The Takeover

A couple of hours later, at Haruki's house, Ambassador Vinter and his family are settling in as well as Ambassador Ryohei Yanai of Japan; Gudmund figures it might be safer for them. Both ambassadors are enjoying the lovely flower garden in the backyard. Haruki and Osmond are looking out of the back window at the two ambassadors looking at the garden. Gudmund walks up to them, "Thank you for allowing them to stay," he says, and the two turn.

"It's alright. We are happy to have them here," Haruki says. "Also, I am Ambassador Yanai's lawyer as well, since he is one of the clients of my firm."

"And I am good friends with Ambassador Vinter," Osmond says. "His older brother survived in the Royal Navy with me."

Gudmund starts to think about what he found out about Sigmund and wants to tell his dad. He was about to say something until his cell rings, and both his father and father-in-law turn to him. Gudmund grabs his cell. "Major Thoresen," he answers. "Good, let me know once everything is ready," he hangs up and looks at the two. "All of the other visiting ambassadors are at safe locations. Many employees at the hotel are getting background checks."

The two ambassadors enter the house and look at the three of them. "Haruki, that is one of the best flower gardens I have seen," Ambassador Vinter says. "And I saw that some of the plants are Norwegian."

"Thank you, sir," Haruki bows to him, "My wife is Norwegian, and she loves to plant."

Then Derek, Knut, and the head of Ambassador Yanai's security team enter the room. "We managed to upgrade the security here, and we shouldn't have any breaches," Derek says.

"Good. I got a call saying that all of the other visiting ambassadors are safe right now. We are going to protect many other VIPs during this trip. This has to go well," Gudmund says. "Derek, you are going to work with Knut and Makoto Maeda on protecting these two. Assemble a team to assist both security teams so the house will be better protected." The three nod and leave the room. As the three leave, Aurora and Astrid enter.

"Hi Grandpa Thoresen and Grandpa Kanemoto," Astrid greets both of her grandpas and hugs them.

Haruki and Osmond turn to the two ambassadors, "Ambassadors, this is my granddaughter Astrid Thoresen," Osmond says as Astrid bows to Ambassador Yanai and shakes Ambassador Vinter's hand.

"Oh, so this is the granddaughter you have spoken highly of," Ambassador Vinter says, smiling. "I hear that you are studying Norwegian."

"Yep, and I was just talking to my cousins on my computer this morning. I showed them how far I am getting with my studies," Astrid says.

"She is currently studying at one of the best private schools in the country," Osmond says, and Astrid smiles.

Gudmund's cell buzzes. He pulls it out and reads the text he got. He puts his cell away and pulls Aurora to the side. "I just got a text from Maisie, and she managed to get more information on the breach. One of them is from Germany, in Klaus' hometown."

"So Klaus must have done it?" Aurora asks.

"Maybe, but we can find out later, and—" Gudmund stops as he hears his father say 'tattoo' and 'Astrid.' He turns to his dad, "Dad, did you just say the two words that I do not want to hear together?"

Osmond looks at his son, "What? all I said is that when Astrid is sixteen years old, she'll be getting the family tattoo on her upper left arm, just like it's been for five generations. I mean, you, Sigmund, and Irene have one, and soon, Astrid and Oddmund will too."

Gudmund raises both of his eyebrows, "Dad, Astrid isn't going to get that tattoo until she is twenty-one."

Osmond turns to his son. "I heard from my sister that her granddaughter, Johanne, will be getting her tattoo in December after her sixteenth birthday."

"Hakon told me that Aunt Erna wants Johanne to get the tattoo in December. But Hakon will decide whenever to give his only child a tattoo. I don't want to give my only daughter a tattoo." Gudmund sighs, "Look, can we talk about this some other time? She won't be sixteen for three years."

"Time to eat," says Isabella as she enters the room, and everyone but Osmond, Gudmund, Aurora, and Astrid leave the room.

Astrid went to her mom's side while Gudmund and Osmond stare each other in the eyes. "Look, I don't want to fight, ok? Right now, I have to protect a bunch of important people."

"Fine, let's go eat," Osmond says, and he starts to leave the room. "Oh, did you and Irene find anything new about Sigmund and Trine?"

"No, nothing yet," Gudmund says, and Osmond leaves the room.

Astrid walks up to her dad and frowns. "What does grandpa mean 'anything new' about Uncle Sigmund and Aunt Trine?"

