...…..
Rogue P.O.V.
"That was horrible…" Rogue says to Harley after hearing an abridged version of her past. The teen meta's face shows disgust and empathy for the older woman.
"Right? Pretty nasty and abusive… Looking back, I wish that I could slap myself or hug the old Harley. I don't know…" Harley shrugs "It's the boiling frog metaphor, you didn't notice how bad things got as they gradually get worse, and then you are too deep to pull back unless something really big happens."
Rogue takes her words as a serious warning. Despite being a therapy session, Harley flipped the script and ended up being the one opening up, all so that Rogue doesn't fall into the same trap.
"But well, things ended well… It was an experience, I lived two extremes. Too uptight and too loose, and now I have my panacotta to help with the balance." Harley says almost dreamily. "Maybe that is why I was a special case, and he took matters into his hands when we met. Very proactive coming from him, I would say. He took control of my life… and don't look at me like that, I trust him to do that."
"Erm… If it works for ya…" Rogue speaks very embarrassed. Those words "taking control" make her imagine all kinds of scenarios in her head.
"It does… I want that strong grip on my life, grabbing my hair and turning my head in the right direction…" Harley says with a breathy voice
'Okay, she is doing that on purpose!' Rogue is blushing now
"From an outside perspective, it can look bad, but it is not like that. In truth, I have all the freedom I need. He allowed me to be myself, oscillating between the two spectrums, but not letting me stray too far into one." The therapist explains "I gave up the control to him, and ironically, it made me feel much freer because I don't need to worry about that. You, on the other hand, don't have it, so you know that you should be careful, right?"
"Right…" Rogue nods.
"Despite moving forward and accepting my past, I still carry a lot of regrets… Regrets that you don't need to have."
"..." In silence, Rogue nods again gratefully. "I-I see what you are doing, thank you for sharing." She starts with some hesitation, even a little shame "The truth is… After being able to touch again… After the initial excitement… it kinda felt a little… underwhelming." She confesses
"Hm, go on…" Harley says patiently, not even reaching for anything to take notes, just listening.
"Maybe I was expecting a little more…. It's just that nothing changed. I continued doing the same things, routine… Now that I heard you, I noticed that my thoughts are leaning toward me doing something big, you know? To enjoy more, maybe going out, get to know new people… I haven't put much thought into that, and now I notice that it was a dangerous mindset to have."
"Well, it was a little reckless, trying to force some change before you acclimate to your new reality. Mistakes would inevitably happen, but that is part of life… the problem would be if something big happened, something that would scar you." Harley comments "Despite what I said, I hope that you don't take it as a reason to close off to the new world that opened to you… Our talk today was a good opportunity for you to organize your thoughts and feelings before stepping into this new phase of your life."
"Yeah, yeah. I see that now, it was a very good epiphany… At the right moment." Rogue says "I was… I was even having some… You know, before I had my powers as the reason why I was boring, reclusive, introverted… Now that I didn't have that excuse, and I didn't change, I couldn't help but think that maybe I was simply this…" She points at herself "...boring and… lame… and…" Rogue almost looks like she is gonna cry.
"..." The woman part of Harley wants to immediately console the teen and say that she is not lame and all that, but the therapist in her knows that she needs to let it out.
"I… I hated how I was… But I was, like… comfortable knowing that I couldn't change shit! That it was not my fault! Out of my control!" Rogue is now crying, tears running through her cheeks and smudging her eyeliner. "Now it was on me! And I was desperate! And what you said! It was like I saw a vision of the future! Me! Becoming something… something…" She couldn't finish because she is full-on sobbing now, ugly crying.
As Rogue hides her face to cry her heart out, Harley doesn't resist and puts a supportive hand on the teen's shoulder, but doesn't interrupt.
After some minutes, as Rogue calms down, Halrye gives her a tissue and says.
"Have a little more confidence, Rogue. You are at the age that you are allowed to make mistakes, and you have plenty of friends who would be able to pull you back on the right track." Harley assures her "You are trying to change, to better yourself… Just understand that positive change does not happen from one day to another, different from negative changes that can be quick and merciless. It's unfair, but that's how the world works."
After Rogue is much calmer, Harley takes her official seat as a therapist and continues.
