Disclaimer: English is not my first language. I'm using Grammarly to check the Grammar and using Word to write it.
When I first thought this chapter there was going to be a fight scene but I'm satisfied with how it went.
The next one will have more action.
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I was happy to see Mash again but before I could say anything she was pushed away from the screen by a young woman with horns.
"Master!" Kiyohime exclaimed.
"Hey Kiyohime," I said with a soft smile.
"Thank goodness, I was so worried when you disappeared," Kiyohime had tears brimming in her eyes.
Before I could attempt to comfort her, Kiyohime was also pushed away from the screen.
Oh boy, that's not going to end well.
"Yo Master! You gave us quite the scare but of course, you wouldn't die so easily!" Oda Nobunaga was smiling from ear to ear. "What's you wor-" Nobunaga leaped away from the screen to dodge a fireball.
And now they're fighting.
"The hell are you doing?!" Nobunaga screamed with her rifle in her hands.
"I'm finally reunited with my beloved. Don't get in our way, you tramp," Kiyohime said with a furious glare.
"Who're you calling tramp?!" Nobunaga screamed indignantly.
I could hear other voices in the command room that were trying to stop both of them from fighting each other.
"Kiyohime! Nobu! No fighting in the command room!" I said.
My command caused Kiyohime and Nobu to hesitate briefly. In that moment of hesitation, they were grabbed by two giant mechanical hands.
"That's far enough you two. Can't have the command room destroyed by your bout," Da Vinci said to the two she was holding in her mechanical hands.
"She started it!" Kiyohime and Nobu said at the same time.
"Don't matter who started I'm ending it." Da Vinci sighs. "I get that you two are relieved to see Henry again but don't go causing trouble for everyone else."
Kiyohime and Nobu grumbled under their breaths.
Da Vinci releases both of them.
"So as punishment, I'm going to kick you two out of here," Da Vinci turns her head. "That also goes for anyone who isn't essential for this meeting. The room is too cramped with so many here."
The next few minutes all I could hear was Da Vinci kicking people out of the command room and a lot of complaining about what she was doing.
After finishing it, she appeared on the screen again.
"Hey there Henry, Morgan" Da Vinci waves enthusiastically.
"Hello Da Vinci," Morgan greeted back.
"Hey, Da Vinci. Seem like things are as lively as ever," there was never a boring day there.
"A little more now but that's not important right now," Da Vinci's eyes were sparkling.
I know that look, she's going to ask me a bunch of questions about Earth Bet.
As Da Vinci is about to start with the questions, Holmes stops her by putting his hand on her head.
"As much as I would like to also ask some questions about his home, let's do this in another moment. We have much to discuss," Holmes said.
Da Vinci pouts at being interrupted but nods in the end.
I sighed in relief and sent a grateful look towards Holmes.
Da Vinci is relentless when comes to things that interest her.
"Good day Henry, Morgan," Holmes said.
"Hey Holmes," I greeted back.
"Hello Holmes," Morgan said.
A blonde man walks in front of the screen and I had to hold myself from flinching at his appearance.
Goredolf had dark circles around his eyes, his hair was messy, and his clothes were wrinkled.
"Director, you look...good," he looks like he hasn't slept in days.
"You don't have to watch your words, Henry. I'm quite aware of my appearance," Goredolf said. "Hello Morgan," He said respectfully.
"Hello director," Morgan said.
Goredolf gives me a critical look and nods pleased, "You seem to be in good health."
"Thanks. Don't you want to take a break?" I asked concerned.
"I agree with Senpai. Director, you have to take a break. You've been working nonstop for days," Mash appears on the screen with a concerned look.
Goredolf snorts, "I wouldn't have the right to call myself the director of Chaldea if I let my subordinates do all the hard work," He shakes his head. "I just need a good cup of coffee."
It's moments like this that make me glad that he's the director and not some snooty magus from the Clock Tower.
"What's going on?" I asked.
"We have more paperwork than usual, that's all," Holmes said.
"Mages Association?" I asked already knowing the answer.
Don't they have anything better to do with their time?
"They can't touch us but they certainly can make it harder for us to buy more resources," Da Vinci said with a huff.
"What're you working on, Da Vinci?" I asked.
"A project that will affect greatly Chaldea future, but before we delve into it there's something that I would like to know. Why're you wearing a mask, Henry?" Goredolf asked.
By the look on the faces of everyone else, they also wanted to know about the mask.
"Oh, it's to hide my identity," I took off the mask. "Maybe I should wear one that hides more of my face than just the eyeballs," I thought out loud after giving the mask a more critical look.
That only made them more confused.
