"Hey, Ed" one of the men who captured the kid talked to Edson, Mike.
"What?" Edson replied.
"What's going to happen to the kid? I mean, he's just 11 and - -" Mike sat on his chair at their office a floor above the interrogation room.
"As much as I sympathize with Charlie, I don't know if the boss of the great Orion would let the thing go." Edson replied. He leaned over his table and looked something u on his computer.
"The boss?" one of their comrade, Roy, said.
"Ginsei Reiko, the brightest of all Ginsei ever succeeded the company. He was a great researcher and a good leader but.." Edson replied after searching some info and showed his comrades his computer screen.
"But?" Roy curiously repeated.
"He's got a bad temper." Edson muttered. "There were rumors that he's beaten quite a number of engineers and employees already for being incompetent and lazy. Most who have been kicked out from Orion just made a minute mistake. He's that kind of man. I heard he was not like that from the start, but, when he got married, he's changed."
"But those were just rumors, right?" Mike muttered. He stood up, trying to make a point.
"They were not baseless though. And I've heard the wife was also a - -" Edson was stopped when Kevin entered the office.
"Cap!" all of them stood and saluted to the captain.
"How was it going?" Edson asked.
"I dunno. The president was very mad and he's coming straight towards here." Kevin replied.
All of them sat silently in their seats.
"Comming here, huh." Edson
"I'm gonna prepare to welcome him, tho." the captain shook his head.
....
A few minutes before Reiko entered the room, Cassandra tried to calm her son in any way she can.
"Ne, Marky... one of the ORION will meet us here, okay? Just, say what you have to say and Mom will do the rest... I will protect you no matter what. Trust Mom, okay?"
"Mom..." he continued crying, gripping his mom's hem. "I'm sorry...I'm sorry...I'm really sorry..."
"Shhh... Mom is here, it's fine, you don't have to worry...shhh"
The door suddenly opened, banged the wall and they heard a man shouting pretty angrily,
"...this room, but Sir..." Charlie heard her captain's voice.
"Damn you bastard!" exclaimed the angry man who suddenly entered the room.
Markus turned his head and saw the angry boss waving his fist aiming to hit his face. But at the moment he saw that fist coming, he curled back to his mom's chest and hid.
At the same time, Reiko saw Charlotte's startled/shocked face trying to protect the kid on his arms and changed his aim to the table. His fist hit the table so hard that Markus cringed to his mom tightly.
The silence broke the dimmed room.
The man looked at his fist lying on top of the table throbbing where it landed and his eyes turned blank.
The Captain saw the incident and said, "I'll leave the matter to you, Charlie." he met her eyes and continued, "Leave them alone men!" and they all exited the room leaving the three inside the room.
Reiko fell on the seat in front of Charlotte and Markus. He stared at the two, unable to find the right words to say to them.
Markus tightened his grip on his mom's chest and Charlotte hugged him back tightly. He felt the heavy atmosphere around them.
Reiko sighed and found the first thing he should be saying,
"Is he... your son?" trying not to sound so distant. He thought he can sound friendly since they knew each other in college.
"Ahh,,," Charlotte nodded "Why would you ask?" she answered. She avoided his sight and let her tear fall where he can't see them.
"How old is he?" Reiko gave a weary smile.
Charlotte looked at the head of the poor Markus hiding in her chest, "Eleven years old"
"Ahh, I see..." Reiko nodded "and, he.." his voice became shaky and tears started to wet his eyes. ".. did the hacking?"
"Ahh, he did,, but, I will take all the charges you will file against him, I'll take full responsibility for what my son has done. He's just a kid, you can't put him in jail. I won't allow it." She said confidently with a straight face, she finally met his eyes. She held Markus tighter than before, unmoving. "Just don't try to hit him ever again."
"Can I just... touch him?" he stood from his seat and tried to reach the kid.
"Don't even try to touch him..." Charlie turned with a piercing look. "I'll never let you hurt my son."
"Wh---y?" Reiko felt all his blood had drained from his body. "For eleven years, Charlotte... I've always longed to see him. Now... now of all the time..." he felt startled. "... and I can't believe I even tried to hit him."
Charlotte lowered his stare. Reiko saw the handcuff on Markus' right hand,
"They've even put that thing on him..." he lost strength on his knees and fell back to his chair.
"They don't have a choice, it was the order to capture the assailant... and they didn't know he's my son until they saw him. Even if they know, the Bureau will do their job." Charlotte answered.
"I wonder what he felt that time..." Reiko hesitated to say but his word came out of nowhere.
"Fear,, of course," Charlotte replied. "Who won't be afraid anyway? He's just eleven."
"Why did he do this?" He stared at his fists laying on top of the table.
"I don't know, he didn't answer me either... but I've scanned his files, I think he is going to get a file of a game or what.."
"A game?" he felt more shocked.
"Ned told me he's entered a tournament and played at the Mall. Today's the final round at ORION." Charlie realized what his son was doing and fell silent.
Reiko stopped for a moment and lowered his gaze. Of course he's a kid who wanted to play, but to steal it just to have it, he just can't bare the thought.
