This is a complete redone, reimaginative, and revitalized version of the first High School DXD fanfiction I made. The first I did not like in the longrun. It felt like a disporportionate take on the isekai genre when isekai anime like Konosuba and Re:Zero were getting popular. After much consideration, much too long, I decided to redo the story, but keep the orignial idea for the first version of the fanfiction, but broaden out more characters and implement more creative ideas to further the story as a basis.
A cover page for this fic will be created soon.
I've been meaning to uploaded this revamped version of the story for a long time. I wanted it to be on Watpad but I changed my mind for returning for a broader approach. It's been a long while since I uplodaded anything since then. So here's chapter 1 and I hope you enjoy the story, there will be more coming soon, so stay tuned.
Friday - 6:29 A.M.
The sun began to rise on a crisp, early morning. The sounds of birds chirping can be heard all throughout the city of Santa Monica and greater Los Angeles to hear, signaling a brand new day to be risen. As the bright yellow sun continues to rise, its rays streamed through the blinds of many households that covered their windows, giving them minimum sunlight bask in. All except one. The rays of sunlight shone very brightly amongst one teenager's eyes. He was then woken up by the bright sun.
"Ughhh. Go away, sun. Just give me five more minutes. Please!" the young one groaned covering his blanket over his head.
His expressions were all but happy. He knew in his mind that he would have to start another day of school. The place he would dread day after day before the weekend would hit. But, what the young teenager didn't realize was that life was going to make him get up whether he likes it or not.
6:30 A.M.
The alarm clock on his bedside nightstand was blaring loudly. Constant beeping made the teen more agitated. He regretfully remembered two things. It was 6:30 and he had set his alarm at that time. Normally, he would get up at his usual time of 7 o'clock, but because he was late for class often, he was tardy every first period. His first teacher told him that if he didn't show up early or on time the next time she was taking attendance, she would give him a zero instead of the half grade for every moment he was tardy. Being both tardy and failing class was none of those things he can't afford. Getting up early in the morning was not his usual routine practice. To him it was like torture. One hand came out from under the covers to hit the snooze button. It did not stop the annoying noise. He then reached out his soccer trophy and proceeded to hit it repeatedly until that blaring beeping noise was silenced. Three knocks on his door were heard.
"Mijo, it's time to rise and shine!" his father said.
"Alright, dad," he replied with a yawn a second later. "I'll be down in a few!"
As the boy got out of bed, he began to do his daily routine stretches. He can hear the pops from his back to his sides. Raising his arms up high for his final stretch before scratching his side. His hair was this messy bed head of short black hair. His brown eyes were a tad crusty from the "sandman". Wiping off the crust, he opened his bedroom door slowly, but surely to make his way to the bathroom to take his daily shower for school. After turning on the faucet, he'd make sure he set the right temperature to his liking before stepping in. Taking off his black t-shirt, underwear, and pants, he goes inside the shower to proceed his daily routine of showering before school. His shower began to steam up as he stepped in. His muscles were more relaxed than ever from the sensation of warm water pouring on his back and all over his skin.
10 Minutes Later
Steam rose out from the bathroom when the door opened. Richie felt a million times better than he was before. He gives a big sigh of relief and relaxation from his shower. Body cleansed, hair shampooed, his freckled face cleansed, and his teeth were as white as the moon. This preceded him to follow back to his room to change into his set of clothes. A pair of blue jeans along with a purple short sleeve shirt with a black long sleeve shirt combination. For shoes, he wore his spare basketball shoes which consisted of a mix of mostly black all throughout with purple soles on the bottom to match his clothing style. Once he was dressed, he grabbed both his cell phone and his book bag with his homework inside then proceeded to go downstairs in the kitchen where his dad was eating breakfast. The mother was cooking for the whole family to make sure that everybody was on a full stomach for the beginning of the day, while wearing her usual nurse uniform every weekday morning for working after breakfast.
"Good morning, Richie," the mom greeted as she heard Richie coming down to the final floor of the stairwell. "Eat up, love. You'll need your strength for school."
"That's my mama, Keira Hernandez. Certified nurse and certified Irish mom. While my dad was busy doing his own thing, my mom wanted to do something more productive and follow her own path that she was destined to be. She worked hard and became a nurse by the time I was 2. She might be an Irish force to be reckoned with, but she's got a heart of gold. Imagine dealing with sick people all day and then coming home to my teenage drama. Just like my dad, she devoted her work to helping people since she was little. From then on, she always puts people she can help before hers, no matter how big the injury or sick the patient may be.
Richie walked from behind his mother to give him a peck on her cheek. "Morning, mom". He said. He then walked over to his dad's right side to give him a kiss on his forehead. "Buenos dias, papi."
"Buenos dias, mijo," the dad replied. "Come come, sit, sit. It's time for breakfast."
"Yes, sir," he said in a mellow toned voice.
His thoughts turned to his father, Ramon Hernandez, a retired professional luchador who once graced the wrestling arenas with his larger-than-life presence.
"That's my papi. My dad. Ramon Hernandez. Better known in the world of Lucha Libre as the great, Hernandez Del Rey. He's traveled all across the globe from Mexico, Japan, UK, and other countries to promote and show his high class art of Lucha Libre all around the world. My mom traveled alongside with him before I was born. My dad won multiple world championships in dozens of cities all over the world for an outrageous number of days till his last match five years ago. He even won his first championship when he was just my age at 15! He only started wrestling when he was 13. Can you believe that? At that age? My dad was a sensation! He had this charisma, this charm, this presence that lit up the people surrounding him. People would go crazy for him," Richie continued. "He was like a superhero, flying through the air, defying gravity, and executing those incredible moves with extreme precision. And to think he did all that at just 13... it's mind-boggling!
He sat down next to his dad on his right, just in time for his mother to bring him his breakfast. His breakfast consisted of a very meaty omelet with extra cheese, red peppers, bacon, and extra ham. All light and fluffy with a side of hash browns. Exactly the way his mom would cook for him on a Friday night. Before he could dig in, his father wanted to strike up a conversation.
"So Richie, you sounded like you didn't get enough sleep. Were you staying up playing games with Blake again? We've discussed this already about homework first and always first on school nights and then video games on Fridays and weekends," his Dad said.
"No, I wasn't playing games with Blake," Richie told his father. "In fact, I was up all night doing three pieces of homework. I had to write a short essay about the Civil War and another long essay about my greatest adventure."
"Sounds to me like an interesting assignment. What's it about?" Richie's mom asked.
"Easy. Remember when I was 5, just a month before my birthday, dad and abuelo won their 5th and final tag team championship when we took that trip to Tijuana."
"Oh yeah, I remember that. It was the summer of 2000. It was my dad's last match before he passed," Dad said.
