11 Chapter 11 : The Cory situation

Author note : he~re's… Johnny~ ! Sorry… didn't know what was to write. Hello ! I hope you guys and gals are alright !

The 10th chapter of MtA is out on Webnovel ! Hope you like it. If you want more, feel like supporting me or whatever, you can check out my Patréon page. Search for Cathbel there or use this link : https://www.patre*n.com/user?u=66371596.

See ya and enjoy !

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« Ugh ! I feel like shit ! » I mutter, head in my pillow.

Unlike the other time, when my body was experiencing a deficiency, this time, I knew what it was. A good old stomach bug ! I've spent the time running to and fro my bed and the toilet to empty my guts out from both ends. Not a very welcome image ? Yeah, but try to put yourself in my shoes, alright !

My mom and dad told me to stay home to try and recover, but… I feel like I'm dying ! And worse : someone dares to trouble my sleep by ringing the freaking doorbell ! Next time, I'm sick, I'll take it down… I might even take it down regardless. That'll prevent door-to-door salesmen and cult recruiters to feel welcome.

Idly, as I inwardly curse and outwardly moan in discomfort, I hear my mother opening the door and greeting whoever was out there :

« Mr Coulson. What a surprise… » She doesn't seem very happy to see him for some reason. « What are the social services doing here, today ? »

The way she says social services… It doesn't feel truthful. In fact, I can distinctly detect the sarcasm in her voice. Apparently, so did the man she was speaking with :

« Let's drop the pretense Mrs. Norrson. You know I'm not a social worker and I know you're not just a simple psychologist… Though I still don't know exactly what it is, you do. You've obviously found and disabled the bugs I've dropped in your home the last time. »

Wow ! What ? Bugs ? As in, listening devices (and not the one currently plaguing me) ? What is he ? Some kind of spy ? Wait a minute… Coulson. First name : Agent… Wrong, it was Phil. Still, it might be a different guy.

The fever's really messing with my head : I can't seem to focus properly. For a second, I feel myself drift off to sleep and only the voice of the agent brings my consciousness back up to the surface. Though I have no idea how much of the conversation I've missed :

« …tters is a danger to you and to your family. You might be able to deal with conventional and mundane situations, but there are things… after the girl that not many are equipped to handle. »

« And I'm guessing you… whatever organization you're from, can handle it ? »

Silence answers my mom, and I feel like it's slightly awkward. I can't help imagining the actor from the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. averting his gaze from my mom's. After a couple of seconds, I hear :

« Unfortunately, we can't… For reasons I'm not at liberty to divulge. The only and best option is to have the girl constantly on the move. Hence why we had her bounce from foster homes so much. I still don't get how your application to foster the girl was allowed, Ma'am ? »

Magic, man, that's how ! You're talking to an honest to goodness witch. There's not much her and my dad can't accomplish if they set their sights on it. But what the hell are they talking about ?

It's really hard to think, right now… Foster homes ? A girl ? Cory ? Seems about right. Wasn't there a story like that in the TV show ? But why were they doing that ? There was something after her… Someone… Family ? Her father !

Don't remember his name. Don't really care. Wasn't he nuttier than a nut bag ? Even a nut tree. Doesn't really concern me anyway…

My consciousness fades away again, only for me to startle awake, the thought of mister Hyde still on my mind. Doesn't concern me ? Like hell, it doesn't ! The guy slaughtered families, agents, criminals, innocents just to get to his daughter. What will he do to us ? Damn, now I'm getting chills !

Am I ready to fight someone on his level ? I don't even know which version I'll be dealing with, here. In the show, he was mild-mannered most of the time… until he wasn't. However, he fought mostly instinctively. No military or formal training. Just animalistic force and brutality. The chemical decoction he had ingested that gave him his strength, also made him emotionally unstable. His love for his daughter turned into something of an obsession. And every time someone stood in his way… Well, carnage ensued.

As for the comics version… I don't know much about him. If at all. I don't know whether or not he had the same weaknesses. What if he had all his strength and none of the weaknesses ? What if he was even stronger ?

I'm getting chills ! Again. Though that could also be my sickness. I try to listen… I don't hear anything. Has Coulson left already ? Mom probably kicked him out.

