Ray positioned himself in front of Page protectively, gripping her hand tightly as his sharp gaze locked on Miles. His voice was tense, but his words were deliberate.
"Page, think about it. If he's really from the Outworld, why would El send him here instead of using him as a vessel straight away?"
Page, her voice firm but edged with frustration, replied, "Maybe El didn't know."
Miles motioned toward the glowing device in Page's hands. "Are you saying that machine is used to locate people from the Outworld and El is part of the legion of—"
Before he could finish, a faint hiss filled the room, and an ominous green gas began to seep in from under the door and through the air vents. The room quickly filled with a sickly haze, the gas swirling like a living entity as it crawled toward them.
Ray's breathing hitched. His body tensed as he recognized the danger. "Close your noses—this gas is—" His words were cut off, his voice breaking as he gasped for air. His knees buckled slightly, his hands instinctively clutching at his vest.
Miles coughed violently, his vision beginning to blur as the noxious fumes filled his lungs. "What's happening?" he choked out, his voice muffled and weak.
Page clutched the Transverse Finder tighter, her trembling fingers barely able to keep a hold of the device. "Ray, what's going on?" she exclaimed, panic creeping into her voice as her breath became ragged.
The flickering blue light of the Finder was the only guide in the now murky room. Shadows danced unnaturally in the smoke as a figure emerged from the haze.
Ray's sharp instincts kicked in too late. The shadow moved with inhuman speed, closing the distance in a heartbeat. Before Ray could react, the figure struck him with brutal efficiency, landing a blow to his temple that sent him crumpling to the floor, unconscious.
"Ray!" Page cried, her voice shaky as she stumbled back, clutching the Finder tightly to her chest. Her vision blurred, her legs weak from the creeping effects of the gas. The room swayed around her as the shadow figure loomed closer, its outline sharp against the eerie glow of the Finder.
"Stay… stay back!" she shouted, though her voice faltered as her body betrayed her. The gas stole her strength, her knees giving way as her vision began to darken.
Miles staggered forward, the gas dulling his senses and distorting the room into a swirling, dreamlike haze. He could barely make out the faint blue light of the Finder through the fog. Desperation surged through him as he reached out toward it. "Page… give me the Finder!" he shouted, though his voice was slurred and weak.
The shadow figure moved again, faster than Miles could follow. A cold, hard impact struck the back of his head, and pain blossomed instantly. His body collapsed to the floor, the world spinning violently before fading to black.
A sharp, throbbing pain radiated from the back of Miles's head as consciousness crept back in. He winced, trying to lift a hand to feel the tender spot where he'd been struck, but his arms wouldn't budge. They were tightly bound behind his back, the rough edges of the rope biting into his wrists.
Miles let out a soft groan, his senses swimming as he struggled to open his eyes. As the world came into focus, a jolt of adrenaline shot through him; the scene before him was both electrifying and unnerving. He found himself kneeling on a dazzling, transparent floor of glass, beneath which a flurry of flying cars zipped by, darting up and down like shooting stars in a vivid sky.
He craned his neck, his movements sluggish and uncoordinated, and saw him. El. The man stood a few feet away, his hands wrapped possessively around the glowing sphere of the Transverse Finder. The device pulsed faintly in his hands, its rhythmic beeping growing louder as if sensing the tension in the air.
Miles's breathing quickened as panic set in. His mind raced, the pieces of the puzzle clicking together too late. This guy… he wanted that machine because he's one of those Crimson warned me about—a Legion of Rigour.
"Shit…" Miles hissed through gritted teeth, anger and self-loathing rising in tandem. How could I have been so stupid? The realization hit him like another blow to the head. Now, I'm never going to see Laurel again.
His teeth clenched harder, his frustration boiling over. The glass floor creaked slightly beneath him as he shifted. I trusted the wrong people.
Out of the corner of his eye, Miles caught sight of Page. She was kneeling on the glass floor as well, her head bowed and her hands bound behind her back. Her face was pale, but she was silent—too silent. Even after everything, she didn't cry or flinch, her body eerily still.
The Finder's beeping grew louder, snapping Miles's attention back to El. The man's cold grin widened as he noticed Miles stirring. El stepped closer, each of his slow, deliberate movements radiating a quiet menace.
"Well, well. Look who's awake," El said, his voice oily and taunting. He crouched down in front of Miles, the glowing Finder cradled in his hands. The light from the sphere cast eerie shadows across his face, highlighting his sharp features and the sadistic glint in his eyes.
Miles glared at him, his breathing shallow but rapid.
El leaned in closer, his face just inches from Miles's. "If only I'd known earlier," El murmured, his tone dripping with mockery. "What I wanted was right in my grasp all along. I wouldn't have wasted my time sending you off like that." His fingers trailed along Miles's cheek, cold and mocking, making Miles recoil in disgust.
El straightened, holding the Finder up like a trophy. "But it doesn't matter now," he continued, his voice rising with cruel enthusiasm. "Soon, my master will be brought back. And this time—" He paused, his grin widening into something feral. "This time, he'll have a young body. Perfect. Strong."
Miles's jaw tightened as El's words sank in. His breath hitched, the anger in his chest bubbling over. "You're insane," he spat, his voice hoarse but defiant.
El chuckled, turning away as though Miles's resistance was nothing more than an amusing aside. He walked toward Page, his expression softening into something almost fatherly—but the malice never left his eyes.
"You foolish little girl," El sneered, tilting his head as he looked at her. "Your machine worked perfectly; I couldn't have asked for better results." He smiled, his tone deceptively gentle. "However, I still need your help to use it to find the others."
Without warning, El hurled the Finder at Page. The sphere struck her hard on the side of the head with a sickening thud before clattering to the floor. The beeping abruptly stopped, and the machine rolled to a halt, its once-brilliant glow dimming.
Miles's heart sank as he watched the impact, rage surging through him. "Page!" he shouted, his voice cracking with desperation.
Page didn't flinch. She remained kneeling, her head bowed, her breath slow and shallow. The weight of the moment hung heavy in the air, her silence louder than any scream.
Miles's fists clenched behind his back, his nails digging into his palms. "You bastard!" he roared, his voice shaking with raw emotion. "I can't believe I trusted you!"
El turned to Miles, his grin returning, wider and crueller than ever. "Oh, Miles," he said mockingly, shaking his head. "You don't understand, do you?" He took a step closer, his boots clicking against the glass floor.
"What are you talking about?" Miles demanded, his voice trembling with both anger and fear.
El crouched down again, his sharp eyes locking onto Miles's. "You didn't think you were the only one from the Outworld to wander into Amethyst, did you?" he said softly, the words like a dagger twisting in Miles's chest.
Miles's breath caught as his mind reeled. Others...? What does he mean, others? Miles wondered if apart from me and Laurel, could there be others.
El's grin deepened as he saw the confusion and realization bloom in Miles's eyes. "That's right," he whispered. "There are more like you. And thanks to this machine—" He gestured to the Finder, now lying dormant on the ground. "—I'll find every single one of them. Just like I found you."
Miles's teeth clenched, his body trembling with rage and helplessness. His voice was low but filled with fury as he growled, "You are lying ."
El laughed, the sound echoing ominously in the confined space. "Oh, but I'm not," he said, standing tall once more.