--Seth--

I woke up to the repetitive and annoying sound of my alarm clock beeping like the idiot it was. Groggily, I smacked my hand on the snooze button and tried to get out of bed. As I tried to stand up, I ended up rolling off my bed and smacking into the floor. Nice one, Seth.

Lifting myself up to my feet and off the floor, I slipped on some pants and a shirt. I then made my way to the bathroom; brushing my teeth and hair until it looked reasonably okay. There. That was okay for now.

Running downstairs and jumping the entire second flight, I did a backflip and landed perfectly on my feet. Victory! I then ran to the table and picked up a ripe red apple. As I bit into it, the sweet and juicy flavor caressed my tastebuds and slid down my throat. Nothing was better than natural, greenhouse-grown fruit.

"Mornin' to ya, Sethford." A familiar red-headed face walked into the kitchen.

I sighed, "Danny, how many times have I told you that I just want to be called 'Seth'? When you call me 'Sethford', it makes me sound old. Like fifty."

Danny was my dad, although he never really liked to be called that. From the earliest memories that I have, I can remember him pushing me just to call him 'Danny'.

Danny was a very big guy--both physically and egotistically. He was six feet and four inches of pure muscle with a loud and thick Irish accent to match his boisterous and jovial personality. He'd served in the Mutant Corps when he was younger and lost his left arm. He wears a prosthetic now, but you'd never be able to tell. I didn't even know until last year on my ninth birthday when he had to take it off for cleaning.

"Well, I'm the adult in this house, so I can call you whatever I want." He threw back his head and let out an obnoxious chortle, slapping his knee hysterically.

I raised an eyebrow. "Really, Danny? It wasn't even that funny..."

"Of course t'was, ma boy. We Tymberlee men are quite known for our great sense of humor." Danny justified.

I sighed and took another bite of my apple "If you say so, old man."

"You bet yer lucky stars it's so." He exclaimed, thumping his prosthetic arm on the counter so hard that it shook. "I only speak the truth!"

I was going to say more, but I decided against it. It wasn't wise to get in a fight with Danny. He was too much of a sore loser and would do anything to win. Also, the last guy that called him a liar was in the hospital with two broken legs for a month.

"Okay, you're right." I surrendered, throwing my hands up in the air.

"O'course I am." Danny said haughtily, putting a triumphant smirk on his face.

I took one last bite of my apple before asking, "Do I get to help out with the harvest today?"

Danny nodded "Aye. Just throw yer core in the compost bin on the way out, alright, laddie?"

I nodded and couldn't help but chuckle. As we began to walk out the door, I quickly opened the lid of the familiar tin can and threw my waste in there before I could smell anything. Danny signaled for me to hurry up, so I jumped and did backflips in succession until I caught up right beside him.

"Yer quite the athlete for a ten year old." Danny praised

I nodded and dashed to the greenhouse, typing in the password (my birthday--0628); making the door slide open. I ran in and took a deep breath. Danny took real pride and care of his greenhouse. He even had it designed to look like a rainbow of assorted fruits and vegetables. Happily, I picked up a basket and waited until Danny came through the door with a big grin on his face.

"Today we're going to pick the tomatoes and the cucumbers. That sound good, ma wee laddie?" Danny asked.

"Yep." I affirmed. I made my way to the ruby red tomatoes and held my basket in one hand, carefully grabbing the vegetable and turning it until it naturally broke off the stalk.

"Have I ever told you why I became a botanist?" Danny asked me.

I nodded "After your arm was eaten, you had to go through physical therapy and your nurse was mom. For part of your therapy she had you garden, and that was how you fell in love. After you were done, mom had me and she died. Then you opened this business in her memory." I picked another tomato. "Did I get that all right?"

Danny nodded and picked up a basket of his own "Aye, ma boy." He picked a tomato and held it up to the early sunlight that was breaking through the glass. "Tomatoes were always Lisse's favorite. Even when you were in her tummy, she never stopped askin' for 'em. Your mother was diagnosed with liver cancer, an' the doctors couldn't do much about it. Everyday, though, she smiled as if nothin' was wrong." A single tear fell down his cheek. "You look so much like her, y'know."

I nodded. I had my mom's platinum blonde hair and deep brown eyes. The only part of my dad that really shows through are my many, never-ending freckles. I didn't have any of his physical traits, though; like his brawn or stuff like that. I try to make up for that with my agility, though. As we continued to harvest the produce, I asked Danny, "What was mom like?"

Danny let out a soft chuckle. "Oh Lisse was the most gentle woman I ever met. She loved to make people smile and had the voice of an angel. How she could've ever found something to love about me, I will never know. She also loved you with all her heart, Sethford. She spent every last moment she had trying to be a good mother to you."

