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“Thanks for the food!” Xavier, Jordan and Aitor said in unison as they were about to start eating. The attempt at eating was stalled immediately, as Aitor smugly said something relating to earlier that day: “Why did the two of you get so nervous about those weird kids today?”
Two little balls of rice dropped right back into the dish. One of Xavier’s, and one of Jordan’s. They both started stammering. “Oh, that? Nothing at all! Their interruption was just so poorly timed as we were about to train, yeah?” Jordan laughed, nervously. Xavier nodded. “Y-y-yeah! And since they didn’t want to leave so easily, that was frustrating?”
Aitor raised his eyebrow. “Qué? The two of you are still acting weird about it.”
“Let’s talk about something else, perhaps.” Xavier tried.
“No.” Aitor stated. “I want to know. Those terrible actors were weird. You know them?”
“Terrible actors…” Jordan repeatedly embarrassingly, poking his food. He decided to stuff his mouth full in a single bite so he couldn’t speak up for another minute, and gently kicked Xavier’s shin to let him try to do the same. Xavier obliged. “Mm, isn’t the food great today? Jordan, your cooking really surprises me every time.”
They continued eating silently. Aitor sometimes scowled a little, trying to comprehend why they wouldn’t speak up at all. Why would he – once more – be left out of the loop of things again? It was frustrating!
It continued all the way until the dessert. Suddenly, Aitor deviced a slight plan. He snickers, holding one of the pudding cups and menacingly spooning part out of it. “Mira,” he says, “I think I know what’s going on, and you’re going to have to buy me more pudding to keep me quiet.”
Jordan flinched. “You.. you do?!”
Xavier carefully put his hand on Jordan’s shoulder. “Wait,” he spoke, as calmly as he could, but his face turning paler than usual. “What exactly do you think went on?”
“You paid a few child actors to surprise all of us but didn’t realize they were that terrible.”
Jordan and Xavier locked eyes, gulping, unsure whether to be offended once more about their younger selves’ bad act, or to be relieved that Aitor was so incredibly wrong about it. They both nodded. Jordan stammered. “Ha! H..how could you tell! Yeah, that’s it. We’ll buy you your pudding. What flavor?”
“Strawberry.” Aitor proudly said as he finished the cup he was holding. Jordan hurriedly punched Xavier’s arm as he made his way to the hallway, as Xavier was about to state that Jordan would never allow Aitor to start such a terrible diet. “Then we’ll be off to buy some. Can you clean the table in the meantime?”
“Sure thing,” the boy said as he launched the now-empty cup into the garbage can. In the meantime, Jordan and Xavier were hurriedly putting their shoes and coats on, about to head out as fast as they could. Aitor turned the TV on, spoon still in his mouth, and started to clean up the table.
“Don’t you think he realized the truth?” Jordan sighed as he walked to the convenience store with his beloved. “Likely. But if he isn’t straightforward about it, I don’t think he’d really hold it against us.”
“I suppose.”
The both quietly walked on, subconsciously holding hands in the cold. The moment Jordan realized they did so out in public, he embarrassedly pulled back. “Sorry, sorry.”
Xavier laughed. It was the kind of laugh that relieved all the tension they had built up in the previous half an hour. “We’ll be fine as long as no one else figures it out. Let’s just hope they’ll forget about it.”
“They forgot their wallet.” Aitor deadpanned, staring at the wallet left behind on the kitchen counter he was about to clean.
Xavier and Jordan both turned around the corner to walk into the street with the convenience store. But their path was blocked by a young duo. “We are from Alius Academy,” the redhead proudly stated. “And we are here to destroy… this convenience store you intended to go to!”
“Really!? You’re still around?” Xavier covered his mouth, nauseated as he could be. This was too ridiculous.
“Do not doubt us!” The green-haired one responded aggressively. “You’ll learn we’re not all bark and no bite.”
Jordan’s eyebrows twitched as he gritted his teeth. “That’s—”
Xavier deeply inhaled and then exhaled. “Look, you’re ten years into your future. Wrong time period.
Nobody here fears Alius anymore.”
“They should.”
