'Thoughts'
"Talking/English"
"Talking/Foreign language"
~ Parsel Tongue ~
[… Moon Cell talking in his head …]
…
Promise born from a misunderstanding
…
Returning to the penthouse with the girl in tow was… strange, to say the least.
Her reaction to the hotel, and the penthouse, was mostly muted and subtle, but the surprise and curiosity were there.
She did not talk much during that time, seemingly content in following him wherever he went, and that was a point in her favor, considering as Hadrian preferred the silence since he was not in the mood for chatter.
She was an observant little thing, taking in everything she saw, be it a new item, people, rooms… and exits.
The last one made Hadrian shake his head ruefully, as it gave him another hint of the girl's troubled past.
No teenager that young would take the time to note the distance and locations of exits upon entering a building.
While he may not be one to talk, given his own unique upbringing, even he knew that some of the girl's actions were somewhat uncommon in the standards of mundane society.
On the other hand, Hadrian managed to surprise her when he attended to her sprained ankle and gave her one of the guest rooms.
Given the wide-eyed look she sent him, she was obviously caught off guard when he left her on the guest room bed, only to come back with a first aid kit (a custom kind, one that was specifically made and passed onto high-ranking members of AEONS) for her sprain a minute later.
She was mostly quiet (but compliant) throughout the entire process when he patched her up, which made it easier on him.
The stare she gave him through it all was a bit unnerving though.
But Hadrian ignored it and simply went to work on attending to her sprained ankle as gently as he could.
Perhaps it was the unusual items that garnered a stare from her, considering as he did merely spread a small amount of special healing gel around her ankle and then covered the affected area up with some white bandages.
The gel was probably the most unusual as there had never been an item produced like it in any pharmaceutical store where anyone can simply purchase it.
If that were the case, then Hadrian could understand her behavior.
But, as an empath and someone experienced in judging one's character, he felt that that was not merely the case with her stare.
Not long after, evening came by, and he was just setting up the food on the table that the kitchen staff had recently delivered.
With his guest behaving in her room (thanks to the automaton checking for him), Hadrian thought to bring her some food, so she doesn't need to come down and put stress on her ankle.
Leaving his blazer, mask and weapons in the lounge, the covert mage made his way to the guest room, Maya following him in tow.
The door was easy to push since he had left it ajar. And when he entered, Hadrian was not surprised to see the young redhead was still awake.
But at least, she looked a bit relaxed now.
The girl was sitting up against the headboard and seemingly staring at something before her eyes landed on him due to the audible 'chink' of the doorknob turning.
Hadrian sighed in his head as he noticed her shoulders tensing once again, though it was a bit of an improvement as she only looked surprised this time.
Whether that was by his entrance or the food he brought, he doesn't know nor does he care.
"Here, I've brought you dinner, so you don't have to strain yourself in climbing the stairs back and forth." Hadrian explained in Russian.
He moved across the room and left the tray of food on the small dining table that was (luckily enough) near the bed she was currently occupying.
"Eat and rest for today. Just leave the dishes there once you're done. I'll pick them up later. We can talk tomorrow, so save any questions you have for now. Goodnight."
After saying his piece, Hadrian closed the door behind him and walked downstairs where his own food was waiting for him.
Maya was already ahead of him by the time he reached the table, climbing up on it and sitting on her hindquarters as she watched him sit.
Dinner had been a quiet affair. It was just him and Maya eating on the table, occasionally checking up on his guest who was also eating her food (via automaton's scan).
After washing the dishes and drying them, he placed the cleaned plates, glasses, and utensils on the service trolley. It was simply his way of easing on the kitchen staff's burden for his own mess.
Even though it was his first time staying at Crown Plaza, he had heard from his grandfather that the hotel was especially busy during the holidays due to its mass popularity all over the globe.
Hadrian debated on retrieving the dishes in the guest room, then shook his head and dismissed the idea.
The girl was already fast asleep, most likely tired from recent events and lulled to rest with having her belly filled with good food.
He could try and sneak his way inside to retrieve the dirty dishes, but he was sure that she would not appreciate his intrusion (even if he owns the entire penthouse).
The girl seemed to like her privacy and personal space, and he would rather not breach that line if he can help it
Granted, he owns the penthouse and was basically letting her stay here, but he gave her the room to have privacy and peace of mind, not to make her on guard around his presence.
Quietly making his way to the terrace with Maya held against his chest, Hadrian slid the glass panel closed after him and walked to the edge as he fished out his air pods and holo-phone.
After putting the earbuds on, he pressed on a name and made the call, waiting until it was finally picked up.
"Good evening, Sir Rey." The smooth and melodic voice of a British woman greeted from the other line.
"It's done." he said calmly, as if discussing the weather.
