Ayu scratched the back of her neck, looking at the entrance of a high-tech building in front of her. It was... Overwhelming. She hasn't even stepped inside and she could already feel uneasiness rising inside, ready to tackle her mind with panic. The creation made of steel and glass did not feel welcoming, but she anxiously glanced at the banner on the side. The information displayed there gave her all sorts of mixed feelings. Whatever she should do now..? She made her way here out of pure curiosity, and maybe some hope alongside that, but now the doubt started to overshadow everything. Ayu couldn't bring herself to come inside and ask the question that has been on the back of her mind since she woke up in a hospital bed at the age of seven.

She shouldn't even be in North City... Well, not exactly. Her routine of going here and there to collect any information guided her here, but something was telling the young woman that she shouldn't be in this place right now. Maybe it was the colder weather or instinct kicking in, but the whole day Ayu felt uneasy. It was a sensation similar to having eyes stabbing her in her back... W-Was she watched? She couldn't sense anything like that. Still, there was something she had to do. She went to the local library to check for any useful information and as she was leaving the books-filled place, a flyer on the desk next caught her attention. Doctor Yangcong... He was looking for beings made of different races for research purposes - did it mean hybrids? Ayu knew a few people whose parents were able to convince a child despite not being of the same race, mostly Saiyan and Demon hybrids. She scratched her cheek thoughtfully. But what about her? Her race still was a mystery, and perhaps because she was some kind of unidentified hybrid? She did hear that her energy felt like various distinct types of Ki's at once. After all her parents have perished in a car crash and it's not like she could ask them - and any other info about her family was unavailable. She might never know then...

It won't hurt, right? The worst thing they could do would be pricking her with needles and telling her that she's the weirdest case they have come across. Ayu took a deep breath, another deep breath, then threw in two more just to make sure she was composed enough and she walked through the doors. The place was very modern, clean, and smelled like a hospital. It was a laboratory after all, was it not? She had never been in one of those before, but somehow it felt nostalgic. Maybe it reminded her of school science lessons? Ayu looked around in wonder before her eyes caught the counter in the corner where a grey-haired man was sitting, wearing a white lab coat.

"E-Excuse me..." her voice stuttered nervously when she approached the desk. Ayu joined both of her hands together and tried to speak her mind calmly, though her nervousness was obvious. Even a soft, uneasy blush started to tint her face. She was never too good at talking to people... "I'm not sure if I got the r-right place and I apologize in advance if my question is o-out of place, but..." her fingers fidgeted, so she squeezed them and lowered her gaze. There was a pause when she was silently collecting her thoughts... Or rather courage, to face the mystery that has been dwelling on her mind for years. "If y-you're looking for beings made of various types of DNA, you m-must have some database of different races from across the universe? Did I g-get it right?" Now. Here or never. After all, what other place than a laboratory would be good to help her check what her heritage was? With Zhang gone, and Williams being silent, there was no one to turn to. Ayu placed one of her hands above her heart and took a deep, slow breath, before going to the main reason for her visit here. "If that is alright with you, Mister... C-Could I ask if there's a race that is similar to me, somewhere out there i-in the world..?

---

Super Weighted Clothing Equipped
Power Level - 178,283
PL with SWC - 44,570
Word Count - 712

Her nervousness was met with a professional, composed response. That eased her anxiety a little, but Ayu could tell that she didn't feel fully comfortable in this place. It just... Gave her this weird sensation, like something started to knock on the back of her mind, but when she looked at what it was, she met only darkness. The scent reminded her of a hospital so that most likely was it? She stroked the back of her neck following the man into the other room. It looked like a high-tech clinic and smelled like it too with the antiseptic scent teasing her nose. The last time she was in a hospital was when Ayu woke up from the coma after the accident, so perhaps that's why the uneasiness was tied to this memory... She felt a slight shiver on her back and she hastened her step.

