Ch 48 – Phoenix Family

Currently inside a mansion located within a boundary of high, ivory-colored walls made of something akin to metallic concrete, deep in the middle of fields of grass, flowers, and trees, the smell of nature still fresh and blooming within the mansion that the Phoenix Family was located.

Many butlers and maids run around the place, cleaning the pavements and paths made of concrete, gardeners watering the plots, chauffeurs taking care of the engines of expensive, high-end cars of fancy design, and a calm, peaceful aura encapsulating the whole mansion.

But the Phoenix family wasn't so peaceful, within the living room filled with decorative furniture, paintings, pleasing plants, and an appealing design for how the furniture was decorated, and within that beautiful room, Albert Phoenix, the family head of the Phoenix Family, was pacing around the room in front of his wife, Elena Phoenix.

Both husband and wife share pretty similar appearances, with Albert having slick, fiery red hair, his irises as sharp as swords douse in the color of red flames, his suit consisting of the color of black and white, his tie surprisingly colored black instead of red. And like a match made in heaven, his wife, Elena, has long, flowing orange hair that seems to shine in fiery flames, her large eyes having fiery orange irises that glow below the lights above them, wearing an orange, flowing dress and looking at her husband with a small smirk on her face.

"Don't be so nervous Albert, you don't want your daughter to see you acting like that," Elena said, standing up and nearing Albert, putting her arms over his shoulders to calm him down.

Letting out a sigh, Albert slumps his shoulders down and said, "I know, it's just that we haven't seen Amber for months already ever since she went to Academy City."

"Fufufu, you really love our daughter so much huh? Sigh, even though she acts so cold around us, we both know that she is just doing this to ease her and our pain, let's just hope that in the future we could, or someone else could produce a cure for our son," Elena said, sliding both of her hands down into Albert's chest and taking him into a comforting hug.

But while that was happening, two people suddenly flicker in front of the closed, metallic gates of the Phoenix Family manor, one was a young boy with black hair covering his forehead and reaching his neck, and a small but nervous grin was on his face while his black eyes darted from one place to another, wearing a formal suit consisting of a black suit on top of a white, long-sleeve shirt, a black-tie tied to his neck, a pair of black pants and shiny black shoes.

Beside him, is a girl with straight, shoulder-length fiery orange hair, and fiery orange eyes, wearing a casual dress colored white as she glances at the boy beside her with a small smile.

"Don't be so nervous Braun, we've been dating for a week already! I promise you that my parents will treat you well," Amber said, walking in front of Braun and chuckling at him.

Calming himself down, Braun takes a deep breath and pats himself on the chest.

"Okay, this is inevitable so might as well do it early. But are you really sure that they won't hate me for taking their daughter?" Braun asked, their hands intertwining with one another into a close grip to show their love to one another.

"Let's go already! I'm sure they would enjoy having you with them!" Amber said, turning her body around and dragging Braun to the gate that slowly opened on its own after sensing Amber's presence.

Entering through the gate and onto the open pathway leading straight to the mansion in the distance, the workers around them raise their heads and look at Amber with shock, but a small smile soon appears on their faces, because even though Amber liked to act cold before, she would secretly help each of them before.

But the moment they saw the boy she was holding hands with, their eyes widen in shock, and this time, that shock stayed for a long time as they watch the duo go towards the fountain in front of the mansion and then finally walk up the stairs to stand in front of the wooden doors of the Phoenix Family mansion, with symbols ingrained into its dark brown wooden exterior of phoenixes, medicine, health, and plants.

Standing in front of the door, Braun tightens his hold on Amber's left hand.

"Hehe, I'm going to open the door now," Amber said with a hushed voice, putting her right palm on the handle of the door and hearing the sound of the lock opening on its own after confirming that it was her.

Without prompt, both husband and wife were shocked when the door behind them suddenly opens wide and hastily turn their hands around, and as if the whole world slowed down, their vision zooms in straight towards Amber, completely ignoring the boy's existence that holds hands with her.

"Amber!" both shout, sprinting straight towards Amber at a rapid pace and taking her into a hug.

As the 3 stumble backward, Amber lets go of Braun's right hand to hug both of her parents.

"Mom, Dad, I'm back!" Amber giggles as the 3 closed their eyes to enjoy the feeling of familial touch that Amber especially lacked while all alone in Academy City.

Letting go, both Albert and Elena look at Amber with worried eyes.

"Amber, are you okay? Was the trip going here okay? How was your time in Academy City? How about your grades?" both parents rapidly asked an onslaught of questions, leaving Amber unable to respond to them while they were asking her.

"I'm fine! In fact, my time there has been better than any other time due to Freidrich over there, he has been keeping me company, he also cooks me great food, and he even helps me with my studies for school," Amber said, finally introducing Braun to her parents who finally notices his presence.

"Oh, Freidrich, thank you for being friends with our daughter!" Albert said, walking in front of Braun and shaking hands with him while Elena nods his head at him, approving of his existence.

"Hehe," Braun wryly laughs, a wry grin plastered on his face as Amber snorts in the distance.

"He's not just my friend dad, he's my… b o y f r I e n d," Amber said, the last word seemingly halting down the perception of both husband and wife, their bodies coming to a sudden halt to processed what Amber had just said.

"Y-you're her boyfriend?" Albert asked after a long pause, his grip letting go of Braun's hand and looking at him straight in the eye with a glare, just a glare, it was no death glare, it was just a glare.

"Y-yes, sir! I swear to my life that I have been taking good care of your daughter and I promise that I love her with all my heart!" Braun shouts, his legs and arms trembling in fear but his eyes stayed resolute.

