(A/N): It's been a while, yeah? To those who were wondering where I went, don't worry, nothing life-threatening occurred. Just had a lot of clerical work to take care of, which actually does pertain to this story and others I am writing.
I went back and did a lot of editing and revisions because I wasn't happy with some things I put to paper. Instead of stewing on them, I went ahead and changed up some material I had already established. Chapters 1, 2, and 3 of this story were altered, which took time away from finishing this chapter. The changes aren't story-altering but are there to add further to the story. I've also been editing my other story Make Me a Hero in tandem and the process has been grueling. Ugh.
Anyway, I was sitting on this chapter for a while. Sorry it's so late. Please enjoy.
Balthus Albrecht hated two things: not having control and being forgotten about.
And as it so happened, both of these things were happening to him simultaneously.
The situation back at the luggage kiosk spiraled out of his control. Being the man that he was, when he did something wrong, every fiber of his being wanted to right his missteps and make things right again. Hilda called it a fool's errand but it was how he rolled. He wouldn't be Balthus Albrecht otherwise.
Of course, he didn't go out of his way to help everyone he came across. His work would never end if he did. But if people came to him, asking for his help, he gave it his all, especially if said person was a woman. Who was he to deny a hapless maiden in her time of need?
Mind you, he had no impure intentions. Hilda would beat the stuffing out of him if she so much as caught a whiff of him being a cad, and for matters like these, she had the sense of bloodhound. And she most definitely could beat the tar outta him. Just like Holst, but his dueling days were "long behind him" as Goneril's president would often say.
Lies, Balthus thought. Holst loves to throw down as much as I do.
And he would most definitely throw Balthus down if he saw just how mucked up this entire situation was.
The hoodie wearing girl approached him and asked him if he had seen her bag anywhere. He took it upon himself to find the girl her bag or help him God his name wasn't Balthus Albrecht.
As it turned out, Hilda and her new group were right next to the bag all along, and Delthea's boyfriend had dug through the damn thing. Anyone would be pissed in that situation. Even if he wasn't the one who had done the deed, Balthus felt just as guilty. He hadn't helped the person who needed his aid properly. It was a debt he had racked up and Balthus loathed owing people anything. Having once lived out on the streets, that lesson was whipped into him early on.
So before Hilda could hash out the situation with Byleth and Delthea, Balthus took off in pursuit of Hoodie Girl. He planned on telling her she left some stuff behind as well as giving her an apology. He screwed up. He needed to own up to it.
Only issue was, he was looking for a petite girl in a black hood in a swirling mass of people. It was like looking for a legit dollar bill in a briefcase full of counterfeits. Don't ask him how he knew this. And on top of it all, he hadn't even caught her name. He was out of earshot to have heard Byleth, Delthea, or Hilda mention anything about the girl's name.
"Probably shoulda thought for a minute before I threw myself into this mess…" he grumbled under his breath.
It's what Hilda and Holst would be yelling into his ear if they were here right now. But his buddy Holst was hundreds of miles away, working on some corporate paperwork that Balthus would never touch with a ten foot pole. And Hilda…
Well, Hilda kinda forgot about him. Which never happens.
The faux-duel at the train station was a big break for him, finally finding the girl but it also threw a dilemma in his face. He saw Hilda and her little group start boarding the train but he also saw Hoodie Girl just out the corner of his eye fleeing the scene. Like usual, he acted without thinking.
He made sure to study her appearance well during the duel to not lose sight of her after it ended. It was tough, but he could just barely make out a small person dashing away, tufts of white hair flowing out from beneath her hood.
And as usual, he gave chase without taking a moment to think.
Balthus was unusually fast for someone his size. Years of being a drifter taught him all the neat little tricks of bobbing and weaving in and out of crowds.
Even so, before long, Hoodie Girl disappeared from beneath his nose. It felt almost like Hoodie Girl knew he was tailing her and intentionally gave him the slip. And before he had time to run his mouth afoul, the piercing whistle of the train rang loud and clear.
Hilda's train was departing. To make matters worse, she was holding onto his ticket for him. She normally would have called him by now and gave him an earful for being late but upon checking his phone, Balthus found his recent history to be filled with nothing but unread messages from Holst.
Probably curious about how Hilda is doing, Balthus mused to himself. He DID crash and end her vacation early.
