CHAPTER 2
A FACE FROM THE PAST
With a jolt that nearly launched him off the bed, Cal sat up gasping and drenched in sweat. As he came to, his eyes adjusted to the light of the rising sun through his window and found himself back in his bedroom. With his head and heart both pounding like a pair of drums, he stumbled out of bed over to his wardrobe to check himself in the mirror installed inside the right door. Cal tried to recall what he had dreamed about, but he wasn't even sure if he wanted to.
Bit by bit, it came back to him. It was a nightmare he had had before. He was floating in the air as if suspended from wires. Fire lashing out all around him like an angry snake. But instead of following his instincts and running away he blindly pressed on through the flames. At the last moment before he woke up was the face of a woman, but her face was blackened and burned with bright red blisters all over. Her sky-blue eyes wide with pain and panic.
'Why… why am I having this dream now? 'He wondered. It had been years since it last happened. When he was really young, he would have that dream at least once a week. As he got older it turn to weeks and then months until finally the dream faded from memory, the last time he had that dream he was 12. Gramps had told him when he was Three, that he had nearly died in a fire when he was a baby. Cal really hoped that it wasn't some kind of repressed memory. He didn't want the only image he had of his mother to be of her burning to death.
As he calmed down, Cal shut the wardrobe and took a look around his room. In addition to the crossbow he had used yesterday and a small collection of hunting knives, the walls were covered with drawings he had made of the forest, the lakes and streams where he and Gramps got their fresh water, animals, the beaches, and the endless sea that surrounded the island. On the floor under his bed, a collection of his favorite manga lay in a pile. The new volumes should be out now, so he reminded himself to ask Gramps to pick them up the next time he went for a supply run over to the main lands. It was then that he noticed the smell of cooking and realized Gramps must be preparing breakfast. 'Wonder what the occasion is,' he wondered. Gramps only used the kitchen for cooking up something special. The rule was they caught anything they ate so most breakfast and meals would be lamb's heart, rabbit stew, venison, or whatever seafood was in season.
The chance for breakfast pushed the remains of the nightmare out of Cal's mind and he hurriedly changed into a white t-shirt and blue jeans before making his way downstairs where Gramps was already sitting at the table, his face was hidden by a mana screen reading the daily news.
"Morning Cal, you sleep well?"
"As good as I ever did." It technically wasn't a lie. He slept well despite the recent dream he had. And there wasn't any real point to telling Gramps of the dream since he already knew the answer as to why he had that dream, and he didn't want to worry him.
"Any plans today?" Gaz asked, "I'm going on a supply run to Misurugi so you'll have to entertain yourself."
Cal gave his Gramps a bemused look. 'Why is Gramps going on a run? He normally goes twice a month and he'd just returned from one a week ago.'
"Why?" he asked. "We have enough food from hunting to last us the next month." Gaz leaned into his Mana screen so Cal wouldn't see the smirk on his face. It was a good thing Cal never bothered to check the Calendar Gaz had printed out for him or the surprise would be ruined.
"I just need to pick up a few things I couldn't get from last week's run. I figured I might pick up some of those manga you like, you've have finished those comics already I assume."
"Great thanks." Cal said giving his Gramps a thumbs up. "You've got the list, right?"
"I'm old, not senile. Still don't know why you read those things but whatever makes you happy." Cal beamed with excitement at the thought of some new reading material as he took his place at the table, the plate of scrambled eggs and 4 pieces of bacon before him making his mouth water. Gaz meanwhile scrolled down the Mana screen. Not much was happening lately aside from a human-interest story about Princess Misty Rosenblum's upcoming birthday. One article did catch his attention though. Apparently, another Norma had been found in a middle-class neighborhood in the Marmeria Republic.
