Fate Online: Shadow

Four o'clock in the afternoon.

Michael then arrived in front of a red two story apartment building made from bricks.

He then stepped on the stairs and pressed on the intercom.

Bzzzt!

"Who is it?" a few moments later, a woman's voice sounded from the other side of the intercom.

Michael smiled as he immediately recognized the voice, "It's Michael auntie"

"Oh my! Head up quick!" the woman immediately replied with a surprised tone.

Michael then opened the front door and headed towards the second floor, where he immediately towards the door with a number 14 on it.

*Knock!* *Knock!* *Knock!*

The door immediately swung open and what greeted him at the other side, is a woman around forty years old with dirty blonde long hair, tied into a ponytail, whose appearance has some resemblance with Dylan.

"Good afternoon Auntie" Michael said as he smiled.

"You should've called that you were coming! Come in quick!" the woman happily gesture for him to get inside.

Michael walked inside and closed the door behind him.

This woman in front of Michael is Dylan's mother, Adalind, she's forty seven and would turn forty eight in two months. Michael remembers her as a kind and considerate woman, but at the same time stubborn and has a strong personality, someone who doesn't easily give up in the face of hardship, much like her two children.

And she's also fond of Michael, and treats him like her own son, and Dylan would even get jealous at him sometimes as his mother treats Michael better whenever he's around in their place.

Adalind works as a store manager at a nearby fast food chain, with a big "M" on it, and she's also a good friend of Alice because of Michael.

"Mom! Who is it!?"

Suddenly, the voice of a young woman echoed from somewhere in their apartment just as Michael closed the door.

"It's Michael honey!" Adalind replied back as she headed towards the kitchen, while Michael comfortably went to the living room after handing the plastic bag that he was holding earlier to Adalind, who immediately took it to the kitchen.

"It's been quite a while since you last visited!" a young woman suddenly said behind him, so when he turned around he saw a young lady with long blonde hair who walked around the large sofa before sitting beside him as the girl looked at him directly with a smile on her face.

Michael at her and patted her head and said, "How are you Tina?"

Tina snorted and slapped his hand away and said with a bit of annoyance, "Hey, I'm not a kid anymore! You should call me Athena now!"

"You just turned 18, so you're still a kid for us!" Michael laughed hard, even Adalind who was in the kitchen also laughed with him.

"Tell her Michael, she only listens to you!" Adalind laughed.

"Shut it! I'm already in senior high and gonna graduate soon!" Tina frowned at she slapped his shoulder, and then she took the remote of their TV and opened it.

Then her gaze suddenly turned towards the box lying on the table in front of them.

"Oh my god! Is this a virtual helmet from Mine Tech.?" Athena immediately exclaimed in shock as she picked up the box, and just as she was about to open it.

Michael immediately snatched it away from her and said, "Hey, this is for your brother"

"Oh come on! I just wanna take a look!" Athena pouted.

"Fine!" Michael sighed as he handed the box back to her.

Athena excited opened it, her gaze finally landed on that shining virtual helmet lying inside, it has a sleek design, and colored in silver.

This is Tina, Dylan's little sister. Her full name is Athena McGrier, she just turned 18 last month and she's attending a co-ed high school called Central High!

She's one of their top students, but at the same time, she is also the captain of their school's cheerleading squad!

And Michael also noticed that Athena actually has a bit of a crush on him, and he doesn't even know why. After all, he's never been a really popular person, even during his high school years.

But the Michael before he became an assassin, he only knows that he wasn't handsome, a bit of a wuss and had a bit of low self esteem about himself, but he was actually oblivious to the fact that he has this charisma around him that attracts women's attention towards him, even when his looks are just above average.

And if someone were to rate Michael's appearance, then it would be between seven and eight.

But the Michael today, could finally see that interested look in Athena's eyes directed towards him.

Michael just smiled and wasn't even bothered one bit and said, "Anyway, when is your brother coming? I thought he'd be here by now"

"Dylan? Actually there's still half an hour before he comes home" Adalind was the one who replied to his question.

"Eh? Did his schedule change?"

Actually, Michael has been wondering for a while now why Dylan is not home yet, as he could clearly remember that he would always arrive home at this time.

"Not really, one of his coworkers got sick, so everyone is taking an hour more in their normal schedule" Adalind said, as she busily prepared the dining table.

"Oh I see" Michael nodded with understanding.

"Do you need help over there?" Michael stood up from the sofa and headed towards the kitchen, under Athena's gaze.

"It's fine, I got this" Adalind smiled.

"Eh okay" Michael said as he scratched the back of his head and headed back to the living room and watched what Athena is watching.

Half an hour later.

Michael's eyes suddenly narrowed as he suddenly felt that the person in the front door has been standing there for a quite a while now, so he stood up and slowly walked towards the front door, and he saw that the door knob is slowly being twisted open.

Michael was about to dashed forward with clenched fist, when the door swung open and revealed Dylan.

"Michael?" Dylan was a bit startled when he saw him the moment he opened the front door.

"Oh it's just you" Michael slowly lowered his raised fist and said.

'It seems I'm still a bit rusty,' he thought.

"What are you doing here man?"

"Let's talk inside"