I nodded as I realized I had filled my entire basket. I got another and walked back over. "Danny, will you be okay when I grow up?"

He nodded, the slightest of smiles on his face. "O'course I will, Sethford. As long as ma wee laddie follows his dreams, I will be more than okay."

"Well," I started, nervously tapping the fingers that were holding my basket on the handle rhythmically, "I want to go into the army. I know it's dangerous, but someone's got to do it."

Danny placed his full basket of tomatoes next to mine and grabbed another. "As long as you can promise me one thing, laddie."

I looked up at him from my tomatoes. "What?"

Danny grinned as he made his way to the cucumbers. "Bring me one of those mutant's heads. If you can, bring me the one that ate ma arm." He thrust up his prosthetic for effect, laughing boisterously as usual.

I nodded and gave a thumbs up. "You bet, Danny."

He laughed and took my basket from my hand. "Why don't you go set up the stand, laddie? I'll manage from here."

I gave him a salute and scooped up the two full baskets in my arms. My dad and I lie in a two-story apartment. The upper part is where our bedrooms are, and the lower level contains our kitchen, but it's mainly where we sell food if it's raining. Otherwise we have an outdoor stand where we sell our produce.

As I walked up to the stand, I pulled the yellow tarp off of it. I then began to put all the tomatoes up on display in rows of five with four in each row. Walking behind the counter, I pulled out the preserves as well. Today we were going to try out a new recipe of orange marmalade that my dad had been working on. If people liked it, we'd have one more thing to add to our income. If not, there were always other things we could sell.

I slipped on an apron and flipped the sign so it said 'OPEN' in bold letters and all caps. It wasn't very long at all before the customers started rolling in. A few girls from my school were first in line.

"Hi, Seth!" A brunette girl chirped.

"Hey, Cara." I returned, my usual 'service with a smile' plastered on my face, "How's it going? What do you need?"

"Nothing." One of Cara's friends muttered--I think her name was Gwen.

I raised an eyebrow in suspicion, "So what are you guys here for?"

"Tammy wants to ask you out!" Cara said, a little girly giggle escaping her lips.

The other girl pushed her--this must have been Tammy. "Shut up!"

Gwen huffed. "Just give her an answer. She's never going to admit it now."

"Sorry, girls." I said, not bothering to even give them fake sympathy, "I can't do anything for you unless it's produce related. Now if you don't mind, there are lovely customers that actually came to buy from here that have been waiting ever so patiently in line."

Cara looked back behind her and blushed as she saw all the people behind her giving her and her trio dirty looks. Cara grabbed Gwen and Tammy's hands before running off and yelling one last "Bye, Seth!"

I kept my attention on the next customer; an elderly lady with a wide smile on her face and a bag in her hands. "Oh, why hello!" She greeted me cheerfully.

"Good morning, Mrs. Hartford." I returned, thankful for the fact that she wasn't another ten year old girl. "What would you like today?"

"Oh, just a few tomatoes, Seth." She told me, chuckling in the process like the nice little lady she was, lifting up her bag for me to fill.

I picked up the bag and looked her in the eyes. "How much do you exactly mean by a few?"

Mrs. Hartford cocked her head and tapped her finger against her chin a few times; thinking before she said: " About three or four should do it."

I placed three in there, knowing Mrs. Hartford and that she never ate much anyway. "That will be three point five notes."

Mrs. Hartford, being the meticulous woman she was, handed me the exact amount of money. I put it in the cash register and then waved her off a new couple coming to take her place.

"Hello, Seth!" The woman said happily, rubbing her round, pregnant belly.

"How are you doing, young man?" The guy asked, a rather contagious smile on his lips and a loving look in his eyes.

"I'm doing really good." I said, beaming, "How's the baby doing, Amelia?"

"She's great." Amelia replied, giving a warm smile. "She's going to be due in two months."

"We couldn't be happier." The man replied.

I laughed. "So what will it be this time, David?"

"Do you have any seedless watermelon in stock?" He asked, scratching his head in slight embarrassment. "I know it's such a special order, but it's what Amelia wants; I've been looking all over for it."

I grinned and gave him a thumbs-up. "No problem! Of course we've got some in stock. It'll cost you extra, though. It's out of season around this time and--"

"That's okay." David said quickly.

I shrugged and bent over the counter, pulling out a small half of a watermelon. It was miniscule by the genetically advanced watermelons that were its cousins, but it was easily the size of my head and shoulders. I looked back to Amelia and David, a smile on my face. " That'll be fifteen notes, please."

Amelia happily handed over the money as David took the fruit. As the next person rolle i, I got into my routine of greeting them and such. I said 'hello',talked a bit, and then had them pay for their produce. It wasn't but a few minutes before Danny came back with the cucumbers and other food from the greenhouse to set up on display. We went through another handful of familiar faces before someone completely new was at the front of the line.

