Time To Go

"I suppose I should find you somewhere to sleep tonight."

Soren dismissed the idea of placing Avery in a room by himself, the chances of him running off were high. He motioned for Avery to follow him and went upstairs. His first stop was Ethan's room.

Soren knocked on the door and a moment later Ethan opened it.

"I need you to grab a cot and bedding, bring them to my room."

"Right away, boss."

Soren went down the hall to his room and opened the large walk-in closet. It had a shelf to the left when you first walked in, otherwise, it was an open space the size of a small bedroom. He did not have any clothes hanging since all the clothes he owned fit in the dresser by his bed.

"I think this will work. It'll give you your own space but allow me to keep an eye on you."

Avery looked at the small space and nodded, he knew that he did not have a say in what happened. Being thrown into a large closet was a step up from where his thoughts had taken him.

"This will also give you access to my bathroom, which, coincidently is the only room in the house where smoking is allowed."

There was a knock at the doorway then Ethan walked in carrying a bag and a folded cot. He sat it just inside the room then left. Soren pointed at what had been left.

"I'll leave you to set everything up."

Soren left his room and went to Jordan's. He paused a moment to knock before opening the door and walking in.

~You're supposed to wait to be invited in.~

~I knocked.~

Jordan was laying in bed, on his side watching a show on his laptop. When Soren walked in he paused it and sat up.

~I'll remember to lock it next time.~

Soren snorted and walked in, sitting on the bed.

~You up for processing the bodies in the cooler?~

~You helping?~

Soren shook his head.

~I'm busy with other things. I want you to take Fry with you, I think it'll help her gain better control if she's thrown in knee-deep.~

~You mean, traumatize her further?~

Soren laughed and stood up.

~Not as traumatizing as what I'm going to be doing. Going to take Avery to the city with me and see if we can't attract a mutated. Also going to pick up some used clothes while we're out.~

~Trade?~

Soren waved and walked out of the room, a few choice words filled his head as he turned to Fry's room. He knocked and waited until she said something, and he heard the sound of the door unlocking before he opened the door.

"How are you feeling?"

"Like shit."

She walked to the bed and sat at the end. She rubbed her face then fell back with a groan.

"I don't think I'm cut out for this. You should have just killed me back then."

"You just need time, that's all. I've had a lot longer to gain control of my hunger."

He moved to sit down by her and poked her side until she sat up with a scowl.

"I talked with Jordan and you'll be helping him with something that will help your control. Do you want to know what it is before you go, or wait and be surprised?"

"You know I hate surprises."

Soren laughed, "It's not like you'll like this either way. Jordan is going to process the bodies of the dead mercenaries."

"Process?"

"Mhmm, cut them up, package them and store them in the freezer."

Fry frowned and crossed her arms.

"Can I skip it?"

"No. It's important that you get control over the hunger, sooner rather than later. I have something planned for Ethan later that's a little more intensive."

"Ok."

Fry looked away and down at the floor, staring intently at the carpet. Soren moved off the bed and crouched down in front of her, blocking her line of sight.

"You're doing good, Fry. It's a lot of changes in a short time and you are adapting quickly. That's a good thing. Once this is under control we will start focusing more on strength training. Before you know it you'll be strong enough to beat up anyone that messes with you.

"I know you like that idea."

He smiled as he stood. Fry shook her head and stuck out her tongue.

"All of this would be easier to handle if I didn't have to eat what I have to eat."

"You have to change the way you look at it. You're not human anymore. Me, Jordan, and Ethan aren't human. We can still be friends with them, live with them, but at the end of the day, they are still a part of our food chain.

"It's kind of like how rabbits are both companions and food."

Fry's eyebrows lowered, her eyes narrowed and she frowned at his comparison of humans and rabbits.

"Is that how you see humans?"

"I would be lying if I said 'no,' even if it would make you happy. I see them two ways; those with potential like you and Ethan, and the rabbits that need to be taken care of. If they cross the line and try to harm me, I won't think twice about killing them."

"What about Agent Issac, Avery, the four locked up?"

Soren sat back down beside her.

"Are you sure you want the answer to that?"

She just stared at him without blinking.

"Ok. Agent Issac has potential and I want him. I think that his rate of adaptability is high and he would most likely adjust faster than you or Ethan. The four locked up aren't even on the level of rabbits. I'm giving them a chance to prove themselves, but I could just as easily go down there now and kill them. Both options are viable.

"Jordan referred to Avery as my human pet, and he's probably on the mark. I'm having fun pushing his limits and seeing how much he can handle without breaking him.

"If we look at it at its most basic, we are still a mutated. We are evolved mutated. We possess the ability to think, to control our base urges, but the things that define us as mutated are still there.

"I'm going to go now. Think about what I've said, work with Jordan in the cooler, and keep an open mind. After all of that then you can tell me if you're cut out for this."

Soren stood up and left, closing the door behind him. He took out the cell phone and checked the time, putting it back with a smile.

"Looks like it's time to go."