Chapter 205: Depart
As the UN meetings ended, Richard flew to his hometown with Lina. Back at Marawi City, he arrived in simply a CRVT—’Richie’—for the first time not cloaked, but hovering 100 meters above ground. Richard gazed down below at the people of Marawi City, his countrymen, Filipinos. News networks celebrated his homecoming as the hero who basically saved the world. Richard smiled and revealed himself to the public at the door of the craft, which he waved. National live commentators cheered and thanked him with humor and sarcasm.
Richard smiled, a genuine, unburdened expression that rarely graced his features in public. He opened the door of the CRVT, stepped out onto the hovering platform, and waved to the roaring crowd, a simple gesture that sent another wave of cheers through the city.
But then, his gaze drifted towards a familiar mansion, and his smile faltered. Standing on the porch, hands on her hips, was his mother, Anita. Her eyes, usually warm and loving, were narrowed into furious slits, fixed on him with an intensity that could melt steel. The subtle hint in her posture, the rigid set of her shoulders, screamed that his public, unannounced arrival was a very, very bad idea. He had done otherwise.
The world watched, live, as Anita with a formidable presence, marched directly towards the hovering CRVT. Before Richard could even fully descend, she reached up, grabbed him by the ear—a move that defied physics given his height and aura—and delivered a sharp, resounding punch to his face. The sound, picked up by nearby microphones, was a wet thwack.
"You! You left! You went to Brazil without a word! And then you replaced me with a fucking robot?!" Anita’s voice, though distorted by the mic, was a furious, high-pitched shriek. She continued to pummel him, dragging his godlike ass inside the house, her words a torrent of maternal fury. "And now I see you on TV, famous, saving the world, while I’m talking to a machine all this time?!"
The sight was surreal: a man who had just repelled an alien armada, a being of immense power, getting thoroughly beaten up by his own mother, live on national and international television. It was a moment of profound, hilarious humanity.
Jack, who had been watching from a safe distance, leaned against the wall, a wide, knowing smirk on his face. He pulled out his phone, snapped a quick selfie with the distant, ongoing spectacle of Richard’s domestic humiliation, and chuckled.
@MomOfAllGods: "This is the most relatable thing I’ve ever seen. Doesn’t matter if you’re a god, your mom will still whoop your ass. 😂 #AsianMoms #NeverChange"
@RichardStanAccount: "OMG! He’s literally a god getting grounded! I love this man even more now. #RichardIsHuman #Relatable"
@GlobalNewsLive: "Unprecedented scenes from Marawi! World Savior Richard Santamo involved in a domestic dispute live on air! More at 11!"