Somehow, the chapter before this was not put up. I apologize for any confusion.
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Alex was a troubled Teen.
At least, that was what the psychologist had written down on his diagnostic.
It was this same psychologist that was fat, flirtatious with his patients, liked to be in control, and acted like he was being nice, when in fact, he was a tyrannical dictator who tried to mold you into his version of a perfect society.
Alex called him Pedostache due to his facial hair, and the looks he’d caught him giving his sister.
Behind his back, of course.
He hated him.
“Hello Samson family!” He greeted them, with another fake smile. Alex didn’t have any concrete evidence, but he was almost certain that he had been assigned by the board. Most likely for his personality and grin.
Jessica flashed him a quick grin as they sat down. Alex noted that Pedostache’s eyes lingered on his sister’s chest as she did so. He flashed a middle finger in response.
Pedostache shook his head in mock sadness. “Honestly Alex, we really need to stop this routine every time we meet. It was amusing the first few times, but it is really starting to become quite annoying.
“I’ll consider your request once you stop looking down my sister’s shirt at every opportunity,” Alex replied hotly. “For me, it was always annoying and is really starting to piss me off.”
“So, how are we doing today?” Pedostache asked to change the subject. “Have we been practicing the breathing and mental exercises I suggested?”
“Yes sir. I do them before soccer practice, and before bed.” Jessica replied, completely ignoring her twin sibling’s furious glare.
“That’s great Jessica. I expected no less from you. It certainly seems to be working. You look stronger and fitter than ever!”
Alex was currently practicing breathing and mental exercises of his own invention- keep your breathing neutral, consider the many ways he wanted to kill and mutilate pedostache, and try not to laugh or smile at the particularly good ones.
“So what about you, Alex? Have you been a good boy like I’ve asked?”
“Definitely a big stick up the ass. Covered in barbed wire, doused in acid, and stuck in the ground. Vlad the Impailer found it to work very well with his enemies.”
Alex composed himself and said in a monotone voice. “I have been a good boy. I have eaten my veggies and done my homework.”
“That’s great! Let’s see what the school has to say!” Pedostache said as he reached for a stack of papers. The school had given him access to Alex’s files after an anonymous donation to the school’s science department (cough, board of SAI, cough).
“Hmmm,” he said, as he looked through them. “It says here on your interim that your grades have improved and are now mostly B’s, that’s good, I suppose. Although,” his brow furrowed. “It says here that you have had several disciplinary actions and are suspected of copying a language arts essay.”
Alex tried not to look guilty as he felt his sister’s glare boring into the back of his head. He had snuck into her room in the middle of the night and copied her essay file, rewritten it to sound like it came from him, and turned it in as his own. As he’d said, he hated persuasive.
“Alex, if you are to move up in society, you really must work on your people skills. Your moral judgment could use a tune up as well. I understand that such things are not worked on much in your household, even when your father was around.”
That sealed the deal. A normal psychologist definitely wouldn’t insult the family of his client. Unless, of course, the family wasn’t his client.
“I’ve said this many times, and I’ll say it again.” Alex said, his anger growing.
“Alex,” Jessica warned
“My father was an absentminded asshole who could never keep a date. But I don’t EVER want to hear you talk shit about my father again! Do you understand me?!”
Pedostache merely smiled, as if they were sharing an inside joke.
“It is commendable for you to defend your father honor, but that is unnecessary due to your current situation. Your father has been missing for over a year now. I think that it is time to face the truth. Your father is dead, Alex. Defending his honor will not change that.” He pushed his papers aside and reached for a pen. “Now, speaking of your father’s death, how are you-”
“We’re done here.” Alex said angrily. He stood up, and made towards the door.
“Running from your problems won’t solve them Alex.” Pedostache called out. “Nor will your belief that you can survive off your father’s money indefinitely. I really think that-”
“I’ve stopped listening, Pedostache. Why haven’t you stopped talking?”
“P-Pedostache!” he spluttered in outrage.
Alex opened the door and almost ran into Dunham, who was reaching for the handle as well.
“I’m sorry Alex; I was just coming to get you. Have you finished your session already?”
“Alex cut it short, again.” Jessica said, standing up.
“Sir, I request that you have your charges sit back down. Alex here is rash, hot headed, and quick to speak his mind. It is quite apparent to me that he is in dire need of-”
“The only person in here in dire need of anything, is you Pedostache.” Jessica said. “You need to work out, and find someone so you can stop flirting with girls attractive girls half your age.”
“My dear, I never,”
Pedostache never got to finish his sentence. Jessica hauled off and slapped him. Hard.
“Don’t you EVER call me ‘dear’ again you sick pervert!”
Alex stood stock still, his mouth agape. He didn’t know what surprised him more. The fact that she had just slapped Pedostache, or the fact she had just called him Pedostache.
