Ortus Continued

When Lionel reached Duadella City, he went straight to his apartment which was rented. When he knocked the gate, he had a smile on his face that was as if he won a great battle. Oh wait he actually did so. However, when the gate opened, he saw someone else living there. On enquiring, he got to know that Madelyn moved out terminating the Rent Agreement. Lionel was shocked. He went to the Police Station to enquire about Madelyn. The Police told him that she lives in a new place. He asked for the address, but police didn't give. He showed them his Army badge and gave his information to the police, listening to which, they agreed to give him her address information.

When Lionel reached the house, he saw a small single-family house. When he was approaching, he heard some quarreling going on. Moving closer, he identified it was Trent's and Jane's voice. When he moved further close, he could see them, Trent holding the Bat necklace, which he gave to Jane, and Jane alongside a man, and Jane's stomach region was swollen. Lionel felt numb, but he still kept on hearing them.

"You know how important it is to our clan, to master Killian, to brother, yet you dare to throw it away!" Trent was screaming on top of his lungs.

"I don't care about your stupid clan, its ways, its codes, I don't care about Lionel or his family, or my family, tell father I've left everyone!" Jane too started screaming.

"Are you in your mind? How can you do this? Brother went to fight in battlefield so you acknowledge his strength. As they are saying, he alone fought an army of militants and freed the Tower." Trent was screaming when Jane cut him off.

"I bet he would be back handicapped. Who would want that handicapped bastard then? Compared to him, Edward is still good looking, strong, handsome, famous and what not? Being a prince what he even did?" Jane said, hearing which Trent clenched his fist and went to punch her, but Edward stopped him, and Jane kicked Trent on his gut region.

"Tell your Lionel, I'm no longer his Knight. I'm Edward's Knight and will protect my family, even if he comes back." Jane said.

"Take it east Jane darling, the baby may be affected." Edward said caressing her belly.

Trent clenched his jaw and moved away.

While going away, Trent tightened his grip on Lionel's bat necklace, cursing her under his breath. Then he saw a strange man, standing leaned on near Jane's house. He went near to check who he was, and was surprised to find out it was Lionel.

"Brother!" Trent gasped.

Lionel came to his senses, he picked up Trent on his back like a piggyback ride, and ran away. Lionel took Trent to a house which neither Trent nor Jane knew about.

"This is my Father's gift which he couldn't give me." Lionel said, putting Trent down.

"Brother?" Trent asked.

"Tell Howard to close the dojo and come here. Either ways he'll be alone there, since you're staying here from now on." Lionel ordered with a straight face.

"What are you talking brother?" Trent asked.

"I'm adopting your family. Consider this my final order and be my family you both. You both lost a precious family member, and I was an orphan either way. So take Howard and come here tomorrow." Lionel said.

"Alright brother." Trent said with a hint of fear. He never saw Lionel this serious.

"Before going, give me this necklace." Lionel said pointing towards his Bat necklace. Trent gives it to him.

"Clean it before wearing it. She threw it in trash in front of me, resulting into the fight you witnessed." Trent said, feeling ashamed.

"Alright I will." Lionel said and went inside.

Next day, Howard, Trent came to this new house with their luggage. Trent was silent, but Howard tried to cheer him up. When they entered, Howard recognised this house.

"Master Lionel?" Howard called for Lionel. Lionel appeared after arranging his stuff and cleaning the house.

"Yes?" Lionel asked.

"Wasn't this house, the house Master Killian was wishing to gift you and Jane after you had fulfilled your promise and married her when she was a legal adult?" Howard asked.

"First, no more calling me Master. You are going to treat me like your son from now on, calling me by my name. Trent already treats me like his brother so it doesn't matter." Lionel replies, "I can't call you father though, hence I shall call you?" Lionel thinks for a while and then replies, "Yes, from today, I shall call you Poppy."

Howard was stunned.

"So Poppy, yes this is that house father was about to give us. Since I kept my part of promise, so I can be the sole inheritor of the house. Moreover, Jane has abandoned us. So no more trying or keeping any contact with her." Lionel said.

Howard was speechless.

"But brother.." Trent was about to say something when Lionel glared at him, making him silent.

Howard smiled and said while bowing, "Fine Mas- I mean Lionel, we'll be in your care."

They took few days to shift and make themselves comfortable. On knowing that their new Leader has moved to Duadella city, many loyal Shirogane families and friends came here in Duadella city as well, following Lionel's steps. However, Lionel promoted them to stay at the village to take care of it.

Few days later, an awarding ceremony was going on, where the soldiers who fought were being awarded by the Defence Minister. Lionel and his comrades were invited as well. On the other side, Jane went near that place too, since it was near Market area. She and Edward went to see the event as well. By the time they reached, the Minister was about to end his speech.

"And now, I would call on the stage, the bravest one of our soldiers, who went against his Captain, and went inside the Tower to fight an army of militants alone. He not only defeated them, but opened the gates to enter, and even re-established our connection with the tower. Seeing him, our other soldiers took great inspiration and they fought alongside him, until no militant survived. Moreover, we even managed to capture their leader, all thanks to this Soldier. I am talking about, Lionel Ambrose! Please come one the stage warrior!"

Hearing Lionel's name, Jane and Edward was shocked.

"Can you guys believe? He's only 18?" Minister said to the audience, "Neither do I."

Lionel goes up the stage, wear he was worn his sash and medal. Jane sat silently, with her eyes wide, while Edward left, as he couldn't bear to see Lionel being honoured.

