Third Person's POV

     Habang hawak sa kabilang kamay ang may kalakihang payong, marahan nang pinindot ni Cat ang doorbell ng isang mansyon. Pansamantalang binabalewala ang mga nagsisiksikang sina Archie, Rath, Mark at Orion sa likuran niya.

   Kinaumagahan kasi, matapos ang insidente sa abandonadong bahay sa kagubatan ng Mephistopheles Town, nakuha na ni Cat lahat ng impormasyong kailangan niya mula kay Daz. Simula sa newspaper na naglalaman ng public execution ng Yawaka City noong unang panahon, pati na sa mga patayang nagaganap na may koneksyon sa "fictional character" ni Nath.

     At lahat ng mga bagay na iyon ay naghatid sakanya patungo sa isang hakbang. Sa harapan ng tahanan ng mga Crisostomo.

   "Seryoso ba tayo sa gagawin natin?" kunot noong tanong ni Mark at kumamot sa batok.

     Nagkibit balikat lang si Archie dahil doon at binalingan ang nagsisilbi nilang leader na si Cat upang magantay ng sagot.

      "Yes seryoso tayo. We need to know more about what really happened during that kidnapping incident, who were the culprits and why the fuck would they do that in the first place," tugon din naman ni Cat at tumanaw sa loob ng gate ng mga Crisostomo.

      "Thanks to Yawaka City's love for threats and fabricated news, we need to investigate face to face. Because if those kidnappers before have a connection with the killers from today, then we won't just locate where Ivan and Nath right now, but could also take a glimpse of their entire plan and abolish it. We need to do shits one one step ahead."

       After saying those phases, someone from the residence finally opened their gates. And in instant everyone got silent.

      "Oy! Pareng Zephyr, ako 'to si Rath!"

     Well, except for that idiot.

    Hindi pinansin ni Zephyr ang maligalig na bati ni Rath at pinasadahan lang ng tingin ang mga nilalang na nasa labas ng gate nila. "Anong ginagawa niyo dito?" diretsahan niyang tanong at sa pagkakataong iyon at ipinukol na ang atensyon sa nakayukong si Orion.

     Mabuti nalang at makapal ang mukha ni Cat kaya siya na ang nagpaliwanag ng lahat lahat. Patapos pa lang siya sa kanyang litanya ng biglang may lumagapak sa screen door nila sa 'di kalayuan.

     Agad namang na baling doon ang atensyon ng lahat. Ganoon nalang din ang panliliit ng mga mata ni Zephyr at dahan dahang napasapo ng noo, nang matanto kung ano ito.

    "Oh my goodness! Anak ko~"

    Doon ay tuluyan nang iniluwa ng pintuan ang isang nasa late 30's na lalakeng may kahabaan ang buhok. Nakasuot lang ito ng simpleng oversized long sleeve, ngunit hindi pa rin maikakalila ang taglay nitong pagka elegante at mamahalin. Sa buhok pa lang nitong mayroong pinalamutian ng mga perlas na hairclips at sa paraan ng pagkaripas nito ng takbo patungo sakanila, malulula ka nalang talaga.

    Pakiramdam nga nila Markian ay mayroong imaginary glittery carpet ang nilalang na iyon nang dumaan ito harapan nila.

    "Anak ng tuleg, parang hindi tao, e’," bulong ni Rath ngunit rinig pa rin naman ng lahat. Akmang gagatungan sana ito ni Archie ngunit kapwa nalang talaga sila natuod sa kinatatayuan dahil sa mga sumunod na kaganapan.

    Biglang tumalon payakap 'yong nilalang kay Orion, sabay sabing "Ori, welcome home~"

    Ang kaso lang ay nasa malfunction era pa rin si Orion kaya hindi niya nasalo agad. Ang resulta ay lumagapak nanaman iyong nilalang, ngunit sa pagkakataong ito ay sa sahig na.

    "Lagot ka kay Ivan, 'di mo sinalo ang paborito niyang tatay," mapaklang saad ni Zephyr na nakatayo parin sa may gate. Ni hindi manlang tinulungan iyong lalake na mukhang wala na atang balak tumayo.

