Chapter 17 Break Through


    Locked away in the mayor''s office, the reaper was hard at work pouring chemicals, and swishing it around before adding a gooey substance from another jar. He then carefully added it to a sample of a red liquid and placed it under the microscope. He watched as the material bubbled and boiled only to turn green, burning away until it left a red film behind. Seeing this, he grinned as he whispered, “I’ve done it,” in amazement at the sight of his own experiment. Stepping  away from his work with a look of accomplishment spread over his eyes. He then took what was left of the substance and set it in a capsule, tossing it into his jacket pocket. He quickly grabbed the substance under the microscope. With a snap of his fingers it burst into flames, until it left only ashland dust in his hand. With a flick of the wrist, he tossed in the trash before approaching the door.


    …


    Sky, now with her mind made up, wasted no time and headed her way to the mayor''s office. She recognized the new mayor''s secretary, Ashley, who greeted her friendly.


    "Sup, what are you doing here?" Ashley asked.


    "I must see Mr. Wolfric," Sky stated, quicker then he meant to. Releasing her own odd behavior, she wrapped her arms over herself, as she felt her temperature rising. "It''s kinda important, and—"


    "And what could possibly be so important?" Mr. Wolfric voice called over in his usual dull tone, startling sky in the process. with his jacket in hand, it was obvious he was about to leave for the night, but as he approached the door, Sky stepped in front of him.


    "Umm, well, it''s uh, kinda a private matter,if you please," Sky muttered barely audibly.


    With a  tired, groan, despite the smile on his face, he gave a shrug. “Very well, my office them. He told her and turned around, gesturing for Sky to follow.


    As she watched the two leave Ashly, tilted her head at the odd behavior. “When was the last time he smiled?’ she thought, but returned to work, believing she was just overthinking it. Surely the boss is just in a good mood because he''s now in charge.


    …


    Once back inside his office, he set down his jacket and turned to her. “What is this all about then?” he questioned.


    “Uh… well uh, umm uh…” was all she managed to get out as she looked around the office. Despite it being the mayor''s office, it looked like a science lab the way he had it set up. She remembered how, in his previous office, it was set up just the same. Beakers and test tubes were scattered around the place, with strainers and microscopes lining the foot of the desk. A new question popped into her mind. She remembered he had said once that he was trying to create a blueberry-flavored whisky, but she wondered why he would bring such work to the mayor''s office. Even as a whisky maker, why did it look more like he was a crazed scientist instead? All he needed was a lab coat, and he would fit the bill.


    She shook her head and tried to push that question to another time. She took a deep breath and let it out. “Okay, you can do this,” she thought to herself. “Um, Mr. Wolfric, we have known each other for a while now, and I really would like to get to know you more. Perhaps I could buy you a cup of coffee or dinner or—”


    “You''re asking me on a date,” he interrupted her, causing her face to turn red. Despite this, however, she couldn''t stop now.


    “Uh, yes, yes I am,” she said, only to hear complete silence for a minute. The awkward silence weighed heavily before it was ultimately broken by an amused crossing of his arms. “Look, I understand. Trust me, I get it, and you—you''re really kind for that—but I''m afraid I must decline your offer. I have too much work to do than to indulge you and your fantasies. If that is all, good day, Miss Oak.”


    “What, but, but, I like you, I really like you I, I might even-”


    “Dont, just!” he struggled to think of the right words, as a thought came to him. really is this because of that stupid kiss, you were drunk, and I was two stupid to stop you.”


    “No, no I liked you before that, I only want to try, why not give this a chance.”


    “Well I don''t, he argued, trust me this is not a good idea.”


    “Tell me the truth, you''re just not into me are you?" she yelled back.


    “I didn''t um, I have my reasons, this is stupid, good day Miss Oak!” he slammed down his foot and picked up his jacket.


    Suddenly an idea came to her mind and she had to use it,” what if I tell them about your condition.”


    This made him stop dead in his tracks. He spun on his heel furious, “are you really black mailing me into dating you!”


    “No, no I.”


