[Ezra's P.O.V]
I buried my head in my arms, leaning against the table as I try to block out even the slightest form of noise occurring in the café called Phliz Coffee.
Weird name, I know. But it's not the worst... I swear I saw one restaurant that goes by the name of Popeye's Pecs.
My eyes peaked out, wandering across the area, spotting only a couple of people occupying the seats. There was only one worker running around behind the counter, quickly taking and making their customer's orders at a quick but smooth pace. The sound of the Frappuccino machine whirred steadily across the L-shaped room. The smoky aroma of coffee and the sweet fragrance of the desert cakes danced along under my nose, taking my mind off of things.
Although I may appear calm on the inside, the horrible experience was still freshly painted in my head. It still isn't that long ago when my mom saved me from Jack, brutally taking care of him in a fit of rage. After that, I was safely escorted out of the hidden storage room that was built under the basement of the building. No one knew how the blond discovered it but as soon as I was found, an order has been sent out to destroy that room and quite frankly, bury any evidence of the recruit's death.
However, it seems that Mom won't be let off the hook. Even though she saved me from potentially getting... violated to the fullest, she still killed an agent of Drakos that was under the influence of drugs, and apparently, it's against the rules to harm another agent with the intention to kill. I tried to argue with them but I was immediately dismissed because I'm not an official member of Drakos so I had no say in the situation, despite being the victim. As of right now, the council is deciding on my Mom's fate...
...and it's utter bullshit.
"Hey, here's the coffee you ordered."
I look up to see Lyra, one of Mom's recruits, placing a steaming hot cup of coffee on the table, together with a packet of sugar and a teaspoon. The woman smiled awkwardly, straining a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. She walked over to the other side of the table and pulled out a chair. Sitting down, she held her frappe coffee close to her, before lifting it up to take a small sip from the cup.
I forgot to mention that my mom decided to keep me company by sending one of her recruits with me to roam around a bit since being in Drakos still made me uncomfortable. The walls in the building just felt really... suffocating after spending a short and sweet time in that confined space. We aren't exactly strangers to each other but I don't know enough about her to call her a friend. But we are well acquainted enough with each other that I'm willing to feel a small sense of comfort when I'm around her. Although the twins' British accent might've put me right to sleep if they were here.
The steam that had risen from the coffee when Lyra first placed it on the table was quite gone. The top bore the telltale signs of a skin forming. Still, I sat there with my hands clasped around it, as if I liked the idea of drinking it but lacked the willpower to lift it to my lips. Eventually, I gave it a chance and allowed just a tiny stream of the thick, brown liquid to slide down my throat.
I winced as I sipped my coffee-it was tepid, overly bitter, and lacking real cream. It was a source of caffeine though and so I drank it like a sailor to his whiskey. The irritating flavor stung my tongue, but it certainly did the job of clearing my mind. Just because of that, I let out a sigh of contentment, one that Lyra didn't fail to miss.
"Tastes good?" I hear her ask. Probably to start up a conversation to break this awkward silence. I prefer it to experience the relaxing ambiance in a quiet manner but I guess it's a bit unfair for her when she's technically forced to be with me. The least I can do is make her feel comfortable around me, which I don't think will be a hard task to do, considering we already quite know each other.
The corner of my mouth curved upward, but I tried my best to make it seem genuine. "It's a bit bitter. I forgot to put some sugar in it."
She let out a small chuckle. "Something's in your mind?" She asked and in my head, I didn't want to tell her anything. I just wanted to drop it and continue sipping this depressing cup of coffee until I drown in my thoughts. But something just pushed me to try and open up to someone, other than Mom.
"Yeah..." I started, placing the cup down. "I'm worried about my mom-or, General Haddock as you remember her as. Something... happened and I think she's going get in trouble because of it."
Lyra hummed. "I won't ask what it is because it's none of my business to indulge in your family matters." She replied politely, much to my gladness. "But... what makes you think that?"
"Well, part of it is kinda my fault. She got involved in my mistakes. My relationship with my mom isn't what you would call normal, since I'm neither a human being nor her daughter." She raised her eyebrows at that and I just confirmed her questions with a nod." I was being an ungrateful bitch to her all week and probably most of my life, and then this happened." I released a heavy sigh and then buried my face in my arms again as the memories that occurred just yesterday came flashing in my head, plaguing my thoughts like a leech. "I just wish I could make things easier for the both of us."
The electric-eyed woman pressed her lips into a thin line, but I couldn't tell what she was thinking. "I don't know if this will make you feel better or not, but I guess letting you know that you're not alone can be... helpful." When I lifted my head and placed my chin on top of my arms to listen, she smiled at my shared attention. I guess hearing someone's story won't be that bad, especially since it might take my mind off of things in the meantime. Plus, maybe I can use this time to get to know this chick.
"Well, just like you, I didn't exactly have a great relationship with my mom." Lyra fiddled with her cup, looking anxiously at me for a while. "She's... how do I say this? A temperamental psychopath? I guess I'll go with that since she practically murdered my dad with a glass bottle after drinking too much."
I blinked. Well, that took a completely different turn. I mean, it's not every day you hear an actual murder story come out of someone's mouth. However, I couldn't help but wonder if she's comparing Mom to her mom, who is apparently a murderous drunk. But she probably didn't mean it in that way. Still, she's a little bit interested in what happened to her past, despite the fact that she's opening up something personal and sensitive.
