I Became A Zompirewolf

Later that day,

[You got a chad father, gotta give you that.]

"..."

[Still not in the mood to talk?]

"..."

[You know I'm going to keep bugging you, right? I'm not like your girl who would leave you alone just because you told her.]

"For fuck's sake, SHUT UP!"

[Well, the plan worked; now, if you don't mind, you can talk to me.]

Ashton sighed as his head hit the heavy pillow. It wasn't as if he was intentionally avoiding everyone. But there were too many thoughts in his head that didn't make sense. At least not to him.

Who was his father to possibly plot out his life to this extent?

Everything Ashton had achieved, from strength to connections, how could his father possibly predict all this information? Even a one in a billion kind of genius wouldn't have been able to predict someone's life to the minutest details. Yet, his father did just that.

On a side note, the news of Ashton's father's involvement in his life wasn't the only bomb Mera dropped on him. Even more surprising information came out later.

Especially the part where Ashton's parents helped Mera in cloning herself on the promise that she would train him and keep him safe during his early years.

Avalina was upset with herself when Mera revealed the truth about their corporation; however, deep down, she knew it was time to reveal all the secrets they had been hiding from Ashton.

'Now that I think about it, had it not been for Mera, I would still be rotting in that enclosure. But even then...'

Ashton's anger towards Mera lessened when she apologised for being harsh with him. That said, he wasn't feeling any better, and if anything, he was feeling much worse than before.

A toy, that's how he felt he was—a toy for his parents to play with.

Whenever this thought entered his head, all the pent-up anger again made its way to the surface. This was partially why Ashton decided to lock himself up in a room and try to calm down before confronting everyone. But as it was clear to everyone, it wasn't going too well.

[Listen, kid, I know how you feel. Both because we share the same brain and I have gone through something similar.]

"You don't know shit-"

[I have lived longer than you and have seen things you'd never wish to see. Daddy issues are one of them. No matter how thankful I am to Seraph for training me into a warrior, I too resent him for taking away my childhood.]

It was the first time Astaroth had opened up about his life in such detail. Previously, he had only given Ashton the necessary information and did not bother about the rest. But this time, Ashton had a feeling it was different.

[Even in the earliest of my memories, I can see him punishing Beelzebub, Lucifer and myself. We were war dogs first, Xyrans later and treated as such. No matter how much anyone said they cared about us, they wouldn't give a rat's ass had we gotten ourselves killed.]

[We're both treated and raised as weapons. However, we don't have to stay like that. Whether you're following your father's wish or not, it's not up to anyone but you to decide who you are, don't let anyone take that away from you. Remember that.]

Ashton had never felt this way before, but once Astaroth opened his heart out, he realised the two were more alike than he had previously thought.

As weird as it was, talking with each other was surprisingly productive. It was strange thinking that two different beings from different planets in the vast galaxy could suffer through similar problems. Maybe the universe wasn't as big as people had thought.

[Made up your mind yet?]

Ashton nodded, "Head's a bit more clear now. Thanks for the pep talk. Now let's get working."

***

"We shouldn't have-" Avalina muttered, but almost instantly, Mera interrupted her.

"He had the right to know," she said, "John would have wanted the same."

Avalina knew Mera was right, and that's why those words hurt her more. That said, she did not wish to hide anything from Ashton.

However, after seeing his reaction when she revealed he was a clone himself, she decided not to disclose any more information about the past. After all, Ashton was a kid; traumatising him wouldn't have done any good to anyone.

"You don't have to worry," Anna chimed in while grabbing Avalina's hand, "Your son is the strongest guy I have ever met. Secrets like these might slow him down, but they won't stop him. Have some faith."

Avalina smiled through her sadness, even though she knew she had no right to feel that way. Not after putting her son through hell for years.

"I swear, if I ever see Johnathan again, I will kick his ass." Avalina chuckled, "That bastard went to get milk and left me to handle this mess!"

Everyone laughed, watching Avalina, but they fell silent once the door opened.

"Alright, if you're done gossiping, shall we get to work?" Ashton mumbled while assuming his seat, "But first, did my oracle of a father inform anyone what I should do next?"

"Ashton," Anna shook her head, "don't."

"What? The man can plot my entire life, and I can't even joke about it? A bit harsh, in my opinion." Ashton smiled, "Maybe he didn't inform you about the joke."

Completely ignoring their banter, Mera again inserted herself to guide the conversation in a fruitful direction.

"As a matter of fact, he did." She said, "All your answers can be found in Nirvana; that's what he said. However, getting there won't be easy. Nora, do you mind?"

Nora cracked her knuckles while smiling, "Finally, my turn to be useful. Unlike popular belief, Nirvana isn't only the land of the undead. Technologically speaking, they are much more advanced than both Vampires and werewolves combined."

She continued, "I know you're confused-"

"Must be the aliens." Ashton interrupted, "Bet you a thousand yenos someone's been helping them."

"Yeno?" Avalina asked.

"Intergalactic currency," Anna clarified, "Quite influential too. You could buy a planet like earth in a few hundred yenos."

"Ahem, we're getting side-tracked!" Nora exclaimed, but no one was listening to her anymore, "Fucking gold diggers! One mention of money, and they all lose their composure."