Chapter 31: My Trophy

The world had gone through a shocking change. All of the people in power had vanished, and the monumental buildings had crumbled to the ground. The public eventually realized that power and authority had fallen back into their hands. Regardless of if the leaders were good or bad, they were gone.

At first, things turned really bad. Crimes grew rampant, which forced heroes to work overtime. The economy began to decline at a fast pace. Luckily, it didn't last long.

Citizens from all over the world pooled together in an effort to keep the economy going. Natural born leaders rose up from the masses to assume their roles. The new figures of authority didn't drown in their power. There was a constant fear of the same thing happening to them as the previous leaders. Many people blamed Omni Man, while others thought of a new secret villain.

With the threat of instant death above their heads, leaders and countries all around the planet reached out. An alliance had formed in the way of a pact. This joining of hands was now known as the [New Earth Federation.] The decision makers formed a monumental establishment known as the [Round Table.] This was where important meetings and summits would be held. A global army was now forming, with resources and weapons being pooled together.

Humanity had taken a few steps back only to leap forward twenty more. It was as if a godly hand swiped the planet and gave it another chance to flourish. Scientists of all nationalities now banded together to study the unknown. Companies and corporations now spanned across the globe. Failing businesses now found themselves flourishing, due to the economic monopolies being repurposed.

As mankind grew to new heights, a year and a half flew by. Taz didn't put on either of his suits the entire time. He remained lowkey and relaxed in his new home surrounded by wildlife. His location was undisclosed, seeming as if he was in the middle of nowhere. Nobody had heard from Absolver since what humanity named the 'Shift'.

The stoic viltrumite could currently be seen in his home. A delicious aroma had spread throughout the house. Taz wore an apron as he baked a load of sweets. A jar sat on the counter and it was full of fresh cookies. The young man opened the oven and pulled out a large cake. He then began covering it with icing.

"So you found me. Why are you here?" He spoke without turning around.

Two figures had appeared behind him with a flash of blue static. They were already seated in front of the cookie jar.

"It wasn't easy to find you. We've been searching the globe everyday and only found you now. You don't seem to leave the house much." One of the figures spoke.

Once he was done with the icing, he turned around and set the delicacy on the counter. Sitting on one of the chairs was Cecil. He was already lazing in his seat. The stress of the last few years could be seen on his face. The old man looked even older. It was as if a slight gust of wind would knock him over.

Beside him was the one and only Dupli-Kate. She was extremely silent, not even raising her gaze from the floor. She would glance at the cookie jar from time to time though. Taz casually moved the jar in front of her. Without looking up, the chinese beauty reached for a cookie. It seemed that even though she was acting timid, her body hadn't forgotten the taste and smell of his cooking.

"...That's not an answer. What makes you think I won't kill you where you stand?" The stoic man spoke coldly. Cecil rolled his eyes.

"If you were going to kill me, you'd have done it already."

"......" Taz's expression relaxed since the jig was up.

The old man wasn't wrong. If he wanted to, the soldier would've killed him a long time ago. He could easily move faster than Cecil's human perception. The government agent wouldn't even be able to think about teleporting before he was dead. As the young viltrumite set up his apron, the old man spoke.

"You didn't destroy any of our facilities that tested on viltrumite DNA. The only one you cared about was that orphanage. That wasn't under my jurisdiction anyways. It does make me wonder though…" He trailed off while eyeing the powerful figure.

"The cold and calculating Absolver went into hiding after ridding the world of its leaders. You could've easily started your rule. I know about Viltrum now, so I also know that you didn't finish the job. It's almost as if…you were forcing yourself to do it." He continued.

The viltrumite kept a straight face and leaned against the stove. He could care less about what the guy was spouting. He was more interested in why Cecil brought Kate. Was it a token of reassurance?

"...Can you get to the point already? I'm about to fall asleep." Taz cut in. The old man smiled as if he expected this.

"What you did was horrible. It was atrocious. But in a way…it was good. With your own hands, you ushered the world into a new era. Our technology is already making strides now that we're no longer focused on war." He exclaimed.

'He wouldn't be saying this if I finished the job. Humanity would be in the dark ages.' Taz thought with a raised eyebrow.

