No.3857
>Date: October 16th, 2017
>Time: 8:00 AM
>Location: Sanctuary City - Residential Sector
"You know we're going to be late, right?"
"I'm moving as quickly as I can, Phoebe. Give me a moment."
>Rustling and moving items can be heard from behind a door, as Phoebe stands in the hallway. Arms crossed, she looks completely unimpressed with the situation, as her brother slowly opens the door.
"You're twenty two and you still can't properly prepare for an event?"
>Aiden scowls lightly at his sister as he places his sunglasses on - hiding his blue eyes. Now reaching into his jacket pocket, he picks out his phone and begins looking through it as he walks.
"You know, I don't have to go to this event, right?"
>Phoebe, walking behind Aiden, gives an amused scoff in response, replying:
"You don't have to do anything. But you'll show up to dad's speech if you value your salary."
>Now walking beside her brother, Phoebe reiterates:
"I'm on the board, remember?"
>Groaning, Aiden then says:
"Yeah, sure. Whatever. Let's get on with it."
No.3858
>As both of the siblings reach the door to the outside world, Aiden pushes it open and takes in the direct sunlight.
"Oh, there you are Aiden! Phoebe was worried that you might've potentially overslept!"
>Jonah waves excitedly at his brother, as Phoebe pushes him forward with a light shove.
"Don't worry about him, J. Mister CEO over here wasn't gonna miss the annual science expo, right?"
>Aiden, still looking seemingly moody, rolls his eyes as he sighs.
"Yeah, definitely not."
>Narrowing her eyes, Phoebe looks at her brother with a mixture of confusion and genuine concern.
"What's the matter with you today? No bark and no bite. That's unlike you, Aiden."
>Glancing at the periphery of his vision, Aiden keeps his head steadied forward as he responds.
"It's nothing, sis. Really."
>Now annoyed herself, Phoebe then points at Aiden while retorting:
"Like hell it is. You're the one constantly walking around like you own everything. You haven't been this reserved in years. So what's happened?"
>After a few moments, Aiden then finally places a hand to the bridge of his nose - massaging it as he gives an other exasperated sigh.
"Alright, fine. I'll say it. I don't know if I can keep doing this, Phoebe."
>Phoebe looks at Aiden for a moment, blinking twice in disbelief - while Jonah slowly walks towards them, a look of concern on his face as well.
"You're not talking about the CEO job aren't you?"
>Aiden slowly shakes his head as Phoebe then goes silent. As Jonah stands a few feet away from his brother and sister, he then interjects:
"Continual exposure to high-intensity situations can cause a stress response. I'm assuming your cortisol levels are proper though, Aiden?"
>Aiden just scratches the back of his head reflexively, closing his eyes as pictures and images of the past start flooding his mind.
"It's just been so much - and it hasn't even been a full year since things started ramping up."
No.3859
>>3858>Jonah and Phoebe listen closely, as their brother continues to explain."First it was just the standard Meta-Humans. I'd just toss a bola onto them here or there, and leave them for the MRD. Then the experimental Meta-Humans started showing up…"
>Jonah then interjects to clarify:"You mean the innocent people captured by Uncle El-"
>Aiden then responds, instinctively cutting Jonah's statement off, mid-sentence."Chiral. He wasn't our uncle anymore, J. But yeah - all of that."
>Making a gesture of defeat and seeming capitulation, Aiden then lowers his hands as he shakes his head again."Then it was the supernatural monsters and creatures that started showing up. The targeted mercenaries, and then-"
>Phoebe crosses her arms again, starting to understand the root of her brother's frustrations."The secret society of Anti Metas, right? Eukaryon. Alright, I can see where you're coming from with this. It's just escalating."
>Both Phoebe and Jonah then look at Aiden, as Phoebe speaks once again."That's your core point, isn't it? Things are just getting worse and worse. More dangerous, more collateral damage - and more innocent people caught in the crosshairs."
>Aiden nods again as he runs his hands through his white hair, still agitated."How many more times am I going to get lucky before someone actually dies?"
>Gesturing off to the side with one hand, Aiden begins to get more and more agitated, as he begins shouting:"The city got turned into a fucking war zone because of this!"
>Phoebe then holds her hand out in front of Aiden, gesturing for him to calm down."Hey, cool it. You're not feeling risky enough to expose your identity are you?"
>Aiden then stops talking as he places his hands on his hips - still agitated.
>Jonah then perks up, stating:"Aiden does have a point though, Phoebe. Our presence as vigilantes has likely invited an escalation response."
>Aiden then says:"It's not a linear one either, it's parabolic. The further this goes on, the fucking worse the result's going to get."
>Phoebe looks at Aiden and then Jonah, before saying:"We can discuss the rest on the way to Archeon. Come on, let's go."
No.3860
>>3859>Location: Sanctuary City - Downtown>Time: 8:25 AM
>As Phoebe drives the car through traffic and towards the Archeon Complex, she looks at Aiden in the passenger seat beside her."You sure you want to quit? Overall crime's gone down in the city since you've started. I hear some of the people've even started making art of Mosaic and Omnius. Speedrunner too."
>Jonah speaks up from the back of the car, stating:"You, Lisa and Orion have also helped to create a chilling effect on organized crime within the city. The Brigadiers are all but dismantled and the Outsiders have gone underground."
>Phoebe, still driving, then speaks up - saying:"That's why it's so strange to me, that it's all hitting you now. Not to doubt your reasoning or decision making Aiden, but there has to be something more to it."
>Looking at her brother, she then asks:"What's shaken you
so much that you feel like you have to stop now?"
>Aiden looks off through the window in silence, as Phoebe continues driving the car. For a few seconds, all three of them stay in silence, with only the internal rumbling of the engine producing any sound.
>Finally, after what feels like an eternity, Aiden finally responds."I still get the bad dreams. The ones where I killed Faust. I can still
hear the snapping of his neck….God…"
>Placing his head in his hands, Aiden then somewhat cracks internally, as he begins tearing up lightly.
>Looking at each other for a moment, Phoebe and Jonah then turn towards Aiden.
>Slowly removing Aiden's sunglasses, Phoebe can see that her brother's eyes are lightly red around the sclera - though his tears have already dried."You're worried that you're going to kill someone again."
>Jonah then looks at Aiden, saying:"….But unlike the last time, you're also worried that this time - they won't come back. Is that the reason?"
No.3861
>>3860>Aiden slowly nods as he takes back the sunglasses. Although he doesn't place them back on - instead choosing to stare into their vantablack surface. Unable to even see his own reflection, he instead begins speaking out loud."The worst part about having power is knowing what you'll do with it under the wrong circumstances."
>Silent for a moment, he then continues speaking:"But the worst part about being a powerful
person, is that inevitably - you sort of know that it'll happen, eventually."
>Phoebe shakes her head, still focused on driving as she speaks."No, that's bullshit. You did what you did because you felt that it was the right thing to do."
>Aiden looks up at Phoebe as he then says:"Phoebe, I killed someone. The fact that he came back to life doesn't matter. In that moment, I could've chosen to restrain him or something else. But I was…."
>Aiden falls silent once more, looking more downtrodden than ever.
>Jonah then speaks up, his intuition guiding his words as he says:"You were afraid of what he'd do to us if you didn't stop him."
>Aiden nods again slowly as he continues examining the sunglasses in his hands."A hero doesn't make the selfish decision - not when they have a choice. In almost all circumstances, we
always have a choice - and I made the
wrong choice. I can't live with that."
>Phoebe then speaks up, saying:"You're not the only one who's taken a life out of necessity. Orion had to-"
>Aiden immediately looks up, pointing at Phoebe with anger in his eyes."Don't."