"Everything you are feeling is normal, don't think yourself strange or a loser for having them. Especially that underwhelming feeling that you had, that disillusionment or disappointment. Schopenhauer explained that… The anxiety of having and the boredom of possessing. It happens all the time, from little purchases in this capitalist world to lovers who yearn to meet each other again."
"That makes sense…" Rogue comments weakly
"It's an oscillation that will eventually stabilize. Unfortunately, reality rarely keeps up with our fantasies. Your ideas of how your life would get much better after this particular change - the ability to touch people again - will not be concretized with only that. You will need to be happy with yourself first. The change shouldn't be a condition, but an addition to your good quality of life. That is why people can buy and buy, and never be satisfied; they are not tackling the real issue."
"..." Rogue pauses to stare at Harley. "When you talk like that, I remember that you are a therapist…" She says almost shyly, regretting a little, thinking that she can be misinterpreted as looking down on her.
But Harley just laughs loudly "I'm THE therapist, girl~ Anyway, you must have realized that the issue is not your power."
"It's me, right?"
"Don't talk like you are the problem." Harley interrupts to correct "You HAVE problems. The trauma of almost killing the boy you kissed, the ostracization… You are a victim of the circumstances, but I need to ask you…" Harley leans forward seriously. "Did your power really hold you back that much?"
"!! Yes! I mean… Of course…" Rogue stammers.
"If you look at it from an objective - remember, objective - point of view, beyond complicating human relationships, your power really would not change your way of life by that much. I, obviously, understand that walking on eggshells not to hurt other people is pretty taxing, but try to think of something that you can do now that you couldn't before? I'm talking about fun things… not counting dates and similar."
"..." Rogue pauses "I… can take a full bus, for example…"
"Fun things, Rogue. Like partying, like sports…"
"Yes, partying… it was impossible. I don't care much about sports though…"
"Because you could bump into someone on the dance floor? I can think of some ways to deal with it, like a bodysuit beneath your clothes."
"But I didn't want to risk it…"
"I understand…" Harley says, before hearing the beep announcing the end of the session "I will give you an exercise, Rogue. I want you to make a list of everything that you want to do, and that you think you are incapable of accomplishing before. Anything and everything… From clothes that you want to wear, to stealing a kiss from Eidolon." She smiles slyly
"~~~~" Rogue blushes
"I want you to think in ways you could have lived to your desires even with your powers, and plans to live now that you have control over it. Maybe, just maybe, you are a prisoner in your own mind, and things are not as bad as they look."
"..." It's like Rogue had a revelation. The more she thinks about it…
"I also don't want you to dwell on the time lost. Do not drown in regret or get too antsy to make up for the lost time… this exercise is for you to reflect on the relationship that you have with your power, maybe you never really need to turn it off to be happy… but that is only my guess, I'm not you and can't know what you have been through. You will have to use the gift of hindsight and reflect on it by yourself. To focus on what you could have done even with the limitations of your powers and what you are free to do now… The weight of the two. And really face the fact that maybe you never tried, maybe you are afraid of trying… That is okay and understandable. But if we are going to move forward, it's time for you to take control and accountability of your actions, past and future."
Rogue is a little overwhelmed with everything she heard today, so she absently says her goodbyes to Harley Quinn. But despite her head feeling heavy with thoughts, her heart is a little lighter after this session.
...…
Hector P.O.V.
Victoria Wingate is the name of the poor woman.
Victim of some satanic cult, her body was brutalized, dark rituals were performed on her flesh, and glyphs were imbued on her womb so that she could bear demonic children and yearn for "Satan".
Such a tragic tale of a random woman… Yes, random. Even though her family is satanists, she is not the one at fault. She did not have any dealings with occultism on a personal level; she was just unlucky to be born in the wrong circumstances.
Something that can happen to anyone. Anyone.
That is why I can't let demons continue to act as they do; humans are not theirs to play. How many Victorias existed throughout the history of humanity, or how many exist now? Demons, aliens, and whatever more… Those people that treat my planet as their playground, and my race as their toys… They have no idea what is coming for them.
They can go and ask the people of the Mojo world for a clue… Oh wait, they can't, because I killed all of them.
It didn't take long to find Daimon. He is still using the Hellstrom name. Ironically, he is living in a monastery on his way to becoming a priest.
I float above the place and watch the twenty-something Daimon study in his room.
