26/XXVI. A Tender Heart (Remastered)

The gush of wind whispered into the Smith mansion as the car pulled up in front of the door.

Johnny, Eddie, and Jackson glanced out the window after hearing the car pulling up at the front door.

“They’re here.” Irene crossed her arms and legs, the gang got ready for Arthur’s arrival.

They all knew that this was the day that Arthur predicted the movements of the chief and will offer the position in the Interpol or the intelligence agency.

Edward begrudgingly swung open his side of the car door and scowled at Arthur.

“Why didn’t you tell me about the magnitude of their spying operations?” He turned around as soon as Arthur came out of his side of the car.

Arthur sighed as he looked down on the ground, silent, and uninviting.

Edward sighed heavily in response, irritated by the silence of his son. “Can you at least brief me of what you know of this case before we go into those meetings?” He pleaded.

He huffed and huffed and waited for his son’s response.

“I’m sorry, father, and yes, I will tell you everything.” Arthur soft answer and gentle gaze back to his father calmed Edward down.

Matthew parked the family car at the back of the mansion while the two converse outside the mansion.

Edward sighed softly this time, the winter breeze howled behind the two as the dead, fallen leaves strutted at the muddy ground they’re standing on.

“I’m not asking for much, and I know that you have your own reason why you want to get in these agencies, I’m just…” His frustrated voice shook in disbelief - he never imagined his own son would be his downfall.

Arthur had been clear on his intentions from the very start, but he carried almost everything on his shoulders.

“I understand, father.” The child’s sufficient answers soothed his shaking heart.

He smiled, and put his arms around Arthur’s shoulder as they marched to the front door.

“Are they still out- Dad!” Edward barged in and opened the door right in front of Johnny’s face.

“Johnny! Son! Did you wait that long?” He smiled and brushed his son’s hair with his hand and scuffed it.

“Dad!” Eddie’s worried face told Edward that the gang in the living room patiently waited around for the results of the meeting.

“I need to get to my office, ASAP, you…” He smiled softly. “Don’t hog on Arthur too much.” His shoes echoed in the room as he ascended upstairs to his office / bedroom.

Arthur followed Edward in the mansion, and as soon as Edward was out of sight from the staircase, the whole gang turned their heads and eyes to Arthur like deer in front of headlights.

“What happened?” Eddie sprang up from his seat and stood still in his place, trying not to invade Arthur’s personal space since Johnny and Jackson’s already in.

Their curious faces got Arthur caught up a little bit.

“Can I…” Arthur sighed deeply and put his hands up to his chest, wanting to back Jackson and Johnny up.

“Give him space, you idiots.” Irene glared at the two and she flared her nostrils.

The anxiety was killing the four of them.

“Sorry.” Jackson backed off and turned to his seat next to Eddie, while Johnny hovered behind Arthur whilst asking about the meeting.

“Good news.” Somehow, that statement didn’t match Arthur’s facial expression, but anyhow, the group listened intently.

“The chief caved in, and once we solve this case, we’ll be able to get a position – either in the Interpol or in the MI-7.” He continued.

This news brightened the day of the group since everyone has been working hard to get to this point.

“I’ve already devised the third clue and informed the chief about its location, time, and effects, all we had to do is wait for the fourth one, and locate the final act.” Arthur slowly treaded towards the couch to sit.

He wanted to calm his heart down before anything else, but his brothers just wouldn’t let him and flooded him with their inquiries.

“So, the last one’s the London Eye, right?” Eddie sat again as he calmed himself down.

“Yes.” Arthur stopped at the carpeted floor and situated himself beside Irene at the couch.

Johnny stopped hovering when Arthur got close to Irene, and he sat down near Eddie on the other side of the living room.

“The London’s Big Ben’s two days from now, but we need to search now for the London Eye to make sure we don’t miss anything.” Arthur persisted on getting this perpetrator.

The whole group mustered their best to research anything related to the London Eye for the next few hours, and as they exhaust themselves, the boys fell asleep hard.

As Arthur doze off, he remembered the time…

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“Brother!” Jessiel shouted from across the throne room. He waved smiling at Michael at the other end.

“Jessiel, why are you here?” Michael teleported from the other side to Jessiel and asked the angel of blessing.

Jessiel’s utter persistence to follow the angel of mercy sometimes infuriates the Captain in some level.

“I just want to ask for your assistance once more.” He gladly raised his brows and whipped out his wings.

“What do you need?” Michael was quick to react, he figured that Jessiel wouldn’t ask for his help if not necessary.

The angel of mercy looked intently in Jessiel’s eyes, he wanted to know and feel his sincerity as he was asking a favor from the most powerful angel of all.

“I need to go back down to give my blessing to Abram, once more.” He happily skipped as he grabbed Michael’s arms and out to the pearly gates.

“Why do you- Stop!” Michael sighed heavily as they stopped at the end of the pearly gates.

They’re almost at the edge of the heaven abode, when-

“What?” Jessiel doesn’t realize the weight of what he’s asking of Michael.

“Why do you need me for?” Michael asked straightforward, annoyed by how the angel of blessing just dragged him out of heaven.

