Disclaimer: I do not own Hero: 108.

AN: Huge thanks to pinki and Coco2345 for your kind words! :)

July 2034:

"Cherish the time you have with your parents; because one day, when you need them the most, you will turn around and they won't be there any longer."

Lin Chung smiled at the archivist, thanking her before moving on. He looked through the files labelled Deceased. Thank Heavens for the archivist, what with her attitude of "Don't put off till tomorrow what you could do today." Her sorting the previously messed up archives alphabetically was relieving.

Green. He found the file and opened it, scanning it for the information he was searching for. Lady Alexandria Green. Deceased…Spouse: Lord Carlton Green…Children: Lord Darian Green. Lady Freya Green. He tucked the file under his arm as he continued looking through the archives.

Lee. Marina Lee. Deceased. Sibling/s: Gina Lee…Spouse: Unknown…Children: Archer Lee. Hurricane Lee.

Ching. Hyperion Ching. Deceased. Sibling/s: None…Spouse: Illyria Ching…Children: Gardener Ching (adopted).

Wu. Wu Meng. Deceased…Children: Wu Sung. Wu Yong. Must be Dog King's real name. Lin Chung noted.

Nightingale. Deceased…Sibling/s: Rosefinch. Placed in an orphanage until it was destroyed in the Civil War…she must've died when the orphanage was destroyed.

The Fruiter…Fruiter….Fruiter (1963 - 2006). Successor: Son. Title was passed down from father to son.

Cheung Wan. Deceased…Children: Kowloon.

Guan. General Guan Yu. Deceased…Second in Command of the former First General. Children: Red-Faced Kwan.

Diva. Melody Diva. Deceased…Relatives…Rattle Diva (Niece)

Benji. Deceased…Sibling/s: Burly.

Rabbit King (1989 - 2003). Deceased…successor: Jumpy Ghostface.

Lin Chung leaned back and sighed, scrubbing at his eyes. He looked at the lamp that was quickly burning through the wax. He got all the files. He knew better than to expect a file about his father - he had heard that the nobles in charge of his father's 'suicide' had been bribed to get rid of the file or dump it somewhere in the original location.

If he wanted to get his father's file, he would have to take a trip to Cheung Chun.

"You want to take three days off?" Wei asked, surprised. It was the last thing he would've expected of Lin Chung. But, then again, trying to revive a dead man who would be sentenced to death anyway was also very unlike him. He probably needs some time alone. "Of course."

"I'll be going to Cheung Chun." Lin Chung informed him. "I'll probably take a day or so to get there."

"Less, if you take one of the rockets." Wei nodded. "I'd rather you be back as soon as possible. Get one of those rockets from Mano. I'm sure he won't mind."

"Of course. Thank you, Emperor."

"I'll see you soon, Lin Chung."

Lin Chung approached his…well, he supposed it could be considered his hometown. Cheung Chun was relatively normal, with children playing on the streets and parents working on the fields. Several noble guards strutted around. Lin Chung made sure the hood he was wearing was on securely before continuing on his way to the local archives.

He entered, heaving a sigh of relief as he approached the archivist. The old lady looked up at him. "Is there something I can do for you?"

Lin Chung shook his head. "There is a file I need to find."

The old lady frowned. "Does the file have a name?"

"Not exactly." Lin Chung shook his head again. "I am fairly certain the name on the file is false."

The old lady raised an eyebrow, leaning forward threateningly. "What do you need?"

Lin Chung didn't flinch. "I need all records from 30 years ago and before that."

The old lady pointed at a corner. "All the archives from thirty years back start from the steel shelf over there. You probably won't find anything, but there're all the files we got."

"Thank you."

As the old lady had predicted, it was tedious work. Lin Chung didn't give up hope though, thanking the Heavens for blessing him with the patience that had gotten him through years with working with the more arguable people he knew. Admittedly, they had toned down quite a lot, but arguments were not uncommon around East Citadel.

He tossed another file away, looking through the final file of the box, before setting it down. He looked at the remaining five boxes through the dim glow of the lamp. He only had a day or so left to find the file. He leaned back, rubbing his eyes, and then took the next box and opened it.