>Phoebe interjects:"I'm just saying, he also-"
>Aiden then immediately cuts her off by shouting."Orion didn't have a choice! I
did! That's the difference, and that's why I failed! I made the wrong choice!"
>Phoebe then looks away, a wave of sadness coming over here. Jonah remains silent as well.
>Immediately regretting his actions, Aiden then falls silent again, as they reach the entrance to the Archeon Complex. No.3862
>>3861>As Phoebe parks the car outside of the crowded complex entrance, she then turns around to look at her brother - straight in the eye."Aiden, look at me. You didn't kill anyone. Jack's still alive, and he's obviously not the same person that he used to be."
>Aiden begins to protest as Phoebe shuts it down."No, Aiden. I'm serious. You didn't kill him. I'll admit, you got lucky that some supernatural force intervened - but you didn't kill him."
>Taking a deep breath, Aiden then looks at Phoebe and says:"Phoebe, I'm sorry."
>Somewhat taken aback, Phoebe then asks:"About what?"
>Aiden then feels his emotions beginning to surge in his mind, over his past as he says:"For everything. For not listening to you about Jack when we were teenagers. For not being there for you after your flying incident. All of the stuff that I should've done, as your brother."
>Aiden then looks at Jonah, saying:"You too, Jonah. I just went off and did everything on my own. If I had you there to talk me through things? I wouldn't have made the mistakes that I did."
>Looking down at his left arm, Aiden then says:"….I likely wouldn't have almost died - if I had just listened to you. Both of you. I just-"
>Before he can react, Aiden then feels both Phoebe and Jonah leaning in to give him a big hug."We know, trust us. You've been a pain for years - but you've never been beyond help."
>Jonah nods and says:"I agree. It's good to see you opening up to us like that."
No.3863
>>3862>Time: 10:00 AM>Location: Archeon Complex - Interior Lobby
>After watching Silas's keynote speech at the Archeon Innovations Conference - Aiden, Phoebe and Jonah then go meet their father in the lobby."Dad!"
>Phoebe immediately rushes in and gives her father a strong hug, catching him by surprise and knocking the wind out of him."Oof! Hello Phoebe! It's so great to see you again sweetie."
>Jonah then gives Silas a hug as well, causing him to laugh."Hello, Jonah. It's wonderful to see you as well."
>Then Silas turns to look at Aiden, still standing away from him. Hands in his jacket pockets, Aiden has his sunglasses on, and a neutral expression on his face.
>Seeing him, Silas gives Aiden a warm smile as he says:"Hello, son. It's good to see you again."
>After a moment, Aiden then slowly removes his sunglasses and begins tearing up a bit as he walks towards his father. Then he joins the hug along with his siblings as Aiden states:"Missed you, dad."
>Silas then hugs all three of his children as he replies:"I've missed you as well. All three of you. I love you all
so much."
No.3864
>>3863>Location: Archeon Complex - Hangar Bay>Time: 10:30 AM
>As Silas continues examining the prototype anti-gravity harness, he then turns around to the lead engineer on the project and nods."Remarkable attention to detail. The contours of the engine are designed to accentuate the focus on aerodynamics. Artificial force produced by this design should also compensate for inertia."
>Jericho nods his head and gives a polite bow on instinct."Thank you sir! The design wasn't entirely my idea. I had some assistance from Miss Spark."
>Silas looks over at Amber, who crosses her arms and sighs."He's being modest. I only gave him the inspiration. He designed the actual framework, including the chassis of the design, and the neutrino propulsion system."
>Silas then turns back to Jericho and says:"Well, regardless of inspiration, you did a fantastic job with the finished design Mister Blackstone."
>Looking off at Aiden in the distance, Silas nods to him as he says:"It appears the current CEO did a great job himself with specialized recruitment."
No.3865
>>3864>After thanking both of the engineers, Silas walks off back towards where Aiden is standing."As usual, another breakthrough quarter of financial success. I read the earnings report on the flight here."
>Silas says, giving his son a smile as Aiden sighs and crosses his arms."Yeah, thanks dad. I appreciate that."
>Still smiling, Silas slowly cranes his head to the side, curious about Aiden's reservedness. "Phoebe told me what happened, earlier today."
>Aiden sighs as he states:"I don't know how you do it, dad. Handle all of this. The pressure of everything - constantly."
>Silas looks around for a moment before he starts talking."As you can imagine, the pressure of handling a multi-trillion dollar corporation isn't a walk in the park - clearly. However, I would far prefer it to my earlier days, back when Elias and I had to scrounge around for money whenever we could."
>Aiden nods as he states:"I remember, you've told me the story a million times by now."
>Smiling, Silas then places his hands in his own coat pockets, stating:"Well then you remember where we got our names."
>Thinking for a split second, Aiden then says:"I remember grandpa naming you after Silvanus, because apparently he found you in the woods as a baby. Same with uncle Eli."
>Silas nods slowly, stating:"Even I don't know who my birth parents are. Your grandfather, Amadeus, was our surrogate father. But he didn't have enough money to support us outside of the basics. It took everything we had in order to build something for ourselves."
>Aiden then asks the pertinent question."….But what drove you to go through all of that, to build all of this? You didn't found Archeon until the 90s, so why…"
>Silas then takes out his wallet and slowly looks through the folds for a specific picture that he had folded up. Taking it out, he then hands it to Aiden, saying:"This is why."
>Looking at the picture after unfolding it, Aiden sees the image of a small boy with midnight black hair and piercing blue eyes. As his own eyes widen, Aiden immediately recognizes the identity of the boy as he looks up at Silas."Becoming a father changes you - in so many different ways. But it gives you something important."
>Putting a hand on Aiden's shoulder, Silas then states:"Most of all, it gives you purpose. A reason to go on, even when everything else seemingly fades away."
No.3866
>>3865>Silas then resumes his explanation, saying:"Once I had you and your siblings in my life, I knew that I'd do everything in my power to build the best life for you that I could. Fortunately for me, my abilities made that possible - beyond my wildest dreams."
>Gesturing up at the hangar bar's enormous size, Silas then looks back at Aiden and says:"A father always wants nothing but the absolute best for his children. I am no exception in that regard, Aiden."
>Now placing both of his hands on Aiden's shoulders, Silas looks at him with a beaming sense of pride in his voice."I'm sorry that your mother wasn't around for your childhood, as we had to separate for her protection. But we both love you more than life itself. All of you."
>Aiden then leans in and allows his father to hug him again, stating:"Thank you dad. I mean it. Genuinely, thank you for everything."
>Silas nods, instinctively patting his son on the back as he continues to hug him."Anything you need, I'll be there to help you with. You're my son, Aiden. I don't want you or the others to ever feel as though you can't talk to me about your situation."
>After a few more moments, Aiden then watches as Silas steps back from the hug, giving Aiden some more space."It's something that's impossibly difficult to explain without experiencing it for yourself, son. But unconditional love is something that exists beyond the good and the evil of the world. It's something that I can never truly convey through words or actions. Unless you become a parent yourself in the future - it's forever inexplicable."
>Scratching his chin, Aiden then says:"I'm not quite sure if I'm cut out to be one, dad. I'm not like you."
No.3867
>>3866>Silas nods as he says:"Naturally. You're your own person, Aiden. I would never want you to become a carbon copy of myself."
>Placing a hand on Aiden's shoulder once more, Silas then adds:"But I
do want you to be happy. You've never been happy when you've isolated yourself from other people - nor when you've kept them at arm's length. I've known you for your entire life, Aiden. The one thing that you will never accept is failure - and you feel as though admitting this means that you've failed yourself."
>Aiden lowers his head down, acknowledging his father's words."It doesn't have to be that way though, son. Remember what I've always said, since you were little."