Richie's mom chimed in. "I remember exactly how it happened. Your father and grandfather were in a tornado tag team, no disqualification match. Richie saw you getting beat up so bad, me and him weren't sure you two were gonna win. That boy ran out down the entrance aisle, went in the ring, and started punching Jesus and Javier Cruz like he was gonna be the one to defend his honor like a big boy," she chuckled. "Meanwhile, I was rushing to go get him. As soon as I stepped into that ring, me and him were cornered. We had nowhere to go. They were planning to do something to us like we're prey."
"And that was the perfect cue. Me and Papi picked up those two in a reverse t-bone suplex, threw Jesus over the top and when Javier was alone, we nailed our finisher. The "Gringo Plunger". Our patented team style back-to-back double underhook sitout piledriver. Your abuelo got him hooked while I dove from the top plunging him in the middle of that ring. When me and papi rolled them up for the pin. 1, 2, 3," his dad said, slapping his hands together in the pin sequence. "We've won our final tag team championship. An instant classic, but quite a memorable one."
Richie and his mother laughed about his father's 'strategy'.
"Y'know something I just realized, the one thing I loved from that moment was that we celebrated as a family," the son said.
"Exactly!" affirmed his dad. "As soon as we got backstage, abuelo said, 'The best strategy! Best retirement match ever. That boy is learning well from me! See, I told him every trick of the book. Mijo, this kid's got potential. He should be the one replacing me. Take lessons from your son!' Richie, your grandpappi was a joker," his dad laughed.
Richie along with his mom and laughed alongside with him about their moment together as a family. "It sure is crazy. Can't believe it's been roughly 10 years since his passing. I sure do miss him." he said. "Dad, this summer break, can I wrestle at the civic center in Tijuana and get into that new promotion like you did when you were young. They're already recruiting people who are at my age already. I already got my moves planned out." he said, pulling out a bunch of lists of moves from his pocket.
"Now Richie, remember what I told you. Your education always comes first. Besides, you're only fifteen and you're still in training. You've got a long way to go before you step up to my level. I'm more than happy to teach you more moves this summer if you'd like. As far as I am concerned, my decision still stands. You only wrestle when you are with me, got it?" his dad told him looking at his phone.
"C'mon, dad. Even Abuelo started wrestling when he was fifteen! If you and abuelo can do it, so can I," Richie responded.
"Richie, that's enough!" his mom exclaimed. "Look, you'll be able to wrestle as your father soon, when you turn 18 and when you finish high school. Understand?" his mother assured him.
"Si, señora. We're clear," Richie sighed and agreed in a bummed emotion before his mom gave him a peck on the forehead.
"That's my boy. Now eat up fast. You don't wanna be late for school," she said. "I'm gonna go get ready. I'll see you two at six" she said kissing her husband next on the lips before leaving out the door for work.
Richie obeyed his mom as he began to eat at a very fast pace to finish what he only had left of their breakfast. The meat and egg he consumed was now in his stomach getting ready to be digested.
"You know Richie, your mom and I are both serious about you finishing high school first. Abuelo was supporting only himself, me and your abuelita. Times were tough for all of us back then. He had no choice but to use his passion to get where this family has gotten. We thank him and God a lot for that. If it wasn't for your grandfather, I'm not sure where this family would be going through right now. You, on the other hand, are not struggling. You are still our child. You can start training to wrestle more often and eventually on your own when you are an adult, than just summer and spring break. That way you can do whatever you see fit."
"I didn't know all of that. Dad, it's just that I was just thinking that I could do the impossible and be like you and abuelo did, then maybe I would be the one in the next generation to fill in your guys' shoes."
Richie's father patted him on the back. "Mijo, we're glad and even proud that you want to impress us, but you've still got a lot to learn before you're ready for the big leagues. Maybe when you're an adult you may want to rethink your decisions a lot more. Maybe you'll want to get into college first. But that decision is merely up to you. Whatever decision you make, you and your mother will be proud of that. Comprende?" his dad remarked.
(DING DONG)
Him and his dad heard the doorbell ring, knowing for sure it was Richie's friend.
"That must be your friend Blake. Now go! ¡Ándele! Before you're late," his dad said. "And Richie, remember our talk."
"Gracias, papi." Richie assured as he hugged his father. "I'll see you later."
"See you soon son! ¡Que tengas un gran día en la escuela! (Have a great day at school!)" Dad exclaimed.
Richie nabbed his backpack from the bottom of the stairs. He checks to make sure that his homework is all inside. Indeed it is there. He sighs of relief, knowing full well that he did not want to forget leaving his assignments like last week. He opens his door to see his friend Blake. Blake was wearing his usual orange sweatshirt. His eyes were violet with black glasses. To match the orange and black torso, he wore black jeans with black and orange basketball shoes.
"Took you long enough to open the door," Blake said with his. "Ready to go?"
"And finally, there's my best friend in the entire world. Blake Larue. We've been side by side since the days of crayons and naptime during Kindergarten. He's the yin to my yang. We've always stuck together and had each other's back no matter how tough our own times have gotten in the past, no questions asked. If I'm flunking in math and science, he's the first person I always turn to. Not to mention, he's a straight A student. His dream in life is to attend MIT and why not with grades like that? But we promised each other that no matter how far apart we may go, we will always be together. Yeah, Blake is more than just an amigo to me. He's family."
"Yeah. Let's hit it." Richie said, as they gave each other a high five, walking their way to school.
Richie and Blake made their way from the porch, onto the sidewalk as they headed out to make their way to their high school As they walked, Richie took his father's words about his idea of wrestling and school. He understood every word he meant during his conversation, but at the same time he had a feeling of disappointment. Blake looked towards his bummed out friend. Concerned to know what's become of him being down.
"Why the long face? You look like somebody crapped in your cheerios today," Blake said to him.
"Nah, I'm fine. Just that I'm disappointed about my dad not wanting me to wrestle and go to school like my grandpa. I mean, yeah, I get what my dad wants me to do. It's just that my abuelo and dad made me who I am. I can't help it if I'm an idealist in lucha. I wanna break records like he did when he started at a young age."
"Classic underdog mentality. Dude, you really need to lighten up. Trust me, with the way school is going on right now, you don't want to get mixed up in the whole wrestling business. Do you know how much homework Ms. Charlotte has given us for English? A LOT!" Blake exclaimed. "Just imagine that in combination with all the wrestling training you keep envisioning. There's no way you'll make it in the first week or hell, even the first day. You might as well wait until this whole nightmare called school is over."
"Eh, I guess you're right. Maybe I'm thinking this way over my head. Anyway, did you do any of that homework Ms. Charlotte gave us? I didn't even get a chance to go to sleep 'til midnight; it was that awful," Richie asked.
