Just Like Clockwork #01
The place is a city called Moonshire. Resembling the old era of noir and steam machines.
The location: An office in the shady parts of the city.
Seven figures sat around a table, playing poker.
Upon closer inspection, the figures were four young men and three young women.
"So" One of the figures wearing an expensive looking suit, "You all sure of this? If we all do this, there might be no going back together"
Another figure, wearing a simple shirt, with his pants held by suspenders and a hat, threw his cards on the table, "Fold. I myself am sure, got mah'self a decent fortune lined up. So I have no worries" He swiped his hand in the air slowly for emphasis.
"You shouldn't take any of this for granted" the third male of the group warned, lighting up a cigarette, taking a long hard drag of it *cough cough cough* unfortunately he wasn't that good with them.
"And you shouldn't be doing things you're not used to" The fourth and last guy of them warned the previous one. He seemed to be wearing a top hat.
The oldest of the females there suddenly stood up from her, throwing her own cards on the table, "Fold. Now you sure you can't come and stay with me darling?" Her question was directed at the top hat wearing guy, "Could use a guy with a silver tongue like you for a while"
"Come now sweetheart you know I don't swing that way, besides now I have a business to run, now that the old man 'is pushing up daisies' as they say"
"Shame, could have used a buffer"
"Fold" The second female of the group called, "We should get going, looks like they will be here any minute"
The final lady threw her cards on the table silently, followed by the rest.
As they were making themselves decent, the leader looked back at top hat guy, "You going to make out with that card?"
He was holding one card from his, looking at it with amusement, "What can I say? I consider myself a.....free spirit. And this card" He fitted the card on the base of his hat, "Suits me best"
The card was a joker.
Just then, flashing red and blue lights shone through the windows of the office.
A few minutes later, the door was knocked down, "Police! Nobody move! The place is surrounded! Resistance is-"
Unfortunately no one was there.
The rest of the raid force swarmed the place a few seconds later, looking around the place from top to bottom, but no one was there.
Just then, a polar bear followed by a german shepard, both wearing long coats walked in.
The officers saluted the two just as they passed by them.
The polar bear looked around the place, before setting his eyes on the playing cards on the table.
He inspected the table and cards thoroughly, "Seven decks" He checked them one by one, "Six full ones, one missing a card"
The german sheperd looked at him with confusion, "Sir? Does this indicate anything?"
"It means that one of them is holding on to the missing card" Just then a policeman walked over to the bear and whispered a few things to him, which the bear nodded to, asking him a few questions about something, "And I just got conformation of it"
The shepard remained silent, while the bear continued, "I just asked this officer about the card. He said that they couldn't find it anywhere"
Just then, "Sir, you got to see this"
The bear and shepard walked over to find a glass frame case.
With seven masks inside, all with different colors. Purple, green, yellow, blue, red, orange and violet. Each made with different designs.
The bear regarded the case with interest, "Not how I wanted to retire, but at least the city will be at peace for a while" He said walking out of the office.
The shepard followed after him, "Detective Lestrum, what do you mean?"
The bear lit up a cigarette, taking a few small drags of it before answering, "The owners of those masks were the bosses of the most powerful gang around, nobody even the richest and most powerful of people would mess with them" A few more drags, "I wished I could have retired as the hero who put those troublemakers in their place, but it seems that I won't get that chance"
The shepard looked to be in thought, "So? They won't come back?"
Lestrum threw his cigarette on the ground, stepping on it, "Let's just hope so Ken, let's just hope so"
Just then, snow began falling around them, marking the official arrival of winter.
Two years later.
It was in the beginning of summer.
The time was morning, everyone hustling to get on with their day.
The same could be said about a science expo that many scientist, their students and sponsors have decided to host in a museum.
A few visitors were walking around the place, viewing the many scientific inventions and experiments that are there.
A family of four were such visitors, and from their clothes they seemed to be a tad bit on the wealthy side.......scratch that, they are filthy rich.
