Strain: Rebel's Rise

Branded by God

The lights flickered and hummed as electricity flowed through the bulbs. A beeping noise came from a monitor sitting beside Keyan and so did his mother. He groaned and rubbed his forehead, Momma Lana instantly grabbing him to help him up.

"BOY, YOU SCARED ME."

She hugged him. Keyan moved his hair out of his face and blinked, finally coming to reality.

"What the fuck happened to you? Baby? Talk to me who hurt you?"

Lana cussed at him, but it was all out of worry. Keyan took a minute to respond, looking around him. Before he spoke, his eyes widened

"Where's Manny?! Did he-"

"The boy is fine, son.  He suffered severe burns... especially on his torso and his neck. 2nd degree, but the doctor says he'll live."

Keyan nodded, calmly putting his hands on his face, his memory all coming back. That, and he's got an excruciating headache

"That asshole Herbie was chasing us. Manny had run to me after coming from the back of the party and told me to run, and we did and. Ma, it just happened so fast. Ma, he tried to kill me!"
His assurance came with a growl. He was more angry than he was scared. Lana had never seen him this way since...

"Keyan..the doctors said you were knocked unconscious beside Manny, but you didn't suffer any burns. Only the stab wound."

Keyan reached for his stomach, feeling his side. The blank expression on his face, he already was thinking what she was thinking

"They also said there was. Ice.

Covering the trees, it looked like they were blown in the direction of the flames. Keyan.."

She sat on the bed with him, playing with his locs and cupping his face.

"What do you remember before you passed out?"

"Nothing. I..I just remember the flames coming at us and-"

A tall man with wavy curly hair and brown eyes in a white coat, a goatee, and a nice smile,

walked in.

"Keyan Ingram?"

The young man sat up straight, momma Lana stepping a bit up to the doctor. "I'm Doctor Taylor, a pleasure to be at service."

"Well, doc? Is he free to go home?"

The doctor bowed and looked at Keyan with a smile.

"Yes ma'am, his wound to the abdomen wasn't too fatal, It will heal within a few days, the healing properties of his ability will speed up the recovery. The only issue would be a scar left on h-"

Keyan stood up. He walked over to the doctor

"Abilities?"

The doctor nodded and chuckled.

"Yes I uh, was just about to bring that up. Your powers have finally awakened, young man! Congratulations. You're now an official, registered, and healthy Xenomon!" Keyan looked over at momma Lana, who looked back at him. His eyes were filled with horror, excitement, and many emotions in between. The tone switched over, the atmosphere thicker than the rock holding Excalibur. "The uh, Xeno-program will most likely switch your classes, and give you a few vitamins in case you feel any numbness, nausea, pain of any sort. We've transferred your blood details to B.B.R.O's HQ for examination and well, you should know what power you have by now but it'll tell you your potential ranking as well based on the readings!' The doctor passes them a few papers to sign and some articles on how long the process of your DNA results takes.

"Which room is Matthew Higgins in?" Keyan calmly asks, his voice shaky, as if he was scared of something. This time, he was. The thing about him is that he wasn't that he wasn't ever afraid, being born in a world where crazy people with powers and animals mutated into something else exists, there's a lot to fear out there. Though his dad told him when he was a kid  "Shall fear no man but God." It was his favorite line, and it was the only real thing he could remember about his father. Right before his disappearance. 

"He's in room 216, but I'm afraid you won't be able to enter, family only." The doctor calmly said, Keyan scoffed. "We are family, what the hell? We're more fa-" Mama Lana quickly popped him in his mouth, giving him a very intense stare before looking at the Doctor with a smile.

" I'll leave you two alone." The doctor closes the door behind him and rubs his neck. "I have to do better with the surprises, man..."

Hours later...At Momma Lana's house

Keyan and Lana walk inside, both sit in the living room on the couch. Lana holds Keyan and rubs his shoulders.

"Are you hungry?" Mama Lana asked Keyan. He sat there looking puzzled, an angry expression on his face, gently caressing his small beard. "I know this is a lot, but hey! You're a Xeno now, champ. Your father would be so proud of you." Keyan nodded and moved his dreads out of his face. Lana sighed and scratched behind her ear, puzzled about what to say. Before she could open her mouth, Keyan stood up and gave her a warm smile. "Well, I have to go to sleep... today has been pretty wild. I need to process this." He kissed Mama Lana on her cheek and rubbed her shoulder. "But I'm fine, mama, I promise. I'm a warrior, remember?" Keyan tapped his heart and bowed to her before settling on the stairs, looking around his room. A poster of Team Vanguard, photos of his mom and him as a boy, and action figures adorned the room. He walked over to his baby picture, and his sad doe eyes could be seen reflecting from his baby pictures where he was much more joyful and didn't have a care in the world.

Keyan grabbed his black jacket, a black ski mask, and some combat boots that he kept from his father's military days. They were the same size as his. As he was about to sneak out of the window, he gazed at the moon. 

Suddenly, footsteps began approaching, and the hallway light flashed on, casting a shadow under the crack of Keyan's door. Quickly, he hopped into bed and covered up. 

"Mama Lana, damn it!" he thought to himself. 

She opened the door and peered through the crack. 

"Key, are you okay?"

Keyan nodded slowly looking at her. He then turned his body towards her and talked in his ' I'm not doing anything ' voice.

"Yeah mama, I'm fine. Just trying to sleep.." He smiled at her.

She nodded and almost closed the door, but she noticed the shoelaces from his boots.

"Boy, where the fuck do you think you're going?"

Keyan instantly opened his eyes and shot up, revealing his outfit.

"Listen. I already had to check you out of the hospital, boy doesn't make me beat yo' ass, you're not going nowhere! Take them motherfuckin' clothes off!"

Keyan quickly got up and took off his clothes, only his underwear and socks on, she slammed the door and Keyan laid back down. The moon stared at him, and he stared right back at her, closing his eyes and sighing. He needed answers. He'd get them somehow.

He stayed up all night still, like a kid meant to be asleep before Santa came.  In his hand, a sphere of ice with a faint blue glow stared into his soul. Even if he couldn't feel it anymore, He knew it was chilly in his room just from activating his powers when frost appeared on his bed.  The minutes turned to an hour, but the routine stayed the same. Trying not to damage his room, he was practicing a few small tricks first. As the moon finally takes her eyes off of him, the sun takes her place, telling Keyan that now he can go play.