Chapter 14 - Christine

Faust went back to his hotel room and carefully organized the files spat out by Goose.

Then there were a sudden knock on the door.

"Come in!"

Sebastian opened it and came in.

"Is the operation successful?"

"Yes, young master. We manage to secure a few debris that are still intact. We left some for the government to minimize suspicion."

"Well done uncle Seb, don't tell the old man yet. I'll do it myself so I can remind him some things before he do something stupid. You know dad was sometimes impulsive right?" He smiled wryly.

"As you wish, young master. I'll get a few trusted men to drive it back to Texas right away. Are we leaving the city tomorrow?"

"Yeah, my summer vacation is almost over so let's head home."

They flew back to Texas the next morning.

--

When they arrived at the villa, Faust went directly towards his father's study.

"You sure took your time in California, huh? Did you charmed a lot of young girls again?"

"No pops! What I've been through was much more interesting than that."

Faust went to the door and locked it. His father furrowed his brows and turned serious when he saw this.

Faust seated at the chair in front of his father's table and started to narrate what happened.

"This is what happened... "

Faust tweaked the story a bit to make it look like he doesn't know what will happen in advanced. He lied that he informed Sebastian ahead of time, instead he make it look like he informed him later on.

"So.. you're saying you flew a jet, went outerspace, fought the aliens and then manage to get alien technology from the debris?"

"Technically, I didn't fought them. More like runaway from them but...pretty much, yeah."

"You know it's hard to believe what you said right?"

"Here."

Prepared for this, he passed the inactive kree sword to his father.

Father was confused and asked "What does this stick do?"

"Careful! Don't hold the body, for god sake hold the handle. It's a sword, you have to activate it before the energy blade appear. It's extremely sharp. Here at the bottom there's a switch."

He pushed something in the handle and the sword began to glow.

"See I told you, if you continue to hold it like earlier, bye bye touching mother for the rest of your life. I think this thing needs an energy source. It needs to be charged."

John looked at the sword in fascination.

Faust reminded him, "Dad, I know what you're thinking so I'm gonna say this in advance. You can use the technology I brought to upgrade the company's equipment but you have to make it in secret and don't mention it to anyone you don't completely trust. Too much showing off will attract trouble. Just say you accidentally found it in a crash site if you have no choice to reveal it."

"Okay okay, hmmp! Brat I'm the father here. Quit nagging will you? "

Faust just rolled his eyes.

"Oh one more thing, let me participate in the research."

"Deal."

They fist bump each other as a sign of agreement.

"Now go to your mother and brace your ears. You earn it for getting ahead of yourself."

"Ughhhhhh can you at least back me up? Come on I saved you from sleeping at the sofa last time."

"Nope! No can do. I don't want to be implicated by her anger. I'm timid so go on brave boy."

Then they both heard the voice of Margaret from the hallway which made the two of them flinch.

"Fauuuust are you home?"

Then his dad hurriedly went to the secret door in his study to escape.

"I'm screwed." He sighed.

(End of Flashback)

--

Present day Year 1996.

As Faust was reminiscing what happened last year, he noticed George who wa laying at his feet a second ago has already stood up. His attention was coming from the Villa.

"There you are, young master. I was looking for you everywhere. I should've figured you are on your usual spot." Sebastian walked over.

"What's up, Uncle Seb?" Faust asked in confusion.

"Your mother is looking for you. It would appear it has something to do with your school of choice." Sebastian informed.

"Oh, it's already time?" Faust asked as he remembered he was going to be enrolled in 10th grade, high school.

He stood up and went home immediately with Sebastian and George in tow.

When he arrived at the villa, Margaret, her mother was already waiting for him. She beckoned to him and let him sit down in the living room so they can talk.

"Forgive me for interrupting your free time, Honey. But I need to know your plans for high school. Both your Father and I have decided to let you experience studying in a campus so you could have friends on your own. It would not do you good to keep being homeschooled." Her mother said.

"I understand mother, I'll follow your arrangements but is it okay if I get to pick the school?"

"Oh, that's interesting. Do you have a school in mind?"

"Yeah, look, I already anticipated that this day will eventually come so after much consideration, I would like to be enrolled in Culver University in Virginia."

"Hmm? Do you have any particular reason for choosing that school?" Margaret narrowed her eyes.

"I heard it's a gathering place of scientists, and scientists are geniuses. Well, I just think that place is where I belong and besides, I'm planning to continue studying there for college. I'm interested in Medical Biology." Faust said with seventy percent truth and thirty percent lie.

