly to find her, and then soar- soar as far away as possible- To the edge of the universe if I have to! It’s all- It’s all just too much!”

  Avery, despite her fear inched closer,”What Rey… What is too much for you?” She asked as Felix watched her, slightly annoyed by her and everyone else’s emotional faces.

  “You! All of you!” He shouted thoughtlessly waving his hands about the place, sweat trickling down his face- a bit relieved to have said anything, but not yet satisfied. “Since I’ve been brought into all of this- I’ve been annoyed as all hell with what this world- with people! All I ever wanted was to follow the rules and live- be normal, but every time I think I make a choice to gettin’ there- to feelin’ like somebody who can make choices a-and not be a bystander I just…become one anyway…!” He covered his face, shaking his. He chuckled at his own breakdown, deeply ashamed.“I’m tired of my only options bein’ to either stay helpless or to be nice to people, then have them either think the worst of me…” He said, glaring at Felix. not at all forgetting her previous claim from earlier. “Or just betray me… And I know they will, even my parents did…”

  He pulled up the mucus in his nose, looking down to avoid the protrusion of tears. In his heart, he felt they would riot, tear him apart if he commanded them to do anything, but he couldn’t care less. “You will help me fly, you WILL.” He screamed at each of them, even Felix backed away at his unsightly anger. As their eyes stayed locked on his staggering breaths and reddened face, understanding how frustrated he was, with what they could only understand to be their own actions- or rather lack of action that drove him to this point, they each nodded. “Okay… Avery, we will…” Connie confirmed, her voice shaking. “... Good.” He said, his body flexing every muscle in his body from the adrenaline, though as the silence befell the room, a high pitched crying from the room next over could be heard, each of them exchanged looks of concern and great confusion, except for Avery, who glanced over to the dimmed light in which Harris always meditated under, a plan being concocted in his mind.

  A few days later, Kirby entered the dimly lit room.

  “Again?” He sighed tiredly. “Avery. I don’t know what you're planning, but have you heard that repetition without change is the definition of insanity…? And that’s not just a science thing, that’s a life thing, so do with that as you will…” The room stayed quiet, his remarks not at all affecting the tone of the room as it usually would, his grin ceased. “... Fine. If you don’t come out, you’ll never see Ms Friend. You hear me? So cut this little trick, Right this second.” He said, pulling two rods from his lab coat pockets. From the darkness Avery emerged, his eyes dark around the corners. “What do you want?” Kirby paused, immediately taking notice of the stoic look and tired eyes of Avery’s face, a bit unsettled. “I heard from the others you were going through some phase- but I never thought you’d look so… hurt.” He said with eyes full of pity, stroking his bald head. “I said, what do you want?” “Yeesh. I just wanted to ask if you’ve thought over that ultimatum Professor Bohdi offered. I don’t know what he’s thinking, wanting to keep you around, but I say you should choose that one. It'll be… more beneficial.” He said, still wary of the cameras, though signaling a reference to their promise via holding out his hand to Avery.

  “You shoulda stopped by earlier… I already made my choice…” He said, resentfully.. “Yeah- I know… That was my bad, I had a… delivery- two actually, to deal with, and a lot of consoling…” Avery raised an eyebrow, not at all understanding.“Let’s just put it like this… your efforts won’t be in vain, for more reasons than you’d–”“Oh stop it with the riddles! You’re not even clever!” He shouted, already at his wits end. “It’s either you say it now, or later- either you’re sidin’ with the one wacked out of his mind- or later! So tell me!” Kirby withdrew his hand, opening his mouth to speak, but his tone deliberated. “I don’t like your tone… But I understand. I’ve kept you waiting. You’ve been made to believe everything you’ve done until now was a lie. Who wouldn’t be upset? But Avery… And I mean it when I say this…” He smiled, Rey’s defensiveness fell immediately, a part of himself wanting- or rather needing to find happiness in something, even in it being someone else’s happiness.

