Anton was talking but Mesogog was not fully listening, he hoped his mental state clearly expressed that. He did not know what to expect...well he did but this situation had gone from strange to stranger. He rubbed the back of his hand to his forehead.
"Look, I know it's a lot, but you aren't even trying to pay attention to me are you?" Anton finally said, looking at Mesogog. Mesogog glared back at him. He just wanted to be settled, hide in his room for a bit, whatever it was to be like and sleep. What little he had had already been brought to Kira's house, all he had left was a dufflebag filled with some basic clothes left over from S.P.D. Mesogog looked back out the window. He wanted to be in with his thoughts, everything had been emptied a week before he left leaving him irritated.
"Continue, Anton," he grumbled. Anton was talking about Kira's house, the closeness to his own, and it was fairly quiet. Anton did stop talking when he felt his brother once more rapidly losing interest and focusing only on the trees outside the window. Mesogog felt the annoyance rising in his brother, he felt the color in his mind go from yellow, slowly fading to a red.
"Anton, I am not ignoring you due to feeling ungrateful but this has all been a long time coming. Understand, I just want some peace," the monster said to help calm him. Anton glowered but seemed to accept this. The drive was coming to an end soon enough. Mesogog jerked himself back to reality as the car stopped, he grabbed the bag at his feet and tossed it onto his shoulder as he stepped out of the car. He looked at the house then rapidly around.
The house itself wasn't particularly small but it seemed a lot less ostentatious than Mesogog was expecting. He inhaled deeply, it was surrounded by woods, and best of all it was quiet. Kira stepped out on the porch and looked at them both.
"You guys coming in or not?" she asked, leaning on the railing. Anton walked up and past her no problem. Mesogog hesitated on the first step as Kira's glance focused only on him. He still sensed her nervousness.
"You want the tour or you want to get settled first?" she asked him gently.
"Settled, please," he almost begged. Kira did favor him with a smile and hold the front door open for him.
"Come on, follow me," She said, walking ahead of him and directly moving up a flight of stairs. Mesogog didn't even look around as he followed her, all the way up to a second flight of stairs. She stopped for a moment at its base.
"Your bathroom is the guest one here," she pointed to one by the stair well, "and your room is up there. Before we go in," Kira raised her hand, a key held in it, "this is yours, I have the only other copy. It is for your room. I will give you a front door key later but that one I think is the most important to you. Any questions?"
"No," the monster responded.
Kira nodded and lead him the rest of the way up the stairs and opened the door.
"Welcome to your new home, I hope this suits you fine," she said, stepping in and to the side.
Mesogog looked around. Once more he inhaled deeply. The wood was old, but smelt good and well taken care of. It was the entirety of the attic space, a window at each end and a skylight on the roof let the light stream in. He took off his boots more than happy to place his feet on the carpet, freedom from the tiles of the S.P.D. holding cell. He looked over at Kira as she gestured for him to look around. Mesogog did not make it far however, sitting down on the edge of the bed placed under one of the windows and looking over at the few boxes stacked and the desk to his left.
He turned, looking out the window behind him into the backyard and the woods beyond. He looked back at Kira.
"All of this? All of this room? Am I allowed…"
"As long as you report to S.P.D. you're welcome to go off the property but my property is free reign for you to wander. It goes a way in the woods a couple hundred yards out or so," She said. She looked away for almost a second but turned back to see Mesogog practically hanging out the window, looking into the woods. He dragged himself back in a bit as Kira laughed.
"Get comfortable, I have to talk to Anton," she said.
Kira entered the kitchen and the business man was sitting at the table, hands folded in front of him.
"How long you been sitting like that? I've seen ice cubes with more life than you," Kira responded, sitting across from him.
"I kind of wish you did not offer this to him, Kira," Anton said, running a nervous hand through his hair.
"Why, you've been pushing this whole time that he has changed. Yeah I am nervous around him a bit but I've read everything you gave me, I sat with the doctor, and I have been sitting with him. I don't think he is about to fly off the handle anytime soon," Kira leaned back, "besides, new collar, and he isn't out to shock himself to death like he did last time."
"Yes, but this overall makes him harder to monitor, look just anything looks off…"
Kira looked at him closely for a moment.
"This has been one of your games, hasn't it been?" She asked.
"No, its not. He is a force to be…"
Kira shook her head, then slammed her hand down the table.
"I've gone along with this with you for the better part of a few months, Anton. If was some ploy just to get Mesogog back under your control, back in your lab, then I am very disappointed. We all speak the world of you and we trust you, but I am not here to play games, my time is valuable. I take this seriously. I know exactly the kind of creature I have living under my roof right now. I would not have offered if I didn't. So, anything else you have to tell me?"
Anton stood, placing one hand on the edge of the table and not looking at her directly.
"He eats raw meat, don't be too surprised by this," he said and began walking away, "And Kira," he added.
She turned to look at him.
