At night, Roderick could not sleep well. Thousand images surfaced in his mind like he was watching a movie. Some happened in the past others in the future, a giant black-winged wolf faced whole armies of armored-figures in a massive battle, but he was nowhere to be seen. Then he saw himself staring at the orange sky in the middle of the sunset as he turned to look at a blurred figure standing by his side before the imaged turned dark and he woke up in his bed with pain all over his body like he just left a fight.
Changing in a white suit, he felt a strange connection the moment he put it like the clothes were one with him. He could freely change its shape and color but he left it on default before going to the canteen in the second floor. There he met Artemis followed by a mature looking lady, with a green owl on her head. Roderick certainly knew who she was one of the Divine Six, Athena. Others in the divine guardians would receive a title when they reach a certain point, but only the Divine Six had a God's name as title. They were Eden's last line of defense, if they couldn't help than anyone else could.
"Big bro, come sit with us. Today special is Italian food, we have the best pasta and pizza you can eat here in Eden. Pity it only has once a month." Roderick greeted Athena and headed to Artemis and her table after he took get the food. Everyone else in the area could not take their eyes away from the table. Who is the person seating with the two most illustrious females from the Six and why he was here while no one heard of someone like him being accepted into the Guardians. Tasting the food, he really had to admit this was the best thing he ate, nothing could surpass it even the time he went with Nerys to a expensive third-star Italian restaurant in the northern sector.
"Can I call you Rick? So have you decided about joining us? I know it must be hard to let go of your identity but..." Athena spoke with him about the offer Ares gave him, but Roderick replied before she finished.
"I know, I considered everything already. If they really want to kill me then many assassination attempts would continue to the point even family and friends would be in danger. I'm just sorry this cripple here won't be able to smack the faces of everyone who said I was a trash just because of one failure." Roderick played with the fork as he said jokingly despite Athena feeling he really believe in what he said. Finishing eating, he got up from the chair.
"I have to see Ares now. We can play together after, see you later Artemis and Athena." Soon he got on the elevator and went out to the top floor and headed for same room he went yesterday where he saw the burly man from before talking with Ares as they were waiting for him.
"Are you finally here, let me introduce you to Hermes." Ares pointed to the burly man before continuing, "Don't judge him by his face or body, he is the fastest wind element master I know. So have you decided on my offer."
"Yes and I accept. There is no other choice after all." Roderick loosened his shoulders. He knew Ares could already see what he was going to say, but he could not argue with it as the man was right he had no way out. The divine guardians were the vanguard of humanity on the moment to the point not even the government and the high council could meddle with them. Their assets were so big that it was impossible to calculate.
"Hermes, give the boy his new identity. From now on you are Rick Lawson, a secret member of the guardians." The burly man walked forward as he handed a badge and a black device he put on Rick's wrist before taking a glass card and giving it to him.
"Congratulations kid. Go to the fourth floor, there is someone waiting there and he finish his job you return to your room and insert the glass card into the Obelisk, the communication device on your wrist.
On the fourth floor, the second living quarters in the building. Rick saw a brown-haired man waiting for him. He was the Dr. Elliot or how people called him, the Stylist. Anyone who needed some change had to see him, he was not elemental master but a master of the transformation arts. He could turn even a frog into a price in less than three hours.
Two and a half hours later. A man with a deep blue hair, eyes dressed in a smooth shirt left unbuttoned at the top for a more casual look. On top of the shirt he's wearing a classy blue vest with 5 buttons to match the hair and eyes, it has a very narrow v-line, which allows for a large portion of the top to remain visible, even if the suit jacket is buttoned up. The jacket is a perfectly tailored fit for him. It has a smooth chalk stripe pattern which gives the suit a refined and a noble look.
Only his missing right arm gave out his identity despite being very easy to resolve just but putting a prosthetic arm its place. Of course he would not be able to use it to fight as it was took weak and would easily break in a battle, it is just to disguise and made him completely different from his past self.
"From now on Roderick Graham is dead and I am Rick Lawson. It is a new beginning in my life. Is this who I am now." Inside his lodgings, Rick did as Hermes told him and inserted the glass card into Obelisk and a large holographic appeared showing 3D model of himself and his new ID.
Name: Rick Lawson
Divine Guardian: 1-Star
Age: 16
Parents: Fred and Janet Lawson
Description: Young man taken by the guardians as a secret member. Born in the southern sector in the year 4420 and awakened as an elementary master at the age of ten. Never cursed any school.