Chapter 19: Chapter 19 - A Father's Choice
"Who was that?" Sarah glanced up at her mother walking back inside with a worried look.
"Just some government people," she replied briefly, sitting back down in her seat to complete her breakfast.
"Why're they asking for dad?" Sarah continued to inquire, raising an eyebrow as she gobbled down another bite of her pancake. "It sounded serious."
"I don't know." their mother answered, looking back at her children, "Now no more questions. You two hurry up and eat. Marcus has to go to work, and you need to go to college, am I right?"
They all glanced up at the digital clock hung up on the wall displaying a clear 8:32 am on it.
"F- I'm going to be late-!" Sarah blurted out in surprise as she devoured the rest of her food and stood up to leave the house.
"You're leaving in that?" Marcus chuckled, staring at Sarah in her pajamas about to leave through the front door empty-handed.
"Huh?" She froze, looking down and realizing her mistake, "Goddamnit-" She spun around and bolted into her bedroom before coming back out a few minutes later with suitable outerwear and a bag filled with the tools and equipment required for college.
"See you guys later!" She shouted as she ran out the door in a rush, her figure disappearing within seconds.
"She never changes," Their mother chuckled, staring out the still open door and sighing whilst she stood up to close it.
"Wait a second. I'm coming in." A voice called, while the figure of their father walked through the entrance with a dark expression.
"Oh, honey, you're back already. That was quick," Marcus' mother said with surprise as she closed the door behind him and followed him back to the kitchen. "Do you want your breakfast?" She offered,
"Not right now. I need to speak with Marcus for a second. Alone."
——
-:5 minutes ago:-
"Connell. What do you want?" Marcus' father glanced through the tinted car window at the elderly figure sat within.
"Bruce. Come inside. We need to talk." Major Connell opened the door and cautiously glancing up at the Elori apartment room before nodding at his men to surveillance the area as they spoke.
"What's going on?" Bruce frowned at the extra security measures given and the sudden unexpected visit.
"It's an emergency. Read this." The Major handed him a thin file with the word 'Confidential' stamped in giant red texts on the front.
"What's this?" Bruce frowned, flipping it open and begun reading, his expression instantly darkening as a profile photo of an extremely familiar face was presented on the first page. "Why is my son in his file?" He demanded, raising his head in anger as he saw the Major's grim expression staring back at him. "Just what the hell is going on."
"Just keep reading." The Major nodded at the file in Bruce's hands to which he obeyed.
"What…" The speechless father stared in disbelief as bombshells after bombshells were revealed before him. "You're saying that the recent disturbances of gate activity are related to my son?"
"It's all undeniable. Everything written there makes complete sense. The opening of gates, the strange disappearance of a gate, the appearance of the King. It all links together to one common person. Your son."
"This is all circumstantial evidence." Bruce rebutted, slamming the file close, no longer wanting to even look at it anymore. "You need to give me something more than this to persuade me."
The Major let out a sigh of frustration, digging through his pocket and taking out a familiar small palm-sized black phone. "Why don't you go confront him yourself. You know what to do if our hunch is right."
"You're not telling me to…to my own son?" Bruce stared at the daunting black phone presented before him, its familiar function, usage, and the implied meaning behind this action all coming to him at once.
"We don't have a choice, Bruce. Either family or the world. I'll leave the decision up to you." The Major patted the previously retired Army Commander as the car door opened up, letting in the soft breeze of the outside world to flow in, "I hope to speak to you soon."
Bruce took a step out of the car, his mind racing as he glanced up at his apartment room, seeing his daughter running out with a frantic expression glancing at her watch every so often as she sped into the elevator.
With slight hesitation in every step, Bruce slowly made his way back into his apartment with one simple goal. A goal that would not only end up determining the fate of his family but one which could end up devastating his entire planet.
——
Marcus stared at his father with a confused gazed, his empty plate on the dining table as his father sat down in front of him, a rare and hesitant look on his face. His mother already reluctantly retreating back into the bedroom after little persuasion by Bruce.
"What do you want to talk about?" Marcus broke the silence as he stood up to clean his dish.
"Marcus." His father began, this time staring straight into his son's eyes, a serious distant expression on his face as if interrogating a suspect in a crime. "Are you a hunter?" His voice sent a shiver down Marcus' spine as he almost dropped the plate onto the ground.
Although he may have expected somewhat of a confrontal conversation with his father due to the nature of his work and the connections which he had within the government and officials. Marcus had expected more of a round-a-bout questioning, rather than asking him head-on.
He silently took a deep breath and turned around with a slight eyebrow raise, "Yeah. Haven't I already told you? C-Ranked Swordsman." He lied, watching the expression on his father's face slightly relax.
"…alright," His father muttered, nodding as he stood up, causing a loud screech to sound out from the wood plank flooring. He headed into his bedroom, leaving a confused Marcus alone in the kitchen.
'Did it work? It was that easy?' Marcus blinked with a frown, cleaning his plate and putting it on the drying rack before heading into his own room to gather everything he required for his long day at work.
"I'll see you later." He called out, leaving through the front door.
——
5 minutes slowly ticked by as Bruce and his wife as side by side on the ottoman beside their bed, Bruce's expression extremely grim whilst his wife pulled him close, trying her best to comfort him even though she had no idea what was happening.
"Darling, I can't help you if you don't tell me what's going on," She begged, rubbing his shoulders while he leaned forward, gripping the small black phone in front of him with both hands.
"Mary…" Bruce muttered, slowly turning to face his wife with a pained look, a look of loss and regret. "Do you trust me?"
Mary hesitated slightly as she held his hand tightly, feeling his rapid pulse as she held them together, the phone still between their hands while they shared this intimate moment.
"As long as it is for the greater good. For the greater good of not only the present but the distant future. I will trust you with my life." She smiled sincerely, resulting in a deep sigh escaping from Bruce's lips, and his eyes once again filled with resolution and purpose.
Without another word, he flipped open the phone and dialed in a specific number, instantly connecting to the other end.
"Do it." He commanded with a deep voice, looking over at his ignorant wife, who simply sat beside him with a relieved expression.
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