A.N.: Sorry for the delay, guys. I had some things that kept me away from my computer, and the last time I tried to post with my phone, the format became all fucked up.
Anyway, enjoy~
..............
Third Person P.O.V.
???
"...the reward for the time we waited is near, Master." Solomon says to the tree, but it seems that is not what the Tree wants from her.
"WE?! WE??? DO YOU KNOW HOW LONG I LIVED BEFORE YOU REINCARNATED TO MEET ME???" The tree replies angrily, fire burning wilding from the branches. "Do you know how many generations of Rulers and Calamities I devoured before the 72?! THEY ARE JUST THE LAST IN LINE AND YOU HAPPEN TO WITNESS THEIR DOWNFALL!! I AM ON THIS FOR LONGER THAN YOU CAN IMAGINE!!!"
"I know, Master. All creation owes you a huge debt. They should all praise you-" Solomon is still calm despite the outburst of the tree.
"PRAISE?! Who gives a fuck about their praise?! I WANT TO DIE!!!" The tree roars, the flames shooting to the sky like a pillar, all the demons in the continent trembling in fear. "Existence is a pain and a punishment for my good deeds, while I will never see the rewards of my bad ones! My reward will be to cease to exist and be whole again! That is all I want!"
Solomon's face is as calm as ever, like she is untouchable, like she has gone through something like this before.
"I also know that, Master. But you need to wait… You can only fuse back when the time is right." Solomon replies "Your true body has finally awakened, the timeline is progressing." She explains patiently, like dealing with a child, experienced in dealingt with the Tree tantrums.
"..." The fire calms down, going back to a calm and steady flame. "You are right, Solomon." The voice now seems so calm that the previous outburst looks fake. "I'm sorry." A branch moves to caress Solomon's cheek.
For the first time, she showed an expression, a small smile. "All well, Master. I'm aware of your hardships."
"It's just that it sucks so much~" The voice now whines "It looked like such a good idea when I did it, I mean… It looked like a dumb idea, but the returns would be big while I would do nothing! But there's no shortcut to this shit! I'm here suffering… There is always a price!!"
"You are holding the One Below, Master. It's a noble deed and sacrifice."
"Like I care about that shit! Everyone can die for all I care; I would kill every single living being in this universe if I could die just after that. The one who cares is the Main One! I'm only a pathetic, incomplete, and unbalanced existence born from a fragment of his soul. No, not even a fragment, a mirror of a fragment… I keep this mission because I know that it was once important to me. Because I am too far gone to give up now. Because if I stopped all my suffering would be meaningless and I hate that more than I hate myself! Hmpf, if I were not so good, I would have turned against the Main One…" The tree huffs proudly, "But noooo~ I need to have the great idea of leaving only the Seven Deadly sins and my mission deep into my being to be the root of my consciousness even after I develop an ego!"
"..."
"Look at me! A glorified Demon Essence farmer and Plot Device. What great idea I had to gather Demon Essence for billions of years while making sure to diminish the influence of The One Below All! I'm a fucking genius, y'all! Hmpf, I'm living mostly of spite… I want to shit on the face of Mr. Murtiversal being beneath me. How do you feel about having me teabagging you for billions of years? Huh?? YOU ARE NOTHING!!!"
"..."
"And I'm too smart to even think about doing anything underhanded to the Main One, because I know the best course of action is to fuse again, he has things that I can't acquire no matter what… If I go back, I will be complete. I will be fixed! I will have everything back! And it would be cringe…"
The tree stops its rant to seemingly pay attention to Solomon "I can't even love you, Solomon…"
"Master…" She holds the tree branch that is caressing her cheek
"You are here as my caretaker, and I can't even reciprocate your feelings… Every feeling I have is twisted and dark. Even my greed and envy are directed to the simplest of things… To be human again. I know that if I go and take over my body, I will lose. I will forever be a demon. Be this wrenched existence that I HATE and HATE so much! My PRIDE doesn't allow me to be happy with this path, to this to be my finishing line! I can't even be happy at all!! I can only be happy again if I follow the plan. The best course of action is to go back to the whole… But now I know that even if I go back, an imbalance would form. I can not be absorbed immediately. I'm simply too strong…"
"..." Solomon doesn't need to nod to confirm.
This tree is absurdly strong. It's not even the tree… It's just a part. The real body of this demon is the whole continent.
"Hehehehehe~" The demon changed tone again. "And here I thought that it would be easy, all the burden that I carried will be his. Sucker, fucker, loser… Does he think he can reap the rewards of my hard work just like that? I know myself very well… When the time comes, he will not absorb me immediately. A card! Yes, a card to be Assimilated! That is what I will become. I will finally get him for once! My objective of dying will be accomplished immediately, while he will take a loooot of time to get the rewards and will still need to go through everything I did! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
"..." Solomon bites her tongue to not say 'Master, this is you…' It's like slapping yourself.
