I Know You Have Questions

Manley turned away the wolves two more times before continuing with his testing of the new skill. He applied two energy tethers, one after the other, because he still couldn't do them at the same time. His tomahawk appeared in his hand and this time he was prepared. After catching the axe, he looked up the mountain, an idea began forming in his mind.

"Time and space…that heat was unnatural…what or were could it be coming from?" Manley's thoughts were interrupted by the wolves again but this time they transformed back on their own.

"It worked!" said Bob.

"Yes…" Bill looked at his excited son, he was barely fighting the off his own excitement.

"You're both butt naked, fuck off," said Manley. He was about to return to his thoughts when he received a chat from Roger.

"Ley! Where are you?" asked Roger through the chat.

Manley exhaled in annoyance before replying. "I am in the woods by a tree, do you want the name of the tree?"

"This is not the time for jokes, your daughter is missing, and no one has been able to find you!" said Roger.

"How are you doing that? I feel like I should be able to hear you but it's like silent noise," said Bob.

"Fuck off must have a different meaning to you, I—"

"Manley! What the hell, didn't you hear me?" asked Roger.

"I heard you just fine, she is with me. How did you hear about that anyways?" asked Manley.

"I was just going to let you know that your kid is about to die," said Bob as he walked away.

"I received a call, someone drove out to let me know but I was busy at the time," said Roger.

Manley looked over at his daughter, who was playing with a snake. Another snake was looking at her enthralled. Manley didn't think she was in danger, so he stooped down to get a closer look. He could hear Valley, making gibberish noises but in the hisses of the snakes. "You have my skill…but is it only one…"

"Manley! Are you listening to me!" said Roger.

"I said she was safe, get back to your schooling, sorry for the interruption," said Manley absentmindedly.

"I know you, cut the bullshit. Everyone is freaking out, your wife…your very pregnant wife is hysterical. Stop what you're doing and go see them."

"Okay…relax, I will take care of it. Oh, before you go, could you do me a favor?" asked Manley.

"What…this is! What is it?" asked Roger.

"Cut yourself." Manley waited for a response, but none came. "I—"

"Was joking, I know…," said Roger.

"Actually, I wasn't joking. I need you to make a small cut on you hand, then project a tiny amount of your energy to the wound."

"Why? You know…whatever gets you to take care of your responsibilities." The other end of the chat went silent for a couple of minutes. "Holy shit! It healed…how did you know that would happen?"

"Yeah, long story but I have responsibilities to take care of, whatever you do, don't try imbuing objects with your energy, the wolves might get you." Manley shut off the chat, even though Roger still tried contacting him. He picked up his daughter in his arms, as a snake fell off her. "It looks like we have to go home, Valley."

He turned around only to stop short, a fully dressed Bob and Bill were looking at him. "What? You haven't seen weird shit before. You can follow me if you like, I have to assign you both to a project so I can forget…get you set up." After picking up his things, Manley made his way to his cabin.

The cabin was a little different than he left it, for one there was way more activity than before. He barely made it to the porch before his mother came running out of the cabin. "My baby, where have you been, Oh you found her!"

"So, how many of you are here?" asked Manley. Bob and Bill stood a distance away, just watching the commotion. Robert, Manley's father came out after his wife, he looked at Bob and Bill suspiciously. Manley moved the baby away as his mother tried to take her from him. "No, she stays with me."

"What happened son, where have you been and how did the child go missing?" asked Robert. He pulled his wife away after seeing Manley's reaction to her trying to take the baby. He could tell something was wrong with his son, but something has always been wrong with the boy. This was different, he was cold, distant, and very protective of the child.

"There was a magical madman in the mountains, he messes with your memories and steals your children," said Manley. He cared about his parents, but he no longer wanted to coddle their feelings. They spent so many years worrying about him, he wanted to release them from that burden, even if it means being himself.

"Oh my god!" said his mother.

