For the next week, I've begun to work closely with Sky on medical research and development. In her past life, she was more of a reserved researcher and accountant. But now, she's taking more of an assertive role. From what memories she has allowed me to see, she has grown as a person as well. Her professional past life has only gotten her so far, but now, she's determined to make a better life for herself. Currently, she is in the process of becoming a noble. All she needs is my help to see that happen, also, she needs to marry. It should be no surprise who the lucky guy that would be, I'm sure they worked it out.
"You are learning quickly for a child," she compliments as she observes me mixing the assigned chemicals. Our lab is specially made only for the two of us. Sky even allowed me to bring the gifts that the herbalist had given me. We've run over the concern we both have with the ingredients that I received. Including that stuff that turns people into hulking monsters. So far, we've touched on the subject briefly. Sky could sense the unease I felt about it. The whole business underground—I have no idea how I did any of that. Mustering up the courage to gather all those who I have hurt in my past, then leading them to witness me nearly get the life beaten out of me? Who is making these decisions? I can't see it in me to do any of these things.
"Owen?" Sky called out to me as she sat on the stool next to me. "Can we talk about your herbalist?"
I suppose we shouldn't avoid talking about those dangerous chemicals. She holds a glass sample of the drug called Shimmer.
Putting down the alchemical instruments, I smiled. "Sure."
"Your recovery treatment here wouldn't have been possible without her," she disclosed as she placed the vial into a holster.
"Figured that our veiled nurse didn't bother to tell you her name?" I inquired as my fingers drummed the table.
Sky shook her head. "No. When I asked of her identity, she simply ignored me and focused entirely on you. Threatening her with arrest didn't help either." She straightened her back. "She was rather determined to do what was necessary to see to your recovery."
"Was she violent with you?" I asked, searching her face.
"How do I put it?" she frowns. "She knows more than herbs, she's an alchemist. Her knowledge has brought people great healing and harm." Sky turned more of her body towards me. "She was willing to do harm to heal you."
Thinking for a moment, I recall the early days and the moment when she forced a needle in my back.
"Getting the sneaky suspicion that I owe her my life." Admitting this didn't completely shatter my nonexistent self-worth.
She laid her hand on mine without saying anything. It was a comfort that needs no words. So we just sat there, her hand never leaving mine. The room was so quiet, the faint sounds of outdoor noise took over. Footsteps and distant chatter echoed into our room. There are entire lives continuing out there. The world never stopped buzzing with life. People never stopped finding ways to express hatred.
"Her chemicals forced my body to stay alive." Finally, after minutes of silence, I decided to tell Sky how I survived my early childhood. "Every time I didn't feel right, I came to her. When I couldn't find anything to eat, I came to her. She would always ask for something in return." Sky's eyes shift from my hand to me, ensuring that I feel as little pressure as possible. I'm thankful for the thought, but at this point, I'm used to having my back against the wall. "Doing that taught me the value of trade, she wanted me to grow up fast."
Sky bit the inside of her mouth, she wants to say something.
"You can go ahead." I encouraged.
Sky hesitated anyways before saying. "If she wanted you to grow up fast, she would have done so as your mother."
All motivations and evidence point to that conclusion. Maybe it's a possibility that I have suppressed all along. Perhaps I never wanted it to be true. Sky just waited, allowing me to finally admit what I have denied all along.
"She's my mother, isn't she?" I deduced, my hands becoming restless as I decided to continue with the chemistry project. Sky allowed me to pull my hands away, seeing that I needed to occupy my mind from my theoretical mother.
Sky watches me as I struggle to make a decision on what to do. Should I mix this chemical in the beaker? I know I shouldn't. My previous mix made the results stable. It's complete, for now, I just don't know what the next step is. That's the problem. What am I doing this for? Do I even deserve to belong here? Am I as gifted as I think I am? Or have the chemicals altered my mind into inflating my ego?
"You know I can hear your emotions, right?" Sky informs me as she leans in closer.
"You take drugs too?" I asked as I pulled my hands back.
She turned away to laugh. "No, I don't do drugs, in this life anyways. Owen, you carry so much potential, you will succeed no matter what you choose to do. But every once in a while, let yourself embrace the child you are."
Looking down at my palms, I struggle to imagine this so-called potential.
"Why does it feel like I've known you for lifetimes?" I asked as I finally looked into her eyes. There I see it, the familiar space of wonders and answers. It's familiar, not dark and hostile like with the professors. This space, it ignites a memory, a moment in time where I found what I was looking for, but when?
"When you accept yourself, acknowledge your value..." She grabs the beaker and looks through it. "You'll accept the memories your mind is holding down."
I thought about what she said as she opened the vial and poured two drops into the solution.
"Does this look familiar?" she asks as we observe the two drops of Shimmer twirl within the solution. It behaved the same way as before. The two drops elongated into serpent-like shapes and swam throughout the beaker. They looked almost sentient, but eventually, the Shimmer chemicals dispersed and faded.
I grabbed the glass rod and stirred the compound in the beaker. Breaking up the Shimmer gave me a small victory, it means nothing.
"Now, we can test our first antidote for Shimmer. Thank you, Owen." She congratulated me as she patted my shoulder.
"Is that what we were doing?" I asked, not recalling the earlier weeks of the mentorship.
Sky shook her head as she began labeling the antidote. "I'm starting to wonder how you survived Hal's lectures."
"Oh, that's easy. He talked and talked and talked and—"
"Owen!" She flicks my ear.
"That's new, OW!" I whined as I recoiled and held my ear. "I guess I earned a day off?"
She glares at her, then her face shifts to that relaxed, kind smile. I knew there was something malicious under that angelic face. Sky pours the antidote into a spare vial and seals it.
"Take this to the herbalist, and please, be careful." Sky hands me the antidote, and it's warm to the touch.
"Hope she doesn't make a big deal out of you helping me." I said as I held the vial in my hands.
"She'll accept it regardless." She stands. "If it hasn't been said enough, I'm proud of you, Owen. Being here with you, making things right with Viktor, I can't thank you enough."
Her arms wrap around me tightly. Cinnamon and some kind of sweet ambrosia flood my senses. Her body heat spread a warmth throughout my body that I never thought I needed. As she pulls away, I'm nearly saddened that we couldn't prolong that moment. Her warmth is something that I would have liked before bed.
"Thank you." My hand runs down her arm as she pulls away. Gratitude fills my being with potency that I fail to process properly. So, I deal with it the only way I know how. "Thank you."
She escorted me out of the room. It's her daily routine that she has to do. It only took a week for her to be more strict with me. Yes, it is my fault, and no, I can't help it. That lab has so many things I don't understand. I don't waste a single moment in there. Every day, I want to prove to myself that I can learn something on my own, without having the knowledge forced into my brain. So my determination forced me to assume a more assertive role in her life. I could tell that it wasn't in her nature to be assertive at all. For the most part, I'm glad that I helped grow her confidence. She needs Viktor as much as he needs her. Speaking of which, I need my blue menace. Walking with purpose, nothing can stop me from proposing a spontaneous date, then panicking as I have nothing planned. That should be fine, as we haven't managed to race rooftops yet. She should be able to do it flawlessly. But given how unpredictable she has gotten lately, I can't be sure how she would handle it. There is hardly anyone in the public square. Only other kids playing in the area. Piltover kids wonder how similar they are to Zaun kids. Pretty damn similar, apparently, as a few of them approached with dog-like curiosity.
"Come play with us!" A pale and bleach-haired girl demanded as if she owned me. Before I could cut her down with words, a slightly taller kid spoke up.
"Hold on." He reached his arm across her. "I think I know this one."
I raised an eyebrow. "You think? That's good to know."
I walk past him only to be stopped by two other boys.
"You think you can just walk away from us?" A shorter and possibly younger kid squeaks at me. "Do you know who we are?"
"Honestly, I don't have time to care who you are." I excused myself and tried to step around him, and then the other one pushed me.
"We're of House Yenir," a redhead kid announces, with his slightly girthy frame. That name, if I'm right about how it's spelled, no. That's the house behind the siphoning of my electricity. By the look in his eyes, oh yeah, it's them alright. I've got to play it smooth. Taking them out now is going too far. Being in public, I have to play their game. Luckily, they didn't try this in Zaun.