    “Oh that will really start a good relationship, black mail, if you tell anyone, I promise you your life will be hell!”


    “I want to make a deal!” She yelled back in urgency.


    “A deal, what deal,” he stepped forward, taking advantage of his size compared to her. Despite this she didn''t shrink, she didn''t cower, instead she stood her ground. “I''m only learning from my teacher, there will be no favors,” she smiled. “I will keep my mouth shut about this, forever you have my word, if-”


    “If I marry you, where does this little deal end!” He snarled.


    “No, no, if you give me one date. One chance to get to know you, to let you get to know me, to see if, if there''s anything here.”


    “And if there isn''t!”


    “Then I won''t ever go near you again, Ill quit the bar, I''ll just…you won''t see me again.”


    His eyes widen a bit at her claims but he quickly narrowed, “and what if there is?”


    “Then , then,” she grew nervous.


    “And what if there is and i still say no, will you-”


    “Yes! Yes, I will, just give me a chance.”


    The room grew quiet for a moment, but finally he gave a chuckle genuine laughter, one that was very rare. “Seems teaching you about the art of the deal has backfired on me, you''re a better student then I thought.” He said and stepped forward kneeling over so she was at eye level with her. “Deal,” he smirked.


    “Deal,” she whispered just loud enough for him to hear.


    “So, what now, should I take you on my bike, go dancing, have dinner maybe you''ll just want to kiss me till we fall asleep together.”


    She grew a bit flustered at his comments. “No, no I just uh, I just want to grab a bite to eat and sit down and talk. No silly restaurants, or fancy meals, I just want to talk. Want to hang out.” She said so sincerely it took him back for a moment. But he shrugged and turned around.


    “Fine, I want pizza and we can go to my place, if you''re really this set on doing this.” He replied back and walked out of the door. She smiled slightly and followed.


    …


    Sarah sat at her computer, eyes narrowed on the screen as she scanned each and every word it had to offer.


    “Find anything yet?” asked Maroo, who sat bored, bouncing a ball back and forth with Eddie.


    “I would if you didn''t ask me every five minutes,” she groaned back, never taking her eyes off the screen. “Eddie, you got these from your father, right?”


    “Straight from the FBI office itself,” groaned the man as he caught the ball in hopes of entertaining both himself and Maroo.


    Sarah shifted in her stance, leaning her head against her hand, as if the very gears in her head were turning at that very moment. “When I was at the Christmas party, I ran into an old friend of my father''s, who told me that he was working on something big. Something that was going to be even bigger than the atomic bomb, apparently.” With a shaky inhale, she closed the laptop and sat back in her chair.


    Maroo jumped up and headed to her side, placing a hand over hers. She looked at him, and he smiled. Internally, she thought about how she shouldn’t be the one shaking right now, full of fright, considering what he was going through. And yet, he was the one comforting her. She was always amazed by that kid. She gave a small nod, realizing the unspoken message was clear: her friends were at the very least there for her and weren''t going anywhere.


    Noticing the change in the atmosphere, Eddie shifted his weight so he was sitting upright, ready to hear whatever would come next.


    “Okay, this is what I can piece together so far, from both the data you''ve collected and my own memories. Over a decade ago, the war was raging overseas, and I…” her eyes lowered.


    “Go on, " Eddie told her when she stopped.


    Despite the discomfort of her stomach begging to tie itself in knots, she continued. “I remember my dad and mom moving onto a government base when I was very little, but due to my photographic memory, I can remember the place like it was yesterday. It was a big, weird underground bunker turned into a lab. When I was a kid, it was so cool-looking that I wanted to be a scientist at one point.”


    “Whoa, a lab? Why didn’t you say any of this before?” Eddie held his hands out.


    “You never asked me if I ever saw a lab,” she replied snappily, as a smirk spread across her lips. “I’m not gonna lie, I didn’t really trust any of you, not even you,” she said, turning her head to Maroo.