'RESIDENTS OF MARMERIA NEARLY ESCAPED CERTAIN DISASTER TODAY WHEN A PREVIOUSLY UNIDENTIFIED NORMA WAS DISCOVERED,' THE ARTICLE READ. 'THE NORMA IN QUESTION WAS 8 YEARS OLD BY THE NAME OF ABIGAIL MOORE. BOTH HER MOTHER AND AUNT HAD BEEN KEEPING HER HIDDEN IN SECRET FROM THE REST OF THEIR NEIGHBORS AND THE NORMA MANAGEMENT BOARD. AS OF PRINT, THE AUTHORITIES ARE STILL QUESTIONING THE TWO SUSPECTS AS TO WHY THEY KEPT THIS MONSTER HIDDEN. IF CONVICTED, BOTH WOMEN FACE PRISON SENTENCES OF 5 TO 10 YEARS WHILE THE NORMA HAS BEEN SAFELY DEPORTED TO A CONTAINMENT FACILITY. NORMA MANAGEMENT BOARD REPRESENTATIVES ISSUED A STATEMENT EXPRESSING THEIR RELIEF THAT THE NORMA WAS FOUND BEFORE IT COULD CAUSE ANY HUMAN HARM AS WELL AS SHAME OVER THEIR FAILURE TO PROTECT THE PUBLIC. SENATOR ZALA ISSUED A STATEMENT OF HIS OWN. "WE ARE DOING ALL THINGS POSSIBLE TO MAKE SURE ALL NORMA ARE TAKEN AWAY AT BIRTH. FOR ONE TO BE ESCAPE DETECTION FOR THIS LONG IS AN OVERSIGHT THAT WE WILL WORK TO ENSURE WON'T BE REPEATED."'
Gaz read through the whole news page and couldn't help but feel sick. 'Those poor girls are seen as monsters just because of how they're born,' Gaz thought. He had always hoped wondered things would change in time. Any parent who managed to hide their Norma children had to be sick of it as well. Unfortunately, from what he had seen in the news things had gotten much worse over the past 10 years since the fall of Xeon.
'If they only knew the truth,' Gaz thought. 'If they had any idea of how much they owe to the Norma.' With a grunt of disgust, Gaz closed the Mana screen and to his chagrin watched as Cal stuffed his face with scrambled eggs. Cal's manners had gotten better with maturity, but he still ate like a hungry wolf.
"I swear Cal. You're gonna choke if you don't take it easy," Gaz told him with a dumbfounded look. Cal just looked at him with the blankest expression as he swallowed a mouthful. "I don't know how you manage to eat as much as me and I'm three times your size."
"You're the one who taught me not to waste." Cal said brightly. Gaz just shook his head in amusement, the amount Cal would eat during meals he'd think his stomach was a bottomless pit.
"But still, you eat every meal as if you're gonna die of hunger. I know you're a growing boy but try to take it easy." Cal just smirked and chuckled lightly while rubbing the back of his head. After he had finished his breakfast in quick succession and helped clean up, Cal headed back to his room and returned with a sketch pad under his arm and a few pencils in his hands.
"I'm going to head across the forest and draw the waterfall not too far from where I killed the stag," Cal told Gaz. "After that, maybe I'll catch a few fish for dinner."
"Sounds good," Gaz nodded as he finished his coffee. "I'll be back soon so don't stay out too late." Cal waved goodbye and was out the door. After swinging by the garage to pick up his fishing rod and some preserved crickets, Cal set off into the forest. In no time, he had found his way back to the spot where he had shot the stag. Already, small animals had eaten up the entrails, leaving only a pool of blood which buzzed with a cloud of flies. 'That was a great catch,' he thought with pride. I can't wait to butcher it up and grill some steaks.' Finally, the trees came to an end, and he arrived at his destination. From a low rocky cliff, a big waterfall flowed from an underground spring into the lake, silvery blue and sparkling from the sun light. Finding a spot on the bank with a good view, Cal took a deep breath as he set out his art supplies and began to draw.