Nearly three hours later, Lin Chung finally found the file that he wanted. It was buried deep inside the boxes, which was no wonder it took him so long to find it. He supposed that he would have had an easier time if he had just enlisted Woo the Wise's help, but he didn't want the man knowing what he was doing - Woo might not respect his privacy and family life being invaded.

Lin Chung checked the folder over three times before heaving the boxes back to where they belonged. He stood up, rolling his neck and then walked out of the small corner. He nodded at the old lady, who looked surprised at the folder tucked securely under his arm. She offered a lazy wave, and returned to whatever she was doing behind the desk.

Breathing in fresh air for the first time in several hours, Lin Chung quickly found his rocket and boarded it, knowing that he would have to travel through the night to get back to East Citadel in time for his scheduled meeting with the other nobles about the military's rations.

He sighed as he took off. He could already feel a headache forming.

As soon as Lin Chung landed in the Air Force Hangar and thanked the two recruits on the graveyard shift, he walked back to his room and turned to see if anyone was there. No one. Walking over to the seat settled right in front of his bed, he opened the lid, revealing the other folders that he kept there. Of course, he had made copies, but these were the genuine files. And the chair was the only place which he knew that no one else would check - Yan Ching had a tendency to come in through the vents or windows, and Mystique Sonia liked to come in as if she owned the place and go through his wardrobe.

He supposed he should have told someone about this, but he didn't want to anger any of them unnecessarily. Once he had spare time the next day he would look through the files and find any other inconsistencies. Hopefully, those inconsistencies would convince the related members to allow him to exhume the bodies and let Wu Sung look them over. With his expertise in forensics which mainly stemmed from his love of dentistry, he would find something that could link all the bodies together.

Lin Chung went to his bed. He would take a shower in the morning, when he was feeling more awake. His eyes were closed before his head hit the pillow.

Wu Sung didn't know why he happened to be in East Citadel that day. He was supposed to be in the medical room, helping out with cavities. He walked around East Citadel aimlessly. While he was glad that he had avenged his brother's death, he was still confused over Lin Chung's reaction. Why on earth would the First General want the man to live? What had the man whispered to him?

He got his answer soon enough. He found Lin Chung exiting his room with a few folders under his arm.

"Lin Chung."

Lin Chung turned, expression immediately melting to a warm smile that he saved for his friends and his friends alone. "Wu Sung." He tilted his head. "What brings you here?"

Wu Sung tried for a smile. "I wanted to walk through these halls and remember my brother's legacy here."

"Of course." Lin Chung nodded respectfully. Then he seemed to hesitate, before sliding a folder up. "Wu Sung, I hope you don't mind, but I've been looking through your brother's…death."

Wu Sung noticed the hesitance at the word 'death', and frowned. "Of course I wouldn't mind." He was confused - Lin Chung was First General. As Dog King had been under the Imperial Military, Lin Chung was his First General as well. And since they used to fight together in Big Green and became good friends, it wouldn't be too out of the ordinary for Lin Chung to be personally investigating the murder. But the thing was that the murder was solved. Wrathborne killed him. They killed him.

"Well." Lin Chung continued, looking troubled. "It seems that the man who killed him…he was hired."

Wu Sung was quiet as he looked down. "I suppose that is to be expected." There was no way that Dog King would've been killed on just a whim. This Wrathborne was just too…too professional. His shot had downed Dog King instantly, and killed him less than five minutes later. "Have you found anything on him?"

Lin Chung hesitated. "It seems that he was involved with a lot of other killings. About a dozen beforehand, if I'm not mistaken."

"A dozen?" Wu Sung gaped. "How has he not been captured before then?"

Lin Chung sighed. "I'm not too sure. He must have had a powerful employer."

"Indeed." Wu Sung looked grave, but it was nothing compared to his expression several seconds later as the realisation sank in. "And for all we know, that employer could still be alive. He could order more deaths."

"Yes." Lin Chung nodded. "I'm asking you to keep this quiet, but be on the alert. And there is something else that I would like to talk to you about."

"Hm?" Wu Sung tilted his head.

"I want to have another look at Dog King's body."

"Alright." Wu Sung nodded thoughtfully.

"Thank you." Lin Chung smiled at him. He looked up. "I need to get going now. I'll see you sometime."

"Likewise."

