Chapter 1

*Orion's POV*

"Her time is short." Said the healer, who was attending my mother.

My father looked at my mother with sadness reflecting from his eyes, then he looked at the healer.

"Please, leave us." My father ordered the healer, who did as he was told.

Meanwhile, I just kept staring at my mother as she was laying in her bed looking at the ceiling in a daze, then she looked at me and smiled.

"Scott, you're here. I'm sorry I can't get up." She told me.

"Vayla, he-" Before my father could finish talking, I said, "Don't worry about it, mother."

My mother said, "I can still give you a hug for your birthday."

My mother slowly turned around to look at me and extended her arms towards me, then she told me, "Come on, Scott."

I walk towards her and accept her hug. While she was hugging me, she whispered to me, "Scott, I had a dream."

"What was it about?" I asked her.

"I saw two kids playing with each other. One was you while the other one had red hair." She said while her hug was becoming weaker by the second.

"I wish… That… I could… Have… Seen it." She said before her arms gave up, but she didn't fall to the floor because I was hugging her.

My father put his hand on my shoulder and softly told me, "Orion, she's gone."

I stopped hugging her when my father carefully put her lifeless body on the bed she resting on.

I turned around to look at my father and hugged him.

"It's alright, Orion." He told me while we were hugging.

I wanted to cry, scream, or just do something so my mother would open her eyes and return to us… But, I remained expressionless while my father hugged me.

For the next few days, New Genesis was still mourning my mother's death, but, as for me… I hadn't shed a single tear.

After I finished my training with Jezebell, I encountered Takion.

"Well, if it isn't Orion." He told me.

"Hello, Takion." I told him and tried to leave, but he put himself in front of me.

"Why are you in such a hurry?" He asked me.

"It doesn't concern you, Takion." I told him.

"I know, but I've heard that you haven't shed a single tear since the death of your beloved 'mother'." He told me.

"What is it you want, Takion!?" I told him with an irritated tone.

"Nothing much. I just wanted to know if you were happy because everyone in New Genesis knows that she became sick the day you were traded for Scott, her true son." He told me.

Even though I didn't want to admit it, his words struck me like venom.

He continued saying, "And, it only got worse until her unfortunate demise."

With every word that came out of his stupid mouth, it was getting harder and harder for me not to grab his neck and squeeze the life out of him, but I remembered what Jezebell taught me about having control over my anger.

"Is that all you have to say, Takion?" I asked him with the calmest tone I had.

Takion nodded.

"Takion, let me be clear on something. I'm NOT happy about my mother's death! Now, MOVE!" I said.

Takion did what I told him and I could see that there was a hint of surprise and fear in his eyes.

When I managed to get to the edge of Supertown, I quickly checked to see that no one was following me. Then, I descended there.

When I arrived there, I wanted to look for Forager, but I realized that everything was quiet, almost dead like, and that, in order for Forager and the rest of the bugs to recognize me, I had to use that monster's skin which I wasn't in the mood of doing.

Before I decided to head back to Supertown, I heard a noise from the bushes.

"Forager?" I thought.

I decided to get closer and I found out that the noises were coming from a naked kid who was bleeding from the numerous cuts that were all across his body.

Immediately, I was helping the boy by taking him to Supertown.

"Someone. HELP!" I screamed.

Soon, I was surrounded by some New Gods among them was my father and some healers arrived.

"Father, he needs help." I said.

Quickly, the healers started treating the kid because they were afraid that, due to the kid's condition, if they move him, then the kid would die.

I don't know how much time passed, but, when they were done, everyone who was surrounding had an expression of shock in their eyes, but, before I could ask anyone what was wrong, my father took the boy from my arms.

For the next two days, the kid remains sleeping and, every time I wanted to ask someone what was wrong, I would either get ignored or the subject would be changed. But, finally my father told me, "Orion, I need you to come with me."

"Yes, father." I told him.

We walked until we reached the bed where the kid was resting on.

Once we got there, I saw that the cuts that were on his body had disappeared, but I realized that his body looked more like a skeleton and, despite the fact that he had no hair on his head and that he looked like a skeleton, his face resembled my mother's face.

I turned to look at my father and I asked him, "Father, why did you bring me here?"

My father kneeled down, put his hands on my shoulders, looked at my eyes, and said, "Orion, first of all, I want you to know that you are and forever will be MY son. That's why I want you to get along with him and take care of him." My father told me.

"Father, who is the kid?" I asked him.

"Orion. He is Scott, my son, therefore your brother. Promise me you'll take care of him." He told me.

"I promise you… Highfather." I told him.

His showed sadness while he told me, "Thank you, my son."

He stood up and told me he had important matters to attend to and told me to take care of my supposed brother.

So, I just stood there watching the kid while think why my mother was so desperately waiting for this, a skeleton who will cause a war with Apokolips.

After a few minutes, I saw something… A twitch.

The kid slowly opened his eyes and asked, "Where am I?"

Author's Note

I decided to re-upload and change some stuff of the first chapter because there were some things I didn't like, but anyways don't forget to RSS!:)