However, unlike most of the visitors who had their noses touching the ceiling, they were quite modest about it.
Three foxes and a white furred cat.
The boys wore fancy suits while the girls wore pretty dresses.
The Hogworth family, one of the sponsors of the science expo, walked around until something picked their interest.
"Mr. Hogworth, a pleasure meeting you here" The father- a fox looked towards the owner of the voice and found a lizard, "Professor Klein, of course being one of the sponsors of this informative event, I have to make sure that it's worth the money put into it"
"Of course, of course it is, and thanks to you and many others, our students can show their talents and lay out their knowledge to the city"
"Professor?" They all turned towards a yellow furred cat, "Sir, I checked the list of our participants, and I re-checked it time and again, but there is someone-"
"Wow, father look" The young Hogworth almost pulled on his father's sleeve trying to get his attention.
When the elder Hogworth checked what was the excitement all about, he set eyes on something he thought he would not see ever in his life.
"By the gods" He whispered to himself when he saw a huge armored machine, almost 10 feet tall, that stood proudly like a knight awaiting his king's orders.
The armor was bronze and black in color, with black horns on the sides of the helmet, with bigger horns as shoulder pads pointing to the sides.
"A bronze golem? Here?" Mr. Hogworth looked at it, then down to what appeared to be detailed schematics on how the golem works, "This is the most detailed schematics I have ever seen, and of a golem at that" He turned back towards the lizard and cat, "What? Who does this belong to?"
The lizard sighed with irritation, looking back at the cat, who merely shrugged, "This belongs to the absent person of this expo"
"You mean absent-minded, that guy is nothing more than a quack-job looking for attention" He turned back to the family, "Forgive my rudeness but I must ask you to step away from that...that..thing, and be on your way"
"Who is this absent-minded quack-job you speak of?"
Meanwhile.
In the open market area, near the city centre, a few small stalls were set up, calling out to the many passersby.
Walking among them, was a guy- a human wearing a black suit with black pants, holding or rather twirling a cane in his hand, the cane's handle was of an empty hour glass inside a crystal orb orbited by two gears forming an X on either side, a top hat, and small circular glasses with purple lenses, walking with almost a hop in his step.
As he was walking by, he spotted an apple stand.
He walked over and stood in front of it, facing the bulldog owner, "Hello good sir, how much are these delightful fruits?"
The bulldog had a wide smile on his face as he replied to the man, "And good day to you too professor. They are 25 cents each"
"Oh dear me, you can't be selling them at such a price" The bulldog's smile wavered a little, "It doesn't do their delicious taste justice" as he spoke, he put the cane in his pit, grabbing one apple, then pulling out his wallet, digging out a coin, before flicking it at the seller.
"Pleasure doing business with ya" The bulldog grabbed the coin mid air.
The human took a generous bite out of the apple, chewing slowly, savoring the delightful texture and taste of the fruit. After he swallowed the first one, he took another bite, before he spoke with the stand owner, his words muffled, "So....how's life treating you these days?"
"Oh not much, after the missus left it's been getting lonely at the house. That or her nagging was what meant something in our marriage"
"Oh you poor thing" He cooed, leaning suggestively at the stand, "Must be tough. Sleeping alone in bed and waking up to an empty house" He placed two fingers on the stand, before 'walking' them towards the bulldog's thick arms.
"Nah, been feeling free for a while now. Heh, who knows? Maybe I don't need to look for a new wife" Despite the suggestive fingers on his crossed arms, he still had that smile on his face, he knew that human's shenanigans. He suddenly had a small frown on his face, "Say shouldn't you be somewhere today?"
The human finished his apple already, when he looked deep in thought. It then clicked in his brain, "Oh yeah"
His stature suddenly rose slightly, before he seemed to be floating away.
The bulldog, startled, looked down over his stand and found the cause of the human's floating.
A pair of steam powered boots.
Back at the science expo.
