Chapter 11: The Challenges of Youth
Inside a well known house that rested in one of the most scenic neighborhoods in London a rather raucous annual gathering was already in full swing as the family patriarch who resided there with his wife underwent his yearly ritual of embarrassing his children and amusing his grandchildren by roaming the event dressed as Santa Claus while distributing gifts. The squeals and laughter were periodically carrying into the backyard where one of his eldest daughter's sons was entertaining himself alone by performing his usual shadow boxing routines. Despite the cold and the snow that was covering the area as a light shower of flurries continued to fall, the boy continued to practice while his face glistened with a hard earned sweat that he was always proud to nurture when given the chance. After throwing another volley of punches at his imaginary opponent, he finally took a moment to relax and catch his breath. Not long afterwards, he heard footsteps crunching in the snow behind him as someone else departed the house full of revelry.
"Feel free to ditch everyone else but don't ever leave me alone with grandpa again." his cousin joked.
"You snooze, you lose Noah. I saw my chance to slip away, so I took it." the boy playfully joked.
"Just remember, you're due for some payback." Noah joked back. "You know Aunt Allie is going to get on your case again if she catches you out here."
"So what? Mom is always chewing me out for something." Keith replied nonchalantly. "That's one of the reasons why I had to get away from everything, at least for a little while."
"So I'm guessing you two are still, uh, butting heads?" Noah gently asked after walking over and joining his cousin. The two boys often held discussions about their daily routines and relationships with their friends and parents. They weren't just cousins, they were best friends and had shared a great deal with each other over the years.
"It's gotten worse ever since Jayce announced his plans to join the Alliance once he's old enough. I'm happy for him, I am, but Noah…I'm not like him or the others. Our parents, Granddad, Grandma, they all say we're free to follow whatever paths we want but let's face it-being part of the Shepard family makes any future outside of the Alliance pretty damn hard to pursue." Keith explained.
"I know what you mean." Noah sympathized. "At least you don't have to carry the name. At the end of the day, you're a Hawkins after all. The situation's a little more awkward for me."
"Uncle David would never pressure you into anything. He's probably the coolest guy in this family in that regard." Keith assured him.
"You're right, he wouldn't. But think about everything he's done. If I didn't join up once we're older, what would everyone else think?"
"They'd think enough of us have already followed in our parents' footsteps." Keith defiantly stated. "Jayce, Benji, Aiden, Ollie, Cammie and let's not forget about the sorceress herself. Enough of us have already taken up the torch, Noah. When the time comes, I'm making my own decisions. Mom won't approve but I've never been able to please her anyway so it won't really matter. Maybe Dad will understand…"
He and his cousin remained silent following his declaration as snow continued to fall. "So, what are we going to do?" Noah finally pondered. "Eleven may be a little early to start making plans to move out but we aren't exactly normal, are we?" he humorously added before chuckling.
"Being the black sheep of this family, how could we be?" Keith joked.
"Have you talked to Kevin about it? Or Angelica? Your girlfriend might have some good advice too." Noah teased.
"Layla isn't my-just shut up." Keith spluttered in embarrassment. "Sometimes I envy her. Her and Angelica." he quietly admitted. "It's obvious to everyone how much the Terminus Hunter hates the Alliance but that didn't stop him from supporting Angelica when she made her decision to enlist. His kids don't have to worry about disappointing anyone or living up to some lofty family legacy of heroics."
"True, but it's not like they don't have anything to prove. That guy is a legend even in Citadel Space." Noah reminded him.
"Maybe, but it's a different kind of fame and a different kind of reputation." Keith replied before releasing a sigh and watching his breath briefly swirl in the cold before dissipating. "Layla says I should stop obsessing about everything and just do what I want when the time comes. Kev said something similar but then again, he and I have always been on similar wavelengths. He's planning to join the Urban Combat Championship League after polishing his skills as a professional fighter."
"You're kidding?!"
"Nope, he's dead serious. Let's keep this between us for now though. He hasn't told anyone other than me and Dad and if Mom gets wind of it, she'll freak out like she always does whenever one of us doesn't live up to the perfect example that Angelica and Jayce have set." Keith replied with a hint of disdain.
"So I guess you aren't planning to ask her for advice. Now that I think about it, that might be for the best." Noah concluded. "But Angelica could at least help you and Aunt Allie-"
"I love Angelica, nothing will ever change that. But I can't shake the feeling that in a few years, she and I are going to be two totally different people." Keith cut in. "And I know this may sound messed up but I've always been closer to Leanne. Don't get me wrong, Angelica is my big sister and always will be but…"
"Yeah, I know. It's pretty much like that for me too." Noah sympathized. "I tend to keep those feelings to myself for Cammie's sake though."
"I wonder what she's planning to do once she leaves Grissom." Keith pondered. "I heard she's already gotten offers from half the corporations in the galaxy to come work for them."
"I'm not surprised. She's a wizard level tech genius who's even faced down biotics. The Alliance has been drooling over her too. Imagine how smug they'd be if they managed to recruit Miss Sublime herself. They'd be able to brag about having the Biotic Sorceress and her techno mage cousin." Noah scoffed. "I hope they aren't harassing her too much. I don't want to see Leanne become a soldier."
