The Goth stood up and walked up to him. She put her arms around his shoulders and led him to the center of the room. Jason noted that her arms were cold.

"That's Jess. The one with the glasses is Alex". She turned towards the door were Kevin was still standing. 

"And I'm pretty sure your acquainted with that Killjoy over there, and I'm Mia". Jason only nodded his head but that was enough signal for her to continue. Whoever she was, she liked the sound of her voice.

"And the old man over there is Mr Pierce". If the old man was bothered by her intro he didn't show it, he must have been used to it. Wait did she say Mr Pierce?

"Excuse me. B-but are w-we related?". The question sounded much dumber out loud than in his head. So much dumber, and everyone noticed it. The mood in the room had changed, everyone was quiet. Soon the laughing would start. Mr Pierce cleared his throat quite uncomfortable without the situation.

"Yes we are related". Jason waited for the sneer, the laugh that would that show he had been the victim of a cruel joke but none came.

"What do you mean we're related?". He looked round the room. Everyone was looking at him like he was making scene, well they could go and fuck themselves, what did this man by he was related to him.

"What do you mean by your RELATED to me?".

"I think you should take a seat".

" I SAID WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY WE'RE RELATED? ". He knew he was shouting but he couldn't help it.

"I'm your mother's uncle. I guess that makes me your grand uncle, though I'm pretty sure it doesn't show". The old man scratched his head while saying all this. The anger flowed out of him and with it all his strength he went over to the chair and sat down, and after second thoughts laid down. 

"Where were you all this time? Where were you when I was alone all this time? Where were you when I needed you?". He said weakly.

"I couldn't come. Your Mother... She didn't want me near you".

"That's not an excuse".

"And I'm not offering you one".

" I wasn't under any obligation to take care of you. Sure I could go against my restraining order and come see you and what play catch or trade or give you candy or something. Maybe I would have gotten arrested and locked up or maybe nothing would have happened, but I don't see how that would have changed anything! If your vexed at how your life is then change it, it isn't set in stone. You could spend all day yelling at me and at the end you'll still feel the same way". Jason was quiet and not because of what the man had said, be was quiet because he didn't have the strength to formulate a reply. A memory was surfacing. 

He was in some home in Florida in the playground alone. Which was understandable because the temperature was around 70⁰F. Everyone was at the home drinking lemonade and watching the old TV. Jason was outside because the heat didn't bother him and he wanted to have the playground to himself. A man had walked up to him wearing a coat and a hat. The coat was looked thick and Jason had idly wondered if the man wasn't hot. 

Jason had been warned about strangers and was ready to bolt at any sign. Jason had been trying to use the swing by himself.

"Do you need help with that?". Jason only nodded still on high alert from any suspicious signs. The man had walked behind and pushed the swing. Soon they were talking and like that spent the rest of afternoon, swinging and talking. 

Everyone was quiet, the scene that had unfolded had been entertaining but it had left everyone feeling awkward. It was Mia, the Goth who salvaged the situation.

"So how much did Kevin tell you?".

* * *

Billy walked down the street. He was naked and many parts of his body were burnt and he was also on fire. His flames had died down considerably, maybe because he wasn't feeling threatened as he was before. Or maybe it was because he had something to eat earlier, a light snack actually more bone and hair than meat. He was still hungry but not maddening the way it was before. 

Billy was full of new sensations, he had never been in a host before. He had never walked down a lonely street before. He had never felt the sun and wind on his skin before. They were so many new things that his body offered him, but first he had to eat. He had walked past a lot of settlements but they weren't enough creatures there for a full meal. He stood outside a tall building he didn't know what it was but he knew it was full of food.

* * * 

"A lot of cultures say a lot of things about gods. Beings that lived in the sky and brought down favour on the common people. Those tales are kind of true...".

" So your saying Zeus and Hades all those things are real? ". Jason asked he was now sitting up on the couch with a Coke In his hand. 

"No. The people of that time could only understand things in their own limited perspective. When your power first awakened what did you think about it?".

" I thought it was a freak accident". Jason still remember the shouts. He had been sleeping in the equipment shed in a home he couldn't even remember. When he woke up the shed was on fire and he was in the back of an ambulance.

" It's practically the same thing". Mr Pierce continued.

"You made it up into something you could believe and those people did the same thing calling them gods. The truth is that their Aliens, why they came or why they left we don't know but we do know that they have amazing abilities and must have interbred because you guys, have their abilities".

" So your saying that aliens came down and screwed about and gave birth?".

" Yes. It's isn't very hard to believe if you know your myths well. Didn't the gods of Rome and Greece intermingle and give birth. Even in the bible angels came down and had children with mortal women". 

" Seems like we have really hot women". Kevin said, everyone laughed but it was an uncomfortable laugh. Jason himself had read the bible he knew the part that Mr Pierce was talking about it was somewhere in Genesis.

" The aliens probably had different abilities and physiology and we can't explain them with our two-bit grasp of science. You've probably noticed that Mia doesn't have a shadow".

" I do he's just not around". Jason looked at her again, the lounge was bright but still she had no shadow.

" So what are your abilities". Jason asked out of curiosity. The boy with glasses, Alex spoke up. He had forgotten he was in the room.

"I can control wind, Kevin can generate and manipulate electricity, Jess can heal and we don't really understand Mia's but it seems like she can control shadows. There could be more but we haven't discovered everything yet". It took Jason a while to digest that. Wind what the heck was that, was he like a leaf blower?

" So why am I here? You want me to join your merry band?". 

"Yes. That's the safest thing to do". It was Kevin who had replied.

"Safe for who? Me or you".

"Both of us. You probably have no idea of what you did at school". Jason thought about it, school was closed down for a week and he had only attended for a day. He couldn't remember anything wrong he had done.

"What did I do?".

"That building that burnt down, your the cause".

"What do you mean?".

"Your ability is probably to control heat or fire. You were in the building weren't you?".

"I wasn't the only one there what does this have to do with that".

"You went to sleep and woke up without your shirt. The fire department said the fire started from the northern part of the building, which just happens to be were the arts room, that same room were you sleeping. Seems like hell of a coincidence to me". Jason started like he had been slapped. It made so much sense why hadn't be seen it in the first place. He had know. Deep down that one day he would burn something more than sheets and PJ's.

"You've got to learn to control it or at least put a leash on it. That's why your here, that's why we're all here. We might not really knew what we're doing but I'm sure it's her better than burning up buildings".

Jason stood up he was tired and hungry and he didn't know how much time had passed outside, he was scared of missing dinner.

"Sure why not, it's not like I have anything better to do. But first things first can I get the hell out of here".