Chapter 3
“Uh... hi?” I mutter awkwardly.
“Dude, you’re gonna love it here,” Sol tells me, coming up to my side. He’s a few inches shorter than me, so he has to look up at me. “It’s so great for all of us Mutants. It gives us a place where we fit in and belong.”
“I get that feeling,” I murmur, turning my eyes back up to look where I am going.
“Hey Sol!” a female voice reaches my ears. I turn with my roommate to see a very tall female with long chocolate brown hair streaked with black walking towards us. Her skin is a dark tan color, unmarked by freckles or sunspots. Her eyes are a rich shade of caramel, well, the eye that hasn’t been disrupted by the deep scar running from the top of her left eyebrow to her chin. The eye that has been hurt is a lighter shade of brown, and her pupil is only a faint circle. She still manages to be startlingly beautiful, in ways that I cannot explain. I find my jaw slacking at the sight of her.
“Hi, Faith,” Sol greets her cheerfully, his own lust for her coming off in waves.
I sniff disapprovingly.
“Is this the famous Vincent that everyone’s been talking about for so long?” Faith asks, smiling. Her smile is dazzling, and my heart skips a beat.
What is this feeling?
“Uh... yeah,” I speak up for myself. “Hi.”
“Hey there,” she says, dipping her head. “My name is Ayria, but everyone around here calls me Faith.”
“Vincent. But I’m sure you already know that.” I breathe in her Gift Scent; it smells like the earth, but still manages to be as sweet as the smell of a freshly baked Sun Cake back in Heaven. Sun Cakes are a treat baked from different parts of the Sun in Heaven, and they are only prepared twice a year, for Christmas and Easter. “They are the most delicious things I’ve ever tasted, and all Angels absolutely love them. I resist closing my eyes with the temptation to just breathe it in. I try to reach into her mind, to see what she might think of me, but I am unable to. Strange, because that has never happened before, except with Axel.
She smiles at me, her eyes twinkling.
“I have to go to tutoring now, so I’ll see you guys later, okay?” she says, beginning to walk off. “See you around, Vincent.”
“Bye,” I murmur quietly, turning my eyes away as she runs off, her long hair trailing behind her in the breeze.
“Ah, Faith,” Sol sighs. “She’s amazing, that one. She’s the top fighter here, besides our other roommate Milo who’s directly below her on the ranks. They come from this island off the west coast, and they really know how to fight. And when they do, it’s super-scary.”
I nod, still looking in the direction where Faith disappeared. I find myself wanting to know more about her. It looks like I’m going to have to find out the old-fashioned way too, because of that mind block she has in front of her thoughts and memories.
“How long have you known her?” I ask Sol, tearing my eyes away to look at him.
“Psh, a long time,” he answers, starting to head back towards our predetermined destination. “Since they came here really, and that was about four years ago. My step-sister, brother, and I met them at Human school before we came here. Why do you ask?”
“Just wondering.” I follow him up to a large building marked “Male Dormitory.” Why “male” instead of “boys”? I don’t know. We walk inside, the opened doors revealing a huge common room. There are dozens of big-screen televisions stationed all over the place, all on different channels. There are clusters of boys all over the place, either watching TV, chatting, or studying. As Sol and I make our way across the floor of the common room, each group looks up to stare at me as I pass.
Not again! Please, just stop looking at me!
I once more hold my head high and don’t make eye contact, but follow my roommate to a pair of elevators in a narrow, circular room with a ceiling that leads all the way to the top of the building.
“Now Vincent,” Sol addresses me, brushing his blond-and-black bangs out of his eyes. “Would you like to take the elevator or fly up?”
Cocking my head at his question, I look up, realizing that the room was built this way so those Mutants with flying capabilities may take flight to go to his proper floor.
“Um... What floor is the room on?” I inquire, looking back at him. I’ve been itching to fly since I arrived on Earth. I begin to stretch out my wings, though they threaten to tear my t-shirt.
Sol grins at me. “The top.”
Yes!
“Meet you there.”
My wings rip my shirt to shreds, expanding them to their full twenty feet. I sweep them down, ignoring Sol’s gasp of surprise and thrusting myself into the air. I powerfully flap, my wings lifting me up higher and higher. I love flying. It’s one of the best things in the Universe, and I could do it forever. I go all the way to the top in a matter of seconds, touching down on the ledge. I lean against the wall to wait for Sol.
I think back to Faith. She is gorgeous. She totally took my breath away. I want to know her, to have the chance to be close to her. I want to know the story behind her scar, behind the strength Sol says she possesses.
I tuck my wings to my back, blinking at my predicament. How will I be able to get close to her? It’s not like I know where to look for her.
I look up as Sol walks towards me, his eyes still wide in shock.
“Your wings are incredible,” he gasps, blinking in awe. “They’re just like they said they’d be.”
“Who’s ‘they’?” I wonder aloud, cocking an eyebrow.
“The Board of Directors,” Sol answers, seemingly absentmindedly. “C’mon, let’s go to the room.”