Nowadays, in the Citadel, with their various jobs and missions that more often than naught brought them away from one another, it was rare to see another Big Green member for days. Lin Chung missed the closeness between comrades, but being alone gave opportunities for them to show what they were capable of independently.

He hurried on his way. Caochladh should have results by now.

"Lin Chung." Caochladh greeted. "Perfect timing." He invited the First General to sit down. Lin Chung sat down, knowing that Caochladh would've chased him out should there have been no results. "I examined the arrow that you've given me, and I've concluded that it was made somewhere in the Eastern side of Hidden Kingdom, as I can tell from the metal."

"Do you have a more specific place? Maybe a province?" Lin Chung asked. Hidden Kingdom was big. Especially now that Fang-La and Manchuria were counted under Hidden Kingdom.

Caochladh sighed at this. "I'm afraid not, Lin Chung. All I can say that it has stopped being manufactured ever since the last known maker of this kind of arrow was killed. I can tell you that it was made before all of this Fang-La business, but that's about it."

Lin Chung nodded slowly, accepting the arrow that Caochladh handed to him. "Thank you, Caochladh."

"No problem." Caochladh tucked his thumbs into his trouser pockets. "Anytime."

"What're you doing?" Lady Green sat herself down on Lin Chung's desk, looking at one of the open files. "Our parents?"

"Yes." Lin Chung nodded, sighing deeply. "Wrathbourne, the assassin that killed Dog King, mentioned all their names to me just before he was killed. All their deaths had huge anomalies, but there's no one I can pin it down to. All of the deaths were either listed as accidental or suicidal."

Lady Green frowned at the file of her mother, picking it up. "Hm. I remember my mother. Fickle one, she was. Left my father for a year after Darian turned two or three. Came back and my father, bless his heart, took her back in."

"Hm?" Lin Chung peered at the file. "Oh yes." He looked up at her. "That was before Darian was taken, yes?"

Lady Green nodded. "Darian disappeared when he was around nine or ten. My father never stopped searching." She laid the file down. "At least he's here now. I just wish father was here to see him return."

Lin Chung smiled at her. "I'm sure he knows, wherever he is."

"I hope he does." Lady Green picked up another one. "Your father?"

"Yes." Lin Chung nodded. Sensing his uncomfortableness, Lady Green set the file down gently.

"What was wrong with his death?"

"He hanged himself." Lin Chung answered bluntly, looking down and not taking note of Lady Green's horrified expression. "But when he hanged himself, he used his right hand."

"He was left-handed?"

"Predominantly." Lin Chung replied. "Ambidextrous, but if he were to commit suicide, wouldn't you use your dominant hand?"

Lady Green sighed. "You think Wrathbourne set them up?"

"It's likely." Lin Chung nodded. "What I'm not understanding is how they're connected. They're our parents, yes, but no one can tell the future. And why them specifically?"

"They're twelve names." Lady Green noted at the circled dates. "All within a month of one another."

"Exactly." Lin Chung nodded. "That's too coincidental."

Lady Green sighed as she looked at the other folders. Her eyes turned wistful. "It's so hard to believe that this happened, what…over twenty years ago? It all feels like yesterday when Highroller took over East Citadel."

Lin Chung set the folder he was looking at down, smiling nostalgically. "It is hard to believe. Everything happened so fast. Civil wars, the wars with Manchuria, the Fang-La Campaigns…everything happened faster than we can comprehend."

Lady Green stood up, sitting down in a chair. She looked at the file of her mother, still open on the table. "Do you think they'd be proud of us?"

Lin Chung shrugged. "I'd like to think that they would be. After all, you continued the family tradition of being Second General. Everyone else became well-known commanders and Generals. Very hard to find something not to be proud of, to be honest."

"You especially." Lady Green grinned. "You're probably the only one who had no intention whatsoever to join the Imperial Army. And look at you today. First General over one of the finest armies in the land."

Lin Chung looked down. "Not exactly."

"Close enough." Lady Green stood up again. "Come on. Sonia and Darian are taking care of Llewelyn. Let's go for dinner. My treat. You need to get away from these files for a while. Pouring over them endlessly won't do anything for you."

Lin Chung chuckled at that as he stood up, and, offering Lady Green his arm, led them both down into the village.