"Now this is an exciting environment." F/N grinned as he snapped a photo with his phone at the view of the city. Although still a bit nervous seeing other humans, he doesn't worry much because so long as he doesn't interact with them, they won't interact with him. "A city that isn't abandoned and overrun by monsters." His eyes looked around, doing his best to capture every detail to burn into his memory.
"The city is busy as usual. Areas are still under construction from the damage the place has taken over the years." Kallen said as the three of them walked around. "There are many places that we can go to. There's an amusement park, the mall, the museum, if anything interests you we can go."
Looking at a specific skyscraper, the redhead stared with silence as it was the tallest building out of all of them. Compared to the other cities, that skyscraper towers above any buildings the others had. He wonders how the view will look from up there. He'll figure it out later. "I don't know." He replied as he didn't give it much thought. Everywhere he goes he can't help but be amazed. "Although one thing is for sure, this city sure has a lot of advertisements and screens on display, huh?" It makes him wonder how much electricity is being used daily.
"The city is full of billboards and screens... Even at night, the place is illuminated with all the light." Sakura said. "Kallen, do you have any suggestions on where we can take F/N?"
"Un..." Kallen furrowed her brows with an aloof expression. "What about the nearby park? Are you interested in going to the park?"
She received a shrug as F/N didn't have any other idea. "If we're able to..." He responded with a nod as Kallen's face brightened up causing him to look at her. Her smile really resembles Kiana Onee-San... That's one way to see that they're related.
-~-
"Mama mama! Look at me!"
So this is what a lively park looks like... F/N thought as he saw a lot of families together. He saw an old couple sitting together as they fed the birds by throwing bread crumbs. He saw a lone businessman sitting on a bench as he ate a bento that was sitting on his lap.
His eyes twitched with concern as he saw a man dressed like a monk with long black hair tied back and stitches on his forehead who was blowing bubbles on top of the playground area. Around the man were three... Weirdos. I'll classify them as weirdos. A man with a patchwork face running happily and playing around with the children followed by a literal monster who expressed the same joy as they chase after the bubbles. He saw a being whose head was shaped like a volcano and had one singular eye that reminded him of a cyclops as it talked to the monk on top of the playground.
Those are clearly dangerous people! What kind of monk blows bubbles while speaking to a one-eyed volcano-head monster!? This all screams danger! And how is nobody reacting to it!? Is this normal?
Overall, he's seen many different people of all age groups. A park as lively as this is nice. The trees haven't withered away and the grass is the greenest of green. Unlike the depressing parks he's come across because no one maintained them as the city has been abandoned.
"This park is huge..." He was amazed at the fact alongside the huge pond in the center of it all. "There's a lot of people as well. Is the park always this popular?" He looked at Sakura.
"Indeed. The local park is quite an attraction. The place is always lively and it's peaceful and quiet in some areas." Sakura looked around while she was on guard in case anything were to happen. "The playground is popular for the children. You might like it yourself."
"Maybe. I like playing on the swings." F/N told her as he recalled vividly as he swung himself with a constant momentum in the past when he stopped by the parks he'd seen. "It reminds me of teach as well..."
"Teach?" Kallen asked.
"My father. Well, adoptive father that is." F/N said who looked over at the playground again. "In our home, I had a swing of my own. He built a playground for me and I remember having fun using the place as I used the swings the most as he would push me." He smiled with recollection.
"What is your current relationship with your father?"
"Current relationship? It's the same as always." F/N shrugged at the question as he didn't put much thought into it. "He's like any other parent really. Although both of us see each other as student and teacher really. After all, that man feels more like a teacher than a parent from my experience. From homeschooling me to training me. He's the best!"
He speaks highly of that man... Kallen thought as she frowned. He's innocent to realize that he's been abandoned. The details they were told still have a lot of unknown answers. Why did that man leave? What place did he go to that was so dangerous? Or was it all a lie? Although the case may be that F/N wasn't truly abandoned, she hopes that it's the case.
"Has it ever crossed to you why he would head to a dangerous place?" Kallen asked which earned a pleasantly surprised look from F/N who must be wondering where she got the information that his teacher had left somewhere dangerous. "The Captain has explained to us a bit of your solution and how you've arrived here. I asked her why your parents were nowhere to be found and she told us a bit about your father."
