Author's Note: I forgot to put this in earlier chapters, but here are some of the OC's magic powers and their origins.
Raiden: Inferno Magic(Inspired from Amaterasu in Naruto)
Abel and Cain: Yin and Yang Magic(Will be explained later on)
Toby: Predaplant Magic (Inspired from the predator plant archetype in YuGiOh)
Luna: Constellar Magic (Her magic is basically space-related)
Johan: Obsidian Magic (Self inspired)
Arthur: Gold Magic (Basically got it from Sekke's Bronze and Klaus's Steel magic.
Chapter 7
What You Least Expect
"So you're telling me that I was asleep for a whole day?" Raiden couldn't believe what Vanessa had told him but he was too busy eating up the food Charmy had made for him."Did I...do anything while I was asleep."
"You squirmed. A lot. I assumed you had bad nightmares." Vanessa handed him a bottle of wine."Want some?"
Without a second thought, Raiden accepted her offered and drank from the bottle greedily.
"Oh, my. I didn't know you drink!" Vanessa laughed, amused at the sight."I usually do it as a joke. No one has ever taken the bottle from me, much less drink."
"Should you really be drinking?" Charmy inquired, not sure this was a good idea."How old are you? You look like a kid."
"Sorry..." Raiden put the half-empty bottle down, whipping his lips with his sleeves."I know I'm not supposed to drink, but anything to help take the stress away. By the way, that's a little rich coming from you...Charmy, right? You look like a toddler. What are you doing calling me a kid?"
"I'll have you know I'm 19!" Charmy put her hands on her hips, a smug expression on her face."So I'm your big sister!"
"What?! But...how?!" Raiden cried out in disbelief."Actually, never mind. I'm not that impressed."
"Sure, Raiden-chan." Charmy called one of the cook-sheep forward, grabbing another plate of food and handing it to Raiden."If you want seconds, just ask! Don't be shy! You're still growing so you need plenty of food."
"I'm stuffed!" Raiden patted his belly."You certainly know your way around food. You and Johan would get along pretty nicely."
"Johan?"
"My friend. A brother, really." Raiden smiled sadly, accepting the extra food nonetheless."We were supposed to take the entrance exam but due to personal reasons, we had to wait and we didn't make it in time. We're from Suke village, so we had quite a walk to get near the Capital. By pure chance, we were scouted by Abel and his brother Cain after protecting their former orphanage."
"Yes, Abel did mention that." Vanessa nodded."He also told us his experience with you. That's why we gave you the benefit of the doubt."
"Is that why you're even approaching me?" Raiden asked, thinking he had gone overboard the other day and wishing he could control his emotions better.
"Of course! Anyone can get cranky from lack of sleep. I get that. And Magna isn't exactly understanding so you could say he caused it. Regardless, what's done is done. We're all looking forward to getting to know you. If you fought against Magna and Asta, you must be incredibly strong, since they aren't pushovers. You must have trained a lot."
Before he could answer, Gordon approached Raiden and mumbled something to him. Surprisingly, Raiden rose a brow at him and answered."I think it's too early to say we're friends, man. We just met."
"You actually understood him?" Abel whistled as he entered the living room."How? He usually whispers."
"I know how to read lips." Raiden admitted, giving him a cordial nod."I learned when I was a kid back at home."
"Just what kind of childhood did you have?" Vanessa chuckled, ruffling his hair playfully."A prodigy child maybe?"
"Not really." He trailed off, lowering his gaze."It's just something I picked up, I guess."
Vanessa hummed to herself, realizing that he didn't want to say more on the matter, and decided not to press."Anyway, Abel, are you leaving?"
"Yeah. Finral took Asta and Luck with him to meet some girls. Could be fun to watch." He had a shit-eating grin on his face."I'll have to fly there since a friend of mine invited me. Want to come, Raiden?"
"I'm good." Raiden rose a hand."Sorry. I'm a little out of it right now."