"Hahaha!" Albert and Elena suddenly erupt into a loud river of joy, clutching their stomachs, Braun glances at the both of them with a dumbfounded gaze.

"We really got you good there!" Amber said, walking up to Braun and grinning at him with a teasing smile.

"Amber already told us about you two days ago, and I must say my thanks Freidrich, you allowed our daughter to finally open up to us and others and we saw how happy she has been ever since she was with you," Albert explained, standing up while wiping the tears of joy that appears on his eyes. Clearing his throat, both Albert and Elena stand beside Braun.

"Don't act so nervous around us Braun, we already treat you like family around here, but did you know, Amber was gushing about you incessantly since Monday whenever we called her, her face was always blushing whenever she talks about you," Elena said with a teasing smile while Amber blushes due to sheer embarrassment at her mother exposing her without reserve.

"Come on, we already have some food prepared for you two," Albert said, turning around and guiding them to a wooden door in the distance, putting his hand over the door, he pushes it wide open for the two to see a grand open garden where the butlers, maids, gardeners, and other workers of the mansion pop open party poppers and a cacophony of glittering papers shoots straight towards them.

"SURPRISE!" the people outside shouted and parted ways to show a grand table filled with food and drinks for everyone to enjoy, there was a karaoke station on the far side of the open area, a place to take pictures, watch movies, and more that would surely lead into a fun, enjoyable day for everyone in the mansion.

As Albert and Elena grin, they push the two love birds in front, and with that, a long day went ahead for everyone, a day full of drinking, eating, partying, singing, and more that was just a really fun time with nothing bad happening.

Under the full moon, a wasted group of people currently sat around in chairs in an open garden filled with food and drinks littered around, butlers and maids walking around with cleaning utensils as Braun and the Phoenix are currently inside the living room.

Groaning, Braun grabs his bulging stomach while Amber was swallowed by the sofa beside him, the exhaustion of the whole day catching up to the two while both parents are still drinking, full of vigor and energy compared to the two love birds in front of them.

"Come on you two, are you guys already tired?" Albert asked, swirling the glass of wine in his hands while Elena lay drunk beside him. In response, Braun and Amber remained quiet and groaned,

Chuckling, Albert sips his crimson wine and enjoys its taste with closed eyes, but he then heard Braun's groaning voice and opens his eyes once more.

"Sir, I forgot that I have something to say to you," Braun said, leaning his body forward while rubbing his tired eyes.

"Go on," Albert said, continuing to sip his wine and watching Braun with intrigued eyes.

"So… do you know about the man FB?" Braun said out of nowhere which catches Albert's attention.

"You mean the miracle man of stock trading?" Albert inquires, his curiosity piqued at Braun's sudden question.

"Yes, the miracle man FB, the one who is like a god who can dictate the rise and fall of companies with only a single click, as if he was looking directly into the future to see what works and what doesn't, the man of mystery and economic power," Braun adds, the list of feats and legends this FB entity holds seemingly impossible to achieve and more of folklore for children to listen to.

"Why do you ask?" Albert asked, leaning his back to the couch to rest his exhausted spine.

"Well… I have something to show to you," Braun said, taking out his phone from his pocket and opening a certain app, sliding it down on the glass table in front of him towards Albert.

Grabbing it with a raised eyebrow, Albert absentmindedly looks at the screen with a cloudy mind due to him being drunk, but his mind quickly became crystal clear upon the grand record that presented itself to him.

Tens of stocks rising up at a constant pace, the money earned in that portfolio in the tens of millions almost hitting the 9 figures, and most important of all, the name FB showing in the upper left corner of the screen.

"Y-you're FB?!" Albert shouts, his eyes bulging out of his eye sockets while spurting out the wine currently contained within his mouth.

"Yes, I am FB," Braun said with a wry smile on his face, rubbing the back of his head due to embarrassment.

"… State your questions," Albert said, his aura now changing into that of a businessman.

"Well, I just wanted to know if you need any help with running your company? I could be your advisor or something similar to that if you want to, I do need some experience on what it's like to run a company for the future," Braun said.

"You can have it," Albert said out of nowhere, an unexpected response that would leave one wondering what he meant.

"What?" Braun inquires.

"You can have the company," Albert adds causing Braun to widen his eyes.

"H-huh?!" Braun adds, confuse at what Albert was saying.

"Don't you see Freidrich, you have potential, talent, and the willingness to learn and grow! You already know what works and what doesn't just from your legends alone, and I could see the potential within you, so I want to help you, for a price of course," Albert said as Braun gulps, his Adam's apple rising up and down.

"W-what is it sir?" Braun asks further.

"I want you… to make Amber live a happy life," Albert said.

"I will!" Braun said, his eyes resolute and resolved.

"Good! Now calm down already, there's still some paperwork needed to be done to transfer the company to you, but in the meantime, you can try and see how things work before you get to the whole pie," Albert said, sipping one last time on his wine glass, for he just inadvertently gave a huge piece of a pie to a sociopathic maniac that sits right in front of him, his eyes remaining excited and gleaming with hope, but inside was nothing but a logical, calculating mind who tug the strings of everyone around him like a marionette and seize the company for himself without fail.

AN: This is 2320 words, you're welcome.

Vol5 is actually a lot better than I thought, the only real hurdle is names! Like I fucking hate names, not only do I have to make names for race, but also planets, techniques, people, special locations, technology, and so much more that I just want to morb.

Writing is hard, so send me some powerstones.

(June 10, 2022 – 198th day of writing)