The Hogwroth family were being led around by professor Klein and his assistant, but every now and then, Mr. Hogworth would come back to the golem and admire it's beautiful craftsmanship. His father being a scientist himself used to tell him how these golems were the first creations of cogs and steam to ever be, and since then he only dreamed of seeing one for real. Until now it seems.
However professor Klein really hated the golem's creator, and he always thought that those machines were the reason many lost their jobs in the past. Including his grandfather who used to work in construction at the time.
He mustered his best smile, "Mr. Hogworth I'm really sorry to inform you this, but the person who made these might not show up today"
The older fox had that disappointed frown on his face, "Oh..Well that is a shame, wanted to thank him myself for making my long life dream come true"
Klein had a confused look on his face, "Sir?"
"I have long since wanted to see the great machines that walked the city back in the day, sure this one doesn't work, but seeing it in real life, and the design, the material, the craftsmanship. Marvelous"
Just then, "My ears are burning ~~~~" Klein face palmed himself, at the sound of the person he hated the most.
The top hat wearing human walked with a rhythm in his step, making his way towards the Hogworths.
When he stood in front of them, he raised his hat quickly then putting it back on, all with a wide smile on his face, "I am really honored to see a man of your stature praising my greatest masterpiece yet"
Mr. Hogworth looked at him with interest, "And you are?"
The cat almost pushed past professor Klein, "This my dear sir: is the person who you wanted to see. One of our greatest scientists" she put her back hand to the side of her face, and in a whisper, "If not the craziest" Then back in her normal voice, "Professor Emilium "Emil" Chronos"
Emil took of his hat completely, bowing down slightly before wearing it again, "A pleasure to make your acquaintance Mr.?"
"Hogworth. Edmond Hogworth" At that the elder fox took Emil's hand in a firm handshake, "I have to say, I thought that the ways of building golems were lost in time"
"Oh they weren't lost, it's just that I didn't get interested in building one until two years ago"
Edmond looked at him with confusion, "You?"
Then with a wide prideful smile, "Who do you think built these machines in the first place?" Still confusion, "My grandfather of course"
"Your grandfather" Then it clicked in Mr. Hogworth's head, "Wait. Chronos? As in Fredrick Chronos? He is your grandfather?"
The younger fox pulled on his father's sleeve lightly, "Father? Who is Fredrick Chronos?"
His father answered him with pride and joy, "Besides your grandfather, Fredrick Chronos was one of the greatest scientists to ever live at that time" He turned back to Dr. Chronos, "I believe they worked together on a few projects"
"Yes they did indeed" Chronos answered him, "They even worked on the golems together" He took off his glasses, taking out a cloth from his pocket and cleaning them, "However, my grandfather was left to work on final touches alone, since Prof. Hogworth went to work on a separate project"
Chronos put his glasses back on, taking his pocket watch and checking the time.
The watch itself had the design of an hour glass inside a cog on the back. When he opened it, the inside showed a normal clock on the left, and a picture of him and his grandfather- a coyote on the day of Emil's graduation from high school.
He put his watch away, turning his attention to the Hogworths, "Since we have time ladies and gentlemen, how about I take you on a tour, since it appears that you didn't see everything" He offered looking at Klein
Professor Klein scoffed and crossed his arms.
"Shall we?" The family followed Chronos, leaving the cat assistant and Klein to themselves.
Chronos led them around the expo, showing them everything they have, from the minor experiments to the major discoveries.
They saw a few that for some reason Prof. Klein didn't show them.
"Prof. Chronos" A young looking grey fox approached them.
The Professor had a smile when he saw the young vulpine, "Oh little Devin. How are you? Your father doing well?"
"Yes he is, thanks to you Professor" The Hogworths looked between them, "Oh, the professor helped my father who lost his leg in the war years ago"
Then Chronos answered their unasked question, "I simply found a way to use artificial limbs, substituting the lost ones"
Mr. Hogworth looked at him with fascination, "Really now? Why haven't I heard of such an accomplishment?"
