Chapter 31——How Did We Ended Up Like This?
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//Lino//
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A day after hard work in the office and yet there was still much to do, such as meeting contributors and other dull responsibilities that I had. It's been a busy day to where I didn't even have lunch, and I couldn't get a good nap in.
At least people or villains haven't been acting smart in the streets ever since the whole "Reaper" incident, it gives me a little bit to relax.
I'll give about two days before another scoundrel, villain, rogue, criminal, whatever synonym I could come up with tries to rob the bank down at Lincoln 19th Avenue
The ones that I fear———still remain hidden. They remain in the shadows, ready to rend the flesh apart as I leave the hero community for good.
An excellent yet cowardly tactic, but I am still strong. They're just waiting to see
I have already contacted with ZiON about that Rescue Garden prototype people been clamoring about and see if it is functioning. Pearline Bishop had granted us permission to use for next week, following that will be the Skirmish. I do not care for her, her relationship with her daughter reminds me of mine with my son...
So much to do in such little time.
It seems to be my only excuse for everything. And I didn't even get to finish a page of my book, either…Not like I have the opportunity to take vacation anyway; people need me: my students need me. I need to hang on just a bit longer.
"Mr. Saon?" A modest girl asked for me, I knew who it was as I told her to come in.
It was Hanannia Cortes, who has been my apprentice for five years. She was a kind yet "trendy" girl of Hawaiian heritage, and she has done specially well under my tutelage. She was short, but I understood why boys and even girls were swooning over her and hair had nothing to do with it, her dominant personality was also a reason.
"Listen, I got work and I won't be able to make it today. Is it okay
"Sure, as long as you don't skip for tomorrow's lesson."
"No problem! Ciao!" And just like that she darted away from my office. The last time I was in Italy, back in Ancient Rome, someone tried to poison me by tainted fish sauce, so I didn't bother on speaking Italian.
Hanannia Cortes has been working alongside for three years and has a knack for magic, yet I cannot her skip in these lessons, as they are the final ones to learn from Mid-World before we'll go to the Somnui spells.
In a few years, she'll be in the top 10 Heroes in the N.U.S.N.
Ten years down the line if she wants——I will offer her my position.
She works hard to protect the lives of the innocent, so I'll let her work slide for now.
It was time to go home, or at least my library back in Somnus. Everything had been packed for me already for me to go.
I knew that Haruka was still here in her office, just waiting to sit in my chair as I left to go to Somnus. I let Haruka sit in my chair whenever she reminisces about Lulu, I understand it.
A death can take a toll on a person's psyche, I know. My wife's death has been hard for me too, Haruka. I thought, sympathizing with her while she didn't know.
Twelve years doesn't feel a long time when you were with your wife for so long, that twelve years doesn't heal. Five hundred might make it numb. Two thousand years and it might sting whenever the reminiscing goes too deep.
A spell I casted uses a elevator as it teleported me to Somnus in under a minute, I love that spell. Its functionality proves to be vital to this day.
Many of us are.....Broken; just leftovers from the Last Great Age of Heroes. There hasn't been a large surge of new blood in years, it was 2003 when I witnessed amazing heroes in the making.
To be under the sands where Regis's ancestors is quite an honor, I was flattered how our relationship is still a bit there.
The doors open by themselves and there it was.
My lair...I must've left so untidy before I left for work today, I barely have time to clean anyways.
Books from olden times were disheveled, the massive instrument that I used to observe planetary threats accumulated blanketed dust now.
All of this, under the beaches of Somnus. I must be lucky.
The smell of old pineapples and hemp also lurked in my room. Kaimana. An old friend, right as he appeared in front of me, looking much older now as a ghost than ever. One facial expression I'd never saw on him was one of worry.
"What's the matter with you, Kai? You seem a bit strange? Did one of your plants—"
"Enough of the damn voice modification spell, Lino." He interrupted while pointing at me. "You don't need that when speaking to me. Scratch that: I need you to listen this."
This is very serious now, I haven't seen him like this since 2006, his spectral lips quivered in fear.
