Capítulo 17: Chapter 17
Asphalt narrowly dodged another strike aimed directly at his head, the air around him crackling with raw energy as Jason's attacks grew more relentless. The room was a blur of motion, shadows and light clashing violently as the two former allies now fought as bitter enemies. Asphalt's movements were fluid and precise, a combination of natural agility and years of experience in battle. His eyes glinted with a mix of amusement and sharp focus as he danced around Jason's increasingly aggressive strikes.
"This new magic of yours sure is something!" Asphalt admitted, his voice carrying a tone of begrudging respect even as he sidestepped another deadly beam of light that shot past him, scorching the wall behind him. "It's got all those higher-ups shittin' themselves. Very impressive!"
Jason let out a low, menacing chuckle, his eyes glowing with a cold, almost inhuman light. "Those cowards," he sneered, his voice dripping with disdain, "could never conceive the thought of there being more to the magical arts than what they've come to accept. Their narrow-mindedness is what holds them back, what keeps them chained to their outdated dogmas."
"As opposed to you?" Asphalt retorted, his voice sharp as he closed the distance between them with calculated precision. The beams of light Jason unleashed at him became more frantic, more desperate, yet still, Asphalt evaded them with practiced ease. "What they've come to accept," Asphalt continued, his tone now deadly serious, "is that some things aren't worth discovering, especially when the price is innocent lives."
With a swift, almost imperceptible movement, Asphalt lunged forward, his fist driving toward Jason's face with the force of a sledgehammer. Their shadows overlapped in the dim light, the room's atmosphere thick with tension as a large, inky spike shot up from the floor, aiming straight for Jason's heart. The dark spike shimmered with an otherworldly energy, its surface swirling like liquid ink, reflecting the twisted nature of the magic that had conjured it.
Jason barely had time to react, jerking his body to the side just in time to avoid the deadly blow. The spike grazed his cheek, leaving a thin trail of blood as it continued its deadly trajectory into the ceiling above. Asphalt's strike, however, did not miss its mark—Jason's head snapped back, his lip splitting open as the force of the blow sent him reeling.
Asphalt didn't let up. His voice was like a whip, lashing out as he pressed his advantage. "Trust me," he growled, "I'm the last person to ever defend those greasy fuckers. I know they've got their own personal reasons for denying your 'research'"—he mocked the word with air quotes, his voice dripping with sarcasm—"but when your research methods rely on torturing and killing innocent people… then, yeah, I'm kinda willing to stand by those old fogies."
Jason spat blood, his eyes blazing with a mix of fury and unyielding conviction. "Innocent?" he sneered, his voice rising in anger. "There are no innocents in the pursuit of knowledge, Asphalt! Every great discovery, every monumental breakthrough in history has come at a cost! Sacrifice is necessary!"
"Sacrifice?" Asphalt shot back, his voice brimming with disgust as he dodged another volley of shadow spikes that Jason hurled in his direction. The spikes missed by inches, embedding themselves into the floor with a heavy thud. "What you call sacrifice, I call murder. There's a line, Jason, and you crossed it a long time ago."
Jason scoffed, his movements becoming more erratic as his frustration grew. "That's because you never had the vision to see the bigger picture, Asphalt! You were always too small-minded, too weak to understand the true potential of magic!"
"True potential?" Asphalt's eyes narrowed as he summoned another wave of shadows, the darkness swirling around him like a living entity, waiting to strike. "The only potential I see here is your potential to be a complete psychopath. You're not a visionary, Jason. You're just a man who's lost his humanity in the pursuit of power."
Jason roared in anger, his voice echoing off the walls as he unleashed a torrent of light, the beams crisscrossing the room in a blinding display of raw magical power. The ground trembled under the sheer force of his attack, cracks spider-webbing across the floor as the structure groaned under the strain.
Asphalt gritted his teeth, feeling the intensity of Jason's power bearing down on him like a tidal wave. He pushed back with everything he had, the shadows around him growing denser, more aggressive as they clashed with the light, creating an otherworldly spectacle of darkness versus illumination. The room was caught in a battle of opposites, the light fighting to consume the shadows while the darkness sought to swallow the light.