"Anyway, I'll let this slide... In one condition." Reiko said. "Just let me in to his life...I want to be his dad. I won't file the case anymore, I mean... I will never...I know this is a selfish matter but..." he sounded desperate.
"You don't have to resort to that, Reiko... I can take care of him,,, I'll take all the responsibility. I have been taking care of him for the last 11 years." Charlotte replied. "he doesn't need anyone but me. And besides, there's Ned."
"You can't do that, let me do my share...let me become...a father to him." he tried to bargain
"He doesn't need a father. He hadn't asked for one before." she strongly refused.
"That's not the case,, I mean...let me do it for myself, for ...our Son."
"Hh, you don't even know his name. Just leave us alone, Reiko. We don't need you in our lives, besides, you have your own family. If we're done here, I would like to bring him home and we'll talk about the damages later. I will pay for all the damages so I hope they won't send him to prison." She stood up, carrying her son.
"I searched for the both of you. I even talked and begged your parents but they were very tight lipped. How can I do my share if you won't let me into his life, Charlie?!" Reiko exclaimed.
She didn't listen to what Reiko had said. She opened the door and found Kevin standing in front of her. She talked to the captain and arranged things to pull some strings just to bring her son back home for the night.
Reiko was left alone in the interrogation room.
She went to her car and drove Markus back to their house. She carried him to her room and laid him on the bed. She laid beside him, hugged him tightly, and thought about what happened to this very night.
Markus slept keeping his head near to his mom's chest, his safe haven way back when he's younger.
....
The next day, Markus doesn't care to move an inch from his mom's bed. He hid himself under the blanket and didn't touch the food his mom prepared. Ned even came to feed him but that didn't do a thing. The night came and Charlotte asked him about what happened again. This time he gave an answer "I tried to get a copy of ROA-RPG". Charlotte didn't ask further on how he did it, she just let it slide.
She put him to bed and send him to sleep. When he had slept soundly, she went downstairs to close the doors and clean the kitchen. When she arrived at the front door, the doorbell rang.
"Ned? Did he forgot something?" She went to see who it was but, to her surprise, she saw Reiko standing in front of the door, looking hopeful.
"What are you doing here? How did you find this house?"
"I have sources... besides, I am here to see him."
"Just get lost... he doesn't need you. And, he's already asleep." she tried to slam the door closed but Reiko left his foot on the doorway to keep it from closing.
"Much better. He won't be able to see me. Just give me this chance, Charlie. " he said.
"Don't be so casual." she glared. "Why won't you just give up, huh, Reiko?..."
"I won't do the same mistake twice, Charlotte. That's why I'm here, asking you to let me be his dad." He gave Charlotte a pleading stare, hoping she will give him the opportunity he is asking for all these years he hasn't seen his own son.
"10 minutes,,," Charlotte said without batting an eye. "...I will let you in for 10 minutes and you will never come again to see him, deal?."
"Alright, I'll make it quick."
She lead him to her room and showed the sleeping Markus.
"Don't wake him up. He still had the shock on seeing your face."
"I'll just..." he reached his hand to Markus' face and tears started to fall from his eyes.
"So smooth, and soft..." he said smiling. He can't contain the happiness he's been longing for some time.
"I asked him to apply lotion every day, that is why.." she answered, her voice fumbled.
"Markus, right?"
"Ahh... MARKUS LOCKWOOD. He looks beautiful, right?"
"Hhhm..." he nodded in agreement. Tears fell from his eyes. He moved closer to Markus and unexpectedly, Markus place his hand around Reiko's arm. They were both shocked.
"He is used to do that in his sleep, grabbing things around his arms. He might have thought you were a pillow."
Reiko can't explain the happiness he felt. "11 years ago, I made a choice that brought us to this situation. College was very happy since I have you and Ned. But, 3 years after, I was forced to choose the company over my own life. Since that day, I never have seen his you nor Ned." he muttered.
"You chose your path and I chose mine. I never regretted doing it."
"But I did!" he glared at the kid's mom and said, "For eleven long years, I longed to see my son. I longed to hug him, to hold his hand, to play games with him..."
"I never intended to introduce him to you. I don't even know how you knew we had a son." Charlotte crossed her arms and sat on the opposite side of the bed.
"I met with Ned's wife months after I dropped out of college. She didn't tell me directly but I knew she tried to tell me I had a son. I saw from her expression." Reiko replied.
Charlotte didn't answer, she kept her head low.
"I don't deserve this." He kissed his son's hand where the cuff left a red mark and his chest hurt.
"Can I stay here longer?" he begged.
"You have to go...he tends to wake up a lot these nights. It may be because of his nightmares..." she replied softly. She wiped her tears with her sweater.
"Nightmares...I'm afraid I'm one of it now."
"I'm happy you know. Now, go out. Get lost! and never show your face here again."
He slowly removed Markus' arms around his arm and went outside the room, Charlie followed him and closed the door.
Reiko saw the room in front and asked, "Is this his room?"
"Ahh, I brought him to my room because I know for sure he is still afraid to go back in there."
"Can I see it?"
"Just make it fast"
"I understand..."
