Mutation

Dear Mrs. Potters,

I write this letter to you after taking considerable time to debate this with my wife and family. Seeing how what you ask of me in your letter would not only look poorly on me but them as well. If you wish to know my story then I must start at the beginning. However, I have changed names of those within my letter to protect them and their family members. Should you decide to run this in your paper even if you come to believe that all I have said is a fairytale. Nonetheless, what you are about to read is the truth or as much of it as I can remember from that time.

Thirty-six years ago three asteroids fell over Cairo, Mexico City, and Indonesia. All three exploding high in the atmosphere spreading the virus that had laid dormant within the stone around the world. Who would have thought all those crazy theories about extraterrestrial life seeding the earth would be true as the virus activated two genes within the human genome of a certain population of the planet. Scientist had thought these genes were just junk DNA left over from mans evolution. How wrong they were as the virus caused mutations external and internal. Some so horrible and some subtle changes to their bodies. Some so powerful that they are a danger to themselves and others. While some were just for show only good for Vegas side shows. However, everyone of us is hunted by the governments' around the world because of what we are and what we can do. I know this for a fact for I have seen the numerous mass graves. Then there is the Xernos an alien race that seeded our world long ago, who have returned every so often to harvest their crop i.e. man. Some know them as the Anuuaki but trust me they don't come from planet Nibiru aka planet X. They've been here for the past thirty years watching their experiment. It was they that dropped those asteroids on the planet. Since they were the ones that altered our DNA to serve them, and now that man has reached a population that could serve their purposes they have returned. To enslave those that hadn't succumbed to the virus and use those that did as soldiers once the planet was ripe for the picking.

Like me for example, while I'm not the strongest of our kind I'm not the weakest either. My mutation happened when my mother was carrying me in her womb. Who suddenly abandoned me and my father shortly after I was born. At the age of five my own powers started to form. I started to produce bioelectricity which led to super speed, flight, and strength. Which I found as I trained to master my gifts that the more physical strength I have the stronger my bioelectrical output became and vice versa.

Trust me when I say this I am not a hero. There are numerous others of my kind that plays that role. I fight and kill to survive in a world that wants me dead for the simple fact of just being born. That's how I came upon my first mass grave. I didn't think those army soldiers knew what to expect when I burned them all to ash. Since then I have raided labs that experimented on my kind. Secret government bases that kidnaps and brainwashes my kind to turn into soldiers so they can use their powers for whatever purposes they have. I know this to be a fact too since I fought against a number of these groups.

At that moment I was laying low due the two shadow groups I faced off against the week before. Plus I needed to heal. I'm not invincible, my bioelectrical field increases my healing rate among many other things that it does; but I'm not telling you all my secrets. So there I was sitting at the kitchen table in my father's home. Ignoring how he mumbled something about how my kind were freaks and what not as the news spoke about a group that had attacked the registration department office in the city. Which was a front so the government could round up my kind and place them into camps to be either killed or enslaved. I fought back the smartass comment that mankind is a mutation. Our ability to walk upright, talk, our thumbs, hair color, eye color, the ability to drink milk when we're adults are all mutations. We are just another different form of mankind. Just like all the other branches of mankind that have risen throughout time.

"So I got some news," my father - Ben is his name - said as he set down his glass of orange juice.

"Okay," I said looking up from my bowl of cereal. Ignoring the throbbing pain in my chest due to the wound that a very...attractive woman gave me last week. Hoping my father didn't see the bandages beneath my shirt. My father didn't know I was a mutant and I planned on keeping it that way.

"I'm getting married," my father said looking up at me, "I know how you like being by yourself." Which was true I gave me the perfect cover to slip out of the house. "But it's been eighteen years since your mother left us, and..."

"No, I get it Dad," I said trying to sound like a good son. My father was a good man minus his views about us. Fear and ignorance makes people do and say stupid things.

"Good. I thought you would, since we already got married," my father said dropping a bomb on me.

"What?!" I shouted in shock.

