7 The End of a Life
"----" Speech
'----' Thought
(----) Thought in the middle of a sentence.
*----* Sound noises
»»—-[☆]—-««
On an overcast raining day, full of grey clouds, the weather set a gloomy, dull, cold, and dark atmosphere upon a group of people in a cemetery. They all wore black suits, while some wore a ceremonial military uniform. Six of the latter carried a coffin draped over by the U.S.A. flag, one a book, the other a trumpet, and the rest rifles. [1]
The former could be seen staring at the coffin. Rick in the midst of them. An enormous shark and two small men stood near him, and a giant eagle on his shoulder.
The soldier with a book opened it and read it as the soldiers put the coffin on the ground, in front of a grave.
"Ladies and gentlemen, I am sergeant James and it is my honor to be with you, as we soldiers bring honor to the United States…" He continued.
Rick listened for almost an hour of speech silently. As the rain, he recalled all his memories with his father, engraving them to his very soul. He will remember them forever, even in his next life if he had one.
"… as you feel the impact of his love for you, remember: The honor this flag. To this flag, will honor you."
James closed the book and saluted towards a row of eight soldiers with rifles.
These soldiers fired three volley of shots as a salute to their fallen patriot.
A lone soldier far away from the armed ones started playing the "Taps" trumpet song. The song always played in military funerals and flag ceremonies. As the music continued, the six soldiers that carried the coffin started folding the flag that was on top of it, until it became a blue triangle full of stars.
"On behalf of the President of the United States, the United States Army, and a grateful nation, please accept this flag as a symbol of our appreciation for your loved one's honorable and faithful service." Sergeant James said as he handed Rick the folded flag.
The soldiers started digging the grave, placing the coffin, and covering it with dirt.
"Let's have a moment of silence, for a great man has fallen."
They all stood in silence.
"If there is anyone who would like to say a few words to Janedoe, say it now." James declared.
A guy resembling a trucker with his dark brown hair and beard with a fat belly went and was handed the microphone from James.
"I'm John Garcia, head of the infantry mechanics. From all the years I've spent with Jane, he was always an annoying, smug, mountain of trouble. At first, I didn't like him. I was a loner, and his happy-to-go attitude pissed me off. He, however, instead of hating my guts as I did his... he befriended me, and helped me when I had no one, for reasons I won't say."
"Regardless, he made me stop being a sissy and actually behave like a human being. He was a dear friend. He is irreplaceable, and I will miss him for the rest of my life." He walked away and another man with black hair and glasses took the Microphone.
"I'm Marcus Miller, doctor of the army and Jane's go-to doctor. I was the one who first diagnosed his condition." Rick stared at the man.
"I have a long history with Jane, as he kept appearing in my office every week." He said in annoyance.
"Reckless as he was, he meant well for any of those around him. Most of his injuries came from blasting himself into trouble to protect someone. The chances of him getting the disease that killed him are so low that might as well be impossible. He didn't deserve such a fate. I take this as a sign of God, that he was too good to be in this world and is now in a better one. I will also miss him." He stepped out and handed the microphone to a big man, slightly on the obese side, with gold-coated teeth and full of jewelry on top of his black suit.
"I'm Bryson Walker, and my job is… complicated." The pimp said with a short and awkward laugh.
"I and Jane also hit off pretty well from the start. Jane was a powerful man. He had the charisma, the smarts, the strength, the power… The type of man that seemed invincible, that lived by his rules and his alone. I deeply respect his way of life, as I did with his taste in women." He said with a smile, which probably would make some laugh if not for the morbid atmosphere.
"In his honor, I made a stone statue of him and is already placed in his home. May the children of his children and so on look to it and never forget who he was, as I never will." He handed the microphone to Rick and tapped the kid's shoulder.
Rick stared at the mic in his hand and to the grave. He had no speech ready, but he never needed one. He had his heart, and that would be enough.
"I'm Rick May, his son. I want to start by sharing the wisdom he gave to me on his death bed. 'A man does not die when his heart stops beating, but when he is forgotten.' I will not let him die, and I believe neither are you." He paused and looked over everyone gathered there.
"We are here not to send him farewell but to remember him and make him live forever. He was not perfect, but I wouldn't change him for anything. I still remember we going to Disney last week. We didn't realize we were making memories, we were just having fun." He pinched the bridge of his nose, in an attempt to hold back his tears.