"Sorry, if I'm making this depressing and awkward instead of lifting you up." She strained a smile. "But my point is that I also thought I was at fault for my family's horrible relationship. I was a bastard daughter, conceived after my mom had an affair with another man, who happens to be my dad's best friend. So for the rest of my life, my mom treated me like sh-crap, and somehow, her anger redirected to my dad. Then one drunken night ended everything in a tight bow, in every bad way possible."
Lyra released a heavy sigh and I could tell this is very difficult for her to tell, but part of me didn't want her to stop because I was so invested in her story. It made me feel sympathy for her because and in a way, I could relate to her. "What happened then?" I cautiously asked, but luckily Lyra didn't take any of it to heart.
"For a few months, I blamed myself for my dad's death. Well, that's until I visited my mom in prison and I ended up screaming bloody murder at her until her eardrums broke." This caused me to chuckle, even in the slightest. The electric-eyed woman, herself, laughed at her own words but it was more solemn and wistful. "I don't really know where I'm going with this but what I'm trying to say is that sometimes, our mistakes aren't entirely our faults. Maybe we've been forced to do it because some bad things happened or are about to happen. There are some things that can be explained and some can't. But the proper way to handle it is to understand that we're not perfect..." She takes a look at me. "...even if you aren't human, we all make mistakes. So, don't beat yourself up."
I stared at her for a bit before I breathed out a soft chuckle. "Damn, you really have an interesting way of saying that it's not my fault." I quipped, earning me a blush of embarrassment crawling up Lyra's cheeks.
"I guess that's a shorter way to say it." She laughed. "But thanks for listening as well. Feels great to open up..."
"It's fine..." I waved it off. It's a new and refreshing experience to be on the receiving end of these types of situations, even though it was supposed to be the other way around. For some reason, I kind of get what she's trying to say, but my mind can't be convinced that quickly. The haunting doubts kept on hanging in the back of my head, refusing to abandon their new home.
Taking my cup and sipping a few more of its content, I proceeded to cringe once again, the hairs on my skin standing up and my eyes shutting close in a snap, after forgetting to put sugar again. But when I opened my eyes, they locked with Lyra's, who I noticed had an unusual color to them-in fact, I don't think there's a proper color to describe it. The pupils were constantly growing bigger and smaller, almost like a camera adjusting to the light. I couldn't help but mention it. "You know, I can't help but notice that your eyes..." When I mentioned her eyes, Lyra's reflexes activated and her hands flew to hover above them, nearly covering them but she was able to catch herself. I guess she's a bit sensitive about them. Shit...
"They're very..." My words trailed off as I try to find the proper word to describe them without actually being truthful.
But Lyra beat me to it by responding blandly, "Artificial? Electronic? Fake? It's because it is." At my confused gaze, she let out a sigh, probably frustrated that she allowed something to slip out without her intention. I guess I feel a little bit guilty about that. "To make it brief, I had to replace my eyes with a pair of advanced ocular prosthetics after... an accident with my mom. It restored and enhanced my vision, allowing me to see things that a normal human eye can't."
I arched an eyebrow in interest and curiosity, "That's actually pretty cool. The prosthetic eyes, I mean. Not the accident." I quickly said but Lyra immediately understood. "But... why are you trying to hide it?"
"You don't get it, do you?" She rolled her eyes, downing her cup of coffee like it was a shot of alcohol. She let out a satisfied sigh before her face morphed into one of seriousness. "I have a clear advantage over the others! I'm at the top of the shooting range rankings because of my eyes! Don't you think I've been cheating?"
Her outburst was lower than I thought it would be but it still attracted a few of the customer's attention. It's pretty clear that she doesn't get openly angry or anxious. But I still wonder why she's so worried about having artificial eyes. Uncle Tristan and Aunt Racquel would literally offer up an arm for a metal limb. Mom had to convince them that losing a body part isn't considered cool, but they disagreed. Luckily, Mom was able to convince them that scars are much better looking than mechanical limbs, albeit I would like to disagree, but I digress.
"Not really," I replied flatly. A deep frown shaped itself out on Lyra's face. "Gobber, our blacksmith, literally has an artificial leg and arm but he still makes the best weapons and armor in the entire agency, maybe even in the entire world. Miss Aubrey is breathing through a chest vent after an incident in her mission badly charred her lungs to a crisp. But guess what, she's the only person who can breathe underwater without a gas tank."
The electric-eyed woman continued to stare at me, quite shocked at my revelation. But I wasn't done yet. There's still one more person who had suffered from the same fate yet achieved the impossible and became the most respected agent in the world. "There's also Night Fury, my dad, the original one." A rueful smile crept up my face. "He lost his leg at a young age but in the end, he became the top-ranked agent in Drakos, took down the most powerful tyrants in the underworld, and saved the fucking world! If my dad can do it a prosthetic leg, then you can do it with artificial eyes."
Lyra simply sat in her seat, contemplating on my words and hopefully, taking them to heart. Fortunately, all of them came true when a soft smile graced her lips. "You really think so?" When I nodded, she let out a silent laugh. "Hm, I don't know much about your father but if he's this great of a person you're saying he is, then I got a lot of things to improve on."
"I like your spunk, but there's no way in hell you're reaching his level and that's me, being generous." I joked, but there was a hint of truth in my words. Dad is a force of nature and an undeniable freak when it comes to his job. I didn't see it myself but just checking his records is enough to tell you that if you give him a job, he'll finish it in the most efficient and quickest way possible. I'm not sure if I can touch even the dust he left as he shot up to the charts and ranks, even with my powers!
