Chapter 41 - New Residents and Renovations

Tyler Riddle

The pain in my side is almost crippling. The amount of painkillers running through my system should be making me happy as can be, but due to my enhanced senses, the meds are barely doing it for me. Probably the only reason I didn't foam at the mouth instantly is because of adrenaline and shock. I tried changing my nervous system and turning off my perception of pain, which worked for a few moments, but it came back with a vengeance. Whatever changes I made lasted a minute at most. And when I tried investigating why I found that my entire body has changed to Exterium but it's still operating mostly as it did before. But not just that, I also have far less control over the Exterium than I originally thought. Outside of my body, it operates the way I initially tested for, but now whatever changes I make disappear unless I constantly reinforce them. Another reminder that I don't know much about my abilities. I really need to test them more but I don't know what triggered this change. My best guess would point to when I absorbed a small portion of Mercury. That's pure speculation though since I've come into contact with a lot of things and a lot of people. 

While there are both positives and negatives to this new change, I'm currently seeing this as a mostly negative thing. My main reason being is that since I can't edit myself anymore, I can't make my dick smaller. While it's only roughly 9 inches flaccid, it's still a lot. Forget the enlarged weak point, it can grow back. The main problem is walking with the added size in testicles. The only thing that would make it worse would be the constant elections from early puberty. Getting it with Gwen with this monster will be quite the challenge. How Nia managed to do it is a mystery to me.

So lots of new problems for me. All that's really keeping me from moaning in agony or going Steve on a tree is a pint of dark chocolate ice cream, 15 bacon burgers, 3 large fries, and the cuteness of one Henry Sutter. 

"Can I please have another bowl of ice cream Tyler?" Henry asks in the seat next to me, holding out his small paper bowl.

"I don't know buddy. How about you ask your mom?" I reply, noticing Rachael shaking her head at me on the other side of Henry. 

"Mom–"

"Nope, that's your third bowl already. Any more and you'll get sick. Besides, you really shouldn't be eating in the car. We're almost there." Rachael tells her son while licking her thumb and smudging an ice cream stain on Henry's face.

"You've arrived at your destination." Cortana's voice plays over the car's speakers as we pull up to the shipping facility/factory in all its barren glory.

"This is the place? You live here of all places?" Laura asks from the row in front of me.

"No, you all will be living here. I live a little over an hour's drive away, but I can get here in a few minutes if I have to. And yeah, it's a little sketchy, but I haven't had it for long enough to do any renovations on it." I respond.

"It's discrete, quiet, and out of the way. It's the perfect fit for us right now." Zelda says.

"As long as there's a bed and food, anything will do," Bellona says.

"There are no beds right now, but if you can wait a little bit, I'll have them made," I admit.

"How long is a little bit?" Gabby asks.

"Maybe an hour or 2 if you guys want traditional beds. It'll be much sooner if you choose something like a hammock, air, or water mattress. I'll make it puncture-proof." 

"Everyone will be okay with whatever you decide. You're putting us up after all, besides you're injured." Sarah says from the front.

"Multilayered waterbeds it is. You guys will like it enough that I won't have to come back and change it later. If someone could bring the rest of the food and help Deb and Megan with their stuff, that would be great." I reply as everyone starts climbing out of the car and stretching. 

Deb and Megan pull up in a small yellow commuter car and the other Kinney's help them with what little luggage they have. The mother and daughter duo look beat, especially Megan, but she just figured out her boyfriend was a spy, so it's understandable. Kimura picks up Mercury with her shackles still on and walks with me into the building.

The hallways are resounding with some popular pop music coming over the intercom system, which I didn't know the building had before. 

"Sinthea, Mellisa, I brought guests!" I yell out on my way to the break room/dormitory. 

I open the double doors to find Melissa doing yoga in a grey sports bra and yoga pants. Her white and pink hair pools on the ground as she raises her ass high. A little bit of camel toe is visible and by loins throb, but now is not the time to be horny.

"Melissa!" I shout, making her jump and fall over, but she rolls into it and pops up in a fighting stance. 

"Tyler! Where the hell have you been? You can't just leave us in this dump!" She shouts.

"Nice to see you too Melissa. I've only been gone for a little over a day. What could have possibly happened that's so bad but you wouldn't contact me about it?"

"It's Sinthea. She's completely out of control when you're not here. She always wants to fight and train. She can't just chill. Who are the people behind you?" She rants then peaks over my shoulder.

"I don't see the problem with her liking fighting. But if you need company, our new residents will do just fine. I told them about you and Sinthea, and I know I messaged you about them."

"I left my phone in the audio room to play music through the intercom easily." She admits, wiping a bit of sweat off her pale stomach.

"Hmm, well I'll let you acquaint yourselves. Just be aware that it's been rough on them recently. I'll go find Sinthea and whatever she's punching to oblivion then I'll be doing renovations. And please make this music stop." 

"What about the chunk missing from your side?" She asks.

"Long story. It'll heal a day or two." I leave the room with that, heading towards the sound of dull pounding and grunts of exhaustion. Along the way, I notice bits of stuffing and things with the cushions ripped off them such as chairs.

I open a door to a room filled with pillows, padding, and lots of stuffing everywhere of all kinds. The whole floor is covered in them to the point I can't see the aged carpet that covers the floors of most of the building's offices. Sinthea's blood-red silhouette spins about the room, throwing up cushions in the air only to push, kick, or throw a knife or needle at a split second later. She notices my entrance and lets loose a needle at my forehead as if by instinct, but I smack it to the side, impeding it into the wall.

"Nice reflexes. And good durability too. Not just anybody can smack one of my needles out of the air without losing a hand." Sinthea smirks, standing on a foot-high stack of cushions that evened the difference between our heights.

"Nice pillow fight. Can I join?" 

"Real funny. I wouldn't be doing this if there was a real combat room here. It's suffocating to be in here and not able to leave. The lack of training partners only makes it worse."

"Well, there's more than a few people among the new residents that would love to train with you. And I would be down to train with a killing machine like you."

"Aww, thank you. You almost make a girl want to blush." She says in a slightly mocking tone. 

"I don't think your body can handle any more red Sinthea." Red clothes, red eyes, the last thing she needs is a red face.

"Hmmm. I'll train with you once I get a real private dorm. Melissa's sleep talking almost makes me want to overcome my laziness and move my hammock."

"Well, I'll be working on stuff over here for the next few days. Right now I'm going to be taking care of living arrangements for the new people, so I can do yours too."

"Are the new people dropped off by Grandpa Fury too?" She asks, tossing a knife in the air and catching it.

"No. I'm putting them up on my own, but they have a similar situation going on. Just go and be nice to them as best as you can, just don't try too hard."

"I can be nice." She says, spinning needles between her fingers.

"I don't know Sin, half the time you don't even look at me when I talk to you. I don't mind you scrapping the place since it all needs to be renovated, but tell me or Cortana before you break down any walls." I leave her at that and start planning my next couple of hours. I can't wait to get back home.

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