"Tell me about it. Writing an essay about your greatest adventure is harder than it sounds. I had to write the one about going to summer camp three years ago," Blake replied.
"Did you write the part about how you showered in the girls' locker room by accident and every female started screaming, beating the crap outta you?" he chuckled.
"Hey! I told you not to speak of that!" Blake exclaimed, punching his best friend on his arm.
"My bad," Richie apologized. "It slipped out. I don't know why those older camp members switched signs, but hey, at least it left a great experience. A very painful, embarrassing experience."
"You're not helping!" Blake shouted. "What did you write about?"
"Easy. The one time my family went to Tijuana for my grandpa's last match," Richie said.
"Why can't I have an adventure like yours? Making your dad and grandpa new tag team champions as a five-year-old sounds kick-ass compared to some dumb summer camp that can leave an embarrassing imprint on your social life," Blake grumbled in the last part of his sentence. "I actually remember that time. Your grandpa's match was all over the news on the net. Practically every news outlet online was covering it everywhere. Your grandpa and your dad were treated like they were some sort of lucha gods or something."
"Why do you think I wanna be like them? And it's not just for the passion and skills, but for the fame and fortune that will strive my family's generation stronger than any league in the business. I can see it now. Me and my dad are at each other's backs. Tag team champions first, then we tackle on getting greater opportunities for world championship gold from promotions all over the globe. As soon as I win, I get a big ol' paycheck of my lifetime, I get a whole bunch of girls and I'll even share my assets with you if you know what I'm saying," he winks at him.
"Believe me, Rich. As much as I would do the same, there's more to it than just fame, fortune, and girls," Blake shakes his head before looking at his watch at the time. It read on his watch at 7:40 A.M. "Hey, we better hurry up. We've got twenty minutes 'till school starts."
"Relax, we've got plenty of time," Richie waved his hand.
"Uh, dude the last time you said that, we were five minutes late. If I were us, we would hurry our asses down there. Didn't the teacher say you would get another zero if you were late?"
"Oh crap, you're right! We better get down there. I'll race ya!" he said as he started to run fast.
Blake's eyes caught in surprise at his friend's quickness. "I hate it when he does this. If he could run like that, why couldn't he be fast at not being late before?" He said under his breath, "Richie, wait!" He yelled. "You know I can't run that fast!"
"Damn, I wish my board wasn't under repair."
Blake was a good friend to Richie as he is to him. In fact, Richie is Blake's only friend in high school. Helping each other out through thick and thin in many situations. Known each other since Kindergarten, Blake is usually the one that cares more about Richie than the other way around. They've been the best of friends since then. Richie was often the reckless chance taker while his friend was the one with common sense. Usually, a duo like that wouldn't mesh well, but to them it was like bread and butter.
7:50 P.M.
The two boys made their way in front of the entrance of the high school with nearly ten minutes to spare. As soon as they both made it to the front entrance, they blasted their way through the doors in the front lobby. A small portion of the crowd turned their heads toward the front doors. Richie and Blake panted heavily the moment they went inside the school. Sweat was dripping down their faces due to the fact that they had no choice but to rush to get here. That was the price of having you and your best friend live next to each other, far away from a school. I live almost a mile from school. Richie rushed to the nearest water fountain to rehydrate himself as Blake followed him.
"Y'know, a head start would've been nice." Blake told him as he was panting.
Richie gulped down the water from the spout. "I thought of that, but I wanted to test your speed to see if you could catch up," he said after swallowing a swig of water. Blake pushed aside his friend for his turn at the water fountain.
"Richie, there you are!"
He heard a familiar, sweet-sounding voice from behind him. He turns around to see his first-period classmate. A girl with short purple hair supporting a ponytail, along with a white hair tie, is wearing elegant black glasses that complement her orange-sunset eyes. She supported a black open-shoulder sweater with a dark green skirt while wearing white sneakers that supported her tan brown skin. Her name was...
"N-Nicole." Richie responded.
Nicole Yamato was often one of the most popular girls in high school. She has always been friends with Richie since both she and he started as freshmen. Jealousy would sometimes loom around Richie from the other boys around him. Rumors began circulating that she and Richie were a couple, but Nicole would dispel that rumor to her friends later. She, too, has been a wrestling fan since middle school. Since high school, Nicole has chit-chatted with Richie and even Blake about anything from watching the wrestling show on TV to old school wrestling programs that would come on in the eighties and nineties. Even more often, it would be a three-way outing with her, Richie, and Blake. From movies to arcades and other events they would go to, there's nothing that would separate these three.
"Here's your copy of Triplemanía II back," she says she's handing it back over. "Who knew that it would be that epic? I had to watch it back to back; it was that good."
"Yeah, it was dad's favorite event. I would replay that pay-per-view anytime I was bored. Actually, it was one of my dad's first events he wrestled in."
"Really? How come it wasn't on the DVD?" she asked.
"Well, he wasn't actually wrestling on the main card. He was thrown one of the dark matches before the show even started. I can burn you a copy of all my dad's dark matches if you want. All I have to do is ask my dad. I'm sure he'll say yes."
"You will? Thanks, Richie," she says she's giving him a hug. "Just let me know when you get them. See if your dad can get more of his tapings, or even maybe more matches I haven't seen before. Anyway, I'll see you in class," she says as she departs to class.
"Yeah, you too," Richie waved.
"Dude, I still can't believe you haven't asked out Nicole Yamato on a date yet. What's wrong with you? Don't you like her?"
"I do, Blake, but at the same time and for hundreds of times," irritated Richie. I don't like her. I like her. I just like her the same way I like you. As a friend and nothing more."
The two boys walked up the stairs to their English and history hybrid class. "Richie, I don't get you. You two obviously like the same things. Wrestling, watching wrestling live on TV, talking about it, reading news about it—both of you even collect wrestling merchandise. She's the ideal girl you've been waiting for. I'm sure asking for one little date isn't going to hurt anything."
"You just don't get it. Yeah, she likes the same things I do. We're both into wrestling. We love everything about wrestling. It's just on a certain level now; I see her as a friend. We both came to the understanding that it would be best if we were just friends, and that's that. Nothing more, nothing less."
"All I'm saying is that I wouldn't be ashamed to ask out a girl like her who likes the same stuff I do. Now, if she asked me out, I wouldn't say no to a chick like that. Who knows, it could work out some day," he said at the end of his response in a sing-song style.
"If you wouldn't be ashamed to ask a girl like her, why don't you take her out instead?" he asked.
"Because I'm certain that she likes you way more," his friend replied. "Besides, I'm done with relationships. After what happened to my last girlfriend, I'm not getting another one for quite a while now. Now let's hurry; the faster we go, the better the chance of Ms. Charlotte not getting my case for being late."
