CHAPTER 22 – T-minus (8)

"Does it hurt when you touch food?" Psyand's mother asks. "Spicy food."

I had only asked if there was any other sweet food.

"Ah…" I say. "It… hurts a bit."

Psyand's mother looks at me with pity.

"Just a bit. Since… you know, the skin usually is what protects."

"So wouldn't it hurt even if you eat it?"

"As I said: a bit. It really is fine. I have learned to live with it."

"You don't have to adjust with it all of a sudden… what shall I call you? Witch sounds a bit…"

"It sounds a bit like 'bitch', doesn't it?" I ask, Psyand's mother gives a wide-eye-shocked reaction. "Sorry. I guess my mouth really has no filter."

"Just… don't do it in front of Psyand," Psyand's mother dryly laughs.

I nod silently.

"Oh I'm so sorry. The topic was about sweet food. No... I just made this. I could make you some juice. The military person said there are fruits," Psyand's mother says, getting up.

"You really don't have to."

"You haven't touched anything except that sweet. I'm thinking liquid and sweet is your preference. Tonight you could just have juice. From tomorrow I'll be sure to make more for you, the sweet."

"I could just eat the fruits. Usually with Scelesthe, that is what I used to do. I have teeth," I spread out my lips and clench my teeth, as proof.

"Ah…"

Psyand's mother goes to the fridge, and I follow her. She grabs me an apple to eat, and takes out a papaya to cut.

"You said Scelesthe… isn't she Scelestha?"

"Her real name is Scelesthe. She just… honours her dead friend, by calling herself as Scelestha. She said they were… pretty close."

"Oh. That is sad and honourable."

I bite the apple with a big crunch, almost startling myself, and Psyand's mother.

"How did you… get teeth? I'm sorry to ask, but according what that boy said…"

"I actually have teeth from as long as I remember. Everything except my teeth and my outer structure, I had to form myself. I just… randomly found myself in this form."

"And when was this?"

"About an year ago, I think. Probably lesser," I shrug. "I just even felt hard to breath. In that start. I had to learn to… build my lungs-like-structure and breath."

"Ah… that sounds tough. You are strong."

"I tried my best."

"You seem to know a lot about… anatomy. Is that the word? I heard Psyand use that word, not too long ago."

"Yeah… I learnt about it slowly. I felt too cold, so I had to learn to make myself these… hair. And so many other functions… I felt like a scientist," I laugh.

"You are. You sound like a fast learner. For one year…"

"It just made sense. Maybe I learnt the knowledge before and it just came back to me, without me realising. Who knows. Maybe I was a doctor dragon, who knew people's insides," I laugh.

Luckily for me, Psyand's mother laughs too.

"You MADE your hair? Like how?" Psyand's mother asks, curiously. "I mean… they are great."

"Dead cells form nails and hair… I just… learned to process in in a way. My body reaction is… very in sync with thought process. Even I haven't figured about it completely. But again, it just makes sense."

"It is confusing. But that sounds very great and interesting."

Someone knocks at the door, and I offer to attend it, and I do. Lost-Bird looks at me, and I feel myself wanting to gulp.

"You were out for a while," I say.

"Yeah… network was bad. But she knew how to talk," Lost-Bird laughs.

Well, who was she?

"My sister. It was my sister."

"Oh," I feel flabbergasted.

Lost-Bird just comes inside and the three of us sit at the table. I eat my fruits, and Lost-Bird is left to finish what I had left, which he does happily.

"So mine and Scelesthe's secrets are out," I say.

"Even mine actually. You missed that part," Lost-Bird says.

"Right, Harsh Aaditya," I say.

"Now you are saying it the right way," Psyand's mother laughs. "She was saying harsh all this time."

"That was a joke," I say.

"Oh I see," Psyand's mother says.

"Anyways. It is about time the others tell their part. It is unfair you know," I say.

"Well, it's… not important," Psyand's mother says.

"Besides, Scelesthe is an alien. Your origin is… unknown. You are safe from any harm, in case anyone even finds your identity," Lost-Bird says.

"And you?"

"Well, I'm a human. And I can only hope you won't tell anyone my identity. Besides, I'm not doing anything on the war," Lost-Bird casually says and eats.

I'm once again left flabbergasted and try to put words together. "Well, of course we won't say it. You know, you should wear a mask."

Lost-Bird coughs, almost spitting out his food. Psyand's mother gives him water, and pats his back, massaging it lightly.

"You good?" I ask.