Holmes rubs his chin," Why do you need something like that?"
That is a loaded question.
"So the villains that plague this city don't target Henry's family," Morgan said.
"Villans?" Mash tilts her head sideways in confusion.
"I still say that more drastic measures need to be made," Morgan said to me.
"We can't kill them without cause, Morgan," I said with a groan. "If we do that, the heroes will attack us."
"Getting rid of pests that cause daily destruction is not enough cause?" Morgan raised an eyebrow.
I paused at what she said. Given the amount of damage that the city receives daily from them, the PRT ENE should have been allowed to use more aggressive means to deal with the villains.
Yet they haven't.
"Look, I don't know how things work in the PRT. What I do know is that we don't want to become enemies with them," I said with finality to Morgan.
There's no point in antagonizing them. That would just create unnecessary problems.
I noticed the looks we were receiving from Da Vinci, Holmes, Mash, and Goredolf.
Yeah, this talk must only be confusing them even more.
"It would be better if you explained what this project is first. It's gonna take a while to explain how things work here," I said with a tired sigh.
Da Vinci, Mash, Holmes, and Goredolf traded glances with each other.
Goredolf coughs in his hand, "Very well. Da Vinci, you have the floor."
Da Vinci steps forward, "Behold my genius."
Schematics of a building appeared on the screen.
"What am I looking at?" I asked.
"Chaldea new headquarters," Da Vinci puffed her chest, proudly.
I hummed in confusion, "Why do we need a new headquarters? And where would it be located?"
Chaldea is located in Antarctica so no nation could claim it.
Is there another place like that?
"I'm glad you asked," Da Vinci pointed at me in an overdramatic way. "The new permanent headquarters will be located in your world, Henry,"
My mind came to a crash at the declaration.
What the hell does she mean by permanent?!
"What're you talking about?" I asked surprised.
I knew that we would need to have a base here but I thought it would be only temporary.
"Zelretch implied, rather strongly I might add, that it would be in our best interest to have a change of scenario and that your home would be the ideal place to go," Holmes said.
What?
"Did he say anything about Earth Bet?" I asked.
"Earth Bet?" Mash asked.
"Weird name, I know. There was this incident in the late eighties that revealed the existence of other earths," I said rubbing my neck.
That piece of information certainly surprises them.
"Tell me everything!" Da Vinci demanded with an excited grin.
"An incident that revealed the existence of other earths. How curious," Holmes leaned closer in interest.
"When you say other earth, do you mean parallel worlds?!" Goredolf exclaimed in disbelief.
"That's amazing senpai!" Mash said with sparkling eyes.
"You didn't inform of this, husband," Morgan said.
"It wasn't relevant before," I only told Morgan what were the current events happening in Brockton Bay.
"I take that it was one of these parahumans that have done such deed," Morgan said.
"Parahumans?" Goredolf asked.
"It was a tinker. I can't remember his name right now but I know he was a villain," I said.
"And to think that a miracle was achieved without the use of mystics. What a strange world this is" Morgan said.
"WHAT!" Holmes, Da Vinci, Mash, and Goredolf screamed at the same time.
That new piece of information motivated them to ask even more questions.
The problem was that they were all talking at the same time.
I couldn't understand anything that was being said and it was starting to give me a migraine.
This has been happening a lot lately.
"ENOUGH!" I screamed.
I rubbed my temples in an attempt to reduce the migraine.
"One thing at a time," I said through gritted teeth. "We will finish this talk about the new headquarters then I will answer all of your questions, okay!?"
I didn't mean to raise my voice but it helped in calming them down.
After their apology, the meeting continued as normal.
"What did he say?" I asked again.
"He didn't say anything beyond that we should move our operation to your home," Da Vinci shrugged her shoulder.
He must know how dire things are here, why else would he suggest that?
"And you're okay with this plan director?" I asked.
"Chaldea will be dissolved one way or another," Goredolf said bluntly.
I took a deep breath without realizing it.
"Oh, don't be so surprised Henry," Goredolf chuckles. "Zelretch protection only goes so far. If enough lords from the Clock Tower work together, they will be able to override his decision."
"So that's how it ends," I said bitterly.
After everything we have done this is how they repay us.
"Don't look so down Henry. That might be how Chaldea's story ends but that is here. A new chapter awaits in a new world," Holmes said.
I snorted a laugh at what Holmes said.
"A little over dramatic, don't you think Holmes?" I asked with a grin.
Holmes nodded, "It might be but you understand the point I'm making."
He's right, there's no point in being angry.
