Chapter 34 I’ll Be Damned
As his stomach heaved, Ender rushed into the bathroom, dropping to his knees just in time to throw up into the toilet, instead of all over the floor.
Which was nice, because his ass hadn’t exactly enjoyed cleaning up the puke the day before.
Especially when he had thrown up further mid-way through cleaning after becoming nauseated by the smell.
Taking a shaky breath, he pushed up with a groan, and flushed the toilet. Leaning on the sink, Ender stared at his pale reflection in the large mirror, the eyes staring back were slightly wide. “Ha…couldn’t be… Ridiculous…”
He heard the door of his room crack open, seconds before Quill called out, “Fish is ready!”
He had barely registered the words when the smell hit his nose. His stomach gave a violent twist, and Ender dropped down in front of the toilet as he once again spewed his guts.
“ENDER?!” the kid cried in concern, his large feet loudly announcing his approach.
Hugging the bowl still, Ender hesitantly glanced up at Quill’s face, though the over seven foot tall man really made him have to arch his neck to even do that. “Uh…I’m fine. Just something I ate…?”
“Are you sick?” The Fate stared down at him with his brow raised, not looking like he believed him in the least.
He couldn’t help but note that the kid must have decided to dye his long hair since breakfast, as it was now back to bright lime-green over the purple it had been. He had to say, the green was a nice contrast against his medium-brown skin.
Ender ignored the question and pushed to his feet with a groan, quickly rinsing his mouth out. Doing his best to block out the fishy smell surrounding Quill, that was also now filling his room, he turned and said, “I’m going out.”
Because only then would he find the answer to the question he refused to ask or even think about. And if he got what he needed outside of the compound, then there would be no way anyone else could find out aside from him.
“What?! Now?!” Quill’s eyes widened. “Uh, let me drive you?”
“No, I’m going alone,” Ender stated firmly, while pushing past the giant of a kid, as he pulled his hat from around his neck, it having fallen off while he spewed.
He was about to strip and change into clothes that his permanent shadow shell could fill out to complete his disguise, but stopped to eye Quill, who was now standing there in his bedroom, shifting from one foot to the other.
“I would like to change now.” He sighed when the Fate hesitated still. “What is it?”
“Does…Soren know?”
Ender smiled, and with a sweetness that could melt one’s face off, he asked, “Is Toddles in charge here?”
“No,” Quill quickly said, shaking his head.
“That’s what I thought. Now, get out or prepare to be flashed!”
Killian flipped the larger man, pinning him, in his opinion, far too easily for someone already in such an advanced class. He let go as the other Cryptid tapped out. Jumping to his feet, he stepped back as they prepared to go again.
One month of practicing and his movements felt less forced, less fumbled. Killian’s strength had definitely improved, yet he still wasn’t satisfied with where he was at. In his opinion, he hadn’t yet reached the point where it felt fluid, natural, unyielding…
“Next!” Killian barked out, as he pinned his current opponent for the third time, and they tapped out once again.
When the new recruit entered the ring, Killian swiftly pinned the larger, more muscular woman. She had almost broken from his grasp, his muscles straining to keep hold, when they both froze at the sound of a whistle.
“Wrap it up!” Severo yelled, before adding, “Killian, hit the showers.”
Releasing his opponent, Killian took a shuddered breath and pushed to his feet, before looking to the Shadow Dweller with a frown. “Already? It’s only been an hour. There’s still two left.”
The man smirked. “Yeah, for them. But it’s time for you to go do your actual job, and stop beating up and demoralizing my recruits. I’m switching you to Advance Sparring 3 tomorrow, which is after lunch, so you’ll have to adjust your work hours accordingly.”
Killian scoffed, looking back at the others in the room. “Are you feeling demoralized?”
He smiled sweetly when they avoided eye contact, and collectively said, “No.”
Tsking, Killian pulled his bun down. After slipping under the floating protection rope that wrapped around the padded ring, he shook his hair out.
As he passed Severo, on the way to the showers and changing rooms, he drawled, “They are all horrible liars. I’d say work on it with them, but we both know, with your skills, you’d be of no help, Severo.”
“Seriously, Killian!?” the Shadow Dweller growled.
As Ender stepped off the lift into the underground, he sighed on finding Quill right fucking there where he’d left him, near the control panel for the freight elevator.
Ignoring him, he turned and then pressed the button that was embedded into the ‘skin’ of the shell around him, hidden underneath the collar of his shirt.
The shadow shifted color, turning a solid inky-black, before slipping off him and collapsing down into a small square with a button on top.