F/N eased up at the explanation that was given to him. The answer to the question came naturally out of his mouth. "He likes to explore." He told Kallen with a confident smile. "There's no reason. He just likes to explore, even if it's dangerous. Shoot, exploring is how he managed to find me."
"Your father sure is an interesting man."
"How so?" He looked at Sakura but he agreed with her on that statement.
"Naturally, it's dangerous out in the world with all the monsters roaming around. If he's heading to dangerous places while knowing of the obstacles his way, he must be quite brave. He has quite the combat experience from what we were told. He's the one who taught you most things, correct?"
"I wouldn't say most. At best everything that I know such as martial arts and swordsmanship." F/N told Sakura. "He's not that strong compared to me. That's because of my super strength. However, he's able to take care of himself because he's a genius." Physical strength may not beat the monsters and even hold against other supernatural entities, but his teacher did have his wits and gadgets.
"A genius?" Kallen asked.
"He makes things. When it comes to making, teach is the best there is. A phone? Go to teach. A gun? Go to teach. A robot? Go to teach. A sword? Go to teach. A nuclear reactor core? Go to teach. He likes making stuff."
"Glossing over what you just said about the nuclear reactor core...did he really leave to somewhere dangerous?" Kallen said as her face was shadowed by her hair.
"Of course. Teach never lies." F/N shook his head as he tried defending him. "He still contacts me and we've been keeping in touch. If teach does lie, then there's a good reason. Usually, they were lies to get me to behave. Only when I grew older he told me that the boogeyman doesn't exist and so forth."
Ah...those lies. Kallen and Sakura sweat dropped.
"Would you like to play on the swings?" Kallen asked the boy. "Sakura and I can take turns pushing you."
"Are you sure?" F/N scratched his head at the suggestion. "I wouldn't wanna be a bother." Especially since the three of them just met not long ago. He'll feel like a nuisance to the two.
"You won't be a bother. We were the ones who suggested the act in the first place." Sakura told F/N as she smiled to ease him. "Unless you think you're too old for swings now."
"Too old? It's never too old to have fun." F/N said with slight enthusiasm as he felt himself getting better at talking with the couple. "Well...I'll be in your care then Kallen-San. Sakura-San."
"Afterward, we can get ice cream." Kallen said with a wide smile as she saw the boy's eyes light up slightly.
"Ice cream? I haven't had that in months..." F/N pondered as he thought that he was lucky to be able to taste ice cream again. Frankly, any piece of food that doesn't come from dumpsters and mold. He's never been a picky eater and after what he had to go through, he definitely won't complain!
-~-
"Looking for the right person is a bit more difficult than I've expected..." Amy muttered as she took a sip from her mug. Staring at the multiple files, she moves each holographic file with a wave of her finger, scrolling through candidates.
"Still searching for the right person to watch over F/N?"
"Correct."
"Anyone you had in mind?" Theresa asked Amy.
"Actually I have." Amy nodded towards the principal of St. Freya Academy as she stopped at a file.
"Adam?" Theresa blinked.
"From what I've seen and when we were watching their little spar to grasp my brother's abilities. It seems like he gets along with Adam quite well." Amy explained. "Also it's the fact that it can be easier for my brother to accept the fact that he'll have someone taking care of him as a bodyguard were he to go out if the person that's taking care of him."
"That makes sense. Well done."
"Don't thank me yet. Besides Adam, he's also very busy so he won't be the choice. I was also thinking of Natasha given her history. She's good with kids after all." Amy said as she stopped on Raven's file.
"That also makes sense... She was one of the first few people I thought about in all honesty." Theresa couldn't help but agree with Raven being a good choice. "However she too is quite busy herself."
"Yeah...that's the same problem with everyone else really." Amy sighed as she swiped through the files until her eyes caught a certain one. She swiped with her hand over the holograph as the files shifted back. She stopped once she reached the file that caught her eye. "This might do..."
"Her?" Theresa blinked with surprise at the choice as she stared at the file. "Are you sure about her?"
"Her schedule is usually less busy. She's also very capable and has many sets of skills... I think she can be the perfect choice." Amy said as she leaned back in her chair. "Contact the maid. I'm sure she'll accept the position that I'll be assigning her."
-~-
Beep boop beep boop.
That's the end of another chapter everyone. Thank you for reading once again. That's another chapter that has been finished.
Your support means wonders like always. Until next time, bye.
Word Count: 1,918