"This is no time to play around! What happened?" asked his father.

Manley tried to get a look inside the cabin as he spoke. "You see the two Indians behind me?" Manley looked over to see Robert nod. "Father and son, the son was taken from the father just like my daughter was taken from me."

"Wait…you're serious…this really happened," said Robert. He hugged his wife, as she was frightened by the conversation. "Was this man…like us?"

"No, I think he was a god." Manley opened the door and walked into the cabin without waiting for a response. His pregnant wife was inside and very happy to see him. "Whose baby is that?"

Val was holding a little girl in her arms; she looked down at the child then back at her husband. "This is your sister; your parents came down to help me but then…"

"Manley, what do you mean by god?" asked Robert. He walked in behind Manley, his wife still holding on to him. She broke away from him to get her baby from Val.

"Exactly what I said, a god. I don't know if that's what he really was, but my subconscious called us mutants and him a god." Val struggled to her feet to take the baby away from Manley, but he pulled it away. "She will stay with me, you have enough to deal with, plus I can keep her safe."

"I don't…" said Val. She wanted to argue but something in Manley's posture made her stop.

"Boy, what are you talking about? Subconscious?" asked Robert. He gave his son, who looked like a cornered animal while keeping his baby away from its mother, a long look.

"It's difficult to explain and I am not going to. Why are you all here? The missing baby notwithstanding." Manley put his bag down, then held his daughter with both hands. "Also, have you seen three wolves around here?"

Manley's mother and wife looked at him as though he lost his mind, his father tried to remain calm. "We heard about you building a city, your mother and wife both having a young child, I thought it a good idea to bring the family together. We tried to contact you but received no response, but heard from the young Val. When we arrived the baby and you were both missing." Robert watched his son carefully but waited patiently for a response.

"Okay, then you can help Val with her project to populate the city with melanated folk. I have to set up a mercenary group, automate my medicine making and meet the president." Manley walked toward the kitchen but stopped. "Stop with the scared act, I am very much in control of myself and the situation. My daughter is safer with me, and I am not going to be disappearing anytime soon."

The group hurdled together to talk about the situation, while Manley made himself something to eat. He kicked a snake away from his feet, then the ladies started screaming as they spotted it.

"Get out, I will kill you," Manley hissed. The snake raced out the cabin door, that was left open.

ANIMAL TRAINING BASIC LV1 Gained

"Shit like that will keep happening, so who wants to hold my daughter and fight off snakes?" Manley held the baby out to the group. No one moved, thinking his convenient excuse worked, he ignored them.

"Manley…baby, what is happening?" asked his mother.

"Mom, dad can shoot light out of his hands that heal people and see-through walls," said Manley.

His mother turned to look at his father, his father sighed. "I will explain later Ashly, boy, is the child responsible for the snake?" Manley nodded at Robert. "You also said something about wolves, is that related?"

Manley paused for a moment then said slowly. "Yes, I have to get those two outside settled, could you handle the explanation." He finished his meal and stood up to walk outside. His wife grabbed his shirt and gave him a pleading look. He hugged her and pulled away. "Everything is going to be okay."

Bob and Bill were gone when Manley walked outside. He looked around, then remembered he could track them now that they were in his group. He looked down at his daughter in his arms, thought about leaving her behind as he went off to search but was overwhelmed by panic at the thought. "That fucking Koga, no wonder Bill couldn't leave the mountain."

He quickly put the shaman out of his mind and walked into the woods. As he tracked the father and son duo, he recognized the path he was following. The place Bill and Bob were, just so happened to be the same place he was attacked by Bill. He could see the tall three with nine, thick branches in the distance. "You've grown, since saving my life."

Minutes later, he couldn't get much closer to the tree. He walked up next to Bill and Bob who were gazing off into space. He was about to ask them a question but froze at the sight of hundreds of different animals gathered at his tree. "Well…no, maybe one more time. What the fuck is this?"