The cab driver was true to his word.
One quick call to him, and the man responded.
He arrived near the park to pick them up.
With the redhead on his back, Hadrian strode over to the waiting vehicle.
Although…
"Uwah?!"
The man quickly reached out and opened the glove compartment.
Seeing him rummage in a hurry, the mage had an inkling of what he was looking for.
A flash of silver metal and –
CLICK
"Ah wait, mister! It's me!" Hadrian hurriedly assured; a bit surprised by the pistol (a Glock 25) pointed at him.
Then again, the man was Russian.
He supposed he shouldn't be surprised for a cab driver to have a firearm for emergencies.
The redhead behind him does not seem to be worried though.
Perhaps, it was because of her past experience.
… or that she can use him as a meat shield to receive the bullets for her.
Recalling the girl's stoicism earlier, it was probably the latter.
"…?"
The cab driver stopped, blinking.
"Kid? That you?" he asked, unsure.
"Course it's me!" Hadrian said, even briefly taking off the mask.
From behind, the girl tried to get a better look.
But she was too late, as Hadrian already placed it back on.
The mage didn't notice her action, as his focus was on the cab driver.
The man let out a sigh of relief.
"Ya scared me for a second, kid. Thought you were one of them bastard thugs…"
Hadrian chuckled sheepishly.
"Eh, sorry about that, mister."
The cab driver stared at him with furrowed brows.
More specifically, at the mask he was wearing.
"Sup with the mask? Went to a Halloween party or something?" The man asked, curious.
Hadrian snickered.
The girl did too, albeit in a more subtle manner.
"Something like that." He said vaguely. "Mind giving us a lift to the hotel?"
The man blinked.
His gaze then moved to the small passenger behind the mage's back.
The redhead met the man's dubious glance with a stoic gaze of her own.
"…"
"…"
It was for a moment, as if a silent exchange occurred between them.
Then it was over, and the man simply redirected his gaze to Hadrian.
"…Don't know what you got up to, kid. But sure, get in." The man said, gesturing with his head.
Hadrian smiled.
"Thanks, mister." He said, helping the girl enter the vehicle.
"No prob. Just don't forget my food and wine." The man remarked, leaning on the steering wheel.
The mage chuckled softly.
"I won't."
…
…
The ride back to the hotel went fine.
Hadrian and the cab driver talked for a bit, while the girl remained silent.
Although, while she looked out the window, Hadrian noticed how observant she was.
The redhead put up a front of appearing distracted, but in reality, she was actually listening into their conversation.
Minutes later, they arrived at the hotel.
The trio entered the building, albeit the cab driver and the girl looking a bit nervous.
Lionel was there to greet him, along with a few guards in black suits.
Upon seeing the Head Manager, Hadrian smiled and approached.
"Oh, hi, Lionel." He greeted, mindful to speak in Russian.
The man in question gave a short bow.
"Welcome back, young master." Lionel returned in a formal tone.
The mage gave him a nod of thanks.
Then, he turned to look at the cab driver, who…
Hadrian snickered softly.
…appeared a bit uncomfortable just standing there.
The man was out of his element, distracted by the detailed murals on the ceiling, the luxurious furniture situated around the area, and the people walking about, staff and customers alike.
Hadrian can't blame him.
The man had probably never been in a five-star hotel before.
The girl behind him was too, but at least she was more discreet.
Mister, on the other hand, not so much.
"You okay, mister?" Hadrian asked, unable to help himself.
The man was startled, snapping his gaze back to him.
"Huh? Uh – yeah, I'm good." He assured, yet a bit rigid in posture.
Giving him a moment to regain his composure, Hadrian turned to Lionel, who already stood in attention to receive his orders.
Hadrian smiled wryly at this, but he went on anyway.
"Lionel, provide this man food, and a bottle of wine for him to take home, Choose the finest one you have in stock." The mage said, being precise and clear with his instruction.
"It shall be done." Lionel received the order with a calm nod.
The trio watched, as the man waved over some of his staff and gave them orders.
Hadrian paused.
Remembering the weight on his back, an idea came to mind.
Sensing his charge's gaze on him, Lionel was quick to turn and listen.
"And please send food up to the penthouse as well. I'm feeling quite famished this evening. Just take the payment of the bill from my card." He added, giving him a black card from his pocket.
