Across his porch stood a boy.
No more than 9 if Theo had to guess. He saw the boy just after Eren's super dope car drove away.
The boy was slender, he had short blonde hair. He was wearing a white t-shirt with black horizontal stripes tucked into boy scout pants.
The boy just stood staring at Theo.
Theo guessed this boy had seen him on TV somewhere.
The boy was weirdly...
Creepy.
Theo didn't know he was bleeding till he heard the drop of blood fall down his nose.
Slowly his hands went to his nose. Feeling the blood in disbelief. ' A nose bleed?'.
His eyes stung from a pain then his vision drifted and he saw that the boy.....the boy was gone.
Theo sniffed hard. Something unprecedented happened. Something that only happened when his Mother hit him as a kid.
He wasn't regenerating.
For it was in a definite Truth that the Abyss Fiend Daimiur could not obey his sisters orders. It had to see the King for itself. The forgotten one who will only be a saviour if remembered.
Daimiur spoke
" Mr?"
" Ahhh ", Theo shouted jumping a few feet away. His long waist level brown hair swayed as he jerked hard to the wall.
It was the same boy he saw not a minute ago.
" Holy shit kid ", Theo held his chest panting tiredly trying to calm his heart. " You scared the crap out of me ".
Daimiur had very very little interactions with mankind. His sister always preferred to keep it that way.
He was a defected human Fiend who was unable to copy humanities...habits if you say.
So his speech, even the way he walked. He had to be careful.
" Are....you....a....hero?"
Theo was still catching his breath.
" Well aren't you a cute little scare ", he said kneeling down to the boy. " Yes I am a hero ". Theo said in optimism.
His massive hands pinched the boy's red cheek as lightly as he could.
Daimiur tried to mimic a smile. He failed horribly.
Anyone who was remotely sane would see that that was not the smile of a boy. That was the smile of an unholy.
But Theodore Vaughn Gunes had felt enough pain in his life that his sanity had undoubtedly lost his sanity long ago.
Theo was unaware to all the signs. He always found children no matter how they looked to be nothing but bundles of joy. Maybe it's cause he cared so much about his younger brother.
Theo didn't even know that the blood from his nose had reached his lips.
" Where are your parents ".
" They are.... loving far ".
Now Theo noticed.
' did he mean living?'
This kid seemed to have some sort of speech in pediment. But Theo didn't ridicule or say anything involving it. He knew what it felt like to be isolated because of a lack of something. Something all too common to everybody.
" You have friends little boy?".
Daimiur nodded to the contrary.
It'd been way too long since Theo just enjoyed such a mundane conversation with a little boy.
If only he knew.
Before him stood the murderer of an entire city. The one who killed Ghazul.
" Well hurry along boy ", Theo said getting up and lightly brushing the boy's hair with his hand.
Daimiur left. Ran along as a little boy would.
Theo watched on.
' What a nice kid '.
Then Theo's mind drifted back to his nose. He touched it, it was gone. The blood. He looked at the floor and saw heavy stains of blood. Did he really bleed that much?
" Fuck", he said tiredly.
Now he had to go get a mop.
Theo didn't really try to think about why he didn't regenerate fast enough, or why he bled in the first place. Probably some symptoms that came with the prince negating his Fiendish nature or some weird Arcane explanation and bla bla bla.
Right now?
He was just focused on smiling. For the first time in his unkillable life, Theo didn't think about death.
In his house he saw a package. It came out of no where. In the middle of his living room on the rug.
It was black. It was a perfect square (1 meter by 1 meter) but had a thickness of say I don't know, 5 inches.
The package was pretty big
It had a foreign language written on it. It was Timysh ( the first language of the Ti-mir continent. Sounds like pronouncing Mongolian in a french manner. Very hard to learn ).
A person must have teleported it to his house. That was the only explanation that negated his fear.
He approached it. Headphones clad on his ear stopping the flow of that long rough brown hair.
He leaned down to it.
Slowly his hands, massive yet fragile looking to tear it open.
But they stopped suspended in the air with their own cold sweat.
It was already opened.
