It was a normal day for old Juveno. He was turning sixty-one this year and his new pick-up job and drop-off Escort job he had recently decided to join with his own Civil Personalised Vehicle gave him increased pay with minimised work.
Thank God he had listened to his son and had bought a vehicle instantly when the price lowered due to the so-called Blevoics versus Merxoics bullsh*t he was hearing recently.
But he didn't need to worry much about all the complicated issues as his grandson was a full-fledged Class Nine Superhero!
With a sweep of his grandson's hand, Juveno was sure that the whole of Blevoics and Merxoics would be upturned.
Ding!
But it wasn't the time to reminisce about his family and old times yet. He was far away from being a cowardly and frail old man. He could do more than to sit on a chair and read newspapers while lecturing others about his harsh past.
Looking at his smartwatch which was gifted to him by his son, Juveno noticed an emergency request that was paying a huge sum of 20 Crystals just to go to a cafe in Lower Street District!
'6 Crystals higher than the norm. Which rich kid do I have to bear?' The old man chuckled mockingly as he accepted the request since it was of a fairly near distance as he drove off.
The newly bought Civil Personalised Vehicle ran smoothly throughout the even and perfect roads of the Capital City as he headed towards the Central Grounds of Cvoilics where the famous Cvoilics Royal Magic Academy was situated.
'A student or an instructor? It's likely to be a student because of how lavish the instructors' lives are in the academy.' Recalling the luxurious life that his grandson had always dreamt to acquire, Juveno clutched the steering wheel harder. 'If it's an instructor... There's only that Hencer Pence who loves moving around even if it's the first day of the academy.'
Juveno knew the names of alot of very important people inside and outside the academy thanks to his grandson.
Even though his grandson was secretive about the powers of his, Juveno was satisfied enough to see his son's family prosper.
'Oh Lenno... When are you coming home?' Old Juveno looked at the enormous academy his son used to visit frequently as he waited for his customer to arrive.
Ding!
A notification arrived in his smartwatch as he unlocked the vehicle's door, listening to the faint footsteps that rang in the backseat.
Looking at the mirror hung on the ceiling, Juveno noticed that it was a student whose appearance was quite weird with droplets of water stuck on his hair along with his pale countenance.
'He looks like he just woke up and splashed water on his face.' Juveno chuckled and welcomed his customers warmly. "Welcome, young man. To Lower Street District's Bright Days café isn't it?"
But he clicked his tongue internally. 'When was there a Bright Days café in the Lower Street District? Probably a fake.'
"Yes, let me tell you the directions."
The young fellow replied in a slightly strange voice but Juveno paid it no heed as he just nodded and stepped on the accelerator.
"Looks like you're close to the owner?" Since Juveno hadn't seen an Academy student board his vehicle for a year and since he wanted to know more about the lifestyle of his grandson, he decided to ask. "How does someone from the lavish Central Ground or Upper Street District know someone from the Lower Street District?"
"The cafe there is not bad." His customer replied plainly and shortly without responding to the question, as if he wanted to cut the conversation short.
'Those that do not talk too much? Fine.' Juveno had seen diverse amounts of people in the thirty years of his career and knew when to keep quiet.
"Is this what people used to call a 'Taxi'?" Then after a while, the young man seated at the back suddenly asked.
When Juveno looked at the mirror that hung on the ceiling of his vehicle, he saw the young man scrutinizing each and every part of his vehicle with a delighted gaze.
Seeing this, Juveno couldn't help but laugh and feel surprised.
"Yes, they call it an Escort now. First time in one of these?"
"I wouldn't actually call it the first time but the other time I was in one of these machines, I was in too much of a hurry to praise its excellent craftwork."
The teenager spoke smoothly, but Juveno, the cautious old man, didn't forget the keywords.
'So... This is his second time in a pick-up CPV?' His brain processed rapidly as he came to a conclusion. 'So this kid came from Lower Street District and doesn't want to talk about his past because he's shameful of it? No... then why is he going to a cafe in the Lower Street District? To repay the ones who were kind to him when he was in an all-time low? But how did he even enroll in the Royal Academy? I doubt every Superhuman enrolled there just like that...'Juveno suppressed his youthful curiosity to ask for more information and shook his head, remaining quiet.
Then, out of habit, Juveno looked outside the window and noticed that there was quite the chaos that had descended on the streets.
"What's going on?" The teenager in the backseat asked, peering outside curiously. "Why are everyone in the streets so panicky?"
Juveno silently rolled up the windows.
