Meta Essence Gacha in Marvel-Chapter 152: Family Lore

.....

Third Person P.O.V.

After she disengaged from Hector's teasing, Helena followed the couple through a grass field till they were close to a fence, from here they could oversee the large pastures and plantations stretching till mounts in the horizon.

"The weather here is fucking nice." Shego comments while taking a deep breath.

Helena has to agree. Blue sky, the right amount of clouds, and wind to keep the temperature just rightfully pleasant.

"As it should be, it is spring now." Hector says while leaning on the fence.

"Hm? Ah yes, that whole hemisphere thing, right? The seasons are opposite here…" Shego pauses for a moment before remembering why it is not autumn."

"Yes… basic geography." Hector jokingly deadpans at her

"Ah shut up!" Shego slaps his arm playfully

"Americans…" he rolls his eyes

"You are one too."

"Only when it is convenient."

"Hmpf, hypocrite."

"Yes, I am."

Helena watches the back and forth last till Shego decides to change the subject.

"What are you doing that you need to wake up so early?"

"Just spending some time with my grandpa." Hector says nonchalantly "I also sent some clones to finish the underground facility on the recently acquired land, but that was just a side job. We just went around checking everything mostly."

"Going around for hours?"

"It is a fucking big property. He is still out there, while I left earlier."

"How big is this place really?" Helena can't help but ask

"Officially or non-officially?" Hector turns with a smirk

"What does that mean?" She frowns

"Nothing… Just that is pretty common for farmers hold a ridiculous amount of land around here, my grandpa is no different." He chuckles darkly, making Helena tilt her head in confusion

The three walk close to the fence, Hector talking a little about his childhood here.

"I mostly came here during big vacations, like summer… I mean, to you guys is winter vacation. Christmas, New Year… I was a pretty adventurous kid at that time." He says with a fond smile.

"I can't believe your introverted ass would go into adventures in the forest." Shego scoffs

"I already imagine you fully grown at 4-years old." Helena jokes

"Ha-Ha. For your information, I was a very fearless outdoor kid. I used to disappear for hours in those trees." He points to the forest beyond the pasture. "I remember getting lost once, but then I started leaving marks in trees."

"Careful, even as a brat, huh?" Shego smiles

"Are you a Boy Scout or something? There are even Boy Scouts in this country?" Helena asks

"There must be some groups copying Americans, but it is not a big thing around here." He shrugs "I just like messing with things, like most boys, I have my bug-obsessed phase. I remember bringing a tarantula to my mom once. She freaked out." He laughs "She almost prohibited me from going exploring, but my grandpa and father convinced her to let me do my own thing. The day I brought a green snake, there was another discussion… Then I learned to stop bringing animals back."

"You started killing them, huh? Your little psychopath…" Shego accuses in a playful tone

"That is not true… Well… I remember killing my fair share of animals… not gonna deny that." He replies seriously

"You are kidding?" Helena gives him a look

"A c'mon, I was a kid. You see an ugly bug, you look at it for some time, and maybe you smash it with a rock. I also dropped some birds with a slingshot my grandpa made for me." He defends himself "Albeit my aim was kinda trash…"

"That is why you are this way…"

"The signs are there from the beginning…"

The two women shake their heads disappointedly. Obviously, they do not think that he was a creepy kid, but it is a good thing to make fun of him, so they will grab what is convenient and run with it.

While they are walking, Helena spots some cows nearby, and a thought crosses her mind.

"You know… Now that I think about it, you can talk with animals, right?" She starts

"Yes…" Hector's mouth corner moves up, probably already predicting where this is going. He even extends his hand to pat one that is particularly close, reaching for some grass over the fence.

"Isn't it weird for you to eat animals that you can talk with?" Helena asks, remembering how Beast Boy would not eat meat.

"That is a good question. I am curious now." Shego also says

"Heh, sorry, but I will never be a vegan or vegetarian." He chuckles while patting the cow. "I would eat this big girl at any moment." His tone was super friendly while he rubbed the cow, but his words were not.

The cow raises its head to look at him and then goes back to eating the grass.

"See? It is not because I can communicate that it has human-level intelligence." He points out "And is the cycle of life, the food chain where we are at the top. We can eat anything, and we can eat nothing. It all depends on your emotional attachment. A lot of people have cows, chickens, and pigs as pets, and they also reciprocate the connection… I would never 100% trust them, though. Especially pigs from between this trio."

"Pigs are assholes?" Shego asks. Helena remembers that Hector comments that some animal species are assholes.