The second room was no doubt something. Full of screens, weird machinery, and, well, Ayu would like to say medical equipment, but she had no clue what it all was. That wasn't something that would be shown at school anyway... The young woman took off her coat and placed it on the hanger, together with her bag, and sat on the medical chair - just a little tense. Her hands started to play with the end of her braid, wrapping green locks around her fingers. Despite the doctor's assurance, she couldn't quite shake off the nervousness that this place was giving her... Or was it something else? Maybe the awareness that she might hear something more about herself? Zhang knew. She was sure now, but he never wanted to admit it to Ayu, brushing off the subject or treating her with silence. Sometimes she was convinced that he hated her for being different, but then she remembered that he was the one who saved her from being placed in an orphanage, so maybe... It was confusing, to say the least. The fact that she hasn't seen him for a month did not help. Though if he'd heard what she was going to do, he would probably not approve...

"Oh, n-no, no," Ayu answered right away at the doctor's question, but then a confused frown appeared on her face. She scratched her cheek with a pensive, albeit melancholic look in her pale eyes. "At least, I d-don't think so..." she sighed a little and looked down, joining her hands together on her lap. What did she know, exactly? Less than she'd like to admit, but it was never a good idea to lie to a doctor. "I don't have any meaningful information myself. M-My family died in a vehicle crash here on Earth. Maybe they lived here for a long time or maybe they were simply visiting... I d-don't have any blood relatives or family friends that could have filled me in." That was it. Family of three? Or four? She couldn't remember the details, but they all died on the spot, with Ayu being left in critical condition, almost reaching the death's door. "I... I was in that crash too. Only I survived," she lowered her gaze and her voice changed into a gentle whisper for a brief moment. "I suffered severe trauma to the head and I don't remember anything from before I woke up after the operation that saved my life. Even my name."

She never told anybody. It wasn't worth mentioning anyway... What good would it do? She couldn't remember her parents and no one came to look for her after the accident, so most likely that was it - she was the last living member of her family. If she'd mention it to others... Ayu suspected what kind of reaction she'd seen, that's why she wanted to avoid that. After all, she'd hate to make people uncomfortable by an occurrence that couldn't be changed in any way. Past couldn't be fixed like that. Though... Was it possible to miss people whose faces she couldn't even remember?

"I was told that Health Services and Outer Space Office couldn't find any information about my family's contacts or home planet. They might have been the first of their kind here on Earth... S-So, not knowing what to do, they put me for adoption," she explained with a shy smile on her face, hoping that it didn't sound like she was whining or feeling sorry for herself. The last thing she'd wanted to do was to make the man in the lab coat think that she came here to complain. "I was lucky that my grandfather picked me up, so I grew up on the outskirts of East City, t-that's all there is..." she finished, getting silent for a long while. Was it really all..? Should she mention her Ki? Regeneration? Plant-based abilities and other things that have been happening to her so far..? A tough choice. Despite her power still growing, her body was not simply adjusted for that, she felt it in the aching sensation that would appear randomly in her chest - or she experienced it by nosebleeds and episodes of extreme fatigue. Maybe here they could help..? So far Ayu pulled out her sleeve to uncover her elbow, making it easier for drawing blood. She didn't mind the sight... Though the substance in her veins was having this dark rose, almost rouge-like color. Like a mix of red and purple.

"If you d-don't mind Mister, could you tell me what you're doing here?" she asked politely when the doctor finished taking the blood sample. It sure did not have the hue of normal human blood, that was obvious. Ayu followed his hands with her gaze, watching what procedures he will do. "My grandfather Zhang used to be a scientist too, but he never told me about his work..." Ayu pressed the gauze to the spot where the needle pierced her skin, knowing very well that this tiny mark was already healed completely. "T-To be honest, he wouldn't like the thought of me being here..." her voice got slightly troubled now when she mentioned her legal guardian. "Each time I asked about my race he would get grumpy and tell me to stop being noisy."