"Roger, I'm right behind you. We only have a few minutes left."
(SCHOOL BELL RINGS)
It was 8:00 in the morning. All of the students were sitting down at their desks, waiting for their English and history teacher, , to come in. Ms. Charlotte's hybrid class starts with English first and then history for the second period. While they were waiting, most of the students were talking to one another, and the other students were getting ready to get their homework out to turn in. Richie himself was one of those people. He wanted to make sure he didn't screw up the last time he didn't turn in his work. Smart move.
The classroom door opens, revealing a stunning female with short brunette hair and violet eyes. Wearing a black tank top and denim jeans to complete her high-heeled boots. The guys always would gawk at her, not by her looks but by her chest. One guy confirmed that her breasts are an E cup due to her lingerie receipt discovered in the classroom trash. Other males would say it was an F. Either way you slice it, she was a woman with much attraction to the male students' eyes. Even other girls would want to be like her based on her looks. Regardless, Ms. Charlotte knows that time for looks won't get you anywhere. She was the type of teacher who would be very serious about one's education and take you down like a shark if all you were doing was gawking at her. Making sure they would get the best of their own lives ahead.
"Good morning, students. I hope you all had a fantastic Thursday evening. I have something to share with you in regards to our history lesson planned today."
"I wonder what it could be," Blake whispered.
"Could be anything. Maybe it's more homework. I wouldn't be surprised if she gave us more work on the weekend." He replied.
"Today, we're going to turn the tables around. For one day only, we are going to start our history first period, and we'll move on to English next because I want to show off this fantastic story I saw on the news that relates to today's lesson," Ms. Charlotte said as she grabbed her remote, turning on the projector.
The class started to murmur quietly for a while. "Alright, we're watching a movie! This is a rarity, even for her." Richie whispered to Blake.
"Class, settle down back there!" she exclaimed at her students. "Now if you were watching the news lately and if you were paying attention, you would've learned about a mysterious explosion that happened in a tiny portion of west England. In combination with that, in around 1979, several archeologists witnessed a mysterious flash of light that was seen in the area years ago. "
clicks the remote from her computer to play the video of the newscast on screen.
"In tonight's TV8 Eyewitness News Worldwatch, a mysterious explosion happened inside of a historic chamber in the deserted east portion of England outside Wrexham, Wales just yesterday. Law enforcement say that the explosion they determined was a matter of non-terroristic threat, but could not find any cause or source of the explosion. The investigation continues as police search for leads or any sort of DNA evidence that may have been left behind the scene. They have since blocked off any access for anyone attempting to cross into the cavern. Sources tell TV8 News that the Historic Museum of Wrexham currently owns the legal rights to excavate the cavern itself as well as the most of the land for curation roughly many years now since the end of World War II. No construction or any equipment had taken place. Items of ancient artifacts have been rumored to be locked beyond. Anyone caught in the act of unauthorized blasting, trespassing, or robbery could face a fine of £450,000, which equates to nearly $600,000 or face 10 to 20 years in federal prison," the anchorwoman reported.
Ms. Charlotte goes to her computer and decides to play another video she planned for the class. "For generations, English settlers have battled to protect what they believed to be hidden treasures buried deep inside. What you are about to see is part of a documentary by English archeologist, Dr. Michael Lowrey. We'll be watching next week on Monday as you'll learn more about Welsh culture and its settlers. They were the only ones brave enough to get close enough to the end. I think all of you will find it very fascinating."
The teacher presses play on her remote to start the portion of the documentary. It shows a very old video from 1979. A man that goes by the name of Michael Lowery, who was an archeologist for the museum of that time.
"I'm here in a deserted remote location known to some as The Blue Valley of the Heavens outside the city of Wrexham, Wales. Upon discovery, we have found this cave along a rocky mountain side that looks to have been untouched for centuries. When we got here, our team pushed and pushed as far as we possibly could. We penetrated through a dense wall as of two hours from now, that has been a thorn on our side since then. Attempts were made and our equipment has been successful. It's like beating our heads against a wall. That is until we discovered something truly remarkable," Dr. Lowery said. "Hey Andrew, pan that camera on that wall to the right."
As the cameraman panned the camera right from the archeologists' face to the front of the wall, the size of the wall was enormous. The crew including the archeologists eyes widened as his flashlight shone upon a massive, yet decaying mural adorning the cavern walls. The artwork depicted a breathtaking scene of celestial battles, a clash between two dragons and supernatural beings that shook the very foundation of existence; this mural seemed to depict the legendary event.
On the left of the wall depicted a blue dragon that possessed a regal presence and a determination etched into its azure scales. Surrounding the blue dragon were humans, who were cowering in fear as it showed it vowed to protect them from any imminent danger. On the other side, a red dragon clashed fiercely with a skinny white dragon. Their intense battle was captured in vivid strokes, as flames and white flashes clashed in an awe-inspiring display of power. Supernatural beings that once waged war against each other were shown in the background, their expressions reflecting the calamity they had unleashed upon the world.
"These engravings are very unique. Somewhat of an interesting language that surrounds the mural. The entire surface of this wall somehow shows three dragons that were in some kind of ancient war that took place hundreds, maybe thousands of years ago. We see some sort of a small blue dragon protecting civillians from some sort of village and two others fighting. We also see on the bottom of the wall the ancient language being carved out. Upon further researching and development, we discovered that this could very well be the first or even second generation of the English language before our natural use."
Richie pulled out his notebook as he began taking notes of the wall as fast as he could. "That's wild." He quietly said happily.
"Fortunately, after enough time and decrypting with our famous researchers from around the globe and with state of the art translation technology, we were able to confirm what it says, and I'll read along what it says. It says..."
Just before they were about to say, the screen went static. The entire class assumed that it was the end of the documentary but it wasn't, the teacher added something else to say.
"I wished that there was more to it, but the camera was cut off due to sources saying they did not have enough film at the time," she said before Richie raised his hand.
"Yes, Richie."
"Did anybody else try to go back to decipher the ancient text?"
"Nope. Since then, nobody has gone back inside the cave. In fact that video you just saw was the last time any human being went inside that cavern. The text has yet to be translated, even to this day and the museum still can't figure it out. It's a mystery that still has yet to be seen, but we may never know. Rumor has it that the ancient script was translated, but law enforcement agents from Wales confiscated everything but the footage you see.
"Did they never go back?"
"No, unfortunately Dr. Lowry passed away of heart failure a few days after parts of his films were made."
"Alright, class let's start on our history. Take out your textbooks and turn to chapter 9," she requested the class.
*ONE HOUR LATER*
(Bell Rings)
"Okay class, see you all next week. Remember to turn in your assignments on the way out! Have a nice weekend!" Ms. Charlotte exclaimed.