Lyra and I spent the rest of our time talking and laughing in our conversations. I never thought I could hold a proper chat with someone who I'm not close to and older than me, but not by that much. It felt nice for once, talking about random things without my thoughts drifting off into space. It certainly distracted me from thinking of the horrible things that happened to me and the ones that might happen to my mom. I was so invested in our conversation that I failed to notice the jittery, young woman standing in front of our table.
"Uh, hello?" We both redirected our attention to the cute, petite twin-tailed woman who held a single tray under her arm. She was wearing a nervous smile, giving me the idea that something is wrong. "Sorry to bother you but may I ask you, ladies, a favor? I'm currently lacking in staff and customers keep on pouring. Soon, I'll be overwhelmed by them. Can I ask for your help? It'll be just for a minute and I'll pay you handsomely."
I shot Lyra a look that pleaded her to reject this offer, no matter how much I feel sorry for her. I'm terrible in the kitchen, just like my mother. If you include my brother, our family would be called Gordon Ramsey's worst nightmare. Our meals would always consist of takeouts or leftovers. Every once in a while, we'd make a good plate of food but that would be it for the month. Uncle Finn once came over to have lunch and we ended up killing him, spiritually.
But unfortunately, Lyra is not aware of this and by the looks of it, she's pretty confident in her cooking skills. So she shot me a frown and then gestured to the poor woman, who I admit has to be suffering from the absence of her staff. Her adorable pair of amber-brown eyes staring straight into my soul and it physically hurt. I don't know why, but I have the sudden urge to offer up my fingers to her but that thought immediately left my head. Soon, all the insecurities about my ability to cook were washed away by my overwhelming pity for the barista.
With a sigh, I slammed my hands on the armrests and lifted myself to my full height, much to Lyra and the barista's joy. "Alright, what can we do, miss...?" I gestured for her to finish as I spot the electric-eyed woman standing up from her seat.
"Call me Korone!" She beamed brightly, striking another sensitive spot in my heart. "Thank you so much! I assure you that it'll be just as easy as cooking a yu-I mean, a hotdog."
She happily pranced towards the counter, while we followed swiftly. Once I was out of earshot, I released an exasperated sigh.
"Fair warning, I have never cooked a hotdog before"
[Normal P.O.V]
Ezra had to admit that coffee and cakes are much easier to make than regular lunch meals. It's easy to just place the different kinds of coffee beans in the brewer and just wait until it's done before pouring it in a cup. Sometimes, she would even use her own plasma heat to experiment with them and they ended up perfectly brewed, much to her surprise. She would've been able to actually qualify to work here if it weren't for one minor detail; latte art, one of the most interesting yet frustrating pieces of art in the world. The cylindrical objects used to create the design by controlling how the microfoam looks, was incredibly hard to hold without trembling. It's like sewing with a thin thread and a tiny needle, poking a hole through a soft piece of cloth.
Lyra took the liberty of taking over the latte art section, as well as the cake and dessert. The young dragon was glad that she no longer has to deal with it, but she felt guilty for leaving all the hard work to the older woman when Ezra's job is simply as easy as doing laundry-just put everything in the machine that's going to do everything for her. Although she's also the one who delivers the actual meal to them, she found it much more challenging to create art on coffee rather than place a couple of coffee cups on different tables. But then her mind traced back to the reason why she's doing this in the first place and she decided that it's payback for dragging her into this mess.
They were doing fine when all of a sudden, Korone burst into the kitchen with an excitement of a puppy greeting her owner back home. She explained to them that there's a special order that needs to be made and it would be quite difficult but fast to make. Then, she ran to a vault that's hidden in the storage room, where she plugged in the code and brought back one bag of white powder, together with a bucket that's oozing with steam.
Apparently, to create this special concoction, they had to have a new form of cocaine called Asacoco and liquid nitrogen, which Ezra found strange, seeing how coffee is supposed to be served hot. Nevertheless, the young Dragon proceeded to follow the instructions Korone gave her, adding a teaspoon of cocaine and then mixing some liquid nitrogen in the cream. For the past few years, the abuse of drugs has certainly lowered to a level where it managed to stay controlled so what they're doing is not really illegal, but the two newbies still had some questions.
When Ezra finished heating up the cup, she placed it on a tray and headed out. Korone gestured her towards the couple, who seemed to be smiling and acting all flirty from her perspective. She forced the urge to roll her eyes whenever romantic couples act all sappy. Ezra doesn't really know why but the thought of seeing butterflies and hearts float around a random couple made her gag.
But as she heads over to their table, she noticed that they looked more like a couple of best friends who have a close relationship. Nausea descended down Ezra's stomach again, but she still could be wrong.
As she grew closer, it seems that the aroma of this interesting coffee blend was so strong that it attracted the nose of the platinum-haired woman, who instantly followed the trail of steam whispering across the air. She then proceeded to mention the special ingredients in the concoction, which Ezra found amazing but realized that there might be a possibility that she could be a crackhead.
But before she could even question it, the man on the opposite side turned around and locked eyes with the young Dragon. In that fraction of a second, time slowed down to a halt. The chestnut-haired girl stood in her spot, unmoved and frozen in place. Her feet stayed rooted in the ground and even if she wanted to move, her body physically and mentally hindered her from even thinking about it, not that it was a problem since Ezra, herself, is unwilling to even blink because she didn't want to think that this was all in her imagination.