But back to Hilda. Not seeing Hilda try to contact or reach him in any shape or form was slightly disheartening but Balthus knew Hilda wasn't the type to simply forget about these things. The huge swath of message log after message log behind Holst's unread ones were proof. Hilda must have had a good reason for not being able to reach him.
It had him worried.
One, because Holst asked him to do a job in accompanying Hilda to Heroes Academy, making sure she didn't plan on running away at the last second.
And two, Hilda was like a little sister to him. He may not be Holst, but he was close enough to know all the little quirks in her behavior. From how she would become a little monster when woken up rudely from a nap to twirling her hair when she was attempting to sweet talk someone into doing a favor for her. There were only two reasons why Hilda would suddenly 'forget' to do something so routinely ingrained within her.
And Balthus didn't like either of them. They both brought back bad memories.
He had to make sure she was doing okay. So, he boarded the train at the last second. It really was 'the last second' in every sense of the term. Any later and he would have turned into Balth-swiss-cheese. Jumping on board a moving train was not on his itinerary for the day and something he didn't want to reattempt in the near future.
Getting on board was a success, but it raised another problem. He wasn't exactly in the train. He was on the train car's roof as it sped its way down the tracks. Balthus had to stick low to the roof's surface to avoid hitting the metal railings the train whisked by. Raising his head any higher would not only ruin his hair but probably just about every bone in his body. He liked where his bones were and would rather keep what he had left inside, not all over.
"Probably should have thought this through, too," he said to no one in particular, barely hearing his own voice over the rushing wind assaulting him from all sides. Moving up or down the train was slow going, as he had to cling to the roof to both avoid getting hit off and blown off.
It was only after passing Sunset Bridge did things start calming down.
The overhanging railings were gone now and the train was going at a more comfortable pace, comfortable enough for him to feel like standing up from where he was. If Hilda could see him now, she'd probably have a heart attack from shock. Oh, who was he kidding. She'd probably just roll her eyes and tell him to get down before he hurt himself. Despite being the older one of the two, sometimes it felt like the opposite.
He still had to find a way to get into the train somehow. Balthus was confident in his upper body strength and knew he could probably swing down to the side of the train car and attempt to open the doors, but that probably wasn't all that safe. It'd also spook the passengers if he just happened to swing his way inside of a moving train, not discounting how he already looked. He'd rather not have his first time back in a long time at the Academy campus be in handcuffs and in the back of a police cruiser.
That left him two options: Move forward and try to slip down onto the passages that connected the train cars or move backwards and hope there was an open rear deck to this train and enter from there.
The first option appealed to him because, even though Balthus was technically atop the last car of the train, he was within walking range to the gap between the two cars. However, his optimism was quickly dashed when he realized that the Heroes Academy Express didn't have any open gaps between the train cars. They were enclosed in a large silicone funnel reminiscent of those long buses he saw cruising along bustling city roads.
It only left him with the option of moving backwards to enter the train from the rear deck, assuming there was one. He remembered the older model having one. This train was a newer one, judging by how fresh the wax job looked everywhere. He prayed that his luck would hold.
Slowly, Balthus trudged step by step to the rear of the train car. He kept his posture low to ensure his center of gravity was close to the roof. That way, even if he were to fall, he would sprawl atop the train car instead of rolling off and getting chewed up by the dirt below or the train's gears.
Step. Pause. Step. Pause.
Balthus looked back and examined how much progress he made.
…
It was going to be a long trip.
After what felt like an eternity of step-crawling in the most uncomfortable way possible, Balthus could see the end in sight. A sigh of relief escape his lungs. This entire ordeal was almost as mentally grueling as that one time he hiked a mountain to track down a runaway Hilda.
It was when they were kids. The Goneril duo got into a huge spat at their mountainside villa that Balthus was invited to tag along to. He remembered the situation with perfect clarity, even now.
…
Hilda had locked herself away in her room for most of the getaway and Holst was trying to get her to be out and mingle with the other people that were there. For once, Holst was pretty successful.
The only issue was he had to list just about every fault he could find with her to do so. Holst had a much looser tongue when he was younger, a side effect of hanging out with Balthus, and he ended up saying some hurtful things to his younger sister, things he honestly didn't mean or think.
But the deed was done.
Hilda slammed open the door, beaning Holst right in the face with it, and stormed away, dashing out of the house. And boy, did she get him good.