All of the students got out of their seats to head out to their next period class. One by one, they turn in their homework assignments on the teacher's desk. Richie was the last to turn in as is still standing beside his desk. Blake rushes him to come along.
"Come on, Richie. Aren't you coming?"
"I'm comin', I'm comin'. Just let me grab my notebook." he said, turning in his work before heading out the door.
Richie and Blake proceeded to walk down the hallway, engaging in a conversation about class.
"Dude, what was with you during your first period?" Blake chuckled.
"Yeah, what about it?"
"Well, for one, when that Dr. Lowery guy was showing the inside of that cave, you seemed to have gotten pretty excited about it."
"Yeah, so?"
"Richie, you snuck your phone into your desk to look up more information about it. I could see you beside me doing it. Dude, you always doze off in parts of movies like that. Only this time, you got so excited that you decided to sketch out that wall they showed. I have never seen you like that before. Why's that?"
"I blame my mom. She was the one that got me into dragons, myths, and so much more that happened centuries ago in the first place. I guess when I saw those three dragons on that wall, I just began thinking about the legend. I remember my mom would tell me stories about the medieval era when I was small. How dragons and humans coexisted. How one dragon was so overpowered it took one human or even a being to stop him. It's stories like those that got me motivated about medieval culture," Richie said.
"That and your mom's kick-ass sword collection. I still want to buy them from your mom. Do you think you can ask her again? Those swords look so dope!"
"I told you once before that those swords are one of a kind, and they're not for sale. Even if I did ask her, she'd still say no."
"Crap! Guess I'll just try online then. Anyway, you are coming to the arcade tomorrow, right?" excited Blake.
"Sorry, I can't. I'm going to the library tomorrow."
"For what?! Are you seriously gonna do more research about that ancient crypt or whatever? You heard what said. That wall hasn't been translated enough in centuries to know exactly what it means."
"I'm only going there to look in more detail into this thing. Look, you might not care just as much, but I do," Richie tells him.
"Okay fine. I'll just find someone else then."
Blake is bummed out that Richie is gonna spend more time in the library than hanging out with his best friend. Richie sees Blake's expression on his face.
"Listen, how about this. I'll go to the library at about one in the afternoon. Since the library closes at six and the arcade downtown closes at ten, I'll still be able to make it by then. So you have nothing to worry about. Besides, I'm only gonna be there to find things in more detail. I might even be there for a short while. Who knows?
He gave him a supportive pat on the back to rest his case, giving him a slight grin.
"Now that's a better plan," Blake happily agreed. "I gotta get to class. I'll see you at lunch."
"Yeah, you too," he waved off to his friend.
As Blake walks downstairs to his class, Richie stays upstairs, but decides to sit down on a bench for a minute. His mind couldn't think about anything else but what happened on that archaeologist's expedition in Wales. He began to question things like, what was the true meaning behind that wall? Could there be something more hidden in the crypt? Did those three dragons mean something back then? His only source now was to go figure it out at the library, hoping in vain he would know what it all meant. Before he could go to his next class downstairs he was stopped by Nicole.
"Richie?"
He turned toward a sweet voice that was calling his name. "Oh, hey Nicole."
"What did you think about last class? Who knew was gonna switch subjects around?"
"Yeah, it was a bit weird for her to do something like that. That documentary about the Valley of the Empress really got me interested. I wanted to see more of that. Too bad we have to see it on Monday."
"Really? I thought it was a bit boring if you ask me. The thing with that did sound pretty cool."
"That's the thing. I'm gonna go to the library tomorrow so I can get more intel. See what I could find."
"Can I help you out? Maybe you could use someone to help you gather more info. If that's okay with you."
"Gracias, Nicole. I appreciate your help, but I think I'd rather do this by myself. Maybe some other time. But I'll tell ya what. Me and Blake are going to the arcade tomorrow after I go to the library. You're more than welcome to join," Richie offered.
"That sounds great!" she said only to sigh upon further realization later on. "But I promised my mom I would help her with something that day. Can we reschedule for Sunday?"
"Sure. I got nothing else planned on Sunday. It's a deal."
"Great! I'll see you at the arcade at three in the afternoon. As an added bonus, I'll even treat us for lunch. Look, I gotta get to class. I'll see you later, Richie."
"Okay, see ya Nicole." Richie waved to her.
Richie looked at his phone. He realizes he's running out of time and rushes down the hall toward the stairwell. He only has a couple of minutes to go downstairs to head over his next class before he is called for being tardy. He slides downstairs on the banister as he dashes to the left of the hall. No hall monitors were residing on this floor that day. It gave him a fast dash getaway to his science class.
(Bell Rings)
3:00 P.M.
The Friday afternoon bell. The sweetest sound of every stressed out school student's ears. All of the students stormed out of their classes to go outside to bask in the weekend air.
"IT'S THE WEEKEEEEEEEEND!" one male student shouted as all of them rushed out of the entrance.
On the right side of the school was the gymnasium. The remaining students later exited out of the gym entrance. Richie and Blake were the last ones out of their Phys Ed class.
"Man, I thought the gym would never end," Blake tiredly said. "How would've you thought that doing 50 laps around the outside of the outside court would make your legs feel like linguini."
"You thought 50 was that bad? Try doing 50 outside the gym, during a rain shower for being late. Then talk to me about your legs being linguini. Very...wet...linguini," Richie tells him.
"Oh, yeah. I remember. You were a mere 2 minutes late last month. Coach made you run so many laps back then last year. You look like you were about ready to die," Blake added. "At least it's the weekend," he later sighed with a happy relief.
Richie gives a fist bump to respond. "Amen to that, brother."
Richie and Blake walked out of the school campus to head back to their homes, looking forward to what seemed like a great weekend ahead of them. They strolled along the sidewalk until a girl came sprinting between them, pushing them aside so swiftly that they barely registered her presence.
"Excuse you?!" Richie exclaimed at the girl.
As she sped past, they recognized her immediately.
"Richie, isn't that Nicole?"
"I think it is," he squinted. "I wonder, what's the rush? What happened to her?"
"Maybe it's a family emergency," Blake suggested.
"Man, let's just hope everything's alright."
"Yeah, hopefully her emotions won't be on the tipping scale come Sunday on her date with you...oops," Blake blurted out the secret, quickly covering his mouth.
Richie halted their progress, turning to Blake with a serious expression. His eyebrows furrowed. "Blake, how did you know that I was going with Nicole on Sunday? Be honest."
"Okay, okay. I swore that I wasn't supposed to tell you. Eddie Marsh told me that he overheard you and Nicole's conversation before the second period. I'm sorry it slipped."
