Chapter 114: What am I going to do with all this money?

Sophie was fine, which Brent was glad to find out. Like Esper Parker had said, he had put her under so that she wasn’t waking up scared in the middle of what most people would consider a war scene. She had some minor bruising around her throat and on her arms, but she was fine beyond that.

Lieutenant Dickenson, who insisted that Brent call him by his first name, Vance, was rather kind when he spoke to both Sophie and Mr. Caulder. He was able to tell that Mr. Caulder was rather worried about the younger woman, and he also made sure to check up on the older man to make sure he wasn’t injured as well.

It was interesting to see other Healing Espers at work, since Brent often found himself in the Medical Bay due to bringing gruff Espers that were too stubborn for their own good, and injured Guides behind Kellen’s back, he often saw how frustrated Taylor was when others hurt themselves. It was interesting to see how Vance dealt with them. He was a ’kill them with kindness’ kind of Esper.

He would have done well as a Guide at one of the Centers, Brent thought, but did not tell the man.

He knew that even if Vance looked like that, he probably would not take it well if Brent said it out loud. Something about the man smiling sent a small shiver down Brent’s spine. It wasn’t like he thought that he was in danger, or anyone he brought to the Medical Bay. It was just…a warning from Brent’s core.

He was a man who hid his true intentions and who he was for a long time. He saw that same reality reflected back at him when he looked into Vance’s green gaze and his soft, mousy brown hair cut around his ears. He looked soft and kind, but something deep inside of Brent told him to be cautious around him. Things were not as they seemed.

~

Brent felt bad that he had to leave Sophie behind in the Medical Bay, but she shouldn’t, no, couldn’t come up to the higher levels of the Phoenix Guild tower. She was an outsider, and honestly, the only reason Mr. Caulder was coming up to the higher floors was because they needed his mind and his authority in the city to help Brent do what he wanted to do.

That, and Brent felt guilty getting him involved in everything.

However, Brent still needed him. He was basically his walking, talking authentication that Brent was who he said he was. Until he was able to get some photo i.d., but that was going to put him at risk.

Unless…he could get someone from the government on his side, high up enough that they could pull some of the same bullshit that Mr. Caulder pulled earlier to fuck over his brother. Brent, for a moment, wondered if Aunt Dina had those kinds of connections, and then paused. For some reason, Brent didn’t think that she did.

Call it intuition, but Brent had a feeling that the government might not like Aunt Dina, and that might 100% have to do with her being a hot head, pun intended. He thought about the level of damage that had been done to the city and Brent wondered how much money would move their hearts.

He had enough of it, at the moment.

It would also kill two birds with one stone. It would take money away from his family, and it would be put back towards the people that his family hurt. A win-win if Brent ever heard of it.

Brent was deeply lost in thought as he rode up in the elevator with Esper Parker and Mr. Caulder. So much so that he didn’t hear the elevator open and had to be nudged out of the elevator by Esper Parker. The man looked exasperated at Brent’s distracted expression, while also looked at Brent with a kind of care that Brent didn’t notice, but Mr. Caulder did.

“You shouldn’t look at him that way. He’s probably 10 years younger than you.” Mr. Caulder warned quietly, and Esper Parker froze, before he paled of all colour.

“It is not what you’re thinking. I’m happily married.” Esper Parker whispered, glancing around like he thought someone was observing them. “He just reminds me of a younger man I used to take care of when I was much younger. Like a younger brother.” Esper Parker told Mr. Caulder, and Mr. Caulder narrowed his gaze.

“Mm.” He said in response, and Esper Parker grew more flustered.

“Please, I beg of you, do not think of me that way. I am very happily married. Very. My partner would kill me if they thought my eyes were straying. It’s…ugh, an Esper thing. He’s to be protected, plus, he has someone else that he’s in love with and if I was single, I wouldn’t even consider him an option. He’s 10 years younger than me, like you said, and I don’t really like Guides like that.” Esper Parker was defending himself to Mr. Caulder while Brent was buried in his own thoughts.

“Is that so?” Mr. Caulder said, curious as he glanced at Brent. At this point, both men were impressed that Brent was so tuned out. “I thought that it was instinctual that Espers and Guides would be attracted to each other?” Mr. Caulder mused, glancing at Esper Parker.

