Bab 236: 233: A Plague of Phantoms XVII
"That was thirteen and a half million dollars…you just burned thirteen and a half million dollar!" Maria screamed as she looked around the scorched top of the coffee table where the ashes of my money sat.
"Actually it was fourteen million dollars. I decided to round up." I said smugly. Maria turned around and rushed me, grabbing me by my collar.
"YOU BURNED MY FOURTEEN MILLION DOLLARS!" She bellowed. I shot her the dirtiest look I could muster and grabbed her wrists, pulling them off my collar.
"What do you mean your money? That money was mine." I said coldly and then shoved her away from me. She stumbled back a few steps and glared at me.
"You said you owed me that money! I deserved that money!" Maria barked.
This time I laughed, loudly and nearly as manically as she had earlier. The sound echoed through the apartment and was most definitely heard by anyone outside. I wiped a tear that had formed in my eye as I sighed and looked at Maria.
"I said your ruined life was worth thirteen and a half million, I said that I could pay that much, I never said that I would." I said smirking devilishly. "You will never see a single cent from me. As far as I'm concerned you are nothing more than stranger, Maria MacClery."
"Stranger! I GAVE BIRTH TO YOU! I RAISED YOU! I SUFFERSD BECAUSE OF YOU! YOU OWE ME YOUR LIFE!" Maria bellowed.
"I OWE YOU JACK SHIT!" I bellowed back, jumping in her face. She instinctively took a few steps back and nearly tripped over the coffee table. "I'm not the same scared shit I was two years ago Maria! I'm not so desperate to fit in and be accepted that I'll sit there and take the vile shit that's been spewing from your mouth the moment you walked in…."
I paused for a second and then looked at the door. Thanks to Bone-lasher I knew that everyone was outside, listening at the door. It warmed my heart to know that they were there and still cared and made what I wanted to say next even more true. I pointed towards the door and glared at Maria.
"…on the other side of that door are my friends, classmates, employees and teacher, each one of them was ready to beat the ever loving shit out of you for the words that was spewing from your mouth. Those are people that actually care about me Maria, they don't just pretend like you and Thomas did! If any one of them had asked me for that fourteen million I would gave given it in a heartbeat! But you…you're not worth the paper it's printed on."
Through my little rant Maria looked terrified. Probably because she never saw me blow up before. In the States I had to be calm, I gad to be passive, I had to show at a times that I was not a threat to anyone or risk getting put down for the safety of the town…wasn't in the States anymore.
"Employees?" Maria muttered, seemingly in shock. I took a step back and smirked at her.
"Yes employees…Haws, Louie, Angie, Madilyn, Chad, Sin, Jane, and Iris all work for me. I'm the owner and operator of Sho'lajah Artifact Company." I said confidently. Her eyes widened as she gasped.
"Wait…you own Sho'lajah Artifact Company?! There is a hit out on members of your company! Beaufort has declared your company a enemy of the entire Zeonic States of America after you attacked the facility here in Egypt!" Maria bellowed.
"That's why I'm going to destroy…wait the Zeonic what?" I exclaimed.
"The Zeonic States of America, Beaufort made a huge push to have the county's name changed since the original colonies were called the United Colonies of the Americas. It gave too much credit to the splicers that founded the colonies." Grandpa Seamus explained.
"That's dumb…whatever." I muttered then returned my focus to Maria. "Justice Technologies isn't going to be a problem for me too much longer. Just like you are no longer my problem. Get the fuck out of my apartment building!"
Maria curled her lip at me, apparently over the shock of me owning Sho'lajah Artifact Company and then looked to Grandpa Seamus.
"Fine…are you coming with me dad?" Maria asked looking over to Grandpa Seamus. He looked to his left and then to his right and then arched a brow and looked at her.
"You mean me? No…why would I go anywhere. Starlight is telling you to get out. Not me." Grandpa Seamus replied. Maria's eyes widened as a soft gasp escaped her lips.
"You're my father! You're going to abandon me now!" Maria exclaimed.
"Why not. You had no problem abandoning yer son. Besides yer a grown woman Maria, and smart ta boot. You'll be fine." Grandpa Seamus replied.
"I'm in a foreign country with no money or job! I'll die!" Maria snapped. Grandpa Seamus walked over to Maria and took her hands in his and looked her in the eyes.
"Back in the inn, in one of my suitcases us a ticket for a flight back to the UK and a ship back to the states. That's all I can offer you Maria." Grandpa Seamus said softly.
Maria looked at Grandpa for several seconds as if trying to gauge how serious he was. When she realized he was very serious tears started forming in her eyes.
"You're actually abandoning me! For a filthy splicer! What would Grandma and Great-grandma say about that?!" Maria snapped.