---

Super Weighted Clothing Equipped
Power Level - 178,283
PL with SWC - 44,570
Word Count - 1,031
Total Word Count - 1,743

It very much reminded her of a visit to the school nurse's office... Even the calm, collected voice speaking instructions had something to do with this professional air here. Ayu only smiled bashfully, not adding anything else when the doctor expressed his compassion for her situation. She was used to that. People weren't good at approaching bad or hurtful news, they preferred good ones over negative ones. Perhaps it was a stretch on her side to never mention her past. She would save others from feeling down once they would hear about the story... Why burden someone kind enough to listen to her with that flashback? Although Ayu still felt uneasy saying that here, she had her reasons. She didn't come here to the laboratory to complain, of course, she merely wanted to explain how could she be unaware of her racial origins, when her appearance was so dramatically different from people around. The only thing that Ayu was certain about, was that she wasn't human... She shouldn't be. Not with how she looked, not with what she was able to do.

The doctor calmly explained everything he was doing, taking samples of the young woman's DNA. It's not that she wasn't aware of what would happen here, but because of her different biology, she was self-conscious about many things in her appearance. Lines on the back. Rings around wrists and ankles, strategically covered by weighted clothing. Before opening her mouth, she hesitated a little, closing her eyes. She still had to show her sharper canines... They normally weren't visible, given how soft her voice was and Ayu didn't tend to laugh out loud, so many people would be surprised to see those. Her blood looked the same as always - a dark rose hue filling her veins. The last sample was her hair... Ayu brushed the green lock with her fingers, pulling it back - so the doctor wouldn't notice that the part he just cut started to grow back. In a matter of seconds, it looked exactly the same as before. That was a mystery behind Ayu's eternal braid. Each time she tried to have her hair cut, they were regrowing back at an alarming speed, quickly reaching the same length that they had before. To keep her thick locks out of her way, she braided them, always wearing the same hairstyle simply for practical reasons.

The thought of changing the world sounded pretty generous and wonderful, but something made her lower her gaze. Ayu was aware that the change wasn't easy, nor won't happen fast... And what the doctor said about people attacking Orange City wasn't the best subject to talk about on a day like this.

"Aliens..." Unaware of her lips moving, Ayu softly repeated after him, blinking when he said he needs to leave to room. "O-Of course, please, take your time," she raised her hand, saying that she will wait as long as it was required. As soon as she was left alone, Ayu closed her eyes, her expression careworn. Right... After what Athren did, they all were probably treated like fugitives here on Earth. She hoped that Quash and Jorey were doing better than that, as they both were staying on the blue planet. And Athren? He was out there, somewhere in the vast space, who knew where he'd be back - if he'd be back at all? Ayu wouldn't be surprised if he would abandon the planet full of painful memories. And the way the doctor called Saiyans aliens... Were they identified by the government, or maybe USD? She knew the story behind Orange City's demise, but what good would it do? The young woman sighed, stroking her temples, and pulling away the gauze from her arm. The needle mark was gone already, and she rolled her sleeve back down. The anticipation started to tie her stomach into a knot.

She was feeling nervous again... Yet, just before she could get too worried about the results, the doctor walked right back, handing her the printed card. Ayu shut close her eyes, her fingers trembled slightly while they were holding onto the piece of paper... She'd finally gathered enough courage to peek at the printed letters, feeling how the knot in her stomach dropped down and the overwhelming sensation of being lost washed over her again.

