A/N: This chapter will be nothing like Questions Will be Answered. This is entirely different.
Chapter 9: Inquiries Shall Become Acknowledged
After Ben had been discharged from the hospital, Pan offered to come and stay at Gwen's house to answer some questions.
"I bet you were happy to leave that place for good," Pan was saying. "Now, you wanted to ask me something?"
"Yeah," Ben said. "First of all, what exactly are the gods?"
"The gods are aliens. They come from a different universe, probably from a different dimension altogether. Occasionally, godlike creatures, like Urskidus and company, come to different planets to create new life. Humans and other animals were created through evolution, but Haggins and Haggons were created by Urskidus. She used the process of using today's modern animals and combining them to make new creatures."
"When I was in Julie's bathroom," Ben said once he was sure Pan was finished, "I think I saw Urskidus. She was talking to me."
"Urskidus is an immensely powerful creature. She has multiple ways of talking to her creations, including telepathy. I don't doubt that she simply wanted to make herself known to you."
"And the seven Haggons that Urskidus created?"
"They were born to the Funton family, but all seven died in battle. They were reincarnated to the Snakescin family. It went on for generations, and the Pikus family waited their turn. But then I came along. I lost my Hacuf before I was able to have twins, and it took me almost two billion years to find her again. I became enemies with the Funton and Pikus families, because I kept them waiting for so long. When I was still apart of the seven, which I was from birth up until you were born, I was Haggon of wrath."
"And you were the leader, right?"
"All generations of Snakescins being apart of the seven were leaders. And since Ben is the latest Snakescin, that makes you the leader of the current seven."
"Who are the current seven?" Gwen asked.
"Ben already knows five of them. Quianna Bloodfire is of pride, Ben, you're of envy, Quan Jonglyudeulim is of wrath, Samuel Aden is of sloth, Manuel O'Neil is of Gluttony, and Tiffany Burnman is of lust."
Gwen might have imagined it, but he could have sworn he saw Ben flinch at the sound of the last name.
"Most of them have kept their original last names, like Bloodfire, Burnman, Snakescin, and even Jonglyudeulim, which is Korean for Kinddream. But Aden and O'Neil were from human parents. Their original names were Nightson and Feardanger.
"It's tradition to give a haggon their sin as a name. It can be first, middle, or last, though it's usually the middle name. Ben's mother, Yeiropia accidentally gave the middle name 'Envy' to Victor already, not aware that she was having twins. When you were born, she didn't want to give the same name twice. So she gave him the middle names Notredame and Victor, making the initials for it N.V. Technically, it counts as Envy."
"What's so important about that?" Ben asked
"Just a fun fact," Pan said honestly.
"So, why do haggons have sins?" Gwen asked. "What are they for?"
"The sin is the weapon haggons are born with to defeat their enemies and protect others," Pan answered.
"So I can use envy as a weapon?" Ben asked. "I thought I would be wrath."
"No, envy. Have you ever felt the need to act overly proud or cocky?"
"Wait, Ben uses that as a weapon?" Kevin asked. "I thought he was just him being annoying."
Pan shook his head. "There are certain ways achievements are displayed that can make even the most modest men jealous. With training, it can, Kevin, be used as a weapon." He paused. "While we're still speaking about the seven, you should know that they not only have sins, but animals that they can transform into as well. Ben's is, ironically, the dragon. Mine, meaning wrath, was the snake. Pride is the cheetah, sloth is, well, the sloth, greed is the raven, Gluttony is, since haggons aren't them, the human."
"But humans aren't…" Gwen stopped in mid-sentence. "Well, technically we are, but…."
Pan continued without her. "And finally, lust is a rabbit. Having the ability to turn into any of these animals carries greater benefits than you think."
"So Mannie can turn into a human?" Ben said, obviously filled with interest. "What does that do? I thought he was already human."
"Wait," Kevin interrupted, "you're keeping track of all this?"
"Kevin," Gwen said warningly.
But Pan ignored his interruption. "I believe his benefit is the ability to tone into his original haggon powers, but you're mainly right, he doesn't have too many advantages in transforming."
"So are you done?" Kevin asked. "I wanted to ask you, what happened to your eye?"
"Kevin!" Gwen scolded.
Pan touched the bandages around his eye and chuckled. "I use to be sensitive about it. That was during a run-in with my brother, Bron. I almost died, but I'm glad I only got away with this. I looked a lot worse."