    “Me?” the kid questioned. “Why wouldn’t—”


    “You’re just a kid,” she chuckled. “But in the last year of this team, I think it’s finally time I have to admit,” she explained, before rubbing the side of her arm. “You guys really have been there for me,” she slowly blinked, thinking back on what all they had been through. “My father was part of some kind of biological weapon experiment.”


    “The mutations,” Maroo mumbled.


    “Mm-hmm, that is unfortunately where the guessing games begin, I''m afraid. I always thought it was just to keep me safe since Dad was both a politician and once a member of the army. That’s where I first met Mr. Drake, and my dad’s assistant was Mr. Drake at the time. However, this paints an entirely different story. It seems my dad was the head funder of a military project, under the watchful eye of none other than your mom, Maroo, who, according to these files, was a general at the time, working for another agency,” she told them as she crossed her arms. “One I’m not entirely sure I know the name of yet.”


    “My mom, huh?” he said under his breath as his eyes dashed to the floor.


    Sarah noticed it and lowered her eyes too. But now was not the time to comfort him. Now was the time for the truth.


    “The entire project came from one paper written by a psychopathic criminal. His freedom for his experiments.”


    …


    Sky walked into the apartment of Mr Wofric, and found it surprisingly plain. In Fact it almost looked like he didn''t live in the house at all. Other than the blueberry muffins on the counter, it almost looked too plain. Simple basic pictures on the wall, the type used to dress a place for a house tour was set. A simple clean couch and simple rug, a tv that looked as if it was never used, this was the last thing she ever expected from the man.


    Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.


    “Sorry my home’s a mess,” he joked.  “I know it''s quite the bachelor pad,” He chuckled, as he  tossed off his jacket and put it up in the closet, along with his hat. He then  walked right past the couch, and headed to the garage. She tilted her head as to where he was going but she followed curiously.


    In his garage was pretty much what she expected the inside of his home to look like. He not only had a couch, but a workbench, some guitars on the wall, his bike, and a jelly fish tank in the corner. She gasped at the sight of it. It was all rather clean despite looking like a man cave. There was a fridge under the workbench, and he set the pizza down and grabbed a drink, along with handing her a soda, which she took, happy it wasn''t a beer like his. He grabbed a wrench and began fiddling with his bike as she grabbed a slice of pizza and sat on the couch.


    “So, umm, when, did you uh, get this place.” She said, trying to start a conversation.


    “Small talk isn''t your strong suit is it,” he muttered before taking the wheel of his bike.


    “Why are you doing that?" She asked, as he worked on his bike.


    “New tires, now I moved here, let''s see, a decade ago, not long after the war I suppose.” He said before walking over, and grabbing a slice before joining her on the couch. He undid his tie and seam to spread out as if his body was sore.


    “Well it''s a nice place, I''m from pots vill, it''s kinda a small town very similar to this place, only they don''t have a college or a vet so I want to be the first vet there when i get back.”


    “You told me that before, when we first met.“he said as he tilted his head towards her.


    “Oh that''s right.”


    “You''re really terrible at this.”


    “Hay,”


    “I am two,” he said, surprising her. “This is my first date, ever actually.”


    “Really,” she replied, louder than she meant.  “I mean, “ she said, trying to gain back control of her tone. “ I''ve gone out before, but I''ve never really liked any of the guys I dated. Just one maybe two dates if they were cute but that was it,” she casually shrugged, her right shoulder, before bringing her attention to the pizza on the table.


    “Yeah, how many?" he asked,under his breath ass he subverted her gaze..


    “I don''t know, seven or, or eight,’ she said with her mouth half full of pizza, hoping her face wasn''t as red as she felt.


    With a nod, he quickly dashed his head  away. “I uh, I never been kissed or, he taped on t his knee, trying to find something to do. “or hugged by a girl before you, not, not one that counted any way, I mean sure some have tried especially when they were drunk but I always wiggle my way out of it, I didn''t even know why I let you.” He shrugged, I wasn''t even held by my mother.


    “Your mother?” She asked as she finished the last bite of the crust in her hand.. “What''s she like, you never talk about your family.”


