Machiavelli was informed that I was taken away from him due to ethics violations, but we weren't done there. These people haven't dealt with murder for decades while my kind dealt with it daily before we got here. As a result, we were on our own in investigating this matter and we would likely have to look for an entire team to rebuild an American court system. yet he was informed overnight and I wasn't aware until...
"Nathan, wake up I've got good news," I heard her say to me.
"What good news?" I asked her.
"You're no longer Machiavelli's, you're mine, now you can take my form," she replied.
"For my freedom from his control, it's a small price to pay. I'll come willingly too just drop me into that tank and you have your 5th kid," I told her.
She hugged me in response and said: "let's go then, let's go and make you one of mine."
I followed her to where they changed human bodies into forms like the one I have. "Well Clair you got another kid and I see it's the one I've heard about on the news," the creature said to her.
"Yup, you know what I want to be done, same as last time," she replied. "Go on Nathan step up."
I stepped up onto the trapdoor and said to myself: "freedom is not free," before it dropped from under me and I let myself pass out.
I was out for a few hours before I woke up to Clair holding me close. "I could have just swallowed you and you'd be in a membrane bag but that would be too painful. Can you hear my mind?" She asked me without moving her mouth.
"Yes, yes I can and it's one of the best feelings I've had thus far," I replied.
"Good," she told me as she held my now snake scaled hand. "This is what I like to see out of my children; a warm heart inside of a cold-blooded body. You're one of my kind now Nathan and my kind are your people now. Embrace that form and don't look back."
"What!" I shouted at her as I turned to my human form. "I am human and you can't take that from me."
"I'm the one raising you because of this, you're mine now," she replied.
"You're an alien creature to my kind fostering me. You may be able to take away my human form; you may be able to take my liberty, but you can't take something that my kind values dearly in just about every culture, their humanity," I replied with a stern look.
She then tapped something on a tablet on the table and turned me to my serpent form causing me to fall over. "Listen here, Nathan that implant was for controlling behavior and if you do keep this up you'll tell the committee overwise about you. We haven't got enough to prove what else Machiavelli did. I bet it's withdrawal, head into that sandpit room where we first met and calm down," she told me. "Man, I'm so glad I got another one of those."
"Ok then, but after I'm done in there I'm teaching you my kind's values," I told her.
"Three hours Nathan, that's how long I want you in there, and make sure you're under the sand a bit ok," she said to me before I went into the room.
I got under the sand only to feel something different. A sensation that wanted me to give in to my fate. I then felt that same kid hug me and say: "You need to focus on one thing at a time. If you want justice for your family you'll have to be willing to give something up."
"Kid, you may be right about that. Just do this for me if I can not. Fight valiantly for your kind's freedom and remember me for who I was and not for who I'm going to be. Because I might never be the same again," I replied before falling asleep.
The kid walked out of the room before turning to his serpent form and laying with Clair. "Why did you insist on making him one of your people?" He asked her.
"It's just so I could get his mind off of things; so we could deal with it. I just didn't expect him to go off like that," she replied.
I woke up three and a half hours later with my memory still intact but feeling like I put my human side behind me. "Clair, what even happened? Forgive me my short term memory is not the best," I told her.
"That doesn't matter my child," she replied as she hugged me. "What matters is that you're with people that love you and you are where you belong."
"You know, I could have..." I was cut short by my phone buzzing on the table. I look at a text from Dante to find what I asked him for originally, Machiavelli's purchase records. "Oh good, I see he's delivered," I said to her.
"Who delivered?" She asked me.
"Dante, I asked him to get Machiavelli's purchase records for any chemicals," I replied.
She lowered my hands and said: "Let us handle this; we know American criminal justice inside and out."
"Yeah, but I doubt you kept it intact after this," I replied.
"We still gave your kind governing powers. They're looking into this matter as much as we are," she replied.
"Dante then texted me again saying the same thing she did. I replied with: "send them to Clair or whoever is investigating so they have this evidence." I then told her: "Thanks for the help. I guess we can get comfortable now."
We all got onto the couch and ate our breakfast as a family; something that Machiavelli didn't do too often. "You know maybe this won't be so bad after all. You love me as if I was yours; you never try to control me, it's better than I thought," I told her.
"You are mine Nathan, don't forget that. Why don't we have a little trip to the caves," she said to the kids. Only 2 of her kids smiled with her other adopted child looking concerned.
"It's the one with the spiders isn't it," the 3rd kid said to Clair. She nodded yes in response.
"Oh come on Michael why are you still scared? It'd let Nathan get his mind off of things for a while; isn't that what we want for him?" She asked him.
He sighed before saying: "Ok then" in a reluctant voice.
"I had one of those spiders entrance me before," I told them.
"Well maybe you'll see how her baby's grown," she replied.
"I don't feel good about this but I'll come," I reluctantly told him.
I came with her and her children to the same cave I first saw the creature. "This feels like I belong here for some reason," I told her.
"Their venom can be hypnotic, like that, but they won't kill you," Clair replied.
"Let's head in then," I replied before I headed deeper into the cave. I soon saw the same spider as I did last time. I came up to it and put my hand to its head.
"Hey there girl I'm back," I said in a soft tone. Her child soon bit into me and I felt that same heavy trance.
"Welcome home kid, come with me and get into my web," the young spider told me. It then wrapped me to my neck and brought me to their web.
"Practice what you need to, I'll just lay here," I told him.
"Actually..." He then bit into me and started to suck a bit of my blood.
"Ow, I'll let you take some of my blood but be gentle," I told him.
"I don't do that too often kiddo and I don't need much," he replied as he stopped sucking.
"I may look different to you but you still recognize me. I guess once part of the family; always part of the family," I told him.
"Let's head fishing, I've got to get some food into me at some point," he replied. He stuck me into a pouch on the underside of his and I then started feeling drowsy. "Sleep well Nathan, I can tell you've been through a lot," I heard him say before I couldn't stay awake anymore.
I was asleep for a few hours before waking up still in his pouch and to the sound of his eating. I then got hand a fish that I swallowed whole; that happened about 3 times before he pulled me out and I found myself under the stars. "That's better, not under your influence with this sight to behold," I said to myself. The spider then laid me in a hammock before leaving for the caves.
"Clair, are you anywhere around?" I shouted into the woods to no avail. "Well, I guess I'm stuck in this webbing for the night unable to sleep," I thought to myself. Then I heard a rustling in the bushes and I saw Clair come out of them.
"Clair, could you get me out of this so we can head home?" I asked her.
"Yeah sure, where were you?" She asked me.
"In some pouch on the underside of the spider," I replied.
"You got fed then I see," she replied as she carried me home.
Once home they all seemed wide awake as they were all doing their own thing. "Are you going to cut the web I'm wrapped in or are you just going to hold me here?" I asked her. She then laid on the couch with me in her arms. "I guess you're holding me then," I said.
"Good thing it's not me anymore," The human kid said to me.
"Nathan I just feel tired still; let me snuggle up to you for the night," she said to me.
"If it makes you feel better. Good night Clair," I told her.
"See you in the morning," she replied before falling asleep.
"Don't stay up too late kids, you'll need the sleep," I told them.
"We were asleep from 6 PM to 2 AM, we're well-rested," one of them replied.