PARALLEL UNIVERSE CHAPTER 14

Lionheart estate

27 August

I woke up the next morning, feeling extremely refreshed. I was kinda excited because today I get to meet some experienced hunters. I quickly showered and change my clothes to something more casual. I picked up and wore a black T-shirt with dark jeans. I went down to the kitchen and prepared waffles for everyone. As I poured the OJ, I heard a door upstairs closing, followed by another one and footsteps descending on the stairs. In a matter of seconds, everyone was at the dining table, sniffing at the delicious aroma of strawberry waffles.

"Ooh..." Alex smiled. "Everything smells good."

"Well, dig in!" I chuckled. Everyone sat down and ate breakfast together. Mom and dad are already in their office suits. It's a pity they still have to work on Saturdays.

"Michael," mom called me. "Don't forget. You have to go home before 5, okay?"

"Okay mom," I nodded. I didn't have to ask another question. I only work in the weekends at around 6 till 9. So I have to be prepared at 5 and get ready to cook in the next hour. I’m glad mom always remind me of these details.

As mom and dad said their goodbyes, Alex and I started to clean up the dishes. Since we promised to meet up at our house, we waited patiently for the others to arrive. At around 7:16, we heard a honking of a car, right outside of our driveway. We stepped outside to find a red mustang, revving up in front of us. The passenger's window rolled down, showing Tony's face behind it.

"Hey you two!" he smiled. "Ready to go?"

We smiled and ran towards the car. I stopped halfway and ran back to the door to lock it. After that, I followed Alex and jumped in the car. The five of us drove towards the outer part of the city. We turned left and right till we reach an estate. The three storied white building is truly majestic. The greek design flashes under the morning sunlight. The building is also surrounded with greenery and the large fountain in front of it splashed water here and there. We were all flabbergasted at the view as we continue to drive to the parking space provided.

"Are you sure we're in the right place?" I asked Nick.

"Truthfully, I dunno," he answered.

"What!?" Alex, Mei, and I yelled at the same time.

"Louis did say this is the address," Tony looked back down on his map.

"So, he's a millionaire?" Mei asked.

"I dunno," Tony replied.

"Well, there's only one way to find out," I said. We parked the car and stepped out. We head towards the double front doors and rang the bell. A few moments later, the door was opened by someone we apparently know. It was Ter. He was wearing a white T-shirt and light brown slakies.

"Ah, it's about time you guys arrived," he smiled.

"Ter!?" I yelled in surprise. "You live here!?"

"Yes. Come on in," he gestured to us, allowing us entry to the large domain. "Welcome to the Lionheart Estate."

Our mouths were completely wide open as we entered the foyer. The building itself was unbelievably tidy. The marble flooring beneath us can even show our own reflection.

“What in the…” Mei muttered silently as we continue to pass the room.

“Come on,” Ter interrupted our thoughts. “Don’t just stand there. Follow me.”

We were led down into a hallway. The marble floor was covered by a majestic red carpet, like the ones used in movie premieres. We looked left and right, admiring the decorations and paintings on the walls. Eventually, we reached to another open area, which looked like your everyday living room, but with a millionaire’s touch. All of the furniture looked really expensive. A full window, viewing the green garden in front of it, replaces the east wall. The north wall has another pair of double door, leading to the next room, while the south wall was built with a marble fireplace with a picture of a noble hanging over it.

“What are you waiting for?” Ter asked. “Sit down.”

We sat down nervously on the sofa with our mouth still gaping. Ter noticed our discomfort a second later.

“Uh… Is something wrong?” he raised an eyebrow.

“H-how’d you get so much money?” Nick stammered. “I mean, how could you afford all this?”

“I didn’t,” he smiled back.

“What!?” we practically yelled on top of our lungs.

“I didn’t buy this. My friend gave this to me as a present.”

“Boy, he must be very rich…” I thought out loud.

“Not really,” Ter corrected. “This estate is actually his family’s. He renovated most of it into my estate.”

“He really cares about you,” Mei smiled.

“Yeah, he does…” Ter looked up silently towards the white ceiling.

“So where is he now?” Troy asked.

“In the kitchen with his brother. They’re making tea for us.”

“Hey Ter!” a male voice boomed from the other side of the north wall. “Can you come here? I need your help on carrying these!”

“Sure thing, Joy!” he yelled back. In a blink, a large frying pan flew on the air and hit him right on the forehead. The banging noise sounded through the room, followed by him crashing down on the floor with the pan.

“And stop calling me that!” the voice responded. “You know how much I hate you calling me that!”

“Oww…” Ter held his forehead, cringing in pain. We held our breath, trying hard not to burst into laughter. Ter stood up, grabbing the steel pan, and head towards the double door on the wall. We smiled silently as we waited for them to come to this room. Finally, after what seemed like five minutes, Ter returned with a silver tray on his hand. It contains plates of snacks for us to eat while talking. He set the tray down and returned immediately to the door, opening it wide enough for people to walk through.

“Sorry we took so long,” a person appeared from the door. He appears to be an Asian, like Mei. He’s probably in his early 20’s. His hair is jet black with a ponytail on the back. He was wearing a white shirt with navy blue jeans. He has a pair of brown eyes that stared to the amount of guests. He’s carrying a tray of cups and a pot of steaming tea.

“No prob,” Nick smiled. “Are you Joy?”

Again, in a blink of an eye, another large steel frying pan flew in the air. This time, it hits Ter on the side of the head. He crashed to the ground once more with the pan on his side.

“See what you did?” a voice in the other room yelled.

“Okay, okay, I’m sorry,” Ter surrendered as he cringed in pain once more. He slowly got the pan once more and entered the other room. Some playful bickering could be heard over the door. The young man chuckled and walked closer to the coffee table.

“I’m Christian,” the young man smiled as he placed his tray down. “Nice to meet you guys.”

“So you’re the younger brother?” Mei asked. Christian just nodded as he sat down on the sofa.

“You can call me Chris if you want to,” he told us.

"So Chris," Tony started. "How long have you been fighting these things anyways?"

"For as long as I've remembered. I think I was 6 when I started my first fight."

"6!?" I gasped.

"I really don't remember that much. Sorry," he hung his head. "If you want more details, ask John."

"John?" Alex raised an eyebrow.

"My brother."

"I thought he was called Joy a moment ago," Nick scratched his head.

"Few years ago, some guy played a practical joke on him by erasing parts of his name. Ever since then, he's always called Joy by them."

"Did he do anything about it?"

"Let's just say, those guys can never be the same again," Chris chuckled. We were a little worried and curious of what he did, but we were interrupted by the door, swinging once more. Ter was walking out of the room, smiling softly as he held the door for the other person to come in.

"Now, will you forgive me?" he said with pleading eyes towards the room.

"Alright, fine," the other man said. He walked in, also carrying a tray of silver plates. Unlike his brother, he has light brown hair like Ter's. His eye color is also very different. His left eye is green, while the other is light blue. His face is clean shaved, with a smooth skin texture. His body is well toned for his age. He could possibly be a year or two older than Chris, while three years younger than Ter. He wore some very loose clothing over him. Brown T-shirt with baggy brown pants. His features is more like Ter's rather than Chris'.

And also, I have the same funny feeling to him like what I had to Mei. I felt like I've known him somewhere before. His head turned towards us and in an instant, he stopped dead on his tracks. His eyes widen the moment he saw us. His mouth gaped as he dropped the silver tray. Luckily, Ter was quick enough to catch it in time.

"John?" Ter looked at him worryingly.

"No way..." he mumbled.

"Is something wrong?" Mei asked. He faced his head towards her and stammered.

"G-Gabriella?"

"Who?" we responded questioningly. He snapped back and took a look at me.

"Gerald?"

"Excuse me?" I flinched.

"Is it really you two?"

"Who are you talking about?" Mei asked.

"You... don't know me?" he asked with a sad face.

"We've just met today," Tony answered. "How could we possibly know you?"

"Y-you're right..." he sighed. "Sorry. You two reminded me about someone I knew a long time ago."

"It's fine," Alex answered.

"Well, allow me to introduce myself," he smiled softly at us. "My name is..."

"John Yerlin Styler..." I mumbled out loud. I jumped back a little when I said that. Everyone, including John, stared at me with a surprised look.

