Man of Fiction

"That's not possible." she automatically said.

"It is, I have her information, right here." Alaric contended. Emily heard sounds of paper from his line. How was there valid information on her? Was there another woman of the same name? Was it an alias?

"She can't be real. She's a cartoon character!"

"So you finally admit it."

"Admit what?"

"That the Gareth you're with is insane!" Alaric said, revealing the trick he pulled. "He thinks he's from Mob Boy Order--"

"That's because HE IS FROM MOB BOY ORDER."

"...What?"

Emily sighed, realizing that she could no longer keep her detective friend in the dark. She had to tell him. "Let's meet up tonight, I will tell you everything." she said. And just like that, her ice cream craving disappeared.

She sat at a bench in front of Mavon Mart, waiting for the blonde monk to be done with his shift. Her mind began to rehearse the future confession she was going to tell Alaric.

'Gareth is not of this world, he is the actual monk of Mob Boy Order.'

'I know it sounds crazy, but I believe him. There's no other reason for him to perfectly imitate this character.'

'Does that mean the world of Mob Boy Order exists somewhere? Possibly. You've been wondering where he really comes from, and it's from that world. And I'm trying to get him back home. Have I found a way to get him back? I'm getting to that.'

'The only proof I have is a dead Communicator. You know, that device they used in the show? He actually has it with him, I can show it to you someday! It's the real deal, I saw it working the first night I met him…'

Emily sighed. She sounded like a mad person, and Alaric Bentlee was not going to buy anything she was going to say. Her phone beeped in her blazer pocket, and she brought it out to see a text message from the detective.

'Meet me at the front of Dusk Apartment at 9:30pm.'

Dread filled up her body. She needed a sensible explanation by then.

Gareth finally emerged from the grocery, wearing the same black hoodie and jeans. When their gazes met, Emily noticed that he was not as remorseful as he was that morning. She relaxed, knowing that his guilt was subsiding. When she walked towards him, he brought a surprise shopping bag from his bag. "What is this?" she asked, brown eyes going back and forth between Gareth and his mysterious purchase. He handed the bag to her, curling his lips into his signature gentle smile. "Open it," he told her.

She opened the packaging and saw a small gray purse. It resembled her black work bag that the Slash Bandit cut open, but this one had a long and thick strap that she could put over her shoulders. It had a zipper and a buckle, which was something her old bag did not have. When she opened it, the interiors had leather dividers. It was perfect for someone who always left her contents in a disorganized fashion. She did not have to go through the trouble of fishing her items anymore.

"You didn't have to buy this," she said.

"I had to," Gareth said, putting all her things from her canvas tote bag into her brand new one. "This sack will not secure your valuables and the material is soft enough to be penetrated by sharp objects. I figured you needed a much more sturdy one, as soon as possible."

"This must have been so expensive," Emily said, feeling abashed.

"Not really, I acquired it at a street sale for 600 coppers." he explained, putting the bag over her shoulders. "The vendor advised me that this is relatively more affordable compared to the ones in your mall, which would cost over a thousand." He then paused, looking at Emily Rose from head to toe. His tender gaze made her so bashful, that she immediately directed her eyes towards her heeled feet. "It matches your work attire, very well." he complimented, smiling at her.

Emily smiled, no longer conscious of how red she has gotten. "Thank you, Gareth." she said. He bowed slightly, serene as ever. "You are most welcome," he replied, offering his arm. "Shall we head home?" Emily nodded, taking his arm as they walked to the bus stop.

The bus was packed, on the way back to Opal City. Gareth tried his very best to find a seat for his lady companion. When he did find a vacant seat for her, Emily found an elderly man who needed it more. The monk then offered it to him, who kindly thanked him for his courtesy. With no other bus seats left, Gareth placed a protective arm around her waist. Whenever the bus jolted the passengers, his hand pressed against her hip, which prevented her from moving about. Emily appreciated the gesture, but it did not stop her from blushing throughout the bus ride.

They arrived back at Opal City, where they silently walked back to Sunrise Apartment. Emily was internally gushing over the things that Gareth did for her. She was beginning to understand why women desired to have relationships. The feeling of being validated by an exceptional young man, was the best feeling that she has ever felt. She suddenly felt special, like she truly mattered. Spending time with someone and doing everyday activities with them was better than doing the same things alone. She never had a problem with being on her own, but there was something about having another presence by her side. It was like having a moving hearth with her, everywhere she went. Talking was strangely more than satisfying to do, she never thought her lips ached to move and use words until she regularly spoke to Gareth. All her life, she was stiff; but the monk's entrance into her life stretched every sore muscle in her. She found herself actually moving--living, after all those stale years.

She wanted to give another smile to him, but she saw a very cautious and serious Gareth. She grew concerned. "What is the matter?" she asked.

"I think we are being followed," he whispered.

His answer dispersed the fantastical sensation that she was experiencing. Opal City was known to be a very safe place, and no one has attacked her in hours like this. Fear entered her system, her brown eyes veering to the left and right at the quiet streets between the tall apartment buildings. She hugged her new bag to her chest. "It's going to be fine, Emily." Gareth promised in his whispers. "Just keep on walking like nothing is happening. But I want you to get ahead of me, a little. When I say run, you do it and you do not look back. Understand?"

Emily did as she was told and walked a few steps ahead of him. Soon, she heard more footsteps, from behind. She looked upon the pavement, where a street light was lit from behind the duo, and she saw a group of shadows. She wished that they were just average citizens passing by, but they huddled so closely and slowly to them. She wanted to look back, but she had to keep Gareth's words in mind.

The footsteps stopped, and this accidentally made her freeze in place. Everything was still and quiet, and she was dying to see the situation behind her. Before she could tempt herself to turn around, Gareth yelled, "Run!" Loud punches and streaky steps followed afterwards. Emily ran as fast as she could and when she was far enough, she finally looked back.

Gareth was surrounded by a circle of men in black tracksuits.They all wore dark beanie caps and black masks over their faces. They had knives in their hands, but they all clanged to the floor whenever they tried to approach the monk. Emily helplessly stood and watched the attack unfold before her. She worried for the monk, even though he had no difficulty in taking the group down. He dodged and landed kicks that made them grunt in pain. Gareth looked back and to his disbelief, he saw her. "What are you doing?!" he demanded. "Run!"

The startled Emily took slow steps back, because a part of her did not want to leave him. Then she realized Gareth was depending on her to escape; not just for the sake of her own safety, but also because she was the only one who could call for help. With this, she ran back to Sunrise Apartment.

Only to run into someone else.

When she collided with the dark stranger, she screamed. Strong arms gripped her scared shoulders, making her struggle even more. Her eyes shut tight and she screamed so loud that she could not hear what the person was saying. To her surprise, the man shook her upper body and he started yelling over her loud voice. She blinked her eyes open to see Alaric. Her shoulders relaxed, but she was panting like crazy. "What is going on?" the detective asked, his dark blue eyes on alert. "Where is Gareth?"

There it was. The Help that they needed.

"There's a group of guys attacking him!" she cried. As soon as he heard this, Alaric ran to the direction from which she came from. She courageously followed, only to see him stop in his tracks. Alaric's jaw dropped and his tired eyes suddenly looked awake because of what he was witnessing. She finally turned to the fighting group and her own jaw dropped, as well.

It was episode 78, if she remembered correctly. It was the episode where Gareth faced a small group of Messi gangsters, who were devoted followers of the Lost Boys. They were all hellbent on defeating him, but Gareth's one simple thrust pushed them so far from where he stood. His hands glowed a brilliant shade of gold, due to the Qishi energy that coursed through him. One Messi man tried to go after him, in spite of his massive strength. But Gareth grabbed his ravaging body, his hands still glowing with power. He nailed his attacker against the concrete, holding down his neck and arms. He applied pressure to his golden fingertips, and the man grew limp until he could not feel his own body. It was one of the most iconic moves of Mob Boy Order, and she saw it again in real life.

Gareth was able to push away all attackers at a far distance. He gravely looked at his palms, probably wondering why his hands were not glowing. A random man in black took this opportunity to charge after him. Unfortunately for him, Gareth anticipated his movement and he used his signature grab, pushing the stranger against the asphalt. This made the other members step back, and some made a break for it. The monk pushed down his opponent further, with a concentrated look. He was expecting for some Qishi energy to happen, but nothing came. Instead, the opponent continued to wail, pounding his fist against the ground. "Stop! Stop! I surrender!" he begged.

Alaric snapped out of his daze and he jogged towards them. He pushed Gareth aside and brought out his handcuffs. "You're under arrest for physical assault." he said, cuffing the stranger's hands.

"Why did it not work?" Gareth wondered, looking at his hands. Emily soon approached and gave the monk a hug. "Are you okay?" she asked, looking up at him. Physically, he looked alright. However, he was not focused on the concerned Emily Rose. He still looked at his shaking hands, his green eyes showing fear. "The Qishi energy is not working," he said.

"What?" she said.

"My Meiyo abilities have abandoned me," he repeated, frightened.

"That's because Qishi does not exist here, Gareth." Alaric said, dragging the apprehended to his feet. They both look at the detective in shock, but Emily was even more so. She forgot that Alaric watched a couple of episodes of Mob Boy Order, as well. He also knew what he saw; a perfect imitation of one of the best fighting moves in animation.

"Yes, who else would I be?" Gareth said, his hands shaking.

Alaric ignored him and made a call to the Opal City Police Department. Gareth returned to staring at his hands, utterly betrayed by his own gift.

*****

Emily Rose never thought that she would be in another police station, in the late of night.

After giving their statements, they learned that there was a growing gang called the Racket Vengers. They appeared, right after the Slash Bandit was arrested and they attacked innocent civilians walking on the quiet streets of Mavon and Opal City. They were also caught smashing cars and raiding small stores. They had speculations that this group was created out of anger for one of the most wanted criminals in Mavon, but Alaric thought it did not make sense for a group of young boys to go through such lengths because of the imprisonment of a petty thief.

"We are looking into Frank's history, to see if he had any relatives or children." the Opal City detective told him. "It's possible that he had someone close to him, someone who truly believed in his ways."

"Very well, if you need any information on the Slash Bandit, contact me." Alaric said, giving him the same calling card he handed to Emily on their first encounter. The bald detective accepted it and said, "This is unfortunately becoming frequent. It's possible that there will be more of them. I need you to send word at Mavon for enhanced security."

"I understand," Alaric agreed. "We will have to inform this to the media industry and to city hall, so they can issue some safety regulations and maybe a curfew." Emily swallowed at the last word he said. It has been a while, since Hembrandt had to go through these things. The last time the West followed curfew laws, was during the Employment Outbreak in Mavon City. Certain companies were exposed for embezzlement, which became the sole reason for the decrease of salaries for a lot of employees in Mavon. The workers started a great revolt, destroying their stores and other assets. She remembered that there was a period in her college life that she dreaded the curfew, because it meant being stuck at home early with Mr. Pemble.

"Let's hope it does not arise to that," The Opal Detective said. "I got police scouting for their hideouts, as we speak."

"We will have to send out the warnings, still." Alaric said.

"I know that, so I'm glad that you're came, detective. Thank you for coming."

Alaric led Gareth and Emily out of the station, and then he drove them home. The young detective gave them the usual warnings, on the way. He told them to not be out beyond nine in the evening, to never venture to dark places, to always travel together (especially since Gareth is more than capable in taking any Racket Vengers group that would dare cross their paths), and to always call him in case there was another attack. "How bad are gang attacks around the West?" Gareth asked, genuinely curious. The monk has snapped out of his past incredulity and he became more invested in the threat that was gradually brewing.

"It depends," Alaric answered. "Sometimes they can be easily dealt with, but other times they can get out of control because of the numbers."

"And the Racket Vengers?"

"Based on my discussion with the detective, it looks like a potential threat." the detective said, sullen. "Their attacks on the civilians are beyond serious and there is still no information on their numbers. So it's best to be vigilant, from now on."

"This is crazy," Emily Rose remarked. "All of this fuss for the Slash Bandit?"

"Some gangs are very loyal to each other, Emily." Gareth explained. "They are willing to go through great lengths, just for their fellow members."

"He's right." Alaric agreed. "You had your own fair share of mob fights, Gareth?"

"Of course, I was the Protector of the Adonis Family and their extended Don groups." Gareth said, proudly. He spoke to the detective like he was having a formal interview. Alaric only smirked at his robotic response. "I can't believe this," he muttered, pulling up the front of Sunrise Apartment.

"If you need my expertise or knowledge on the matter, you know where to call me." the monk offered.

"Uhm, yeah of course." Alaric blinked, rubbing his temples. "Do you mind if I speak to Emily alone?"

"Of course, I shall be going ahead." He said, before stepping out of the car. The remaining two watched him go straight inside the apartment. When he was there, Alaric quickly asked her, "He does not have super hearing right?"

Emily giggled at the question. "The show does not mention that," she answered. "Besides, I don't think his abilities work here."

"I can't believe you are saying that," he said, pinching the bridge of his nose. "So he's really Gareth? The Gareth of Mob Boy Order?"

"I believe he is."

"Fine, we'll go with that." Alaric sighed. "I think he convinced me when he pushed all those guys with one hand. At such a great distance, even! That's physically impossible! And he did that--"

"Yes that famous hold in episode 78," Emily finished for him, grinning.

Alaric peered at his friend, like a lunatic. "What I'm trying to say is that, no impersonator can do what he does," he explained. "Replicating fighting moves that only an animated character would do. How did he find you?"

"He appeared at the front of my apartment, with no memory." she automatically answered. It felt good for her to finally speak the truth to someone else. "I asked him what he remembered, and he said that he was dying."

"Right," Alaric said, putting a hand on the wheel. "Does he know that he belongs in an animated show?"

"....No."

"You didn't tell him?!"

"I don't know how!"

"Emily Rose!"

"Promise me you won't tell him!" she begged. "He's been through a lot. The reason why he ended up in the hospital, is because he does not know how to grasp the situation either. This has been much harder on him, more than I could ever imagine. Telling him about Mob Boy Order--telling him that his home does not exist, might break him."

"I understand where you're coming from." Alaric said, trying to sympathize. "But he's going to find out, sooner or later. It's a popular show, for crying out loud."

"I know that," Emily said, almost snapping."But let me tell him, on my own terms. I need to figure out the right timing."

Alaric slumped in his seat and looked at her in the eye. He did not show any signs of anger or disappointment. It was too neutral for Emily to analyze.

"I just hope you're ready for the consequences," he said.