November 1st is another of the usual days on the calendar and another working Monday. The weather had turned colder as the roads turned foggy. The sky was bright with no sun rays while the people on the earth wrapped themselves with sweaters and quilts. Meanwhile, at PCC, the workers walked busily up and down, in and out of different doors and the noisy clanks of the keyboards made it busier.
At the same time in a large office situated on the topmost floor of the PCC building, Chairman Dafour gazed at the main security screen where all activities in the company were monitored.
Just as he expected, everything went just fine. A couple of minutes later, the telephone in his office rang. He knew who the caller was just as he could see everything from the screen.
"Hello!" he answered. It was his secretary whom he had entrusted with the work of supervision.
"Chairman, should we release the cover on the billboard?" the other party asked.
"Yes, release the cover but organise all the designs and I'll have a look at the illustrations," Old Dafour replied in his majestic voice.
Minutes later, he hung up and turned his attention back to the main screen. He had no room for errors and made sure all his employees follow the motion. Within a few hours, the main city billboards were filled with the release of the new comic, 'Villain's Era'
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[Blackendo Street]
Two teens stood outside a small restaurant situated along the boulevard of Blackendo street. A black motor racing bike was parked outside while teens leaned on it.
"Ares, you should go once and visit great grandpa. He truly misses you," muttered Yohan, his expression neutral however, one couldn't miss out on the concerned tone.
Are ran a hand through his hair and shrugged, "Nah! not yet. I still have to finish up my competition."
"Phoenix here needs warm-up," he added, patting his black motor racer bike. Yohan sighed helplessly. It was the nth time he tried to convince him to go home. The two juveniles had just got a break from school and had to return home.
However, ever since Ares stepped out of the Maltimore mansion, he had never returned home, no matter how many times Yohan convinced him. He was quite arrogant and headstrong just like his great-grandfather.
'No freedom at home and with great gramps stoic facials, Nah I'd rather stay at the academy he'd tell Yohan who was already used to Chairman Dafour's facials.
Clad in a black raven jacket with a pair of dark pants made he look neat like a racer suit. A toothpick lingered at one side of his mouth, giving him the gangster racer vibe.
Just then Yohan's phone vibrated, he excused himself and then answered the phone. A few minutes later, he hung up and then glanced at Ares.
"Look at the billboard. Great Grandpa finally had released the comic, Villains Era!" enunciated Yohan.
"Really? I knew he would! How could he not?" smirked Ares, smugly glancing at the billboard where the comic cover was being displayed.
A couple of minutes, the two childhood friends departed as Ares went to the race, and Yohan returned to PCC. In the past, before Ares entered the Maltimore mansion, Yohan was always there when most of the comics were released.
Yohan is a super hacker and a computer IT, a talent he had since young and also a reason why he was adopted by chairman Dafour and was recruited to work at PCC. He was quite a fast learner and knew many things about managing and tech. Most of the gadgets in the company were also developed by him as well as the tech.
However, since Ares stepped into the mansion, Chairman Dafour had Yohan leave the company temporary so he could give company to the young and naive Ares. Despite his young age, Yohan knew quite a lot of things.
[Prime Comic Company]
At the same time in PCC, the comic was being processed and suddenly, the computers turned blank. The character designs disappeared out of the blue. Just then the workers saw a gigantic figure emerge from one of the large animating screens. The screen previously had the villainous physique of Exodus, Mark Angel.
He roared, "Hahaha! This time I'll rule the world. It's all mine. I'll destroy you-"
He trailed off and the next second he disappeared. None knew what happened but they turned their attention to the new intimidating figure of Old Dafour Maltimore. In his hand rested something small but none knew what it was. As soon as the Exodus figure disappeared, he dropped to the floor unconscious.
At the roadside, Yohan boarded a taxi to the PCC however, before reached PCC, his phone rang. Retrieving the phone from his pocket he answered, "Hello, Sage speaking."
Sage was his name at the company. None knew his real name apart from the chairman and Ares. However, Ares also had no idea that his friend worked in PCC or about his company name.
"Sage, it's bad news. The chairman Dafour suddenly fainted. We've rushed him to the hospital," the other party conveyed, panic vivid in his voice.
"What! I'll be there very soon," Yohan said and immediately hang up the call.
He swiftly dialled Ares's number, however, it went to voicemail. After a session of unsuccessful calls, he sent him a text.
[Ares, quickly returns home. Bad news, grandpa has suddenly fainted. Return ASAP! ]
"Driver please detour, we're going to City Hospital," Yohan quickly said. The taxi driver did as he was told and headed to City Hospital.
Meanwhile, Ares who carelessly raced down the road, heard his phone vibrate in his pocket. Swiftly parking his bike near a street lamp post, he fumbled for his phone in his pocket. Unlocking his phone, he found three missed calls and a message from his only friend, Yohan.
Reading the message, he exclaimed, "What! the old man fainted?"
Without wasting time, he sped off to the Maltimore mansion.
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In a certain old warehouse, a scarred-faced man sat on an ancient armchair. In his hands, he held a large hourglass filled with sand. He deliberately turned it upside down and the sand began sifting downwards.
The man curled his lips upwards, transforming into a sinister smile as he whispered, his eyes glued on the hourglass "Maltimore, tick tock, tick tock. They say the clock is ticking but I'll say, the sand is falling."