A New Life
The Case of the Titan Syndicate continues thanks to this custom commission from LittleBadWolf back in March of 2024. Our big villains have both turned a corner, and both of them are ready to begin the next chapter in their lives.
We also have our first depiction of Bethana in art! So Team Squirrels.
“Good game, Ed. Got me, fair and square this time.”
Sat across from his father in their usual spot at the Greens, Edmund couldn’t help but laugh. “Take it ya been to see Teach.”
“Can’t believe ya actually read yer old man’s mind. Teaching my boy to be a cheater.” Despite the indignant words and mannerisms, the younger of the two could tell Azurium wasn’t truly upset through the sarcastic tone of his voice alone.
“That’s how he taught me how to keep people like him outta my head. Every time we played, I had to both focus on the game and my mind. Once I started winning, that was proof enough that I passed.” A proud grin crept up the student’s features as he recounted the tale.
“You beat the Great Detective at chess?” The newest member of the Ranger Corp raised his eyebrow.
“Wasn’t as tough as ya think. Teach knows the rules, but not the tactics.Game’s just a tool for him to teach with, and he don’t care for it to be more than that.”
“Huh. Would’ve never guessed. Still, keeping someone like him outta your head is no small feat, even if he was probably holding back.”
“Definitely holdin’ back, knowin’ him.”
As the conversation started to taper off, Azurium decided he would never have a better opportunity than now to discuss his future with his son.
“Ed. While you were in my head, did you see anything else? Anything at all?”
The smile never left Edmund’s face as he put his arms on the table and leaned further in. “Nah. I focused on the game. ‘Sides, I don’t need tah read yer mind to know what’s on it. C’mon, old man. Ask.”
Even though he has his son’s permission, both of them could feel his nerves. Part of him couldn’t help but be amused by his internal conflict. He was a military leader, guard captain, and revolutionary. And in each of his previous lives, he stood foes down, looked them dead in the eye, and took them on without a second thought.
And now, taking a heavy breath, every impulse was screaming to avoid this next topic, to continue putting it off because it was far too soon. But Bartholomew Azurium was tired of taking the coward’s way out. He was a new man, one who would no longer abandon the people he cared about. If he didn’t ask for his son’s blessing, he was never going to get it.
“You know that Volpes is going to be released this afternoon, right?”
“Yeah. Teach was telling me about it. He was looking forward to putting all of that time back into my training.” As he replied, the grin never left his face. Instead, it merely contorted to a different one: The type of smile one wears when one knows the punchline of a joke before it is told.
“Ah, I see. That makes sense. Well, I’ve been thinking a lot about what I want for my future, and I want to be your father again, but-”
He was abruptly interrupted by the younger tigerkin. “-but you want to marry him too, right? And you’re afraid I won’t be happy about it.”
“Y-Yeah. That’s exactly it.” The idea was absurd. Azurium knew that this meant asking his son to be okay with him spending potentially the rest of his life with the very man who stole him away. Still, knowing how that his feelings were genuinely, and reciprocated, he had to at try. “So, would you be happy about it?”
“No.” The grin never left Edmund’s features.
Feeling his heart drop, Azurium sank as low as someone of his impressive height could. “Oh. I se-”
“Not finished.”
He looked back up at Edmund. “What?”
“I said I’m not done. I’m not thrilled by the idea, Dad. I won’t pretend to be, but I ain’t mad about it either. I don’t want to force you to choose between him and me, and I want to give you that second chance.”
“Ed…” Rising up from his slump, the former guard captain could feel his spirits lift themselves high into the sky.
“Is he good to you, Dad?” He reached out to his father, gently patting him on the shoulder.
“I-”
“Is he good to you?”
Grinning wider than he ever had before, Azurium answered. “He’s one of the best things to ever happen to me. Second only to you and your mom.”
“Good. Then go to him. I’ll be here next week, same as always.” Watching his father bolt out of his seat, running straight towards the Corrections Facility, he could only shake his head and start packing his chessboard away.
“Are you sure that’s all you need, Volpes? Most of our patients ask for more than this when they get discharged.” At the front desk of the Corrections Facility, Bethana was putting the final touches on the release papers for perhaps the highest-profile success story she had ever had in her time working.
“It won’t be the first time I’ve rebuilt myself from scratch, and I have more help now than I could’ve ever hoped before. I’ll manage just fine.” The ex-con Volpes, adopted by Magistrum City for the second time, had confidence that things would be different from here on out.
“Ah, right. Fair enough. Either way, we’re going to send one of our people over to check up on you. If you change your mind, let them know. It’s our job to make sure you land on your feet. Got it?” She leaned in towards him, making a point to stare him in the eye.
“I promise. I won’t bury my problems the way I used to.” The oversized, muscular foxkin raised his hands up in a slightly mocking gesture of peace.
“Good. In that case, you’re free to go.” She nodded towards the exit. “And it looks like you have someone here for you.”
“I always could rely on him.” With his belongings secured in both the satchel on his hip and the pack on his back, the titan put the Corrections Facility behind him, ready to start the next chapter of his life. As he did, his oldest accomplice took a knee, presenting him with a ring.
Partners in crime, and so much more. This time, they would start their new lives together.
No Comments