"Of course! Didn't you even read Animal Farm?" He jokes "Some people also create connections with unlikely predator animals like tigers, gorillas. Those can reciprocate, but you can't trust 100%; it's a different species. You can do something that offends it, or they can get hungry, and then you are dead."

"Now that you are talking about it, why don't we eat those animals that are such a threat to us instead of those cute cows?" Shego asks while patting the cow on the head "Such big eyes~."

"Most mammal predators don't taste that good. Reptiles don't have much soft meat. It is also much easier to raise cows and pigs as cattle." Hector answers

"And what about horses?" Helena asks

"Some cultures eat horses, but again it is not that rewarding as raising a cow… There is also that thing that humans don't eat animals that went to war with us, like dogs, horses, pigeons, etc."

"Oooh."

"Anyway, it is more about the personnel bias." Hector comments "Most animals would fuck us up if they had the chance. It is okay to like your specific animal, even if they are not conventional pets, but the species as a whole is not the same. A pitbull can kill someone unprovoked, and a gorilla can ignore you if you act correctly. Each case is a case… "

He chuckles darkly "I treat humans the same." He then pats the cow one last time, "Sorry, big one. You are gonna become a very juicy beef in such a short time." They resume their walking

"Ruthless." Helena says

"That is life…" Hector shrugs again "Somewhere else, a human is taking good care of his cow like a pet because it gives him milk. This one was born to become meat. Even cows are not born the same. Everyone is born equally fucked in this ruthless world, but some are more 'equal' than others." Helena catches the Animal Farm reference.

"I expected a little more empathy from you, Dr. Dollitle." Shego shakes her head dramatically

"I already told you that communication with them doesn't mean that they magically speak like humans. Sorry for breaking the fantasy of that movie." Hector laughs "And believe in me, sometimes this power is a curse…"

"What? Heard something you didn't want, Disney Princess?" Helena smirks

"Yep, it really killed the magic. Most animals are cunts." Hector sighs "Well, most humans too…"

"Hahaha, which ones disappointed you the most?" Shego asks curiously

"Monkeys, hippopotamus, dolphins, not that much because I knew that they are all psychopaths…" He lists

"At least some are nieces, right?" Helena tries to console him

"Yep. Capybaras didn't disappoint me, they are super chill like advertised. Hamsters are maniacs, but in a harmless way, I mean… To anyone but them. Suicidal bastards. Penguins broke the bird stereotypes. Ah, parrots are cool too… it must be because they don't fly… but chickens are also cunts. Geese are cool if you are their friend, but only if you are their friend. Sea lions surprised me; they are more like sea dogs." He chuckles

"Really? Since that penguin documentary, I don't like them." Shego says

"Bird propaganda." Hector jokingly shakes his head. "Everyone is a villain in someone's story. But a fun fact…" He points "Most predators are super chill. I mean, they can kill you, but most don't do it just for fun, only if they're hungry or you fuck up royally. Some seemingly cute herbivores, on the other hand… They would kill you for the love of the game."

The duo of women laughs.

"In general, nature is fucking ruthless, there is baby killing, incest, rape, cannibalism…" Hector shrugs "So that is why no one can appeal with empathy to make me stop eating animals in general. I prefer to use my brain power to make my own conclusions to each case and in each circumstance… but virtue signalers are lazy and work with their universal unquestionable truths instead of thinking more critically. They push their good ideas without understanding that this only makes people on the opposite side feel even more right, and the ones on the fence lean to the other side. It is not easy to change other people's minds, but that is only another reason not be forceful… people don't like being treated like evil or an idiot by others who think themselves morally superior or more enlightened. That is why I just hope people follow my example while acting instead of only talking."

"Here you go ranting again…" Shego teases with a nudge on his ribs

"Hehe, c'mon~ Can't I complain about my job a little?" He smiles "Ah, and meat is also fucking delicious." His words make them laugh.

"If it's that annoying, just stop." Shego suggests with a sly smile.

Helena knows that it is not the first time Shego tries to convince Hector to stop doing what he is doing for the world. Helena can say that she cares about the world and people in general, but Shego? She cares about Hector.

She dreams of the day he gets tired of all this self-imposed World-saving mission of his and simply goes away, taking her with him.

"Never." Hector says casually but without hesitation.

"Bummer." She rolls her eyes, but then smiles and hugs his arm.

Unfortunately for her, he shows no sign of stopping, so she can just accompany him until the end. If Shego can't convince him to stop, she will help him finish his mission faster.