"He died as he lived: A man, a playboy, a soldier, a friend, a father, a legend." He turned and faced his father's grave.
"I love you father. Like you, I never really said that since it's awkward you know, being a man and all. It's would be too late to tell you this, but I know you are hearing this. You're too stubborn to remain in heaven."
"You were good dad, real good; Maybe even the best." [2]
He looked to the tombstone. It read:
RIP Janedoe May. 'You'll always stay in our hearts.'
One by one, the people left the funeral. Until it only remained four figures in the rain.
Toby, Steve, Jack, and Rick himself.
"I'm so sorry, man. I just want to let you know that you will always have a place to call home with the Roger's." Steve said with a hand on Rick's shoulders.
Toby couldn't even form a proper sentence from his sobbing, so he settled for a back-breaking hug that would snap a normal man in half.
"toby…m-my lungs…" Rick tried to report his slow death. The humanoid shark promptly released him.
"I-I'm s-so s-sorry." The baby shark stuttered. Steve and Jack laughed a little at the scene, while Rick picked his breath.
"It's nothing, Toby. About that thing of having a home… why did you say that?" Rick asked.
"Remember how my father hated yours? He told me about your whole… no living relatives part." Jack said.
"Oh." Rick replied.
They all stood there, not knowing how to go about it.
"As I said, if you have no place to go, you can show up in the Roger's. My parents are cool about it." Steve proposed again. Rick couldn't help a smile forming on his lips. He had good friends, more than he deserved.
"Thanks, Steven. It means a lot to me… but I already have a place to go."
"""Where?""" The three of them questioned in unison.
"To Japan. Turns out, my mother still exists and she is Japanese. A big shot there too."
"""… WHAT!?""" They all grabbed Rick and shook him from side to side.
"You say this to us now?!" "I-Isn't Japan far away?" "You have a mother?!"
"I will explain! First of all, I didn't even know if my mother was still alive until three days ago. It goes without saying I know nothing about her, besides that she didn't want me and left." They all stared at him.
"That's… rough buddy." Steve said.
"Yeah. Holy shit mate." Jack agreed with Steve.
"… A-Are you really going?" Toby said with puppy eyes (if that puppy was a shark).
"…Yes. It's not up to me anyway, laws and all that crap." The May answered.
"But didn't she leave you? Why is she even taking you there?" Jack inquired.
"I don't know. Maybe she will have fewer taxes or some shit." [4]
They stood there staring at him, almost in pity. He doesn't need pity.
"Stop mopping around! It's not like I'm a charity case here! I even gain a salary from my army rank. I can handle some hag just fine."
"W-When are you leaving?" Toby asked. Rick looked to his wristwatch and counted the seconds.
"Riiiiighhhht… now." A black car outside the cemetery arrived, a man with a black suit and glasses stepped out of the car and stared at him.
"So soon?! Bastard didn't even tell us!" Jack punched Rick's arm, with a little too much force.
"Urg!" He winced. [5]
"Are we going to see you again?" Steve asked and Toby nodded at the question.
"Jack, first of all. F*ck off! I wasn't in the right mind these days. And second, kinda. I don't know how long I will stay in Japan but I will bring my computer. We can still play games together."
Rick's friends were about to say something but they were interrupted by a car horn. They forgot about the Man-in-Black guy.
"I guess this it. I'll miss you guys. Maybe next vacation I can get a flight and go back, who knows. Now I gotta go." Rick said.
"Try not getting arrested there, asshole." Jack turned back.
Toby hugged him again while crying, and put him back on the ground. "B-Bye Rick. P-Please, send us news."
"See you soon, Rick. God bless you. I will miss you. We all will, even Jack. He is just being edgy right now." Steve sent his farewell.
"Hey!" The edgy soldier 76 replied.
Rick just chuckled at the exchange and went to the black car.
Rick saluted to his friends one last time, which they saluted back, and entered the car together with Zeus, who was still on his left shoulder.
The trip to the airport was silent. He gazed at the moving scenery of his country, which soon would be out of his reach. He liked this place with his life and now had to leave it because his 'mother' suddenly decided to act like one. Probably she didn't even have a choice as he didn't have any living relative besides her.
The airport was also uneventful. The Man-in-Black cosplayer sent him to a private part of the airport and brought him to a small airplane. It was clearly a private one from looks alone. The moment he entered it was exactly like those rich people's planes in movies, with minibar and everything.