"The boy is a Raven." He said out loud, his words echoed across the library-observatory.
So, he finally pointed out the obvious, took him that long to figure that out?
"I figured that out the moment I saw him: Raven River is officially closed down and I had an old friend of mine ran a background check." I revealed to him, it was no surprise that Ryoji is the last operational Raven alive currently."
"Oh. Really? You knew before me. And?"
"No previous record of a 'Ryoji Dragomir Kazama'. No birth certificate, no fingerprints, no passport....I knew he was a Raven as soon I saw that he had a code on his foot, and I was told he never heard of Aladdin by the walls-"
He yelled aloud, although I deserve it this time.
"Jesus Christ, Lino! I thought you stopped that habit years ago? You know you can't be doing that!
I might have overstepped a boundary by getting one of my "associates" to sneak up. Maybe perhaps too many......boundaries…..
"Never mind that! How did you figure it out?" I questioned him as it was my turn.
"My old gimmick: It dances and skips, it's read in the eyes but it cheats with the hips. If it meets its match it's easily caught, but it's worth nothing if it is bought."
"That old riddle? You really have lost your edge, Kaimana...." I jested him.
"It was how he answered: Quickly and Loyally to it. As if he was still in the Guild." He said.
"And I haven't lost my edge, Old Yeller." Kaimana added as fun banter, it was fun with him——us old yellers.
We both went upstairs to enjoy a cup of Bailey's and Coffee Vodka
The beautiful sunsets of Somnus always enamored me, as there were two suns and two moons together, eclipses were never rare here.
We shared of all the fond memories we had.
Kaimana she's a tear as he continued doing so.
"I remember the Class of the Pegasus. As fondly as possible, Lino. They held the entire school, no; The world on their shoulders. All of those pleasant memories I have. I kinda feel it with this class."
"What?" That one part confused me.
He explained further. "I can feel the future camaraderie between them."
"I'm not rooting for them, Kaimana. I'm trying to toughen them up." I told him. "These realms do not care for camaraderie or friendship, they only care about how heavy the crown is, if war is coming around the corner. Do you think that the Autarch of Corheim cares about that? He wants this world for no reason, could start war if we step on his eggshells."
My words had silenced him completely, reflecting on how far we are apart from the past.
The Superheroes, The saving civilians, all of it: It is nothing more than a beautiful lie now.
That is correct. I'm turning children and teenagers and grown ass adults into future combatants for the Realm of Good.
They need to learn what to do when Corheim....Pays a visit, and their visits are quite tense.
"You're still on holding to that damn promise, huh?" He asked me sorrowfully, so much emotion for a damn ghost.
I looked and declared to him. "As long as I breathe, I will continue with my—"
"AHH! There's my favorite principal!!" That voice, once filled with kindness, now I felt an uncomfortable chillness to his voice, I don't know how he got here in the first place.
New Glory. What a Codename.
America's Golden Boy.
Wonder Bread with swirls from the blood of his enemies.
I don't blame him for the things he does to his enemies; I blame how he treats it, how he can simply give no thought to it.
How he kills without a conscience.
I don't like taking lives. That psychopath probably does now as opposed to back when he was a kid.
"I thought you had forgotten the runes to get here, John." I never called him by that oafish nickname 'Ace', as he knew aced his tests with an A before and I doubt he does now.
"No, I have a friend who has connections to these sort of things...You can follow your nose….Am I correct."
N0.1 Hero of the N.U.S.N and the N0.1 Hero of America. Face to Face since seven years, I was glad to get Enapay on my side.
"They're so pretty here, the suns and the moons and the asteroids-"
"Tell me what's out want." I had enough of his squabbling.
"I want you to retire." He confessed with a shit-eating grin, there was that grin I wanted him to show. "Retire and I'll move to the N.U.S.N, clear the entire province of crime and make it a paradise for a lifetime."
How….By killing those who offend you? I asked myself.
