Donny slowly walked through the crowded club, the strobing lights doing nothing to help his splitting headache. His mouth that was cleared of most of it teeth trailed blood on the booming dance floor. He kept his hands close to his chest, both of them throbbing with unimaginable pain that no matter how many painkillers he ingested (he had to ask one of the civilians to grab it from his glove box and then pour the warm water down his throat so he can swallow the pill. And they had to awkwardly reach into his pocket to get the money he promised them.) still completely kills him.
But he made it to The Diamond Pulse. The heart and soul of Hodia.
The inner design and architecture of the biggest and most lavish night club in Hopdia always brought a sense of peace to Donny on most nights. It was more like he was walking into a museum more than an actual night club just from the view alone. From the gorgeous and tantalizing statues of Veju to the pieces of high price abstract art that was hung on the walls, when the strobe lights hit them it creates a surreal effect all over the dance floor and bar area. It wasn't just the trippy visuals, it effected everyone mentally and physically. Especially when the lights are red or pink, he swore that he ascended to a higher state of existence where everyone was fuckable.
Donny's eyes caught glimpse of the painting of Veju that was the largest among the paintings, the only colors used were the deepest of browns, a abyssal black, and a blood red and the shiniest of gold.
You think this is just a overexhrageration but no. Veju herself requested of the painter to use more unconventional means to truly portray even a fraction of her radiant beauty. The unknown painter enamored by her voice and beauty did as she asked. They scoured everywhere for the right material, risking death itself to grab the black from the fractured universe's edge, don't ask Donny how he did it, he only heard this story from Mikhali. The gold itself was smelted, use to paint the gorgeous dreadlocks of the Titan along with her golden earrings. The red came from the painter's own blood.
Boss Mikhali always spoke highly of her in the rare times the conversation would turn to the subject of this Titan.
"I mean she terrifying as all hell but she also a beaut. No denying that." Donny thought, feeling really light-headed.
What always stuck out to Donny however, was the large goat horns that protruded out of Veju's head.
"At first i thought she was some sort of Goddess of the Anthromorphs, but she doesn't have any other animal trait beside the goat horns. Deities are weird like that i suppose. Which reminds me that there is another very sexy deity that shares almost the same skin complexion, some hot chick that commands thunder. I always thought of moving to the land where she resides, it seems calm. Shit…it fucking hurts." Donny thought as he was suddenly stopped by two guards wearing crisp suits. One of them grimace at the sight of Donny's hands. They escorted him to the secret lounge in the back.
"AW RIGHT EVERYONE! IN CELEBRATION OF THE MAUVILLA FINALLY BEING SLAIN, HERE A LITTLE TUNE TO CELEBRATE WHAT WE WILL BE DOING ONCE THE OCEANS ARE CLEAN." The DJ Roared out to the crowd who got hyped the hell up and cheered, making the whole floor vibrate.
The Dj put on a song called Ocean Man. And everyone let loose. Falling into the rhythm as they sway back and forth, moving their arms like a ocean wave. Donny would have joined them but you know.
But still, Donny found himself automatically nodding his head to the rhythm despite the pain he was in. That is the power of music for ya.
Once he got to the back door, two more security guards wearing metal fox masks stood before him. They took one look at the pitiful state of him and just motioned him to follow them. Donny did so, his heart dropping a little bit. He would have broken out in a sweat if he weren't so dehydrated. That one gulp of water didn't do much. His partner was always warning him about drinking more water.
"If i make it through this, then i will drink water everyday. Every hour even." Donny said in his head, trying to comfort his soul.
The once vibrant music faded into complete and suffocating silence as Donny was escorted to his boss. Not his father, but his father's superior.
Mikhali sat in a fancy and comfortable black velvet chair. A beautiful and serious looking nurse wearing a pale pink sexy nurse uniform and with raven colored wavy hair tended to his many wounds with the precision of a professional. He was shirtless, revealing a very chiseled body, six pack abs meticulously sculpted. Makes sense because Mikhali was a fan of ab crunches and core building.
"I was always more of a stair-master guy myself, also not to mention finger curls and thumb stretches. Have to prevent carpal tunnel at all costs!" Donny thought with a grin before taking one look at his hands and falling right back into the void of despair.
He raised his head towards Donny, a new mask adorned on his face. This one primary color was black with streaks of white swirling around the eye, hints of red at the bottom right corner of the mask remienciest of fire more than blood as Donny first thought. His hair now neatly combed and slicked back.
"Donny. You've seen better days." Mikhali said with a light tone, leaning forward just a little.
"Yeah well…you should see the other guy." Donny replied back casually, holding back vomit. He pretty sure Maz was dead.
