[Normal P.O.V]
5 years later...
"Ma'am, we have lost the entire armada." A man reported.
A fist slammed itself against the table, causing its contents to jump. Her teeth grinded against itself, as the scowl on her face grew deeper.
"What's his status?" The woman hissed out. Her light brown hair fell down her shoulders, which were heavily armored along with the rest of her body. Her amber-brown eyes held a permanent hint of anger and boredom, with dark rings smudged under them.
Her empire had been slowly growing when all of a sudden, someone brought it down in a second. Only one person could do that-Night Fury. She had heard about him. He apparently took down all three tyrants of the underworld. That enough was scary. But then all of a sudden, he disappeared. Then for the past five years, she slowly built her organization up into a glorious empire. People will fear the Warlords and tremble at her name. But then it all came crashing down when Night Fury showed up and destroyed every single operation she had.
Years of work was simply destroyed in the matter of weeks. So she did what she had to do. She sent an entire armada against Night Fury. But the most unusual thing happened. Night Fury battled the armada with an army of odd creatures. When she heard about that, she knew it was because of the help of Valhalla. The rumors of Valhalla and Drakos' alliance spread throughout the entire underworld. This made them only more formidable because Valhalla was known to have an unusual large firepower.
But after hearing what happened to her armada, she knew he was coming for her. So she needed to do her best to protect herself from him.
"Last we heard of him, he was over atvthe Atlantic Ocean riding a winged-beast." The man replied as he read over one of the files he held in his hands.
"Ready the army!" The woman cried out with a wave of her hand. "We'll wait for that nefarious Night Fury. If he comes, that would mean his base his left unprotected. We will destroy their annoying little organization!"
"Yes, Miss Griselda!" After bowing, ge left the room and shut the doors behind him.
Griselda let out a huff then collapsed on the chair behind her. She used two of her fingers to rub her temples. All this chaos was giving her a headache.
"Damn you, Night Fury..." She muttered under her breath. But she didn't know that someone would respond.
"Yeah, hate you too..."
Her head instantly whipped around to see a man clad in black combat armor, leaning on the corner of the wall with his arms crossed over his chest. To say he was intimidating was an understatement. He was downright terrifying. From glowing blue pulsating lights emitting from the gaps of his armor to the dark tactical mask that only covers the upper half of his face. There were no signs that he could see or not, but if he could fight well wearing it, then he could see. A hood was pulled up over his head that covered his face even further.
Griselda jumped from her seat, and grabbed the spear hidden under her desk. Aiming it at the armoured man, she pressed a button on the handle, activating four prongs to jut out of the spearhead. Her glared seethed through the man, though he seemed unfazed and unaffected by it.
"Night Fury..." She hissed out, as she moved away from him. "How dare you come in my building uninvited?"
"So, you would prefer if I would've asked to be invited?" Night Fury replied sarcastically. "Come on, Griselda. The Warlords are over. Give up, or fall by my hand."
"Like hell I would! Sentinels, attack!" Griselda yelled out.
At the sound of her command, two robotic guardians blinked their red beam eyes open and marched forward. Grey plates covered the robot's interior exoskeleton. A broad sword hung on its waist, along with an axe. All three of its eyes beamed red as it locked at its target-Night Fury.
But before they could even take a step forward, a chain shot out of Night Fury and its blade plunged itself on one of the Sentinel's head. Night Fury then wrapped his arm around the chain and yanked it back to him, ripping the head of the Sentinel of its body.
This caused the other Sentinel to move into action. Drawing its sword, it lunged forward. Night Fury grabbed the handle on the blade, and used it to deflect one of the strikes of the Sentinel. As the blades clang against each other, Griselda stalked behind Night Fury, waiting for the opportunity to strike. When the Sentinel pulled out its axe, Griselda used this an opening.
As the axe was in the middle of its swing, she lunged with her spear. But then, all of Night Fury's instincts went off. Within a second, he twisted his chain-scythe so that the chain would block the axe then the blade would dig itself on the Sentinel's chin while his other hand shot out and gripped the spearhead before it could turn him into a kebab.
