Orthas could feel the weakness and fright running through his veins as he sat up, the nightmare running on his mind on repeat. The sounds of gunshots echoing through the depths of his mind, as he slowly started to calm down and come to reality. He realized he was in a room he didn't recognize, and as he swept his gaze across the room his heart racing even faster, he saw a man standing in the doorway. Broad-shouldered, mustache, and piercing blue eyes, holding in his hand....a gun???
As Orthas saw the gun his breathing started to pick up, his heart racing as the shaking returned. He could feel the uncontrollable fear coming back, drawing tears out of his eyes as he unknowingly let out a piercing scream, crawling away to get as far as he could from this mysterious stranger.
Charles quickly realized his mistake of grabbing his gun, he quickly tucked it away and put his hands forward like he was attempting to calm down a wild dog
"It's okay son, I'm not here to hurt you it's okay, my name is Charles. I'm a police officer, we're in my home" he said as calmly as he could muster, taking slow steps forward
"STOP!! DONT COME ANY CLOSER!!" Orthas screamed in response obviously still in shock and in full flight mode
"Yea all right kid, look everything is gonna be okay. You went through something real bad, and I'm just trying to help" Charles slowly sat down getting to Orthas level, making eye contact with a warm smile
"who are you? How did I get here? I want my mom." Orthas whispered as he slowly started to calm down again
Charles winced slightly "yeah I know kiddo, I probably shouldn't say this...but uh...your mom's not with us anymore"
Orthas froze, staring wide eyed at the man now kneeling at his level. "NO! YOUR LYING!!"
"Afraid not kid, she's...gone...I'm sorry..." Charles looked down tears of regret and sympathy welling up in the corners of his eyes
He slowly got and started moving towards Orthas again, not seeing any reaction he slowly wrapped his hands around him in a deep hug
"I'm so sorry" he whispered in Orthas's ear
Knock Knock Knock
"Come on, someone's at the door, probably for you." Charles said after hearing the noise
He gently took the kids hand and led him towards the front door, as he opened it he saw a women standing there, dressed in a sleek suit that seemed much more suited to an office then out on the street.
"Charles Snow?" She asked right away seeming almost exhausted
"Uh yes ma'am, and...you are?" Charles asked slightly confused
"Patricia Gowen, FBI" she pulled out a badge and showed it to them both "I'm here for Orthas, I was a...friend of his mother's"
"Yes ma'am, come in I'll make some coffee" Charles answered seeming unfazed by the agent at his front door
As he moved towards his dining room area letting the women in, he never let go of the kids hand, seeing this Patricia raised an eyebrow. What she also saw however, was the gun tucked away behind his back. Her gaze sharpened, her hand going for her weapon as she started looking around in worry.
"Don't take another step" she demanded hand closed around her unfastened gun still in its holster "Tell me your badge number. Now."
Charles sensing the change in the situation stopped and put the kid in front of him blocking his view, tuning around he stared at the agent "hey chill out no need to-"
"I SAID BADGE NUMBER" Patricia interrupted
"1903" Charles said slightly exasperated "Charles Snow, detective for the veilrum police department, badge is on the desk."
Slowly the tense feeling faded away, as Patricia refastened her gun and took her hand off it, "right sorry about that, just... nervous... I guess"
"It's alright I understand, been a pretty messed up week if you ask me. Anyway you want that coffee?" Charles responded shrugging his shoulders
"Um...sure, if you don't mind" Patricia answered while coming in and closing the door behind her
As they walked, nothing but heels and sandals hitting the hardwood floors, Patricia slowly studied the kid. Cute, slightly handsome just like his father, great hair, definitely from his mother. She laughed slightly the sound almost out of place after such a tense and strange start to their mornings.
"Don't have any creamer or nothing, so hope black is okay" Charles spoke while walking to an old looking coffee machine
"Yeah that'll work" she answered "so kid how are you feeling?"