The similarities with Satana are few; only eyebrows and the shape of his face are similar. That last one is even less prominent because he is a male gaining a sharp jaw, while his sister has a much more feminine and soft shape.
He is a ginger with orange hair, six feet tall, and looks athletic, but not to comic book standards, but still impressive to someone who doesn't seem to be getting a lot of exercise. That demon lineage has its benefits even if it looks dormant now.
"Sorry, dude.. But I'm gonna invade your privacy." I don't like it, but it needs to be done.
My eyes change, and with the way I see the world.
Yep, that is there, the contained fire deep in his soul, blocked by his own mind, maybe trauma.
"Really? An inverted pentagram birthmark on his chest?" I can't help but say out loud, and that thing is big too, taking half of his torso. There's no way that he is not aware of that.
He is older than Satana, too, and probably received teachings from his father.
Two options… Or he is rejecting his demon lineage, or he doesn't remember it.
The other thing that attracts my attention is the golden ankh pendant that he carries in his pocket. That thing is passing a strange energy… It's not made of anything that I have seen before.
More fantasy metals? I like.
Okay, calm down, Hector. That thing is obviously magic in nature, so my Creation power will not be that effective, and I will feel bad for stealing from him to study for some days.
Now I need to decide… Should I go talk with him or not?
I can always read his mind… But is kind of a dick move in a guy that did nothing bad(yet), and the Ancient One said that he couldn't get much from him anyway.
There's also the risk that his father let counter-measures in his mind and soul. I do that with my subordinates, so why other people couldn't, right? The common mistake of smart people is thinking they are the only ones smart. I will not fall into this self-constructed trap.
But that doesn't answer my initial question… Should I talk with him? And how?
......….
Daimon Hellstrom
Just another uneventful day in the monastery to Daimon.
After his personal time ended, the one he used to deepen his studies because he didn't have much to do, Daimon went back to his duties. Now alone, he is cleaning the church, wondering not for the first time if he is being treated more harshly than the rest.
There are reasons for that, and he never complains… Even if it is because of something silly like his birthmark or name, or the way he is an introvert.
Deep down, he thinks he deserves it somehow. There is always an insurmountable amount of guilt weighing on his chest.
He was carrying several chandeliers on his arms, something he was able to do because he is strangely stronger than he looks, when he heard a deep voice coming from the confessionary.
"Forgive me, Father, for I have sinned…"
"..." That made him stop. Whoever is in the confessionary thought that he is a full-fledged priest that just arrived.
"Can I have a minute of your ear, Father?" The obviously male voice asks again.
He was about to deny his qualification, say that he is not a priest yet… But then he remembers that it would take some time to get the real one. Someone is asking for help now… Can he really turn it down? What if the poor soul goes away while he is calling the priest?
With a gulp and some guilt, he enters the confessionary. He can at least hear this troubled person and guide him on a better path.
"Ahem Of course, go on…" He unconsciously tries to deepen his voice and keep it serene.
"Father… Do you believe in gravity?"
"What?" The question is so out of place that he even replied with his real voice, putting all the pretenses aside.
"Huhuhu, I'm sorry… Just trying to make a joke." The voice says with some amusement
"..."
"But it is not an idiotic question either… At first, I could develop this in a philosophical talk about how people can attract each other and how their lives could change after those encounters. Like if you fall into the bosom of a problematic woman with daddy issues, and then you go to meet her brother."
"??"
"But no, I am just talking about how things are crazy nowadays, don't you think so, Father? Men flying, aliens, gods…"
"There is only one God, child." Daimon interrupts with a priest-like voice
"Huhu, of course. I'm just making the argument that nothing is like how we believed, reality is more than what we can see… And what about things that we believed previously? Are they still true? Like gravity… can I still believe what I was told, or should I seek the answer on my own?"
"..." For some reason, this question resonates with Daimon at a relatively deep level.
The man who was avoiding his past, using ignorance as armor, can't help but think about the many secrets that he carries and all the memories that he doesn't know if they are real or not.
"The truth is… I'm one of those with powers, Father." The voice admits
"!!!"
"And I did horrible things with them." It concludes with a confession.
"I see… Are you born with powers?" Daimon asks, curiosity getting the best of him, but he justifies that it is to understand the other person better.
