The airport's hallways were still packed with a bustling crowd. Rod, Catra, and Oliver waited at the terminal.
It was as if a continental ticket promotion suddenly erupted with the amount of people present. This wasn't entirely unusual; Naya City's breathtaking beauty was renowned for attracting visitors, especially after a storm, when auroras shimmered in the clear night sky.
There were many stores lined with temptations around, but the group's uninterested minds were consumed by their mission.
"There's a lot of people today," Oliver observed casually and retrieved a bottle of water from his bag.
"Yeah," Rod replied, his gaze sweeping descending or departing airships, "Last time I was here, the city wasn't this popular. I gotta admit, it is pretty impressive how much economic growth this place has. Thankfully I didn't dress how I usually do; at least this way I won't bring attention every time I show my face."
While the two men discussed, Catra's feline curiosity was piqued by Rod's bag. She took out the Telyglass and inspected its silver frames for a few moments. Satisfied, a playful grin spread across her face and she slipped them on. This activated them.
The mundane reality of the airport quickly changed. Vibrant and pulsating layers of holograms popped up in her view: Digital readouts identifying people, tracking their location, and displaying many other streams of information.
"Woah! What else can you do?" she asked with delight.
"I could provide you with a list of what I am capable of," the glasses responded.
Its synthesized voice was strikingly similar to Alf's, and it caught Catra completely by surprise. She let out a small yelp before quickly clapping a hand over her mouth.
"Alf? Is that you?" she whispered, scrolling through a list of capabilities the glasses instantly projected into her vision.
"Partially," the Telyglass replied, "I am a sub-unit of Alf Prime's processing power. I am here to assist you in your mission, Miss Catra."
"How did you know it was me?"
"Facial and voice recognition."
"Woah… Cool!"
The cheetah girl became engrossed in the fascinating device while a palpable silence settled between Rod and Oliver.
"Hey," Rod began, "... so you're gonna take us to the facility to gain the information, right?"
"Yeah," the doctor replied and retrieved a folded newspaper from his bag, "It's one on the third level of the city, you know, the undergrounds. The industrial sector underneath."
Rod's eyes narrowed when he recognized the newspaper in his hands. It seemed to be the exact same one Oliver read a few days ago.
"Old Newspaper?" he probed.
"Oh, you noticed?"
A faint grin appeared on the doctor's face and he handed it to Rod.
"Yeah, this…this is a special kind of newspaper."
The Gun Hero took it gently and analyzed it for a few moments until a glow emanated from its surface and intricate written words began to appear. They danced across its pages like constellations.
"Magic?"
"Yeah. It's a mana-based newspaper I got when I worked in Efea. It changes hourly with the latest news from the city you're in. I want to be as informed as I can be."
"That's crazy," Rod said, handing the paper back, "Really good product purchase you got here."
"I know, right? I got it from someone special a long time ago."
The doctor fell silent and looked away. He didn't need to say more. Rod knew it was Oliver's wife… Ever since hearing his confession back in Naya, he realized they were the same… Two men, forever bound by tragedy.
"Hey… back when you told us why you wanted to come… I think I understand."
"You understand?" Oliver replied with a little agitation.
"Yeah. I don't really wanna get a lot into it, but I want you to know that… that pain will stop eventually. Trust me, I've been through it."
Lie.
The doctor froze. What Rod said made him angry. So angry that he slammed the newspaper onto his armrest and looked straight into Rod's eyes.
The change was easy to notice: his face was contorted by a fury Rod had never witnessed before. Far darker than he had ever seen it.
"Rod, I'm gonna be completely honest," the doctor growled, "I don't think you do. You and I are not the same."
"What do you mean?"
"My wife was murdered by someone."
Rod's eyes widened.
"I saw how a bullet went through her head. I saw how her body fell and hit the ground. And the person that took her life is out there, somewhere."
"I didn't know…"
"Of course, you don't. I never tell anyone. I wasn't going to tell you either, but when you suggested we were similar, I had to…"
"Your wife died from cancer. Mine was taken from me by a goddamn bullet."
The Gun Hero could tell this was an impossibly sensitive subject… He'd never seen Oliver lose his cool like this, though what truly bothered him were the words "someone killed my wife". They echoed in his head… A haunting refrain that tied directly to Elena.
"…I'm… I'm sorry I brought it up," Rod whispered.
The scene became pretty awkward after that. No one spoke for what seemed like hours until Oliver's intense fury drained away, replaced by a weary sadness. He knew he overreacted.
He sighed and rubbed his eyes.
"No, I'm sorry. I should've controlled my emotions. I'm a psychologist after all," the doctor said, "At least I know that soon I'll be healing from it…"
He closed his eyes. Then, he looked back to Rod and saw the unspoken hurt in his expression.
"I… I don't mean to be your psychologist, but I've been observing you… This pain can destroy anyone, even the great Gun Hero... And from what I've seen, you haven't gotten past her, have you?"
Rod looked at him and imagined the scene on the hill again: The bottle of wine, Elena on the bench… her face etched with sadness…
Merciless voices echoed around him, each time getting faster and louder.
"You're a monster."
"You're a monster."
"YOU'RE A MONSTER!"
They screamed relentlessly… until Rod was snapped back to the present by Oliver's calm voice.
"You still remember her in your dreams, don't you? Her face, the last moment you saw her alive? Do you blame yourself for her death? Do you feel guilt?"
The Hero lowered his view and the airport dissolved into black. That vision ran endless circles inside him…
"I…" he choked, seeing the image of Elena crying in her hospital bed.
"I do…"
The room went quiet… Then, a single tear formed in the corner of his eye, which was abruptly stopped by an unexpected presence: Catra returned.
"Dad? Are you okay?" she asked and leaned closer to him.
The man quickly hid the emotion previously seen.
"Y-yeah… We were just talking about magic from Efea! Oliver got himself a newspaper that changes depending on where you are."
For some reason, it didn't make sense to her. The face he had was one of hurt or sorrow… Though, for it to make him tear up?
"A piece of paper made you cry? Come on, dad… I know you're sensitive, but this is a new low," she teased with annoyance.
"What can I say?" Rod grumbled, "Magic is too beautiful to not bring a person to tears."
"Nah, you practically cry at everything."
"No, I don't."
"Yes, you do."
Oliver merely stared at Rod while they engaged in their familiar banter. His outwardly calm gaze was, in truth, filled with rage.
He came so close to physically assaulting the man… Thankfully he'd calmed down when a robotic voice emanated from a nearby speaker.
"Ladies and gentlemen, flight 2002 towards 'O'Clock City' will now register passengers, please have your passport, Mana ID, and your flight ticket in hand. Starting with group 1 and 2."
"Well, that's our group," the doctor said, retrieving his suitcase and his mana-based newspaper.
"Right, towards O'Clock City we go!" Catra exclaimed.
Rod got up and gazed at Oliver, who was calmly entering the waiting line. Their conversation from before caused an unsettling question: "Was he trying to help him?"
It didn't feel like it… For some inexplicable reason, Rod felt a raw sense of hurt and anger, as if he wanted to hurt him.
"Come on, dad! We got first-class seats!" Catra happily said and signaled him to follow.
"I'm coming!" Rod responded, grabbing his bag.
Their journey had just begun, yet a cold whisper of foreboding told him it wouldn't last long.