Volume 9: Fate of Destiny Chapter 61: The General's Household Affairs: Urgent Special Mission
"I... I felt like I had a dream... a very scary and strange dream..."
Behind Mason, the girl came to her senses and looked at the strange and evil environment around her with a puzzled look. She was obviously still a little confused, but her consciousness was returning to normal.
After noticing that there were many bionic people peeking out from behind Mason and some of them were taking pictures with cameras, the girl exclaimed, grabbed her clothes and hid behind Mason's windbreaker, while rustling her clothes, she whispered to the captain:
"Where is this? I remember that I and the others were engulfed by the black tide. Not only us, but the entire city, even the entire world...
It’s horrible.”
"Do you remember anything else?"
The captain asked:
"Like your brother, Alex Mercer."
"he?"
The short-haired girl named Diana was stunned by this question. She put on her coat and rubbed her forehead and said:
"I only have some vague memories. I remember that on the night before the world was engulfed by the black tide, he suddenly came to my apartment after being missing for many years.
He said a lot of weird things to me, saying that he wasn't my brother but just looked like him.
I feel like he has changed a lot.
The feeling from him was hard to describe, he clearly remembered me and I could sense that he had some feelings for me, but he was just too stubborn to admit it.
I wanted to find him, but..."
"He is right beside you, always."
Mason patted the black branches beside him and said to Diana behind him:
“It’s still a few minutes until dawn, so perhaps as your brother’s friend, I can introduce you to his life during the time you were away.
Oh, by the way, it has been almost seventeen years since you last 'died'."
"Seventeen years?"
Diana was visibly shocked.
But this clever girl realized something when she saw Mason's actions. She turned around in amazement and looked at the black "monster" behind her that looked like something out of a myth. She covered her mouth in horror and said:
"This... could this be... Mercer? Could this monster be..."
"He's not a monster!"
Mason interrupted Diana with a stronger tone, and said to the girl in front of him very seriously and solemnly:
“Anyone can call him a monster, except you.
His name is Alex Mercer, and he's your brother, remember that!
There may be many reasons for what he did, the darkness and loneliness he experienced, and the reason why he kept moving forward with your world on his back in despair, but I believe one of the most important reasons is about you.
He is not only here to save your world, he is here to protect you."
"Who are you then?"
Diana bit her lip. She stared at Mason, looking him up and down, and said suspiciously:
"You are so young, are you Mercer's child in these seventeen years? Should you call me aunt?"
"I can call, but I doubt you'll dare to answer."
Mason laughed out loud.
He looked back at the towering "Black Light Tree" behind him, and with some emotion and in a low tone, he told the story of himself and Brother A.
Of course, it is impossible to tell them all.
This is a story of nearly three million words, and dawn is only a few minutes away, so Mason can only describe it briefly. But even though too many details have been omitted, the remaining story branches are still enough to make Diana, an ordinary girl, open her mouth wide.
The legends that Mason described were not even in her wildest imagination, and she could not imagine that her brother could play an important role in such a story.
But it doesn't seem fake.
Especially the respect and awe that the increasing number of bionic people gathered in the back had for Mason, as well as the unique calmness with which this young man in front of them, who was younger than themselves, spoke, all seemed to prove that this story, which sounded exaggerated, was just a description of reality.
I even had to erase many legendary filters due to time constraints.
"Your brother finally decided to die. I couldn't persuade him, and I had no reason to dissuade him."
In this "black light forest" that covered half of the city, Mason stared at the fish belly white emerging from the darkness in the distance and said to Diana beside him:
"His death will create a new world. It is a sign that your civilization will set sail again. When a whale falls, all things will come to life. His bitter journey is over. He chooses to rest today in this place far away from his hometown.
I also suspected that he was too poor to let me build a tombstone for him.
But now it seems..."
The captain looked up and looked at the black forest in front of him that would never be ignored or forgotten. He shook his head and said:
“He really doesn’t need my help in this regard. I never thought that this guy is actually such a good at creating wonders.
This was the tombstone he had chosen for himself, and he was the first to release you from his body, which was probably the last thing that stubborn bastard wanted to ask of me.
He is asking me to take care of you for him to make up for his guilt towards you.
He is definitely not your brother.
Perhaps his origins are slightly different from what I remember. He is a life that took over your brother's body and was born. He is an evil creature in every sense of the word.