Night Fury smirked, as he yanked the spear off her hands and used it to stab the Sentinel's chest. Sparks of electricity went off from its body as it crumpled to the ground in a heap of broken metal. But just for good measure, he grabbed the hilt of his sword that was strapped on his back, and pulled it out. As soon as it was out, flames enveloped the blade like a wildfire, burning in a high temperature as the curls of the fire licked over the air. He spun it upwards, and brought it down on the Sentinel's ravaged body, killing off every chance of survival in it.
After pulling the sword out of the body and shoving it back to its sheath, he turned around so quickly, it caused Griselda to flinch and step backwards.
"Just give up, Griselda. You've already lost." Night Fury said with a grin. He slowly the chain-scythe fell down inches above the ground, the blade gleaming against the light.
"No, Night Fury. I have only just begun." Griselda replied in a venomous tone. And with that, she pressed a small button behind her desk.
Then all of sudden, the doors burst open, but it wasn't what Griselda was expecting. Instead of her guards, two men in tactical uniform walked in. The first man was an African-American man with a clean shaven head and a muscular body that would usually belong to a bodybuilder. Dressed in a bulletproof tank top with a brown strap carrying bullets that slung over his shoulder, he had a smug smirk on his face as he carried a M249 Saw with its barrel still smoking.
The second was shorter guy, but was still muscular and ripped. A long trench coat was draped over his shoulders, while he wore a black vest inside. Wearing fingerless gloves, he held two combat knives in each hand, spinning them around carelessly, even using on of the knives to scratch the trimmed mustache above his lips.
Upon seeing them, Night Fury let out a groan as he retracted his chain-scythe back to his arm and hung it on his waist. "Henry, Marcos. What are you doing here? I thought I told you I can handle this?" He sighed out.
"Boss told us to assist you, and sure enough, you needed it." Henry replied with a smirk.
"I don't need any help. I could've handle it." Night Fury grumbled.
"Yeah right. Like how you handled Paris, and Verdun, and, Sydney, and Manila, and.." Marcos listed off as Henry snickered.
"Alright! Alright! I get it!" Night Fury huffed out, raising his arms out in frustration. "Thanks."
"What was that? I didn't hear it." Henry teased.
"Shut your mouth or I'll shut it for you. Remember, I'm still a veteran and a more experienced agent. Got that?" He snapped.
"Yes, sir." Both men replied in a polite tone.
"Uhh, hello? Griselda the Grievous here. And you're all acting like I'm no big deal." Griselda waved her hand out in the air.
But then all of a sudden, a fist connected to her jaw, causing her to crumple to the ground and knocking her out unconscious. The trio glanced at the fallen Griselda then at the person who punched her.
"You three are annoying as shit." The raven-haired woman rolled her eyes as she placed her hands on her hips. Her hair had been tied into a ponytail by a scrunchie that's shaped into a shuriken. Dressed in a tight-fit leather suit, her sniper-rifle strapped on her back, she fixed the cuffs on her wrists then grabbed Griselda by the collsr and lifted her up.
"Heather, you're here too?!" Night Fury exclaimed.
"Don't even ask why. Or do you want me to list all of the times I saved your ass, Zythid." Heather snorted.
Night Fury let out a frustrated sigh as he pulled back his hood, along with his mask go reveal his chocolate-brown eyes and shaggy almond hair. "Well, don't go crying out my real name, Windshear."
"It's not like you have anything to hide!" Henry let out a chuckle as he clapped the lean man across the back.
"Yeah, stop trying to copy..." Marcos trailed off as he realized what he was about to say.
An uncomfortable silence fell upon them as a sensitive subject was brought up, especially to Heather. The two guys were shuffling their feet and decided to take interest on the ground. Zythid pursed his lips, his eyes slightly glancing at Heather, who had emotionless look on her face. But then, in an instant, her face lit up.
"Anyways..." She clapped her hands, breaking the silence and causing the trio to wince. "...you guys going to Noah's birthday party?"
That seemed to lighten up the mood as the trio let out a sigh of relief and began replying.