Green. That's what she saw. She found stuck in a trance, surrounded by a deep green carpet, thick trees sprouting out of the ground and the floor layered with a variety of bushes. The faint fragrance of the coffee faded into a quiet, earthy scent that tickled the end of her nose. They were greener than emeralds, shamrocks, and pastel Easter eggs. And even more precious than Fabergé Eggs. But what struck her was the familiarity in those orbs and all at once, a series of images just played in the back of her head to remind her what it was.
She was back as a child, confined in a white-tiled room that hindered her from using her powers. The entire floor and ceiling were rumbling, shaking in a constant boom that struck fear into her heart. She hid behind her bed, clutching a pillow to soften her cries. Then all of a sudden, she hears a seething sound driving through the air. It was slow but smooth. Like drawing across the snow during a winter holiday, not that she knows what that it is before.
The melting sound stopped, but then it was followed by a heavy object falling against the floor, the ringing bass of the noise echoed across the room. She heard someone grunting, hitting the ground as shallow breaths faintly filled the silence. Still afraid but the curiosity of a Dragon spiking up, she peeked from behind the frame of the bed to see who was in there with her. That's when she saw a man lying on the ground, talking to himself.
Ezra didn't know what compelled her to walk up that person, who seemed to look hurt, judging by his burnt clothes, and heavy breaths and groans. Still clutching her pillow for safety and comfort, she voiced out her thoughts with a tiny voice; "Wh- who are you?"
At first, he scared her. The mask and hood that concealed his face, a pair of intimidating poisonous eyes reflected against hers. His tall stature immediately made her feel small, but not as much as when she gazes up to Drago. In his hand was a form of a weapon that she couldn't comprehend on how it works but she knows that, speaking from experience, it's a dangerous tool made to hurt others. So, when the man reached for her, she unconsciously flinched away.
But when he removed his mask, both figuratively and literally, Ezra was stunned that someone could look so... harmless. That's not even the most accurate description to say. During her life in Drago's captivity, she was always surrounded by mean and hardened faces that influenced her to think that such an expression doesn't exist. But once she saw the warmth and kindness emitting from the man, she couldn't help but be drawn to it.
His eyes. She could see her own face in his emerald-like orbs. Her face no longer wore the terrified and depressed look that she usually has. For the first time, she saw a glimmer of light reflecting across his irises and bouncing back to hers, as if he was sharing some with her. It could've been because of her Dragon genes as to why she felt so emotionally attached to him but she liked to believe that it's because, for the first time in her life, he gave her the one thing that was fading away during her time in confinement; hope.
But then, that same thing vanished several months later. All she remembered was being forcefully dragged away from him, crying her eyes out and wailing in agony. The last thing Ezra saw was a smile that didn't reach his eyes. The last trace of that light was shared with her before it disappeared when they left the room. Although she could no longer see it, she could still feel it burned across her mind to remind her of him. She thought she would no longer see him...
So when she saw the same light in this stranger's eyes, almost every part of her body shut down. She didn't even notice the tray slipping off of her hands and crashing against the tiles, spilling the coffee. All the noise fell deaf in her ears; the cries of the woman beside him, the chattering crowd who came to see what happened, the shards of the cup being stepped on. She couldn't hear anything except her own heart, beating like a rhythmic drum pattern. It was as if it was pounding inside of her ears.
Ezra didn't even realize what she just said until the man stood up to his full height, boring his gaze into her own. It was just like back then but only, both of them wore the same expression of fear. She hears the auburn man mutter, telling her to repeat what she just said and his voice snapped something inside of her. The initial shock finally sunk in and her body suffered the consequences. The young Dragon failed to even keep her legs from shaking, let alone form a coherent sentence.
But as time passed by, even as slow as what Ezra perceives, she grew uncomfortable of the man's anticipating gaze. She wanted to speak but her own tongue twisted and twirled in her mouth, her throat drying up as if the sun shone its light in her. It took every cell and molecule in her body to say one word, and she managed to choke it out with a pathetic squeak.
"Dad?"
Everything fell silent. Even Nadia who was at one point, crying over spilled coffee, has now stopped rubbing her hands across the puddle and looked up to shift a confusing gaze between the two. It's like the air itself is placing immense pressure against their shoulders. No one spoke for a while, all of them were in a state of momentary shock.
Hayden's jaw was hanging down, almost comically. He couldn't believe what he just heard. He thought it was his imagination the first time but when he heard as clear as day, that this strange girl called him, 'Dad'. The process of information was slower than usual, operating at a snail-like pace and once it burnt itself across his mind, he still couldn't believe it.
It was at this point that the auburn vigilante couldn't help but let out a humorless and tedious laugh that sounded like a robot. His cheeks didn't even lift in the slightest but that simple word brought out the last of Hayden's hysteria. "U- Uh, I think you- you misunderstand. I- I'm not a father." He stammered out, using what little awareness he has left. Half expecting the girl to just laugh it off and agree that it was a mistake, Hayden couldn't be more wrong, now as he saw the same stupefied expression deepened.
Finding a way to escape this awkward tension, he looked over to Nadia, who watched the entire scene unfold with raised eyebrows and by far, the most expressive expression on her face yet. Hayden wasn't the only one who had suffered to face a great deal of shock but people might say that he suffered the most.
The auburn man shot a strained smile at the mercenary. "I guess we're no longer thirsty anymore, right?" He indented the tone of his last word to make sure Nadia got the message. Luckily, she was smart enough to see that this uncomfortable situation is starting to attract some unwanted attention.