    “She''s dead,” he replied bluntly.  “and I never met my father.”


    The room grew quiet. Too quiet for his liking. He knew she was waiting for more and looked over at her. “I have a photographic memory, from the moment I first opened my eyes. She was the first thing I saw, just before she left me. I was in a case of some kind, she was on the other side of the glass, staring down crying. She was humming a song, and said my name, only my first name, that''s all she ever gave. I didn''t know till much, much later when I recognized it from hearing Simple Man on the radio one time. She then left and I remember crying wanting her to come back.  She never did, and I spent years trying to find her, to ask her why she left me, why I was an orphan, only to find her with a family of her own and,” he sighed. “I got to see her before she died, but she didn''t answer any of my questions. Instead, she only begged me to take care of her daughter.”


    “Daughter, you have a sister.”


    “She doesn''t know, nor will she ever, I don''t want her two. It''s bad enough she''s an orphan like me.”


    “What! Your family, even if it''s half, shes your family, it would be better to stick together then to face the world on her own.


    He chuckled at her simple views on the situation. “I check up on her from time to time, that''s why I was at the Christmas party, she, she''s doing fine, she has her friends, her foster dad, he told her with a roll of his head. “ and all that, she''s in college, like you. He smiled softer then sky could ever remember seeing on his face.  I''m proud of her, but it''s better she doesn''t know me.” he told her as she watched his poster grow rigid.


    “How can you say that, she''s family.” Sky emphasized, hoping change his mind.


    At her statement a pathetic laugh, escape dhis as he leaned back in his seat “And you, what does your family do, what are your parents like?”


    “Oh well you see my dads kinda the father of the town church and both of them are super religious. Then there''s my older brother, the party animal, he used to get into so much trouble and dragged me into it when we were little,” she chuckled.” Like this one time…”


    She started to tell her story and Mr Wolfric just relaxed as he listened to her, his entire focus fixed on her and nothing else.


    …


    “A biological weapon?” Eddies''s mouth dropped before a thought crossed his mind. “Sarah, you don''t think—”


    “That''s exactly what I think,” Sarah snapped her gaze back at him. “They were desperate to win the war... it''s possible that they were mutating people into super soldiers, just like your crazy comic books.”


    “Ouch,” Maroo rolled his eyes.


    “Oh, it gets worse,” she chuckled, a twitching grin on her face. “Turns out everyone involved with the project is either missing or dead. Everyone!” she raised her voice. “Except Mr. Tension and the mayor. Now even your mother’s gone missing, Maroo,” she grumbled before standing up and turning her back to the boys, setting one hand on her hip and the other on her chin. “I don’t even want to consider it being the mayor,” she whispered. “The man has taken care of me ever since the day my father died, but it’s clear my father wasn’t exactly squeaky clean either. Why he would fund such a disgusting project, or worse, bring his family anywhere near it, even I don’t like it,” she explained with a shake of her head.


    “The only way to get to the bottom of this is to give Mr. Tension a visit and find out what he knows.”


    …


    “And that''s when my brother set the house on fire using the grill,” she chuckled, finishing her story. And he joined her laughter. The pizza was gone and two cans of soda were empty along with two cans of beer, the two of them seemed to take more relaxed sitting arrangements as the conversation continued.


    “So what about you, you grew up in a foster home or-”


    “No,”he smirked. “an orphanage, not a very nice one either, I can tell you that.The reaper told her lowering his volume, with an eye roll. raising his volume back to normal, he continued. “Right on the south side of town, yeah you could bet that was fun.”


    “So you grew up in this city then?” Sky raised her ear to him. In the corner of her vision, she could see how he nodded, as she tried to think of another question to ask him. He could nearly see the gears in head as she sat for a moment in silence, only to turn her head back to him.  “Where did you get your name from?” she asked enthusiastically, surprising him.