Theo couldn't help but let out a nervous chuckle, as his hand moved to flip the casing.
Yet it stopped again millimeters from touching the package.
Who said he had to open it up now?
No one. He'd open it when he wasn't ready to find something horrifying.
The rest of the day was quite mundane for Theodore.
No one called him of course.
He couldn't go outside. It was alright, Theo never really liked to go outside. He was always a lonely man. It's sad he couldn't go grab a beer though. He just spent many hours holding his Ti-mir license in his hand, staring at it.
He was a hero. Never did he think he would be a Ti-mir Hero. But he still was.....a hero.
Then came many more hours of gaming and eating. His appetite was ferocious now. Probably cause of his new body
All the food that came with the house was almost finished in just a few days.
The night revealed itself and in his solitary home Theo knew it would be a smart idea to sleep.
To sleep.
To sleep.
' but I caaaaaant ',. Theo's excitement for the next day prevented his whole being from resting. When he laid down and looked to his chest he could see it heaving up, up up and down. Both of them.
It scared even him but it was kinda badass when he thought about it.
' So this is what it's like to have two hearts '.
His eyes wandered down to his rug as he tried his best to close them. But behold, it was to no avail. Sleep was like a fish jumping down a stream and he was the most inexperienced impatient bear.
' So this is what it's like to have insomnia '.
Theo couldn't help but imagine all the people who would be there. All the soon to be heroes.
He wasn't thinking to fit in. He had no idea what life had set for him. He's realised that there are beings other than his father and Muu who could kill him.
He was just waiting to live, to actually do good. To be a Hero. Not a bum, not a sorry sad man.
But a hero.
All of Theo's excitement enthralled thoughts kept him up till
6:35 am. All trainees were expected to be there but no one would force you. Of course it was in your best interest to come as early as possible and take advantage of the programs point system, but if you were confident in your abilities you could come the last week and finish among the top ten.
But Theo, he would be 4 hours late.
The program always began around 4 am. His short two hour nap weakened his body to an almost feverish degree.
Theo scurried out of his bed.
It didn't feel real, no part of it felt real. His shower, his preparation. He had gone through this routine for the most part of his life. Waking up to a sad world. Dreams of death, nightmares of living. Now in this moment as he stared at his old hero suite he knew. What was he preparing for?
' To become a hero '.
His old hero suite wouldn't fit, it was ugly too and above all else: he never wanted to see it again.
A constant mediocre routine will kill a man.
There should always be a difference between yesterday and today, if not then you won't know when it's been a year.
Your life will slip past you.
It will release itself from your hold and run.
To its final destination.
To death.
You'll be dying wondering how in all that time you never lived.
' Never again '. Theo's hands went to the box and slowly he moved away the card board lid. He felt a blast of arcane fill his room. It was a dark fabric.
" it looks expensive ". His hands slowly moved to feel it. It was soft like wool and cotton. He felt it with both hands now. His hands trembled as he held it there.
Turning it over and trembling as he saw the emblem.
The cloth was stained with the fiends tears.
He tried to wipe them with his arms but it was all so pointless. In the middle of an empty room, holding his superhero suite and kneeling on the lonely rug,Theo couldn't stop his tears. They tickled hot, down his chin and onto the fabric before sliding right back down.
' offcourse it was water resistant '.
The Second Prince Azhraavi was aboard his ship on a journey to attend the world meeting regarding the exploration of the Abyss continent.
And on that boat as his brothers frolicked elsewhere he could not help but smile as he stared in the direction of America
Theos eyes were like water falls. The blue iris was now exebtuare by his red wet sclera. In grateful tears of finality Theo wore the suit. It hugged him perfectly.
It was an all black fabric with no belts. It just....fit and was so stretchy it was easy to wear.
Theo walked to the bathroom. His hair trailing behind him as he stared at himself.
His eyes were red. Maybe from the lack of sleep or from the crying, maybe both. His emblem wasn't the Vaughn Gunes Emblem that all his brothers shared. He didn't deserve that name. He was banished after all.
The emblem was interloping dead roots made into the shape of a circle with a sword going through the centre and out through the other side.
