Kel began walking down the residential street with the naturalness of someone who knew every stone in the pavement. Blood Night followed him, keeping a respectful distance while observing the simple houses that lined both sides.
"Where exactly are you taking me, prodigy boy?" he asked with irony. "I hope it's not to your grandmother's house to show me your science fair trophies."
"You'll see," Kel responded without turning around, continuing his determined pace.
The walk took them three blocks until they arrived in front of a house that personified the word "ordinary." Two stories, white paint peeling on the walls, small yard with grass that needed cutting for weeks. A low wooden fence painted brown completed the image of a residence that went unnoticed by anyone.
"It's here," said Kel, pushing the little gate that squeaked on rusty hinges.
Blood Night looked around, disappointed.
"Seriously? Your big revelation is showing me where you live?" He gestured at the house facade. "How... incredibly normal."
"Appearances deceive," Kel murmured, searching for keys in his pocket.
"That's enough. Time for action," Blood Night declared, preparing to leave. "It was interesting meeting you, second genius of the multiverse. Now I need to get back to my important mission of saving the city."
But Kel had already opened the door and disappeared inside the house. Curious despite himself, Blood Night hesitated at the threshold. The house inside confirmed the external impression: old furniture that had seen better days, faded wallpaper with floral patterns from the 80s, the characteristic smell of a house that stayed closed during the day.
"Kel?" he called, advancing cautiously through the living room.
"Here!" came the response from the direction of the kitchen.
Blood Night found the boy standing in front of a simple wooden door that apparently gave access to the basement. It was the type of door that existed in thousands of homes - nothing that called special attention.
"How nice," Blood Night said sarcastically. "A basement. Revolutionary. Now goodbye forever."
He turned to leave, but the sound of electronic mechanisms made him stop. Kel had pressed an almost invisible button hidden behind the door frame. What happened next defied any logic that Blood Night knew.
The entire back wall began to move with a soft, deep hum. Panels retracted, revealing an elevator that seemed to have come directly from a science fiction movie. The inner walls were made of some metallic material that reflected a soft blue light, and a series of LED lights pulsed in hypnotic patterns.
Blood Night backed up several steps, his eyes widening behind the mask.
"What... how... when... where...?" He stammered, pointing at the elevator as if it were an apparition.
"Get in," Kel said casually, as if ultra-modern secret elevators were part of the standard decoration of any house in the Moskol neighborhood.
"Is this... is this real?" Blood Night asked, still in shock.
"As real as your ability to bring the night," Kel responded, entering the elevator.
Still dazed, Blood Night followed him. The interior of the elevator was even more impressive than the exterior. Control panels with dozens of buttons, digital screens showing incomprehensible graphics, and a sound system playing soft, futuristic ambient music.
"How much... how much did this cost?" Blood Night asked, cautiously touching one of the metallic walls.
"Some things I stole from my father, others I built myself," Kel responded, pressing a button marked with a symbol that Blood Night couldn't identify.
The doors closed with an almost inaudible whisper, and the elevator began to descend. It wasn't the short, abrupt descent typical of a common basement - it was a smooth journey that lasted almost two minutes, suggesting they were descending much deeper than should be possible.
"My God," Blood Night murmured. "How many meters are we descending?"
"Fifteen meters below street level," Kel responded as casually as talking about the weather. "I needed enough depth to avoid interference and have space for all the equipment."
"All the equipment?"
"You'll see."
When the elevator finally stopped, Blood Night was prepared for more surprises. Even so, when the doors opened, he wasn't prepared for what he saw.
A synthetic female voice greeted them with perfect diction:
"Welcome, Mr. Kel. What would you like to do today?"
"Just a guided tour, ARIA," Kel responded to the air.
"Understood. Activating full lighting and demonstration systems."
Blood Night stepped out of the elevator, staggering slightly. Before him stretched a laboratory that rivaled anything he had ever seen in superhero movies. The space was enormous - much larger than the house above suggested was possible. Workbenches extended everywhere, covered with equipment that blinked, hummed, and emitted colored lights.
Giant screens covered an entire wall, showing city maps, real-time data graphs, and security camera feeds from various urban points. A separate area contained what appeared to be an advanced mechanical workshop, with robotic arms hanging from the ceiling and a variety of tools that Blood Night couldn't identify.
"This... this is impossible," he whispered, spinning slowly to absorb everything. "How does a twelve-year-old kid have access to this?"
"Thirteen next week," Kel corrected. "And I told you: some things I stole from my father, others I built. And some others I... let's say, borrowed from sources that won't miss them."
Blood Night walked to one of the workbenches, observing devices that seemed to be taken from a spaceship.
"Who is your father?"
"That's... complicated," Kel responded, avoiding direct eye contact. "Let's say he works with advanced technology and isn't always very attentive to what disappears from his laboratory."
"And you built all this alone?"
"Most of it. ARIA helps me with the more complex calculations, and I have... resources."
Blood Night stopped in front of a screen showing detailed information about his own recent "heroics." Photos, times, locations, even analyses of his combat techniques.
"You... you're spying on me?"
"Studying," Kel corrected. "When I saw someone capable of manipulating natural elements like light and darkness, I needed to understand how. It's fascinating from a scientific point of view."
"Manipulating natural elements..." Blood Night repeated slowly. "I like how that sounds."
Kel smiled.
"I imagined you would. Come, I want to show you what I can do to improve your... heroic efficiency."
Blood Night looked around once more, absorbing the magnitude of what he was seeing. His mind was processing the possibilities that a laboratory like this could offer. Advanced equipment, artificial intelligence, unlimited resources...
"Alright, Kel," he said finally, turning to the boy. "Officially, I accept you as my intern. You'll be my Alfred, and I'm Batman."
Kel's eyes lit up.
"How cool! You're also a Batman fan?"
Blood Night raised a hand, interrupting him.
"Don't be mistaken. I'm only a fan of my story and myself. And that's enough about Batman - he's not part of this universe. And before MLP cancels my next chapters..."
He gestured vaguely upward, as if talking to invisible editors.
"Let's focu
s on what really matters: how to make Blood Night even more legendary."
[M.L.P - Multiverse: Forbidden Legacy]