Cyberspace; The Ultimus Collection

Chapter 43, Origins

It was a beautiful day in the Internet. The birds were singing, the sun was shining, and the trees were ever so slightly swaying. A cool breeze brushed passed the residents of the city to combat that growing warmth of the weather. Spring had started to show its signs of leaving, and summer was soon on its way. A crisp, blue sky brought a general feeling of joy, and the fluffy, white clouds periodically shaded everyone from the sun's intense light. Daniel, Derick, and Catelin all roamed the downtown streets. Together they were all on patrol, intent on keeping the city crime free. However, to some this was less about work and more about play.

"Okay, okay. Would you rather be a famous musician or a famous artist?" Catelin asked Daniel. 

"Hm, I think people would be more interested and engaged if I was a musician, so I'll go with that. But honestly, being famous in any regard would be nice!" He laughed. "Alright, if you were trapped on a deserted island, what's one thing you would bring?"

"Easy! My family's bakery!" She fired back. "Everything I need to survive is in there, so I'll just wait things out until help arrives."

"That's cheating! You can't bring a whole building with you!"

"Hey, you said one thing, and I chose one thing!"

"Fine, but you can only bake one kind of food!"

"Deal!" The two giggled. "I've got a good one! Which guardian would you rather fight in a 1v1?" 

"Oh, uhhhhh... god this is so tough." Daniel pondered for a moment. Soon, he was ready to give his answer, but Derick interrupted. 

"C'mon guys, could you please pipe down and take this seriously? You're giving me a headache. Speaking of which." Derick then pulled out a large white pill bottle from his pocket. He twisted off the cap and popped two pills into his mouth. 

"What's that?" Daniel asked. 

"New medicine Sheldon prescribed me. It's supposed to help with my power's negative effects. He said I have to take at least two a day." 

"Okay, but like, what is it specifically?" Catelin pressed further. 

"You're a chemistry girl, you tell me." Derick tossed the bottle over to Catelin. She caught it and began to inspect the label. 

"This is the strongest pain killer on the market! It's a hundred times stronger than morphine, or really any opioid for that matter! And look at the dosage! Do you have any idea what this will do to your kidneys, your liver, your stomach!?" 

"Nothing that hasn't already been done." 

"Mommy, look!" A small voice shouted. The three heroes turned to look towards where they heard the commotion. Directly in front of them, not too far down the sidewalk, they found a mother and her two sons, both of which were sprinting to them. 

"Ah! Boys, come back here!" The mother worriedly yelled, soon after chasing down her kids. 

"Look, look! It's Derick, the guardian! It's really him!" They both shouted in unison. Derick smiled and knelt down to their level. 

"Well, hey guys! Are you two fans of mine?" 

"Like you wouldn't believe!" Their mother responded for them, finally catching up. "Their rooms are just absolutely filled with your merchandise. Sorry about this, by the way." She sighed. The two boys could barely keep in their excitement, they looked as if they were fit to burst. 

"We're your biggest fans, Mr. Derick! I own all your action figures!"

"And I own all your posters!" Derick laughed, absolutely delighted by his new paparazzi. That is until the older son grabbed Derick's hand without warning. He tugged on his arm and flipped over his hand to show Derick's palm to his younger brother. "Look! It's his famous scar!" The young boy pointed to a long, thin cut running all the way down Derick's palm, from finger to wrist. "That's the scar he got from Godrick! He cut his hand to forge Derick's legendary blade!"