"I was keeping it on the down-low, medicine, despite its versatility, is quite a competitive profession, every kind of scientist with knowledge of biology and chemistry , even those who study and delve in biomechanics, like me, all race to find the next miracle they call a cure, whether it's for simple things like the cold or a fever to those cases that some might dare call...lost causes, like Devin's father"
Devin suddenly looked sorrowful, "Yes. My father was depressed beyond belief when they told him that they can't help him, even the ones who boasted to be the greatest doctors in the world branded him, and I quote, 'A lost cause" Then his expression brightened, "But Prof. Chronos here didn't give up on my father, he did all he could and fought against all odd. Some even began contradicting him, calling him all kinds names that would disgrace any scientist, but he kept going, until he found the newest advancement in medical science" He looked back briefly, "If I can take a few minutes of your time, I would like to show you something" Hogworth looked at his wife who nodded lightly, but excitement clear in her eyes.
They followed Devin to his own stand, what they saw their put Chronos in a delightful trance, "Is this what I think it is?" He pushed his glasses down slightly, as if trying to make sure he wasn't seeing things.
What Devin wanted to show them was a mechanical arm, connected to a few wires feeding it electricity as if mimicking a person's neural system.
Devin had a small blush on his face, "I took a few pages of your work, took them to heart even, the way you helped my father, it gave me the final push to go through what I wanted, which is mechanics, but thanks to you I found that science can be used to help people. So....here, a prototype, but I made it work, I think"
Chronos looked at him with a raised brow, "You think?"
"It's mobile, but it's slow compared to how my father's leg work, I tried everything, tried oil, grease, different levels of electricity and anything I can think of, but nothing"
Chronos inspected the arm itself, but found the problem instantly, since it was right in their faces, "I believe I found your problem"
They all looked at him, waiting for him to point it out. He pointed to the joints and biceps area, "You put metal plates on these areas, it's blocking all kinds of normal movement. You should have used bio-metal fibers and tubes instead of ordinary plates, that way, it will be able to stimulate the very muscle movement of the arm, and it will make it easier on the arm itself and you won't have to spend a lot of either grease or oil"
Devin looked at it more closely, then his brows raised in realization, "Huh, you're right"
Just then they heard screaming and yelling near the entrance.
They all went to check what it was all about.
There was Klein and another person, a retriever were arguing loudly about something.
Then the retriever grabbed Klein's by the coat suddenly.
Chronos seemed to move faster than usual, using his cane's handle to smack one hand down and the other up, then leveling it to the retriever's muzzle, "May I ask what is going on here?"
Klein was the one answering, "This mad man just attacked me for no reason"
Chronos turned to the retriever, "Is this true Prof. Adams"
"It is Chronos, but not for no reason" He pointed at Klein, "This thief stole my work, one that I spent months preparing for this expo"
"And that would be?"
Adams looked around, "Follow me" He led them, till they reached some sort of engine, "This engine uses the power of steam and air instead of the usual fuel. I've drawn the schematics, I built it with my own hands, I have spent my very blood and sweat and threw my very health out of- "He began suddenly coughing roughly. Chronos walked up to him holding him from falling to the ground, until he composed himself, "Threw my health right out the window, just for this expo" He then stared daggers at the lizard, "I showed Klein the final prototype, this one you see before you. I showed it to him, thinking that I can trust him, but then someone called me, telling me about the expo and Prof. Klein's 'work'"
Prof. Klein was silently sweating and shaking under the continuous accusations, however that didn't go unnoticed by Chronos.
He stepped forward, to the lizard, "Is he telling the truth Klein?"
"N-n-no, h-he's lying, he is obviously lying, jealousy of my work took over his mind. H-he's clearly gone mad"
Adams' eyes widened with complete shock, "Jealousy!? Of you? The thief who never did anything by himself, always stealing from others, including your students, just to save face as some 'scientist' while you, yourself, are a fraud"
"You don't have any proof of any of this. How dare you come over here, accusing me of something horrid!?"