Hector also made no secret of his objective of one day "retiring" after saving the world from outside threats, themselves, and keep some legacy that will make humanity last for millions of years even without him.

"Oh, here is the forest. Wanna go on a little trail?" They stop now much closer to the forest

"Now?" Shego asks in distaste "I am not wearing appropriate clothes.

"Did you really come to this place alone as a kid?" Helena looks around the trees that get very dense not far from the entrance.

"It is not that bad; there is an easy and clear path. Some ups and downs, but nothing complicated till much deeper… There is even a waterfall."

"Really? Wanna do some skinny dipping?" Shego suggests seductively.

"Then I am really not going." Helena deadpans while staring at the couple

Hector laughs "With a little preparation, I can give us a lot of privacy on the waterfall." He replies to Shego while grabbing her ass. "But not today, right Helena?" He turns to the other woman

"Please…" She says immediately

"Meh, you didn't even snuck on my room last night…" Shego pouts

"Thank god…" Helena continues with the same tone.

"Well, I promised my grandma…" Hector smiles wryly

"Pfft, Nana's boy."

"Yes, I am." He admits without a hint of shame. "Let's walk a little. I can show you my old hiding spot, and then we can go back."

"Oooh~ A secret base?" Shego says excitedly

Hector chuckles with amusement "Exactly. Maybe that is when I discovered that I like to stay alone." He starts leading the way

"Did you even imagine that one day you would be bringing two girls to your secret space?" Shego teases

"No, girls are gross." He shows his tongue at her "No girls allowed!"

"Look at that, misogynistic since an early age." Helena mocks

"We can fix you." Shego suddenly says "We are gonna be the first girls you are gonna play doctor with, and it is gonna change your perspective in life."

"Please don't." Helena deadpans again

...…..

Selene

Monster Metropolis

The former Death Dealer, now just Eidolon's Enforcer, walks through the streets of Monster Metropolis incognito. She is wearing her tight-fitting bodysuit beneath a full corset that is more than bulletproof. The whole outfit is bulletproof, from her boots to her sharp black mask without features. To hide her weapons, she is also wearing a trench coat like the one she used as a Death Dealer, but now with a hood.

All black, she can easily blend in the dark parts of Monster Metropolis. The place was designated to house monsters, and many of them are creatures of the night. Despite the architecture being a fusion of medieval times, renaissance and modern-day buildings, it was still adapted to the unique inhabitants.

Today, Selene is moving with purpose.

You see, vampires are not that well accepted in Monster Metropolis. It is not an extreme case where they would be attacked on sight or anything, but it is more like an unwritten rule of avoidance and ostracization that the other types of monsters follow.

But even so, it is not like they are super hated arounsuper-hatedsters don't want to associate with them because of other factors.

The main one is because Vampires failed to take control of Monster Metropolis from the succubi centuries ago. Selene investigated and discovered that they failed because the vampires that started the coup were counting on the eventual interference of the elites of their races, like Dracula, and they never appeared.

Another reason is also why people don't attack them on sight… Vampires are strong… So it means they are dangerous. Anyone, especially in a monster society, should avoid contact with strong and dangerous individuals of other species. They have better survival instincts than the average human.

Maybe this last reason would not be that strong if vampires in general didn't have the rightful reputation of being…on how other monsters would call them… "cunts". They are narcissists, prideful, elitist, hedonistic, manipulative, unpredictable, and much more…

That would not be much of a problem. Monsters in general are not free of bad traits. But vampires can direct their fangs even at other monsters. They really think themselves a race apart from other monsters, superior.

So yes, other monsters are justifiable in not liking them. Not that vampires would care, most of them keep to themselves or stay in groups with other vampires. This is one of the reasons they are much more active and have a bigger population in Europe.

So that is why a rumor of a vampire acting up in Monster Metropolis attracted Selene's attention. Despite their arrogance, vampires are smart and rarely slaves to their base instincts like other monsters.

If they are well fed, they can make reasonable decisions. Even if they are evil, they would at least think about self-preservation… so why is there a vampire killer moving around Monster Metropolis?

He is not being subtle either. The victims are left dry of blood, with clear marks of bites on their necks. Thanks to the emergence of this vampire, a new wave of suspicious on vampires arose.

A normal vampire would say that they "would not drink the blood of a beast when they can flavor humans", and many monsters can understand that and not lump together all vampires with the actions of this crazy one.

But others prefer to be cautious and keep a safer distance from any vampire that still lives around here.

Selene obviously reported those recent events to Hector.