An important note is that this plane also had his car. Yeah, the Cadillac is going to Japan with him. Heaven and earth shall part, but never shall a man and his car.
And of course, a sexy beauty as a steward. The most important part by far. Between her and his car, it was a hard call.
He never flew on an airplane before. In his past life he was an orphan, he barely got on a car. And now he is flying on a private, probably military plane.
As he grew bored from looking at clouds for hours, he pulled the [May's Legacy] book and started reading it.
[✦15th generation (Rick May)]: [1]
● Rank: EX
● Posses a fusion of all previous quirks, with the [Somnambulist] quirk genes manifesting as resistance to aroma-based quirks. Named [Soldier V.14].
● It shows a surprising amount of mutations, getting weapons and aspects not previously manifested in any other generation and its quirks.
He read this before, but now that he read it again with a clearer head, he could analyze it properly.
By its contents, he identified his mother's quirk as [Somnambulist] that probably released an aroma with its effects. By its name, it most likely made either people sleep or enter some kind of trance.
And his quirk was named [Soldier V.14]. He knew his quirk was called [Soldier], but the V.14 part was new to him. Was he the 14th person to have it? And these 'surprising amount of mutations'? It was probably related to his Team Fortress 2 Soldier's game-like powers.
He turned a page and read more.
[✦14th generation]:
[✦Paternal side (Janedoe May)]:
● Rank: EX
● Fusion of previous generation's quirks, named [Soldier V.13].
[✦Maternal side (Nemuri Kayama)]:
[Somnambulist]
● Rank: 6/10
● An [Emitter] type quirk that allows the host to release an aroma from her skin that puts nearby people to sleep. It works better on males than females.
● Note: The host is a pro-hero in Japan that goes by Midnight.
Nailed it. His predictions about the [Somnambulist] quirk were on point. But Midnight? His mother was a hero? He only knew she was a big shot because of sergeant James that told him briefly about his new guardian, his mother.
And his father quirk was named [Soldier V.13]… so each generation had the [Soldier] quirk with upgrades got from the other parent, being designated as a new version? Interesting.
There were also ranks for the quirks. His rank was EX, which probably meant he was better than a 10/10 rating. Nice.
His mother's quirk didn't seem to be powerful as she had a 6/10 rating. But who knows, maybe she had some support equipment. He would not underestimate an opponent so freely. Or his mother.
He read another page.
[✦13th generation]:
[✦Paternal side (Rick May)]:
● Rank: EX
● Fusion of previous generation's quirks, named [Soldier V.12].
[✦Maternal side]:
[Critical Strike]
● Rank: 7/10
● An [Emitter] type quirk that allows the user to enhance an attack with unknown energy, increasing its power. It needs a weapon to be used.
● Note: Great for any kind of offensive position.
Rick May… his father told him about it. It was his grandpa! The reason why he was named like him was to honor his grandfather. He also had a version of the [Soldier] quirk.
But what was interesting was his grandma. His dad never really talked about her. The reason was that she didn't raise my dad. Like me, she dipped my grandpa and father for reasons beyond my understanding.
But her quirk was pretty rad. This [Critical Strike] probably mutated into his [Crit Boost Mode] and random crits. His TF2 powers might be instead of a quirk similar to the TF2 soldier, might be a collection of quirks that culminated in something similar to it.
He couldn't wait to read more about his family.
Just before he turned another page he heard a *Ting!* and a voice.
"Please put on your seatbelts. We will land shortly on Musutafu, Japan." The pilot said.
Rick saw through the window his new home far from home. Japan. He wasn't happy about it, but he had to see the bright side, or else he would turn into an edgy asshole, like Jack.
'Japan created sushi, right? Those are pretty tasty. Hmm, yes. Happy thoughts. Ignore your crippling depression and issues about your recent dad's demise which was probably partially your fault for shooting him a rocket in his chest or your asshole mom. Goddammit!'
As he tried to clear his mind, the plane landed on the highway strip.
He got out of his seat and went out of the plane, but he was stopped by the sexy steward who asked him "Sir, your baggage is already in your car. He is being driven to the airport's parking." and she said all that while inclined, giving him plenty of cleavage eye-candy. Private flies are truly on another level.
"Okay! Thanks for the assistance!" [6]
I got out of the plane and headed for the arrival site. That's where 'Nemuri Kayama' would be.
