The metallic, gun-gray vehicle eased to a stop, its finely tuned engine a soft purr against the distant hum of other traffic. Gideon cut the engine, leaning forward to peer through the windscreen. The air carried a faint scent of pine and damp earth, a quiet backdrop to the sounds of the small town coming to life.
'Forks is quite beautiful in the daytime, even with those storm clouds perpetually clinging to the sky.'
After concluding his business with Mallory, Gideon had driven to the town's main strip. He found a secluded parking spot, leaving his car to continue his journey on foot. He had no particular destination, just a hope that the sleepy town held enough to occupy him for the day.
Stepping out, Gideon turned and followed the path leading from the lot. He set a slow, deliberate pace, his attention already scanning his surroundings, ensuring he didn't miss anything that might pique his interest.
'It's such an odd sensation. My steps, my posture, my very control over my body feels far more enhanced than before. Syncing Ban's template has altered such subtle things I'd never have noticed otherwise. Even my reactions to new environments seem different.' This heightened perception was a curious gift; every rustle of leaves, every distant murmur amplified into a constant stream of information. He was learning to process it, a blend of fascination and a subtle, unsettling awareness.
This wasn't mere speculation. Since the moment of that hellish template binding, Gideon had undergone an almost metaphysical shift. His mind was sharper, his thoughts a touch more detached, as if certain concerns now lay beneath him. The latent confidence and power within his body, combined with Ban's combat capabilities, would only be truly discernible to someone already adept in combat themselves. His senses were razor-sharp, keeping him constantly aware of his surroundings, his body relaxed but tightly coiled, a preventative measure.
Walking along the sidewalk, Gideon offered a subtle smile as he passed the townsfolk. He observed them going about their routines: shopping for groceries, meeting friends for lunch, or simply enjoying quiet moments with their partners.
Quickly crossing the street, Gideon stepped into a store he'd noticed the previous evening. Newton's Olympic Outfitters was a small place with three aisles, stocked with sporting gear like gym clothes, football equipment, and outdoor essentials. Posters of sports teams and photos of athletes lined the walls.
Following the signage, Gideon moved down the second aisle, stopping before a selection of gym clothing. 'I'll need some extra stuff for down the track, especially if I want to test my running speed. Maybe two pairs of shoes for now; who knows how quickly they'll burst or disintegrate with my acceleration.'
Hearing faint steps approach, Gideon turned his head and observed a baby-faced teenager with blue eyes and blond hair walking towards him, a friendly smile on his face.
"Hey! Welcome to Newton's, anything I can help you with today?" the teen said, peering over Gideon's shoulder as he noticed the section Gideon was looking at.
'That's Mike Newton. He looks exactly the same as in the movies, that's good,' Gideon thought.
"Hey man, just wondering if you've got these shoes in a size 13?"
"Yeah, we should have them out back if there's none here. Are you looking to get any clothes too? I can check out back at the same time."
Pausing for a moment, Gideon considered his closet at home.
"I'll take two pairs of the shoes, and three of this shirt, and these shorts," Gideon said, gesturing to a white compression shirt and black shorts.
"Sure, I'll meet you at the register." Mike turned and disappeared around the corner before entering the storeroom.
Going down the aisle, Gideon stopped at the single cash register, waiting for Mike.
"Sorry about the wait, I had to go through a couple boxes to find these," Mike said, appearing next to the register and cutting Gideon's thoughts off.
Pulling out his wallet, Gideon found his black American Express card. "No issue, thanks for getting them for me."
Mike quickly scanned the items, his eyes briefly glancing at Gideon, then back to the items, and then back to Gideon himself, almost as if he was formulating a question.
"Stopping through town?" he asked as his hands bagged the items.
"Nah, recently moved actually. Just grabbing some spare clothes for training."
"Oh, are you starting at Forks High tomorrow? I didn't know we had another new student coming in!" Mike said, flashing a big smile.
'He's like a golden retriever; it's pretty endearing.'
Laughing lightly, Gideon shook his head. "I'm a couple years too late for that, but I'm glad I still look young enough to pass off as a high school student."
Mike's large smile shifted into a more awkward smirk as he scratched his head. "Damn, and here I thought we got a new player for the team."
Ringing up the total, Mike turned it to face Gideon. "That'll be $57.90, will you be paying by card?" Mike asked, his eyes widening slightly as he noticed the black card in Gideon's hands.
Snorting to himself, Gideon swiped the card and paid for his purchase. Picking up the bag, along with his receipt, he offered a thankful smile to Mike, a thought suddenly occurring to him. "Quick question, do you know anyone who's looking for a job? Not now, but probably in a couple weeks."