Some time ago, she came into contact with him and had a small talk.

"One of the two… or is a newly turned vampire that has no control over himself, or is someone trying to make vampires look bad. Maybe someone is trying to reignite the flames of conflict between Succubi and Vampires, after all, this is almost a direct provocation. Monster Metropolis is a succubi territory." he had said

Selene can't find any fault with his brief observation, even though many clues remain a mystery.

"So… or it was a very smart move from a manipulator, or an incredibly dumb one from a random someone." She replied

"Exactly. Very common tactic to make two groups hate each other even more… Humans do this all the time too."

"Should I investigate?" She asked for her next orders.

"..." There is some hesitation on the other end, but he eventually speaks "Yes, investigate it please."

"It will be done."

"If it is a recently turned one… assess him, or her, and judge if it is deserving of our help. It may be a victim of the circumstances."

"Would you leave the judgment for me? Shouldn't I capture him for you?" She asks with some surprise

"No, don't put yourself at risk trying to capture someone who is obviously dangerous. I trust your judgment in the field." He replies instantly

"..."

"It is okay to retreat too… Don't dive too deep if you feel your instincts telling you that it is dangerous. Also, don't hesitate to call me if something unpredictable happens. I am just one teleport away, after all."

And that is why she is moving through the dark district of Monster Metropolis with purpose. Even when Hector told her not to dive deeply into this case, Selene had all the intention of doing a good job.

She has received a lot of trust and goodwill from Hector, and she, of course, wants to repay it by doing her best. It was not hard to find the motivation to do that; anyone with a good boss would feel the same.

Selene was already used to doing her best for the higher-ups of the vampire enclave she worked, but they proved themselves unfit and unworthy of leading, even with their superior age and power.

Now, her new boss is not only many times stronger than her previous ones, each interaction with him shows that he is wiser and that he cares… that is the most important.

The Elders from her original world don't care. Too aloof, too arrogant… None of them cared about anything or anyone outside their small family feud. Vampires and lycans are just pawns and casualties to them.

Now is different; she feels that she is doing something that matters.

He doesn't have big plans for integration between monsters and humans, but he at least wants to prevent things from escalating into a war and destroying any chance of coexistence.

That is her job. She will infiltrate and deal with the threats among the monsters, eliminating them before they can become public and increase the fear of humans.

It is not much different from her previous job, but at least this one has a final objective. She is not only killing lycans in an endless cycle of hate. She is trying to stop hate from spreading.

This is her boss's effort for humans and monsters alike.

He is doing this even when she knows that he doesn't have a big opinion on monsters. Even with that, he is still putting some effort into them. He has her respect.

Now this wave of killing raised the tension in Monster Metropolis; it will be troublesome if the monsters start leaving this place and disperse around the world.

She needs to end this before things get out of control.

Selene suddenly turns onto an alley and disappears into the darkness.

She doesn't have any big plan, but till now, the attacks happened with victims who are alone and in this area. So she will just need to be the bait.

Outwardly, she looks very weak and unarmed, an easy prey. She doesn't even care about making it believable. The modus operandi of her target is too aggressive. Even with the two possibilities of being a rabid new vampire or some big plot, her bait would work in either case.

She was proven right not even two hours later.

As she ventures deeper and deeper into the abandoned parts of Monster Metropolis, Selene feels someone watching and following her.

She acts like she didn't notice, leading her target to an even more isolated area. Selene keeps tabs on her stalker while assessing the area, paying attention to escape routes and any hiding points. She starts walking to thin them, leaving the stalker with a few places to hide and slowly cornering him.

Eventually, she stops face-to-face with a wall; she is in a dead-end alley, and if someone is following her…

"You can only be behind me…" She turns, and there it is, at the entrance of the alley, fused with the shadows of the right wall. 'A vampire with some degree of shadow manipulation.' She notes with some annoyance, because it means that it is much easier for him to escape.

The person walks out of the shadows, his features are undistuingushable but by the body shape, Selene would guess that it is a male because of the wide shoulders. He is tall and thin, encased in black smoke and a big cape. It is still not possible to see anything beyond his animalistic red eyes on his face.

"You… are a vampire…" The person says, now confirming that it is a male, his voice is unnaturally raspy. He is extremely weak from being on a desert for too long, as if he is holding back from collapsing at any moment.

But Selene noticed something in his tone too… Hope?

"And so are you…" She replies with a no-nonsense tone.

"You… will… do… perfectly…" The other vampire says and suddenly attacks.

