Chapter 48: Acta, non verba!

"That was everything that he told me about his story, of course, then he had me at like 24 after he met my mom." Quinn retold as he and Henry were in their hideout enjoying sandwiches on the ground. Henry stared at his sandwich, unable to enjoy food. "You said this was a legacy gig and my dad is Mist-Affliction? So… Did he ever tell you anything about my dad?" Henry asked with a quiet tone.

"Only the part I'm remembering that I left out. One of our Grandfather's archenemies captured your father back when he was really young and on his first mission because of the Jester's incompetence. Tortured him for forty days and fifty nights with real disgusting intentions. He counted the days that your father was kidnapped, worried sick, down to his stomach, praying every night. He always finishes happy moments with a phrase. From the weakest, he was becoming scarier than our wandering uncle who was the most talented until they saved him and brought him back." Quinn informed his curious younger cousin.

"Everyone was involved in keeping me ignorant, huh?" Henry asked in a low tone. "I was expecting for you not to be aware of Charles either but I see he really didn't want you to know about my father specifically." Said Quinn as he read Henry's micro expressions and realized he knew he had at least one uncle.

"None of that matters. Just that I'm ready to murder this secretive brotherhood." Henry declared As he stood up and tossed the sandwich in the trash. "We have an armory in almost every state, our unique career requires it, I'll go get something that'll fix the fact that you're immensely lacking in the power category." Quinn responded as he gestured for him to give him a moment then began sprinting. "Hurry, I'll need all the seconds I can get into learning the gadget." Henry replied, after Quinn left his sight, he clenched his fists as familiar faces popped into his mind.

"We'll find him fellas, just calm your nerves and focus on the envious gold and glittering silver. We will find him and get him back even if the worst case scenario happens." Settembre assured his buddy Derek and young new friend Nick who were pacing back and forth, one thinking to himself. "I bet he had said something along those lines." Derek said under his breath as his eyes widened but he looked disappointed in himself. "Wha?" Settembre asked with a lowered tone while Nick looked at him without any sort of clue what he meant.

"I watched plenty of Detective films, should we— um, uh, ask people who might've seen him at school?" Nicholas asked his older brother without the confidence he wished he had or the calm. "That's always one of the top five for first plans to these scenarios, no follow up lead, somewhere near the school would be his last known location." Derek informed his little brother. "Oh…" Nick replied with a dispirited tone as he left to sit on the staircase leading to the top level of their hideout.

"This isn't your fault, don't blame yourself if you're thinking that he got kidnapped or worse by the incident and that we just haven't discovered the harsh truth yet. I respect your effort." Derek told him as he sat beside his little brother and wrapped his arm around his shoulder. "For real?!" Nick asked with a slightly relieved tone as he couldn't look up at him.

"You're beyond smarter than I was at your age. I love it." Derek assured his little brother as the two stood up, Nick proudly staring up towards his older brother. "I'm going to learn and become far better than you." Nick assured his older brother as the two bumped fist. "That's the only way to disappoint me, kid." Derek responded as he was proud that his younger brother was motivated for something bigger than him but still felt a lingering sadness about the circumstances surrounding it he didn't display.

"One of our many informants notified me of a current homicide case, body discovered in a garbage can on top of the rookie's casino roof. Why is there one on the roof of the casino though? Beats me too." Settembre made Derek aware as he went back to researching. Derek released a long sign. "Got it. Keep Bree some company, I'll be right back, you two can do some bonding." Derek ordered and suggested as he was on his way to head out. "No offense, Bree Bree, I want some field experience!" Nick yelled out quickly and halted Derek. The established Wiley brother turned around with a blank stare realizing how it felt. "Way too early for you, little man, you haven't learned even the basics of understanding our powers yet. It requires learning bit by bit to discover what you're capable of like myself, Dad and Gramps. Truth be told, the purlieu never made you a suit. Either, keeping hopeful that you and Henry will never be getting involved and stuck with the responsibility and consequences." Derek argued as he shook his head.

"Oh-whoa, boy, a series plot twist if I were to write a fanfiction out of us is about to show up." Settembre said jokingly. "If I was good enough to teleport my clothes like you did when you found me a week ago that makes you better, would that mean that I'm ready for my first day working with the field?" Nick asked with a lower voice and barely any confidence that his brother would agree. "There is no freaking way!" Derek responded with a tone Nick read as astonishment.

"Easy!" Nick got into a calm stance, closed his eyes and filled with confidence and willpower, the kid pushed his right shoulder forward which worked for him leaving Derek as stunned by his reveal. "Forced my jaw to drop like a nuclear bomb too but he's been practicing hard this entire week and he's able to maintain it for seventy-three hours according to him." Settembre informed Derek as he couldn't help but smile.

"I could only max it for only an hour my entire original year." Derek commented as he remembered that terrifying night against Proxtere when he performed the enhancing ability for the first time in his life but was grateful for his grandfather when he got reckless. "Thank you Settembre, How long are you able to keep it up now?" Nick asked with his utmost curiosity as he turned towards his brother.

"Heh. Old man Bringer's going to be excited and find immense comfort that you're going to be the most powerful of all of us if you keep catching on this quickly. I am." Derek pointed out as he put his head down, followed by a nervous chuckle. "Code names. I decided mine was going to be Solace. Mist-Solace or– or something?" Nick informed his older brother. Derek and Settembre glancingly stared at each other before nodding their heads in approval. "Better than Misdemeanor in my opinion." Settembre commented as he continued to nod ignoring Derek shaking his head towards him.