"I see. Then, the funds shall be transferred into your account within six hours. Is there anything else I can help you with?"
"Does the target have any hideouts with valuables?" he asked, smiling when Maya purred against his cheek as she leaned closer for his body heat.
"He does have a few. Would you like me to forward a request for a 'raid'?" The woman, an AEONS operator, asked.
"Yes, please."
"A fee will be made for this action. Five percent of your reward will go to the agents selected for the raid, and another five will go to the organization. Do you still wish to proceed?" She asked for confirmation.
Hadrian didn't know there was a fee, but he went with it anyways.
Although, he did mention Luka Azarro to lead the raids.
The man had been quite dependable during the time he escorted him to the hotel, and he knew that the man would get the raids done and smoothly without any issues.
It was the least he could do for the guy for being chosen as his personal aide during his time as Rey.
Luka was probably itching for some action after being assigned to babysit him.
After saying goodbye to the female operator, Hadrian received another call after a minute of silence.
Surprisingly, it was a video call from his baby sister, little Elsa.
Despite her age, Elysia Faye von Aelrheit already held signs of taking after their mother, Ava von Aelrheit.
Like her brother, she has long glossy black hair that is tinged with blue under direct light. Her hair was currently tied into a loose bun, bangs hanging just above her eyebrows. Unlike Hadrian though, her eyes were not a clear and piercing violet color, but a vibrant sky-blue color, almost closer to the disguise he was using now. She has the color of their father's eyes, while he with their mother's.
It was close to midnight in the UK, which is why his sister was currently wearing her white PJs.
Seeing her adorable smiling face, it was enough to make Hadrian smiling as well.
"Brother! Maya!" Elsa greeted happily.
"Well, good evening, little one." He returned with a short wave.
Maya meowed in greeting.
Elsa's cute face paused, then her excitement dialed down as she closed her eyes briefly and breathed in and out.
Noticing her actions, Hadrian simply waited and smiled, knowing that she was remembering her etiquette lessons.
Lessons on etiquette had been a difficult experience for Hadrian to endure, at least the first time it had happened to him in his previous lifetime.
But from what he had seen in the past, Hadrian was aware that the lessons were more difficult for the opposite gender as it was different in their case.
He even heard that there was a plethora of lessons to cover for females of nobility, which perplexed him still in the present.
Hadrian can only sigh in his head and offer his little sister his sympathy for what she will be about to endure in the coming years.
Gentle and thoughtful as their oma (grandmother) was, the matriarch of the Aelrheit household was quite strict when it comes to etiquette.
Their goofy opa (grandfather), on the other hand, was the opposite.
The old man has his moments of elegance and poise, but he was eccentric and silly most of the time. How the pair managed to stay together and still remain romantically in love for more than 80 years, Hadrian will never know.
He can only shake his head with a wry smile and tip a hat to his grandparents for their unbelievably strong union.
Hopefully, it will continue to stay strong for as long as they live.
Once she gained her composure, her eyes opened and she looked elegant, a demure smile on her lips.
Still, the excitement in her bright blue eyes remained present, as it often does whenever she converses with him.
"Oh, good evening." She gave a demure curtsey (the best she could do while in a sitting position), then jumped back into her exuberant self. "Brother, how are you?"
"I was fine earlier. Better now that I've seen you." Hadrian's smile widened when she giggled at his smooth and playful response.
Then, he adopted a sobering demeanor, smile fading slightly as he asked her in a gentle tone.
"On a serious note, is everything alright there? No issues, I hope?"
"No, no issues." She shook her head adorably. "Opa was just about to tell me some of the magical creatures you encountered in the past."
His little sister was four, yet she could already speak elegantly and articulately.
As expected of his sibling…
"Oh, what kind?" Hadrian asked, lifting an eyebrow.
"Acramantula." She answered with a smile.
Already, his sister was proving to be different from most children.
She was four, yet she does not appear the least bit disturbed by spiders and such. Minor things (insects, animals, etc) that would disturb most people, do not seem to bother her at all.
Hadrian sighed, feeling like scratching his head but restrained himself since both of his hands were already preoccupied.
"Hn, is opa there then?"
"He is." The screen shifted as she moved the camera to where their grandfather was.
And there was the old magician, sitting up against the headboard of his sister's bed with a book regarding magical creatures in his hands.
The old man said nothing, but his thick gray brows wiggled up and down in suggestion.
What that means, Hadrian doesn't want to know.
The elder magician's actions elicited a giggle from his younger sibling.
"Keep it filtered, opa. No need to go into detail." Hadrian warned.
"But those were the good parts." Zelretch pouted.
"I don't care. Elsa is still young. There's no need to scare her with those details. Now, give the holo back to her." Hadrian said in a firm tone.