"We'll take care of him." Charmy gave Abel a push."Now off you go! Try to get a girlfriend! You should go to, Little Raiden. A girlfriend might be what you need right now."
"I'm not looking for any girlfriend right now," Raiden answered flatly, not giving room for doubt.
Before anyone could say anything more, Abel gasped."Right! I forgot! Magna told me to give you this before he headed off for training! He said he approved of you being here, but not to get too confident since he'll get stronger and kick your ass for the beating you gave him." He pulled something out of the pockets of his robe, handing over a bandana with the Black Bull symbol on it."Go ahead! Try it on!"
Raiden, unsure of why Magna would give him something like this, glanced around the others, earning several nods of approval. Meekly grabbing the bandana, he tied it up around his neck, earning a round of applause.
"Welcome to the Black Bulls!" Everyone cheered in unison. He couldn't help but crack a small smile, feeling something funny inside of him.
"Sorry I can't stick around for the celebration, but I'll be back later! Enjoy!" Abel said his goodbyes and exited the base with his broom in hand."Alright! We got a new member and our squad is doing better now! Can't wait to see what comes next!"
"Okay, Toby. Our mission today is to get some girls." Sekke explained to his squadmates, who was barely paying attention to his rambling."Bah-ha! You will be the bait and I'll do the talking. Your good looks are a magnet to chicks, so this is bound to work."
"How dull. I sure hope this is fast, I have somewhere to be later. Someone is going to pick me up here." Toby opened the door to the Dreavy Hinker, allowing themselves inside.
"Really, what can be more important than getting some babes?" Sekke shrugged."Don't worry. This will take a second. All you gotta do is sit down and do your thing. If you want you can even get a girl for yourself."
"I'll pass." He closed his eyes, taking a seat in an empty chair."So, how do you plan on getting anyone to listen to you?"
"Just trust me on this. I already called in three potential girls to accompany us." Sekke gave him a thumbs up."We'll have to pay for the meal and the drinks, but that's a small price to pay for glory. Bah-ha."
As a waiter took Sekke's order, Toby rested his head on his palm, tapping on the table with his free hand. He noticed a group of girls staring at him, waving at him with blushes on their faces. Not amused in the slightest, he leaned back on his chair, sinking on the back."You mentioned three girls. Surely you're not stupid enough to think you can get all of them."
"I called in some back-up." Sekke scanned around the establishment, grinning as he spotted Abel coming in."And there he is. Abel!"
"Sekke! What's up!" Abel jogged over to their table, taking a seat next to Sekke."It's been a while since we've seen each other. Since the entrance exam, I believe."
"Bah-ha! Of course! Thank you again for helping me after...my fight with that magicless kid." Sekke's expression turned somber at the memory of him losing to Asta."Right, I have to introduce you to my partner here. He's Toby Salazar and I'm in charge of training him."
"It's Tobias."
Abel gave the albino a friendly smile, extending his hand."Nice to meet you, Tobias!"
Tobias made no move to return the gesture, choosing to stay quiet and not say anything. Sekke, without thinking, grabbed Toby's hand and forced him to shake hands with him."Now, now, Toby. It's rude to not greet people when they greet you."
"It's okay." Abel said."No need to pressure him or anything."
"You...look exactly like Cain..." Toby leaned forward, his eyes darting to Abel."Why is that?"
"Oh, you met my brother?"
"Right, I forgot to mention that Abel and Cain are twin brothers." Sekke informed his squadmate."I didn't bring it up because you didn't know Abel at the time. But jeez, is your brother tense. No-nonsense kind of guy."
"That's Cain." Abel laughed at his comment."We don't really talk but I hope he wasn't too hard on you."
"He was okay. Trust me, once you're around Captain Jack for too long, nothing scares you! Bah-ha!" Sekke guffawed before lowering his tone."Don't tell the Captain I said that, Toby."
"I don't care." Toby was glad that the food had arrived. He was thirsty, but Sekke told them not to touch anything until the girls arrived. Much to his relief, the three girls arrived shortly after, taking a seat in front of the young men.