Lionel took it carefully.
"Very well, sir. Will that be all?" he asked, calm and polite as ever.
Hadrian smiled.
"Yes, that will be all."
"Ah…"
Lionel paused, giving the redhead passenger on his back with a glance.
The man blinked, as if having noticed her just now, and wondering why she was being carried.
The girl did not sense it though, occupied as she was with her new surroundings.
It was only when she turned her head, did Lionel redirect his gaze to Hadrian.
"Then, I bid you a good evening, young master."
The Head Manager gave a short bow again.
Nodding to acknowledge his respectful gesture, Hadrian turned to the cab driver.
The mage had to stifle a chuckle at the man's dubious look at their interaction.
"Mister, this is Lionel." Hadrian introduced, gesturing to the man in question.
Polite as ever, Lionel gave the cab driver a slight nod.
"Hello, sir." He greeted calmly.
"Oh, uh, yeah. Hi." The cab driver returned, albeit haltingly.
Hadrian chuckled.
"This is where I leave you, mister. Lionel here will take care of the food and wine I promised you about. You can even eat the food here, and take the wine home, if you like?" The mage offered.
The cab driver's eyes widened.
Then, he laughed, but it was a nervous type of laughter.
"Uh yeah, thanks, kid. Thought you were kidding about the food and wine, but turns out you're really not." The cab driver said with a strained smile.
Hadrian smiled.
"I'm a man of my word. What I say goes, mister."
The cab driver chuckled.
"Yeah, I can see that now. Thanks, kid."
With a small smile, Hadrian gave the man a short bow of his head.
"Thank you too, mister, for driving us here." The mage said in gratitude.
The cab driver shrugged.
"Like I said, kid. It's no prob, and call me Lev. If you want a lift, or a tour round the city, just call me up eh?" The cab driver, Lev, said casually.
Hadrian chuckled, nodding.
"Thanks, mister, and my name is Rey." He introduced himself.
Before he walked away though…
"Oh, and remember to drink the wine at home, not while you're driving, mister." Hadrian said over his shoulder, amused by Lev's exasperated expression.
"I got it already, kid. Go on, get going."
The man made a shooing motion.
Hadrian chortled.
Bidding the two a good evening, Hadrian strode to the elevator with the quiet redhead still on his back, who only observed the conversation in silence.
Stepping into the elevator, Hadrian used his free hand to insert the card and push the buttons.
The destination was set, and the elevator was about to ascend.
Before the doors closed though, his enhanced hearing picked up something.
"Uh hey, so about that wine –"
Hadrian chuckled, shaking his head.
'Stubborn mister…'
...
---
...
Returning to the penthouse with the girl in tow was… strange, to say the least.
Her reaction to the hotel, and the penthouse, was mostly muted and subtle.
But the surprise and curiosity were there.
She did not talk much during that time, seemingly content following him wherever he went.
And that was a point in her favor, considering Hadrian preferred the silence, as he was not in the mood for chatter on the way up to the penthouse.
She was an observant little thing, taking in everything she saw.
Be it a new item, people, rooms… and exits.
The last one made Hadrian shake his head ruefully, as it gave him another hint of the girl's troubled past.
No teenager that young would take the time to note the distance, and locations of exits upon entering a building.
While he may not be one to talk, given his own unique upbringing, even he knew that some of the girl's actions were somewhat uncommon in the standards of mundane society.
On the other hand, Hadrian managed to surprise her when he gave her one of the guest rooms, and attended to her sprained ankle.
Given the wide-eyed look she sent him, she was obviously caught off guard when he left her on the guest room bed, only to return with a first aid kit (a custom kind, specifically issued to high-ranking members of AEONS) for her sprain a minute later.
She was mostly quiet (but compliant) throughout the entire process as he patched her up, which made it easier on him.
The stare she gave him through it all, was a bit unnerving though.
Hadrian endured it without a naught of complaint, and simply went to work on attending to her sprained ankle as gently as he could.
Perhaps it was the unusual items that garnered a stare from her, considering as he did merely spread a small amount of special healing gel around her ankle, and then covered the affected area up with a few white bandages.
The gel was probably the most unusual, as there had never been an item produced like it in any pharmaceutical stores.
If that were the case, then Hadrian could understand her behavior.
