76 Acquired Absalom

[[Amara Aquilla]]

Who is this man? 

I was huffing endlessly while the man sat on a rock— grinning at me.

We climbed the highest hill of Nova Roma in under an hour and half. And despite all that time of strenuous climbing, he barely broke a sweat.

"This place is beautiful." He said, jumping from the rock and looking at the city from atop.

And yes. It was beautiful. 

The view of the city from up high was magnificent and it was one of my favourite places to visit during my childhood.

"So, what made you return to Nova Roma?" He asked. 

I told him a little about my past… obviously omitting most of the parts, and it turns out he is quite understanding.

He doesn't judge and that I think that is a great quality.

"I was born here… so it makes sense that I return home." I lied… well a half-lie.

I was born in Nova Roma but it was my grandmother who brought me back here.

"What exactly do you do? If you don't mind me asking…"

He smiled. "I run a business… and your aunt is a business partner of mine."

Maybe I was wrong… I thought he was trying to make a deal with grandmother but turns out— he is already a business partner.

Is he lying? 

If he was telling the truth, she would have tended to him rather than the other person. But maybe that person is of greater power than him.

"We should get going or you will be in trouble." He suggested… and it was indeed getting late.

The maids must be freaking out… and I might have gotten Marcellus in trouble.

"I might have gotten you in trouble." I said, apologetically.

He raised an eyebrow but realised what I meant immediately.

"Oh, don't worry about it." He grinned. "I can handle myself… you should worry about yourself." 

He isn't wrong. I am definitely in trouble.

"We shouldn't waste any more time. Let's go."

"Yeah."

…

…

[[Marcellus Hanley]]

One word to describe Amara Aquilla.

Gullible.

"Umm… should we separate?" She asked, suggesting taking different paths. 

"For now? I think yes. It would be quite troublesome if your aunt found us both sneaking out together."

I am pretty sure that she is going to find out about this… No, she has already found out. But she is not stupid enough to cause a ruckus considering it was I who took Amara with me.

"Sorry once again if I got you in trouble." Amara apologised once again.

She is older than me… but she acts like a teenage girl.

Shaking my head, I assured her that it wasn't a big deal.

I should meet Selene… she must have done the job.

.

.

.

And she did.

"Took you long enough." The gorgeous woman in black said, sipping tea while a blonde man was chained to the walls of her chamber. 

Absalom was unconscious and covered in blood. But he was alive… it would have been troublesome if she had sucked out his life force.

But thankfully she didn't.

"I got a bit… distracted." I replied with a shrug.

She sat gracefully on her throne and with a raised eyebrow— she asked.

"She can be a bit too much to handle at times." She said idly.

"Can't deny." 

Of course, she knew that Amara snuck out. And of course, she knew that I was the one roaming the streets of Nova Roma with her. She had eyes and ears all over the Nation.

But she wasn't angry.

"Thank you." She sighed but a smile soon bloomed on her face. "For keeping her safe."

Selene… 

Selene is hard to read. Even if I can read her mind… I cannot read her emotions.

Someone like Selene can easily fool a telepath but I would like to believe that she cares for Amara… even if a little.

Because a life without anyone you love or care for… is worthless.

Hilarious that I am thinking about this. After all, I don't think twice before using someone. But despite that… I have people that I care for.

Mother and Joel. And to some extent… Peggy.

She loves me… I am not an idiot. I know that she loves me.

But Selene… She is stuck inside a void with nothing but darkness.

And that is what makes it difficult for me to trust her.

I smiled at her. "It's alright. She is similar to an old friend of mine… bubbly and naive."

I sighed and looked at the unconscious Absalom.

"Now… My lady. May I have some time… talking with him." 

She smirked. 

"Of course. He is all yours." She said and got off her throne. "Try not to stain the room too much with blood. But other than that… you are free to use this as an interrogation or torture room. The choice is yours."

Now that's a good deal.

…

…

[[External of Despair, Absalom]]

Pain and Cold.

Those were the two things that I felt.

Cold chains binding my arms and legs, and painful cuts all over my body.