Ignoring the old man's sigh and childish mumblings of him being a 'killjoy' and a 'stick in the mud', the camera shifted, and soon, his baby sister's giggling face was back in view.
"Opa's making funny faces." She pointed out with a grin from behind her small hand.
"Ignore him. He's just being his silly self. Speaking of spiders, I picked one up on the way home." Hadrian stated, smile returning as he changed the subject.
His sister perked up.
"Oh? What is it?" she asked excitedly.
"A little black widow." Hadrian said offhandedly, not elaborating that it was a young girl than an actual arachnid.
"A black widow…" Elsa's adorable face became thoughtful as she muttered. "Isn't that the type of arachnid from the mundane's findings, bruder (brother)?"
"Why yes, indeed." Hadrian nodded, pleased that his little sister was taking her lessons well.
He had been the same age as her when he was being taught lessons about what was known to normal humans, the non-magical animals, their different cultures and whatnot.
Although, the two of them were thinking of two different things in this case.
"She has a bit of a temper, and she's young. What do you think I should do with her?" Hadrian asked, feeling somewhat amused inside.
"Hmm… take care of her." She said after giving it some thought.
Surprised, Hadrian was a bit taken aback.
"Eh? Take care of her, not let her go?"
"Yes, take care of it." She affirmed with a resolute nod.
"Okay, little one, why is that your answer?" Hadrian was honestly curious.
"Umm… it's a young, stray little spider, right? So, she must have been alone and hungry for a long time. But now you found her, you can take care of her, brother!" She answered with the logic of a five-year-old, as if it was that simple and easy.
And though she looked adorable, the determined glint in her baby blue jewel-like eyes and her tone (as genuine as she could get) means that she stood by what she said.
Even though his sister was in view, their grandfather's amused expression can be seen at the edge of the screen.
Hadrian ignored him in favor of his younger sibling.
"But she's a black widow, little one." Hadrian protested, chuckling.
"So? Brother is strong. I'm sure you can handle it if she tries to bite you." She countered, stopping him from rebutting.
Against that logic, Hadrian can't help but sigh as he found himself surrendering to his little sister's response.
"Fine… I'll take care of her." The mage in disguise accepted reluctantly.
"Great!" Elsa's face brightened, making Hadrian huff and smile wryly.
They were interrupted, however, by their grandfather, who chose that moment to speak up.
Hadrian can't see the man fully, but his deep gruff voice can hear clearly in the background.
"Ok, that's enough chatter, kiddos. We still got a book to burn through, little one. Elsa, say goodbye to your brother for now. I'm sure you'll speak more on this subject next time."
"Yes, opa." Elsa sounded a bit disappointed, but she smiled once she turned back to the camera. "Umm, sorry, brother, but opa…"
"It's alright. I don't mind, little one. He's right, after all. It's getting late there, and you need to rest soon." Hadrian assured with an understanding smile.
"Then, goodbye for now. I hope we can speak more soon."
"Sure. Where are my familiars, by the way?" Hadrian asked, noticing the lack of furry and feathery familiars in the background.
"Already asleep in their beds. We played lots of games earlier. The exertion must have tired them out. They're going to be disappointed they missed you." She said with a smile.
"Ah, maybe next time then." Hadrian smiled.
"Love you, brother. Maya. Take care, both of you."
"Love you too, little one. Give the little ones some head pats for me, ok? Good night."
With a wave of goodbye, the video link was cut off and the screen went into a black background.
Staring at the screen for a few moments, Hadrian sighed as he looked up at the night sky.
Seeing smoke in the distance, Hadrian felt that something was amiss… and then, he remembered.
"Ah, that's right. I forgot…"
Using his right hand, Hadrian activated a few of his magic circuits –
VROM
SNAP
– and snapped his fingers in the direction of the smoke and fire that he saw in the far distance.
The orange and blue flames that stood tall from a certain building had vanished as soon as he willed the fire to extinguish.
At least the firemen won't have a difficult time putting out the flames anymore.
Watching the black fumes of smoke go up from a certain building, Hadrian thought back on his sister's words.
"Take care of her, huh…" He mused aloud. "How do you take care of a teenage mercenary with a temper and going through a rebellious phase?"
"..."
No one answered.
Even Maya, who was more interested in staring at the falling snowflakes above their heads, but that was to be expected.
Still, he was not the kind to go back on his word, even if he doesn't really want to take care of the redhead.
One thing was for sure.
The little redhead's life just changed from the mere suggestion of his little sister.
Funny thing was… the redhead didn't even know it.
…
…
[… Next Morning …]
Hadrian woke up just as the digital clock next to his bed started ringing.
