"You are… gawoman's son?"
"No, I was kidding."
"Oh, that's not sothing you should–"
"D… double kid, I really am gawoman's son."
"What is it!?"
"It was you!?"
"You… didn't know, WK? I thought you were supposed to know everything? I told Prophet who I was when I enrolled."
And so, once again, the Korean Shaved Ice store was filled with the aura of confusion. But of course, the most affected of them all was and is still Silvie. She just found out that she was a clone just yesterday and thought that her whole world was going to crumble.
Sure, it was still crumbling– but to find out that Gary is gawoman's son? Perhaps that was even more shocking in discovering that she wasn't really supposed to exist.
"Hold up," Hannah then stretched her arms to the side as she stopped everyone else from talking, "Are you guys actually believing him? I an, this is Gary we're talking about here."
"...Even I wouldn't be lying in this kind of situation, bruh." Gary could only let out a small sigh as he stood up,
"It's… the truth," Gary then said as he looked Silvie straight in the eyes, "I… There's a reason why we're in the sa class and–"
"Wait… if… if you really are gawoman's son and you knew everything…" Silvie then stuttered, "You… you lied to ? To us?"
"W… well," Gary could only let out a small but nervous chuckle, "I… I couldn't exactly just tell you that you were… you know, a clone. But that doesn't change anything, I'm still Gary."
"Wait, wait. Are you really telling us you're gawoman's son?"
"I am," Gary could only roll his eyes.
"But you told us your parents died during the Battle of Toronto."
"They did. A part of the remains we cleaned when we were in Toronto probably belonged to my pops. As for mother…" Gary's words slowly beca sedated, "The Governnt let see her once when Darkday returned her… she wouldn't have survived that. That's why when they told about Project Silvie, I… was against it at first– but the world needs gawoman."
"So you knew everything?"
"Not everything," Gary sighed, "Just what they told . I swear, I didn't even know Dark Millenium existed, I thought Silvie was the only one… so I volunteered to watch over her and observe–"
"You're a fucking spy! How could you–"
"Hannah, stop!" Silvie did not let Hannah finish her words as she also stood up from her seat. And without even warning, slapped Gary straight on the face; not heavy enough to cause him to roll on the floor, but it was enough to echo throughout the entire store.
"You… you allowed this to happen?"
"I…" Gary breathed out as he repeated his words, "The world needs gawoman. You've seen what Darkday could do, the Hope Guild got their ass handed down to them. The only one that could fill gawoman's shoes is gawoman… you."
"Really, that's your sales pitch?" Hannah scoffed as she dropped down back to her seat, "This is ssed up, man. We've been together almost half a year almost every ti. I an, seriously? You're gawoman's son, I don't even know what to feel about that…
…but why are you so weak?"
"...I'm half-human."
"Oh wow, that must suck."
"No… not at all."
"..."
"..."
"..."
"This is so fucked. That's all I really have to say now… this is all fucked."
Bernard having an affair, Hannah accidentally killing more than a dozen newborns when she was a baby, Silvie being a clone…
…and now Gary being gawoman's son?
Just what exactly was happening? Did the stars align for revelations like this to just pop out almost simultaneously?
And it wasn't only Hannah who was deep in thought– everyone was. Even Silvie's father, who had chosen to remain quiet the entire feud, could not help but widen his eyes as he looked at Gary.
Bernard knew that gawoman's son existed sowhere since he… accidentally got his hands on so of their files about gawoman, but to think her son was so close to his children all this ti– was this so kind of celestial coincidence of so sort?
And just like that, the entire store was once again filled with silence. And this ti, it would seem it had no plans on breaking anyti soon. All the eyes in the room just strayed to nowhere in particular.
"..."
"..."
"gawoman… is dead?"
And right when everyone thought that the silence would go on forever, Riley disturbed it.
"Did you see her body yourself, Gary?" Riley then said as he stood up from his seat.
"N… no," Gary whispered, "I wanted a funeral for her but the Governnt didn't really want to see her corpse. I didn't really push the matter, mother and I weren't really that close, as you could imagine. She…
…She was always just… just not there."
