[S&H Law, Sylvis]
*Ring* ....*Click*
"Hello?... oh... What do you need?Did they approve that evidence yet? no? ...fine, tell him to screw himself, im on my way." the man slams the phone down on the receiver, shattering it into pieces leaving its cord dangling from the wall.
"Those flunkies can't do anything right" he punches the wall and then slams down into his chair. Once seated, he presses the button on his intercom; it begins to glow a deep red.
"Ms. Bronze?.. I need to run some errands, can you push all of my appointments up for me, I might be a while."
"Yes sir, no problem..." Sylvis Bronze, Brakus' mother, says with a hint of irritation.
"Thank you Sylvis." The bank owner mutters while walking past her desk, he doesn't glance in her direction the entire time. He calls the elevator; before the door opens he tosses a stack of papers onto the floor, "I almost forgot these.." he chuckles as he enters the elevator. "Pick those up, They are important " he orders her as the door closes.
Sylvis takes a deep breath and mutters "Asshole..." under her breath. She looks around the room, seeing the papers scattered all over the floor and she furls her brow; she shutters out of her seat with a sigh.
She gathers the documents into a neat pile before slamming them onto the desk, "I don't know why I'm still here, I have a much better opportunity". Sylvis droops back into her desk.
After a while of sulking, Sylvis begins to stir. "I wonder what the boys are up to right now, Brock has been lost without Brakus at home." she scans her desk for her phone. Unable to find it, she stands up and searches through her desk frantically, but it is nowhere to be found. She begins to rummage through her purse until she feels her cell phone.
She dials a number and presses send.
[Country of Hartford, Military HQ, Headmaster's office]
General Emerald sat behind a desk of polished obsidian, his dark ponytail casting a sharp shadow against the tactical maps of the Scorsland continent. Outside the floor-to-ceiling reinforced glass, battalions of Hartford soldiers marched in perfect synchronization. He held the phone receiver to his ear, his expression calm but his presence filling the room with a heavy, undeniable weight.
"I understand your concerns, but I'm looking for results, not excuses," Emerald said, his voice a steady, composed rumble. He listened to the stuttering on the other end for a moment before continuing. "Let's be clear. If your firm isn't comfortable building this device, I will find a contractor who is. But once that happens, our professional relationship—and all the protection it provides—ends. Think it over."
He hung up the phone, a small, knowing smile playing on his lips.
"Two months," Emerald murmured to himself, his amber eyes reflecting the city lights. "Sixty days until the payload is ready. It doesn't need to destroy Ironwell; it just needs to wake it up. Once that frequency hits the atmosphere, the dormant potential of the capital will ignite. The city will be in disarray, and they will need a steady hand to guide them back to order. A 'savior' they can trust."
A rhythmic knock echoed against the heavy oak door.
"Come in, Topaz," Emerald called out, his voice warming into a friendly, casual tone. "No need to be so formal. We've been through too much for that."
Topaz stepped into the room, looking wary but familiar. As he approached, a heavy leather guest chair slid back smoothly across the floor, inviting him to sit. Topaz dropped into it, exhaling as the chair glided forward to face the General.
"You look like you've got a big secret, Emerald," Topaz said with a half-grin. "What's the move today?"
"Our silent partners have finalized the blueprints for the distribution core," Emerald explained, sliding a single sheet of paper across the desk. It was an invoice for the device meant to trigger mass "Awakenings" across the capital. "I just need your sign-off to authorize the final payment."
Topaz took the paper, his eyes widening as he scanned the figures. "Eight hundred and twenty-three million? Emerald, this is staggering." He leaned back, shaking his head. "I want to support you, but this is a massive risk. I'd be taking a loss that could sink us if this doesn't work."
Emerald leaned forward, his expression earnest and convincing.
"Think of it as an investment in the future of Scorsland," Emerald said softly. "When Ironwell falls into instability, the people will be desperate for security. And when that happens, we will be the ones holding the keys to the city. You won't just be running a company; you'll be the lead architect for an entire continent's recovery. Don't think about the cost today—think about the legacy tomorrow."