"Gerald?" he stared at me.

"Michael," Mei called. "You know him?"

"Somehow..." I replied, still confused on what I just said. "I think I've met him somewhere before. Just like when I first met you."

"Is it true?" John stepped forward slowly. "Is it really you?"

"Sorry," I looked back. "I dunno who this Gerald is."

"It's okay," he smiled softly. "I'm just happy you remember me."

"Um... Can someone explain what's going on?" Nick interrupted.

"It's nothing," John chuckled. "Let's have that talk you want." He slowly walked over to the sofa and sit down. Ter followed and placed the tray down on the table. He stepped back and sat next to John.

"Well, I'll say it again," John smiled." My name is John Yerlin Styler."

PARALLEL UNIVERSE CHAPTER 13

Team

26 August

It has been five days since we've moved to our new house. Alex is now a new student in the school, like me. What kinda surprised me is the score of his entrance exam. Rumor has it that he made a perfect score on every subject. The teachers suspect him cheating, but after a retest, he still gets a perfect score. The teachers couldn't believe the results. Even I couldn't believe it. When the teachers asked him which classes he wants to take, he wanted his schedule to match mine. So we had classes with each other everyday. The only subjects I had to help him were Home Ec. and P.E. Other than that, he always got perfect grades. I finally found a job as a chef at a restaurant called Chez le Blanc. It's a very fancy restaurant that's both cheap and filling. The pay was good, and I really enjoyed my time there.

My relationship with Mei is still okay. When I asked her what she meant with losing me again, she said she didn't know either. Talk about a very bizarre conversation. Eric has gotten a lot better. Thanks to James, all his wounds have finally closed up. The good thing is that he doesn't remember anything about our encounter with the fiend. And luckily, the damaged apartment was successfully repaired the day before he got out of the hospital.

Speaking of fiends, our hunter business is doing pretty well. We're finally getting the hang of eliminating them inconspicuously. But still, it was still hard to dispose of them alone.

Anyways, it was a Friday noon like any other. The current time was lunch break. We were sitting in the cafeteria together with Mei, Nick, and Tony. We chatted happily like the other days we've passed. We also chatted about what happened during our classes and other funny events that happened during the past few days. I even told them about my new job downtown. They said that they'll visit the place more often to taste my cooking too. We continue to chat until it was 5 minutes before the next period.

"Say, do you guys wanna hang out at our house today?" I asked them.

"Sure thing!" Troy agreed. "We kinda wanna see the whole house ourselves."

"Alright. Now that's settled, let's go to our classes now," Alex got up from his bench. "Come on! We still have 4 minutes before P.E. starts."

"Right," I nodded. Troy, Nick, and I got up and followed Alex. I turned my head towards Mei and smiled.

"See ya Mei!" I said to her. She smiled back and waved her hand. We dashed towards the locker room and change into our gym clothes. The frequent stares to my scars have reduced into a minimum, which makes me very relieved. As we enter the gymnasium, we began to chat about hunters and fiends.

"So tell me, how long have you two become a hunter?" I asked them.

"I started four years ago," Nick answered me. "Tony started last year."

"Did I become a hunter before I got this amnesia?" Alex asked.

"As far as I remembered," Nick responded. "And I think we first met around 5 years ago. You were taking care of one with Lionel when we first met."

"Really?" I stared, quite fascinated at Alex's past.

"Yeah. Ever since then, we always meet up and I eventually became a hunter myself."

"What about you, Tony?"

"Well, last year, Nick was careless enough to be noticed," Tony nudged Nick on his arm. "That's how I know about these things. And since I've been fencing ever since I was 8, I easily become a hunter."

"Ahem!" a deep male voice interrupted our conversation. We turned and see the teacher towering behind us. I never noticed his features this close.

He seems to be in the mid 20's. He has a deep brown hair with gleaming blue eyes. His muscles are well toned and bulging, even under the baggy sports jacket and sports pants. His white shirt is hidden under the light green jacket. He has a very serious, yet gentle face. On the jacket, the word "Lionheart" is sewn in yellow on the left chest.

"Do you guys mind not to talk now?" he smiled softly. His deep voice is very gentle, which is very surprising, considering he's around Lionel's size. "This is P.E. after all..."

"Okay, coach," Nick nodded.

"And let's keep that secret between us, okay? We wouldn't want everyone to know about it," he chuckled.

"Sure thing," Tony smiled. With that, Mr. Lionheart left our group and went to the supply closet.

"Is he..." Alex looked at Nick and Tony as he pointed his finger at the young adult.

"Yes, he's one too," Nick nodded once more. "But enough about that. Let's get physical!"

"You're on!" I yelled back, challenging him on the next practice. Today we played a nice little game of dodge ball. Tony and Nick are placed in one group, while Alex and I are placed in another. We began to smack each other's teams with the red rubber, knocking everyone out one by one, till Nick and I were the only players left. Right now, he's got the upper hand, holding two balls under his arms.

"Why don't we finish this once and for all?" Nick grinned at me.

"Gimme your best shot!" I yelled back. He threw the one on his left towards me, but I dodged it easily. Noticing it hit the ball between us, I made a high jump, avoiding the second ball that was rolling because the throw. Nick uses this chance to throw me the ball on his right. I quickly maneuvered by jumping once more in mid-air, avoiding the throw. As the ball bounce back from the wall behind me, I spun my body and caught it with my right, and with another spin, released it towards Nick. He wasn't prepared for the attack because he was a little surprised of the double jump. He was hit on the shoulder and the sound of Mr. Lionheart's whistle sounded, ending the game. I landed on the floor with a very satisfying smile on my face.

"Alright everyone," Mr. Lionheart shouted. "Play time's over! Head towards the showers!"

We all head towards the lockers, but everyone now started to surround me once more. They kept on complimenting me about my skills. I was both happy and uncomfortable at the same time. They didn't give me enough personal space this time. Alex noticed this and pulled me away from the crowd.

"Okay, that's enough people," Alex pushed the crowds aside. "Coming through!" We quickly showered and change back into our normal clothing. We chatted idly as we pass the door towards the main building, but accidentally bumped into someone.

"Oh, sorry," I quickly apologized.

"It's okay, Mike," the man said to me. I looked up and saw it was Mr. Lionheart.

"Say, you two," he pointed at us. "Got a minute?" We nodded and followed him to a more secluded area of the gym.

"First of all, I think a proper introduction is at hand," he smiled. "My name is Terrance Lionheart. And, as you know from Nicolas, I used to become a hunter as well."

"Used?" I raised an eyebrow.

"I quit becoming a hunter due to a certain circumstance," he sighed. "But I help out once in a while."

"Is that so..."

"Now you two, listen up. Judging from your recent experiences in battle, I say you two lack of them. So, Louis asked me to watch over you two."

"Does that mean you'll be fighting as well?" Alex asked.

"I will only support you when you're in big trouble. So, I suggest you make a team with Nick and Tony. They're more experienced in this, so you'll learn more easily."

"Okay," I nodded.

"If you need any help, don't hesitate to call me," he handed us each a card, containing his cell phone number.

"Thank you, Mr. ..."

"Just call me Ter," he smiled back. "Now get going. You're gonna miss your classes." We nodded and went back to the rest of our classes. After school, we got together and head towards our house. It's a pretty large three story house, painted white with an average porch and front yard. We entered through the front door and into the living room, complete with two sofas, three easy chairs, a mahogany coffee table, a marble fireplace and a 22" flat screen TV, also complete with surround systems, DVD player, stereo, and a complete collection of movies. We sat down on the sofa, discussing about Ter's suggestion.

"Hmm..." Nick rubbed his chin. "That could work."

"But they can take care of themselves, right?" Mei pointed out. "So what exactly is the purpose of making a team?"

"When timed, they're too slow," Tony told us. "They need to take care of them quicker or people will notice the fight."

"I see..." I mumbled.

"One thing's for certain, Mei," Nick added. "They'll learn quicker if we get together as a team."

"If you say so..." Mei nodded.

"By the way," Alex raised his hand. "How many hunters are there in this town? So far I've only known me, Michael, you two, Louis, Lionel, and Ter."

