Chapter 14

The next morning Apollo was being checked by Doctor Vanderspeigle in the living room. Harry's shapeshifting plus medical knowledge gave him a better understanding of biology than most and since he himself was an alien it meant he would keep anything he discovered about Apollo in any tests completely confidential.

"So what's wrong with me?" Apollo asked Harry his voice low and ashamed.

"Nothing's wrong with you" Harry responded.

"I'm floating in my sleep and I flew through the roof last night. Somethings wrong with me. Have you ever met any race that goes through this?" Apollo insisted.

"I can't say that I have met a race with the unique abilities you posses but I can also promise you that you're okay. This development seems to be natural for your body at least" Harry informed him.

"Your vital signs are normal, both your hearts and your other organs are working as they should in conjunction with your bio-matrix aura" Harry said as he pulled out an EMF counter.

"What about that thing?" Jonathan said his voice slightly accusatory.

Harry noticed his tone and then looked at Ajak and Jonathan.

"Can I talk to you two alone for a moment" Harry suggested before the two nodded and they walked into the kitchen.

"Truthfully, Apollo's the same as he's always been which is to say weird" Harry told them. Only for Ajak and Jonathan to look at him disapprovingly.

"Let me correct myself I mean weird biologically. Whatever he is it's something I've never encountered or even know about. His skin cells are closer to diamond than regular tissue on a molecular level at least. His muscles are incredibly powerful and growing stronger regardless of what he does. He has a bunch of organs I can't even begin to describe in terms of what they do. Closest I can figure is they work as some kind of energy converters or generators maybe even both. He's completely efficient too like he was evolved to have no energy waste within him and his cells are slightly adaptive too. The way species adapt and evolve over millions of years to combat things that ail them and improve his body can do that in decades. Wherever he's from it's like it wasn't fit for life because his biology is indicative of coming from a planet with high gravity, low energy and harsh conditions" Harry spouted off going on a tangent due to his fascination with Apollo's biology.

"That doesn't explain the device Harry" Jonathan said sternly.

"Oh right, sorry. This is cause he's giving off all types of electromagnetic radiation. Microwave, infrared, x-ray, ultraviolet…all types of magnetic readings. His floating must mean he's manipulating the gravitons around him and I wanted to see if I could detect that but I couldn't get a reading" Harry told them.

"Is it dangerous, the radiation that is? Is it dangerous to him or others?" Ajak asked concerned.

"Oh no it's definitely not, it's not even high enough to trigger the EMF meter. Somehow his body generates the electromagnetic waves but any radiation is absorbed by him. I suppose in time he could consciously try and generate/release that radiation although I'm not sure how successful he would be in doing that. He seems to be a perfect energy and even radiation sponge although there is a specific energy that's powering him to be this way. What it is though I can't figure out and I'm not sure if he's absorbing that energy or creating it or both" Harry quickly informed them seeing the deep concern on both Ajak and Jonathan's faces.

Jonathan and Ajak exchanged glances at the revelations Harry had revealed to them.

"Thank you for doing this Harry" they both told him.

"The pleasure is mine, it's the least I can do with everything you've done for me. Knocking some sense into me, giving me a safe place to be myself and even sending Ikaris on travels to look for worlds for my species benefit from time to time like you are" Harry told them as he shook their hands and walked out of the kitchen.

"Goodbye Apollo" Harry said seeing him sitting in the living room watching TV.

"Goodbye Doctor Vanderspeigle" Apollo said back as he waved at him as Harry left.

Apollo walked to his parents and nervously looked at them.

"So what did he say?" Apollo inquired.

"Pretty much what he told you. Whatever's happening to you isn't an ailment and you aren't going to hurt anybody. You're just becoming more of who you're meant to be" Ajak told her son.

Apollo smiled weakly before Sprite and Sersi came downstairs having decided to sleep in.

"So what did the doctor say? Is he alright?" Sersi asked. "Also good morning".

"Good morning Sersi and Harry said he was okay everything happening to him seems to be natural at least for his body" Ajak informed her.

"I always wanted to be able to fly" Sprite said. "You're lucky once you figure this out you'll be able to soar through the sky, that sounds like a dream"

"More like a nightmare. I don't like heights" Apollo sheepishly said to her and she shrugged.

"You know Ikaris told me when he was younger on Olympia he was afraid of flying too. He would try and try to fly but he could never control it and always ended up falling and either hurting or embarrassing himself. More often than not doing both until he realized he was afraid of flying because of what it symbolized to him and that if he wanted to fly he'd have to overcome his fear and embrace the wind and open air. Once he did that he was free, able to ride the wind and travel to places he could've never imagined" Sersi told him hoping that Ikaris' experiences learning to fly would be able to help Apollo.

Apollo listened to his Aunt but didn't really take in what she was saying because he didn't want to fly. Everyone was acting like it was a gift but Apollo still remembered that disturbing sensation from a memory he couldn't grasp of falling through the air but not just that flying through the air away from what felt like home and it scared him. Flying wasn't for him, he didn't want to float away from his family and he didn't want to fall again.