Gudmund looks at his daughter and starts to think. "It's nothing, ok? Let's go eat," he says as the three head for the dining room.

Later that night, at Gudmund's house, Gudmund and Aurora are lying in bed. Aurora is reading a book and sees that Gudmund is looking at the ceiling. "Are you ok, sweetie?" she asks, setting her book down.

"My dad has been asking Irene and me a lot lately about any news on Sigmund and Trine. We did learn a few things about them and—" their bedroom door opens, and Astrid enters the bedroom. She closes the door behind her and climbs onto their bed. "Are you ok?" he asks his daughter.

"I kept thinking about what grandpa asked you about Uncle Sigmund and Aunt Trine. Are they still alive?" Gudmund and Aurora look at each other for a moment and then back at their daughter.

Aurora has Astrid go under the covers between them, and they place their hands on her hands. "Sweetie, since September, your father has been getting some messages about your uncle, and we aren't sure if he is alive or not."

"What are these messages?" Astrid asks as she looks from her mom to her dad.

"Evidence that your uncle has gathered a while back about the man that killed him and your aunt. But lately, some of them have been about someone else, someone that might have been pulling strings." Gudmund looks from Astrid to Auroras, and she nods. Gudmund looks back to Astrid. "Since November, your Aunt Irene and I started to figure along with your Uncle Knut that maybe Sigmund and Trine might be alive, but we are not sure yet because some government is not allowing us to go any further to learn more about that day."

Astrid looks from her parents to her hands. "So Uncle Sigmund and Aunt Trine might still be alive. But would that mean," She looks at her parents, "their unborn baby might have been born and is alive right now?"

Gudmund and Aurora look at each other, confused, as they never thought about that. They look back at their only daughter. "I didn't think about that…"

"And if they are alive, what if they are in hiding, like those in the witness protection programs?"

"Wow." Gudmund is surprised by how his daughter put all of that together so quickly. "I-I guess so, but I guess I can try and see what I can find."

Aurora looks at the clock next to her bed, then back to her husband and daughter. "Ok, how about the three of us go to sleep?" The two nods, and the three lay down and cuddle together. They went to sleep, but Gudmund doesn't right away as he starts to think about what Astrid said.

Three days later, in Gudmund's office, Gudmund is looking at the latest cases that have been solved. He is looking at a file that just got completed by a team. It was a case about a married couple of kidnappers. They kidnap kids or teenagers from time to time, and they only kidnap the ones they want. It took the team about eight years to capture the two, and they managed to save some of the kids they had at the time. The media had been calling them a few different names. The profile says that they love to kidnap those with a certain physical appearance. They would like a playhouse with a kidnapped victim acting like a family of three, but with an erotic twist. The couple is in their late thirties and had been doing this for a long time. The team that put them away decided on a name for them in court as Hofer Couple as the couple's last name is Hofer.

Someone knocks on Gudmund's door, and he looks up and waves the man in. The man enters and sits down, "Major, I see that you are looking at the case file that my team finished," he says; his name is Toby Clark, and he is one of the leaders in the building.

"Yes, your team did well. This is a long case," Gudmund says.

"Thanks. I am glad we were able to save some of those kids, but we failed to save the ones that were with them before."

"That's ok. Now we have a profile on these two; we can keep an eye out for people like these two in the future. Did you tell your husband about it yet?"

Toby smiles. "No, we agreed to keep our work lives away from each other. Anyway, I came to ask you about one of the cases you put on my desk back on Monday." Toby places a file on Gudmund's desk. "I don't think we can work on this case."

Gudmund looks at it and then back to Toby, "I picked your team to do this case because I know you would find answers. This is a terrorist that has been spotted in a few states. And—"

"And they murder those in the LGBT community, one of the biggest things they do."

"I know, but I chose your team because you guys are the best in this field, so I figured maybe you could do this; you guys have the best record. All you have to do is pinpoint their location, gather some evidence on them, and inform the local police department. You don't have to go in and arrest them."

Toby thinks for a moment. "Ok, we'll do it," he says and takes the file.

"Great. Hope it goes well," Gudmund says, and Toby leaves the office. Gudmund's phone rings, and he picks it up. "Major Thoresen." He listens for a bit. "Got it, I'll be there in twenty," he says and hangs up. Gudmund leaves his office for Ashton's office. "Ashton, we have to head for the Los Angeles City Hall."

"Got it," Ashton says and gets up.

