Strain: Rebel's Rise

All Eyez On Me

An hour later.. Keyan grabbed the mail from the mailman, shifting his body weight in place, barely taking a walk. He was trying to keep his cool. He figured that today he'd have his B.B.R.O Program Letter by now. Wouldn't you know it, it came yesterday when he didn't check it.  He shrugged and tore open the letter quickly, confidently pulling out the contents within.

Mama Lana was on the couch, reading something Keyan figured was better unknown. Last time, he went snooping through Mama Lana's books to find something for him to read. Let's say he wasn't a fan of exotic books like that.

As he reads the letter, his face slowly grows a bit more confused. "I'm C rank? Did they not see what I did in that forest.."
Disappointed, our young cub climbs the stairs, pocketing the letter in his back. Finally getting upstairs, he closes the door behind him. "My bad, I'm back. Alright, back to what I was sa-"

"..I'll be damned. And you're telling me Herbie Till, did this shit?"

Keyan shrugged his shoulders to Zane's question.

"Man, if I'm being honest.. I don't think he did it necessarily. He actually didn't do anything. Except, hurt manny..."

Keyan stood up from his bed and walked over to the window. He looked out to the sunset before him and touched the glass. The moon stared at him, telling him she'd be arriving soon.

"I think I've just.. I've always been a late bloomer, i guess. I mean, as far as I know, I've been human since birth. B.B.R.O can't tell me where my powers came from either. Maybe actually fearing for my life awakened my powers -" "Nah."

Dustin was using Keyan's punching bag, throwing straight jabs. Talking in-between breaths. "I think it was the fire." He threw a right hook and stopped, wiping his forehead. "Ice is weak to fire , right? So maybe your body overheating turned on your powers, activating your X-gene." Keyan and Zane looked at each other, then back at him laughing. "Nigga that's the dumbest shit I've heard you say all day." They both said, Manny rolling his eyes and getting back on his phone, scrolling through his phone.

Zane got up and pat Keyan on his shoulder, leaning on him.

"Look, if you ask me, the cause of it had to have been due to fear. Were you scared when you got attacked?"

Keyan reimagined that moment in his head, when Herbie had Manny burning.

"..No. I felt pissed. I was pissed. He hurt my best friend."

"Ouch" Zane said, Keyan rolled his eyes.

"You know good and well- look anyways. Ever since that day, I've been feeling warmer, but I haven't trickled a bead of sweat since that day." Keyan raised his hand and swirled around the cold mist and the window all of a sudden became a bit fogged up from the ice.

"Ever since that day, I've been feeling warmer."

"Funny, we've been freezing since we've been around you."

Keyan did notice the boys zipped up their hoodies and had on their hoods actually.

"Exactly. Mama told me the same thing, then I hit the corner right there going into the kitchen like a dumbass, but guess what? I barely felt it. I think maybe rage has something to do with it? And ..the more angry I get.. The warmer I get. The warmer i get inside-"

Zane groaned.

"Bro. We get it! You're an Icy Hulk. That doesn't explain the durability though, now does it?" Keyan scowled at Keyan and raised his hand at him, Zane flinched and gave him the middle finger. Dustin gave a slight chuckle and sighed.

"...or maybe, it was because I almost died."

Keyan mumbled but loud enough for the boys to hear him.

"Yeah, fear factor. Told you. I'm always right."