At that point Tyler utilised subtle mind control, just enough so that it wasn't painfully obvious. His aim was to squeeze some more money for the Trinity.
- Why are you...
- Keep it quiet, Ronnie! I'm trying to do something for all of us here! - said Tyler.
- Ok, you have a point. We can give you... 18 thousand, if we manage to squeeze that much more from our boss, considering the information you're giving us right now and how effectively you apprehended him. - said the taller policeman. - We'll be back shortly with the money.
They took the chest and cuffed the hunter. Ronnie remained silent. During the wait he told Tyler:
- It's bad enough that we show up out of nowhere, without any experience in the field and ask for more money than the listed amount!
- Here's a pretty good question I've got for you: what will make it easier for you to move out of your parents' house? - said Tyler.
- A job? Money? - said Ronnie.
- No, a shit ton of money, Ronnie! - said Tyler. - My idea was to bend their minds to our advantage and squeeze more cash from them. You've been annoyed by them in recent times on many occasions and I'm one hundred percent certain that at some point you've said to yourself: "what I wouldn't do to earn a lot of money, so that I can leave the house". I...
The cops arrived with the bounty.
- I'll continue my thoughts later. Alright, so... mind if we have a gander? - said Tyler. They handed over the bag with the money and upon a quick count, Garret said:
- Yes, it's all here. 18 thousand.
- They were very impressed at the office and they were wondering if you could join us to the office. - the shorter officer said.
- Eh, as much as I'd like to... I feel it's a bad idea. A lot of questions will be asked and we simply cannot answer them right now. - said Garret. - Maybe... some other time?
- We're currently in a bit of a pickle and we can't explain it, because safety reasons. - said Tyler.
Ronnie's eyes bulged. He couldn't believe that with a mere simple psychological intervention he'd receive 6 000, instead of 5 000 dollars. He then quickly thought about all the things he could buy that were out of his reach before. Garret found out about that and stopped him:
- Not yet, Ronnie. Wait until we leave.
Once the two sides parted ways and the Trinity flew up into the sky, Garret said:
- I don't remember ever earning this much money at once!
- Yeah, it's wonderful! With a few more bounties I can buy myself a car! - said Tyler. Ronnie, meanwhile, was still speechless.
- Now, Ronnie, I know it's all too much and it happened too quickly, but fret not - it's all going to be fine. You did good, you're still in one piece, you earned some money. Your parents should not have a problem with that. - said Garret.
- That's right, but I did so through violence and dangerous experiences, which won't go down well with them. - said Ronnie. - There will almost always be something said, something opposed and criticised by them. I can guarantee you. It's horrible. My parents can come up with so many objections that your head will spin.
- As always, we'll be there with you. You won't be by yourself. - Garret said. - They can't legally take the money from you, as far as I know, so you can relax in that regard.
Ronnie was unable to relax completely, because he had not experienced the reaction of his parents. True, he had money on him that was not stolen from a bank or a cartel, but there was that persisting feeling that he would not keep the money for himself long enough to buy anything, let alone find a safe hiding spot for them that wasn't a bank or a safe within the house.
***
- Did you watch the news? - Heather told Eric. - Somebody's caught a poacher in Tennessee and nobody knows who he is. Rumours are that there are, I quote: "three masked young men who have been seen in the sky above Tennessee.". Does that remind you of someone, Eric?
He was taken by surprise and did not have an adequate response at first:
- Um, well, not quite. That description sounds like... well, it sounds like that of a bunch of bank robbers. And has any sort of footage of them been aired? - he said. - Footage, I hasten to add, in mid-air.
- Why are you so upset right now? - said Heather.
- Because you watch far too much TV, considering I've told you time and again that the media always lies. If it's been aired on a television program, then there's a big chance it's not real. - said Eric.
- But... they were in the air, Eric! - said Heather. - One of them was shirtless, just like our daughter's boyfriend!
- I'm sorry, but I don't believe you. You're saying that simply because you don't like him. - said Eric.
- You are insane, Eric! - said Heather.
- No, I'm rational, Heather. - said Eric.
***
Ronnie got back to his house. Tyler instructed him to leave his end of the intercom active, so that he and Garret could hear the entire conversation. As he walked inside, he saw his mother talking to several other middle-aged women. The TV was on and the news broadcast had just ended.
- Ronnie, where have you been? - Macy asked.
- I was out. - said Ronnie. - With Garret and Tyler.
- And what were you doing? - asked Macy.
- Well... stuff. - said Ronnie. - Ok, it wasn't exactly stuff. We went to Tennessee.
- What? All the way there? How? - said Macy.
- We flew there. - said Ronnie.
- But that costs money! - said Macy.
- Not when you have jet engines strapped to your body. - said Ronnie and demonstrated them.
- Ok, stop, before you burn a hole through the carpet. What were you doing there? - said Macy.
- We... found out that there was a bounty...
- So it was you! You were there! - said Macy. - Were you the ones who caught that poacher?
- That's what I was about to say: we went there to try and catch him and hopefully earn some money. - said Ronnie.
