Marvel-ous Ninjutsu

00074. Grand parents…

After Richard opened the door he asked, “Can I help you?”

“Yes, we’re looking for our daughter. Is Daniel here?”

Richard looked over his shoulder as he said, “Dani, I think your parents are here?”

Theo was surprised when he heard Richard, since he had never met his mothers parents or even heard about them. His father’s parents had both passed away before he was born, the same went for Peter’s grandparents. Theo looked over to his mother who had gone stiff at the mention of her parents and by the frown on his father’s face it seemed there was a good reason for that. Theo’s mother calmed down after a few seconds once Jacob placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. She looked towards the door as she said, “You can let them in.”

Richard opened the door fully as he said, “Please, come in.”

Theo looked over towards the front door, curious to see what his mother’s parents looked like and was surprised again. Both of them were opulently dressed and didn’t look much older than his parents. As they entered the house, their displeasure was palpable to everyone inside and they made no action to hide it either.

Her father had on a very elegant, black three piece suit with large diamond cufflinks and a diamond encrusted rolex. His brown hair was slicked back and you could see the tiniest hint of gray in some spots. His blue eyes held contempt as he surveyed the room. 

His wife wasn’t that far behind with the designer dress and the jewelry she wore. Her reddish brown hair was styled to perfection and framed her face just right as it hung at her shoulders. Her green eyes scanned the room with thinly veiled disgust hidden in them. It was easy to see they both looked completely out of place inside this modest house. 

They moved into the middle of the living room and stood before their daughter as her father said, "While we still don't endorse the choices you’ve made over the last ten years. We have come to a resolution. We desire to pull you out of the predicament you’ve made, to assist your children. We wish to save them from this life you have chosen for them. Since it is beneath what someone of their lineage, no matter how tainted it might be, deserves.”

Daniel's mother nodded her head in agreement as she said, "What your father is endeavoring to say dear. We don't wish our half grandchildren to be raised in such…” She waved her hand around the room for a moment before she said, “Mediocrity. They should already be under the tutelage of special instructors and being groomed for private school and college. Not living here in this,” Her nose scrunched up a little as she finished, “squalor."

Milly and Peter stayed quiet as they didn't fully understand what was going on. But Ben, May, Richard and Mary seemed to be upset at being called mediocre and that they lived in squalor. While Theo’s mother had her lips pressed tightly together in a thin line as Jacob looked like he wanted to punch both of her parents in the face.

Theo was the most surprised out of everyone since he had no idea his mother had any kind of background or came from well off parents. He never looked into anything related to his family since he wanted to discover it as he grew up. But the fact his mother’s parents were acting this way made him dislike them. He disliked them a lot. They reminded him of those pompous assholes who thought they could buy his son with money in his past life.

Daniel’s father smiled as he said, "Quite right, my dear. These inferior grandchildren you produced still merit only the finest and we are willing to furnish it for them.”

He focused his gaze on Daniel as he said, “But you must abandon this little spectacle you have been putting on and come back home. Then we will help your children achieve a place where they can be somewhat beneficial to the family. And if we are fortunate we might be able to find someone else to marry you off too. Even if you are just considered used goods at this point.”

Theo glanced at his father for a moment and thought his dad might jump out of his seat and beat the shit out of these people. But his mother had also glanced at Jacob and placed her hand reassuringly on his thigh, before she turned back to glare back at her father. 

Theo’s mind was racing, wondering if he could put them under some type of time-delayed genjutsu. But after a few seconds he decided not to, he wasn’t sure if he could control himself and not place them under something that might kill them or worse. While he knew he hated these people, they didn’t deserve to be killed and there was a chance it could lead back to him. He really didn’t want Fury to randomly show up at his house.

Daniel’s voice was ice cold and flat as she asked, “Is that all you came here to say?”

Both her parents nodded at her, before her father said, “Yes, now bring your children along and we will clean up this mess you’ve fabricated.”

Both of them started to turn to leave but before they even took a step Daniel with her voice still cold as ice but now with an edge to it said, “Thanks for stopping by, but don’t come back again. Neither of you are welcome in our home.” 

Her parents both turned back to look at her, both of them looked displeased with what they heard. Her father spoke first as he said, “I advise you to stop playing your little games child, this farce you have been putting on has continued long enough. Now this is your only warning, bring your children and come along.”

Theo had never seen his mother this upset before and it looked like she could kill someone with just her gaze as she said, “And I told you, you aren’t welcome in our home. So leave, now!"

Her father didn’t look upset, just disappointed as he said, “Fine, have it your way. We can effortlessly withdraw everything we gave you."

Theo’s mother looked incensed as she said, "You haven't given me anything since I left home and even if you offered me something, I wouldn’t have taken it."

Both of her parents laughed for a moment before her father said, "You really are just a foolish child. That job you’re so proud of having? How do you think you were able to get it? It wasn't because you were the best candidate."

Daniel's face fell slightly as she said, "I graduated at the top of my class with honors and made sure to pick a law firm you had no ties with, I earned my job."