“Except they won’t! Father – I mean, Mr. Schiller! He has been arrested ten years ago already.”
“Who are you talking about?”
“You very well know who I’m talking about!”
“Say you are right about this… how would you prove it?”
Jordan and Xavier locked eyes, quietly deciding that perhaps it was time to come a little more clean to their younger selves. Jordan opened his mouth first. “Because I am… Greenway. Jordan Greenway. And Xavier here has witnessed the arrestation firsthand after Genesis lost.”
“Ridiculous!” Janus scoffed. “That doesn’t prove anything of it at all.”
“Hey, I appreciate the thought that the two of you did go out to buy me food, but bring your wallet next time.” A voice crept up from behind the adults. The speech was followed by a wallet being thrown in their direction. Before Xavier or Jordan could catch it, a red flash raced past them and grabbed the wallet from the air. Xene smirked, holding the object. While Jordan, Xavier and Aitor watched in awe and only barely managed to scrape themselves together again to get the wallet back, Xene opened it. He gave a quick glance at the identification papers in it. “Xavier… Schiller.”
Janus chuckled, disbelief in his laughter. “Then perhaps it’s as the Earthlings say - truth always appears stranger than fiction.”
“Oh.” Aitor blinked. “Now it makes sense why you looked so familiar.”
Jordan, paled, turned around to look at Aitor. Aitor compared Jordan and Janus’ looks. Their expressions were nearly the same. Aitor snorted. “Dios mío!” He covered his mouth as he continued laughing, breaking his eye contact with Jordan. “That’s embarrassing.”
Xavier reached towards Xene. “Please give that back.”
Xene shrugged and still held on to the wallet. “Schiller.” He repeated, somewhat in disbelief. He recovered quickly. “No – I am Xene from Alius Academy and I will not be swayed by Earthly matters. We are here to destroy.”
Janus clicked his tongue, somewhat agitated at the way Xene responded to the situation. There was a clear aura of distaste coming from him in regards to Xene. Aitor looked at the four in front of him, then snuck closer to Jordan and elbowed him, whispering: “You hated Xavier? Didn’t see that one coming.”
Xavier sighed and stepped forward once more. “Look, please just go back to your own time. All you need to know is that Alius will be defeated and the freedom that comes forth from that is one that’s beyond your wildest imaginations. It’s amazing.”
“We did not come here for such ridiculous chatter.” Xene proudly stated and repeated his earlier threat. “We are from Alius, and we will destroy this convenience store.”
Aitor chuckled. “Destroying stores?! I only heard stories about Alius destroying schools.”
Jordan attempted to think about it. “Maybe their mistaken time jump mixed up their ideals?”
Xavier shrugged. “We never knew anything about time travelling to begin with.”
Xene clicked his tongue. “Prepare to face Alius’ greatest – Genesis Captain, Xene!”
“Jordan, am I safe to blame you for this name?”
“You picked it, Boss.”
Surprising all of them, Xene made a black soccer ball appear out of thin air. Xavier and Jordan had been familiar with the Schiller’s Group technological tricks behind the ‘magic’ of Alius, but this one was really unexpectedly un-orchestrated. Did time travelling leave them with actual power like that?
“And now, I will show you…”
“Hey, hey.” Aitor groaned as he stepped in front of the convenience store’s door. “I won’t let you destroy my life-time supply of desserts.”
Jordan quickly stepped next to him. “I can’t stand for the destruction of property.”
He knew this statement was highly ironic, as the destruction of multiple schools and injuring many children could only be attributed to him. But he also knew that he’s changed a lot. With the help of the Schiller company’s funds, he and Xavier had also worked hard to financially aid schools that were still suffering from the damage after years.
Xene didn’t stop from preparing to kick. Xavier stepped in, standing right in front of the little red-haired captain. He spread his arms. “You’ll leave my family alone.”
Aitor looked at Xavier – then at the two alien roleplayers. Their eyes seemed to be burning into his soul. Aitor raised both his hands in submission. “Uh, I can’t explain.” Jordan patted Aitor’s shoulder and held it tightly, smiling. “We are a family, Aitor. Even if they’ll refuse to acknowledge that…” he dropped his grip and walked towards Xavier.