"Other than the ones you say, the people that is really involved is the Styler brothers," Tony explained. "The elder brother is the one who has the most contact with them. He once told me that the first team of hunters assembled was his group, consisting of him, Ter, and his younger brother."

"Can we get to meet them?" Alex asked enthusiastically.

"Sure. I'll ask Ter to tell them."

Tony stood up and took out his cell phone. He walked outside so the conversation wouldn't interrupt him.

"Why did Ter quit becoming a hunter?" I asked.

"No one knows for sure," Nick sighed. "But at least he helps occasionally."

Tony went back in with a smile on his face.

"He said that they agreed to meet up with us tomorrow," he told us. "Is it okay if we meet up here?"

"Sure thing!" Alex smiled. "Now that's taken care of, why don't we enter the game room and enjoy ourselves?"

We happily acknowledged the idea and went to the main hall. We entered the first door on the left to a large game room, filled with a pool table, dart boards, another large screen TV, game consoles, and an enormous collection of video games. We continued to play different games until it was dark. I cooked everyone dinner and they happily ate it. We said our goodbyes as they head out towards their home. At the same time, our parents arrived from their busy day at work. As they eat their dinner, we told them about our plan tomorrow.

"Well, as long as you're careful, okay?" mom smiled. We nodded and went upstairs to our respective rooms. Alex's room is colored violet, containing all his spell casting requirements, such as spell books, wand, staffs. His bed is also the color violet. My room, on the other hand, is white. It's a simple room, with a brand new computer on the oak table, next to the oak bookcase, full of my cooking books and my other books for classes. I stepped into the bathroom and prepped myself to bed. After that, I dropped myself on the bed and sleep peacefully after another tiresome day.

PARALLEL UNIVERSE CHAPTER 12

Misunderstanding

I woke up the next morning, feeling sore all over my body. I groaned and rubbed my eyes for a moment. Instead of flesh, I felt fur. I jumped a little and saw my hand, which was currently a paw. I looked at my body and saw orange, black, and white fur all over my body. I scanned the room to see it was a total wreck. There are a few cardboard boxes across where I'm sleeping. I looked down and saw the charred floor I slept on last night.

'So it wasn't a dream...' I sighed. I got up from the wooden floor and head towards the bathroom. I faced the mirror and saw my vulpine reflection. I stared closely at my current features. My eyes turned from brown to deep hazelnut. My orange fur covered most of my body, while the rest are covered by white and black fur. Even the back of my ears are black. When I give it a shot, I could actually move them. I chuckled and wagged my tail, like any other foxes would do. Since I still feel sore, might as well take a shower in this form. As I drench myself in the hot water, I scrubbed my body with the shampoo I have. Since I currently have fur, I don't need to use soap. Just the shampoo. I rinsed all access and dried myself with my towel. I dressed myself in one of the clothes I had left out. It was a black T-shirt, paired with a cargo pants. I looked at my self in the mirror and closed my eyes. I slowly concentrate on my human image. Slowly, a gust of wind surround me and they dispersed into the air. I opened my eyes and saw that I'm back to normal. No more access of fur, no tail, nothing. Just my normal human self. I smiled softly and walked away from the mirror. Relizing on what I had done, I stopped dead on my tracks.

'How did I know how to turn back? I haven't even got my answer yet...' I pondered. I drew my card and examined the picture. It was a fox with a gray full body armor. On it's back was a great sword with an ivy design and on his left arm is a metallic shield with the same design. Under it, I noticed it was carrying a long sword on its sheathe. Possibly with the same ivy design. I gasped slightly when I noticed that the gauntlents and grieves I used yesterday was actually part of the full body armor.

'Does that mean those things came from that thing?' I thought. I was interrupted when I heard a door opening on the other end of the hall. I quickly pocketed the card and faced the door. Dad was stepping out of the door when he saw me. He smiled and leaned on the doorway.

"Well, it's nice to see your furless face," he chuckled. I chuckled slightly, wondering about his sudden change of attitude.

"Is your brother up?" he stood up straight again, tightening the belt of his bed robe.

"No," I shook my head. "But breakfast will be ready in five minutes." He nodded and entered his room again. I sighed and walked to the destroyed kitchen. I examined the gas tank and luckily, it's not leaking. I sighed in relief for once and checked the ingredients. I had enough ingredients to make some wakame udon, or seaweed noodles. Those are mom's favourites. I gathered the ingredients and grabbed a pot. I boiled the noodle and seaweed and added a few more ingredients. The odor flew through the apartment and out of it, since the door was completly busted of course. As I were about to put the bowls on the table, another orange fox stood in the hallway with a grin in his muzzle.

"Good morning sleepy head," I smiled softly as I placed the bowls.. "You might want to turn back to normal now."

Alex looked at his body and nodded.

"Um..." he mumbled, "how exactly do I turn back?"

"Just remember your human form, that's all."

Alex closed his eyes and in seconds, he reverted back to a human. He opened his eyes and stared at his furless body, like I did a few moments ago.

"How exactly do you know this?" he asked me as he sat down on the other side of the table.

"I dunno," I shrugged. Dad and mom went out of their room, taking a whiff of the food.

"Nobody starts eating those udons!" mom yelled as she ran to her bowl. "I want to be the first to try!"

We chuckled at mom's childish actions.

"This is one of the reasons I loved her," dad smiled as he kissed his wife's cheek. We started to dine in the food in a very good mood.

"By the way, we're going to move tomorrow," dad told us. I dropped my chopsticks and my mouth was gaping as I stared at him.

"W-what?" I yelled.

"B-but I thought you said that we'll move as soon as you've paid the rent!" Alex yelled, joining me.

"Yeah, I already paid everything," dad smiled. "Including Eric's medical bills, the apartment's furniture, and even a new door."

"Leave it to a gazillionaire to ruin the mood," I muttered silently under my breath. I sometimes wonder why they didn't use all those money to buy a mansion like other millionaires.

"I'm just so happy that we're together again," mom smiled at us. Alex chuckled nervously. I know he doesn't want to leave either.

"We'll be leaving tomorrow at 1," dad smiled.

'1 o'clock...' I sighed heavily.

"Why don't you continue packing while we take care of the dishes," mom smiled. Alex and I nodded and went to our room. At least, until tomorrow. We sighed and continued to place everything into boxes. Then, on the corner of my eye, I saw my card sticking out of my pocket. Suddenly, I got a great idea. I quickly ran outside to my mom.

"Mom, can I go out to say goodbye to everyone?" I smiled.

"No, sweetie," she smiled back at me. This is definately not the answer I was hoping for.

"Why? Why not?" I practically yelled on top of my lungs.

"Because I don't want you."

"That's no a very good reason!"

I sighed as she continues to wash the dishes.

"Then at least let me say goodbye to Louis and Lionel."

"No."

"Why? They've done so much for us!"

Mom quickly closed my mouth and pulled me to the bathroom. She closed the door and locked it.

"Okay, I'm sure you don't wanna hear it, but won't you listen to the reason behind it?"

I grumbled and nodded.

"We're not moving out of town."

"Wha?" I gaped. "I thought dad said we're moving away."

"Yes, honey. To a permanent home."

"And... where exactly is this home?"

"Just three houses away from your school."

I was completly speechless when I heard that.

"I guess your father should've told you two that we'll be residing in this town from now on," mom smiled sheepishly.

"Gee, you think?" I smiled sinisterly. "I almost tried to run away to Louis' house a moment ago!"

"Well, I'm glad this misunderstanding is cleared up."

"Yeah, to me! The others don't know yet! They must've thought we're gone for good!"

"Well, why don't you clear it up?"

"You haven't allowed me to step out of the house yet..."

"Oh, silly me," mom chuckled. "Well, go ahead, then."

We stepped out of the bathroom and I went to my parents' room. I knocked and opened the door. Dad was looking up from his laptop at me.

"Yes son?" he looked at me confused.

"You know, you should've told everyone where exactly we're moving to," I said to him. He gave me a confused look before closing the door. I began to step away from the door and looked at mom.

"Maybe you should tell Alex too," I smiled. "He looked really devastated when we misunderstood."

Mom nodded as I began to walk outside our apartment. My walk became very pleasant. I smiled happily as I jogged towards Louis' house. As I reach the green house, I noticed that Troy was tending the garden. He was wearing a white T-shirt with blue jeans. He looked up and saw me. He smiled gently as he began to stand up. He threw his gardening gloves to the green toolbox next to him.