But, as an empath and someone experienced in judging one's character, he felt that that was not merely the case with her stare.
Not long after, evening came by.
He was just setting up the food on the table that the kitchen staff had recently delivered, along with the black card that Lionel himself had to return in person.
With his guest behaving in her room (thanks to the automaton checking for him), Hadrian thought to bring her some food, so she doesn't need to come down and put stress on her ankle.
Leaving his blazer, mask and weapons in the lounge, the covert mage made his way to the guest room, Maya following him in tow.
The door was easy to push since he had left it ajar.
And when he entered, Hadrian was not surprised to see the young redhead was still awake.
But at least, she looked a bit relaxed now.
The girl was sitting up against the headboard, and seemingly staring at something before her eyes landed on him, as the door opened with an audible 'creak'.
Hadrian sighed in his head, as he noticed her shoulders tensing once again, though it was a bit of an improvement as she only looked surprised this time.
Whether that was by his entrance, or the food he brought, he doesn't know nor does he care.
"Here, I've brought you dinner, so you don't have to strain yourself in climbing the stairs back and forth." Hadrian explained in Russian.
He moved across the room, and left the tray of food on the small dining table that was (luckily enough) near the bed she was occupying.
"Eat and rest for today. Once you're done, leave the dishes on the tray. I'll pick them up later. We can talk tomorrow, so save any questions you have for now. Goodnight."
After saying his piece, Hadrian closed the door behind him, and walked downstairs where his own food was waiting for him.
Maya was already ahead of him by the time he reached the table, climbing up on it, and sitting on her hindquarters as she watched him sit.
Dinner had been a quiet affair.
It was just him and Maya eating on the table, occasionally checking up on his guest, who was also eating her food (he saw via automaton's scan).
After washing the dishes and drying them, he placed them all on the service trolley.
It was simply his way of easing on the kitchen staff's burden for his own mess.
Even though it was his first time staying at Crown Plaza, he heard from his grandfather that the hotel was especially busy during the holidays, due to its mass popularity all over the globe.
Hadrian debated on retrieving the dishes in the guest room, then shook his head and dismissed the idea.
The girl was already fast asleep, most likely exhausted from recent events, and lulled to rest with having her belly filled with good food.
He could try and sneak his way inside to retrieve the dirty dishes, but he was sure that she would not appreciate his intrusion (even if he owns the entire penthouse).
The girl seemed to like her privacy and personal space, and he would rather not breach that line if he can help it
Granted, he owns the penthouse and was basically letting her stay here, but he gave her the room to have privacy and peace of mind, not to make her on guard around his presence.
Quietly making his way to the terrace, with Maya held against his chest, Hadrian slid the glass panel closed after him, and walked to the edge as he fished out his air pods and holo-phone.
After putting the earbuds on, he pressed on a name and made the call, waiting until it was finally picked up.
"Good evening, Sir Rey." The smooth and melodic voice of a British woman greeted from the other line.
"It's done." he said calmly, as if discussing the weather.
"I see. Then, the funds shall be transferred into your account within six hours. Is there anything else I can help you with?"
"Does the target have any hideouts with valuables?" he asked, smiling when Maya purred against his cheek as she leaned closer for his body heat.
"He does have a few. Would you like me to forward a request for a 'raid'?" The woman, an AEONS operator, asked.
"Yes, please."
"A fee will be made for this action. Five percent of your reward will go to the agents selected for the raid, and another five will go to the organization. Do you still wish to proceed?" She asked for confirmation.
Hadrian didn't know there was a fee, but he went with it anyways.
Although, he did mention Luka Azarro to lead the raids.
The man had been quite dependable during the time he escorted him to the hotel, and he knew that Luka would get the raids done and smoothly without any issues.
It was the least he could do for the guy for being chosen as a personal aide for Rey.
Luka was probably itching for some action after being assigned to babysit him.
After saying goodbye to the female operator, Hadrian received another call after a minute of silence.
Surprisingly, it was a video call from his baby sister, little Elsa.
Despite her age, Elysia Faye von Aelrheit already held signs of taking after their mother, Ava von Aelrheit.
Like her brother, she has long glossy black hair that is tinged with blue under direct light. Her hair was currently tied into a loose bun, bangs hanging just above her eyebrows.