But I have always believed that identity is not a big deal. What is really important is the feelings and actions of dedication. So replacing an identity is fine.
Anyway, the real Alex Mercer was not a good person. Brother A took his identity and helped him leave a significant mark in history.
So, he should thank him.”
At this point, Mason looked back at Diana, who was lowering her head. He paused and asked:
"What's your answer?"
"I have no idea."
Diana said honestly:
“I have just been resurrected, my mind is a mess, and I don’t have enough reason and time to think about this kind of ethical issue, but I do have some pictures in my memory.
I vaguely guessed that it should be Mercer's experience and life in the Star Club you mentioned, and I did see you in those flashbacks.
If I told you that it might take me some time to sort out my relationship with Mercer, would you get mad and beat me up or even kill me?
After all, in your description, Mercer has always appeared as a tolerant anti-hero. "
"That's just my subjective feeling. It can't be your channel for understanding the world."
Mason shook his head and said:
“Brother A did a lot of bad things, I won’t deny that, many worlds died because of him, if he hadn’t jumped to our side before I started the reckoning, I wouldn’t have gotten around him so easily.
And now, he has atoned for his sins through death and the restart of civilization. Even I can't demand too much from him.
Mercer was never a hero."
The captain reached out and patted Diana on the shoulder, and said softly:
"He's just your relative, just trying to be a responsible brother, that's all. Look, dawn is coming."
Mason pointed his finger into the distance.
Diana looked in the direction where his finger pointed, and the light of the red sun jumped out of the sea level at that moment, and the colorful light and heat emitted by it instantly dispelled the endless darkness.
It was like some kind of catalyst. The moment the light shone on the Blacklight Forest, continuous shattering sounds were heard under the branches of the Blacklight.
It was like heavy rain, with raindrops hitting the ground, making a continuous sound of "pa pa pa".
The red dots of light representing vitality fluttered and enveloped the newborn and confused people. They emerged from their cocoons and stood up in a completely unfamiliar world. Shame made them cover their bodies but they couldn't help but look back at the sky after a long sleep.
Light.
The light representing dawn shone on them, allowing them to feel warmth and hope again after seventeen years.
The road to the future that had long been blocked has been restarted, and it is time for them to move on.
Under Mason's gaze, the leaders of the androids here, who had been well prepared, came forward with a group of therapeutic staff and gave clothes and food to these confused newborns.
Although it is possible that this is a ceremonial project intended to make the group feel more presentable in front of Mason, the big boss , it must be said that this well-intentioned gift still gave the bewildered crowd an initial sense of security.
Brother A said that the first group to be resurrected will be the elites in the world.
They were indeed worthy of the title, as they quickly organized themselves and began their first communication with the local bionic people in the morning light to obtain sufficient information.
Mason laughed, knowing that he didn't need to worry about what was coming next.
The captain reached out and patted the black branches beside him. He whispered:
"Waiting for you to blossom and bear fruit again and again, the world will be revived little by little until the final moment arrives, entering a new era with a brand new attitude.
Congratulations, Mercer.
Your mission is over.
You are free. "
The morning breeze from the coast made the leafless branches sway as if in response to Mason's farewell, but the captain knew very well that his consciousness had dissipated when Brother A transformed himself into this permanent form.
As he said, the essence of this rebirth is suicide, which seems like a cowardly choice but is filled with a sense of fate and reincarnation.
Finding hope at the end of the arduous journey finally prevents the story from falling into darkness.
"And you?"
Mason looked back at Diana before leaving and asked:
"Will you leave with me? Or will you stay here? I will fulfill his last request and take good care of you for him."
"No."
Diana shook her head and said:
"I want to stay here. My people need to know the stories you told me. They need to know who saved our dead world.
I don’t want him to be called a monster anymore…”
"All right."
Mason nodded, glanced at Diana, and whispered:
"Merser left something in your body, perhaps to give you some self-protection power. That's the original gene of the Blacklight Virus. If you don't plan to use it, then seal it forever.
Keep your unique gift secret from others, and contact me if you run into any trouble."
"Well, thank you for your concern. I can take care of myself."
Diana thanked Mason very sincerely, and then watched this mysterious man turn into water and disappear in front of her eyes.
In the increasingly warm and bright light, she turned around and stroked the black branches that were surrounding her. Without any movement, the branches surrounded the short-haired girl as if they were given life.
She felt the blood connection between herself and the black forest before her.