Gaz waited a few minutes once Cal had left before he set off. Making his way to the eastern shore of the island, Gaz came across a cave set just above the high tide mark. An oil lamp hanging not far from entrance was lit to reveal Gaz's Skyhook. Long and sharp with its four-winged boosters, it had the appearance of a flying Mana cycle though its power system was a more primitive micro-fusion generator. A gift from some friends he had made shortly after moving out here, Skyhooks were fast but also quiet which made them perfect for getting in and out of a place unnoticed. A quick check to make sure there were no potential malfunctions and Gaz climbed aboard and blasted out the cave entrance. The cool morning air and sea spray rushed over him as the island fell away behind him, shrinking rapidly until it was just a dot on the horizon. Hopefully, the cake shop he had made the order with would have it ready. He really didn't like to stay too long among Mana society if he could avoid it.
After about 2 hours of flying, the coast of Misurugi finally came into view. And looming over it all was a massive tower that dwarfed everything around it. Known as the Dawn Pillar, it was the conduit through which the Light of Mana was channeled from the universe to all of humanity. Its location gave Misurugi special significance in the world's operation which was probably why the enemy used it as his home base. The radar showed no boats in range, so Gaz moved in, coming ashore in an undeveloped stretch of coastline with plenty of trees for cover. Arriving at the outskirts of the capital, Gaz touched down behind a fallen tree and removed the contents from the cargo pod.
First was a neatly folded blue suit complete with a white buttoned shirt and blue tie. The capital was a high-class area so people dressed in fancy, smart clothing that was kept in the best condition so walking around in his worn-out jeans with holes in the knees and his dark brown fleece jacket would attract too much attention. After changing, combing his hair neatly and covering the Skyhook with a camo screen, Gaz made his way through the woods and soon arrived at the edge of the city. Across an immaculately kept park green, fine marble buildings so clean they gleamed stood as the entrance way to the city. As he walked down the pathway, he felt a sudden thud on his arm and turned to see a group of kids staring at him with frightened looks.
"So… sorry Mr. we…"
Before the small frightened boy in front could finish his sentence, Gaz lifted his hand, the red bouncy ball that hit him engulfed in a green light as it levitated off the ground. With a playful smirk and a flick of his finger, the ball flew towards the kids, one of whom caught it.
"Good catch," Gaz said. "Just be more careful next time."
"We will mister." Now that they knew they wouldn't be yelled at, they all turned and ran further up the park to continue their game. Gaz smiled slightly remembering how he used to be just like them when he was their age. Playing outdoors in the nice weather like this, going to the movie to watch the latest Superhero movie and going to school. Unlike most of his friends Gaz liked school and always worked for nothing less than his best. A work ethic he had made sure to pass on to Cal. Even at a young age Gaz always knew that what he wanted to be was a soldier, someone who helped and protected others, especially from the Norma threat. It wasn't something he was proud of in his old age, knowing that he had bought into the same lie he begrudged others for. But that all changed when he met Cal's mother as well as the last thing, she said to him.
"Please… please Gavin… don't let them kill him…"
Gaz shut his eyes and took a deep breath to calm himself. Would Cal still love him if he knew what he used to be like? Looking down on others like him, standing by while they were taken away from their parents and discarding them as if they were trash. He could still hear the kids behind him laughing as he continued on his way. That was the kind of childhood Cal should have had. Having friends to play with and learning to socialize with others. Gaz didn't know for sure, but he assumes the girls taken to Arzenal were still able to have some kind of childhood before being sent off to fight the DRAGONs.
"One day," he thought aloud. "One day things will be different. I just hope Cal will still be alive to see it." It was for Cal that he had still aligned himself with Jill. He loved him like he was his own blood and wanted to give him a world he deserved to live in. 'Jill's right,' he decided. 'It's time to tell Cal the whole truth.' He deserves to know why the world was the way it was. Otherwise, Gaz wasn't much better than the ones who ran Arzenal.
Looking up, Gaz saw that he had finally reached the edge of the park. All around him, Misurugi citizens went about their business while in the streets, cars and buses floated by on Mana repulsons. Several of the buildings had Mana screens hanging outside their store. And on most of them was a familiar looking teenage girl with long blonde hair and ruby red eyes.
