RISE OF ALEXANDER CAGE

Chapter 5

"Mind if I accompany you"

"I don't, I kind of need a break from this old man" Xander made a slight joke and was surprised when she laughed. Nobody ever laughed at his joke except his daughter, everyone else always raised an eyebrow then shook their head.

"I understand you" the attendant said and I eyes left Xander to Max. "He remind me of my grandfather, you know how Mexican grandparents can be, so overprotective and rarely let you have a life" Max raised an eyebrow at that statement.

He stared down at his knuckles it dew winkles on it but not enough to be referred as a grandfather. He stared at his reflection on the showcase, his face showed no sign of winkle thanks to his wife who nagged him on eating healthy food.

"I'm not even sixty!" he wanted to say but he bit his tongue and swallowed his word.

"Tell me about it" Xander smirked and looked at Max fuming through the corner of his eyes as he walked deeper into mall, the sound of his footstep followed after him.

"Max" Xander called and followed. "It was just a joke"

"Just shut it and follow me" Max said sternly and smirked as the young master apologize continuously. He was going to get every apology he didn't get from the father from the son.

"Let it be, if he continues to be angry we can ditch him" the attendant suggested in hopes to get Max attention.

"Young lady, don't you dare corrupt my grandson" he shunned with a side joke.

"Grandson? You and my dad are like the same age" Xander protested

"I older than that idiot by a year" Max refuted back and the attendant giggled at their banter.

"I haven't gotten your name yet" Max questioned and walked through a shirt selection screening for Xander size.

"I'm Miranda, I hate the name so Randy for short" the attendant answer. "What about you?" she asked and nudge Xander.

"Alexander, a mouthful so Xander for short, and he is Max, my father's... " the young master introduced but was short of word to refer Max to.

"Assistance. Try this" Max said, getting their attention and shoving some set of clothes on hangers to him. Randy nodded her head like the questions in her head has been answered before looking at the clothes Xander was holding

"Don't put your anger on the clothes" Xander said and checked the price tag out of habit. His eyes almost bulged out of the socket but he didn't say anything about it because of Randy was beside him.

"I should have left you with your father" Max retorted.

"But you didn't because you aren't heartless" Xander said and noticed Max stopped in front of a door.

"Go in there and change" Max said and it clicked to him this was a changing room.

He slowly turned the handle of the door as a forgotten memory came to him. The step through the opened door and it felt like he walked into his past as the blurred memory played like a movie in front of him.

Him and Hermia, his wife, stood in the room. She was helping him with his cufflinks while she sat graceful on the chair provided there.

This was before three months before they married and two weeks since they met in an unforeseen circumstances. He had saved her from a rapist in an alleyway and this was he way of saving thanks. At first he refused bit she insisted, saying that she doesn't like been indebted to someone.

"You look handsome" she complemented as she stood beside him in front of a mirror.

"I do?" Xander asked naively.

"Yes, you looked like you could be someone husband and we look good together" Hermia said and smiled in front of the mirror like she was smiling to so camera.

"I look handsome" Xander said like it was a foreign language and stared at the image of both of them in the mirror. His heart flutter as he understood what Hermia said but that was a far dream from reality.

"We take this, change back and wait for for outside, I would have this paud for" Hermia said and Xander side, the memory dissappearing at each step Hermia took to the door until the door clicked close. That was how that day ended and the next time he saw Hermia, she offered that he married her in exchange for paying of his debt.

Xander felt chills in his blood and blinked at the room, it was different from the one in his memory. This changing room had white paint and was far bigger than the one in his memory. There was a full length mirror different from the waist length one in his memory.

A tear dropped on the shirt he was holding that's when he noticed he was crying.

"Gosh, I'm crying so much this days" he muttered and wiped the tears and begin to change.

He stood in front of the mirror once he was done. The gray suit went well with the white undershirt. He finally looked like an heir, a successor and a Cage. Caught himself smiling, feeling a sense of pride and self-assurance he hadn't experienced in a long time. The suit was more than just clothes; it was a symbol of his newfound identity and purpose.

"I'm going to make you regret using me, Hermia, I would make everyone leave you even if it is the last thing I do" Xander said to the mirror and walked out of the changing room to meet Max and Randy. He was ready to face whatever challenges lay ahead, armed with his newfound confidence and a sense of belonging. The suit had become a armor, protecting him from the doubts and fears that had held him back for so long.

"It fits you" Max said and he took it as a compliment and smiled instead of gushing as he would have done before.

"You look handsome" Randy complimented

"I know" he answered as his back straighten volunteeringly and his leg strengthen as he put his hands into his pant pocket.

Max and Randy noticed the change of aura but didn't say anything about it.

"I would pay for that and this" Max said, referring to the clothes male attendant was holding.

Xander changed out of the clothes and gave it to the male attendant who followed Max to make payments.

"Mind if I change out this uniform" Randy asked Xander who shook his head and smiled at her.

He wandered into the jacket section which was not far from the formal section. During his teenager days he admired bikers for their jacket but never had an opportunity to try it out.

"Sorry for keeping you waiting" Randy said from behind him. He turned to her, she had changed out of the black and white uniform to a black tight leather pant that showcase her hips. She wore a leather jacket over a black crop top as her navel was in the view and so was her tanned skin.

He was about to comment on her clothing before he heard a familiar voice.

"I thought my eyes was tricking me but it's actually the church rat Xander" a very familiar female voice mocked. Xander can tell this voice in a crowd because of the number of times he had to handle her when she was high and drunk.

He raised his head and looked behind Randy. A wave of disgust heat him, both his and hers as he saw Helena, Hermia's younger sister.