Shameless AF: Dad of the Damn Multiverse

Chapter 55: The Parent-Teacher Meeting

Although the real Officer Eddie had been rescued, he had effectively become a ghost—he couldn't reappear in public.

After all, the shapeshifter that had impersonated him left behind a corpse that was still lying in the morgue. That corpse looked exactly like him—same fingerprints, pupils, and even DNA.

If Eddie were to suddenly show up, there would be two identical Officer Eddies. It would be like the "Real vs. Fake Sun Wukong" dilemma. Who would believe the truth?

Even if Eddie tried to explain that a monster had taken his place, no one would buy it. It was beyond reasonable belief and could even drag Frank, John, and Dean into trouble.

---

"So what are you planning to do now? You can't go home anymore," Frank asked.

"How are Sheila and Karen?" Eddie asked.

"Sheila's devastated. Cried so much her eyes are swollen. Karen... is also kind of sad," Frank said, lying through his teeth. In truth, Karen was so thrilled she nearly threw a party.

"Sigh..." Eddie let out a deep breath. Then he asked, "What exactly was that thing?"

Frank and John gave him a crash course on hunters and monsters.

"There are... so many terrifying creatures in this world..." Eddie's hands trembled as he looked at John's notebook filled with detailed entries on monsters.

Frank turned to John and asked, "Got any ideas for him?" while glancing at Eddie, who was sitting a short distance away.

"I can forge a new identity for him," John said, "but he can't be a cop anymore. He can live as a regular civilian, but he has to be careful not to expose himself. Staying in Chicago is a bad idea. Best to move out of state—or even go abroad."

Frank passed this along to Eddie.

"Can I go with you guys?" Eddie asked, hesitating as he looked at John and Dean.

"What?" Everyone was stunned.

"I want to become a hunter. My family doesn't need me anymore. They even announced I was dead. In a way... it's a kind of liberation."

"Everything I've gone through—maybe it was God's test for me, to show me the truth of this world. I want a fresh start. From now on, I'll hunt these monsters in the name of God."

Frank looked to John. "What do you think?"

John frowned, clearly hesitant. He didn't want to babysit a complete novice. But then again, Frank had saved his life. And Eddie was an experienced cop, far better equipped than the average civilian.

"I can take him for a while," John finally said. "But if you want to follow us and become a hunter, you'd better be ready. One day, you might die at the hands of a monster."

"I've already died once. This life was given to me by God. And if I die fighting monsters, then God will surely welcome me into heaven," Eddie said.

"No," Frank thought to himself, "this life was saved by us. If we hadn't found you, you'd have frozen or starved to death. God had nothing to do with it."

---

"Let's head out soon. I found another strange case—it could be related to a monster," John said.

The shapeshifter was dealt with; time to hunt the next target. That's the life of a hunter—either hunting demons or on the road to the next one, right up until death.

"So soon? Can we stay one more day?" Eddie asked, wanting to see his home one last time.

John wasn't heartless and agreed to wait a day.

---

Later, Frank and Eddie stood outside Sheila's house. They stared at it from a distance.

"You can't go in. Just take one last look," Frank said.

Eddie's expression was filled with melancholy.

---

"By the way, there's a parent-teacher conference today. You can come with me—but make sure no one sees you," Frank said.

"Alright." Eddie nodded.

Frank wasn't just attending Karen's conference today—he also planned to meet Carl's teacher. He put on Eddie's suit to look more formal for the occasion.

---

"Hi, I'm Carl's father," Frank said as he approached the teacher in charge of Carl's class.

"You're Carl's dad? Hold on... Hey, where's that paper model?" a Black male teacher asked.

"Here it is, Mr. Monroe." A female teacher crouched down and retrieved a paper model from under a cabinet.

"In class, the kids can make paper models of things they like. Take a look—this one's Carl's," she said.

Frank examined the model. It looked... like a coiled pile of... poop.

"Uh... this is a mountain, right? Carl has always loved mountains, haha..." Frank bluffed.

"Nope. That's a giant paper turd," said Mr. Monroe.

"You must be mistaken. Clearly, it's—" Frank tried to argue.

"No. That's exactly what it is. Carl said so himself," the female teacher confirmed.

"From his art, we can glimpse Carl's future. A very bleak one," Monroe said grimly.

"You Gallaghers... I've seen plenty of your kids at this school, but I've never met one of their parents until today. Quite the honor. Most of your other kids aren't as... rowdy as Carl. I have a lot to discuss. Come to my office," Monroe said.

---

"Sorry I'm late! I'm Carl's sister," Fiona rushed in just as Frank was following Monroe to the office.

"Frank?" She was shocked. She hadn't expected Frank to actually show up.

From Fiona's school days to her dropping out to work, she had never once seen "Frank" attend a single parent-teacher meeting. Not once—for Lip, Ian, Debbie, or Carl.

Whenever she brought up meetings, "Frank" would act like just entering a school building would kill him. The guy practically had a phobia.

This morning, although Frank said he'd go, Fiona was deeply worried he'd flake. After all, Carl's academic future was on the line.

So, the moment her shift ended, she rushed to the school.

"Then come in with us," Mr. Monroe said.

---

Frank and Fiona entered the office, and the female teacher went to fetch Carl.

"Carl is on the verge of being expelled. Unfortunately, before that can happen, there are official procedures to follow—like meeting his legal guardian," Mr. Monroe said.

"This must be some kind of mistake," Fiona said quickly. "Carl loves school. He prefers it to being at home!"