"Sure, Hayden." She replied swiftly before getting up on her feet. She could've sworn that she saw the barista flinch at her words, only adding fuel to Nadia's suspicion. Once she was standing, Hayden grabbed ahold of her wrist and practically dragged the platinum-blonde out of the shop, earning them a few weird gazes but the auburn's goal is to get out of there as fast as possible.
However, he didn't see the same girl break out of her frozen state and quickly ran after them. Lyra noticed that Ezra hasn't returned for a while and she could hear a commotion occurring outside. So, when she peeked out to inspect the situation, all she saw was broken glass and spilled caffeine on the floor, and no chestnut-haired Dragon to be seen. She did, however, caught a glimpse of her whipping out of her vision from outside the shop.
Clueless, the electric-eyed woman muttered to herself, "What the hell did I just miss?"
Meanwhile, the auburn continued to walk away from the shop, not even taking a second to look back, simply heading towards nowhere in particular while pulling a reluctant and confused Nadia like a leash. It didn't take long before she grew tired of being unaware of the situation and yanked her hand away, nearly pulling him to the ground.
Hayden turned around with a hard glare, "What's your problem, Nadia?" He hissed, only to be met with a blank stare and an arched eyebrow. It's pretty clear what she meant. With a groan, the vigilante clenched his hands together and then spread them out forcefully. "Listen, I think we should survey the area right now. Sage could be on our asses at any second."
"Stop lying, Hayden. A blind three-year-old could see that you're panicking. What was that back there?" She retorted with a scowl. When Hayden showed signs of feigning ignorance and dodging the topic, Nadia snapped her fingers in front of his face, making sure that the auburn had his eyes on her. "Don't you dare try and change the subject. If you do that cliché 'I don't know what you're talking about', I'll cut off your ears and make you eat them."
While the threat may not be as intimidating as it should be, it certainly annoyed the Demon Killer because he's known Nadia long enough to know that she's probably up to that task if she wanted to. But of course, he won't just break like that. What he just heard brought up some bad memories and emotions that even he couldn't comprehend. It's far better to just leave the topic alone, whilst keeping the blonde in the dark.
But just as he was about to form a believable excuse, she spots a figure running in their direction. At first, he didn't think too much of it but as it grew closer, his face grew pale at the sight. He wanted to run away but his feet, somehow, stayed rooted on the ground, preventing him from moving.
Nadia's ever-growing confusion was now on its all-time high after seeing the dread spread across his face. Following his gaze, she hesitantly turned around and was surprised to see the young chestnut-haired barista who spilled her coffee—although she already got over that. They've been wandering across the streets for a while so it's a miracle that this girl was able to find them without even dropping a sweat. She was breathing heavily but Nadia doubts it was because of fatigue because she takes one look at Hayden and he almost looks like he's on the verge of hyperventilating.
"Please... don't leave yet."
The blonde shifted her attention back to the girl. She was a fairly young woman, barely reaching the height of her teenage years. But she could sense a form of maturity emitting from the little personality she has yet shown. She was looking at Nadia, but not exactly. It's almost as if she's gazing right past through her and at the auburn behind her.
The girl opened her mouth to speak, but it came out as a low whisper, "I- I just want to talk for a second. If y- you don't mind."
Nadia could barely hear what she said but she got the gist of it. Usually, she would rather avoid interacting with random people but then the thought passed through her head that this person might not be so obscure as she thinks this girl is, at least to Nadia. Realizing that this might be a chance for her to figure out what's happening, the mercenary spun and pushed Hayden forward.
"The kid wants something from you, Hayden." She said and once again, at the name, the girl flinched and a flash of anxiety appeared across her face. Her speculations grew by the second but she held off her final verdict. She waited for either of them to start talking but it was as if their mouths were sewed shut.
Ezra was the one who's having the worst time, while the man in front of her was just confused and honestly terrified at what's about to happen. The fact that this tall, auburn guy who looks exactly like him, has the potential to be her actual living father, messed up her mind in the worst ways possible. In any situation, who knows how to talk to someone who's presumed dead but is actually standing right in front of her?
Gulping, the young Dragon allowed a few soft and shaky words to leave her mouth, "D- do you know me?" was the first thing she asked but she felt stupid. It's a lingering question in her head but there are many alternative possibilities that could lead to a different answer. What if this guy isn't really her father and just so happens to look exactly like him, but a little older? 'But yet again, why did he suddenly run away from me? I need some answers!'
"I- I'm sorry but... no, I don't know." Ezra could tell that he spoke the truth, despite the stuttering and the slight twitches. However, this didn't lower her suspicions and hope in the slightest. If possible, it even added to her theory that he might not remember certain things because if he did, then he would've gone straight to her mom.
Swallowing her nervousness, she tried again. "You're name is Hayden, right?" The young Dragon questioned cautiously. Hayden responded with a hesitant nod, knowing that she probably picked it up when Nadia called him. "D- do you have a last name?"
Hayden didn't want to answer, fearing that revealing such important information would compromise any of their future plans. This girl, who seems to know him from his past, will be a hindrance if they keep on entertaining her questions. Even if he, himself, felt a sense of familiarity when he first encountered her, his determination to stick to what he feels is more important pushed that feeling away.
But just as he was about to refuse, someone else spoke on his behalf.
