Chapter Seven! Yay! Here you go!
Sam P.O.V.
I know I'm done doing research when the words start to blur and overlap. I sigh, and shove the giant book away from me. I look at the clock on the box next to me. It says 6:00am. I take a deep breath. I woke up at 4:00am, two hours after my shift watching Kid. I couldn't sleep. I wanted to do research, so I went to Ash's room, unsurprised to find him awake as well. He gave me a few books to look through, which I did. Twice. Each of them. I found nothing. I even looked through Dad's journal a few times. Nada.
At this point, the closest theory I have is maybe some sort of cupid? Or a Nephilim? But cupids are almost always portrayed as fat adults or chubby babies. And Nephilim are like Angels: you can't see their wings. If they even have wings. I lay my head on my arm. I have nothing.
The door opens. "Slacking on the job, eh, Winchester?" Ash comments.
I laugh dryly, not bothering to look up. "Ash, I have nothing. Nothing. And I think my eyes are bleeding from all the stupid text."
"Well, bandage 'em up, 'cause I think I found something. Scratch that, I know I found something." Ash orders. My head snaps up, and I stare.
"Really? You found something?" I ask, slightly envious. I was hoping to be the one to uncover the big secret. Mostly, though, I'm just glad this means the end of research. It was getting old.
Ash nods. "Pretty sure I got something. Meet everyone else in Kid's room in five, alright?"
I nod, and he exits. Closing all the books, I carry them back to Ash's room, and pile them up on his bed. Then I turn to Kid's room. I smile at the crudely written sign that reads "Kid's Room" taped to the door. Then I smile at the nickname Dean gave the kid. Kid. Pretty self-explanatory.
Ash is standing, facing Dean, Jo, and Ellen. Ellen looks well-rested, but Jo and Dean both look exhausted. I guess Kid woke up sometime last night. It was probably horrible. Thank god I was asleep.
"What did you find?" Ellen demands. Ash holds up one finger.
"I was looking through all the old books, searching for some kind of lore that would explain the existence of a mortal kid who seems to be part Angel, or something like it. Then, after searching through all the books, I realized there was no lore explaining it." He says.
"Are you saying we're dealing with a new kind of creature?" Ellen asks sharply, glancing at the fragile looking boy on the bed.
Ash shrugs. "Maybe. Or maybe he isn't...our kind...of creature at all." He says mysteriously.
"Would you just spit it out already?" Jo snaps, obviously fed up.
Ash cocks his head. "Fine." He tosses a newspaper to Dean. "Look at page five." He orders.
Dean makes a face, but obeys. Then his eyebrows raise. Ash nods, and Dean begins to read:
"Today marks the one year anniversary of the great 'Bird Children Hoax', which occurred in a restaurant in New York. Witnesses of the prank reported seeing winged children flying out of a fancy restaurant after getting into an argument with the staff concerning how much food they were buying. They reported six children involved in the stunt, three young teens, and three young children. Witnesses say it was the most exciting thing to happen to them since the New Years Eve party in Times Square. No one ever claimed responsibility for the joke."
He stopped. And looked up at us. Then at Kid.
"So are you saying that maybe this kid was involved in the joke?" I ask.
"I'm saying it might not have been a joke. No one ever owned up to it." Ash says. I can't wrap my head around that. Flying kids?
"But that doesn't help us know what he is." Ellen points out. "He could still be some kind of Angel."
Ash holds his finger up again. "Ah, ah, ah! I have an answer for that, too." He holds up a packet of paper. "I hacked into a website for a research group with a crazy name and the acronym 'School'. Basically, they were working on genetic mutations. Combining different kinds of animals to make new breeds."
Jo makes a sound in her throat as she guesses where this is going. I have a hunch, but the thought is making me sick. There is no way that they did what I think they did.
"On the surface, they seem pretty innocent. Trying to combine different types of felines, canines, or birds. However, if you dig deeper, and try to uncover their research, they were doing a little bit more illegal research than that." He makes eye contact with each of us in turn. "They combined human DNA with Avian DNA. There were other experiments, of course, but the Avian/Human experiment was the most successful."
He points at Kid. "He was part of that experiment. Along with five other children."
Yep, they would do what I thought they did. God, some humans are so messed up.
Jo puts a hand to her mouth. "Children?"
Ash nods. "They were tested on and used as experiments for most of their life. A few years into the experiment, there was a 'technical issue' and it had to be suspended. Basically saying, their objects of torture had found a way to bust out and they couldn't continue with the tests until they were found."
"But they weren't found again, were they?" Ellen guesses.
"Not for a while," Ash agrees. "They got the youngest back and kept her for a while. But the rest came and rescued her."
Jo nods with relief. "Is that why he's like this?" She nods toward Kid.
Ash shakes his head. "Those injuries are too recent. The experimentation and rescue took place years ago. I knew that he couldn't still have the wounds and scars from it. Turns out they got him back a while ago. They didn't even properly test on him. He was just kept there to be hurt. To be tortured."
"Poor baby," Ellen says, and Jo echoes her sympathy.
Dean interrupts. "Do you know anything about the other kids?"
Ash nods. "The School kept a file on each of them. The oldest is experiment 478gR2sP90, known as 'Iggy' to the rest of the group. Then is experiment 16h3Yjk75, or Maximum Ride."
I look at Kid. I guess we'll know his name soon. And we know who "Max" is.
Ash continues. "Then is experiment 73uE8h1mK, or 'Fang'." He pauses. "I believe that's who our guest here is."
"Fang," Dean tries out the name. He shrugs. "No worse than 'Kid', I guess."
I smile at his attitude. I know he must feel horrible for this kid, or Fang, but he covers it up with humor.
"The other three are called Nudge, Gasman, and Angel." Ash finishes.
Jo cracks a smile. "Gasman?" she questions.
"Probably had one too many burritos when they were dishing out names." I suggest, making her laugh.
"Now, what I want to know is, where in the world is the rest of them?" Ellen asks.
"Maybe we can ask...Fang." Dean says, watching the boy in the bed.
Fang shifts, still in restraints. His eyes open slightly, and we all hear a moan.
This is going to be interesting.
There is an issue that I've been meaning to address. I really hate writing cuss words. Any kind. So if Sam and Dean don't seem to talk like the normally do, I'm sorry. I'll try to stay true to their style of speaking, without the harsh language.
Tell me if you think something in this chapter doesn't make sense. I'll try to change it.
'Til the next installment! See-ya!