Aeron: “After him is Auntie Graciabeth. Nobody knows how old she is, not even father. He thinks she did something to alter this world's perception of her age, but apparently it's all hearsay. Auntie Graciabeth claims everyone else has bad memory.
Everybody. On. This. Planet.”
Tyler: “...That's a bit....”
Aeron: “Yeah. Her role in our family involves mostly information and assassination. Although unfortunately not the greatest, she can certainly be counted among the top 10 assassins. Don't forget, this special continent has the greatest heroes and villains gathered in one vast and expansive land, so to make the top 10 out of about 20 million...that's pretty amazing. Besides, her role within our Family is more directed towards gathering and spreading both information and disinformation. How she does that? Obviously, it's what she's known for; her mental prowess. She's often called Earth's greatest psychic instructor in modern times. According to the news station 'Power Source Global', the top 500 psychics within both the Hero Society and Council of villains have paid a lot to receive her exclusive and personal instruction at some point in their lives. She would always seem to “Know” what it was they needed to focus on, in order to develop their own paths – as well as whether they'll turn on us after her teaching. To the Malierano Family, she is 20 times more important. One of the prime uses for the brain-chip was to try unlocking our brain's capabilities...meaning psychic abilities are under extensive research as well. Anybody in the immediate family who develops 'em gets transferred to her place for the 'family training package'.
...Yes, she takes a discount off but still charges us.
As an instructor, auntie is free to do as she wishes - be it use us for missions or lock us up in a cell, so long as our powers improve. I had the, um...'liberty' of receiving her...tutelage.
She does make a great guidance councilor if you're ever depressed, though!”
Tyler: “Brother Aeron, this is too much to-”
Aeron: “NOW! She has 42 children split between 21 sons and daughters...21 each! I know that seems like a whole lot but trust me dad has many more...some you haven't even met yet. As for the one's you do know, the one's introduced to you from the rankings? Well, we number at 37 sons, 13 daughters whom he treasures far too proudly compared to the rest of us...and 6 'unknowns'. This doesn't include you, by the way.”
Tyler “Unknowns?...Oh, them. Why won't they just tell me the truth? Is it bad or something?”
Aeron: “Don't know, don't care. *Ahem* Apparently, not wanting to be outdone by Father, uncle Durandez gave birth to 57 children over the hundreds of years he's been around. They're all being trained to become great craftsmen and craftswomen for the family....but unfortunately...all of them have the displeasure of being named Durandez...from the 2nd to the 57th. What serious misfortune, eh? hahaha.”
Tyler: “I remember when I first met Auntie Graciabeth...Auntie's youngest son actually told me back then that I had to recruit him, his sister Crystal, Durandez the 56th and Durandez the 57th for when I start building a large organization. He even said it would be somewhere secluded and fairly out of sight.”
{Pffft! Why would I go through all that trouble for a silly remote organization in the middle of nowhere? The guy happens to be Graciabeth's favorite right now, due to his overwhelmingly powerful psychic capabilities...unfortunately he also has an extremely delicate body condition. It's so weak in fact, that he would probably die from overexertion, by just walking outdoors for a few minutes! Why would I recruit someone like that?! Why would I build some...hidden organization?! He seemed all smiles though and asked me not to tell anybody...oops.
Well, I'm not the psychic here. I'm sure he knew I'd spill the beans, right?}
Aeron: “Not surprising. The others all had their own personal groups but they've never lasted long since Father would usually shut 'em down. I don't recommend it. You'll just get beaten again.”
Tyler: “...”
Aeron: “Finally, I heard those three monsters have like, forty or so rejected children who never made it out of the training programs...Not sure if any of it is true. I can't seem to remember much aside from the more important ones still training under Father's watch.”
{Lucky them. They get to choose to live a virtually normal life since nobody knows of their existence.}
Aeron: “Well, that was it! Tell me honestly, how much of it do you remember?!”
Tyler: “...Um, some of it...probably...maybe..”
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Aeron: “Mmn, not much, huh? Good luck explaining that to Father then. I did my job! Bye now!”
…
…
{...Yesterday, I killed someone. I’ve killed before, but...this time, I did it in front of a witness.
.
.
That little girl.
She saw me...I should have killed her-NO! What am I- What am I thinking?! She’s only 3!
But...a witness is… and maybe the family ALREADY disposed of children before.
I dunno.
...My heart hurts. I can see profuse sweat build-up starting to form, but it doesn't seem like a problem...more importantly though there's incredible pain - right at the center of my chest and my breathing is becoming shorter every passing second I remember yesterday’s mission. I still can't believe I...in front of a three year old....}
Tyler: “Nngh.. *Smack!* Stop it, me! Today’s a brand new day!”