   "P-pasensya na po, Shunari, ayos lang kayo?" agad na tugon ni Orion at inalalayan nalang ang tinawag niyang Shunari na makatayo. Akamang magsasalita pa nga sana ito ngunit agad na itong pinagyuyugyog ng nilalang at pinutakti ng mga litanya.

    "Anong ayos? Pagkatapos mo akong hindi dalawin ng ilang taon? Sinabi ko na 'di ba, kung ayaw mo na kay Ivan pwede naman kitang ireto sa iba ko pang mga anak. Hindi 'yong aabandonahin mo ako na parang hindi mo na ako mahal."

     Kulang na lang ay maiiiyak na ni Shunari ang mga peke niyang luha, na mabuti nalang talaga at tinugunan lang ni Orion ng mga nakakailang na tawa at ngiti.

    Napakurap kurap naman ang mga natitirang sina Markian at Archie dahil sa mga pangyayari.

    "Ito? Ito ang tatay ni Ivan?" mahinang saad nang huli at nagpalipat lipat ng tingin kay Orion at Shunari. Animo'y nagaantay ng kahit anong kumpermasyon mula sa kahit sino sa kanila.

    Pero bago pa man ma tanto nila Shunari ang inosenteng tingin ng dalawa, agad na itong naudlot dahil sa naging saad ni Cat.

   "Speaking of Ivan po, kinidnap po siya ng mga taong possibleng may kinalaman sa last public execution ng Yawaka City noon. And andito po kami para kumalap ng impormasyon para hanapin siya."

•••

     "Grabe, magkababata kami ni Ivan pero ni hindi niya ako nadala sa bahay niya," paghihimutok ni Markian sa gilid ng halos ginituang sofa na kinasasadlakan. Agad itong siniko ng katabing si Archie dahil magrereklamo na nga lang daw e sa harapan pa ng tatay ng kaibigan.

     "Ni hindi niya kami pinakilala sa mga magulang niya. Gagong 'yon, sasabihin ko talaga 'to kay Dennis." Napa crossed arms pa ito at parang bubuyong na nagpatuloy sa mga hinaing niya sa buhay. Sa huli ay napagkasunduan nila Rath at Archie na takpan nalang ang bunganga nito at umaktong mga anghel sa harapan ng lahat pagkatapos.

    Bahagya lang na natawa si Shunari dahil doon at sumandal sa upuang kaharap nila. Ginawaran pa nito ng tingin ang tatlong sira ulo sa harapan, at ang dalawa pa sa katabing sofa na sina Cat at Orion.

    "So where should we start?" malumanay na tanong nito na kumuha sa atensyon ng lahat.

    Agad namang nagtaas ng kamay si Rath. "Paano kayo nabudol ni Ivan na maging tatay niya? Bakit niyo siya pinili?"

     Halos masamid si Cat dahil sa sinabi ni Rath, ngunit ang mokong ay wala manlang bahid ng pagsisisi sa tinuran. Kunot noo naman siyang pinasadahan ng tingin nina Archie at Mark na kapwa wala pa ring alam sa totoong estado ng family tree ng kanilang Ice Bear.

     Sumilay ang isang maliit na ngiti sa labi ni Shunari dahil doon at napailing iling nalang talaga. "You're also a Dazarencio, am I right?" balik na tanong nito sa drummer ng FDIHI.

     Tumango naman si Rath bilang tugon. "Oo, pero malayong kamag anak na ako. Ni hindi nga kami kami ini-imbitahan sa mga family gathering ng Dazarencio Clan 'e," mapakla itong natawa.

     "Uhuh," tanging sambit ni Shunari at sinuklay ang mahabang buhok gamit ang sariling daliri. "Anyway, to answer your question, we didn't choose him. He choose us. My father, to be exact."

     Seryoso lang itong tinitigan ni Rath at nagantay pa ng ibang detalye.

    "Have you ever heard of Ybrahim Crisostomo?" biglang tanong ni Shunari na tinanguan naman nila Cat, maging nina Archie at Markian na nangangapa pa rin sa mga impormasyong nalalatag sa harapan nila.

     "Siya 'yong lolo ni Ivan, 'di ba? Nakita na namin siya ni Hope noon!" agad na sagot ni Archie na sinang ayunan naman ni Mark.

     "Siya 'yong pumumunta lagi sa mga school related meetings at family day para kay Ivan noong elementary."

