Chương 12: Homecoming

The next day, as the sun dipped low on the horizon, Marcus, Kento, and Constantine arrived outside the Outcast base. Nestled on the outskirts of the city, the base was hidden beneath the unassuming facade of an antique bookstore run by an elderly man named Mr. O'Brien. Marcus led the way as he approached the familiar storefront. With a gentle knock on the door, Mr. O'Brien greeted them with a warm smile, his eyes twinkling with kindness as he ushered them inside.

"Ah, Marcus, good to see you," Mr. O'Brien said, his voice a comforting rumble. "And who do we have here?" he added, his gaze falling on Constantine.

Marcus smiled warmly, gesturing to Constantine. "This is Constantine," he introduced. "He's one of us now."

Mr. O'Brien's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Is that so?" he exclaimed, he said with a warm smile. "Well then, welcome to the fold, son. You're in good company here!" he said warmly.

As the evening wore on, Marcus, Kento, and Constantine found themselves enveloped in the warmth of Mr. O'Brien's hospitality. With each passing moment, Constantine felt more and more like he belonged, like he had finally found a place where he could be himself. Finally, Mr. O'Brien moved to a shelf, pulling a book like a lever; Constantine couldn't help but feel a bit of childlike enthusiasm; he had only seen such things in movies before today. As they bid Mr. O'Brien farewell and descended into the depths of the base below, Constantine couldn't shake the feeling that his life was about to change in ways he could never have imagined.

Marcus, Kento, and Constantine entered the base, their arrival interrupting another intense training session between Jane and Darryl. The atmosphere crackled with tension as Jane's frustration reached a boiling point.

"About time you showed up," Jane snapped, her tone sharp as she glared at Marcus and Kento.

Marcus raised an eyebrow, taken aback by Jane's hostility. "Is something wrong, Jane?" he asked, concerned.

Jane scoffed. "You and Kento disappear for days, and then just waltz back in here like nothing's happened!" she retorted, her frustration bubbling to the surface. "We've been holding down the fort while you've been off doing Aeloria knows what!"

Kento sighed, understanding the source of Jane's anger. "We had important business to attend to," he explained, his tone patient. "But we're here now," he added with the warmest smile Constantine had ever him have.

Jane crossed her arms, pouting. "Well, forgive me if I don't feel like rolling out the welcome mat," she muttered, her frustration still evident.

Darryl stepped forward, attempting to diffuse the tension with a casual grin. "Come on, Janey, don't be like that," he teased, his tone light-hearted. "We're all on the same team here."

Jane shot Darryl a withering glare, her patience wearing thin. "Easy for you to say," she muttered under her breath.

Jane scrutinized Constantine with a mix of suspicion and curiosity, her gaze sharp as she folded her arms across her chest.

"So, who's the new guy?" she said, with a hint of disdain.

Constantine met Jane's gaze with a lopsided grin. "The name's Constantine. Pleasure to meet you, Ms. Sunshine," he quipped.

Jane immediately started walking towards him. Darryl, realizing what she was about to do, chuckled, stepping in to defuse the tension with his trademark charm. "Easy there, Janey. Let's give the guy a chance," he teased, shooting Jane a playful wink.

Jane shot Darryl a sidelong glare, unamused. "And you wonder why I always wanna kick your ass," she muttered under her breath.

Ignoring Jane's comment, Darryl turned back to Constantine with a friendly smile. "I'm Darryl," he introduced, extending a hand. "Don't mind her, she's always like this, you'll get used to it."

Constantine shook Darryl's hand with a smirk, appreciating his laid-back demeanor. "I can see that," he replied, a hint of amusement in his voice. "But I think I can handle it."

Jane's irritation flared at Constantine's casual remark. "Is that so?" she shot back, arching an eyebrow.

Before the situation went completely sideways, Kento intervened, his voice calm but stern. "Alright, enough," he said, stepping between Jane and Constantine. "We have more pressing matters to attend to."

Jane and Constantine exchanged one last wary glance before begrudgingly relenting, the banter coming to an abrupt halt. With Kento's intervention, the atmosphere in the room shifted, the tension easing slightly as they turned their attention to the matters at hand.

As Marcus attempted to steer the conversation back to more pressing matters, Kento's presence served as a reminder of the importance of unity and cooperation. Despite their differences, Marcus knew that with time, they would find common ground and learn to work together as a team.

"Okay, everyone, listen up," he said. "Our enemies are organized, powerful and very influential. Moreover, we know almost nothing about them. So, for now, we need to focus on training and come up with a plan to fight them," Marcus said in a serious voice. "This won't be easy, and we have to be ready."

Constantine muttered something to Jane, and she shot him a glare. "Can't you two keep quiet?" Darryl whispered, giving them a warning look.

Jane whispered back sharply, "He started it!"

Constantine rolled his eyes. "Yeah, like you're any better," he shot back quietly.

Marcus sighed, exchanging a tired glance with Kento. It looked like these two were going to keep him busy. "Kento," he whispered, "go help Darryl out."

Watching Kento and Darryl try to calm Jane and Constantine down, Marcus felt a warm feeling. Despite their differences, they were already acting like family. To him, nothing was more important than family; after all, when things get tough, family sticks together, ready to face whatever comes their way. Family means never being alone, and the only family Outcasts have is each other. He looked at them, with a sly smile; they were his family. That being said, this didn't make the constant bickering any easier.

"It's going to be a long night," he muttered, pinching the bridge of his nose.