Chapter 300: What’re you doing here?
Greg had been too exhausted to check to see if anything had changed after he had logged out for the night, instead falling asleep in his chair at the office.
He woke up the next morning in his office chair with a kink in his neck and numb fingers. The cheap blinds bled pale morning light across the cluttered desk, highlighting a half‑empty energy drink at his elbow. He tried to stand and felt fabric bite into his shoulders. His T‑shirt, normally loose, stretched tight across newly rounded deltoids. The sleeves pinched, the hem rode high.
He flexed one hand and watched a vein rise like a cable over the back of it. His knuckles looked thicker, bones denser. A slow grin tugged at his mouth as he pushed the chair aside and hurried into the weight room, rubber soles thudding too loudly on the mat.
At the far wall hung a full‑length mirror. Greg stopped, heart hammering, then lifted trembling fingers to the strap of his eyepatch. It had been there so long it felt welded to his skin, a permanent reminder of the foolish pride that had ended his career all too soon.
No puckered ruin stared back. Instead a storm‑gray iris regarded him, shot through with a faint orange ring that pulsed like banked embers. The pupil reacted to the overhead fluorescents, contracting normally.
Greg’s breath caught. A broken laugh escaped him, grew, rolled into a roar that filled Titan Core Gym. He pressed both palms to the mirror, shoulders shaking with exhilaration. The game had not only given him power..it had allowed him to escape his past.
However he quickly remembered that the world was not all sunshine and rainbows.
The news report of three people who had died of mysterious circumstances left him curious. But the more he listened, the quicker that curiousity became concern.
Elise had been the last boss of that raid dungeon and she was among the dead. Even he who was not all that smart could put two and two together.
Elise and the other two had died....because of what they did. Of course, Greg had no sympathy for any of the deceased, they were all monsters in their own rights. No what he was concerned about was Luna.
She was the one who had killed.one of those monsters with her own hands. Just as he was about to call her to check in, his phone rang: It was Luna’s Caller ID.
Mildly confused he answered the phone only to find out it was Leo on the other end. After the brief conversation on what to do next, Greg was about to go clean up before they arrived when the chime of the front door opening rang out.
’Shit! Did I forget to lock the door?!
While panicking a little on the inside, Greg calmly rsised his voice and shouted
"Sorry but we aren’t going to be open today! We are going to be closed for a private event!"
A low chuckle came back in response as from around the corner, a man Greg knew all too well appeared.
"So in other.words, you are telling me I am an uninvited guest?"
Greg smirked before making a shooing motion with his hands "That’s right. You’re tresspassing. Fuck off already~!"
"Or what? You gonna call the cops?"
"Why would I do that? I dont wanna lose my stash of donuts."
There was silence for a moment before the two men began to laugh.
"Morgan you fucker! I haven’t seen you in like years man. Last I heard you graduated from the Academy."
Morgan had a wry smile as he shook his head "It has been too long honestly. That’s old news. I’m a detective now."
Greg’s eyes opened wide in shock.
"Whoa! Congrats man! Proud of you."
"Thanks! I heard you had to retire from MMA because of an eye injury but not everything could be trusted it seems."
Greg could only sheepishly laugh at that. He couldn’t really tell him the truth. It was a story that he didn’t think Morgan was going to believe, even he struggled to believe it himself.
Morgan could also feel that the conversation had become awkward and tried to change the topic.
"So what sort of event is having you close Gramps shop for the day? Where is the old man anyways? I outta pay my respect to our coach while I am here."
Greg shook his head as he let out a pained sigh.
"Gramos retired 2 years ago. The place is mine. He passed 6 months ago. Heart gave out on him."
A flash of pain flickered across Morgan’s eyes. He hadn’t expected that and in the time he was gone, he had missed the chance to say his goodbyes.
"Is that so..."
Greg could practically feel Morgan’s pain as he clenched his fist against his thigh before he reached into his pocket and pulled out a pack of gum, throwing a piece into his mouth.
"Gum? Did you finally quit smoking man? Good on you."
Morgan shook his head as he shot back "I’m trying but it fucking sucks. Though I made a promise and I have to keep it...."
Greg could see the melancholy in his friends eyes and was going to ask him more when the chime of the door opening rang out again.
"Watch out World~! I have arrived~!"
Penny’s energetic shout practically echoed in the nearly empty gym. Morgan shot a questioning look at Greg as if to ask ’That a friend of yours?’. Greg was embarrassed but slowly nodded and grumbling "Unfortunately, she is one of the people I was expecting."
Morgan smiled with a chuckle and a nod before he pointed behind him and beginning to walk backwards.
"In that case man, I will head out for now. I will drop by later and we can reconnect."
Greg nodded back with a smile. The idea was a pleasing one to him. Seeing Greg nod, Morgan smiled before turning around to leave, only to nearly bump into one of the people coming in.
"Sorry Miss I was...."
The words died in his throat as his face went pale, eyes widening in shock as he recognized the woman he had bumped into.
Her hair color was different but he could never forget her face. She seemed to recognize him too as a look of disgust crossed her face.
"What’re you doing here?"
Lily growled with rage, her body trembling as she stared up at the man in front of her.
He bore an uncanny resemblance to the man who had killed her mother in cold blood many years ago.
It made sense though. Morgan was his son.