"... Human," she read silently, feeling how confusion started to fill her mind. If the technology couldn't specify what she was, then what could that mean? Ayu raised her eyebrows worried and puzzled, and her arms trembled. "But I c-can't be human, at least completely, r-right? I-I mean, what kind of human is g-green..." She muttered, obviously not feeling well with these revelations. It's not like she was full of disbelief, but really - looking at her - was she a human? Her Ki fluctuated and Ayu felt for a slight moment how the energy painted the glowing pattern on her face, before it calmed down, and paled when she placed her hand above her heart. Deep breaths. Deep breaths. Ayu couldn't simply think that it be that easy to get answers to that question that was tormenting her whole life, right? Walking up to the laboratory and getting feedback in a couple of minutes seemed too convenient to be true. "I'm s-sorry, Mister, I didn't want to be rude to you, when you offered me your help. I g-got a bit agitated..." Ayu bowed her head apologizing sincerely, embarrassed that she let the panic take the best of her at that moment and she gazed back at the printed card. She looked... Defeated. "Did I understand i-it correctly?" she pointed to the results, trying to be certain about what she just heard. "I-I got some human DNA but the scan could not identify anything e-else from my samples, right?"

At the mention of Zhang, Ayu's face clouded. She lowered her hands, still holding the paper, and her gaze slipped to the floor.

"I'm s-sorry, I don't know where he is. He hasn't appeared at home or at the University he works at for a month now," she admitted quietly. "I-I have f-filled the missing person report, but the police still haven't got any c-clues, so I-I..." She wanted to say that she couldn't sense her grandfather's energy, that's why she suspected that he was already gone from the realm of the living when she just noticed something. She couldn't... Since the doctor's signature either, could she? So worried about the results and eager to have her DNA checked since she walked into the laboratory, Ayu did not pay him enough attention. And that was troubling... She rubbed her cheek, heated up by a nervous blush. "The last time I s-saw him was when he talked to his associate named Arlic. We parted ways right after they finished their meeting and my grandfather left in hurry..." It was already over a month ago. Time does fly by... "University staff told me he got back to work that day, but the next morning he didn't appear at the lecture he was supposed to hold for his students. And since that, he hasn't been seen by anyone..."

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Super Weighted Clothing Equipped
Power Level - 178,283
PL with SWC - 44,570
Word Count - 1,192
Total Word Count - 2,935

Zhang Yibai was a remarkable scientist, pioneer of knowledge, and genetic engineer worth every praise. Ayu knew that much. Williams once told her that after years of working in laboratories, doing projects for corporates, and all in all, having been pressured by his job, doctor Yibai quite it all. He moved to the tiny house that right now was occupied by Ayu and Liari, and decided to switch to the boring but calm University work, leading from now on peaceful, uneventful life... But when she thought about it, it didn't add up. His routine was full of projects and overworking himself at the University, rarely being at home, so what was the point? It wasn't so different from the times when he was working as a scientist. After he disappeared, Ayu hated to admit it but nothing changed. Or rather, the situation even improved, which kind of made it sound worse.

"I d-don't think he would agree... He always refused to answer my questions, but I can't say for sure," Ayu scratched her cheek. Of course, she was worried sick about his whereabouts, but at the same time, she didn't have to feel his indifference. She didn't have to sense his gruff mood or see how he would ignore her questions... And thanks to Ayu's ability to create flora she was selling what vegetables and fruit she grew and never before did Yibai's household finances were looking this good. Zhang was stingy, sending very little money for her to get by, that's why Ayu was always trying hard to be practical and frugal... He wasn't a very good legal guardian, wasn't he? Now things were looking better and being an adult by law, his disappearance did not create any serious repercussions. Just... She couldn't sense Zhang's energy anywhere, which led her to believe that maybe he wasn't alive anymore. Ayu's troubled expression got cloudy even more when she slowly exhaled the air. "If by any chance, Mister, you would have any information about my grandfather, I will be very grateful for each word, please..." She felt tears gathering in her eyes, so she wiped them away quickly. Ayu was still worried enough to visit the police station from time to time, asking if they have any piece of information - but they never did. It's like the ground had swallowed him whole, leaving nothing behind. "I wish I knew w-what have happened to him..." she whispered, rubbing her forearms and shivering when unpleasant thoughts created a cold shiver on her spine.

