Chapter 8

Is this what they call fulfillment?

In the months that came and went, I continued to grow until I was nearly perfect. Yet in that time, I found myself wanting to learn new skills. Mother figure was kind enough to take time and show me how things were done, how to create and achieve something through hard work. I never knew the complexity of machinery and technology until now. Yet my mind wished to absorb it all! She had me read books and understand blue prints and code. In return, I taught her the alien code from the ship she managed to obtain. "To my knowledge, no one really knows alien since it's rather rare to say the least." she explained to me.

"I can understand why, perhaps this can be an encryption to keep your work safe?"

"That's a great idea!" she said with cheer. "Let's get to work!"

Since then, I have been assisting her.

I have found various parts of the ship scattered around this world by a former hero known as Metal Knight. However there was one part of the ship I didn't bring to mother figure.

It was hidden in the thick, swampy land of a far city. When I first found it, I couldn't believe it remained intact. It was part of the medical bay of the Dark Matter ship!

However, why was it abandoned?

I didn't understand the logic behind it, our most advance medical equipment was kept in this space. That or perhaps the human who found it had no need for it. Either way, I claimed it as my own lab so I could work on various projects!

In between helping mother figure, I also trained by the suggestion of Garou. I did this at a distance from the household, slowly building my power until I achieved stage three. Yet when I managed to reach it, I could barely hold on to it for a minute.

My body frame was that of a twelve-year-old human child, yet I could feel myself ready for another growth spurt. "Once more…" I said to myself.

I built up my power. Time and time again I would do everything I could to activate stage three. I could barely hold it for a minute, then I was able to hang in there and hold the surge for four minutes.

Still, it was tiring work!

However, I already felt a difference. I could feel myself getting stronger, which also mean, I would have to forge armor to wear. If I grew too powerful too soon, there would be no force one earth that would contain my strength!

#

"A suit?"

I requested one from my mother. When I explained before the original couldn't contain his power, he needed a suit to do it.

I happened to have asked for this during dinner. Mother figure paused to the notion. "Wait, you want a suit made to control your power? That's a wuss way of doing it…" Garou said between mouthful of dinner.

"Wuss way?" I asked.

"Easy way," mother figure explained. "He is suggesting control your power by your own ability, don't depend on armor to do it for you."

"Do you have any idea what you are asking of me!" I demanded the table. "You have no idea how difficult it is to contain such power within yourself!"

There came an awkward silence from the table. No one said anything until elder Garou stood up and excused himself. I watched him leave the house, but shuttered at the sudden shift in the air. "What is that?" I asked aloud.

Mother figure cleaned her plate before she stood. "Follow me," she said and went towards the front door as well. I didn't quite understand yet I followed. We walked out of the house, towards the spar pit and then went beyond it to a clearing.

"Mother figure, what is this…" suddenly, the pressure in the air shifted. I felt a powerful presence above me… then…

It appeared.

I looked up to this monstrous being, staring me down. Its body full of these demonic beasts and yet, I could sense great strength coming from it. Power that would overwhelm the weakest of minds, bodies and souls, yet, the one in command of it, stood rather proudly and without issue.

"Mother figure…" I whispered. "Who is that?"

She smiled. "YOU PROVED YOUR POINT DAD!"

Dad….

That thing…

Then it began to shrink.

The creatures turned small and wrapped around their host. The demon features of it receded until the familiar figure stood before me. This alpha has a lot more tricks than I anticipated.

The moment he rendered himself to normal, he stared at me oddly. "Don't understand huh?" he asked in a stern tone. "You got any idea how hard it is to control that power in me?"

I had no answer for him.

I had no idea he contained such strength before me. But it also put my words to shame. I spoke out of context, and yet in this, I learned it was possible.

"I am sorry," I said lowly.

"Tomorrow then, you're mine!" he stated. "Be ready, I get up at the ass crack of dawn." He warned and went back to the house.

I was rendered silent by the whole thing, yet Mother figure gently patted my head. "It's one thing to know when someone is strong, but it's another to assume no one knows what you contend with." She said gently. "My dad has been through a lot, it took him some time to control his own power like this, you can learn from him." She explained.

That is what I intend to do!

#

I was woken before the sun rose that day.

Garou didn't lie when he said that he got up rather early. But I had agreed to follow him today and I wished to see what he could teach me.

We ate a hearty meal together before he turned to the front door. "Let's go." He said.

