Super Genetics
patreon
Chapter 28: Pawns on the Board
🕑 Added 2024-03-15 17:00:12 +0000 UTC[A/N]: To all the new patrons: Welcome to the fight! So pleased to have you aboard!
Enjoy!
----------------------------------
Welcome to the fightâŚThose had been the words the System had said after heâd chosen his path. That had to be a common phrase among the Awakened.
âUh, thanks?â Terry replied, pushing up to a sit. âThat was insaneââ
Warning! Revealing information about your Awakening will result in consequences.
He cut off, staring at those words. The shock was immediately replaced with annoyance.
His father scoffed. âLet me guess? Got a warning message?â
Terry looked up in surprise. âYeah, howâd you know?â
âEveryone gets them while theyâre acclimating. Best not to talk about the Awakening until youâve had some time to process.â
The warning continued to flash in his vision, so he thought about dismissing it and it flashed once more before disappearing.
âHere, take my hand. My legs were shaky after my Awakening.â His father reached down, his hand extended before Terry.
The man was being so casual, his tone friendly and encouraging. It almost lulled Terry into forgetting the anger and pain of the last six months. No, even the last six minutes before heâd climbed into the coffin had been terrible. He couldnât let himself forget that his own father had blasted him with his aura right before his own Awakening.
I almost let my guard slip down. That wonât happen again.
He accepted his fatherâs hand, his mind shielded once more.
---
Metaphysical component detectedâŚ
Metaphysical analysis automatically commencedâŚ
ERRORâ
Metaphysical component exceeds F-rank. User input requiredâŚ
---
He froze halfway to a stand, his fatherâs hand still clenched tight. James himself seemed to notice his Skillâs activation as well, his eyebrows rising in surprise.
âHmmm, well I see you didnât get Summoner,â the man said with a hint of disappointment. âLet me guess, Distorter? I feel your aura trying to hijack mine.â
For a second, his instinct had been not to reveal his Class. All his life, supers had maintained a sense of secrecy and reluctance in discussing details of their powers. Even among family, he had never been allowed to hear about the actual Skill namesâonly see them in practice. He understood now why that had been the case; the System put these restrictions on the Awakened, made it impossible for them to discuss the specifics with normies.
But he wasnât a normie, not anymore.
âWell, actually, no.â Jamesâ eyes narrowed. âI received Alterant.â
âAltâŚyouâre joking?â
He bristled at that, pulling his hand away as he stood up in the coffin. âWhy would I be joking?â
Jamesâ lips set, his aura shifting. âDonât get defensive, Terry. Iâm justââ
He cut across his fatherâs words, the anger from before the Awakening rekindling.
âWhy shouldnât I be defensive? Do you remember attacking me right before my Awakening?â His fatherâs face dropped and he felt emboldened. âHow about the part where you forgot I existed for six months. Remember that? Maybe if Iâd gotten Summoner, youâd still love me.â
âTerryââ
âBut sorry dad, Iâm just a useless Alterant. You should be celebrating! Maybe if Iâd gotten Summoner, your father would forget you existedââ
Warning! Revealing information about your Awakening will result in consequences.
He clamped his mouth shut, his chest heaving as he faced his father. Jamesâ face was tight, his jaw clenching and unclenching as he regarded Terry. After a moment of tense silence, he spoke.
âIs it my turn?â
Terry shrugged indifferently, his eyes tracking down to the bone blade laying at the foot of the coffin. He reached down and tossed it out of the hole as his father spoke.
âI wasnât trying to be rude about your Class, Terry. I was surprised because itâs not adjacent to Summoner or Hypnotist. And yes, I am concerned about your grandfatherâs reaction.â He reached out, putting a hand on Terryâs arm, startling the boy enough to make him look back at his fatherâs face. âBut if you received Alterant, itâs for a reason. I understand that. Will you tell me about your Skills while we walk back to the throne room?â
His emotions warred inside him, but he kept his aura reeled in tight. It galled him that his fatherâs entire demeanor had shifted post-Awakening; made him feel like he hadnât mattered until he mattered. But he also couldnât deny that he had missed the manâwho he used to be, at least. Had missed that stalwart presence, that feeling of safety and assurance whenever he was around.