"hungry" Orthas replied softly
"Don't worry we'll get you something to eat soon"Charles chimed in
"If it's not to early, could you tell me about yesterday?" Patricia asked studying Orthas intently, almost like and investigation
Orthas froze, the sounds slowly rushing back to him, bang bang bang like thunder echoing through the halls of his brain, shaking slightly he shook his head left to right. Unbeknownst to him tho, his eyes went from black to slightly blue, almost unnoticeable if not for the FBI agent currently studying his face intently, she knew there was a reason her friend got killed, and it was the same exact reason that her husband got killed. Changelings
Strange mutated humans who for some reason could shift their appearance, some only slightly others completely to the opposite gender. Made for great spies, for even greater assassins. Unfortunately the government wasn't to keen on letting this potential weapon getting away, so they started rounding them up for experimentation. Cutting them open to see if this was the future for everyone, or just a select few that somehow evolved, or mutated depending on your stance.
"Do you know?" Patricia asked Charles seriously
"Know what?" He confusdly asked back
"Nothing" she said quickly "rain check on that coffee, I'll be taking the kid now, somewhere safe."
Orthas feeling the tension rising once again worriedly looked between the two adults "could I stay with Charles?" He whispered only being heard because of the shocked silence
"What? Do you realize what kind of danger your in right now? They could be coming for you, they could already fucking be here, I'm taking you away from here, to somewhere safe, now" She said back almost seething
"Woah now let all calm down a little bit, now ma'am I understand there's a lot going on right now, but how much danger could the kid be in? He's in my house, aint no one gonna be messing with a detective" Charles argued sternly
"Look you don't understand what's going on ok-"
BANG BANG BANG "OPEN UP FBI"
"Why are there more agents coming here?" Charles asked confused, slowly reaching for his gun tucked behind his back
"I'm not sure I was informed of such a thing" she answered with a slight shake in her voice
"Y'all stay here, I'm gonna go answer the door. Don't make a sound" He said with newfound authority
As he walked up he carefully moved his body to the side of the door and peeked quickly through the peephole, and what he saw confused him, 'was that... Patricia??? Wait if that's Patricia then who's...' as a cold shill went up his spine he suddenly jumped to the side which was quickly followed by a loud
BANG
the bullet hitting the wall right where his chest was next to the door, Charles quickly sat up and straightened out his arms taking aim before
BANG BANG
Pulling the trigger twice on his gun one to "Patricias" chest and the other to her abdomen, slowly she fell to the ground her skin twitching and stretching back into that of a...man? Round face, blue eyes, blond hair, full red beard.
BAMthe door burst open as 2 agents rushed in instantly checking both corners before slowing down and pointing there guns at Charles
"I.D where is it?" A man in a dark navy blue suit asked sternly
"On the desk right there" Charles said his hands raised while pointing at the small nightstand with a lamp on it near his couch,
With a small nod from the woman the man went and grabbed the wallet and found both a badge along with the I.D, with it a driver's license, a credit card and some notes of cash.
Walking back he showed it to his partner, "look about right?"
She studied it for awhile and slowly nodded "yea that's him"
She walked towards him slowly and took his gun, taking out the magazine and emptying the bullet in the chamber before setting it on the floor and putting the mag in her pocket "where's the kid?"
"Right in there" Charles said pointing with his shin towards the only hallway "all the way at the end where the kitchen is"
"Walk" the women ordered "no funny moves"
As the man lightly shoved Charles towards the hallway
"Hey kid you doing alright in there?" Charles asked with a slightly raised voice "wait...oh shit" he mumbled to himself as he suddenly moved faster and rushed to the kitchen seeing Orthas curled into a ball under the table sobbing and staring at the floor
The two agents rushed in after him "hey I sai-" the man raised his hand as the women was about the start yelling again, he pointed towards Orthas and lowered his gun
"Calm down Patricia, we got here on time let's try and calm the kid down first" he said his voice suddenly soft
Slowly Charles moved towards Orthas sliding on his hand and knees as best he could under the table
"hey it's alright Orthas, your okay, it's me Charles, your in my house. Look count the tiles with me okay? 1,2,3,4..." As he slowly started counting the tiles with him Orthas finally got his breathing under control, his shaking finally stopped and he looked up hugging Charles tightly
"I got scared" Orthas whimpered out clutching onto Charles shirt
"I know kiddo, your okay now." Charles almost whispered back "your okay".