3 Chapter 3 Orphan

We head upstairs and I put her things in her fridge and ask her if she took her medicine today since she was looking a bit weak. "Yes, Yes, I took my medication. you're like my grandson except he doesn't come to visit as much anymore since he got a wife. Speaking of wife that girl on the floor below us is single you should try talking to her. I heard she likes tall men."

I lean down slightly. "You aren't trying to play matchmaker again are you Ms. Maria?"

She shakes her head slightly. "Of course not, Im just passing the word along is all."

I laugh slightly. "Sure you are, just like you were passing things along last time."

I help her make lunch and see a photo of her husband on the now covered piano. "Did your husband play this?"

She nods slightly picking up the photo running her fingers across it. "He couldn't sing a tune to save his life but he could play this old piano. He used to sing all the time, I worried he would upset the neighbors but they told me after he passed they actually missed his afternoon songs."

She touches the paper on the piano. "This was the last song he wrote before he passed. It's sad that I never got to hear it played."

I glance at the paper. "I could play it for you if you want?"

She looks at me surprised. "You can play the piano?"

I nod slightly running my hand across the top of it. "Yeah, Im not sure why but I have always been fascinated with the piano and music in the like. I taught myself but never took it anywhere because im to embarrassed to sing or play in front of someone else. This time it's special so I don't mind."

She sits in her chair as I move the stuff on the piano and start to play it. I can tell its a bit out of tune and use magic to fix that while I tap the keys. Once I get a feel for it and put the words on my display I start playing it. The song is very beautiful and about the love he had for the people in his life. One day he would be gone but he would never forget them in his heart.

After I finish I can see Titan crying like a baby on a chair. He isn't visible to normal people when we are in public. She comes over hugging me tightly thanking me for everything. I pat her back. "Don't mention it I would do it again anytime."

She wipes her eyes fixing my jacket patting my shoulders. "now then get going my shows are coming on soon."

She puts a $100 in my hand. "Ms. Maria I cant-"

She pushes it into my hand closing it. "Take it, take it, don't argue with your elders."

I hug her thanking her again while I duplicate the $100 dollars behind her back dropping one into her purse before I leave heading into my apartment. "Big brother?"

I walk over to the window struggling to open it for a bit. "What's up?"

He comes over. "We make enough money doing alert quests, don't we? why are you trying to get a job and living in an apartment like this?"

I fold the $100 bill into an airplane tossing it out the window having it float down to a homeless guy across the street. He takes it looking so excited. "Because I rely on my powers enough as it is. I want to feel like a normal person."

I walk over and grab a screwdriver working on the window. "What if there's a day I cant use my powers and all I did was rely on them. I'd be up shit creek without a paddle. Im, not some god. Im a normal guy who just happens to have insane abilities. The moment I let that go to my head is the moment I stop being myself."

He comes over sitting on the window sill next to me. "You could still be a hero, everyone likes a hero."

I laugh slightly poking his forehead. "I don't have what it takes to be a hero. I help people within my means, Im not out to be lorded by others as this great symbol of hope. I am bound to mess up and let people down. That works the same in relationships. you'd think a girl would like someone with powers but what happens if there's an emergency while we are on a date?"

He nudges me. "I think there are girls out there who would understand."

I smile petting him. "Im sure there are but I wouldn't want to drag them into our world. it seems selfish to pull someone into a world of monsters and alien invasions just to find love... plus, I have you. you're the only companion I need."

I toss him into the air and he giggles as I catch him. I shut the now fixed window and make us lunch. I go into the next room and it shifts into a training room. "We were to slow on that evacuation we need to focus on agility and stamina today."

He nods and we spend the day working out with the gravity set in the room to the max making us lay pinned to the ground. with every slight movement or stamina drains by the afternoon we are standing up barely. Listening to music and reading books is our past time while working out. "Big brother, do you wanna play video games?"

I smile. "Sure-"

He throws me the remote and I reach for it. "Wait the gravity!"

I catch it while im still in the gravity field and face plant groaning against the mat. "B-Big brother please don't be mad."

I turn my head slightly still smushed. "I won't be mad... just turn off the gravity..."

He does and I get up chasing him around the room. "Get back here you little shit!"

He yelps hiding under the desk. "You said you wouldn't be mad!"

I lift up the desk with one hand. "Im not mad, im pissed!"

He runs away. "That's the same thing!"

I flop down in my chair breathing heavily. "Im done, I overdid it today."