That was the Vaughn Gunes Emblem.
But his. It also had interloping roots but with two rusty needles passing through the centre instead of the sword. ' Whose idea was this?' Theo thought, smiling through his tears and putting his hands feeling the sign. He didn't have a cape. Nor did it come with boots or gloves.
Theo wiped his tears one final time and pushed his hands behind his long hair grabbing it at the point of his nape. The scissor stood on the basin. He took a deep breath and grabbed it.
A deep exhale and it was cut.
The pounds of light brown curling hair fell to his hands. Disappearing to ashes. He now had control over his body more than ever.
It was then that Theo felt a shiver, a satisfying one. He walked slowly through the tiles and piped at the outside sky through the window.
It was about to rain. ' Brother. Will you go easy on me?',
The journey would be a short one. This year's program was taking place in Duke Town. All he had to do was take a taxi a few miles outside DC before Pennsylvania.
Duke Town: Duke Town is an unincorporated community nestled on the periphery of Washington, D.C. Technically in Maryland but often mistaken for Virginia due to its proximity. It was a nice place. It covered a lot of square miles sure but it had just 45,000 people.
It sure was rainy today.
Just as Theodore liked it. He was nervous before but now as he heard the rain drops fall onto his back umbrella, it all just seemed like his problems drifted away.
A certain confidence as if you know everything will go well but a lingering feeling that it won't. Yet this feeling isn't unnerving but merely a sign of experience.
Joy without hubris, you could say.
Theo wore a large coat atop his all black superhero suit making him look like a detective. He walked slowly to the sidewalk. He always loved rain, why would he rush.
His massive left arm raised outside his umbrella and waved calmly as the incoming taxis head lights came into view.
The closer the driver came to this silhouette the more he realised just how massive his man was. Then when he stopped, the man bent down. The man had long shoulder level brown hair and a pretty face.
' wait a minute. I know this guy '. A chill ran down the driver's spine as he recognised Theo's face from the news.
He immediately drove away splashing a puddle of water on Theo as he left.
Theo moved back and shook he water hard from his body like a cat before wiping his face.
" Asshole!" He screamed at the car as it driver fast.
But he knew not to blame them. If he was a driver he sure as hell wouldn't drive a Fiend no matter what the news said.
This incident happened again and again and again.
One mexican guy even threw up a cross and started praying.
He really was popular now.
He just decided to run. He could never run this fast. His massive legs bounced off whatever terrain he stepped on easily causing a heavy rippling sound.
He had so much control too. He could change direction at top speed mid stride, it was amazing.
In a few minutes he got to the location.
" Woooow ".
It was a massive massive brutality style property. A few trainees were already gathered at the foot of the mountain.
Yes the property was a collection of buildings that went up the mountain blending in as if god put them there.
The work of a really talented architect.
Just as Theo got there his height and beauty drew loud murmurs among the sparsely populated students.
" Who is that?"
" So tall ".
" Look at his hair ".
But to Theodore this was all very uncomfortable. He definitely wasn't the type who thrived under the gazes of others. He just lowered his head and went on to sit on a concrete casing under a tree.
Waiting just like the rest.
But soon those gazes of admirations turned to ones of disgust and hostility. They now recognised him.
The first Superhero Fiend. Ti-mirs spy. The slave of Azhraavi.
They all looked like they wanted him dead.
He felt it.
These weren't people who would be scared.
These were boys and girls raised from a very young age to be masters at killing Fiends. They certainly weren't civilians
Theo was a bit scared but he just turned away from them and leaned in to the side of the tree. Nothing, absolutely nothing is distracting him from his goal.
To become the greatest hero he could be.
He outstreched his hands and felt the drizzle. His hands stood there cupped, till the rain left a bowl of water on his massive hands, a damage pink from the exposure to the hard wet surfaces of the rain.
He always had an affinity for rain, a pluviophile.
' CRACK '.
Theo jerked hard. A pain happened in his lungs, he coughed blood hard. He couldn't hide it, he coughed again from his nose almost choking on it.