While the Tree is showing some good mood for the first time, something happens. The green light that is ever-present on the horizon gets stronger.
"Those insects never stop…" The Tree comments annoyed "I guess it is expected from a source of unlimited power."
Suddenly, an earth-shattering roar echoes, and a bulky humanoid creature jumps from the cracks on the continent. It looks like the Big Foot, covered in reddish fur, filled with ridiculous bulging muscles, and exuding gamma radiation.
"Hmpf." Swish
A tree branch swings so fast it disappears, cutting time and space…
The fur creature that was hundreds of kilometers away was suddenly split in half without even having time to react.
"I should have made him suffer a little more… I would be able to farm some Demon Essence." the tree says in disdain before the ground opens like a huge maw and devours the bisected creature that was stronger than the actual Hulk.
"All the demons around here are already doing it for you, Master." Solomon says
"I know that! I'm the one who created this automatic farm."
"..."
"Sorry, Solomon… You don't deserve to deal with my mood swings." The tree says "I'm not even being truthful because I'm not sorry, but I know what I have to say and when I'm acting like a bitch. It's just that I don't care. I really want to care about you, but I physically can't."
"I know it's uncontrollable, Master. I hope for the day you will be whole again, and I can see you at your full glory."
"Why wait then?" The Tree suddenly says "Just go up and take a good look at him. No need to wait for the day he summoned you with the Gender Bending Card." He completes with some amusement.
......…..
Hector P.O.V.
The interior of the castle is equally rustic and sophisticated. It fused very well with the mountain, not changing the ceiling's walls or even the floor, beyond adding some stuff here and there. It's an over-glorified cave, but it's still at the same level as a medieval castle. The stairs, windows, and some decorations keep the place civilized.
Well, it is less civilized now because of the destruction caused by the fight.
Walking two steps behind Satana, I decided to talk a little to be nice. "Do you want my help to fix what was destroyed?"
"Fuck you." She spat without looking back. Geez, someone is angry… I don't know why "I will call someone to fix it later."
"Magic, huh? Convenient…" I can imagine some Earth Demon or something like that working as an architect.
"..." It seems she is really angry because she is not talking anymore.
Women are so sensitive… They can't even receive hundreds of explosions in the face without giving the silence treatment. Communication is the key, girl. C'mon, it was just a prank.
A trillion-dollar prank with all the clones wasted, but it was fun. Ragebait is in my blood.
Eventually, Satana led me to a corridor that ends in a huge double door that screams "important". She unceremoniously opened it, and I followed her because she didn't stop me…
The huge bed and the surprisingly "human" design inform me that it's her room. Well, "human" in the "very rich demon princess" category. The room is bigger than an average house, the ceiling is unnecessarily tall too, the bed is the size of an Olympic pool, and the furniture and trinkets that I see around look like they are made from expensive materials.
"I can wait outside…" I say to her after noticing she is going through her clothes. I think she looks better in the clothes I gave her, but whatever…
"Just stay put." She huffs before grabbing a dress of the same color as the bodysuit she was wearing before. It's tight and with a generous cleavage, but at least it looks like her skin can breathe now.
When I saw her bending over to put the pants down, her ass stuck in my direction, I rolled my eyes and turned around.
This woman… Do you think I don't know what you are doing, wench? You are not a clumsy anime girl. You are a succubus who knows that you are hot. I will not give you any ammo or satisfaction by looking.
I'm a gentleman too.
"Heh~, you can turn around." Her voice shows amusement. It seems that she is not holding a grudge.
I turn and sit on a comfy chair while she sits on a much more luxurious one in front of her dressing table, the mirror reflecting her exposed back of the low-cut dress. That thing is being held by a miracle… wait, no.
"So, how do you plan to compensate me?" She starts. Okay, she is still holding a grudge.
Let's humor her a little before talking business, solve the bad blood, and all to smooth the negotiations and all that.
"Compensate for what exactly?" I tilt my head to show my confusion
"My damaged castle and clothes, my subordinates… the mental distress too." She acts like a fragile noble lady now
"What mental distress? And you killed your subordinates."
"Only because you fatally wounded me."
"The castle can be fixed easily, you said that." I say "If anyone should be compensated here, it should be me…"
"You?" She raises an eyebrow
"Yes. Do you know how much the bodies that I needed to explode cost? They are priceless." I shake my head, full of regret.
"You are the one who started blowing things up, you fucker! Crazy bastard!" She gets incensed
"You attacked me first." I point calmly
"You took things too far!!" She shouts and stands up
"..." I remains calm, not reacting even when her magic flares.