    Lunging back, from the shock of her question, he half nodded half tilted his head, before he began. “Oh that, uh, funny story actually.” He shifted a bit on the couch, “we had this god awful old lady for an orphanage mother. She was the worst, we could barely have any fun ever, it was only school, or chores, but,” he shrugged. “She did read us all a story every night before bed, chosen by one of the children. Whenever it was my turn I wanted Harry potter,” the reaper replied, with a half laugh.


    “It was one way to get away from my boring life and I would always dream of having magic, and being wished away by Hagrid on a grand adventure to master magic. My favorite character tho, the one that almost seemed like a father figure was Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumledoor. I wanted to be his son and, and I needed his name, well. Which name was going to work, not Dumbledore, Charles Percival might have worked, but brian was way too simple and, then Wulfric, only I didn''t know how to spell Wulfric and I ended up spelling it with an o instead of a u. But that''s where I got my name.” He smiled a look she rarely ever saw on him.


    She never even noticed till now that he was wearing the watch she gave him, the last time she saw that genuine grin on his face.


    “I was fascinated with magic as a kid, so it didn''t take long for me to try my own magic tricks. Sure they were all fake but it was the closest thing I had to real magic, something my “mother” hated. He said, referring to the mother of the orphanage. “It was even made worse by her little sidekick who constantly got me into trouble. Sophia Shaw.”


    Hering Maroos mother name made Sky jump. “That''s how you know her?”


    “Yep we were in the same orphanage, she never liked me, was always jealous of my skills, little did she know I caught her several times trying to tempt my magic tricks and failing all the time. She was so jealous that I had something she didn''t. That i had something none of the other kids had. My intellect. I used it to go looking for my mother, but found out that she never existed.”


    “What?”


    “Yeah apparently there was no record of her at all, no genetic coding or face recognition could decipher who she was, and my school work went down the drain because besides magic all I ever wanted to do was use science to find my mother. It was great, science was like magic to me. And I was so close, tillI i, he shifted a bit, accidentally set the orphanage on fire with my experiments.”


    “What?” She chuckled.


    “Yep when it happened I ran, ran to that cliff, the one we kissed at.” He sighed. “Well you can guess who found me”.


    “Miss Shaw.” Sky, mumbled, with an eye roll.


    “Bingo, the reaper bounced his head, “she tattled on me and I got sent to juvie for a few years, that was fun.” He rolled his eyes.  “After that, once I got out I spent I think a whole two weeks until I was thrusted in prison for beating four guys half to death at a coffee shop.”


    “Yeah, Cornileuas’s wife told me the story of how you saved the day, you were very brave to do so.”


    “I didn''t do it to be a hero, I just got tired of bullies,” he sighed.  Miss Shaw was a bully to me, and so were the guys in prison, I couldn''t take it, I,” he sighed. “I went to jail for it, and they of course pressed charges. I nearly was looking at ten years but my school work came to my rescue.”


    At his statement, a puzzled look stuck Sky’s face.“What do you mean?”


    “That''s enough, I don''t want to talk about this any more.  He slightly growled. I spent five years in war, instead of ten years in a cage, just trying to get my freedom back. And I still don''t have it. Not in this town. Im sorry but this,” he stood up with his back turned to her. “This is a mistake, you shouldn''t be here. I think it''s time for you to leave.” He began to shiver. Quickly he lit a cigarette with a lighter that seemed to come out of nowhere.


    “What do you mean, we were doing just fine!.” Sky yelled at him.


    “I have played your game long enough!” He spun around on her, the smoke encircling him. He looked almost like a dark shadow in the corner of the room. “I said I would try and now our deal is met, leave.” He said with much fear in his voice and eyes. Yet due to the cigarettes effects he stopped shaking.


    As Sky looked at him, the words his assistant said ranged in her mind. "I think you''re right. I think he''s hiding from his past." something was eating away at him. Something he was holding onto, some deep trauma he kept to keep himself from approaching anybody, and she was going to get to the bottom of it. What she saw in simple terms was someone in need of her help, someone in great pain. The memory of when she first met Maroo ranged in her mind. Though she was mostly animalistic, going off of instinct she could remember what it felt like to be scared. And despite his anger she could tell he was frightened of something, something he truly needed to get off his chest.