There was no hint as to what we would be doing this day, let alone where we would be going. It was strange that I trusted him enough to follow. Before, the pervious me would have fought him on the notion, refusing to even listen to what he has to say or offer. But, now, I feel there is something to learn from him.

We walked outside were I was grabbed by his tail once more. But he gently placed me on to his shoulders. "Hold tight," he said and took to the skies.

We flew over the cities, until he came to a rather unpopulated area. There was a broken down temple of sorts and a massive waterfall within the mountain range. When we landed, I was confused. "Why here?" I asked. "This doesn't offer anything…"

Garou glared down at me. "This here is an old temple, I learned there was a master here. It was after my first monster phase I went through. This place helped me clear my head and get a better perspective."

The place didn't offer much from my perspective. However, I trusted his judgment.

"Very well, what do we start with?"

He smirked to me, I was led around the back of the temple to where the waterfall resides. Garou didn't hesitate as he went towards the falls, and he sat under it, the water cascaded down his shoulders and over his body. And yet, he sat there… I didn't see the point of it, I mean, it's like a shower isn't it?

I took a step forward, when my feet hit the water, I felt how ice cold it was. Strange, it startled me at first, until my body adjusted to the chill. I made my way towards the falls, at first I didn't see the point of it, until I placed my hand into it.

The pressure that came off the falls was rather intense. I never though such a thing could be possible from a mere flow of water! Then I placed my head under it.

My God! The weight threw me off as I fell face first into the stream!

Quickly, I recovered from the embarrassment, but Garou smirked. "It's not easy." He said with a grin. "Even for a strong being like yourself, it's easy to underestimate something like this. The taller the fall, the greater the pressure it puts on you." He explained.

I wasn't about to be made a fool of by water! So I tried again, yet I found each time I sat under the water, I felt my body get struck oddly.

It hurt!

But I quickly pulled myself out and couldn't understand why something so simple caused so much harm.

Elder Garou then removed himself from the falls, he looked to me and said. "Let's work together on this okay?"

I agreed.

For the day, we trained. I learned that he was also learning on how to alter his body. In fact he showed me.

With a strain on his face, he retracted every creature bounded to his flesh. They sunk into his body as he appeared for the first time to me… human.

His body was black yet still had jagged scales, he appeared uncomfortable at first but then adjusted. "How?" I asked of him.

"I'm that stubborn," he said with a smirk. However, like he, he could only hold the form for five minutes if that. Yet the longer we trained, the more he began to hold his new state.

He taught me to control my energy flow, as well as achieve the third phase. I could hold it longer now, but still in short bursts. He timed me on everything, including how long I could hold my power. "Five minutes, that's what we agreed on the starting point to be." He said. "It appears your body is a lot like mine, it will adjust to the pressure put on it, but, we will do this slowly." He said.

"Why slowly? Do you think I am weak!?" I demanded of him.

"No, because too much too soon could make you burst." He said in a serious tone.

I do wish to avoid self destruction…

We continued to train, we would run, jump, lift and at random, he would say 'phase three' I would force my power to go into that stage until five minutes passed. Then, we would work all over again. Any time he shouted phase three. I had to summon that power.

In the time I was with him, it became rather doable.

We took a break for a meal. Much to my surprise, one of mother figure's drone delivered a rather large feast for us. "She knew?" I asked.

He laughed. "When you get married and have kids, you tend to know where everyone is at any given point. Your mother has done well in taking care of you, hasn't she?"

I paused to the question. "I… have nothing to compare it to." When I explained how my people are raised, Garou merely nodded his head in understanding. "Yeah, that seems about right. Like when I was a kid, the popular picked on those who weren't… like me." He said. "Part of the reason why I sought to be a monster before. I thought, if I was something strong enough, the world would have to work together to defeat me… needless to say how that turned out."

I nodded to him. We ate rather silently after that, before going back to our lessons.

I didn't realize how a single day made me so much stronger!

I turned to phase three at the notice. It wasn't a struggle; it was like a snap of the fingers! Garou even appeared impressed. "Not bad, now we extend the time from five minutes to ten." He said. "It got too easy for you hasn't it?"

In twelve hours, I was able to achieve the first goal, getting to phase three and holding it for five minutes.

I would continue to train with elder Garou for a few weeks. The progress was slow, but surly.

My body is still maturing, perhaps it will be easier the older I become….