"Yeah. Who won't? The kid's famous. I'm surprised Drakos, plus Valhalla won't come." Henry replied with a snort.
"But you guys know Astrid. Madre sobreprotectora..." Marcos muttered under his breath.
"How about you, Zythid?" Heather turned to him.
"Of course I'm going!" He exclaimed. "He's my godson, after all."
.........................................
Music blared across the room as the rubber ball bounced back and forth across the wall. The ball fell back to her hand, while her head craned back and hit the wall behind her. Her room was fairly big, but not too big that she'll able to run around. With walls painted dark red and black, it emitted a dark and mysterious aura that matched the girl's personality.
Her amethyst-purple eyes had grown brighter and stronger over the years, along with her body. She now had a slim and curvy figure that resembled her mom in many ways. But she usually hides her great figure and beautiful eyes by wearing baggy clothes and colored contacts to conceal her unique set of irises. Her light chestnut hair had grown longer, up to the point that she had to tie it every time.
Ezra Klaire Haddock is now fifteen years old after recently celebrating her birthday a month ago. She was officially adopted by her mother, but even when she hadn't, she still considered her as her mother.
The ball in her hand left from its position, and bounced on the wall. But before it could return to her hand, a highly-concentrated plasma bullet shot out of her finger and reduced the rubber ball into dust. Over the years, her powers had grown more powerful but at the same time, she was able to control it better. She could fly endlessly and tirelessly now, even reaching up to the skies. Her intellect was higher than most geniuses in the entire world but she tends to dumb herself down to prevent suspicions.
She had learned a new power that she likes to call, shock force. Its basically in the name, where bolts of electricity would fire out of her body, and electrocute anybody and anything in a ten-meter radius. First time she did this, was when she accidentally electrocuted her Uncle Shawn in a skate park. But she always remembered to keep it in control and hide it from regular people.
Her eyes were trained on the picture frame that stood on her desk. It was a picture of her when she was still nine years old, together with her mother and... father, on their first date. Her heart stiffened when the name of her father rang in her head. She remembered that day, even after five years. She would never forget the three most important moments she had with her father. The first was when she was rescued from the terrible man who kept her captive, called Drago Bludvist. Her mother had told her everything about her job when she was twelve years-old.
The second was when she was accepted by his father to be her... daughter. To her, that was the most happiest moment she had with her father. The last was... the most horrible one, yet it was the most memorable one as well. It was the day her father sacrificed himself to save her and everyone else. She would never forget that day. The pain in her father's eyes when he knew that he was going to die. That was also the day her mother and father got married, just right before he died.
A sigh escaped her lips. Even in death, she loved her father. She knew that no one could replace him. He was basically irreplaceable. She was glad her mother thought the same and never tried to hook up with other guys. Some tried, they ended up losing their dignity and pride, along with their arms and crotch. Ezra knows that she was created and her brain was wired to think that whoever saves her, she would end up believing that he's her father. But even in knowing that, she's still glad that he was the one who ended up being her father. A smile soon graced her lips at the memory.
"Ezra! Can you get the door? I'm busy trying to work this stupid machine!"
Ezra breathed out a laugh as she hopped off her bed. "Yes, mom!" She called out.
She rushed out of her room and hastily ran down the stairs, jumping off the last step. She knows that she could just fly down but she didn't want to waste her legs by using her powers. If it's one thing she hated, it's laziness. And eels.
She ran past the living room, where her little brother sat there, watching TV. Though she adored her little brother, the kid was a danger-addict and it drove her mad. He once jumped off a ten-foot high cliff just to see if he would get hurt. Luckily, their mother successfully jumped frim the ground and snatched him off the air before he could turn into a pancake. But she did respect for his resilience. Kid can take a hit. But other than that, she loves and cares for him as much as her mother does.
Noah Nuffink Haddock is a very active kid, since he was the son of Hayden and Astrid Haddock. He inherited his mother's blond hair and her fierce personality, while also inheriting his father's lankiness and his strategic mind. He was a wild and powerful force that could match his sister even with powers. His blue-green eyes inherited both from his parents, a mix of his mother's blue eyes and his father's green eyes, creating a beautiful combination of a forest standing in the middle of the ocean swirling in the boy's eyes.