"It's Haddock." Nadia chimed in from the sidelines. Said man whipped his head and shot a menacing glare at the blonde, to which she responded with a dry scowl. "I know you were going to avoid the question. It's pretty predictable." She had drunk in the appearance of the girl, trying to compare her to Hayden and trying to find some sort of resemblance, to no avail. So when the opportunity arose to set a fire in her curiosity, she jumped in and decided to speak for the man, already knowing his last name after their conversation with Sage.
"Don't you think revealing that would affect our plans later on? They'll know about me!" Hayden reprimanded, but he was met with a blank stare, which irritated the auburn to his breaking point. "What the fuck is even the point of saying it?"
Nadia simply nodded her head behind him and when he turned around, the anger that was slowly building up came to a halt. Tears welled up in her eyes and ran down her cheeks, dripping to the ground. The frown on her face was replaced by a faint smile, something so transparent that he almost couldn't see it. Hayden didn't know why but he had the sudden urge to just rushed to the girl and give her a warm hug. But before he could even process that thought, Ezra beat him to it and launched herself towards him, wrapping her arms around his waist and burying his face in his shirt.
The auburn let out a silent yelp as her hug tightened against his body. He didn't know what to do with his hands so he just kept them up, but that didn't discourage Ezra at all. In fact, she could care less if he returns it—she could at least understand the awkwardness. The joy and warmth of feeling her father once again was enough to bring bliss and peace to her heart. The smile on her face grew as the seconds passed, pressing her ear into his chest to hear his thumping heart.
Just hearing the blood pumping across his body caused tears to well up in her eyes again, but this time it was out of sadness. The memories of his supposed death came flooding back. She remembered it all; the pain, the sorrow, the anger. All that vengeance and fury she felt during her time as a vigilante burned like magma in a volcano. But it only lasted for a second when she realized that the person in her arms is her father, Hayden Haddock, back from the dead.
But alas, everything has to come to an end... and this one came abruptly and rather forceful.
Hayden grabbed Ezra by the shoulders and harshly pulled her away from him, much to the young Dragon's shock. The expression on the auburn's face remained indifferent, blank, and emotionless. Right before Ezra was ripped away, she could almost hear the gates of his heart shutting close. The chestnut-haired girl realized that this might not bode well, judging by the tension in the air.
"Sorry, kid. As I said, you got the wrong person." Just like she suspected, the man closed off all possibilities and emotions that would've even hinted that he was the person who he thinks he's not. "Now, if you tell anyone about this, I'll personally take care of you."
Both Nadia and Ezra could tell that it was an empty threat, but the mere fact that he still threatened the young Dragon caused her smile to fall. But she refused to give up. So, when Hayden turned around to leave, Ezra reached for his wrist and gripped it so hard she thought she might've broken his bones. "No! I know who you are and you... are my father!" She declared loudly, making sure that every word would embed itself in his memories.
Unfazed about the abnormal strength being displayed right on his hand, Hayden looked at his wrist, unimpressed, and then glanced right back at Ezra. "You're being delusional, kid. There's no way I have a child. Someone like me shouldn't even be near kids." The auburn visibly cringed after he realized what he just said. Someone can totally take that out of context, someone like Nadia, who is now stifling a snicker just as he glanced behind him.
Taking a moment to recover, he lets out a quick sigh and hardened his gaze once again. "Quick advice, I think it's rude to run up to random people and call them your dad." He replied in a surprisingly harsh and sarcastic, even for him and Nadia.
This, once again, deflates Ezra's confidence. But again, she wants to try again and break through his walls. This is an unimaginable opportunity and she needs to take it. "My name is Ezra Haddock!" This got the full attention of both vigilantes, distress crossing the man's face while Nadia simply quirked her brows out of astonishment. "Do you believe me now? I'm pretty certain that no one else in this world has our last name."
"She's got a point, Hayden. There's no way someone will name themselves after a fish. Other than you two, of course." The blonde mercenary piped up, earning her a growl from Hayden.
The auburn was slowly growing irritated by the second. This strange situation is creeping under his skin and messing with his thoughts. He's going to have to end this soon before he loses track of what's important. "Listen, kid. I don't give a fuck if you're telling the truth or not. Frankly, I just don't believe you. I have far more important things to do than reconnect with my supposed lost children." He replied cynically.
Ezra took a step back, aghast at his statement. The hope that he just gave her moments ago was crushed within seconds, thrown away like it wasn't worth anything valuable. She wanted to drop to the ground and pick up the pieces but the looming, glaring form of her... father, petrified her to the core. She just stood there, tears threatening to fall but she held herself back from breaking down.
Nadia almost felt sorry for the girl, but even with his brutal honesty, she had to agree with Hayden. She's not even sure why she's reuniting them when there's a crisis that's about to fall on them, this city, and probably the entire world. Maybe it's because she felt like Hayden needed a fragment from his past to help him out with his troubles. But she reminded herself that it's none of her business to meddle with her friend's personal life.
"Don't mention a word about this to anyone." Hayden seethed through his teeth. If things weren't bad enough, the auburn decided to leave one final blow to make sure she doesn't do anything stupid. "I don't have a daughter and I'm fairly sure I don't want one... ever." He turned towards Nadia, gesturing that they needed to go.
