The 3 old friends stood at the balcony as from there, they looked at the sprawling Town that bustled with activity below them.
For a long ti, they kept quiet and just watched as neither of the 3 of them seed willing to break the awkward silence between them.
In the end, Ren Nora broke the silence first as he cleared his throat.
"Ahem," he threw a glance at Garfield who now wore casual ho wears as the Colonel avoided his gaze.
Ren Nora shook his head with a grimace, then he lanted. "Garfield why?"
"Why, Garfield?"
"PJ Masks? Really???"
"You really wore that ridiculous costu and was dancing to PJ Masks? Co on man, you’re a disgrace to all war veterans".
Garfield glared at Ren Nora but the General didn’t stop as he continued. "You need to make an official apology to all war veterans out there because what in the na of all ridiculous things was that?"
"I felt so much second-hand embarrassnt, damn!"
"No wonder you kept on begging to use my ability to hack into the past to search for relics of old cartoons from before Genesis".
"You lied that it was for so research of yours, but this is what you actually needed it for right?"
"You were actually just farming for brownie points with your granddaughter".
"Damn, I’m ashad".
Garfield finally reacted as he glared at his old friend. "What do you know? What you saw is what they call bonding with your granddaughter you old fool".
"I’m not surprised, of course you wouldn’t know," he laughed and mocked. "All you know is spying on people’s past you creepy old wardrobe pervert".
Ren Nora gasped in disbelief but Garfield didn’t let up as he continued.
"That was a beautiful granddaughter and grandfather bonding mont that you guys interrupted, you guys even have to apologize to ".
Ren Nora snorted. "Are you the first grandfather? You shaless bastard, I’m a grandfather too".
"I even have far more grandkids than you".
"You’re an unavailable grandfather," Garfield sneered and mocked. "You have lots of grandchildren due to how active and wild you were in your youth, but how many of them do you truly know?"
He smirked. "Can you even tell the na of all of them? Can you tell their hobbies?"
Ren Nora opened his mouth to retort but then he closed it back.
"That’s right," Garfield mocked ruthlessly. "Don’t you even dare try to cheat by hacking into their past," he laughed. "I know you, you shaless cheating bastard".
"Unlike you, I’m a proud stay-at-ho retired grandfather who gives his granddaughter all the love that she deserves".
"They celebrate my birthday every year, when last did they celebrate yours?"
"..."
"That’s right". Garfield laughed in a mocking manner.
Ren Nora’s lips twitched. "You’re so f*cking shaless".
"Hehe," Garfield grinned. "Not as shaless as you".
Watching the 2 old n banter each other, Leon was genuinely speechless. He didn’t even know what to say though he had to admit that the image of Garfield in a Gecko costu now lived rent-free in his head.
After winning the verbal battle with Ren Nora and restoring so of his pride as a man, Garfield finally looked at Leon with a complicated look in his eyes.
"Where were you all this while man? We’ve looked for you for over 130 years".
"Why did you disappear and where did you disappear to?"
Leon sighed. "It’s a long story..."
Instead of him explaining, Ren Nora interjected this ti as he summarized the truth of what happened that night 131 years ago.
By the ti Ren Nora was done explaining, Garfield was so shocked that he simply stared at the horizon in a daze.
"Wait, so the you of 131 years ago that we t, was that just a virtual phantom or the real you?"
"What the f*ck, how does that even work?" He cursed.
Leon shrugged. "I’m clueless too".
Garfield took the truth harder than Ren Nora as he simply couldn’t wrap his head around how crazy it sounded, but in the end he eventually accepted the truth.
Leon looked at him and smiled. "You look like you’re doing well for yourself".
Garfield imdiately puffed his chest and grinned with pride. "Of course, unlike that miserable prick who doesn’t even make out ti for his grandkids".
Ren Nora shook his head and chuckled.
Leon also chuckled, then he leaned on the railing, looking down as he asked. "Ren Nora didn’t tell much about your exploits," he grinned. "Tell about the great and honored Colonel Garfield".
He turned his head back to look at the once valiant D Rank Cyber Gladiator who now looked slightly frail. "I still rember that night like it was yesterday".
"I vividly rember your Focused Punch".
Leon grinned as his eyes glead with excitent. "That was my first ti seeing a Pulse Brawler in battle and it’s safe to say that I can never forget it, you were legit moving like a storm".
Garfield laughed in a bashful manner. "It’s been so long now that it feels like a distant mory in my head".
He leaned against the railing. "It’s been 131 years now but it feels like it all went past in a flash".
"After we legalized the Freegrid Collective and the world recognized us as an official faction, for years we didn’t really face any problems as Ren Nora’s presence alone deterred any opportunist".
"It gave us the best platform to grow and expand and for years, we did".
"That was until we built Drift Haven," he grinned. "That was when the Federation Army resud their aggression against us as we beca direct border neighbors, the first border wars started then".
"Those were the days man". He laughed.
"I and Kai led the Freegrid Army into battle multiple tis than I can count during the border wars, building our reputation as Lieutenant Colonels".
"Then, no one could stop in battle". He boasted.
"With Kai watching my back, I was unstoppable as I singlehandedly swept enemy battalions aside," he grinned. "After fighting General Murphy and surviving, my battle instincts beca honed to a terrifying level compared to other D Rank Ascended".
He clenched his fists. "Even now in my old age, I can still feel the adrenaline rush of battle flowing through my veins".
"After Kai died though, I lost my fire and enthusiasm for battle".
"Slowly, I began fading into the backlight as the new boys took the stage. The new D Rank Ascended in the Freegrid Collective began taking our spot, but none of them have managed to reach our levels of legend yet," he grinned.
"I miss Kai man".
Garfield’s last sentence resonated deeply with Leon, but he didn’t focus too much on it, instead his focus was on Garfield’s exploits instead.
The reality was that since becoming a D Rank Ascended, Leon had not found a worthy opponent to spar with yet.
And now, here was one, a genuine war legend and D Rank veteran.
Leon grinned as he looked at the aged war legend in a provocative manner. "I beca D Rank myself just a month ago, old tir, do you think you have what it takes to take on?"
"You want a duel?" Garfield laughed as he flexed his muscles. "Why not? It’s been years since I last fought a good ol’ battle".
But Ren Nora finally interjected as he said calmly. "You can’t".
Leon looked at him, waiting for him to explain.
Ren Nora took a deep breath. "Though becoming a D Rank Ascended enhances your body and elongates your lifespan, it still can’t compare with the qualitative transformation at C Rank".
"Using ADE at such densities at D Rank for so many years has a toll on the body, it leaves lingering effects".
He briefly looked at Garfield. "At his current age, every battle that Garfield is forced to go at full throttle will dwindle his remaining lifespan".
"But I can still fight!" Garfield protested imdiately.
Leon finally understood as he chuckled. "No need, I just rembered that I need my ch Suit to fight at my best and it’s far away in my aircraft. I can’t get access to it now".
He looked at Garfield and grinned. "You wouldn’t want to bully a chanist that’s not well-equipped right?"
Garfield snorted and quietly glared at Ren Nora, but he didn’t push it.
After that, the 3 old friends stood on the balcony for a long ti as they simply admired the distant horizon.
At so point, Garfield’s children finally returned ho as Chloe imdiately t her dad, excitedly telling him that General Ren Nora and one unknown uncle ca to visit them.
At that point, Ren Nora finally suggested.
"Let’s go visit Kai and the others".
...
[Special Appreciation to Shadesworn for the Golden Tickets, thanks for the consistent support man.]
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