"They'd be proud. After all…they were both splicers too." Grandpa Seamus said.
Maria instantly went silent. She had a look on her face like she'd just been sucker punched. Disbelief quickly crept on her face as she scanned Grandpa's face to detect if he was lying. Grandpa didn't look away from her or show any indication of lying.
"That's impossible…. I would have known. They would gave had crystals…" Maria muttered.
"Me mother's crystal was on the sole of her foot. It was circle shapes. Me Nan's was where her belly button would have been….and it was shaped like Starlight's." Grandpa Seamus said.
It was my turn to freeze as I played back my Grandpa's last sentence over and over in my head. It sounded more and more ridiculous with each replay.
'Great-great grandma was a star crystal bearer like me?' I thought.
"NO! THAT'S IMPOSSIBLE! WHY DIDN'T THEY TELL ME! WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME?!" Maria bellowed and snatched her hands away from Grandpa.
"By the time we thought you were old enough to keep a secret ya already were talking about how much ya hated splicers…you didn't find it strange yer Nan and great-Nan lived to be over a hundred?" Grandpa Seamus said.
"No I...I…you lied to me…all my life you lied to me! I thought I came from pure blood! Not corrupted by splicer taint and you lied! No wonder I gave birth to that freak, I'm descended from filthy splicer!" Maria yelled. Grandpa Seamus gritted his teeth then let out a frustrated sigh.
"I'm done arguing Maria. I'm tired and we've ruined Chase's birthday enough. The tickets are in my red suitcase in the inn. Return to America as soon as possible, with yer attitude its only a matter of time before ya say the wrong thing to the right splicer." Grandpa Seamus said. "I love you Maria but I can't stand what you've become…"
Maria curled her lips at Grandpa and then at me. The look she gave was one of pure hatred and disgust. Oddly enough it didn't affect me, I was so used to getting looks like that or being ignored that I stopped caring. This was how she really was, how she really felt about me. I was done feeling shitty because of other people's hatred of my kind from almost five hundred years ago.
"Fine…just remember Dad, you chose that…thing over your daughter. I hope you can live with the guilt of betraying your kind." Maria said as she turned and stomped towards the front door.
Maria yanked the front door open and stopped when she saw that everyone on the other side was pressed against the door trying to listen in. Iris and Astrid however were pressed so tightly against the door that when Maria opened it they fell through the doorway. They both quickly jumped to these feet and brushed themselves off, trying to play off the scene.
"And you call yourselves superior…" Maria muttered as she looked at my friends. Holding her head high she strutted past everyone and made her way towards the buildings entrance to leave. Dean Baxter sighed and shook hos head.
"I'll make sure she get to your lodging safely, Seamus." Dean Baxter said to my Grandpa. Grandpa nodded and looked reassured.
"Thank you, Baxter." Grandpa muttered in reply. Dean Baxter looked to me, his expression seemingly unsure and uneasy.
"I'm sorry for the turn your birthday took, Kingston." Dean Baxter said. I shrugged and looked indifferent.
"Par for the course for me." I said dismissively. Dean Baxter looked apologetic for a broad moment before he turned and walked put of view.
Everyone came flooding back into the apartment and swarmed around me. Each asking a dozen or so questions in rapid fire. None of them giving me a second to breathe let one answer. To be fair all of their questions were about me and asking if I was okay and honestly I was. It was if a weight was lifted off my shoulders, like I had closure finally with my mother at least.
I suddenly felt a hard slap on my back and looked over my shoulder to see Sin offering me a slight smile all while he continued to pat me on my back.
"Life's too short to let one shitty relative ruin a party. Especially with so many people who are here to celebrate you." Sin said in a moment of uncharacteristic sage advice.
I looked around at the mob of people that surrounded me. My teammates, classmates, employees, long time friends, teacher, and Grandpa, all looked at me with sympathetic looks and comforting smiles. I looked down at the floor for a brief moment, letting a smile creep across my face. Regardless of how my parents saw me, how America saw me, I had friends and people that cared about me. I had a family.
***
"I'M STUFFED!" Bo groaned as he slumped down in his chair, running his hands over his bloated stomach. I chuckled as I stretched in my own seat.
Everyone was seated around a table that stretched from the dining room and into the living room. The table was actually two tables that were pushed together and had two table clothes thrown on top in order to fit everyone that attended the party.
I was seated in the middle of the makeshift table where the two intersected with my Grandpa seated across from me, Iris and Jane seated on both sides of me. Bo was seated on my Grandpa Seamus' right with Indy on his left. Sin was seated next to his son and Jade was seated next to Bo with Nate next to her. Louie, Angie, KC, and Haws were seated on my left after Jane and Madilyn was on my right next to Iris. Baset, Damon, and Astrid were across from me and on my Grandpa's left seated past Sin.