"Calm down Rick, you're a grown man you can't stay under my wing forever. Now I expect you to be on your best behavior when they get here," my father said picking up his plate from the table. Was that why his father had cleared out the spare room and moved furniture around in the living and den rooms so not to give off that man cave feeling?

"And just who is this woman?" I asked a little shocked that my father hadn't told me about this beforehand.

"Her name is Molly Greenwood, well its Anderson now, she's bringing her daughter along too." I tried to keep the shock of recognition from my face. Of course I knew that name. How could I not know the woman that's been trying to kill me for the past three years. I knew I couldn't stay with my father any longer. Not with that woman right underneath my nose. I had to leave to protect my father. Hey, I might kill to survive I'm not that cold. My father was a good man, regardless of his bigoted views about us. Were there some of us that are bad sure there is just like all the normal people have bad people among them. That doesn't mean my kind are evil in of itself. Let me tell you nothing startles me any more so when the knock came on the door my heart was racing. I had to keep my face as emotionless as my father waked towards the door. Fear like I haven't felt since the Xernos fired a battleship pulse cannon at point blank range at me. How did I survive that you ask? A lot of damn luck I tell you and pushing my body beyond its limits. I couldn't move for a week once I destroyed that ship.

"Ben!" I heard a woman cry joyfully as she wrapped her arms around my father's neck while I still sat in my chair at the kitchen table.

"Hey baby," my father said as he kissed the woman that wanted my head on a spike. Was it my fault she was the head of one of the must corrupt government agencies that deals in genocide. Her people needed to be stopped one way or another. It usually ended with the latter part.

"Geeze. Get a room you two." I heard another female say from behind one of my most hated foes. I had to guess that was Molly's daughter.

"Lily hush," her mother said berating her daughter, "say hello to your step-father Benjamin." I silently rose from my chair there was no way I was going to greet that woman or her daughter.

"Rick...he was just here a moment ago." I heard my father say as I hid in the shadow of the stairwell. In a blink I was gone.

There I was floating above the city high above the low cloud cover, so no one would see me since I didn't have my mask on, that waged a battle for control of those like me. My mind pondering on where I could go now that she was there. When I came into my full powers I only stayed with my father because no one would take me as a mutant since my mutation was internal. Plus life on the run is hard without a safe place to hide when you have a need to. Then again, I doubt most fifteen-year-olds had the number of enemies I had wanting me dead. What can I say, I like causing trouble. But I never operated within my home city. You know the old saying don't shit were you eat. Plus like I said there are others that likes being the hero. So I left the fate of the city of my birth to them. My hand shot to my chest as my wound began to act up. Blood began to soak through the bandage. I knew I had to get back. The question remained how to get by that woman? Landing lightly on the roof of my house easing my window open once I saw my door was still closed. Crawling in as silently as I could, easing the window down, pulling off my shirt, glad it was red to hide the blood on it. Flaring my powers to burn the bandages off of my chest and not leave any evidence behind. Opening my nightstand drawer pulling out the dermal regenerator I had stolen from an Xernos base a few months ago. Since I didn't fully know how it works, or the effects on one like me. I used it sparingly. Once the blood had stopped I put the device away and rebandaged my chest from the first aid kit I stored in a hidden crawl space in my closet. I never had to worry about my father snooping through my room, now that they were here I couldn't take that chance. So once I had a clean shirt on, I went about storing every alien item, intel on the government's movements, or anything else that could point a finger that I'm not what I said I was within that hidey-hole.

"Rick?" my father said knocking on my bedroom door. "Open the door Rick," he said in a stern fatherly voice.

"Okay, give me a sec," I called back as I silently closed my closet door.

"What happened to the shirt you were wearing?" my father asked as I opened my door.

"Oh, I kind of spilled milk on it. That knock kind of startled me I wasn't expecting them here so soon," I lied my father didn't need to know the real reason. What could I say, "Oh, I fought this really hot chick last Tuesday that was sent to kill me because I blew up their base last month. Who got lucky with that sword she used and slashed open my chest." Yeah, I so wasn't about to tell my father that.