"With a new world government along with heroes and superpowered leaders, there are new villains. The world no longer has Omni Man for protection. The Immortal is still dead, and we can't find his remains. We need a replacement. Someone to show the world that they are safe from outside forces. Earth needs Absolver." He finished.

The young soldier couldn't help but suppress a smile. Even knowing that he was behind the destruction, they wanted him back. What a fickle bunch of humans. It had been a long time since the Shift. Maybe time did heal. Even so, it didn't matter.

"...I'll think about it. If that was it, you can leave now." Taz answered.

If he had just said no, the old man would've tried to convince him in other ways. This was the better answer which would get the man out of his face. Cecil took a deep breath and stood up.

"Great. It was worth a shot." He spoke happily.

He could see the obvious gaze of Absolver on Kate. The old man had a feeling that if he didn't bring her as an icebreaker, he wouldn't have gotten this far in the conversation. Taz wouldn't have been so cordial. After grabbing a handful of cookies, he teleported away.

The room became extremely silent. Now that Kate was alone with him, her heart rate increased. The two hadn't seen each other since the Shift. The soldier was there to watch her take the Immortal serum that Rudy created. Not only was the chinese beauty now free from the mortal coil, she was also stronger. Her hero popularity had risen sharply with her new enhancements of strength, speed, and durability. It seemed like a blessing at the moment, and not a curse. Only time would tell how she felt years in the future.

Taz sat on the counter beside the cookie jar with his feet on Cecil's chair. He grabbed a cookie and bit into it. Kate was doing the same in a quiet manner. After a good five minutes of silence, he spoke.

"Even though you act scared of me, you don't seem to be scared of my cooking." He joked.

"Mmm." She hummed quietly. She continued to eat the sweets quietly. Her gaze didn't leave the table.

The powerful man was calm as he observed her. Eventually, he cupped her chin and made her face him. The two finally locked eyes. When he saw her expression, he raised an eyebrow. It was the look of defeat.

"...I'm surprised. You're not going to tell me how bad of a person I am? Where's the terror from the things I've done?" He mocked.

If it was the Kate from before the Shift, she wouldn't be able to stand his deeds. The chinese beauty shook her head with a sad smile.

"I've had over a year to be horrified. I just…don't have the energy for it anymore. Now that I know your origins, I understand why you didn't tell me. How could you?" She responded.

Taz rubbed some crumbs off the corner of her lips and brought it to his mouth. He couldn't help but gaze at the dull expression on her face. It seemed like the last year had weighed her down. Knowing what he did had placed a mountain on her shoulders. She had drowned herself in hero work as a distraction.

"It sounds like you're tired of me. That's too bad…you'll be tired for a long time then." He commented.

It mattered not to him. His affection for her would remain the same. Kate grabbed another cookie.

"When you made me take this serum…That's when I knew how you really felt about me. I'm just a trophy to you. A pet...You called it a punishment. Just like you would a dog or a child." She lamented.

The chinese beauty was extremely depressed. It was as if she had run out of tears. Seeing her expression, Taz got off the counter. His arms wrapped around her neck from behind.

"Kate, you are much more than a pet. Don't worry, you'll learn to love it. Not anyone can earn this place beside me." He soothed.

"..........." She didn't respond. The young viltrumite kept speaking.

"...But I will say one thing…Try something like that again, and you'll be punished…Again." He growled quietly.

Tears ran down her face after hearing his words. It only cemented her place in his eyes. It was a blatant admission of her status. Unknown to her, this was the only way Taz knew to show his affection. She really did mean more to him than that. It was unfortunate that he couldn't show it.

The calm viltrumite gently picked her up from the chair. Kate buried her head in his chest and allowed her tears to run free. Now that she was in front of the man in question, she couldn't help but let it all out. Taz carried her to the living room and sat down on a soft couch. The fireplace flickered to life, with a glint of red disappearing from his eyes. The cookie jar floated over and landed on the coffee table.

Time passed and the chinese beauty finally calmed down. A warm hand gently rubbed her back as the fire cackled. When Kate looked up, she saw her lover watching her with a slight smile. His lips kissed away the damp tears on her face.

It was warm.