Just then they heard a loud noise, everyone covered their ears.
Chronos was standing beside one of the stands, belonging to a young cat, holding a tuba blended with a few extra mechanisms, to amplify the sound, "Wow that was loud boy, but check some of the tubes there, I think I heard one whistle" He left him alone to check his machine, "Now that that grabbed your attention" He turned to Adams, " I would really love to help you in that part, but just like Klein said, you have no proof, until there is solid proof of this, no one can help you"
The retriever looked close to crying, "Chronos you can't do this. Do you know where I was before coming here? I was in a hospital bed....I poured my very soul into making this machine, I would see the day that I perfect this engine even if it caused me my very life" His eyes became a little moist, "Please Chronos, don't do this to me"
Chronos wanted to help him, but there wasn't anything that proves that this is Adams'.....Come to think of it.
Chronos called a few workers there, "Take this engine, put in storage and lock it up, take the schematics as well"
"WHAT!?" Klein almost shrieked, "You can't do this, you can't take my work off the expo like this"
Chronos turned to him, with an uninterested look, "There is no proof that this is Adams' work, that is true. But there is no proof that it belongs to you as well"
Klein began stuttering, trying to find words to stop them, but he remained silent, but Chronos went on, "Until we find the true owner of this engine, it will be the property of museum"
Then Adams suddenly grabbed Klein by a shoulder, and with a growling whisper, "I will see you in court you thief" He pushed his shoulder roughly, and making his leave, coughing lightly, his throat dry from all the yelling.
Chronos let out a deep sigh, before turning back to the Hogworths, "Really sorry for this confusion, I hope it didn't dampen your mood"
Edmond shook his head lightly, "Not at all, but I hope this thing is resolved before it gets out of hand. Is it true however?" Chronos knew he was asking about what Adams said about Klein.
"There have been a few rumors here and there, still are, but nothing solid as of yet" He leaned to the older fox, and in a whisper, "Between you and me, I deeply wish there was"
Hogworth looked at him with a raised brow, "Why is that, if I may ask?"
Chronos began looking around them, "Look around you and you'll see your answer"
Hogworth did as Chronos said. He didn't see it at first, but he did a few moments later.
He saw how a few scientists, even a few students glaring at the lizard with hateful eyes.
Chronos then answered his unasked question, "Despite his presumed genius, he is hated. His attitude, as if he's god's gift to us mortals is beginning to really try everyone's patience"
"Well I hope the get's over with" Hogworth then looked at Chronos with an amused smile, "So? 'Emillium'?"
Chronos returned the smile, "Yes my grandfather is the one who named me, what did you expect someone who is almost obsessed clocks is going to name things. But I liked the way he played the word millennium. That and my name sounds like some rare stone when you think about it"
He took out his watch again checking the time, "I'm sorry to say that I have to take my leave now, have a few errands to run in the city"
Hogworth nodded, "Of course, I hope to see you around, we have much to talk about" He put his hand forward for a handshake.
Chronos took the hand shaking it firmly, "I would be delighted" He raised his hat briefly, then made his leave, a long black car waiting for him outside.
A bird-man- a dove- wearing a butler's outfit was waiting for him by the back door, he bowed as he opened the door for Chronos.
When Chronos seated himself, the dove followed him inside.
"To the docks please" Chronos said to the driver, a large bear, wearing a buttoned shirt and sandy brown pants held by suspenders and a fanged necklace.
The bear- a grizzly- nodded and drove off to their destination.
A few minutes later.
Chronos had finally arrived at the docks.
The place had many spaces for many kinds and sizes of ships, it looked almost like a parking lot for ships and boats.
The grizzly got out of the car and opened Chronos' door, allowing him and the dove to exit.
As they made their way to his second favorite place in the city, a figure was sitting on a few stacked barrels, " 'Ello there boss"
Chronos and the duo beside him turned to the source of the voice, to find a slim but decently built black and grey rat wearing a bowler hat, a white wife-beater and black almost skinny pants.