Seeing that it was four in the morning, he reached for a small remote next to the clock and pressed on a button.
The dark gray curtains covering the windows on the left side of his bed slowly but steadily opened, revealing the dark and cloudy sky of Moscow.
Since it was still dusk outside, the sun has yet to appear in the far distance and the moon remains present.
Various sounds in the city were also prevalent, cars and some people could be seen in the road and streets respectively if he glanced down by the window.
Taking a minute to stretch his arms and relieving the knots in his neck, Hadrian moved out of the bed after he heard some satisfying pops from his little warm-up.
Greeting Maya with a smile and a soft spoken 'good morning', which was returned with a warm 'meow' from his little familiar, Hadrian went to the bathroom to wash his face.
After his short morning ritual, he went to the walk-in closet that was located next to the master bathroom.
Choosing a black t-shirt, black jogging pants and training shoes with a black and white color scheme, he left the master bedroom ready for his morning exercise.
After urging Maya to come to him, Hadrian closed the door of the master bedroom gently behind him and went downstairs.
The master and familiar duo made their way to the glasshouse pavilion by the patio, where Hadrian intends to do his morning exercise.
While there was a pool inside, there was a reinforced glass panel that could cover the pool to create more space, which Hadrian thought fit to use as a training room due to its space and capacity.
It was not the same as the one he had back home, but he figured that it was enough for him to get some proper training done.
As long as he doesn't go too far, he was sure the pavilion can survive his morning exercises.
Once inside the pavilion, he went to the main controls and pressed a few buttons.
The glass surrounding the pavilion immediately turned black and a couple of lights on the ceiling activated, brightening the area, while several reinforced glass panels began to slide in and cover the top of the pool, creating the much-needed space that Hadrian was looking for to start his morning exercise.
There were lights deep in the pool that pierced through the water, rendering the light blue tiles of the pool floor to pop out.
With his privacy secured and his familiar settled (Maya was relaxing on a white sunbed by the pool), Hadrian began his exercise routine.
Since he has no one to spar with, he settled for the holo-enemies the alien artifact conjured for him in his mind.
To an observer's viewpoint, it must look like he was a lunatic striking at nothing.
But, in his eyes, there were digitalized numerous enemies rushing at him, one after another, sometimes even two or three at once.
Almost life-like.
The manner in how the artifact made him feel the impact of the pain from their assaults when a goon or two managed to sneak in a hit past his guard, along with the resistance to his attacks when the weapons in his hands made contact, made the combat simulation on a different level.
'Hmm… perhaps I should mention something like this to opa.' Hadrian mused, thinking of how it can benefit the organization's people in combat.
For an hour and a half, he didn't stop swinging the nameless steel swords that he often used for practice.
He hardly noticed the sweat that already soaked his upper clothing until his holo-phone (which he left previously next to his familiar) began to make a soft chiming noise.
TING
TING
TING
It was an alarm that he had set earlier to remind him of his next schedule.
Walking over to the sunbed, Hadrian rubbed Maya's head with a smile before reaching for his holo-phone to stop the alarm.
Seeing the time on the screen, it was now '5:45 AM', which meant that it was time for him to start the day.
As he and Maya made their way out of the pavilion and return to his room (after he set it back to its default glasshouse state), Hadrian thought of what should be done for the day.
Before he went to bed last night, he received some new news and got a few things done.
First, the rest of the money for the mission had just been deposited into his account recently (after the six-hour mark was done), what with the company marking the mission as complete and over with.
And he was also told that Luka and a few men from AEONS will be doing the raid to the target's safe houses tonight. So, more fun for them.
Second, he spent a bit of time in the (temporary) workshop and made a few blueprints of new items. He does not know where the items will apply yet, but Hadrian figured he would have some use for them in the future.
For the moment, they were set aside as minor projects that he can entertain himself with whenever he was bored, or simply uninspired to work on the main ones.
Third, he knew what to do with the little redhead.
During the few hours in the workshop, he made something for her and set some conditions in a way that would also allow him to take care of her, which would fulfill his promise to Elsa in a way.
But, in the end, the decision will be for her to make since it does affect her future.
Hadrian simply hoped that the redhead would read the document carefully before signing it.
Most people were prone to skimming over the details and be surprised by something that they should already be aware of.
Shaking his head, he went to his bedroom so he could clean himself, Maya following in tow.
…
…
[… Author's Note …]
'Oma' is grandmother in German.
'Opa' is grandfather in German.
'Bruder' means brother in, guess what, German.
I chose to use the German's terms of affection since Zelretch, and the rest of the family by extension, has German roots. But, the family has mixed heritage, so you guys will see them use terms of affection in a few different languages in the future.
(This chapter has been edited for polish and improvement of the content and better viewing...)