After almost a kilometer of walking, he finally arrived there and saw a woman holding a white sheet with 'Rick May' written on it. It was her, his mother.
She had dark purple hair, sky blue eyes, a 10/10 ass and boobs. All of it covered by a long-sleeved suit and a skirt, like those sexy secretaries. His father scored a heck of a babe. Even when dead his father made him proud. He chuckled at the thought.
His happiness was short-lived though, as he would need to deal with her.
»»—-[☆]—-««
Nemuri waited on the arrival site with a paper written son's name. Her anxiety was eating her inside-out. How would he be? How did he look like? Did he pull her side or 'his' side of the family? What she would say to him after all these years away from him? What if he asked why she wasn't with him before?
So many questions that nearly made her legs tremble in weakness.
As she was lost in her thoughts she was snapped out of them as a figure appeared from the automatic glass doors.
He wore a white shirt, two dog tags hanging from his neck, military cargo pants, and brown combat boots. He also had a helmet on his head? She could barely see his eyes under it. They were sky blue, similar to her own eyes. His body was so packed with muscles that no 15 years old kid could ever hope to achieve. He even had that greyish spots that men had when they trimmed their beards! And why does he have an eagle on his shoulder?! She was not prepared to deal with this.
Her son was even taller than her. She had 175 centimeters (5.74 feet), and he probably was a close 190 centimeters!
But what made her flinch was his face. It was almost identical to Janedoe! Midnight didn't know how to feel about that.
"Soo… Are you Nemuri Kayama?" He asked. His voice was deep and a bit on the hoarse side. Very similar to Jane…
"Helloo? Is anyone there?" She snapped from her thoughts by a hand waving in front of her face.
"Y-Yes! I'm Nemuri Kayama… your mother." She paused, taking a deep breath. "I know you must have a lot of questions but-" Midnight was interrupted.
"Not really, I only have one. But let's get out of here first. We are attracting too much attention." Her son said as he looked over the place. She also did and he was right, they were attracting attention. She could not afford someone to recognize her.
"Where is the airport's parking? I need to grab my car." What?
"You have a car? Aren't you too young to drive?" She questioned.
"I am a bit special you see." He showed his driver's license. "Now, can we go?"
She nodded and they went to the parking lot. The walk was awkward and silent. Was she doing something wrong? Rick seemed to avoid her at any given chance, obviously, he was no happy to see her. Nemuri thought she was ready to face something like this, but she was wrong.
"There you are, girl." He said as they spotted a red classic car, shining as if it just got out of the factory. He jumped inside it and started the car, with an audible motor sound.
"Did you come here by taxi or your car?" He asked.
"I came here with a taxi." The Pro-Hero answered.
"So hop in then." The 'kid' invited.
"What about your baggage?" Ms. Kayama remembered.
"Already in the back. Let's go."
She hesitantly entered the car and gave him her address. He typed it on an interface and the windshield suddenly came to life! The glass showed the trajectory like a see-through GPS. Midnight never saw anything like this before. Her son pressed the accelerator and off they went.
In the middle of the trip, she asked him how he got this car, his license, and about the eagle. He said he got Zeus (the eagle) as an honor of graduating in first place in a school called J.A.M.S., and that his dad gave him this 'ride' and made it possible for him to have a driver's license. What kind of school gives a giant eagle to a kid? Was Jane some kind of higher-up? These are not something anyone can pay or get. She would need to look more into this.
"What is his job?" Nemuri inquired about her past lover.
"He is a soldier. A high-rank one." This explained his clothes and the odd helmet.
"Why the helmet?"
"It's my family's treasure." Again. Another indirect of her not being his family.
"Do you hate me?" She finally let it out of her mind.
"Not really. I'm just not particularly excited about your existence." [7]
Ouch.
"…Is it because of me leaving you?" She mumbled.
"It's because of the way you looked at me when I was born." What? What did he mean?
"I don't understand."
With a sigh, he explained. "I remember everything from the moment I was born. I do mean anything. Including the way you looked at me like I was shit when that nurse handed me to you. That was my first memory in this world by the way."
Oh, God. This was way worse than she could have imagined.
"Why did you accept guardianship over me? Are you getting money or some-"
"NO! I would never! I'm not getting anything." She blurted out, cutting him off.
He turned his head from the traffic for a moment and looked at her straight in the eyes, almost as if searching for something.
