Chapter 5

Cain could mostly ignore the strangeness, and luckily super human hands were easy to hide since they still looked like hands. The last thing he wanted was the government to take him in as some sort of alien science experiment. That would totally suck. So, he tried to live normally and not let on that the strangeness was just increasing as time went on.

For example, he had started to have dual emotions. It wasn't very strong at first, but he soon became confused when He would feel annoyed, yet happy over something. Or curious and completely grossed out. He thought it was normal, until he was put into situations where he knew he shouldn't be feeling happy, or curious, or just delightfully content. It was utterly confusing and he was working on blocking out whatever was causing it without really knowing what was causing it.

The second odd thing he noticed was the super skin beginning to spread. It first showed on his chest and stomach, the skin shiny and metallic. It soon spread up, expecting his hair to puff up from static but strangely his hair starting looking like fine wire, really silky flexible wire. He tried tugging one out and just managed to make his head hurt, the hair firmly in his scalp.

The next thing was starting to hear whispers. At first, he thought it was the radio, but after turning everything off and listening to utter silence, he could hear the faint whispers. At first he couldn't understand them, too faint to make out, but over time it started to form ideas or questions or even just random thoughts. It was like having another's mind in his own, it was extremely distracting and he had to make sure he didn't accidentally answer the voice out loud around people.

So far everything had been manageable, except for one thing. His companions, Balthazar and Elizabeth, avoided him like the plague. The static he generated was getting worse and they wouldn't come near him. Admittedly, it hurt a bit not being able to pet and pick them up. To cuddle and be comforted. He missed it a lot. The voice and feelings seemed to give understanding to his own feelings, trying comfort of its own but only made him feel uncomfortable in his own skin. He really hoped this stopped soon, missing the companionship greatly.

For the most part, he could ignore the voice and the feelings and the super skin, working his garage and helping customers without anyone the wiser. Which was good, because living like he was normal made it all a bit more bearable. Like this wasn't ruining his life or anything. It was just.. a change. An extreme change, but he could deal.

Things got a bit more... crazy, a few weeks later. It had been a couple months since the meteor hit and the cube infected him, for lack of a better term. While gathering supplies, mostly bolts and other small things, for his garage, he crossed the road focusing on his receipt. Perhaps he should have paid more attention, but regardless, halfway across he was hit with a great force, launched over the sleek car that had hit him head on, rolling and coming to a stop on his back.

Cain hadn't uttered a sound, mostly surprised by the sheer lack of pain. He should be black and blue, and bleeding out on the pavement. Instead, he slowly sat up, people rushing to see if he was ok. Looking at himself, his bare arms looked a little.. gray, but otherwise his clothing took more of a beating then he did. A rush of relief and thankfulness went through him, the relief not his. Well, most of it not his. It seemed his visitor, as he had come to call the voice, was glad he was ok too.

The driver, a young kid probably new to the road, rushed over, looking about ready to cry. Standing up with the help of one of the by standards, he brushes himself off. Everyone seemed surprised he could stand, let alone do so without blood staining his clothing. Looking at the front of the car it looked like it had hit something. Something a lot more solid then a human body. Oh no. He waved everyone off, promising he was ok, that the care took more damage then he did. He needed to get out of here. Grabbing the bags he had dropped when hew as hit, he rushes to his care, brushing off anyone that followed in concern.

This was a little too much. Surviving a run over with not even a scratch? He hadn't even been aware his legs were metallic but that was besides the point. It hadn't been indestructible, his skin could still be sliced by a knife... couldn't it? A feeling of guilt welled up, and he knew it wasn't his. What had his visitor done? Or maybe it knew and didn't want to tell him? This was just getting ridiculous. HE drove his car home, a blue-purple Subaru BRZ Sti.

Parking in his garage, he closed and locking everything, sitting at his work desk and concentrating hard. His thought were angry, and demanding. He wanted to know everything this entity knew. What had it done to him. Why was it doing this? What had he done to deserve this. A feeling of protection welled up, a need to be safe. He didn't give a rats ass if it wanted to be safe. Why was it changing his body? What had it done.

The entity seemed to be over done with guilt, stating the need for protection again. Of not being ready for danger. Bullshit, his skin was permanently indestructible now because of his visitor. Not that he asked for it or anything. The guilt seemed to mull over his thoughts, offering a different kind of protection. Outside protection.

Cain would rather it left entirely and put his body back to normal thanks. Sadness over came him, and an answer of negative. It could not leave, protection was needed instead. Well shit. What else would it do in this crusade to apparently make him as a new 'home' for whatever it was that decided he would make a good place to live. The offer to make outside protection came again. Sighing, he rubbed his forehead, a headache forming. He decided yes, why the fuck not. If it made the thing happy and stopped it from accelerating whatever it was doing to him.

Acceptance and happiness welled up, with comfort mixed in. it was very unsettling to feel so many different emotions at once. He hoped it stopped soon. However, he was distracted by his hands beginning to glow, seemingly lightning arching between his fingers, until it launched at his car, licking ans skittering over the surface. He yelled at the entity inside him, promising retribution if it had just fried his car. Soothing waves of calm and eager came to him, asking to be patient and see. Seething, yet calm, he looked over his car.

That is until it decided to move. Not the usual 'rolling down hill by itself' move. No, it seemed to split apart into a thousand controlled pieces, spin and click in some odd intricate pattern, until a bipedal... robot was sitting in front of him where his car used to be.

What. The fuck?