"Exactly Holmes. I will never allow any of those greedy lords from the Clock Tower to get anything from Chaldea. So effective immediately we will move our operation to a more secure place. Are there any objections?" Goredolf asked.
"None," I, Da Vinci, Holmes, Mash, and Morgan said at the same time.
"Good," Goredolf nodded pleased.
As good news as this was I realized something important.
"If that's the case, we're going to need a new director," it's a shame that Goredolf won't be able to come.
It will be either Da Vinci or Holmes.
I have no interest in the position. I saw the amount of paperwork they do daily.
"That won't be necessary senpai, the director will also be to visit your world," Mash said.
"Really?" I asked.
Man, this ruby sure is handy.
"It will take more preparation but eventually I will be able to visit your world. So don't write me off yet, Henry," Goredolf said.
"Does that mean that you will live here from now on?" I asked.
"No, I will only stay long periods of time there. I won't abandon my responsibilities with the Musik family," Goredolf said seriously.
"All right then. Is there anything I can help with it?" I asked eagerly.
The sooner it's done the better.
"Aren't you forgetting something, Henry?" Da Vinci asked with a smile.
I was confused for a moment about what Da Vinci meant until I remembered the deal from before.
Let's get this over with.
"Better get comfortable, there's a lot to cover and a lot of it isn't pleasant," I said with a grimace.
I started to tell them everything I knew about Earth Bet.
Parahumans. What the Endbringer are and the damage they have done to the planet. The horrors committed by the Slaughterhouse Nine. Heroes and villains. The gradual decline of Earth Bet.
By the time I was done, the warehouse was in complete silence.
I was looking down at the floor absentmindedly. Holmes was smoking from his pipe with a thoughtful look. Da Vinci was thinking deeply with her arms crossed over her chest and eyes closed. Morgan closed her eyes in deep thought. Mash had a sad frown on her face.
Goredolf looked around and gritted his teeth. He takes a deep breath and claps his hands loudly.
The sudden noise startled everyone. I returned my attention to the screen.
"I understand how upsetting all of this is but this isn't the first time we came across a situation that seemed hopeless," Goredolf said. "We will do as always, tackle one problem at a time."
"What facilities have you secured, Henry?" Goredolf asked.
"Right now all I got is an unused warehouse. There're a lot of abandoned warehouses and apartment buildings throughout the city that we could use," I said.
The failing infrastructure of the city is going to work in our favor.
I don't know how to feel about that.
Goredolf turns to Da Vinci, "How many servants are we able to send right now?"
"With this amount of magical energy we can send three servants," Da Vinci said after checking the data she was receiving from the ruby.
"Medea, Cú Chulainn, and Hassan of the hundred faces," I said immediately.
"Mash, go help them get ready," Goredolf said.
Mash nodded and left quickly.
"Henry, a quick question. The time of each endbringer attack, is it always the same?" Holmes asked.
I thought a little and nodded, "Yeah, every four months there's one."
"Is that so," Holmes rubs his chin in thought.
I need to check when the next one is expected. To see how much time we have to prepare.
"What do you plan to do, Henry?" Goredolf asked.
"Right now, I plan to crush the gangs without mercy," I said bluntly.
"...I see," Goredolf blinked at what I said.
Goredolf let out a big yawn.
"Director, I think it's time for your break," Da Vinci said.
"Nonsense I-" Goredolf yawned again.
Goredolf froze and quickly tried to hide with a cough. Noticing the stares we were giving, he sighed in resignation.
"I will take a quick nap. Wake me up in an hour," Goredolf went to his room.
By the glances Da Vinci and Holmes shared I could tell they weren't going to do that. They were going to let him sleep as much as he wanted.
Speaking of sleeping, I could go for a good night's sleep. Didin't get much yesterday, I had too much on my mind.
Fortunately, I'm used to working with little sleep.
The ruby started to glow brightly again. When the glow dwindled there were three new individuals in the warehouse.
"Yo master," Cú Chulainn said with a smile,
"Hey Cu Chulainn," I raised my hand in a high five, which he gladly returned.
"Well, you certainly could have chosen a better place master," Medea said while looking around.
"Honestly, even if I could choose another place I would still have looked for an abandoned warehouse or some empty building," I shrugged my shoulders.
That was the original plan before I was told the ruby would be rooted to the ley line.
"Besides this isn't going to be our main base," I said.
We're going to have to find a way to hide this warehouse.
Medea hummed in response, walking around to see how much space she had to work with. She starts to cast spells to clean the air and dust inside the warehouse.
"Hey Hassan," I greeted the quiet assassin.
"Master, I'm glad that you're in good health," Hassan said.