Satana eventually calms down after some heavy breaths and sits down again.
"Why don't we agree that we all have some blame and put the events of today behind us?" I suggest, my tone is very calm.
"You want me to forgive you just like that, huh?"
"Girl, you used the Penance Stare on me… I'm the one being the big person in this conversation." I change my tone to be playful in the beginning, but I get a little more serious at the end.
"..." She stares at me for some time, and I don't look away "Fine. I don't care anymore."
"Good."
"Good!" She replies a little aggressively
"At this point, we both noticed that you want something from me, and I guess I can make use of you too…"
"So that is what you mean by bargain, huh?"
"Yes, let's bargain." I smile innocently. "Tell me what you want and I will ask for something at the same level. We can bargain from there…"
Satana stares at me before leaning forward; it's unknown if she is showing her bust on purpose. "I will be straight to the point then… Use that portal of yours to take me to the human world."
"I imagined that it was something like that…" Hector leans back. "I need to know more. Why can't you do it on your own? You don't know how? Or is your father keeping you here?" Time to ask the important questions
"What? Are you afraid of my power?" She smirks, provoking me.
"Not afraid, even if he is stronger than me for now, I don't fear him." Hector shrugs "But getting on his bad side because of your ass doesn't seem worthy of the trade."
"Are you sure? I have a very nice ass~" She says sensually while leaning on her side and passing a hand through the curve of her ass and hip.
"I'm pretty sure." I answer immediately in a flat tone.
"Hmpf." She loses all her eroticism and rolls her eyes "You don't need to worry. My father never told me not to leave, he never told me anything for years… I'm half of the mind he forgot about me and half that he has some role for me, but only at the end of his big plan or whatever."
Now I'm interested in this "big plan" but I'm not gonna ask now because it can raise her wariness against me. Maybe she will reveal it by herself, and maybe even casually if she thinks I don't care about it.
"Is it because of the Net?" I ask
The Net is the term commonly used to describe the barrier sustained by the Sanctums to defend the Universe against many Mystical Realms, such as the Dark Dimension and Hell.
"Yes… I can't go through it." She sighs
"The Mystical Defense of the Sanctums protects us against invasions of those Realms, but it is not perfect; it is filled with holes… That is why it is called a net. It can't keep the smallfish out. And ironically, the true strong have methods to visit us, even though with a lot of limitations." I speak out loud "I guess you are in that awkward position that you are too strong to slip through the gaps but too weak to ignore it."
"Bingo." She says in an emotionless voice "It looks like you have half a head above your shoulders."
"You are also pretty unknown as a demon. It's not like any dumb human will try to summon you using a magical circle like they do with more famous demons." That is why demons act out so much. If you think about it, being famous would be bad for a scamming business, right? But humans are still dumb enough to fall for it. So humans can widen the gap by doing dumb shit.
I guess it is true that "the Devil's greatest trick is convincing the world he doesn't exist". Hm, once again, my mind goes to that Nameless guy, he is really eccentric when compared to the other demons.
He apparently still has some contact with humanity through the spells of the Authorities he stole from the 72, but no one knows his true name. No one can call him, no one can try to trick or outsmart him(the chance of winning without losing anything is what keeps sorcerers going to demons, even with all the cautionary tales, they are gamblers)… pretty paranoid, I would say.
"Yeah, yeah… Congratulations on figuring it out." She scoffs
"So you just need my help to go to the human world once, right?" Hector assumes
"Right…"
"Then, for the fairness of the deal, I will do that at the end, so that you can't double-cross me."
"And what if you double-cross me?"
"Then we should do a magical pact."
"That I can agree… but I'm careful with your tricks now."
"Don't worry, at this point, I will be fair. I keep my word." Most of the time…
"I will believe when I see it…" She huffs "So, what do you want?"
"I'm exploring Hell, and I was kinda going blind on it. You saw firsthand when I teleported here… So I need a guide." I say, letting her figure out the rest
"You want me to be your guide?" She asks with some disbelief "What the fuck are you doing a tour in Hell for?" I guess to her who wants to escape this place, meeting someone who is actively coming here constantly is very weird.
"I'm mapping the place. A step to a bigger objective." I shrug "And needs to be you, by the way. Not outsourcing it… I guess a demon princess like you has knowledge and access to certain places that no normal demon can reach." I may still use her on my big plan, so I prefer to keep an eye on her.
"Not even I know everything and can go everywhere…"
"It doesn't matter, you are gonna show me what you can… I'm gonna put in the contract to you to act in good faith." I declare, "I also expect some promises not to hurt humans or do anything bad to them after I bring you to Earth." Even so, I will mark her. No clause about just killing her after the contract is terminated too.
"You are putting a lot of restrictions on me…" She says in distaste
"I will release a demon on Earth." I say in an exasperated tone "I'm already going against a lot of my principles here."
