Waking(3)

A week had passed since the announcement from Mama Kemp.

We would have visitors soon. 

Everyone had their best clothes on. A good first impression helped. We lined up in the main hall to welcome the visitor.

"Alright! The twenty three of you, This is Mr. Hunter. He is a Milican, and belongs to a family of Modification types. He is our patron today and he will take one of you home with him okay?" Mama Kemp introduced the visitor.

Mr. Hunter was a large man. He wore a suit and a top hat and his eyes were covered with sunglasses. 

He waved toward us with a little smile on his face. He seemed to be a little taken aback from the intense stares from the orphans.

"Hello children." He said smiling at us.

"Hello!" Echoed most of the kids.

"As your caretaker already told you guys, I'm here to adopt some of you. But I need to fulfill a condition." He walks around us. Looking us, up and down.

"I come from a family with Modification type abilitites, so I can only take with me those with Modification type powers."

I was less dissapointed than I thought, my earlier acceptance made it easy to understand. Some of the kids started crying outright. Me and James try to console the group. 

I look toward Stark, he had tears in his eyes and his knuckles were white. I pulled him and few others into a hug and spent the next few minutes consoling them. I also kept taking peeks at the visitor. His expression remained the same. A slight smile.

He was different from previous visitors. They usually showed a change in expression when they saw the kids cry.

Meanwhile, Mama Kemp ushered Gen, Jeana and the other Mod, Zen to him. 

"These are the Waking children with Modification type abilities sir."

He got on his knees, "What are your abilitis children?"

"I am Jeana and I can fly with my wings." Jeana introduced herself.

"I am Zen and I have a big tail." Zen followed up.

"Can you show me?" He asked toward the two, not waiting for Gen.

Jeana and Zen made their wings and tail appear. 

The man seemed interested in the crystal wings. 

"What else can you do?" He asked the two.

"I don't know yet." said Jeana and Zen nods in reply.

He then looked toward Gen, "What can you do boy?"

"I can do a full body transformation sir."

The man's eyes widen."Show me."

"I can't control it properly sir. It is dangerous."

"I can stop you, don't fret boy."

I moved the kids out of the way and we just watched the pair.

Gen looked to us, fear apparent in his eyes.

"Go for it, its your ticket out of here!" I encouraged him. He needed it. He could leave here and have an actual family.

My eyes met James and I nodded to him." Show him Gen, don't worry." James followed up.

Gen looked at the man and slowly raised his left arm. Red fur traveled down the arm starting from the shoulder, muscles bulking up following the fur. His arm resembled that of a large ape with a protrusion extending from his elbow.

The man looked a little impressed but he still asked," Thats it?"

Gen raised his right arm and a similar transformation went down his right arm.

He looked at the man.

"Thats it?" The man provoked again.

Gen growled. 

Brown fur travelled down his legs, now rippling with muscles, his feet replaced with hooves.

He rushed toward the man.

The man side stepped his charge and pushed him prone. Gen tried punching him. He parried it easily.

He tried kicking him.

Parried again.

Gen's eyes were glowing a bright red now. He had completely lost control now. Angled upwards, two horns grew out of his head.

"That is surprising." The man said maintaining the same expression.

He put his glasses in his suit pocket and his eyes narrowed. His eyes changed to vertical pupils and his suit stretched to its limit, his muscles bulging.

Gen charged at him again.

This time, the man just stood still. Watching Gen barrel toward him. Like a hunter looking at his prey. 

He suddenly tensed, grabbed Gen buy the horns and held him still. Gen shook his head in an effort to get loose and tried to grab the man with his giant arms.

The man jumped backwards now in a backward handstand off of Gen's horns.

SWISH

A sudden sound rang out and the man pushed off Gen.

"Oh I am taking you." He said, his eyes wide.

HISSSS

Gen had dropped his arms down low, his legs now tense, ready to rush again. But now there was a tail with a snake's head hissing.

The man's figure flickered for a moment and he appreared behind Gen, the snake tail turned and struck but he smacked it away in an instant. He then hit Gen in the nape knocking him out.

I had unconsiously activated my ability, that was the only way I could have witnessed that exchange. I had never seen Gen transform that far before and the tail was the biggest surprise. 

The man was strong as well. He managed to react to the tail instantly. 

His suit deflated a little and he put his sunglasses back on.

"My lady, I wish to adopt both this boy and the girl." The man said to Mama."My wife wanted a daughter and I wanted another son, these two fit us perfectly."

 Jeana started celebrating and the other children went to celebrate with her. Their sadness faded away quick enough.

I walked to Zen instead and comforted him.

"Next time Zen. You will get picked next time. By then you could also develop your ability and learn its sub-ability. There is nothing to be sad about, you are one of us and we will be there for you. For now, you should celebrate. Two of our family are getting adopted. We have to send them off happily understand?"

Zen nodded, wiping his tears while snivelling. I pat his back and send him to the celebrating group.

I walked toward James and Mama who were checking up on the unconscious Gen. 