"Hey, Michael," Troy greeted me. "Are you saying your goodbyes?"

"Nah," I chuckled. "I came here to clear up all of the misunderstandings. Can you call Mei to come here too?"

"Okay. Why don't you come in?" Troy said to me as he picked up the gloves and the toolbox.

"By the way, what's in the box?" I asked him.

"My gardening tool," he smiled back.

"Hobby?"

"Yup," he nodded as he placed the box on the dining chair. He picked up the phone and dialed someone. It only took a few seconds before the other line was picked up.

"Hello, Mr. Shou?" Tony said to the other person. "This is Tony Rigger, Mei's schoolmate. Could I speak to her now? Okay, thanks."

Tony faced me and nodded, confirming that she's still at home.

"Hello, Mei? It's Tony. Could you come over? There's something that we need to discuss. Yes, it's important. Okay. See you in 3 minutes."

Tony hung up and crossed his arms.

"Well, she's coming in 3 minutes," he smiled. "Is it okay for me to take a shower first?"

"Sure, go ahead," I smiled back. He slowly walked his way towards the hall and entered a room. I patiently waited for the others as I sat down on the dining table. As I hear the shower running, the doorbell rang. I got up and opened the door. Mei was standing there, a little surprised when she saw me opening the door.

"Oh, Michael..." she mumbled.

"Hi Mei," I smiled. "Come on in."

She followed me to the dining room and peered down to her feet.

"Are you here to say goodbye?" she whispered softly.

"Actually, I'm here to clear up all the misunderstandings," I said to her.

"Misunderstandings?" she looked at me with a confused look on her face. Her eyes were watering.

"Misunderstandings," I smiled. I took out my hankerchief and gently wiped the tears away. "I'm not gonna leave anytime soon."

"D-does that mean..."

"Yes. I'll be staying in this town for a long time."

Mei's eyes started to water again. She jumped on me, holding me very tightly and really caught me in surprise.

"I thought I'd lose you again..." she sniffed.

"Uh... lose me again?" I raised an eyebrow as I continue to rub her back. She continued to cry on my shoulder and didn't answer me. I sighed softly and let that last statment slide. I looked to the hall and saw Nick and Tony leaning on the pathway. They smiled as they continue to stare at us. I completly ignored them as I continue to rub her back. Seconds later, the front door swung open.

"Hey guys, what did we miss?" Lionel asked as he went in with Louis. The both of them carried a lot of grocery bags and nearly dropped them when they saw us.

"Uh..." Louis looked around the room, really confused, "did something happen?"

"You know, you guys really know how to ruin a good mood," I chuckled. Everyone, including Mei, started to laugh with me in the warm green house.

PARALLEL UNIVERSE CHAPTER 11

BIG DECISIONS

When I arrived, I saw the door was torn open. I ran inside to find the landlord lying on the floor. His body was covered with deep cuts, and his blood created a pool beneath him.

"Hey! Are you okay?" I shook him. When I hear a metal clanging, I jumped back and see the attacker. Before me stands a white woman in a long white gown. Her hands held two golden cups with colorful gems on the handle. She stared at me with her golden eyes. I thought she was the dangerous intruder, so I prepared a stance to fight her.

"Are you the one who sent me those mails?" I asked her with a threatening voice. She smiled and nodded.

"Then you must be my target," she answered me.

"Target? Are you connected to the fiend 13 years ago?"

"Got that right, boy!" she yelled back. Her two cups suddenly transformed into twin swords as she began to attack me. I swiftly dodged all her attacks and countered her with an elbow hit, knocking her a few feet away. Before I gave her the chance to recover, I made a tornado kick, landing directly to her face, sending her flying towards my room. I landed on the ground and braced for another strike.she slowly got up and clashed her swords together, turning it into a... minigun!?

I quickly jumped out of the crazy shooter's vision, but as I land, I slipped on the pool of blood. I crashed down, and became vunerable to any attacks. I heard a click as I closed my eyes tightly. Rounds and rounds of bullets were heading towards me. But strangely, I didn't feel a thing. I slowly opened my eyes and saw Alex standing in front of me, creating the same ice barrier in front of us. The bullets were imbended in it as they continue to hit it.

"Are you okay?" he yelled towards me over the sound of the rapid firing gun.

"I'm fine!" I yelled back. I quickly got on my feet and step closer to him. Mei, Nick, Tony, and Lionel arrived at the front door a second later.

"Michael! Are you okay?" Mei yelled at me. The lady quickly aimed the gun at her and shoot her direction. Fortunately, Nick jumped and tackled her, making them both land behind us. Tony and Lionel hid behind the walls.

"Are you okay?" Nick panted. His blue eyes gazed the girl's body for injuries.

"Thanks," Mei gazed back. Nick nodded and stood up.

"Mei!" I yelled over the sound. "Can you and Nick take Eric out and help him?"

"Alright!" she replied. "You guys be careful, okay?" They quickly stood up and ran over the dying man. Nick quickly carried him on his back and made a dash outside with Mei. The both of us focused our attention towards the lone attacker.

"Do you think we'll be able to hit her?" Alex whispered.

"I can't," I whispered back. "She's way too fast. I need a little more speed."

"How?"

"Bazooka!!" Lionel yelled over to us. We quickly turned to see she had changed her weapon into a green bazooka.

"Say goodnight, boys," she sinisterly chuckled.

"Goodnight!" Alex waved his hand forward. The moment she pulled the trigger, a cold layer of ice completly covered the front end of the bazooka. The bazooka exploded into pieces, sending our foe back.

"This is getting out of hand..." I muttered. I quickly turn my head towards the front door. "Troy! Can you evacuate everyone out of here?"

"Okay!" he answered me. I heard footsteps running away from the door. Lionel ran over to us.

"How is it?" he asked.

"The enemy's still alive," Alex muttered.

"How'd you know?" I quickly asked. He pointed back into our room and saw a shadow moving in the smoke. I guess he's right. She's still alive. As the smoke cleared up, we noticed that she had grew black wings. Her cups shattered a little, and she was glaring angrily at us.

"Why don't you two sit still and die?" she yelled at us.

"I guess we have no choice..." Lionel sighed. He handed us a piece of card. "There, it's yours now."

We looked at the blank pieces of cards. As our enemy closes in, the card glew a little. Remembering Louis' story, I focused all my energy in the card. Alex began to do the same. We glow a little as our forms began to change. We both grew a muzzle and a fluffy orange tail. We also grew orange fur on our body, white on the belly side, and black on our paws and tip of our ears. I looked at Alex and saw what looked like a fox. He also sees me as a fox. As our enemy began to strike us, we nimbly dodged the blow. I noticed that the fox's physique has given me an incredible amount of agility and flexibility. I crushed the card and my weapon appeared. From the tips of my paws to my elbows are metallic gauntlents and from my hind legs to my knee are metallic grieves, both serving the purpose of attacking and protecting. These weapons are pretty light and didn't lower my mobility. The metal has an ivy design engraved on it. I smiled softly before I retaliate. The winged lady was a little surprised by my sudden attack. I don't know how, but somehow I knew her weakpoints. I targeted those points and attack with all my might. My punches and kicks hit her directly. She flinched and was send back by my last kick.

"How's that?" I happily taunted her. She chuckled and pulled a cable from the ground. Something behind me extended and tripped me to the ground. I landed really hard on the wooden floor, hitting my head on the counter also. I cringed in pain as she drew close. My body couldn't respond at that moment. Just as she were about to attack, an orange fox smashed a long rod on her head and spun around, hitting it on her face once more. The rod I saw looked like a mage's rod, with a green orb attatched on the end he use to hit her. The fox held out his paw to me.

"You okay?"

"Thanks, Alex," I sighed in relief. I took his offer and was pulled back on my feet. We saw her holding her head. She's dizzy at the moment. We looked at each other's eyes. In our mind, we had the same plan. Full force. We smiled and nodded. We quickly ran towards the enemy and hit her with everything we got. Alex also blasted her with several elemental magics that I think he finally remembered. It seemed like a matter of minutes until our foe is finally defeated into the shadow. We panted and smiled. We won.