"So you've seen him recently?" Ben asked.
"No. This was a very long time ago. It's just a scar I preferred to hide from you. But, I don't see any point in it anymore." With that, he began to peel away the bandages.
They could barely suppress a gasp.
Where Pan's eye was suppose to be, there was a cluster of scars and white stretch marks. Instead, his entirely bloodshot, oddly long eye was laid sideways on a deformed cheek, as if someone pulled it there.
"Lava," he explained. "Unnatural. It might have had manna or something of the like. A normal man could have died."
"But you're not normal," Ben stated.
"No," Pan said. "Not in the slightest."
"So what happened to Bron?" Ben asked.
"He got away, obviously. He's still out there, insane."
"What has he been doing?" Ben asked.
"Many things. Mainly, he kills people to spite me."
"That's terrible!" Gwen exclaimed.
"I know," Pan said, "but it is vital that he is captured and not killed." He was looking at Ben.
"Well, I wouldn't kill him," Ben said. "It's my policy. No man left behind."
Pan simply nodded.
"But about Bhkadri," Ben said, "the guy who killed your brother?"
"I killed him in blind rage," Pan said. "But I don't do that anymore."
It took a while for the awkwardness of the statement and the thoughts of disapproval and protest to settle.
"Where's my mother?" Ben asked. "Yeiropea?"
"She's still in Paris," Pan answered. "Er, rather, above Paris. She and your brother lives in the clouds."
"In the clouds? How?"
"She's an alien who can travel through space without a space suit. She can manage. But her home is technically heaven."
"Heaven?"
"When Yeiropea decides someone wants to live beyond death, like Einstein, for example, she can harvest their brainwaves and place them in a new dew-based body a split second before they die. She says it's for the greater good, but I mainly think she's just trying to show off her powers."
"You mean, like the afterlife?" Gwen said.
"So my parents can still be alive?" Ben said.
"We can't be sure," Pan lied. "So, is there anything else?"
"…I don't think so," Ben said after a while. "But if we come up with something, we'll ask you."
They all got up. Kevin went to his house, and Gwen went to go to her room. But right before she entered her room, she realized she forgot her wallet in the living room. She went back downstairs and got it. But before she went back upstairs, she heard voices in the kitchen. Ben and Pan's voices.
"So it's possible Anna hadn't reincarnated yet?" Ben asked.
"Yes," Pan said. "It's possible she's with your mother. But it's not entirely likely."
Who's Anna? Gwen thought.
"But Ben," Pan said. "Tiffany Burnman-"
"I'm never forgiving that whore," Ben said sternly.
"Have you ever considered what benefits it could bring you?" Pan asked.
"No. Because there are none. She's a little bitch who did something unforgivable."
"I'm not asking you to forgive her for what she did. Not immediately, at least. But you guys will have to work together one day."
"I'll never so much as spit in that slut's direction," he said solemnly.
Gwen was aghast. Ben normally kept his language so clean, it shocked most teenagers. She badly wondered who would make him so mad.
"Gwen," Pan said unexpectedly. "You can come out now."
Feeling as though she had just been slapped twice in the face, she walked inside the kitchen. Ben looked almost as shocked as she felt.
"How long have you been there?" Ben asked.
"Long enough," Gwen said, then asked cautiously, "Who's Tiffany?"
"No one," Ben said quickly. "Pan, I'll call you if I need anything." And with that, he stormed upstairs.
"If you won't eavesdrop on us anymore, I have one last thing to tell him," Pan said, walking calmly after him. Embarrassed, Gwen sat on the couch, waiting for him to come back down.
"Ben," Pan said as he entered his room.
"Go away," was Ben's reply.
"Ben, there's one last thing I need to tell you. But you have to promise you won't kill Bron."
"Why? What could he do that would make me kill him?" He asked, losing his patience.
"Ben, promise."
He paused. "Okay. I promise. Now, what did he do?"
Pan was quiet for a moment. "Bron loves the number seven. He thinks it's sacred. He even believes any other number may be unlucky or unholy."
"Yeah," Ben became impatient. "So?"
"Do you remember the seven fires that your parents were killed in?"
The brunette froze. "You mean…."
Pan nodded. "Bron killed your parents to spite me."
A/N: The best parts of religion. Sorry for the boring Q&A chapter. More questions? Comment.