"Were you forced to do so?"
"No!"
"Then why did you adopt me? You didn't want me before, why the change of heart? I don't believe it." He declared.
"I… had a change of heart." Nemuri did realize what she did wrong. Her walk days before made sure of it. "At first I thought of leaving you there, yes." She continued and her son raised an eyebrow. "But I couldn't sleep knowing that a kid, my kid, would be left in an orphanage. I saw them, I didn't like it."
"I believe your words, really. But I don't care about them. I thought you were dead years ago. Hard to care after that. Feeling bad doesn't really makeup to that." He said, Midnight shoulders slumping. "However. If you really mean anything you said just now, show it through actions. Maybe I'll change, maybe not. I don't really know if I can bring myself to start caring about you, but who knows. I can tolerate you, just don't start acting like my mother. For me, you aren't one."
"By the way, we arrived." He changed the topic.
They both got out of the Cadillac to see a house. It was just above average in space and looks. It at least had a small pool in the backyard. Still lackluster to the mega house Rick lived in before, but not as worse as the 'house' he had in J.A.M.S.
Midnight opened the gate and Rick parked the car in her front yard as her garage wouldn't fit his ride and her car.
"Meow~" An orange striped cat went out of a little pet door in Nemuri's front door and greeted them.
"Aww. Rick, this is Sushi, my little cuti-"
"KAAAA!"
Zeus zoomed to the cat and the feline disappeared… into his beak.
"MY BABY!" Midnight immediately grabbed Zeus's beak, trying to pry them open and rescue her furry son. Rick watched the scene with sadistic joy at his mother's panic for a couple of seconds, but he relented in the end.
"Zeus! Bad bird! Release the cat right in this instant! Or else I will never give you salmon again!" He reprimanded the bird while crossing his arms and frowning.
The bald eagle faced him almost in sacrilege, and seeing how serious he was it started puking its dinner back into the world.
"mEeOwWn…" The cat was in an almost catatonic state, wet from bird bile. Rick mentally punched himself for thinking about a bad joke involving 'wet pussies'. He would not be as cringe as his… father.
Nemuri picked her 'baby' with an audible *Yeww!* and ran into her house, probably to the bathroom, leaving Rick and Zeus there in the front yard.
"I guess this is our life now, right Zeus?" The asked his feathered brother, receiving a pissed *KA! KAA!* in return, and some beak-stab on his hips.
"Oof! Stop it, this hurts you know?! It's your fault for swallowing the cat. We already had this talk: Pets are not food." [8]
Zeus just turned his head like a spoiled kid, it only missed the classic 'Hmnf' to complete it. He flew into the roof and stop there, watching its new territory and hunting ground like the proud predator he is.
Rick just stared at the horizon of this foreign scenery. It was hard to believe he would stay here for years. It was so different. He had mixed feeling about it. A part of him was glad he was away since everything home just reminded him of dad, but it was also his country. He had friends there, and both his first and second life he was born and raised there. He stopped thinking about it as his head started feeling heavy from neuron overuse.
He put out his baggage from his car's trunk and brought it inside. It was a long day. His dad's funeral, his friend's goodbye, going to Japan, meeting his mother after 15 years…
And tomorrow he had plans to find an American restaurant to get his weekly homemade hamburgers. He could not live without them.
You can take an American out of America, but not America out of him.
And so does his Mac'n'cheese.
»»—-[☆]—-««
Writing notes:
[1] I had to search everything about America's honor funerals for this part.
[2] RIP Rick May. "You were good son, real good; Maybe even the best."
[3] RIP Rick May. "You'll always stay in our games."
[4] That's how much MC loves his mother. Meaning, zero.
[5] Standard soldier sharp pain sound.
[6] Another TF2 soldier voice line.
[7] I was inspired by the webnovel reincarnated/reborn as Poseidon. It's dead tho.
[8] TF2 Soldier sharp pain sound.
Author Notes:
Hey guys, I'm not dead!
Apologies for not releasing this chapter sooner, but I had some tough times this week, and this chapter required some research about an American soldier's funeral and research on Rick May tribute and soldier's lines, plus a bunch of references from previous chapters, and the funeral itself.
The interaction with MC and his mother was also hard to make.
Give me your reviews and comments!
What did you guys think of the funeral? Was it good?
And MC first meeting with Midnight?
Tell me what you guys think.
Have a good day/night :D