Topaz stared into Emerald's eyes, finding a sense of ambition that was hard to refuse. After a long pause, he took a pen and signed the paper with a resigned sigh.
"I'm trusting you on this one. Just make sure it's worth the price," Topaz said, rising and leaving the room.
Emerald waited until the door closed before speaking to the empty room. "You've been remarkably quiet, Hanzo. I know you're there."
In the center of the office, the shadows swirled and coalesced into the form of Hanzo, who stood in a respectful, shallow bow.
"You are a master of the long game, General," Hanzo's voice was calm. "The Shade Group has no idea it's you providing the resources. They believe they are manipulating a rogue cell. If they knew a General of Hartford was their true benefactor—and that you plan to use their 'revolution' to become Prime Minister—they would see you as their greatest threat."
Emerald didn't lose his composure. He stood up and walked around the desk, stopping just a few feet from the assassin. He didn't attack; he simply stood with the quiet authority of a man who knew he held all the cards.
"The Shade Group wants a revolution, and I'm happy to give them one," Emerald said smoothly. "But it will be my administration that restores the peace. You are my only link to them, Hanzo. You will keep my identity and my true goals a secret. Tell them the project is moving exactly as they planned. Do this for me, and when I sit in that chair, you'll have the full support of the government behind you."
He placed a hand on Hanzo's shoulder, a gesture that was half-friendly, half-instructional. "Help me, and you'll have a partner for life. Betray me, and there won't be a place left for you to hide. Do we have a deal?"
Hanzo looked at the General's hand, then back up at his face. "The Shade Group knows nothing. As far as they are concerned, I am working with a phantom. If you can help me with a personal matter... your secrets stay with me."
Emerald smiled, stepping back toward his desk. "I thought you might say that. What's on your mind?"
Hanzo's expression turned cold. "What do your files say about an ex-soldier named Haru?"
Emerald's grin widened, and he tapped a hidden console on his desk.
"Let me show you," Emerald replied, his voice calm but certain. "Haru is a ghost I've been tracking for quite some time. Since we're partners now, I think it's time we brought his story to a close."
[Brock Bronze: Bronze Household]
Brock is in his room playing video games when the house phone begins to ring and breaks his focus. He pauses the game and rushes to the phone to pick it up.
"Hello.... Oh hey Mom!" Brock says excitedly
Sylvis chuckles quietly before replying , "I just got off the phone with Brakus, he said he will head straight home, you should be expecting him at any moment.". Brock leaps with joy as a huge smile spreads from cheek to cheek.
"Yay!" Brock exclaims.
Sylvis sighs quietly before speaking again, "I am so sorry baby , but I really have to get back to work. but you guys have fun, I'll see you both later!". Brock's smile is immediately replaced with sadness as he sits there silently. "I know you have been lonely lately so your brother decided that he would start spending more time at home for now on."
"Okay , mommy.." Brock smiles, "... I love you!"
"I love you too, Bye bye baby, I'll see you later I promise!" Sylvis replies before hanging up the phone.
As the call ends there is a knock on the door, Brock recognized this knock, it was the secret knock that the brothers made up; four loud knocks and two quiet knocks. There was nobody else that it could be other than Brakus. Brock runs to the door and whips it open.
On the other side of the door stand Brakus , a huge smile on his face; signs of dried tears are dotted beneath his eyes but he seems genuinely happy to be there. As soon as the door opens and Brakus sees Brock, he reaches in for a strong hug and says " Hey bro, I missed you so much! I have so much stories to tell you. let's catch up inside."
Brock wipes the snot from underneath his nose and nods his head to invite him in, Brakus steps forward closing the door behind him with a click.
[Haru, Haru's car]
"I hope the kid doesn't tell his brother too much, all i can do is hope for the best and hope that he sticks to the plan. He's a great kid that has a lot to learn." Haru says after taking a drag from a cigarette and pulling off from Brakus' driveway and leaving the house behind.