"I have business with your house." I informed them, watching the two kids' forms relax.
"But you aren't in charge anymore," the taller kid said as he stood beside me.
"You're right, you should deal with Silco." The moment I suggested that, they all nearly stumbled backwards over their feet.
The girl grabbed the arm of the taller guy. "Told you we shouldn't have stopped him."
She sounds completely different, not as sweet nor innocent.
The taller guy's once shocked face relaxed into false confidence.
"That's alright. We'll speak with Father about our brief meeting." He then backed off, along with his two-faced sister. That leaves the other two.
"Forgot how to walk?" I shot, and I received a punch to the mouth for being smart. The other kid fell on top of me as my back hit the ground. The redhead was about to stomp on my head until the other kid decided to throw a fist down at me. I caught it and pulled him towards me. Within that motion, I dug my elbow into his left eye. He shrieked in pain and fell back. When I scrambled to my feet, the sister jumped on my back. In response, I grabbed a handful of her hair and bent over, launching her over and slamming her on the brother. She whined as she landed on her back. Funny...the taller kid left. It all happened so fast. The adults were only alerted to us because of the shrieking. Once they saw who I was, their pace quickened. There was one adult that sprinted faster than the others, but at that point, it was too late. As the redhead kid decided to attempt to stomp my head, I caught his foot and spun on my back and rolled. He had no idea what I was doing but felt the results. A series of snaps and pops were drowned out by the gasps and cries of horror. What is this? Did they expect me to just lie down and take it?
"BACK UP!" I barked, not knowing that I could actually do that. The adults did so as I began to lose my patience. I kept my eyes forward, ignoring their faces. However, I wired my brain to discern faces. There is a mix of amusement, concern, and disgust. The Zaunites reacted the same way when I had to hunt those bastards down for hurting my Powder. As I continued to walk, rapid footsteps caught my attention. Upon turning around, I see Mylo charging after me. He snaked around people passing by with that slick footwork of his.
"I knew you would cause trouble eventually!" He raised his hand, and we did our shake. "Where are you headed?"
"Somewhere dangerous." I can't lie to him, not about something like this.
His usual face grew serious. "Owen, you can't."
"Not alone." I stated as I locked eyes with him.
He frowns. "What is this for?"
"It's a simple delivery." I walk to stand closer to the side to allow everyone else to pass.
Mylo followed. "Nothing is ever simple with you."
I laugh. "You're right, that's why I need your help."
"You know I'll help, not only because I owe you," he revealed as he unbuttoned his collar.
"Is that right?" I asked as he pulled out thick gloves.
"You made me rich. I'm already thinking about moving out." He shoved his hands in the gloves.
My gut sank and grew cold. "What?"
He snickered. "Come on, stop with that face. It won't be until I'm 16. Gotta move out at some point."
I hadn't thought about that. Growing up sucks for a multitude of reasons. I'm going to miss them all, even though they're all going to stay in Zaun still.
I turn my head. "I need to go underground."
It took a while for Mylo to register that. "Wait a minute, so it's true? You lead all those people down there?"
"And fought a giant Shimmer monster, yeah." I confirmed.
Mylo tenses upon hearing that but still holds firm. "Okay, let's see if he wants another round of whoop ass."
I covered my mouth and snickered. "I would love to see that."
I would hate to see that. There is no way he'll survive against Minimo. Even without Shimmer, Mylo would get destroyed eventually. Don't want to get too curious to find out. We head for the factory. The thugs finally greeted me with the respect I died for.
"Need to make something real quick." I head towards the inventory room to see the progress already in motion, barely. Firearm parts are sorted within containers that are shelved against the wall. It looks as if they're just waiting for someone to use them. Vander must have given the word to leave them alone, but until when?
"You need to make a gun?" Mylo walks in and already begins picking out parts.
"One for you and one for me." I begin picking parts for me as well. "Where we're going, we can't take any chances."
We placed our parts on the workbench in the center of the room and began working.