"Don't worry, she won't." Keith assured him. "This is Leanne we're talking about. She's the last one who'd ever join the Alliance. She's just too cool to end up with those stiffs."
"I'm glad you think so." A familiar voice chimed in as an attractive teenager in a light blue parka zoomed past while riding an oversized drone that was decorated in a large, decorative wreath of holly. After circling her cousins, she quickly dismounted and took a moment to remove her hood and toss her long, dark hair back before peering into the night sky that was still showering the neighborhood with snow flurries. "I hope you two aren't brooding again. I don't mind you playing hooky from Grandpa's goofiness as long as you aren't sulking while you do it."
"Are you going to rat us out if we are?" Keith playfully inquired.
"No, but I will punish you myself." she joked while smiling at them. "So, what are my baby cousins worrying about this time?"
"The usual." Noah replied earnestly. "Plus you." he quietly added.
"Why? No, never mind. You heard about the Alliance offer, right? And you're both thinking I'll run off to join Angelica to make some kind of dream team of young Shepards who're dedicated to eradicating the galaxy's evils and restoring peace and order to a universe gone mad and-"
She abruptly stopped after failing to restrain her laughter any longer and after awhile her younger cousins joined her chuckles. "You two are impossible." she stated in exasperation after their laughter finally subsided. "This family has more than enough overeager paragons in the making and Leanne Shepard isn't one of them. I'm planning to do whatever the hell I want once I'm eighteen and I don't really care what my parents or the Alliance have to say about it."
"And Uncle Ethan and Aunt Zoe are okay with that attitude?" Noah asked while raising an eyebrow.
"Not really but Grandpa Jacob has my back so I'm good to go." she replied in a casual demeanor before gently placing a hand on each of her younger cousins' cheeks. "We're our own people, don't ever forget that." Both boys raised a hand and slowly grasped hers before being abruptly pulled by their older cousin who was once again smiling while dragging them towards the house. "Now, I think it's about time we head back before anyone notices we're missing. Angelica just got here but it won't be long before everyone stops gushing over her and starts forming a search party once they find out we're gone."
"I guess you're right. Maybe we can disappear later and watch some vids in the den while Grandpa talks shop with the other soldiers and the future hopefuls." Noah sighed.
"Assuming my mother doesn't force me to listen or lecture me herself." Keith grumbled.
"Don't worry, I'll make sure we have some privacy." Leanne promised. "And while we ruin the festive atmosphere by watching a bunch of over the top action vids, you can tell me all about your little girlfriend from the Abyss." she cheerfully continued, causing Keith to grow slightly embarrassed. "And that older brother of hers…" she quietly added while thinking of a certain member of the Hunter brood.
"Nate, this is crazy." Victor anxiously stated while walking with his friend who had recently decided to follow through on what he believed to be an act of suicide.
"Don't insult me V. I've done way crazier in the past and you know it." Nate leisurely replied as they both continued their walk through one of the most dangerous areas on Cartagena Station.
The Cobalt District may have had an unassuming name but the brutality that it held within its confines was infamous. It was arguably the most treacherous region of the entire station where all manner of cutthroats congregated and resided. The unruly bunch of killers that called the place home weren't above making a few unfortunate passersby disappear if they happened to get lost and wander inside the seedy realm of questionable opportunities and the only man they were actually afraid of threatening was the Terminus Hunter himself who grudgingly accepted their presence and the district itself as a 'necessary evil' that he had to tolerate. Young Nathan Hunter and his friend were treading a dangerous line. His father may have ruled the station but he had also entered an ominous den of the worst criminals in the Nemean Abyss, uninvited. Nathan's name wouldn't mean much in this territory and if they weren't careful, they could easily find themselves at the mercy of the unsavory elements that controlled the area.
"Nate, the guy doesn't bother meeting with anyone other than Mal and Grace. And Mal is the only one who's ever had the balls to visit him here." Victor cautioned while maintaining his guard as dozens of eyes from the shadows of the darkened tenements that they passed peered at them from the darkness.
"That stubborn old bastard is gonna hear me out for once." Nate persisted. "And I'm not leaving until he does."
"Why is this so important to you anyway?" Victor asked curiously.
"V, right now I'm the weak link." Nate quietly replied. "Lou is a fucking beast and everyone knows it. He's got almost all of Dad's strengths and abilities plus a few that he doesn't. He's been getting personal instruction from both our fathers and so has Leon. Meanwhile, Liv has been getting tutored by Aria herself whenever she visits and Layla and Sasha have been learning from the best biotics in the Nemean Abyss and the Terminus Systems. Wrandok is planning to take Ray under his wing and Jordy's got Rika and Libra's attention with his blade techniques. They're all leaving me behind…"
"Come on, it's not that serious. My Dad has always been in love with Lou, all the adults are. They'd all leap at the chance to teach him and all of the Terminus Wolves pitch in to train you guys." Victor assured him in yet another effort to dissuade his friend from venturing any further into the den of darkness that they were currently strolling through.
