CHAPTERSEVENTEEN_REACTIONS
October 8, 2032

 It was now late afternoon. Ellie and Aaron were walking home after the Big Reveal. Aaron watched in a diner while Ellie was taking part of the event. 

 The reaction from the London Normals were mixed. They were shocked to see that the Gen-Mods were actually real. Even the parents who bought their Gen-Mod children didn’t know they were superhumans. 

 At the same time, the Normals were scared. They were scared that the Gen-Mods were going to hurt them. As soon as they climbed down the building, the explained that they were a peaceful, loving people. They weren’t going to hurt anyone. With that, the Gen-Mods went on with their lives, but let the Normals know that they were going to teach them what the superhumans were really like.

 As Aaron and Ellie were walking home, Aaron told her proudly, “You did great, Ellie. I’m sure those producers will be impressed with your stunts.”

 Ellie laughed nervously, and looked away. Aaron noticed she seemed a bit off, so he asked, “Ellie, are you okay?”

 Ellie kept avoiding his eyes as she replied, “Um, yeah, I’m fine. Why?”

 “Well, ever since the even ended, you seemed…off. Different. I can’t quite make out what it is, but then again, I’m not a Gen-Mod. I can’t deduce what’s going on with you. But as a regular human, and as your twin bro, you do seem slightly off.”

 She bit her lip. She knew she had to come clean eventually, but she also knew her twin brother would find out much faster through Aria, who can deduce.

 So she took a deep breath, and told him, “If I tell you, you won’t get mad?”

 Aaron chuckled, “Ellie, I don’t mad. I get drunk. So what is it?”

 “Aaron…when we were at that cosmetic center, some scientist injected me with something. Since then, I started…changing. Did it ever occur to you that I’m now the same height as you are?”

 Aaron stopped walking. He placed his hand on his head, and moved it to Ellie’s head. Then he looked at her eyes. They were exactly the same height. His eyes widen, and asked, “Ellie…are you…”

 She sighed, and said, “Yeah, I’m a Gen-Mod now. I somehow transitioned into one, and this morning I had to get that serum and microchip to complete the transition. Trust me, it sucks.”

 Aaron, at first, stared at her in shock. Then he grinned as he said, “That’s awesome! You get to be even more badass! Oh, and now you’re like Declan! He is your mate, right?”

 Ellie blinked as she said, “Uh yeah, he’s my mate. Wait, you’re not mad at me? At all?”

 Aaron looked at her flatly, “Eliza, I actually think it’s cool you’re a Gen-Mod. Besides, it’s karma for what you did back in New York.”

 She glared at him through her glasses, and told him, “Don’t ever bring that up! Aria, and especially Declan, cannot know about that! I mean, like, ever!”

 He sighed, “We’re dealing with Gen-Mods here, Eliza. They’re going to find out about your past eventually, unless they already know.”

 Ellie sighed as she rolls her eyes. He asked her, “Are you going to tell mom and dad? And James? About this?”

 She thought for a moment, and said, “I don’t know. I mean, it’s obvious mom and dad are cool with Gen-Mods. But…I don’t even know if I can get pregnant. From what Declan told me, the female Gen-Mods are extremely fertile, hence the reports of them having twins and triplets. But then again, they’re the older models. I’m ‘technically’ one of the latest models now. God, I sound like a science experiment.”

 Aaron said, “Well, if you weren’t a science experiment before, you are now.”

 Ellie lightly slapped his shoulder, then walked together to their house. Aaron told her, “Look, we don’t have to tell them now, but our parents are very much involved with social media. They were our age when social media became a thing. They’ll find out soon.”

 She sighed, “I know. Our parents are 90s kids. They grew up with all of that stuff. Let’s…just try to hold off on this for a while, please?”

 Aaron nodded his head, and gave her a hug, “Sure. We’ll do our best.”

 “Thank you.”

 With that, the twins went inside their house.

 At the same time, Rachel and Nathan were walking to her house together. He asked her, “So…how was it? Revealing yourself as Gen-Mod?”

 Rachel smiled, “It felt like a thrill. Running and climbing was just…I felt free doing that. I don’t know. I like being this way. I feel like I have direction now, especially since I’m with you now.”

 Nathan smiled, and kissed her lips gently. Then he asked her, “Do you want me to go inside with you?”

 She replied, “No, I need to do this myself. I’m pretty sure my parents now know what I am. I’ll text you all the details.”

 He nodded her head, and gave her a hug. Then she smiles at him, and told him, “I love you, Nathan.”

 He grinned as he said, “I love you too, Rachel.”

 With that, she went inside her house. She looked around, trying to find her parents. She walked to the kitchen. She saw her parents hovering over a tablet. She asked, “Mummy? Daddy? What’s going on?”

 The two looked up at her. Tristan twisted his lip. He walked up to Rachel. He ripped the glasses off her face, and asked, “What are you?”

 Rachel just stared at him. Then he demanded, “Rachel, I saw a video of you on InstaVine. I know it was you running and climbing that building. Now tell me the truth, what are you?”