"I will teach a human to roam free in Hell." She shoots back "In words, it doesn't sound bad, but I saw what you can do. You are the most dangerous one in this room. Should I put a clause about you not hurting the demons around here, too?" It annoys me that it is a very fair point, so I deflect.
"Do you even care about the demons around here? You are trying to escape this place, right? And you killed your subordinates…"
"That's true, I don't care. But do you even care about humans?" She tries to turn things on me, but I'm different from a demon like her.
"I obviously do." I answer without hesitation "I'm doing it for the humans." I say with conviction before I give her an almost imperceptible shrug "I guess there is no harm in telling you… But my plan is to liberate all the souls unjustly trapped here in Hell." She doesn't look like the type to go around claiming souls, even if she is exactly this kind of succubus.
I can be wrong, though. So I say that to gauge her reaction.
Her eyes widen almost comically, her mouth opening and… she throws her head back and laughs
"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA deep breath AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
"..." I don't show any reaction, not even a twitch.
"...HAHAHahahaha-! Wait! Are you serious?" She pauses and looks at me and doesn't wait for me to answer, "PFFFT! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH-"
"..." It's okay, let the fools laugh at your dreams…
It goes like that for a good minute. She even starts clutching her stomach, only when she is finally too red-faced and out of breath to laugh more, I ask.
"Are you done?" My voice is calm and unaffected.
"...hahaha. Hehe~ Ah Aaaah, man… That was a good one. Uuuuh."
"..."
"But seriously… I thought you were smart." She finally straightens herself to look at me directly. "Are you in truth retarded?"
"No."
"Is this some revenge thing?" She makes a pensive expression, trying to figure me out.
"No."
"Then you are crazy." This is not even a question, she just decided to believe in that. "Okay, I can accept that."
"Wherever you believe in it or not, it makes zero difference to me." I say seriously "I also don't care if you want to run from your father or have fun in the human world. I only care about people's safety. My objective here and what you plan to do up there is my business." It's strange to say "up there" when I know it's not like that it works.
"..." She stares at me for some time, for a long time, before saying. "Hmpf, fret not, I don't plan to go into a killing spree or even create a cult. I want to get in touch with my human half…" She says the last part with some hesitation, like she is saying something dumb.
"That I can understand. Being human is as part of you as being a demon is." It's like being a Meta and a Human. "One side can be super powerful and cool, and all that… But you feel that if you neglect the other, you are not complete."
"...!" She looks at me with such surprise that one would think that I revealed the secret of life to her.
"What? I can relate to that too… Maybe you are so long here that you forgot humans are prone to empathy." I say in a mocking tone.
"Shut up. What empathy, you self-destructing asshole? You are gonna end up in Hell when you die." She says, but without any heat
"No problem with that." I say without a care "But Hell will need to hold me down pretty tightly if it wants to keep me here."
"Big words to someone who doesn't even know where north is from here."
"I would be able to figure it out on my own eventually. I am just using you for convenience." I wave her off dismissively "You are the one who really needs me here. Don't forget that."
"You know nothing of this place and is talking big." She replies, looking down on me.
"Then I hope it will be worth the deal…" I say to end the discussion "Whatever, time to go. Research about pacts and all that. Being truthful, my portal is one-way only, so I need to alter it to hold my side of the deal and bring you. I will come back in a few days."
"Possessing bodies to use as scouts, huh?" She comments, figuring out my strategy. I guess it is easy for her because demons have a culture of doing that when visiting Earth. I'm just repaying in kind.
"Right. That is why I have countermeasures to self-destruct… I don't want to give anyone any information." I comment before smiling "Sooooo… sorry about that~"
She looks like she doesn't understand for a whole two seconds before her eyes widen and then anger floods her features
"Don't you dare-"
boom
.......
"Hahahaha~" Back to my main body in the Space Station, I can't help but laugh.
I really can't help myself~ To be fair, the explosion was much smaller that the other ones, just to destroy the chair and leave some scorch marks on the floor.
"Maybe I should bring some gift to alleviate her anger… She looked pretty chill." That is my assessment of her personality, probably because she lives like royalty but is bored. Quick to anger, but also doesn't hold on to that for too long. She is a demon of lust, after all, not of wrath.
"Who?" Cortana asks
"A demon princess that I will use to get information." I reply
"I knew it!" Nemesis suddenly shouts "If she is a succubus, it would be perfect…"
"..........."
"Ooooooohhh~ I FUCKING KNEW IT! HAHAHA!" Nemesis would be physically rolling if she were not inside my body
"Yeah, yeah… You are right, I'm prone to fall into women's bosom." I roll my eyes
"If you man up just a little, you will be drowning in pussy in no time." She says
"First, trying to get in the panties of every girl I know is not 'manning up' and second, I would never drown. There is not enough pussy in the Omniverse for that." I scoff.