- Do you realise how dangerous this is? You could have died! - said Macy.
- I'm still here and in one piece, as you can see. - said Ronnie.
- How much did you get? - said Macy.
- Six thousand. - said Ronnie. - Here it is. - he pulled the money from the small bag he carried them in. His mother yanked them right out of his hand and began counting them.
- Hey! What gives? - Ronnie said.
- This is not your money anymore. - said Macy.
- But why? - said Ronnie.
- Because... you've acquired the money through immoral, irresponsible and unrespectable means, Ronnie. - said Macy.
- I didn't steal it! - said Ronnie.
- It doesn't matter. - said Macy. - This money does not belong to you anymore. Now go eat dinner and study.
The women were glaring at the money. They were a part of a local feminist association which was running short on money for financing their activities. The reason they were all there was to convince Macy to join them, seeing as she had no real hobbies or activities outside of work.
- If we can convince our chairman, you could easily buy your place among our ranks. - one of them said. Her name was Patricia.
- Pattie, it's too early for that. - Macy was whispering, because Ronnie was still in the kitchen. Shortly after going into his room with his dinner and slamming the door, she continued: - I can't just barge in with money in my hands and ask to be accepted.
- We'll figure something out, not to worry. - said Patricia. - You might just become our saviour!
Macy had mixed feelings. She had the opportunity to do something outside of work, but the problem was buying her place there, considering her high sense of moral.
- Financing our activities is still a noble act. Money is not always evil, Macy. - said Caitlyn, another one of the women in the living room. - Give it a thought and then, once you're done, you can declare it to us.
Ronnie managed to hear the entire conversation. He could not only see through walls using x-ray, but al
so he could hear every syllable. It all infuriated him. It was quite possible that he might lose all of his money. Ronnie called Tyler:
- Oh hey, mate! Have you decided what to splash your cash on? - Tyler asked. - I cut off the connection by accident. Sorry about that.
- I haven't decided on anything other than not talking to my mother for weeks. - Ronnie said.
- What happened? - Tyler said.
- I went bankrupt within 2 minutes, dude. She took my money. - said Ronnie.
- Oi, Garret, we've got a problem! - Tyler added Garret to the conversation.
- What's wrong this time? - said Garret.
- My mother took my share of the bounty and she might give it to some... feminist association. - said Ronnie. - I managed to hear the entire conversation, but so far she's confused and hasn't made up her mind. Dunno where dad is, though. I'm in my room eating dinner and planning on simply eating and watching videos 'till I...
At that very moment Ashlynn called him on Skype.
- Oh wonderful, there's a good way to ruin my day further... - said Ronnie. - Leave the link open like last time, right?
- Yes, of course. - said Tyler. Ronnie answered the call.
- Hey, what's going on? - he asked.
- I don't know. You tell me. - said Ashlynn. - You tell me why you went to university when you clearly have no business there anymore.
- I'm still studying there, you know. - said Ronnie.
- Oh really? Well then how come so many people are talking about someone who's been liberated from going to lectures and only has to pass their exams? It's unheard of in our university. - said Ashlynn.
- Whoever he or she is, they're lucky. - said Ronnie. It was painfully obvious that he was trying to hide that secret.
- Do you have any idea who that someone is? - Ashlynn asked.
- How should I know? Barely anybody talks to me in general. - said Ronnie. - It doesn't concern me directly.
- Alright. I just wanted to know. Earlier I saw a news report on some hunter being caught in... what was it... Tennessee. - said Ashlynn.
- Yeah, I heard that too. - said Ronnie. - Though I did not see it on the news.
- Doesn't that trouble you? - said Ashlynn.
- In reality? No. I don't watch TV that much. The news only irritate me. That's all they show, anyway - someone getting murdered, some fraud cases, some guy who did something unimportant, some housewife saving kittens and shit. It's all nonsense to me. It does not enrich me in any way. Observe a news broadcast closely and you'll see it. - said Ronnie. - That is all you'll ever see on the news: stories blown out of proportions.
- Ok. Is there anything else you're willing to tell me? - said Ashlynn.
- Nothing that I can think of. - said Ronnie. - Do you have anything in mind?
- So that's it? You don't have anything else to say for yourself, other than opinions on subjects that are not directly related to you? - said Ashlynn.
- I... I don't know what to say to that. It feels like...
- It feels like you're ignoring me again! - Ashlynn shouted.
- It's still complicated on my end and I'm not even close to fixing it. - said Ronnie.
- So when will you actually fix this... whatever it is that you're fixing? - asked Ashlynn.
- I don't have a solid answer to that. - said Ronnie.
- God, you're infuriating me! - said Ashlynn. - You're a mess and you don't say anything to me. You've got no plans for your future and your life and...
- Yes, I have plans. - said Ronnie.
- And what are they?
- I want to do something exciting and give something to the world. - Ronnie replied.
- And how's that going to give you stable income and a peaceful life? - Ashlynn asked. - What about a family and children?