Enraged, Pedostache began to stand up as he reached out as if to grab her arm. He missed however and grabbed,, something else.
Jessica’s eyes widened in shock as outrage filled her face. In one smooth motion, she threw his arm away and slammed her knee in between his legs. Pedostache let out a whimper and crumpled to the floor.
Alex decided that the latest development took the cake.
Jessica turned abruptly and brushed past Alex. Her face was as unreadable as rock, but Alex could tell that she was pissed.
“You’re right. We’re done here.”
@0@0@
It was the second silent car ride in as many weeks. No one seemed willing to talk. No one seemed brave enough to talk.
It wasn’t until they got home when Alex finally summoned up the courage to speak.
“Okay, what was the deal back there? One second you’re acting like a chum with him, the next you’ve slapped him and kicked him in the balls. Where was this all the other times he was hitting on you?”
Jessica rounded on him. “Do you actually think that I didn’t notice him? That I didn’t catch him looking at me every time I sat down? That I didn’t catch the tone of voice he was using? I noticed but I kept my mouth shut to keep up the act of the model student. The ‘responsible one of the set’. It was nothing more than an attempt to try and keep what dad left to us when he died.”
“What do you mean, died?” Alex asked, outraged.
Jessica rolled her eyes. “Alex, we both need to get out of whatever fantasy world we’ve been living in and accept the truth. For all intents and purposes, dad is gone. Gone just like mom. Pedostache was right about one thing. It’s time that we gave up on dad.”
“I cannot believe I am hearing this.” Alex shouted. “Out of my own sister. Out of my own TWIN!”
“See what I mean?” Jessica asked. “This is exactly what I’m talking about. Alex, the world has moved on and we’re the ones lagging behind. Listen to my voice Alex. Dad, Is, Dead”
Alex fumed. “You sound just like the board. Like Pedostache. Like every goddamn investor that knocks on our door!”
“Enough!” Dunham ordered.
Alex rounded on him “How can you side with her-”
“I said enough!”
Alex shut up.
“This behavior is unbecoming of both of you.” Dunham said. “Jessica, while you may harbor doubts about your father’s fate, your brother does not need to share them.”
“Busted” Alex whispered triumphantly.
Dunham rounded on Alex. “As for you, Alexander, do not EVER equate your sister to those heartless bastards again. You’re better than that. She’s better than that.”
“I just,”
“I don’t want to hear it.” Dunham cut him off. “We’ve all had an uncomfortable day, thanks to this afternoon. I want both of you to go upstairs, and remain in your rooms until dinner tonight.”
Alex and Jessica eyed each other.
“Fine by me.”
“See you at dinner, brother.”
@0@0@
Later that night, Alex was sitting at his desk, typing up a new essay for language arts. Unbeknownst to the rest of the household, his teacher had called him out on the essay today. She had handed it back with a warning that if it wasn’t redone by tomorrow, he’d get a zero and a dean referral. He was still on the opening paragraph, when he heard a knock at his door.
“Yeah?”
“It’s me.” Jessica replied; her voice muffled from the door.
“Go away.”
“I only want to talk.”
Frustrated, Alex shoved his chair back and wrenched the door open. “Don’t you think you’ve done enough ‘talking’ already?”
“I came to apologize” she said.
Alex rubbed his eyes. “Look Jess, can this wait till morning? I’ve got homework to do.”
“You mean the persuasive essay Mrs. Harris gave you back today?” She asked.
Alex blinked “How did you find out about that?”
She smiled wiry smile. “I was the first one she asked. She figured it was you, but wanted to make certain.”
Alex sighed and plopped down on his bed. “So that’s what I am now. The no good twin that none of the teachers trust.”
“Alex, none of the teachers distrusts you.”
“That’s a bald-faced lie and you know it.” Alex said. “I’ve tried to get away with stuff like that in every class except Health and that’s only because copying another person’s urinary diary was crossing the line.”
“You didn’t do that diary?”
“I think we can agree that doing a urinary diary is crossing the line to begin with.”
Jessica looked at him long and hard before cracking up with laughter.
“I’m serious!” Alex said, holding back his own laughter.
“Well if you had just passed the course before the new standards came in, you wouldn’t be in this predicament, now would you?” Jessica chuckled.
“Hey!” Alex said indignantly, but it was halfhearted. Unable to hold it back any further, Alex began laughing as well. They continued on for several minutes before Alex was finally able to get himself under control.
“God, I needed that.” Alex said, wiping away a tear.”
“Me too.”
An awkward silence followed before Alex said “I’m sorry.”
Jessica looked over at him confused. “Sorry for what?”
“Sorry for being a total dick. Sorry for throwing you under the bus by comparing you to them.”