"Uh, I think so? My friends all pretty much work after class to make some extra money. What kind of job is it?" Mike said.
"You know the old Hog's Head bar down past the school? I just purchased it and plan on turning it into a bookstore with a small cafe inside for customers. I'd rather hire some kids who want to make some money. Hours would be pretty flexible."
(A/N: Heh, know this place?)
"Huh, that's a cool idea," Mike murmured as he considered Gideon's words. "I can tell a couple of friends and see if anyone's interested? It's a small town, so someone would probably want to work there."
Nodding his head, Gideon pulled out his phone. "Got a pen and paper? I'll write my number down. If anyone's interested, just give it to them."
Ducking under the counter, Mike placed the pen and paper down as Gideon quickly read his number off of the phone and wrote it down.
"Thanks for that, I appreciate it. Sorry, I didn't mention my name. Nice to meet you, I'm Gideon." Extending his hand, Gideon shook Mike's.
"No problem, I'm Mike. Welcome to Forks, see ya!"
Waving him off, Gideon exited the store, his eyes dimming as he watched the downpour of rain splash against the asphalt road of Forks' shopping district. Clicking his tongue in annoyance, he quickly ran across the road and made a beeline towards his car.
'Of course I'm an idiot and didn't bring an umbrella with me to the rainiest town in America.'
Pressing the button on his keys and unlocking the car, Gideon jumped into the driver's side seat and slammed the door shut, cutting off the rain from hitting the car's leather interior.
'Not my initial plan, but that was still a win. Mike's probably the most popular kid at that school, I should get a couple calls soon and hire some people to man the shop. I also got free advertisement now.'
Grinning like a man who had found gold, Gideon turned on the ignition as he quickly shot out of the parking lot and drove home.
---
After arriving home, Gideon hopped into the shower to wash away the rain that had soaked him.
Upon exiting the bathroom, he hung up the new clothes in the closet but stopped as he moved a set of shirts, his eyes gleaming with interest as a safe sat embedded into the wall, hidden from plain sight.
"What the hell is this?" Gideon spoke softly, his hand reaching out and grasping the handle before he turned it softly.
"Unlocked?" Opening the door and peering inside, he found a thick unmarked folder sitting inside.
Taking it out of the safe, Gideon exited the closet and bedroom, before seating himself on the couch and opening the folder on the small coffee table in front of him.
"What the hell is this?" Sifting through the documents, Gideon's eyes widened as he read through each page slowly. Crisp, official-looking documents with elaborate seals and precise columns of numbers detailing stock purchases, investments, donations, and income reports were littered throughout the first fifty or so pages. The sheer magnitude of the figures swam before his eyes, almost nauseatingly.
"So it wasn't just a convenient backstory. OG literally altered reality and gave me large portions of ownership in some of the greatest companies to appear. Apple, Google, Microsoft... damn, even Amazon?"
Gideon gawked in astonishment as he read the projected returns he would receive from these companies. His initial bank account held $250,000,000, but that would be a grain of sand in comparison to what he would eventually earn.
Leaning back deeper into the couch, Gideon closed his eyes as he lightly pinched the top of his nose. 'I was more than happy with my bank account, but this is ridiculous. I've done nothing to earn this money. This feels... almost irresponsible, to have so much simply appear.'
Running through scenarios in his head, Gideon subtly shifted his body to sit more comfortably on his couch.
'What if I invested in some more, charitable things? The Quileute tribe out on the reservation could do with a substantial donation. The shifter gene is forced to activate due to the constant threat of vampires living near them, forcing teenagers to completely change their life's direction to making them live on the reservation for the remainder of their lives.'
Gideon had always held a degree of understanding for the shifters. He knew that the pack mentality was strong, and those teenagers couldn't leave the reservation unless they decided to painfully leave the pack, which in turn would isolate them from their families, culture, and tribe.
This in turn meant that they would be staying on a reservation that had limited job opportunities and they couldn't gain a higher education, or even attempt to make enough money to pay for college.
"I should meet with them, or hire someone who can deal with donations and charity work. They would need a decent amount of money, especially later in the franchise when more of them turn. The amount of food the shifters eat is astronomical."
Having a plan and being able to use his money for positive reasons lifted Gideon's self-deprecating mood.
Picking up the folder once again, Gideon moved past all the business documents and read through the last page, his eyebrows furrowing as he re-read its contents a couple more times.
'What the fuck is this?'
[Ding!]
[Incoming message from God. Play it?]
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A/N: I'll never lock chapters behind a paywall, so please donate some powerstones, comment on the chapters and leave a review!