The Perm Shadow Shell was a hard-won creation by one of the Dwellers in his command, kept stabilized through the use of pixie dust and a few other complex chemicals.
“That was fast,” Quill noted, before the man’s gaze flicked down to the bag in his hand, as Ender snagged the box off the ground. “Needed…something from the pharmacy?”
Ender pushed past the tall Fate, ignoring him further in favor of scurrying to his room. Quill, of course, followed behind like a damn puppy. As he tossed the box into a drawer, never acknowledging the Fate in the least, he remained quiet, right up until Quill tried to follow him into the bathroom.
Stopping by the door, Ender spun around and snapped, “Do you mind?”
The kid’s gaze flicked into the bathroom behind him, widening before he sputtered, “Ah, sorry!” Clearing his throat, Quill quickly left his bedroom, closing the door behind him.
Tsking, Ender shook his head and went into the bathroom. Sitting down on the closed toilet, he took a deep breath. “Okay, Ender, let’s see what your old ass has gotten yourself into now.”
Pulling the pregnancy test out of the bag, Ender quickly read the box, frowning slightly at the instructions.
Retrieving the applicator, he held the end to his skin, before pressing the automatic plunger.
Ender barely felt the needle as it pricked him, but it beeped to let him know it had successfully collected what it needed.
With that done, he set the test down on the sink counter and waited.
Eyeing his bathroom, he sat there debating on whether to paint the walls a deeper green.
His bathroom continued with the farmhouse feel, and had the same wooden floors, and light-green speckled walls.
Across from the door was the white toilet he was sat on, and next to it was his double sink and vanity mirror, with wooden cabinets above and below.
To the right of the door, in the corner, against the wall, was a large standing shower with built-in benches, and against the left was a white clawed foot tub.
“Why am I even in the bathroom?” He snorted, as his gaze stopped roaming around the large room.
It wasn’t like he needed to pee on the thing. Which was nice. Though, he was sure some would prefer it to a prick.
Ender flinched when the test beeped again, and swallowing nervously, he stood, moving closer. His breath caught the moment he finally looked down, tears filling his eyes the longer he stared.
Slowly running his hand over his still flat stomach, he laughed, his mouth stretching into a wide smile. “Ha—well, I’ll be damned…”
Killian looked down at the sound of a drawer opening, his typing slowing. He snorted as a cookie floated out. “Skya…”
Standing, he followed the shadowy hand that was dragging the cookie away.
Unsurprisingly, it led him right to Severo’s office.
But as soon as he stepped inside, the hand disappeared, dropping the cookie on the floor, right in front of the playpen, as the little girl let out a squeal and reached for him.
“Kill-Kill!”
Oh, my cold, dead heart, he thought with a groan. “Aww, did Skya want to see her Uncle Kill-Kill?” Killian cooed, as he scooped her up into his arms.
The toddler squealed, his heart melting further when she hugged and cuddled with him. Chuckling, he snagged the still wrapped cookie off the floor. “Still want your cookie, sweetie?”
“Ookie?” she mimicked, like the precious child she was.
“Mm, it’s all yours.” He unwrapped it and handed it to her.
He turned to leave with her and found Severo standing in the doorway, his arms crossed.
Killian smiled innocently. “Need something?”
The Dweller sighed. “She’s manipulating you.”
He gasped. “I’ll have you know, she asked for me first! I just decided she deserved the cookie because she is such a good girl.”
Severo stared in disgust. “My Gummy Bear has you wrapped around her finger, Killian. Congrats, you are officially a sucker.”
“How dare you even suggest this precious wee child is a manipulator!” Killian tossed his head with a hmph. “Come, Skya, you can eat lunch with Cyrus and I!” He pushed past Severo, who just sputtered, but didn’t stop him as he stormed away.
Cyrus struggled to hold back his laugh as he eyed Skya, while Killian explained why they were now going on their lunch date with a toddler in tow. His Baby had been suckered, but he looked happy, so who was Cyrus to expose the little girl?
“Come on, you two, let’s go eat,” he said with a chuckle. His smile widened as Skya squealed happily, Killian tickling the little girl and gushing over her.
Ahh, he knew Killian loved children. It was so clear anytime the Siren interacted with them.
More so since Skya came into their lives.
But he also knew with the man’s fucked up childhood, Killian would never give birth.
And Cyrus wasn’t sure he would be so willing to either. But adoption…yeah, they could do that.
Wrapping his arm around Killian as they left the building, he smiled as the idea took hold. It would be nice, having a child to care for and raise with Killian, biological or not. It wouldn’t be bad at all…