(During Issue 8: WITCH goes home after concert)
"So you guys were wearing these when Officer Lair met you?" Eric chuckles as he looks at the ID's with the names 'HAY LIN' and 'WILL' in all caps on top with the word 'V.I.P'. "So these ID's names saved your life from being arrested. " He chuckles.
After the Futurdome incident, the four boys meet out back at Golden's to clarify things up about what they had earlier, especially with their secrets exposed, to the nerdy yet honor student of Sheffield Institute.
"The Guardians' names' in fact saved us." Ray says. "Yet I didn't know why the five of them were present when you said that they attacked Cedric. Heck! We defeated him first when we sent him back to Meridian!"
"Wait wait wait!" Martin shakes his hands in the air as he stops them. "Hold on! Now what is this—Guardians thing then?"
"So far do you get everything that we told you?" Nigel asks.
"Let's see—umm…"Martin thinks. "I somehow get the concept of legionates, legion, Meridian conflict, and this Kandra—whatever thing this heaven place is, yet I didn't know what this 'Guardians' thing is."
"The five Guardians are the present protectors of a large and vast universe since the ancient times." Eric explains. "Their powers came from an ancient pendant known as the 'Heart of Kandrakar' which gave them the power to hold the each of them the four basic elements and energy. For each generation a new set of young Guardians were chosen."
"And these Guardians, one of them are Will and Hay Lin? My schoolmates!" Martin surprisingly exclaims.
"Yes yes! But don't be too loud and just keep it to yourself." Nigel hushes. "The rest of the Guardians are also their friends and our schoolmates as well, Cornelia, Taranee and—"
"My Irma?" Martin cuts him off and blushes.
'My?' Ray and Eric say to themselves as they easily read Martin's shy and awkward gesture.
"Err—T-That's right." Nigel replies and sighs. 'Is he really this easy to expose himself in the open like that? And I thought he was just tense during the museum incident.'
"So they're fighting off bad monsters just as the once I saw at the basement?" Martin shyly says.
"Yeah, but you don't have to worry about them, especially 'your Irma', because they are the 'Guardians'." Ray explains. "Their powers alone are enough to fight off their enemies. Heck! Even our powers couldn't match theirs." He says.
"I see that's good to hear—h-hey!" Martin says but blushes more as he hears a certain name. "Cupcake—err—I-Irma's just a friend of mine—er…and she declared it so!"
The three Vanguards looks at him with a flat and blank expression on their faces. 'He's too easy to read!'
"Anyway, since we told you everything that you want to know." Eric says. "I think it's only fair that you should too tell us about yourself and how you find us."
Martin then replies with a silent gloomily stares blank at the window beside him as he tries to take everything in and thinks of a good start where to start his story.
"I wanted to be the smartest student of the batch because I think it's the only thing I'm good at." Martin explains.
"It's too awkward to say this but, I was born to be a helpless, dull and clumsy guy." Martin explains. "I realized I don't have the looks for the girls to like me nor do I have a body to play sports or even defend myself from big bullies. I'm happy though for who and what I am and I still do it anyway even though I'm clumsy as a dork, yet there was a time that I desire to be special and extraordinary from everyone else, so a single goal: the path to be the smartest and knowledgeable among the class."
"So you'd rather be a 'master of one' than a 'jack of all trades'" Eric relates on a famous quote.
"It's embarrassing to say it but yes." Martin continues. "I may be an extremist but through the years I trained my mind to the limits as I undergo tense pressure of studying and learning everything, and those years somehow bloomed when I finally achieved something that others couldn't, being the smartest students of the school, until Nigel said something to me…"
Ray and Eric looks at Nigel in surprise. "How could you Nigel?" he reprimands sarcastically.
"I just talked to him!" Nigel says and looks at Martin. "Wait I'm sorry Martin but I can't remember. Did I say something offensive back then?" he says as he tries to recalls.
"Oh no, don't worry it's not a deep issue." Martin negates. "I remembered the day I was frightened by a large lizard creature on front of me. For the first time since, I doubted myself of what appeared before me. I thought I knew everything or at least knew what I have seen what was on front of me."
'Grantaire look what you have done.' Nigel blames to Grantaire to himself.
"But I just somehow remembered what you said to me after you believed everything that I said. That 'I may be the smartest in the class but you told me that there's more than I already knew', and that made me feel so kind of sad. You must understand, intelligence is the only thing left to redeem for who I am and I don't want anyone to get the better of me."
"Say, it seems that I remembered it now." Nigel says embarrassingly. "I'm sorry, Martin I didn't know it that hurt you a lot." He apologizes.
"Theory." Eric says. "So you researched about this lizard you find or you followed and stalked Nigel?"
"Actually—umm I did both, so I'm sorry Nigel for stalking you because I can't literally help myself." Martin hesitatingly apologizes. "When I tried to hit the books to research and found nothing on the large lizard, I followed him wherever he goes. But it's not like always, just sometimes whenever I had the free time."
"And what did you found out?" Ray asks.
"Nothing much actually because I never had the time during the nights and sometimes you would be with Uriah's gang or Taranee. "But there was one time that I followed you to Clearview Crossing, I followed you under the tunnel and realized you were gone in an instant, so that kept me wondering. Recently, I also noticed how you could sneak yourself through the subway station after you were done with your community service every night. Finally, I found out when I heard you conversing among yourselves of a portal in Futurdome this afternoon here in Golden's and after you left I soon followed you. Since I'm one of the staffers of the event, I am able to enter the basement and when I found you were in trouble as you were attacked by a more monstrous creature, I fired my gun."