Whoosh

He dashes in a mix of shadows and smoke with incredible speed, but Selene was prepared. She quickly pulls her two modified guns and starts shooting with normal bullets.

BlamBlamBlamBlamBlamBlamBlamBlamBlamBlamBlamBlamBlamBlamBlamBlam

The vampire zig-zags but is still hit by the bullets, holes appear in the smoke, and Selene sees some blood flying, but he is relentless…

But even as he gets uncomfortably closer to a long-range fighter like her, her face remains calm. Those shots are just testing the waters; they are strong enough to be compared with rifles, but they would not do much on a strong vampire.

'He is strong, no holding back…' She decides.

"Raaaargh!" The vampire is finally on her, appearing amidst the dark smoke. His long arms and fingers are pale like a sheet of paper, his face an exaggerated animalistic mask trying to keep itself human. Sunken eyes and cheeks, black hair so smooth that it looks greasy, and a flat nose.

He opens his long arms and maw to attack her from three directions, Selene fearlessly uses her guns to hit his wrists and her boot to stomp on his face

Bam

He was sent bouncing on the ground till he slid and hit a wall.

Not hurt, he quickly recovers like an animal. He remains crouched on the ground, looking at her cautiously.

"I will give you one chance to surrender." Selene says calmly. One hand moves to the pockets of her trench coat while she holds the gun between her biceps and torso.

The vampire adopts a more aggressive stance.

"..." She pauses and grabs different mags. "So be it."

ClickClick She puts the mags on her guns.

Now if he dies, he dies. He'd better have a good healing factor.

The vampire attacks again, bouncing from wall to wall to confuse her, leaving trails of smoke.

BlamBlamBlamBlam

Selene shoots, but only with one of her guns; the bullets leave holes so big in the wall that it affects the structure, removing his foothold shot by shot.

Eventually, he has nowhere to jump safely, so he is forced to attack again.

Selene points her gun at him, but the other vampire surprisingly glides in the air and changes his route to land on the wall behind her.

From there, he launched himself at her.

Selene does a front flip to dodge, the vampire hitting the ground with such force that it creates cracks in the concrete.

From Selene's advanced senses perspective, the world moves into slow motion, and while Selene is upside down, she shoots with the other gun.

BlamBlamBlam

The bullets that fly are special, shining with a strong blue light that leaves a clear trail in the air.

She holds back from using this gun after reloading with the new mag because she switched to UV light bullets.

The first bullet hits the vampire, and he screams in pain, but his instincts kick in, and adrenaline makes him ignore the damage already made to act immediately to avoid the damage that is about to happen.

He erratically jumps out of the way, crashing against a wall, successfully dodging the other bullets, although he was grazed by one of them.

"Grrrrrrr!" He growls and claws his ribs till he removes the UV-light bullet together with a chunk of his own body. The bullet makes a sizzling sound, burning his flesh and boiling his blood.

With an angry grunt of effort through gritted teeth, he throws the bullet away and starts getting better.

Selene raises her gun again… He trembles in fright and then…

Fwoosh

Jumps, bouncing on the remains of the wall till he is above the rooftops, and starts running away in the darkness of the night.

"..." Selene pauses, showing no motion to follow.She doesn't need to.

Instead, she approaches the place where he tossed her UV-light bullet and collects it and some samples with her special glove.

After that, she presses some buttons on her wrist device, and then on the side of her mask, and then one last time on her wrist device.

She waits for some seconds before a dark silhouette appears on a floating screen in front of her. It is just an image on her mask, so no one can see it but Selene.

"I just received the footage." Hector says through a modified voice "It seems you had an encounter with Michael Morbius."

"Michael Morbius?" After her question, images and information about the man appears on her line of sight.

"A very good scientist in his last legs… It seems his fate of turning into a vampire while trying to cure his rare blood disease was consummated." Hector says "But what most intrigues me is that even though I lost sight of him after he went into the wilderness for research, it is that I haven't noticed him coming back to New York and eventually going down till he arrived at Monster Metropolis."

"…"

"How did a recently turned vampire, previously a nerd scientist who couldn't walk two steps without a cane, was able to avoid my eyes? I know that I am not infallible, but this baffles me…" Despite saying that he is surprised, his voice is still calm. "And how did he know about Monster Metropolis? Did he go straight there?"

"Are you suggesting that there is someone behind him?" Selene catches on to what his doubts mean

"I always prepare for the worst, so it is right to suppose that this is much bigger than a stray recently turned vampire." She can almost hear him shrug "Maybe he is being manipulated subtly… from the footage, it seems he was aiming for you because you are a vampire… As a scientist, I can imagine that he wanted to study you to maybe cure himself."