In the midst of the chaos, Asphalt's voice rang out, clear and unwavering. "You're not going to win this, Jason," he declared, his words filled with conviction. "No matter how powerful you think you are, there's no magic strong enough to justify what you've done."
Jason's eyes burned with a maniacal light as he glared at Asphalt, his expression twisted in a mixture of rage and determination. "We'll see about that," he hissed, his voice low and filled with venom. "We'll see who's left standing when this is over."
The battle raged on, the room a battleground of conflicting forces, each man determined to bring the other down. Asphalt's movements were a blur of shadow and speed, while Jason's attacks were precise, calculated beams of light that cut through the air with deadly intent. The clash of their powers sent shockwaves through the building, the very foundations trembling under the weight of their conflict.
But amidst the fury and the chaos, one thing was clear: this fight wasn't just about power. It was about ideals, about the very essence of what it meant to wield magic. And neither man was willing to back down.
"Where are we?" Velvet murmured, her voice barely above a whisper as she took in her surroundings. The question was more rhetorical than directed at Accelerator, but the tension in her tone made it clear that the unfamiliarity of their environment was unsettling. The air around them felt thick, oppressive even, as if the very walls were closing in on them.
They had just passed through the distortion, a feat that would have been impossible for anyone other than Accelerator. The journey had been anything but smooth. Accelerator had to manipulate his own vectors with pinpoint precision to stabilize the chaotic rip in space-time on their end. Simultaneously, he connected those vectors to the ones on the opposite side of the spatial field, weaving them together like an intricate tapestry. It was a delicate balance, one that required both immense power and unparalleled control, skills that only Accelerator possessed. The distortion had crackled and twisted around them, a swirling vortex of unstable energy that threatened to tear them apart at any moment. But through sheer force of will and calculation, Accelerator had held it together long enough for them to slip through.
Now, as they stood in the aftermath, Velvet's eyes roamed the space, her mind trying to make sense of where they had landed. The room they had entered was cavernous, with high ceilings that stretched into darkness, far beyond what the dim, flickering lights could reveal. It bore a resemblance to the abandoned warehouse above, where they had first encountered the distortion—a place of decay and neglect. But here, the space was different. It was clean, almost sterile, with a cold, clinical feel that sent a shiver down her spine. The walls were smooth and metallic, reflecting the dull light in a way that made the room feel even more suffocating. The floor, too, was polished, the surface gleaming faintly under their feet, betraying the signs of a place that was still in use, though hidden away from the world above.
"The underground facility, I'm guessing," Accelerator answered, his voice carrying a note of detachment as he surveyed the area. His crimson eyes scanned every corner, every detail, missing nothing. The way he spoke, it was as if the place held no secrets from him, as if he could dissect its very essence with a glance. He wasn't just guessing; he was calculating, piecing together the clues in an instant. The resemblance to the warehouse above was no coincidence—this was a hidden extension, a secret base operating beneath the surface. But unlike the decrepit building above, this facility was alive with purpose, its cold efficiency evident in the way everything seemed meticulously maintained, albeit hidden from the prying eyes of the outside world.
The thought made Velvet uneasy, 'Just what the hell are you trying to accomplish Jason?'
Accelerator's thoughts, however, were already moving ahead. "Think Asphalt made it out?" he asked, his tone casual but with an undercurrent of concern. His eyes flicked towards Velvet, seeking her opinion.
Velvet's mind briefly flashed to Asphalt, picturing his confident smirk and the unwavering determination in his eyes. "It's Asphalt we're talking about," she replied, a slight smile tugging at the corner of her lips despite the tension in the air. "If he hasn't already, he'll figure it out eventually." Her voice carried a note of faith, rooted in the countless times Asphalt had defied the odds before. He was resourceful, capable of adapting to any situation thrown his way. Getting out of a jam was practically second nature to him.