The family decided to leave the conversation alone for a while since they could sense that Apollo still wasn't comfortable with everything that was happening to him yet. Apollo soon left and decided to go to the barn. He went to his telescope and inspected it. This was one of the best presents he'd ever gotten but it was now obsolete. His vision was far better than any ordinary telescope. He wondered what else was going to change about him as he grew older. He was always strong and fast but this last year he had manifested a whole host of new abilities and it scared him. Apollo thought about what it could all mean and what he was going to end up becoming, because this last year had only shown him he was growing into something nobody truly understood. Apollo sighed in frustration and looked out at the empty cornfields. He needed to clear his head, he needed a run.

Apollo leapt out of his window and took off into the cornfields embracing the freeing feeling he always felt when running at super speed. The feel of the wind flowing through and around him and the knowledge he wasn't far from anything. Apollo ran and ran, distracting himself from his thoughts and just embracing the feeling of his legs and body pushing him forward at incredible speeds as the world slowed around him. Apollo started laughing as he got faster and faster doing laps around the Smallville fields and then he remembered what Sersi said. Maybe he needed to try and ride the wind. Apollo knew he still didn't want to fly but leaping well that could be fun. Apollo sped up a little before he jumped up with joy letting go for a moment and Apollo ended up jumping several meters into the air and for a moment at the apex of his jump Apollo felt more free than he ever felt and then Apollo landed on the ground. Apollo continued to run, his Aunt was correct there was something to feeling weightless that was freeing. Apollo pushed himself and looked forward spotting the windmill at Chandler's Field and aimed for it. Apollo summoned as much strength as he could in his legs and then he jumped up and just like before he felt incredibly free as he moved through the air. Apollo let out a scream of joy as he reached the apex of his jump and then he fell and landed on the windmill. Apollo proudly laughed at himself for actually leaping as far as he had. He looked out at Smallville from this view and despite his fear of heights even he had to admit the view from here was great. Apollo turned towards the farm and wondered if he could jump there. Apollo smirked to himself, there was only one way to find out he thought as he gave himself a running start and then jumped again summoning even more strength than he had to make the leap to the windmill and then Apollo shot off the wind in his ears as he leapt towards his home. Apollo whooped as he jumped further than he ever had and then he began to descend and Apollo realized he was going to hit their weathervane. Oh no Apollo thought trying to control his descent but he couldn't he smacked into the weathervane and then ricocheted down into the barn falling through the roof. Apollo saw the ground growing closer and flinched bracing himself for impact but it never came. Apollo looked down and saw his glasses laying on the hay beneath him having fallen off in his descent but he was floating. Apollo stretched out his arms like a bird and stared at his body in wonder, he wiggled his fingers and looked around. He didn't just shoot up into the sky he could also hover like this he realized. Apollo wanted to enjoy the moment longer but then he remembered last night and the joy of the moment dissipated. He reached down and picked up his glasses and put them on before he suddenly fell to the ground.

Apollo lay there face first in the ground for a second letting his mind go blank and wanted to stay there for a bit longer but then he heard footsteps walking into the barn.

"Dude why are you laying on the ground? Did you face plant?" Pete asked.

Apollo quickly got up and brushed the hay off himself.

"Yeah" he lied rubbing the back of his neck nervously.

"Well hopefully you got all the clumsiness out of your system because we're going to a movie this evening" Pete told him.

Apollo raised his brow questioningly.

"I don't know what's been going on with you but lately you've been distant and mopey and maybe a night out with your friends will help you get out of it" Pete suggested.

"Pete I don't know about-" Apollo started to say not thinking a night out with his friends would help him with feeling more normal and like he belonged somewhere.

"Nope not letting you say no to this. Your coming. Besides Skye will be there" Pete said raising both his eyebrows twice while having a teasing but knowing expression on his face.

Apollo blushed at the insinuation but quickly began protesting what Pete was trying to hint at.

"I'll go but not cause of Skye" Apollo told him.

"Sure… the movie starts at 7:30 it's at the drive in theatre by the way" Pete informed him. The two of them then spent the rest of their afternoon hanging out and playing basketball on the hoop outside the barn that Pete had helped his Dad install.

When the night came Apollo tried his best to look nice and be normal just for one night. The two of them got to the theatre and were sitting in on some stands with Chloe and Skye enjoying some popcorn while watching the movie. The night was going well and Apollo even thought Skye looked incredibly beautiful. They were sitting next to one another and she seemed happy, so did Chloe. They both said they were glad that Apollo seemed happier and agreed to come out with them. Apollo blushed as Skye softly rested her forehead on his shoulder as they watched the movie. It was Star Wars Episode I; Apollo did want to like it but a part of him found it very slow although the pod racing sequence reminded him of the joy he felt when he ran. The movies somewhat slower pace had it's perks Apollo noticed some of the older kids were getting closer with the girls they were with and Apollo wanted to hold Skye closer to him. He couldn't bring himself to do it but decided right now was just as nice, Skye leaning on him softly as they watched Star Wars was the highlight of his last few weeks. Skye then nervously and slowly held Apollo's hand and Apollo suddenly felt very warm. He blushed harder than he ever had in his life and was very glad it was night and nobody could see how red his face. This one moment of Skye's hand in his made him happier than he'd felt in weeks. Apollo felt like he was on Cloud 9, he was so happy he felt like he was floating. His body then became weightless and shot up in the air. No, no, no, Apollo thought. He just wanted one night, one night to feel normal only to have this happen to him and ruin the happiest moment of his summer so far. Apollo knew his night was ruined as he flew straight up into the air a few meters right before he fell back down to the ground.