"It's not the same and you know it." Nate snapped. "They've all got mentors, personal teachers who are handing down their skills personally. More than anything, I wish I could be Dad's pupil but I can't." he lamented.
"Why?"
"V, look at me." Nate ordered after coming to a stop and facing his friend. "I may have more muscle than an average human but compared to my brothers I'm a lightweight. Ray is already getting brawnier, in a few years he'll be even bigger. Lou and Leon may as well be punching tanks in their spare time. Jordy's no shrimp either and they can all use their biotic focus to tap into their atavistic muscle structures to bulk up even more. I'm the only one who can't." he sadly explained.
"I don't remember Vince being able to do it either and neither can any of your sisters except for Liv. Nate, I think you're being way too hard on yourself. That's a really advanced and ridiculously complicated technique." Victor replied while consoling his friend.
"You just don't get it." Nate replied in exasperation before releasing a sigh. "Vince is adopted, so it's not that big of a deal for him. He can make up for any physical shortcomings with his knowledge of tech or biotics. But I don't have his brains or resourcefulness."
"Damn it Nate, you're better than everyone in our class when it comes to-"
"It's not enough. Not if I want to climb to the top in my family, not if I'm going to protect them. I can't even make a barrier. That's Dad's signature move, his best abilities all stem from it." Nate continued in agitation.
"So what? Vince can't either-Alright, fine!" Victor angrily countered but stopped short after seeing the irritated look that his friend was giving him after mentioning his oldest brother yet again. "But Liv doesn't use barriers either and you don't see her whining."
"Liv can create annihilation fields strong enough to tear mechs apart. She doesn't need one and defense isn't her style. On top of that she can use biotic flares just like Dad and Aria." Nate muttered before resuming his walk towards their destination.
"Tell me you aren't complaining about not being able to do that?" Victor asked with an air of indignation. "Nate, practically nobody outside of Aria and your Dad can use that technique."
"Except for Liv. And Lou. Oh, and Leon." Nate sarcastically replied before shaking his head. "It may all sound petty to you but stuff like this tends to eat away at me. When I really stop to think about it, what advantage do I really have over any of them?"
"You're the best shot in the family outside of your mother." Victor offered. "You've also got the best biotic pull out of everyone on this station and you're damn near impossible to hit in hand-to-hand."
"Well goody for me." Nate sneered while continuing his march forward. "Nobody around here takes me seriously and that's fine. But I refuse to be the family weakling. Especially when they're all going to need me to watch their backs someday." he vowed.
After several more minutes of walking they finally arrived at their destination, a small, rundown house that stood next door to a broken down casino that appeared to still be operating based on the loud sounds of cursing and drunken laughter that could be heard from inside. While glancing at the establishment both boys were immediately caught off guard when a familiar figure suddenly decloaked behind them and rested a hand on each of their shoulders.
"Boo."
The teenagers nearly leapt from their skins but quickly calmed themselves after turning around and identifying the stranger. "It's nice to see you're the same dick you always were, Randall." Nate bitterly greeted while staring at the man.
"Which one are you again? Oh, right. The brat who keeps begging me to teach him." Randall mused. "By the way, how's your younger brother doing? Tell him I haven't changed my mind. I'm not giving Grace to just anybody, I don't care what she says."
"Ray is fine and Grace could do a lot worse than him." Nate quickly replied. "I'm here on business old man and I'm not taking no for an answer this time." he defiantly added.
"You're a persistent pain in the ass, I'll give you that." Randall calmly replied before releasing a yawn. "Let me ask you something Mister Middle Child, what are you hoping to gain from training with me?"
"Isn't it obvious? Power. I know your history Randall and I've seen what you can do. You've got some techniques no one's ever seen before and you're a triple threat. Biotics, infiltration, and frontline fighting-You're definitely the guy I need to whip me into shape. I may not have my Dad's powers but maybe I can learn a few of yours." Nate explained while staring determinedly back at the old veteran standing before him.
Randall simply returned the stare as if he were contemplating something. "If you're really serious about this punk, you'd damn well better realize what you're getting yourself into. If you roll with me, you'll learn how to kill, quickly and efficiently. I won't be molding you into a warrior, you'll be a killer-the walking embodiment of death. An assassin if need be, a one man artillery if the situation calls for it and a sharpshooter no matter what. It's not a glamorous path and there won't be any turning back once we start." he warned the youth.
"Good, I don't need you backing out on me." Nate replied while smiling.
"Stupid punk." Randall replied before shaking his head. "Well, we'd better walk your little friend back home before we get started. I'll also have to let your old man know that you'll be spending a few weeks with me in this hellhole. I hope you know what you're getting yourself into."
However, Nate was fully aware of what he was getting himself into and he couldn't be happier. The first phase of his plan was officially underway. Very soon he'd be acquiring the necessary skills in order to move onto the next phase while continuing to wear the mask of a clown for everyone else in the process. No one outside of his parents and best friend would know about his training with Randall. In a family full of warriors, sometimes a ghost was necessary-a ghost that was already planning to protect his brothers and sisters from the shadows in the dangerous times to come.