S.H.I.E.L.D. came to our house. They know about us ! They don't know about magic, just yet. I hope… They also don't know that dad and I are mutants. Alter-humans ! Damn dizziness playing with my mind. If even I don't use the term I invented, how am I supposed to expect other people to adopt it ?

My thoughts are suddenly interrupted by the chipper voice of my foster sister barging into my room.

« Hey, Nate ! So… How's life ? Still puking your guts out ? »

My response is instantaneous and spontaneous :

« I hate you, Cory ! » After which I proceed to hide my face under the covers to ponder on more important things.

I'm trying not to feel too much resentment towards her. After all, it's not her fault her dad's an homicidal maniac bent on getting his grubby enhanced mitts on her, even if it means tearing them all apart…

Still, I'm a teenager, and with my brain chemistry being what it is, it's hard to keep a lid on my emotions. That's why I'm hiding. Not because I don't feel so good and the idea of puking makes me want to hurl some more. Not at all.

Once I'm feeling better, I'll go back to training with my dad. Maybe I'll even ask him to up the ante a little bit. For now, let's sleep… Or try to, at least. Cory's making her usual racket in her room next door. Kids are really annoying !

* * * * *

« So… S.H.I.E.L.D.'s the reason why the girl's life has been so difficult. Did they say why they're doing this ? » Dad asks my mom a couple of days later.

He's finally come home from whatever job he was doing. He told he was a freelancer and now I believe the freelance job he's doing, he's doing for the Ancient One or current sorcerer supreme. Probably demon slaying or the like. Badass, but not something I'd want to do, personally… Then again, given the reality I find myself in, I might not have a choice.

« He didn't, unfortunately. He said they were 'dangers' involved in taking care of the girl. He also seemed to hint that they might not be the regular kind. »

« Probably not gangs or some kind of political shenanigans, then… Given the fact that S.H.I.E.L.D.'s involved, probably an enhanced of some kind… Wait, no. One or several Alter-Humans. The question is why… » My dad keeps silent for a moment before he asks : « Have you noticed anything unusual about Cory ? Powers of some kind, maybe ? »

No response from my mother. That's natural : Cory's powers probably haven't awakened just yet. Being of Inhuman descent (that word might be the worst to call a species !), she needs to go though terragenesis if she is to awaken her powers. She's not like a mutant who unlocks them semi-naturally, or a mutate who get theirs by some freak accident. She, and every other inhuman needs to be exposed to a special kind of crystal. Or an aerosolized form of the crystal, or… something. Never really understood how these guys worked.

What I do remember however, is that some even in the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. basically forced every inhuman to awaken on Earth. The ocean was polluted, and then everything coming from there was tainted and consuming it would force unaware inhumans to form the chrysalis, before coming out of there fully Inhuman.

The 'chrysalis' process Inhuman went through was in a way similar to what caterpillars experienced themselves. However, instead of everyone of them coming out of them looking like the same butterfly, here the Inhumans all acquired a different power, a different appearance… Some didn't change at all outwardly, some didn't even look human anymore.

Also, while most everyone unlocked some kind of ability or preternatural power, some of them had trouble figuring out what theirs was. Others yet, had trouble controlling theirs, or could even be damaging to their body or mind.

In the TV show, for example, Daisy (formerly known as Skye) would be injured by the vibrations she herself produced. I have no idea if her comic book version had the same problems.

I continue watching my parents for a while… Currently, I'm in my room, sitting at my desk, head over a piece of paper. The usual ! However, the paper acted more like a screen at the time where the scene of my parents talking was displayed. The sound of their conversation was translated as comic bubbles popping up over their heads. Even the onomatopoeias were reproduced on the moving drawing. Quite the piece of programming if I do say so myself (and I do). I'd feel even prouder of it if I didn't need so much of Cory's help for it… At this point, it's practically her brain child, frankly.

The only thing that's mine is the design of the Gazer, the ink creature I use to watch my parents talk. A bald, somewhat small humanoid with a fat head and a single eye in the middle of his face. No mouth or nose to be seen. He moves by floating, his hands spread out to his side. He was wearing a simplistic flight suit. And obviously, he is drawn mostly in black.

I scribble the code to end the program on the sheet. Soon after, the screen dissipates and so too, does the Gazer in the other room. It looks like the days to come are gonna be interesting.

I don't like interesting…