Chapter 75: Chapter 80: Audere est facere!

"Yo, yeah, what's up Gray?" Reynard greeted over his phone in JinJunyë. Anthony and Amin were discussing clues placed on a board regarding their ongoing case of a possible supervillain in their town. Amin noticed Reynard's facial expression slowly turning from cheerful to finally getting a call from Derek to being distraught. Reynard nodded as he agreed with what Derek told him then delved into more mint chocolate chip ice cream. "What was that call about?" Amin asked with a tone filled with curiosity. "Two ruthless contract killers are in our city and Derek's little brother is with them. He went on to yap about a hat but he's coming back to help us stop him together. They took out Settembre. We've got to prepare for the worst for whatever they have planned." Reynard relayed until the end. "Brutal." Anthony replied as he put his hands inside of his pockets. "It was him. I saw his face." Said Derek with an urgent and worried tone. "He swore to never return and cause us trouble before he left. Could he have been compromised by greed and his own glory like this?" Grandpa Wiley asked as he got up from his seat and thought deeper as he put one hand on his head. "I don't know about him. Henry sure knew Settembre." Derek replied as he sat at the kitchen table. "Gray, reel yourself back in, we can't let the personal aspect of this horrific time distract us. Collected news and durable resolve will. We have our location, we have our perpetrators, we have theories on a possible target, remind me of our objective?" Grandpa Wiley asserted as he stopped in front of Derek who was sitting with a hunch and diverse thoughts floating in his head. Derek nodded as he needed his Grandfather's advice. "We arrive in JinJunyë, join the heroics' purlieu assigned to the city's defense team and investigate the case together with clear thoughts." Derek responded as he nodded and he reformed his right arm. "That's a great start so then let's pause this briefing, pack up and discuss this more on the way to the airport, Derek." Grandpa Wiley responded as he took a deep breath in. "You're coming on this mission, I thought you retired??" Derek asked as he was taken aback. "We'll need all of the fighters we can gather against this uncle of yours, he travels namelessly, rumors from your father's time dealing with him over and over, he only has a number that found its way into the hands of countless vile or power hungry scumbags with enough in their banks to feed a few generations. The stories that your pops told me, he and your father were forced to take out a grand military force together. I've taken on the forces of succubi, though, nothing on that level but I know my son." Grandpa Wiley replied as he looked out of their window remembering when he was a child with a bright smile. "Succulent—wha— you're not in your prime and I don't want to see you getting hurt." Derek replied as he got up and performed a calming gesture. "What? I was the Heroics purlieu's top hand to hand combatant back in my prime years, a fifth generational monster's worst nightmare before then and still a lifetime of success at halting the council of Enotocin's devious deeds. We can stay fit well into our triple digits." Philip Wiley proudly bragged with a hurt tone and manner. "Tell me of an actual way I could absolutely convince you to stay here and still be safe?" Said Derek as he calmly replied before being interrupted and stopping his Grandpa from answering. "Verbally. A way that is solely verbal?" Derek finished inquiring. "I really don't want to remind you of your incompetence or leave you insecure like our little Nicky managed and leave you distracted either. Listen, the old me would need to be convinced that I'd be useless and ineffective for the assignment, against our foes, and with me, we stood a firm chance of succeeding equal to zero. I'd need that demonstrated by being humbled in a true fight, it happened when I was a kid and by another former member of our family's business. At worst, this might be my last worst day. Many have passed me by, but you're still young, almost turning twenty-two. If your uncle tries to bomb us with tough choices then they should all be made by this old and washed up otherworldly vanquisher. This is an enemy where it's almost assured that there'll be some. You'll have your own but this is mine and while Nick is working beside Amell to harness his unnatural sensitivity to our smoke then I'm free to temporarily un-retire for you." Grandpa Philip suddenly got intense and his tone had surpassed any bit of seriousness he's displayed in the past towards Derek. "How about Grandma?" Derek thought to himself but the descendant of smoke and ash felt uncomfortable actually speaking as he was reminded of a few less noble reasons for sending his little brother Nick away to their youngest uncle. "Yeah, I figured out that you relied on your friend for the easy route when you ran off to eradicate Enotocin's cult?" Grandpa Philip confessed as he crossed his arms. Derek stared at his grandfather, anticipating his disappointment in him as he grabbed his wrist. Grandpa Wiley looked him in his eyes before hugging him tighter than he's ever hugged him in his life for the few he's ever given him. "We'll bring this back up after we've successfully thwarted Elias, his mysterious associate that you saw and once we've figured out what's happening to our wonderful, Henry." Grandfather Philip finished before he walked away without a further thought verbalized but in a manner and tone Derek struggled to figure. Derek assumed to prepare for the travels primarily but he left his confusion in the kitchen regarding his Grandfather and instead made his way outside to look for Fenella. "Nick will be in much safer hands while getting pushed even further with our Uncle Amell than he ever could be with me. I'd just hold him back while he manages to hold me back too. This decision was the best for both of us though, wasn't it, Fenny?" Derek asked her with his regularly lower volume voice as he pets her on his shoulder.