     Lahat iyon ang sinangayunan ni Shunari. "Yes, because my father was actually a notable policeman during his time and they said he's a great father. He's just an ordinary guy with unwavering principles. He always stood with his ideals and morals, which eventually put him to a lot of trouble. And Ivan knew that, despite of how the news discredited him and made him look like a bad guy, so by the time that my dad went to an orphanage for charity purposes, Ivan was also there and he just went like, "Hey sir, I should be your child now."

    Marahang natawa si Shunari dahil sa mga alaala. Ni hindi nga niya alam kung bakit nakikipagkwentuhan na siya ngayon sa mga kaibigan ng anak niya. Pero alam din naman kadi niyang kapag kasama si Orion, ibig sabihin ay mapagkakatiwalaan niya ang mga ito. At alam din naman niyang babalibagin siya nito kapag lumagpas siya sa dapat ay sinasabi niya.

     And so far wala pa namang balibagang nagaganap so nagpatuloy siya.

     "Sandali lang po! If sa tatay mo lumapit si Ivan noon, edi dapat magkapatid kayo?" biglang tanong ni Cat, na kalaaunan ay sinuportahan din naman ng iba.

     "Well, because my father is an idiot who doesn't want to add another human as his child, even on paper, and he wanted me to have a child na so I ended up signing the adoption paper and became the father of Ivan," Shunari flipped his hair.

     "Of course I could have refused, because this is my life and having a child is not a rocket science. I know I'm not suited to be a father, but seeing the kid version of Ivan that rainy night, it made my heart sink."

    "Although he said that he doesn't really need a parent but just our surname and our connections. Even if he said that it was for a professional work and his plans for a better future, I couldn't just help but to care for him even more."

    "Because he was a damn child for God's sake yet he's already wasting his youth to grow up… mainly because the grown ups failed him as a child. He was supposed to play and be happy, but he was here, planning how to save an entire city state from it's own people."

    Shunari got carried away and he ended up saying everything. From how the young Ivan stopped attending kindergarten just to train and be physically stronger, for him to save his mother Helheim Ideale.

      Yes he was a kid and his enemy is a huge organization, but because he was a kid and stupid, he still force himself to do everything he can, as if it would be enough to let her mother escaped from the prisoner called the Mondevilla's Bloodshed Tournament. A tournament from the underground who will kidnap those Misfits with Black Flag Sins and put them to their very own kind of hell. A Tournament where they are set to fight each other in a ring for entertainment of the Elites.

      It was an illegal business of the remaining Noble Families, the Dazarencio, Asteranza and of course the Mondevilla who hosted the tournament. It is a modern day public execution for the Misfits where they are given the chance to fight for themselves. It's a kill or be killed and it was stated that the winner will be able to come back at the surface of Yawaka City. To come back to their family and have a second chance to live.

      Mind that not all the Misfits with the Black Cards Sins are actually people with grave crimes, some are just activist. And to make everything worse, the winner's price is nothing but an illusion. Because at the end of the tournament's season, where the last Misfit standing is declared, he/she will be accompanied with the staffs, leading them to the surface's door. However, when the cameras are off, the staffs would still kill the winner so that no one can escape from the underground.

     Only the workers, the kidnapped Misfits, the Elites (veiwers/purchasers) and the Noble Families know about the existence of such heinous place. The reason why Ivan knew about this was of course, because he is a Dazarencio.

     And the reason why the Ideale Sisters knew about this either was because, once upon a time, they were the Noble Family who opposed the said tournament and stood up for what is right. They were one of the Fallen Aristocrats who protested to stop the selective justice and the execution made only for those who can't afford their salvation.

       Resulting for the Asteranzas and Dazarencios to team up and anhiliate the entire Ideale Clan and made it look a punishment for a Clan who committed a grave crime, a grave crime of wanting equality. To make it more believable, the Asteranzas added more rebels to the equation and the Dazarencios randomly picked real criminals to be burned along with them and the Ideales at their settlement. 

      Thus, their once lively home turned to ashes and ruins, the tragedy was later on called as the Ideale Clan Massacre for those who know the truth, but because the remaining Noble Families are still powerful, they manipulated the media and changed everything as  the Ideale Clan's Public Execution. Thus, the home wherein they got burned alive with, was later on called as the Misfit Hills.