By the time he was six, Ari had given up. It was around this time that he took another blow to his psych, once again his "father" had forgotten his birthday. Although, as he brushed the tears that were threatening to spill down his face, he realised that it had hurt a lot more this time round. Mainly due to the fact that even though Jeb had returned from his two year absence, he spent even less time with his son than before, and also due to an event that occurred in the facility just a few weeks prior to Ari's 6th birthday.
"…Yes, you're quite right Adam, I'm sure only a short amount of time will be needed to finish the assignment." Jeb said confidently to a tall, bald man standing, sneering at him from the outside of his office door.
"Very well Batchelder, I'll report the plan back to Marian. Although, don't blame me if you suddenly find yourself either dead, or missing 12 years of memories if this all goes to hell." Adam muttered before walking off down the corridor. Jeb watched the man walk down a connecting corridor, before sighing heavily and walking back into his office, hoping in all honesty, that no-one knew about the unlikelihood of the avian recombinants living past their next birthday.
Ari, as it transpired, was curled up into a tiny ball behind the door of an empty office, using his lupine hearing to listen to the entire conversation. From what he understood, which really wasn't too much, it sounded like his dad was planning on leaving him again sometime soon. A deep pang from somewhere in his chest twinged slightly, as he curled his hands to prevent himself from punching something. Standing up slowly, he walked out the door, trying to look as if it was completely normal for an Eraser to walk out of an empty office with no apparent reason for being in there. Knocking gently on his father's door, he entered awkwardly, attempting not to hit his head, Jeb looked up and glanced at the boys once human face.
"I'm sorry, can I help you?" He asked politely, Ari inhaled sharply at the realisation of the fact that his father hadn't recognized him.
"Dad, it's me, I just wondered whether I could hang out with you. The people in the white coats don't like me around." Ari said quietly, planning on keeping an eye on his father for the remainder of the day, as to prevent him from leaving once more.
"Oh…hello son. Sorry, I have a lot of paperwork to do, why don't you play with the other kids." It was the typical response, the same as the last one, he was busy so to get rid of Ari, make him go play with the other freaks.
"They don't like me either, they say I'm a mistake, I'm not a mistake though am I dad? You'd have taken me with you if I were." A frown creased Jeb's brow, "It's my birthday in two days." He let the comment linger for a second, waiting for the obvious comment
"Oh, well, you're growing up quick. You'll be eight this year won't you?"
"No, I'll be six. I'm glad you remembered." He growled before walking out of the door.
It was the same when he was three, mother gone, father grieving, he was left to gaze at the creatures that now controlled his fathers every thought, and like him, they rejected him, and oh how he hated it. The years before, his mother had been alive, and at the time, he'd mattered. Then there were the missing years, when he didn't exist and was merely given a number, and now, even though his father had returned, the care he had once given was gone, replaced by a cruel ignorance of anything to do with his son. And so an obsession fuelled his anger, as he waited for a chance to prove himself.
Yet it wasn't until his final moments did he realise how much it was tearing him apart.
Was there a point to this? No…although the original idea was slightly different, I believe it started with: He never called him Dad, just Jeb.