The Renegade

Chapter 18: Don't Clip My Wings

    Dust and black ash, strewn across the walls. Mixed in with the burgundy hue of the thick substance splattered on the walls. After most of the dust had cleared, there was nothing short of pure shock and terror, granted by the newly awarded features. There seemed to be a tense air, that held shaky exhales and droplets of blood (or something) floating around. Belle knew exactly what was happening. They had talked about an experiment like this, before she came to the Renegade. And that was only about a month ago. She had expected it sometime, but she didn’t assume so soon. The thought occurred to her how that had gotten into that room.
    She looked around, examining all of her newly-transformed teammates. She quickly took note of many of their features, realizing what (and who) they were. Maansi was the only “normal” looking one. Belle assumed, looking around the room, that she was the only human. Besides Hannah, who looked no different besides her now bulkier stature. Schiffs’ skin was lined with scales up and down her arms and legs, and a few on her cheek bones. She was a ragoon then, gifted with the ability of fire. Next to Schiffs lay a fox on the ground. A kitsune. Looking around, Belle realized that Jenna didn’t stand amongst her comrades. From Mia’s back sprouted clear, intricate wings that had silver tips, and pointed ears. As for Kylee, her wings were featured, seeming to be and eagle’s, and her fingernails now more along the lines of terrifying talons. She glances to her side, she sees her two friends, Nikki and Mike, now more terrifying than before. Then again, they all were. Nikki’s skin was colored a pastel green color, and had pointed ears. Most likely a prite. That made sense, if she was. Especially since she loved dogs. Her eyes wander over to Mike, who she could barely recognize. Mike’s skin was a light hue of red, fading to a harsher red at the ends of his limbs. On his fingertips –and probably toes- the red faded into black. His face was still a pale color, the light red starting on his neck. By the looks of it, he must have been a descendent of one of the first aliens on Earth. That would explain a lot, actually. Starting with his extreme interest in space.
    Belle realized that she was now on the ground. And so was everyone else, being that they are just now picking themselves up. Belle nearly refused to move, knowing exactly what she was.
    Everyone else was looking around at the other people in the room, taking in what had just happened. Belle laid her hands in her lap, suddenly finding them more interesting.
    “What the hell?” She hears Mike say. She looks over to see him looking down at his hands. Mia and Kylee’s wings were drooped, having just sprouted from their backs. Belle decided not to stand up for that reason, trying her best to withhold her wings.
    For what felt like hours, they sat there, in nothing but thick tension that even a scythe couldn’t cut through. Belle laughed to herself, realizing a new meaning behind her scythe.
    In an attempt to break the silence, Maansi jokes, saying, “When did all of… most of you get a makeover?”
    “How the hey did a bomb get in here?” Kylee asks, nearly furious. “And why did it have these… effects?”
    “Auda. Whenever she hugged me. She must have put something on my… back. Or somet-” Belle’s cut off by her own throat, seeming to be holding a boulder. Her vison started to become blurry, and something wet started dripping down her cheeks and onto the ground. She was weak. Weak to cry in front of her friends, her comrades. Weak to let herself reach this point. Weak for letting Auda reach that point. The betrayal of joining the Govern was harsh enough, but now this? Belle didn’t know what to do with herself. She glances upwards, and Kylee is aiding Mia’s wings into an upright position, for Kylee’s were already there herself. Almost everyone was giving her sympathetic looks, and that’s exactly what she didn’t want. Sympathy. Anything but. She had done this to them. Now there was another obstacle. But seriously. This came out of nowhere. Who writes this stuff, anyway?