"From vampirism?" Selene is a little confused. Now the guy is immortal, exactly like how he wanted. Humans are never really satisfied.

"Some expected body dysphoria after becoming a human-bat monster. Not every vampire is as pretty as you."

"..."

"This may be how this possible manipulator is controlling him behind the scenes, with promises of a cure. Or it just released him here to make chaos."

"Should I try to contact him?" Selene asks

"Hmmmm" Hector appears to think for a long moment, "Morbius is redeemable… Do you think you can try talk some sense to him? Or should I go instead?"

"No. I can do this… I can use your name." She wants to do it herself.

"...alright then. Tell him that there are ways. And if he looks too defensive, just give him some blood bags and retreat… He is a smart guy, if he thinks clearly, he will get to the conclusion that getting my help is the best path forward…" He pauses "...unless he is the typical egocentric genius that wants to do things on his own. Then simply forget him." He finishes with a tired sigh.

"Understood, sir."

"Okay, be safe."

With that, the transmission ends, and Selene's eyes get sharp beneath her mask. With a small flex of her legs, she leaped directly to the roof of a nearby building. It is time to hunt.

...…

Third Person P.O.V.

It is dinner time at the Carvalho's farm, and everyone is eating together.

'Now I know why Hector insists on eating together.' Shego thinks while zoning out from the conversation a little. Hector is talking about his life in New York, omitting most of it, of course.

"You see a lot of it on the news, but it's just because it's the most interesting thing to show… Heroes, villains, persons with powers don't appear all the time." Hector explains to his grandmother

"So you don't get involved with those things?" His grandmother asks

"Of course not." Hector replies immediately "I am just living my life normally."

"..."

"..."

Shego and Helena exchange glances

"That is good. Stay out of trouble." The grandfather says that a normal civilian can do more than just hope for the best.

"I will." Hector nods nonetheless.

After a little moment of silence, the grandmother continues

"What is the world becoming? People with unnatural… things. Doing what they shouldn't…" She shakes her head.

Once again, Shego and Helena looks between each other.

"Well… Ahem There are people and people. At least there are heroes helping the world." Shego can't help but say something, even if a little hesitantly for stepping on this territory.

"But they are the ones creating those problems from the beginning…" The grandfather comments with a shake of his head. "If only they didn't exist… or at least if they were normal."

"..."

"..."

Shego and Helena's eyes naturally gravitate to Hector to see his reaction. There it is, his most beloved relatives disapproving of his work and even of his existence.

But to their surprise, his face is completely normal as he eats his food and swallows before speaking.

"You are absolutely right, Grandpa. Those people are more trouble than they are worth." Hector says with an easy smile

"..."

"..."

While Shego and Helena are alternating between looking at Hector and each other, the conversation continues normally at the table.

Later, Hector insisted that his grandparents went to bed and that he and "his girlfriends" would clean everything. Of course, he was able to do everything in an instant after making sure his grandparents would not come back.

"So what the fuck was that?" Shego finally asks while following him outside the house.

He knows about what she is talking about even without asking "They are old Shego. Why should I argue about their beliefs? I just want them to be happy…" He answers with a small smile while stepping on the front porch.

"I mean… You could have tried to explain things a little, no?" Shego insists. A little angry(?) for him… Maybe upset or sad would be the best word for what she is feeling.

"Wouldn't you want to receive their approval? Even if they don't know that you are… You know. Having their implicit support…" Helena speaks

"Don't worry, you can speak normally, they are already sleeping with the help of a harmless power of mine." Hector says while lying on a hammock in the porch "And a man knows when to pick a fight… I can choose happiness over being right." He sighs contentedly while balancing himself, enjoying the cool breeze of the night and the stars.

"I… I… it is just that…" Shego tries to speak, but she doesn't have good words to say

Hector turns to her with a smile "I am happy that you are upset on my behalf, but relax… They are old and very religious. Everyone has some racist grandparent, right? Hehe~ it doesn't mean I love them less, or that they would love me less if they discover the truth. I just don't want to dump that on them just to satisfy my ego."

"..."

"..."

"I know them, they are very understanding… They simply don't have all the context about the world situation. If I am involved, they would turn 180 degrees to be at my side and understand things… and that is enough." He says without a hint of faking or coping. "They would also be worried and I do not want this."

"..."

"..."

The duo of women once again look between themselves before looking at Hector again.