As he studied the images in passing, Gaz had mixed feelings about the Misurugi Princess. As part of the ruling aristocracy, she was part of the problem. But what if he was right and she really was a Norma? Part of his deal with Jill was to keep an eye out for any potential Norma of royal blood. And while she very well could be the answer to a second chance at Libertus, and while her parents' position and influence granted her the kind of protection, he could only dream of giving Cal, she was also a young girl only a little younger than Cal. At fifteen she was the perhaps the oldest unidentified Norma in the world and if her secret was ever found out the same people who practically worshiped her wouldn't hesitate to turn on her. 'Well her baptism should be in about 8 months' he thought. 'I'm not sure how her parents are going to hide it but if they fail then we'll know for sure.'
As he passed the sports store, he looked at all the different soccer balls displayed in the window. Years ago, Gaz stopped getting Cal soccer balls when he was young for two reasons. It was bad enough he would accidentally put out the windows of the cabin by kicking them too hard, which drove Gaz crazy, but he would always lose them. So, Gaz stopped buying them to teach Cal the importance of looking after his stuff. It was a lesson Cal learned a little too well the amount of lost balls Cal found while out hunting was ridiculous. Cal had found some stuck in trees, in bushes, floating on top of the lake waters, hidden behind large rocks and one was found stuck in the cabin's chimney.
"That boy must have over 50 soccer balls by now." Gaz thought amusingly. After visiting the grocery store to pick up a few canned and packaged foods, Gaz made his way towards the cake store that was just a few streets down. As he passed by, more than a few pedestrians gave him second looks, especially the ladies both young and old. Unlike most men who relied almost entirely on the Light of Mana, Gaz liked to work with his hands. As a result, he stood out slightly due to his stocky muscular appearance which was only further emphasized by the suit he was wearing. Finally, he arrived at the cake shop and to his relief saw that there was no line. The woman he had placed the order with on his previous trip was working, an attractive middle-aged woman with blonde hair.
"Mr. Ramius!" she greeted him. "I was just thinking of you."
"With a face as handsome as mine I can't blame you," he joked. "So, is it ready?"
"But of course." From a shelf on the read wall, the baker retrieved a cake box which she opened up for him. Inside was a domed chocolate cake that was topped with black and white icing to make it look like a soccer ball. "I'm sure your grandson will love it."
"If you say so then I know he will," he said. "I really appreciate you making this on such short notice. I almost feel as if I should give you something in return." That was one benefit of the Light of Mana. Because it provided for all of humanity's needs, money had been made obsolete centuries ago. As far as Gaz knew, Arzenal was the only place still on Earth that used a currency-based economy.
"Well," she said with a playful grin, "you could take me out to dinner some time."
"I'm afraid my wife wouldn't approve," he laughed.
"Just my luck," she sighed. "Well, tell your grandson I said Happy Birthday."
Gathering up the cake and his groceries with the Light of Mana, Gaz stepped back out into the streets. Hopefully he'd make it back before Cal so he could make it more of a surprise. But no sooner had he chosen his direction when someone ran past him with such force, he lost control of the Light and the grocery bag fell onto the sidewalk to spill out its contents.
"Watch where you're going!" Gaz yelled. Thankfully he had managed to maintain the cake to keep it from getting ruined. Some of the cans rolled down the pavement and Gaz used the Light of Mana to pick them up. He was just about to pick up the last when someone beat him to it. Gaz looked up in surprise and saw a man dressed very differently from the other pedestrians. Dressed in a crimson red suit, a large black Roma overcoat hung over his frame. His short black hair was swept back, and a short well-groomed beard adorned his chin, both of which were slightly greying while a pair of flame orange eyes looked at Gaz from beneath the brim of his fedora.
"Thanks friend," Gaz said as the can floated back into his bag.
"No problem," The stranger said. "People these days just have no manners." Gaz looked the stranger in the eye and couldn't help feeling he was familiar. The stranger offered his hand which Gaz accepted and noticed how firm the grip was. "Been a long time Gavin." The shock of hearing his former name nearly made Gaz drop his groceries again.
