Inside Black's mansion...

"Mistress Nina, the lunch is served. Sorry to keep you waiting."

​​

"Talos, you don't need to cook my meals... We have chefs to take care of that." Nina smiled as Talos pulled a chair for her to sit.

"No can do ma'am. Master gave me explicit orders to take care of all your needs in his absence. That includes your meals." Talos responded before checking in with the other automatons Arnold had left under Talos' command to protect Nina.

Everything was fine. Their mistress was safe.

Nina shook her head and took a look at the dishes prepared by Talos. Mushroom soup, bitter greens with tomatoes the size of peas, rare roast beef slices as thin as paper, noodles in a green sauce and cheese that melts on your tongue served with sweet blue grapes. There was no wine as Arnold had told Nina to reduce her alcohol intake while she's carrying their baby.

"Looks like you went all out, Talos!" Nina exclaimed, she was surprised at how much food Talos managed to prepare in just a little over an hour.

"Of course, mistress. Your health is of extreme importance. Also, I don't want master to unload his crap on me, with all due respect."

Nina smiled in response and proceeded to dig into the food. She might have been silent but her mind was racing. The number of automatons Arnold had left behind was quite... Excessive, in her opinion. While she could comprehend why Arnold would leave behind a few soldiers to protect her, but leaving over two hundred battle-ready automatons? That was way too much. More than that, the Black's mansion was looking more like a military base than a home. Constant patrols and heavy artillery were a common thing now.

'Maybe he got worried because of my pregnancy? No that can't be it.' She thought, 'It's something else... But what exactly was Arnold worried about?'

She thought and thought but nothing came to her mind. If Arnold just wanted her to be safe, then the Black family manor would provide more than enough protection for her. But then again, they failed to defend themselves once, they could fail again. Maybe that's why Arnold was taking such excessive measures. That made sense. Unless...

"Uhh... Talos, do you mind if I ask you something?" Nina asked the automaton standing next to her.

"Sure, mistress. Anything." Talos replied.

"I've noticed a weird change in Arnold. It's like he's always on his toes. Almost as if he knows someone is going to attack him or us. It's the same with Nicole. So, I was hoping you'd have some information regarding that."

"My apologies, but I don't know anything of substance on the matter."

Talos' quick reply seemed unusually cold to Nina which made her worry even more. Something Talos immediately took notice of and tried to come up with a suitable excuse for Arnold's behaviour.

"However, it's no secret that when you become stronger than everyone else around you, you have a target painted on your back. Master Arnold and Mistress Nicole, are in a different league of their own. So that could be a factor." He said.

He continued, "Furthermore, the recent happenings in the swamps have dealt quite a psychological blow on master. He is too prideful to admit it, but he worries a lot about you and his future child. But it's something a lot of fathers go through. They can't bear a child on their own but their minds continuously think about their unborn child. This fact coupled with the responsibility of being one of the nation's strongest warriors might've put him under stress, don't you think so? At the mention of being under stress, I don't think it good for you either, mistress."

"You're right. Maybe I'm thinking too much. Also, you're a great speaker, Talos."

"Of course I am. After all, I've learned from the best." Talos replied banging his metallic chest.

"Who? Arnold?"

"No. Google."

"Pfft- hahaha!"

***

A few hours ago...

Over at Rio, the sun was slowly sinking. The evening sun cast long shadows on the ground. The slanting rays of the setting sun gave a warm orange tinge to the sky while the thin clouds circling the dipping sun made the atmosphere joyful. Such was the view from the President's office in Palácio da Alvorada, where Arnold was waiting for his former teacher and now President, Nicholas.

Unfortunately, Arnold's wait kept dragging on as Nicholas was preoccupied in a meeting. But Arnold didn't mind it. After all, The sunset was beautiful and so was the view from the balcony.

He stepped through the sliding glass door to go out. The beautiful Paranoá Lake was bathed in gold by the sun. An icy breeze brushed Arnold's overgrown beard. Though the wind was cold, Arnold didn't mind. The mana shield covering his body was essential in a battle for him now that he had lost his sense of touch and pain, but it was enough to shield him from the cold as well. He quickly snapped a picture of the sunset and sent it to Nina with the caption 'Missing you.'

It didn't take long for Nina to reply either, "Focus on your work, you hopeless romantic. Missing you too."

Her text made Arnold almost forget about everything. Let it be the impending battle against the demigods or the situation that he was in Rio to handle. But this only made him steel his resolve to protect the life he had now.

"I must say, the air around you has changed a lot." A familiar voice reached Arnold, "But that could be because you have opened up the door, freezing me."

Arnold smiled and turned around, "A lot can change in six years, Master Nicholas."

"Sure it can," Nicholas replied, smiling brightly than ever. Dressed in his trademark white clothing, surrounded by dozens of Black horses, "Also, just call me Nicholas. It feels weird when someone stronger than oneself refers to the other as master."

"You give me too much credit." Arnold laughed.

"Sorry to disappoint you, but I don't see myself surviving a nuclear attack."

"Guess I was just lucky."

"Like always."

The two of them chattered for a while. Catching up on the events that unfolded after Arnold's disappearance inside the transdimensional portal. A few moments later, Christina, Nicholas' sister and Gabriel also joined them.

To Arnold's surprise, it was revealed Christina and Gabriel were now married for two years. Arnold congratulated the couple. Especially, Gabriel who was the closest thing to a brother he had in Brazil.

"Sorry to disappoint you Arnold, but I think your visit might be cut short," Nicholas said in between their chattering.

"Is something wrong?" Arnold was a bit confused by Nicholas' statement.

"Nothing at all." Nicholas reassured his former disciple, "I have just the man who can give answers to your questions. Bring him in."

Four black horse soldiers immediately bowed and left. Barely a few seconds had passed when Arnold could hear the sound of chains being dragged on the marbled floor. Soon after, a man appeared in front of them. He was chained from head to toe, looking no more than a shadow of his former confident self. Still, it was enough for Arnold to recognise the man... A man whom Arnold thought to be dead... The man because of whom he was stuck inside the transdimensional portal.

"Rion!"