|Weak Hero| Of Fangs and Claws

Chapter 5

Mom Go drove them to the columbarium since it was still quite the distance and they wanted to avoid being seen by other people. After ensuring that there were no other visitors, Kingsley led Donald over to the niche where his mother's urn was kept. 

Donald held Gray's hand so that he could also accompany him. Gray struggled to walk only on his legs but Donald helped keep him steady. Gray, still with a mostly feline mind, couldn't retract some of his snow leopard features like Donald had done.

Donald stared at Sua Lee's photo and her urn for a couple of silent seconds. Finally, he spoke. "Hi Mom..." Tears began to well up in his eyes. "I'm sorry...I haven't been able to visit you..."

"Who's she?" Gray asked, managing to say the few words.

"My mother," Donald answered quietly. "Mom, this...this cub is my little brother," The tears began to fall. "I wish I had been able to visit you on your birthday..."

Gray, sensing his big brother's overwhelming sadness, hugged him. 

"Mom...if you were alive...would you still love me...even though I look like this now?" Donald whispered in a broken voice. "Can I even be considered human anymore?"

"Donald," Kingsley gently told him. "You are still human. You're still a person,"

Alex waited with Ben, Jake, and his mom in the car. "I still can't believe that someone like Donald was reduced to such a broken mess," Alex mumbled. "I still don't forgive him for the troubles he caused us, but..."

"Donald is still a human just like everyone else," Ben said solemnly. "Everyone has a breaking point,"

"Do you think it was a coincidence that those two, the two smartest students in Yeongdeungpo, were both kidnapped?" Jake brought up.

"Are you saying that they were both specifically targeted by someone?" Alex questioned.

"It feels a bit too coincidental," Jake claimed. "But I can't think of anyone who's an enemy of both Donald and the White Mamba,"

"All of Gray's enemies here are in the Union since you guys were the ones who attacked us first," Alex reminded. "I can't think of anyone outside of the Union except maybe Phillip. But I doubt Phillip has connections to Mad Dog Arena to get them kidnapped,"

XXX

Donald and Gray continued to stay in the guest bedroom. The Eungang and Kingsley always visited after school. Mom Go and Ariel were very warm and welcoming to Donald and Gray. Mom Go always made sure to have a place for them set at the table. 

Donald practiced focusing on retracting his lion paws. It hurt a lot each time he tried but he made great progress. Eventually he was able to completely retract his lion traits, including the tail, completely. Whenever Donald was greatly stressed out or angered, the lion paws and tail would come out again. Some nights he'd manage to go to sleep completely human only to end up waking up with paws and a tail due to a nightmare.

Donald didn't really enjoy going outside. It felt so open and freeing yet at the same time it also felt too open. He felt too vulnerable, as if he would be attacked by any and all directions. He preferred to stay holed up in the guest bedroom, an area he considered to be his territory now. The only reason he left the room at all was to stay by Gray's side because Gray liked to explore around the house.

Gray started to speak more words and eventually began to speak full sentences. He also started to stand on his two legs more often, although there were often times that he found it more comfortable to walk on all fours like an actual cat. He hadn't started practicing retracting his feline traits like Donald had yet.

XXX

It had been three months since Donald and Gray had been found. The Eungang finally decided to call Gray's mother. They informed her that they had found Gray and sent her Alex's address. Mom Yeon said she'd head there first thing tomorrow morning.

Morning came and Mom Yeon rang the doorbell. Mom Go answered it and let her into the living room. Gray sat on the couch and his snow leopard ears perked up when he heard him. He immediately stood up on high alert.

"Gray?" Mom Yeon called towards him.

Gray stared at her. "Are you...my mom?"

Mom Yeon got a better look at Gray. Her eyes scanned over him and she clearly saw his snow leopard traits. She took a step back, away from him. "Stay back,"

"He's not going to attack you," Ben spoke up. 

"He's a freak," Mom Yeon wrinkled her nose in disgust. "That thing isn't my son,"

"Donald, don't," Kingsley held Donald back.

"Hey, he only looks like that because he was experimented on!" Rowan argued. "He's still your son!"

"I refuse to consider it to be my son!" 

"How dare you!?" Mom Go slapped her. "What kind of mother are you!? Shouldn't you be relieved that your son is alive!?"

"All he has done is caused nothing but hardships for me lately!" Ms. Yeon snapped. "My husband left me because he didn't want a child! I still decided to raise Gray as a single mother. He was well-behaved and studious as a child. In his third year of middle school, he suddenly stopped attending school for two whole months. When he finally did return, he attacked the city representative's son! Do you know what kind of backlash my reputation faced because of him!?"

Gray whimpered from her yelling. He hid behind his big brother. Donald began to snarl at Ms. Yeon. Ben and Gerard noticed and helped Kingsley hold Donald back.

"We had to move to Yeongdeungpo because of him! I lost my job! I managed to find another job, but we had to move from a big house to an apartment! Then, when high school started, he also started getting into fights more often! And now? Now he went and got himself kidnapped and turned into a freak! I am done with him!"

"GET OUT!" Donald roared. The only reason he hadn't lunged at her was because Gray was clinging onto him while crying. "I SAID LEAVE! YOU UPSET CUB! YOU UPSET MY BROTHER!"

Ms. Yeon was startled by the roar and quickly fled without looking back.

Word Count: 1031

Ms. Yeon did genuinely love her son in the past but all that love is gone now.