Chapter 22

The Lord of Vermilion’s Test 5

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Theo’s room was barren

A bed, a table, a chair, a sink and nothing else.

He didn’t really use the room that much, so such was expected.

As such, Theo, Juno, Bartholomew Lorne and Meredith Lorne sat on the floor

“So? Why are you guys here? I already called everyone in the family the millisecond I got out of the hospital. I’m doing fine.” Said Theo.

“Yeah, but you know how it is. Mom and Dad were worried when they heard the news that you lost an arm, an eye and a small chance that your brain was damaged.” Said the kind hearted Barth

“And as you can see, I’m as fit as a fiddle. No need to worry”

“Besides, me and Mary are actually transferring to Vermillion. We moved up in the ranks and got posted here. It was lucky that we both got posts in the same city. We were worried that we’d be separated”

Barth was a pro dressmaker. His skills at making wedding gowns were top notched and had made for some big names in the past. Among the Lorne family, Barth was the most successful.

Mary on the other hand was police officer that specialized in forceful suppression and riot control. She’s just as wild and manly as she looked.

And as you’d expected of the prettiest manliest woman in the world, Mary barely gave two and half rats ass about the details.

“No one cares about that! What’s the story with the bombshell beside you?” said Mary

“As I stated earlier, I’m Juno Saiga and I’m trying to get into your brother-in-law’s pants. Nice to meet you” said Juno with her signature smile

“HAHAHA! I like you!” said Mary, then turned to Theo. “And why haven’t you done her yet?! Throw her into the bed, strip her naked and fuck her already! Arent you going on and on about making a harem and such?”

“Vulgar as always…*sigh*… You told me a couple of stories that when pretty women way above your league approaches you, odds are she’s a gold digger and she’s after your stuff. This is exactly what I feel about Juno” said Theo

Mary and Barth looked uneasily at Juno.

Theo’s words were extremely rude after all.

Much to their surprise, Juno simply laughed it off.

“Isnt it his futile resistance cute? I may be a masochist but watching Theo’s worthless struggle against my charms is oddly satisfying! His eventual surrender to his desires and the subsequent violent sex that would follow will be all the more delicious!” said Juno with glee.

With a defeat sigh and a couple uncomfortable laughter, the 4 passed the time with small talk.

Aside from Juno’s annoying presence, seeing Barth and Mary after a couple of years was a very pleasant experience indeed.

-:-

The Next Day

Afternoon

Vermilion City Business District

Much of the last day of Theo’s weekend was spent helping Barth and Mary find a new home.

Juno wanted to come, but her status as a future superhero got in the way.

Despite not having any powers yet, Juno was receiving combat training rivaling that of Crow’s sidekicks.

In all intents and purposes, she was already a superhero. She simply isn’t registered yet.

Theo breathed a sigh of relief when he knew she wasn’t going to join them.

His stress levels were already off the charts with his preparations for the FNN assault.

For now, he appreciated the sort of relaxing time he spent with his brother and sister-in-law.

First, the three went to a real estate agent and surveyed the rooms that matched the couple’s budget.

Theo made sure to steer them away as far as possible from the Hell Hole district or Theo’s neighborhood

Half the reason was to keep them safe.

The other reason was to keep them as far away from him as possible.

Why?

To reduce the chance of them interfering with his escapades.

The place they found, though not the cheapest place in the world, it was without a doubt safe.

It was located a few blocks from the Vermilion City Police Headquarters.

This made Mary’s travel to her workplace a hell lot easier. 20 minutes of lazy walking and she’s there.

In Barth’s case, his work 1 train ride away.

It was still a quick transit despite the large distance he needed to cover.

Not bad at all.

He was worried of the very big chance that he’d eventually have to face off with Mary in the future. She was promoted due to her ability to break criminal bones after all.

All he could do was pray that such a time will never come to pass

At the moment, he was inside the soon-to-be room of Barth and Mary.

He stared blankly outside the scenery of tall concrete buildings.

On the other side of the concrete jungle of Vermilion City was the FNN headquarters where his spy drones stealthily observed the area.

If Theo tilted his head 45 degrees to the right, he would be facing towards the inland where his neighborhood, the massive scrapyard and a portion of the Hell Hole district was located.

With large amounts of concrete buildings between Barth’s home and most potential flashpoints in Vermilion City, Theo could breathe a bit easier.

While he studied the video feeds sent straight to his brain by his spy drones, Barth tapped him on the shoulder.

“Nice view huh?” said Barth as he marveled at the scenery

“Yeah. But I think you should have stayed in Northfrost city. It’s much smaller than Vermillion but it doesn’t have the monthly apocalyptic battles.” Replied Theo

“That makes it fun right? Mary was livid when the opportunity to beat the stuffing out of people was more available than ever” said Barth with a wryly smile.

“That’s not the point bro. This city is the worst place to have children. You’ve been married for 5 years right? My nephew/niece might be just around the corner. I’d worry myself to death every time a superhero fight happens.”

“Kids...” Said Barth in depressed manner.

This was weird to Theo since Barth was the most positive person in existence.

“Is there something wrong?” asked Theo

Barth was silent for a couple of seconds while making a difficult face.

“*sigh* …. No, its nothing. A personal problem that can only be solved by me alone. Don’t worry about it.” Said Barth.

“Well, if you say so. But remember bro, you can always count on me for help”

“Hahaha! Said the kid that hasn’t even graduated from highschool!”

With a light hearted laugh, the two brothers continued to talk about mundane things.

All the while, Mary slept like a rock on the floor of her soon-to-be bedroom.

That’s what happens when an extremely excitable small town girl enters the big city for the first time.

After a small dinner with mostly convenience store food (Mary cant cook and there were no utensils for Barth to use), Theo left Barth and Mary and faded into the night.

No one witnessed a singular shadowy figure enter and leave the FNN headquarters.

With a few insurance policies in place, all Theo needed to do was to make a call and he was all set for the assault of FNN building.

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