In an apartment on the 72nd floor of White Angel Corporation.
Agatha was sleeping alone on a bed. As the first ray of sunlight fell on the room, she opened her eyes. After freshening up she moved towards the living room.
She was stuck on the floor in disbelief after entering the living room. A man was adjusting items on the tables. The man seemed to notice her so he turned around and said, "Good morning."
"Good morning..." Agatha absentmindedly repeated the greeting. Getting over her surprise she quickly said, "Kiba, you did say that we will meet soon but I didn’t expect this soon. It has not even been 12 hours."
"I thought it would be a good idea to have a breakfast together so I came here," Kiba said trying to sound normal but there was a clear hint of panic in his voice.
Agatha eyed the ’breakfast’: Pancakes, bagel, waffles, baked eggs, taquito, crepes, quiche, toast, milk, juice, coffee, fruits, and a dozen more items.
" If it is not up to your liking, I can bring whatever you want in no time," Kiba said while taking a seat.
"Ah...no it is more than enough," Agatha took a seat as well. She was surprised by the events but she didn’t mind his presence here.
After ten minutes, Agatha finished her breakfast and looked at Kiba who was drinking juice.
"Thanks," Agatha thanked him for the breakfast and continued, "From next time I need a nutritious breakfast instead of a luxurious one."
"I-I will remember from next time," Kiba was clearly nervous.
"Can I ask why you are so panicked?" Agatha asked. She could see the nervousness on his face.
"I..." Kiba took a deep breath. He has spent the entire night on thinking about the life blooming inside Agatha.
He wasn’t sure of how things happened but he knew the feeling he felt from Agatha wasn’t false. So he decided to have an honest conversation with Agatha.
"There is something I want to tell you," Kiba was never this nervous in his entire life.
"Ok. Shoot," Agatha didn’t think much of it.
"I am the father of Hope," Kiba quickly said everything in a single sentence.
Agatha was leaving her seat when she heard Kiba’s words. She lost her balance and almost fell on the floor but Kiba quickly gave her support.
He teleported both of them upon the bed in the bedroom.
"Is that a joke?" Agatha was displeased. But then she remembered Kiba’s reactions from before and she thought he was likely speaking the truth. She tried to calm herself and think on what it implied.
"I had a paternity test...was it manipulated by Hank or my family?" Agatha clearly knew the extent business families would go to save their reputation and benefit.
Kiba braved his heart and said,"No."
"No? Then who?" Agatha couldn’t understand who can do such a thing.
"Will you believe if I said that I changed the report without knowing?" Kiba answered in a very low voice.
Agatha has her eyes wide open with shock. Almost as a reflex, she slapped him on his cheeks.
Kiba didn’t feel any pain but Agatha, on the other hand, screamed loudly as her hand released a sound of bone cracking.
"I am sorry," Kiba was never this panicked in his entire life. He made a grasping motion towards air and from out of nowhere, tiny blood-red particles appeared on Agatha’s fractured hand. Quickly they entered inside her hand and regenerated her bone in no time.
"You better give me a reasonable explanation," Agatha was having a hard time gripping with the reality.
"Trust me when I say this but I only learned everything after meeting you yesterday," Kiba knew how unbelievable his words were. Even he couldn’t believe what he saw from the security logs so how could he expect Agatha to believe?
Agatha was feeling a severe headache. How was she supposed to react?
"What do we do now?" Agatha asked after few minutes of silence.
"I don’t know," Kiba answered. He has made plans for fighting with the forces from world government but never for the current crisis.
"Can you answer my next few questions with full honesty?" Agatha asked.
"Yes," Kiba nodded.
"Do you want to be involved in Hope’s life?" Agatha slowly asked.
"I don’t know," Kiba answered honestly.
"So her existence is something which happened by an incident and you don’t know if you want to take responsibility or not?" Agatha asked.
"I..." Kiba didn’t know how to answer.
Agatha gave a deep sigh. She knew his dreams so she could pretty much guess what type of shock this situation has given him.