>Aiden then instinctively remembers the words."You weren't made in someone else's image. You are who you choose to be."
>Silas nods as he gives a warm smile once more."Precisely. You can choose to enjoy your life and be happy. Especially in your circumstance, it truly
is a choice, Aiden. Do you want that?"
>Aiden then closes his eyes and feels memories of his entire life passing through his mind as he thinks to himself. After a few moments, his mind is made up as he opens his eyes - looking at his father square in the eyes."Yes."
>Nodding, Silas then gestures to the world outside of the hangar bay, stating:"Then start living your life, with the people around you. Be courteous to them, but also show empathy."
>Silas then removes his hand from Aiden's shoulder as he says:"I'm serious, you can go and take the day off. I'll handle operations here for the rest of the day - since I'm in town. Go call up Orion and Isaac, and see if you can unwind for the day."
>Looking back at Silas for a moment, Aiden then finally changes his expression into a smile as he says:"Thanks dad. Love you."
>Walking up to give Silas a hug one final time, Aiden looks at his father who replies:"As I said, Aiden. I'm your father, and I will always love and support you - because you're my son."
>As Aiden then turns around to walk towards the exit of the hangar, Silas then says:"Remember. Life's what you make of it, nothing more and nothing less."
>Nodding, Aiden turns to wave at his father from behind his back as he replies:"Yeah, thanks again dad. I appreciate it."
>Aiden then leaves the hangar bay and begins walking towards the central Archeon Complex building - going to see Orion in his office. No.3868
>>3867>Location: Archeon Complex - Upper Levels
>As Aiden reaches the upper floors of the complex, he closes the door to the stairway behind him as he then walks towards the large hallway. Seeing the doors to the various executive offices in front of him, he notices someone standing in front of his own office door."I'm surprised to see you here."
>Looking back at Aiden as he approaches, Jack sighs and crosses his arms."Yeah well, I needed to talk to you about something, Aiden."
>Now walking up to the front of his own office door, Aiden stands in place with his hands in his pockets, saying:"If it's alright with you, I'd rather talk and drive."
>Thinking for a moment, Jack nods slowly as he responds:"Sure, I've got time before my next patent filing."
>Aiden looks back at the door to Orion's office in the distance, thinking to himself:{"Yeah, sorry about that Orion. I'll get back to you later."}
>Aiden then turns and leaves the hallway, with Jack walking behind him as they both exit. No.3869
>>3868>Location: Sanctuary City - MRD Spire>Time: 10:30 AM"Are you sure about this, Director?"
>Valkyrie stands at attention inside of the MRD Director's office - watching intently as Chase sorts through more papers on his desk."Entirely. You're the best fit for the job, and I can already feel the Department breathing down my neck about 'Destroyer' fiasco."
>Shaking her head, Valkyrie then states:"They're not going to blame you for a Para-Human incident. You had no possible way of knowing that he was going to attack the Wedge."
>Chase rubs his eyelids behind his sunglasses for a moment, before readjusting them as he continues speaking."That may be true, but the Wedge is still a political catastrophe. The Canadians are inquiring about the MRD's security capabilities. There's not much left for me to argue against that skepticism with."
>Valkyrie falls silent for a moment as she then says:"Sir, if I may-"
>Chase interjects, raising a hand up as he speaks."Not so formal, Di. That's an order."
>Sighing and closing her eyes, Valkyrie then opens her eyes again as she speaks."…..Chase, if you want my honest opinion? They're full of it. They knew that there was no possible way for you to handle the situation, and they're using it as an excuse to finally pressure you to resign."
>Walking forward, Valkyrie then slams her hand down on Chase's table, looking him straight in the eye."They know that they can't fire you - only Congress can do that under the Meta-Human Response Operations law. So, instead they're going to try a pressure campaign."
>Nodding, Chase then stands up as he moves to walk around his desk, towards the door to his office."I know, but sometimes it's best to move along the current of societal expectations."
>Valkyrie then turns around, speaking:"And who's going to keep Vincent out of the line of fire if societal expectations demand your resignation?"
>Chase stops and is silent for another moment before he says:"You know that they're going to try and capture him regardless of who's MRD Director, right?"
>Valkyrie then interjects."Yet they've done a terrible job so far, despite all of the MRD's combined resources. Would you really take that chance?"
>Chase then turns around back to Valkyrie, stating:"….You've really learned how to be more cunning, Diana. I'll give you that."
>Sighing, Chase then concludes by saying:"Fine. I won't resign - for now. But once Vincent's brought in, I can't make any promises after that."
>Valkyrie nods, stating:"Good, I wouldn't expect anything less than a reasonable compromise."
No.3870
>>3869>Location: Sanctuary City Stadium - Downtown>Time: 10:30 AM"You're acting surprisingly quiet."
>Jack says as he continues watching the soccer game in the large Sanctuary City Stadium complex."It's my impromptu day off, Jack. I'm adjusting."
>Aiden says, from his seat in the luxury skybox area - high above the regular stadium seats. As he continues to watch the athletes play on the field, his eyes effortlessly track the motion of the soccer ball."…….You remember the time we fought outside of Cardigan's soccer field?"
>Taking a sip of his drink, Aiden then looks at the soccer game outside as he responds."As if I could forget. You broke my arm."
>Jack interjects."Because you broke my leg."
>Aiden raises an eyebrow, stating:"You deserved it. You were trying to pressure a girl into going out with you."
>Jack narrows his eyes, saying:"The same girl that
you made me look like an idiot in front of."
>Both of them are silent for a bit, before Jack sighs and looks away - staring at the game himself."….Sorry. I didn't mean to-"
>Aiden shakes his head, saying:"No it's fine. I'll admit my fault in that situation. I wasn't the best guy back then."
>Taking another sip of his drink, Aiden then watches as Jack looks back at Aiden, stating:"Neither was I. The game just reminded me of the past, that's all. I
am genuinely sorry for what I did."
>Aiden then places his glass down as he exhales, replying:"Not as sorry as I am for everything that's happened."
No.3871
>>3870>Looking down at his phone, Aiden then notices the time, stating:"If you're getting bored with the game, we can leave."
>Jack shakes his head in response."No, it's fine. I'm enjoying the back-and-forth. I haven't seen a game this close in a while."
>Nodding, Aiden puts his phone to sleep and then places it back in his jacket's inner pocket."Alright then, let's see how it goes."
——————————————————————————————————————————
>Location: Sanctuary City - Downtown Sector
>Time: 12:00 PM
>After finishing the soccer game, Aiden continues walking through downtown with Jack, stating:"Now I'm not entirely certain what to do."
>Making sure that the perception filter that he had previously cast is still maintained, Aiden then continues speaking."I know for a fact that Ouranos isn't dead. Chronarchs emanate a temporally-distorted surge of power when they die."
>Jack thinks for a moment before he responds, stating:"So you're certain that Eidolus didn't kill him then?"
>Aiden nods in response as he states:"He's not dead, Jack. Neither is Kagemusha - so I think I know who is target is. Assuming everything that Eidolus told me is correct."
>Nodding, Jack then finishes eating his sundae he then tosses it into a nearby trash can. "So what's the plan then? Are you going to prepare some kind of counter offensive?"
>Shaking his head, Aiden then continues walking with his hands in his pants' pockets."No. There's no need. Assuming Ouranos is alive, he's likely going to need to regroup and try a different approach. All I know for certain is that Mosaic and Kagemusha are his priorities - no one else."
No.3872
>>3871>Jack looks at Aiden with an expression of bewilderment on his face. "Is this how it always goes with you? With someone constantly wanting your head on a platter?"
>Thinking to himself for a moment, Aiden then replies:"Of course. Life would be far too easy for me if that weren't the case. Wouldn't you agree?"