Lost-Bird looks at me and clears his throat. "Yeah, just… well, as I said: I'm not fighting here. So there won't be a need."

"Well, just a basic one. Which covers the lower part of your face, from the nose. Hoodie, and a bit of hair down. No one could guess you."

"You seem to have things planned, W," Psyand's mother says.

"That is interesting, but please no," I say. "By the way, what information from the guy did I miss?"

"Not much… he said…"

***

As morning arrives, I wake up, rubbing my eyes, and step out to the hall. Mr. LB seems to have woken up, alongside some others.

Witch notices but un-notices me, which makes me sad. Was she mad at mom, for her reaction? Mom sure was protective, but it was also because of what happened to me, because of THAT guy.

As I go towards the washroom, Ms. Scelestha greets me a good morning, unlike Lost-Bird, Witch, and even Rusk, whom I had guessed to be my best friend. Maybe he didn't like me. Many didn't like me.

But even then, I only worry about how to tell everyone of… the book.

Mr. Edward wakes up and everyone gathers, for the hearing which he promised last night.

"So The Ring… well, we are a fine organisation. When we knew that we… couldn't easily stop Saturn Organisation, we basically became part of it, as a sub-division, The Ring," Mr. Edward says. "There are many sub-divisions, but we were just spies on their tail."

"Are these bunch of examiner clan yours too, one of them?" Rusk asks.

"Well yes, one of the divisions. Many of our people are in it. We have many branches over the world, of this division. But Ring had only a few," Mr. Edward says. "Stressing on the had part."

Nobody seems to talk, and Mr. Edward's eyes just searches for everyone's faces, which were looking right at him.

"I mentioned about this Primivel warrior leader right? Well, after we saved him: we got in bad trouble. We knew we had, and… we had to do dirty jobs, which lead to the formation of these… Survival of the Opportune, guys.

"We realised that we had messed up bad. Keeping identities as a secret had become our propose, than save people. We knew we had done wrong, so our leader made the decision of just disbanding, and doing what is right. To save people."

"People are still dying," Ms. Scelestha says.

"Yes. We… blew up pretty badly."

"Just tell us about it already. Must we specifically ask?" Rusk scoffs.

"Well… Witch happened. The leader, as I said. Him and his team, we rescued them from within the snow. As they had Fara with them. But they went inside anyways. The snow-dome was pretty disturbed that one day. Well, I won't get into the details, but it was a fine day for them to go in and defeat Santa. And they did…"

"Santa?"

"Well, the guy who caused the snow. I was just being sarcastic. Well, we think their team failed, but we have zero trace on them," Mr. Edward says, and freezes. "Well, except one person. Who… we can't reach. Not until this mission completes."

"Then maybe this leader is afterall dead?" Mr. Forcerer says.

"He is called as the bloody Harbinger of Death," Ms. Scelestha scoffs. "I feel his team may be otherwise. But if he is, what he is; then he will be more than fine."

Mr. Edward sighs. "We hope so too. It really sad that none of you even knew him," he pauses, and something hits him, "except… Witch."

Witch just stares at Mr. Edward, in confusion.

"Well, when we saved him, the leader, you followed. Your attacking pattern sure was weird, but you guys fought… and we'll, the result is you, about a twenty-thirty feet beast, just being a… whatever height you are."

"I can become taller. Besides, was this team… did this team have someone covered in purple? Mask, and a whole suit?"

"Someone in purple? Nobody took purple coats, or were wearing on that day. As much as I remember. Even when I saw them straight for only a couple minutes," Mr. Edward says, thinking deeply. "Ah! Maybe it was one from that Pluto team!"

"Pluto team? Really? What do those guys even have?" Ms. Scelestha scoffs.

"Powered-individuals, bunch of them actually. Don't know whereabouts, but when this team failed, that team fought Morph, for the second half. On Pluto. And well, they surely… destroyed that part of her," Mr. Edward looks at Witch. "The Witch we see here… is the part which didn't die, from here.

"Our theory is, the team which fought her here, failed to destroy her completely. The other part was just struck on fighting, and followed the leader, to Pluto, where the other team fought. They probably killed that part. And being separated, and having witnessed that… Witch got herself to survive."

Everyone stays silent.

"Even you didn't know this?" I ask Witch, she just looks at me, and shakes her head. "Then how come…?"

I feel myself tearing up, and struggle to look at Mr. LB.

"How did you know Mr. LB?" I tear up, trying to look at Mr. LB. "About all of us?"