"In some way, yes… I didn't ask for it, but after acquiring I actively sought more and more power. I did good and bad things with it, I believe more good than bad… Not that it excludes the bad."
"It's good that you think this way. You are not at fault for being who you are… " Daimon clears his throat. For some reason, it was hard to say those words. "But greed is a cardinal sin for a reason. You shouldn't let that consume you. There's still time to repent."
"Oh… That's the thing, Father. I don't want to repent." The voice says eerily calm
"..."
"I know who I am… I will never stop. Why should I go against my nature? It is suffering, you know? Fighting against what you really are."
"..."
"Obviously, I will never become a monster. I think I can balance the two, Father. My bad nature and my desire to do good… Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good… Romans 12:21. I think my good deeds will outweigh my sins in the end, so it shouldn't be a problem, right? What do you think of that?"
"I… I… Well…" Daimon stutters "The Lord abhors those who mask evil deeds as good; you should be careful." He says, like reading from his notes, but not sounding that convincing.
"Woe to those that call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness… Isaiah 5:2O." The voice says, knowing exactly from which scripture Daimon is taking the lesson from.
"You are very knowledgeable…" The apprentice priest says, trying to recover his bearings. This talk is bothering him in some way, like a bad feeling crawling under his skin, gripping his heart.
"The father's side of my family is very catholic, I read the Bible before." The voice replies with some amusement "I have to say that is not a pleasant experience, because when I read it and look at my life, I see that I'm not doing a very good job in keeping up with its teachings."
"Haha…" Daimon laughs weakly "Don't we all struggle with that?"
"Right? I can't even fake ignorance. I know very well what I am doing; the least I can do is own it." The voice sighs "Do you think that even after a life of bad deeds, I can be forgiven if everything I was justified?"
"God forgive those who confess their sins and truly regret their actions." Daimon nods with certainty
"John 1:9, right?"
"Yes."
"That is a problem, Father. In many passages, God says that, like how he has forgiven us through Christ, we should forgive others."
"Ephesians 4:31…" Daimon remembers that
"And 32…"The voice seems to nod "I was not able to do that… You know, Father. I killed people…"
"!!"
"I killed someone for revenge, I couldn't forgive him… I haven't forgiven him till now."
"This…" Daimon gulps "This is a very serious sin…"
The voice chuckles "Fun fact… Murder is a sin, but killing is not. This is written to justify self-defense and wars… In some way, I gave the person a fighting chance. So it should be okay, right?"
"Eh… sophism is not a good pair with the Bible…" Daimon speaks in an unsure tone.
"Huhu~ Sorry. Well, that is not my only sin, so it doesn't matter."
"Do you want to confess?"
"I can try… But I don't want to keep you here for hours, Father."
"..."
"I kill people, the ones that deserve… And yes, I know that it's not my place to judge, but someone has to do it, right? We can't expect God to do all the work. The worst of criminals, some that would make you vomit if I describe what they do to innocent people." The voice says gravely.
Daimon was about to quote the part of the Bible about that when the voice interrupted again.
"Father, I also have some pride, but I think it's just on the normal level; the same can be said about gluttony. I can at least say for sure that I am almost free of envy, sloth, and wrath… but my greed and lust know no bounds. I want everything. Not as much that I would steal or take from others, but I at least want what everyone else has… But is it okay if I share back? I share a lot, and I plan to share more in the future."
"I… I'm not sure. Giving is always a virtue, especially to the less fortunate."
"That's good… My greed is mostly harmless; it only pushes me through self-improvement. But Lust father… Forgive me because I'm lustful."
"...tell me more."
"I lay with multiple women, Father. I'm polygamous."
"That… That is not well seen by men or God." Daimon says horrified
"I know, I know… I can't help myself. I tried, I swear that I tried, but they love me and I love them. The sin of tricking them and playing with their hearts is one that I do not carry. The problem is when my lust walks side by side with my greed, Father. I covet other women even though I already have so many of them… And I will never be sharing."
"Do you… covet your neighbors' wives?" Daimon asks, trying to find something not so accusing of this guy's mistakes.
"More or less… It's wrong to covet their future wives?"
"Are you talking about fiancées?"
