“Shit! What is the date?” Miles asked with panic.

“23rd of December.” Coin said with a snicker and connected the call.

“You brat, you left the house and haven’t called me since!” Evelyn’s angry voice was heard in Miles's ears.

“Hi, mom. I missed you.” Miles could only say, as he awkwardly slimed at Evelyn’s projection on the screen. She was as graceful as ever. She was wearing a white lab coat over her black dress, and she had glasses over her almond-emerald eyes. Her raven hair was knotted behind her head.

“I am sure you did!” Evelyn snorted, then looked at the screen lovingly. She couldn’t stay mad at her son, even though she still had a lot to say. The change was so sudden, as if spring sun born after a heavy snow.

“When are you coming back?” She asked.

“I will be there for the new year of course,” Miles answered hurriedly.

“You better be.” Evelyn said sternly and asked, “Have you talked to Merlin? He will not be able to come this year.”

“I haven’t spoken to him yet. I have been a little busy lately.” Miles confessed then changed the subject, “Is Uncle Adam coming?”

Adam was Evelyn’s older brother. He was a scientist like Evelyn but was too busy, thus he would rarely show up. But he was like a role model to Miles when he was small. Later, as Miles grew up, and Adam got busier, they couldn’t see each other as often. But they were still in touch.

“Oh, what a great idea. It has been ages since he came home. I will make him come this time and have some quality time with his niece and nephew.” Evelyn nodded with approval.

“Alright, mom. I will be there for the new year dinner.” Miles said and wanted to hang up, but Evelyn gave him a deadly stare.

“4 days before, no excuse.” She said and ended the call.

“As fierce as ever.” Miles could only sigh. Evelyn was kind and understanding, but she had a few things that made her show her brutal side. One of them was the special days. On those days everyone had to be present. Last year when Merlin had just started his military service, Evelyn called him and Merlin said his superior was not letting him go. Then a day later, Merlin was escorted to Cross mansion with the fastest aircraft in the base. When Evelyn was angry, even Gods would run.

—————

“Grandpa, Grandpa!” The four years old boy with sky blue eyes jumped on the one-armed man. The man had a military uniform with many insignia on his shoulders. He was one of the three generals of the army, Mercer Cross, also known as, Cruel Heart. His face was absolutely unconnected to his moniker when he was looking at the four years old boy. People working in the army would suspect him of being possessed or someone wearing his skin if they were to see him now.

“My pride, Miles!” Mercer said lovingly as he held the boy in his arm. “Come and let grandpa see you.”

“I missed you, grandpa,” Miles said as he hugged the one-armed man. “You said you would be back in a week, but it has been a month.” The toddler pouted cutely. The gaze of the old man was soft as he looked at the pouting child.

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“Sorry, sorry. You know your grandpa is the strongest person in all Unity. I had to deal with the threats.” Mercer said lovingly.

“Woah! Grandpa, what did you kill this time?” Miles looked at the old general with stars in his eyes.

“Some walking dead, some mutated animals. Nothing worth mentioning.” Mercer started, but soon a beautiful woman entered and took the Miles from Mercer.

“Mil, leave your grandpa alone. He just arrived. Let him change at least.” Evelyn berated softly.

“It is fine. It is fine. I wanted to catch up with my pride anyway.” Mercer laughed and held Miles's hand. “Let’s go to study.”

Mercer’s study room was the biggest in the Mansion. The walls were covered with bookshelves and rewards and medals he earned throughout his life. At the desk was a woman smiling amiably. She was Miles’s grandmother he had never met. She died after monsters invaded the Earth. As a doctor at the frontlines, she sacrificed her life to save a soldier.

Mercer sat on the desk and Miles sat across from him. “Not another lecture, please. Please grandpa, tell me the monsters you fought.” Miles begged.

“Miles, you have to learn the way of Cross,” Mercer said with a stern face but a soft voice. “We Cross are the savior of Earth. We are heroes of the innocent.”

“Do you remember our history?”

“Yes,” Miles nodded with pride, as he recounted. “When the traitor Cross Empire wanted to destroy Earth, mother figured out their ploys thanks to her superpower and told father and grandpa. You had two choices. Either succumb to their ways and or sell them out in exchange for billions of lives. You, father, mother, and Uncle Adam collaborated with the other two powers to save the world.”

“Yes!” Mercer said with a smile. “We Cross are heroes of the world. Don’t forget that Miles.”

“Remember son, our character is our strength. You have to be courageous, witty, and headstrong.” Mercer urged. “We, Cross, are the strongest bloodline on this planet. Strength begets jealousy. When you enter Portal World, many people will try to kill you. At those times, remember the education you had been through. It is us, never them. Kill without hesitation!”

“I am not that weak willed, Grandpa. Anyone who crosses a Cross can only die.” Miles pouted.

“It is good that you understand. Remember Miles, everything can be solved with power, if not with money. But the only thing you can’t buy in this world is loyalty.

Loyalty has no price, because if you are able to buy it, then others can outbid you!” Mercer nodded with content and said, “Your mindset will be your biggest power, so carve it from now.”

“How come our character can define our powers, Grandpa?” Miles asked with a confused face.

“When you grow up you will realize the world is much broader than you've ever seen. Superpower awakening is just the beginning. When we grow stronger, then we really awaken our ultimate forms.”

A month later,

Miles returned to the house with his eyes red from crying his eyes out. When Malcolm and Evelyn took him to the awakening, he failed. He failed to awaken his superpowers. His future got crushed before it even started.

“Grandpa!” Miles ran to Mercer with tears falling from his adolescent face. But when he saw Mercer’s face, he froze where he was standing.

“From today onwards you are not a Cross. Don’t you dare to own this name ever in your life!” Mercer said with a cold, expressionless face, to the crying toddler. Miles's eyes went blank as he fell onto his knees. “Granp—”

“I am not your grandfather!” Mercer said and turned to enter the house.

“Father!” Evelyn roared as she hugged Miles. Malcolm also looked at his father with a disappointed face and went to hug his son and wife.

A day later,

“I knew you were trash since you were born.” A seven years old girl said arrogantly. She was standing at the door, staring down at Miles with contempt.

“Go away, Marcela,” Miles said with dead eyes. He cried all night long until nothing else remained there. Until he realized crying was useless.

“Hmph! You act proudly, still?” Marcela arrived in front of Miles and slapped his face. Five fingers appeared on the toddler's face. “We are hero Cross. We are saviors of the innocent! We don’t need useless trash. So, don’t act arrogant!”

“Why do you even bother?” 10 years old Merlin arrived. He was dashing even when he was young. His blue eyes pierced Miles as if he wasn’t there. “Don’t waste your effort on useless trash. Let’s train more and show everyone we Cross are strongest.”

“Brother is right,” Marcela said. Turned to spat on Miles and left the room. Miles lied on the ground, listless. “I will not cry! I swear I will not cry!” He talked to himself as he punched the ground.

With a jerk, Miles woke up in his dark lonely room. Coin was at the desk, reading articles. Miles hesitated for a while, then returned to sleep.