"Very well done," Lionel's voice appeared behind us. We spun and saw him clapping his hand to us. "You two made a great team."

"Thanks," I smiled back. "So, how do I turn back?"

"I suggest that you stay like that until your wounds healed up. So, have you made up your mind?"

"Yes," I nodded. "I'll take the job."

He smiled back at us and ruffled our head fur.

"Now that's what I wanna hear," he chuckled.

"By the way," Alex interrupted our conversation. "If you said that I want to be as strong as you, why didn't you just kill her yourself?"

I had to admit it. He has a good point there. I stared angrily at the older man.

"Well, I wanted to know how capable you guys are in situations like this," he smiled back. "If things were a little serious, I'd be helping you guys."

"Hello! Earth to Lionel!" I yelled back. "If you hadn't notice, Eric was terribly injured, our front door was torn down, she completly demolished our apartment..."

"Honey!" mom's voice sounded from the hall. "What happened? Are you okay?" I heard a few more footsteps when I saw our parents looked inside the room, completly shocked of what they saw.

"And here's the last reason!" I finished my statement.

"Well, look on the bright side," Lionel tried to lighten the mood. "All your belongings are in a steel cabinet."

"Yeah! Except my computer!" I glared at him. I groaned as I felt my head starting to ache. I took another glance around our apartment. The living room had a pool of blood lying on the center of the room. Next to it, several bullets rolled slowly towards the telephone cable that tripped me in the fight. The couch was swiss-cheese, along with the easy chair, coffee table, and TV. The kitchen appliances were ransacked and food were scattered on the ground. And, if you sniff really hard, you can smell anchovies in the air.

'When did I buy that?' was the first thing that popped up in my mind. The bathroom was flooding because of the explosion. My room was black all over. There was nothing left of my bed. The cabinet was bent. Not demolished, but bent. A pool of water from the ice that clogged the bazooka attack sits nicely next to what remains of my computer desk and it's accesories. All the windows in my room were shattered. I sighed heavily and glared back at Lionel.

"I hope you guys have an explanation for this..." dad sighed and shook his head. "Especially you two..."

"Us?" Alex gulped.

"Yes, both of you," dad looked at us. He doesn't seem to be surprised to see his two sons turning into foxes.

"Aren't you gonna ask us how we become foxes?" I raised my hand, with the gauntlents still equipped.

"Don't change the subject, Michael," he glared at me. I felt a cold air running down my back to my tail.

'Wow, dad can really tell his kids apart,' I thought to myself. As I was about to open my muzzle, the rest of the gang appeared from behind.

"Guys! Are you okay?" Mei yelled. She stopped and saw my father glaring at us.

"Michael Xavier Stone..." his voice began to rumble. "You'd better explain the situation this instant..."

Though his voice was low, I felt tremendous amount of energy flowing to it. I gulped softly and quivered a little, afraid of his authority towards me. I had no choice but to retell the story, starting from the anonymous e-mail, ending with them entering the demolished apartment.

"D-does it sound crazy?" I stammered.

“Crazy?” dad sighed. “Nothing surprises me now.”

“Then why do you look and sound so angry?” I folded my ears back.

“Because, I’m worried about my two sons.” My ears immediately went back up on hearing that. “One of my son have died once, and the other was attacked and now having an amnesia. Isn’t it a parent’s job to get worried about this?”

“Sorry…” I folded my ears again.

“Sorry…” Alex copied my action. He twirled the fur on his tail with his paw.

“So what do we do now?” I sighed.

“I think, it’s time for us to move…”

We all looked up, very surprised.

“Already?” I whined. “But it hasn’t been two weeks yet…”

“Yes, son. We’re moving,” dad sighed.

“As soon as we finished paying for the damages, we’ll leave this place,” mom continued. We stared each other in the silence.

“You might want to pack your stuff now…” dad ordered us. “I know everything’s charred, but at least some of your belongings still okay. We’ll replace the broken ones.”

We all sighed heavily and the room became more uncomfortable. I dismantled my gauntlets and grieves and returned them into cards. Alex did the same to his staff. We went to our room and started packing everything into boxes. With my new vulpine ears, I could hear Mei’s footsteps coming this way.

“You’re really leaving?” she asked us.

“I guess…” I sighed. I stood up from my box of books and walked over to Mei.

“I know we haven’t known each other for a while, but… thanks for being friends with me,” I whispered.

“You’re welcome…” she sighed. Nick walked over to us.

“Let’s go home…”

Mei nodded and followed him, along with Lionel and Troy, outside. They left our apartment in the same awkward silence.

‘Is this really happening?’ I sighed heavily and looked down to the ground.

PARALLEL UNIVERSE CHAPTER 10

Hunter

The room was filled with heavy atmosphere.

"I... never thought you had such terrible past," Mei looked at us.

"What's done is done," I replied. "At least no one got seriously hurt."

"You died..."

"But I came back, right? That's all that matters."

"Alright..." Mei smiled softly. "Sorry for being too curious about your past."

"It's okay," I smiled back. I was immedieately held tightly by Alex who was sitting next to me.

"Thank you..." he cried softly. I just smiled and rubbed his head.

"If it's alright with you," Louis said, "I'll explain all the details about what you encountered today and 13 years earlier."

"Start," Alex sniffed as he calmed down a bit.

“Do you know about dimensions?”

“Like the ones in math?” Mei asked. Louis just nodded.

“If you study deeply in that specific subject, you’ll know that there are a lot of dimensions in this world, four of which we have known: length, area, volume, and time. Those dimensions corelate with each others, creating the universe we live now.

"As you know, every action we do coresponds with other events. Every result will create a universe of its own, resulting a large amount of parralel universes."

"Uh... you lost me there," Alex scratched his head.

"It's like buying ingredients, right?" I asked. "What we buy determines the meal we will have."

"Exactly!" Louis smiled. "Now, let me continue. If even one of the dimension receive some sort of distortion, it will create a major disturbance on the balances of the universe, creating a massive rift hole between them."

"Now, I don't get it," I held my head.

"It's like making a soup using the ingredients for a steak," Nick explained. "It's completly impossible."

"Uh... I still don't get it," Alex looked confused.

"To put it the easy way," Tony pushed Nick aside, "if we destroy the balance, something bad is gonna happen."

"Okay, you translate for me, please," Alex immedietly stood up and sat next to him. "Can you continue, Louis?"

"Uh... Okay..." Louis stared at him. "So anyways, those distortion also take a more physical form. We call those forms fiends. And if left alone, it could tear the entire existance in this dimension.

"That's why some people with special trainings come together and decided to create an undercover job. We call ourselves Hunters. We take care of the physical forms by eliminating them one by one.

"However, being a hunter is very risky. Depending on the Fiend we encounter, we could lose a limb, blood, or organs."

"Wow, sounds like a dangerous job..." I thought out loud.

"You don't know the half of it," Lionel replied. "Most hunters even died in the fight."

"Most?" Mei asked.

"85.7% to be precise." We gulped at the large percentage.

"Don't scare them like that," Louis sighed. "It'll give them nightmares."

"Too late," Mei trembled. Louis and Lionel just chuckled.

"That's not funny!" Mei pouted.

"So anyways," Louis smiled, "hunters are placed all around the world in secrecy. We also have to dispose of them inconspiciously. But most of the times, we have to dig informations from the streets. That's where most of the times our jobs helped. As a police officer, I can get info from the stations for murder cases thats related with Fiends."

"Speaking of police officer and job," Nick interrupted, "aren't you gonna be late for work?"

"Oh yeah!" Louis started to panic. He immedietly stood up and ran out the front door after grabbing his keys. We all chuckled at his reaction.

"Well, I guess I'll be countinuing his explanations," Lionel smiled.

"No need," Mei replied. "I think we get the big picture already."

"Oh..." Lionel stared at the Chinese girl.

"And lemme guess," she continued, "you want us to be hunters right?"

"H-how'd you guessed?" Lionel's eyes were struck opened.

"Simple, you've been staring at us all this time," Mei deduced. "It indicates that the certain details that you're telling us is actually to find out if we have any reactions to it. And seeing that we've already seen Michael's techniques, I'm guessing that you guys sees his potential as a hunter."