He hops into my lap and we play video games for a while I lay him down on the bed covering him up. I look out over the city, all the lights, the sirens... It reminds me of my life before all this.

I take my dad's dog tags off holding them up watching them turn slowly gleaming from the dim light of the moon. I tap them a bit before putting them back on glancing at myself in the mirror and everything goes black.

I rub my eyes. "Big brother lets go to the guild and get a quest."

I glance at titan. "I want to get some dried meat from one of the stalls over there first. I heard it was really good here."

I buy some and walk around the market with titan. I see some men beating up a group of kids in the alley. I sigh walking down the alley. "Hey, what's going on down here?"

The bald one looks at me. "Its none of your business keep it moving before you get hurt."

The little boy under his boot looks at me smiling slightly. "D-Don't worry about us mister its okay just go-"

The bald guy kicks him in the stomach and the other 2 kids shield his body. I walk over kneeling down beside them. "Could you kids do me a favor and take my pet to the water fountain. Im going to have a conversation with these men here. He will take you to get some dried meat its really good to."

The little girl hugs titan close to her chest nodding franticly and I glance down at titan. "Keep them safe?"

He nods and I stand up waving to them as they leave. I lower my arm once they are out of view sighing. "What kind of bastard do you have to be to beat up some little kids."

I turn around slightly and the bald guy runs at me drawing his fist back. "Mind your own business!"

I flip him over my body slamming him down on his back stomping his throat he rolls around in pain and I glance at the other two. "I asked you a question."

The scrawny one runs at me with a knife. "I'll kill you!"

I step right breaking his arm just by touching it. He drops to the ground in front of me and I kick the knife away slightly. I step past him looking at the last one. "Third times the charm."

He holds his hand out casting a fire spell. I reach out locking my fingers with him breaking his hand. The flames go out that went up my arm. He drops to his knees. "P-Please I will tell you anything you want to know just let me go."

I let his hand go. "Why were you attacking those kids?"

He averts his eyes. "They are just orphans nobody cares what happens to them we just thought we would have some fun messing with them. they are just disgusting eyesores anyways."

I squat down grabbing the knife stabbing him in the thigh he screams loudly and I pull it out. "I don't doubt that's how you see them but I want to know the real answer."

I flip the knife in my hand. "Lie to me again and I will end you, Remember that I have two more people to question so choose your answer very carefully."

I point the knife at his face slowly. "Why did you attack them?"

He looks at his buddies and the fear that spreads across his face is priceless. "T-The cult at the old west church they put a bounty out for any orphan kids. we wanted some quick drinking money so we decided to take these brats and turn them over to them. That's all! I promise we won't do it again so just let us go."

I pat his cheek. "See that wasn't so hard was it?"

I stand up dusting myself off he looks up at me as I light a black crystal cigar with a bright blue flame. "So you're gonna let us go?"

I take the cigar out of my mouth glancing down at him. "Who said anything about that?"

I flick the cigar at him setting the alley ablaze with blue flames. They turn to dust floating away in the wind. there is no trace of them or burn marks on the buildings. I exhale light blue smoke, heading down the street to the fountain seeing the 3 of them sharing a pouch of dried meat.

The darkness in my chest fades at the sight of these 3 little kids huddled next to the fountain with the world around them ignoring their suffering. People walking by going about their day, it makes me wonder how many times was I that person...

I walk up to them and they stand up. "T-Thank you for helping us, mister."

I smile. "No problem."

They hand me the pouch of money and I put it back in their hands. "You keep this I don't need it."

The little girl puts it in my hand squeezing it closed as best she can. "We cant! we are just orphans we don't deserve your kindness, you've done enough for us already. if you keep this up people will look down on you."

I squat down looking at them. "Don't ever think of yourself as less than others. you are equivalent to the royals in that big castle. You bleed the same blood and have the same ambitions to live a good life. You being an orphan doesn't define you."

She looks down. "How would you know, you are a strong grown-up..."

I smile. "I was an orphan just like you."

They all look at me. "Really!?"

I nod slightly. "My mother and father were not fit to take care of me so I was taken away. I was raised by a family who taught me that me being an orphan was not the only thing about me. I am my own person and so are you. Just because you're an orphan doesn't mean that's all you have to be. You should grow stronger to protect each other and maybe one day you will be strong enough to help someone like yourselves in this situation."

Their eyes light up. "We want to get stronger!"

I pat their heads. "I think I might be able to help you get started with that."