Twenty minutes later, they arrive at the city hall; they enter and see Mayor Harper walking up to them. "Major Thoresen, Lieutenant Watson, thank you for coming," he greets them.

"Of course," Gudmund says. "On the phone, you said you got an anonymous phone call about a plot on the hall?"

"Yes, come to my office," he says, and the three head up to Mayor Harper's office. Once they got to the office, Major Harper logs on to his computer and brings up a recorded message.

Gudmund and Ashton listen as the recording plays, "Mayor Harper, city hall will be attacked the day of the fundraiser and signing. Be ready as the city hall, and the city might fall." The message ends, and the mayor looks at the two.

"Ashton, send this message to Maisie, and try and figure out who it is." Ashton nods and uses the computer to send it to Maisie. Gudmund turns to the mayor. "Sir, we'll get some more security. I'll lead them to make sure it goes well."

"Thank you, Major Thoresen, and you'll let me know more about that message, right?"

"Yes, I'll call you as soon as we find anything about it." Gudmund turns to Ashton.

"Ok, I sent it to Maisie. I'll call her and let her know," Ashton says.

"Good, and, Mayor, call me if you get any other calls like this, ok?" Gudmund says, and the mayor nods. "Also, this could be a prank anyway, but we should treat this as a terrorist attack. We'll keep this to just us and the security teams so that way no one will get nervous." The mayor agrees, and Gudmund and Ashton leave the office and head back to base.

On their way back, Ashton looks at Gudmund. "Hey, I have meant to talk to you about something," he says.

"Is it about that job Director Jameson asked you to take?" Gudmund asks, and Ashton looks surprised. "He called me a few days before he called you."

"Oh, so he called you first. Why?"

"He wanted to know what your skills are like, even your leadership. I told him that I would pick you out of anyone in Southern California pINPOINt to be a leader because you are the best one for the job that he has for you down in Orlando," Gudmund says. "Look, I know that you would be great, and it's up to you to take it if you want."

"So, do you think I should take the job? I mean, Leona and Morton say they would be happy with whatever I pick. If I take the job, they would be happy to move to Florida."

"Well, Jameson did tell me that he is giving you until the end of May to decide, so you and your family can decide until Jameson wants his answer." Ashton nods and starts to think more about the job offer.

Elsewhere, Klaus and Xing-Fu are at an abandoned office building. "Did Nevel tell you he had planned?" Xing-Fu asks.

"No. Lately, he's been having meetings somewhere with different people," Klaus says. "I am starting not to trust him, but we need to for now."

"Should we move on with the current plan to try and capture who that will be at the Los Angeles City Hall this Friday?" Xing-Fu says.

"I guess so," Klaus agrees.

"How about we plan this a bit better," says Nevel as he enters the room and the two look at him. "I already have a plan, and on Friday, we should be able to kill Major Thoresen. Once we kill him and his family, the one we are looking for will come out of hiding. I sent a message that will get Hakon Ulstein to arrive sooner than he is planning." He walks up to both Klaus and Xing-Fu. "Oh, and one more thing, don't ever plan on going rogue. If you move without informing me of an idea of yours, be ready to die."

"What are you talking about?" Klaus asks, looking at Nevel. "The three of us are partners."

"Yeah, the three of us combined our gangs and mob into one," Xing-Fu says, looking serious.

Nevel pulls out his cell phone and types quickly on his cell. Then, one of the goons in the room started to scream in pain. Everyone turns and sees the man fall to the floor, still screaming. He has his hands on his head, and his eyes are rolling to the back. His nose starts to bleed, and so do his ears. His body starts to vibrate very fast, and his vines are showing throughout his body. Then, he stops, and his body freezes. No sound or movement is happening.

"That guy is dead," Nevel says as they all look at him in horror. "You see, since those small parties we had and those drinks that everyone in our crime family drank, even you two have little nano-bots that will unleash small amounts of venom into the bloodstream. They are located in every part of your body, from the tip of your brain down to your toes. One hundred percent of your body has a venom bomb in them."

"Wait a minute," Klaus realizes something. "This is what killed my cousin a few months ago?"

"That was a test, and I do have many other kinds being worked on right now. So, if you both don't want to die in an excruciating death, then don't cross me. Got it?" he says, walks over to the window, and looks out at the city.

"You are a monster," Xing-Fu says, and Nevel smiles.