He looks very relaxed, head resting against one of his forearms while he uses the tip of his foot to shake himself.

"If you are okay with it…" Shego finally shrugs

"I am." He nods with a serene smile. "We all have our problems, grandparents who can't understand my modern challenges are the smallest of my troubles. I will not stop loving them or hold a grudge because they are from a different time, living a different reality…"

After a chuckle, like he is remembering something, he speaks again "Do you guys want to know a secret about my grandpa?"

"Hm?"

"He is not that good of a guy either." Hector reveals with an amused smile. "Everyone has their flaws…"

"??"

"You two must have noticed that I am the only family member around here…"

"Yes, that much is obvious." Shego says

"No cousins…"

"Now that you are talking about this… it is a little weird. Your family is small for the Latino standards." Helena frowns

"Hehe, right? It is common for people from my grandparents' time to have at least 10 children." Hector says "And from those, each would have 2 or 3… And here I am, alone without cousins."

"10 children? Dammit!" Shego's eyes widen. "It couldn't be me."

"A world without television and high child mortality… You can connect the dots." Hector explains "The children would also become helping hands in the family business…"

"But there is only your father…" Helena speaks

"Yes. Apparently, my grandmother had a looooot of trouble conceiving. I investigated after getting my powers. Like, a lot of miscarriages." He says with a distant look

"That is sad…"

"Yes, it is. But back to my grandpa…a little background explanation. You must have noticed that he is black."

"What?!? I haven't noticed!" Shego exclaims sarcastically

Hector chuckles "And when you compare his age, and the time that slavery was abolished in Brazil, you would find it a little strange he got rich so fast. It has only been 116 years, and with some calculations of my family tree… My great-great-grandfather was still a slave."

"Wow, dark…"

"Yep, it was in this same farm." Hector points down with a big smile

"What the fuck!?"

"Hahaha. Why do you think my surname is Carvalho(Oak)? It is because of that big oak tree right there." He points. Even at night, it is possible to see the tree leaves moving with the wind. "My slave ancestor got the name from the farm when he was freed."

"Kinda cool that now you own it." Shego comments while sitting on his lap on the hammock.

Helena goes to sit on the bench.

"Yeah, yeah… Apparently, my grandfather and my great-grandfather were doing some unsavory work during the time period after slavery, because of the influx of immigrants that took their jobs."

"That is why there is a little of every country around here, right?" Helena asks

"Yeah, Brazil is famous for its diversity… The country with the biggest African population outside Africa, Japanese too… Then we have a lot of Germans, Italians, Lebanese… I think there are more Lebanese here than in Lebanon." He laughs

He continues "Anyway, my grandpa was forced to do some criminal work, grow on it, and apparently had a lot of talent in the business… Eventually, he took over, even when he worked for whites before. Grandpa was a gangster!" He couldn't help but laugh at the irony.

Hector recently went around the world apprehending gang leaders and criminal overlords, and he was literally descendant of one.

"So that is how he got rich so fast…" Shego nods, impressed. "I can respect the hustle."

"One thing my grandpa has over the others is that he was smart. He didn't mess with easy money like drugs and contraband; he started using criminality to acquire legal wealth. That is some old school gangster shit. He did without examples." Hector points out "And the wealth he could acquire with his dirt money was…" He pauses to let them guess

"Land." Helena answers

"Exactly. A lot of farms never recovered from the loss of slaves… many are forced to be split between the slaves too, and the poor bastards without instruction couldn't hold it for much longer before someone preyed on them." Hector sighs "And that is what my grandpa did…" He shakes his head

"Blackmail? Murder?" Shego asks

"Heh~ There is a more subtle way…" Hector smiles humorlessly. "Quick story lesson… He did what is called around here: 'Grilagem'. Translating literally would be something related to crickets. Like… 'Cricketeering' or something like that. Similar to Racketeering. It is a form of extortion…"

"What crickets has to do with that?"

"Simple… So, a lot of families have their small piece of land where they live. They live on the land and from the land. Planting what they need, eating chicken that they raise, and getting milk from their cows… maybe exchanging with their neighbors."

"Yes…"

"But those illiterate small farmers don't have documents… They just settled on the land or simply never received any proof they inherited/gained it. Or if they claimed the empty land, they never officialized it." Hector explains "Then people like my grandfather would forge those documents, put on drawers filled with crickets. The bugs would nibble and secrete on the paper… giving it an old, yellowish appearance."

Helena's eyes widen. "To make it look real."