"Shit..I liked him too. Gods please don't let that funny fucker be dead." Donny prayed in his head. Prayed to every deity he could remember off the top of his head.
"So what happened?" Mikhali asked, although he already had a sneaking suspicion of who Donny ran across.
"Ok so me and Maz were just driving. We were tailing that Bola lady because she didn't do what she was supposed to do." Donny began the recap.
Mikhali groaned in pleasure as the nurse stitched together his torn open back.
"Remind me that was…" Mikhali asked as he eyes rolled back into his head, struggling with keeping himself in the here and now.
"The one who is the CEO of Storm Cosmetics, something with a K in the name. Fuck it blanking on me." Donny admitted.
"Kaiden, that was his name. Forgive me, I have a concussion currently." Mikhali apologized to Donny as the nurse places her hand on Mikhali's head. A bright pink electric spark erupted from her hand and Mikhali groaned for a second before sighing in relief. He felt the pain and mental fog clear with each passing second.
"Ay I know how you feel, I don't even know how the hell I'm standing right now." The once great gunman responded as he wondered if the nurse would heal his hands instantly like how she healed Mikhali. He knows that he not some big shot like him but he was near the top, or as close as possible to the top. Surely that would allow some special treatment, right?
"You won't be for long depending on what you say next." Mikhail said with a low chuckle. The Nurse look at Donny with a raised eyebrow, a expression of amusement that despite the mask covering her mouth made it very clear she was smirking.
Don gulped. His hands throbbing in pain.
"We ran into this freak of nature cosplaying as a purple and gold knight-"
"Like the Lakers?" Asked the nurse suddenly with a sly tone.
"I don't know what that is but sure let's go with that. And he just absolutely destroyed us. I shot him point blank in the eyes and it was like didn't-how do you just ignore that-I don't think he had some martial art so i just don't-" Donny damn near had a mental breakdown as he try to plead his case.
"Donny, donny, donny boy. Relax." Mikhali told him calmly.
Donny looked at Mikhali with wide eyes and took a deep breath.
"Sorry. It just-(Donny coughed up some blood and grimaced.) it was…man i don't even know, everything hurts, i don't even know if Maz is still alive. All i knew was i had to report to you, i would have called you but (He holds up his broken hands) Well you see why." Donny explained.
Mikhali nodded, seemingly in sympathy to Donny's plight. At least that what it look like from Donny's perspective.
The nurse finished patching Mikhali. He moved his mask just slightly so the lower half of his face was barely visible, and he took a long sip of the imported Delirious Owl Brand Whiskey he loved. He adjusted his mask back.
Mikhali arose from his comfortable chair. And made his way over to Donny. The son of the Velvet Vault Owner was confused before a fist rammed into his face, sending him to the ground in a heap.
He straddles him and lands eight more punches to his vomer bone.
"You stupid, stupid bastard. Failing to punish one of our disobedient workers, failing to save your partner, coming to me with a sob story." He cooed softly in his ear like a lover.
"IT NOT A SOB STORY IT TRUE DAM-" Donny's rebuttal was cut short by a quick elbow to his chest by Mikhali.
He was enjoying himself, he needed to blow off some steam and Donny was the perfect target, as long as he still alive it was fine, right?
"Such a failure, but what can I expect from a trust fund slut like yourself?" Mikhali asked him as he got up and reared his foot back.
"GOD DAMNIT IF YOU WERE FIGHTING HIM AND DIDN'T KILL HIM WHAT THE FUCK MAKE YOU THINK I WAS GOING TO KILL HIM?!" Donny roared at him.
Mikhali stops his foot that was about to kick Donny in the eye. He had a point.
"I'm not that cruel." Mikhali thought soberly.
And aimed right at his balls instead.
"AGH FUCK!!!" Donny screamed.
Mikhali rubbed a hand through his wavy hair and sighed. He was annoyed at himself for losing his cool like this. By all means, this was very inefficient way of stress relief and might cause problems later down the line.
"But damn if it didn't feel good." Mikhali thought as he stared down at Donny's broken body.
Mikhali motioned for a towel and was handed one by the nurse.
"Thank you Lisa"
Lisa nodded, smiling behind her mask.
"Take care of our friend Donny." Mikhali called out over his back.
"And you Mikhail?" The nurse asked of him curiously.
"Oh my dear sweet Lisa. I need to make some preparations." Mikhali responded as he pulled out a brilliantly pink rhinestone that was connected to a necklace he kept in his pocket.
Lisa the nurse simply snapped her fingers and two big burly and oiled up men came to escort Donny to a nearby hospital, she didn't really feel like taking care of Donny's wounds. After all, it's ladies night at the bar, and she plans to get wasted.