Lionel bowed, while joining his hands, like the Shiroganes' traditional salutation he was taught since childhood. The minister told him to give him a speech, but Lionel refused, saying he's in a hurry for an appointment with the General. It seemed they both already had an agreement in this hence he let Lionel go, and started awarding Lionel's other comrades.

While Lionel was about to sit in his car to go towards the General's office, Jane stops him from behind. "Lionel!" she calls.

Lionel turns around to find Jane. He ignores her and sat in his car. Jane comes near the window, of the car. He quickly locks all the gates and shuts all the windows. She started banging, which Lionel ignores again and drives away.

On reaching the office, he talks with the General about joining the Operation Squad plan. General was confused first, but when Lionel cleared his intentions of joining the Operation Squad so that he could annihilate the Tyrants, alongside the other great Operation Squad members. General told him that currently the Operation Squad is out on an expedition, and Lionel can join them only when they return. Lionel was satisfied with this, so he asked the General to inform him when to join.

"I sometimes get confused whether he's the General or I?" General said to himself, with a confused look.

When Lionel left, he was greeted by Jane again.

"Found you!" she said.

"Were you following me?" Lionel asked.

"Yes." Jane replied with a big grin.

"Alright then." Lionel said, unfazed and began to walk away towards his car.

When he tried to open his car, he couldn't find his keys. He looked back towards Jane who jiggling his car keys, with an evil grin. Lionel however, didn't change his expression. He maintained his poker face. He went near her, pulled his keys in a fraction of a second, which surprised Jane.

When Lionel was going back to his car, Jane called him again, which as usual, Lionel ignored. She tried to approach him from behind, however, she tripped and fell on her stomach. She started screaming in pain. Lionel saw this. He wanted to leave her, but he remembered his father's words. 'Always help those who need.' He quickly called one of the Female soldiers, standing near the building. They both took Jane in Lionel's car, and Lionel drove off to a nearby hospital. Lionel and the soldier, made in time and the doctor took her, along with few nurses. They needed to perform an emergency delivery, or it might have been dangerous.

While filling up the details, Lionel asked the soldier to fill up and call Jane's husband. She reluctantly obliged. Half an hour later, Edward arrived and waited outside the Operation Theatre. Lionel was also in the hospital, but he disguised enough to not to be noticed by Edward.

After Operation was successful, Edward went to Jane, who was resting after delivering a girl, and then told her how grateful he is to the lady who saved her, because of which, Jane gave birth to a beautiful daughter.

"I wasn't saved by a lady though." Jane said with a confused look.

"Then who was the person who saved, maybe some other comrade of hers? Tell me I need to thank them." Edward asked.

"It was.." she went silent.

"Tell" Edward asked.

"Lionel." Jane said.

Edward's facial expression changed. He went outside in a hurry, accidentally bumping into someone. "Sorry" he said to the person and left in a hurry, not knowing, that the person he bumped into was Lionel in disguise.

"At least close the gate before leaving. Tsk." Lionel said, unknown of the fact that the gate he was closing was of Jane, and she noticed him, but her medication took over and she fell asleep.

Lionel comes back to his house, and tells Howard and Trent about joining Operation Squad. Trent opposed his idea of going, but it is Lionel's decision, so he couldn't do anything. Little Trent started thinking that Jane is responsible for this, and his hatred for her increased.

Weeks later, Operation Squad returned and Lionel joined them. He trained sincerely, however he knew the basics. Operation Squad's fighting style is that of a ninja's, Lionel comes from one of the famous ninja clans, so it wasn't a big deal for him.

In his first expedition, he was in Parker's team, however, Lionel didn't listen to her orders. Many times she got frustrated of him. During one fight against an A Ranked Tyrant, Lionel was stood in front of the Tyrant, while Parker and team was busy with other Tyrants surrounding him. Parker wanted to help Lionel but was busy with the Tyrant on her side. After killing the Tyrant on her side, Parker quickly dashed towards Lionel's, only to see, that the Tyrant is dead, and Lionel is covered in blood. Since then, she got interested in Lionel.

Years later, on the mission in the nearby village, which was the village where Jane and her family moved in, When Lionel, Parker and team reached the site, Lionel appeared absent minded looking towards the Tyrant destroying Jane's house, with probably Jane and Edward inside. In a long distance, Trent who was keeping an eye on them, felt much happy, knowing that Jane and her family died, he came home and partied.

On the other side, the Tyrant went to attack the Ops members. Generally, it would have been an easy task to take it down, but it was an S-Rank Tyrant. So they were in a difficult situation. Since Lionel was lost in his thoughts, Parker and remaining team went in place of him. Unfortunately, Parker got caught off-guard, and the other members were injured. That's when Lionel came back to his senses and grappled its chin region, using his sword to make a cut, to release captured Parker. He moved above above, as if he was flying. Then he felt a sudden energy surge. He seemed enraged, but his face was still expressionless. He made many cuts on the Tyrant's body, and at the end he used his explosives to end it. The Tyrant submitted to its injury, and started falling down. When started falling, Parker noticed there was a kid, so she yelled and informed Lionel via communicators. Lionel notices the girl Parker was talking about, turns mid air, and grapples towards the kid.

He held her, "Hold me tighter or you may fall." he whispered in her ears, and grappled again, taking the girl out of the zone of the falling corpse. The girl was afraid, yet she held him tighter.

"We're out. Are you fine?" Lionel asked. Then the girl lets go of Lionel. The girl was still afraid, shaking, and nervous. Lionel noticed that and gently caressed her head. "Don't worry. We are out of the danger. You may relax now."

Hearing his comfort words, she calmed down. Then Lionel held his communicator and informs Parker. She calls him back since the mission is over.

"Alright. I'm coming. (To the girl) Take Care kid." he said and flew away.