Chronos turned to him, with his arms spread wide as if expecting a hug, "Vinnie!! Come here you big vermin"
Vinnie jumped down from the over the barrels, and held Chronos in a tight hug, almost squeezing the air out of the human, lifting him off the ground by a few inches.
The dove rolled his eyes in irritation, then mumbled something like, "Vermin seems to the right word"
Vinnie's ears twitched but said nothing of it.
When he released the hug, he bowed mockingly at Chronos, "And to what do we owe the pleasure?"
"I just wanted to check how things are working around here"
Vinnie almost jumped when he raised his head, "Well then, shall we?" Just as Chronos passed, Vinnie gave him a light but firm pat on his rear.
A gesture which the dove scoffed at. His master was one of the most respected people in society, he shouldn't let street thugs treat him like some whore.
Despite the lewd jokes and gestures Vinnie was making as they walked around, both he and Chronos knew it was all nothing but a joke.
But unknown to Chronos, Vinnie wished all of it was more than that.
When they neared their destination, they could hear some yelling, just as they saw a large built but slightly chubby whale talking to a female hawk, with a vulture taking photos, with the flash of light almost blinding even in their distance.
When they reached them however, "Is there a problem here Roy?" Chronos asked the large whale.
They all turned to him, but before the whale could answer, the hawk and vulture, who Chronos found out from their clothes to be journalists, almost pounced on him, "Prof. Chronos, most of the people know you for being against child labor, is that true"
Chronos raised a brow, then glanced briefly at Roy, "Yes, I am against child labor, children are supposed to be playing like normal kids and going to school, not work their lives into an early grave"
"Then what do you say about having a kid working in your own dock with such heavy objects and with a high chance of injury"
Vinnie's eyes widened, then began backing away slowly, as Chronos' eyes blinked a few times, "What?" He turned to Roy, who pointed with his thump towards the inside of a warehouse.
Chronos looked in that direction, and saw the reason for the question.
There he was, a young beagle, looking almost 12-14 years old, and what was worse, he had one arm.
But despite the obvious handicap, he was pulling on a chain lifting a heavy crate to stack it on top others, helped by two others of course.
He was wearing a white button shirt, a black vest and pants, and a dark and light blue plaid..newsboy hat? Chronos remembered them being called that.
His sleeves were pulled back, showing impressively bulging muscles, pretty good for a boy his age, and an evident proof of him working with heavy objects for a long time.
"Well?" His trance was broken when he got called back by the hawk lady.
Chronos composed himself, before answering, "I assure you I had nothing to do with it, my employees must have felt bad for the kid and allowed him to work for honest money. A privilege most kids don't find easily, resorting to stealing and pick pocketing. But I assure you, after today the boy will be sent on his way"
Roy finally spoke this time, "Boss wait. Didn't you see how strong the boys is, besides he is the one who came to us looking for work, this is probably the only kind of work he is used to. Come one boss, just give him a chance"
"Sorry, but you know how a feel about putting children to work, no matter how you put it, even if the kid offered to take this job, it is still child labor. Just give him his pay for the rest of this week and tell to not bother coming back"
Roy began stuttering, trying to find the right words to change his boss' mind, but nothing came out. He let out a defeated sigh and nodded his head softly.
Chronos then left along with the journalists, after bidding them goodbye, and a promise that this was all a misunderstanding, they went their separate ways.
"Ollie!" The young beagle turned to his whale boss.
After they finished their work for the day, they all were sitting down having a few laughs and drinks, a few guys slipping a few drops to Ollie here and there.
The one armed dog went to his boss, who had a small but slightly thick looking envelope, "Yes boss?" His voice was in the middle between squeaky young and rough puberty.
"Here" Roy handed him the envelope, Ollie looked at it, he knew that it was his salary for the day.