Unlike Hadrian though, her eyes were not a clear and piercing violet color, but a vibrant sky-blue color, almost closer to the disguise he was using now.
She has the color of their father's eyes, while he with their mother's.
It was close to midnight in the UK, which is why his sister was currently wearing her white PJs.
Seeing her adorable smiling face, it was enough to make Hadrian smile as well.
"Brother! Maya!" Elsa greeted happily.
"Well, good evening, little one." He returned with a short wave.
Maya meowed in greeting.
Elsa's cute face paused.
Then, her excitement dialed down as she closed her eyes briefly, and breathed in and out.
Noticing her actions, Hadrian simply waited and smiled, knowing that she was remembering her etiquette lessons.
Lessons on etiquette had been a difficult experience for Hadrian to endure, at least the first time it had happened to him in his previous lifetime.
But from what he had seen in the past, Hadrian was aware that the lessons were more difficult for the opposite gender, as the nature of the lessons were different in their case.
He even heard that there was a plethora of lessons to cover for females of nobility, which perplexed him still in the present.
Hadrian can only sigh in his head, and offer his little sister his sympathy for what she will be enduring in the coming years.
Gentle and thoughtful as their oma (grandmother) was, the matriarch of the Aelrheit household was quite strict when it comes to etiquette.
Their goofy opa (grandfather), on the other hand, was the opposite.
The old man has his moments of elegance and poise, but he was eccentric and silly most of the time. How the pair managed to stay together and still remain romantically in love for more than 80 years, Hadrian will never know.
He can only shake his head with a wry smile and tip a hat to his grandparents for their unbelievably strong union.
Hopefully, it will continue to stay strong for as long as they live.
Once she gained her composure, her eyes opened and she looked elegant, a demure smile on her lips.
Still, the excitement in her bright blue eyes remained present, as it often does whenever she converses with him.
"Oh, good evening." She gave a demure curtsey (the best she could do while in a sitting position), then jumped back into her exuberant self. "Brother, how are you?"
"I was fine earlier. Better now that I've seen you." Hadrian's smile widened when she giggled at his smooth and playful response.
Then, he adopted a sobering demeanor, smile fading slightly as he asked her in a gentle tone.
"On a serious note, is everything alright there? No issues, I hope?"
"No, no issues." She shook her head adorably. "Opa was just about to tell me some of the magical creatures you encountered in the past."
His little sister was four, yet she could already speak elegantly and articulately.
As expected of his sibling…
"Oh, what kind?" Hadrian asked, lifting an eyebrow.
"Acramantula." She answered with a smile.
Already, his sister was proving to be different from most children.
She was four, yet she does not appear the least bit disturbed by spiders and such. Minor things (insects, animals, etc) that would disturb most people, do not seem to bother her at all.
Hadrian sighed, feeling like scratching his head, but restrained himself since both of his hands were already preoccupied.
"Hn, is opa there then?"
"He is." The screen shifted as she moved the camera to where their grandfather was.
And there was the old magician, sitting up against the headboard of his sister's bed with a book regarding magical creatures in his hands.
The old man said nothing, but his thick gray brows wiggled up and down in suggestion.
What that means, Hadrian doesn't want to know.
The elder magician's actions elicited a giggle from his younger sibling.
"Keep it filtered, opa. No need to go into detail." Hadrian warned.
"But those were the good parts." Zelretch pouted.
"I don't care. Elsa is still young. There's no need to scare her with those details. Now, give the holo back to her." Hadrian said in a firm tone.
Ignoring the old man's sigh and childish mumblings of him being a 'killjoy' and a 'stick in the mud', the camera shifted, and soon, his baby sister's giggling face was back in view.
"Opa's making funny faces." She pointed out with a grin from behind her small hand.
"Ignore him. He's just being his silly self. Speaking of spiders, I picked one up on the way home." Hadrian stated, smile returning as he changed the subject.
His sister perked up.
"Oh? What is it?" she asked excitedly.
"A little black widow." Hadrian said offhandedly, not elaborating that it was a young girl than an actual arachnid.
"A black widow…" Elsa's adorable face became thoughtful as she muttered. "Isn't that the type of arachnid from the mundane's findings, bruder (brother)?"
