Chapter 8: Family [2]
Aunt Cass couldn't hold back any longer. She enveloped Ren in a warm, tight hug. "Group hug!" she called out, prompting Hiro to look at Tadashi.
Tadashi shrugged, and the two joined in, wrapping their arms around Ren. Momentarily frozen, Ren could only manage a small smile before he retracted his talons and gently placed his hands on the backs of Tadashi and Hiro to complete the hug.
In the embrace, Hiro's voice broke the silence, filled with a mix of relief and pain. "Don't leave again without saying a word, big brother."
Ren's heart ached at the sincerity in Hiro's voice. "I'm sorry, Hiro. I didn't mean to worry you."
Aunt Cass squeezed Ren tighter before letting go. "We were all so worried," she said softly.
Tadashi, still holding onto Ren, added, "Just promise us you'll let us help from now on. We're a family, and we face things together."
Ren nodded, his voice choked with emotion. "I promise."
After a few seconds, Aunt Cass stepped back, followed by Tadashi and Hiro.
Suddenly, Ren felt a tug as Tadashi and Hiro tried to step away.
"Ahh, my hand is... stuck," Ren said, looking down in confusion as his palms remained glued to their jackets.
"Whoa," Hiro exclaimed, trying to pull away only to be pulled back. "That's some strong stickiness."
"Yeah," Tadashi muttered, eyeing Ren's hand. "Why don't you try to calm down, Ren?"
"Alright... Hwuup"
Ren took a deep breath, focusing on calming himself. Seconds later, his hands unglued from the jackets, making his hands free again.
"It worked," he sighed in relief.
Hiro, ever curious, asked, "Where are your talons, Ren?"
"Ahh, I retracted them," Ren replied.
"Wait, you can do that?" Hiro's eyes widened in shock. "Show me!"
"Okay," Ren said, bringing out his talons again.
"That's cool," Tadashi remarked, with Hiro nodding in agreement.
"May I?" Tadashi asked, gesturing to Ren's hands. Ren nodded but quickly added, "Don't try to poke your finger on it. It's really sharp."
"I won't, don't worry," Tadashi assured him. He held Ren's hands, examining the talons. "These are magnificent. How sharp are they?"
"Sharp enough to pierce through a wall easily," Ren answered.
"Very sharp indeed," Tadashi muttered, continuing to inspect the talons. Hiro chimed in, "They may be keratin-based, the same protein that makes up our nails."
"Yeah, they might be," Tadashi agreed when he spotted a super tiny hole on Ren's wrist.
He then bent Ren's wrist, causing a web to shoot out and stick to the wall beside them. "That's new," Ren said, baffled.
Tadashi looked back and forth between the web and Ren's wrist. "A web coming out of your wrist... unbelievable."
Hiro, intrigued, looked at Ren's back. "Hey, Ren, do the appendages on your back retract too?"
"I... don't know. I only remember those two appendages coming out when they injected that serum into me," Ren said.
"Two? But there are four, you know," Hiro pointed out.
"What... How?"
"There are also two little appendages on your back. They look like they're still... growing?"
"Growing!?" Ren muttered, dumbfounded.
"Can you control them?" Tadashi asked after finishing his inspection of the talons.
"I can," Ren said, demonstrating by moving the appendages.
"Then they might be connected to your nervous system," Tadashi speculated.
"Arrgh!" As they examined the appendages, Ren suddenly grunted in pain. The appendages retracted into his back.
"They fucking retracted," Hiro exclaimed, prompting Aunt Cass to reprimand him, "Language, young man."
She then looked at Ren worriedly. "Are you okay?" she asked as she examine his back.
"T-This... " She gasped, prompting Tadashi and Hiro to look as well.
They saw wounds where the appendages had emerged, but then an incredible thing happened—the wounds began healing at an unbelievable rate.
Tadashi shook his head in amazement. "Talons, a web from your wrist, spider-like appendages, and now a regeneration factor. What did those scientists put into you, Ren?"
As they talked, the door creaked open, and Rick Dicker walked in. He saw Ren's family gathered around the bed and smiled. "Am I disturbing something?"
"No, no," Aunt Cass quickly replied, shaking her head.
Rick nodded and then glanced around the room, noticing the tiny hole in the wall and the web stuck to it. "Looks like you got to know more about those abilities of yours, Ren."
"Speaking of this, what will happen to Ren, Mr. Dicker?" Aunt Cass asked worriedly.
Rick's expression turned serious. "Firstly, we'll conduct some tests to understand the extent of his abilities. It's crucial to grasp what you can do and how to control it," he explained, looking directly at Ren.
Ren nodded, absorbing the information.
"Once we have a clearer picture," Rick continued, "we'll work on training and guidance. We can offer valuable insights to ensure you can use your powers responsibly and effectively."
"And also," Rick added, turning to address the family, "for now, please don't tell anyone about Ren's powers or that he came back. It's important to keep this a secret because the people who did this to Ren may still be looking for him. The agency will take custody of Ren to protect him and teach him to control his powers. When he comes back to society, we want to ensure he won't have any problems."
Aunt Cass looked conflicted but nodded slowly. "I understand. It's just... I want to make sure he's safe."
"We'll make sure of that," Rick assured her. "Our priority is Ren's safety and well-being."
Ren felt a mixture of relief and apprehension. "So, when do we start?"
"Tomorrow," Rick said firmly. "We'll begin with some preliminary tests and evaluations. For now, rest and spend time with your family. You'll need your strength."
Ren nodded, feeling the weight of the situation but also the support of those around him. "Thank you, Rick."
Rick gave a reassuring smile. "No problem kid"
____________
[ Trivia: Did you know that there is a Spider-Hulk variant on the Marvel Multiverse. Instead of being bitten by a enhanced or radioactive spider, Peter had an unfortunate twist of being bitten by a gamma irradiated spider. Not only he develop his usual powers, but he also became the Jade Giant of his world. ]
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