"Must be one of those recent gang wars," Juveno's eyes shone with an old glint as he said. "I heard forces of the Everlasting Alliance such as the PeaceKeepers and Watchful Owls are turning a blind eye to the gangs in exchange for dirty work from the latter."
"It's fine if it's only those wretched Watchful Owls but if even the PeaceKeepers are turning a blind eye to it... What are we supposed to do? Rely on those Police Forces of Cvoilics or die a peaceful death willfully?"
The old man heaved a long sigh.
"My grandson told me these," He said with a faint smile. "Even though he usually asks me to not mention this to others, but as you already visit the Royal Magic Academy... I thought it'd be fine."
"Oh really?"
The old man chuckled. "Or maybe it's just my instincts that are screaming at me to warn a youngling that's on the verge of hatching to avoid destruction."
"What Class is your grandson?" The teenager asked out-of-the-blue, ignoring the chaos unfolding outside.
Thinking that the teenager was curious about his senior who was also his dearest grandson, the old man said with puffed chest. "Still a Class Nine. But it's a great feat since he's only twenty-two."
"Oh, a full-fledged Class Nine at twenty-two... That's rather good."
'Rather?' A light crease appeared in-between Juveno's brows, but he suppressed his displeasure as he drove the vehicle.
Seemingly sensing Juveno's displeasure, the teenager seated at the back remained quiet throughout the rest of the journey, making Juveno feel slightly at ease.
After dozens of minutes, the vehicle came to a halt.
"We've arrived," Old man Juveno announced in an old-fashioned way, "To Lower Street District's... Bright Days café"
The teenager with droplets struck on his hair which were now dry, chuckled as he exited the vehicle.
"I owe you 20 Crystals right?"
Old Juveno flashed a grin. "19 Crystals..." He dragged his words deliberately."Nothing less but one more."
Juveno's gaze slightly dimmed as he looked at the indifferent expression of the teenager who didn't seem concerned about the discount of a single Crystal Juveno had offered for a moment.
'Rich people... Not caring about money at all. They are like rain to my old and sick bones, always ruining my mood.' Juveno took the polished and shining White Crystal from the teenager as he drove off into the distance, playing a familiar song of his favorite artist named Kelvono Herne on the radio.
'Phew... It always feels unpleasant to turn off radios to not displease customers...' He shook his head slightly. 'Forget it, those teenagers will never—'
Boom!
But just as he was mocking the customer who he had just dropped off to the designated place — and had paid the full fare, an explosion suddenly rang out in the distance as Juveno stopped the vehicle safely before turning back and looking behind at the trail of black smoke rising in the air.
'My God... Isn't that where I just dropped that kid off to? Don't tell me he's a troublemaker or a criminal with a unique camouflage Blessings of some sorts.' He then looked at his vehicle's clean interior. 'Let's quickly get out of here and return to the Upper Street District where the PeaceKeepers and the secretive Watchful Owls patrol.'
Looking at the black smoke rising into the air in the distance, he sighed. 'May you get stronger after you face a dark night, kid.'
But just when he was about to step on the accelerator, a ghastly figure suddenly appeared on his windshield!
In panic and shock, Juveno forcefully stepped on the accelerator with full force as the vehicle instantly accelerated and rammed against a nearby wall.
Ding, ding, ding, ding...
Various noises rang throughout the vehicle as various safety measures and protocols such as enhanced seating protection, air bag and shift control were instantly activated, saving Old Juveno's frail life at the nick of the moment before his head hit the steering wheel.
'Ah...' Old Juveno's eyes widened as he looked at the ghastly figure on his windshield and called out a name from the depths of his heart. "Lenno!"
He shouted at the top of his lungs. The name of his only grandson.
"Ha! I knew you weren't dead! How could my mature and reliable son get his own son killed?!" But at the ramblings of the injured old man, the ghastly figure remained still and struck to the windshield as he looked at Juveno with wide eyes.
"My son... Oscar is a Superhuman! A real Superhero! I knew he wouldn't let his son get killed by mere gangs on the streets and do nothing about it. I knew that he was secretly nurturing you to become a full-fledged Superhuman in secret to give me a surprise while making sure you were a full-fledged Class Nine Superhuman before you became twenty years of age so you could get all the girls—" Juveno gasped for breath violently after saying the words in continuous succession.
"But he probably didn't bring you back home because you weren't able to become a Class Nine Superhuman before the age of twenty and were unable to find a wife right?!"
Seeing his ever-still grandson, Juveno's mind jolted awake as he instantly tore the air bag and normalised the safety features as he got out of the vehicle and neared the windshield when his pupils immediately contracted!
"Ahhh!"