"I want to join the army." Mylo declares while he assembles what I believe to be a short-range rifle. He must have 'borrowed' some weapon schematics in his free time. Taking initiative, he is growing up. I continued smashing together parts and ended up regretting it. A small piece inside now bends at an awkward angle. Using the screwdriver, I smoothed out the small metal plate. He looks up at me. "You hear me?"
"Yeah." I answer as I continue working. "Did you talk to Gert about it?"
"I did." His hands remain careful and cognizant of the demands of his rifle. Perfection is necessary for what he wants to achieve. "She's proud of me but also worried."
My pistol is coming together nicely, the first magazine pistol this city has ever seen. "That's reasonable, I would be too."
"Would?" He stops and looks up at me.
"I'm not so concerned, because you are going to be the best damn soldier Zaun has ever seen." I decided as I tested the springs in the magazine.
"Hey!" Mylo frowns. "Language."
I raised my eyes. "Seriously? You're worried about my potty mouth?"
That got him to snicker and focus back on his rifle. "I'm your big brother, I have to act like it."
"Are you going to spank me if I shoot someone?" I asked.
He shook his head. "Depends on who it is."
"And when I kill someone?" I asked as I continued working. Now finished and testing the chambers. Sliding the slider along the frame.
He dropped his rifle. "Owen. The thought of you killing anyone—it's difficult to accept."
My pistol feels finished, everything slides along smoothly. "I've done it before. You need stories?"
He shook his head and looked over his rifle. "I can see the look on people's faces, which tells me all I need to know."
I walk over to the prepared bullets and begin loading the magazine with them. "People aren't rational. Things won't go our way. We will have to make hard decisions in an instant." I stand to face him. "I trust you completely."
Mylo's eyes are locked on the pistol in my hands. Walking slowly to the table, I placed it in front of him, along with the magazine. He releases a breath, his shoulders relax as he reaches out and takes them both.
"Thank you." He packed them in his back pockets. "I've got your back."
I smiled and approached him with open arms. He met me, and we embraced each other. "You know I'm scared for you, right?"
Mylo rubs the back of my head. "Good, you deserve it. Because that's how I feel when you do crazy shit, like raise an army."
I laughed against his chest. "You can cuss, but I can't?"
He released me and grabbed his rifle. "You're too daring to handle, worse than Vi. I can't believe it." He walked over to a container that had leather straps and made a sling to hang the rifle off his body. "I had to look after her, risking her tail, and now you."
I clap my hands. "And I appreciate everything you do." I turn on my heel. "Time to march!"
My legs carried me and my swelling sense of possible doom towards the underground. Along the way, a few Zaunites from before broke away from whatever they were doing and joined the two of us.
"Hey, boss!" He slapped my hand and fell behind me. "Sup, Mylo!"
One by one, as they greeted me and Mylo, I got the sense that I should remember the faces of the ones who chose to stand by me now. Knowing that I have been forcibly demoted to the rank of kid, they are trying to say, just by being here, that they are loyal to me. This raises problems for me, but it's a problem that can serve me more than hurt me. Just as we were approaching the opening towards the underground, Mylo threw up a fuss.
"Hey!" he complains.
As I turn around, I see Summer and Lis nearly crash into me, just as they crashed into Mylo. I was about to say something snarky, but then the two hug me quickly.
"We're fighting with you this time, no arguments." Summer crossed her arms as she turned me around and pushed me forward.
"Ummm," this moment is different. I look to Lis for support.
"Thanks for last time." She pinched the back of my neck muscle.
This is out of my field of expertise. The Zaunites behind me, while keeping alert, chuckle at the spectacle playing out.
"Mylo, now is your chance to shine." I insist.
"No hostiles detected," he reports.
"You're fired." I decided.
Their chuckles echo off the corridors. Hopefully, that'll calm everyone down there. Calm is a useful weapon. We finally reached the cavern, and I regret not wiping them out the first time around. The vagrants look changed, they appear healthier. Besides the blemishes and discoloration of their skin, those giant pumps on their bodies are gone. Their other previous mishappened limbs and organs are, seemingly, set right.
"What's up with their skin?" Mylo asks as I hear him ready his rifle.
The vagrants seem more organized. With their minds not being destroyed by diseases, they formed communities. Kids chased each other, the elders walked together, and couples walked hand in hand.