  “You won’t regret anything you’ve done here, not for the world, but for yourself!” Despite wanting to gain a better understanding he deliberated. “ I- I don’t care what you have to say.just tell me what-” “Do me a favor and hush. Or else I’ll be forced to say you know what.” His lips tightened. “Anyways, I need to borrow you and your friends for a few moments, show you something… Cool.” He said, placing his hands into his labcoat nonchalantly.“...Just me. They’re restin’ from a fight tween ‘em..” Kirby looked past him, astonished to see them each laying in their respective capsules, most bruised by their eyes and faces. “On the last week?! Well… we can make it work… Just c’mon, and stop glaring at me with those cold beady eyes! Look any harder and I just might guess Whitey over there isn’t the only one you have feelings for.” At the mention of Ave, Rey glanced back at her, particularly paying heed to the faint red mark on her cheek, leaving him hurt and disgusted in himself. Despite it all, he raised his head, shaking off any lingering doubts. “It’s worth it…. I’m countin’ on you guys.” He whispered. “What was that?” Kirby asked, leaning closer. “Nothing. Let’s go.”

  As the pair exited the room, Rey was immediately off-put by the dimmed lights further down the hall, as well as the lack of groans and conversations he had come accustomed to. They walked a short distance. Even if Kirby had accepted Rey’s curt reply as a way of moving things along, he didn’t like the distance put between the two, both literally and figuratively. Each step of Rey’s was heavy and short, While in contrast Kirby’s remained quiet and diligent. He turned to Avery as they reached a bright room. The light above the two was dimmed, the potential people on the other side obscured by the one way glass. Rey gulped, recollecting the first time eyes were all on him, but his eyes stayed lost. He clutched his pants, Kirby noticed a bit vexed at first, but quickly understanding. “Don’t worry, there’s only one patient in here, no other scientists.” Rey didn’t respond, his gaze staring at Kirby, but more so looking through him. “Y’know… I’ll say it again, if you keep looking at me like that, I’m really gonna assume something's up.” He answered, still playful, “There are no cameras here, so if you want me trust you and act all buddy, buddy, talk.” He stood silent, rubbing the back of his neck a bit,”Yeah, yeah…. I still don’t like your tone, but I’ll talk. Just for you, buddy.” He added cheekily, knocking the side of Rey’s arm, his eyes narrowed unfalteringly upset. “... A few years ago, when I joined this project I already wasn’t the biggest fan of it… But in the science community- Or any job, connections matter. And this job brought in the smartest minds in Murrowsbrow to collaborate with. The most brilliant mind overseeing and managing the whole thing, as you know Professor Bohdi, was the reason why I joined… “ Taking his hands out of his pocket, he stared at the ceiling, reminiscing. ““A man so big, but whose research was generally about the psychological and physiological development of the brain in relation to wings, was the perfect person to ask for my own research collaboration I’d host one day… Do you wanna know what that question was?” Rey shrugged. “Does it matter?” He frowned. “No… I guess it doesn’t. Either way… The more we spoke- the longer I spent researching and developing this project over the last five years, I learned something. Professor Bohdi is a monster. Most of the minds I’d admired had all died from a mysterious set of circumstances around this laboratory. The only reason nobody bothered to get the cops involved, was because this was a strictly underground research project and the pay was, and still is good…. Any authorities learning about this would be career destroying for all of them, put them out of a job with the royals too.” “So you let people die cuz you were worried about yourself?” He asked, finding a slight relief out of the similar mindset. Kirby shook his head violently, his eyes narrowing with Rey’s. “I tried risking it all. But I was outnumbered, what do you take me for, a coward?” Rey scoffed, hating the bluntness of his words. He scratched himself, the word coward invading his thoughts.“... I was the only one who was naive enough to confront him about this. And when I did he was honest about everything. Pills made of your friends' kind, the true goal of gaining eternal youth and being one with the Phoenix- You know the rest. But even after learning all of that I was outnumbered. They wouldn’t even let me mention it to everyday folks. I was alone… That is until I met someone. Someone who promised me that much like you, I wouldn’t regret any of my choices leading me up to that point. Not being a scientist, and not participating in these experiments with innocent children either, all for one reason for something beyond myself, but something I could be apart of…”

  He smiled. “Think I’ve said enough, c'mon. Let’s meet them.” “Them…?” Rey questioned his eyes, flinching at the bright light. As he followed behind Sam he stood stunned at a nursery of sorts in front of him. A line of babies in different colored blankets in incubators laid with their eyes shut, Rey stared at some of their discolored skin- afraid of them baring a resemblance to Professor Bohdi’s “sibblings”, but clearly their soft supple skin and expected light voices cleared any doubts these were genuine babies. “Avery…” Rey’s head shot over to the familiar voice, a woman's figure laying in a hospital bed spoke to him. “We’ve met before, but allow me to re-introduce myself…” As Sam gently pulled away the curtain, the blonde green-eyed woman herself, now sporting messier hair and tired eyes, a strawberry red haired baby laid on her chest, yawning.

