River.

Chapter 171: One of a Kind

Cassidy's P.O.V.

I went to the Rift with Sehrem to visit Stormy.

When I asked about how he was doing Sehrem told me that it was hard to explain and that he could tell me everything once we got to the Rift.

We made our way up to the medical department and into his room where he was lying in bed, motionless.

"He's not- breathing.... Is he dead?" I asked as my throat began to tighten.

"That's why I wanted to talk to you." Sehrem replied. "Rowan- or Perseus better yet, is special in that he's nearly invincible. Nothing man-made can kill him. You could drop an atomic bomb on him and he'd walk away with only a scratch. That's how powerful he is. So whatever it was that Peter shot him with was almost as powerful. We have yet to figure out what it is. If we were to take Rowan to a normal hospital they would pronounce him dead since he isn't breathing and doesnt have a pulse. The thing is though, he isn't dead."

"But how is that possible?"

"I told you, he's special. One of a kind. Almost invincible. There's not a single- mutant- out there like him with the exception of his son who only has part of his father's powers. Just think of him as being in a deep sleep right now. Only he won't be waking up anytime soon."

"How long is this deep sleep gonna last? Days? Weeks?"

"It could last years. That bullet nearly killed him. Since we don't know what the bullet is made out of we don't know how to treat his internal wounds. His body is fighting it now and over time he will get stronger and stronger until he's finally strong enough to wake up."

Talking to Sehrem for some reason always made me feel hopeful and forget about how chaotic things were. He made everyone feel like everything was gonna work out in the end. Which brought a question to mind...

"Sehrem, Every time something goes wrong everyone loses it and becomes a mess but you don't. You're always so strong and rational. I don't think I've ever even seen you lose control of your emotions."

"What are you saying?"

"I'm saying that I've known you for about 9 years yet I've never seen you get afraid, angry, sad, or upset. Why do you hold back so much?"

"Because I have to. I'm the voice of reason. When everyone is upset I have to be the one to maintain order because if there isn't one reasonable person in a chaotic situation then all hell breaks loose. People tend to let their guards down when they're emotional which leads to vulnerability which is why I don't let myself get overrun with emotion."

"But don't you get tired of having to always keep your guard up?"

"I've just learned to deal with it."

"When's the last time you even cried?"

"When I was 4 years old. I remember that day very vividly. I fell down and scraped my knee while playing with Raes. It was the first time I'd ever seen my own blood so I freaked out and started to cry as I ran to my father. You know what his response was? He told me that men who cry are weak men. And I've never cried since."

"Wow. Ca'sius said that to you when you were only 4? That seems a bit harsh."

"Well Raes and I were the only two that father actually raised and he tended to be extremely hard on us. Why do you think Raes is as stone cold as he is now? He's been that way since we were kids. Though because he's the oldest, he's always been so protective of his brothers and sisters which is why he's taking this whole thing pretty hard. Raes and I were taught as we were growing up that emotion is going to lead to our downfall one day. That has stuck with us to this very day."

"Then the day you snap, which is bound to happen, is gonna be terryfing." I stated. "Have you ever hurt anyone?"

"We're fighters. Of course I have. I just refrain from using violence for as long as I can. I hate violence. Which is why my job at the Rift is different than others. While Raes trains kids physically and Apollo trains them strategically, I teach them that sometimes their words are their most powerful weapons. You see, I have the power of persuasion. I can make a blind man believe that he can see. I can make a mute man believe that he can talk and I can even make a dead man believe that he is alive. That's why I prefer to not fight."

"What's the other reason?"

"What do you mean?"

"You got a bit uneasy when I asked if you've hurt anyone before. What's the other reason as to why you don't like fighting?"

"Lets just say I've had my fair share of losses. I've lost people. People I cared about. Some even lost their lives because of me."

That was the first time I'd ever seen Sehrem look guilty. But I didn't ask him to explain because I knew he wasnt comfortable talking about it so I decided to change the subject.

"So where's Rowan's son?"

"He's currently at the Mezzarin. He's one of the more powerful ones so he lives there instead of here at the Rift with the other kids."

"Does he know what's going on?"

"Not yet. He has an important test today. Cato wants me to tell him afterwards."

"Why you?"

"Well..." He began. "Because I'm the messenger."

For some reason I felt like he was hinting at something when he said that.

Little did I know that years from now I'd understand what he meant...

...