Richie sighed. "Great, so now probably at least half the school knows by then."
"Why are you so disappointed? Something like this should be expected from you anyway. This is a good thing. You two can finally have some alone time. I don't know how long it's been since you two have been on a date."
"First off, this isn't a date. Second, it has been a while. It's only been so long since we hung out together. To be honest with you, she has been wanting to hang out with not just me, but the both of us.
"But what's the problem?" Blake asked
The two things that keep her from that are her mom and her sister. She always says it's a bit complicated. Her sister is a traveler and her mother is a manager for some company. Most of the time she's alone in her apartment while her folks are out of town.
"Wait a second. She lives alone, by herself, with no mom or sister to supervise her?"
"Yeah, what about it?"
"What about it? What about it?! My friend, are you that dense?! She's asking you out on a Sunday night, I think I know what's gonna go down. She invites you into her apartment, hopefully cooking up dinner she made just for you. And when you two are full, you two finally hit it off with darkness surrounding her room with nothing but the crescent moon illuminating and Netflix in the background. As you two go within two or three episodes or so later, you make out in the most passionate way possible. Tongues swirling together inside each of your mouths in pure ecstasy and when you two are on that couch-"
Richie grabs his friend's right cheek to pinch with force after hearing his very explicit story. "This ain't one of your mom's erotic novels! Didn't I say it was just gonna be a normal hang out?! It ain't happening like that. ¿Comprende? All we're doing is going to the arcade, getting lunch, and maybe see a movie. When that's done, I'm just going to drop her off at her place and go back to mine. As friends! Just that and nothing more!" he exclaimed, letting go of his cheek after.
Blake rubbed his face to heal the slight pain from his friend. "Okay, okay. Damn!"
"Sorry, I had to get some sense into you for once." he said. "But in all seriousness, I just hope everything is alright with Nicole. Lord only knows what's going on with her."
"Yeah, it is a bit unusual. She's normally calm and happy almost all the time. You know her as well as I do. She's a trooper. I'm sure she's fine."
With every step she took at a fast jogging pace, Nicole was running to get home as fast as she possibly could. She checked the time on her cell phone. Her time was 3:59 in the afternoon. Without a hitch, she sprinted faster than she ever was, worrying about not being able to make it home in time.
"Crap, I hope I'm not too late." She thought to herself.
Finally, she soon made it to her apartment complex at exactly 4 o'clock on the dot. She ran straight ahead at her building number as she ran towards the first door she saw which was her current apartment room. Reaching down her left pocket, she struggles to find the right key. 10 keys were on her key ring before finding her only silver colored one that opened the door. She inserted the key to turn toward the left to finally gain access inside. Nicole locked the door behind her as she threw her book bag on her red couch. Running to her bedroom was her first priority. All she needed to do now was to open her laptop to wake it back up to access her communications with her sister.
"Whew, thank god!" she sighed in relief.
Her main focus was to access her special three way communication software she had set up and installed hours prior to the beginning of school. Double clicking on the blue globe with a blue phone in front instantly accessed her software to get in touch with her sister at long last.
She clicked on her contacts page which gave a long list of people from her friends in school, to her mom and her sister only as well. As she double clicked on her sister's name, the window for the software changed to a blue background with her picture in the middle of it. The sound from the computer gives off two short rings following one long one to signal her sister.
"C'mon sis, I know you're standing outside waiting," she said.
12:01 A.M. - The Blue Valley of the Heavens, Outside Wrexham, Wales in England.
Wrexham, Wales is known by many people who are tourists from both inside Europe and out to be a very peaceful town. Known for their unique adequate culture, it is one of the largest towns ever made north of Wales. People come by to bask in its rich culture, warm welcome to its residents, and great hospitality. Outside of the city stands tall a large mountain near the Wrexham Valley, or to many people that reside in the city, the Blue Valley of the Heavens. An opening entrance can be seen as though it were the size in width of two and a half minivans sitting beside each other. Two police squad cars are parked at the opposite ends of the entryway as well as two policemen guarding the front. Hundreds of feet from them stands a multitude of bushes in trees.
Hiding behind the green foliage was a tall, well toned, yet well developed muscular woman with white hair letting down to her lower back forming a ponytail. A solid black choker wrapped around her neck. Her eyes were a dark shade of red seeking out the policeman's every movement with her binoculars, as if she were some animal getting ready to attack her prey. In order to be unseen by anyone, she supported a long black coat with solid black boots to better camouflage into the darkness hoping nobody or nothing could find her in hiding. She continues seeking out the cops until her cell phone eventually vibrates.
She picks up her phone with the caller ID named "Lil Sis" showing bright on her screen. She touches the green accept button. "You're late," she said with a light rasp voice.
"I know, I know. They wouldn't let me be excused from the gym. They made me run laps all the time," she explained.
"Yeah, yeah. Whatever. So, what's the plan?" She asked, rolling her eyes.
"Okay, first and foremost, I need to pinpoint your exact location so I'll know where you're precisely at."
"I'm sending you the coordinates right now," the tall woman replied, pinging her location from her phone.
An email notification with the subject "location" popped up on Nicole's computer in the upper right hand corner of her monitor. She clicked on the notification to access the email on her internet browser. Instantly, it opens automatically to see a hyperlink of the exact latitude and longitude of her sister's whereabouts. The hyperlink she clicked opened up her mapping software. When it opened it showed her precisely where she is located based on her coordinates.
"Okay, I think I've gotten a good visual on where you are right now. What do you see right in front of you?"
The big sister lifts up her binoculars in front of her eyes. "All I see is the entrance to the crypt, two police squad cars opposite to each end of the entrance, and two policemen guarding in front. What now?"
"Here's what you are going to do. You need to listen to me very carefully when you do this. EXACTLY as I tell you. One minor screw up and it's back to square one. And we don't want mom on our tail with this. Understand?"
"Just say it already," the big sister rolled her eyes.
"Pull out the one smoke bomb I gave you last week. It's in the shape of a small ball."
The older sister reached into her utility belt to pull out a smoke ball from one of its pockets. "Got it, now what?"
"Toss it upward at a 50 to 70 degree angle."
"Why can't I just roll it right in front?"
"It has to be tossed. We needed to make it so that the ball was coming from the top of the mountain. We can't have those guards catch you. If you roll it right in front, one of the cops might walk up to you where the ball was leading from and it's game over. Remember, make sure that there are no branches or anything obscuring in your way when you toss it. The moment you're ready, hit the button and throw it in the air."
"Right," she replied.
The older sister looks at the cops and looks up in the air to make sure that there was nothing in the way to mess up her throw. She measures the trajectory as best as she could before hitting the top button to start the smoke sequence. She tosses the ball in the air at an angle she hopes the cops would not see. The ball stalls for about three seconds of hang time before eventually coming down. Unfortunately, the eldest sister may have overshot her throw as the ball bounced on top of the policeman's head and back down on the ground.