"Now you know why my father and uncle were going to kill me once my father got out of prison. I was able to keep my uncle at bay until I managed to have him killed. I got into my father's head when I visited him and got him to plot with my uncle. I managed to get into my uncle's head too. I worked them like a puppet and told my uncle to kidnap that young Misaka girl. I gave him all of the information he needed. Then, I saved the girl, but she is part of my next plan. She'll be at the city hall with her parents, so will Major Thoresen and his family." Nevel turns back around and leaves the room.

Xing-Fu walks over to Klaus. "We need to watch our back with him," he says.

"I agree, Xing-Fu, but we need to make sure that he doesn't use that nano-bot to kill us." The two agree and plan on what to do with the nano-bots that are inside of them.

At the Thoresen house, Aurora is in the office putting some papers in her briefcase. She turns off her laptop and puts it in a laptop case. "Astrid, I am going to the office quick to meet the DA," she calls out.

Astrid walks into the office. "Ok, but what about dinner?"

Aurora walks up to her and gives her some money. "Order take out to be delivered and make sure Ryan gets his bath. Your father should be home soon so remind him to get Ryan to take his bath. I am not sure what time I will be done with the meeting."

"Alright," Astrid says. Aurora kisses her on the cheek and leaves. Astrid walks to the kitchen and starts looking for a take-out menu. Ryan walks into the kitchen, and Astrid looks at him. "Hey little bro, I am going to call for take-out. Is there anything you want?"

"What are the choices?" he asks, and Astrid places the menus on the counter. The two soon decide on what to order, and Astrid calls the number.

After she finishes ordering, Gudmund enters the kitchen, "Hey kids," he greets them.

"Daddy," Ryan rushes up to his dad, and Gudmund picks him up and hugs him.

Astrid walks up to her dad and hugs him as he hugs her back. "I just called for take-out. Mom said I could, and I ordered something for you too," she says.

"Great, I just got a call from her telling me she had to meet with the DA. When will it be here?"

"In thirty to forty minutes," Astrid answers.

"Nice, how about we get the living room set up to eat while watching TV since your mother isn't home," Gudmund says, and the two cheer.

The next day, private jet lands at the LAX Airport and people on the ground are getting the stairs for the jet ready. Soon, the door opens, and out walks a blond man. He smells the air and smiles. "It's nice to be back in Los Angeles again," he says and turns back into the plane. "Come on, everyone," he says.

"Hold on, Hakon," says a woman that also has long blond hair. She walks up to her husband at the door, "I know you've wanted to get back here for a long time. So have I," she says.

"Sorry, Hanne," he says, smiling, and he puts his right arm around her left arm. The two start to walk down the stairs.

After they start to walk down the steps, their daughter Johanne exits the jet. She starts to walks down the steps, and then her grandparents Erna and Morten exit. Erna looks around. "I was hoping to see my big brother waiting for me," she says, looking around as they walk down the steps.

"We are early, mom," Hakon says as he waits on the ground for his parents. "I am sure they are on their way right now." He pulls out his cell and checks for messages. He sees a text and relays the information to his parents. "Alright, I got a message saying that they are on their way."

Johanne takes some photos with her cell phone. "Wow, it's been so long since I was here," she says and turns to her parents. "When was the last time?"

Hanne smiles. "It was just four years ago when your father's cousin Sigmund and his wife, Trine, died."

"Oh right, I almost forgot about that," she says. "I better keep making videos and taking photos for our cousins back in Norway."

Hakon looks up and sees a big black SUV heading for them. "Here they come," he says, and the SUV stops in front of them.

Osmond and Isabella exit the SUV and greet the others. "Osmond," Erna calls out and hugs her big brother. "Isabella," she says as the two women hug each other.

"Morten, it's great to see you again," Osmond says as he shakes Morten's hand.

"It's great to see you too," Morten says, and he hugs Isabella.

Then Hakon, Hanne, and Johanne greet them as well. "Astrid, Ryan, and Odd couldn't make it?" Johanne asks.

"Astrid still has a school, and Oddmund and his parents won't be down here until tonight," Isabella answers. "Come on, let's head back to the house and let you guys get settled in."

At Astrid's school, she, Juliana, and Cameron are having lunch outside. "It's nice that we have the best food here at the school," Cameron says as he eats his crab legs.

The girls look at their friend. "Well, our parents do donate lots of money to the school," Juliana says. "My Grandma and Grandpa Forrester help with donations as well."

"Same with my Grandma and Grandpa Thoresen along with Grandma and Grandpa Kanemoto," Astrid says. "So, Cameron, are you going to go to the fundraiser this Friday?"