"I'm sorry," he said. "Who are you?"
"Why don't you recognize your best friend?" The man smiled broadly.
"Dutch…Dutch Villson!" Gaz gave a murmured gaped, to shock to speak and with a tremendous dread he spotted the emblem on his left breast of his coat, a gold four-pointed star over a phoenix set against a blue hexagonal background, the symbol of the Misarugi Norma Management Board. And the fact that he was speaking to a man he thought was dead meant he had better tread carefully.
"Oh yeah," Gaz said. "Dutch. It's...it's been a while, hasn't it?"
"Almost 18 years," Dutch said. "I have to admit I'm surprised too. I thought you had died in the fire."
"I was one of the lucky ones. I'm glad to see you made it out though." Dutch removed his hat and wiped his beard as he frowned.
"I almost did. I was in a coma for a year, but thanks to the Light of Mana I healed up. My brother Donnie though, he didn't make it. Some tanks exploded and he was blown clear to hell."
"I'm...I'm sorry to hear that. He was a good man." Images of that night played in his mind and Gaz knew he had to get away quick.
"I appreciate it," Dutch said. "But what happened to you? I tried to get in touch with you after I woke up, but it was like you fell off the face of the Earth."
"Well after the fire I needed some time to myself, so I reconnected with family and gave myself an early retirement and started working in retail.
"After something like that I can't blame you," Dutch agreed. "But I'm surprised someone as big as you to demote himself to normal civilian life. So, what are you doing out here anyway? Does your family live around here?"
"Not quite," Gaz said. "I just thought I'd visit some old stomping grounds."
"Nothing beats Misurugi," Dutch said with a smug look. "Centre of the world after all."
"Except 'Rosenblum F.C'," Gaz snarked. They both broke into laughter though Gaz still felt uneasy. If Dutch lived around here Gaz certainly would have run into him before but it wouldn't hurt to see if he could get some more information out of him just to make sure.
"So, what are you up to these days?" Gaz asked. "You still in the military?"
"Not quite," Dutch bragged. "I've actually been appointed to head of Norma Management Board operations in the Capital."
"Really?" Now Gaz had good reason to be worried. One wrong step could give away everything. And Cal would end up paying the price.
"Well that's good to know. We need a man like you in charge of keeping those Norma in line."
"You're telling me. You wouldn't believe how lax our operatives have gotten. In fact, just the other day, we found one of those disgusting freaks in Marmeria. The thing had evaded detection for eight years. I'm just glad we found it before anything happened." Gaz managed a smile but inside he was seething, and he had to fight to resist the urge to knock Dutch's lights out and get as far away from here as possible. "So," Dutch continued, "who's the cake for?"
"Oh this? A friend of mine asked me to pick up something for his kid's birthday. Speaking of which I really should be going."
"Of course. Take care of yourself Gavin."
"You too. Good luck finding more of those Norma." The two gave each other a final handshake before parting though Gaz felt a considerable tension in Dutch's grip and although he pratically towered over Dutch, Gaz had never felt more scared in his life. As he walked away, Gaz risked a look back through his peripherals. It didn't seem as if he was being followed but it would be smart to try and throw off a false trail just to be safe.
After parting ways, Dutch walked off a safe distance before ducking into a nearby alley. He had to admit Gavin was a good liar. He had kept a straight face through the whole encounter, but Dutch had learned to spot particular nuances in body language. Curt answers, slight tension in the shoulders, all expressed a desire to get away as soon as he could. 'After all these years of searching,' he thought, 'who would have guessed I'd just bump into him on the street after just a simple anonymous tip off of a suspicious disturbance.' He'll make his official report later. In the meantime, he'd better see if he could track his movements.