Despite Velvet's confidence in Asphalt's abilities, an unspoken worry gnawed at her. This wasn't just any mission; they were deep within uncharted territory, a place deliberately hidden from the world above. The very air seemed to pulse with a malevolent energy, as if the facility itself harbored dark secrets that no one was ever meant to uncover. The unknown loomed like a shadowy predator, making even the most formidable of enemies' pale in comparison.
Suddenly, a violent quake ripped through the facility, shaking the very foundation beneath their feet. The floor buckled and groaned under the immense pressure, as if the earth itself were about to swallow them whole. A deafening explosion followed, the sound reverberating off the cold, metallic walls with a force that felt almost physical. Dust and debris cascaded from the ceiling, shrouding the room in a suffocating cloud of chaos. The lights overhead flickered wildly, casting the room into a frenzied dance of light and shadow that only added to the sense of disorientation.
"What the hell!?" Velvet shouted, her voice laced with alarm as she instinctively braced herself against the violent tremors. The floor beneath her feet seemed to shift and heave, throwing her off balance as she struggled to stay upright. Her heart pounded in her chest, each beat a reminder of the precariousness of their situation. As she fought to regain her footing, the ground continued to tremble, as if the facility was being torn apart from the inside out.
Before Accelerator could even respond, a sharp, almost imperceptible impact hit his vector shield with the force of a bullet. His crimson eyes narrowed as he whipped his head to the side, honing in on the source of the attack. What he saw was a blur of movement—a liquid whip, shimmering and fluid, slicing through the air at light speed. It struck his vector shield once more, the water splattering against the invisible barrier before dispersing like a spray of bullets, embedding themselves into the walls with terrifying precision.
"Holy shit!" a high-pitched, squeaky voice chirped, cutting through the tension like a knife. The voice was youthful, almost childlike, yet it carried with it a strange mix of excitement and mischief that made the hairs on the back of Velvet's neck stand on end. "I did not see that coming!" the voice continued, laced with a disturbingly playful tone.
From the corner of his eye, Accelerator caught sight of movement, and as he turned, he saw a figure emerge from the shadows. It was a girl, no older than a teenager, dressed in an outlandish outfit that resembled a medieval jester. Her costume was a chaotic mix of bright colors—reds, greens, and purples—decorated with jingling bells that chimed softly with every step she took. The girl's face was painted in a grotesque parody of innocence, a wide smile stretching across her lips as she skipped forward with an unnerving lightness. "Hiya!" she chirped with disturbing cheerfulness, throwing up a hand in a mock salute. "The name's Mad Maddie Maxine," she announced proudly, her eyes gleaming with a mix of madness and glee. "But'chya can call me Mads."
"A child!" Velvet muttered under her breath, her eyes wide with disbelief as she took in the sight before her. She couldn't believe what she was seeing—this girl, this deranged creature, was Madeline Maxine? The infamous Mad Maddie? The one who had terrorized so many in the name of Jason's twisted experiments? It didn't make sense. "Madeline Maxine… is a kid!?" Velvet's voice was filled with horror, her mind struggling to reconcile the innocent appearance of the girl with the monstrous reputation that preceded her.
Mads caught Velvet's muttered words, her expression shifting into one of delighted surprise. "Oh! Wowie!" she exclaimed, her eyes lighting up with excitement. "You know who I am?" There was something deeply unsettling about the way she spoke, as if the recognition of her name brought her a twisted sense of joy.
Velvet's expression hardened, her initial shock giving way to a steely resolve. She grit her teeth, her body tensing as she prepared for whatever madness this girl was about to unleash. "Don't let her 'innocent girl' demeanor catch you off guard," Velvet warned, her voice low and fierce as she glanced at Accelerator. "She's Madeline Maxine, an individual identified to have been working under Jason for quite a while."
Mads's smile only grew wider, her head tilting slightly to the side as she watched Velvet with a mix of amusement and curiosity, as if the older woman was some sort of fascinating specimen to be studied.
