Ragnar felt a gentle breeze push him towards the shore, a comforting force that eased his anxieties. Jiayi's words from their fight echoed in his mind.
'You like to focus on the big things, when small ones can become a big problem as well.'
Ragnar considered her words, a thoughtful frown creasing his brow. He had been so focused on grand events, waiting for big things to happen, that he had neglected the small things, like a place that wasn't the focus of a movie.
There was a place, a place he had almost forgotten, where he could possibly get more missions, where he could change destinies by setting people free.
Ragnar knew he needed to stay in Ta Lo, to learn, to grow. But not now. His heart was set on his next goal, because from the start of his family's trip was always about completing missions.
As he neared the shore, a soft mist enveloped him, concealing his body from the others.
"Are you going to dress or just stay in a daze until I remove the mist?" Ororo's playful voice teased him, hearing he hadn't made a sound because his mind was lost in thought.
Ragnar spat out the remaining water and stood up as a pair of pants flew towards him. 'These guys are really prepared,' he thought, a smile playing on his lips. He pulled on the pants, grateful for their thoughtfulness.
"Are you okay?" Sicilia asked, a worried frown creasing her brow. She had seen the fight, and even though Jiayi had explained the reasons behind it, it wasn't easy for a mother to see her son get beaten up.
Elliot, on the other hand, patted Ragnar's shoulder, a proud smile spreading across his face. "Nice," he whispered, a playful wink in his eye. "That looked cool, when have you been able to do that?"
"Right?" Ragnar grinned, a thrill of excitement coursing through him. He felt like a boss-level character in a game, when he used Psionic energy unleashing a devastating attack. "It just came through my mind while I was fighting," he said, a smirk playing on his lips.
Sicilia, rolling her eyes at their childish antics, couldn't help but interrupt. "It's wasteful," she said seriously silencing the two of them, as she began to teach Ragnar, "You've seen what that has done. You didn't even scratch her."
"Ahck," Ragnar clutched his chest dramatically, a pained expression on his face making the kids giggle, and Ororo smiled.
"If you use your energy correctly," Sicilia berated seriously as she wanted her son to learn from his mistakes. "You won't be so tired. And stop flying around like a show-off. You looked ridiculous."
"Ah!" Ragnar coughed, now clutching his chest with both hands.
"What are you even doing?" Sicilia asked, crossing her arms. "Playing? Because that's how it looked to me. She was just playing with you."
"Argh!" Ragnar, clutching his chest, took a couple of steps back before collapsing to the ground kneeling.
"No! My son!" Elliot cried out, dramatically sweeping Ragnar into his arms. "What has that cruel woman done to you?!" He roared towards the sky, his voice filled with bitterness like it was real.
Ororo and the kids tried to stifle their laughter. Their eyes widened as they looked behind Elliot as they covered their mouths.
Ragnar who's pretending to be dead, opened one of his eyes before hurriedly closing it whispering something.
"What? Do you want me to take revenge for you?" Elliot asked, not quite catching what Ragnar said. He lowered his head to listen more closely.
"Run..." Ragnar whispered, his voice barely audible, before continuing his act.
Elliot felt a sudden chill down his spine. He glanced at the kids, their eyes fixed on his back, and he knew he had to get out of there.
"You guys are really having fun, aren't you?" Sicilia whispered from behind him, as she held his right shoulder with a chilling smile.
"Listen, listen, you know I love you right," Elliot said trembling as he slowly turned around looking at Sicilia, his eyes filled with pleading.
Sicilia just smiled, nodding slowly. "It's good," she said softly. "I still need to show Ragnar an example of how to use his energy wisely." She paused, a glimmer of mischief in her eyes. A golden energy blade materialized in her hand, glowing with an ominous light.
"Wait!" Elliot shouted in distress. He knew his wife wouldn't listen to him. He frantically began to shake Ragnar in his arms, hoping his son would come to his rescue.
But Ragnar, fully immersed in his role as a dead person, didn't budge.
Elliot gritted his teeth, whispering to Ragnar, "Listen here, you little bra...Ah!" He stopped mid-sentence because his ear was being twisted.
"Little brat? Huh?" Sicilia scoffed. She was about to give Elliot a lesson he wouldn't forget, but then they heard footsteps.
"Lucky," Sicilia whispered, patting Elliot's shoulder. "Stand up. Don't embarrass me." Her voice was soft but firm.
