It was. . . Late when the guy came. We were already drunk, we had seen other games but we were more fucked up than really focused. The guy was a big black guy. A big white smile, we invited him for a drink and then from one thing to the next we had a good evening. He gave Olivier a piece of paper and I can hardly remember anything, except my fucking dream.
*****
-You have to be perfect, even if you miss, my darling. Striving for perfection is all we can conceive of in life. Follow what your mother says and you will become perfection.
-All right.
-Yes, darling. All right.
Her toothless smile, her lips clenched. Like we took two clothespins and hung them to her cheeks. Always in the same thing when we were out in the neighborhood. People shouldn’t think that we’re sad or that we just want to be at peace. No, we were supposed to be suns of bliss with a smile on our faces. My mother couldn't even see me. When she bent down to look at me her eyes were so dilated that she frightened me. It was like I was looking into an empty house. Her obsession with perfection disgusted me. I had been so abused that it had taken years in a boarding school to rehabilitate myself with a little bit of common sense.
Ah but where am I?
Around him Leo watches the shadows take shape in what used to be a very beautiful house. Shit it’s the Olianson house. And. . . here they are, the big jerk and his little sister to welcome us. In gala outfits from the 50s he was in a tuxedo and she in a beautiful blue dress going up to her knees. They both had long black hair, but I have to say that even though his sister was a slut I wanted to break the kid’s face.
-But it's not Leonard Flint. What brings you to our humble abode. If it’s to deposit a gift, just put it on the table like everyone else, but it’s not like you can afford something of real value.
The smirk on his face. I loved to wipe it in my next words.
-Knowing that it was your birthday and that you were probably going to leave it to live your life in the real world, I think it was natural for you to have a present for the future man you are not, a razor and shaving foam. So you can keep pretending to be a man until you become one.
Oh yes we were 13 years old and I was a savage. Shit, I remember what happened next. The son Olianson turns red with shame, my mother under her makeup becomes even paler, but says nothing because from her point of view I had defended the dignity of our family. The sister smiles at me with all her teeth mocking her brother. Fortunately for me Father Olianson began to laugh.
-Hopefully it teaches you a lesson, son. Humility comes not only from actions but from the words the men pronounce. Mrs Flint please, excuse my son for his words, he is still young and does not yet understand how lucky he is to live in the environment that he is and lacks tact. Leo I thank you for the gift you brought. The others childrens are in the garden, Amelia. Could you take her there please?
The princess of the Olianson smiled and took my hand, leaving my mother and Mr. Olianson to discuss with his son. Needless to say, behind my back my mother had to shoot me down to get back into the good graces of the Oliansons because even if the father was cool, his wife was a harpy who spread her influence over her spoiled son.
I remember that night. Amelia Olianson, pale skin, red lips, long black hair, perfect blue eyes. Ah, I don't remember that at all, because it's not possible that such a pretty girl was interested in me, she was nice, down to earth. But I think my childhood memories have something to do with it. Because I remember the rest. Later in the evening. A slap had hit my cheek. But not from the person you would have expected.
-So, what do you do for sport, Amelia?
-Dance and horseback riding.
-Oh you like horses. Yes.
The conversation went on for a while and even though none of the other children came to talk to me Amelia was very good company. Until her mother came along and grabbed her hand and slapped me across the face.
-How dare you insult your host. You are unworthy to touch my daughter, get out of my house immediately.
Red with anger and tears in my eyes, I looked at the woman and spat one of my best poison at her.
-In this case he had only to act as such, so I forgive the child that he is, he had to learn from you.
My mom is coming and I'm never setting foot in that house again. Amelia and her dad were cool. I wonder what happened to them? Now that I think about it, why would I think about that?
----------------------------------------
-Okay so tell me again, did you have any contact with the Olianson family, the English genetics family.
-My mother tried to get me closer, well closer to her, when I was little.
-And?
-The son was a jerk, the father was cool, the mother was hysterical and the daughter was a future femme fatale.
-And it's getting to you now, because?
The hangover had been savage and the two of them barely remembered how they had arrived in Leo's apartment, a large and luxurious place freshly paid for by their employer. Leo was looking and searching on the tablet. on the website of the club where they had spent the night.
-Got it. Whiplash!
-Olianson genetic affiliation.
Olivier hissed his astonishment at the situation. Olianson had a lot of support before and during the war, but with the fall of London and the headquarters there, business has not been kind and most of the board is dead or no longer able to lead. The new board is extremely secretive and most of their assets are now under contract. So finding one of their creatures in a fight means that money or people are looking to make a fresh start in the field.
-Do you think you could...
-Set up a meeting? Last time I was in their presence the mother slapped me for disrespecting her precious little boy.
This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
-Ok mission abort.
-No i can still ask my father, he may have some info i don't. I must say I didn't care for Olianson and are but a fragment of my memories.
Olivier was pensive as he looked at a piece of paper. Leo asked him what it was.
-Do you remember the guy we met last night?
-Yes, a little.
-He gave me this, a number, a lawyer. It's the same lawyer who deals with the manager of the gym slash hangar for our future project. We'll have a debt-free space. And a landlord who is willing to die for us.
-Can you believe it?
-When he told me that the money was worth ten years of my life, I must say I woke up pretty quickly. All that's left is to meet the guy and discuss doing some legal verification. Even though we'll have to win our bet to get that kind of money.
-I don't even remember the guy's name.
