Paragon

Chapter 9:

It was nice to have a home. Even I could admit that. For the first time, I had what could almost be called a normal life. I had my own room and my own things. I ate three meals a day, not with soldiers, but with my new family. I played games. I went shopping. I watched tv. I hung out with my siblings, and my team, or rather, my friends. I got annoyed with Morgana, I listened to the three Prime Order agents talk about their days. In short, it was just a normal life.

Or, that's what the others thought. I didn't. I felt trapped just as much as I had back on the island and in some ways more. At least there I'd been encouraged to go with my instincts, encouraged to use my powers, not hide my true self. Here I couldn't even unsheathe my claws without someone telling me not to. Even the other Paragons would look at me askance when I accidentally used my powers.

Gamma said I would get used to it. He said that someday I'd forget I had them. Someday when I was living a normal life, when I had a normal job, a normal family.

Yet, to me, it didn't seem like an adjustment period. It felt like Purgatory. I didn't know what I was waiting for, but I knew it was coming. As much as the others liked to pretend, normal was something we would never have.

One day I happened to walk by Gamma's office, absently noticing that he was talking to someone.

"Yes, I know." He said. "But they're showing no signs of abnormal behavior. The leader is having difficulty adjusting, but that's to be expected. What about the others?"

I stepped to the door, unable to help myself.

"They're still in London?" Gamma asked. "How many? That'd be the full team then. I'll-hold on, I'll call you back."

Before I could move the door burst open.

"It's not polite to eavesdrop, Katana." Gamma said.

"It's not like I can get information out of you any other way." I replied, annoyed. "Were you planning on telling me you'd found the other Paragons?"

For a moment we regarded each other silently, waiting for the other to give in.

"Come inside." He said.

I entered the office, noticing a portrait on the wall of someone who looked remarkably like Jinx.

Gamma sat down behind his large desk, motioning me to the chair across from him.

"That's Morgana's mother." He said, noticing my fascination with the portrait.

"Was she a clone?" I asked.

"Yes, one of the Union's Sasha models. Michael and I rescued her from one of their cloning plants, along with one other. You've met Jinx."

I nodded. "What happened to her?"

He stared out the window. "You know that clones often suffer from numerous health issues. She got sick right after Morgana was born, and..." He shrugged.

"I'm sorry."

He nodded, still not looking at me. "That's how I met your father. I knew if anyone could help her, it'd be him. There was nothing he could do, but I still always felt a sense of gratitude to him. That's why I agreed to adopt Falcom and Malcom."

"Why don't they live with him?" I asked. "I've tried getting them to tell me, but they refuse to talk about it."

"He sent them away for their own protection."

"From who?"

Gamma sighed. "Xavier Cane."

"Him?" I laughed. "He's not nice, I'll say that, but I do feel everyone is sort of exaggerating."