"Nice to meet you, lovely ladies. My name is Sekke and I'm with the Green Mantis."
The girls seemed a little reluctant at first, but the black-haired in the middle decided to respond."My name is Angelica. Thanks for inviting us to have dinner with you."
"Heya! I'm Abel and I'm with the Black Bulls!" Abel beamed, his smile never leaving.
"With the Black Bulls? Isn't that like the worst squad?" The young woman with the necklace asked."I'm sorry, that was uncalled for. My name is Sophia. Good to meet you. Wait a minute...I knew I recognized you from somewhere. You look exactly like Cain from the Golden Dawn."
"Oh! You know of my brother?"
While those two conversed about Cain, the blonde girl in front of Toby wasn't sure how to proceed. Unlike the other teens, this one wasn't making any moves to introduce himself. Even worse, he wasn't even looking at her. All he was doing was staring at the table with a vacant look in his eyes.
'He is a hottie, I'll give him that.' She forced a smile."I'm Lia! What is your name?"
Toby rose his gaze, sighing."Tobias. I'm in the same squad as him." After that, he lost interest in the conversation again and folded his arms.
'Damn it, Toby! You are supposed to at least talk a tiny bit!' Sekke mentally cursed.'At this point, she'll leave and so will her friends!'
"But you know, I really don't mind if my squad is considered the lowest." Abel continued chatting with Sophia, who had become invested in the conversation."They're all really friendly and nice. Some of our members were out there in the Capital, defending it. They are no pushovers."
"Really? Sounds like I might have had the wrong impression, Abel." Sophia gave him an apologetic look."I guess you can't judge a book by its cover. So, what are your aspirations?"
"I want to be considered a hero!" Abel cried out, excited."It's been my dream since I was a kid to save anyone I can. That's why I joined the Magic Knights. To protect those who are in trouble and keep those dear to me safe!"
"A hero?"
The table fell silent. All eyes landed over to Toby, who was now facing Abel."Do you have what it takes to be one?"
"Huh? What do you mean?" Abel tilted his head."I mean, I do. A hero is selfless, always doing his best to protect those in need. No matter what. No matter how small one life might seem, it's a hero's job to do whatever it takes to save it."
"Wrong." Toby narrowed his gaze."A hero endures and is willing to sacrifice the ones they love to ensure that evil is eradicated. A small life should never be considered valuable since a hero can save greater ones."
"So just because a life seems insignificant compared to others, they should just let them die?" Abel shot back, turning his body in his direction."It shouldn't matter who is more prestigious than who. All lives are of equal value and they're all precious."
"So what if you had to choose." He decided to test him, splaying his arms to the side and acting as if they were a scale."On one hand, you have one person and on the other, you have a hundred. Would you be willing to rescue the one life and let the other hundred die? Or will you do what's truly heroic and sacrifice one to save many more?"
"H-hey now..." Sekke glanced in between them, noticing just how tense the atmosphere had gotten. The girls were confused about what exactly was going on, so they unanimously decided not to interfere.
"I will save them all. No matter what." Abel replied firmly.
"That's just wishful thinking." Tobias responded."You can't save all lives in this world. It's common sense, really. A hundred lives are worth a whole lot more than one. The death of one person makes the lives of others prosperous."
"So you're saying it's okay to let someone die without even trying? That's not what a hero is all about. That's just a stupid mentality."
Toby bit the inside of his cheek, reaching for his Grimoire."Oh, is that so? Well, why-"
"Toby!" The voice of a female hollered from the door. Sekke's eyes widened, dropping his fork on the table. Near the door stood a slender, curvy, and beautiful woman of above-average height and fair complexion. She had long blue hair, which faded into darker shades at the end, styled in a ponytail. She had purple eyes and a mole on the right side of her cheek. Her attire consisted of black form-fitting pants with black boots along with a white, sleeveless, high necked, crop undershirt underneath a light-blue, buttoned vest with coattails and a single silver button on the front.