After a few seconds, she lowered her head, just like Brother A's previous "transformation", and let the clothes on her body turn into a hood to cover her hair and face under the promotion of the still very immature blacklight virus.
She said:
"Thank you, Mercer, thank you...brother."
…
"You're home late!"
When Mason returned to the Afterlife Bar, the music had already ended and everyone had left. In his office, an angry Harley complained:
"Quinn and I have been waiting for you for a long, long time. Look! Quinn got so impatient that she fell asleep!"
"Is this sleeping?"
The captain looked at Quinn who was sleeping soundly on the sofa and the big bump on her head. The emotion in his heart caused by Brother A's heroic feat disappeared in an instant. He reached out his hand and hit Harley on the head in anger.
He said:
"Is this how you treat your evil twin? Did you knock her out? Are you trying to piss me off to death with the way you two are getting along?"
"Oh, I just don't want Quinn to disturb our world of two."
Harley came up with a playful smile, hugged her fiancé and bit him hard, which made Mason calm down.
But the "good thing" she was looking forward to was destined to be a long journey. Just after she took off Mr. K's coat, the communicator in the office started beeping.
"Never mind it!"
The little cutie screamed and pushed Mason down on the sofa, then she was about to ride on him and continue her actions, but the communication kept ringing without any sense of romance. Harley was so angry that she grabbed the clown's pistol and fired several shots at herself, destroying the communication module before the sound stopped. Mason, who was like a mother wolf taking him back to her lair to be eaten, helplessly covered his eyes.
He knew that there was nothing that could stop the little cutie from going crazy now.
However, the matter that Mason wanted to be informed of this time seemed really important and urgent. After a few seconds, a communication reminder sounded on his watch again, and this time it was a matter marked as "emergency" and sent directly from the Bat Network.
"stop!"
Mason held down Harley, who was swaying with disheveled hair, and gave her a look. Then he connected the communication, and the optical projection turned on, revealing the handsome face of the young master.
But at this moment, Grayson's handsome face was full of helplessness.
He said to Mason:
"I have something to trouble you about. It's about me and Barbara."
"Is her rejection reaction getting worse?"
Mason asked, and the young master shook his head and said:
"No, she's fine and recovering well, but she's still weak and needs to use a wheelchair to get around . That's not what I want to talk about. Bruce and Selina's wedding is in two days, you know?"
"Well, I heard that they don't plan to have a big banquet, just a small private wedding. What? Did something happen?"
The captain asked again, while suppressing Harley who was ready to make a move.
The young master sighed and said:
"The thing is, I was originally the best man and Barbara was the bridesmaid, but she is obviously unable to attend in her current condition, and I have to take care of her and I can't do it.
But it was too late to find someone on short notice.
Alfu was already furious while preparing for the ceremony. He attached great importance to Bruce's wedding and asked me to find a best man within thirty minutes.
Er Tong agreed, but it’s not enough, so I wanted to ask if you’re interested in getting involved.
You're part of the Bat-family too, right?
This is your responsibility."
"That's fine with me. I'll be free for the next few days anyway."
Mason pursed his lips and said:
"But if I'm the best man, there will be two more spots for bridesmaids. Will Selina agree to Harley and Quinn making a scene at her wedding...hiss..."
"What's wrong?"
The young master asked in surprise. Mason coughed a few times and glared at Harley beside him , but the little cutie pretended not to see anything and continued to play this dangerous game.
"I'll be over to Wayne Manor in a minute."
Mason quickened his tone and said:
"Let's meet there. I have something urgent to do. Please notify the old man and the old lady for me. We can talk when we meet."
The captain hung up the call and was about to punish the little cutie when a pair of arms suddenly reached out from behind. Quinn, who had just woken up, lay on his shoulders and complained pitifully:
"Please take care of your mad dog Harley. She just attacked me and almost knocked me out. And don't even think about going anywhere today. Didn't you make that agreement with Harley?"
Today belongs to both of us.”
"There are still many days to come."
Mason closed his eyes helplessly and said:
"Why are you in such a hurry?"
"There won't be such an opportunity after Ciri is resurrected."
Quinn kissed the little sweetheart's earlobe and said in a hoarse voice:
"Harley is crazy, she suddenly wants a child, she thinks it will make her invincible in her competition with Ciri, as for me, maybe I'm crazy too, but I also think it's a good idea.
So, sweetheart, please bear with me."