Ezra finally reached the door, grabbing the knob and yanked it open. Her face immediately brightened upon seeing the visitor.
"Aunt Heather and Aunt Camilla!" She exclaimed, instantly hugging the two women.
"Hey there, kiddo!" Camilla greeted as she returned the hug.
"What are you guys doing here? The party won't be starting in a few hours!" Ezra asked after breaking the hug.
"Your mother is asking for help in the kitchen. Apparently, five years in the kitchen never improved her cooking skills." Heather replied with a chuckle.
Ezra moved aside to allow the to walk in. Camilla held her head up in the air and sniffed. "Ahh, I can smell the failure already!" She said with a grin.
"Camilla! You get in here and help me or I'll drag your ass in here!" The voice of Astrid rang through the living room, causing the girls to chuckle.
"Language, Astrid. Don't want your kids inheriting your book of curses." Heather quipped.
"Puh-lease! Ezra's been cursing before she even knew what those words meant!" Astrid shot back from the kitchen.
Said girl blushed in embarrassment and grinned sheepishly. "I guess I take after my dad...?" She said with a timid shrug.
Both girls smiled as Camilla wrapped her arm around the girl's neck and gave her a noogie, causing the her to giggle. "You sure do, kid."
"Come on! Let's make sure Astrid won't burn the kitchen down again." Heather smirked before walking towards the kitchen. But not before having a sweet reunion with the birthday boy. She is, after all, his godmother.
"Auntie Heather!!!!" Noah squealed out, wrapping his arms around the woman's legs.
"Hey, Nuffink!!!" Heather squealed out with the same energy as she reciprocated the hug.
"Did you bwing me a pwesent?" Noah asked with a toothy grin as Heather lifted him up over her shoulders.
"Only if you can roll your 'r'." Heather teased, then laughed when Noah's face turned into a cute pout.
Camilla smiled at the reunion then continued to walk straight into the kitchen and lean against pillar, watching Astrid cook miserably.
"For the record..." Astrid said as she threw another omelet out to the trash. "...I only burned it twice. So don't go trash-talking me."
"Well, you're lucky Ezra was there to put out fire." Camilla smirked.
"Thank the gods for her." Astrid replied with a roll of her eyes. Then she turned around to face Camilla, all the while still holding her spatula. Just like everyone else, Astrid had grown up to be a beautiful woman. If possible, her figure only got better due to her daily exercise and diet. But just like her daughter, she grew accustomed to baggy clothes that hid her gorgeous figure. But, when she does feel good about herself or it was needed in a mission, she would were her usual clothing that would show off her curves. The necklace that was given from her late husband, still dangled along her neck, and was only removed when she needed to sleep. "So, how are you and Heather? Last I heard, you took her on a date to a steakhouse."
"Yup! Who knew that girl could finish forty ounce steaks?" She exclaimed with mock-confusion. "But we decided to take it slow."
"Bullshit!" Astrid snorted, waving her spatula at her face. "Ten bucks you guys are already in second base."
But her smile faded when a triumphant smirk curved up Camilla's lips. She looked around, as if to see if anyone was listening, before raising four fingers for Astrid to see.
Astrid's jaw dropped, along with her spatula. "You dirty bitch!" She exclaimed while Camilla had a smug grin on her face.
"I know right?" She quipped, flexing her arms. But then a hand smacked her upside on the head, causing her to groan. Heather showed up with her arms crossed.
"Stop telling others about our sex life." Heather hissed out.
"I'm just proud of it, babe." Camilla grinned before giving her girlfriend a deep kiss. Heather immediately melted into it and cupped her cheeks while Camilla wrapped hers around her neck.
"Well, before you fuck in my kitchen, help me make an omelet." Astrid rolled her eyes at them, but she was truly happy for the couple.
The two broke their kiss and stared indecorously at the blonde woman. "An omelet? Are you in middleschool? Girl, we are going to have to whip you up into shape!" Heather exclaimed.