>Recognizing what Aiden is referring to, Jack sighs as he states:"I wasn't really myself when I was Faust. Not entirely."
>Aiden nods as he says:"None of us really know what we're capable of, under the wrong circumstances. It's why I even felt so conflicted and distraught earlier today."
>Looking down at his own hands, Aiden then flashes back once more to the moment where Mosaic nearly killed Faust. He can feel the sensory echo of the metallic chain - and how it snapped Faust's neck."Aiden? Aiden!"
>Almost lost in a trance, Aiden's attention snaps back up to Jack, who waves a hand in front of his face."Are you OK? You were out of it for almost a minute."
>Nodding, Aiden then lowers his hands as he states:"It's fine. As I said, the priority is the criminal activity here in the city. Ouranos can wait. I'll deal with him whenever he comes back."
>Jack then corrects Aiden on the statement."….
We deal with him whenever he comes back. Together."
>Understanding Jack's intent with the correction, Aiden then speaks up."Fair enough. We'll cross that bridge when we get to it. Let's get back to Archeon."
>Aiden then walks with Jack back to his car - before driving off into the distance. No.3876
>>3875>Aiden scratches the side of his cheek slightly before he closes his eyes and sighs, stating."My dad's in town and wanted me to take the day off. I know you're off for today, but I might need help with something."
>Pausing for great effect, Aiden lets the tension build for a few seconds before he says:"I just came by to let you know that I think Ouranos might be coming back. I don't know for sure - but I don't want you getting targeted by him."
>Crossing his arms, Aiden sighs and looks down, stating:"Besides, it's my fault that he's caused problems - not yours. I don't want your life getting any more hectic because of my own mistakes, Orion. I mean that."
No.3877
>>3876>Orion looks to the side for a moment, then back at Aiden. He continues to crunch his chips as he puts more in his mouth."Okay."
>He keeps eating, making it more difficult to understand him. "Anything else?"
No.3878
>>3877>Aiden looks at Orion with a look of sheer bewilderment from behind his sunglasses."….You shouldn't speak while eating, Orion. Manners."
>Waiting for Orion to finish his next handful of chips, Aiden then says:"If you're up for it, we're gonna go scope out a location that the Marauders might be using as a base. An abandoned manufacturing warehouse at the edge of the Industrial Sector. I've mapped out their movement patterns with the nanite swarm for about a week now, and I think it's a relay location for the rest of their smaller hideouts."
>Still looking at Orion as he continues to eat chips, Aiden then states:"Seriously, never eat with your mouth open. It's off-putting and not proper."
>Sighing to himself, Aiden then thinks to himself:{"Phoebe was attracted to you even though you did stuff like this all the time? I guess good looks really do overcome everything off-putting about a person."} No.3879
>>3878"It's my house I can-"
>Orion swallows his food."Eat it how I want."
>Finished, Orion's plate floats off and out of the room. "Anyway, I guess I can come. Not like I was doing anything important."
No.3880
>>3879>Time: 11:30 AM>Location: Sanctuary City - Industrial Sector"There, Three O'Clock."
>Mosaic points his finger towards the northeast position of the abandoned warehouse. As he stands on the edge of a derelict building, he turns behind him to face Omnius, stating:"From what I can gather, the Marauders are funneling most of their manpower through this part of the city. At first, it wasn't really worth any attention - since it was likely contraband that they were smuggling around."
>Turning back to face the warehouse on the outskirts of the city limits, he then continues speaking."Of course, now that they've started capturing Meta-Humans, it's become a much more serious problem. They've likely got a few dozen captured people in there, probably to harvest their organs. We need to get those people out of there."
No.3881
>>3880>Someone taps Mosaic's shoulder, a quick turn revealing it as a young woman, her head topped with pale, well-groomed hair."Is this a. . . how do you say? A bust?"
>As the woman speaks, an accent can easily be picked out from her voice, and she steps back, giving the pair an innocent little wave."Hi~"
No.3882
>>3881>Seemingly blinking from behind his mask, Mosaic turns to look at Omnius for a moment, saying:"This one of yours? Because I don't remember seeing her before."
>Gesturing to her with his finger, Mosaic then turns to her and says:"Since you were able to get the drop on us, I'll assume that you're not a normal civilian. In which case…."
>Mosaic then crosses his arms as he asks:"Who are you and what do you want, exactly?"
No.3883
>>3882>The woman dramatically points at herself, a look of shock on her face."Me? Moi? 我? Mí 私 እኔ ja?"
>The woman tilts her head at the finger."Is that a gun? All Americans have a gun, right?"
>The woman points at Orion"Do you have a gun too? Is this a robbery?"
>The woman brings her left hand to her head, mocking holding a phone in it."Hello, police? I think I'm being mugged? Huh. . . uh-huh. . .riiiight. . . well- rude to just hang up like that."
>The woman "puts away" the "phone"."Please, I don't have any money and I'm too pretty to die."
No.3885
>>3883>Still crossing his arms, Mosaic looks between the woman and the large warehouse in the distance."Yeah not sure if we have time for this. The Marauders are probably bringing in their next haul of captured Meta-Humans."
>Mosaic turns to Omnius and says:"Not sure what she's on about, but she's either confused or disoriented - assuming this isn't just a front."
>Mosaic shrugs his shoulders, while still crossing his arms."Your call."
>Mosaic then waits for Omnius's ultimate decision.>>3884>Rolling his eyes behind his mask, Mosaic then mutters to himself:"Fantastic…"
>Now looking up at the woman, Mosaic then asks:"I'm curious why you appeared here next to Omnius and myself? I doubt it could've been purely coincidental."
No.3886
>>3884>>3885"Some lady in New York said I'd find what I wanted here. . ."
>As the woman's voice trails off, she mocks winding up a rope and lassoing it around Orion, a force pressing against him as if he's actually entangled in a rope as it "reaches" him."Rude to just walk away like that when people are just having a friendly chat. It's not like the bad guys are going to succeed, the heroes will swoop in just at the right moment at the end of the day. . ."
No.3887
>>3886>Mosaic looks somewhat surprised by the lasso motion - watching carefully as Omnius is constrained by the intangible effect."….Not an energy construct, psionic or otherwise…"
>Turning his attention back towards the woman, Mosaic then says:"You wouldn't happen to have a name for the lady who told you that, would you? Because Sanctuary City isn't exactly home to anything besides Meta-Humans."
>Now more suspicious, Mosaic slowly adjusts his stance as he then speaks:"I'll ask again - who told you to show up here, and what exactly are you after?"
No.3888
>>3886>>3887>Omnius suddenly stops, feeling the tugging sensation. He whips around. "Let go. I'm busy."
>Omnius sounds clearly annoyed."If there are people in there getting dissected, it'll be your fault if I can't get to them quick enough. So quit playin' around and let go."
No.3889
>>3887>The woman sighs, pulling on the "rope" to tug Orion closer."I said, some lady in New York, you sound like my mother."
>>3888"And we're talking, it's rude to just leave like that."
>The woman tugs on the "rope" again."You're
also starting to sound like my mother, god, you're so boring. . ."
>The woman sighs, letting go of the connection."Fine, fine, I want to fight you or whatever, will you do something interesting now, or have I got to do some big villain speech about how the people you want to save are just sheep or goats or. . . cows or something. People who, by the way,
will be perfectly safe because the hero always arrives just. in. time."
No.3890
>>3889>Mosaic looks at Omnius for a moment, before groaning and facepalming."All of this for a
fight? Seriously?"
>Looking back up at the woman for a moment, Mosaic then says:"Five minutes. My associate here and I are going to handle the Marauders inside of that warehouse first - then we'll talk."