He used his hands to cover his mouth and squeezed hard as if trying to force all the blood back in.
There were echos in his mind.
' what now?'
He didn't have a handkerchief. He was as oblivious as all who watched him with disgust as to the cause of the blood.
' I've bled billions of times, more times than I've slept. I don't care if I bleed all through what life I have in me '.
Just like before with the boy, Theo just didn't care.
" Are you okay?". It was a girls voice. She stood a few meters from him clearky not wanting to come any closer.
She was average height and had messy but very bright blonde hair. It was tied in a bun.
Her eyes were dark and large, up turned in a nice suave siren curve. On top of them were thin arched eyebrows.
She was beautiful, the type who didn't care to display it anymore than it's natural form.
At least 19, 22 at most.
She wasn't wearing a suite. She was but it was most likely beneath her white silk sweater.
It was white.he could tell cause she was wearing her pants.
Theo looked away with tired but determined eyes mirroring the disgust she used to look at him. Even with tears of blood falling down his blue eyes, even though he could feel blood falling down his ears, even though his nose and mouth were almost clogged with blood–Theo said in resolve
" I'm fine ".
Then in a second all the wounds closed. The girl was astonished at the speed of his regeneration.
She was a bit distracted by the beauty of his bloody face.
She pulls her gaze and her hands go to a black bag she was holding. She pulls out a white napkin and hands it to him.
Not moving any closer than she already was.
Theo had the habit of coming across as an enigma that would ruin al who go involved.
Bt that wasn't her goal. She knew what he did not.
Slowly Theo's long arms stretched to the napkin.
' who knew they'd be nice people here. Or was this pity '.
It didn't matter though. All that Theo knew was that
He could really use the napkin. He pushed himself closer with his other arm, reaching in.
" Thank you ", he said as he held the cloth in his hand. Ourse he wasn't going to clean the blood off his face with her around.
" So you're really not human?"
Theo shook a little at her question. Sharp wordscomjng from such a calm voice.
He wasn't facing her. He was just sat under the tree holding his umbrella. She was standing facing him and holding hers.
Both dark umbrellas.
" No I'm not ", Theo said in a very low hum she almost misheard it. His eyes like hers had felt too much pain from this world.
" I watched your hearing ", she said taking a sit but still keeping a distance
" It said, that you're a good Fiend though all this ".
clasping her knees and resting her head on them, her head fully turned to him
" Is that true?"
Theo looked up and rested his back on the tree.
" I like to believe so ".
There was silence for a while. He heard her trying to keep a front by the chuckle escaped. Then it turned to a laugh.
Theo merely smiled back but at the clouds, not at her. Her curiosity was like a school students bombarding another kids parents about their jobs. But in a way they gave him clarity.
" What's your name?" She asked him through her laughter.
' she watched his trial and didn't know his name? Everyone knew his name '.
Her smiled turned to a small smirk
" Or do you want people to only hear your name from your court trial ".
Theos eyes were fixated on the sky for a bit. Then it turned to the beautiful girl he'd been talking to.
" Theodore Vaughn Gunes ".
She smiled at him. " And I'll call you..?..Cause there's no way I'm pronouncing that ". She chuckled.
" Theo ".
Her eyes seemed with a certain interest. Then she moved closer to him and offered her hands for a shake.
His hands were reluctant to meet hers. Maybe because he was scared of causing her pain. Even if she was a hero, she didn't look very tough and he still had trouble handling his phone without breaking it.
But she was just so beautiful who'd deny such a pretty girl a handshake.
But he met hers.
His hands engulfed hers. It was like shaking a baby.
" Big hands ".
She said smiling. She noticed how lose he was. Yet his palms were odly soft in a way. It didn't take a genius to know he was trying not to hurt her.
Their hands went up and down, business shake style.
Theo completely forgot he had lots of blood on his face.
He waited for her to say her name. Staring at her face. He could stare all day.
" Oh right. I'm Daisy. Daisy Fred'Anne ".
( Abyss Fiend. Human classification. Unknown to archives. Responsible for the genocide of the people of Utrecht)
Daisy.