Rage of Angels: Part II

"Well now, isn't that something. I guess grown men don't wanna see how we do business?"
he said with a sly grin and knowing eyes. Steffen perked up at this "What?!" he yelped in surpris.

"It's too bad, I thought my son might wanna take over the farmstead when his dear old dad passed away, alas it is not so." Victor said with a forlorn tone and downcast eyes, he then proceeds to say "Guess I'll just have to put these important documents away." He started to turn looking out of the corner of his eye at his son, who suddenly makes a mad dash for the files, quick as greased lighting, Victor thought.

In an instant the boy climbed over his father's chair onto his lap, snatched up the papers and splayed them out over the large custom oak desk. Of course Vic didn't need to use actual paper or to have an oak desk, but there is just something he finds so much more enjoyable about paper than the hologrids and electroactive synthetic display sheets.

"Well now" Vic began " I thought laps were for babies?" he said in a mocking fashion. Steffen's tan cheeks turned a bright rosy red. Victor mussed his hair saying "Bah, let's get to business kiddo." Victor set forth explaining how their business worked, most of these things Steffen had already gathered from his experience in the fields, though some of the finer points had eluded him previously. After a while Victor realized he had been going on about so many things, he had yet to see if Steffen had any questions.

"So boy or should I say man, any questions?" he put forth with a chuckle.

Steffen took a moment to think, eyebrows furrowed in a look of consternation then said "Yeaah" drawing the word out and rolling it over his tongue like syrup as children are wont to do. He cocked his head back so that he may look into his father's reassuring hazel eyes.

"Well go on." His father said.

Steffen smiled then spoke frankly, his voice steeped in curiosity "Daddy, what's a Dagrak?" once again in that plaintive drawl of a child. Vick froze, his features became as stone, every scar from his time in the military burned, and for a moment he became Victor the Hawk; the alliance bird of prey. Steffen sensed a dark cloud had come over his father.

"Daddy??"

His son's pleading voice thick with concern broke Victor from his spell. In a choked whisper Vic formed a response.

"Where did you hear that name?"

Steffen stammered a bit then spit out a reply "Y-you talk in your sleep and I-I've heard a few of the adults out on the fields..."

"Dagrak is a bad man a very bad man." at that Steffen cringed, nestled close to his father and gave a great big squeeze. "Do not worry my son, he's got nothin' on your dear old dad." he says in his confident reassuring way.

He held his right hand up with his palm facing Steffen "Show me whatcha got kid." Victor chided.

The boy delivered a quick left jab to his father's open palm the impact macking a sharp -thwap- sound. His father cried out in a simulation of pain and kneaded his palm then said "Oooh with power like that Dagrak should be afraid of you, kid."

He then tousled Steffen's hair "Boy, you may be knee-high to a grasshopper, but you got nothin' to worry about out here on 'Gredis*. Now go on and find your mother, see if she needs any help with your sister or the cafeteria."

With that Steffen hopped down off his father's lap, tearing out of the office full of energy and zeal, making quite a racket in that unique way kids do when they're off on a mission of utmost importance. Steffen's imagination allowed his little assignment to become a quest handed down from the top brass in the Alliance.

"Steffen!" his father called out momentarily breaking his son's illusion.

"Yeeesss, Daad?" He called back in that syrupy drawl, like molasses.

"Don't forget, in two hours I wanna see out in the wheat fields. Two hours on the dot."

"EYYEEE Know, Dad" Steffen responded, bent on returning to his oh so important quest.

When Victor was sure that Steffen had begun his romp down the stairs and would not be returning , he set the room to its true purpose. "Voice ID Hawk Seven Seven Six Two Are Dash One." Victor said into the empty office.