Sanctify
Chapter 17 - Shadows

Jenna turned and leapt up the stairs, following the glow of the liquid and pipes to stop in the greenhouse, where the pools of liquid poured into pools and channels. Oren stuck close to her, careful to watch for signs of others entering their space. The pungent scent of the liquid caused Jenna to fall to her knees, gagging. From behind, two hands grabbed her and pulled her backwards, away from the glowing chemicals. Oren frowned and grumbled, “That stuff stinks!”

Jenna nodded, “It’s worse now, but that was the stuff I was made in. Polyethylene glycol was the only substance stable enough for cleanliness and plasma control in cloning.” Jenna felt her body lurch and couldn’t stop herself from heaving. The chemicals in her body remembered the glowing liquid and reacted accordingly. Jenna had to close her eyes and will her body to calm down before she could stand.

Oren walked her out of the greenhouse and the fresh air hit her hard. She welcomed it, feeling her pores open and breathe. The coolness of the night reminded her of the draft she felt, just before Michel kissed her… Jenna’s eyes opened at the thought of him. She wondered what he was doing, where he was, and if he was alright. Worst of all, she needed to tell him the truth before it was too late.

She looked at Oren and asked, “You think he knows?” Oren peered over at her, quizzically. “About me, that is?” Jenna clarified. She didn’t need to, but did.

Oren shrugged and then sighed, “Michel only hates Shadows because of their over-the-top abilities. You’re not like the others,” he smiled, “your Origin was different, from what I know. Most Shadows can’t get along with humans. It’s too complex to explain, but your line does. So, if I had to hazard a guess, Michel would be fine with it.”

Jenna knew his words were meant to reassure her and they did. She could never figure Oren out, which was why she enjoyed working with him and being around him. His tolerance was just so different and it set him apart from the rest. She didn’t tell anyone, not even Oren, that she knew about him. She thought it would, simply, be too out of the blue.

Oren frowned and asked, “Did we turn on the lights in the garden?”

Jenna frowned and looked over to see all of the lights on. She stood, “No, we didn’t.”

“No,” Dr. E smiled, Jenna and Oren turned to see her standing behind them, “you didn’t.” Though one hand held a flashlight, the other held a communications jammer. She smiled before deliberately pressing the button.

Hayden dropped a stack of papers and sat down to lean against the bed, where Noriko was still, very much, asleep. Apparently, Dr. E had reached Oren and Jenna and they had stuff to figure out before they would be able to communicate him again. So, he had to wait, and that meant he ought to study the information again, so as to look for missed clues. It didn’t help that it would be his hundredth time looking through the papers, but he knew he didn’t have much of a choice.

Hearing a soft knock at the door, Hayden stood and hurried over. He saw his Origin-Mother with two cups of steaming tea. She held it out to him and smiled, “I thought you and your friend might like some?” Hayden stepped back and Shani entered. She placed both cups on a dresser before turning to see Noriko’s sleeping form. She frowned and asked, “Do you need something to eat?”

Hayden shook his head, “I’ll fix her something when she wakes up. Thank you, Origin-Mother.” Shani only nodded before she turned and left. Hayden shut the door quietly and then frowned. He opened the door and stepped out, seeing Shani turn the corner. He followed her and stopped just steps behind her. “Um,” he started and Shani turned to him. Hayden dropped his eyes and asked, “Was there something you wanted to ask, ma’am?”

Shani sighed and replied, “I guessed you would notice.” She was quiet as she walked to the side of the hallway to study a portrait of her husband and herself. “Does she know who you are?” Shani asked, finally.

Hayden nodded and replied, “Yes, ma’am. She said my eyes were the most familiar.”

Shani nodded in agreement, “Yes, they are. If you need anything, just let me know,” she added and turned to walk away.

Hayden swallowed and asked, “Should I not have brought her over?”

Shani turned to Hayden, very surprised, “Why would you say that?”

“There is pain in both Origin-Father and Origin-Mother because she is here,” Hayden stated, unable to look her in the eyes.

Shani sighed and walked over. She touched his arm but only offered, “Some things are more unforgettable to some people than others. That’s why people affect each other differently. Remember that,” she added and walked away.

Hayden walked back to the room and shut the door. He wanted to forget their sadness or figure out a way to dispel their emotions, but he didn’t have time to consider everything. Instead, he returned his attention to the papers and worked his way through them. Hours passed but he never tired. Instead, he worked out possible scenarios, wondering here and there, whether or not it was safe to contact the others, but when he tried, he found their signal was still jammed. So he sat back and let his head fall on to the bed, and closed his eyes.

He didn’t hear Noriko stir and roll over to peer over the edge of the bed, at the papers. Feeling the bed move, he didn’t open his eyes when she walked to the restroom. When the shower turned on, Hayden opened his eyes and glared at the door. It had been a while since someone had been so unguarded around him. It puzzled him whether or not she understood how males, in general, feel when girls are so vulnerable, and so close.