“I can only bestow blessing to humans. I can’t transform or something.”

“You need to not look conspicuous?”

“Yep!” Jessiel’s wide smile from his ear to ear irritated Michael even more, but nonetheless, he closed his eyes, sighed, and glided down with Jessiel to Earth.

“What have you been doing since last time?” Michael wondered Jessiel’s missions after that one encounter with Abram.

“Uhm… well, I’ve been… uhm.” Jessiel can’t answer straight.

Michael sighed again, “You’ve been attached too much to Abram?” He asked not caring what the answer was.

“Yep! Sorry, I don’t have that much mission.”

“It’s fine. Abram’s the chosen one, you should…” Michael can’t believe he’s saying this but- “…protect him.” He continued.

“I will.”

The zoooozsh that can be heard as the two landed on the Earthly plane covered the silence of the pasture underneath them.

Michael swung his hand, and their wings tucked in by themselves, and transformed their armor into robes fit for the times of Abram.

“There’s something wrong.” Jessiel noticed that there were two camps at the plains of Bethel.

“Two camps?”

Michael grabbed one of the shepherds from the east of Jordan and asked, “Whose camp is at the east?”

“Who are you?”

Someone just pulled him out of his herd, and questioned him about the masters of the plains.

“I have come for Abram.” Michael’s resting serious face gave the shepherd idea that these men were really asking for Abram.

“Abram is at the west, in Canaan.” The shepherd answered.

“You haven’t answered my question.” Michael smirked and looked into his eyes intently.

“My master decided to break away from Abram since the servants are not behaving properly. My master is Lot, Abram’s nephew.” The shepherd spoke highly of his master.

And as soon as the angel inquired about what happened between Abram and Lot, the shepherd talked badly about the servants of Abram.

From the direction of the conversation, there were something that happened between the servants of the two masters.

“They must have had a falling out.” Jessiel concluded what may have happened between the two.

“I thought…” Michael stopped in his tracks, and looked at the shepherd. “Thank you.” He began to walk away to the west – to Canaan.

“Wait, Michael!” Jessiel followed Michael into the pastures.

Michael grabbed Jessiel and as the wind howled, and he teleported the two of them to the altar Abram built in Canaan.

“Wooooow! That will never get old.” Jessiel eyes popped wide open as they arrived at their destination.

His interest and glimmering eyes came to Michael almost as the same as Adam’s when they first met.

The last thing he wanted to do was getting attached to one of his angelic brothers.

“Abram’s near, I need to check the area here. You go ahead and do your blessing.” Michael directed Jessiel to Abram’s tent.

The Captain dismissed him out of his presence.

“Yep, right, sure!” The obedient Jessiel approached Abram’s tent and prepared himself – this time, he’s going in alone.

Jessiel sighed deeply and looked far beyond the plains as he entered Abram’s tent.

“Abram.”

The uninvited guest warranted an uneasy feeling inside the tent with Abram, Sarai, and his nephew, Lot.

“Who are you?” Sarai squinted her eyes, and wondered about the stranger that rushed in the tent.

“What the-!” Lot has had an understandable reaction – his pupil dilated, and as he puffed his chest, he readied his left hand to pluck out his hidden dagger from under his belt to protect themselves.

“Lot, wait.” The violent reactions were understandable.

A stranger just barged in their tent without notice.

“Messenger of God?” Abram asked. He stood from where he was sitting as he met the stranger eye to eye.

“Hmmmmm… yep!” Jessiel answered simply, and smiled and gently tilted his neck.

“You were with another one previously, right?” Abram went out of his way to greet the stranger.

He wanted to confirm further, the spiritual beings can manipulate their outward appearance in the physical realm, but not the angel of blessing and not the angel of curse.

“Right, Michael is around checking things.” He gestured with his hands.

What are they here for? Lot was as clueless as Sarai was.

“What are you here for, messenger of God?”

Abram wanted to question him further, but seeing that Sarai, and Lot are in the tent with them, he might not wanted to reveal God’s message if it was only meant for him and him alone.

“I have a message from God to you.” Abram, Sarai, and Lot became wide-eyed as they heard the words of the stranger.

“Sarai, Lot, if you could give us some…”

“We’ll be right outside.” Sarai ran her hands on Abram’s back, and Lot lead the two of them outside of the tent.

“Please, speak.” Abram offered a seat to the messenger.

Jessiel gently sat and spoke with the words of the Lord, “ARISE, WALK THROUGH THE LAND IN THE LENGTH OF IT AND IN THE BREADTH OF IT; FOR I WILL GIVE IT UNTO THEE.”

The soft kind words of God reverberated in the heart of Abram as he mulled over the order of the Almighty.

“I just want to add, be careful of the kingdom of Sodom. Evil men are converging in that place, and darkness enveloped the spiritual realm at that part of the Earth.” Jessiel cautiously warned Abram.

“I will take your words of warning into consideration.” Abram bowed in reverence.

“I’ll get back now, I will see you another time.” As Jessiel exited Abram’s tent, he saw Lot and Sarai on his way out of the camp.

