Make or Break

--- Last time ---

Phoenix Agent 1: I think that’s enough. Just bind her hands. It won't be fun if she dies out right.

Phoenix Agent 2: Sure, I wanna have a little fun next time. I haven't used any torture techniques in a while.

Voice: Hey! What do you think you’re doing!

Phoenix Agents: !!!

Lorenzo: Well? I’m waiting.

--- Phoenix Headquarters, Dungeons ---

*Slow steps seem to echo around the dungeon, the two agents seemed frozen in place as Lorenzo approaches, eyes looking somewhat demonic as he assesses the situation.*

*In a small voice one of the men spoke.*

Agent 1: S-Sir we were just dealing with a pest! I s-see n-no issue with that. She is a spy, after all.

Agent 2: R-right!

Lorenzo: Perhaps she is, but I gave no order for her to be harmed. Only that she would learn her lesson from being placed into solitary confinement. Where, pray tell, does that entail beating a person to an inch of her life?

*He steps forwards, his expression still, but eyes gleaming in the semi-darkness*

Lorenzo: That’s right: My orders never stated anything of the sort. So, where do you get the authority to undermine what I said and take it upon yourself to disregard those orders? There are many ways to deal with spies that can help us without such….boorish actions. But most of all….

*He snarls, his face twisting into rage*

Who gave you the right to raise your hands in such a way, making it seem you’re ‘helping’ when you would act no better than the gods we hope to tear this world from? Explain yourselves!

Agent 1: I see nothing wrong with our actions! But… your’s sir…. You’ve changed ever since she came here!

Agent 2: in the past we would just kill off their agent s so whats changed?! We had to do something!

Lorenzo: What changed is what we can do ourselves. What’s changed here is that she has information. Information that I planned to exploit before disposing of her. There was a reason we attempted to use her in the first place. You….also have no idea what we could do now, do you. That’s why you’re mere agents and not an executive! Because you don’t think. I ‘changed’ only to exploit her in turn. But such higher thinking functions appear to be beyond you!

*The smell of copper permits the dungeon halls, the fallen woman is slowly bleeding out unnoticed for the moment, her life force seem to be leaving her quickly. And so, too, her will*

*The Demigod stiffens slightly*

Lorenzo: Now I need to rectify this situation.

*He takes a threatening step forwards*

Stand aside. Now.

Phoenix agents: Sir!

*Their gaze is suspicious and their eyes are glaring at their boss's back*

Agent 1:.... Disgraceful….. I'm leaving. This love sick pup is killing me

Agent 2: Hush! Let’s just leave. I don't want to…

*Lorenzo, who had picked up N’s unconscious form, turns towards the exit, only to pause*

Lorenzo: How strange that you appear to be under the illusion that I have become suddenly deaf because you can’t understand higher brain functions and plans beyond violence.

*He looks over his shoulder, his eyes glowing*

Lorenzo: If that is the case….Then perhaps you will only learn by violence!

*One hand lashes out in the direction of the first Agent. His hand didn’t touch him, but he is launched like a rag doll into the cell wall, the stone crushing behind him, throwing up debris. His hand still raised, Lorenzo watches the dust die out, seeing the agent pinned into the crumbled wall, some limbs crumpled from the force.*

*Cocking his head, he moves his hand away, but the man remains pinned, small rivulets of blood seeping from numerous wounds. His eyes turn to the second agent.*

Lorenzo: Has my point been made? Or do I need to begin lesson two?

*The second agent backs out of the way, muttering in a barely audible voice*

Agent 2: ….. This this…. Yes sir!

*Lorenzo moves closer, grabbing the man’s chin with his hand*

Lorenzo: Then you can clear up this little mess, I’m sure. Also, if you ever disobey my orders again, if you interfere with my plans again, what happened to your fellow agent there will be only a fraction of what I’ll do to you. Am I clear?

Agent 2: …. S-sir…

Lorenzo: Get to work then.

*Roughly, he shoves the man’s face away from him and stalks out of the room, knowing that he would need to do a lot of work to fix what the agents had done to N*

*It doesn’t take him too long to get to his room, not wanting to give the agents any more of a chance to harm her further and lays her onto his bed, pulling out a first aid kit. Carefully, he begins to clean and bind her wounds, occasionally checking her pulse, breathing and checking for a response. Unfortunately, while she was still breathing, she remained unconscious and her pulse was thready,as if her body was in shock.*

*Finally, he finishes, and covers her with a blanket to help stave off further complications from developing. He watches her for a long moment, again, testing out her responsiveness.*

N thoughts: I feel a presence... Whose is it…? It was warm….and…. No… No, all that’s around me is a vast sea of nothing... emptiness and darkness. If I die here, it might be a blessing. I’m sorry I couldn't help you, Lorenzie. I'm sorry. But I think I’ll give over this nothingness now. It will be easier.... On the both of us.

*A warm light shines in her eyes and her blurred vision slowly comes into focus as she regains consciousness*

Lorenzo: N. Can you hear me?

*She blinks a few times but then closes her eyes again, her eyes slightly glazed.*

N:...

Lorenzo: Ah!

