The last rays of sunlight were glowing over the horizon when Toby and Roy left the arcade. Roy had a plushie of a kitten in his arm, which Toby had won earlier.
Apparently, Toby was very skilled at the UFO catchers in the arcade, but he barely ever kept prizes for himself, as his room was too small to collect more unnecessary clutter. He would usually give the prizes to any of the kids lurking in and around the arcade, and the smiles on their faces were what brought him the most joy when visiting the arcade on his own. But this time, he wanted Roy to have the prize, so he could keep a souvenir of this nice day.
“It’s a bit cross-eyed…” Roy brushed the kitten’s fur away from its eyes. “I suppose that makes it extra special.”
“You’re right~” Toby laughed a bit. “It sets it apart from all the other kittens!”
Roy smiled a bit. “It’s very sweet.”
“Today was nice." Toby crossed his arms behind his head.
“Yeah, it was.”
“How are you gonna get home?”
“Mh… I have my car parked around here. I’ll be fine.”
Toby blinked. “Ah… I totally forgot the possibility that you could have a car.”
“I could take you on a ride someday, if you want.”
“Oh my god, that would be so cool!! Can Memis come too?!” “Wraff!” The Dog Morpho jumped excitedly, even though he probably didn’t even know what they were talking about.
“Sure.” Roy nodded. “No problem.”
“Darling…” Famfay lifted his head and poked Roy with his paw, as a long, white limousine drove up next to them and came to a stop.
“Huh?” Roy looked up.
The tinted window of the long vehicle rolled down, and their CEO Frederic Williams greeted them. “Toby, Roy. Good to see you.”
“Hm?” Toby faced him. “Hey, uncle!” He smiled. “I haven’t seen you in a while!”
“Toby…” Mr. Williams smiled. “Would you be so kind and get into the vehicle… We never have the time to meet since I’m always so busy, but I would love to have a chat with you.”
Toby looked to Roy, and Roy tilted his head slightly. “It’s okay. Go with him.”
“Ah… okay… I’ll come with you, uncle.” Toby opened the door of the limousine, turned around to quickly wave Roy goodbye and got in the car, Memis jumping in after him. Roy lightly waved back as the door was closed, the tinted window rolled back up and the limousine drove away.
“Ahh…” Mr. Williams crossed his legs and smiled. “I can’t believe it’s been more than six weeks since we’ve talked…”
“Mhmh…” Toby sat in front of him on the luxurious leather seat, and Memis sat on his lap. “We haven’t really seen each other since the ceremony…”
“I’m terribly sorry, Toby.” Mr. Williams sighed. “You see, I am very busy, always going places, signing contracts, controlling our business partners and meeting with the defenders of other states and countries, while also looking after the defenders and people of our town.”
Toby nodded. “You’re a busy man.”
“It would be nice if I had more time to check on you apprentices as well, but I know that Charlotte’s got everything under control.”
“Yeah.” Toby smiled. “She’s great.”
“Speaking about her…” Mr. Williams leaned forward, facing Toby directly. “She told me she had to suspend you for reckless behavior.”
Toby’s smile vanished, and he gulped. “Y-Yeah…” He looked down at his feet. “I’m sorry… I didn’t mean to… I assessed the situation poorly... I promise this won’t happen again.”
Mr. Williams sat up again and smirked. “It’s okay. To be honest, I found your punishment a bit too harsh. You’re just a kid… and kids make mistakes. It’s normal. It’s part of growing up. Sadly, we have to stick to the rules the government has set for us. And they don’t tolerate any kind of foolish mistakes.”
“So…” Toby looked up to him without lifting his head. “You’re not mad at me?”
“Not at all.” Mr. Williams folded his hands. “But… Please be careful.” He rolled his head to the side, following the buildings they drove past with his gaze. “We need you, Toby. You are the key to finding my brother. Without you, there is no hope.”
Toby’s mouth was agape.
“.... You probably don’t even remember him.” Mr. William’s expression was stone-cold. “Carter was a loving man. He saved me multiple times, when I was the most desperate, the most hurt. He was the only one in our family that didn’t hate me for who I was.
Toby became uneasy from his rambling, and tightened his grip around Memis. Memis looked up to him, concerned.
“It is my time to save him… We had no break-throughs over the past thirteen years… No clue where he is, or if he’s alive at all. But… I never lost hope. Just like he never lost his hope for me.” Mr. Williams sighed, brushed his fingers through his hair and faced Toby with a smile as if nothing happened. “So, will you behave like you were ordered to do now?”
“...” Toby nodded. “Yes, sir.”
“Good…”
“C-Can you stop the car please? I wanna get out…”
“Mh? But your home isn’t anywhere near, is it?”
“P-Please…”
“Mh…” Mr. Williams raised his hand to give the driver a sign. The limousine came to a halt at the side of the road. “You will be a great defender, Toby. Don’t let anyone ever tell you you can’t be.”
“... Thanks- See ya-” Toby quickly got up and out of the limousine, closing the door behind him. The limousine drove off, but Toby could feel his uncle’s gaze follow him until the car disappeared behind a turn.
“....” Toby let Memis down and began to walk.
“Toby….?” Memis whined. “Are you okay…?”
“Mh? Sure. Don’t worry.” Toby put up a smile. “We’re gonna walk home the last few yards.” He pulled out his smartphone, and began to type a message to Roy.
T. Williams 09:01 PM: Roy…
T. Williams 09:01 PM: Do you have any updates on the portal? :(
The reply followed shortly.
R. Fitzgerald 09:01 PM: Are you okay Toby? Did Mr. Williams say something?
T. Williams 09:02 PM: Noooo it’s okay… I just wanted to ask. Forget I said anything. Have a good night!
He put his smartphone away, wiped his eyes and began to run.
“Hey! Not so fast!” Memis caught up with him, and they ran the remaining distance home.
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