  “My name is Marilyn Friend. Pleased to make your acquaintance.” At first all Avery could wrap his head around, or rather, the only thing he wanted to pay attention to had been the red haired baby babbling in front of him. His eyes pitch black, like Kirby’s, underneath the tufts of hair revealed sharp eyebrows, much… like Kirby’s. And yet with the calmness in the newborns demeanor, coupled with the cooing which followed while reaching out to her would indicate that Ms Friend would be…. “What is this…?” He asked, his voice far more petrified than his previously fed up self. So much so that he caught himself backing away, wanting to run. Kirby held him by the shoulder, his heavy hands reeling him back into this moment. “Avery. Like she said, this is the woman you’ve been looking for… Ms Skyler. And that is her son… Our son.” “Son? W-why- Why’re you showin’ me this?!” He pulled away from him. “To what?! Show me how pointless everythin’ else was even more?! To show me all I had to do was leave the room, walk a few doors down and I coulda been done with everythin’ here- That- that we–!” He stammered, a warmth covering his nose, then across his entire face. He shook his face, enraged at himself for being so emotional. His fingers ran through his hair. “AH!” He exclaimed, covering his face. “Avery… It’s like I said. Everything you’ve done has been the right course of action for all of us… I promise… Please. Look at us.” He stooped to his level, slowly peeling back each of his steeled fingers, as he did so, Sam spoke gently. “Hear me out… Hear us out, one last time, okay…?” At both hands fell from his face, his runny nose and glossy eyes exposed, his nodded his head silently, still questioning himself, still questioning his choices, and yet as Sam guided him to the bed beside Ms Skyler- Ms Friend, he followed obediently hoping to be re-affirmed.

  As he sat down, he noticed another baby behind him, their skin completely blue, though he didn’t mind them as much as the sight of Ms Friend being “motherly”, he grimaced. “... Firstly….” She spoke, handing the baby over to Sam, sitting up in the hospital bed, the dark circles around her eyes, much like Rey’s evident. “I’d like to apologize… For hurting you, and for lying. I called myself “Ms Skyler” as a way of hiding from Professor Bohdi… I specifically wanted to be your tutor for the same reasons you were chosen for this experiment.” “Which is…?” Rey asked, placing the toes of his dangling feet onto the floor as a way to brace himself.

  “Because… You’re not only like me, someone unfit to fly for long from the lack of energy in us, but you match the… psychological profile of someone for this experiment. Your parents, Mr and Ms Jones… months prior to me being your tutor sent a detailed report of… everything about you to Professor Bohdi. From your general temperament, to your day to day lifestyle, birth complications, how long it took you to walk, talk, your behavior, etc… All of that is to say, mentally you’re not just someone who’s just kind you’re someone who’s kind yet a hyper empath.” Rey paused, sitting with the implications let alone meaning of the word. “And what Abi means by that, is that you feel heavily when other people can’t- or don’t… Do you remember the first month, when we did a neurological check up on you? It told us you had hyper responsive mirror neurons. Those neurons are so special, because unlike the rest of us… You can see your friends in a way that completely changes them. You project onto them.” “Project…?” He asked, rubbing his arm uncomfortably. “W-what do you mean? Emotionally?” “Well yeah. But also literally. When you see your friends haven’t you picked up anything weird about how they look? I mean, for aliens you must expect them to look more… Alien, wouldn’t you think?” Rey sat with that small detail for a few moments, not at all noticing the blatant contradiction sitting in front of him.