Xene looked up to Xavier’s face, locking eyes. “Xavier Schiller…”
Jordan stepped up in between the two. “Sorry lads, but I can’t permit the boss getting hurt. You’ll have to take out your anger on me instead.”
Janus laughed from the side, having prepared his own black soccer ball at the time. He twisted it on the ground as he kicked it up, charging it with energy. Jordan gulped. “That’s Astro—”
Ktunk. Jordan got launched by a powerful intergalactic kick, hitting a pole on the sidewalk. Xene and Janus snickered. “Now, we will return to our home base on the distant planet Alius… But we will return…” And they disappeared. At least the convenience store was still standing.
Aitor sat himself next to Jordan. “Idiota, you’re bleeding! Why didn’t you dodge that!”
Jordan smiled faintly as he untied his hair knot. “That shot was packed with lots of feelings only I can understand, Aitor. I had to take it. For him.”
“That makes no sense at all.”
Jordan couldn’t answer. Maybe it indeed made no sense. Xavier turned back, gasping lightly as he saw a drip of blood racing past Jordan’s cheek. “Jordan! Aitor, can you buy some band aids? Here’s my---” Xavier patted his pockets, then looked around. “Oh. He took my wallet with him.”
Aitor squinted. “Hello, police officer? My ten year younger self who thinks he’s from outer space stole my wallet.”
Jordan got back up, with Xavier and Aitor quickly standing on each side to support him. “Can you walk?”
“Yeah, I’m fine. Takes more than sticks and stones to break these bones.”
Aitor and Xavier locked eyes. “Did he get a concussion?”
“No! Really, I’m fine. Let’s go home. Seems like we can’t get you your pudding, Aitor. But do please keep quiet about all this.”
“Don’t worry,” Aitor sighed. “I wouldn’t blackmail you with something this embarrassing.”
The three of them started walking home, Xavier supporting Jordan most of the way. Aitor stammered a little more. “Plus, erhm.”
“Something on your mind, Aitor?” Xavier inquired.
“It’s kind of a family secret now, isn’t it? Since you called me family?”
“Yeah,” Jordan and Xavier both nodded. “We’re family.”
“Some weird-ass alien invader family…”
“Aitor!”
-- Later that night --
That was certainly eventful. Xavier and Aitor had multiple times checked to make sure Jordan really did not have a concussion. Eventually both Xavier and Jordan yet forced Aitor to head to bed as it was late. Aitor could imagine the two adults just wanted some breathing space, so he easily complied. He had first gone into the bathroom to brush his teeth, and afterwards headed to his bedroom. As he opened it and grabbed his pajamas, he thought he was seeing something strange from the corner of his eyes. No; he wasn’t just thinking it – there was something strange. He turned around to face the figure that was in his room. It was the green-haired alien roleplayer. So – the younger Jordan, wasn’t it? “Qué? What are you doing in my room?”
“Tell me.” Janus responded. “What do you know about what Xavier’s done that’d make me so… loyal to him!”
Aitor stared at the other in awe. Well, at least this not-so-alien stopped pretending to be one for a hot second. But that question was full of distaste. Had Jordan despised his now-favorite person in the world so much? “Huh,” Aitor responded. “I don’t know. Ask yourself.”
“No.”
“Then you won’t know.” Aitor shrugged, as he continued to grab his pajamas.
“I command you to ask him. Without revealing that I’m here.”
“Not gonna,” Aitor mused. “So leave, thanks.”
“No.”
“Stop bothering me.”
“I want to know.”
“No tengo idea. Leave.”
“How long have you known them?”
“Less than a year.”
“Why are you living with us?”
“Why would you say us?”
“Just answer.”
Aitor placed his pajamas back on his bed and turned around to walk to his door, opened it and walked straight towards Xavier and Jordan’s bedroom, and knocked on its door.
Xavier was the first to respond. “Aitor? Is anything the matter?”
“There’s an alien stuck in my room.”
The two adults sighed. “Oh god.”