The Delta Crew

Chapter Three

          -- catnipAlchemiter [CA] began pestering bronzeAmbassador [BA] at 14:04 --

CA: :33 < how's your prison sentence going joey?

BA: hoW THE HELL Do YoU THINK IT'S GoING?

CA: :33 < i mean at least you aren't dead

BA: hoNESTLY AT THIS PoINT, doING THIS SHIT JUST To SURVIVE DoESN'T SEEM ALL THAT WoRTH IT.

CA: :33 < meh of course it's worth it. we have plans to carry out here

BA: fUCK GoTTA Go, tHE HAG'S BACK.

CA: :(( < aw already?

          -- bronzeAmbassador [BA] ceased pestering catnipAlchemiter [CA] at 14:06 --

          After frantically closing his laptop, a muscular, tan hybrid leaned his head back, sighing. Being Jane Crocker's son, Joel was on lockdown at all times. He'd learned early on that the other hybrids weren't nearly as monitored as he was, which he supposed made sense, considering there was an unknown entity out to kill everything that moves, but it didn't mean it was any less frustrating though. None of the hybrids got to have a normal childhood, and they already had their life practically planned out for them. For Joel, it made him feel a way he couldn't describe, other than 'shitty'. He had no choice on anything, and it felt like he wasn't in control at all--not even in control of himself.

          The bronze-blooded hybrid got up and went to his bathroom that was inconveniently not connected to his room, and was instead only accessible by going out into the hallway. He made sure to be as quiet as possible. He didn't want an unskippable side-quest with Jane, that would be Hell.

          Joel preferred avoiding any and all mirrors, but he always ended up staring at himself in them anyway. He hated how he looked and how he was made. There were almost no traces of him being part troll beyond his horns, and he hated that. He didn't know why it bothered him so much, but it ended up being one of his biggest ailments most of the time even though he couldn't conclude why. His freckled skin was human, his brunet hair was human, his whole body was human and knowing he looked nothing like a troll made him feel like he was missing a part of himself. He was always trying to find ways to make himself seem more troll, and he even used troll terminology when talking.

          To add insult to injury, Joel wasn't even the ectobiological son of Jane. Originally, even though it was Jane's idea to create these hybrids, she didn't want to volunteer herself to give up her DNA for it even though she was one of the humans randomly picked. So, she found a substitute person. Why she didn't pick John or someone else from the main eight humans, Joel would never know. After John died, Jane felt a sense of obligation to keep taking care of Joel, on top of the hybrids being her idea. Because of this, Joel felt out of place and as if he never belonged, since he was practically adopted. It was also another feeling he wouldn't tell anyone about.

          He finally managed to wrench his attention away from his mirror long enough to actually use the bathroom, only to go back to staring at himself after he was done, drifting into his own thoughts while staring at himself blankly.

          Joel often wondered where Jane went for hours at a time, everyday. Maybe she was scouting the place; it wasn't too far of a stretch, considering how paranoid she was. Or she could be out helping Roxy. Roxy, the adopted-mother of the fourth hybrid, Luan, was fully dependent on Jane. Luan often talked about how Roxy wasn't coherent most of the time because of the alcohol, and usually, Joel felt bad for not liking his life considering Luan seemed to have it much worse. She practically had to raise herself, which was honestly impressive since she turned out relatively normal.