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RGB News:
The total casualties of the invasion two days ago are estimated to be 55 deaths and 184 injuries. Meanwhile, the total casualties of Yorg the Giant's offense on MintPulse's headquarters are confirmed to be 15 deaths, including the CEO Vang Liensh.
Just this morning, the HCSPF (HueCam State Police Force) affirmed it will join the CCPD (Cavium City Police Department) and the Hero Union in the search of Yorg the Giant and the reconstruction of Cavium's inner city district.
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Loter reclined on his hospital bed and silently stared at the news report on the television. His waist leaned against the pillow while his back was against the wall. A stool and a closed curtain were beside him. Some distance away was the door into the room.
Loter tapped the back of his head lightly against the wall, closing his eyes. He found himself not grieving since he woke up a few hours ago. There was a weird tranquility in him that stopped him from feeling anything. Even intentionally revisiting his father's death could not cause a ripple in his heart. Perhaps he was numbed already.
Loter reopened his eyes and saw Yorg the Giant's photo in the news. He recollected their encounter.
Yorg helped me find my father, yet he did lie about not killing people. If I had a little more caution, I would have prevented those 15 deaths. Whatever.
Loter thought he would feel regret. He thought he would blame himself for the deaths. It just seemed like a very heroic thing to feel and to do.
However, he did not. Loter knew those deaths were not his fault, and there was not a wisp of regret to be found. Shutting his eyes again, Loter slid off the wall into his quilt, waiting to fall asleep. That was until the scene of him suffering over his girlfriend came to mind. He immediately cracked a smirk, mocking his past immaturity.
Then, Loter heard the door behind the curtain being opened. By the sound of the tiny jangling, Loter knew it was R.O.S. who came into the room. Those chains on R.O.S.'s sleeveless jacket certainly did not help in stealth.
"Loter, are you awake?" R.O.S. asked softly behind the curtain.
"Yeah." Loter kept lying there.
"The doctor said you had fully recovered by last night and would wake up this morning. I come the moment I can."
"Thanks."
"Do you mind if I come in?"
"It's okay."
The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
R.O.S. parted the curtain. Walking in, R.O.S. laid his tired eyes on Loter's numb visage. "I'm sorry for your father."
"Thanks," Loter answered without much thought.
"I know it must be hard for you."
"Well, it's okay. It's not that hard," Loter paused a second to think about what he could say. "I just want to lie here, really."
R.O.S.'s brows lowered and faintly furrowed. "You know, I reacted the same when Strikelet died." He sat down on the stool beside him.
"Oh yeah," Loter called without excitement, "I remember people were saying you went crazy."
R.O.S. glanced away. "I kind of did… When you become a hero, you get taught the idea that death is not scary as long as you die fighting for justice… To this day, I believe in this teaching. I don't fear the death of my own, but—"
"The death of others," the two said simultaneously.
R.O.S. nodded and carried on, "The scariest part is you'll slowly forget the memory you have with them. You will forget the way they talk, the way they act. That is the worst part—"
"Do you still remember Strikelet?"
"Yes, I do, even Sprinter. And this is why we need to remember Kniton."
"Yeah."
"Now, tell me a thing you did with Kniton, and I will tell you a thing I did with Strikelet and Sprinter."
"Yeah, I will start." Loter took a few seconds to reminisce and began, "I once bought a jigsaw puzzle from a charity sale held in the elementary school.
"The puzzle is about a clock. It is a black and white clock without numbers. I thought it was easy because I thought I could just connect two random white pieces together. Then, I got home and realized I couldn't do that.
"So, I asked Dad for help. At first, he declined. So, I just kept doing it myself. I think I spent like, uh, a few hours on the puzzle. I just held a piece and put one of its intruding parts into every other piece's slots. I have a pile of pieces I tried to put the intruding part in and a pile that I hadn't tried the method on.
"Then, my mother came. She was very mad at me for using the table in the living room for so long, so I had a fight with her… I think she hit me but let me continue the puzzle.
"After that, Dad came and started helping me. He told me he was only doing it because he was boring. Well, he was lying. Well, I think he lied. I think he enjoyed playing with me. After we were done, we glued it and put it in my room."
A gentle yet genuine smile appeared on Loter's curling lips as he finished the story. Seeing it, R.O.S., Johnny Wetman, gave a grin of his own and started his story with Strikelet and Sprinter.
For the rest of Loter's time in the hospital, his mother did not come to visit him once. R.O.S. told him it was because his mother needed time to process Kniton's death, and Loter took his words without doubt. Sure, Loter's mother was never nice to Loter, but Loter was not the kind to estimate people by the worst possible outcome.
Loter spent around a month in the hospital before he received the offer from HueCam Academy's mountain campus. During this time, R.O.S. visited him every day. They sometimes mourned for their loss, but most of the time, they just had fun together. They watched the television, played cards, etc. Sometimes, if none of them felt like doing anything, they just sat quietly side by side and dealt with their own business.
After the offer was received, R.O.S. booked the earliest flight across the entire state to Coral Cobble, the city where the mountain campus was located.
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Loter Spawman's current abilities:
[unknown]:
-[unknown]
[unknown]:
-Enhancing healing ability
-Increasing strength and constitution during fighting
-Performing a fast and instant attack without a clear triggering condition
[unknown]:
-Significantly boosting movement speed after running in an open space for some time
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