The hivemind is conquering for me?

There were steamers and banners with my name on them. All around the room was decorated with everything a birthday party should have, but what made me confused was.

”It’s not my birthday. Is it?” I said, dumbfounded.

As I asked that, Onyx appeared behind me and hugged me. ”Oh yes, Apollo. You have been so focused on the fight, the time has just flown by. Nineteen years ago today. We found you abandoned on that world, Apollo-minor. A baby in a dumpster. Left to fend for yourself against a force of nature. But instead, we found you. We took you to safety, raised you, showed you love and now here you are. Nineteen years later. Defiant, strong. Powerful. Happy birthday.”

Onyx then kissed me in front of everyone, something I had no problem with and kissed her back passionately, getting a round of applause.

The kiss didn’t last long before I pulled away and looked around the room. Everyone seemed particularly emotional about my birthday. Some were smiling while Gabrielle was tearing up and sniffling, but was hiding it as best she could while smiling.

I looked around the room and just spoke what was on my mind. ”My Birthday is a weird one. For as long as I can remember, I have celebrated it with my teacher, Jewel, and my sister, Orchid. Of course, the rest of my adoptive family were there too, but Jewel is always quite possessive of me when I am at home, so none could really come to tell me happy birthday.

But today. In the middle of a war... I get to experience love and friendship with some of the best people I know. I honestly wish everyone I know and love was here, I also wish I was home at the same time. But that’s life. The road taken is the road taken and I am happy where my feet are planted at this moment.

So, despite the Drakoshi in the surroundings wanting us dead more than anything and our mission still not done. I suppose if you all feel the desire to celebrate my birthday, I won’t deny it... And thank you. Here is to Nineteen down and many more to come!”

After a few hugs and cheek kisses from all the lovely girls, and Morrgan... I excused myself for ten minutes to clean myself up. I could still smell dead Drakoshi on my body and wanted to be nice and fresh.

I received no objections on that front and a few minutes later, I left the shower unit we had been able to set up last month and began to dry myself off using my power.

Just as I was about to reach for my clothes, I realised I had been snuck up on.

”Oh, Gabrielle. Hey. Sorry, the water was just the right pressure, I’ll be with you all in a... Moment?”

Gabrielle said nothing, but she suddenly began to cry. The purple scars began to glow under her eyes. I felt my heart lurch. ”Hey, are you ok? Why are there tears?” I asked, walking forward. I rubbed her tears as they began to pour.

It usually takes her a moment to compose herself when she has these outbursts, but today, she composed herself instantly. She proceeded to mimic my action as she reached up and brushed my cheek with her finger.

”Sorry Apollo, I- It’s just your story that is so sad. I feel so empathetic. Your mother just abandoned you like that. I can’t imagine what effect it has had on you even though you grew up safe in a loving environment. I bet you just hate her for doing it don’t you?”

My mind snapped back to the day I crossed over. Everything that transpired. ”Hate? No... Don’t ask me how I know, but I remember her smile. The love, she didn’t want to leave me, she just had no choice... Or so she thought. My dad though? A right cunt.”

My sudden crass language seemed to fix Gabrielle’s mood swing as she began to laugh. ”For some reason, I believe you when you say that.”

She then went silent for a moment, her thoughts seemed to go somewhere.

”Do you think if you had the chance, you would ever want to see her again?”

I frowned upon hearing that. ”Where is this coming from, Gab?”

She just shrugged her shoulders. ”Sorry, with my emotions all over the place and it being your birthday and what I know about your past. I am just curious.”

I then copied her and shrugged my shoulders before giving it further thought. ”Um. I suppose?”

”R-really?”

I nodded my head. ”Yeah, of course. While I don’t really think anything of her, if I ever got to meet her and Millie was able to see her daughter again, that would be worth it...”

”Uh huh... And what about your dad?” She asked, causing me to frown.

