บท 668: C667 Big Money!

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After a long explanation and relocating to their apartments living room, Mateo sat, practically cowering before his mother, Miles and his Uncle Aaron at his side. Meanwhile, Peter stood across the room, watching the drama unfold.

Mateo couldn't look his mother in the eyes, too afraid to even glance in her direction. "…are you going to say anything?" He asked, knowing how she would react.

Ignoring Miles and Peter for the moment, Rio put all of her attention on her son, her eyes blazed with fury, her voice laced with disappointment and anger. "Miles(Mateo), ¿qué diablos estás haciendo?(what the hell are you doing?) You know better than to involve yourself in these dangerous activities! Your father died because of this madness, and I won't let you throw your life away like he did!"

Mateo winced at the mention of his father, guilt gnawing at his insides as he struggled to find the right words to explain. "Mom, I-I'm... I'm just trying to make a difference, to fight against corruption!" he stammered, his voice tinged with desperation.

Rio's expression softened slightly, but her resolve remained unwavering. "I don't care what you think you're doing. You're putting yourself in danger, and it ends today!" she exclaimed, her eyes brimming with tears as she reached out to grasp her son's shoulders.

Mateo took a deep breath, steeling himself for what he knew would be a difficult conversation. "Mom, I-I can't stop," he began, his voice steady despite the turmoil within him. "Not when I have these powers. Not when I know I can make a difference."

Rio's eyes widened in disbelief as Mateo held up his hand, electricity crackling between his fingertips, illuminating the room with a soft, blue glow. She stumbled back, her breath catching in her throat as she struggled to comprehend what she was seeing. "What... what is this?!" she gasped, her voice barely above a whisper.

Mateo met his mother's gaze, his heart pounding in his chest as he watched the mix of fear and awe flicker across her face. "My powers," he admitted, his eyes glued to the electricity. "Peter gave them to me…"

Instantly, Rio turned to Peter, who merely waved hello in response. "…" She didn't know what to say or how to treat him. After all, if her son's story was true, then this man as well as her son's lookalike were from another universe.

Choosing to continue to ignore the whole multiverse situation for just a little bit longer, Rio's mind raced as she struggled to process her son's revelation, her thoughts a whirlwind of confusion and fear. "But... but it's too dangerous," she protested weakly, her voice tinged with desperation. "What if something happens to you? What if you get hurt?"

Mateo's resolve hardened as he reached out to take his mother's hand, his touch gentle yet determined. "I won't let that happen, Mom. I promise," he said earnestly, his voice filled with conviction. "I'll be careful, I'll be smart. But I can't just sit back and do nothing while people suffer. I have to help."

Tears welled up in Rio's eyes as she looked into her son's determined gaze, her heart torn between pride and fear. "I... I don't know if I can support this," she admitted, her voice choked with emotion. "But I can't stop you either. Just... promise me you'll be safe. Promise me you'll come home."

Mateo squeezed his mother's hand, his own eyes shimmering with unshed tears as he nodded solemnly. "I promise, Mom," he whispered, his voice filled with love and determination. "I'll always come home. I promise." And as they stood there, hand in hand, mother and son, they knew that no matter what challenges lay ahead, they would face them together.

As the tension in the room began to dissipate, Rio turned to Aaron, her eyes searching his face for answers. "Aaron, is he really dead?" she asked quietly, her voice trembling with emotion.

Aaron met her gaze with a solemn nod, his expression grave. "Yeah… We did it ourselves. He's dead and he's not coming back," he confirmed, his voice steady but tinged with sadness.

Rio's breath caught in her throat as the weight of Aaron's words sank in. Her husband's killer was finally gone, justice served in the only way they knew how. Tears welled up in her eyes, a mixture of relief and grief washing over her.

"Miles…(Mateo)," she whispered, turning to her son, her voice choked with emotion. "I may not approve of what you've been doing, but... thank you. Thank you for doing what I couldn't. Thank you for avenging your father."

Mateo's eyes glistened with tears as he stepped forward, wrapping his arms around his mother in a tight embrace. "I'll always protect you, Mom," he vowed, his voice barely above a whisper. "I'll make sure no one ever hurts us again."