- Oh, no, you sound just like my mother now... - said Ronnie.
- Maybe I need to, because you're wasting your time and you're not doing anything about it! - said Ashlynn. - Someone has to get you back where you should be and keep you there for your own good.
- Why should someone keep me locked up? - Ronnie asked angrily.
- Because you don't know what's good for you! - said Ashlynn. - You've let the wind carry you and you'll end up hurting yourself in the process.
Ronnie was silent and getting tired of such talk. He then hung up on Ashlynn. The brothers were not pleased with what they heard.
- That's quite a bad way to end the day, mate. - said Tyler.
- You wanna know what's worse? My appetite is mostly gone right now. - said Ronnie.
- It's because of the anger and agitation. - said Garret.
- True. I'll try eating some and then, hopefully, get some sleep. - said Ronnie.
- Yeah, you do that, buddy. It's always a good idea to sleep it off and think about it in the morning. - said Garret.
- Good night, guys. Thanks for the support. - said Ronnie.
- Good night. - said Tyler and both he and Garret ended the call. Ronnie then heard a voice, which said:
- I'm watching you. Your perception of reality and life will irreversibly shatter.
After frantically looking around for a few minutes, Ronnie resumed eating his dinner, but the thought rankled his mind throughout the whole time.
Chapter XVI
Assault out of nowhere
His mind was going in every conceivable direction. He'd never done anything this daring. Gibel was not very confident, because he had no plan of action. He wasn't being followed, but he had a feeling something was going to go wrong at some point. That didn't happen, despite the copious amounts of security guards he walked by. Upon walking up and down some very large scaffolding and promptly murdering a sizeable amount of engineers, he stood on top of a platform only to gaze upon one of his father's greatest ideas, one of the pinnacles of his extensive military program, an underlying tool in his ultimate goal and quite possibly the crown jewel in his army. A giant whose name was Balos The Executioner, a monstrosity crammed with endurance and high-powered weaponry which has rarely been blessed with a chance to prove itself in combat. The reason behind the Overlord's decision to use him sparingly was that he did not want anybody knowing too much about one of his prides and joys. He even resorted to spreading rumours throughout his troops to keep them in fear and shock, so that they don't become too curious and find out anything about Balos. The Executioner was a biomechanoid and due to that fact, he had to be build according to some heavily detailed and bespoke schematics. Even though the schematics in question were hidden far away from the containment chamber of Balos The Executioner, Gibel obtained them through some extortion and bribery and began reading them. There was no direct way of controlling him; in other words, Balos was not fitted with a standard onboard control panel. Huklin secretly told him beforehand that there was a way to bypass the remotely operated control module. Another problem related to the non-regulated dispatch of Balos was that in order for him to be sent to the respective battlefield, he had to be lowered with the use of a special platform to support his weight until he could safely hop off without sustaining any damage. Gibel had that covered - he recruited a few dozen Jikols to pull the platform into place, so that Balos could climb onto it and transport The Executioner, the Jikols, a number of Culvyns for them to be used as mounts and a lot of Numeksi. With a last minute decision he called in some Ptulens for air support, as well as a large number of Inefs, another flying species, which was larger, more menacing and with pointier claws. The claws were hollow and could inject toxic slime into the organism of the victim and that on its own made them extremely dangerous. Gibel was now full of hope. With a small platoon to support him and Balos the Executioner at the tip of the battering ram, so to speak, he had no concerns about the outcome of his plan.
***
Ronnie was comfortably sleeping... until Sable startled him over the intercom:
- You've been awfully silent for far too long.
- Mm... maybe because... some of us are sleep
ing... - Ronnie mumbled drowsily. - What's wrong?
- So far? Nothing, to be fair. Apart from the fact that I have zero clue as to what's happening to you, what you're experiencing and also another thing: you haven't told me when you're coming back for training. - said Sable.
- Dude, my life is in shambles right now. - mumbled Ronnie. - Could it not wait for a bit?
- No, it can't, and it's obvious why. - said Sable. - What are the others doing? The other members of the Trinity?
- Pf, how should I know? I just woke up, for fuck's sake! - said Ronnie, as he stood up.
- Who are you talking to? - his mother walked into the room.
- New Hope. - said Ronnie.
- What do they want now? - said Macy.
- No idea... yet. - said Ronnie.
- I see that you're busy right now, but once you're ready, I believe it would be wise to get a move on, because we've detected a huge threat that is headed straight for your planet. You decide if it's worth your attention. - said Sable and ended the connection. After a minute or so of silence and immobility, Ronnie quickly put on his jeans and stormed down the stairs. His mother quickly noticed that and stopped him:
- What's going on? Wait! You haven't eaten anything!
- I can't. I have to go. It's urgent. - said Ronnie.
- Is it something we should worry about? - said Macy.
- You may need to hide, because I have little to no idea what to expect, how big the damages will be and how many casualties there are going to be. - said Ronnie. Once he left the house, he contacted Tyler and Garret straight away:
The Immortal Trinity: Inheritance Page 27