"Shit," she whispers under her breath.
"What happened?" Nicole heard.
"I may have overshot it. It bounced on one of the cops' heads. We're fucked!"
"Not yet. I knew you might do something like this, so I have a plan B. Just wait a sec and make sure you keep yourself hidden."
The policeman that was hit rubbed the top of his head before finding the source of what hit him in the cranium. "What the bloody hell?" he said.
"What's wrong, partner?"
"Something just hit me on the top of my skull," he said with his thick British accent. "Might've been a rock or something."
"Let me see that." the other police officer said as he grabbed the ball from his hands. "I've been hiking as a kid on trips in these mountains. Never in my life have I seen a rock that looks perfectly rounded.
The two officers inspected the ball with their flashlights in their hands when suddenly a giant plume of purple smoke was emitting from the outer side of the sphere. It blew in all directions including in front of the policemen until they accidentally breathed it in. Within a couple of seconds they instantly covered their mouths and began to cough very heavily until they were both knocked out on the floor. The bomb itself fizzled itself out seconds later. The tall sister happily saw everything going according to plan.
"Nicole, it worked. I'm moving through," she told her.
"Great. Make sure you grab your mask. You don't want to inhale the gas while that smoke is still in the air. The effects should wear off in about 20 minutes the moment they hit the floor. That gives us enough time to see what's inside."
She reached into her backpack to pull out her gas mask alongside taking the same backpack with her. She walks up to the entrance making sure she doesn't breathe in the toxic knockout gas. The crypt was very dark as well as much more difficult to see inside. Reaching into her pocket she pulled out a very bright flashlight to illuminate her front surroundings. She soon jogged down to the very end of the cave. Avoiding objects and obstacles along the way is no hassle for her. At last, after about a couple of minutes of running, she finally made it to the end of the crypt. Her mind gets astonished at how not only how tall the ancient wall is in person but also how intriguing it must be to finally look at this up close and personal. She grabs her tablet to open a video file of a documentary she downloaded to go to a specific time code to compare both the actual wall and the video itself. Sure enough, they are an equal match.
"Reina, do you copy?" Nicole said through the phone.
"Go ahead," she replied.
"Have you made it to the end of the crypt yet?"
Reina was still mesmerized on how intriguing the wall looked in person that words could barely come out of her. "Oh. Yeah. I-I'm here. Sis. I-Just wish you could see this in person. It's so...ancient and amazing to look at. The is the real deal."
"There's no time for sightseeing. Pull out your camera and get me pictures of it now. ASAP. We need to make sure we get everything before we do the unthinkable."
"Right. Copy that," Reina said.
Reina reaches into her backpack once more to pull out a professional style, high pixel density camera, with a flash attachment on top for better visuals when the pictures come out. She takes a plethora of pictures from left to right, top to bottom, corner to corner, and from near to far. Taking so many pictures to make sure it gets preserved before planning on doing something to the wall itself. She sets the camera down back inside the nap sack.
"Okay, all the pictures are taken. I'll be sure to send all of them in the email later." Reina says, setting the camera down back inside the bag.
"Great, now here's what you're going to do. I did the best I could to further analyze the rock samples you sent me a couple of days ago during the first attempt."
"And? What did you find out?"
"It took me all night, but I discovered that the rock and sediment sample is made up of a strong, yet kinda indestructible type of mineral. Estimated to be 20x to 50x stronger than any rock, quartz, or an average diamond I've ever seen. It's so unique. It's as if it was maybe artificial let alone to be organic. Out of all the minerals deep within the earth, this one in particular can withstand almost any form of destruction. Which is a no brainer on why the TNT couldn't detonate the entire structure in the first place..."
"JUST GET ON WITH IT! WE DON'T HAVE ALL DAY YOU KNOW!" She yelled.
"Alright, you don't have to shout! Did you get the bottle I sent you as well?"
"Yeah, I got it just this morning. I have it in my pouch," she affirmed.
"Before you take it out, you need to have gloves on at all times. Are you wearing gloves now," Nicole asks.
"I'm already wearing them as we speak."
"Take the bottle and open it. Inside is a highly toxic, highly corrosive chemical compound I spent all week making. If my calculations are right, make sure you pour it on the base of the wall at the very bottom. The entire wall should dissolve within a couple of minutes after pouring the solution."
Reina reached into her backpack to pull out a large test tube full of a purple colored chemical liquid with a cork on top to prevent it from spilling. Being careful, she pulled the top off with her right hand. She was told exactly what her sister said. Pouring the chemical solution onto the bottom of the base resulting in the entire wall disintegrating into nothing. All of its strong organic layering was nothing more than a pile of smokey black goop, pouring down from the base of the wall. The entire ancient markings of that mural from then on was completely destroyed from the corrosive solution into a goopy mess. From the very bottom, Reina could see something shining. A yellow light was shown at the bottom of the base that later triggered her sense of curiosity. She would not know what it was until finally the wall would dissolve halfway.
"Reina, what's the update?" Nicole called.
When the wall was completely gone, Reina's jaw dropped. She dropped her phone in shock. Her eyes widened and her body froze in astonishment. She could not believe her eyes into what she just witnessed for herself. No words could further describe how incredible the inside looked.
"Reina, do you read me?" she repeated. "Are you seeing something? Are you in danger? Answer me?"
Reina picked the phone back on her ear to tell her the update that made her feel this way right now. "Sis, the entire wall is gone," she answered.
"And what do you see?"
"It's...It's...It's an entire room full of gold."
"Wh-What did you say? Did you say gold? Did you say what I think you just said?"
"Uh-huh," Reina said with a stunned reaction as she walked further forward inside. "It's like entering through a mine shaft full of gold. It's just nothing but gold surrounding the place. Gold, jewels, gold interiors, the whole nine yards. I also see two statues but only one is holding what looks like a scabbard for a sword."
"Then that's it! Those were the statues mom was telling us about earlier. That must be the sword we're looking for. Listen, before you do anything, pull out the camera one more time. We need to get every shot of the interior.
"Already on it." she replied.
Without hesitation, Reina pulled out her camera once more to take more pictures of the mother-load. With every snapshot, Nicole was a jackpot. Reina stepping in a room full of gold just waiting for the taking was an even bigger jackpot. She wrapped her mind around how nuts this was. Like the wall, she took every shot she could before stumbling and falling on to a small pile of gold. She instantly grabbed her backpack and managed to pack hand piles and piles of gold coins, along with jewels that were rubies, diamonds, and sapphires when she made an incredible discovery that was standing right in front of her.