From within his long coat, Dutch produced a disc-like object the size of his hand, the latest model spy drone. A quick infusion of mana, and the device floated into the air as a Mana screen was opened to display the camera view from the drone's underside. Sending it on his way, Dutch remote piloted the drone high enough to scan the entire street below. Even at that distance he could easily make out Gavin's more robust physique among the slimmer men in the crowd. It looked like he was trying to throw off any pursuers, turning down one alley, heading back up a cross street, moving with no patter whatsoever. Too bad he didn't think to look overhead. Finally, he arrived at a park along the edge of the suburbs and entered the woods along its far side.
'What could he be doing in there?' Dutch wondered. It was a risk, but he had the drone drop to ground level and move in under the cover of the scrub. In the underbrush of the forest floor, a heat scan allowed him to identify Gavin's silhouette and the drone hurried after him, just in time to catch an image of him pull a camo screen off a vehicle that resembled a black Mana bike with four engine pods extending from the rear chassis. Dutch frowned as he cut the transmission and put in the call. The drone couldn't move fast enough to keep up with a Skyhook and odds where Gavin would be flying too low for radar. Thankfully, Dutch had other options at his disposal. After a few seconds, the image of a sharply dressed woman with delicate features and chin length black hair appeared in a sub-window.
"Mr. Villson," the dispatcher said. "Is something wrong." The Woman asked displayed in the top right corner of his Mana screen.
"Listen very carefully Ms. Yung-Si. I need you to send me footage from the satellite. Angle towards the coast of Misurugi; east- southeast of the capital."
"Right away sir." Almost immediately, the view from orbit popped up and Dutch zoomed in on the Misurugi coast just in time to see something emerge from one of the wooded sectors. He froze the image and smirked in triumph at the sight of Gaz atop the Skyhook flying out over the sea.
"Track that vehicle," he ordered. "I want constant surveillance over its destination. And get a team together. I want them ready to move in no more than three days." Cutting the call, Dutch placed a second on a private line in and was greeted to the sight of a man with long blonde hair in a green suit. "Master Embryo...I've located Subject Alpha."
It was almost evening and Cal had to cut his fishing short as a storm was approaching. Thankfully he managed to get back just as the drizzle opened up into a full-on downpour. 'I hope Gramps is okay,' Cal thought as he sat down on the couch. 'I'll just wait until he gets home.' He didn't feel like watching any of his recordings anyway since the drum of the rain on the cabin roof would drown out the sound. So instead, he had decided to work on detailing the drawing of the waterfall. He had just finished shading the grass around the riverbank when the door flew open, and Gramps stumbled in. As Cal expected, he was dripping from head to toe so Cal jumped up and quickly shut the door so that the wind wouldn't blow in any more water.
"You ok Gramps?" Cal asked.
"I'm ok Cal. It's not a big deal," Gaz assured him as he dropped his load onto the kitchen table. "I'm going to change into some dry clothes and get dinner started. Set the table would you." Cal did as he was told and had just finished up when Gramps returned, a dry pair of jeans and flannel shirt on and still toweling off his head.
"So how many fish did you catch today?"
"Only two. I had to cut it short due to the storm coming in. I managed to just get back in time before it really poured down." Cal gave an annoyed sigh.
"Well no worries. I got enough food to last us another few weeks anyway. You know I think I hear the window up in your room open. Go make sure you closed it." Cal hurried off and Gaz seized his opportunity. He quietly got the cake out of its bag and onto the table. He stuck the candle the baker had given him shaped like the number 18 on top and had just lit it when Cal returned.
"Gramps?" Cal asked as he saw the light. With a mischievous smirk, Gaz turned around and couldn't resist beaming as he saw the look of realization on Cal's face.
"Happy birthday Cal. Now get over here and make a wish." Gaz watched as his grandson overcame his surprise and hurried into the chair. The light danced in his eyes as he looked up to Gaz. "Well hurry up," Gaz urged. "The wax is gonna melt soon and it doesn't mix well with icing." Feeling a little embarrassed but also happy, Cal looked at the cake and thought it over. 'I really wish I could go someplace,' he decided as he blew it out.