"I would mock your braggart mouth if I didn't know it is true."
Chuckling, I divide myself into four to retake my obligations.
"GLaDOS, prepare a clone of mine from the Blank section. Later, I will go back to Hell to make a Demon Clone." I say while splitting up in different directions. Those Blank Clones are the ones with Rogue's power, so that I can collect phisiologies.
One day, I will be better with my Power Manipulation, and I will turn physiologies into powers and transformations. I kinda already have a "blueprint" of that after studying the Zoans of the One Piece world.
"Now, I need to go visit the Ancient One."
......…..
Kamar-Taj
"Satana Hellstrom? Daughter of Marduk?" The Ancient One asks across from me after I asked him about her. We are sitting on a small stone table in the courtyard.
"Yes, there are no records about her anywhere, but do you have some information in this bald head of yours?" I don't miss the opportunity to deliver a jab at him.
"My head is pretty empty when compared to yours, which is filled with worries and useless thoughts." He shoots back "And yes, I know a thing or two about her."
"What?"
"It happened, I think… two decades ago? But I only became aware of what was happening much later. Marduk lived like a human for a decade, had a family, even had two children." She passes his hand on his goatee while thinking about it.
"Another one?"
"An older brother. Daimon, if I'm not wrong." He nods
"Daimon, really? Satana and Daimon…" I shake my head while chuckling "The guy is really not trying to hide, huh? If a third one were born, how would it be called? Devild?"
"Maybe that is why he was found out so soon." The Ancient One is also smiling in amusement before a somber look falls on his face. "Tragedy happened when the older child was 10…"
'So Satana is really in her early twenties; she really acted the part of a college girl.' My thoughts are still on analyzing her personality, so I do not interrupt.
"I can only say for sure about the day that Marduk went back to Hell. The day his wife died and he took his daughter with him… I'm not sure how the mother died, but I found traces of prolonged exposure to demon magic and glyphs in her body. She was prepared for years to be Marduk's 'bride', but I think her memory was altered because she lived as a normal housewife."
"Brainwashing, huh? Typical." I roll my eyes at the tragedy of this woman. "Wait… Took his daughter? Only his daughter? Is her brother still here on Earth?"
"Yes." He nods
"Maybe that is why she wants to come here…" I put my chin between my fingers while thinking. Is Satana really not that bad? I still felt that she lied once every three phrases, but maybe she just wants to downplay the amount of influence her father has over her to not scare me from pulling off the deal.
And he only took her back… "Only her?" I ask "How old was she?"
"I think she is three years younger than her brother."
"Younger, huh? Do you think he was trying to make an heir, and when she proved better than her brother, he just decided that he was done?"
"That is exactly what I think. I also think he couldn't have stayed hidden for much longer than ten years."
"So some demon cultists prepare a woman to bear the child of 'Satan'. The guy descends and marries her for some reason instead of just raping and breeding her constantly…" I recapitulate
"Twisting love is power to demons." The Ancient One interrupts to add
"Disgusting creatures…" I spat before going back to my line of thought "She didn't know her body was prepared to give birth to demons' spawn. Has two children, and when the last one was older enough to prove her talent, did he what? Killed the wife, abandoned his firstborn born and took his daughter back to Hell."
"Pretty much…"
"What did you do? Is Daimon a sorcerer?"
"Well, I ended that cult and took Daimon to an orphanage." He sighs "His mind was broken, I couldn't even read his memories to know what happened that night. I only found him over his dead mother's body. Despite his potential, he didn't have the mind to be a sorcerer. He would need to go back to being a person first."
"..." Despite my misgivings, I can understand. "Two questions… If you can guess, what do you think of Satana?"
"That depends completely on how she was raised by Marduk. You met her, right?"
"Yes." I don't deny. I asked for advice on ways to go to Hell, so he can guess this much. "She is not the stereotype demon princess… Surprisingly reasonable, despite being a little unstable, strong too… With a pet basilisk inhabiting her body. A Soul Succubus, by the way."
"Soul manipulation… That is rare to have as an innate ability. I know now why Marduk was satisfied with her." The Ancient One nods "It is really a coin throw… She can still have some of her humanity or be tricking you."
I sigh "So I am still in the same place… Maybe I should kill her." I say out loud. If Marduk went through all this trouble to have her, she is an important asset to him… It will be better if she doesn't exist.
The Ancient One's voice interrupts my dark thoughts "You are the one who met her. Forget the future possibilities for a minute and listen to your gut feeling… What do you think of her?"
"..." I pause, and think about it. Think about it a lot… And despite my paranoid mind… "Surprisingly… I really think she is very 'human'."