"Under the undercity." Lis whispers as she eyes the wandering Zaunites.
"Can't get enough sunlight in here. And I'm guessing whatever else is down here won't help their complexion." Summer finally chose to answer Mylo.
While they were walking around, securing the area, and mingling with the vagrants, I walked deeper within the caravan. It wasn't long until I found the chamber that holds Orianna. Mylo whistled as his eyes soaked in the out-of-place corner of technology. THE laboratory has had steady upgrades. A barrier is now installed around the lab, courtesy of yours truly. Now, no one will disturb his lab, but more importantly, Orianna. There stand the targets of the visit, Singed and the herbalist. Without wasting time, I approached them.
"Hey! Wait up." Mylo shuffles after me.
"Keep up." Summer shot back, as I could feel the three of them close behind me.
Singed continued to observe his chemical experiments, keeping track of his compounds. The herbalist, always in black veils, focuses on crushing herbs with a mortar and pestle. The closer I approached her, the more uneasy she became. No amount of layers could hide her unease as I stood next to her. She busies herself rotating her wrists, grinding away whatever she has in there. I pulled out the glowing vial of Shimmer and placed it in front of her.
"Your delivery, Mother." A sharp gasp reached my ear. The herbalist froze at the mention of being called what she has run from my entire life. Stay composed and calm. "That's done. Tell me why."
She turns to me and just looks at me. Singed turns his head slightly, keeping track of my movements.
With a voice that rose in pitch and grew raspy by the word, I asked. "I promise." The suppressed fire within me mounted. "I will declare war..." I allowed it to consume me. "...If you don't tell me, why did you leave me alone all this time?"
By that threat of war, I felt eyes on the back of my head. The air grew still. Singed didn't move, however. Maybe he's betting that it was a bluff. Given his logical way of thinking, he already has something planned. Since I know he does, I know I'm beat. Mostly normal people, against an entire society of Shimmer mutants, it will be a bloodbath. At this point, I'm heartbroken, and I don't care. She looks down at me with those eyes that cower behind the veil. Then, with one motion, she knelt and took off her face veil. If I looked in the mirror for at least an hour, I would see her face, minus the bags under her eyes.
"Owen..." She bored her eyes into mine.
I can see her true self, as I could see the true selves of anyone I peer into. She's a coward at heart, a shame. The only semblance of bravery she has is in helping others. I could have used that help.
"Don't know how I got that name." I admit dejectedly.
"It was..." Her gaze fell. "Suggested by your father, a man named Kino."
That name means nothing to me, but she isn't lying at all. Kino... I need to repeat that name in my head a thousand times to remember it. Now I have a lead.
"Please, Owen," she calls me out of my inner monologue. "Don't go searching. Please. It was cruel, neglecting you, but it was to protect you from yourself."
"Being cryptic for my safety?" I point out as I rub my fingers with my thumbs.
"Owen," she continues, in desperation to misdirect me from answers.
"If you wanted to hide something from me, you would act oblivious." I interrupted her.
The herbalist's eyes widen.
"You didn't deny it, because that would be too obvious." My eyes didn't budge from the special point in her soul where she cowers. Somewhere in her mind, she understands that I won't let this go.
"Please." She grabs my shoulders firmly. This is the first time she has ever physically touched me. Well...I would like to not count the time she jabbed that needle in my back.
"Instead, you hide the truth in riddles and metaphors." I deduced.
The herbalist shakes her head. "No, no, Owen. I shouldn't have said anything... I'm sorry... I...."
I grabbed her forearms. "At least tell me your name."
Singed, who had lost interest in our dramatic display of human connection, turned his head halfway to listen closely.
"Onisegun. That's my name," she confessed. Singed eyes widen in realization of my mother's name.
She squirms like a worm in a puddle on the inside. We held each other's gaze, my grip loosening on her forearm.
She fights to hold back tears, but her eyes are reddening. "I can't begin to make up for what I've done."
I move into her veiled defense and hug her. She flinched upon contact. "No, but you will anyways."
