The infuriating sound of the alarm next to Oxe's bed woke him up. He rolled over and looked towards the face of his wife. After resting for a bit and rubbing his eyes he finally sat up and looked around. His bedroom was as always furnished with the finest decorations a man of his stature could afford. Being the head of the Meyers family granted him certain privileges such as these. His fine wooden furniture littered the bedroom. The gold fruit bowl sat on top of the dark wooden table, filled with ripe and expensive foodstuffs. He noticed that his phone was missing from his table and groaned in annoyance.

Those darn kids. He sat up and went into the shower. The extravagant door led to a marble covered bathroom. He freshened up and headed out, making sure to keep his footsteps light and relatively soundless. He headed down into the kitchen and made himself a breakfast. Oxe considered himself a bit of a home chef. It gave him time to loosen up and practice new techniques while distracting him from the responsibilities that came with his position. He was midway through making an omelet when his phone started ringing from the living room, calling to him. He stopped and walked over to pick it up.

"Hello, who is this?" he asked.

"Sir, this is about those reports that we needed to send..." the man on the other side said.

"Make it quick, man. I positively cannot let my breakfast go to waste." Before he knew it, Oxe was standing in a crowded living room, filled with the morning sounds of children, dreading the day of school ahead of them. Oxe, being the villainous monster he was, enjoyed these sounds. His children had decided to punish him by climbing on his back and pulling on his hair, begging for his attention.

"Alright, alright! I'll call you back, Revens," he said before swiftly ending the call and turning his attention to his smallest child. Lexina was a small derlin girl, about 6 years old. Her cute little antlers stuck out on top, making her look like an adorable little jewel. Oxe's jewel. Behind her—on a couch with a bowl of cereal—was Roxerd, a son any man could be proud of.

Like always, he held a book in one arm along with a spoon in the other, sometimes forgetting which one was in which. He looked up from his book to give his father a glance. "You know, I could help you with those calls. Too much stress can be bad for a man at your age," he said. Oxe replied, "If my rivals knew my secret weapon was my son, they'd call foul play." Roxerd chuckled before turning his attention back to the book. "You know, Roxy, maybe you should spend more time in...other activities?" he awkwardly blurted out. "Dad, I'm fine," Roxerd replied.

Oxe's wife, Lorili, was finishing his breakfast for him. She set it down on the table in front of him and yawned. "Thank you, Lori, you know how work is," he said. "Take a break once in a while, I'm sure you have some underlings who can help you with that," she said and gave him a kiss on the cheek. He started on his breakfast and enjoyed himself in the presence of his family. Before long, Roxerd and Lexina headed off to school. Oxe walked them to the limousine where his guards were standing. "Be good, Lexi. Have fun, Rox!" He was still a bit too tired to think of anything better to say.

After seeing them off, he straightened up and began preparing himself. It was a special day today, after all. A long one at that. His phone started ringing again—calling him back to the work he still had left.

----

Oxe walked up to his private jet, ignorant of his surroundings. One of his guards slipped on the way up the stairs, prompting Oxe to speak up. "I hope you gentleman show a bit more eloquence than that when we face some actual danger,' he said. The guard stutted before replying. "Of course, Sir. My mistake, it won't happen again," he forced out as he climbed the stairs to the plane. The ride wasn't going to be long, so they didn't need to settle in.

Most of the time Oxe spent looking out the window, thinking of his family. Not just his immediate family, but others as well. What had happened in that airport? Firil and her little friends left too fast. Was his niece really capable of such a thing. Somehow the thought that she was made him a bit worried. He pushed it down and continued on.

----

The time of day was soon reaching night. Oxe had departed fairly late so he wasn't surprised that it was growing dark here as well. He and his entourage made their way to the hotel he would be staying at. One that seemed a bit homely for his budget. He walked up to the counter and requested a room, laying down his ID card for inspection.

"Fulnar Josins, did I get that right?" the man at the counter asked.

"Absolutely, my g-I mean dude." It sounded forced through his natural accent—making him think it was a bad idea. The man simply handed him his fake ID back and gave him the key to his room. He walked quietly towards the elevator, admiring the brown patterned walls and warm lights of the room around him. After settling down in his apartment, he began. His guards had their own room, close to his to make sure they could respond at the first call. That would prove an advantage, an extra layer of cover he could use to fake an alibi. He did have some other work in the city, but this personal affair was first and foremost.

In his more loose and open clothes he walked over to the balcony, opened the doors and looked out over the city, hands on the railings. He then jumped off. The fall wasn't as dangerous as it looked. To the average derlin, it would be fatal, but Oxe wasn't average—in wealth or in his nature. The Meyers family preferred Charge Wheels the most, a left over tradition from their time as a tribe. He gave his clothes and the ground far below him the same charge, ensuring that he would land safely. An amateur would rocket off at an angle, repulsed by the same charges, but Oxe was very well practiced.

He landed safely on the ground, inspecting his surroundings for any person watching. After confirming, he started walking down the streets to the hospital.

----

Walking through the streets at night was refreshing. No sounds to distract him, no unstoppable ringing in his ears. Or was that his phone? He kept peacefully keeping pace, looking around every once in a while to make sure he wasn't lost. That was until he ran into a group of derlins. They seemed to consider themselves a threat, amusingly. "Hey, old antles. I think the retirement home's the other way," one of them said. Some of them looked a bit apprehensive about what was happening. Oxe wondered what they had to fear.

"Thank you, young man. I'll be sure to turn that way once I'm finished with my business," Oxe said as he began to walk off. One of them grabbed him by the shoulders and said, "I don't think you're finished with business here." One of the young men in the back spoke up, "Just leave him alone, dude. The old timer is probably poor anyway." Oxe proved him wrong by pulling out an expensive looking flask and began drinking. The apprehension from the faces of the men vanished as Oxe walked into the alley. As he thought, they had nothing to fear. In a few seconds, they were all on the ground groaning, some of them launched to the rooftops. Might've broken a few of their bones, oops.

He continued on.

----

Oxe walked into the front of the hospital, using the same ID he did at the hotel. After being directed to the specific room, he walked there steadily. He needed to take a deep breath and walked into the room which was filled with the best modern medical technology. The steady beeping of the machine was all that kept him company there.

----

Lorili had to spend another night without her husband. Undoubtedly he was busy so she couldn't blame him. Most would at least entertain the thought that their partner was having an affair, but Lorili was a bit too trusting for that. Her own family called it a downside when she was little. Lexina lay on her lap, eyes closed as her favourite cartoons played on the television. Roxerd had fallen asleep as well, although he was sitting with books lain across the table.

She rubbed her eyes and checked the time. It was getting late. She picked up the remote and turned off the TV, letting her rest for the night.