Taking Flight [Hold]

Chapter 1

He ran through the woods, his bare feet hitting every rock and up pointed stick there was.

He wasn't paying attention though. He had to get away. He had to run as far as his legs would take him. To a clearing or a cliff or somewhere. He just had to get away from the sounds of growling and barking behind him. Erasers (a lupine-human hybrid genetically engineered by mad scientist) and mutts (actually dogs, not genetic hybrids like himself and the Erasers) were only a few yards away and gaining speed. They were closing the distance so fast.

For most kids' while they're only 12 years-old, the situation would have been considered a nightmare, a bad dream. For Izaya Orihara, this was his life and his escape.

The lab gown that they had put on him instead of actually clothes was loose on him from not eating as much as he should considering how much calories he burned just breathing.

Perks of being an escape lab experiment and mutant freak. Now in theatres everywhere. He thought, bringing a smile on his face as he continued to run.

It wasn't long before he saw light break through the trees and his speed picked up with anticipation. Maybe he had struck a gold mine and found his way to a clearing...or not. Try a canyon that dropped about 300 feet straight down into what might have been a shallow river. Though, he was still pleased with the outcome considering his other options of going back to the hell hole they called the School or being eaten alive by the Erasers.

The Erasers and dogs were only two yards away, he had to act. Now. His wings snapped open and he dived downwards, leaving screaming Erasers and barking mutts behind him.

A smile had found its way to his face as he changed his position and his wings did a down stroke, shooting strait up. He looked over at his wings, never having got the chance to marvel at the raven black feathers that reflected the sunlight almost making him look like an avenging angel as he flew. It wasn't long before he found a cross winds that lead away from the school and he allowed it to lead his way. With a wingspan of 10 feet from tip to tip he'd need to take a break soon but, he didn't care. He was free and he knew where his family was.

-

It was nearly three weeks after his great escape and Izaya found himself standing in front of a door about twice the size of himself and that was saying a lot considering at 13 (his birthday was a week after he escaped) he was nearly 5'0" (he was about 4'11"). He gulped some while adjusting the clothes he "borrowed" from a teenager walking around earlier, a red t-shirt (which he cut slits in for his wings), a short black jacket, and black jeans. He also helped himself to the boy's wallet that had a chain, hooking to his front belt loop. It was a decent outfit. He found himself pressing his wings close to his body, feeling constantly paranoid that someone could see them.

It took him nearly 10 minutes before he finally worked up the nerve to knock on the door. It wasn't long before he heard two pairs of feet coming to the door. As the door creaked open slightly, he looked down to find two girls looking up at him. They were identical and were staring at him with wide eyes.

"Hello." His voice seemed to jump two octaves as he spoke and Izaya cleared his throat quickly. "Hi. My name is Iza-"

"Mairu? Kururi? Who's at the door?" A woman's voice came from behind the twins and Izaya jumped some as both girls ran to the voice. Izaya heard talking before the woman appeared and his heart speed up. She looked so much like him. Her hair was a lightshade of brown unlike his black hair but, their facial features and hazel/crimson-brown eyes matched near perfectly. She was staring at him just like he was staring at her.

"Hello, Mrs. Orihara. My name is Iz-" She cut him off before he could finish.

"Izaya Orihara. Born May 4th. Blood Type is O. I know who my son is." Izaya felt himself smile some until she spoke again. "I also know I got 1,000,000 yen from that company for him." His face fell and he would have started to sob like a child if he hadn't taught himself better while he was in the School. "Come in."

Izaya looked up at her and nodded some as she stepped aside to let him in. The woman waved the two girls off before they could ask to many questions and lead Izaya to a different room where he sat on a leather couch and she sat in a chair across from him. He didn't look up to meet her eyes as she looked him over again. His shoulders sagged slightly as he sat.

This was his mother? Someone he dreamed of meeting and living with so he could have a fairly normal life? He demanded that the School fix their systems and checked their records because this was bullshit.Though, even if he didn't want to admit it, the fact of their relation was evident. This was his mother and those girls that answered the door were obviously his little sisters.

"So," The woman started first and he found himself looking up. "Izaya Orihara. You should be what, 15 or 16 now, right?"

"I'm only 13." Izaya spoke softly to keep his voice from cracking but, loud enough for her to hear him speak.

The woman's eyes widened some and she laughed slightly. "Really? You don't look it. I guess that's what the avian genetics do, huh?"

Izaya's eyes widened and he stood up, glaring at her. "You knew?"

"Of course." She chuckled some looked at him with a smug look on her face. "Why wouldn't I know?"

"And so you sold me off to those...those demons?!" His voice rose to a scream as he spoke. Her face didn't waver as she leaned forward some.

"Without a second thought about it." Izaya felt as if someone shot him in the chest. He let himself sink back into the couch, putting his elbows on his knees, and burying his face in his hands. "You can stay if you want. We have an extra room upstairs by Mairu and Kururi's room."

Izaya scoffed some and he let out a dark laugh. "And why exactly would I want to stay with a woman who sold me for only a 1,000,000 yen?"

"Because, Izaya, this woman has a room for you while you need someplace to go and enough money to feed you while you are starving. And let the selling you thing go. It just makes someone pity you and pity doesn't suit you to well. The others only went for 10,000 yen. At least I put a decent price on you." Her voice held an icy tone. "Deal or no deal?"

Izaya sat silently before he spoke. "What's the catch?" The woman grinned and nodded some.

"You're smart. Good. You can only stay until you go to Rira Academy. I can say you've been staying with your uncle since you were five and started school in another country. Do you know any other languages?" She looked at him, waiting for an answer.

"I can speak Russian... I don't really know how though..." He didn't lift his head to see her nod.

"Okay, then." She picked up her cell phone. "For right now, you'll be attending a local middle school. Also, keep whatever those scientist did to you a secret, got it?"

"Wouldn't dream of anything different..." He muttered some and his mother gave him a look he could pinpoint somewhere between disgust and hate.

"Go to your room and get cleaned up. Dinner is at six." Izaya stood, bowing slightly and leaving to his room.

The second the door closed behind him, he collapsed. Why did this happen to him? What happened to the idea of mom's being nice and kind and over all wonderful people? How the hell could he end up with the woman who sold him off with the knowledge of what would happen to him?

He slumped against the door and sighed. At least he was safe. For now, anyways.