slowly at first but, after that, it didn't take long for him to be fully awake.
it never did.
not even when I knew him in the pa-....future....
I sighed to myself as he shifted upright in the hospital bed and began anxiously looking around his surroundings, most likely to try and figure out where he was.
and by that I do mean where, I mean, besides the obvious that is.
he could tell immediately he was in a hospital, anyone could, or, should I say, anyone SHOULD, have been able to.
but that's not the point.
what is the point is that he was lost, or, is it more accurate to say that he felt lost?
whatever it may be, it didn't really matter, as he was still looking carefully through the windows to his left even while the door on his right opened, and in walked both a doctor, a soldier, as well as someone I recognized intimately.
I scowled to no one as I glared the man down from inside this void, he couldn't see me of course, but it still made me feel better.
I grumbled as I muttered, "Jameson, of fucking course it's Jameson, goddamned ability reader." under my breath as Jameson walked over to the chair next to Jeremy's bed, and sat in it with a smile.
a fake one.
but still, it was a warmer look than Jeremy was used to back in this time of his life.
even if it held nothing but ice and venom.
subdued, hidden ice and venom yes, but, poison is still poison even if it tastes good.
I did my best not to voice aloud as Jameson cleared his throat and began talking to Jeremy in his usual fake, "I'm not a snake." tone.
"you look like you have a lot of questions." he said, to which I immediately thought, 'no fucking shit, congrats, you have working eyeballs, here's an award for being special.'
with a healthy amount of eye rolling.
"from what I hear, you weren't awake when your ability activated, so this must all be very confusing for you." he added, again, obviously.
I had to stop and remind myself, 'Jeremy wasn't awake for that, only I know what happened earlier.'
before I fucked up and said it out loud, startling Jeremy and making this ten times worse for all of us.
"so I'll just be quick and give a summary, we took the liberty of investigating your house, as well as taking a few readings while we transported you here, and from the looks of it, your ability activated without your input in order to defend your life, which, does explain the levels we were detecting for the type you possess." Jameson continued while I was still busy fighting the temptations to smash his stupid teeth in, I mean, I deserve SOME credit here, I killed him before, for a REASON.
I hmphed silently as he readied himself to continue speaking.
"and the type you possess....." he trailed off, absolutely for dramatic effect.
I thought while rolling my eyes as Jeremy hung on every word.
"is the sentient God-Tier type, the rarest ability type, a living ability, you're a unique rank, as such, your enrollment into the new ability unit has been mandated by the government, but, given your age, and the fact that it's inactive and will probably be inactive for some time due to forcing an activation before it was ready, you'll go to the military school we've set up." Jameson droned on, half of which I paid attention to, half not so much.
especially since some of it was just a straight up lie, well....I can't exactly say lie for parts of it, since it was a wrong conclusion I intentionally led him towards, but the whole, "you'll go to the military school." from Jameson, where it was worded like a good thing.
THAT, well, that was a lie.
that hellhole isn't a school.
it's...well....hell.
and unfortunately for Jeremy, it was one I had doomed him to myself.
because, Jeremy, well, Jeremy never had an ability, in fact, he was a conscripted normal from a bastion town that propped up after the government barely landed on its feet thanks to resources provided by my family, resources that were previously destroyed by the ability I am today in the past.
in fact, the only reason Jeremy was conscripted at all, was because I persuaded my parents and sister to send aid to the collapsing, dying government, reviving it AND the mistreatment of ability users.
I finally realized, finally allowed myself to put two and two together.
I almost laughed, almost couldn't believe the absurdity of it all.
I was so far up my own ass, I couldn't see how my beliefs and actions didn't match.
how I was a walking, glaring contrast my whole life.
I scoffed, mostly in disbelief, partly in an emotion I didn't have a name for.
and that, well, that scared me.
I thought solemnly, and then instantly changed the topic by thinking about something else.
something a lot more important.
Jeremy's status screen now that he was awake and not half dead!
I mean, those stats were abysmal, it must have been because he was injured.
now that he's healing, they're probably a lot higher.
I deluded myself, and then deluded myself further by deluding myself into thinking I WASN'T deluding myself, as I opened the screen, and then promptly screamed internally, with the thought, or should I say regret, "this is going to be ALOT harder than I thought."
()()()()()()()()()()()()()
[status]
()()()()()()()()()()()()()
Name: (unnamed)-[will be chosen by first host]
Species: [Sentient God-Tier Ability]
Sub-Specie(s): [Blood Goddess], [Host chooser], [Multiversal Entity]
Level: 1
Energy: 1,500/1,500->1,400/1,500 (-100 to hasten Host's healing capabilities)
()()()()()()()()()()()()()
[host]
()()()()()()()()()()()()()
Name: Jeremy Cross
Age: 12
Lifeforce: 72/100
Current Condition: (healing)
()()()()()()()()()()()()()
[stats]
-Strength: 1-> 2
-Agility: 1-> 2
-Senses: 1-> 2
-Endurance: 0-> 1
()()()()()()()()()()()()()
[closing status screen]
it read as I waved it away with a blank face and a dread filled, pale complexion.
my focus on how much life was about to suck, instead of on the conversations of Jameson and Jeremy.
I mean, would YOU be able to focus on a random conversation if you just learned life was about to be dark souls level difficulty from the fucking getgo?!
I wanted to sob and disappear, at least, that is before my competitive streak, the part of my personality I frankly wouldn't mind losing, the part that got strengthened by the battle nut freak side of this ability, chimed right on in, and lied to my face that this, this was gonna be fun.
all while forcing a smile onto my face, and an impatience to talk to Jeremy once Jameson had left.
it had work to do, and by the reckless God that brought me here, I prayed we'd both survive.