The Child

CJ did not look at the bodies as his uncle and a close friend helped the soldiers drag the dead to the back of an empty truck. The child cooed up at him, as he slowly rocked the baby back and forth. He was a good kid, and he never cried. Whether or not it had to do with the fact that the kid wasn't a human, CJ had no idea. 

He could see the strain and worry in the people around him. Many of them were covered in dirt and blood, after their first fight to protect the kid. They lost a couple of the soldiers, but they succeeded in killing most of their enemies. 

Killing. 

That word always left a bitter taste in CJ's mouth. 

The child waved a fist at CJ, reaching for his hair. He smiled, tears in his eyes as the child took hold of a lock of his hair. 

"He really likes you, huh?"

CJ looked up to find his uncle, Sebastian, standing by him. His clothes were disheveled, and smudges of dirt were all over his face. He looked exhausted, like he hadn't slept in ages. 

"I think he likes everybody."

Sebastian chuckled. "I think he does. He's such a well - behaved kid. Considering…who his father is."

CJ shuddered, looking at the chopped-up bodies that his father had left behind. 

"I don't like to call him the father. You and Dune are the best parents he could have ever asked for."

Sebastien smiled, taking hold of one of the child's hands. 

"I never thought I would ever get to have a kid. Dune…he is still adjusting, but I know he adores him too. You should see him when he reads the kid bedtime stories. It's kind of nice. To see Dune act so…human."

CJ could see the look of love in his uncle's eyes. He never thought he would ever find love ever in his life, and he did…with one of the most powerful Gods in the universe. With a God that can read minds along with telekinesis powers...and now they were both raising a kid…that was half God and half human. The mother of the child was killed by his father, and he has been trying to kill his own son ever since. 

It was insane to think how many evil people existed out there, and CJ wasn't surprised that even Gods could be just as evil. The worst thing was that they were unbelievably powerful, and were extremely difficult to kill. How they were going to pull off killing this monster was going to require a lot of strategy and power. And CJ wasn't sure if they ever would. 

Sebastien watched as the soldiers were dragging some of the ones they were able to kill. One of them had been decapitated by Dune, and it was a total accident. Sebastien couldn't help but laugh when he was caught in the crossfire, that one was way too full of himself before he bit the dust. He had stopped when CJ and his best friend both gave him weird looks.

Even Dune had rolled his eyes in his direction, but Sebastien knew he was amused by him. He always was. 

Sebastien kicked at the ground, listening to the scuff of his boots touch the dirt that had become their battlefield for about fifteen minutes. There was an actual puddle of blood where one of them had been killed. He had seen Dune spit into that puddle, and stick out his tongue at the body. 

He didn't stop him or react, he remembered seeing that bastard when the mother was killed. He allowed the monster to go after the mother, and he had smiled when they found her. 

"Hey, uh, uncle? Could you take him? He's starting to get a little feisty."

The child made cooing noises as Sebastien took the child from him.

His son.

Something he never thought would ever cross his mind or leave his lips. 

"I'm going to go look for the others. I think Andrew and my dad went back to the base. You coming?"

"No. I'm going to stay here and wait. For Dune."

"Alright. See you later, uncle."

CJ gave him a quick smile, and left. 

Sebastien started to rock the kid, and he didn't know why, but something clicked. He had been calling this child 'the kid,' or 'the child,' but he never gave him a proper name. Things had been too intense ever since he had adopted this child a couple of days ago. 

He looked down at the child. And he spoke. 

"I know you don't understand me, and I'm not your mother, but I want you to know that Dune and I love you. And…I think I know what I want to name you. Ethan. Ethan Walker. It was my father's name."

The child reached up with both of his chubby fists, trying to get a hold of Sebastien's beard. That was confirmation enough that Ethan approved. 

He spotted Dune walking toward him, stumbling a bit on his legs. He was tired from the battle, and Sebastien wondered how he did it all the time. Fighting constantly against the most powerful beings in the world wasn't exactly easy. His face transformed instantly when he saw Sebastien holding the child. 

"Hey. How is little Ethan doing?"

"You read my mind, didn't you?"

"Yes."

"What do you think of the name? I know I should have consulted with you first -''

"I like it."

"You do?"

Dune touched Ethan's head, his eyes never leaving the child. 

"Yes. Your father would be proud."

Sebastien did not say thank you. 

He didn't have to. 

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Thank you for reading!

Emy Quinn