"Yep. It would look old. Older than even the family that lives there… A little bribe to the justice office and a little threat is all they need to get the land and expel the family. It does not help that few would know how to read."

"Damn…"

"Dick move."

"Right? But my grandpa is a charismatic fella… He would not simply expel the families and leave them to their fates. He would rent the land to them, for a small fee, even employing some sons of the family…"

"Renting their own land?" Shego scoffs

"Why create conflict when he can add to his own group? He also didn't have enough hands to take care of all the land. With time, people would forget that he was a dick and even thank him for being so magnanimous. That is why, even to this day, a lot of small communities live on his land. Heck, even the mayors have to pay respect to him. He can simply tell those people who to vote for; everyone has their tail bound to his belt."

"Even to this day??" Shego asks in shock

"He is not an asshole anymore, but he has influence. Didn't you see the influx of cars coming here just to greet him all the time? Or how long does he spend on his phone? He is not a gangster anymore, but you must have seen that many employees are armed too… Now, grandpa is the benevolent old guy who employs everyone, lends money, pays for people to get higher education, charges little for rent, donates to charity, pays for the festivities… If there is a music show, the singer has to do a shoutout to him or our family. He even keeps the order… From stopping drugs from being sold to sending someone to beat a son who slapped their mother."

"Damn, that is a system. And what a switch, huh?"

"See? The illusion of a benevolent, perfect grandpa is broken. But what can I do? Take him to jail as an Eidolon? Confront him as Hector? I love the guy. He took care of me, taught me a lot, and he would die for me… I can only be biased. That is what family is; it is complicated, but if he is good for me, I will be good for him. Even against the world." He sighs "It would be really cool to reveal myself as Eidolon and receive a proud pat on the shoulder after explaining everything, but I can live without that. At least, grandpa is truthfully a better person now. In hindsight, I remember him giving me some lessons on how to be nice to people and make them feel indebted to me."

"What made him change? Age?" Helena asks

"Ah yes, I forgot about that part… What do you think?" Hector smirks "What can change a man more than anything?"

The answer is obvious: "A woman." Helena says with a small laugh and a shake of her head.

"Look at Nana~ Got the bad boy and put him on the right path." Shego nods impressed

"Maybe it's from her that I took the 'I can fix her' urge." Hector jokes "But that aside, the story is a little darker. Remember what I talked about the miscarriages? Well, investigating the memories of the oldest subordinates of my grandpa, I discovered that he made a promise to God, Jesus, the Holy Ghost, and all Saints that he could… that if the next child was born healthy, he would stop doing bad things and would do good. That was after the pregnancy that almost killed my grandma."

"And then your father was born…" Shego speaks

"As healthy as a horse." Hector nods "He really started doing good deeds after that. Paid for an improvement in the church, donated money, started helping in different ways… he didn't go as far as giving everything back that he acquired through illegal means, but instead he used it to be the base of decades of good deeds. His profit nowadays is also ridiculously small. Many people think that he is easy to take advantage of because of this, unknowingly, that he simply does not care about the money… it is like he is using borrowed money for some good and redemption."

Hector continues after a pause "Ah, that is also the reason he pushed my father away from the farm, giving him support in pursuing his medical career. Maybe he didn't want the money he acquired through dirt means sullying his only kid."

"And that is how your father met your mother… "Shego says with some awe at the tale.

"Crazy to think all of this eventually culminated on you existing." Helena sighs "There are like 4 times that if things were a little different, you would never be born."

"Isn't this like with all of us? Our existence is the culmination of a lot of coincidences and the choices of our ancestors. I bet my grandpa got a lot of pussy in his younger days, but he decided to settle with my grandma. Not only that, he stayed with her even when she 'failed' to give him children, what is very important at that time and something that would make most men abandon their wives. And if he didn't change… if he didn't make the promise and it was just luck that my father was born healthy, my grandpa would not change, and my father would work with him, never meeting my mother. And all the things that happened with my mom that made her come all the way here from her wealthy family."

Hector sighs while caressing Shego's body. The woman leans on his chest as the two swing softly on the hammock.

"And everyone is like this… Everyone is at least this much special for just being born. We are here because our ancestors didn't give up… a lot of times. That is why I believe everyone deserves a chance to live properly. Every day, I save so many bloodlines… Countless future lives that will have the chance to exist because I put on the mantle and decide to be a hero."

"They also deserve a chance. Even a second one, like my grandpa…" He says softly before his eyes are filled with determination. "And I will make sure to provide that to them."

.......

A.N.:Hello there.

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