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Caleb sat with his right arm in a sling, the EMP had shorted it out and his fingers weren’t slim enough to hit the reset button hidden in his bicep. A fact he intended to have rectified at the first opportunity.
“Call Mei-Mei.” The ear piece chirped and confirmed his command, the phone rang twice before a sleepy male voice Caleb didn’t recognize answered.
“Hello?”
“Who is this?”
“Valko, who is this?”
“Caleb, why are you answering my little sister’s phone?”
“Oh, hey Caleb.” The man’s voice, Valko, was a little more clear now he seemed happy to hear from Caleb. “Sorry, she’s in the shower right now, do you want me to take the phone to her?”
“No, it’s alright, just have her call me back.” He hung up before receiving a response and shook his head. He would have to go back to base and have a medic look at his arm. He could go back and speak with the team that worked on his arm, but that meant more time with Ever, and he was having a hard enough time keeping his temper in check as it was. No, a medic would do for now, and he would have to find alternative methods for enhancement later.
(Six Months Later)
Valko had become as consistent in her life as Caleb and Zayne were, which also meant that she was buying three times as many groceries and sweets as normal because somehow her home had become the nexus for all of them. Even Xavier and Rafael spent more time there when they could. Sylus had an open invitation, but he would usually only come by when he knew none of the others were over. She thought it had to do with him being a crime boss some of the time, but really she thought he just enjoyed the house being quiet and still, it was like he was coming there for peace, something they would need to speak about eventually.
“Let me see.”
“No.”
“You’ve nearly dropped the skillet twice, and I saw you grab that tray out of the oven with your bare hand.”
“Leave it alone Val.”
“If the sensory input system is down you need to have your arm looked at. It could affect you in other ways.” She could hear Caleb and Valko arguing in her kitchen as she rounded the corner.
“Ge-Ge, what’s going on?”
“Nothing!” He snapped, took a breath then repeated. “Nothing, I’m fine.”
“His right arm is messed up, he keeps dropping things randomly and he didn’t feel the tray burning through his synth.” Valko supplied, not taking his eyes off Caleb.
“Dude!” There was no heart in the admonishment as Caleb submitted to being looked over by his little sister.
“Can you help him?” She asked Valko as she pressed her hand against the small trigger that retracted the synth, revealing the mechanical arm that was somehow more a part of her brother than the regular looking one was. It fit who he was now better somehow.
“If he consents, probably.”
“Nope, Wolf-boy is not going to use me as a new puzzle.” Caleb hadn’t trusted Valko’s tech skills since a mishap involving one of Sylus’ modified toys had ruined the living room. In all fairness she hadn’t realized that it was a modified piece either, and normally what Valko had been doing wouldn’t have caused an issue, but it led to a house rule of touching nothing that Sylus left behind.
“So long as Sylus hasn’t been messing with it you’ll be fine.” The fingers spasmed, a spark igniting near Caleb’s wrist. All of the play went out of the room like it had been ripped out.
“Let him help you. I’ll get dinner ready.”
“Come one little robot, lets get you fixed up so you can help me beat her in Kitty Cards later.” Valko steered Caleb out and toward the garage workshop that the more technically inclined shared. Rafayel had claimed one of the top floor rooms as a studio away from home, and Zayne had stocked her bookshelves, while Xavier made sure there were plenty of cozy napping spots throughout the house. Overall her home was filled with touches of each of them, and she loved that meant they could all take care of each other.