#prt 1

1: There's a Fireplace?!

His first rut occurred after the superpowers kicked in, and the Super-computer wasn't set-up yet, none of the things in the Fortress of Solitude were really. He went in blind, one day he was an un-presented pup, the next he was a baby alpha to unprepared beta parents. To their understanding, there should've been pre-rut symptoms, there usually is. Instead, his temperature spiked overnight, newly acquired impenetrable skin becoming over sensitive, and screaming in pain. The sudden switch from invulnerable to vulnerable so sudden it was nauseating; almost making him vomit a few times. It was awful, he'd even been too hot to the touch, sweating more than he ever had in his life, everything stank of his own pheromones, his own breathing felt too hot, oxygen scorching in the cavity of his lungs, yet too desperate for breath to stop. Worse, he couldn't control his strength, he was frozen in place, nerves over-taxed as he held tight control over his powers. In the room with him, but unable to offer a comforting touch were his parents, watching helplessly as their son writhed in pain, whispering words of comfort. In a fit of desperation, he flew to the Arctic and covered himself in a lovely blanket of snow that finally helped him cool down. The tiny snowflakes felt too sharp, and his clothes too rough, it was unbearably lonely, but he would take it over the heat and fear.

He was there for a week, alone, melting the ice around him. Even just dunking himself in the ocean and going deep down a few times.

In the seventh day, when he opened eyes no longer clouded by misery, the landscape of snow was covered in little divots from where his burning form had melted the snow a few times. Exhausted, he flew back home to concerned parents.

Later, when he did get access to Kryptonian technology, its was unhelpful. The yellow sun radiation he grew up with affected his rut cycle. Shifting it from a stable, cyclical thing to a reactionary kind of fire. So he continued his young alpha life in a kind of peace and lack of disturbance unknown to most. While his classmates missed school to irregular ruts, tripped each other instincts, and just had the standard double awful teenage experience that plagues the AO population.

Yet like a madman, he got scanned weekly by the computer in hopes to make head or tails of his irregular cycle, never getting a different result.

“Merlow-! You’re back. A-ah, listen I--”

“No! You listen!” Merlow sniffled, crying, “You can hurt me, but if you ever hurt Til, Dad, o-or any of my friends ever again, I’ll end you! I’ll hurt you! I’ll make sure y-you never hurt people again-! L-like you did with me!”

“..Did..Barnes talk to-?”

“Yes, I am taking Til. Dad is a good dad..but not you. You never were. I’m leaving, but I will come back. A-and I’ll come back sooner if you hurt...if-i-if you…!”

“Don’t. Merlow, I promise, I will never hurt him. Or..your friends again.”

“I don’t believe you. I hate you. I HATE YOU!”

Honestly, Reynold felt he should have never been a father in the first place. Feeling the scar on his cheek only confirmed it. Despite that harsh scolding happening awhile ago, and receiving just as harsh of a talk, ever since then he has been doing well. If anything, he had been more curious about certain things.

It was a risky move. The fridge was something that was like a deathtrap to most my size but I knew that there had to be food in there. The cabinets were bare and it had been rough to find food as the giant human who occupied the house kept odd hours. Always awake at night and asleep during the day. Which was a bit odd. I didn’t think that humans were nocturnal creatures. Shaking my thoughts when my stomach growled, I focused on climbing up to the counter top. I had thought for hours on how to get the door open and how to keep it open while I gathered food. I even dressed super warm, in several layers of clothing i had sewn together. By the time I had exacted my plan of using rope and the large silverware of the giant, it was well into the afternoon and I was exhausted. But the cool air from the mountainous fridge was enough to spark some determination in me, and I slipped down the rope and inside. The difference in temperature was a godsend after all that hard work, but the sight of the food containers was almost enough to make me let out a squeal of delight. First was the cheese, which I snacked on hungrily as I eyed containers for something fresh. Several items looked to be well beyond edible and I was lucky that the cheese was good. Just as I spotted some sandwich meats and rushed over to fill my satchel, a long groaning noise caught my attention. Slowly, I looked around for the noise. The door… I scrambled back towards it, the butter knife I had used was slipping and just before I reached to opening, it slammed shut. The lights went out. I was now acutely aware of the cold air and the dark folded thick around me. My breathing picked up as I sank to my knees. I was so stupid. I was just hungry and stupid. I should have tried to leave the house instead of this convoluted scheme. A sob escaped my throat as I fought the swell of panic. Who knows how long it would be before the the giant male opened the fridge? I was going to freeze to death in here. My thoughts spiralled into a frenzy and soon I was gasping and sobbing in defeat. After a bit, I lay on the cold surface utterly weak and freezing cold, though at this point I was so numb from my panic attack that I couldn’t feel it. I stayed there for what seemed like an eternity before I managed to drag myself over to press myself against the cold wall. I hugged my knees to my chest as shivers racked my small form. What was I supposed to do now..?

Kalos. Nothing. Unova. Nothing. Alola? Nothing.

It was Winter in Alola and yet the weather had not changed a bit. If anything, the air was crisper than the usual heat. Or perhaps it was just because of this dark coast with its dark sand. Regardless, Michael waited for his beloved Lycanroc to come back from the Ruins of Hope. There was a chance Matilda could be there or anywhere but now that chance was gone.