Chapter 29 — The Real Jerry III

◽The Next Day◽ (Wednesday, May 11th, 2050)
Yulia crossed her arms, watching the scene in front of her with mild irritation.「…Nikolai.」Nikolai blinked once, unmoving. His head rested comfortably on Hana’s lap as if the couch belonged entirely to him.「Big sister.」「Why is your head on her lap?」He didn’t even flinch. 「It’s a safe space.」Yulia exhaled deeply through her nose. 「 unbelievable.」Hana’s fingers brushed gently through his thick dreadlocks, a small smile forming. 「No way, NJ. Your name’s Nikolai?」「Yah,」 he murmured, eyes half-lidded. 「Dad thought ‘Neutral’ was a stupid first name, so he gave me Nikolai instead.」Hana chuckled softly. 「So the only one without a name… is JJ, huh?」Nikolai tilted his head slightly. 「Actually, Jerry is his name. He was named after Uncle AJ. Didn’t he tell you?」「Oh—yah, he did mention that when he was talking to Mr. Jeong.」Yulia snapped her fingers twice, regaining control of the conversation. 「Focus. Now tell me—what exactly happened that landed you in this pathetic state?」Nikolai’s tone didn’t change. 「Alright.」
Still lying there, head on Hana’s lap, he began recounting the events—everything from the confrontation with Yamato Shinji to waking up in the hospital. His voice stayed steady, as though describing someone else’s life. When he finished, the room went quiet.
Joshua sighed heavily. 「I see… this is gonna be hard to deal with then.」Nikolai’s brow twitched slightly. 「What do you mean?」「Turns out that Red Asura guy had a boss—but the bastard fled the country. We can’t trace him.」「Damn. So you’re saying—」「Yah. If they really got their abilities from your blood, they know how to avoid us.」「What about that Yamato guy?」Joshua smirked faintly. 「Well, thanks to you, he’s a vegetable. Nearly shat himself just looking at me.」Yulia shook her head. 「So it’s safe to say you instilled PTSD into him.」Nikolai blinked. 「…That’s good to know. But that still doesn’t explain their finances.」Hana leaned forward slightly. 「Couldn’t it be Jack Adams… or the N.W.O.?」Yulia raised a brow. 「She knows about Jack?」Nikolai didn’t move. 「They all know about Jack.」Yulia’s eyes softened for just a second, though her tone didn’t. 「So that means… you told them.」「Yes, I did.」「Alright,」 Yulia sighed, heading toward the kitchen. 「I need a cup of coffee.」Joshua spoke up after a pause. 「Jack’s too direct, and NWO would drag us through court. Best we can do is hope they mess up on their end.」「I understand,」 Nikolai replied flatly. 「That’s what I hate about peace. The opps can sneak you, and there’s almost nothing you can do.」Hana frowned slightly. 「Really? But why not just… expose them?」Nikolai opened one eye, and said without expression. 「I wish I could. But if I did, and I was wrong… they’d drag me down every chance they’d get. Not to mention their insane demands.」Hana nodded slowly. 「So it’s a game of tug-of-war… where the loser becomes a slave to the winner.」「Yah, something like that.」
The moment was broken by a gentle voice.
「Um… sorry,」 Harumi said, entering the room with a shy bow. 「My mother sent me with these.」 She placed a reusable bag on the table.Nikolai smirked faintly. 「Ooh. ‘Pick-me-up-when-I’m-low-low’ meals. Tell your mom I said thanks, Harumi.」「That’s okay, senpai.」Joshua stood, offering his hand. 「Hi there. I’m Joshua Samuels.」Harumi blinked before smiling nervously. 「Oh, hi—I’m Harumi Towa. It’s nice to meet you.」「Yah, you too.」 Joshua noticed her hand, faint paint stains marking her fingers. 「You into any arts?」She laughed awkwardly. 「Yes, I am. Painting’s my calling… but my father wants me to follow in his lawyer footsteps.」Joshua sighed. 「That’s sad. Like… caging a bird. Are you free today?」「Err… yes, why do you ask?」He grinned. 「I wanna trade pointers? You show me precision, I’ll show you freedom.」Harumi’s eyes widened slightly. 「You’re a painter too?」Joshua chuckled. 「I lean towards graffiti more. But I dabble now and then with the brush. So—what do you say?」Harumi hesitated, then smiled softly. 「O-okay… but I’m only joining because you’re Senpai’s brother.」「Don’t worry. You can trust me.」 Joshua glanced at Nikolai.Without opening his eyes, Nikolai said, 「Third garage behind the house. That’s where I keep my art supplies.」「Thanks, big bro!」 Joshua called, already heading out with Harumi.Hana tilted her head. 「So… those two?」Nikolai finally opened both eyes. 「They’re the same age. Harumi’s got self-esteem issues. If Joshua plays it right, they’ll end up sleeping together.」Hana gasped. 「For real?」「Yah. He’ll just become the man her father failed to be for her.」
Hana giggled, unable to help herself.