"Ah, well come down stairs they want to meet you. Please son, do this for me," my father said with a pleading look, "I know you like your solitude, you don't have to stay just meet them okay?"

"Okay Dad," I said with a nod. What can I say I love my Dad, as I have said he is a good man. I didn't miss that warm smile, I did notice something different about him. The light in his eyes looked bright and happy compared to the loneliness I have seen over the years. Stirring me out of the doorway of my room and towards the stairs.

"I found him!" my father said as he led me into the living room. There she was the woman that had ordered my death so many times I lost count as she sat all regal on our brown leather wing backed chair. Her bright red hair teased her shoulders, her grey eyes had a warm light to them not like the other times I've seen them as I raided whichever base she was at, at the time. Her full lips were curved into a smile as she looked at me. Her light cream colored blouse flowed over her chest allowing her blue bra to show through the material. Her white floral printed dress ran along her right leg that was resting over her left knee showing off her silky calves. Her white pumps matched the rest of her attire. Then my eyes glanced to her left as her daughter stood at her right. Her hair matched her mother's except hers had light curls as her hair hung below her breasts. The same stormy eyes as her mother, yet her lips were thin compared to hers. I tried to keep my eyebrow from raising at the t-shirt she was wearing. It seem she had made it herself. Detailing her praise of the name of my alter-ego. Which seemed odd given who her mother was. That almost made me chuckle at how it must infuriate that woman. Her blue jeans hung tightly to her legs. I always wondered why women wore such tight clothes. "Son, I want you to meet Molly and Lily," my father said pushing me forward. Biting the inside of my cheek at the sudden movement as it pulled at my wound.

"Hello Rick," Molly said rising from her seat, "your father has told me so much about you," she said walking towards me. "I hope we can be a family," Molly said wrapping me in a hug. Her left breast pressing hard on my wound.

"Umm..."

"I know, I know it's so sudden," Molly said pushing herself way her hands gently squeezing my biceps. I had to keep all emotion from my face at what I thought about this woman. "But due to the nature of my work I had to keep our relationship secret until I was certain."

"Certain of what?" I asked myself. "That I was dead? That we were what we said we were?"

"Lily come say hi to your brother," Molly said stepping aside yet her left hand lingered on my right bicep. I noticed how her fingers were tracing the musculature of my arm.

"Hello, I guess I have to call you brother now," Lily huffed crossing her arms causing her 36B breasts to bounce. Noticing how her eyes were running up and down my body.

"Rick will be fine," I said glancing at my father silently asking him if I can leave yet.

"So how about we..."

"Sorry but I have to be somewhere," I said interrupting Molly. Not that I did, it's just the longer I'm with her the higher the chances were she would learn my secret; and right now I was in no shape to deal with her goons.

"Son don't be rude," my father said placing his hand on my shoulder. "How about we put on a movie, I know its early. But what better way for a family to come together than over a nice horror flick?" I fought the eye roll I felt coming on. Lily on the other hand wasn't so reserved.

"Mom?!"

"Lily, it'll be fun," Molly said lightly brushing her breast against my arm. Which I found odd to say the least.

"Fine," Lily said in an exasperated sigh. I couldn't blame her, it wasn't like I wanted to spend time with them either.

"Excellent!" my father said joyously. My father could never pass up the chance to watch a horror movie. Be it either good or bad he didn't care. "I'll get the popcorn maker all fired up!" my father said taking charge like a ring leader of a circus as he led the way to the den. My father had turned our den into a small theater a few years ago. The white washed wall was the screen for the projector, so we basically had a seven foot high, twenty foot wide screen. Which I'll admit it was awesome to play video games on. Then there was the popcorn maker modeled off of the ones you would find in the movie theater sat in far left corner of the room behind the row of four Trenton home theater reclining chairs that sat at the perfect distance from the wall so not to have you craning your head to see everything. Molly took hold of my arm not giving me a chance to slip away as she pulled me along after my father. I keep my eyes in front yet from the corner of my left eye I could see how she slyly glanced at my chest. I began to wonder if she knew? Shaking the thought from my mind, she wouldn't be this nice if she knew I was Obsidian Shadow. Trust me that's not the name I gave myself, the news said it one time and well it stuck.