    “So are Maansi and Hannah the only humans?” Someone asks, drawing the attention away from Belle.
    “Actually, I’m an itane. Strength and all.” Hannah says suddenly.
    “So Maansi is the only human?”
    Maansi looks around before responding. “Yeah, I guess.”
    “What about Belle?”
    Belle’s eyes widen and her heart seems to stop. “Uh. Yeah. I’m human too.”
    “What about your-“ Mike starts to say, but Belle shoots him a hard, cold glare.
   “’What about your’ what, Mike?” Kylee sighs, slightly annoyed.
    Mike looks over to Belle and she shakes her head, mouthing, ‘Don’t.’ Nikki took note of that. 
    “Well?” Kylee growls, crossing her arms.
    Mike glances between Belle and Kylee. “Belle just… she healed… Nikki.”
    “What the hell Mike?” Nikki pouts, throwing her hands up.
    “They had to figure out some time.” Mike mumbles, casting his eyes to the side.
    “So she’s an angel?” Kylee’s eyes move to look at Belle. “Why did you lie?”
    “She has been on the ground this whole time.” Schiffs interjects.
    “Belle, you’re going to have to stand up, before we make you.” Kylee says sternly.
    Slowly, Belle makes her way to her feet, still holding back her wings. They don’t know anything.
    Kylee looks on skeptically, walking over to Belle, and pacing around her. “If you’re an angel, where are your wings?”
    “I told you, I’m human.” Belle mumbles, her voice small.
    “Are you, though?”
    Belle nods slowly. Belle freezes and she could practically feel Kylee breathing down her neck. She flinches and she feels her poke her back harshly, scrambling away with a whimper.
    “A mere poke like that wouldn’t hurt a human, Belle. Stop lying to us.”
    Belle looks around, suddenly feeling trapped, being surrounded by everyone.
    “We can forgive and forget this little incident, including you running away, if you just tell us the truth now,” Kylee’s expression softens. “We can avoid all of this, Belle.” She turns again, realizing that Schiffs had her weapon drawn. “After all, we had started to question your loyalties.” Belle looks at the ground. Finally letting go. Finally giving up. Slowly, Belle’s wings rise in the still-thick air. She hears a gasp as her friends look at her wings. They were mostly white, but faded to a dark black near the tips. She was a demon and an angel. Not quite a fallen angel, since not all of her wings were coated with the dark color. And nearly everyone knew that that kind of love was forbidden. For an angel and a demon to be wed is one thing, to bear a child is another (incomprehensible) thing. There was no reason for Belle to even exist, according to certain laws. Near the tip of her right wing, there was what looked like a part of the wing had been clipped.
    “Uh… maybe we should go to the commons.” Nikki says after a long period of silence.
~~~
    They all sat quietly, not knowing what to say. In the midst of the silence, there was a loud, booming voice. But no one heard it except Belle. The voice seemed to overtake the silence, replacing it with the vibrations of each word. You should have died out there. You shouldn’t have fallen for her bait. You shouldn’t have lied. You should have died instead of Riley. No one would have cared, anyway. No one cares about you. They don’t give a flying fuck whether you died or not. You should have been placing your comrades’ lives above your own curiosity.
    Belle’s thoughts were interrupted by a quiet murmur beside her.
    “Belle? Are you okay?”
    Belle placed her hands on her knees and looked at her concerned friend. “Yeah, Nikki. I’m… okay. Thanks for the concern.”
    Nikki wasn’t satisfied with Belle’s answer. Belle ignored her obviously annoyed face and looked around. “What are we going to do?”
    “Well, the Govern is about 10 or so years ahead of us. So we might not be able to come up with a cure to this sometime soon. So we train.” Kylee answers simply.
    Mia scoffs.
    “What is it?” Kylee asks.
    “Nothing it’s just,” Mia glances around at everyone. “Why should we have to change it back? I mean, this is who we are. This is who our families are. Why can’t we just embrace who we are? Why did we have to grow up to learn how supposedly ‘disgusting’ the different species are?”
    “Because that’s the way of the world,” Belle sighs, not looking up. “This world is a disgusting place. And unfortunately, we live in it. Though it’s mostly the people that live in it that make it such a shitty place.” Her voice seemed to become smaller and smaller as she talked. She finally looks up at Mia. “Not everyone is as caring and compassionate as you, Mia.”
    Mia nods slowly. “Training it is, then.”
    Suddenly, the door bursts open to reveal Ezra and Ulysses. Ezra holding an amused face, Ulysses and shocked one. From Ezra’s back sprouted pitch black wings that were similar to Belle’s. Ulysses had fish scales on his arms and poking out from his khakis.
    “Ezra’s a demon?”
    “That makes a lot of sense.”
   “Have you seen the news?” Ulysses asks, out of breath.
   “What? No.” Jenna, who was now a human with three fox tails and ears placed upon her head, spoke for everyone.
    “Apparently, they did this,” Ezra points to Ulysses’ scales, and the team’s new features. “To the whole damn country.”