"No, my parents weren't invited, so I am going to play video games," he answers.

"I'll be going; my parents are going," Juliana says.

"By the way, how is your mom doing with the pregnancy? My mom and dad told me how your mom might end up with a miscarriage," Astrid asks.

"She is doing fine; she has a doctor's appointment today. She has been going every two weeks. I can tell that they are worried about the twins."

"How do you feel about it, having new baby siblings?" Cameron asks.

"I am happy that I will be getting a baby brother and sister. But I am worried if they won't be able to have them. I mean, I am currently their only child, and I don't want them to be lonely when I go off to college."

Their friend Sakura arrives at the table. "Hey guys, I want you to look at this poster I made," she announces as she lays a poster on the table.

The three look at her poster, which says 'Vote 4 me Sakura Misaka for our next year class president. I promise to do a better job in our classes.' Astrid looks up at Sakura and says, "I am surprised you're running against Beth Goldbar; she always wins."

Sakura smiles, "Guess you haven't heard. Beth is going to be moving; her father is going to be transferred to New York."

"That's great. I hope you win this time," Juliana says. "And if you win, maybe you could have a day where everyone can have a prank war."

The three look at Juliana. "Last year, you almost started one with a few upperclassmen. One of your pranks made the headmaster's toupee flies off and get eaten by the school mascot," Cameron says.

"It wasn't my fault that Headmaster Rooney was standing by the Tasmanian devil cage when the mega fan started to go off. That bubble-brain Todd Jameson was supposed to be standing by the cage," Juliana says.

"Well, Derek did enjoy that toupee," Astrid says. "Headmaster Rooney tried to get the toupee back from Derek, but that Tasmanian devil sure liked it."

Sakura smiles. "Well, I plan on making sure our class goes on more field trips."

"Maybe go to the Griffith Observatory or SS Lane Victory," Astrid says.

"Yep. We should make some great field trips so we can learn more," Sakura says. She sits down, and the four talk some more about Sakura's campaign.

A few days later, it's Friday, and the Thoresen are getting ready. Gudmund is fixing up his tie, the final piece of his outfit. "Aurora, does this look straight?" he asks, and Aurora walks up to him.

She fixes it for him. "There, it looks a lot better," she says. She is wearing a long, red, satin dress. "This dinner will be great, and this fundraiser will help many people around the world."

"Yep, we should be able to build stronger security for our country's allies. And make sure we manage to protect everyone from terrorist organizations."

Astrid enters their bedroom, also dressed for dinner. She is wearing a violet dress with black spots. "What do you think?" she asks.

"Nice," Aurora says, "Are you ready to go?"

"Yep," she says, and Ryan enters the room.

"Can I go, too, please?" Ryan asks.

Everyone smiles. "Sorry, buddy, but you aren't old enough to go," Gudmund says.

"Aw man, why not?"

"Because most of the people will be adults with their kids aged twelve and up," Aurora answers as she went by her son. She kneels to him, "When you are older, and we go to a fundraiser like this one, you can come," she says, smiling, and Ryan smiles back.

Gudmund walks up to them and looks at his watch, "The babysitter should be here soon, and we have to be ready to leave." Soon, the babysitter arrives, and the three leave the house to head for Los Angeles City Hall.

They arrive at the city hall and go up to the Tom Bradley Room. They walk around to find their table and spot the rest of their family. Astrid starts to talk to Johanne and Oddmund. "When did you guys get here?" Astrid asks her cousins.

"We arrived about half an hour ago," Oddmund answers.

Astrid looks around, "Did Juliana or Sakura arrive yet?"

"Yeah, I saw them both talking a bit ago over by the snack table," Johanne answers.

"Great, let's go meet up with them," Astrid says, and the three go to find them.

Gudmund pulls Hakon, Knut, and Irene to the side. "Any word on the latest?" he asks.

"No, but I did have Gabe check out the message you had Maisie send him. We feel something big will happen tonight," Irene says.

"I made sure that the security is very tight," Knut says.

"I have some members of the UN Police here to help out," Hakon says. "I also have emergency evacuation plans made out."

"Good. We need to make sure everyone is well protected," Gudmund says. "I wish Sigmund could see us working on this big event." Everyone agrees.