*He leans forwards a little, finally having received a response and hoping to gain more*

N? If you can hear me right now, give me a sign.

N:...

*She says nothing, but opens her eyes once more, looking away from his gaze*

Lorenzo [Inner thoughts]: She’s responding a little….but that look in her eyes….it’s almost like she’s not there…

*Gritting his teeth*

Shit, did they give her brain damage? Or is she just disorientated and concussed? I’m no medic, how am I to know? Still….it is somewhat a response...Perhaps she can hear me, even if she can’t respond?

Lorenzo: You might not be able to talk right now, but at least listen. You’re currently in my room. I hope you realise I did not order this to happen to you. I ordered solitary confinement. I understand if you would rather not hear this from me now, but you need to stay alive. There are things I know that you need to explain, like you should have from the start. Until then, stay in here. I won’t be able to protect you outside this room, and I have enough people who will be willing to destroy both of us because of this mess. But likewise I can’t draw attention to my room by staying with you all the time. If I trust you to do this, then I’ll….trust you….to explain what those files C sent me are.

N: …. Trust…. You trampled on that the moment you sent me away… I don't have to explain any more than I have. If C is in communication with you… then there's no need for me to say anything. So just leave me…. I’ll be leaving once I'm better.

*She takes a shaky breath*

N: Stay in hell or come back to the light. I can't force you…. I'm tired now, so let’s end this.

Lorenzo: ….You damned hypocrite! You wanted me to trust you! But you never explained why I should! Only that Pandora ‘Is the light’ when it’s just as floored. If you had even from the start just explained what you found, let me look into it, but you never did! And you expected me to be ‘Oh, sure, I understand this completely’?! Then when I am willing to listen, you say no? You know that I sent you away to the cell because you wouldn’t watch your own back, you kept getting yourself caught when I warned you, time and again, not to! And you blame me for what the other agents do when I warned you not to antagonise them?! No….you….You say I’;m not the Lorenzo I once was, but you, you aren’t even N.

*He stands up and storms towards the door, glaring over his shoulder*

Lorenzo: This weak person who blames others for her mistakes even more that I, or just gives up after one bit of hardship when things could finally work for you? You are not N.

*Turning away, he snorts bitterly*

Lorenzo: ….Do whatever you want. Escape. Lay there and die or go get yourself killed. I don’t care anymore. If I can’t trust you, I can’t trust Pandora, I can’t trust Phoenix...Maybe I can’t even trust C. Maybe I can’t trust anyone at all. I shouldn’t be surprised. Maybe the only one I can trust is me….

N: ….Ha...hahahaha…. Pitiful, you’re so weak, it’s so sad. You’re so wrapped up in all this far too close to see the veil that’s been pulled over your own eyes.

*She cough violently*

N: Well, I guess that the human in you… No, that would be an insult to the rest of us. You need to see things with your own eyes. I can’t help you there, ‘Sir’, so… what are you going to do? As I said, I’m leaving this place once I’m healed. I can’t stand this hovle anymore. All of your pity parties are gettin’ on my nerves. WAKE UP! You talk about trust, yet you can’t trust the person who’s been beside you the longest. You couldn't then and still can’t now… sad.

*She rolls over to her side*

I’ve wasted all my emotion on you. I should have never given you my time. ‘I can’t trust anyone,’ you say? HA! The right words for you is ‘I can’t trust myself’. You’re a lousy excuse for a man the way you are now. Why don’t you find yourself and then come talk to me? I don’t have time to deal with children while my team are busting their asses trying to save the world. So use my communicator the best you can… if you can. Find out the truth, then decide what you plan to do. If you decide to come with me, then I’ll be at the entrance to this hell hole by the time the hull moon rises. If you decide to stay here, then kindly return my communicator to me. You wont have use for it. The choice is yours.

Lorenzo: You self righteous, pretentious woman. You say all that and when I finally did give you a chance you just throw it at me instead. You make it seem as if you know everything that has happened or should happen and then give up when it doesn’t go your way. But I see there’s no point in staying. There’s no point in arguing. Leave. Just go. It would seem neither of us really knew each other at all. Goodbye, N.

*A tear rolls down her cheeks as she turns away from him*

N: Hurry up and leave.

N [inner thought]:  Even if I tell you, we’ll just keep spinning our wheels. You need to figure this out by yourself. Hurry up, idiot! Hurry up and figure it out. I’ve given you all the tools, so use them. I didn't get caught for nothing. So… this is my last shred of hope, before I give up completely. So please….

*With that, Lorenzo wrenches open the door and leaves, slamming it behind him*

--- Meanwhile, Temple grounds, Izumo Region, Japan ---

*The sound of a cup being filled is all that's heard around the temple grounds. The air is especially crisp and quiet as the moon hangs overhead.

Voice: You’ve been drinking from dusk till dawn and you still haven't had enough? Old man, I really don't want to see your liver at this point. It's probably just a lump of coal by now.

Monk: Humph! I get enough of that yip yap from my vassals, I don't need it from you, dear child.

Voice: Hahaha! Well, papa, I am your child, after all. It's only natural that I worry silly. But, anyway, about you letter….

[END]