"Why yes, indeed." Hadrian nodded, pleased that his little sister was taking her lessons well.
He had been the same age as her when he was being taught lessons about what was known to normal humans, the non-magical animals, their different cultures and whatnot.
Although, the two of them were thinking of two different things in this case.
"She has a bit of a temper, and she's young. What do you think I should do with her?" Hadrian asked, feeling somewhat amused inside.
"Hmm… take care of her." She said after giving it some thought.
Surprised, Hadrian was a bit taken aback.
"Eh? Take care of her, not let her go?"
"Yes, take care of it." She affirmed with a resolute nod.
"Okay, little one, why is that your answer?" Hadrian was honestly curious.
"Umm… it's a young, stray little spider, right? So, she must have been alone and hungry for a long time. But now you found her, you can take care of her, brother!" She answered with the logic of a five-year-old, as if it was that simple and easy.
And though she looked adorable, the determined glint in her baby blue jewel-like eyes and her tone (as genuine as she could get) means that she stood by what she said.
"…"
Even though his sister was in view, their grandfather's amused expression can be seen at the edge of the screen.
Hadrian ignored him in favor of his younger sibling.
"But she's a black widow, little one." Hadrian protested, chuckling.
"So? Brother is strong. I'm sure you can handle it if she tries to bite you." She countered, stopping him from rebutting.
Against that logic, Hadrian can't help but sigh as he found himself surrendering to his little sister's response.
"Fine… I'll take care of her." The mage in disguise accepted reluctantly.
"Great!" Elsa's face brightened, making Hadrian huff and smile wryly.
They were interrupted, however, by their grandfather, who chose that moment to speak up.
Hadrian can't see the man fully, but his deep gruff voice can hear clearly in the background.
"Ok, that's enough chatter, kiddos. We still got a book to burn through, little one. Elsa, say goodbye to your brother for now. I'm sure you'll speak more on this subject next time."
"Yes, opa." Elsa sounded a bit disappointed, but she smiled once she turned back to the camera. "Umm, sorry, brother, but opa…"
"It's alright. I don't mind, little one. He's right, after all. It's getting late there, and you need to rest soon." Hadrian assured with an understanding smile.
"Then, goodbye for now. I hope we can speak more soon."
"Sure. Where are my familiars, by the way?" Hadrian asked, noticing the lack of furry and feathery familiars in the background.
"Already asleep in their beds. We played lots of games earlier. The exertion must have tired them out. They're going to be disappointed they missed you." She said with a smile.
"Ah, maybe next time then." Hadrian smiled.
"Love you, brother. Maya. Take care, both of you."
"Love you too, little one. Give the little ones some head pats for me, ok? Good night."
With a wave of goodbye, the video link was cut off and the screen went into a black background.
Staring at the screen for a few moments, Hadrian sighed as he looked up at the night sky.
Seeing smoke in the distance, Hadrian felt that something was amiss… and then, he remembered.
"Ah, that's right. I forgot…"
Using his right hand, Hadrian activated a few of his magic circuits –
VROM
SNAP
– and clicked his fingers in the direction of the smoke and fire rising in the far distance.
The orange and blue flames that stood tall from a certain building had vanished as soon as he willed the fire to extinguish.
At least the firemen won't have a difficult time putting out the flames anymore.
Watching the black fumes of smoke go up from a certain building, Hadrian thought back on his sister's words.
"Take care of her, huh…" He mused aloud. "How do you take care of a teenage mercenary with a temper and going through a rebellious phase?"
"..."
No one answered.
Even Maya, who was more interested in staring at the falling snowflakes above their heads, but that was to be expected.
Still, he was not the kind to go back on his word, even if he doesn't really want to take care of the redhead.
One thing was for sure.
The little redhead's life just changed from the mere suggestion of his little sister.
Funny thing was… the redhead didn't even know it.
...
---
...
[… Next Morning …]
Ring
Ring
Ring
The digital clock rang.
Hadrian was woken up by its noise.
Sleepily, he moved his gaze to the bedside and saw that it was [4:00 AM].
With a soft grunt, he reached for the clock, turning it off, before grabbing a small remote, and pressed a button in its center.
On the left side of his bed, the dark gray curtains covering the windows slowly, but steadily opened, revealing a dark and cloudy sky of Moscow.
It was still dusk outside.