>Mosaic then grabs Omnius by the shoulder and presses two fingers to the base of his mask. After a moment of thought, he and Omnius are then both instantly transported inside of the warehouse.—————————————————————
>Inside of the Marauder hideout - a group of Marauders are hauling around a pair of Meta-Humans, seemingly knocked out, bound and tied up."Get the fuck on with it, dipshit! The MRD are gonna find us sooner or later!"
>Scoffing, the Marauder hauling the two Meta-Humans then casually drops them on the floor."Or what? You think I'm scared of a couple of Meta freaks? Why don't I get rid of them right here?"
>The Marauder then takes out a handgun and aims it at one of the Meta-Humans."Might as well do it right now-"
>Before he can act, the Marauder is immediately tossed off to the side by an invisible force, as Mosaic suddenly appears alongside Omnius."Five minutes or less - and she might just crash the party early. Come on, let's go."
>Mosaic then immediately begins moving at superhuman speeds - blitzing half of the warehouse as the Marauders attempt to train their gunfire on him. No.3892
>>3891>>3890>The woman blinks as the pair disappear."Rude. . ."
>With a sigh, she looks off in the direction of the warehouse and casually flicks one of her hands.
>Above the warehouse, a giant anvil appears and plummets to the ground, crushing most of the people inside of it, with the exception of any innocents.". . .and boring."
>With another flick of her wrist, the anvil disappears, with anyone knocked out by it being left with odd looking birds flying around their heads."Boring boring booooring."
>With a long, exaggerated sigh, the woman turns to leave. No.3893
>>3892>Mosaic then appears in front of the woman, hovering before her and clearly irate."Are you insane?!"
>As he lands on the ground before her, he then immediately jabs a finger at her - getting more irritated as he speaks."What kind of psychopath flattens an entire warehouse with people still inside of it?! Yes I know the Marauders were the only casualties - that doesn't excuse anything!"
No.3894
>>3893>The woman yawns, then leans forward, moving around Mosaic's finger, her hand stopping in front of his mask."Boring. . ."
>With another yawn, the woman moves two pinched fingers across his mask, "zipping" his mouth shut and silencing him."You wanted to handle them so they were handled, but you're just so so
boring."
>The woman holds out a hand and a giant mallet appears in it, which she checks the balance of."Wait, this is America, you play the based ball here."
>The hammer turns into a baseball bat, which she lines up, and her clothes take the appearance of a baseball uniform."Feels weird."
>Once she's in a batter's stance, the woman shifts slightly, causing Mosaic to fly towards her.
>As Mosaic is in hitting range, the woman swings, sending him flying away, a star blinking in the sky as he disappears into the horizon."Wait, there were two of them, right?"
No.3896
>>3895>The woman blinks, then lets out a surprised chuckle."Oh, good. . ."
>The woman drops the baseball bat and it disappears, her clothes returning to normal."Based ball is not very fun, and I want to leave."
No.3897
>>3896>Mosaic reappears in an instant, pointing a finger at Omnius as he traces his finger across his mask - "unzipping" his voice."Thanks for the vote of confidence. I
really appreciate it."
>He says, in a clearly annoyed tone of voice. "As for you?"
>Turning back to the woman, Mosaic speaks up, stating:"Do yourself a favor and leave then. If there's nothing for you here, stop wasting our time."
>Now turning away, Mosaic walks towards the edge of the rooftop, stating:"I'm going to go check up on the civilians."
>He then turns around and points at the woman again."If there's
any sub-dermal hemorrhaging or rupturing of any kind? Then we'll have a problem."
>Turning to Omnius, he then says:"Let's go. Unless you're more concerned with the living cartoon here."
No.3900
>>3898>Mosaic then slowly turns back around and then walks towards the woman - standing only a few feet away from her."I am trying to be cordial and amicable about this. But all you've done is interfere and botch an entire operation."
>Once again pointing at her with accusatory body language, Mosaic then continues speaking:"If you're looking for something, try explaining it clearly and
maybe we'll reciprocate. Otherwise, we're not obligated to help you."
>Looking back at Omnius, Mosaic then says:"Give me a minute."
>Mosaic then walks back to the edge of the rooftop and leans on one knee, annoyed. He then uses his supernatural vision and extra-sensory perception to survey the area - scanning the physiological structures of everyone in the warehouse on a molecular level."Looks like she isn't a mass murderer after all."
>Looking back at the woman, Mosaic states:"Anything else that you needed us for?"
No.3901
>>3900"Boring man isn't very good at noticing things, is he? Or not being rude, or being amicable - last one could just be you Americans not being good at that though."
>The question is clearly directed at Orion."I do have one more thing though. . ."
>The woman holds up her hand as if to ask for silence while she thinks, and then the hand shoots out, pushing Aiden off the side of the rooftop, the action of which causes the woman to snort."He's really bad at noticing things, right? I'm not the only one who thinks that?"
No.3902
>>3900>>3901>Omnius immediately stiffles a laugh, and then coughs to try and cover it up."Er…"
>He clears his throat, and then deepens his voice in a way that sounds forced."You.. er… shouldn't be doing that. This is-"
>Omnius's tone returns to normal."Serious. Or whatever."
"…So you're like… a cartoon Meta-Human? Or are you some kind of weird wizard?"
No.3903
>>3901>Mosaic actually resists the pushing motion - standing entirely still as he looks at the woman. Pressure begins building around him as he remains entirely still, stating:"You're not nearly as savvy as you think you are."
>With an exaggerated motion, Mosaic reaches into his jacket and pulls out a giant mallet, seemingly out of nowhere. Tossing it at the woman, he then says:"But if you're willing to try your luck again, go on. I'll stand real still, and see if you're smart enough to figure out what'll happen."
>Mosaic then adjusts his gloves on his hands, seemingly unbothered by the situation.>>3902>Mosaic looks at Omnius, crossing his arms again after checking his gloves."She's a reality warper who operates on cartoon logic. The anvil and the zipper gave it away."
>Dusting himself off, he still remains standing in place as he states:"Not
that impressive either."
>Mosaic then continues standing in place, waiting for the woman to react. No.3904
>>3902"Wizards are real? Maybe I am a wizard."
>The woman grows a long, white beard and strokes it, thinking."I don't think I'm a wizard. . ."
>>3903>The woman moves her hand and pushes Mosaic again, causing him to fall off and to the ground this time."I
am a Meta-Human though, look!"
>The woman brings her hands together, and snaps her fingers, causing the air between them to ignite and form into a ball between her hands, the heat from it being enough to be able to felt from where Omnius is standing."That's boring though."
>The woman throws the ball away with second thought, sending it in the direction of where Mosaic was sent."I'm just me, what are you?"
No.3905
>>3904>Mosaic looks up at the sphere of heat above him and rolls his eyes behind his mask."Riveting…"
>He then pulls towards the edge of his jacket coat near his wrist - and somehow pulls out a giant fire extinguisher. Holding the nozzle handle with one hand, he immediately uses it, causing a massive surge of flame-dampening foam to dissolve the flame sphere."At least she's focusing on me, and not the civilians."
>Hovering up, Mosaic then wills the fire extinguisher out of existence as he then floats back towards the woman and Omnius.
>Turning to Omnius while still hovering in the air, Mosaic then says:"I'm not even going to bother analyzing whether she's a Meta-Human or not. Her power's nothing unique. At least to me it isn't."
>Mosaic then flicks his gloved finger with a careful motion, seemingly creating a small marble that expands into a large vending machine that falls in front of the woman.
>As he lands on the ground, Mosaic then presses a coin into the vending machine and takes out a drink - phasing it through his mask in order to chug it. No.3906
>>3905>The vending machine disappears, then the can, then Mosaic's mask, then his face."Woah, he's. . . some guy!"