Jessica punched him in the shoulder. “You’re sorry? I’m the one who’s acting all pessimistic and wanting you to as well. I guess, I guess that I felt that if I was going to feel that way, you should as well. We’re twins after all.”
“Jess,”
“No Alex. I started this. I’m the one to blame, not you. I shouldn’t force you to believe the same things I believe just because we were born minutes apart.”
Alex put an arm around his sister to comfort her. “Well then, I gladly accept your apology.”
She raised an eyebrow at him. “The gentlemanly thing to do would’ve been to say ‘no Jessica, it was all my fault. I’m the asshole and I take full blame for the incident.’”
Alex smiled. “It is good to see that I can still annoy my sister.”
“Keep it up, and you’ll lose any chance of becoming a father.”
“Doubtful, seeing how I’m your only chance of becoming ‘Aunt’ Jessie.”
Jessica shoved him. “Just get back to your essay Alex.”
“Whatever you say, sister dear.”
@0@0@
It was two days before Alex could get back on to Rune.
To be honest though, they were two very glorious days. First of all, Dunham had both fired Pedostache, and gotten him arrested for sexual harassment. Alex had even driven over to watch him be taken away. It brought him great pleasure to watch the one of the cops have to go back to his cruiser for the extra-large handcuffs.
Second of all, it came to the family’s attention that their father had bought a substantial amount of stock in Samson Aviation Industries as well as several other large companies. This meant that while they would have to make some cutbacks, they would be able to keep the house.
Alex watched as Ginganinja materialized in Rune at the same place he logged off. Looking over his hotbar, he noticed the powerup that Bearzerker and Master Saru mentioned. He had no plans to become involved in the war, but it felt good to know that he could protect himself if needed.
“FINALLY!!!!”
A shadow flew over him as a man landed in front of him. He immediately began swinging at Alex who had to roll out of the way. It was the man from last time- the one who’d attacked Bearzerker and Master Saru.
“What the hell are you doing here?” Alex yelled as he retaliated. “Don’t you have anything better to do?”
“What am I doing here?” The man said indignantly. I was waiting for you to arrive!! I thought you might be back within a couple hours. Instead, I’m forced to stare at the same landscape, FOR TWO WHOLE DAYS!! DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW BADLY I HAVE TO PEE RIGHT NOW?”
Alex froze in mid swing. “You’ve been camping out here for two days? How is that even possible?”
“I had several pizzas and lots of energy drink next to me, but that’s not the point! The point is, you’re working with Furry one and two, and I’m going to fucking kill you!”
Alex activated the powerup. His sword glowed with a red aura. He swung and was surprised that he actually landed a hit. The man yelled and stepped back.
“Why do you keep doing that?” Alex asked. “Do you get so into character that you yell in pain whenever you take a hit?”
“What, the fuck, are you talking about?” he panted
Alex summoned his only spell- a medium powered fireball. To his surprise, however, it had been replaced by a glowing sphere of red tendrils. He threw it anyways, and it landed next to the man, who jumped out of the way, barely avoiding the wash of energy.
Alex was surprised by his ferocity. This person was good- just as good as Saru and Bearzerker combined.
“I need to take him down, now.” He thought. Quickly, he brought up another fireball, only this time he set it to cage mode. He threw it again, but missed once again. The ball plopped down several feet away from the attacker.
Alex was done for. His stamina was low, his mana was spent, and his accuracy obviously needed work. Seeing his state, the man charged him. As he ran, he happened to step next to the ball.
Tendrils sprung up around the ball and quickly soared sky high. The man tried to doge around them, but was too late. He was now in the middle of a four foot wide cage of glowing red energy.
“Okay, now that you can’t rip my skull out and beat me to death with it, I’ve got some questions for you. First of all, why did you call me a hacker? Second of all, if I’m the hacker, what does that make you?”
“It makes me the guy who brings you guys in to be debugged and banned.”
“Why?”
“Because you’re a hacker.”
“Look, I’m not a hacker. I don’t even want anything to do with this war. I just got these powers for self-defense, and I intend to keep myself out of your stupid war.”
“If you wanted out, there are better ways than getting hacking privileges for your account, and better people to be hanging around than those two.”
Alex was confused. “What do you mean by that? Master Saru and Bearzerker are part of a group that is going to stop hackers! They told me you were one whose been attacking them for ages!”
The man took a step back, eyebrows razed in amazement. “You mean that they told you I’m the bad guy? That I’m the hacker? They really pulled that?”
“So people think that you using your hacking abilities makes you a good guy? What kinds of nut jobs play this game?”
“What the- look, I don't know how, but they somehow mixed the roles up on you. They’re the hackers, and I’m part of the group trying to stop them.”834Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfPA74QlCsS