"Cool." I heard Lily said in a hushed whisper behind me. I watched as my father pulled two of the chairs to the back. Could my father be any more obvious?

"So do you all want a hack and slash, monster, or thriller kind of movie?" my father asked as he stood in front of our DVD cabinet.

"Sweetheart," Molly cooed finally letting go of my arm. Which I was thankful for her touch made my skin crawl due to the amount of blood on her hands. Then again, my hands aren't that clean either, but those people deserved to die. "How about we start off with something light, then work our way up to the gory stuff, it is only ten a.m. in the morning."

"True, then please," my father said stepping aside giving her control over the choice of movie they would be watching.

I was dozing off as my father popped in another movie. Praying it would mask the sounds of him making out with her behind me. Wishing I had brought my phone with me so I could distract myself like Lily was as she surfed the web. Noticing how she was stealthily searching for videos about me of all people. Inserting an earbud into her right ear so her mother wouldn't be able to see that she wasn't watching the movie. Not that I couldn't blame her, it was a subpar B rated horror movie. Although I did like the numerous topless scenes in it, it was its only redeeming qualities it had. Slyly glancing down as she watched a video about me fighting against an Xernos cruiser. Wondering how the hell anyone could have video taped that fight. It was in the middle of the artic ocean no less. Yet there I was on that small screen darting about shooting my plasma bolts into its hull. Quickly hiding her phone as I shifted in my seat. Who knew the daughter of the woman that wanted my head was a fan. The world is full of amazements I tell you. Noticing how Lily tensed up as I leaned into her.

"It's okay, watch if you want I don't care the movie sucks anyways," I whispered over the sounds of screaming.

"You want to watch too?" Lily asked uncertain if I could be trusted.

"Sure why not." Pulling out her phone again, bringing up another video this one of the battle two and a half years ago when I and many others fought to save the kids they had kidnapped or there parents had given them up. I don't know how the others knew about it. I normally don't work with others, but something brought us all together as we fought to free those kids. That was kind of my break out moment, until then few people knew of me, however, due to the scale of the fighting it got world coverage. Then from that moment forward I was on their most wanted list. Hence the hordes of people that were after his head. I knew my luck wouldn't hold out forever. I accepted that fact the moment I began to fight against my own government. Although I hoped to at least get laid once before I died. That was how me and Lily spent the rest of the movie watching the exploits about myself. I have to tell you it was kind of weird. When it came to one about the mass graves I was fighting at I noticed how she was tearing up. It's not everyday I met someone worried about the fate of mutants like me. Then I saw the evil grin as I vaporized the soldiers that held the few left at gun point. Knowing that their fate was to be the same as those laying in that trench. I don't really know what happened to them after I set them free. I do hope they had escaped somewhere safe. Then again, nowhere in this world is safe for my kind.

"He's my hero," Lily whispered low so her mother wouldn't hear. I have to say that completely caught me off guard. As I have said before I'm not a hero. I just do what needs to be done. Sometimes my actions are for good and sometimes not, sometimes you just have to do something bad for the greater good; or at least that's what I think.

"Really?!" I asked skeptically.

"Mmmhmm," Lily nodded slightly. "He's just so cool, not like the others that run around the city. He actual does what is need, when it's needed. We both know those men wouldn't face a day of jail time. They deserve to die, life is life regardless if they look like me or not," she whispered sternly. Okay this girl was totally not what I thought she would be like. "Did you know he fights against aliens too?!" Again this caught me off guard, the government kept a tight lid on the Xernos existence on our planet. How she knew about them I have no clue.

"No...I didn't know about that," I said playing dump. Quickly pulling her earbuds from my and her ear and hiding her phone as he heard movement behind us.

"I'll show you later," Lily mouthed as her mother walked up to her side.