”Gab, are you feeling better? I don’t really want to think about this stuff. Sure, I’ve killed countless Drakoshi at this point, but I don’t particularly like thinking about cold blooded murder.”

”Oh... I see. Sorry Apollo, we should go back. You really shouldn’t have to deal with your weird friend on your birthday, lets-”

I shut that down fast and brought Gabrielle into a hug, which she immediately began to hug back, tightly.

”You are weird. I am weird. Everyone here is weird. So that makes being weird in this bunker normal. My friends are everything. You know this, I can and will deal with you, my weird friend. Especially on my birthday. Understood?”

I felt by Gabrielle’s body language that she was happy to hear that. ”Yes, Apollo thank you, I-” Suddenly that body language became stiff as a board.

”Gab?” I asked, pulling back from the hug, only to see the woman purely red in the face. ”What’s wrong- oh!”

I suddenly exclaimed realising I was naked, and a hand was touching my junk. Gabrielle then took a peak down, realised she was touching a certain appendage of mine, and I thought her face was going to burst before she just ran away.

I sighed, looking down at my buddy. ”We really need to stop being as comfortable being naked as we are.”

I then shrugged my shoulders and got dressed in a set of fresh, clean clothes and re-joined the party. I saw that a cake had been synthesised earlier. I wanted some cake.

...

”Orchid! Get up off that couch! You can’t mope around all day.” Valerica declared with her arms crossed after Janine came to find her.

”I told you, she isn’t moving, she just keeps moaning and sulking and won’t tell me why.” Janine added trying to reach out towards Orchid to give her a pat, but when she did, she just felt a murderous aura emanating off the woman.

Valerica frowned. Orchid had remained distant compared to Apollo. While she had not adopted the woman as she did her darling baby, she still considered her family now. So she did what she would do for any family member when they were being a big sulking baby when they had day plans.

Orchid suddenly got up off the couch and growled gutturally after dodging a punch that was aimed for the back of her head. Valerica was squared up ready to attempt another hit on her. Orchid got into a combat stance, ready to drop all facade and put a serious amount of hurt on the Hyllus bitch, before remembering once little detail and...

*Thud*

She suddenly dropped to the floor and began moaning again.

Valerica suddenly became flabbergasted. ”Alright missy! Just what is wrong with you? Spill it before I actually try to hurt you.”

Orchid frowned again, but the words this time made her speak. ”Apollo’s finding day. Happiest day of my life. I have never been separated from him during it.Orchid feels empty...”

Janine gasped suddenly, realising herself while Valerica frowned. ”Finding day? What do you mea- Wait, it’s his birthday?!?!?” She felt a pang inside her chest. How did she not know? She gave birth to him! She should know her one and only child’s birthday!”

’Wait. Only child? Now that I think about it I! I have another child! The ugly one!’

Reaching into her sports bra, betwixt her breasts, she pulled out a crystal communicator. A few seconds later, it was answered. ”Mummy? To what do I owe the-” Kathrine was suddenly cut off.

”It’s Apollo’s Birthday! Did you know?!? Uuugh! He might not be here, but we could have done something to celebrate! Ugh! How could you not plan something, a small celebration?”

”Because Sophia did? I am on Ecumenopolis 4 for his birthday gathering. I sent you an invite, but you never got back to me.”

Valerica guffawed and guffawed once more. ”What are you talking about, Kitten? I haven’t seen any... *Gasp!!!*”

Valerica then pulled out another communicator from her bra and began to scroll through its contents. Scrolling all the way through her messages, she arrived at her spam filter, sure enough Kathrine had sent her the details for the event a week ago. Sophia was hosting a small party in Apollo’s honour at her club...

And she... His mother... Wasn’t going to be there.

*Thud*

Valerica then fell to the floor like a puppet with its strings cut. Lifeless, a perfect mirror image to Orchid.

Janine then looked to her left and right at the two drama queens and sighed.

”Great, now there are two of them...”