Her mother looked smug as she said, "You were given that job because your father made a few phone calls. While you might have ruined our plans for you, we weren’t going to let you toil at some inferior law firm. It would just blemish the family name after all. But if you want to behave like a disobedient child, all he has to do is make another phone call and you'll no longer have that same job."

Her father then glanced at Jacob for a moment before he looked at Daniel as he said, "As for

that man's business, did you ever stop to consider why it has been doing so well lately? We wanted to make sure you didn’t starve, so we told some friends to use his business.”

Ben's voice was raised and there was a lot of heat in it as he said, "I doubt you had much to do with how well we’ve been doing."

Her father smiled as he said, "Why do you think you had an influx of new clients over the last eight years? It wasn't because your business suddenly became popular. You don't even advertise it, how did you simpletons expect it to grow at all?"

Jacob laughed, it was hollow, his normal mirth was nowhere to be found in it. He locked eyes with his wife's parents as he said, "We don't advertise because we don't need to. You think you helped us to expand our client base and business? Go tell whoever you told about us, that we don't need or want their business. We had a year-long waiting list before I ever met Daniel."

Ben nodded in agreement as he said, "I know a handful of our customers who would be thrilled if our waiting list dropped back down. Our current waiting list is over two years out for any new builds that come in."

Jacob just smirked as he said, "Exactly, now leave. No one wants you here."

Her father sneered as he looked at Jacob before he said, "I still have no idea how you weaseled your way into our former daughter's life. But it doesn’t matter anymore, you can keep her. She would just be a useless waste to our family if we brought her back. No one likes tainted goods after all.”

A thought flashed through Theo’s head, ‘These people came into his home and acted like this to his family, to his mother and father?! Do they really deserve to live?’

Theo was livid at this point, the more these people talked, the more he really wanted to hurt them. His eyes were barely open at this point, they looked like knife slits as he glared at the wastes of life standing in front of him. He was seriously debating about using a time-delayed genjutsu on them, even if it might kill them or make them go insane. He even had the random thought to just hit them with a fireball right now and cook them where they stood…

Her father looked back at Daniel as he said, "We hoped we could salvage your children and turn them into something useful when they were older. But since you want to be stubborn, you and your offspring will no longer be considered a part of our family. I will be heading back home now to remove you and any kids you might have out of the will and the family tree."

Before anyone else spoke, Theo with his childish voice tinged with anger finally said, “Good, we don’t wanna be in a family with disgusting people like you in it. Now get out of our home before my dad and his brothers throw you out.”

Daniel’s father turned to study Theo for a few moments before he said, “Looks like we waited too long anyways, you are already tainted by these inferior’s influence.”

Daniel pointed to the door, her voice barely controlled as she said, “Leave now and I hope to never see you again.”

Her father chuckled as he and his wife moved towards the door and said, “You don’t have to fret about that, we don’t interact with people like you normally. You would know that if you were truly our daughter.”

The room was quiet as Daniel's parents finally left the house and over a minute passed before Richard said in a joking manner, "I know you told us some stories about your parents, but I think you under sold just how awful they really are."

“I have to agree. But Theo is right, we don’t need people like that in our lives.” Ben rubbed Theo’s head as he finished.

Theo’s mother smiled weakly as she stood up and said, “I think I am gonna turn in early tonight, have a good night everyone.”

Everyone decided to head home as Daniel headed upstairs and the house was quickly cleared out. Theo helped his father with getting Milly ready for bed and then started to read her a bedtime story till she fell asleep.

Afterwards Theo laid awake in his bed for a while as he listened to his mother crying as his father tried to comfort her. Theo normally didn't like to spy on his parents with his enhanced senses, but it was hard to tune out his mothers sobbing.

When she finally settled down, he heard her say, "I always held out a little bit of hope that one day they would show up… They would show up, see our family and be happy for me, for us…"

"I'm sorry, honey."

It sounded like his mother kissed his father before she said, "It's not your fault, you and the kids are everything I ever wanted. When I was younger this is what I wished my life was like. I just wanted a loving and happy family.”

Theo tuned out his parent’s conversation and thought about doing something to his mothers parents. A lot of idea’s flashed through his head, but he gave up on openly attacking them. Partly because it could lead back to him, but mostly for his mother. They might not have a good relationship and just disowned her. But he knew his mother would be upset if something happened to them. She always put on a strong front, but he knew deep down she was a very caring person.

Theo finally fell into a restless sleep soon afterwards. The next morning, Theo went through his normal morning routine until his mother came down stairs. When he saw her he stood up on the chair he was using and spread his arms open wide as he said, “Good morning mom, can I have a hug?”

Daniel was surprised, since Theo was rarely so forward about being affectionate but she bent down to hug him. As Theo hugged her back he said, “I want you to know, you are the best mom anyone could ever ask for in two lifetimes. I know I don’t say it often but, I love you mom.”

Theo could feel his mother tighten the hug as she pulled him up out of the chair and heard her voice crack slightly as she said, “Thank you, sweetie.”

She held him for over a minute before she set him back on the chair and pulled away. Theo could see the mist in her eyes before she blinked to clear them. She smiled brightly at Theo as she said, “Finish up on the computer and then come join us in the kitchen for breakfast.”