Chapter 6

What is this planet doing to me?

The more I learn and grow, the more I see things in a different perspective. Perhaps it's because I am not fighting for my very existence? Perhaps it is because I am growing among other strong and abled warriors? I couldn't quite understand it, yet I found myself drawn to understand this life on earth. What it is offering me or perhaps what is it is taking away from me.

Mother figure I found was very smart and could create strange and odd things. One she happened to make for me just a few days later. It was an odd strap that went around my waist. "A belt?" I asked curiously.

"Tap the center of it," she said with a smile.

Humoring her, I did just that.

Strange robotic bugs began to spread across my body. When they settled I was stunned, my flesh turned to that of a human! I found a mirror and peered into it. The face that stared back at me was strange. I was a good blend between father figure and the alpha Garou. "Why?" I asked.

Mother figure smiled. "You are being raised as my son. It's natural for you to have some of Suiryu's looks and my father's. Do you like it?" she asked.

The face was broad and yet narrow at the chin, I had father figure's face. But the eyes were that of the alpha. My hair was similar as well yet had the strange spikes of Garou within them. "It's an interesting form…" I said offhandedly. "But why make such a thing?"

"Well. You want to see the world?" she asked. "I will let you explore with Suiryu and I or someone of my family if you wish to. I can't keep you cooped up in a house, how will you learn and grow that way?"

She… is considering my development?

Despite the times I have been rude to her? She is looking out for my wellbeing?

I accepted the notion, however I wished to grow stronger before that happens. "I would like to see the world, but, I wish to be a little bigger before I do."

She nodded in understanding. "That's no problem." She said with a smile. "I won't force you to go out either, but when you are ready let me know."

I pondered this for a moment, but then realized that perhaps I do need to investigate this world a little better. "Mother figure…" I said gently. She paused from her work and gave me her full attention. "Could… we go out now?" I asked.

She smiled and nodded. Leaving her work behind, we left the strange mountain that she has since turned into a fortress. I was taken to the closest city and was able to look at this strange and odd world for the first time.

There were sights, sounds and smell I never knew existed. Yet the more I listened and looked. The more I began to see how diverse this world was.

I did wonder though, why did mother figure hide my true appearance?

"HEY FREAK!"

I paused and saw a man shouting directly at her. However, mother figure paid no mind to it. She kept walking and explained things to me gently. "I know this world is strange and the people are stranger still. Some more than others, yet also if you are too different sometimes people take exception to it…"

"DIDN'T YOU HEAR ME YOU BITCH!"

I turned and glared at this man who dared to inch closer. He was a few feet away as my fists began to clench. Why does he shout so loudly towards her?

"There are people too that believe if you don't look like one of them, you aren't one of them. Me for example since I don't look human, I am often targeted by stupid people like him for example." She said gently.

"YOU BITCH, I AM TALKING TO YOU! LOOK AT ME WHEN A MAN SPEAKS TO YOU!"

Mother figure continued to ignore him, she never gave him eye contact as she announced aloud. "I will do as you say," and kept walking.

The man however followed and trailed us, shouting all the while as people stopped and stared. "Mother figure, would it not be easier to beat him?" I asked.

She nodded. "Yes, but it would only make him right," she explained.

Make him right?

I didn't follow the least bit, however mother figure kept herself calm and collected until people around her appeared to have had enough. "BITCH, I AM TALKING TO…"

"Shut up!"

I froze as a different voice came out from the crowd. There were people surrounding this man. "Lay off, that's Alley Brawler! She protects your sorry ass on a daily bases!"

Mother figure turned and smiled. "Mr. Taishou! How are things? Is your restaurant doing well?"

Mr. Taishou as she said, smiled to her warmly. Compared to the stalker, he was rather tall and strong looking. "Very well Miss Brawler, thank you for asking. This asshole giving you a hard time?" he asked and pointed to the man shouting.

Somehow, that man lost his courage, he sneered at the sight of my mother who only smiled. "For some reason he kept yelling at me, demanding I turn and face a man when spoken to… He didn't meet the requirement." She said with a grin.

People appeared to have laughed aloud to her words as the man stalking us blushed a beet red on his face.

Is this part of her power?

"Well anyway, how about I talk this guy for a walk the other way huh? Besides, you appear to have a friend with you today, don't you? I haven't seen this little guy before!"

"Oh Mr. Taishou. This is Boros, Suiryu and I have adopted him for the time being. We found him lost in one of the cities but no one has come forward to claim him. So we are going to take care of him for now."

"You have a big heart there Alley, take care…" his attention then turned to the shouting man. "You and I… we're going to have a little talk!" Mr. Taishou however wasn't alone. He had friends come along and block this man from going any farther or leaving for that matter.

I was still taken aback. "You have human minions?" I whispered.

She laughed aloud. "No, this is what we call respect." She explained. "I have helped many people in the city, I am quite fast at repairing businesses and homes when a monster attacks. They can go back to their daily lives rather quickly. But the family and heroes also work hard to take down any threats to their homes and businesses." She explained. "This is another power to have, when people respect you, they will come and defend you, and I truly appreciate those who do."

"Despite the fact you could have destroyed that man with ease?" I asked.

She nodded. "Then that would cause fear. People, who fear you, don't ever respect you. They will believe you are better dead than alive in their books, many times, people will do such a thing to be safe than sorry, and will attempt to attack and destroy us. But they are few and far between, but they still exist."

"It doesn't make sense to me."

"I know it doesn't. But you at least see something now, don't you?"

I didn't understand that either, what was she trying to prove? That if I am nice to people, they will defend me? Or perhaps is it when to display your power? I don't know what she would have done if the man persisted in shouting at her. I would have destroyed him the moment he irritated me!

Wait, could that be it?

The more I considered the notion, the more I realized it was a powerful lesson! Despite the banter and shouting, I wouldn't have hesitated to destroy that man for his incompetence. Yet mother figure kept silent, never showing her power to him, perhaps it is to ensure no one sees what she can do? Or maybe it is something more.

The lesson could be when to know one has to fight?

My mind was racing and ached a short while after. I didn't grasp what the lesson was, let alone if this truly was a lesson to begin with.

It was strange that mother figure did this often. She would let me experience things, yet never telling me why I was to encounter them. Was she perhaps allowing me to make up my own mind on the matter? Was she getting me to consider those outside of my own self?

We continued to walk on that day, she showed me how to get back home by the streets. We got some food and drink along the way at the same time, mother figure stopped a monster attack on the way home.

It was a pitiful thing, no bigger than the average human, yet it appeared odd. It was shouting about making a harem of women to breed with. Yet he was going to force himself upon them.

Granted, the original did that back in the day, however he never kept the women, none of them granted him a child for they were too weak. And yet something like this believes it has the right to reproduce because he desired it?

"Oh, if that's the case, try swaying me to join you!" I was nearly startled realizing mother figure left my side to confront the creature.

He must sense her power… right? But that smile on his face said otherwise.

He was a mixture of different beasts and odd body parts, he drooled out past his lips as he used four arms to try and grab mother figure.

However, before he could even take a step, she struck!

It was like a sonic boom!

The monster turned to paste with a single blow! The gore dropped to the streets as she took out a phone and pressed a single button.

The people celebrated her victory, yet I was drawn to the sky. Strange sounds began to come from above, and then the robots appeared. They worked quickly to clean the gore and even had a built in incinerator to dispose of the material.

"Interesting…" I whispered.

Mother figure then excused herself and returned to my side. "Let's go home for some dinner, shall we?"

I nodded in agreement.

Still, I wondered though, was this all a lesson?