>The woman puts an eraser into her pocket, taking out a pencil instead, with which she draws a bad smiley face onto Mosaic's head."I tried to fix it, what do you think? Looks good, right?"
>The woman is silent for a few seconds."Ok ok it's pretty bad, yeesh, tough crowd. I did my best. Anyway. . ."
>The woman turns her back on Mosaic, stepping closer to Omnius."Now that he's shut up again, are you a robot?"
No.3907
>>3906>Orion looks at his arms, and then his legs, and then back to the woman."Last time I checked no. I'm just wearing some fancy suit of armor."
>He looks at Mosaic, staring at what the woman has done, then back at the woman."…Are you a robot?"
No.3908
>>3906>Mosaic instantly fixes his body, reforming his head and mask the instant that Omnius spoke.
>Turning his attention towards Omnius, he then says:"Do me a favor and pry into her head. I'll keep her distracted."
>Mosaic then snaps his fingers and the entire world around them suddenly changes to that of a large open building space."Took us somewhere without collateral damage. Pocket space."
>He then snaps his fingers again, causing a large amount of coins to rain down from the sky onto the woman. The shiny gold coins pile up into a large pile, completely covering the area and burying her in money.
>At the same time, Mosaic makes another gesture with his hand, causing a giant safe to appear from the ceiling as well - hollowed out at the bottom as it lands on the office floor."As is the case with anyone whose thoughts can become reality…."
>Mosaic then grabs the front lock with his hand and spins it around rapidly - causing it to rapidly cycle around to a cartoonish degree."…..If you can't deal with her actions, go straight to the source."
>Closing the vault lid tight, Mosaic then turns back to Omnius, stating:"Her thoughts. She's sentient, so you should be able to dive into her mind - figure out more about her, assuming that she doesn't have any psionic defenses."
No.3909
>>3908"Well, it's been. . ."
>The woman's voice comes from behind Mosaic and Omnius."I shouldn't lie, it hasn't been fun, you're an incredible bore."
>The woman points at Omnius."You're more interesting though."
>The woman takes a key out and puts it in the air, unlocking a door that appears around it."If you wanna do something fun I'll be seeing the sights of the city. . ."
>The woman steps through the door and half closes, stopping for a second to add:"I'm not a robot either."
>The door slams shut, leaving the two in the space by themselves. No.3910
>>3909>Irritated, Mosaic doesn't even look at Omnius as he says:"Alright, gloves are off then. Metaphorically."
>With a snap, Mosaic transports both himself and Omnius back towards normal space - right in front of the woman. "You're not touring anything."
>Now standing directly in front of the woman, Mosaic then changes up his approach, stating:"Alright then. Let's play a game."
>Making a gesture with his hand as he holds it out in front of him, he then says:"If you can figure out where I've stashed this coin in the city? I'll show you around."
>A gold coin then appears within the space separating his gloved fingers, as Mosaic flips it into his palm.
>Closing his palm, Mosaic then casts a magic spell, reinforcing the coin - before opening his palm, showcasing that the coin has disappeared. No.3911
>>3910>Looking at the woman and seeing her more reserved expression, Mosaic then sighs as he states:"Alright then. I'll up the bet."
>With a gesture of his other hand, Mosaic instantly manifests a large, arcane staff full of magical energy and power."Not that you'll believe me, but this is a staff that can randomize the nature of anything it touches. For the most part."
>Demonstrating his point, Mosaic holds out the staff in front of him, pointing it towards an empty bench nearby. In an instant, the bench turns into a flock of birds - that quickly begin flying off into the sky.
>Turning back towards the woman, Mosaic then states:"If you can find where I've hidden the golden coin in the next five minutes? I'll give you the staff, and I'll promise to give you more of my old artifacts over time."
>Still holding the staff, Mosaic firmly plants it in the ground as he continues looking at the woman, continuing to explain."But if you
fail to find the golden coin in time, then you'll give me your real name, and abide by one other reasonable request that I have. One that I think you'll very much like, if I'm being honest."
>Gesturing to the woman with his free hand, as his other hand continues to hold onto the staff, Mosaic then states:"Do we have a deal then?"
No.3912
>>3911"Hmmmm. . ."
>The woman furrows her brow and poses as if to indicate she's thinking, a thought bubble emerging from her head as she does.
>The woman grabs the hand with the staff, "shaking" it, her fingers feeling around underneath it as she does, although no attempt is made to attempt to take the staff away."Ok!"
>Pulling out from the handshake, the woman disappears with a "pop" and a whiff of smoke. No.3913
>>3912>Turning back to Omnius for a moment, Mosaic exhales and crosses his arms together, stating:"That'll keep her preoccupied for a few minutes. Though I'm being fair in where I placed the coin. Once she's had her fill of a scavenger hunt, then hopefully she should be satisfied with her new toy."
>Pointing at the staff, Mosaic then elaborates:"Don't worry. It only works on inorganic, non-sentient objects. I'm not gonna risk anything disastrous with her."
No.3914
>>3913>Location: Unknown Subterranean Area>Time: 5:00 PM
>As Mosaic and Omnius continue moving down a closed elevator, Mosaic turns towards Omnius and further elaborates:"….As I was saying, I've spent a few months working on this. Hopefully you'll like it."
>The elevator then slowly opens up the window plating - to reveal a large cavernous expanse of land that stretches on for half a mile. Large waterfalls pour into the lakes below, creating the only audible sound outside of Mosaic's voice - the ripple of water."Here's your base. I'm not sure if you'll want to give it a name but…..it's yours."
>The elevator then comes to a complete halt on a central platform - stretching out onto every direction of the base cavern. A series of large interconnected platforms, walkways and electronic machine structures are positioned in sequestered blocks. "Hydroelectric power generators handle the energy demands of the area. Just like it is with the Prism. Internal comms are filtered through the layering of EM insulated equipment covering the upper floors."
>Pointing towards a platform off to the side, Mosaic brings Omnius's attention to a large black armored vehicle, with golden components and purple accent colors."That's yours too. I knew you wouldn't give it a name, so I decided on a simple one. Breaker."
>Mosaic then taps a button on his suit's wrist - causing the machine's engine to roar to life and immediately begin driving around the platforms of the base - towards their location. Once it parks before them both, it opens up its front plating - revealing the driver's seat for Omnius."What do you think? Again, I'm sorry that I wasn't able to get all of this done for your birthday. A lot of stuff happened, as you know."
>Placing one hand on his waist, Mosaic then looks at Omnius, waiting for his response. No.3915
>>3914"I don't pay attention to my own birthday, and I forgot you even knew when it was. So don't worry about remembering it."
>Omnius stares at the base for a second before looking at Mosaic."Thanks."
No.3916
>>3915>Mosaic nods as he places his hands in his jacket's coat pockets."Don't mention it."
>Falling silent for a moment, Mosaic then looks up at the base, stating:"You know, it's funny. My dad told me something earlier today that sort of stuck with me."
>Now focusing his attention on various different parts of the base, Mosaic continues to speak:"He told me that the one thing that I couldn't ever accept is failure. That admitting that makes me feel as though I've failed myself."
>Turning his attention back to Omnius, Mosaic then concludes:"But it didn't have to be that way. I'm not made in the image of another - so there's nothing that I have to aspire towards. No bar that I have to meet."
>Gesturing with his hand towards Omnius, he then further elaborates:"I think you showed me that more than anyone, Orion. Given the circumstances that you grew up with….."
>Hesitating, Mosaic then sighs as he places his hands back in his jacket pockets."….It's no wonder that you turned out to be the better person - morally. You took charge of yourself and made your own decision to step out of your dad's shadow."
