Chapter 4

He cringed.

Pac didn't want to admit anything, but he was in pain. He tried to hide his discomfort from his brother Hunter, yet it was too late. Hunter could see the look on his face. "You are terrible at trying to hide that."

Pac gave a brief smirk. "That obvious?"

"Yeah… Let me see."

Pac was reluctant, but he took off his shirt and showed his brother where he was hurting. Nothing appeared to be out of the ordinary, until Hunter saw it. A lump under his arm moved! "Damn!" he whispered.

Pac reluctantly nodded. "I've pushed myself too hard." He said. "So much for staying like this huh?"

"It's still under the skin! Maybe it won't…"

Yet Hunter paused, he noticed the skin on Pac's stomach shedding, right where he was stabbed in the martial arts contest. The wound had healed, but the skin wasn't, instead it began to flake off his body, even the monster skin that was damaged began to peel away. Hunter was silent. "Pac… I'm sorry…"

He didn't speak any more of it as he went along his way.

Hunter felt for his brother, but he didn't want to admit it, he was feeling the same pain he was. His was occurring in his legs. As if someone took knives and stabbed him in the top of his legs, the pain has been occurring for the past few weeks. Even the skin on his legs were acting strangely. Every so often he felt the flesh shifting, and yet, he couldn't quite put his finger on it. Yet, for now, he won't mention a word of it.

Instead he caught up with his brother who decided to change in the massive bathroom the lab possessed. When he arrived, he found Pac taping up his body. Yet it was getting difficult. Pac froze the moment Hunter came into the room. He was embarrassed with his actions. Hunter however didn't say a word. He took the tape and continued on his brother's work. "Let me know if it's too tight."

Pac was silent as Hunter continued to wrap the tape up his body. He just about got his entire torso when he began to work the shoulders. "That's far enough… thanks…"

Hunter nodded as he ripped the tape off and made certain it stayed down. "I won't say anything to mom or dad." He whispered.

"It won't do us any good. Dad already knows… right dad?" Pac called.

Hunter was startled as their father appeared out of nowhere. He wasn't the least bit surprised. Pac slowly began putting his shirt back on as their father came closer. Pac appeared rather embarrassed for his action. "I'm not ashamed of it dad, it's just that…"

"It's uncomfortable, I know." He said. "It's not a sensation you adjust too quickly, especially when it is moving under your skin." He lifted his son's shirt, and checked the tape before nodding his approval. "Good, it's just tight enough but not too tight to restrict yourself."

Hunter was silent to it all. "It's happening a lot faster than I expected."

"No kidding. You kids are barely three and you are already growing up so fast."

Hunter smirked. "Lucky us…"

Their father shook his head to them. "I wanted you kids to have a childhood. I wanted you to experience life to learn and grow at your own rate. I was hoping to watch you become mature young men in the years that were to come… I never expected this to happen in a mere three years!"

Pac sat himself down as he tried to take it all in. "So, what happens now? Will we become just as you are? Are we going to be something different? I mean, we have mom's power too."

Their father was silent. "I don't know anymore." He said. "I wish I knew, and if I did know, I would tell you everything and do whatever I could to prepare you for it."

Pac shook his head to it all. "So, it's going to happen. I just wished there was a way to hold it off a while longer."