"You are almost a part of my family. Just be careful, the world would be poorer for your absence. Let me know if he begins acting out. I'll act accordingly," Anton said, walking out the front door. The house was left in silence. Kira slowly rose after a moment or so. She walked to the stairs and looked up. Breathing deep, she ascended the steps once more towards the attic room. The door was still open and she went inside.
Mesogog was still at the window, most of his upper body was slouched on the window sill in the mid afternoon sunspot. He was asleep.
"Ah crap, well…" She said, not wanting to wake him up.
"Is Anton gone?" he asked lazily, his head slowly rising. He turned to look at her.
"Yeah he is, I don't want to wake you up but are you ready to see everything else?"
The monster slowly nodded and stood, readjusting his shirt.
"Its warm out, aren't the long sleeves uncomfortable?" Kira asked, leading him down, "Its all you ever wear."
"Not particularly, I like feeling covered, without my armor it's the next best thing," he responded. Kira stood on the second floor.
"Alright well, here we go. Second floor not particularly exciting but that there is my room, has a good view of the deck. Your bathroom is across from my room, already told you that. Thrilling lot of nothing here…"
The woman dragged him around until the final two rooms on the first floor. One of which was her office and practice space, this came along with an exceptionally dire warning to not enter unless granted permission. Mesogog said that was fair enough. Back near the front door, Kira stood with her back to a pair of fairly heavy wooden doors.
"Now this is the last room in this place, besides the basement which is whatever. You've possibly been wondering, where do I keep all my books and shit when I was letting you borrow them…well…" Kira reached back and swung the doors open. It wasn't a very big library but it was very very full. It was disorganized, books and notes stacked on the wooden shelves but kept well away from the fire place on its far wall. Mesogog liked the room immensely. He breathed deep again smelling the old paper smell and that of the old leather sofa in the room. His eyes flicked to above the fire place.
"Kira…is that what…is that what I think it is?"
"A real pteranodon fossil? Yeah." She laughed. Mesogog opened his mouth and shut it quickly again. He looked at her more than a little bemused.
"Who are you, exactly?" He asked, confused. Kira just shrugged.
"Well, that's the tour, laundry stuff is in the basement so is some gym equipment. As for that question well, you're just going to have to find out for yourself," Kira added patting him on the shoulder, "You have a few days off, have fun." She left him to go to her office. Mesogog stood in the middle of the library, looking around. Freedom. He did not know what to do. He sat on the floor, back against the couch.
He could read whatever he wanted here, watched over by the fossil's empty eye sockets. Or…he stood and looked out the window at the backyard and the trees beyond. He moved through the kitchen to the back sliding door and opened it. He stepped onto the deck, the wood warm beneath his feet from the late afternoon sun. He breathed deeply again and he moved towards the small forest and went into the trees.
Kira watched from her office window, the creature slowly moving and testing his surroundings. It was like watching a cautious cat. Her senses still rang, screaming, this was her enemy but…it gave her a sense of happiness. She could not explain why.
The road to this moment had been far less happy.
Kira rubbed the back of her neck as she remembered her confrontation with Conner. The former red ranger had been livid, and she couldn't blame him. But Conner knew nothing of subtlety.
"You do not have a family, Kira. You don't understand what its like, being responsible for children and a spouse. You're afraid everyday something might happen to them despite how well you have them protected…and you decided to make friends with a time bomb…" Conner had snapped.
"Maybe if you came over and spoke with him…Conner, he is not a threat anymore. I know you hate reading but maybe if you actually did do the goddamn research we were given you'd feel a bit different! I feel safer not with him just out there but I can keep a damn eye on him!" she had responded, teeth bared.
"We have no more powers…"
"We still have powers, Conner! No matter what Cruger has said or what SPD has tried on us we still have powers! SPD is still there, still watching. He still has the collar on…Conner…I can promise you I won't be bringing him around your children. But please, just once, come speak with him."
Conner had only glared at her, and muttered under his breath before leaving. Ethan assured her later Conner needed some space, he still was her friend. It did not do much to ease her fear but…it was something.
The monster did not return until later that night. Kira had moved to the library and looked up when she heard the sliding door open then shut once more. He eventually wandered into the library, Kira made a noise to catch his attention. He looked down at her, sprawled on the couch. Kira opened her hand, two keys in them. She threw to him, he hooked them on a claw.
"Front door and back door, now you can be out when I am not around," she said, looking back down at her book. Mesogog gave a tired grunt in response before dropping into the arm chair across from the couch. Kira looked over and saw his eyes slowly shutting.
"Go to bed, you fool, its why you have a room," She laughed, yawning herself. The monster made a noise of complaint but he wandered upwards. Kira listened til he had reached his room and allowed herself a smile. Human, dinosaur, did not seem to matter. It seemed to her, things would be just fine.
Author's Notes: HELLO! So this section of Hybrid Theory is complete! A mini part of it, called Fission will be following soon, along with the next large section, yet to be named, but at the time of this posting is at 33 pages, and is still going! I hope you enjoyed this so far and for following everything I have done over the years! Until next work!
Signing off!
-Pterakyn