Shooting the heartbroken girl a downcast look of sympathy, before leaving her in the middle of the sidewalk to follow Hayden. The crowd soon overwhelmed her spot but Ezra kept herself still as the people walked right around her, concealing her from the vigilantes' visions. Once she knew that they were out of sight, Nadia caught up to Hayden who wore this stony and inanimate expression as he stomped towards nowhere in particular. She could feel his frustration through his heavy steps; the clanking and grinding of his metal prosthetic leg shifting positions were inundated by the noise of the crowd.
"What was that back there?" Nadia questioned, to which Hayden responded with a contemptuous scoff. She realized that he was dismissing her question, but to be perfectly honest, she knows exactly what happened. She just wants an honest answer from the guy. Rolling her eyes, she was determined to squeeze out an answer from the auburn. "Do you think that's your real daughter?"
This elicited a glance at her direction, much to Nadia's relief. He turned his gaze back forward, but his expression softened a bit. "I don't know, Nadia." He replied candidly and genuinely. "Maybe she is and maybe she isn't. But I don't think I have the time or care to have a daughter. I mean, even before I became a merciless killer, I was already a murdering assassin." Hayden lets out a humorless laugh. "Would anyone's daughter be proud of their father? I'm more amazed at the fact that she went all this trouble to convince me."
Nadia hummed, "Did she?"
"Like I said, I don't know. My memories are all jumbled up and I'm not sure if she's telling the truth." The auburn clenched his fist, allowing his head to breathe a little. "But I know that she's someone from my past. However, whether or not she's my daughter, I'm not fit to be a father while I'm living a life like this."
The mercenary wanted to protest, saying that people like them can have a peaceful life but she retracted after she thought about it. Although she believes that, she can't help but think that Hayden has a point. This is technically his third life, right after being Sage's lackey and a super-secret agent. If he finds out that he has more, he'll probably explode from the pressure. So, it's safer to keep quiet.
However, at a time like this, opportunities to tease and bully the hell out of the vigilante rose and she's always tempted to grab it. "You wanna know something?" Hayden immediately recognized the teasing tone in Nadia's voice and he internally rolled his eyes. He should've expected that this annoying woman would take the chance to ram that info in his head in the most irritating way possible.
"What?" He made sure to emphasize the frustrating tone in his tone, hoping that he could scare Nadia into backing away. But his Demon Killer effect had already faded away, at least to the blonde. She had already accepted it and truth to be told, she seems pretty unbothered by it, unlike the first time she learned about this.
"If you have a daughter, then that should mean..." The mercenary let Hayden, himself, think about where she's going.
Unfortunately for him, he did. "Wait, what? No, no, no, no, no!" He protested, waving his hands in the air as if he was trying to fan that idea away. "There's no fucking way that I have a-"
"A wife?"
"No!" He loudly declared, earning him a few shocked reactions from passerby's, but he paid them no mind. "Do you really think I, a fucking assassin and a vigilante, has the time to marry, have a daughter, and still continue this life? Hell no!"
Nadia couldn't resist anymore and she burst out in laughter. "Relax, hops! I was just kidding! Gods, you're so easy to annoy!" She quipped with a smirk and she truly believes what she said.
Somehow, she can see him having a daughter but a wife? The idea sounded preposterous. The possibility of that happening is less than one percent. Not that she's insulting Hayden's ability to charm a woman because she experienced it first-hand, but what's hindering her from considering the idea is the auburn's ability to love—if he's even able to do that. Another reason why she can relate to Hayden a lot is that both of them can't comprehend that emotion at all. They tried watching those chick flicks and rom-coms but they couldn't even last up to half of the movie before they switched it off so that they can expel the cringe-worthy scenes they just witnessed.
Nadia can admit that Hayden can certainly snatch a woman if he wants to but the problem is that he most likely won't. Just thinking about the idea made the blonde snicker some more. "Man, imagine if you actually had one? Gods, I'd pay money to see how that happened." She exclaimed, unaware that Hayden had just fallen into deep thought because of her joke.
Just like what Nadia thought, he believed that the mere image of it was enough to tell him that it's laughable. However, he remembered the time back in the motel in Milan, where he suffered from a panic attack for a few seconds and within that time period, he saw visions of a woman with golden locks and the bluest eyes he had seen, even brighter than the sky and more precious than sapphires. He also saw her in Iceland, when he was about to shag one of the prostitutes, he saw an apparition of the same woman sitting right on the bed and he didn't know why he suddenly felt guilt, which prompted him to stop. Although he tried burying those memories in the back of his head, he was once reminded of it when Nadia mentioned an absurd thought. But he couldn't help but wonder who she is but the blonde's words rang across his head and he closed the doors once again, locking the idea with the suppressed memories.
A fake smile grew on Hayden's lips, "Yeah... I can't imagine that."
Saying that Astrid was tired would be an understatement.
The blonde general, or ex-general, had spent most of her time in the boardroom, where the high-ranking agents and officers were deciding on what to do with her, after that small incident where it resulted in a butchered body of one of her recruits. The meeting was going for so long, with the board being divided equally into two sides, just like their forum for the fate of the Demon Killer. But unlike before. both factions were arguing in a rather civil manner. They presented facts, rules, and maybe a few biased opinions but the problem is that it's taking too long for them to decide and the anticipation is eating Astrid from the inside.
She has long forgotten about the consequences of her actions. All she wished was to get it over with, no matter how horrible the punishment is. Everything would've been fine if she didn't have to attend each meeting so that she can be there to defend herself. Frankly, she did none of that because the ones on her side already rose to her defense, even at times where she fully accepted the claims. It didn't take long before she snapped and she decided to take everything into her own hands.