"…What's more," Velvet continued, her voice trembling slightly with disgust as she forced the words out, "she was one of the most cruelest guard dogs that prevented all of Jason's victims from escaping. And from what our interrogations have provided… she did far more than the necessary violent actions and took great pleasure in torturing the victims even outside of Jason's inhumane experiments." Velvet's voice dripped with loathing, her eyes narrowing as she spoke, her stomach churning at the very thought of the horrors this girl had inflicted.
Accelerator remained silent, his face a mask of icy calm. Yet, for just a second, a flash of something dark crossed his eyes—a harsh glare that he directed at the deranged girl, a silent promise of retribution for her crimes. It was a fleeting moment, but it carried the weight of his fury, a warning that Mads was not oblivious to.
Mads, however, merely pouted in response, her lips forming a childish pout as she crossed her arms over her chest. "I wasn't that bad," she mumbled, her voice taking on a petulant tone, as if she were being scolded for a minor misdeed. Her eyes shifted to the side, as if seeking validation, "Was I, Gorgon?"
The air around them shifted suddenly, a gust of wind swirling through the room with unnatural speed. The movement was too quick to track with the naked eye—a flurry of air arrows, sleek and deadly, converging on Velvet in a heartbeat. But Velvet was ready. Her shadow, an extension of her will, surged up from the ground, rising like a dark wave to meet the attack. The arrows struck the shadow with force, but it absorbed them effortlessly, deflecting the assault as if it were nothing more than a gentle breeze.
"You were quite unruly, I'm afraid," a smooth, cultured voice replied, cutting through the tension with a chilling calm. The voice was followed by the soft sound of footsteps, and a figure dropped from the ceiling, landing gracefully beside Mads.
The man was dressed in all green, his attire sleek and form-fitting, designed for both agility and stealth. His hair was a deep emerald, matching the color of his clothing, and his eyes were a striking shade of gold, sharp and calculating. He moved with the fluidity of a predator, every step deliberate, every motion controlled. He exuded a quiet confidence, the kind that came from years of experience and a deep understanding of his own capabilities.
Mads glanced up at him with a playful grin, her earlier pout vanishing as quickly as it had appeared. "Oh, Gorgon, you're always so serious!" she teased, twirling a strand of her colorful hair around her finger. But there was an underlying respect in her tone, a recognition of his authority.
Gorgon merely raised an eyebrow, his gaze shifting from Mads to Velvet and Accelerator. "And you're always too carefree," he replied, his tone mild, but with a hint of reprimand. "We have a job to do, Mads. Let's not forget that."
Mads rolled her eyes but nodded, her demeanor shifting from playful to focused in an instant. "Yeah, yeah, I got it," she said, her voice tinged with a mix of annoyance and eagerness. She turned her attention back to Velvet and Accelerator, her smile returning, but now it was sharper, more dangerous. "So, what do you say we get started?" she chirped, her voice sweet but laced with malice.
Velvet's eyes narrowed, her muscles coiling in anticipation. She knew that this was not going to be an easy fight. These two weren't ordinary villains—they were highly skilled, and their unpredictability made them even more dangerous.
Asphalt slammed Jason's body onto the cold, hard ground with a force that made the entire room quake. The shadows that had gripped Jason's ankle tightened, lifting him again before violently whipping him back down. Jason grunted in pain, the impact sending shockwaves through his body, but he quickly retaliated. A brilliant, shimmering light enveloped his leg, the intense glow burning through the shadowy tendrils that bound him. The dark restraints disintegrated into wisps of smoke, leaving his leg bruised and cut but still functional.
With a flick of his wrist, Jason conjured a blade of pure light that ignited in his hand like a blazing sword. He swung it with deadly precision, slashing through the air toward Asphalt. The blade nicked Asphalt's cheek, drawing a thin line of blood, but the seasoned fighter was quick to react. A shield of swirling shadows materialized around him, absorbing the brunt of Jason's assault. Sparks flew as the light collided with the dark barrier, the room filling with the sound of crackling energy.