"Hmm, no…" The voice sounds like it is thinking deeply about how to answer "I can give an example… There, this one, Father. Such a good woman, beautiful, kind, a big heart… She liked another man for a long time, but since we interacted, I also noticed her attraction for me. I think she is torn between the two of us, but the other guy is not making any effort. Frankly, deep in my heart, I think he is unworthy of her. It would really be so wrong to love her as she deserves?"
"That… That is a difficult question. In any other circumstance, it would be fair for you to court her, but you…" Daimon hesitates
"But I am a creature of lust with already multiple women, I know…" The voice sounds almost sad. "That is why I don't make moves… I know that polygamy is not for everyone, but… Well, I don't want to sound like a braggart, but more and more ladies are falling for me. Is it wrong to reciprocate their feelings? Of all of them?"
Daimon gulps. "Polygamy is not explicitly condemned in the Bible, but there are many cautionary tales about it. The outcomes are rarely good."
"I do my best to make them happy, it's not only lust, Father. I really learn to love and respect them… By the way, do you think it would be possible to get married in a church with all of them?"
Daimon splutters, almost choking on his own spit "That… that would be difficult…"
"I see, what a pity… Sometimes I think ahead, you know? Think about the things that they are giving up to stay with me? I want to provide the best, but sometimes it is not possible. How can they be special in their wedding, if their big day is to be shared among other women? And if I separate the dates, will my 10th marriage still be as special as the first?" The voice really looks regretful.
"You put a lot of thought into that…"
"Of course, they are my girls… I don't want them to feel inferior to any other women in any way for choosing to stick with me. They have parents, brothers, and all that. I don't even want to imagine how their family would think… What father and brother would like seeing their daughter and sister marrying a dude with a harem? I know that you don't have a daughter… but do you have a sister, Father?" The voice asks, his question in a completely different tone from the rest of his rant.
"I… Well…" Daimon can feel his head throb. He hasn't thought about that for more than a decade. "Y-yes… I have a sister…" Those words are so strange coming out of his mouth that they almost sound like lies. It's like they are remembering this fact just now. His eyes were trembling wildly
"I see, I don't have one, so I don't know how it is… But I bet you wouldn't feel good to know your sister is only one of multiple women that some guy has… Don't you think so?"
"I… I… I don't think I have the right to decide that…" Daimon says with a hollow voice, eyes unblinking, while he stares at the dark space in front of them
"Oh… I guess that can be true. I just thought that more than begrudging acceptance, I would want real approval. Family is important, right?"
"..." Family is important… Not for the first time, complicated feelings appear from Daimon's chest.
"I mean… There are obvious exceptions; sometimes family can be horrible, but… Do you remember what I talked about Gravity earlier? The force of attraction on all leaving beings? Family is literally the first people that we are attracted to, the first that we meet… It's not an exaggeration to say that this meeting decides a good part of how our lives will go. I would at least give a chance to family before cutting them off completely, and in this case, making one of my girls cut their family off because of me doesn't sound right… What do you think?"
"...Blood is indeed thicker than water…" Daimon says slowly
"Ah yes, do you know of the recent interpretations? Some said that the original phrase says the complete opposite… The blood of the covenant is thicker than the water of the womb. In the end, Family is what we choose. We can just choose to keep the original one presented to us by gravity or life, right? It's all about free will. I am a big defender of people having their autonomy to make their own choices, and this includes keeping relations with their family… Is it lonely here in the monastery? Do you keep in contact with your family? With your sister?"
"N-No…" Daimon answers without thinking
"I see, I'm not gonna pry. Everyone has their own circumstances, I just hope that you are doing what you want and what is best for you." In the ending, the voice gets a strange intonation that pulls on Daimon's heartstrings. Or maybe it's just because he is getting dizzy…
Daimon is developing a headache, some flashes of memory appearing on the front of his mind, together with faces that he thought he had forgotten. Faces so clear that they are almost like he saw them today.
And together with that, some painful feelings come too…
"I'm sorry if I'm ranting, Father. It's just that is so rare for me to be honest with people… I keep a double life, you know?" The voice interrupts, cutting through the fog of bad thoughts and bringing Daimon back to reality. "It's kinda refreshing. Never thought going into a confessionary really helped… Religion is indeed the opium of the people."
"Erm… I'm glad that I can help." Daimon tries to steady his voice
"I hope this talk can help you as much as it helps me… Daimon." The voice changes again, to a deeper one
"!?!!"