>Silent once more, Mosaic then finally states:"….If only I was the same way earlier. I could've changed things for the better - for a lot of people."
No.3917
>>3916>Orion speaks with a deadpan tone."Yeah I guess. If you say so."
"Anyway, thanks again."
No.3918
>>3917>Silent for another moment, Mosaic then slowly laughs, with an earnest and genuine sense of happiness in his voice."Somehow I knew that'd be your response. Though that only makes it all the more genuine, knowing you."
>Standing up straight again, Mosaic then says:"You're welcome though. You know where the entry points to your base are, so do your best to shake off any MRD troops before you get there."
>Mosaic then begins walking past Omnius, waving behind him, and followed up with a two finger gesture as he then states:"Be seeing you around then."
>In an instant, Mosaic uses his abilities to disappear from thin air. No.3919
>>3918>Location: Sanctuary City - Residential Sector>Time: 5:30 PM
>Appearing in an instant, Aiden cleans his sunglasses with a fiber cloth as he places them back on - taking a good look at the front of his house."………"
>Before he can move, however, he suddenly feels a tap on his shoulder. Turning his head in the direction of the tactile touch, he then speaks up:"That might be the first time that you've ever gotten the drop on me."
>Stella removes her hand, placing in on her waist as she looks Aiden from top to bottom."The first time that you've
noticed that I've gotten the drop on you."
>Nodding his head slightly, Aiden relents."Fair enough."
>Stella looks at him with a slightly perturbed expression, as a skeptical look slowly forms across her face. Raised eyebrow and relaxed looking eyes follow suit."You've been out with Orion again haven't you?"
>Aiden sighs as he scratches the side of his chin, reflexively."Well, I did owe him the birthday present that he forgot about."
>Giving Aiden a look of somewhat smug amusement, Stella then gestures towards the front door, stating:"Yeah? Well then you can tell me all about your day over dinner. Your family's coming over tonight, so we're gonna have to get started early with the cooking."
>Raising an eyebrow, Aiden looks at Stella who herself gives a more amused look."Didn't I tell you earlier? Your father really wanted to see how you've been adjusting?"
>Aiden now has a quizzical look on his face."Adjusting to…..?"
>Stella then lightly taps him on his forehead - causing a brief surge of magical energy to pulsate from his forehead, briefly flashing in his eyes."Towards life with more than one person in your house, remember?"
No.3920
>>3919>Time: 6:30 PM
>As most of his family is inside of the house, eating dinner and talking - Aiden walks out into the backyard of his house. Sitting on a large patio couch outside, he exhales and looks up into the sunset skies of Sanctuary City."………."
>After a few more seconds, Aiden then says out loud:"You know, I'm right here. You can talk to me without having to hide."
>In that moment, a perception filter of sorts then seems to disappear - as a familiar looking figure leans against the side of the door."You're getting better at honing your perception. Good."
>Magister then leans forward off of the wall, as his cloak slowly flutters around him."Can I ask you something?"
>Aiden says, leaning forward in his couch seat."Shoot."
>Magister replies, casually and without taking his eyes off of the sunset."……The resentment and anger. Can I actually let it go?"
>Knowing that Aiden doesn't have to explain a single thing to him, Magister then replies:"If you were anyone else, I would say that it depends. But because it's you, or rather me who I'm talking to? The answer is yes."
>Turning his head to look at him, Magister's sunglasses contrast against Aiden's own - as they both stare at each other from a few feet away."You
can let it go, as I would imagine that our father likely told you by now. The only question is whether or not you think you're capable of it."
No.3921
>>3920>Aiden then ruffles his hair lightly as he sighs in annoyance."Always with the riddles and vaguely ambiguous statements with you."
>Scoffing, Magister then replies:"For me, the person who I hated more than anything was a woman named Lisa. Short stature, red hair and an unbearably smug demeanor."
>Aiden's eyes widen behind his sunglasses as he immediately snaps his head towards Magister's direction."You can't be serious.
Lisa?! Wait,
that Lisa?!"
>Magister nods slowly as he crosses his arms."Different universe, same painfully irritating personality."
>Unfolding one of his arms, he holds out his gloved hand as a series of holographic images manifest above his palm."For years I'd resent her for what she did during my sorcerer training. She claimed that she did it for utilitarian reasons - that I couldn't trust the Gods that taught me."
>Aiden looks at Magister carefully for a moment, listening to his story."Then eventually, things came to a crossroads, and I had to choose her teachings or my own stubbornness."
>Immediately, Aiden responds:"You chose our stubbornness."
>Nodding, Magister replies:"Naturally. The result was a cataclysmic disaster that I barely stopped. Had I listened to her and applied her teachings, instead of rejecting them out of spite - various complications could've been avoided."
>Turning to face Aiden, Magister crosses his arms once again - as his cloak covers his body."The point, Aiden, is that resentment and spite will
inevitably lead your decision making towards drastically unfavorable outcomes. You know full well that your anger is misplaced, and always has been."
>Looking away, Aiden feels that familiar resentment, slowly bubbling up to the surface of his mind."It doesn't matter. The damage is done and we're not on talking terms."
>Turning back to Magister with a stare of frustration and anger in his eyes, Aiden says:"I'm not going to be friends with Hiyuki, nor do I want to. We're rivals at best, and enemies at worst. There's no room for mutual understanding there."
>Staring at Aiden with a look of complete neutrality on his face, Magister then states:"Who gives a shit about your past. Stop feeding your demons and make amends with her, you buffoon."
No.3922
>>3921>Scowling lightly, Aiden then stands up and slowly dusts himself off."The only thing that this entire situation has gotten me is more problems. I'm not giving her the benefit of the doubt for anything."
>Magister turns to face his counterpart, gesturing to the side of his own head with his gloved hand."Think, you idiot. You don't need to give her the benefit of anything. You just need to stop harboring nothing but pure hatred for her. Not for her own sake. I frankly don't know her, nor do I care for her well being."
>Jabbing a gloved finger towards Aiden's jacket, Magister then exclaims."I am saying this for
your sake, not hers. Let the anger subside, and allow past transgressions to die."
>Aiden starts feeling himself get angry at the statement, interpreting it as a command."Why?! Why the hell am I always the one who needs to simmer down or shut up? Why can't I be the one to do whatever the hell that I want?"
>Magister then immediately swipes off his sunglasses with one gloved hand - in a motion so fast that Aiden himself couldn't even process it."Because it's your damned responsibility to
do the right thing when it counts, Aiden! Or did you forget that?!"
>The sound of Magister's voice carries a degree of inherent magic power so strong that it forces Aiden onto one knee. Wincing, Aiden then exhales as he has his head down on the floor.
>Feeling the stare of Magister's ruby red eyes piercing his body, Aiden is forced to listen as his Sorcerer Supreme counterpart states:"I had thought that you would come to understand the severity of your actions after nearly killing Stephanie's apprentice."
>Looking back up at Magister with a degree of reflexive anger on his face, Aiden then shouts:"I already told you,
that wasn't intentional! It never was!"
>Magister stares coldly at Aiden, causing him to reflexively stiffen up, feeling a nascent fear and chill running down his spine. The force of Magister's stare is so condensed with power, that Aiden can barely maintain his eye contact."Aiden Ethan Grayson, so help me God…."
>At that moment, Aiden then notices as Magister's voice trails off - with both of them now looking at the cause of their broken concentration."…..Aiden? Is that you?"
>Silas looks on, seemingly seeing double as he witnesses two versions of his son in confrontation with each other."How are there two of you? Is this cloning or…."
