A/N: I'm dedicating this special chapter to the members of TEAM PROJECT LOKI (or TEAM PATATAS LOVERS). Happy Monthsary!
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LUTHOR WAS never born a foot soldier. If he was fighting a war, he would be a general commanding an army. He will never hold a sword. Instead he will ask someone to hold a sword for him and slaughter his enemies.
He never liked legwork. He despised it. He always had someone to do the dirty work for him.
He lives like a king. He rules like a king. He is a king. Whether the white or the black, only God knows.
During the weekends, he would enjoy his afternoon by sipping his favorite brand of tea and reading books about politics. But today was different. He found himself on the backseat of a blue Subaru. Their family chaffeur, Mr. Vasquez, drove him to a three-storey apartment building a few blocks away from his high school.
For quite some time, he had known where his younger brother lives but he had never been in the latter's quarters. Loki tried to hide his address from him, but as someone with eyes and ears everywhere, Luthor got the information in the snap of a finger.
It was his duty as the older brother to look after the younger one. Their parents were several continents away from them, so the burden fell on his shoulder. But Luthor never considered it a burden. He cares for his younger brother, though the latter might not feel the same for him.
Like a cliche drama, Luthor and Loki traded barbs minutes after they laid eyes on each other. Not surprising, he thought. His brother never held him in the highest regard. And he understood why.
He had nothing to worry about. His brother seemed to have recovered from the injuries.
Time is of the essence so Luthor did not stay too long in the apartment. Another important task awaits him. He trusts that Loki's roommate, Lorelei, would take care of his brother. Strangely though, he could feel some hostility from the young lady especially after she had asked him some questions on his way out.
He left the apartment unit without hearing any words of gratitude from his brother. He would be a fool if he expected the words "thank you" to escape from Loki's lips. After all, his brother never knew what happened in the abandoned warehouse.
Luthor did not mind. No one would thank him. No one would write songs about him. No one would sing him praises for what he did.
Still he did not mind. He knew what he signed up for. It was a thankless job.
When he got back in the car, he revealed his phone and started typing some weird symbols. Anyone who sees the cryptic message would furrow their brows in bewilderment.
Without re-reading the message, he sent it to a phone number that wasn't saved in his contact list. He also deleted the message thread as soon as the message was delivered.
The series of symbols would keep his correspondence with someone a secret. The game has become more dangerous than it was before. The higher the climb, the greater the risk. All precautions must be taken.
What if his brother managed to get hold of his phone? he wondered. Luthor never doubted Loki's deductive prowess. He knew that if these code messages fall into his detective brother's hands, it would only take a matter of days before the latter decodes it.
Minutes later, he received a reply from the same unsaved number.
In just a single glance, he knew what the symbols meant. Only he and the recipient know the code. He erased the message as soon as he was done reading.
The visit to his brother was not the highlight of his day. Last night, he received a message from an international number that "someone important" is arriving in the Philippines. In less than three hours, a plane from the United States would land in the airport.
Being a forward thinker, he had already calculated how long it would take for the blue Subaru to reach the airport. He took into consideration the roadwidening project in the expressway and the volume of traffic in EDSA. Thus, they arrived in their destination twenty minutes before the plane lands.
Passengers poured into the arrival area, carrying their luggage. Luthor had seen how happy some families were—mothers embracing their children, fathers lifting their babies and kissing them on the forehead, and couples hugging each other after months or years of being separated.
Too dramatic, Luthor muttered.
As the crowd in the area grew thin, he heard a clinking sound that got louder. How many years has it been since he last heard of that sharp ringing noise?
His cold eyes gazed at a bearded man, around fifty or sixty years of age, limping to his direction. A steel cane, creating the clinking noise, helped the man walked across the long hallway. His left eye looked straight ahead while the other roamed around the crowded area.
Luthor had to raise his hand to catch the man's attention. Seconds later, they stood face to face with each other.
"It has been a while, hasn't it, father?" he greeted.
"Long time no see, Lu-Lu," the man returned. "You've gained some weight, haven't you?"
Then there was silence. Should Luthor embrace his father like what people around them were doing? It would be awkward, Luthor thought, as he was never used to it. Instead, he got into a staring contest with the man before him.
"Is this how you greet someone who has just arrived from a long flight? By just staring at me? No hugs or kisses?"
Meet Odinaire Mendez, Luthor and Loki's father. He had a thrilling life as a police officer and proved himself to be an able superintendent of the metropolitan police.
His left eye was staring elsewhere while the right one looked down on Luthor. His towering figure cast a shadow on his son.
"Why are you so stiff?" He jested as he slammed his son's right arm with his heavy hand. "Parang kausap ko ang pader sa 'yo."
Indeed, Luthor was as hard and cold as an ice. Not even his father could melt him.
Odinaire limped his way out of the arrival area while his son followed.
"Alam ba ni Loki na ngayon ang dating ko?" his father asked.
"I have hinted as much to him," Luthor replied, putting his hands behind the back. "Imagine how surprised he was when heard about it."
"This is the second time that he got into trouble," Odinaire said as he looked around the airport terminal. "Weeks ago, he almost got expelled for assaulting a student. Now, he almost got killed by those hooligans. Ganyan ba kamalas ang kapatid mo?"
"He's playing a dangerous game with dangerous people," Luthor shrugged. "I have warned him against it but he's too stubborn."
"How about you? Have you got a girlfriend already?"
"Excuse me?"
"A girlfriend! A girlfriend!" his father repeated.
"No," Luthor answered.
"Until now? Be honest with me, Lu-Lu." Odinaire halted in the middle of hall and turned to his son. Only one of his eyes stared at him. "You're not gay, are you?"
"I am not interested," he spoke slowly. "Sorry to disappoint you."
That wasn't the first time Luthor heard a wrong impression about him.
"Of course, you would rather play the king than play with a queen!" Odinaire remarked as he continued limping to the exit. "Enjoy your youth! Don't take life too seriously!"
What his father did not know was that Luthor was enjoying his youth, but not in the way most people around his age do.
"Loki also doesn't have a girlfriend, I assume?" His father shot a sideward glance at him. "Has he moved on from that dead woman? Or is he still too busy with his own mysteries?"
"Love for him is nothing but a distraction," Luthor said. "An irritant, he told me once."
"Magkapatid nga kayong dalawa." Odinaire shook his head. "Man, I have been expecting to see my future daughters-in-law while I'm here!"
The two reached the entrance of the airport terminal. A blue Subaru stopped in front of them. The driver got out of the car, greeted Odinaire with a welcoming smile and opened the door for him.
"Parang tumataba ka ngayon, Vasco!" Odinaire greeted back as he got inside. Luthor sat beside him.
"Vasquez ho, sir," the driver said before closing the car door.
"Ah, pasensya na. Matagal na rin kasi kitang hindi nakikita."
The car then drove away from the airport. It's gonna be a long trip from Manila to Pampanga.
"You haven't told me why you came home," Luthor said, staring at the skyscrapers outside. "You wouldn't cross several continents just to see if your son is well, would you?"
A smile formed across Odinaire's lips. "It is time to put an end to your brother's little game."
q.e.d.