"Stay where you are… Don't move, don't shout, and just listen to me. I'm not gonna hurt you."
"..."
"Sorry for the redundant approach, I wanted to see the true you, without putting up a facade. People normally don't hide their true selves from people in lower standings than them… And what is lower than a poor sinner?"
"I…"
"It's okay, don't say anything… I got all my answers from your reactions."
"..."
"I understand now that your disconnection with your past is both a choice and an unconscious defense mechanism." The voice explains to him "You know what I'm talking about, huh? Deep down, you know it… Are you lying to yourself and treating what you remember as some crazy delusions of a child? Maybe a dream? Or deep down you just don't want to face it?"
"..." Daimon opens his mouth to say something
"Once again, no need to answer…" The voice interrupts before Daimon can say anything "Now I'm on a pitch here, Daimon… Maybe I'm wrong by dropping this on your - for now - peaceful life, but you are already questioning things, right? As I said, the world is becoming crazy… You are already looking back and thinking that maybe it was not a dream or delusion, right?"
"..." Now he only remains in silence
"You have two choices now, keep things as you are, or seek the truth… I can't say what the right move is… but me particularly, I would not like to be in the dark in case my past comes to haunt me suddenly, and let's be honest… the past always comes back to haunt us, huh? Ignorance is bliss, but it also can be a painful sentence, much more painful than reliving your past… the past already happened, you can't change it, but you can prevent the future from getting worse by acquiring knowledge, understanding it, and learning from your past…"
"..." The voice is very convincing, really making Daimon think about everything
"I can imagine how it is… The world says that you are evil; everything says that you are evil. It happens all the time with protesters claiming that metas are demons. To you, it will be even worse, Daimon."
"..." He always thought about that…
"You don't need to be what you are born to be… You can be whoever you want." The voice says, This time the tone is much kinder. "Your actions define what you are. Things can get a little confused, the line between good and evil becoming blurry, you may start questioning yourself and everything… Even the Bible only asked How can light and darkness share the same room?"
"From Corinthians 6 and something…" Daimon mumbles
"Yes, 14 and 15 to be more exact. I think this passage is too much negationist. Who wrote the Bible never considered that people like me would come to exist, I guess... Light and darkness can very well share the same room, if the room is big enough, if it has many things inside… Isn't this like a human heart? Full of everything we carry, sometimes carrying deep shadows born from our experiences. If there's light, there's darkness; this is obvious… You just have to have a heart big enough to hold the two, and a mind strong enough to choose what is right. Life is about balancing. If you are simply hiding, you should ask yourself if you are even living at this point."
"..."
"Well, that is it… I don't want absolution, Daimon. No one can give me that… but maybe you can find one for yourself. Be careful when doing that, though…" The tone of finality made Daimon jump from his seat and move quickly to the door of the confessionary, to try to see who was on the other side before they left.
Bam But even after opening the door with an unnecessary amount of force, he only finds it empty.
Daimon stays there, breathing hard, thoughts going beyond the speed of sound, thinking about everything that he heard. Each word is like a rock that hits the bottom of a lake, making the sand of memories float up to the surface.
His head throbs and his chest tightens… He really can't go on like this.
He needs to know, he needs to distinguish what is false and what is reality.
To move forward, he needs to go back to his past.
......…..
Hector P.O.V.
I observe Daimon's face go through a lot of emotions while he clutches that ankh of his tightly. Finally, his features settle into one of resolve, and with one last deep breath, he walks away.
I still don't know if I did the right thing to interfere… Sometimes people have to go on their own rhythm, and I'm all in favor of letting things happen naturally.
But sometimes I know that I need to take a leap of faith and try to change things for the better with my influence; I have this power.
It's like with Emma Frost. In an alternate timeline, she would be a villain for maybe some years before she settles in becoming the good Emma Frost of the comics before I come here.
Meeting me, the fact that I brought the cuckoos much earlier into her life… I think that made her skip her "villain arc". The years of being an X-Men antagonist before she settled on the side of the good guys are not necessary anymore.
Shaw is dead, and she has her daughters earlier; no need for more character growth for her to realize that being a full villain is not what she really wants for her life.
And humbly, I put a good portion of the credit for that on my shoulders.