"..." Hearing Gary's words, Riley's eyes started to travel around the store; as if not knowing where to place themselves. But after a few more seconds, he let out a long and deep sigh that made everyone slightly uncomfortable.
Throughout the entire scenario, Riley was the only one that remained completely without any change in expression; and so, seeing him now obviously disturbed… could it be he beca stressed from everything that was happening?
"Perhaps… perhaps we all should take a rest and continue this conversation soplace else? And Silvie, you can be rest assured that no one from the Governnt… or from my team will be approaching you again anyti soon," Bernard then opened up, "And please, the conversation we had in this room must remain a secret… I only told what I know now because I no longer wanted to hide things from my fam–"
"Wait."
And before Bernard could finish his words, Riley once again spoke up, "Since everyone is revealing their secrets, I would like to share mine."
"...Riley?"
"I am…"
"Master Riley!? Are we–"
"...Ms. Phoenix's biological son. I don't know her real na."
"...We knew," Silvie said; an unusually awkward smile slowly crawling on her face, "When… when you and Hannah were having a mont in Miami we… we were eavesdropping."
"...Oh," Riley could only blink a couple of tis as he looked at Silvie. He was about to say sothing else, but before he could do so, Tomoe stood up from her seat.
"I… I think we all should rest," Tomoe then suggested, "Silvie needs it."
"I don't really– No, maybe you're right," Silvie sighed, "Everything's just happening so fast, and honestly… I think I'm about to go crazy."
"You and Tomoe could stay in my apartnt if you want? Heck, might even be better since my apartnt is too big for one person in the first place."
"Are… we even allowed to–"
"Consider this as an approval," Bernard interjected, "You kids rest up, I'll… handle the Governnt and the dia backlash from this. I'm… tired of not owning up to my mistakes."
And with that, the light outside once again slowly shone upon the store as the rollers slowly opened up. Bernard left with a nod. Silvie's… father, however, left as soon as he could push the door open, not even saying a word to Silvie.
"...This is so ssed up," Hannah once again repeated her words, "I knew the Governnt was fucked up, but this? This is on a whole other level."
"W… well," Gary then stood up, "Shall… shall we go back to Hannah's room?"
"I don't think so, Gary."
"R… right, maybe so–"
"No, Gary," Hannah did not let Gary finish his words, "I don't think it's cool for you to be hanging out with us for now."
"W… what? Co on, I wasn't–"
"I think… Hannah's right," Silvie whispered; her eyes trying to avoid Gary's almost subconsciously, "But… we'll call you, okay?"
"...What?" Gary let out a slightly awkward chuckle as he watched as Hannah, Silvie, and Tomoe start to walk out of the store, "But… But I still have so many things to say! Guys!?"
But alas, the only response he got was Silvie glancing at him before their silhouettes disappeared into the distance of the Academy mall.
"What the hell, guys?" Gary could only drop his arms in defeat; his sighs almost seeping out of the store as the only thing he could do was return back to his seat,
"Was… was what I did really wrong?" He then muttered as he looked at Charlotte, who was now quietly fidgeting with her terminal.
"...I also keep a ton of secrets, child. I'm not really the best person to ask for advice," Charlotte shrugged her shoulders, "But still, at least one of your friends remained."
"...What?" Gary then slowly looked to where Charlotte was looking, only to see Riley actually still quietly sitting at one of the tables… now with a dessert in his hand.
"B… bro?" Gary could not help but take in a short but deep breath as he saw Riley, "You… you're still my friend, right?"
"We were never friends, Gary," Riley answered without any hesitation.
"I… I see."
"Aerith."
"Hm?"
"That was gawoman's real na?"
"...As far as I know."
Gary had thought that he would be losing all of his friends today by revealing who he was. He never intended to reveal himself in the first place, but when he saw the look of loss and desperation in Silvie's eyes… he no longer cared about his secret.
He knew what it ant to be alone– and he would never let any of his friends feel that way. That was sothing gawoman wouldn't do.
"Gary…
…Can you tell everything about you and gawoman?"
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