"Then there you have it… This much can at least buy the benefit of doubt, right? Give her a chance…"
"I guess so… But I will still keep an eye on her." I point "And I'm killing her if she looks like she is turning evil…" There is this possibility too. She can be cool now, but be corrupted later.
"You would not be you if you didn't act like that." The Ancient One chuckles "But I feel you and this girl can become very good friends in the future."
"..."
"Maybe be the bridge to great things…" He continues to chuckle mysteriously
"..." Why does it feel like he knows all my plans? "Stop seeing the future, dude."
"Heh, not the future, no."
"???" It will kill him to speak things clearly? Did he make a pact to always act cryptically? "Whatever? I have some ideas here on how I can cheat in a demon pact. Tell me if you think it will work."
"I think you are the demon here…" He looks at me like a disappointed grandpa who caught me cheating in an exam.
"Shut up, sorcerers have been doing this for a long time. And by the way, my second question… Do you still remember the name of the mother and the orphanage you put Daimon in?"
Time to put those detective skills to use.
......
Third Person P.O.V.
Harley, by Hector's instruction, went to have a therapy session with Wanda. It was a little complicated to get access to the institute where the daughter of Magneto is locked, but Harley went through it without any problem.
'Hector probably falsified the permission on this shady place.' She thinks before entering Wanda's room, or cell.
"You know, the environment influences your state of mind. Maybe you should change it." It's the first thing Harley says after being alone in the room with Wanda.
The teenager is sitting on the edge of her bed, back to the wall, glaring. "As if I can…"
"Oh, we both know that you can. You only need to say the word." Harley gives her a patronizing look before pulling a chair to sit. "Now, why don't you want to leave this place?"
"Who are you again?"
"Oh, I forgot to introduce myself. Your new therapist, Dr. Harley Quinn." Harley stops her sitting movement and reaches to extend her hand to Wanda
"..." Wanda looks at Harley up and down with clear scrutiny. The woman is wearing a casual version of her clown costume. "You don't look like a therapist…"
"I heard that before. Therapist of superheroes now, so I guess it is appropriate to wear my own costume." Harley says while smotting her clothes, not that it needs because it is very tight.
"Then you are in the wrong place. I'm not a superhero."
"Hard to get by, aren't we? Superhero is just a broad term… I can help anyone with powers, after all, a normal therapist is not prepared to deal with our baggage, right?"
"...I guess you are right." Wanda shrugs "Eidolon sent you?" She asks to confirm
"Yep, Eidolon approved. You can trust me." Harley salutes "And if you don't, I don't mind getting that trust."
"..." If dictionaries had images, Wanda's eyes would be on the word "distrust". Not distrust of Harley per se, but more in the help the woman can give her.
She has zero faith that this therapy session will be worth something.
Harley saw that, of course. It happened with Bruce Banner, and it will happen again and again, with every "super" she steps up to happen. All of them with their egos, their individuality, and that sense of "no one can understand me".
"Why don't we just start with a casual talk?" Harley makes a show of dropping her professional items and adopts a friendly stance.
That is not the first, and it will not be the last time, she will prove them wrong.
......….
"Huff That guys is more closed off than a nun's legs." Harley says to herself after the end of the session.
In her profession, the hardest challenges are the ones that doesn't talk. Any good therapist can deal with screaming, lies, manipulation, breakdowns… Each word is another piece of a puzzle. Even smaller reactions can be enough for a good therapist.
Wanda's attitude almost reminded Harley of Batman. Just closed mouth and glaring eyes.
"Well, don't be discouraged, Harley. You are gonna crack that emo teen eventually." She cheers herself "Talking about emo teens…" She stops in front of the Xavier Mansion and rings the bell.
The day is only starting for her.
......
Harley has a good relationship with the women of the mansion, despite their initial impression of her. The therapist gained their respect and friendship with just a few talks. When she was not trying to annoy everyone, she could be a social butterfly.
She came here to the obligatory therapy session with Laura, Jean, and Rogue. And also scheduling for next week for anyone who also wants to talk with her. Unfortunately, today she had to see Wanda, but next time she can arrive earlier.
"...I feel that there's something that I'm forgetting… but I'm too scared to use my powers." Lying on the reclined chair, Jean tries to explain this gnawing suspicion that has grown inside her constantly.
"Afraid of your inexperience with your powers or afraid of what you are gonna discover?" Harley questions
"..." Jean pauses "That is a good question… I mean, there's a natural fear of messing up with my mind. It's something really serious, right? But I think most of my hesitation comes from discovering what is…"
"A natural reaction… it happens a lot in the medical field, but different from a disease, maybe what is bothering you is not fatal. Discovering earlier can obviously be a good way to solve this issue as soon as possible… But like with the fear of messing with your brain, waiting and improving the mastery of your powers and your mental health can also help in dealing with this issue more easily and safely."