"Hey! An omelet is a fairly good achievement!" Astrid retorted, then muttering under her breath, "For me, anyways..."
Camilla rolled her eyes, "Yeah, right. Now! Where is your pasta noodles?"
...........................................
The birthday party was a great success. A good amount of people were invited, but not too much that it would give Astrid a headache. All of her closest friends and family were there. There was the gang, her usual group of friends, however Finn had to stay in Drakos for a technical overload in the building and Shawn was out in a mission, but both of them sent their wishes. Eret and Maisie were now a couple, and all of them agreed that only Eret could manage the red-head's fiery spirit.
Then there's the elder Haddocks, along with Gobber the blacksmith. Valka had forgiven Stephen for his mistakes and both were able to remarry. They were also glad that they had a grandson to spoil. Noah was glad because he was being spoiled by lots of people. Zythid and his team had dropped by as well, to of course, greet his godson. She had chosen Zythid because he has been there for her ever since Hayden had died. He made no move on her, and in fact, he got himself an actual girlfriend who came from Valhalla. The other one. Hayden's fellow convicts couldn't believe that Astrid named her son after their friend and even including his prison name. But she told them that to honor the man, and woman who saved her husband's life, she would bestow their names upon her children.
Even her Uncle Fisk had visited to greet his grandson. He was aware of everything since his niece told her everything. To Astrid's relief, he gladly accepted it and even volunteered to babysit Noah and Ezra when she was out in a mission. The party ended on a good note even after a food fight broke out and Stephen Haddock came up victorious. Who knew that the man was a very competitive guy?
After everyone had left, Astrid started cleaning up, along with Ezra, Zythid, and Heather, who opted to stay behind and help clean up. Noah is sleeping soundly back upstairs after eating too much cake. A comfortable silence fell upon them as they cleaned up. They all agreed it was another good day and that they were truly happy with their lives.
That's a lie...
They were in peace, but not happy. They accepted what is happening in their lives, without being happy. They convinced themselves that they were happy and that could move on, and forget about it. But it's all one big lie, and it's all because of one person.
Hayden Haddock...
Astrid loves her children and she would anything for them. But to say that she is truly happy is a lie. A big part of her heart is missing, along with her husband. The same goes for Ezra. She would grow up and live without a father. But she was more worried about her little brother. He hasn't even met his father, and he never will.
Heather has an unknown connection with Hayden. She doesn't even know why. She's sure that she has no feelings for him because she already has Camilla. But she knows that her connection with him started back at her incident in the simulation. He was there for her and he saved her. Because of him, she was able to overcome her past, and because of that, she's grateful for him.
Zythid respected Hayden. Other than being a powerful and strong assassin, he respected him for having priorities and his wants, then balancing them in his life. He knows that he could never live up to him, no matter how strong he becomes. Because he respected the man behind the mask, rather than the one outside.
After cleaning up, all four of them collapsed on the couch with a sigh. They can't stay around moping after all. They still have a life. A life they're... contented at. While silence enveloped the room, Astrid's hand fiddled with the necklace on her neck. She still loves him, even after all this years. She will keep her promise, that she will be his wife until she dies. No matter-
CLICK!!
Astrid suddenly frowned. She moved her finer again, and there it was! A click. She lifted the plate at her eye-level, and scanned for any signs of cracks or anything. Her eyes widened when she saw one. Except, it wasn't a crack. It was a small opening.
She inserted her nail inside and pulled it, which opening the entire face of the plate. It was a locket.
And inside the locket, is a metal disk with runes engraved on it. She took it out, and held it in her hand, observing it, when she found a button. A small black button, waiting to be pressed. So she did what anyone would do-she pressed it.
Once she pressed it, a blue beam shot out of the disk, causing her to drop it and call the attention of the other three.
'Hello? Is this on?'
The sudden voice rang throughout the room. Astrid's eyebrows furrowed as she picked the disk from the ground. She glanced at the people around her, who had the same shocked and confused expression on their faces. When she held the disk up, she nearly dropped it again. But her other hand luckily caught it. But her whole body trembled as the disk displayed a holographic video of... Hayden.
