V.I.T.A.E
Peter, a bit excited, walked ahead of Ricky, while he looked at him with a tired expression. Then his gaze dropped to his arm, where Kamala was hanging from his arm like a small sack of potatoes. The girl kept moving her feet with the same excitement as Peter, even though the only way to keep her still without her running off was to hold her like that.
Even so, her feet and hands didn't stop swinging.
Just like Peter.
Even when Peter tried to act like someone older… he still behaved like a brat. Just like her.
"I have all the information I scanned in my room. Well… I also have it in my suit, but I still need a device to transfer it, so it's better if I show it to you on my research board," Peter said, speaking quickly, barely containing his excitement. After all, he was working with one of VITAE's professional agents… and this time as an active member.
"I only came to drop you off at your house. The information was already transmitted by your suit's AI to the VITAE database. There's no need. Besides, I have a lot of things to take care of…" Richard managed to say.
But he didn't finish.
The door to Peter's house swung open.
Aunt May stepped out with an expression somewhere between worry and anger, looking straight at Peter.
May, even though she was already an adult woman, somewhere in her thirties or forties, was still really attractive. Natural, but striking.
She was about to scold him.
But she stopped instantly when she saw Richard next to him.
"Hi, Aunt May," Kamala said, raising her hand from under Richard's arm.
That made May show a slight look of confusion… until she saw the logo on Richard's chest.
VITAE.
"Oh… excuse me, where are my manners?" she said quickly, her expression changing completely. "Come in, come in."
Her smile came back as fast as her anger had disappeared.
Peter let out a small sigh of relief.
He had clearly been saved.
May knew Peter had an internship at VITAE because of his intelligence. And she also knew Kamala, the daughter of the neighbor upstairs. Peter used to take care of her sometimes, so it was normal to see her around the house.
"Ricky said he has things to do," Kamala blurted out immediately.
But Richard covered her mouth right away.
Then he looked at May and gave her a slight smile.
"I hope I'm not causing any trouble," he said politely.
Peter glanced at him.
It wasn't common to see him like that.
He always had that serious face… even Kamala looked surprised, like she had never seen him smile.
"Please, come in. It's no trouble. After all, you brought the kids home. Did it get late during their training?" May asked.
"Yes… a bit. There are some things happening at VITAE. Even the training branch is a little… restless," Richard replied easily.
That supposed "branch" was the excuse they used to explain the training of gifted youths under scholarship.
It did exist… just not something either of them had seen.
"Ah… I see. I was worried Peter had gotten into trouble," May said, placing a hand on her chest as she gave him a look.
"Don't worry. You could say it's our fault… but Peter is in good hands," Richard replied while observing the inside of the house.
His gaze moved through the place calmly.
The photos.
Only Peter… and May.
Some personal objects.
And for a moment… May's fingers.
Then he set Kamala down.
She stayed still, with a surprised expression, next to Peter, who was still somewhat confused.
Kamala looked at Peter… then at Richard, who was now talking calmly with May.
"I better not invite Ricky to my house… my dad can't compete with him," she muttered under her breath.
Peter almost choked.
Because, honestly…
Even though Richard had that serious face all the time… it was hard not to notice he had that kind of presence.
The kind that makes anyone turn to look.
Meanwhile, Peter gave Kamala a confused look.
"What are you talking about?" he asked.
"You're a kid, Peter," Kamala said, shaking her head, making for a pretty ridiculous scene where a nine-year-old girl was saying that to a fifteen-year-old boy.
Though the arrival of her mother made Kamala try to escape, obviously without success, barely managing to say, "Don't get into trouble without me," Kamala said before leaving.
It would've been a great exit… if it weren't for the fact that her mother slung her over her shoulder, preventing her from escaping again.
Richard stayed at the house for a while. He was even invited to dinner by Aunt May, and he accepted without any issue. Unfortunately, halfway through dinner he received a call, so he had to step aside to answer it.
"Understood," he replied calmly. "Yes… I'll handle our side. The mission? Alright… then put it on hold for now," he said seriously from a corner.
When he hung up, he let out a small sigh before returning to the table.
"Excuse me, ma'am. It's time for me to leave. I have some work pending," he said politely.
May, who had clearly enjoyed the dinner, nodded with a smile.
"That's a shame…," she replied.
"Next time I could invite you as thanks," Richard added.
"Of course, sure," she said naturally.
Peter kept eating in silence, with a slightly annoyed expression. Kamala had already left a while ago; her mother had come to pick her up.
Richard took his jacket and, before leaving, looked at Peter.
"Agent… Peter," he corrected himself quickly. "The scholarship workshops will be suspended for a few days, so you don't need to show up."
"Huh? But… don't we have to handle something serious?" Peter asked, changing his words mid-sentence when he noticed his aunt's presence.
"There are more important matters in VITAE that have priority. Don't worry. When I'm done with them, I'll help you with your project. For now… you can take a break. I heard your school is having a dance," Richard said calmly.
May looked at both of them without understanding much, but assuming they were talking about something related to the scholarship and working with other students.
"Alright…," Peter replied without much enthusiasm.
Richard said his goodbyes and left.
He was supposed to just drop them off… but he had clearly stayed longer than expected.
The next day, Peter understood why he had seemed busier than usual.
While May watched TV before he left for school, something appeared on the screen.
Big.
"Total Dissolution of VITAE."
The words filled the entire screen.
And they didn't just surprise Peter, who dropped his backpack to the floor. Even May turned toward him, her mouth open in shock.
Across the whole city, screens showed the same thing.
People stopped in the middle of the street, staring.
Confused.
In disbelief.
For a moment… it felt like everything had gone silent.