"So, you are finally awake, aye?" 

It was a funky voice that I heard. A voice similar to that of a clown.

As I opened my eyes, I saw a man… a man dressed in black and white— with a weird dual painted mask. 

"Who are you?" I coughed. Barely able to bring out my voice… That bitch Selene did a number on me.

He tilted his head in a funny manner. 

"Who? Who is but the form following the function of what and what I am is a man in a mask." He replied, worsening my chaotic anger.

"I can… See that." 

Even gritting my teeth sent shivers of pain throughout my body.

"Of course you can." He replied, sarcastically. "I'm not questioning your powers of observation, I'm merely remarking upon the paradox of asking a masked man who he is."

He is a clown. An annoying clown… yet he is dangerous. The mere fact that he was in here walking around with knives while I was chained to the wall— was enough to send warning signs. 

He paused. 

"How did it go again?" He asked himself, confusing me even further.

"Ah yes." He laughed and looked at me.

"But on this most auspicious of nights, permit me then, in lieu of the more commonplace soubriquet, to suggest the character of this dramatis persona. Voila! In view humble vaudevillian veteran, cast vicariously as both victim and villain by the vicissitudes of fate. This visage, no mere veneer of vanity, is a vestige of the "vox populi" now vacant, vanished. However, this valorous visitation of a bygone vexation stands vivified, and has vowed to vanquish these venal and virulent vermin, van guarding vice and vouchsafing the violently vicious and voracious violation of volition.

The only verdict is vengeance; a vendetta, held as a votive not in vain, for the value and veracity of such shall one day vindicate the vigilant and the virtuous.

Verily this vichyssoise of verbiage veers most verbose, so let me simply add that it's my very good honour to meet you and you may call me V." He paused once again. "No no no... call me J. I should have just used the original name.

I didn't get anything that he said other than the fact that he was fucking crazy. 

And the last part where he said his name.

"J?" I asked.

He lifted his knife dramatically and gave me a courtesy bow. 

"Joker, Jokester or the Jester… whatever you want to refer to me as, good sir." 

Yes… he was a total nutjob.

"Do you think you can get away with this?" He is someone that must have been set up by Selene, but if he thinks he can intimidate me… then he is wrong.

"Oh, I am not trying to get away with this… Oh, Almighty Lord of Despair." He mocked. "I am merely here to entertain you."

"Entertain?" 

"Yes, entertain." He grinned. "The job of a Jester is to entertain." 

He is dangerous. But I have dealt with psychopaths before.

"Oh, I am sure that you have dealt with people claiming to be like mine… but I promise you. None of them come close to what I am capable of doing."

His laughter was maniacal and something warned me… warn that he was worse than everyone I have faced so far.

Even Selene.

"You will never get away with this." I answered as my teeth gnashed with each other. "The Externals will hunt you down."

He tilted his head in confusion.

"Who said I was trying to get away?"

What?

His laughter echoed throughout the room.

"I want them to come." He said. "You are but a mere pawn in the game of chess, Lord Despair."

This has to be a setup by Selene!

"Oh, trust me. She merely helped me a little. The entire event was orchestrated by me and I will be the one to end it as well." He cackled. "So, sit back… and enjoy."

Saying that he shoved the knife inside my flesh.

"*AREGH!*"

"This is merely the beginning. We have a lot of time to enjoy this… slowly and painfully."

.

.

.

I would have never thought before coming here… that today was going to be the last day I would see the sunlight.

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[[A/N: Congratulations if you got the reference… and yes, I copy-pasted the entire scene. Why? Why not! That scene is a masterpiece and it still sends shivers down my spine whenever I watch it. 

I won't start posting DC before I finish writing this arc— which should be done in 3 days as I am already writing ch 85.

Marvel facts: (1) Modi Thorson is the son of Thor and Hela… Yea… It is exactly what you think it is. Funny thing is that they fricked and Modi was born within a week.

(2) There is a character called "Maggot" that has two enormous sentient techno-organic slug-like creatures, nicknamed Eany and Meany. He himself cannot eat anything but those slugs inside him feed on anything.