Back then he has said that he dreamed of enjoying every phase of his life. He wished to taste the best delicacies, drink every fine liquor, and make love with the most beautiful women out there.
The greatest dream of his was stealing wives in daylight for an affair while their husbands die of envy and shame.
He has barely started his journey to his dreams but now...
"You did say you wished to enjoy every phase of your life even if it is as an old man waiting for death," Agatha carefully chose her words before continuing," So why not enjoy fatherhood? After all, it is a phase of life just like old age."
Agatha wanted her daughter to have the love of both parents.
"....." Kiba remained silent.
"Or perhaps you are afraid?" Agatha slowly asked," Afraid that you will become a terrible father because of what your parents did?"
"Yes..." Kiba slowly confessed.
"Just because they were terrible parents doesn’t mean you will become a terrible parent yourself," Agatha took his hands in hers before continuing, "You won’t be an ideal father but honestly idealism is overrated. I can guarantee that Hope will love an imperfect father rather than an ideal father."
Kiba looked at her in surprise.
"Thank you for being patient---" Before he could finish his words, he found his lips sealed by hers.
"Why so surprised?" Agatha asked in a teasing voice after their lips parted.
"You are a demoness for teasing me," Kiba didn’t let the lust inside him take control.
He lied on the bed next to her and faintly rubbed his hand on her belly.
"Hope..." Kiba muttered. He then looked in the eyes of Agatha and said, "I have made some preparations for you two."
Kiba removed a small red box from inside his shirt. Inside the box, a bracelet similar to the one he gave to Felicity was lying.
Claudia has prepared five bracelets, and so far one was with his Zed form and another with Felicity.
"What is this?" Agatha could obviously judge from Kiba’s words that it was more than a bracelet.
"Consider it as a sort of amulet. It will automatically activate when it senses you are in a life and death crisis," Kiba explained, "I will be able to track you if it is activated."
"I see," Agatha put the bracelet on her right hand. Kiba then removed a golden card from his pocket.
"This card is the key to an apartment I own under a pseudo name," Kiba gave her the details of the apartment. He then gave her credit cards, emergency contact numbers, and other such stuff.
"You seemed to have made enough preparations for a man who was confused till moments ago," Agatha remarked with a smile.
"It is because I am worried about the future. Leave White Angel Corporation as soon as possible. This place will soon turn into a graveyard," Kiba was serious as he explained the details about the possible conflict between Hank and Sky Fiend Group.
"I understand," Agatha decided she will leave by evening.
-----
For now, they slept in each other’s arms without saying anything. An hour passed by but then suddenly there was a worried expression on Agatha’s face.
"What happened?" Kiba asked.
"I am afraid we will become a news item again," Agatha faintly muttered. She was no longer worried about the reactions of her family and friends but the corporate media was another matter.
Agatha wanted her child to carry Kiba’s name and not Jack’s. She wanted her child to live freely without worrying about any social stigma.
"Leave the news agencies to me," Kiba left the bed and adjusted his clothes before continuing, "I planned to take it slow but now is not the time to slack off."
"What do you mean?" Agatha asked.
"After ten days we can announce the truth without worrying about anything," Kiba has a devilish smile on his face as he continued, "No media corporate would dare to slander you after I am done."
"Done with what?" Agatha asked curiously.
"Done making an example out of Daniel," Kiba has a smirk on his face as he continued, "The media bastards will know the price they have to pay for harming someone I care about."
"Example? Surely you will not kill him?" Agatha was worried. She hated Daniel to the core but she didn’t want Kiba to murder him. In today’s era, it was hard to get away with murder unless one becomes a fugitive. Agatha didn’t want this life for Kiba.
"Relax. I am not the type to resort on violence," Kiba kissed her on her forehead before saying, "I believe in love and peace."
"Love and peace..." Agatha was sure the love and peace Kiba was talking about were different from the traditional concepts she knew.
The time has come to focus on the hunt!