We were completely dumbfounded. I can't believe she could come up to something like this in such a short time.

"Am I right?" Mei asked.

"Huh? Oh, yes," Lionel replied. "Your deducing skills are quite, uh... unbelievable."

"Thanks," she smiled. "I get that a lot."

"Well, Michael," Lionel stared at me. "What do you say?"

I wasn't certain on what to answer. If I accept this offer, it means I have to face the dangerous creatures. But if I decline, well, not much will change. I really don't want to fight if I can. But I also want to protect Alex since those things are attracted to us.

"That's okay," Lionel sighed. "Take your time. It's a very hard decision to make. I'll give you guys a week to think about it, okay?"

"Yeah..." I murmered. All of us stood up and head towards the door.

"Sorry for intruding," I apologized.

"It's okay," Lionel smiled back. "I didn't think we have to tell you this quickly."

"Can I have one more question?" Mei asked.

"What is it?"

"Does those fiends send e-mails before they strike?"

Lionel, Nick, and Tony just laughed hysterically.

"What?" Mei glared at them.

"N-no, nothing," Nick tried to hold back his laughter. "It's just that, how could something like that be a tech genious?"

"Well, I was just asking," Mei pouted.

"So what gave you the idea they could use computers?" Lionel caught his breath.

"Four days ago, I received a threatening e-mail from someone," I explained. " Then it started to count down like a ticking time bomb."

"Time bomb?" Tony raised an eybrow.

"Well, I've never heard about any fiends that uses technology before," Lionel rubbed his chin. "Any other infos?"

"If it's like a time bomb, it's supposed to detonate today."

"And that fiend attacked us today," Nick added. "No wonder you asked that."

"But, that's strange," Tony mumbled. "How could the two be connected. Is it just pure coincidence?"

We all thought deeply of the possibilities, and came up with no answers. We all sighed and shook our heads.

"Let's try to think about it later," Lionel said. "Right now, we..."

Just as he were about to finish his sentence, something in my pocket rang and vibrated out loud. We jumped and were completly surprised. I took the object out of my pocket and held it in front of me. The small device looked like a white PDA with three vertical stripes in the middle. The screen was glowing red with the words RED ALERT.

"What's that?" Alex asked me.

"It's dad's security pad," I explained. "It's like the apartment's watch dog."

"How'd you have something like that?" Nick asked.

I patted my other pockets. My cellphone was nowhere to be found. "I must've thought this was my cell."

"Well, what does it say?" Tony asked.

"RED ALERT."

"And what does that mean?"

"It means, someone in our apartment, armed and very dangerous, high chance that someone's already injured," I explained. I immedietly realized, someone broke into our apartment. I dashed quickly towards my home. The others followed a few seconds after.

'Mom, dad, please be okay...' I whispered under my breath.

PARALLEL UNIVERSE CHAPTER 9

Resolution

Note: This chapter is the third part of what happened 13 years ago and will be retold in a 3rd person view.

"You're not taking any victims, Death!" the wolf growled, showing his canine teeth. His eyes burned with hatred as he gazed upon the skeleton's eyes.

Death himself stared the lupine warrior. He was confused of his actions. It shows no fear towards him. Instead, it shows a burning desire to kill him. As death chuckled, the wolf lunged forward and tried to hack him down in such a high velocity. Death, knowing that he couldn’t avoid the attack, blocked it with the scythe’s pole. The sound of metal hitting metal soon followed the rhythmic attacks between the two. The family stayed on the corners of the room, avoiding all the attacks that could hit them. The wolf ended his flurry of attacks with another vertical hack. The sword imbended itself almost half way of the pole. The wolf then kicked the skeleton murderer, sending him to a wall behind him. The wolf then took another defensive position againts him.

"Impressive..." Death grinned. "Your skills are quite interesting..."

The wolf just gazed upon the heartless murderer.

"This is the fourth time I'm surprised today," the skeleton shook it's head. "I must say, today is quite exciting. But now, we must part."

The wolf flinched at the last sentence and quickly dashed forward. He slashed the creature, but he wasn't quick enough. Death easily dodged the attack and flew away through the opened window into the darkness. The ice walls slowly melt away, and the exits are opened again. The wolf sheathed his sword to his back and turned to the family.

"Is everyone okay?" he panted.

"N-no..." Marsha sobbed. Her tears covered her cheeks.

"Who's injured?" the wolf panicked.

"He's not injured! He's dead!" Marsha yelled. The wolf's muzzle were gaping as the mother was comforted by her husband. He then walked towards the small child and bent down.

"Can you tell me where he is?" he whispered. The small boy just sobbed as he point the dining room. "Thanks..." the wolf rubbed his head. He then slowly stood up and walked towards the room. He saw a limp body in the middle of the room. The pool of blood surrounded the small body. He sighed and slowly walk towards him. He then chant some words before the room was filled with light once more. As the light covers the boy, his wounds slowly began to close. The boy soon coughed out loud which gain everyone's attention. The family ran towards the room and found the boy in the wolf's arm. His wounds have closed, only leaving huge scars on his front and back. The family was deeply shocked of the scene.

"Don't just stand there," the wolf spoke out. "We need to take him to a hospital. He suffered a major blood loss."

"Ah, okay," Peter ran out and started his minivan. The family and the wolf followed him and entered the car. The wolf took out a white cloak under his brown jacket and wore it over his body. He wore the hood, covering his lupine features. He wrapped the injured child with the jacket he's been wearing. It's warm now because of his fur and body heat. As they arrive the hospital area, the wolf opened the door and jumped out before it got the chance to stop. He dashed to the receptionist and yelled out loud.

"There's an emergency!" he shouted. "He's experiencing major blood loss!" The nurses nodded and escorted him to the nearest ICU, not paying attention to his lupine figure and tail. The wolf laid the boy to the bed before stepping out of the room. The doctors and nurses rushed in and took care of the rest. The wolf sighed and sat down on one of the seats. His ears perked up and heard heavy footsteps heading his way. Without looking up, he knew it was the child's family.

"How is he?" Peter gasped.

"In there," the wolf kept staring at his arms. They were trembling all the time. Seeing the pool of blood and touching the child's cold body reminded him of that time. He couldn't stop figeting. Those memories returned to him slowly.

"Mom... Dad..." he mumbled. His tears rolled down his muzzle and hit his paws. Marsha took notice of the lupine teen and sat next to him. Slowly, she reached to the teen and rubbed his back.

"Um..." she whispered. "It's okay..."

The wolf continued to cry as they wait for the doctors to exit the room. Finally, after waiting for an hour, the doctors stepped out.

"How is he, doc?" Peter desparately asked.

"He's stable now," the doctor read his notepad. "Clearly, the young man carrying him was right. He suffered a major loss of blood. Other than that, he seems fine, except for the scars on his front and back. According to me, they're still fresh. How did he get those anyways?"

"Oh, um..." Peter scratched his head.

"It's his birthmark," Violet lied. "Yeah! It always looked like that!"

"Um... Okay..." the doctor scratched his head. "Well, truthfully, something still bothers me... How did he lose so much blood? I don't see any wounds or anything."

"Um..." Violet started to lose her ideas.

"Well, that aside, he's still asleep. So if you want to visit him, try not to wake him up," the doctor walked away. Everyone entered the room to see a sleeping child with a blood infusion attatched to him. The heart meter shows a steady heart rate. Almost everyone was relaxed. The wolf immedietly stepped outside and sat down on the same spot.

"Hey," a man's voice was heard. He looked up and saw the family gazing at him.

"Thanks for saving him," Peter smiled. The wolf stood up and wiped his eyes. "Can you tell us your name?"

"Louis..." the wolf mumbled.

"Thanks, Louis," Mark pulled him into a tight hug. "You saved my grandkid."

Louis, who wasn't expecting a hug, was shocked. His muzzle was almost exposed to everyone in the hall.

"How can we ever repay you?" Violet's smile gleamed.

"J-just keep him safe," Louis stammered. "That's all there is."

"Oh, something bothered me," Marsha said. "When you cried earlier, you said mom and dad. Does that mean..."

Louis felt pain in his heart. He was constantly reminded of the tragic event at Christmas. His ears flattened and he began to cry again. Marsha felt awful and comforted the 19 year old.

"I'm so sorry..."