“Okay?” I follow him, still wondering who the hell the Board of Directors could be. We walk down the hallway, heading to the middle. Sol stops in front of a door marked 1075 and pulls a key out of his pocket. My roommate turns the key in the lock and opens the door, revealing an apartment-like dorm room.
The front room is a den-like structure, complete with a couch, two armchairs, and a desk.
“We watch TV downstairs,” Sol says, taking me into the next room, a bedroom with three beds facing the opposite wall. Both beds on the sides are messy, so I expect that the one in the center is mine.
Sol confirms it. “The one in the middle is yours,” he mutters. “Milo’s is the one near the wall, and I have the window. It helps me rejuvenate, you know?”
“Sure,” I reply without looking at him. I deposit my bag on the bed and sit next to it, running my fingers through my hair. “So what do we do now?”
“Lunch,” Sol answers cheerfully, grinning. “You’re gonna love the food here. It’s awesome.”
“Uh... I don’t really eat, Sol,” I tell him, smiling awkwardly. “I’m never really hungry, I guess.”
“Well, you can try,” the blonde tries to persuade. His eyes go the clock. “Well, you don’t have to decide now. We have a good hour before meal-time, so we can walk around.”
“That’s fine,” I agree, standing back up and heading towards the door.
“Um... Vincent?”
“Yeah?”
“You might want to put another shirt on.”
~~~
With a fresh shirt over my torso, Sol and I make our way down the sidewalk, heading... somewhere. Yeah, that’s right; I have no idea where we’re going.
“It’s so great here,” Sol is saying, his voice bright and happy. “We all feel so... together here. Like one gigantic family.”
“I can feel that,” I comment, blinking. “It feels like I’m being surrounded in contentment. It’s amazing.”
“Well, where most of us come from, we aren’t really accepted there. People called us freaks. It’s a relief to be somewhere that we feel... at home.”
I nod, understanding. Back in Heaven, the Angels treated me as less than an equal. I almost think they hate me. Only Gabriel, Michael, Austin, and another female named Joanna, who has been hopelessly in love with me since we met, are the only few who actually speak to me. The Council constantly checked up on me, but it’s not the same as having actual friends. Gabriel was like my Guardian, though his role in Heaven is much bigger than that. He is the Messenger after all, as well as the Angel of Death. Not only that, but he’s an archangel; he didn’t have to spend his time fraternizing with me. Michael is just the same, a very powerful archangel who carries out the Most High’s bidding. So, basically, my time in Heaven wasn’t as lovely as most might think. Being on Earth is sort of a relief.
My eyes set on a beautiful fountain. It is large, made of marble and stone, and the ledge is flat, perfect for people to lounge upon. There are students standing in the fountain, water-types using their abilities to create balls of water and transferring them from one person to another. There are five of them in total, and I have to say... It looks pretty cool. .
I was so busy watching the hustle-bustle of the Fountain activity, I didn’t notice Sol had left me and walked over to a group of three Mutants: two girls and a guy.
I jog over to them, a bit eager to meet more people.
One of the girls is very pretty, with long silver-gray and black-streaked hair and light blue eyes. Her skin is lightly tanned, and her Gift Scent is electrifying, literally. I can practically feel the static in my nose. She smiles as she sees me, and stands up.
“Hi, Sol,” she greets my roommate. She’s much shorter than he is, and her eyes rest on me. “Is this who I think it is?”
“Yeah, this is Vincent,” Sol answers, grinning. He turns to me. “Vincent, this is Sky, my step-sister. Over there is Drew and Echo.” He indicates the male, a big, gray-haired guy with dark amber eyes and wire glasses resting on the bridge of his nose. His haircut is similar to Faith’s, the girl from before, and his skin color is also like hers. He also stands to come and meet me. He’s taller than I am, by several inches.
Weird, since Angels are naturally very tall.
“My true name is Masumbe,” he corrects, his voice lightly accented with an accent I cannot place, just as Faith's was. “But here I am indeed called Drew.”
“Hi,” I murmur, nodding to him.
The other female walks over more slowly. She’s taller than Sky, with pure white hair tied back in a ponytail and red-orange eyes that seem a bit... off to me. I don’t think I like her; she gives me a bad vibe.
“Nice to meet you,” she addresses me, nodding deeply to me.
“Back at you,” I say cautiously, blinking at her. Her Gift Scent is cold, but sharp and thick. I instantly hate it.
“Where are you guys headed?” Sky asks, crossing her arms.
"Anywhere and everywhere," Sol answers, lifting his chin and grinning widely. "I'm showing Vincent around, actually. Thought I'd take him to the Fountain first, 'cause I knew you guys would be here."
"Well, your intuition was correct," Drew tells him, his eyes lighting up. His eyes go to the watch on his left wrist. "I have to go. I'm going to tutor some of the other Omegas. I'll be at lunch."
"Okay, see you later," Sol murmurs, saluting to him sarcastically.
