Chapter 13: A New Man
I do not fear this new challenge, rather, like a true warrior, I'll rise to meet it.
Vegeta, Dragon Ball Z
On the balcony of Eloise's personal chambers, she and Adrian stood.
"Do you remember how we first met?'' She asked, looking at him.
"You were spying on me." Adrian replied, admiring the night skies.
"Hmm. I was curious." Eloise nodded. "What made you fall for me?"
Adrian paused, then looked down "I was curious and still didn't understand myself."
"Do you?"
"Enough, to be me." Adrian replied.
"The same old you." Eloise smiled.
"Maybe." Adrian turned, conjuring a world gate before him. "You've changed considerably. No longer the Eloise I first met."
"I grew to fit the current society… I still hold the same ideals I did, I won't become you." Eloise replied.
"You have to lose something to gain something."
"Is that my sanity?" Eloise asked, leaning on the rails and looking up to the starry skies.
"I have things to attend to." He walked into the portal.
"Sigh."
__
Blood stained the wall and floor.
Spiked metal chains littered the floor.
Thud.
A leg stepped through the portal.
"Are you ready to talk?" Adrian asked.
"Hm." The invader tried to voice through his bloated face.
"Honestly, I can go on torturing you, it takes nothing from me." Adrian conjured a chair and sat on it - cross-legged. "Until you decide to tell me, you'll continue to relive this torture." Adrian smiled.
"You know, my purpose is to pull down those false pantheons and their notions of peace."
Clang!
The chains tugged, then pulled into holes in the floor and wall raising the invader up.
"In here, my haven, I might not be able to use my full power, but I may use a higher percentage of it."
"Due to idiots like you, I'd have to restrain myself. Having power and not being able to use it, total foolishness." Adrian frowned.
Sizzle!
Electricity passed through the, electrocuting the invader.
"Ah!"
"Pain is a funny thing," Adrian said. "One of the few emotions that I can feel… and honestly it intrigues me."
A hue of blue covered the invader, totally healing him, and not a sign of his injuries remained.
"How much pain can a person take before going mad?" Adrian rose, walking up to him and looking straight into his eyes.
An evil grin crept unto Adrian's face.
"Don't worry, I can always make you sane again."
Clang. Drip.
With the little energy he had, he pulled at the chains.
Drip.
"Please!" A tear slid down his face- he was broken.
"Mu Chi, it's but a simple confession.
Knock. Knock.
"Who is it?" Adrian turned to the door.
"Miss Lira and Mister Aryan request an audience." The guard spoke.
Adrian paused, a bit surprised, what could the two of them want with him?
{Sound of Ignited flames}
"Ah!"
The door opened.
The two looked in, stunned by the sight.
"You didn't need to do this." Aryan said, his face a bit neutral.
"I did what you can't." Adrian replied amidst Mu Chi's screams.
"Hm." Aryan sighed, leaning against the wall and shutting his eyes.
"I would like it if you help me." Lira said after a second of thought.
"It was the Moguls in Cascyn, they ordered the hit!" Mu Chi finally yielded.
Swoosh.
The flames quickly extinguished, Aryan's eyes opened, Lira stunned the familiarity.
"Talk." Adrian said after his gaze lingered on Aryan for a bit.
"The slave moguls in Cascyn and Voldmore run a cross continental syndicate- The Hidden Eye with connections all the way in Aurelia. They needed the mine for a new project." Mu Chi said as his injuries begun to heal at an astonishing pace.
"What project?" Aryan walked in.
"I don't know, only my boss knew, but…" He looked at Aryan's hands with a bit of fear.
Clang.
The chains slowly Mu Chi down.
"You got those null energy weapons from them." Adrian asked, because honestly the nature and existence of such weapons by the modern world surprised him.
"Yes they supply null tech and we do their bidding for a fair sum."
"Are you talking about Ino Kojou the Merciless?" Lira asked her voice heavy, her eyes watery almost as though tears would fall.
"He is in charge of Mining and Slave Activities, yes." Mu Chi affirmed.
"You monsters!"
Swoosh.
She conjured a spear of Longinus and held it to his neck, but he didn't fear it, almost as though he wanted it- the cold release of death.
"I thought you would have learnt to control yourself by now." Adrian placed his hands on her shoulders.
Thud.
She fell into her knees, in tears.
"I may not be good at comforting people, but I'll try." Adrian bent giving her a hug from behind.
"We wanted your help in freeing her friends." Aryan said and for the second time Adrian saw him frown, this time that primal terror hidden within his eyes wasn't concealed as he slowly walked up to Mu Chi.
"What is your family's name?"
"The Mu Tian Family." Chi replied.
"Hmm." Aryan replied, stretching his hand out to touch Chi's head.
Pichi.
An abomination formed, he exploded into a meat cake, his skin clang to the walls. Its eyes were bloodshot with no mouth and a massive mageroot. It was alive.
"Now, I want your help purging the world of devils like them."
Aryan declared.
Even Adrian was a bit surprised as he rose to his feet, looking at the living terror clinging to his walls.
"Leave that anger to me." He said. This side of Aryan was not one he would want to see consistently.
Now he understood, Aryan smiled because he knew the world couldn't bear his wrath.
"I'll help you." His eyes continued to linger on the abomination, his mind racing.