Chapter sixteen:
Near flies up to be above the changelings who all stare up at him listening to what their king has to say. "Changelings! He calls out wanting to make sure that they can all hear him. "We will have our chance to increase our strength and be able to take the human city for ourselves!" He announces to which the changelings cheer at hearing this. He clears his throat to which the other changelings are rather quick to quiet themselves down so they can listen once more. "A way to other worlds has been discovered! Worlds that do not have changelings in them! We can take them by surprise and gather strength draining the humans there! Before returning and taking that city for ourselves!" He gives them directions to the home that they need to get to. "Everyone transform and work your way to that location! I expect to see everyone there before we go anywhere! That is all for now!" He flies off to be the first to head to the location. He needs to check that everything is going to plan over there. He lands a little outside of the city and quickly transforms. He takes the form of the person on the ID card that he had taken with him. He heads off to the home giving a friendly nod to officer Jonas. He makes sure to look right at the other so he can see his face.
Officer Jonas gives a slight nod in return clearly not suspecting anything.
Near turns away with a slight smile as he has tricked the other into believing that he is not a changeling. He makes it to the home and goes straight to the spot where he had left Mello and Matt with the two humans.
Omar is slightly hunched over still breathing and he weakly raises his head when he hears Near come in.
Maverick is sitting under Matt's watchful gaze as if the red head changeling and Mello had been waiting for Near.
Near allows his disguise to fall and he looks to Matt. "I can assume that you have been able to know how the machine works?" He inquires to which the red head nods his head keeping his eyes on Maverick.
"You bet." Matt confirms to the other. "And even if this human decided to try to send us to a separate world than the one we were in before it won't matter. The plan should still work out just fine and do as we want it to. Our sudden appearance will definitely shock them still allowing us to start draining them."
"Excellent." Near smirks to himself upon hearing this and looks to the machine. "Tie up that human then. And Mello while Matt gets a spot ready, one that doesn't have anything that he might be able to reach, make sure that he isn't hiding anything that he might use to help escape."
Matt and Mello move to do as they were commanded.
Maverick slightly glares at Near who turns to the machine not caring enough to even look in the others direction. "This plan of yours is not going to work. The other worlds are just going to take you down. You're sending your whole changeling colony to a suicide mission."
"That is where you are wrong." Near finally lets only his eyes shift to look to the human. He doesn't even bother fully turning to the other. "We're a lot better at things than you seem to think." He notices the human turn as someone comes over. He turns to slightly glance only to see what looks to be a teenager with slightly messy brown hair.
"Hunter! Run!" Maverick pleads with the other and Near just calmly looks at the teenager.
"Maverick and Omar." Hunter nods to the two. "But my name isn't Hunter." He transforms revealing himself to be a just barely adult changeling with blue macaw wings. He dips his head to Near while Omar and Maverick's eyes widen.
"B-But Omar was so nice to you and tried to help you!" Maverick seems to be shocked that they hadn't even realized that the other was a changeling all along.
Near chuckles softly for a brief moment. "We are very good at what we do." He tells the two humans and turns his attention back to make sure that Maverick is tied up to his satisfaction.
"Who… Who else was actually changelings? How many did you have that infiltrated our city?"
"That is for me to know not you." Near points out to Maverick only to be able to seemingly know what will be asked next. He knows that he doesn't have to explain the reason for doing this to the human, so he just gives a warning glare to be quiet.
Maverick can wonder all that he wants since he doesn't have to know what their plan is.
Changelings may have been able to get into the city undetected however that doesn't mean that they would be strong enough, at least without sneaking enough power from the humans which would eventually be noticed, to take on a city more prepared for a possible invasion from the creatures that they are well aware share this world with them. They can instead get quickly powerful from another world's supply of humans and return to make the humans kneel to them.
Near turns away and goes to get a closer look to the machine while Maverick is secured in a spot tied up. He can also hear other changelings arriving to be ready for the plan to start. He smiles to himself as he is indeed excited for this to happen.
Changelings will never have to live in caution of being taken down by humans attacking ever again. They will all make the humans suffer for what they had forced them to go through.
In the orphanage night has fallen and it is late enough that all of the orphans have all been sent to their rooms. It is late enough that the room checks have all happened already to ensure everyone is where they should be.
Mello is pacing within his room as he finds himself unable to sleep. He can't help thinking of that other world. He also remembers what he had spoken with Near about while back in the other world. He growls softly to himself and heads for his bedroom door. He opens it enough to peek outside. He glances around not seeing or even hearing anyone in the darkness of the hallway. He carefully steps out quietly closing his door behind himself. He tiptoes to Near's room and opens it slipping inside as quietly as he can. He closes the door quietly to not alert anyone that he came here. He turns once he knows that he is good.
Near is standing by the window in his room staring out at the stars in the night sky. "Mello." He greets surprising the blonde that he had even noticed him enter. "I am also in the room. I could hear the door." He points out to which Mello mutters in annoyance that Near does have a point.
Mello heads over to stand next to the platinum haired orphan. He looks out the window to the stars as well. "Couldn't stop thinking about that other world too?" He questions getting a sound of confirmation from Near.
"I can't shake the feeling that those changelings are indeed up to no good." Near admits bringing a hand up to twirl a strand of his white hair around one of his fingers.
"You know… I can't help it either. I think you noticed it as well but I swear that there was something going on when we swapped bodies again. Then they left but it seemed like that worlds Matt expected something else to happen. None of this is sitting right with me."
"But what can we even do? We don't have any way back to that world to even find out for sure if something is going on." Near points out lowering his head to look to the window sill instead of at the stars.
Mello is about to respond when the two pause swearing that they had heard a barely audible noise elsewhere in the orphanage.
The two turn to look in the bedroom door both wondering what in the world that was.