I smiled in return.
"So master, what's the plan?" Cú Chulainn leaned on one of the wooden crates.
"We're going to end a gang war that's currently happening," I said.
Wait, they don't know what I'm talking about.
As I was about to further explain Cú Chulainn interrupted me.
"Don't need to do that, Mash gave us a summary of what's going on," Cú Chulainn said.
Best kouhai ever.
"What a nasty city you live in, master," Medea finishes cleaning the warehouse.
True but that's going to change now.
"Morgan and Medea, fortify this warehouse. If you need more space there are abandoned ships nearby that you can use," I said.
They nodded and started to get to work.
I turned to Hassan, "Find the locations where the gangs keep their cache of weapons, money, and drugs," I said.
I turned to Cú Chulainn, "And you're going to attack those caches."
Cú Chulainn's smile was full of teeth.
Suddenly the sound of ringing echoed in the warehouse.
I looked around in confusion, trying to find the source of the sound.
"Your backpack," Holmes informed me.
I grabbed the backpack and opened it. My cellphone was ringing.
That reminds me that I need to get a burner phone.
"Hello?" I answered the call.
"Henry, where're you?" Isaac asked.
"I'm still in the Boardwalk," I answered a little confused with the question.
Wait, what time is it?
I looked at the clock on my phone and winced.
This meeting has gone way longer than I thought.
"Do you need me to go get you?" Isaac asked.
"No!" that was louder than I wanted. "I mean, there's no need. I can see the bus arriving, it won't take long for me to get home."
"All right," Isaac said.
The line was quiet for a few moments.
"Dad? You there?" I asked.
"Is everything alright Henry?" Isaac asked.
His question caught me off guard.
"What? Of course, I'm okay," I said a little nervous. "Why are you asking that?"
"You seem tired," Isaac said.
I paused at his question.
I was feeling a little tired but it wasn't anything serious.
"I...just got a lot on my mind right now, that's all," I said weakly.
Why does it sound so hollow?
"Okay," Isaac said.
He doesn't sound convinced and I don't blame him.
"Dad, everything is going to be okay. I promise," I said softly.
"...all right, call me if you need anything. I love you," Isaac said before ending the call.
I sighed tiredly while looking at the cell phone.
I missed the looks everyone was giving me.
I turned to Cú Chulainn, "I'm going to need a ride home."
"Master, are you okay?" Medea asked concerned.
I put the mask back on.
"I'm fine," I said emotionless. "We're going to focus on the Do-"
"Nope," Da Vinci interrupted me.
I turned to Da Vinci shocked, "Excuse me?"
"You're going to home and rest," Da Vinci ordered.
I frowned in frustration, "I can rest later, we nee-"
"Nope," Da Vinci interrupted me again.
"STOP INTERRUPTING ME!" I screamed.
No one said anything as I tried to regain my breath.
"The world can wait a day," Da Vinci said softly.
"But," I tighten my fists.
"Senpai," I blinked surprised at Mash's voice.
When did she return?
I turned to see Mash looking at me worried.
I always hated worrying her.
Mash had a sad smile, "You have to rest senpai."
"I agree with Mash. It's important to take care of one's own health," Holmes said.
I tried to protest again but Holmes kept talking.
"The problems that plague the world won't go away in one day," Holmes said. "It will take time to make any sort of impact, be patient Henry."
I felt a hand on my shoulder, turning I saw Cú Chulainn smiling at me. And he wasn't the only one, everyone was giving me reassuring smiles.
"All right," I whispered.
"Go spend some time with your family, senpai," Mash said gently.
"Hassan, make sure he has a full night of sleep," Da Vinci ordered.
Hassan nodded and moved next to me.
"Da Vinci," I groaned.
"Don't make me send Nightingale over there," Da Vinci threatened.
I paled at the thought of what Nightingale would do.
"You don't have enough magical energy," I said with panic.
"As if that would stop me," Da Vinci scoffs.
I believe her.
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"I'm home," I said opening the front door.
Looking around I saw Mom cooking dinner, Dad and Daisy were watching TV in the living room.
I went straight towards Dad.
Isaac got up to greet me but before he could say anything I hugged him.
He quickly reciprocates the hug.
"Welcome home," Isaac said after letting go of me.
I gave him a smile in return.
"Dinner is ready," Nora said.
Isaac and Daisy went towards the dining table, Nora was putting a tray of lasagna on the table. It didn't take long for them to start some chatter about the day.
Something that I learned in my journey is that moments like this should be cherished, as they never last long.
I shook my head and joined my family in this peaceful moment.
Da Vinci is right, the world can wait a day.