"It's okay..." Louis sniffed. "What happens in the past, stays in the past. The only thing I could do is move forward."

"I see..." Marsha sighed in relief.

"But..." Louis sighed, "at least I could tell you about their deaths."

The family listened closely to Louis' past as they wait for the time to pass.

...

The next morning...

Louis found himself asleep in the hospital room. He hasn't change his appearance from yesterday. Slowly, he reverted back to his human self. As he looked around, he was jumped by a boy.

"Shhh..." the boy in the mage costume whispered. "Don't wake them up."

Louis' eyes were shot open by the rude awakening. He smiled and placed the child on the ground. He slowly walked towards the door and exited. There, he was confronted by Mark and Peter.

"You're leaving?" Mark said.

"Yeah..." Louis replied. "I still have school and work."

"Can you do us another favour?" Peter stared at him seriously.

"Um... Yes, sir... What is it?" Louis raised an eyebrow.

"Can you take Alex with you?"

This really shocked Louis. As he was about to shout, Peter and Mark quickly silenced him.

"Shhh!" Peter paniced. "We don't want our wives to hear us." The both of them released him at the same time.

"Wh-why?" Louis looked at them questioningly. "I mean, why do you want me to bring him?"

"I was my decision," a little boy's voice appeared. Louis looked down and saw the kid. "I want to know how to use magic too!"

"Why would you want that?"

"I don't wanna see Michael got hurt because of me. I wanna become as strong as you so I can protect me and Michael."

Louis looked at the fathers.

"We're as surprised as you are," Peter sighed. "But we couldn't talk him out of it. Since you seem reliable, can you?"

"What about your wives?" Louis gave them a worried look.

"Don't worry, we'll think of something," Mark chuckled softly. Louis looked at the child's eyes. He was dead serious. He sighed in defeat.

"Alright, I'll do it," Louis replied the favour.

"Thanks," Peter smiled. "Well, we're counting on you."

"Let's go mister Louis!" Alex tugged the teen's cloak.

Louis chuckled at the child's enthusiasm. "Don't call me that. Just call me Louis."

"Okay Louis!" Alex smiled happily as the both of them walked towards the exit.

"Till we meet again..." Louis smiled back at the men once again. The fathers nodded as they watch the both of them leave.

"Well son," Mark patted Peter on the back, "let's try and find a reason."

"You're right, dad." Peter smiled back. He took one last look of his son's back.

'They grew up so fast...' the father of two smiled sadly. He followed his dad inside the room, waiting for the other one to wake up.

PARALLEL UNIVERSE CHAPTER 8

Wolf

Note: This chapter is the second part of what happened 13 years ago and will be retold in a 3rd person view.

"Say cheese!" Mark said to the twins. He pressed the button on the Polaroid camera, creating an image of the two in a matter of seconds.

“Dad, isn’t it time for you to use a digital camera?” Peter smiled.

“If this thing still works, I’ll keep on using it,” Mark replied. “Take a look, son!” He handed the young father the photo. It shows a remarkable result. The quality is like a digital camera’s.

“You haven’t been tampering with the camera, have you?” Peter smiled. “The quality’s way too good.”

“Maybe… Maybe not,” Mark grinned. The two man laughed as the doorbell rang once more. Violet opened the door, not expecting who’s the visitor. Instead of a child, a hooded man with a black cloak stood with a scythe on his back.

“Good evening,” he said. “Is this the house of Mark and Violet Stone, grandparents of Michael and Alexander Stone?”

“Um… yes,” Violet responded. “Who exactly are you?”

“Oh, silly me. I’m Alex’s and Michael’s teacher at school,” he smiled. “I knew their birthday and wanted to congratulate them. I heard they’d come here to celebrate it. Mind if I come in?”

“Oh, not at all, mister, um…”

“Grim.”

“Okay, Mr. Grim,” Violet smiled as friendly as possible before letting him in. As they entered the kitchen, the front door was banged several times. Violet grumbled and went to the front door once again. She opened the door and saw the teen from before returning. His eyes were flaring with anger.

“Oh, you’re the one with Lionel,” she smiled.

“Yes ma’am,“ he replied. Violet noticed he’s in a very bad mood.

“Is something the matter?” she said worryingly.

“Yes. I was wondering if you know the man under the dark hood.”

“He said that he’s my grandsons’ teacher. Why’s that?”

Louis began to worry about her grandchildren. “Could you at least tell me his name?”

“He said his name is Mr. Grim. Odd name, isn’t it?” she said with a chuckle. Louis, on the other hand, was dumbstruck. He looked down to his feet and started to think silently.

“Grim…” he murmured. “The grim reaper! Death!”

“Is something wrong?” Violet snapped him back to reality. “Do you know that man?”

Louis raised his head. “Where is he?” he glared angrily. “I want to speak with him now.”

“What’s the matter with you, child?”

“Ma’am, I need you to wait outside for safety.”

“Why’s that?” Violet raised her voice, slightly offended. “There’s no place safer than my own home!”

“But you don’t understand! Everyone in this house is in mortal danger!” Louis yelled as low as possible.

“Give me one good reason!” Violet crossed her arms in front of her. At the same time, a woman’s shriek was heard from inside. The both of them turned their heads towards the kitchen.

“Oh no…” Louis gritted his teeth. “Ma’am, stay outside where it’s safe!” he ordered her as he dashed towards the source of the shriek. Violet, not knowing what to do, just followed his orders and stepped outside the house. She now knows that her haven is not safe anymore.

~sometime during the banging of the door~

As Michael started to eat another slice of cake, he noticed a hooded figure stepping close to him. He peered into the hood and saw a skeleton head with red dots staring at him.

“Nice costume, mister!” he smiled.

“Thank you,” the mysterious figure replied.

“Want some cake? It’s my birthday you know!” Michael handed him a plate.

“Um… No thank you,” the figure replied. “Are you Michael Xavier Stone?”

“Yes, yes I am!” Michael giggled playfully.

“Well this certainly made my job easier,” the figure mumbled. “Where’s your twin brother?” he asked the child.

“Over there with mom,” Michael pointed at his twin. Alex noticed the man and ran over to him. He took the same peek under his hood.

“Nice costume, mister!” Alex smiled.

“Your brother said the same thing,” the man chuckled. Marsha came to the small group and smiled.

“Hi,” she greeted the man. “Not to be rude or anything, but, do I know you?”

“Nope, and you don’t need to know me,” the figure chuckled before snapping his fingers. A chilly atmosphere suddenly filled the room. Everyone in the room suddenly feels very heavy.

"Wh-what's going on!?" Marsha's eyes were wide open.

"I... can't move!" Peter struggled.

"Who are you and what are you up to?" Mark yelled at the stranger.

"Now, now. Indoor voices, please," the man said. "It'll make my job easier."

"What are you trying to do? I demand an answer right now!" Marsha glared.

"If you must know, my mission is to eliminate the two boys," the man raised his scythe. "They're a threat for us in the near future."

"What threat!?" Peter yelled. "They're just kids!"

The hooded man ignored the father of two. "Let's start with the younger twin." He swung his scythe towards Alex. Marsha closed her eyes and screamed loudly. Michael somehow broke loose from the bindings and pushed Alex away. Sadly, he didn't have the time to react as the scythe stabbed through his body. Everyone was shocked at Michael's heroic deed. The hooded man was the most shocked of them all.

"Impossible!" he exclaimed. "How can a mere child break through this immobilizer!?"

He pulled his scythe away and turned towards the other child.

"No matter," he sighed. "At least that part of the job is finished."

Alex trembled in fear to what the figure would do to him. His limbs weakened as he cried.

"Now," the man raised his scythe once more, "any last words?"

"Yes," a voice appeared from behind him. "How about, I'll kick your ass?"

As the man turned his head around, gunfires rang, making him flown back to the wall. Everyone turned their heads towards the shooter. A young man with silver eyes and hair pointed his black beretta towards the hooded figure.

"Is everyone okay?" he asked them.

"We can't move," Alex told him.

"Binding spell..." the teen mumbled. "Gimme a sec..." He then chant some unknown language. The room filled with light and the family's mobility has been restored.

"There, I think you can move now," he said. "Get to safety. Now!"