"Hey, I need to go to the restroom; I'll be right back," Hakon says and heads for the restroom. Once he leaves the hall, he turns the corner and pulls out his cell phone. He starts to send a text message to someone named Heimdall. Once he finishes typing the text, he presses the send button and puts his cell away. He then continues to the bathroom.

Gudmund asks Knut, "So you haven't found anything from those clues we sent you?"

"Sorry, buddy, but I did figure out that Sigmund's sure focus was mostly on Nevel instead of Klaus, which means that Nevel must be using Klaus and Xing-Fu as puppets, but I am not. Sure if they know that."

"I figured that Nevel must be the mastermind; after all, he killed his uncle and his father. He even killed Ashton's little sister and brother-in-law," Gudmund says and turns to Irene. "Anything on your end?"

"Well, Gabe found something but couldn't figure it out. It's a type of data with some kind of code on it. That disc you gave me two months ago has a code that is hard to break."

Before they could finish, the mayor walks up to the stage, and everyone sits down. "Welcome all to my city, and I am glad to see many of you show up. I am so happy that Los Angeles got picked to host the signing for some countries to join in on raising money to stop crime rings. So far, we have raised lots of money to stop these top five rings, like about over five hundred thousand dollars, so how about we start eating and having fun? I'll come back up in a few hours," the mayor says, and the waiters start to deliver the food.

While everyone eats, Gudmund receives a text and checks his cell. His eyes widen in shock. He forwards the text to Knut and Irene, and they both look at it. They look from their cell to Gudmund, confused. Hakon looks at the three and notices something is up. "Hey dad, can Astrid, Oddmund, and I go see Juliana?" asks Johanne, and Hakon looks at his daughter.

"Uh, sure, did you guys eat enough?" He asks, and the kids nod. "Ok, well, they'll have a table of foods for those that would like to eat more. Sure, go on ahead." The three cheer and go over to Juliana's table.

Hanne leans over to her husband. "Dear, some people are going to go and dance. Should we go, too?"

Hakon smiles. "Sure, let's," he says, and the two stand and head to the dance floor.

Haruki is talking to his son, Ichirou. "So you are going to be leaving the firm?" Haruki asks.

"Yes. I want to run for council, and after that, I would like to run for Mayor of Los Angeles," Ichirou answers.

Haruki smile, "Well, I am happy that you want to start on your own path."

"Well, I figured maybe I should start as a lawyer and then work on my way up soon in this country. Maybe one day I'll run for President of United States."

Astrid is walking from the restroom, and as she turns the corner, she accidentally bumps into someone. She looks and sees a very handsome teenage boy around fifteen or sixteen years old. "Oh, sorry, I didn't mean to bump into you," he says. "My name is Kevin Lang. What's yours?"

"My name is Astrid Thoresen, and it's ok; I was kind of in a rush."

"Thoresen… are you related to Osmond Thoresen?"

"He is my grandfather," she answers.

Kevin smiles, "Would you care to join me on the dance floor?"

Astrid looks surprised. "Uh, sure, but my dad doesn't allow me to dance with boys he doesn't know. I am his only daughter, and he is overly protective of me."

He turns to his side and puts his right arm up halfway. "Shall I go and meet him and ask if I can dance with you?"

Astrid slowly takes his arm, and the two walk to her family's table. As they reach the table, Gudmund and Aurora see that their only daughter is with a teenage boy. The two got up and stand in front of them. "Mom, dad, this is Kevin Lang. We just met, and he wanted to know if I can dance with him."

Gudmund looks at the boy. "How old are you?"

"Fifteen years old. I will be sixteen this summer," he answers.

"My daughter is twelve years old and will be thirteen in May. I want to meet your parents first before I can allow you to dance with my only daughter."

"I believe you may have met them before," Kevin says and waves to his parents at the next table over.

Two people walk over to them. "Major Thoresen," says the older man in his forties.

"Consul Edvin Lang. I didn't realize this boy was your son," Gudmund says as he shakes his hand.

Consul Lang smiles. "That is alright. Have you met my wife, Amanda?"

Gudmund shakes her hand. "And this is my wife, Aurora, Chief Legal Advisor of the DA."

"Hello," Aurora says and shakes both of their hands.

"Dad, can we go and dance together?" Astrid asks, and Gudmund looks at her.

Before Gudmund can answer, the lights in the room start to flicker. "What's going on?" Gudmund asks, looking around the room.

Then the music stops and the whole room goes dark. Everyone in the room starts to wonder what is happening. The light comes back on, and on stage is Xing-Fu.