"Just demote me to Lunaheim and get it over with." Astrid had declared, much to the surprise of everyone, except Shatter. He always knew that the blonde was a prideful, fearless, and accepting woman, even though her late husband has passed away six years ago. He also found the meeting to be ridiculous because after hearing about the story behind it, he wanted to shift to the other side and berate anyone who disagrees. His heart broke for Astrid when he learned that her daughter was about to be raped and he wanted nothing more than to revive the assailant and kill the bastard himself—if he could.
What stopped him from acting were the rules and laws being presented by the opposing side, which states that harming another agent, other than self-defense, can be punishable by demotion, imprisonment, or even expulsion. Well, in Astrid's case, she did a lot more than harm, as seen by the chunks of meat buried in the rubble of the storage room. According to the rules, the only two consequences are either expulsion or long-term imprisonment. Of course, the defense side rose to counter the accusation.
This went on for days until Astrid had enough of it and suggested to demote her to a lower rank, specifically the third-lowest but it's the lowest rank for a woman of Astrid's caliber to have. However, the board unanimously accepted her suggestion after they consulted amongst themselves that Jack technically broke the rules first when he attempted to murder the agency's favorite nurse, Mia Graves, which they concluded using the evidence on the scene. They then declared her relegation to Lunaheim, causing the defense side to burst into cheers. After the meeting has been dismissed, Astrid quickly left the boardroom to head for her house to rest. It's been a long day and she regretted neglecting her children, especially Ezra.
Remembering what just happened, she cursed herself for not being any earlier, even though she was able to arrive just in time to stop Jack from going any further. Ezra still had to suffer from humiliation and harassment. However, a part of her is still glad that she was able to save her before anything else could happen. She had to give special thanks to one of her recruits, Slade Cardinal, for revealing some important information about Jack's drug use, thinking that it would help with the investigation. With the new info, she ran to Finn's personal chamber where he spent most of his time, researching and engineering new agency devices as the head chief of the artificing division, and asked him to scan the entire building for any traces of Dragon Root.
Thankfully, there was a faint lead that guided her to the storage room in the basement. Once she heard Ezra's cries, a boiling rage tipped over and she went on a rampage. She could clearly see where she was going and was even more aware of her actions. But her overprotectiveness as a mother and anger as a government assassin, blended well together and before she knew it, she was a butcher in a slaughterhouse, hacking and slashing away until there wouldn't even be a body to examine. Once she felt her daughter in the safety of her arms, she finally let the tears fall; the overwhelming and agonizing panic when she found out that her daughter was missing broke through her anger and she just held onto her daughter, promising her that it will never happen again.
Astrid finally reached the front door of her room, staring at the golden knob as it reflected a distorted version of herself. Closing her eyes, she placed her palm on the knob, allowing it to read her prints before it unlocked itself and letting her walk into her room, ignoring the mess around her. She droned towards her bedroom, disregarding the clatter of clothes and tools on the ground and simply jumping on her queen-sized bed to rest. The reason she chose such a large bed when she's the only person sleeping in it was to find a sense of fulfillment. She would imagine that the person who's supposed to be laying down beside her was just late, allowing her to doze off with the idealistic thought that he would slip into the sheets and wrap his arms around her as she slept. This was, by far, her most pathetic attempt of recovering from Hayden's death, but it's somehow helping her sleep more comfortably and hopefully, dream about something nice. The only problem is that she would always wake up, realizing that it's all in her head and reminding her how hung up and pitiful she still is.
But as of right now, she could care less whether she's comfortable or not. She just wants to take one day off and pretend that she's flying in the clouds, soaring through different universes and not walking on the Midgard's realm where chaos is surely bound to strike. However, she was brought back down to earth by a memory; it was Hayden, during the time where he had a ticking time bomb sunk into his stomach, blood seeping through his armor. His face was grimacing from the pain, sweat dripping down his face as his breaths were slowly growing shorter. The light in his was gradually dying and the last words they had shared were their declarations of love.
Astrid blinked out of that reminiscence. She had promised to him that she would protect their children, but she had nearly failed. As a mother, the top priority should be her children. Astrid cursed herself for putting her work first but at the time, she doesn't regret it. Everything she's been doing is to protect and provide for them, however, the payment for that is the attention for her kids. Now, because of her mistakes, she had almost broken her promise with her husband.
She wanted nothing but to bury her head into her pillow and cry her eyes out until all she could feel is emptiness. But it seems the gods won't even allow her to wallow herself in self-pity. They're just cruel like that. Someone had burst in through the front door, meaning that it's someone she knows and trusts since she only allowed a selected few to implement their prints on the doorknob. But before she could even figure out who it was, they decided to reveal themselves to her.
Ezra just broke into her bedroom just in time for Astrid to raise her head from the cushions and find her daughter, for the first time, sweating and out of breath. She's almost never exhausted like this except for that one time when she tried flying around the world, without her mother's knowledge. She was gone for more than a day and Astrid had to pick her up from Hyderabad, India, where she crashed out of fatigue. The blonde literally grounded her daughter for a whole month. It's save to say that Ezra never tried to pull a stunt like that ever again.
So seeing the young Dragon at the brink of collapsing again alarmed Astrid. She sprung up from her spot and immediately started suspecting her of flying to her limits. However, she was not prepared for what was about to come up next.
"Ezra, what's wrong and I swear to the gods, if you tried to fly around the world again, I would-"
"Dad's alive!"
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"What?"