But, that wasn't all to the doctor's speech. Ayu found herself gazing at him with wonder, listening to his explanation about searching through the universe and gathering data about various species... At least she knew now that she was part human, but everything else was still a mystery - even so, she was grateful even for this small piece of information. Ayu folded the piece of paper with results carefully, safely placing it inside her bag. It did sound promising. With time, the doctor could gather enough information to help her out, right..? Especially when Ayu's knowledge about other races and planets was limited to the very basic information they were taught at school. Since she graduated she had been bumping into people from different races, yet that didn't exactly give her scholar-level of details about them or their home planets. To be honest, Ayu knew very little. But being his patient..? Well, there was one major problem - the distance from her home to North City. And she still wasn't able to even grasp the basics of flying.

"I would gladly agree, but I l-live near East City, and that's quite far away..." Ayu muttered, her hands started to play with the end of her braid, intertwining locks between her fingers. But if that meant that she could get some help? Now she was getting nervous about her inability to make a decision... Maybe she should leave the number for her house phone? If she'd have some time she could visit the North for a doctor's appointment, but knowing that her health wasn't the best at times would make it harder. "D-Doctor, would it be alright if I would think about it at h-home? Someone is waiting for me and I shouldn't stay away for too long..." she told him with an apologetic tone, worried that maybe she turned out sounding a little impolite. She wasn't planning on going to this laboratory today anyway, by chance finding the pamphlet and deciding to walk in... In return she got one precious piece of information that she was going to keep close to her at all times. "If I may ask too... How would that work, exactly?" She suspected that it might be the end of the visit, but curious, Ayu started to think about the substance doctor admitted he was researching. She never heard about something like that. Normally a sample of the DNA was broken down and divided into bits and pieces to get every information out of it, but how would that work in the case of a whole, living being? Though the doctor never said that he was treating animals with it or simply samples of their genes... Wait. Does it mean that he was experimenting on animals? "I mean, the t-true origins serum? What does it do to show the origin of any creature?" Ayu started to ask, but her tone now started to sound more cautious than it was before.

---

Super Weighted Clothing Equipped
Power Level - 178,283
PL with SWC - 44,570
Word Count - 913
Total Word Count - 3,848

Sometimes it felt like Ayu was in a corner. There was no sign of her grandfather anywhere, no hints, no traces like he faded into the air. Police, University, neighbors, no one had any information and just... It felt so hopeless. Ayu knew that Zhang used to be a scientist, but no more. He gave it all away in exchange for a peaceful life, but now when she was thinking about it - he wasn't happy with how things were, was he? Maybe... Just maybe, she shouldn't be looking for him? Maybe he was happier, wherever he was, but - knowing that she wasn't able to sense his energy anywhere, Ayu was fearing the worst. She would prefer more the thought that he abandoned everything and moved far away rather than dreading the thought that she might be called to the morgue for identification.

"Thank you, I-I will be grateful for any information..." she admitted softly, worry in her tone betraying her emotions. Even if Zhang wasn't the ideal legal guardian, even if he wasn't the best grandfather or even a decent person... Ayu was still worried. She was far from wishing him any harm and she would hate to think that something bad happened to him, that's why the doctor's assurance was so important to her. Maybe with a bit of luck, he would learn something? She could only hope, but she was also grateful that he took his time to explain the basis of his serum and experiments to her. "I see. I t-think I understand," Ayu rubbed her cheek thoughtfully, wondering about this procedure. That was the truth that the method sounded complicated and would need to involve many factors. It probably was a very concentrated reactive substance. After all, one chemistry compound couldn't determine all the genes, it most likely was divided into parts... Blood, saliva, hair, something like that. They were made up of different tissue so they couldn't all be boiled down to simple components using the same method... How do unify it all to work in one serum? Surely that was something outstanding to work on. Animals would have less complicated genetic makeup than humans, so it made sense - but for Earthlings, it might need to be more effective... Or in her case, when her genes weren't able to be determined, well... It would probably need to be tested more. That's why she was even more grateful for the offer, knowing how much work would have to be done.

