Football singularity

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[Date: 05/05/2020 | Lockdown Week 5 | Time: 10:24 AM | Location: Freud & Croft Private Memorial Hospital ]

"So you're my birth father, huh?" I asked, scanning the man sitting at the end of my bed.

He looked much more haggard than he did in Poland when he hung my gold medal around my neck and handed me my MVP & Golden Boot trophy. They had met once again at the New Year's party they hosted in their London estate, where he was blindsided by the man's sudden declaration that he was his father. To me, he was an unwanted parent whom I didn't need, especially after being raised by the best parents possible in this life.

Still, from what May told me, he might be the only reason he was still alive. Just the thought of being placed in a room full of severe COVID cases sends goosebumps up my spine. In a sense, he took responsibility as a father by making sure I received adequate treatment.

Plus, judging by how haggard he looked, he must have been here for days, putting himself at risk of catching the disease. Looking at his imposing bearing, which he exuded despite his slightly dishevelled dark-brown hair that had more strains of silver. Even in that state, his intense grey eyes made me subconciosly more aware of him despite the warmth in them.

Crossing his right leg over his left, he rested his right elbow against the armrest before he spoke, sounding surprisingly careful. "I am, though I'm not sure I deserve to be," he said calmly, voice low, refined, tinged with fatigue and something resembling regret. "It's... complicated, far more than a single conversation can untangle. But let me start by saying I'm glad you're alive."

I didn't reply right away, and for the first time, I really looked at him. He looked different from what I had imagined him to be when I was younger. Though his presence did match the image of an imposing figure, the young me had dreamed of coming to rescue me.

Keeping those thoughts in mind, a smile appeared on my face. "Thank you, Father," I said, feeling my eyes moisten on their own as the man across from me seemed shell-shocked.

"W'what you'u called me father?" he shakily asked his as his refined bravado was shattered for a moment. The silence that followed his stuttered response stretched long enough for the hum of the oxygen machine to fill the space like an awkward third party in the room.

Father. I'd said it on impulse, half out of spite, half out of curiosity, wanting to see what it felt like calling him that. Honestly, I'm not sure why I did it. "Thank you for your help," I simply clarified, not willing to let the awkward atmosphere linger any longer.

"Yes, how are you feeling?" I shifted slightly against the pillows, surprised at the effort it took me just for this little movement.

~~~

[Date: 12/05/2020 | Time: 07:08 AM | Location: Rakim's Villa – Hahnwald, Cologne]

The birds outside hadn't gotten the memo about the lockdown. They chirped like the world was whole again, weaving their song through the open balcony doors and into the upstairs bedroom. Sunlight slanted in golden and low, brushing past the gauzy curtains, spilling the sounds of the wind chimes into the bedroom.

Rakim's naked upper body peeked over the large covers, with the only piece of clothing being the straps of the bottom half of his pyjamas wrapped around his waist. He lay there, half-awake in REM sleep, his eyelids fluttering now and then as his body wrestled between consciousness and dreams. May curled up beside him, dressed in a baggy pink hoodie and night shorts, her emerald eyes shining as her slender fingers drew small circles on his chest.

This silence lasted for a good while as she continued to scan his features, seemingly trying to savour the moment before she would wake up from her dream. In the hospital, she had many of these dreams where she wished she could go back to the previous week where they lived carefree in their own little lockdown bubble.

However, each time she would wake up to the grim sound of the hospital heart monitor next to her bed. May's touch slowed as she watched his face twitch in response, seemingly unwilling to wake up. Her fingers paused, hovering an inch above his cheek, before she leaned in and softly whispered, "You're safe."

Rakim stirred with a faint grunt, his light green eyes blinking open in the sunlight as he looked up at the mosaic ceiling. This had been a feature of the house that the owner had designed, hiring an artist to create different paintings in each bedroom. Looking up at the fairy-like flowerfield at the backdrop of a waterfall, he took a deep breath as he oriented himself.

Turning his head, he met her almond-shaped eyes that looked a little puffy, indicating she had cried recently. "Sigh, people are gonna start thinking I'm a bully if you keep crying every day. You never used to be a crybaby," he rasped, voice still a bit hoarse but lighter than days prior.

"I like watching you wake up," she murmured, smiling as her hand returned to rest gently on his chest. "It was too scary just watching you sleep, and all they could tell me was that you were not in a coma but a sleep-like state."

"I still feel bad waking up to you having cried every morning." He responded, propping up his upper body against the headboard, fully showcasing his Adonis-like physique.

He had recovered much faster than the doctors had expected, quickly regaining around 75% of his physical strength. His sponge body singularity trait, despite being a passive thing, now had greater effects than he had imagined. His body absorbed the best nutrients from the healthy meals he devoured, while eliminating the bad.

It felt like he had a filtration system made out of nanobots, as he had noticed that he had a faster retention rate in physical exercises. The Invictus talent, which was an almost pure mental and instinctual talent, made this OP. He had quite literally gained from adversity, as despite losing the system with all its knick-knacks, he had gained tools to survive.

"It's ok, I'll figure it out," May responded with a smile so warm it could melt icebergs. "Let's just get up, how do you feel about milk rice?"

Despite wanting to say more, he simply nodded, deciding it was better to eat first before tackling the problems of the day. "Hmm,"

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Talent's:

[Invictus]

-> Grants the host unparalleled cognitive ability, heightening the processing of all types of sensory information: Sound, sight, hearing, smell, touch, and emotional. Hightens physical sensitivity, allowing instantaneous processing of received information.

(Comment: The skill that made the 12 labours possible.)

[Spatial Goal Scent]

-> Enhances the user's field of vision, positional awareness, and threat analysis in real time. The user's visual cortex operates at an accelerated processing rate, creating a dynamic 360-degree mental map of the pitch. Identifies and updates "hot zones" based on developing changes. Identify dangerous spaces where the ball, player, or run could maximise scoring potential.

Trait:

[Sponge Body]

-> Optimises the body's efficiency, accelerating the rate of recovery, enhancing the physical training results ingriande through repetition and improving overall body coordination.

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To Be Continued...