"But Ragnar... ah?" Elliot was about to blame Ragnar, who was still pretending to be dead in his arms, but then he realized he was gone.
Only to see Ragnar was already standing beside the kids, a mischievous grin on his face, as if it had nothing to do with him.
"Traitor," Elliot whispered glaring at Ragnar as he stood up, his gaze fixed on Jiayi and the others, who were walking towards them with warm smiles.
"Phew," Ragnar sighed as he wiped the nonexistent sweat on his forehead. When he felt someone was pulling his pants making him look down, only to see Dalia, her eyes wide like a puppy, looking at him with excitement.
'I know that look!' Ragnar shouted in his mind as he shook his head, a firm "No, no, no" escaping his lips. He had seen those eyes before, the pleading eyes of someone who wanted to ride a dragon.
"What a beautiful bird," Ragnar whispered, his gaze drawn to the fiery Fenghuang soaring gracefully through the sky. He raised his head, a hint of admiration in his eyes. But in his heart, he was already chanting a mantra, 'Out of sight, out of mind.'
"Tell me, when are you leaving?" Jiayi asked, approaching them with Guan Bo and the Elders. Ragnar breathed a sigh of relief, pushing Dalia aside, causing her to pout. "Possibly after The Great Protector teaches me," Ragnar replied tentatively, seeking his parents' permission.
"Teach? What?" Sicilia asked, raising an eyebrow and crossing her arms. Although she knew Jiayi was a better fighter than them, she couldn't imagine a dragon teaching Ragnar anything they couldn't.
"It turns out we're both from the same species," Ragnar explained slowly, emphasizing the word "species."
"Is that so..." Sicilia said, sharing a look with Elliot. The shock in their eyes was evident. They both knew Ragnar had become a real dragon because of the system, but they hadn't expected him to be the same kind of dragon found in Ta Lo. With a shared understanding, they decided to support Ragnar. They also wanted to stay and explore Ta Lo, seeing if it was truly safer than Earth.
Sicilia and Elliot had always worried that someone would discover something special about their son on Earth. He had too many secrets, things that people would be interested in, even more than mutants.
Sicilia nodded at Ragnar. "You can go learn with her," she said, a soft smile gracing her lips. She turned to Jiayi. "Only if it's okay with you guys."
"The Great Protector has already informed me of your plans," Jiayi said, a gentle smile playing on her lips. "Everyone in Ta Lo welcomes all of you to stay."
"Everyone is already preparing a feast for you," Jiayi continued, her gaze focusing on Sicilia and Elliot, the heads of the family.
Elliot and Sicilia exchanged confused glances, doubt evident in their eyes. They knew how wary the residents of Ta Lo were of outsiders. But now, a feast was being prepared for them? It seemed suspicious, no matter how they thought about it.
Jiayi, seeing their uncertainty, simply smiled and bowed, the Elders following her lead. "And finally, Welcome to Ta Lo, everyone," she said, her voice warm and inviting.
"We'll wait for you all on the square," she added, smiling sincerely. She turned to leave, the Elders nodding towards Ragnar before following Jiayi.
"Is this one of your plans, Elder Jiayi?" Guan Bo asked, his voice laced with skepticism. He watched the excited residents, their faces flushed with anticipation, as they prepared the feast. It seemed surreal. They were preparing a meal for a dragon, like the Great Protector, but they seemed to have forgotten that these newcomers were outsiders.
"What other plans do you have?" Guan Bo continued, his gaze fixed on Jiayi. "Although your plan works, I think the Elders should know as well."
The Elders nodded, their eyes reflecting a mixture of curiosity and concern. They, too, had noticed the change in the atmosphere and the sudden acceptance of these outsiders.
Jiayi paused, a thoughtful expression on her face. "Invest," she said, a soft chuckle escaping her lips as she continued walking.
Jiayi had figured out that Ragnar couldn't be a Guardian, noticing his impatience and flashy style in battle. But that didn't mean she couldn't invest in him. Even if Ragnar trained with them and didn't become a Guardian, Ta Lo needed trustworthy allies.
Elliot, with a mischievous glint in his eye, gave Sicilia a nudge with his elbow, pushing her towards Ragnar. Then he looked around innocently.
"Tell me," Sicilia said, her gaze lingering on Ragnar as she glared at Elliot, a hint of disapproval in her voice. She saw Ragnar gathering his belongings, picking up his shirt and suitcase.