But, "This is more than I get"
Roy rubbed the back of his head nervously, "Yeah, about that. The bigger boss came over today, and he have this deep hate for child labor he called it. So....he said don't bother coming back"
Ollie felt like his very reality shattered, "Boss please, I can't leave this job, it's all I have, I don't want to go back to stealing, I don't want to go back to jail"
Roy saw the young beagle's moist eyes, tears threatening to fall out, "Sorry kid, big boss' orders"
Ollie felt a few tears falling down his face, as he left, the envelope in his hand almost crumbling it.
Roy was pacing nervously, but then, "Ollie, wait"
The beagle turned back with a tear stained face, "I think we can work something out"
In Chronos' house.
Or mansion to be precise.
The place was built in the rich parts of the city.
Everything big and almost glowing, mostly it's people just boasting about how rich they are.
His house was flanking a long driveway, filled with lush greenery, and his house was surrounded by beautiful flowers, from different colors.
Him and his butler left the car and the grizzly to park it in the garage.
Chronos asked for some tea, as he left for the backyard of his house.
The hallways were big with white and brown walls, with a few expensive looking decorations, one of them being the steam powered boots he wore this morning, one of his grandfather's creations.
When he arrived at the backyard, he was greeted by a garden with many kinds of flowers and herbs.
The one tending for them was a wolf as big and thickly built as the grizzly driver.
His clothes resembled those of the grizzly's but he wore a feathered hair pin, with a circular totem like design as the cover.
Chronos sat at a table nearby, overlooking a small pool shaped like a pond, taking in the scenery around him.
A few minutes later, the dove butler brought his tea to him, pouring a cup for his master.
"If I may speak honestly master?" The dove suddenly asked, just as Chronos picked his cup.
"Speak" Chronos then took a small sip from his tea.
"I believe you are better off not going back to that horrible place, and even better if you never see that...that rat again"
"You're point?"
"Sir, if you could see how he was looking at you, when you turn your back, a pervert would be jealous. If you are interested in males I would suggest a few young men with a more...respectable reputation. Also your father asked me to keep you from doing anything that would be dishonorable"
"Dishonorable for me, or him?" The dove stiffened but remained silent.
Chronos set his cup back down on the table, "Let me tell you something Berny. I am not my father, I am not some glorified dickwad who thinks he is better than everyone else" Bernard winced at his master's use of such foul language.
"I believe that we are equals, some of us just have better luck and know how to use their skills and money"
Just then, thundering steps could be heard coming their way.
It didn't seem to faze Chronos, "My father cannot control me anymore, let him wither and rot away with his mightier than thou attitude, let's see how he fares when he loses everything" The thundering steps kept coming closer.
Bernard seemed shocked at what his master said, Chronos continued with an amused smile, "Yes, I checked his business progress reports, he is in a bit of a pinch if I do say so myself. He will go out of business probably.......by the end of this year, give or take a month or two earlier"
Just then, a big shadow loomed over them, as Bernard began stepping back, "My father lost my love, respect and support the moment he disowned me, not for my interest in men, but for supporting my grandfather openly, defying everything he wanted for me" He then smiled, "As for Vinnie, I..we know about that, have for a long time"
He then looked towards the source of the shadow.
A golem the same size of the one in the expo, but his design was more fire affiliated, red, gold and black in color, with a furnace like face, a batch of crimson long feathers sitting on top of his head, it's shoulders rounded with a fire like emblem on both, large hands beastlike feet, with sharp claws on its metal fingers and a average sized red glowing stone embedded on his chest, on the hearts side.
"Didn't we Agni?"
Agni, Chronos' first elemental golem, fire golem to be exact, let out a soft but loud sound which seemed to be a mix of a groan and growl.
Chronos raised his hand towards Agni, the golem mimicking his gesture.
Until Chronos' hand rested on one of Agni's large fingers, Agni kneeling on one knee like a fiery knight bowing to his king, with his heart stone giving out a soothing glow.
Then with a soft smile, Chronos looked towards the over the parts of the city in a distant which his house overlooked, "Yes, things are going to be interesting from now on. I just feel it"