As they held each other close, Miles couldn't help but smile and feel a little bit jealous of how close Mateo and his mother seemed to be, which was odd. After all, it was usually Mateo who was the jealous one. 'I guess death can break up a family, but it can also make them closer as well…'

As they hugged one another, Aaron stood up and attempted to join them, but before he could get too close, he was stopped by a glare from Rio. "Don't think you're forgiven so easily!" She spoke sharply, still holding her son. "I believe there's some garbage in the kitchen that needs taking out…"

Rio could and would always forgive her son, because that's just what a mother does, but her brother in law was an entirely different story. Arron is an adult and shouldn't have aided her son in a war against the government. And most of all, he should have told her the second he found out.

"*sigh…*" Aaron let out a long breath before lowering his arms and doing as he was told. 'At least she's not outright throwing me out…' He still had some hope of gaining her forgiveness.

As Aaron leaves to dispose of the garbage, Mateo squeezes his mother's hand gently, catching her attention. "Mom, don't be too hard on Uncle Aaron," he says softly, his voice filled with empathy. "When he found out what I was doing, I had to beg him not to tell you…"

Rio's smiled reassuringly as she looked at her son, a mix of pride and affection in her eyes. "I know, Mateo. And in time, I'll forgive him," she replies, her tone gentle yet firm. "But for now, he has some making up to do."

Mateo's frown deepened, guilt gnawing at him. He hates seeing his uncle being punished for his own decisions. But at least, he thinks, he wasn't being punished alongside him...

Just as he thought that, suddenly, Rio gestures toward the kitchen, her tone turning more serious. "Now, young man, there are dishes in the sink that need cleaning," she says, her voice leaving no room for argument. "And once you're done with that, you can clean the rest of the kitchen as well…"

Mateo's eyes widen in surprise, momentarily stunned. "But I thought...?" he starts to say, confusion evident in his voice.

Rio raises a brow, finishing his sentence for him. "You thought you got away with everything? No, your punishment will be just as bad as your uncle's," she says firmly, her tone leaving no room for negotiation. "For starters, you're grounded for the foreseeable future. Now, off you go. The dishes won't clean themselves..."

With a heavy heart, Mateo nods, shoulders slumping as he heads towards the kitchen to face his punishment. As he eyed the pile of dirty dishes, he couldn't help but feel a sense of regret for keeping everything from his mother. But deep down, he knew that she would never have allowed him to take his revenge…

'Besides, she knows now and, all things considered, the punishment is very light…'

…

Left alone in the living room with Miles and Peter, Rio takes a deep breath before turning to Miles, her heart pounding with disbelief as she reached out to touch his face, tracing the familiar lines of his features with wonder. "You look just like him," she whispered, her voice filled with awe and disbelief.

Miles squirmed uncomfortably under her scrutiny, blushing as he tried to pull away. "Mom… stop," he mumbled, his cheeks flushed with embarrassment at the comparison. But then he realized, in a slip of the tongue, he called her 'mom,' immediately regretting it as he stammered out an apology.

Rio couldn't help but smile at his embarrassment, her heart warming at the unintended endearment. "It's okay, Miles," she reassured him, her tone gentle. "You can call me mom if you want. I don't mind."

Miles looked away bashfully, a small smile tugging at his lips as he muttered, "Okay, mom," feeling a strange sense of comfort in the familial term.

Turning her attention to Peter, Rio's expression turned conflicted, a frown marring her features as she struggled to reconcile her gratitude with her concerns. "Peter, I appreciate what you've done for my son, but giving him those powers..." she began, her voice tinged with worry.

Peter nodded understandingly, knowing the weight of her worries. 'I guess I'll have to make a good first impression in order to win her over…' Without a word, he pulled out his phone, tapping away, confusing both Rio and Miles.

"And… Done!" As he finished and stored his phone away, suddenly, a notification chimed on Rio's phone, interrupting their conversation. "You should really look at that…" He told her, a knowing smile on his face.

"?" Hesitantly, she checked it, her eyes widening in shock as she read the message. Dropping her phone, she stared at it in disbelief, her mind reeling.

Miles leaned over to see what had startled his mother, his eyes widening as he read the notification. "What is it?" he asked, his voice tinged with concern as he saw the amount displayed on the screen.

"It's... it's a wire transfer," Rio murmured, her voice barely above a whisper as she struggled to comprehend the enormity of the sum. "Fifty million dollars..." she trailed off, her mind racing with possibilities and questions.

A/N: 1758 words :)

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