But there was still so much to be said first.
His voice was tight, barely a whisper.
âTell me why. Why did you leave me? Whyââ He cut off, the old emotions he had thought heâd buried clawing their way to the surface.
Iâm not a kid anymore, dammit! Supers donât cry. Lock it down and face him like an adult. No, face him like the hero youâre going to be.
He felt buoyed by that thought, standing taller, turning his eyes to lock onto the man he had once idolized.
Only to falter as he noticed the glistening in his fatherâs eyes.
âTerry, Iââ His voice cracked and he cleared his throat. âIâŚIâm sorry.â
He felt his mind tremble, his thoughts whiplashed by those words. Six months he had waited.
The wait had been worth it.
âIâm so sorry,â his father repeated. âYour motherâs death broke me, son.â The tears finally fell, cutting down his cheeks. âIt broke me and I couldnât face you. You look so much like her, I couldnâtââ He turned his back to Terry, his hand propped against the grave wall.
The sense of deja vu hit him so powerfully, he nearly froze. Just as he had frozen the last time his father had been so open. He felt the inflection point now, like a charged feeling in the air. Terry had made mistakes too. Hadnât understood that his father was just a man. Beneath all the dignity and power, beneath the bone mask, was just a man.
He reached out, his hand clasping his fatherâs shoulder. James flinched and Terry almost pulled his hand back. But a moment later, his father reached up and grabbed it, turning to face him. Without realizing it, Terryâs own tears had started flowing. Instinct and need took over and he threw himself into his fatherâs arms. They wrapped around him, holding him tight and for a single moment, he was able to forgive the man for everything.
But moments were transitory and eventually, this one, too, passed. There were too many open questions for him to forgive and forget. He pulled away, feeling a fire in his own eyes that heâd never experienced before.
âWhat happened to mom?â His voice carried a cold steel, his aura shaped into the unyielding demand the way Crunch had taught himâcompressed into sharp point, jabbed forward in a way that couldnât be ignored. It was just short of an attack, the most fervent aura shape he could muster.
His father reeled back, from the aura shape or the question, he couldnât say. But James recovered a moment later, his lips pursed.
âYour aura command is amazing for your age.â
âDonât deflect.â
James looked off, seeming to study the blackwood coffin at their feet. When he looked back, there was an anger in his eyesânot directed at Terry, but there all the same.
âI canât tell you.â
Terry felt his own anger rising, but his father raised a hand.
âNo, Terry. I mean I literally canât tell you. That should be telling in and of itselfâŚâ
His anger drained away, his mouth slack as the realization hit him.
âItâs a Quest!â The realization caused him to reel away, his thoughts in turmoil. âThatâs the reason,â he muttered. âItâs a goddamn System restriction!â His voice rose at the end, the anger redirected toward those enigmatic Wakers. âItâs always been the System, hasnât it? This is how they control us? By siloing us, isolating us from each other so we donât know who to trust, whoâs theââ
Warning! Revealing information about your Awakening will result in consequences.
He looked up toward the skyâhe didnât know why, but he needed a direction to vent his anger.
âFuck you!â he shouted. âFuck your consequences!â
âTerry.â His father rushed to him, both hands gripping his arms. âDonât! I mean it. Donât. These beings are not to be tested.â Their was steel in his fatherâs voice, ripping him out of his burgeoning tantrum. âI know this from experience. If you ever trusted me, trust me about this.â The green of his fatherâs eyes flickered like ethereal flame as he stared into Terryâs own eyes. âDo not press the System on this. Iâm begging you.â The worry slipped into his fatherâs voice, a desperation that shocked him silent for a moment.
When he recovered, his voice felt weak, the strength and elation of his new powers drained from him. âIt canât be like this,â he muttered, searching his fatherâs eyes. âThis canât be the truth of it all.â
James nodded, the sadness in his face echoing Terryâs own. âIt isâŚand it isnât. The burden of these secrets are a lot to bear. Sometimes, they tear friends and families apart. But sometimes, those bonds only appear broken.â He put his arm around Terryâs shoulders, giving him a squeeze. âHealing those bonds takes time and effort, but they will heal.â He gave Terry a playful shove. âAnd the power is nice, too. I know youâve been dreaming of this moment for a long time. Try not to simmer in the hard parts right now. Enjoy the new strength. Experiment with your powers. I envy you, actually. Getting to experience your powers for the first time is better than sââ He cut off, clearing his throat suddenly. âWe, um, we should get going. The Emperor will be waiting.â
Terry gave his father a wry smile, his tone playful. âBetter than what?â
âHm?â James replied, his tone coy. âNothing, Terry.â
âIâm fourteen, dad. I know what sex is.â
âThatâs not whatââ He cut off, realizing how unconvincing he sounded. With a chuckle he nodded. âSorry, sometimes I forget youâre not a kid anymore. Youâre an Awakened, son.â The pride boomed in his voice. âYouâre an Awakened! So what if Alterant isnât nearly as cool as Summonerââ
Terry punched his fatherâs shoulder with a grin and James laughed.
âIâm kidding, Iâm kidding.â His face turned serious, and Terry felt his own wry grin drop. âNo, seriously Terry. Iâm proud of you. Whatever your Skills are, Iâm sure youâll use them to accomplish amazing things.â
Thinking about his Skills brought his mind back to his Quests. The playfulness was sapped away by the realization that he couldnât tell his father about them; couldnât seek his help or advice. He needed to figure out how to feed Wichita on his own. Which was daunting enough. But somehow, he also needed to find the five white roses his mother had createdâwithout telling anyone the reason why!
His father seemed to sense the shift in his mood. He tapped Terryâs arm to get his attention, then flexed his legs and leaped out of the hole in a single motion. When he turned back, he had a childlike grin on his face.
âCome on, Terry. Youâre never gonna be able to do that someday if you spend the rest of your life simmering down there.â He crouched, holding his hand out for Terry. âThis is the last time youâll need help climbing out of a hole.â
His father knew Alterant wasnât a physical Classâthat was common knowledge, even to normies. But even the non-physical Classes vastly outstripped regular humans at a breakneck pace. The thought of being able to leap six feet in the air with the casualness his father had just demonstrated filled him with longing.
He reached up and clasped hands, feeling the strength in the manâs hand as he hauled Terry up. That same Skill message filled his vision as they touched, but he dismissed it with a thought.
Out of the hole, he spotted Hoping Tree and the other unnamed lich. Their auras lit up in his eyes, coronas of light that possessed a metaphysical weight that he could actually feel.
âWelcome back, Prince Terry,â Hoping Tree said. âYour aura is strong. Am I correct in saying that you received an aura-based Class?â
He nodded, opening his own aura as he approached Hoping Tree. âSort of. Iâm an Alterant. Iâm still figuring things out.â
Hoping Treeâs aura reached to meet his and he reached back, shaping his aura into the greeting gestureâone of the earliest shapes Crunch had taught him. Before his Awakening, he had considered it like a U-shape, the other participantâs aura matching as they slotted togetherâalmost like a handshake. He had performed the greeting shape with Crunch so many times, thinking he had understood the bones of the gesture well enough.
But as one of the prongs of Hoping Treeâs U slotted into the empty space of his aura, and likewise his with the lichâs own shape, he realized just how dull his senses had been.
Images and emotions filtered in through the contact points, like open pores releasing pheromones from Hoping Treeâs aura into his own. He felt the lichâs pride in his people, the loyalty to the Emperor, and his happiness for Terryâs Awakening. Beneath those surface thoughts, he saw that same tree, standing hopefully on that single hill, alone and unbentâthe lichâs namesake. Though the information coming through was nearly overwhelming, it wasnât unfiltered; Terry realized that Hoping Tree was directing which thoughts and feelings slipped through the contact. But he could tell that lying would be difficult through this aura touch, require a meticulous care to craft very specific thoughts and emotions.
It was almost tooopen and it scared Terry. He pulled back, having kept his own aura tight so that nothing accidental filtered through.
âSorry,â he said suddenly. âSorry. I didnât expect that.â
âDo not apologize, young prince. The greeting shape can be startlingly intimate for newly Awakened. It is not always such.â
He nodded, feeling overwhelmed with all the new experiences of the last few minutes. His father stepped to his side, pulling his attention from Hoping Tree.
âWe better get going. The others will be waiting for us.â
Sudden anxiety spiked, a heavy feeling in his stomach. Heâd have to face the Emperor, knowing what he knew about Wichita, the paths the System had offered him, and more. Heâd have to explain his new Class and Skills, even though he barely understood them himself.
His skin flushed at the thought, his heart pounding in his chest.
A hand gripped his shoulder, anchoring him.
âItâll be fine, Terry. Tell me about your Skills while we walk.â
My SkillsâŚThe thought thrilled him. It had finally happened, he was finally a superhero.
Or, at least, he had powers. Becoming a hero would happen in time.
âTheyâre not what I expected,â he said as they left the chamber. He gave a wave as the two liches stayed behind. âI received a subtype for my Classââ He turned to his father. âIs that normal?â
Jamesâ lip turned up in a smile. âYes, itâs normal. You can think of that as a specialization track. Itâs chosen for you by the System at first. But when we rank up, weâre usually given choices.â He stopped, noting the frown on Terryâs face. âWhat?â
âThat word,â Terry replied. âChoices.â He half-expected a System warning to pop up, but when it didnât he continuedâmaking sure he stayed circumspect. âI know I canât talk about it, butâŚâ He cut off, shaking his head as he tried to find the words. âIt feels likeâŚIâm a piece on the board. And not a powerful piece.â He turned to look at his father as they walked. âDoes that feeling of powerlessness ever go away?â
Jamesâ chewed his lip, a pensive look on his face. After a moment of silence, Terry snorted.
âI think your silence is answer enough.â
His father shook his head. âItâs not thatâŚIâm just wondering how to phrase this. I wonât lie to you, Terry, thereâs a heavy weight we all bear when we join this fight. And sometimes, it does feel like weâre pawns being sacrificed to the broader game. ButâŚâ He hesitated, looking off as they walked.
âBut what?â Terry prompted.
When James cut his gaze back toward Terry, there was a sharpness to his eyes, a youthful exuberance that Terry had never seen before.
âBut sometimes, TerryâŚsometimes youâre the piece that puts the opponentâs king into check. Sometimes, you see the entire game laid out before you and your role comes into perspective. There can be aâŚbeauty in being an integral part of something greater than yourself.â Jamesâ shrugged, an embarrassed smile on his face. âIt sounds silly, I knowââ
Terry shook his head. âNo. It doesnât sound silly.â
They walked in silence for a few moments, then his dad chuckled.
âWe were talking about your Skills. Alterant, huh? What exactly are you altering, then?â
Terry was happy to change the subject back to something less heady. With a thought, he found himself able to pull up the description of his Skills. âThe descriptions arenât very explicit. It seems like I have two analysis Skills that help feed the third Skill.â
His father nodded. âThat sounds right. Tell me about the primary Skill, then.â
Terry read the description once more.
----
Genetic-Metaphysical Affixation (F)
Alter genetic and metaphysical components to emulate and affix a previously cataloged power
Free Affixation Slots: 1 (F)
----
âItâs called Genetic-Metaphysical Affixation,â he said, his eyes trailing over the space before him as he read. âIt says: alter genetic and metaphysical components to emulââ
His father gasped and Terry turned in surprise. Jamesâ eyes were wide, though he recovered quickly, clearing his throat.
âWhat?â Terry asked. âIs that badâŚ?â
James snorted, shaking his head. âNo, son. Affixations are incredibly powerful. Theyâre not as powerful as mutation-based powers, but are more versatile. From the sounds of it, youâll be able to affix certain powers. Read the rest to me, will you.â
Terry did, reading each of the Skills verbatim as his father listened raptly. When he was done, James walked in silence for a moment, and Terry resisted the urge to prompt the man.
When James did break the silence, it was with a bit of awe in his voice.
âTerry, Iâm not gonna lie, I was hoping youâd get Summoner. For selfish reasons, sure, but also because I knew youâd have the best teacher in the world in your grandfather. And yes, Alterant has a bit of an underpowered reputation. But sonâŚâ He stopped and turned to Terry. âI think you just received one of the most flexible powersets Iâve ever heard of.â
The revelation rocked him back on his heels. He had been feeling insecure after his fatherâs gut reaction. But hearing the man validate his Alterant Skills finally put him at ease.
âYou really think so?â Terry asked.
James nodded, his eyebrows raised. âVery much so. You remember Null? Heâs the closest comparison I can think of to your powerset.â
Of course Terry knew about Nullâhe had been considered one of the strongest supers in the world until his death.
âSure, but he was a Visionaryââ James tilted his head in doubt. ââwasnât heâŚ?â
âThat was his Capstone Class. He Awakened as an Alterant, then transitioned to Distorter post-Midmark.â
Terry reeled at the revelation. Everyone had always thought Null was a single-Class super. HeroWatch had lied to him! But the comparison didnât trackâNull hadnât done anything remotely close to replicating powers.
âWhy is he the closest comparison?â Terry asked. âI thought he could negate powers, not replicate them.â
âThat was what he let us think. He understood how dangerous it would be to reveal his actual powerset.â
âWhat was his actual powerset?â
âHe could negate powers, but that was just a symptom. It came out later that he was able to alter a superâs aura. No one likes their powers being affected, but this went one step further.â The steel in his fatherâs eyes was unnerving, that green fire burning bright as they bored into him. âHe was able to alter a superâs aura permanently, strip them of their powers foreverâŚan affixation. As soon as that came to light, a coalition of S-rankers hunted him down.â
âI thought he died during a Summons!â
James tilted his head, a skeptical look on his face.
âHe wasâŚassassinated?â
âSure was.â
He felt his pulse pounding in his throat. âBu-but thatâs not what my power does at all! Mine just seems to replicate!â
âIâm not saying this to scare you, Terry.â Too late, he thought. âItâs just that that word, affixation, has connotations within the super community that you want to avoid. In fact, I think itâs best if youâŚâ James bit his lip in thought for a moment. âOmit some details.â
âOmit? From who?â The seriousness in Jamesâ eyes told Terry exactly from who he was implying. He opened his mouth to protest, but his father held out a hand.
âOne second, donât say anything.â
He froze in surprise as his fatherâs eyes went unfocused. A moment later, a notification popped in view.
----
James Fairway of Wichita has requested a private channel. Accept?
----
âWha-whatâs that?â Terry asked.
âThe System provides conveniences for us. One of those being private chats. No one can see what you say in these chatsânot even the Emperor. But keep in mind, the restrictions given by the System still apply.â
Terry regarded that notification for another second, then mentally accepted.
Words began scrolling across his eyes, blocking his vision. With a thought, he found he was able to move their location off to the side so they were less obtrusive.
----
[James]: We can talk here. You can indicate the chat window with a thought, then think the words you want to say. Another mental command will send them to the recipient.
[Terrence Fairway II]: You donât really think it would be unsafe to tell grandfather about my affixation Skill, do you?
[Terrence Fairway II]: And how do I change this name!? Terrence Fairway II?
[James]: Iâll show you how after your Status Sheet finishes compiling. Usually only take an hour or so.
[James]: And to answer your other questionâŚIâm not sure how the Emperor will reactâŚHeâs been increasingly erratic since he left me in Topeka. IâŚI wouldnât take the risk.
We can alter the details slightly to make it less threatening.
----
Terry turned away from the chat and focused his eyes back on his father. The worry was impossible to miss in the furtive shift of his eyes.
âWhatâd you have in mind?â he asked out loud.
---
[James]: Donât say anything about affixation. Hereâs what we say insteadâŚ
---
Comments
Steven Beal
Thanks for the chapter
Yury Postnikov
Great )