Drew rolls his eyes and turns to Sky, who hugs him enthusiastically. "Don't get pissed off again, okay?" she whispers to him, barely audible for me to hear. "Not everyone is as smart as you are."
"I know," Drew mutters, his eyes gaining a distant look. “You don’t have to keep reminding me. I know that I need this job. I refuse to get another infraction.” He straightens up confidently then, his head held high.
Sky rubs his shoulder comfortingly, smiling up at him. “Good. Now go on before you’re late,” she says soothingly, hugging her friend tightly.
Drew’s face flushes and he turns, walking towards a large building with a number of students flooding from the doors.
“Are they...?” I ask Sol quietly, through clenched teeth.
“Nah,” Sol answers just as quietly. “They’re really close, though. I guess geniuses have this automatic thing with being best buddies. It’s weird. Kinda cool though.”
“Oh.” I turn back to the others. Echo is still staring at me with this weird look in her eye.
“So, Vincent,” Sky addresses me, “what do your classes look like?”
“Uh... I don’t know. I haven’t received a schedule yet,” I answer, my face burning. In truth, Axel hadn’t mentioned a single thing about a class schedule to me.
“Well, just so you know, all of us Omegas have battle training after lunch, Sky tells me, smiling. “I just can’t wait to see you on the battlefield.”
My ears and cheeks begin to burn, and I scratch the back of my head. To tell the truth, I have never fought before. Perseus tried to teach me how to fight, but, well, I wasn’t all that into it. Michael tried to also, but I just couldn’t put up with his teaching style. He liked to yell at me. Really liked to yell at me. I just couldn’t put up with it anymore, so I quit. But don’t think I’m a quitter! That was just one time!
“Okay, I’ll try my best,” I say quietly, running my fingers through my hair nervously.
“C’mon, Vincent,” Sol urges, slapping my shoulder. “Lots more things to see!” Why do people like to touch my shoulders? What’s the deal? I don’t get it!
He begins to drag me away, in the same direction Drew went in before.
“‘Bye! See you later!” Sky calls after us, just as Echo leans in to whisper something in her ear. I watch as Sky proceeds to give her a weird look and wave her off, as if irritated.
Shrugging, I turn around so I’m looking in the direction we’re going.
“What can you tell me about Echo?” I ask my roommate, raising an eyebrow.
“What, are you interested?” Sol chuckles, grinning. His eyes twinkle with amusement.
“No!” I defend myself hastily. The thought of it is almost repulsive. I can already tell that she has some demonic influences. “Just tell me about her, will you?”
“I really don’t know much about her. I just know that she was adopted when she was around eight years old along with her older brother Marlowe, and she’s a sound type. That’s it. Nothing about her real parents or anything.”
I nod. “I see.” I pause. “What about Sky?”
“Heh,” Sol snickers. “Now, she you’re interested in.”
“Still no!” I protest, slowly becoming more and more exasperated. I don’t think I could ever fall for one of these… Humans. But then, I think of Faith. I would mate with her, now that I think about it. She’s so… wow. I can see it now… Wait, Vincent. Shut up. That’s not what you’re here for. I push my thoughts away. “Explain.”
“I’ve known her since she was born, literally. I’m actually a year older than her, but my powers developed late. I’m supposed to be a Delta instead of an Omega.” Sol shakes his head, obviously feeling like complete crap. “Anyway, Sky’s my step-sister. Her mom and my dad got married a few years ago, but she and our half-brother Blitz hate my father. Sky’s dad left a long time ago and she hardly gets to see him. Blitz idolizes her dad, basically. He was so pissed when he found out that Boston wasn’t his father.” Sol sounds a bit bitter, his eyes narrowing angrily. “I personally preferred Boston myself.”
I blink at him. It sounds like his family has been through a lot. Like, a whole lot, though still not as much as I have.
“What about you? What happened to your mom?” I feel that when it comes to personal issues, it’s best not to probe other’s minds.
“She died when I was born. There were some... complications with my birth,” Sol answers quietly, sounding wistful. “I wish I could have known her, but my dad takes care of me the best he can.
Pain fills his mind, and I back off. “I’m sorry,” I murmur. “Both of my parents died on my fourth birthday. They were both killed by demons, and that’s not a common occurrence in Heaven.”
I don’t know if that’s true or not, for if I’m not angel, then neither were my parents, nor is Austin. I’m not even sure if my parents were real or not.
“That’s heavy,” Sol sighs, his cheeks turning a soft pink, embarrassment coming off him in sparks. “Dude, I’m sorry.”
“It’s fine. We can’t expect to understand other people’s problems,” I tell him, with a shrug. “I mean, life goes on, am I right?”
“I guess so.”
Super special awesome Author's Note! I realize that Vincent is a bit... conversational for an Angel, but he has been studying Humans for over a thousand years, and he has adopted their sayings, language, and such. It's interesting really. But, I just felt lazy and didn't want to put all of that explanation into the actual story. Also, it was just a little hard to put in. Meh. Please review!
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