Jason's intent was clear—his attacks were aimed deliberately at Asphalt's glasses, knowing full well that destroying them would cripple his opponent's ability to manipulate shadows so freely. The glasses were more than just a tool; they were a conduit for Asphalt's unique brand of magic, and Jason was determined to exploit that weakness.
Asphalt, however, wasn't one to be easily outmaneuvered. "I was trying to avoid using this," he muttered under his breath, his tone carrying a hint of reluctance mixed with a cold resolve. "But you've given me no choice." With a deliberate motion, he removed his glasses and carefully tucked them inside his coat. Then, with a fluid motion, he shrugged off the coat, letting it fall to the ground with a heavy thud.
Jason watched with rapt attention, his eyes narrowing as strange, intricate markings began to appear all over Asphalt's body. The lines seemed to pulse with a dark energy, spreading across his skin like a living tattoo. "Ever wonder why I've always worn the same coat for nearly 30 years?" Asphalt asked, a smirk of arrogant confidence playing on his lips. Jason returned the smile, though his eyes betrayed a mix of nervous anticipation and excited curiosity.
"I've had my suspicions," Jason replied, his voice laced with fascination as he took in the sight before him. The markings on Asphalt's body continued to glow, resonating with an ominous power that sent a shiver down Jason's spine. "But I never imagined it would be something like this."
Asphalt's smirk widened as the shadows around him began to converge on the markings, seeping into the lines and merging with his very being. The dark tendrils wrapped around him, slowly transforming his body into a liquid-like form that seemed to waver and shift with every breath, every movement. His entire form began to blacken, the once solid figure now a swirling mass of shadowy essence.
"It can only be activated," Asphalt explained, his voice now carrying a deeper, more resonant tone, "when I take off the coat myself after removing my glasses by my own hand. Is that why you were aiming for my glasses? To stop me from using this?"
Jason's eyes gleamed with a dangerous light, but he remained silent, his expression a mix of admiration and calculated intent. He knew that Asphalt had always been a formidable opponent, but this—this was something entirely different. The power emanating from him was palpable, a force that seemed to distort the very air around him.
Asphalt's eyes blazed with an intense, unearthly fire as the transformation completed. The shadows had fully integrated with the markings, leaving him in a form that was both terrifying and awe-inspiring. His entire body was now a dark, viscous substance that seemed to flicker and waver, as if he were made of living, breathing darkness. The room was bathed in an eerie, dim light, the shadows cast by his presence seeming to dance and shift with a life of their own.
"Forbidden spell," he growled, his voice echoing with a strange, otherworldly timbre. "Blackened Soul."
The name of the spell hung in the air like a death sentence, the words carrying a weight that sent a cold chill down Jason's spine. Asphalt's form was now a fluid, shadowy entity, constantly shifting and reforming, making him nearly impossible to pin down. He was no longer bound by the limitations of a physical body; he had become something more, something dark and untouchable.
"In this form…" Asphalt continued, his voice a low, menacing rumble, "I have never been beaten."
"FUCK!" Velvet hissed through clenched teeth as she narrowly dodged a barrage of razor-sharp air arrows, each one slicing through the air with deadly precision. The gusts whipped past her, just inches from her body, ruffling her clothes and sending her heart racing. She barely had time to catch her breath before another volley was sent her way. With a desperate leap, she evaded the assault, her mind racing to find a way out of this increasingly dire situation.
"This isn't gonna work," she muttered under her breath, frustration evident in her voice. Her thoughts were a whirlwind of desperation as she struggled to keep up with the relentless attacks. The duo of Gorgon and Mads was unlike anything she had ever encountered before. Their coordination was impeccable, their attacks seamless, as if they could anticipate each other's moves with uncanny precision. It was almost as if they shared a single mind, their movements synchronized to perfection. She'd faced tough opponents before, but these two were on a different level entirely.
Velvet's shadows surged across the floor, dark tendrils spreading out like blackened vines, seeking to ensnare Gorgon. Yet, no matter how swiftly she manipulated the shadows, they always seemed to miss their mark, grasping at empty air as Gorgon effortlessly dodged each attempt. It was as if he could predict her every move, slipping through her traps with infuriating ease.