"Nice," Gaz said as he pulled out a cake knife. "Let's have a piece before we grill up some venison steaks on the stove." Cal waited patiently as Gaz cut them both a slice but no sooner had his touched down then half of it had already vanished down his gullet.
"I love it!" Cal beamed. "Thanks Gramps." Gaz just shook his head and scratched his temple.
"What I'm I gonna do with you kid?" Well it was his birthday so Gaz could let him slide on table manners for one day. Still, he couldn't help thinking back to his encounter with Dutch. Why of all days and places did he have to run into the one person who could turn everything upside down?
In the quiet of his office, Dutch leaned back as he went over the reports displayed on his Mana screen. Paperwork had always been tedious to him, and he had other things he'd rather attend too. A sudden call interrupted his work, and he opened a sub-window to be greeted at the sight of Ms. Yung-Si's face. "I trust you have an update for me."
"That is correct sir. Satellite imagery showed the vehicle you identified landing on an uninhabited island 680 miles southeast of Misurugi." 'That's right on the edge of the Arzenal no fly zone,' Dutch realized. It was a clever place to hide a Norma. After all, who'd look around a place that didn't even exist?
"Thank you, Ms. Yung-Si. That will be all." Terminating the call, Dutch opened a new window and the image of a younger man with platinum blond hair done in a buzz cut and dressed in black tactical gear manifested. "Lt. Standall, are the men assembled?"
"Yes sir. 20 soldiers all equipped with Sub-machine guns and stun weapons."
"Excellent, I want them all geared up and ready to go in less than 4 hours. I want this sweep to be quick and clean." The line was cut, and Dutch took a moment to take a swig from his pocket flask, the whiskey burning as it flowed down his throat. With this mission's success, he'd be one step closer to fulfilling his ambitions. And he'd finally be able to lay the past to rest.
His eyes shifted to the portrait on the edge of his desk, an image of himself and a younger Gavin the day they finally graduated from the military academy. His former best friend's arm around him as they posed at their greatest achievement in their younger years. Dutch took the photo from it's portrait, tore it in half and threw it into the fire place and watched as the crackling flames disintegrated the last memory of his former life.
Donnie was the one who had the brightest future ahead of him, he was the one whose family believed in more than Dutch who's only skill was muscle after going into military and even than his family saw him nothing more than I disappointment compared to Donnie.
From within his draw, he took another photo he had stored away for years, it was a photo of two young boys playing with their toys, the younger of the two playing with his first starter chemistry set. Replacing the photo within the portrait, Dutch grit his teeth and tightened his grip until the glass cracked under the pressure. "I'll get him Donnie," he vowed. "Gavin won't escape this time. Neither will the little abomination."
AUTHOR'S NOTES
Here's my next OC Gaz's character bio. Once again big thanks to Eric Micheal Kline for helping me edit these chapters.
Gaz (real name Gavin Wright)
Height: 6' 5", 198cm
Age: Mid 40's
Eyes: Grey
Hair: Dark Brown (Greying)
Weight: 105kgs
Build: Muscular, Stocky
Voice actor: Christopher Britton (Soichiro Yagami, Death Note)
Profile: Gaz was once a well-respected bodyguard in Misurugi working for the Royal Misurugi family itself. He worked alongside his childhood friend Dutch Villson and the two had dreams of working in the Norma Management Board together. But something happened one day that changed his whole perception of the world that isn't so perfect after all. Once he discovered Cal's existence, he took him and fled, for the past 18 years he's been living with Cal on an island protecting him and hiding him from the world. Gaz hasn't told Cal much of both their past and has never told him of what his kind or force to fight. After discovering the existence of the First Libertus and the Norma's alliance with the Ancient folk Gaz joined them as their first and only human ally acting as support to the rebellion. However, one day 10 years ago it all went horribly wrong as all the ancient folk and most of the Norma apart of Libertus was killed by the humans, and Gaz was able to save Jill's life after performing lifesaving surgery on her dismembered arm. Now with the possibility of Libertus having a second chance Gaz is determined to give Cal and all the girls on Arzanel a better life.