The older man raised a hand, scratching the back of his head looking rather pained. The tight smile on his face and the huff of laughter that left his lips made Mr. Caulder stare at the middle-aged man.

“Yeah. That’s the case for most Espers.” He muttered. Then, he reached out to Brent, shaking his shoulder slightly. “Brent, we’re almost at Dina’s room. Do you need to go back to your room to change for any reason?” The shaking of his shoulder had Brent coming back down to earth. Brent’s face warmed as he realised he didn’t remember how he got from the elevator to the hallway outside of Aunt Dina’s room.

“Ah. No, I don’t need to change. Maybe just splash some water on my face or something.” Brent muttered. “I didn’t miss anything, did I?” Brent asked and Mr. Caulder gave a short laugh.

“No, nothing at all, son. Alright, it sounds like we’re going to have a busy night ahead of us. Esper Parker, may I ask for a few things if Brent doesn’t need anything?” Mr. Caulder asked and Brent was curious.

Of course this man who had just gone through what most would consider the most traumatic experience of their life, was cool headed. He had worked for his grandfather, after all. Not only that, he had worked for the James family.

The man probably had balls of steel.

Esper Parker listened to each of Mr. Caulder’s requests earnestly as Brent left the men alone to wash his face and cool his mind. He closed the door behind him, letting the water run as he gripped onto the edge of the sink, staring at himself in the mirror.

Staring back at him were the green eyes a shade too dark to fully blend into his family. The blonde hair that was too rich a shade that made him stand out amongst his family. Features that were just a tad too handsome that had made his family blind with jealousy and rage that they felt justified when Brent had lost his arm in an ’accident’ and then his face was marked up in a similar and equally as tragic ’accident’.

Not enough to bring shame to the family. Never enough for that, but just enough that it put Brent in his place.

Yes, that man, the man that everyone was grateful for and simultaneously pissed even existed, now stood on top of everyone that had tried to harm him. Brent knew that he should probably feel happiness. Success. Victory over those who had wished to kill him and take everything from him.

But Brent didn’t feel that.

He hadn’t wanted this. Maybe at one point when he was younger and filled with rage, Brent would have wanted this, but now?

He had so many things that he wanted to do, and he was now tied down with all of this fucking money and responsibility and hope that was tied up in what Brent would do with the James family. What did Brent even want to do with the James family beyond steal it from his brother and fuck over the rest of his family?

What would he do after that?

Brent had kind of thought about it, but it was in fuzzy details. He knew he wanted to ruin the Chronos Guild, he wanted to ruin the evil plans that his brother and the rest of his family had. He wanted to separate the prosthetic factory from the James family and protect it for entirely selfish reasons.

He wanted to make the research public that the James family did that was actually for the common good, partially for himself and for his grandfather.

He wanted to re-establish the Rose Foundation, a charity organisation that had been helping women for years in his Grandmother’s name that his brother had destroyed. It was a silly thing, something that his brother had cut years ago, before Brent had left for the front lines, but he wanted to bring that back.

It was one of the few good things that his family had really done, and it was also one of the few things that his Mom, who hated him with every fiber of her being, had sobbed about when it had been closed at her son’s hands.

For all of her faults, and she had many, she had wanted to support women and children. Brent was too aware of how not all evil was completely evil.

Brent sighed, finally releasing the edge of the sink to cup water into his hand and rub it all over his face. It was cold, just what he needed, and helped him wake up again.

These were more short term goals. Brent knew that, but maybe talking this through with Mr. Caulder and the others would help him come up with some more ideas. It would also be a good thing to run his plans past Mr. Caulder as well.

While he didn’t want his grandfather’s approval, he did want to know what one of his confidants thought about Brent’s plan. After all, the James family had enough money that even if Brent fucked around and found out a bit, he had enough money to fix his problems.

After all, that was why his brother wanted access to the family money. He wanted it to cover up his crimes and to support those who let him commit more crimes.

Alright, Brent was ready. Now it was just about waiting for Aunt Dina and the rest of the Lieutenants to come back so he could chat with them about this.

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