"He is just unconscious don't worry. He should wake up soon. He has potential that one." I turned to look at the man who said it.

"Lets complete the paperwork for their adoption and I will forward it to our family registry."

Mama gently laid Gen down and went into her office with the man.

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"So, Gen you are finally leaving huh?" I said, showing a weak smile.

Gen had a smile stretching from one ear to the other. A full, big smile. I hadn't seen one of those in a long while from him.

"You can train to control your power too." James said.

"And that tail.." I started. "Was so cool!" James finished.

"The horns too." I continued.

Gen rubbed the back of his head, a little embarrassed. He looked at us, his smile changing to a smirk.

"I am way cooler than you, you should learn from me. Heh heh." He proclaimed, head angled upward.

I gave James a quick look and he nodded.

My hands reached around Gen's neck from under his arms. I had him in a headlock. 

"No."

"Nooooooooooo-"

James had taken the opportunity to tickle the life out of Gen. Mods generally had more sensitive bodies, even without transforming. It let them be extremely sensory efficient. I could replicate that sensitivity but I had to concentrate. 

The tickles continued until Gen had no strength to resist.

That would show him.

There was no way he would be superior to both me and James combined.

Gen admitted defeat and went to sleep. He had a big day tomorrow and would need to go to the adminstrator office in Central along with Jeana and "Mr.Hunter" to get the adoption finalized.

James pulled me to the terrace. I followed without resistance.

"I have an idea." He explained. "The black metal stick you have, lets use it to make little pendants for everyone."

A pendant? Why would we need that? It was a useless idea.

"Why?" I asked despite behind put off.

"Well, one day we will all go our separate ways right?"

I nodded.

"So, a pendant can be a connection between all of us. Something to remember everyone by."

Interesting. It sounded like a keepsake. I did not have many things I could call my own and this could be something I could care for. Something everyone could have, connecting us despite the distance that may be between us. 

I had a sudden desire for it. I wanted a pendant.

"I'm in. But lets get it prepared before Gen and Jeana leave. I have the metal pipe stashed under my bed. We will go to the Reach's tomorrow."

Reach's Carpentry was the only place where anyone could work on materials. They took care of everything, carpentry, metal work and building.

They had the most number of Waking among them. Something about getting more work done when powers were involved. I hoped I could work there once I had to leave the orphanage. It had decent pay and also provided a living area. My presence, as a Waking would be welcomed there. They knew most of the orphans either way. They let the three of us play there, and they even let the older ones work with scrap metals before they had to leave as well.

"Thats a plan!" James said. " I also have a logo for us to inscribe on the pendant."

"What?"

"Yeah, our orphanage's logo."

"We don't have one? What are you on about?"

"Mama's office had this logo on a lot of the files and under the logo was our orphanage's name."

Our orphanage, the Lamb's Respite did not have a logo on the display board outside. This logo thing was news to me.

"Can you show it to me?" I asked confused.

He reached into his pants and pulled out a piece of paper with a drawing on it.

It was quite intricate, contrary to my expectations, it sported a thick dark line through the centre with wings on either side. The wing on the right side was upside down and the left one was right side up. It resembled an S like shape titled at an angle. On th ends of the dark line were two X marks, on the top and bottom.

It looked really intricate. Not something that James could draw.

Draw..... Wait it did not look drawn.

"Did you tear the logo off the papers?"

"Just one from the back. It looked old. She will not check that far, don't worry man, when have my plans failed?"

His plans never failed because we planned it. And I boosted my thoughts with my ability. I didn't have the heart to tell him that though.

So, I just nodded slowly.

I liked the logo. It looked nice and I would like to have a pendant with that logo on it. I wouldn.t complain. Even if Mama found it later, which she probably would, we could just cry and throw a fuss, she would just let the matter go to appease us.

Since we were bringing the material as well, I was pretty sure we could get the workers there to help us with this little project for free or at the ver least let us use the equipment for this. The former seemed most likely. Old Reach himself might help us out. He does nothing other than watch the others either way.

Well, our work was cut out for us tomorrow.

I then went downstairs and came back outside with Spiel in my arms. I had to play with him every night. I had done this everyday with him and that would not change any time soon. 

Like yesterday, the two of us weren't alone on the terrace. Stark had joined us.

And I felt another pair of eyes stare at me. I turned back.

Zen.

I motioned him to join us, which he promptly did. He had probably seen me walk up with Spiel and seen Stark follow us.

He looked sad, there was another term for it, melancholic I think. I liked using different words for my daily situations. Melancholic sounded nice to say.

Before Spiel, it used to just be me alone on the terrace. 

My secret place.

It was cool and comfortable.

It was not just mine anymore now. I knew both Stark and Zen like the feel of this place too.

I did not mind.... I could share.

It was not much of a secret place anymore though.

But it was still cool and comfortable. 

We stayed there till Spiel cried and then sleep was in order.

I slide into my bed, closing my eyes preparing myself for the same dream again.