The Griffin Family

The Griffin family sits at the top of the business world as one of the most renowned conglomerates. Their total profits per year could easily compare to a quarter of the country's annual budget. 

With their headquarters based in Sienna Metropolis, they had hundreds of branches and franchises all over the world.

Sampson Griffin, the founder, made his first hundred million from the sale of pure red diamonds his research group had discovered when they were researching overseas and built the business into a nationwide conglomerate.

The current CEO, Bernard Griffin, inherited the business from his father after his passing and successfully grew the business into the international conglomerate that it was today.

With his wife; Vivian Griffin by his side as the Chief Accountant, the business would only continue to grow further.

Two months before the expected due date for the birth of their child, Vivian confided in her husband tha she was experiencing weird sensations.

Apart from the usual movements expected of a fetus, she had been feeling something else, something that was too strange and difficult to explain.

This being their first child, Bernard experienced several bouts of paranoia and fearing for his wife and the safety of his unborn child, he rushed her by chopper to his doctor-friend at the general hospital.

"My goodness, what happened that required being choppered in like that?" the doctor; Daniel Hathaway, not expecting the couple, asked as he entered the private VIP examination room.

"Vivian mentioned that she was experiencing certain weird sensations that do not match the usual pregnancy symptoms", Bernard explained briefly.

Vivian lay on the raised bed as the nurses present checked her vitals and prepped the ultrasound scanner.

After taking over from them, Dr. Hathaway dismissed all the nurses with a smile. The blushing nurses quickly left the room, trying but failing to hide their flushed faces.

"Why did you dismiss the nurses?" Vivian asked perplexed. "Don't worry about that. It's normal for VIP guests of the hospital to have only their doctors present during an examination. the nurses are already aware of that policy", Dr. Hathaway explained as he glanced at her medical chart.

"Okay, let's see here", Dr. Hathaway said as he placed the chart down, pulled the ultrasound scanner closer and began to scan her protruded belly after applying the gel.

As he moved the device over her womb, the scanned fetus was fully displayed on the screen.

Apart from the usual head, legs, arms and heartbeat that everyone expected to see, they saw something else that was quite shocking.

The fetus was wrapped in two objects that were attached to it as well as a small tail.

"What in the hell is that?" Bernard asked as Vivian could only stare at the screen in shock. Dr. Hathaway enhanced the screen until the fetus was an isolated image on the screen.

"Congrats you two, it seems your son is going to be born a meta. His wings and tail are a clear indication!" the doctor said in excitement.

"I can't believe it. There is no one in our family line who was a meta. How's this possible?!", Bernard asked bewildered.

"I'm not sure. A meta human is born in a ratio of one out of every ten million people on the planet. They normally mutate due to an activated hidden meta gene buried deep in their genome".

"Meta abilities range from low tier abilities like bending spoons with the mind to mid tier abilities like pyrokinesis to high tier abilities like, I don't know...'the power to cause Earthquakes' or something like that".

"There has never been any of that level. But the one single similarity behind all their abilities is a meta gene buried deep in their bloodlines".

"There was probably a dormant meta gene in your lineage and it was passed on to your son; successfully awakening him as a meta".

"I can't be too sure of the level of strength his meta ability will be unless we conduct further tests after his birth after all, he is the first with a clea physical mutation. Either way, it is what it is", the doctor announced.

"This must truly be a gift then. Our son; the heir to the Griffin fortune, will be a one in a hundred million unique individual who will stand above all other conglomerates", Bernard declared excitedly.

"Yes, a gift, but also with its very own problems", Daniel spoke out, bursting his bubble.

"What do you mean? What problems do you speak of?" Bernard asked. 'The P.E.I.B. that's what", he answered.

"The what?!" Vivian queried. "The Paranormal and Extraterrestrial Investigations Bureau" Bernard described.

"They would stop at nothing the moment their attention is drawn to the existence of a metahuman. There are rumors circulating the science community that, one of their agencies is trapping and locking up metas to use in weapon development experiments", Dr. Hathaway described.

"Why haven't they been arrested for such actions? They are basically flouting the rights of those meta humans, are they not?" Bernard asked quite flabbergasted.

"The rumor is that they are secretly sponsored by extremely influential people and governments. I doubt anyone can touch them with such support behind them, at least without any indisputable evidence. Besides, it's still just a rumor and even if it isn't, no one knows its true location".

"Be that as it may, they would most likely try to capture and perform experiments on any meta that appears on their radar and worst-case scenario, they would outrightly kill them if they are deemed too uncontrollable. With the physical presentation of your son's metahood, the chances of finding him is greater", Dr. Hathaway explained further.

"So basically, they are; a rumoured, hidden, secret, government/private funded anti-meta organization. But what I want to know is how you know all this?", Bernard asked.

"I am a member of the Association of World Science Scholars. Our organization is essentially the opposite of the P. E. I. B. Where they seek to create supernatural weapons for the purposes of mass destruction, we aim to study the meta power in order to enhance and protect life", Dr. Hathaway proclaimed. 

"So, if I'm getting you right, it's imperative that our child's true nature be kept hidden", Bernard stated in a questioning tone.

"Depending on what meta power your child holds, it could cause the bureau to come after your family in earnest.

"So, what do you suggest we do? How do we keep our child safe?" Vivian asked.

"You will have to go off the grid. I think the mountains are the most suitable place for the boy to grow up", Dr. Hathaway suggested.

"I fear that our child may never have a normal childhood", Vivian said with tears in her eyes but Bernard held her hand to comfort her.

"My love, we do not know what the future holds. We can only do our best with the cards dealt to us" Bernard said as he leaned in and kissed his wife.

Bernard was mildly surprised by how easily Dr. Hathaway handled the fact that, for the first time ever, he was personally going to be a part of the birth of a meta baby.

With how swiftly he answered his questions, Bernard felt it was borderline suspicious but he didn't voice out his thoughts as he trusted his friend enough not to ask.

"Wait, what if she is due to deliver? I can't deliver a baby!" Bernard announced suddenly when the thought struck him.

Daniel took a last critical look at the screen before turning it off.

"Don't worry about it. I'll be coming with you for the time being to monitor the child's progress, and after she delivers, I'll return to the city" he announced excitedly.

"What about your job, here in the hospital?" Bernard asked. "It's fine! Besides...I've been so busy that my vacation days have just been piling up, it's about time I use them before I lose them", Dr. Hathaway announced with a chuckle.

"If you say so. We are happy to have you", Bernard replied with a smile.

"Excuse me, I'll have to get some documents ready. Be back in a sec", Dr. Hathaway excused himself and walked out of the room into the hallway.

After closing the door, he fished out his cell phone and quickly dialed a secured number.

When the person on the other end of the call answered he whispered into the receiver, "Fetus-serum fusion was a success sir, the subject appears to have gone through a reptilian based metamorphises; now moving on to phase three".

"Keep up the good work. Be sure to report any further changes", the voice instructed and hung up.