The family nodded and followed his order. Alex, who was too scared to move, was picked up by his father. The hooded man got up and raised his hand. All of the exits have been sealed with an ice wall. The family turned their heads towards the hooded figure and were shocked to see the figure was a skeleton from top till bottom.

"Nobody gets out alive!" the skeletal figure's jaws clattered. He then floated in the air with his scythe on his hands.

"I don't think so!" the young man replied as he took a defensive position. He took out a card from his pocket and began to glow a white light. Slowly, his body began to grow silver fur and his ears repositioned themselves to the top of his head. He also began to grow a muzzle and a tail. When the transformation was finished, his appearance turned into an anthro-wolf. He then crushed his card, transforming it into a great sword with a very unique design. He held the sharp blade with both hands and pointed it at the undead.

"You're not taking any victims, Death!" the wolf growled, showing his canine teeth. His eyes burned with hatred as he gazed upon the skeleton's eyes.


To be continued...

PARALLEL UNIVERSE CHAPTER 7

PAST

Note: This chapter will be retold in a 3rd person view.

Marsha sat there behind her desk, scrolling down the list she has to examine that day. She sighed deeply as her thoughts wander elsewhere.

“You okay, sweetheart?” Peter, taking notice of his wife’s condition, asked her.

“Oh, it’s nothing,” she lied.

“Come on, Marsha. I’ve known you since high school. I know that look,” Peter pointed at her face. “You’re thinking about something else, right.”

Knowing she would lose the argument, Marsha sighed and explained what’s on her mind. “I was just thinking about Alex.”

“Oh…” Peter got out of his desk and stood next to her.

“It’s funny, right? He’s so close to us right now, but he feels so far away,” said Marsha as her eyes began to water.

“Honey,” Peter hugged her tightly, “Alex is gonna be fine. The doctor said that amnesias aren’t permanent. Sooner or later, he’ll remember us.”

“I know,” she stammered. “But seeing him hurt reminds me about that day.”

“Me too, sweetheart. Me too,” Peter said as he rubbed his wife’s hair slowly. Slowly, those memories came to haunt them again.


13 years ago…

31 October, evening

“Michael! Alex! It’s time to go!”

Marsha called her boys down the stairs. She was about to wear her aquamarine earrings when she heard two boys crashing down the flights of stairs. The boy in the white ghost costume was being chased by the one in a mage costume. They were excited not because it was Halloween, but also their birthdays. The young twins ran outside to the blue van where their father was waiting.

“Boo!” the little ghost jumped.

“Ha ha!” Peter laughed. “Come on boys, you don’t wanna be late to grandma and grandpa, right?”

He opened the door and picked up the ghost. He strapped him in before doing the same to the little mage. The family drove their way towards the small house 2.5 miles away. Approaching the driveway, an old couple stood on the front porch, waiting for their son’s family to come closer. As the van stopped and turned off, the boys got out of their seatbelts and opened the door. They ran quickly and greeted their grandparents.

“Hi boys!” Mark smiled. “Happy birthday!”

“Thanks grandpa!” the mage smiled.

"Now, which one's which again?"

"Michael's the ghost, I'm the mage!" Alex smiled

"Of course you are," Violet smiled at her grandchildren. Her silver hair gleamed under the white neon light as she cuddled the both of them.

“Hey mom! Hey dad!” Peter and his wife stepped out of the van.

"Hey son!" Mark replied. "A little pudgy, aren't we?"

"Dad! I lost 5 pounds this week!" Peter pouted.

"And they're back with reinforcements," Marsha giggled. The family laughed as they entered the white house. Mark, a retired world explorer and archeologist, collected various objects through the ages, but his Renaissance Era collection is the most complete. They head towards the quilt covered mahogany table next to the antique collections and started to dine in.


"Why do I always get stuck with baby sitting?" a young man sighed as he walked down the dark street. His silver eyes stared at the little crowd as they visited each and every houses. He scratched the back of his silver haired head. "I still have some police reports to fill in."

"Yeah, sorry about that," a blonde teen of around his age responded. His blue eyes stared at the young man's face. "But you know how Rena always force us to do stuff."

"Come on, Lionel! Your sister could at least tell me that we'll be babysitting today!" the silver haired student ranted. "I was just about to wrap up the report when you she showed up and kidnap me!"

"Well sorry, Louis. It kinda surprised me too that she suddenly showed up out of nowhere and take us to her home."

Louis tilted his head upwards. "I hope she's enjoying herself. She owes me big time!"

"I'm sure she is," Lionel chuckled. "Henry just came back from his assignment in the army. They've been planning this date since last month. You don't wanna ruin that, do you?"

Louis just sighed and shook his head. "Oh well, I guess that report will have to wait."

"You know, I'm still impressed that you actually became a police chief even though you're 17."

"Heh, just to let you know, there used to be a governor that's still in high school," Louis smiled.

"Oh yeah? When was that?" Lionel raised an eyebrow.

"Years ago," Louis watched the little group. A little blonde girl in a pink fairy princess dress ran towards him.

"Did you enjoy yourself, Sandra?" Louis crouched down, staring at the little girl's blue eyes.

"Yes, Uncle Louis!" she smiled happily. "I have tons of fun!"

"Alright then, let's go home then," Lionel smiled.

"Aww..." Sandra pouted.

"Alright, one more block, okay?" Louis smiled.

"Yay! Thank you, uncle!" Sandra jumped up and down in glee before running towards the next block.

"Wow," Lioune smiled. "You must really like her."

"Well duh! She's my niece!" Louis smiled back. "Also, I'd like to see the look on Rena's face when she sees Sandra in a major sugar rush!"

"Oh..." Lionel was dumbfounded of the sinister idea.

"Come on!" Louis tugged his arm. "We got lots of candy to get!"

"You're really enjoying this, aren't you?"

"Why yes. Yes I am," Louis grinned as he chased his niece.


"Good job boys," Mark applauded as his grandsons blew the five candles on the cheese cake. They pulled them out before cutting them into slices.

"When I grow up, I wanna become a cook!" Michael smiled as he took a bite from his slice.

"Really?" Violet smiled.

"Yeah! Cause mom can't cook!" Michael's comment caused everyone but Marsha to laugh.

"Do you want me to ground you, young man?" Marsha glared at the older twin.

"Why? I am on the ground, right?" Michael raised an eyebrow as everyone else continued to roar with laughter.

"You little..." Marsha grinned as she rubbed his hair roughly. Moments later, the front doorbell rang. Violet stood up and greeted the visitor. On their doorstep stood a little fairy princess, accompanied by two teens behind her. The one on her right has a silver hair and eyes, while the other has blonde hair and blue eyes like the princess.

"Trick or treat!" the little fairy princess held her bag up. Violet smiled and placed some candy into her brown bag.

"Don't forget to say thank you," the silver haired teen smiled.

"Thank you!" she smiled before closing her bag.

"What a nice kid," Violet smiled. "Is she your sister?"

"No, she's my niece, actually," the silver haired teen smiled. "Or, our niece. She's Lionel's sister's daughter."

"Then, are you Lionel?" Violet asked the other teen.

"Yes, that's right," Lionel shook her hand. "Nice to meet you."

"I've never seen you in the neighbourhood before."

"We're just babysitting. My sister's going out with her husband right now."

"That's wonderful, dear," Violet smiled. "Make sure you keep her happy, okay?"

"All right, mam. Thanks again," Lionel smiled as they walked towards the next house. They were about to go to the front door when Louis noticed an odd looking man walking towards the house they just visited. He was wearing a long black coat with a scythe carried on his back.

"That's odd," Louis murmered.

"What's up?" Lionel looked towards the unknown person. "Dude, isn't he a little too old to be trick or treating?"

"Yeah..." Louis walked a few steps away towards his niece. After the fourth step, a sudden chill suddenly rose from his back. He quickly turned towards that man again with fear and anger in his eyes.

"Uncle Louis," Sandra pulled his jacket, "what's wrong?"

"Sandra," Louis knelt down and held her, "I want you to stay on Lionel's side no matter what. Got it?"

"Okay," she replied, not knowing what's going on.

"Louis, what is it?" Lionel questioned his cousin.

"I've got some loose ends to cut," Louis said as he stood up and walked towards the hooded man.

To be continued...