"Tell me when did we have a plan to leave? Without us knowing?"
"I remembered a place where I could get other missions," Ragnar whispered while putting on his shirt. "So, I plan to leave after the Great Protector teaches me."
"Are you sure?" Sicilia asked, her hand resting on his shoulder. Ragnar nodded in confirmation.
"Okay, me and your father will accompany you," Sicilia said, sighing as she glanced at the children, their faces filled with a mix of anticipation and trepidation. "But for now, what do you think about staying here?"
"Staying?" Ragnar looked at his mother with confusion. "Like stay, Stay?" He asked, wanting to make sure he heard her right.
"Yes, stay, stay," Sicilia rolled her eyes before looking around and whispering, "Like living here."
"Why though? I thought we were just traveling?" Ragnar asked hesitantly. Their house meant a lot to him; it was his first home in this world. "Aren't we going home?" he asked sadly.
"Oh, come on, don't be like that," Sicilia whispered, holding his arm and comforting her son. "Wherever we go is where home is. The important thing is we're all together," she said, giving everyone a look. "And—"
"Let me handle this," Elliot said seriously, patting Sicilia's shoulder to stop her from explaining. He circled his arm around Ragnar's neck and led him in front of the lake, spreading his arms. "This is why."
He gestured to the beautiful scenery of Ta Lo and mythical animals flying in the sky, others running along the shore.
"And it's safer here than Earth, don't you think?" Sicilia added softly from behind.
"Well, you're right," Ragnar said helplessly. 'If the Soul-sucking monster that wants to be set free isn't counted, it's safer than Earth.' He thought, but he didn't plan on sharing that with his family. Because his mother was right about one thing, Earth was too dangerous in the Marvel Universe.
Earth was a beacon of trouble, attracting all sorts of people, from primordial beings to gods and aliens.
'There's also the matter of a Celestial in Earth's core,' Ragnar complained silently. Even though it was his mission to solve that problem, it was better to have a backup plan in case he failed. And what was safer than living in another dimension?
"Are we really staying here?!" Dalia asked excitedly, running towards them and hugging Sicilia's leg. Her eyes shone with anticipation.
Ragnar turned his head, seeing that Ororo and the older kids were also a bit excited. He shook his head, smirking. He couldn't blame them, Ta Lo was like something out of a fairytale.
Ragnar grinned, focusing on Dalia, who was now being carried by his mother. "Who said you're coming?"
Dalia froze, her excitement wilting. She looked at Sicilia with teary eyes.
Sicilia glared at Ragnar, who was laughing. She caressed Dalia's head. "Everyone is coming, but first, each one of you needs to behave," she said seriously, looking at the children before focusing on her son and husband.
"We need to show our best behavior and manners," Sicilia whispered, walking back to the square, knowing the residents would be waiting for them. "Do you understand?" she asked without looking back.
"Yes!" The children shouted, following her like little ducklings, with Elliot bringing up the rear.
"Are you coming?" Ororo asked, gazing at Ragnar, who was standing in place, lost in thought.
Ragnar was actually thinking about the place where he could surely get some missions, 'Akali Lake.' He remembered it now.
One of the bases of William Stryker, the infamous X-Men villain, a place where countless mutants had been imprisoned, tortured, and experimented on.
Even one famous future X-Men member was being held there. Suddenly, the Chat Group system sprang to life, mission notifications flashing across his sight.
[Destiny Detected]
[Mission 13: Kill William Stryker]
[Reward: 10 Mutant Cure (Temporary)]
[Mission 14: Free James Howlet/Wolverine]
[Reward: 100kg Adamantium, Regeneration]
'Now, this is a mission I can complete,' Ragnar thought, a steely resolve hardening his expression. It was the first time in both of his lives that he was going to kill someone, but he wouldn't hesitate. William Stryker was a monster.
Ragnar knew that there would come a time when he needed to kill to survive in this universe, to keep his family safe. Why not now?
"Ragnar, are you coming!"
The shout broke through Ragnar's thoughts. He looked at Ororo with a smile. "Let's go!" he shouted, walking towards her and closing the Mission Notifications. Whether he could do the mission or not wasn't his problem right now.
Ragnar's goal for now was to be on his best behavior if he wanted his family to have any chance in living here.
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