Toby sighed, excusing himself from the table and walking over to the girl eagerly waiting for him. She wrapped her arms around his and exited the building.
"What just happened...?" Sekke pinched his cheek, thinking he had just imagined things."Did Toby...really just...?"
"And she was wearing a Blue Rose robe." Abel pointed out, his hand shaking."He truly works fast..."
"Oh, no! No way he can pull off a babe like that without even trying!" Sekke stood up, grabbing Abel by the arm."Let's go, Abel, we have to investigate this!"
"What about us?!" The girls exclaimed in frustration.
"Hold it right there! Cain! I've been looking all over for you!"
Abel and Sekke watched as Luna stormed her way over to them, grabbing Abel by the collar of his shirt."You said you'd tell me what had happened with our mission and it's been two days! Where the heck have you been?!" She peered over him, her eyes widened as she stared at the girls."You were having a date?! You're an actual inconsiderate and insensible jerk! Do you have any idea how long I've been searching for you only to find you here, having your way around with girls?!"
"Not now, Luna!" Sekke separated them."We have urgent matters to attend to. Also, that's not Cain. That's his twin brother, Abel."
"Twin...brother...?" Luna blinked a few times, taking her time to get a better look."Oh, yeah. I guess the robe gives it away. He never mentioned he had a brother. It's very nice to meet you. My name is Luna and I was on a mission with your brother dearest not too long ago. I hope you have better manners than him."
"Good to meet you, Luna. Though I can't say for certain whether I have better manners than my brother or not. He and I don't really talk. At all."
"How come? Siblings are supposed to get along with each other, right?"
"It's a long story. Let's just say he doesn't like me." Abel rubbed the back of his neck."I'm ashamed to say that he dislikes me, so we do our best to not cross paths if possible."
"That's so wrong of him!" Luna exclaimed, bringing the Yin Magic-user into a hug. She was wearing high-heeled shoes today, making her taller than usual."You poor thing. Your bad brother has you all alone. Don't you worry. I'll give him an earful next time I see him."
"You're good friends with him? Sounds like you have him under control. I'm glad he has someone like you in his life. Sometimes I worry that he doesn't have many friends."
"I wouldn't say we're good friends. We just met, after all. But never mind that for now, where are the two of you going in such a rush?"
"Didn't you see Toby just now? He left...with a girl."
"Oh, that was him? No wonder he seemed so familiar. I didn't know he had a girlfriend." Luna couldn't contain her surprise."Considering he's a bit...intimidating, to say the least."
"We don't know if that's really his girlfriend. The girl is so beautiful that I doubt to accept that!" Sekke struck a pose, hand in the air as he pointed dramatically."The three of us will follow them and investigate!"
"I have to admit I am curious, so why not?" Luna shrugged, smiling at Abel."I want to learn more from you and your brother, so this is a good opportunity to get to know each other."
"Sure, that sounds great to me." Abel returned the smile, following Sekke out the door."So, what's the plan?"
"We'll do a quick stop to get some disguises. We can't let them recognize us or we'll be busted." Sekke placed a hand on his chest."Naturally, I am very popular around these parts, so I don't want to attract as much attention and jeopardize the mission."
"Whatever you say." Luna rolled her eyes, pushing them both to walk faster.
"These are some pretty mediocre disguises." Luna deadpanned, examining herself in the window of the store. She had ditched her hat and replaced it with a straw hat and was wearing reading glasses. Sekke had sunglasses on and was wearing a top hat to hide his hair. Abel was wearing a fake mustache, a cape and was wearing Luna's witch hat.
"I didn't have much money!" Sekke defended himself, pulling out his pouch."You made me pay for you!"
"Well, this was your idea, so naturally, you have to pay. Isn't that right, Abel?" Luna snorted, turning to Cain's twin.
"Sure thing, Luna." Abel shrugged, hands behind his head as he walked at his leisure."But how are we going to find them now? We were at that store for five minutes at least."