  “Y-yeah but… Bein’ an “Empath” or whatever shouldn’t make me blind, should it?! Everybody else looks at ‘em the same way I look at ‘em!” HIs tone rose, disturbing both babies.“Quiet now… And are you sure it’s everyone…?” Ms Friend chimed in. “What about your parents?” He held his head, remembering the scared, defensive looks on their faces at even a slight approach on their behalf. He then reflected on the unfazed look of every scientist who mistreated and used each one of their own kind- As if the humans in front of Avery weren’t being able to be perceived at all. “So… What do they…. It doesn’t matter…. I just. I wanna know if–?” “Yes. Even her. Though potentially… Nevermind. Let’s not get our hopes up.” Sam stared at his son's now quiet disposition, his mind wandering onto other things.

  “They’ve wanted you for quite some time… And with your parents already working with us, it all worked out perfectly… Too perfect for my liking. Avery… Originally I was planning on either sending you far, far away from MurrowBrow or… You know. And since you didn’t fly, when I pushed you off… I was going with the latter.”

  Hearing the cruel words from her mouth filled all kinds of heinous thoughts in Avery’s mind, he wanted to hurt her as badly as she hurt him. As he stood, Sam looked at him, watching his movements carefully. As he extended his hand out to her, not even sure of himself what would transpire next, he imitated her face of joy. “Fly Avery, Fly.” He sneered mockingly, then frowning. “Why did you have to say that? Why couldn’t you have just… Said nothing and let me fall onto that pillow shop?” He fell to his knees. “I couldn’t fly… Even then I couldn’t- and I hated myself even fallin’ all the way down there… I would’ve even taken you flyin’ me up to somewhere in space and leavin’ me there it hurt so bad!” He slammed his fist into the floor.

  “Or’ve been kidnapped! Argh!” He shook his head violently, the memories returning, he held himself. A slender pair of fingers graced his back, the same hand that pushed him so ruthlessly he was sure, and yet here in this moment they felt so soft, so warm, so inviting. Tears came down his cheeks, he resisted at first, though at this moment he couldn’t ignore his heart, he sobbed, continually pleading for an answer, only for Ms Friend to repeat herself hopelessly. “I’m sorry. I say things are interesting at the most… Inopportune times… I smile when I am sad. I drone about in a dull tone when I am happy to see someone… I fail to reach out and explore other options when I believe all other options to be inexhaustible when in fact… A bit of persistence and care could save someone. So I’m sorry, genuinely.” She sat beside him on the floor for a while, Kirby looking down at the two almost as devastated. After a few moments, she continued to speak, still rubbing his back.

  “... The only good thing, being, If I didn’t meet you when I had, they would never let someone like you go. They would find a way to hold you here forever, to use your brain, and the way you see the world for even more tests such as this. And with how selfish that man is.” She scoffed, her mind staring off towards the faint yellow light by the ceiling. “Your life would be used to foster even more “Kanoa’s”....But Avery.” She grabbed his hand, he looked up, her eyes for the first time in a long time evoked pity in him. “Either that child, or ours is going to save everyone. Your life- your family, friends? That old fool doesn’t realize but… This child, our child, is extra special, the world is going to bend to him.”

  Sam rocked the baby as he slept. “From the moment he's been conceived he’s been here among all of the energy, waiting. The day me and Abi met I had mentioned? She showed me something… Not only was she a scientist, she understood the similarity between their need for energy, and ours for oxygen. So we figured a life once born during a time where we could afford to be around a group like your friends—""We could nurture that life into sustaining more energy.” She smiled. “And even if our boy looks as human as can be, to everyone else he’s been collecting all of that energy like a sponge…” He chuckled, elated his fingers tracing down his forehead. “He’s only just been born a few days ago, but he’s an early bloomer, just like the rest of them…Bohdi doesn’t know it either.”