"Whoa what was that" someone from behind him shouted as they noticed what just happened and a crowd formed around Apollo who was standing on the grass feeling exposed and scared.

"He just shot up into the air" another person added.

"Must've been a gas pocket" a guy rationalized.

"Is he hurt?" a lady asked.

"Never seen anything like that before in my life" another person commented.

"Of course it's the Kent boy, it's always the Kent boy" he heard somebody say in a judging tone.

"Someone call his Pa" he heard one other voice say and Apollo had enough.

Apollo felt like he was being encircled and he began panicking, he saw everyone look at him like he was even more of a freak than Jar Jar Binks and Apollo couldn't take it.

"Leave me alone" he shouted as he ran off ignoring the shouts of Skye, Chloe and Pete behind him.

Apollo ran into a bathroom and locked himself inside and he tried to control his breathing but he kept remembering how everyone looked at him. Apollo felt despair, it seemed he was cursed to be abnormal for the rest of his life. An alien from an unknown world with nowhere to belong. Apollo looked at his reflection and instead of seeing the sad dark haired boy he was he was he saw an alien. Something green and monstrous that nobody could ever mistake as human like E.T. Anger and self resentment boiled up in his chest and Apollo punched the mirror instantly destroying the entire thing and even destroying the section of the wall it was on. After waiting for a bit he heard his father call him from behind the door. Apollo quickly opened the door and his father hugged him.

"Son what happened?" Jonathan asked concerned before he saw the smashed mirror.

Jonathan got an angry look in his eye but decided that discipline could wait right now he needed to get his son somewhere he felt safe.

"Apollo go get in the truck now" Jonathan told his son sternly.

Apollo simply nodded and walked out of the theatre and to the truck. Jonathan stayed behind for a bit to give the manager his number so he could call him to pay for repairs and then they drove home together in silence.

"Am I in trouble?" Apollo asked breaking the silence.

"Yup" Jonathan replied quickly.

"I couldn't control it, it just happened. I just started floating" Apollo said in defense of himself.

"That's not why you're in trouble. You can't just break things when you're angry. That's something a jerk does" Jonathan told his son simply.

"I was mad. I didn't really mean to do it" Apollo said ashamed.

"Not meaning to do something but still doing it aren't traits you want to cultivate son. You should know by now that being mad doesn't give you an excuse to act like a jerk. Breaking things when you're angry, lashing out without care, hurting people, those are all things bullies do and your Ma and I definitely didn't raise you to act like a bully" Jonathan retorted.

Apollo felt even more ashamed but the anger and despair he felt earlier were still there as well. He didn't know what to do. He didn't know where he belonged.

"Dad… I am so unhappy" Apollo finally admitted to his father.

"I want to be myself. I don't want to worry that I'm something else. I'm scared and I just want to be normal…but I'm not normal" Apollo said his tone sullen and depressed.

Jonathan heard what Apollo said and his need to reprimand his son fell away. He knew his son was struggling and had been both before and after he found out the truth about himself but to hear him talk about it in this way made Jonathan want to pull his son into a deep hug. He remembered his promise to his son and Jonathan's resolve to make his son overcame any other feeling he was feeling.

"Maybe that's good. You know what, yeah that's right. It's good to be weird, who needs normal. Maybe weird is better" Jonathan told his son.

Apollo looked at his father inquisitively wondering what he could possibly mean by that.

"Son you're not normal. The truth is you've never been normal. However, being normal isn't something you need to aspire to because there's nothing wrong with you. Fire eyes, ice breath, floating and all. You're extraordinary and the extraordinary is weird. Don't be ashamed or hate yourself for being what you are. Be proud because we're all proud of you, every part of you. Love and cherish every part of you even the different and weird parts because the thing that makes you different, the thing that makes you weird is the thing that makes you amazing and you're amazing son. And not a day should go by where you don't feel as proud of yourself as your mother and I are of you. Embrace everything that makes you, you and don't be afraid of what people think because when people truly get to know you and see you for what you are they'll see you for the amazing, wonderful and marvelous person you are. You don't have to be normal, just be yourself, be weird because weird is better" Jonathan said giving his son a very heartfelt speech.

Apollo softly smiled at his father's words. It lifted his spirits hearing he needs to embrace the parts of him that were different instead of hiding, hating and being ashamed of them. Apollo looked at his reflection in the side view mirror and the monstrous alien wasn't staring back at him, instead he just saw himself and Apollo smiled as he felt joy again. After they got home and hung out with their family the two went to bed with a new motto. 'Weird is better'.

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