"Not a problem." Luna pulled out her Grimoire."Constellar Creation Magic: Enveloped Compass!"
A compass clad in blue energy appeared in front of them. Unlike a compass, this one was completely black, except for dots blinking."Show me where Tobias Salazar is."
"You can tell where people are?" Abel gaped in awe."Wait, why didn't you use that to find my brother?"
"It only works in a certain radius. About 50 feet of course, and it detects the mana of the person I mention. Which is how I managed to find you either way. However, I find that weird, because your mana is completely identical to Cain. That's odd. Even for perfect twins, your mana signature should be different at least a bit. But they're the same."
Before Abel could reply, the Bronze Mage cut in."Is that him?" Sekke pointed at the compass, noticing a dot next to them, approaching. Luna glanced to her right, noticing they were just outside of a shop and could hear someone's voice getting louder. The three of them yelped, making a run for an alleyway, and hid there, just in time before Toby and the woman with him exited the building.
Luna, Abel, and Sekke peaked their heads from the corner, watching in silence as the two interacted."I can't see very much from here. What is that in the bag?"
"Constellar Creation Magic: Moon Binoculars." Luna grabbed a pair of binoculars from her Grimoire, using them to watch better.
"You can see with that in the dark?" Abel asked, noticing just how dark it had gotten. There was no moon out today.
"These binoculars are special, like the telescope I gave your brother. They have night vision!" Luna grinned with pride, using her binoculars to spy on the pair."Wait, she's pulling something out of the bag!"
"Bah-ha! Don't be so loud! They're going to hear us!" Sekke pointed out, equally just as loud.
"Wait, that's a musical box!"
Abel grabbed the binoculars Luna handed him, taking a better look. In effect, the blue-haired young woman had given Toby a musical box. The albino looked at it, giving her a short nod before she engulfed him in a hug.
"Let me see!" Sekke grabbed the binoculars from Abel, his jaw-dropping to the floor."This can't be!"
"Why are you making this a big deal, anyway?" Luna asked, wanting to know why they were there, to begin with."We're all curious, yes, but why do you seem like you don't want this to happen?"
"I want to make sure that they're actually dating." Sekke responded."If so, that's Toby's victory. If not, then I'll try my luck with her!"
"Right." Luna hummed, her eyes trailing to Abel."So, what were you doing here, Abel? Don't tell me you got dragged into this?"
"Originally, I came here because Sekke invited me to a mixer."
"Oh? Looking for a girlfriend?" Luna wigged her brows."So, did you have any luck?"
"Not really." Abel answered sincerely."The ladies at our table were beautiful and all but honestly, none of them caught my attention."
Sekke beckoned them to follow him as they chatted, keeping their eyes on Toby and the possible girlfriend.
"What type of girl do you like, then?"
"It's hard to say. Maybe someone mysterious, someone who is not afraid to voice their opinion." Abel shrugged."As I said, it's hard to say. I never really thought about it that much."
"I know." Luna nodded, grabbing her hat from his head."One does not choose who they fall in love with. It just happens. Once you fall in love with someone, everything then is up to you."
"Are you in love with anyone, Luna?" Abel inquired, earning a chuckle from the girl.
"No, sadly I'm not. But I suppose that's for the best right now. My family is a bit...complicated. So it's better if I don't involve anyone in my life right now like that."
Abel frowned at her saddened expression. But he now knew better than to pry in personal affairs after his time with Raiden, so he opted for leaving it alone. They finally reached a restaurant, following the couple inside. They took a table about three tables away from them, making sure their disguises were good.
"Okay, we should be able to hear what they say from here," Sekke whispered to his fellow spies. They grabbed their menus and hid behind them as they converse.
"We're going to order, right? I haven't eaten anything." Luna said, already examining the mirror with stars in her eyes."Abel, would you be a dear and pay for me?"
"What?!" Sekke was flabergasted."Why the heck are you making us pay?!"
"You guys are gentlemen, correct?" Luna hardened her gaze, sending chills down his spine."Don't be rude."