"..."
"Now the choice is in your hands… It's about how you feel. Can you ignore this feeling? Or is it too urgent? Or maybe you can go choose a middle ground and just slowly probe your memories."
"That last one sounds like the best path…" Jean comments
"We also need to think about why you are forgetting something. From where this feeling is coming from… Repressed memories because of trauma? Misuse of your telepathy? The origin is just as important… it can give us clues of what is and show ways to solve this issue."
"Like how?"
"Like revisiting places of your past. That is how it normally goes with repressed memories, but we still are not even sure that it is memories…" Harley changes tabs on her tablet. "A common aspect of powers like yours, which can acquire knowledge and information, is that sometimes your brain can erase some previous information to make space for new information. Maybe that is what happened with your memories because you unconsciously and uncontrollably read other people's minds in the past."
"Really?? That is scary…"
"The chances are low now that your brain is more developed, maybe it happened when you were a child. There's also the possibility that maybe you are forgetting memories that are not yours from the beginning…" Harley suggests "And this feeling of incongruence coming from you not understanding what you are and what the others are."
"I haven't thought about that…" Jean comments whole, thinking deeply. "So my brain is unconsciously erasing the information that was automatically downloading during all those years. Trying to remember who I am."
"It is a possibility, yes."
"There are too many possibilities…" Jean sighs
"That is what happens when you put meta-powers in the equation… everything is possible." Harley gives her a smile. "Luckily, we have Eidolon's notes to give us a north… Oh, the time is up!"
"Too bad… Thank you for the session, Harley." Jeans slowly sits up, a satisfied smile on her face. She learned to enjoy this therapy.
"Anytime, dear. Practice some introspection this week, try to isolate what you're feeling and identify them. Try to see if is really yours or maybe a remnant of someone else," Harley waves "And send Rogue to me. Bye bye~"
"Okay, I will. Bye." Jean waves and leaves as the door closes behind her.
"...Even recommending her to take it easy, I can't slow the discovery for too long." Harley sighs "Panacotta dear, will get all paranoid with the report…"
It doesn't take long after she organized her notes for the door to open again and Rogue to enter.
"Excuse me…" The goth meta slowly walks into the room.
"Welcome, girl. How was your week?" Harley asks with a mysterious smile. She was looking forward to talking with the southern belle.
"Er… Ahem Somethin' happened…" Rogue says a little bashfully while sitting down
"Hmm~ I know." Harley's smile widens.
"Ya do?" Rogue looks like a deer in headlights
"Of course, I do." Harley continues to smile
"..." Rogue finally catches up, her eyes widening. "Ya are one of them, righ'? Ya are one o' Eidolon's girls."
Harley stands up, turns around, and does something that Rogue was not expecting in a thousand years. She peels off her pants to show her thong-clad pale ass. "What do ya think?"
"Wha-?!" Rogue blushes and splutters, but her eyes zero in on the exposed cheeks, especially on the tattoo.
Eidolon's symbol, the spiral with the "E".
"Do ya like it?" Harley asks while shaking her booty before raising her pants "I can change it pretty easily. Last time there was a 'Propriety of Eidolon' tattoo. He facepalms and tells me to stop, but I know he likes it." Harley laughs and sits down, going back to acting all professional.
"I… I…" Rogue is blushing heavily
"Eidolon obviously told me about you…" Harley continues to smile
"~~~" Rogue hides her face with her hands, wishing she could disappear.
"Hahahaha! Relax, girl! You are good! Let's talk about this…" Harley assures her with a relaxed laugh
"My therapist is the girlfriend of the guy I confessed to… This is too weird…" Rogue murmurs, her hands still covering her face
"Okay, speaking like that, it really seems that I need to step away as your therapist. Conflict of interests and all that." Harley is still all smiles. She stands up and goes to sit close to Rogue. "So how about you talk to me like a friend? Let's gossip~"
"..." Rogue finally looks between her fingers to check Harley's face, to see if there's any trace of animosity, jealousy, or any other bad feeling in general.
But she can only see in Harley's face some amusement and complicity.
"Don't worry, girl~ I'm not jealous! It couldn't even work with the relationship dynamic that I have." She laughs "And he really told you the truth, huh? Interesting…"
"Is that a problem? Ah haven't told anyone…" Rogue asks
"No, no… It's a big secret; it's just that he is a very private person. He will not brag about it. And I think he wants to keep an image for the kids, not be a bad example, I guess… It's not like this kind of relationship can work to everyone. He is the exception." Harley explains. It will not be a secret forever, but Hector is of the mind that it is for the better the fewer people who know, the better. It's already complicated without criticism from outside.