 Rachel then glared at her dad. She glared at him long enough for her eyes to darken out of anger. She took a deep breath to calm down, and said, “I’m…I’m a Genetically-Modified Human…also known as a Gen-Mod. I’m a superhuman.”

 She did picked up her glasses, and put them back on. She told him, “I need these glasses. They control my eyes from changing in public. They change due to either lust or anger. And right now, I’m angry with you.”

 Tristan told her sternly, “No. I will not allow this monster here to live in my house.”

 With that, she widen her eyes in shock. Then she told him, “Dad, I’m still Rachel. I’m still your daughter. I’m just more advanced than you. But I’m not a monster. If anything, I’m a better person now than I was before. I feel like I got more direction in my life compared to before. I feel like I have purpose in my life.”

 “Nonsense!” he yelled at her. “You are now a monster! I can’t have you live in my house anymore!”

 Rachel looked at her mom. She asked her, “Mum…please say something. I’m not a monster. I’m not going to hurt either you or dad. I’m incapable of doing that. I’m now programmed to be peaceful, but I will attack if the ones I love and care about get hurt. And I will defend myself.”

 Her mother, Rebecca, looked at her with mixed emotions. Then she said, “I don’t know what to say about this. I…I can’t accept this is who you are now. You’re…you’re a mutant.”

 Rachel became teary-eyed, and said with her voice wavering, “Mummy, I’m still Rachel. I’m still me. Please…please don’t throw me out. You have to know that I’m still the same baby girl you and daddy raised. The same baby girl that you two loved. Please, don’t reject me.”

 Rebecca thought for a moment, and said, “You can stay, Rachel. But if you hurt either your father or I, we will throw you out.”

 Rachel nodded her head, and then walked to her room. She began crying as she flopped onto her bed. Her own parents didn’t want to accept the fact that she was a Gen-Mod now. They couldn’t see that she was not a monster. 

 At the same time, Matt was walking home from Calvin’s house. Matt witnessed Calvin’s parents’ reactions to Calvin revealing himself as a Gen-Mod. It was a shock to the parents who thought their son was normal. Then Matt gathered his things, and left the house. 

 As Matt arrived at his house, he popped his hood on his new spiked, leather jacket. He ended up having to shop for clothes that were, at least, a size or two larger to fit his fully-mature, perfectly chiseled body. He also got a haircut. 

 He went inside the house. He wasn’t sure how he was going to face his parents, but he the only thing he could come up with was to hide away in his room, and make the excuse he had too much homework to do.

 As he was about to walk up the stairs to his room, his mother stopped him. She asked, “Matthew, is that you?”

 He stood there on the stairs, with his back facing her. Crap! He thought, think of something! Quick!

 He then cleared his throat, and said, “Hey, mum. I’m just back from crashing at Calvin’s place.”

 “Oh, okay.”

 As Matt was about to go up the stairs, his mother asked, “Matthew, were you at some event in the City earlier?”

 Matt felt his face redden, so he answered, “No, I was with my mates. Why?”

 “I was on InstaVine, and I saw this video. It looked like people, but they ran in such inhumane speed. And they climbed some buildings like…like they were animals. And I could’ve sworn I saw you among those abominations.”

 Matt gulped when he hear her call the Gen-Mods that. If only you knew what your own son is, he thought. He bit his lip, and said, “It was probably some dude that looked like me. Look, I got homework to do.”

 So he went upstairs, went into his room, and locked the door. He took off his jacket, and laid down on his bed. Then he heard a knock on his door. So he unlocked the door, and quickly sat down at his desk. He back was, once again, facing his mother.

 She told him, “I also saw that girl you like there. I need you get away from that abomination.”

 That angered Matt. Ever since he got converted, he grew to love Kimmy even more. He hadn’t marked her yet, as he was scared, but he was able to control himself. Even right now he’s controlling his anger towards his mom. He needed to defend Kimmy, protect her.

 So he turned to face her, and told her sternly, “Mum, Kimmy is my girlfriend. She’s the sweetest girl I have ever met. She’s not a monster, and she’s not an abomination. She’s a person, a human.”

 His mother looked at him weirdly. She asked, “Matthew…are you on some drugs or something? You look…different.”

 He sighed, and said, “Growth spurt, mum. As for Kimmy, I’m not going to leave her.”

 She shook her head, and walked out of his room. As for Matt, he squeezed his pencil to the point of breaking it in half. It was going to be hard to hide the fact that he was now a Gen-Mod, but he might soon reveal himself to his parents.

 As Nathan entered his house, he saw his parents in the living room. He saw their concerned faces, so he asked, “Mom, dad, what’s going on?”

 His mother, Ashley, walks up to him. She told him, “Nathan…first we want to congratulate you revealing yourself, and defending the Gen-Mods like yourself.”

 Nathan gave an uneasy smile, and asked, “But…”

 Ryan told him, “Nathan…we got a message from the Agency back in San Antonio. Your birth parents, who are from Israel…they’re looking for you.”

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IN THE PIC IS CONVERTED ELLIE