With shaking arms, she embraced me. Silent tears began trickling down her cheeks, at least that's what I assume. I'm not doing this out of my ability to forgive, which is questionable at best. This is an intellectual understanding of my emotional needs. As unstoppable as I want to become, I can't ignore how I've been acting. The silent poison has been eating away at me, making me sick, and I ignored it. I felt it burn away at my heart. My new family was the cure, for a time, but my heart rejected it. I've always resented my mother for abandoning me. That resentment has eroded into something worse, a hate that makes the hate I have for Silco seem like a peeve. I've had dreams or nightmares of chasing down who I thought was my mother. Every other night, I had exacted my vengeance. Those dreams stopped once my family took me in and treated me as one of their own. Treated a neighborhood menace with compassion that felt like drugs, the good kinds. Their love saved my life. That was their choice, and they suffer through it because of that choice.
"I'm still working on forgiving people." I said with my mouth pressed against her shoulder.
We separated so she can see how tough I am for only shedding three tears.
"Thank you, son," she said as we wiped each other's tears away.
"Don't thank me yet, I'm still holding you accountable for abandoning me, even though you were always there." I firmly stated as I rested a hand on her shoulder.
She nods understandingly, with a solemn expression. "Okay, Owen."
"Before I go, one question." I brace to give her what was given to me, even though I still don't think I deserve it.
Her eyes lit up. "What is it?"
"Will you be my mother again?" I asked.
At this point, exhaustion overtook her. She fell into me, lowering her head and landing in my chest. That's when Singed finally forsook his chemicals and attended to Onisegun. Surprisingly, he reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a vial of something. He brought it to her nose and slightly opened the twisted lid. It released a powerful odor that made me want to pull away, but I held strong.
Onisegun snapped to and looked me in my eyes. "Yes, Owen. I will."
Singed cast his gaze down and returned to his chemicals.
"Awww, I hurt his feelings." I teased.
Onisegun scoffed. "Now you're hiding."
For the first time, I averted my eyes. She lands a kiss on my forehead.
"Thank you for giving me a second chance, son." She then stood up. "I have people to look after, take care of yourself. I know you can."
She's right, I can take care of myself. This time, I know that she believes in me. I know that she loves me. When I turned around, I was greeted with a perfect reason to allow Singed to kill them all. The majority of the Zaunites I brought with me were watching, some holding their hearts, hugging onto one another, sniffling, and silently crying. What is even worse, Summer and Lis tried to hide the clear evidence of their nosy behavior. Their red eyes and noses gave them away.
Mylo cleared his throat as he walked to stand next to me. "Getting a bit stuffy in here."
An anger unlike anything I've ever experienced nearly caused me to go deaf.
"Mylo, if you value your place amongst my army, you'll unload all of your ammunition immediately." I delivered through my clenched teeth, which are close to cracking.
He looks at me and bursts out laughing. Summer and Lis laugh as well. The Zaunites within earshot laughed along. Soon, the laughter grew to where nearly all of them were laughing. My next actions were deliberate and planned. I am not motivated by burning anger whatsoever. My hands swiped Mylo's waist, securing my pistol.
"KEEP LAUGHING, YOU BASTARDS!" I screamed as my mouth began to foam. "I'LL GIVE YOU SOMETHING TO LAUGH ABOUT!"
I chase them. It was not until we were halfway out of the underground that I figured out that Mylo had kept the magazine in his pocket. So all the while, I was shooting imaginary bullets in the backs of my targets. Then I would possibly be beaten to death by the laughing mob. Without bullets, I used the pistol as a club. They seem to be taking this lightly, as if we've built some sort of friendship. If so, I wasn't informed. My chase ended with Mylo and my bodyguards carrying me away from the laughing mob.
"Would you relax?" Mylo complained as he carried me, with his arm around my chest.
"Seriously, I'm glad I'm the only child." Summer said as she carried me on the right side, with her arm around my waist.
"Stop." Lis adjusted her grip around my legs. "Fighting."
There is only one person who can stop me at this point, and she's obsessed with being the big sister. That's when a certain blue creature stood up from the steps to the Drop. I stopped writhing in rage abruptly to take in her appearance. The mechanism in her hand, the glint in her eyes, and the mischievous nature of her expression tell it all, I'm in for some shit.