>Magister then sighs as he places his sunglasses back on his face. No.3923
>>3922>Still looking stunned, Silas slowly walks over to Magister, taking note of his identical appearance to his son Aiden. Carefully examining the young man once more, Silas then says with a shocked voice:"….A-Aiden? Is that you, son?"
>Sighing, Magister nods as he then takes off the sunglasses once more - revealing his ruby red eyes."….Yes, father. It's me. You won't entirely believe the explanation I present to you, but-"
"Alternate universe counterpart?"
>Raising an eyebrow, Magister then says:"It seems that my alternate self has informed you of my existence then?"
>Silas places his hand on Magister's shoulder, stating:"Even if he didn't, I'd know my son, no matter his appearance."
>Silent for another moment, Magister then turns to Aiden, saying:"You need to tell him everything. That's the only way you're resolving this issue properly."
>Confused, Silas then turns to Aiden, stating:"Aiden? What's he referring to?"
>Still silent, Aiden then slowly stands up and turns to look at his father."….I can't let it go, dad. Even now, I can't."
>Silas thinks to himself for a moment, before his eyes widen. As realization sweeps over his body, he then frowns slightly as he brings his son in for a tight hug."It wasn't her fault. The person responsible was Katsumi, not Hiyuki. You don't need to project your anger and frustrations onto her."
>A voice then calls out from the doorway into the house, causing Aiden to look towards that direction."Yeah, you don't."
>Phoebe says, as she slowly walks out of the house and towards her brother and her father."Because I couldn't let go either - and it didn't help."
>Phoebe then gives Aiden a hug, alongside her father."Remember what I said earlier today, Aiden? You're not in this alone, and neither am I. We're family - and we've got each other's backs."
No.3924
>>3923"Hopefully I'm not overly encumbering in this hug!"
>Jonah says as he quickly speeds out of the house - a trail of lightning following behind him as he quickly hugs his brother, alongside his sister and his father."I agree with Phoebe, naturally. We're a family, Aiden - and families care about each other, through highs and lows."
>Two more people walk out of the house, slowly joining the hug as well."Hey, don't think that your big sis isn't there for you. Alright Aiden?"
>Kira says as she hugs him tightly along with the others."Don't forget about me either. Big bro's always here to help."
>Jason says as he gives his brother and the rest of his family a bear hug.
>Another person then looks on from the sidelines, leaning against the door into the house with a single tear streaking down her face."Sorry, it's just…..I……I wish I had that growing up. A family that cared about me."
>Aiden looks towards Stella, and then looks back at his family. Nodding at them, they all stand back as Aiden walks towards Stella. "…You've got us."
>He says, holding his hand out to Stella, for her to grab."Always."
>Then for the first time in hours, Aiden gives a smile through his own teary eyes.
>Stella at that point breaks down as Aiden pulls her into a tight hug."Thank you."
>She says, whispering and almost trembling the words as they escape her mouth. No.3925
>>3924>Aiden then notices Magister adjusting his stance away from them all. He then lets out a loud sigh, before closing his eyes and opening them again - with a smile on his face.
>Surprised, Aiden then looks at Magister, stating:"….I've never seen you smile like that before. Ever…."
>Giving an amused scoff, Magister replies:"Am I not allowed to show happiness of any kind towards my own family? Especially towards my counterpart?"
>Shaking his head, Aiden then says:"….This is what you were trying to make me realize, isn't it?"
>Magister nods, crossing his arms and stating:"It's as our father always said. The line between happiness and misery is a tightrope, and nothing more."
>Pointing at Aiden, Magister states:"The difference is determined by either the presence or absence of unconditional love. The love of your family and friends - those who will care about you no matter the circumstance."
>Turning towards Silas, Magister then says:"It's as you always said, father. Unconditional love is so strong, that it exists beyond the good and the evil of the world."
>Silas nods and smiles warmly at Magister - further recognizing that the man in front of him is his son."I can see that this version of you has learned that lesson already. Well done, Aiden."
>Magister nods and turns his attention back to Aiden, stating:"There's one thing left that I have to do."
>Walking towards Mosaic, Magister then stands before him for a moment - staring him down before he then moves to hug him tightly, for the first time ever."I'm here for you, Aiden. Take it from yourself - the minute you start to let go of your anger, life only gets brighter from there."
>Aiden then looks at Magister for a moment, stating:"….Do you still have your family? Your parents? Your siblings?"
>Nodding, Magister states:"Of course. We're not always perfectly in synch with each other - but we do care about each other. I suspected that hasn't changed in this universe."
>Looking at Aiden's siblings, Magister then says:"I'm glad to have been proven right in that regard, honestly."
No.3926
>>3925>In that moment, a bright flash of light appears in the backyard - as everyone turns around to view the phenomenon.
>A large portal then appears, as two figures slowly jump through it, conversing with each other."I told you, he's somewhere here. I used the Compass of Calliope to find his last appearance-"
>Turning to face the people off in the distance, the young man and the young woman then immediately widen their eyes. The young woman, with bright blonde hair in a ponytail, waves excitedly."Hey, Aiden! Where were you?!?!"
>The woman then quickly rushes over to him, as the man with brown hair sighs and slowly walks over."Not so loud, Persephone. Unbelievable…."
>As the two figures arrive at the base of the backyard patio, their facial figures become unmistakeable. "Wait….Are you….?"
>Phoebe slowly points at the woman, Persephone, who gives her a satisfied look of smugness."Duh! I'm
you, silly!"
>Jonah does the same, looking at the man with brown hair - who immediately nods slowly, stating:"You don't have to assume. The logical extrapolation is correct, Jonah. I'm you."
>Pointing at Magister, the man then speaks:"Well, I'm from the same universe as him - which makes me that universe's version of you."
—————————————————————————————————
>After a few minutes of discussion, Magister then turns back towards the glowing portal - with Persephone and the other version of Jonah beside him. As they all wave, Magister then changes his outfit into his civilian attire, stating:"Goodbye everyone. It's been nice to meet you all, and hopefully we'll see each other again soon."
>Persephone waves too, saying:"Next time, I'm gonna meet your version of Orion. Hopefully he's as tough as mine!"
>The alternate Jonah waves as well, stating:"The sheer confluence of factors that allowed our universes to end up being this similar….Astounding. I'll see you around, Jonah. You too everyone. Take care."
>Then, the alternate universe counterparts of Aiden, Phoebe and Jonah fly up into the portal - as it disappears into nothingness behind them. No.3927
>>3926>As the rest of Aiden's family goes back inside the house, Aiden remains with Stella outside, sitting on the patio couch together."….Well, I don't know what to say, honestly."
>Aiden looks at Stella with an intrigued look on her face."About my family, or my family's counterparts?"
>Stella then gives a soft laugh as she replies:"Both, I guess. They're all so…lively. Caring towards each other. I honestly do envy that about you, Aiden. I'd give anything to have a family that happy."
>Thinking for a moment, Aiden then looks up at the sky and says:"I wouldn't be against it in the future either."
>Taking a moment to process the implication of his statement, Stella then immediately grabs Aiden by his jacket collar."Wait, Stella wha-"
>She then immediately pulls him in for a deep kiss, her form of expressing thanks for his agreement to her wish.
>After a few seconds, she then pulls away, stating:"Not now. Definitely not now. We barely have our own houses in order."
>Nodding, Aiden leans back in the couch, looking up at the sky again, saying:"Definitely not now. But….sometime in the future? I'd love nothing more than that."
>Stella then leans on his shoulder as she then looks down at the ground, unable to hide the happiness on her face."You're not backing out of this one either."
>Aiden looks at Stella with a warm smile on his face, stating:"I wouldn't have it any other way."
>He then leans his head against theirs as they continue to sit outside in the backyard - looking up at the now starry night sky, content with their lives as they now are.[The End]