THE STRONG SMELL of coffee tickled Silver's nose as he finally woke from what had to be the worst nightmare of his life.
Silver groaned as he lifted his head, his cheek parting from the sticky surface of the red booth he was lying on.
"Good morning, Silver."
The child blinked blankly at Jay who was sipping at a cup across from him. Seeming far too at home in the diner that was in full swing around him, neck-deep in its breakfast rush hour.
"I didn't know what you would like, I ordered you pancakes. Every kid likes pancakes, right?"
Jay turned to the slightly uncomfortable man sitting next to him, prompting him to answer.
"My kids love them."
A wave of nausea and hunger worked its way through Silver's system as he slowly sat upright.
He squinted, bombarded with the sun shining through the windows of the noisy diner. Filled to the brim with chattering customers and waitresses in white aprons dodging tables as they delivered food.
Silver's head spun at the influx of all this new information. He knew instinctively that he was no longer in Dellmount Point. This place was far too nice.
"Where am I?"
His voice cracked as he wrangled out the question. Head turning every which way until his eyes finally came to the windows lining one side of the diner.
"New Sable City, I'm assuming you've never been."
The streets were clean, from what Silver could tell. Past the horde of people walking up and down the sidewalk, he could see the glittery windows of some tall building across the street.
A giggle had his neck turning at light speed. Across from him was a little girl a few years younger, coloring on paper as her mother attended to the baby in her lap.
As if feeling his eyes she turned and gave him a big smile. She was missing her two front teeth.
Silver stared back at her blankly. There weren't many children in Dellmount Point, and Silver wasn't exactly friends with the few he knew.
He snarled as he turned back to Jay, who was now draining his cup.
"It's loud."
"Yeah, don't worry. It won't be that way for long."
Silver froze. Jay had killed his father, which meant Silver no longer had any information of value for him.
"I won't kill you if that's what you're thinking."
If there were a magical spell that could fast-forward him through the rest of childhood and his teenage years to adulthood, Silver would take it in an instant. Even if he had to sell his soul. He would give anything to slap the relaxed look off Jay's face.
I hate being a kid.
"Maybe you should."
"Ah, come on now, I killed your father. Surely you wouldn't think about dying before you get some revenge?"
Silver ground his teeth together. He had been angry many times before. Angry that some coked-out bum was still strong enough to take his money for their next fix. Angry that he had to fight day after day to afford a piece of stale bread. Angry that he got beaten so badly that he threw it up many times.
Still, sitting across from the man who killed his father while knowing that he was too weak to do anything? That had to be at the very top of his long list.
He glanced at the forks and spoons stationed on the table. They would look so much better sticking out of Jay's blue eyes.
"Why did you bring me here?"
Jay opened his mouth to speak, but a waitress interrupted to place a tray of food on the table.
Both the strange man Silver actively ignored, and Jay dug into their own food without a word.
Silver looked down at the plate in front of him. It smelled edible... It smelled like the best thing he'd ever had the pleasure of smelling.
He took a tentative bite and immediately stopped himself from shoving all the fluffy, golden, round disks into his mouth.
As he took another big mouthful, Jay continued the conversation.
"What have you heard about the Enhanced?"
Silver paused his eating. He'd heard the term thrown around in conversations between adults, usually followed by harsh words of comment after but he didn't know what it was exactly.
Rightfully taking his silence as ignorance, Jay explained.
"The Enhanced are a small group of people who hold a genetic composition that allows them to wield abilities beyond the realm of understanding normal humans can comprehend."
"What?"
That was the thing about Jay, he didn't treat Silver like a child, but because of that he knew jack shit about what was coming out of the man's mouth most of the time.
The stranger seated across from Jay smiled as if his confusion was funny. Unlike him, Jay did nothing to hide his mirth. The chatter surrounding them quickly swallowed his laugh.
"They do magic."
"What does it have to do with me?"
"All in good time, Silver. For now just eat your pancakes."
If the food didn't taste so good, Silver would have refused out of sheer pettiness.
After breakfast, they were back in the car, but not before Silver tried in vain to dip seamlessly into the crowds of moving people.
Only for Jay to grab him by the back of his dirty shirt like a disoriented puppy and drag him along.
The embarrassing display prompted Silver to ignore Jay with an icy indifference once they were stationary in the back seat.
Unperturbed, Jay continued with their previous conversation.
"Enhanced are only a small percentage of the world's population. There was once a young boy struck by lightning. Born with the gift of the Enhanced, he gained the ability to create and control lightning. Just to think, if he were normal, he would have died right then and there."
Silver listened, but it seemed more like the mumblings of a man who lived on the street side.
"Why are you telling me this?"
"It's a well-kept secret, but there are research labs in far-off countries aimed at studying the Enhanced... creating them."
At that, Silver turned his head toward Jay, but by the hazy glint to his gaze, it was clear he wasn't really there.
Neither of them recognized when the car came to a stop.
"Capo, we're here."
"Ah, come on Silver. I'm sure you have questions."
Almost in a daze, he followed Jay into a sanctuary. Silver had seen a more decrepit version of what stood tall and proud before him back in Dellmount.
It was a place for people to pray and give their meager offerings, hoping whichever god they called to offered a helping hand.
Silver saw no point in it.
Made of red brick, the building before him had some spaces decorated with stained windows depicting images of gods causing miracles and catastrophes alike.
Morning sun shone through the panes and cast colorful rainbows across the rows of pews, leading up to an extravagant altar. Floors of velvet and a table laden with gold-plated items sat pristine and ready to be used.
A man stepped through a doorway hidden from view. He rounded the corner and had to be the tallest person Silver had ever seen. Head bent as he passed under a low-hanging beam.
Silver's neck craned upward as he took him in. Dressed in black robes from head to toe, the singular silver necklace he wore bore the mark of some god Silver couldn't bother to know the name of.
His voice bounced off empty walls.
"I thought I heard someone out here. Good to see you again, Capo."
"How've ya been Allen?"
"Just fine. I see you've brought along another guest this time as well."
His head tilted down, and Silver finally saw the entirety of his facial features.
Olive-toned skin and curly brown hair stood in stark contrast to the scars that marred one side of his face, starting from well past his hairline before disappearing beneath the high neck of his clothes.
Brown eyes observed Silver without a hint of malice, despite still looking like he had been lying in filth previously... which he had been.
He knelt down on his knees but still managed to tower over Silver.
"What is your name, child?"
Silver cautiously took a few steps back before bumping into Jay's legs. Given the option, he'd take his chances on someone he knew at least the slightest bit.
"His name is Silver."
"Is he joining the daycare like the others?"
"Yes."
Silver bristled and angled his shoulders to maneuver around Jay's body and back toward the door.
A heavy hand landed on his should before he could spring into action.
The man, Allen as he was called, gave Silver what he probably meant to be a reassuring smile.
"There is nothing to fear here. We give children a new home hoping that they will be reborn again."
He stood back to his normal, abnormal height and walked back to the hidden door.
Jay pushed Silver to follow him, which he reluctantly did. Knowing that if he tried to refuse once more, he was getting thrown over a shoulder or dragged by the scruff of his neck.
He glanced back at Jay with mistrusting eyes.
"Who is he?"
Jay gave a bemused smile as they followed Allen through the door cloaked in darkness.
"The boy struck by lightning."