Surprised by his thoughts, Hayden shook his head and sat up. Embarrassed and puzzled, he stood and walked out of the bedroom. Perhaps it had gotten warm or he was hungry, he wanted to eat suddenly and knew she would share that desire. It wasn’t for her, but he would make something they could both eat. Yes, that sounded good to him. Just fine.

Noriko smiled as the water splashed down her body, both refreshing and gentle. She turned to search for soap, but there were multiple bottles that lined the shower, some without labels and some with strange markings on them. None of them smelled pleasant, like the usual Jasmine body wash she had discovered at a small shop years ago, but she knew a rinse would be enough.

When she stepped out of the shower, she wrapped her body in a towel. She stopped; seeing a mist covered mirror on the back of the bathroom door. She could see a fuzzy version of herself and not completely sure why, she let the towel drop and stared at the unfamiliar body as the mirror cleared up.

She placed both of her hands on her flat stomach and swallowed. She let her hands travel upwards and cupped her B-cupped breasts. They filled her palms and then she let them fall away, touching up her slender neck to rest her palms on her cheeks. She took a breath, realizing it was her own body she touched and stared at. She felt nervous, but did what she could to get rid of those feelings. Next, she placed her hands on her hips and reached down her legs, touching the floor with her fingertips. During her sleep, her body had changed and she had gained at least two inches of height.

It had been strange seeing Jenna. Like seeing a mirror of an older version of herself. Jenna was bright-eyed and her brain seemed to work very well. Jenna had a full chest and curves that Noriko didn’t have. Jenna also seemed more sun tanned and athletically built. Noriko was in shape but laying immobile in a capsule had taken away most of her muscle mass. As lean as she was, she looked small and weak, two traits Noriko knew better than to want. As an orphan, height and strength is how anyone had a fighting chance. Currently, she had a long way to go before she reached that potential again.

Standing up again, Noriko sighed and dried her long hair before tying it back. She dried her body and pulled on her clothes. She didn’t like uncertainty and she wondered how this body would fit in with her physical demands of herself. With only one way to replace out, she left the bathroom and walked back into the bedroom, seeing it empty. She looked around and opened a closet door to replace some work out equipment.

She pulled out a punching bag to the center of the open room and wrapped her hands. As if only having tunnel vision, Noriko stretched before going at the punching bag with her fists. Her arm muscles were weak and she hated it. Slim though they were, they were useless in their current state. She felt her core tighten as she kicked the bag, landing a few while missing a couple. She moved around the bag, eyeing it as if it were her trainer, and her eyes changed. With a smirk, she shifted her weight and punched the bag, letting out calls, which helped her movement become swifter and her body become more agile.

When Hayden re-entered with a tray of food, he put it aside and shut the door behind him. It was still quite early for the Origin-parents but Noriko seemed to not care. Hayden watched Noriko go at the punching bag. She was, clearly, upset and wound up. He wondered if it had anything to do with the presence of his Origin-Father, but chose not to ask. Something about knowing the truth aggravated him in a way Hayden hadn’t thought of before.

He wasn’t jealous. Or, so he told himself. He’d studied the stupidity of men in the past that had chosen to act upon jealousy and would rather have his extremities cut off before admitting to such a human emotion. With a set jaw and clenched muscles, Hayden approached Noriko and, when he saw an opening, he went for it.

Noriko kicked high with her right leg and, from the corner of her eye, saw a fist moving for her head. She pulled back, her momentum carrying her leg around and down again. Not bothering to get an explanation from him, she turned her attack on Hayden. Noriko threw a powerful punch but Hayden caught it, pulling her towards him before lifting his right knee to knock the air out of her body.

Noriko jumped up, turning a cartwheel to kick at his head, which he dodged, before turning back to him on her feet. Hayden took a few steps around her before coming at her. He found his pulse increase as he swung his arms at her, but Noriko twisted away from him, catching his leg and falling to the ground, just to bring him down as well. Hayden didn’t allow her to get on top before kicking her away and scrambling to his feet. Noriko jumped to avoid his leg and kicked out at his head with her feet. She managed to catch his left shoulder, but as he twisted to the ground, he grabbed her right ankle so that her momentum became his.

As her leg fell, she tried to turn to kick him again, replaceing the power to do so in the way he used the same force to stand, but he caught her other foot and turned, throwing her against the wall. Noriko felt the air knocked out of her lungs. In two steps, Hayden had reached her side and as he reached out to check on her, she grabbed his wrist, twisting it behind him and forcing him to take a knee, facing away from her. She raised his arm, hooking her right leg around his torso and her other leg around his neck. Hayden fell, ungracefully, and completely trapped to the ground.