"John, Sophie!" Mr Stein called out as he walked towards the family. "Thank you all so much for coming to my fiftieth."
"Thank you for inviting us, Robert." John smiled as he shook Mr Stein's hand.
"Do you know where Annie is, Robert?" Sophie asked, holding John's arm.
"I believe I saw my wife chatting with May over by the willow." Robert directed.
"How old?" Zander questioned.
"I am sixty today, mister Zander, the big six-oh." Robert cheerfully said.
"Old," Zaria said astonished as she looked at how many fingers she was holding up.
"Zaria! You cannot say that to people!" Lola hissed.
"Don't worry about it, I am getting old." Robert laughed
"Let's go grab something to eat," Lola said as she led the twins away before they could say anything else.
"Happy birthday, sir." Axel congratulated as he shook his hand.
"Thank you, Axel. You are looking more like your father every single day. I bet you get all the ladies too!" He grinned.
Axel just smiled, he got that from just about all of his father's colleagues. It was irritating and cringey.
"Now tell me, are you joining your father on his fieldwork?"
Fieldwork was the codename they all used for crime-fighting. Robert knew John's secret as he had helped develop the schematics of the original suit.
"No, Axel is going nowhere near the suit." John nervously laughed as he placed a hand on his son's shoulder.
Axel felt overwhelmed by the business conversation John and Robert were having, so he left.
He wanted to help his father deal with fieldwork, but he didn't have a suit and there was no way his father would make him one.
The Steins' garden was very pretty; mixtures of plants and flowers from all over the world; Bright blue unique flowers to crimson red roses, a wide range of colourful trees and a lush green lawn. Axel was admiring a cherry blossom tree.
"It's rather pretty, don't you think?" A girl, in an English accent, questioned.
"Belle? What are you doing here?" Axel asked as he faced the girl in the light blue dress.
"To celebrate Mr Stein's birthday, silly. Mother and I flew over yesterday. She also has some business to attend to in New York."
Belle had moved to New York to live with her father a few years ago, she then moved back to England to live with her mother.
"How was your birthday last month? Sorry, I couldn't go, I was ill." Axel asked as they started walking.
"It was fine, thank you. My friends would have gnawed your ear off anyway. Thanks for the gift. How have things been on your end? How are the two little monsters going?"
"Zaria and Zander are a handful. They're always whinging."
"I believe you would have given your mother a handful."
Axel ignored the comment and continued.
"School's alright, I guess, I'm acing technology and science... not so much Spanish or social studies."
"Well, your father does run a billion-dollar worth tech and science company. You would run the place well if Lola wasn't getting the company." Belle said as she touched the orchids on a nearby bush.
"Um... about that, Lola wants to follow in my mother's footsteps, she's going to start her own business helping those in need. So... It's going to me," Axel stated as he turned to face her.
"What! Are you serious, you get the company?! Not that I don't like Lola, she's like a sister to me, but why would she throw the company, all the money, to you?!" She gushed, grasping Axel's hands as she jumped up and down.
Belle could get over-excited sometimes.
((( Listen to the waltz while reading this part, please!!!)))
"Wow, it's not even nine yet and they are playing the waltz, they must be tipsy already." Axel laughed as he looked over to where the party was.
"Come on Axel, I know you love to dance." Belle smiled.
"Um..."
"Don't tell me the boys in the track team told you dancing was for Milksops and sissys!!" She snapped.
"Using English slang now, are we?"
"Well, I am from England – stop trying to change the subject!"
"Yes... Liam and Noel told me that dancing was for Milksops and sissys." Axel sighed.
"Well," Belle went as she dragged Axel into a nearby gazebo, "they're not here now, are they?"
YOU ARE READING
Fuse ✔
ActionA horrific accident leaves Axel Cooper both mentally and physically damaged. If one was his father's tech suits weren't fused to his spine, he would have died at the hands of a madman. As he tries to adapt to this new way of life, disaster is trying...