"Well, I guess that's okay." Abel checked his pouch, noticing he had some money with him."I got you."
"How nice of you! If only your brother weren't as ill-mannered as he is." She bit her thumb."Anywho, I have to use the restroom. I'll trust my order to you, Abel."
Luna tipped toe her way to the bathroom, leaving the two young men behind.
"I wanted to ask you something, Sekke." Abel grabbed his attention."I know we don't know each other that well, but from what I've seen, you're usually pretty flirtatious with any girl you meet. How come you don't try anything with Luna?"
"Because...for one, she can make a man's wallet empty. Secondly, I noticed something between her and your brother, Cain. It's as if they have eyes for each other but can't see it yet. And the last thing I want is to be on the receiving end of one of Cain's arrows."
"I knew she liked my brother." Abel couldn't help but smile, happy for his twin."That's good."
"Shhh! They're saying something!"
A few tables away, Toby and his companion were having a conversation, unaware that they were being spied on.
"Have you been on any missions lately, Toby?" The young woman asked, taking a bite out of her pie.
Toby played with his food, not really hungry."Yes. I was in one a couple of days ago with other members."
"I see. Have you made any new friends?"
Toby leaned back on the chair, folding his arms, not saying a word.
"Right. But you could at least make acquaintances, form connections. Could be useful one day, all things considered."
"Mia, there is nothing I don't know and there's nothing I can't know. You know that better than anyone." Toby countered, leaning forward and resting his head on his palm."Besides, I have other priorities in mind right now."
"I guess there's no convincing you, huh?" Mia sighed in defeat."Well, better luck next time, right?"
"Why are you always so persistent in me getting friends? It's unnecessary."
"What, can't a girl worry about her little brother?" Mia placed a hand to her heart, pretending to be offended."And here I thought I made my point very clear."
'Sister?!' Both Sekke and Abel exchanged looks simultaneously.
"Okay." Toby muttered, rubbing his arm as he lowered his gaze."I guess you can. Sorry."
"It's fine. As I keep telling you, I will always be here to listen to you if you ever need to talk. I know our circumstances and all, but that shouldn't matter. Besides, it's like you said, with you, we can know everything and anything. This should be a piece of cake."
"It's just a waiting game." Toby took a deep breath."But I am making the most of it. In more ways than one."
"What did I say, Toby?" Mia frowned, slamming her right hand on the table."I told you you can't be doing that here!"
"Relax. It's all under control. Plus, it's necessary." Toby drawled, cracking his neck by tilting his head."It's my duty to-"
"THERE THEY ARE!"
Sekke and Abel froze up, slowly turning their heads at the entrance. The group of girls they had invited before stood there, fuming."You jerks left without paying! And you ordered a lot! You have to pay us because WE paid for you! Get them, girls!"
Sekke and Abel jumped out of their chairs, only to be caught by the angry mob of girls and taken outside, screaming in fear as the doors closed.
"What was that about?" Mia was grinning, not expecting a show like that.
"Nonsense." Toby sighed, getting up from his chair."Let's get going. I have a report to write up for Captain Jack. But first, I need to buy some ink."
"Alright then. I'm going to head back to my base. I gotta get some training in tomorrow. Practice some of my sweet kicks!" She rose her leg up, showing off her flexibility."I love you. Always remember that."
"I...love you too, sis," Toby muttered, a ghost of a smile momentarily showing off his face before heading out the door. He examined the music box his sister had given him, deciding to try it out by clicking a button. The box opened, revealing its interior. It was a tree with two kid figures dancing around it as soothing yet melancholic music played. The Predaplant magic-user closed his eyes, walking in silence and keeping the music box close to his chest.
A few minutes later Mona finished her business and came back to their table, only to find out no one was there."Huh? They left?" Turning on her heels, she noticed Toby and Mia were gone as well."They're gone too. Aw...I really wanted to eat dinner today...I can't wait for payday..."