  “T-then… That means…” He turned to the blue baby. “That baby is the one they’re anticipating will change everything. But not even a fraction of her power will measure up to our little Kanoa…”She said, playing with his cheeks gently.”Yup yup yup!” Kirby said, chuckling his eyes glossy as well, the son in his hands especially vulnerable but all the more precious. “And it’s all thanks to you Avery… If you didn’t keep them busy, if you didn’t hang in there for so long, if you ever flew… None of this would be possible. And now, as long as things are kept quiet, a new world where our child can live, integrate themselves, spread their gift of forever flight, can truly be. So thank you!”At first Rey could feel himself smiling along with them, happy, for the first time in days genuinely happy. But an itch at the back of his head persuaded him otherwise. Something he forgot, or rather someone. His smile fell.“Wait, no.” He whispered, wiping the tears from his face.“What? What’s wrong?” Kirby asked, handing Kanoa to Ms Friend. Avery shot up, turning to the door. Although small, a gray pair of pupils greeted him behind the window of the door. He called out. “Ave! Call it off, tell ‘em to quit it!” She blinked confusedly, confused by the sudden deviation in their plan. “Wait- They all left their lab?! How?!” “I-I can explain later- Please lemme talk to ‘er, just wait!” Begrudged to follow him Kirby stopped in his tracks, halted by the light tug of Ms Friend. “Let him go. That man will get what he deserves.” Her voice, although firm, only left Sam confused as to what she was eluding to.

  Upon exiting the room returning into the pitch black hallway, Rey immediately stomped on the floor of the hallway acknowledging the slight hollowness. Ave looked at Rey’s reddened eyes and desperate expression with pity. “Please- Tell ‘em to stop! The plan doesn’t matter anymore!” “It doesn’t??” She asked, her eyes narrowing, rubbing her reddened cheek. “T-they weren’t lies! Listen! Bohdi is using one of these babies as a weapon- the other one is to help everyone fly so you guys can go free! If we get rid of ‘em now, the police'll get involved and ruin everythin’!”He grabbed her by both of her shoulders. “They won’t even go after you guys anymore! Please, you gotta believe me Ave, please you just gotta…” She cupped his cheeks. “I believe you. I was there, listening. I trust everything you say because I understand you…only you. But Avery…” She took his hand, placing it on her reddened cheek. “You hurt me Avery… very badly… All of us because we couldn’t comply… It was hard for Harris to muster up so much strength, hard for Connie and Felix to dig with you… Hard for me to collect more energy for the final blow.”

  “I- I know… I’m sorry… I’m sorry I–””Shh. I’m not done.” She covered his lip with her long slender finger, he flinched at the coldness. “ It hurts… Because I felt what you felt. I always have. And it hurts you. More than it hurt any of them I’m sure. As if the pain was being dealt onto you…” She caressed his cheek. “W-what do you-””You’re a special human. You're not scared of us, you value our lives, you hurt when we hurt, and… You understand us… Me…” Slowly she drew him in for a hug. His eyes didn’t rest as hers did, he remained cautious sensing something wrong. “Ave… I do… I understand you guys, but we- we really have to-!” As he tried to pull away under her grasp, he could feel her grip tightening, her nails sinking into his back, he groaned, his voice raising into a scream, that is until one brief glimpse into Ave’s eyes stopped him altogether. Seeing the world from Rey’s eyes, Ave forcibly shut the door from behind him. She stared at him- and by extension herself. “I’m going to help you get your wings now. I’ll make sure you never push us… me, away like that again…”

  WIth what little control he did have over himself he shed a tear, she wiped it. “I know it’s not nice. I know you never really wanted to hurt anyone… But I love you. So you’re going to absorb every drop of that man’s energy, then… We’ll fly forever…” She smiled, hugging him deeply. Although as she did hug him, the possession of his body lightened, followed by a quick jab to the back of his neck, making him unconscious.

  After an unknown amount of time, Rey’s eyelids lifted slightly, lying on an all too familiar ceiling surrounded by five incubators. Trying to lift his head only made the pain at the back of his head worse, though lying down slowly brought an inexhaustible dread over the door left hanging open. Gently turning his head to the sides of the room in which each tunnel was dug, he recollected the plan between himself and the other four, he called out softly. “Guys? Are you there…?” Yet no response came. Laying there for a while longer, he also noticed the lack of noise in the background, along with the tiny cooing and sobs he had just grown used to a few doors down. The red haired boy's smiling face etched into his mind.Immediately, despite the pain, he sat up his clammy cold hand feeling a bruise at the back of his neck.Staggering through the pitch black hallways, he returned to the spot in which Avery knocked him out cold. His muscles tightened, his heart raced as he went on his toes, peering through the window of the glass door, noticing there was no one inside, excluding a lab coat, pants and shoes thrown about.