"You want me to retire? Well, if you started with that instead of small-talk, I would've considered so…..Yet, your arrogance precedes to where you stand. These halls are not made to spoil them with your vanity, Almásy."
"Do you know why I've lived for a long time? Because I don't exactly abuse my power by intimidating others and smiling foolish at the camera, I actually abuse it to ensure protection of Corheim, you two-faced celebrity.
Those words made him afraid once again, make him the weeping willow shit sack he was once before.
"Now," I was finished with him, sending him back to his place. "I take it you have a premier of that one movie——Kaimana, help a friend out."
I can always trust him to assist me in dire times, even though I didn't need it currently; it made me happy that he was willing to help me.
"New Glory: Indivisible. Isn't Jason Momoa in it? Oh wait, it's Jerry Senfield. A comedian in a lead role in an action role? Probably going to get a 36% on RottenTomatoes, but I prefer IMDB, as I feel they include how the fans' reception."
His anger was pleasing to watch, about time I get to see his vulnerable side. Every once a blue moon, this happens: John Almásy losing all control. "You better watch your words——" His threats were nothing to me, I've lived so many lifetimes. Many in which have been considered warmongering.
"I don't care about what you do to me." I told him, standing on my own legs, only this time they were human legs. "The strongest Super-Hero in terms of physical strength poses no threat to me than the strongest beetle. Get out."
Shit? That doesn't happen that often...When I tell people to get out, they aren't deterred at all.
I lost it. I almost turned into my real form.
"You won't say it, but John is right: You're getting weaker and the school's reputation is getting tarnished by these incidents. You can't do this forever." Kaiman clarified.
I know...I'm not immortal: I'm just extremely stubborn to die. What happens when that stubbornness runs out? I changed the subject quickly. "I suspect that Sarbello hasn't been located yet?"
"What of him? A team of Shinobi led by Kamakura tried to find him. Didn't work as we don't have a clue where he's at…."
"That bastard....." I murmured. "How is that possible? We know his soldiers are in Jupira, in that little circle of crime of his. Is he underground or underwater?"
He was unsure about it. "I don't know, Lino, I do know that he can't do this forever, either. His general, Invictus, is smart as well. They killed that one guy, Mario, so I'm guessing that Sarbello is one stand up guy."
There was no talking for a minute or two before the ghost finally left me.
"Well, I'm going. I don't want anymore part of your reminiscing and brooding party." Kaimana said his goodbyes casually and disappears, it was getting a much for him.
I wish these stupid factions just disappear and we can all unite under one go…
How did we end up like this?
How did a bastion or the side of good——become a former shell of itself?
Was it all because of a promise that I intend to kept?
Where I have forgotten the full aspect of it?
This boy——Ryoji Dragomir Kazama: He is filled with anger, thrusted into a cruel world where he faces prejudice and death. I understand more than those who do not understand his full nature. He is misguided….
Lada——Am I a fool for considering him a proposal to become my next apprentice? I asked her, my wife who was killed in 2006. Although I am not sure if she is there or not...I do like to think she's listening.
I do see a younger me in him——He's angry at the world. He's angry at anyone.
Hell, he never even had a childhood before.
Even me, an ancient being, had somewhat of childhood with my parents. He was stripped away from his parents and people took advantage of him by making him the perfect soldier.
That anger can be controlled if someone taught him how to.....Someone like me....
I can teach him how to control it.
I can make him a good person with a decent chance of being able to coexist with the unfamiliarity.
I will teach him, and I will protect him.
———Track 31 Ended———
CHARACTER PROFILE:
SURWICK STUDENT: HANANNIA CORTES (17)
THE LEADER OF THE INCREDIBLE TRI
BIRTHDAY: 5-25
HEIGHT: 5'2"
LIKES: Leading, Her Magic Spells
DISLIKES: When her nails breaks, unnecessary training
THE INSIDE STORY:
There is a reason why Hanannia Cortes is Lino's apprentice.
She can prissy but it das gotten better since being Lino's apprentice.
She totally kicks a bunch of ass.
Trust me.
I tend to say that a lot, don't I?