「It can’t be that funny.」「I know,」 she said through a smile, 「but that’s kinda what you did for me.」「Wait—we did—」「Yah. You and the others… you gave me something my father couldn’t. Freedom. The freedom to choose. To speak.」Nikolai paused, a rare, small smile tugging at his lips. 「Considering we know what it feels like to have zero rights… we won’t take that from others.」Hana smiled warmly. 「Hey, Nikolai… don’t ever change, okay? No matter what happens.」「There’s a lot of people I hate for me to suddenly grow a heart,」 he said flatly. 「So don’t worry.」Hana laughed. 「That’s true.」
◽At MAL Headquarters◽
The low hum of fluorescent lights filled the war room — cold, sterile, and heavy with tension. A map of the world flickered faintly on the holo-wall, the red markers pulsing like open wounds.
Devon stood before it, arms crossed, his reflection fractured in the glass.「Did you track down the other two?」 His tone was calm, but the undertone was razor-thin — one wrong answer could cut through the silence.Sergei hesitated, exchanging a glance with Thomas. 「We did. They’re in the U.S.」Devon’s jaw tightened. The hum of the lights seemed to grow louder.「…Damn it.」Sergei stepped forward. 「Big brother, if we explain the situation, they have to let us take them, right?」Devon turned his gaze on him — steady, but cold. 「If only it were that easy. There’s an old saying—」 he began, his voice lowering, 「‘If you’ve made something that can change the world, go to America… if you want to stay alive.’」Sergei blinked. 「So… you mean—」「Yah.」 Devon’s lips curled bitterly. 「The States are gonna defend those bastards tooth and nail.」Thomas clenched his fists. 「…Shit.」The door slid open with a mechanical hiss. Kaiser stepped in, his expression unreadable under the harsh light.「Mr. Devon,」 he said flatly.Devon didn’t look back. 「Yah, Kaiser?」「He’s ready to talk.」That made Devon pause. Slowly, he turned — eyes sharp as a blade drawn in silence. 「Alright.」He faced Sergei and Thomas once more, his voice softening — but only slightly. 「I know this pisses you two off, but trust me… those two will return. That fight boosted their egos, and pride—」 his gaze darkened, 「—is the downfall of any man.」
Both brothers nodded, but neither could meet his eyes. The air between them was heavy with unspoken rage.
Devon exhaled slowly, eyes dim with the weight he carried.【 I’ll make sure everyone who hurt JJ… will wish death found them first.】
He turned toward the hallway — his footsteps echoing against the cold concrete — and disappeared behind the door to the interrogation room, where Liu Yong was waiting.The moment it shut, the faint buzz of electricity filled the air again, like a quiet growl beneath the calm.
◽Later That Night◽
Miyeon sat beside the couch, looking at Nikolai quietly.「Nikolai oppa… I have a question.」「Sure. What is it?」「Be honest… do you think you really know yourself?」He sat up slowly, expression unreadable. 「Honestly? I don’t know anymore. Heck, I can’t even trust my memories. Everything’s a mess in my head right now.」Miyeon frowned, concern etched into her tone. 「Alright, but… will it affect your day-to-day life?」「Big sis! You can’t ask him that!」 Jiyeon interjected.「It’s okay, Jiyeon,」 Nikolai said quietly. He looked at Miyeon. 「If you’re wondering if my mental state’s stable… somehow, yeah. It’s just—I get memories of times I don’t remember.」Miyeon nodded thoughtfully. 「It could be that you blacked out a lot in the past. Maybe those memories are resurfacing because of all the stress from these past two months.」「That could be right,」 he murmured, sighing. 「I just hope Blanco gets his fight soon.」「Wait—why would you hope for that?」「Because it’s the first time I don’t hear Psyc or the others in the background. And honestly… it scares me. The quiet.」Miyeon moved closer, her shoulder brushing his. 「Don’t worry. We’ll make sure you’re not alone.」Nikolai gave her a faint smile. 「…Thanks a lot, Miyeon.」