"Oh, hey! You're the girl who was following us with the other two guys." Mia waved the Coral Peacocks member over."Come eat with me. My brother didn't have much of an appetite, so he barely touched his chicken."
"You knew...then why didn't you-"
"Say anything?" Mia finished for her, grinning as she nodded."Dunno. I found it pretty hilarious. I had to fight back the urge to laugh a few times. All in all, it made my day, so no hard feelings. I take it you're friends with Tobias?"
"Well, friends is a bit of a stretch, really. We met during a mission, and we were just curious as to your relationship with him." Luna sat down, mentally cursing at herself for not controlling her hunger, and start munching on the food on the plate.
"You must be starving, girl." Mia couldn't help but laugh aloud."I take it all that goes to your chest?"
"W-what?!" Luna instinctively covered her chest.
"Relax. Any girl wishes to have a huge rack, right? Just as boys want to have a big...well, you get the point. Not me, though. I'm happy being flat-chested. All the fat goes to my thighs. Which I don't mind, since I mainly fight with my legs, so it gives me extra help in a fight."
"How does that help you?" Luna asked, secretly hoping to get as much conversation as she could to enjoy the free food.
"My magic focuses on reinforcing my abilities. I am a close quarter fighter, so I like to get close and personal with my opponents." She explained, playing around with her ponytail."I know what you're thinking. It's vastly different from Toby's.
"Well, to be honest, I didn't see him fight." Luna admitted, cleaning her mouth with a napkin."We were fighting in different areas, so I never got the chance."
"If that's the case, basically my brother doesn't do the fighting himself. Sure, he knows how to use a sword and defend himself, but his style is all about overpowering his opponents by the use of his carnivorous plant monsters. They have all sorts of uses and some of them can be pretty huge or intimidating. Meanwhile, I fight head-on with my own strength. Punch my way through my problems. You could say we're opposites."
"But still, you are siblings. Your spells shouldn't be that different from each other."
"That's the thing." Mia sighed, taking a long sip from her wine."We're not biologically related."
"Huh? You're not?" Luna gasped in surprise."I guess that makes sense. You look nothing alike at all. But then..."
"It's complicated, really." Mia groaned, her eyes closing in thought and her face grimacing."Really complicated. I don't like to dwell on the matter, but in short, I took care of him during a low point in his life. Well, really, it was a low point for me as well. Sorry, I really don't like to talk about the story."
"That's perfectly fine." Luna shook her head, grabbing her hand."It sounds like a painful memory. I won't hold it against you if you want to keep it to yourself. But really, Toby is so lucky to have such a caring person in his life."
"Thank you. Sorry, I don't think we've introduced ourselves. My name is Mia Armstrong." Mia offered her hand, which Luna gladly accepted.
"Luna...I apologize...My last name..."
"I get it. Don't worry." Mia rose her hand, interrupting her."We all have our secrets, don't we? Anyway, I should get going. See you around, Luna. Don't worry about the food. I'll pay for it." She waved the waitress over.
"Right. Take care! And thank you for the food." Luna gave a quick bow before making her way out of the restaurant."Now...where did those two run off to?"
Just a few blocks away, Abel and Sekke were sprawled on the street, covered in trash.
"Sekke...why the hell did you leave them with their meal..." Abel moaned, removing a banana peel off his eyes.
"I got too invested in the moment...bah-ha..." Sekke's chuckle quickly turned into a coughing fit."Women are all beautiful entrancing creatures but...damn do they know how to hurt a man...Abel...if you ever get a girlfriend, I'll plan out your funeral..."
"Aw, shut up! You're in my shoes too!"
"I'll have way more girls so my life will be quite short."
"Ok, now you're pushing it." Abel rubbed his face.'Still, though, what did Toby and his sister mean? He mentioned something that's necessary and she clearly didn't approve of it. Not to mention he got really mad when I told him about my definition of a hero. But one day I'll give him an answer and hopefully change his mind. Until then, I have to get stronger. Until I...catch up to you, Cain...'