The sun has yet to appear in the far distance, and the moon remains present.
Various sounds in the city were also prevalent, cars and some people could be seen in the road and streets respectively if he glanced down by the window.
Taking a minute to stretch his arms and relieving the knots in his neck, Hadrian moved out of the bed after he heard some satisfying pops from his little warm-up.
"Mreew…"
An adorable furry feline greeted, trudging up to him slowly.
Upon seeing her, Hadrian smiled.
"Good morning…" He said in a soft tone.
"Mew…" was her warm response.
After a bit of cuddling with her (a needy cat), Hadrian went to the bathroom to wash his face.
With his short morning ritual complete, he went to the walk-in closet located next to the master bathroom.
Choosing a black t-shirt, black jogging pants, and training shoes with a black and white color scheme, he left the master bedroom ready for his morning exercise.
After urging Maya to come to him, Hadrian closed the door of the master bedroom gently behind him and went downstairs.
The master and familiar duo made their way to the glasshouse pavilion by the patio, where Hadrian intends to do his morning exercise.
While there was a pool inside, there was a reinforced glass panel that could cover the pool to create more space, which Hadrian thought fit to use as a training room due to its space and capacity.
It was not the same as the one he had back home, but he figured that it was enough for him to get some proper training done.
As long as he doesn't go too far, he was sure the pavilion can survive his morning exercises.
Once inside the pavilion, he went to the main controls and pressed a few buttons.
The glass surrounding the pavilion immediately turned black and a couple of lights on the ceiling activated, brightening the area.
While several reinforced glass panels began to slide in and cover the top of the pool, creating the much-needed space that Hadrian was looking for to start his morning exercise.
There were lights deep in the pool that pierced through the water, rendering the light blue tiles of the pool floor to pop out.
With his privacy secured and his familiar settled (Maya was relaxing on a white sunbed by the pool), Hadrian began his exercise routine.
Since he has no one to spar with, he settled for the holo-enemies the alien artifact conjured for him in his mind.
To an observer's viewpoint, it must look like he was a lunatic striking at nothing.
But, in his eyes, there were digitalized numerous enemies rushing at him, one after another, sometimes even two or three at once.
Almost life-like.
The manner in how the artifact made him feel the impact of the pain from their assaults when a goon or two managed to sneak in a hit past his guard, along with the resistance to his attacks when the weapons in his hands made contact, made the combat simulation on a different level.
'Hmm… perhaps I should mention something like this to opa.' Hadrian mused, thinking of how it can benefit the organization's people in combat.
For an hour and a half, he didn't stop swinging the nameless steel swords that he often used for practice.
He hardly noticed the sweat that already soaked his upper clothing until his holo-phone (which he left previously next to his familiar) began to make a soft chiming noise.
TING
TING
TING
It was an alarm that he had set earlier to remind him of his next schedule.
Walking over to the sunbed, Hadrian rubbed Maya's head with a smile before reaching for his holo-phone to stop the alarm.
Seeing the time on the screen, it was now '5:45 AM', which meant that it was time for him to start the day.
As he and Maya made their way out of the pavilion and returned to his room (after he set it back to its default glasshouse state), Hadrian thought of what should be done for the day.
Before he went to bed last night, he received some new news and got a few things done.
First, the rest of the money for the mission had just been deposited into his account recently (after the six-hour mark was done), what with the company marking the mission as complete and over with.
He was also told that Luka and a few men from AEONS were selected, and preparing for a raid to the target's safe houses tonight. So, more fun for them.
Second, he spent a bit of time in the (temporary) workshop and made a few blueprints of new items. He does not know where the items will apply yet, but Hadrian figured he would have some use for them in the future.
For the moment, they were set aside as minor projects to entertain himself with whenever he was bored, or simply uninspired to work on the main ones.
Third, he now knew what to do with the little redhead.
Spending a few hours in the temp workshop, he made something for her, in a way that would also allow him to take care of her, which would fulfill his promise to Elsa in a way.
But, in the end, the decision will be for her to make since it does affect her future.
Hadrian simply hoped that the redhead would read the document carefully before signing it.
Most people were prone to skimming over the details, and be surprised by something that they should already be aware of.
Shaking his head, he went to his bedroom so he could clean himself, Maya following in tow.