    “I know what it''s like to be scared, to be hurt, to hold something in, and  cause you pain. But my friends were always there for me, I am here for you. I want to help but I can''t if you don''t tell me what''s wrong,” she pleaded/


    “Get out of my house!” he snapped back, before taking a step deeper into the darkest corner of the room.


    “Only if you tell-”


    “No, you can''t black mail me again, I will call the cops this time, get lost!” The reaper barked furiously. The light from his cigarette being the only thing she could make out. Once again, he looked just like when they first met. A shadow in the darkness.


    Realizing she was going nowhere she had to think of something quick, and it came to her.” I''ll make you a deal, you tell me your biggest secret and ill tell you mine, you''d be surprised what dirt I have.”


    He raised an eyebrow at that. This, this could be his one chance to get something on her so she couldn''t black mail him any more. But what could she really be hiding? It could be a trick just to find something else to black mail him with. Yes that had to be it. But Sky wasn''t like that. In all the time they knew each other she was always kind. He grit his teeth in thought, but uttered the word deal, as his teeth chatter. He once again inhaled his cigarette to calm his nerves before saying a word.


    “I went to prison, and due to my genetic research, but before that I released a paper on alternating genetics, in high school. The government saw it as a possible solution to the war that was raging on at the time. So they gave me a deal, they would erase my criminal record if I helped with the war effort. I used to experiment on racoons, but I never liked it so I decided on jelly fish instead. The man in charge of finding the project was none other than a politician, who moved on sight of the experiments with his wife and child.”


    “I know what my mother looks like, he winced. “I would never forget her face. As he spoke Sky could do nothing but listen completely frozen. “ so imagine my surprise when I finally find her married and with a family. I even got to blood test her and it was a perfect match.” He whimpered. “I just wanted my mother, I wanted my- “he swallowed. Eventually we became friends, much to the hatred of her husband who used my scientific achievements along with Mr Drake to build up his own reputrare. Eventually I had to confront her, eventually I wanted to be with her, but he hated me. Not only did he steal my research he accused me of trying to get with his wife! I had enough of him, and I. '''' He began to hyperventilate. I didn''t mean to, they died because of me and in return they gave me these scars. The burns on my back, I should have died, I should have died, the moment I was born. I was born with a weak heart, and yet I survived”. He stepped away from her, as he held back his tears. “I survived,” the reaper  growled, a noise sounding unhuman.


    She heard the clicking of something he had in his hand, from out of nowhere. Another one of his magic tricks.


    “And I''ll survive this two, he  pulled out a pistol on her, I don''t want to hurt you, but I will, give me one good reason I shouldn''t shoot you now, now that you know who exactly I am!” He growled through grit teeth.


    She froze a bit, taken back by not only his story but his gun. She knew he was hurt but not this much.


    “Well!!!” he yelled when she didn''t answer him.


    “You won''t shoot, because you know you need help, you want help.” she gently whispered to him.


    He was taken back by her answer but did not lower the gun.


    “You trusted me, so let me trust you,” she said and took off her jacket, revealing to him her mighty black feathered wings. She looked like a dark angel the way she stood in the light.


    “You, you''re one of,” he mouthed, in awe, as his eyes gazed upon her shadowy black wings.


    Gently she moved forward, careful of every move she made not to scare him.


    “He couldnt move a muscle, mesmerized by both her, and this situation.”


    She carefully took the gun from his hand, and placed it on the workbench. The very second it was out of the way he collapsed into her arms, letting the tears fly from his eyes. She helped him onto the couch and laid down with him, as he cried.  She carefully patted him and rubbed his scard back, as she whipped “it''ll be ok” in his ear.


    “Sta, stay with me please,” he stammered before he kissed her neck, a surprise to be sure, and her face turned a bright shade of red, as a chill hit her spine. “Of course Mr Wolfric, of course.”


    “Cha Charlie, call me Charlie,” he said through gasps of breath before he locked lips with hers.