Ayu stood up from the chair, smoothing her clothes. She took a deep breath, placing her hand above her heart. It was time to go, but she first needed to make sure about her future cooperation with the doctor. After all, Zhang was kind of stingy... Ayu was never sick, so she was only visiting the school nurse from time to time, back when she was attending high school, she was never registered in any clinic.

"In any case," she started slowly, "w-where should I leave my contact information for you doctor? If it's okay, can I please have a means of contacting you too?" Ayu reached for her bag, fishing out the notebook to be able to write down the number or mail or anything else. She stopped midgesture, thinking about something, and troubled scratched her cheek. She looked at the man in front of her, clearly hesitating... "T-The truth is..." the young woman stuttered, her face clouded with worry. There was something else concerning her lately, and maybe it was a good place to bring it up? "M-My health wasn't the best lately... I-If something would happen, could I please come here?" It's not like Ayu was sure they could do anything about her fluctuating and ready-to-start-raging Ki, but it wouldn't hurt to ask... Right?

---

Super Weighted Clothing Equipped
Power Level - 178,283
PL with SWC - 44,570
Word Count - 631
Total Word Count - 4,479

It felt like some weight was lifted from her shoulders and Ayu sighed deeply, hearing that she was always welcome to call the doctor or visit his clinic. All in all, it wasn't such a bad thing that she chose to enter this place. Maybe she was just a tiny bit uneasy in a foreign place and alone with a stranger, but... The man was helpful, the place was nice albeit the atmosphere was a little cold, though perhaps that was what people called professionalism. Who knew, should she think about Zhang's aloofness and lack of attachment to anything outside of his research as a mark of his profession? Was every scientist like this? Better not to ask. So far the person in front of her, despite her initial anxiety and worry, was nothing but helpful. He even wrote down his contact info and reassured her, that in time of need she could look for help. Ayu gently took back the note and glanced at the writing on it.

"Thank y-you," Ayu checked the information written on the piece of paper. Doctor Yangcong? Right, the same name was written on the label sitting on the registration desk. Seems that nervousness dulled her senses a tiny bit. Better to remember that one for the future. True was, she did not have a scouter and the term scouter frequency was alien to her, but she could guess what it was about. Maybe it was time to save up some money and get some more equipment... Wouldn't hurt to learn how to use it too. If she wasn't mistaken, Jorey had a scouter when she first met him, but other than that, Ayu never had this piece of technology in her hands. She didn't need it, because as far as she could tell, it was used to read energy signatures and she possessed the ability to sense Ki on her own. And when they were on that subject... Was the mystery of the unreadable energy solved?

The doctor was an android. It shouldn't be surprising to her to hear anything like that, should it? Maybe Ayu lived in a rural area, rarely stepping inside bigger towns or major cities, but she got the basic knowledge about people and their kinds living on this planet. Though, so far she always assumed that if she couldn't sense anything from a person they were able to conceal their Ki and therefore were skilled and more experienced than she could ever be. Maybe. If he was a machine, perhaps that's why she couldn't sense his energy, because he wasn't technically alive. Was it all programming? What about emotions and plans and the ability to predict outcomes of events? That piqued her curiosity, but the technology was in no way Ayu's specialty. She was the old-fashioned kind, focused on soil and plants... It would be better to leave it at that.

"Thank you again Doctor Yangcong," Ayu smiled warmly, saying her goodbyes. She put on the coat, grabbed her bag, and bowing her head, left the clinic of the Red Ribbon Army. The air was chilly... But she needed to get back home.


Thread Finished

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Super Weighted Clothing Equipped
Power Level - 178,283
PL with SWC - 44,570
Word Count - 525
Total Word Count - 5,004