'Alright. This is the first time I'm doing this so... here we go." Hayden held his fist up his mouth and cleared his throat. 'Hi Astrid. This is a message from me to you... obviously. I don't know why I'm doing this so early or why I'm even making this. If you're watching this, it means that I already proposed to you and you accepted. Hooray...' The Hayden in the video waved his hands in the air, unenthusiastically. 'And Mi'lady, that does not mean I'm not happy about the proposal. I am. Really. It's just that I'm nervous about what I'm going to say... which is ironic since the purpose of this message to for me to tell you what I couldn't say to you, face-to-face. So, are you listening, Mi'lady?'
She felt the wet hot tears fill up her eyes, her throat closed tight and each word pitched higher than the last in an effort to squeak out the words that were bottled up inside of her. Finally the tears split over and flowed down her face like a river escaping a dam as she nodded slowly. Ezra felt her tears spill down her cheeks as well, after seeing her father after a long time, even if it's a video message. The others just listened silently as Hayden continued.
'I'm not perfect. And I believe no one is. People call me the perfect soldier, or the perfect assassin, or for you, the perfect boyfriend. I'm here to tell you I'm not. I hate it when you call me perfect when I don't deserve it. No one does. When I first started as Night Fury, I was an angry person. I killed everyone in my sight, thinking that killing them all would solve it. I had my mistakes, and I learned from them. But that does not mean I'm perfect. But what I believe, is that I may not be the perfect man to you, but I could be the perfect man... for you.'
'Even though I caused you harm. Physically, emotionally, and mentally. You still didn't give up on me. If I were to be honest, I would've killed myself if it weren't for you. That's how much you mean to me. All these years of protecting the peace, destroying the corruption, receiving the praise. I still felt empty. But I still remember one time, where I felt emotion before you saved me. It was when the DeRanged girl broke down.'
Said girl gasped as her hand flew to her mouth, but no one glanced at her because they were too focused on the video. Tears began brimming in her eyes as Hayden continued further.
'I saw her broke down in front of me. Trembling. Screaming. Thrashing. I could feel the emotional pain radiating for her. And when I looked in her eyes, I saw myself. We both experienced tragic events. We both are terrified that it could happen. I could see it. That's what made me do I what I did. I don't sing. I never do. But something told me to tell her, that she's not alone. But I realize now that, even if I did said that she's not alone, I didn't believe it myself. Until you came in.'
'Not only did you literally knocked some sense into me, you told me I wasn't alone. And from that moment on, I believed you. I really did. The very thing I was looking for, was standing right there in front of me. You saved me, Astrid. The only way I could repay you, is to devote my entire love to you. And when I thought it couldn't get any better, I got Ezra. Someone I never thought I needed. And if you're here, listening. I want to tell you, that I'm thankful you flew in to my life. You gave me the love of a family, that I never received as a child.'
'And I want to tell you, the quote that me and... Astrid, can I call you Ezra's mother now since you're marrying me?'
This caused a light chuckle from them. Astrid glanced at Ezra, who was crying tears of joy while watching the video. She couldn't believe that this disk was inside her necklace all along. But she was glad that she found it. Even if it took five years. This is exactly what she needed. Hayden always seemed to find a way to get her what she wanted or needed, even in death...
'Alright, I figured you said yes. So, this is the quote me and your mother always told each other when we were kids. Life's just a game, the only way to win, is to keep playing. Keep playing Ezra. And when the time comes when we have to... you know, die... I don't like to think that as losing the game. When we reached the end, it means we won. We finished the game. And that means, it's your turn to keep playing.'
'Well, the video is approximately five minutes long and that means I'm either standing right behind you, awkwardly or I'm not there because I'm awkward and paranoid. But that will do. Here's to the two most important girls in my life. I love you. And may it be a great wedding. I'll make sure of it...'
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Fin?
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Just kidding again. There will be one last chapter and it will be shorter than usual. So here's to the second to the last chapter of the story!