She was...different to say the least. She wore a long, thick trench coat with sunglasses over her eyes and a fedora on her head. There wasn't much else that I could distinguish, but I could have sworn I saw a lock of white hair.

"Hello!" I piped up happily, "I haven't seen you around here before. Are you new to this shop?"

She stayed completely stoic, not even moving the slightest muscle. "Get me a jar of pickled plums."

I shot a grin her way. Two could play at this game. Danny always did say that if nothing else to kill them with kindness. "Okay!" I looked under the counter and frowned. "Hey, Danny, we're out of pickled plums. Could you get some more?"

Danny nodded, winking and then giving me a salute. "Aye! Can do, Sethford." And with that, he went off into the apartment and left the two of us alone. As the time dragged on, seconds felt more like minutes of unbearable silence. Or maybe that was just my ADHD acting up again. Anyways, not knowing what else to do, I tried to start up a conversation with her.

"So, what's your name?" I asked her.

No response.

"Do you live in Raima?" I tried, hoping she'd at least have the decency to answer me.

Instead of talking, the mysterious girl pulled a small device from her pocket and pointed it at me. It gave three beeps and then glew green. She pulled off her sunglasses, revealing intense aqua eyes looking at me with eyebrows furrowed in anticipation. She pulled out another device and typed something in, then everyone fell down onto the ground. Were they dead? No, they were breathing. Coincidence? I think not!

"Hey, what was--"

She quickly covered my mouth with her hand and began to run, causing her hat to fly off and reveal two fluffy white ears. What the? What did this girl plan on doing to me?! I gathered up all my strength and bit into her hand as hard as I could, causing her to yell in pain and let go. I fell hard onto the sidewalk, but I didn't let that stop me. I got up quickly to my feet and took off as fast as I could. The girl was faster, though. She ran and grabbed me again, putting me in a hold where I couldn't use any of the self-defense techniques that Danny had taught me.

"Let me go!" I begged, trying to be as innocent as possible. "What did I even do?"

"Keep quiet, would you? The girl snapped, literally growling and showing off a mouth with unnaturally sharp canines.

"I'll scream at the top of my lungs." I threatened, looking the girl straight in the eyes. "I'll do it. I'm crazy!"

She snarled. "Don't you even think about it, little kid."

Little kid!? Excuse me, miss, but that was too far. I was ten. I took a deep breath and shrieked at the top of my lungs: "HEEEEELLLLLLLLL--"

She slapped her hand over my mouth again, "What is wrong with you, kid? I mean, seriously? What is your issue?"

I licked her hand, causing her to let go again."Well, maybe I was kidnapped from my home by a crazy, demented old lady for no apparent reason!"

I yelled at her, pouring all my dislike into every word.

"I'm not old!" The girl yelled, her lower left eyelid twitching uncontrollably. "For your information, kid, I am only fourteen freaking years old! And I didn't take you for no reason; I'm not that crazy, you hyperactive sugar-loaded twit!"

Maybe if fighting wasn't going to get me out of this; I could use a cute appeal. I widened my eyes and stuck out my lower lip, making sure that it was quivering. That was too far, onee-chan."

"Don't think that Shakyorese honorifics are going to get you out of this. You've already made your position clear." She said, raising her voice.

"THEN TELL ME WHY IN THE HECK YOU KIDNAPPED ME!" I screamed.

The girl's eyelid began to twitch again. "I didn't kidnap you! In fact, I'm taking you to a project that's going to eliminate the mutants, but if you don't want to oblige, I'll be more than happy to erase your memory and bring you back!"

Wait, mutants? This girl had suddenly sparked my interests. "Eliminate the mutants?"

She nodded. "Now would you CALM DOWN?!"

I nodded back. "Does this thing mean I get ears, too?" I asked wanting to jump up and down but then remembering that I was being held.

"Yeah, and a tail, too." But that's not the point." She sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose with her free hand. "I need to get you to Mandy so she can Inject you with the DNA of a Squirrel Monkey." She added under her breath, "I can totally see where it comes from, too."

"Like a superhero? Then I want my name to be Vine Swinger, being as I'll have a monkey tail and ears and all that." I smiled and looked up at the girl. "Then we--"

"What did I say about calming down?!" She yelled before composing herself and letting me go, holding out her hand. "My name's Seira by the way."

"I'm Seth!" I piped, taking her hand and shaking it vigorously.

"Okay, okay, just please try not to talk until we arrive at our destination. I already have a major headache." Seira rubbed her temples to prove her point.

"Ooh, if we're going to be teammates, then can I call you Sei-chan?" I asked.

She silenced me with a glare.

"Or not."