It was a bigger pile of gold in between the two statues. Her overly happily greedy attitude managed to stuff whatever she could to get as much gold as she could, until she felt something hard scratching her nails. She became quite skeptical of the fact that something other than gold was hindering her robbery. She saw a different color other than gold. It was very gray. She then spread the entire top pile out of the way so she could find out what it was she felt. The less gold there was, the closer she was getting there. She gets down to spread more gold out of the way to see what was under there. Upon further realization, it was revealed to be a big stone slab sitting on top of a stone box structure. She came closer to a huge stone slab that had an inscription written on the front. Reina stepped closer as she read until her eyes opened very widely.
"Nicole, do you read me."
"Yes, Reina. Go ahead."
"I think this is it." she said
"What's it? What did you see?"
"Mom mentioned someone or something that would be her. I thought it was all just a myth but she was right all along."
"Wait, you don't mean-"
"Yeah. I believe so Nicole. I think we did it. Mom might be right. We might've found the sarcophagus of the lost enchanted Blue Dragon Empress."
Nicole covered her mouth with a successful yet shocked expression on her face. She slunched down on her chair as if she was melting. Her body was more relaxed than ever. It was unbelievable to discover such an amazing feat by her big sister. It was a huge step in the right direction for the sibling. However, the mission still needed to be finished.
"Okay, I know this is big for the two of us, but we still need to get the mission done. You said there was a scabbard somewhere, right.
"Yeah, so what?"
Nicole explained "According to my mom and her research, it had said that the Blue Dragon Empress, during her reign, made two artifacts. A weapon called the Shaelix sword was used as a weapon only for the hands of the empress' knight in command. The other, a supposed hidden artifact she created, was called the Azure Seal."
She continues. "A pendant made from a combination of rare metals and enchanted gemstones. Its surface is adorned with elaborate patterns that shimmer with a hexagonal gem in the center that contains a deep azure hue, mirroring the immense power it holds. The seal emits a faint, pulsating energy, as if it is constantly in motion, revealing its connection to the dragon within. To maintain the seal's effectiveness, it requires a constant supply of energy. This energy is drawn from the collective life force of a select group of celestial beings who have dedicated themselves to its upkeep. These celestial guardians perform rituals every full moon and channel their own energies to feed the seal, ensuring its integrity and preventing any chance of failure. In exchange, their energy is replenished by the celestial light of the moon. However, the power inside the jewel was very attractive amongst demons, witches, and devils alike during a thing called the great war. From then on when her kingdom was obliterated and all her comrades were 99.8% eliminated."
Reina yawns. "That's a great statement, Encyclopedia Britannica, but we don't have all day. What's the next step?" Reina mockingly said.
"It's the final one. Just get the sword and the pendant and get the hell outta there."
"Now, you're speaking my language!" she grinned.
"Just letting you know, you only got five minutes left before the cops wake up again."
"Relax. I may be strong but I'm also fast as hell. Just call mom while I do my job. Until then, this mission is hereby accomplished. I'll let you know when I've got everything we need. Breaking contact." Reina ended the conversation by ending the call.
Reina walked up to the slender dragon statue on the right side of the stone coffin. The statue itself was made out of gold with the sword's scabbard resting on both palms of the dragon statues. The scabbard itself was made out of brown leather with black straps for secure and support for anyone to wield it. A green jewel was implanted on top of the scabbard. The shape and look of the hilt of the sword was a silver colored dragon, who was the representation of the empress, with two purple gems as eyes. The blade itself coming out of the dragon's mouth was double edged making it better for faster and more efficient cuts of those who wield it. She took the sword right out of both palms of the statue and placed it over her shoulder to secure it for the getaway. The big sister soon went out of the entrance way with only a few minutes remaining on the clock. She struggled for a bit considering the fact that she stole a plethora of gold for a get rich quick ordeal, along with the ancient artifact. Reina made a big dash out of the crypt with the cops still fast asleep.
Meanwhile, with the heist deemed successful for both girls, Nicole pulled up her software once more to call her mom about the further update on the robbery. The phone let out one tone. Upon instant, the mother picked up. "Nicole, this had better be good."
"Mom, I'm just calling you that the heist was successful. As of right now, Reina has the sword just like you asked."
"Where is your sister?"
"She's going back to base at the hotel as we speak. Everything is according to plan."
"What about the book?"
"Wait, what book?" Nicole questioned.
The mother slams her right hand on her desk. "Don't you dare play games with me you insolent girl! I mean, the spell book!"
Nicole flinched after the hard bang from her mother. "You never mentioned to me about a spell book. You only gave me some stuff about the dragon empress to research for the heist. Besides, she took an immense amount of pictures of the whole tomb. She didn't mention once about a book."
"Then you two better get your asses in gear, get back there inside and get that book! Check everywhere and I mean EVERYWHERE! We cannot afford any setbacks!"
"It's too late. The cops are already awakened by now and Reina is already gone. Why do you care about this book anyway?"
"Because, rumor has it that the person who created the spell book in the first place also had an artificial sacred gear made by a different person who also wielded another sacred gear. That particular sacred gear contained more magic and skills that correspond with that spell book! That's why I wanted you two fools to go back there in the first place!"
The mother was in an all time rage. She wanted to pull her hair in frustration. It was that bad. She scattered papers, office materials, and even a desk lamp off her desk in anger until she finally calmed down in her black office chair. "Look, we got what we came for. I'll be sure to be more specific and thorough next time with you. As soon as your sister flies out of Europe to your place and sends me that sword, we're issuing protocol zero immediately on Sunday. The two of you will report to Kuoh, Japan to stay with me until further notice. We'll discuss this further when you return. This mission isn't over until we have everything we need. I mean EVERYTHING."
Nicole's eyebrows rose up in surprise. "Protocol Zero? Isn't that too early to call that day? I mean I have something important to do on that day."
"Child, what could possibly be more important than this. It's not like you have a date or anything. Who would even date the likes of you anyway? You don't need anybody but me and your sister. Protocol Zero still stands. Are we clear?" The mother says but she doesn't hear a word from her daughter.
"I SAID, ARE WE CLEAR!?"
Nicole sighed in disappointment. "Yes ma'am. We're clear."
"Good. Now that the mission is over, I suggest you get yourself ready on Sunday night. Breaking contact," she said, hanging up the phone.
Nicole was really disappointed by not only the way her mother talked to her like that, but also had to miss out on a special outing for her and Richie. She wanted to hang with him for the longest while, hoping she would maybe confess to him about her feelings. She got up from her computer chair. Her body slouched down in sadness that she landed flat and hard on her bed. Tears began to flow, the sobbing erupted from her mouth on the bed pillow, and the sorrow began.