Holst had always been a glutton for punishment, even when they were younger. He had a reputation for having an iron jaw and an even tougher constitution. But even he couldn't withstand Hilda's fury at the moment. He was concussed, completely knocked out and sprawled unflatteringly on the expensive rug atop the wooden floorboards. Oh the headlines tabloids would write if they caught the sight of this.
With Holst out cold and the other house servants wide-eyed and losing their heads, Balthus did what he always did best.
Long story made short, he combed the neighboring mountainside for hours in search of the runaway girl, finally finding her sitting beneath a tree atop a small outcropping bordering a waterfall. She always had an eye for finding hidden places like these.
Balthus convinced her to come back, saying that Holst honestly didn't mean to say any of the things he did and that he was sorry. Of course, Balthus didn't hear it directly from the horse's mouth but he knew that Holst really did love his younger sister, even if he was a bit of an ass at showing it.
Hilda wanted to stay out longer, to "rub it in Holst's face for being a butt," but a child at her age could persist outside alone for only so long. Her grumbling stomach and Balthus's heartfelt convincing brought an end to her defiance, and the two made it home before dinnertime.
He basically carried her on his back the whole way. Hilda's expensive shoes were not meant for such rough trekking and had been ruined, not to mention how much they chafed and bruised her feet. Balthus never forgot how much his thighs burned from that hike, and how much his head ached from having to deal with Hilda's constant nagging the whole piggyback down. Even after he had gone to bed that day, her shrill voice was still ringing in his ears and dreams.
…
He could almost faintly hear the girl's voice now.
Still, it was a memory he held close to his heart. It was the event that brought him closer than ever to Hilda.
And it was the last moment he shared with the Gonerils before he ran away from home. That was ten years ago.
It had been only a couple years since he reunited with the two, Holst and Hilda. Despite dropping out of their lives for a good while, his childhood friends welcomed him back with open arms. It was one true debt that he would never be able to repay.
And it was also why Balthus was at Holst's mercy to do all sorts of things for Hilda's sake.
Like jump-boarding onto a moving passenger train.
Though his body protested, deep inside, Balthus was more than happy to oblige.
He finally reached the overhang that roofed over the rear deck entrance. It was several meters wide, supported up by several large windows on the side, and shielded about half of the rear deck from the sun.
The rear deck itself was nothing too special; just a small little patio-like rest area where passengers could come out and shoot the shit with one another if being inside was too stuffy. Perfectly spaced guard rails enclosed the deck to ensure that even the most spatially challenged wouldn't tumble off. It also meant that if Balthus slipped while getting down from the roof, he wouldn't roll to his doom. He was itching to finally get down to some stable ground.
Balthus was about to start climbing down when he heard a distinct mechanical sliding noise from beneath him accompanied by the pressurized hiss of air.
It was the sound of doors opening.
If someone saw him now, it'd spell a lot of trouble. Not just for him, but for Hilda.
Balthus immediately went flat on his stomach along the roof to diminish his presence. At times like these, it didn't help to have such a hulking body, his pride and joy. Oh, the plight of refined and defined physique!
He cautiously peered over the roof, doing his best to make a peep, to see if anyone was coming down further. If he had the chance, Balthus could swing down from the roof and roll into the doorway before whoever came out could see him.
It was a fantastic plan. Only problem was, Balthus remembered doing something incredibly similar as a kid to sneak away from Hilda after he upset her. As it turned out, doing amateur Balthus acrobatics was incredibly dangerous and incredibly loud, not to mention incredibly stupid.
Balthus was absolutely sure he could emerge from this unscathed but while remaining completely silent? About as likely as this train exploding right now.
No, he'd better save the gymnastics for another day. All he would have to do was wait until the person went back inside. Though patience wasn't one of Balthus's strong suits, persistence was. It would only be a matter of time before an opportunity to get down presented itself. All he needed to do was bid his time and hope this individual wrapped up their business quick.
However, it didn't take long for Balthus to realize that the person who came out wasn't here for a quick breath of fresh air. When he heard a voice talking aloud, he nearly groaned out of frustration.
A phone call. Just my luck.
He could make out the serious voice and pacing footsteps beneath him as the phone called carried on. Whatever the conversation was about, it sounded pretty serious, meaning, it wasn't going to end anytime soon. He would have to wait and pass the time.
At least, that was the plan.
"The Goneril girl. Hilda. What do you make of her?"
Time froze around him. Concern immediately flared across his mind. Who was this person and what did they want with Hilda?