"And it was 'your' handgun right?" Ray clarifies. "Aren't you too young to be holding such a firearm—"
"Ssshh…" Martin hushes. "I know I need to have a license and I need to be eighteen years old to hold such a firearm, but it was only for his day because I was in charge of the security. You don't have to worry a bit much. You see, my mother was a former soldier of the army and every two days of the month we would go to the firing range and she would often teach me to shoot firearms."
"And let me guess, you stole that handgun from your mother didn't you?" Ray points out.
Martin heaves a sigh with guilt shown in his face. "I-I-I did."
Ray whistles in amusement. "Such a rebellious phase."
"I-It's just for this one time!" Martin shyly defends himself.
"But, I guess we should have also expressed our thanks to you." Ray says a she gives a thumbs up. "Without you're hand dandy firearm we could have been cooked alive!"
"S-Sure." Martin replies timidly.
"You know what, why don't you join our legion, Martin?" Eric announces abruptly. "You could a formidable ally to us."
"Oh m-me?" Martin stutters. "But I don't have powers like you guys."
"Actually, to be frank you're actually born to be one, as Nigel said to me back then." Eric says as he rolls up his shirt sleeve on his right until his shoulder. "Didn't you have this kind of tattoo?" he points out on a certain tattoo displayed on his shoulder, the symbol of Kandrakar with the letter 'L' written in runic in the middle.
"Why that's the same tattoo I have!" Martin exclaims as he places his hand on his back. "Here on my right shoulder blade!"
"That tattoo is the 'Legionate Sigil' the symbol of the Legions of Kandrakar. Legionates received their symbols after years of training in the academe in Kandrakar. Yours is a 'Destined Tattoo' which is very rare." Eric explains.
"Let me guess." Martin says. "I'm destined to become a legionate as well."
"That's right smarty-pants." Ray compliments. "But since you already have it, you're apparently ready to become one."
"B-But I-I don't feel any magic and I'm not fit to fight!" Martin reacts. "I feel like an ordinary being."
Ray suddenly chuckles and snickers as he glares at Eric's blank face reaction. "You don't have to laugh about it." Eric annoyingly replies.
"Is something the matter?" Martin replies as he notices them.
"Well you see in order to be a legionate, one has to be a mage by nature in which you have a unique magical ability." Nigel explains. "And Eric here isn't one, he's actually a pure human being."
"Really?" Martin asks.
"I was found by a former Guardian to whom I called 'Master' when I was a child, and she actually thought I was magical for some reason." Eric explains. "And when I enrolled to the academe, I was almost denied to enter but my master persuaded the academe heads that I could be a great skilled warrior instead."
"Eric, it's late in the evening now." Ray shows his cell to him. "Looks like my mom messaged me in all caps because we're still here, and also, we have school tomorrow." Ray gets up from his seat as the rest follows him to the exit.
"Oh and where did you live? You must be far away from here." Martin concernedly says.
"We live a hundred kilometers away from here actually." Eric replies. "A town called Open Hill up north."
"Is that it?! I'm so s-sorry that you're here for me tonight!" Martin apologizes.
"I'll accept your apology if you think about our invitation." Eric says as they get out from the restaurant as they meet the starry sky above them. "You may be a destined legionate and there is no escaping from that and I won't force you to join us. You may not be magical for now or ready to fight for now but you said you wanted to become the most knowledgeable being to define who you are." Eric grins at him.
Ray bumps his shoulder lightly on Martin. "Joining us would be a good experience for you to add in your encyclopedia mind of yours. Who knows, you may even find something more valuable than the knowledge you have."
Martin thinks for a while and a few seconds later, "I like the offer, but please give me time to think about it."
"Sure." Ray replies. "Well, we'll be in our way then."
"And remember, what we have conversed today is just between us and no one else." Eric reminds quietly at Martin. "Don't tell the Guardians nor your parents and family, our identities should be between us only, is that clear?"
"Yes, Eric." Martin replies.
"Good to see you, Martin." Eric says as he handshakes his hand and leaves off with Ray to the other direction as they walk to the nearest bus stop.
As Eric and Ray walk and drag their feet on heavy snow, "Did you remember what we have discussed today with Martin?" Eric asks Ray.
"And why are you asking?" Ray asks.
"I still think there's a lot more important topics that we need to discuss with him further." Eric explains. "I think we didn't tell him about our legionate powers, or details about the portals, or even a more through narrative about Meridian and especially Elyon, who in fact by the way is also a schoolmate of his."
"Just relax, Eric. You can't just bombard too much information in one sitting." Ray says. "Besides, he's still isn't sure on whether he would join us or not, so just keep the other details to yourself and when the time comes, we can even tell a great epic on how 'your' Elyon became the Light of Meridian!" he happily exclaims.
"Yeah, I guess you're right." Eric says. "Yet I disagree with the additional 'your' before Elyon. When was the time, just like Martin, I would place a 'my' to my crush's name?"
"No idea but such a brave man Martin is!" Ray says. "He may not have the looks, but I gave him my salutations for trying his best to hit on the cute girls."
Eric laughs a slight chuckle to Ray's joke, then looks at the starry night above. 'Cute girls huh…' he says to himself as he recalls to the cute girl he bumps into earlier though lasted only a few fast seconds, he could still somehow remember her beauty during that blurry darkness as she somehow shines like a bright star in his eyes.
'Yet somehow she seems kind of familiar to me and I don't know where.' Eric thinks thoroughly. 'Well whatever, I may not be able to see her again of a hundred people living in this town and it would be truly a cliché one if it will happen!'
