Project God

I post this more as a little more background on the story blurb "Passcode" than anything else. Questions, comments, suggestions welcome! (So is prodding.)

“I don’t get it,” Michelangelo said simply, shaking his head. “Born a god.”

Jared nodded. “My father is Set, Egyptian God of Chaos. My mother was human. I have a brother, Joel, and a sister, Gwen. They’re great, but they didn’t know what they were. They weren’t raised among gods.”

“Born a god,” Michelangelo repeated.

“And you’re a scientific experiment,” Jared said. “Runaway project. You and the baby.”

Michelangelo nodded. “I’m first-generation. This is Gaea, a third-gen.”

Jared grinned. “Top secret government organization.”

“It won’t be top secret much longer,” Michelangelo said surely. “The scientists who let us first-gens escape with forty babies have started a revolution of sorts. It’s going world-wide. Everyone will know about the project and the ‘dangerous’ gods by tomorrow.”

“New Gods,” Jared said quietly. “I can pick up on your aura. It’s definitely godly, but it’s... different. Younger. The Old Gods, I’m not sure how they’ll react to this development.”

The two young men, Jared and Michelangelo, sat across from each other at a little booth in a little diner, Michelangelo with a newborn babe in his arms. He was holding her so tenderly. Every time he glanced at the baby, he first relaxed then searched the diner for anything suspicious.

Jared watched this stranger with great interest. The red-haired Demigod of Chaos had never seen anything like this. He understood demigods and full gods and creatures of myth, but a human clone straight from the land of science fiction was completely new to him. It had been a total coincidence when Jared recognized this fellow “god” and introduced himself as a demigod, too. That had brought them to this quiet little diner, and eventually to this lull in conversation.

“What do you plan to do?” Jared asked suddenly. Gwen’d kill him if he didn’t extend the helping hand of friendship.

Michelangelo shook his head. “I’ve heard about this world, but I’ve never been in it before. I have no idea what to do now, and the scientist who helped me could do no more than set me free.”

“You’re lucky you ran into me, then,” Jared said. “I’ll take you to my dad. We’ve already got one dangerous child god in our care. What’s two dangerous child gods plus a refugee New God?”

“You keep calling me that,” Michelangelo said. “Why?”

“It seems to fit,” Jared answered with a shrug. “Plus Michelangelo is so long.”

“I usually get called Angel because of my power,” he said.

“Wings,” Jared guessed.

“Wings,” Angel confirmed. He realized something suddenly. “You said you’d take me to your dad. He’s Set, an Egyptian God?”

“Yes, exactly,” Jared said.

Angel just shook his head. “So weird... And what was that about a dangerous child god?”

“My dad has been entrusted to care for this little demigoddess with the touch of death,” Jared answered. “Her name is Omorose, but we call her Rose. She’s about seven now.”

He Demigod of Chaos stood from he table then, laying down a few bills to pay for the greasy burgers the two had ordered. He started to just walk away from the table, but stopped when he noticed Angel’s delay.

“Well?” Jared asked.

“Old Gods, New Gods, Project God,” he said, standing slowly. Gaea had fallen asleep, and he didn’t want to disturb her. “Altogether too many gods in this world. There’s going to be trouble.”