Balthus's thoughts immediately went towards darker, nefarious possibilities. He was keenly aware of notoriety the Goneril name carried. Despite being a respectable company and an even more respectable family, that hadn't spared the Gonerils from their fair share of enemies, people who vied for the besmirching of the Goneril name. Was it possible that such people had boarded the train? His fist began clenching, like on auto-pilot.
… No, Balthus had to calm down. This wasn't like his previous line of work. He was on board a train full of snot-nosed Channeling brats, who probably hadn't even developed their Affinities yet, headed towards one of the most renowned, and heavily secured, schools on the planet. If anyone was planning on doing something as daring as staging a kidnapping on board a train heading towards somewhere like that, they were either incredibly bold or ridiculously stupid.
Still, Balthus couldn't discount any possibilities once he had considered them, even if they were infinitesimal. Complacency is the death of security after all.
It was the reason why Balthus was even assigned to be with Hilda throughout today.
He'd listen to the rest of the conversation and determine for himself if the person talking was a threat. If what the person was saying raised enough red flags, he'd step into the conversation himself and introduce himself with his fists.
Balthus immediately put his ear against the roof. He wasn't the eavesdropping type, but Hilda's business was Holst's business, which conversely made it his business. He'd get to the bottom of this and see what exactly this person wanted with Hilda.
"… Well, any ideas?"
Pause.
"… Yes, I am of the same opinion. Much stronger than… letting on…"
Alarms began sounding again in his head. The amount of people who knew of Hilda's actual channeling prowess could be counted on one hand, the number of people who could probably figure it out, even less so.
Average dumb thugs wouldn't even take into channeling into consideration when pulling off a hit. It was why such types were stuck being thugs to begin with. This person was of a different caliber if they were taking these angles into account.
Cheap thugs would be nothing but a nuisance and a bad day for Hilda. She could take care of herself, even if Balthus refused to admit it at times. But if her enemy was a Channeler? Well, then shit just went from 0 to 99. Not exactly 100 because Balthus was the Almighty King of–
Oops. He got distracted thinking of his less-than-glorious glory days. He shifted his senses and attention back to the phone caller.
"… Keep… on her?"
Pause.
"… Alright. We can do that…"
They were setting something into motion. Balthus couldn't make out the exact specifics, no thanks to the wind rushing around him, but he was sure it involved Hilda. That meant whatever this was involved him as well.
About time he introduced himself.
But as Balthus was about to swing off of the rear deck overhang, he heard rapid footsteps rushing backwards into the cabin. The sound of the pressurized door opening told him as much.
No, wait! This ain't the time for that!
He needed to get down fast! He had to see who this strange caller was! If they went inside before he caught a glimpse, he'd lose his only lead!
Mustering his strength, he swiftly jumped down from the rear deck roof, landing as quietly as he could on the rear deck. There was still an audible thud when he landed but there was no time to lose.
Feeling the coursing of adrenaline through his veins, Balthus quietly activated the channeling conduits along his body as well. He hadn't survived the streets with brute strength alone… Mostly.
He wasn't fully Channeled yet but he would make do. He stepped forward, into the doorway's sensors, and the mechanical door hissed open. All he needed to do now was take a good look at who was on the phone.
A flash of white.
Huh, I thought there'd be more—
Balthus didn't know what exactly happened in that moment. One second he was stepping into the rear cabin of the express train, the next he was enveloped in sheer white. It hadn't even registered in his brain that his feet were no longer touching the ground.
Then, in that vast expanse of white, he caught a glimpse of her.
That brown-haired girl from earlier.
Why couldn't he remember her name? Ah, it'd probably come to him later. Wait a sec, what was he trying to do again? Why did he run into the train cabin? Wasn't he chasing after someone? This insanely blinding light must've been getting to him. It was playing tricks on his brain. And now, his eyes too.
He noticed that the girl was getting further and further away from him but she wasn't moving. Oh, so he was the one who was moving. Makes sense. This was a train after all.
Balthus felt a small grin forming on his face, a shallow chuckle escaping past his lips.
"No wonder she kept her affinity a secret."
Then was promptly blasted out of the train.
Chapter End
Author's Note: Hope everyone is doing well. Sorry for the lack of updates. Once I finish my revision process for my other story, there should be an uptick in the frequency of new chapters. That's what I'm hoping, at least. And hopefully, my schedule allows for that.
Anway, until the next update.
Have yourselves a damn good one.