Eidolon is a great deterrent against villainy. She is smart enough not to pick an obviously losing side. Maybe she is still greedy and has a hidden agenda like her villainous version, but I already saw her surprisingly nurturing and protective side coming to light.
I almost gave her a pep talk "You are not a villain, Emma. You are a mommy."
Obviously, deep down, Emma and Daimon are victims of my interference because I value the safety of the world and prefer fewer villains than more, of course. And I'm not a psychopath who will just kill everyone.
I have an almost clear picture of this complicated family dynamic - it seems all Marvel families are like that - and my gut is telling me to try to separate Daimon and Satana from their father's influence while I can. At least, Daimon.
Abandoned, mother killed… He should be aware of everything before his father tries to pull some bullshit excuse, so that he can hate Marduk and not become an ally.
Satana is more complicated… but for now, I can use her to try to get information. My unaware spy…
"I will need to be sure to know where she stands in the family…" Does she obey her father? From devotion? Brainwash? Fear? What does she think of her brother?
Those two can be the key to defeating a Hell-Lord much earlier than I planned.
Let's go back to do the finishing touches on my demon bodies. I want to go back to Hell…
"Hm? What strange thing to think…"
......….
Space Station
Cloning Laboratory
I'm not in a dilemma while I stare at the three nurturing pods in front of me.
"Go with the muscly one!" Nemesis shouts
"The middle one is the best, Master." Cortana suggests.
I hold my chin between my fingers while analyzing my options.
With the little time I had in hand, I created three demon bodies that I can use. All of them are very different from each other.
From the right to the left, the "muscly one" that Nemesis suggested I use is incredibly muscular. I'm talking about being bigger than the Hulk. Red skin, even redder - almost violet - hair that is slick back like a mane - like Uvogin's hair - and a single horn on its forehead.
It looks like a generic orc or cyclops that you would find in a fantasy story; it even has two big tusks protruding from the lower teeth. It looks nothing like me.
The one in the middle - that Cortana suggested - is very much similar to the Seraphim Sephiroth I made in the One Piece world. This one looks a lot like me, but with blue skin, muscular, two big horns curving in the forehead, long white hair flowing smoothly, but it has hooves and bat-like wings in the back.
Now that I'm looking at it again, I kinda designed it like Illidan. I will add some scars later…
The one on my left, that no one liked, is pretty much a little monster. It is bald and pale, almost luminescent, with sharp teeth and two small horns on the forehead. Thin limbs, round hollow eyes, long fingers, claws, a devil-like tail.
It's like a Nosferatu, a very ghoulish-like demon.
"Hmmm~"
"The middle one is the cooler." Cortana reaffirms her suggestion. I agree with her. "Beffiting to you, Master."
"But so boring~ Go for the brute! It's not like your mind changes, right? It will be funny to see a demon looking like that, talking smoothly and politely like you! Hahaha!" Nemesis explains her reason while laughing
"Thank you for the insight, girls, but when you consider that it is kind of a 'scout mission' the less conspicuous should be the obvious choice." I turn to the ghoul's body.
"Really? That one is so ugly…" Nemesis says in distate
"I don't care about that…" Even when I created my avatars in games, I only did three types… Beautiful versions of me, replicating existing characters, or disgusting abominations that not even an eldritch mother could love.
Well, sometimes I made hot girls too, but that is in very rare moments.
Anyway, I'm not strange to looking weird. "The other two are too eye-catching." I comment
"Depending on where you go, maybe looking weak can be eye-catching on itself, Master." Cortana points out
"That is also true, but I can always intimidate them in subtle ways if things escalate… Like with Haki or magical power. The Nosferatu-looking one is the one with the most normal size, too. Even the middle one that looks like me is two and a half meters tall.
"Well, if you don't care about looking like a baldy crackhead…" Nemesis shrugs
"The bald part annoys me more, but a man needs to be prepared to go bald at any time." I joke.
I don't hesitate anymore, going to my chair and getting ready to possess my new body, I already made the modifications that I need, it's not really strong and to my standards, but it has a lot of bombs.
That is all I need.
......…
Hell
"Who the fuck are you?" Satana stares at my new form.
My thin body is wrapped in loose robes that scream "sorcerer", but without any ornament or anything elaborate. Just a simple black robe that looks too big to me.
"You know who I am…" I say, my voice a little scratchy. I didn't hide that I came. Oh, I still haven't given her a name… I need to think about which one I will use.