{With brother's extremely long and boring teachings out of the way, I carefully maneuvered through the dangerous traps and hidden paths to reach the place that he mentioned. Beneath the floor tiles hid countless explosives and acid-spewing mines that caused me to jump around like a rabbit, while the walls closed in on themselves as they also released a strange purple-greenish liquid that secretes poisonous gas, paralysis gas, sleeping gas and something black.
As usual, gross.
…..
Yet I managed to survive anyway...phew! After messing up a little due to missing my step, the rest of my movements became sloppy. Dodging everything while feeling panicky was really hard! Hopefully nobody was watchi--}
?: “Pffft! Haha, little bro ty, were you really struggling with a couple of explosives just now?! Hahaha, your face was so worried – that’s freaking hilarious!!”
?: “Beatrice, he wasn't struggling, he clearly passed with calculated ease. Besides, he's only 10 years old...you shouldn't expect so much from him.
(I could do better at that age though.)”
Beatrice: “Aahhh Kifah! You are SUCH a killjoy!
(So could I.)”
Kifah: “I am not...you just have a nasty sense of humor is all. Good work out there Tyler.
(Stop lying, you weren't that good when you were 10.)”
Beatrice: “As usual, haaah, it's so hard to joke around our sibs from the nerdy generation. Ahahahaha! Little bro Ty! I watched as you barely disarmed uncle's nuclear mini-mines. 12 of those babies packed underneath 1 single tile, if you hadn't disarmed them...the rest of the explosives in the hall wouldn't even matter! Dad would send you away for torture again if you failed here. If you even survived.~
(Shut-up Kifah.)”
{...Figures they were watching my near-death experience without helping. According to my older sister Alianne, normal families help each other when they're in trouble. My family though? As far as I could remember, I've been set up and bullied by them all in various ways as if my pain brought them all comfort. Maybe they're just sadistic.
Beatrice fits this description of mine perfectly. She's active and outgoing, yet extremely agile when needed. Always looking for faults in others with that observant nature of hers, that's all she's ever worried about lately. Alianne says she just wants a rank up, but can't get it.
Kifah is...well, Kifah. She and 5 others were born only a single year apart from each other...and their personalities are kinda robotic. Maybe father trains groups of children differently depending on his mood? Because her group was trained in a very calculative manner, much differently from me.
She rarely shows her emotions and tends to belittle everyone...but she's not evil. Far from it, actually.
Neither of them care about me though.}
*Knock – Knock – Knock*
{With 3 knocks, I entered the room, followed by my sisters. Usually the basement rooms get larger as you descend, but the first 500 lower floors are quite small. I honestly don't even know how many floors we have in total, but when I just turned 8 I learned that going downwards, 985 was 'probably' the lowest floor, plus the most dangerous place to enter...since father does his personal training there.
Besides, if we can't stop a thief from taking something 985 floors below ground, EVEN WITH all of our Family's resources and power...then we really suck. We don't deserve to be called the top 'Family' in the world.}
*BOOOM! - Shudder...Crackle! BOOM!*
{The shaggy walls shook fiercely and audible zaps and explosions echoed clearly. Is...this a..testing ground? There were only an empty mass of space and two doors along the farther back wall, probably leading to two other rooms. Malicious arguing could be heard from the right door, while the left seemed to be either a building lab, or some...testing place. Honestly, when you're apart of my family long enough, you kinda learn to not be so curious, lest you become somebody's test subject or punching bag.}
Kifah: “Should we call him, or...?”
Beatrice: “Nah, too much of a hassle. Lets just relax for now.”
Kifah: “Unproductive...but okay.”
{Eventually, after 15 minutes of back and forth arguing, the door swung open. My eyesight immediately flew downward, because...well, an old man no taller than my 10 year old shoulders came bulldozing towards me before stopping directly in front and grabbing for my arms, legs, waist and wrists.}
Tyler: “He--*Ahem*--Hello uncle! T'is a wonderful pleasure to meet with--”
Uncle Durandez: “'T'is'? The heck....Who taught you to speak in such a stupid manner?! You're only 10 you underdeveloped gnat! That foolish big brother of mine ruined another one...Harrumph! I can't believe I agreed to create anything for this little freak – hmph! Thank your brother, brat. Now, don't you move a single muscle, you hear? Not. One. Movement!
…
...Eye and Hair color – both dark brown. Height...52.9 and still growing. Weight...*Lifts*..feels about 81ish – maybe 81.5...foot size - 8 ½ for now...hair length – short but also growing...jaw width...neck line...Chest...”
{This...feels very awkward! How is such a small geezer able to lift me up THAT easily? It's like I'm weightless to him!
I'll never ask that question out loud though, mother Nirael mentioned to me before to never ask him unnecessary questions. He doesn't like such things, and THAT tends to set off uncle's erratic temper. I'd be digging my own grave if I speak before he asks me something.
Oh! Uncle's finally moving away from me! Thank goodness, I was starting to become nervous that somehow I'd make him mad.}
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