"I imagined that it was somethin' like that…" Rogue mutters "I don't want to cause him any trouble."
"Ohh~ Aren't you cute??" Harley hugs her. "Now I know why he likes you!!"
"H-he likes me?" Rogue eyes become a little glassy. Hearing from her, it sounds more real than when Eidolon told her. For some reason, it's not like she needs to be nice to her. In truth, she has all the reason to be mean to Rogue.
"Of course! He sang praises about you… And you know why he rejected you, right?" Harley leans back from the hug to look at Rogue's face.
Rogue nods. It's not hard to guess… Even easier for her because she absorbed a lot of Eidolon's style and way of thinking.
"Then why don't we talk about the other big event of your week? Then we can come back to the gossip… Do you wanna hear some dirty things about him?" Harley whispers the last part in Rogue's ear, making the goth girl blush, but she doesn't say no. "So, how are you dealing with the fact that now you can touch everyone again?"
"Nothing changed much… I can touch my friends, and sometimes I forget that I can do that." Rogue confesses "I still need to get used to it."
"That is good, take it easy." Harley nods "Normally, someone who was deprived of something for a long time has the tendency to lose control when they taste a little of the thing they didn't have. The most common example was children with very strict parents when they have the first taste of the freedom of adulthood…"
"Are ya talkin' 'bout me becomin' a slut or somethin' like that?" Rogue raises an eyebrow, a little offended.
"That is a very crass way of talking about it, but I was talking about how you can be perceived. If you become too 'touchy' with people, especially the ones that you are not familiar with… You can gain a strange reputation." Harley doesn't mince words "I want you to not attribute your value to this new thing you acquired, Rogue. Continue like that. Don't try to make up for the time lost, be yourself… Don't fall into this trap and end up being taken advantage of by some sleazy ball."
"..."
"Believe me, I am talking about personal experience." Harley huffs loudly
"Really?" Rogue takes a good look at Harley's face… It's full of regret, something strange in the normally bubbly woman.
"Yeah, before Eidolon… Well, I let a guy do horrible things to me under the guise of gaining freedom and getting rid of my caged past. Sounds familiar?" The therapist confesses before giving Rogue a deep look
"..."
"I see myself in you a little, just a little… Take it easy, discover where you stand now that your life has changed. Don't seek any external validation before that." Harley gives some advice "That is what Eidolon wanted for you."
"That is why he rejected me…" Rogue repeats, understanding more of the hero's intention.
"Yes, he even put herself in the 'sleazy ball' category for you. He doesn't want to take advantage of you." Then Harley shows a compiratory smile. "Do you wanna know a secret? Do you wanna some advice about him?" She asks, getting closer
"... what?" Rogue wanted to say no, but she couldn't resist.
Harley puts her mouth close to Rogue's ear and whispers. "The door is still open…"
"!!"
"I know how he thinks, and I know he will keep the door open to you till the day you are ready. So here is my advice… Hold the fort, don't try to become someone you are not. He likes the real you, Rogue."
"I…"
"I mean, if you continue to like him even after your options expand." Harley backs off with a little shrug "I think that is the real test. If you like someone else, go for it, but don't go out with anyone just to feel wanted. Believe in me. That is a trap. You will feel dirty forever." Harley sighs "But if you really like him, just be yourself, exactly how you are… I am 100% sure that he will come back for you."
"..." Rogue is really trying to keep herself from smiling, but she can feel the corners of her lips twitching.
"And then we will be sisters!!" Harley laughs loudly, shaking Rogue
"I'm still not sure about that part…" Rogue admits
"Hm? he told me that you accepted it." Harley tilts her head, confused
"Yes, Ah did…" Rogue looks down, embarrassed. "But it was kinda in the heat of the moment… Thinking better about it, it is complicated, right? I kinda jumped the gun… It was dumb…"
"Pfft, he really did the right thing for you, huh?"
"..." When Rogue thinks about it, yes. The guy really predicted her future reactions. "How is it?" Rogue gathers some courage to ask "How is… sharin'?"
That makes Harley smile like the Cheshire Cat. "Do you want details?"
"Eh?
"The dirty details?" Harley's eyes go crazy
"Erm... ah…" Rogue is getting redder than Jean's hair at this point.
"I don't mind telling you…" Harley's smile becomes even more teasing and sly. "For example, after my job here is done… I will meet him tonight for my reward~" She twirls the tip of one of her twin tails with her fingers, her face being clear about what she is talking about.
"Gulp Reward?" Rogue couldn't stop herself from asking, getting equally excited and embarrassed.
"~~" That is the moment that Harley knew she had her. "Oh girl, let me tell you where you are getting yourself into… Spoiler alert: You will love it!"
...........
A.N.:Hello there.
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