"Yes, but what the fuck! You can really do that, huh?" She looks me up and down "Ugly as fuck by the way."
"Just taking a form that can blend around. Can't do much if demons are normally ugly." I shrug, letting my racism for demons out. "Let's go over it. Here is the contract that I prepared." I pull a stack of papers
"What the- Dude, is this the Bible?" Her eyes widen comically while grabbing the papers.
"Just making sure that is a very tight contract, for our peace of mind."
"I'm not reading all that." She sassily shakes her hand
"Then let's make the pact without you reading… A drop of blood, right?" I may sound too eager because she looks at me suspiciously
"..." She stares at me for a good minute before accusing "You put some shit here to backstab me…"
"Do you really think I would do that?"
"Absolutely." She doesn't hesitate for a second.
"Your distrust wounds my fragile heart…" I put a hand over my chest, my thin limbs and weak voice giving me a pitiful appearance, I am sure of it.
"..." But Satana is not buying the act.
"Then just read it, woman. You are so complicated." I roll my sunken eyes while making sure she is watching it.
"..." She must have noticed that we are going in circles, so she bit her lip and didn't talk anymore. "I'm gonna read every word of this shit, and if there's something fishy here… hmpf!" She waves the stack of papers in my face
"I am an upright person. I'm just defending myself from all the tricks your kind can use."
"Hmpf, why can't we make a simple one and trust each other?"
"You are literally the daughter of Satan!" I point out
"Hmm, that is reasonable…" She finally nods and goes to read the contract. "But you don't need to be so mean about it. Geez~" She continues without taking her eyes off the papers
"..." She is literally a college mean girl. In my mind's eye, I can almost see her chewing a gun loudly. "Do you even know how to read?"
She looks at me like she wants to squeeze my organs out of my body. "Shut the fuck up. For your information, I'm super smart!"
"..." This is exactly what a clueless bimbo would say.
Luckily for all of us, she proves herself, reading everything at a pretty fast speed, her pupils moving at each line in record time.
Ah yes, high-level demons are bound to be smart, right? They are naturally cunning and all that.
But still takes forty minutes for her to read everything.
There's nothing very complicated, just a lot of specifics in ways she can't screw me and I can't screw her. Okay, that is a lie… I'm absolutely screwing her with this contract. Something she should be noticing because the veins on her forehead are increasing in number.
"Bring the contractor's knowledge to a standard of a high level demon… Be truthful about all information given… Visit at least a hundred inhabited realms…" She reads some of the exigencies. "Do you want me to work for you to death??"
"I'm pretty smart, I will catch things fast." I want at least a year with her before I need to honor my part of the deal.
"And you are just gonna take me to the human world after all that! And look at those restrictions after I am there! The hired should not hurt humans. The hired can't bring any other demon with her. The hired should inform the contractor of her whereabouts!! What the fuck?" She looks at me angrily "And what if I discover my own way to move between Hell and Earth? I will still be bound by this shit!"
Completely reasonable crashout, but I keep my voice and face calm "I'm just doing this thinking of humanity's safety. If you really don't intend to hurt them, it shouldn't be that hard to accept the terms."
My gaslighting only makes her angrier.
"We are going to review this contract now!" She shouts while shaking the thing on my face
"Ugh, fine…" I sigh dramatically, but I expected that much. "That is what 'bargain' is, anyway."
In negotiation, you never start playing fair. Obviously, I will put some unfair exigencies that I will not mind cutting off to make me look more amenable. If I predicted it right, things will still end up pretty favorable to me.
Satana brings me to a small table with two chairs, and we start discussing the contract… This is only the prelude to my Hell Arc.
I bet nothing will go wrong~ I'm being sarcastic by the way, Marvel. I'm not jinxing or raising flags if I'm using irony.
Meh, who do I want to fool? This is Marvel… Just throw whatever you want at me.
I didn't come to Hell in peace anyway.
...
A.N.:Hello there.
If you like this story, consider supporting me in the p.a.t.r.e.o.n... There are chapters ahead there.
Here is the Link: (without spaces)
patreon . com / Evans 269
Hope you all enjoyed it, make a comment because interaction motivates me to keep writing. Thanks for reading.
Till next time and stay good y'all.
Bye Bye~