Mikhali walked into his private room, his eyes roamed across the fresh velvet carpet that was recently shampooed. The bed with dark burgundy blue blanket and comforter set. Three black pillows, all of them equally fluffy just to his liking. On his dresser was a collection of various colognes. He walked over to the tall mirror that he keeps by his bedside and inspected himself.
His fingers dragged across the mask, the painted wood felt cool to him. The mask that covered his face since the night Laura escaped from him with that valuable asset in tow.
"You must have thought you were above me that night, right? That you have finally got one over me?" Mikhali said to himself, an painful throbbing in his loins he ignored as he continue to look at himself in the mirror. He put on a new dress shirt, pitch black. Along with a suit vest, Pink Rose coloring. He opens the drawer and grabs his gloves, now freshly laundered and slip them on. He like the feeling of the soft leather gracing his palms. He soaked it in.
His mind wander to the purple and golden warrior that stopped him from enacting true vengeance on Laura. He will not be making the same mistake again. He knew that The Slayer is probably going to be hunting him, a little unknown fact about his Martial Art. He can gain good information out of the person and their plans.
"But this armored knight, their mind was a complete void, but i did see a woman wagging her finger at me with a disapproving look. Guess that his Martial Art." Mikhali thought as he cracked his knuckles.
A rather cartoonish sound broke his attention. He chuckled and turn to the cartoon toolbox from before, tied up in the style of shibari. He was fascinated by the way they did bondage in Japan, one day he would travel to the realm it was located and explore more of its culture.
"Is it tight?" He mockingly asked the toolbox as it struggled before him. Somewhere a boat captain felt a shudder go down his spine, his skin breaking out in hives as Mikhali dragged a finger across the surface of the squirming toolbox. Mikhali's grin grew wider under his mask.
He undid the lock despite some difficulty with the toolbox resisting just like Mia resisted him that night. He forced open the box and looked inside. He was surprised but got curious and stuck his hand in there and pulled out a mug that said best captain. He smiled to himself as he began to explore further.
Mickey was sweating, he paced back and forth as he tried to summon his Martial Art as Laura watched in concern.
"I knew something was wrong because I'm an empath." Lauren joked in her head to ease the rising tensions she felt.
"Come on Rag Joplin! Come on out! It's alright." Mickey spoked frantically, his worst fears manifesting in his mind.
"Does this happen often?" Lauren asked, Mickey turned to her with an expression of deep concern.
"No Lauren, this isn't normal. You see Rag Joplin basically act as a portal to my home, i'm able to reach in and grab whatever I need from my house." Mickey explained, scared for his little buddy.
"Well you were banged up pretty bad in that fight, I don't really have a Martial Art and based on what i seen with Mia it is possible that you can't summon it because you are still hurt and tired." Lauren theorized, hoping to ease the Captain's anxieties.
"Not a bad theory, but wrong. Mickey's injuries were less severe than Mia. So he should have no problems summoning it." Franz told them from the door, scaring the bejeeszus out of the both of them because they sure didn't hear her come in.
Lauren thought about the fight earlier, From what she gathered. Rag Joplin wasn't the type of Martial Art that could just disappear with a poof.
"It acts as a portal to his house?" Lauren thought before she had a shocking realization and turned to Mickey who looked like he came to the same conclusion as her. His black pie cut eyes shrunk to pinpoints.
The door opening behind the trio, Mia stood before them, perfectly fine.
"Told ya Mickey, you should have left when you had the chance." Mia spoke, a tone of guilt and resignation in her voice that seemed alien to Laura.
Mickey swallowed and wanted to rush out but Lauren grabbed onto his hand.
"Mia you can't be using your art when you are barely recovering as is." Lauren told her with a stern expression.
Mia scoffs. "Figures if i couldn't move around yet, i can still get brung up to speed and come up with sort of plan."
Franz look at her with a raised eyebrow.
"And what type of plan is that miss? You can barely keep Desire Manifest on as is." She pointed out as Mia begin to flicker in and out.
"Ok then let's continue this conversation inside, yall need to see how i can get my ass beat and still look good!" Mia stated through her Martial Art as it fizzled out.
Lauren laughed hard. At least Mia still had her humour, she was going to give her the biggest hug once she healed up fully along with the biggest slap on her fat ass for scaring her like that.
She turn to Mickey, he was trembling in her hand And she felt horrible.
"Come on Mick, let go. I promise you that we find Rag Joplin and protect your wife from that bastard." Lauren told him seriously.
Mickey look up at her, and saw nothing but pure determination in her eyes.
He followed her into the operating room where Mia and Franz were waiting for them.