"Right, I remember you saying that on your first day here." Margaret said.

"Yeah, so is it a yes?"

She looked at him and smiled "Very well, son. I know you bright mind and you won't disappoint us but just don't date too much girls when you're there."

Faust shook his head bitterly, "Mom, as far as I know, you are the one who's pushing me to get a girlfriend."

"That was before, but it's different now. There, I wouldn't be able to interrogate the girl."

Faust just laughed and he didn't take it seriously cause he know that she's just joking and she's just teasing him.

"I'll have Sebastian arrange everything but he needs to stay here so you need a bodyguard and a new assistant." Margaret added.

"Okay.. so it's two people?" Faust asked.

"I'm sure she can handle both spot at the same time just like Sebastian." Margaret said mysteriously.

"Now I'm curious, so...who would fill Sebastian's spot?" Faust asked.

"Oh you'll know her soon." Margaret smiled.

--

At his room while he was packing up his stuff, Faust said to Sebastian.

"Uncle Seb, please take care of George for me as you always do. But you know, he's old now."

"Certainly, young master. Please be careful during your stay in Virginia."

"I will, trust me it won't take long. Maybe, I'll graduate sooner than we anticipated. Watch out dad for me, he can be really reckless when it comes to secrets." Faust advised.

Sebastian nodded seriously. Then he procure a piece of paper in his pocket and handed over to him.

Faust glance at him with questioning look.

"That's the address of the Family's property near Culver University. There are two rooms in the apartment. One for you and for the bodyguard."

"Thanks, give me a call if anything unexpected happens." Faust kept it in his pocket.

--

Next day morning. At the Villa's study.

Knock knock

"Come in son. You're on right on time." John said from the inside.

Faust proceeded to enter, then he saw his father sitting behind the table and her mother standing right behind him.

Then he noticed that there's another person in the room.

A woman with a buff physique standing there with arms crossed. It accentuates her biceps while she stare at Faust like she wanted to tackle him. She had a black hair tied up in pony tail. Height around 5'5 wearing a combat suit with Umbrella's company logo.

"Hey son, you know you'll have a new body guard slash assistant right? This is her. Meet Christine our company's top security asset."

"Christine, this is our son, Faust and he will be your boss from now on until further noticed."

Christine on the other hand just nodded to Faust as a greeting.

"Please to meet you. I hope we can get along. Otherwise, I'm afraid I'm gonna get crushed by those lively bulk of protein." He gulped.

"I don't mind." John teased.

"Hey, I'm your son. You should protect me." Faust glared at his father.

Then Faust turn towards Christine and said, "You must go to him and beat him up on my behalf if ever I annoy you."

"She won't do that, I'm literally her big boss." John countered.

Margaret facepalmed herself seeing the banter between father and son. She sigh helplessly.

"Be on your way now. You have a long trip ahead of you." She said.

Faust went forward and hug each one of them. "I'll miss you, Mom, Dad. Call me if there's anything."

His father patted his shoulder and whispered, "She is special, son. Don't let her hit you. She's way stronger than normal. I mean, waaaaaaay stronger like tossing you easily 200 meters away... Go, on."

When Faust heard this, his curiosity was piqued. Before he could say anything, he was shooed away by his father out of the office. Faust went out with Christine in tow.

At the front of the villa, Sebastian was already waiting ready to drive them towards the airport.

While walking, Faust couldn't help but ask Christine.

"Look, I'm not saying this to hit on you but you look incredibly familiar. Have we met? I mean when I was young maybe?"

"What?" Christine frowned.

Then he pondered more..

"Do you happen to have a code name or something?"

Christine was silent for a moment before answering his question.

"At the training camp and during our mission, they call me Angel Dust."

"Wait what? What did you say again?"

"You heard me."

Faust stared at her lost in his thoughts.

'Shit! Now that she mentioned it. She indeed look like Gina Carano but a lot younger.'

'Hmmm that's why I couldn't put a finger on it. Wow, that's new. I've got a mutant for a bodyguard.'

"Seriously, we should get along. I won't treat you bad. Promise!"

He held out his hand for a handshake.

Christine, stared at his hand for a moment before clasping it.

"Deal."

"So what should I call you?"

"Just Angel."

"Okay, Chris---Uhm Angel. Geez I sound like a magician."

Angel ignored his remarks and just followed him towards the car with a straight face.

When they arrived at the airport, Faust took a deep breath and muttered, "One step at a time."