-I don't remember his name either, but okay. Only a few days left to get some peace, pack up your stuff and take everything you think is important and we'll put it in the van, or rather everything that's not on the ground. Sheets, toothbrushes, everything. I'm not going to hide it from you, it's going to be ghetto for a while.
-Well, water, food and a roof. It's not bad. We lack the creatures, the money and the girls.
-Jokes as you want, call your father if you can for info. If they don't remember you we can have an unexpected deal.
-I hate your optimism
-Worst they could say is no.
-And you, you start to find a beast for me ok i don't want to be butt naked for to long, i want to go back in the arena and kick ass, not being killed because i didn't train, and call the number.
-Deal.
******
Well let's do this. Olivier took the number and called it.
-Mariani Louisa's Law Office, how can I help you?
-Hello? My name is Olivier Lebeau and I was given your number in a loan case.
-Do you have the names of the people involved?
-William Willhope.
-One moment please…
******
Leo called his father, he liked his father even if he was harsh at first, when Leo became older he understood that sometimes life should teach someone the lesson, to be and to appear in particular. His father always had been the quiet one and his silent agreement had always annoyed Leo, until he realized that his mother had a snake-like tongue and poisoned his decisions. His father didn't learn until it was too late about the pain he had suffered at the hands of his mother. Creating an uneasiness between them even though the gap had narrowed.
- Dad?
-Yes Leo, how are you?
-Sorry to call you like that, but I might run into some old acquaintances from the Olianson family.
-Yes, I remember them. I don't know how you did it but you and your mother almost ruined a birthday party, didn't you?
-Yes... I stumbled upon one of their creatures in the news and wondered if you knew more than what the internet said.
-Oh boy... Long story.
-Got time...
----------------------------------------
*****
After their respective calls. The two of them met in the living room and both of them had a ball in their stomach.
-What's up?
-You first, I... I need a minute.
-Okay, so I found a law firm that handles the gym's debt. The amount requested is what you'd expect when you know that it's to pay for a person's schooling and daily life.
-So this is a guy who went into debt in order to have enough to live and study? Okay, I expected worse.
-Actually it's more complicated. It's a brother and sister, the brother inherited in the last will of the previous owner, the gym. He was going to take care of it when his delinquent past caught up with him. The guys in question created an accident that almost killed him. Leaving him with serious after-effects.
-And he took on a debt to pay for his care.
-No, his sister did it. While he was in an early coma. His sister took out a loan to pay for his care. Obviously no one in their right mind would lend to a young teenager.
-So she got approached by some shady guys.
-Exactly, fortunately or not. She contacted the law firm that had handled the gym's will. To "make it official". The treatment worked and our man found himself in debt and in the service of a crime patron. Ah, and with the gym not pledged.
-Whoa. Talk about a life of shit. How long has he been working for him?
-Long time.
-Patient guy. Now, is it just me or is everything working out a little too well for our mobsters? Inheritance, bam, accident. Coma, bam, debt. Don't you think?
-Yes, and the lady I had on the phone had her own suspicions but alas she could do nothing. Her defense is that if the girl couldn't pay she will only sell the gym. And the debt will be cleaned up.
-Ok then, now we will have to be careful with the possible aggressions from the thugs.
-Unfortunately we can't have everything, I took the contacts, for the rest we'll have to see tomorrow the results of the games. And if we have enough money to afford the luxury of privatizing our hangar.
-Remind me why we don't do this in the countryside?
-Logistics, I don't want to talk about it. How about you? Your childhood back?
-Oh, good. Hang in there because mine isn't happy either.
Leo took a deep breath before starting.
-Well, for starters. The family I knew consisted of mother, father, son and daughter.
-Ouch.
-I keep it short. The father and son disappeared one day. The son died. The fortune goes to the mother who strangely enough finds a new man very quickly. Fast forward the husband who had been found near death was hospitalized and came out of the coma. His daughter brings evidence that the mother was cheating on him long before the accident. An investigation later and the boyfriend disappears from the country. Not without leaving the mother with much less money. The mother loses the case, the custody of her daughter and decides to go as far away as possible to Australia. Why Australia, nobody knows. Of course, the father's company management went to hell, his wife and her boyfriend not hesitating to steal everything they could. Leaving the father and daughter in financial distress and almost homeless. My father is only guessing at the last part. Not least because the overpriced house they lived in went up for sale after that and my mother didn't want to be anywhere near "losers" people. So, any questions?
-Yes, how come we ran into one of the creatures with their logos on their butts if they are in such financial distress?
-Here's the thing. The last of the Olianson company's laboratories are here in the city. As they try to make money in underground fights... I can see it.
-And Whiplash would be the last one off the chain? Nah, there's a thing. From what I remember, Olianson creates snakes and other reptiles, not humanoids.
-We won't know without contacting the labs themselves.
-Mm...
The contemplation of the circumstances and drama that had happened to all these people was sad more than strange.
-You know what? I suggest we eat and go to bed, tomorrow is the big game or you won't be, we have to get you to safety so we'll go and stay in a hotel tonight and spend tomorrow like larvae eating pizza and watching games to see how our bets turn out. The plane with Storm Dragon has now been gone for over an hour. It will be in place for the fight tomorrow. The place will be free and the trance room is ready at headquarters and to welcome the other jerk when the time comes. Are you going to be okay? It's the home stretch.
-Yeah, it's going to be tough but I think I'll be fine. Just trust me on this.