He went inside and opened the lights. He took the chance to know his son through the things inside his room. Pictures, posters, trophies, everything that describes Markus. He cried seeing all of those things. Things he had not been taken part of.
Charlotte was standing at the door watching Reiko scanning Markus' room.
"Can I see his computer?" Reiko asked.
"Ahh, do as you like...just don't ...never mind" Charlotte hesitantly said but she turned her head instead and let it slide.
Reiko turned it on and tabs immediately flashed on the screen.
"You left it the way it was left behind.." he muttered.
"We have an agreement not to meddle with each other's stuff," she replied.
In the other room, Markus woke up and called "Mom" from inside but his mom did not answer. He went to open the door and search for her.
"Mom?" he said while rubbing his eyes. His shirt fell off his left shoulder.
"Ara,,, Marky... what's wrong?" she went to his son and fixed his clothes. She needed to distract the lid to keep Reiko a secret.
"I woke up and you're not there, and... I heard you talking to someone. Is anyone here?"
Reiko heard Markus from his room and stopped typing.
"Ahh... no one's here with me, Marky. It might be your imagination, c'mon, let's go back to bed..."
"Hai..." the kid yawned.
Reiko continued what he was doing the moment he noticed that they have gone back to Charlotte's room.
"Damn that bastards, their report said that the virus had infected about 58% and suppress it on that level, but it seems that they gave me a wrong report..."
He saw the tab where Markus performed the hack and it displays,
63%
"He is quite good at computer programs, huh... you did great on hacking our system, Son. You revealed the weakness of our facility and the ORION system." Reiko smiled and turned the computer off.
He went out of the room and Charlotte did at the same time.
"Are you done?" she asked.
"Ahh,, thanks Charlotte for giving me this opportunity..." Reiko replied.
"No big deal,,, you can't have another one, anyway."
"Can't? C'mon,, I thought you're giving me a chance.?"
"Not a single one, Reiko. You will only hurt my son again..."
"I promised not to hurt him anymore. Just let me do this again,,, maybe not here at your house but outside. I can help with anything. Just give me a call. Please. " he pleaded.
"I won't do that. Besides, receiving help from you will only make his situation worse. The doctor said he might develop a trauma out of that shock."
"...Trauma?!"
"Ahh, that's why, I'm asking you to stay away... don't make him suffer again."
It left him to feel empty. He stood in shock, quite in pain for hearing his son's condition.
"I'll go for now... but I'll be back. I'll make my way into his heart. I'm gonna be his dad someday." Reiko said and turned his back.
"Go and live on that dream, Reiko, I won't let you do as you like." Charlie crossed her arms and glared at the man.
Reiko went outside and drove his car away. Charlotte locked the doors and finished her chores, turned off the lights and went upstairs.
...
Reiko arrived at the ORION and immediately called a meeting to the programmer's hub with all the members working on the security and defense of the company against viruses and other dangerous programs, the MASONS.
He opened the door and saw all the members gathered around the center table. He throws the flash drive on the table and said angrily,
"The report said that the intruder had just infiltrated about 59% of our system."
"It's true, Boss." One of the members stood up shaking, trying to act composed in front of the big Boss of ORION "...we managed to hold him up on the 59th %" he continued.
"It's true, President Reiko. I was there monitoring it all along." Louige added.
"I would believe if you say so, Louige. BUT, I have seen it on his own computer." He hit the table with his fist "...who are you kidding? You of all the programmers working in this Stronghold who are considered the best, named yourselves as the MASONS, an elite circle of geniuses, was infiltrated by a mere elementary student and had accessed our data on the very 63%!" he glared at each one of them "...63% was viewed and several important and classified information was already on that deep of a level. Do you understand how far you have DISAPPOINTED Me, huh?!" he exclaimed.
Everyone felt terrified.
"We are very sorry, Mr. Reiko. It was definitely our fault. We didn't notice it immediately, and-"
"Then, take responsibility." He took a deep breath and sat firmly on his chair "...work until you Perfect AEGIS. We don't need another hacking to do so. We need to strengthen ORION once again or other more powerful idiots will defy us and worse will make us go down into ruins."
"But, what happened to the culprit, Boss?" one of the members asked.
He glared at him and with a deep voice he said, "It's not your problem,,, I have taken care of him. And one other thing..." he turned to Louige
"Hai?" Louige responded
"Arrange a Press Conference and I will release an official statement..."
"Hai,, I understand."
"Then, the meeting is adjourned, and go back to work!" Reiko said.
His men dispersed and went outside the room. Louige was about to leave when Reiko stopped him.
"Wait a minute, Louige..."
"What is it, Reiko-sama?"
"I still have something to ask from you..."
"What about it?"
"Search everything about Markus Lockwood..."
"Was he the Hacker? Why would you like to dig on to his background, sir?"
"You are the only one I can trust about it. Search everything about him. I want to know everything..." he started to get gloomy and placed his elbow on top of the table.
"Reiko-sama?..." Louige hasn't seen his Boss like this before. It seems that Reiko is about to cry
"I want to know everything about my Son...."
"Son?" he seemed so shocked at what he had heard. "You said your son, Reiko-sama?" he asked startled
"Hai,,, that hacker is my son."