  He continued calling out his friends, and even professor Bodhi and Ms Pemberton, only to be met halfway flooded with lab coats, pants, and shoes of all different sizes thrown about the place. His before one track mind set on finding everyone began to wane, settling with the horrifying realization that he all but been too late, that everyone had either left him or had faced some horrible repercussions for all of their actions. “N-no… But that’s not right…” He fell to his knees at the thought of it. Shaking it off. “What did they do?! Why would I even think that?” He held his head, the pain coming back to the left side of his face, he groaned. Though weirdly enough, the more he attempted to suppress the thought, the further two small, cone shaped objects pierced through his back, he yelped- not hurt, but far from comfortable. Feeling the gray attachments, while disturbed, felt oddly familiar. His fingers instinctually gently grazed them, the feel reminding him of Ms Skyler.“Are these…?” He flinched the further he pressed upon them- still fresh and new, but he chuckled, not joyously or out of any relief of the long, drawn out hours to finally achieve his wings, but rather manically. The laughter built, echoing itself throughout the empty halls, stopping only when Rey could spot his unhinged expression on a broken piece of glass sitting in front of him. His smile ceased, he looked up towards a familiar room with another incubator, across from it stood a bench, a group of professor Bohdi’s mutated children lying around the place, their bodies unmoving.Compelled to go forward, he stretched his hand past the point of the broken glass, unlocking the door from the inside. When inside, like in him and his friends room, a series of computers and incubators were placed in the room, however, a key difference being each computer showed a surveillance feed of the hallways he’d already past.staring at them each, despite a surge of hope coming over him to search each laptop for sign of a familiar face, he was still left with no one.

  Frustratedly, he slammed his fists onto the keyboard, fed up with his hopes constantly being dashed, over and over… As he did, the perspective switched entirely, he stopped sharply, noticing his knuckle on an arrow key. He pressed it again, this time showing the outside of the laboratory, which appeared to be placed on a mountain.“...Maybe if I go back farther…” Pressing another arrow, the surveillance paused. Pressing an arrow pointed downwards, night and day came and passed needlessly, the date of the in on the top right regressing. He switched perspectives from the inside of the laboratory, then turned the clock backwards. As he did, the lights turned back on a green figure- Harris, running as a crowd of scientists, electric rods in hand charged him. Rey paused briefly, acknowledging the terror and bruises laid bare to his body, though he dared not to turn the camera to the next position, he repeated to himself incessantly-,”He’s okay… He’s okay…!” Continuing to the camera position before, Connie could be seen running rampant, calling out a name, before cruelly and unexpectedly being absolved by a bright light white, dissipating her entire body. With his mouth left hanging open, bordering on panic, he laughed once more.

  “Very funny! These scientists just don’t know when to quit their experiments?!” He turned outside. “Ain’t that right?!” he yelled out, his voice cracking under pressure. Despite wanting to stop, a voice in the back of his head encouraged him, his back becoming heavier causing him to slouch over the computer, his eyes especially taking in the monitor. The last camera was one outside of Professor Bohdi’s office, obviously before every light had gone off unexpectedly, and while Avery was chatting with Sam. After fifteen minutes the lights dimmed. Although no audio could be deciphered, the flexing of the air was apparent, judging by the camera's sudden lapse in quality as well as every light in the air ceasing altogether. A struggling figure running out of the office’s waiting room could be seen battling a sheet of fire laced all through their body. Connie walked out of the room calmly, retracting the fire, leaving the unrecognizable yellow eyed man- Professor Bohdi to fall to the ground. Underneath him, roots rose from the ground, wrapping around him, Harris followed, his eyes looking down on him pitifully. Rey pressed his nose against the screen, the now small conical attachments growing into an intimidating presence- Ave’s final words to him lingering on, forcing him guilty to watch.Professor Bohdi’s chest stayed bouncing. However as Ave left the room, carrying a boy- No, Rey himself on her back, a case in her hand opening it, while saying something she forced him to take it then, easily took the energy away from him, passing it onto himself. Rey closed his eyes. Wanting to look away- to reject his influence which caused this terrible chain of events. With a heavy heart he turned to his magnificent gray wings, only to spot a familiar orange face with a teasing grin.

  “Howdy partner!”Felix grinned, a chunk of long snow white hair extrapolated held tight in the palm of her hand.

  “Let’s get you far away from here, shall we!?”