The tireless town of JinJunye, middle of the night and a year after the family's separation. C.E.O of Bazagatti pharmaceuticals, Zen Bazagati found himself with the knowledge that he was being targeted from his reliable sources and decided that his high tower was more than secure enough for him to think to himself and how to proceed. "Our focus as his personal chefs is to cater to his every cuisine desire, now go!" Said his head personal chef to the squad of new hires. The head chef's youngest apprentice smiled with her bright green eyes, as he gave her a special meal to prepare. The rest went to prepare his usual and favorite stress relieving meal. A room filled with no more than his hot tub and utterly black walls and dim lighting.

Before he got to the room, he was receiving a call on his way there. He answered with a smile, "Yeah talk to me, Latingo?" Said Mr. Zen Bazagati to his young assistant on the other line. "WHAT?! HE'S COMING TODAY?! Stay on the line." Mr. Zen Bazagati yelled out, bothered by worry so decided to enter the room as quickly as he could and stripped his clothes, stepped into his freshly filled hot tub. Mr. Zen Bazagati lit up each candle that was on the tub carefully before stripping naked and getting in, as he lit up a cigar he's been saving for a year, his thoughts while using it was, "It's a special occasion, when's a better time to use it?" as he finally lit it up and smoked it.

Novalunosis became the pilot of his mind as he opened his custom roof to gaze. "When he arrives, treat him like a god, don't upset him at all. He's a welcomed guest afterall." Mr.Zen Bazagati commanded his assistant to inform everyone under him. "I DON'T CARE WHAT YOU THINK YA PANSY, THIS'LL BE AS BIG FOR THE COMPANY AS IT WILL BE FOR ME! Every guard down there wouldn't even be a minor inconvenience for who I'm suspecting they sent after me, anyway." Mr. Zen Bazagati stated and commanded someone louder and with a more herculean tone to Latingo, the assistant was reluctant but he understood and hung up to do what he told him. The C.E.O went back to what they were doing and Mr. Zen Bazagati was going to go enjoy his addictive, relaxing bath. While he smoked his favorite cigar to look at, he laid his head back and began thinking about his life, his reasoning for reminiscing was, "I'm old as hell, when's a better time?" but he didn't spend as much time thinking about his life as he did thinking about folks he believes could have changed his life dramatically.

Mr. Zen Bazagati looked at the time on his watch, and tried to guess when the issue to his problem would arrive before he tried this gift of goodwill, he received from a business partner one time, he saved it though. He never actually believed in it, despite some of his adventures and experiences, he just couldn't bring himself to believe in this gift. The gift was directions to a ritual he had his men prepare, the ritual literally only really required the room in its entirety, so, all he had to do was have a deep desire to see his past, this was the main reason he never used it, he never had the need, he was always a look into the future kind of guy. "Why is it when you're old, memories of the past feels like a cigarette being put out on your—?" Mr. Zen Bazagati asked himself as he thought about "should I actually try it?" to himself. The ritual required a clean, pristine and glossy black room made of a special shiny material his team was able to dig up thanks to that business partner of his... Mr. Zen Bazagati started to rewind his mind to remember the day he was given this gift. "In order to summon the entity known as Lathan asao, you must create a safe space and canvas for him to arrive in and paint your life over, use this rare material called R-UY, here's where you could find it!" Said the business partner that gave him the information decades ago as he remembered when he gave him the paper with more of the important information on it.

"Treat me like a god…?" Mr. Zen Bazagati heard from a honey and curious voice forcing his heart to skip a few beats while disrupting his relaxation. "Even if you don't have a name, your reputation reaches places." Mr. Zen Bazagati replied to the mercenary holding his sharp blade in front of him. "I get that. You hurt and traumatized children, are you aware that you've earned everything that's about to happen next?" Elias Wiley asked as he sheathed his sword before calling out to his inexplicable chain from around his right leg to be by his left side as he approached the devious C.E.O in a calm fashion. Suddenly the suspiciously dark and dim room they were in began to fill with tempered gray smoke all throughout it causing the irrationally behaving C.E.O to begin panicking as he began performing the ritual. The smoke made him feel exceptional but the mercenary couldn't see through it due to how thick it became and suddenly he felt the momentum of his brother's two legs crashing into his spine causing him to go soaring out of his target's mysterious room. He rolled out until he could stop himself and recover, turning around as he stood ready to leap on one knee. "Still the incompetent antagonist towards justice, aren't you?" Elias asked as he gave his little brother. "You have about as good of a definition of justice as you do of the antagonist. Leave." Jacob replied with a deadly tone. The brothers began hearing monstrous roaring from in the dark and dim room they were previously in with their shared target's cries.

"We don't need you to be soft like your father or those brothers of yours, it wounds you up in a body bag quickly. Choose who you stand with and decide if you can handle our work. You've got whenever my father briefs us to sit on all of the stories that I told you. And when you've decided that you'll join us, if you do we've got some goodies for you." Quinn warned his younger cousin using a voice filled with urgency while he got up and walked to the bathroom as Henry remained seated with his arms crossed and slumped over, trembling.