Jessiel stood at the top of a hill and observed Abram’s camp.

The pasture danced at every gush of the wind. The herds of cattle, flocks of sheep, and teams of horses galloped happily around the camp fields inside the border of the land.

Jessiel observed the camp intently that he did not hear the large wooosh of the wind behind him – Michael teleported just beside Jessiel.

“What are you looking at?” Michael silently appeared from behind the angel of blessing.

“Ugh!” Jessiel jumped in shock as he heard Michael’s words just behind his ears.

“Don’t… surprise me like that!” He clenched his chest as his heart rate rose fast.

“Are you done?” Michael tilted his head like a cute dog and asked the angel of blessing.

“Yes.” He answered softly and smiled back.

“Let’s go home.” The Captain sweetly smiled and the two flapped their wings upwards.

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Two days passed and-

“The festival was a surprising success due to the audiences and fans attending the cook show situated near the Big Ben.” The background noise of the television drowned the silence of the family dinner in the Smith Residence.

“They’re burying everything?” Johnny protested.

“They need to, or else, it’ll cause panic to the masses.” Jackson answered him perfectly.

It was as if the warnings were not good enough. Having a mass panic is much more problematic.

“Art, do you have any clue on the last one?” Edward wanted to show interest, since his reputation was on the line as well.

“Not yet.” His son simply gave him what he wanted to hear.

Dinner finished with a stale taste of disappointment and at least Irene wasn’t there to see everyone’s faces.

Unbeknownst to the gang, Arthur attended the festival and took some pictures with his smartphone.

As the twins were going to bed, Arthur reviewed some of the photos and looked over the people involved in the competition.

He accessed his father’s computer remotely through his laptop on the other side of the room, and began scanning for facial recognition for the staff, production crew, the contestants, the hosts, and anyone near the vicinity of the Top Cook Competition.

“Sir, Edward’s access has been used remotely and just now.” The MI-7 closely monitored the Smith mansion with the Interpol in suspicion that Arthur was a spy.

“Track it.”

“On it.” The IT personnel tracked the remote access back to the Smith mansion, and displayed the monitor of the device to the main screen.

“This is the kid, I’m sure of it.” The chief stared at the screen as Arthur typed in the names of the people he had and scanned the faces in his photos.

“These are from the festival… how did he-?” Mayer and the chief looked at each other puzzled as to why Arthur has photos of the festival when he wasn’t even near the vicinity when it happened?

Truthfully, Arthur sneaked in as Michael and used the power of invisibility to cover his tracks - he left a clone in Harvard attending his classes as he was closely monitored by the MI7 and the Interpol.

Arthur listed the twenty people who had criminal pasts to his paper notes outside of the screen, and those twenty people were currently being investigated by the MI7 and the Interpol.

He mumbled to himself the words, “20, huh…” The microphone in his laptop picked up the sounds, and he closed off the access.

He entered the spiritual realm and divided 20 clones and spread them out to find the 20 people listed in his notepad to observe them and check their surroundings.

When he returned to the physical realm-

SFX: “Ugh-uh” *cough, cough, cough*

He covered his mouth as he coughed, but shook terribly as he felt something hit his hands – blood. He slowly pulled his hand from his mouth, and there it is – blood.

Having hundreds of clones puts strain in his physical body especially since it was still a body of a child.

He held his breathe, deep and long, and calmed his heart down.

His clones can do as much as he can but since he became a human, there were limits to what he can do with his physical body.

“Sir, the subject just coughed up blood.” One of the MI7 intelligence officers from the opposite building of the room reported back to the chief.

“What? What did he do?” The chief showed sudden worry for the child.

“He just closed his eyes after writing the names on his notepad, sir.” The officer shoved his eyes into the binoculars he’s holding.

“Seems that we also need to monitor his medical condition, chief.” Mayer suggested as she reached for her cup of coffee.

The first suspect, Jones R. Williams, camera crew, one of the camera-man in the Top Cook, convicted of battery for physical abuse of his wife, and children.

He just came out of prison a year ago after serving a ten-year sentence, he’s not allowed back to the lives of his children, and the wife also filed a restraining order a year ago against him.

He may be frustrated that he’s not allowed to visit his children, and wants to change or erase their memory of abuse?

Michael walked through the door of the apartment of the man, invisible, and checked the surroundings.

The guy I’m looking for is a single perpetrator, he’s too good to get a partner-in-crime, and too afraid to be revealed that he’s giving warnings and hints.

Michael didn’t see a single picture frame in the home, just one cactus near the window, but, one look at the refrigerator told him the truth.

A number of a carpool and uber was stuck with a magnet on the fridge told him that the guy had no access to the metros or train station and couldn’t have set-up the audio disruption as he looked into the calendar nailed at the kitchen counter.

On the day of the audio disruption, the calendar showed that the man was in vacation at the Bahamas.

That clone returned back to Arthur after 10 minutes of searching the home.

“Let’s eliminate them one by one.” He whispered to himself and smiled creepily in the corner of the room.

“We’ve got 19 more to go-“