After the drama from my mother appearing died down Jane and Jade both did their best to try and liven the mood of the party. For the most part I actually was up beat but everyone else kept walking on eggshells around me. It wasn't until everyone sat down for dinner that the mood shifted.
Jade made some traditional Egyptian dishes while Angie made mostly American food. My grandpa even cooked. No offense to Jade and Angie but I mostly ate my Grandpa's food. It had been almost a half a year since I last had his cooking. I hadn't realized how much I had missed it until I smelled the cock-a-leekie soup that he'd placed in the center of the table on front of me. Admittedly I ate most of the pot.
"You're telling me! I'm going to burst!" Louie groaned and patted his stomach. KC stretched and imitated his father.
"Did everyone get enough to eat?" Grandpa Seamus asked as he stood up.
"Can't eat another bite…" Iris groaned.
"Same!" Jane muttered.
"That was surprisingly good." Astrid said.
"Not bad for peasant food." Damon commented. All eyes turned and looked at him Ike he was an idiot. Because at this point he had to be.
"Seriously, Damon?" Astrid groaned and shook her head. Damon looked at her oblivious to what he'd said and how offensive it was. Jade and Angie laughed despite that however.
"I'd say we're all full." Baset said giving Damon a sideways glance.
Grandpa Seamus stood up and started collecting plates and saucers off the table to clean up and Jade and Angie immediately jumped up to stop him.
"Seamus sit down! You're a guest!" Jade exclaimed and quickly took the plates he gathered while Angie helped (forced) grandpa to sit back down. Seamus frowned but knew better to argue with the two mothers, especially Angie.
"Fine…fine…gives me a chance rest my weary bones…" Grandpa Seamus said with a amused twinkle in his eyes.
I looked over to Baset and the others from class. I was still wondering why Baset was still here. I thought she had to leave immediately after class. Before I could ask just that she stood and looked at me.
"Thank you for a lovely dinner but I must be off." Baset said.
"I'm surprised you actually came. I thought you had to leave quickly Lady Baset." Iris said. Baset and shook her head.
"My flight was set to leave a little earlier this afternoon but thanks to a localized earthquake that spooked the terraback. Then there was a massive unidentified evo seen flying over the city that terrified them further." Baset explained.
I froze when I heard the massive flying evo seen over the city part. Who else could it be but Grimm-Guard when I was showing him his patrol route. I didn't think about how a massive evo like him suddenly showing up in the sky would effect the local area. I'd have to revise that plan for Grimm-Guard.
"That's too bad…" Grandpa Seamus said eyeing me with a mirthful look. Baset sighed and shook her head.
"It's life. Stuff will always happen. What matters now is I can leave by morning. So I have to be off." Baset said as she looked at everyone and then headed towards the door. Nate quickly accompanied her to the door and even outside.
While it wasn't really that late I was really tired. A lot had happened today, even before the emotional bombshell that was my mother showing up to the party. It didn't help that I hadn't really gotten any sleep the night before. But judging by the looks of everyone around the table I wasn't going to get any sleep anytime soon.
PERTIMBANGAN PENCIPTA 
Hutexa_The_Djinn
Hutexa_The_Djinn Sho'lajah Artifact Company Evo Profile:
Name: Empress
Evo type name: Divine Gold Regalia Qolitz
Evo status: Transcended
Size: 6.5ft height, 5ft length [3.3 feet is tail feathers]
Mana core status:Twin unbonded mana cores (Two mana cores that act as its power source, one actively generates mana while otjer passively absorbs splicers mana.)
Mana attributes (1): Inferno: Mana attribute associated with Fire element. At base level evos with this attribute can generate strong flames hot enough to burn away even bones. At Transcended and higher evos can generate raging hell fires that can scorch a object and leave nothing, not even ash.
Intelligence level: Human adult, above average
Bonded Splicer: Chase Kingston
Bond Level: Unbreakable
Crystal Geneis compatibility: Perfect Grade
Crystal Mergence Form Name: Unknown
Sho'lajah Artifact Company Security Level: Evo Commander, Sho'lajah's Fourth named
Observations: A highly intelligent and dignified Evo. Empress has had a bad turn in life and suffered a few hard situations. This hasn't caused her to lose any of her dignified mannerisms. If anything it has enhanced them and taught her to be as regal and studious in all forms of her life. Because of her prior role as a imperial guards Evo in the divine palace in China she believes the only role sutouble of her is that of guard, suplicant, and vassal. Because of this I cannot ever let her be in a command situation as she does best when given orders and has no desire to give orders.
-Chase Kingston, AKA. Sho'lajah of Tolapo village
Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone