Strange Feeling

"Hey, finally came back to us little Kazu! That must have been quite the emergency!"
'Well, at least no one's here to hear that... mostly.'
"Anyway... So how's Tarou? Did he make any breakthroughs?"
"Only he knows what kind of magic is speaking to him. Oh, almost forgot, since you took your time in there it's now almost break time, I already mentioned to your dad that we're in here, so he might appear at any moment."
"Oh, thanks, I guess I'll just wait by the bench near the entrance and watch the progress unfold until he arrives."
"You got it.
HEY, YOU HEAR THAT LEADER BOY? HE'S GOT FULL TRUST IN YOU, YOU GOT THIS!"
Tarou pauses what he was doing to look in my direction.
"THANKS MAN!"
After that, he goes back to what he was doing, as Gaia keeps her attention on him.

'I can't stop thinking about it, that felt weird, but why? It makes sense he was there, and yet...
He felt different, not quite the same as I once saw. Well, then again, it was quite a long time ago...
Maybe it's because I got caught? It certainly doesn't happen often, in fact, it doesn't happen at all.
...Well, except for that one time with Gaia.

Maybe it was the prison? What were those sounds?'

...

'...Thinking about that isn't gonna lead me anywhere. In any case, visiting the HQ has been really cool. The hub where all the heroes in the region train to stop evil!
So how the hell did it get robbed? Someone must have found a way to break into the vault. What kind of power would be able to achieve that though...'

Suddenly dad bursts through the doors, and quickly closes in for a big hug.
"FINALLY! My son! Oh, I missed you so much!"
"D- Dad- Too much- Stop."
"Hm? Oh! Sorry, might have crushed you there a little bit."
I try to catch my breath.
"Right... A little bit..."
"I'm just so glad! We hardly spend time together, so I'm making the most of it! Is Gaia and your friend going to join us?"
"Ah, yes, why not. LEADER BOY! Training's over! You did good, now let's take a break!"
"Yes coach!"
"We did skip breakfast, so let's go to the cafeteria."
'A great idea from Gaia, I'm starving, heck, that's probably what the feeling was.'

We soon reach the cafeteria and start eating, still with those thoughts on the back of my mind, wondering, but I push them down regardless.
After that, we spend the next half hour talking and spending time together. Turns out dad had asked for extra time, being particularly persistent about it and succeeded. It was a nice time together.

...

"Well, that's about it for my break, gotta get back. I'll miss you!"
"Cya dad."

As he's about to leave, the doors blow open, causing me to flinch.
'What? Is HQ getting robbed again?!'
Through them comes mom, looking extremely pissed. Heroes all around us take a good look and suddenly start running, those who don't are frozen with fear. I could swear every time she took a step the floor shook. Finally she reaches us and slowly opens her mouth to speak.
But before she can, dad immediately chimes in.
"It was your sister's idea, I promise! Oh, look at the time, I really have to go, it was great spending time with you guys, anyways bye!"
Just like that, he darts off.
"Why is he here."
Mom spoke, emotionless, sending shivers down my spine.'
"Ah! You know... There was a situation, and I needed help! He was a witness, so... But I got permission!"
"I know, she called."
"It really was needed, promise! Anyway, it's too late now, may as well give them a day off, right?"

Mom stares at Gaia for a while, furious, but soon her angers melts away.
Sigh "Honestly, at the very least you could have TOLD me!"
"Sorry! I really am! But it was an emergency! Time was of the essence!"
"So you didn't even let him sleep? I'm not even gonna ask about the situation with Tarou."
"Heheh... You sure still strike fear into everybody's hearts..."
'That I can agree with.'
"Please.
Well, I can't be angry anymore. I trust you. I'll go back now, you want to come with, Kazu?"
"I'll stay for a bit, might go for a walk afterwards."
"Alright, well, bye now.
And Gaia, you better not surprise me like this anymore."
"YES! Understood sis!"
With that she walks off.
"Kazu, your mom is..."
"Yeah, that was intense, wasn't it Gaia?"
"You're telling me, you should have seen her in her prime."
"The way you talk about her... Was she actually a hero? Seriously?"
"Oh absolutely! One of the strongest for sure! Though she wouldn't say that about herself."
"What made her stop then?"
That causes Gaia to go silent for a moment.
"...She had to."
'Huh?'
"Well anyway, this is probably good enough for the tour. Leader boy, how about you do some training on your own, see what you excel at and what you come up with."
"You got it coach! Cya, Kazu!"
"I'll go too, bye."
"Have a good day little Kazu, bye!"
'I guess I may as well see if anything is happening.'

...

A few hours have passed since then, throughout them still constantly thinking about several things.
'HQ being robbed, mom being a hero... That weird feeling.
So much to process...'

Luckily I get to have a distraction beforehand as I notice smoke in the distance.
'I'll think about it later, let's see what's happening over there for now.'

...

I finally reach the area to see what's going on, and that's where surprise hits me.
'Inferno? What is he doing out of prison?'
He was on the other side of the river bank, shooting fire magic into a hole.
'Is he... making a cave or something?
This is not the greatest spot for watching, too open... Over there will have to do.'
I carefully make my way to the other side of the nearby bridge, observing Inferno from behind it.
'Close enough that I don't need to teleport.
How did he escape? ...I guess fire magic could melt away the wall? Is he that powerful?'

Looking more closely at what he's doing, I notice he's not carving a cave, if anything, he's sealing one, and without care for collateral damage on anything around.
'It feels weird... like before...
Was he escaping from prison then? Was that what I was hearing behind that door?'
Just then someone arrives, a hero to defeat him.
'Oh good, won't have to call this one in too.
Wait, is that... Neptune?'

"Hmph, looking for real power?"
"Tsk, I already have it! These flames are more than you could handle, or maybe I should say this LAVA BATH!"
As he says that, the ground around him starts to break apart, and melt, creating a circle of lava around Inferno, with parts exploding outward.
But as quickly as it formed, it freezes, as Neptune floods the river bank, and in fact most of the area, almost overdoing it.
After the smoke from the lava cooling disperses, he starts talking.
"Do you really want to test me here?"

'...They're staring each other down.'

Neptune still standing tall, while Inferno was on his knees, caused by the previously flood, frustration showing in his eyes.

"Fine."

With that Neptune grabs him, and runs away.
'I'll give them this, they must teach speed as a requirement at HQ...
But they sure don't teach clean-up, the place became a mess!
Didn't he care about the collateral damage? Today has just been so weird... I'll just keep walking.'

After a while, I stop by a café with my mind still riddled with thoughts of the day, hoping to calm them by relaxing with a nice cake, and a beautiful view, though not working as well as I'd hoped.
'I'll just start heading home, and play games instead...'

...

It's been some time since the 'fight', and I finally arrive home.
"I'm home."
"Hello Kazu, how was your 'day off'?"
"Ah... I don't know."
"Oh?"
"It's nothing, what are you watching?"
"The news, something strange happened."
'Ah, the escaped Inferno, that would be news incredibly fast, no doubt.'
"What?"
"The river bank up on the northeast got damaged! They have no idea what happened."
'...What...?'
"That can't be."
"No, it's true! Apparently it was too smoky to see, and when explosion sounds started happening people just fled, so no one knows what happened after that, or who did it."
'Not possible...'
"Surely he's been caught no?"
"They don't have any info, so no.
Honestly, I thought Gaia was supposed to be putting them in shape..."

'...But, I saw him get caught...?'