"Are you certain you were trained by Asphalt?" Gorgon taunted, his voice dripping with mockery as he danced just beyond the reach of her shadows. His tone was casual, almost bored, as if he were toying with her rather than truly engaging in battle. "From the stories I've heard—" He sidestepped another flurry of shadowy tendrils with almost lazy grace, "—in his younger days, he was quite a force to be reckoned with."
Velvet gritted her teeth, her frustration mounting as Gorgon's words cut deeper than any of his attacks. She knew he was trying to get under her skin, but the fact that he was succeeding made her blood boil. Her mentor, Asphalt, had indeed been a legend in his prime, a master of the shadow arts whose name alone struck fear into the hearts of his enemies. But Gorgon's words implied that she was nothing more than a pale imitation, a shadow of the master she had once admired.
Gorgon's next attack was swift and merciless. A sword of condensed air, buzzing with lethal energy, materialized in his hand. He swung it with a flick of his wrist, sending it hurtling toward her with blinding speed. Velvet barely had time to react. She twisted her body to the side, but not quickly enough. The blade sliced through the air, severing a lock of her blonde hair. The severed strands floated to the ground, and Velvet could feel the cold sting of the near miss.
"He's seemingly mellowed down quite a bit now…" Gorgon continued, his voice carrying a note of condescension as he advanced on her. "I also heard he'd gotten himself an apprentice, one whose capabilities in the shadow arts seemingly matched his own."
Before Velvet could even think of a retort, Gorgon was upon her. His movements were a blur, too fast for her to track. She felt the sharp pain before she even saw the kick—a powerful strike aimed directly at her jaw. The force of the blow sent her flying across the floor, her body crashing into the cold, hard surface with a sickening thud.
A groan escaped her lips as she struggled to push herself up, her vision swimming with the impact. Pain radiated from her jaw, and she could taste blood where her teeth had cut into her lip. She was disoriented, her thoughts jumbled, but she couldn't afford to stay down.
With a roar, she unleashed another flurry of shadow tendrils and all of them missed, just as he countered with a knee to her face, likely breaking her nose.
Velvet's body hit the ground with a dull thud, the impact reverberating through her bones. She lay there, limp and bloodied, her chest heaving with labored breaths. The world around her was a blur of pain and exhaustion, every inch of her body screaming in protest. But as she lay there, seemingly defeated, something began to stir within her—a dark, simmering defiance that refused to be extinguished.
Gorgon stood over her, his expression one of disdain as he looked down at her prone form. His cold, calculating eyes regarded her with a mix of contempt and indifference, as if she were nothing more than a minor inconvenience, a pitiful obstacle in his path. He sneered, his voice dripping with condescension. "Pitiful," he muttered, the word like a blade slicing through the thick silence that hung in the air. He saw her as insignificant, unworthy of his time or effort.
But then, something unexpected happened.
Despite the searing pain coursing through her body, Velvet's lips curled into a grin. It started as a small, almost imperceptible twitch at the corner of her mouth, but soon it grew wider, stretching across her bloodied face. A low chuckle escaped her lips, a sound that seemed out of place given her battered state. The chuckle quickly turned into a laugh—soft at first, but then it grew louder, echoing through the room until it was a full-blown, manic laughter.
Gorgon's expression shifted from disdain to surprise, his brow furrowing in confusion. He looked down at her, bewildered by her reaction. "Is defeat truly that humorous to you?" he asked, his tone laced with bemusement as he tried to make sense of her seemingly inexplicable laughter.
Velvet's laughter gradually subsided, and she lay there for a moment, her body shaking with residual giggles. Finally, she looked up at him, her eyes gleaming with a newfound arrogance, an almost taunting smirk playing on her lips. "I don't know," she huffed, still grinning despite the blood trickling down her chin. "You tell me."
Gorgon's eyes narrowed, trying to process the meaning behind her words. It took a moment for the realization to dawn on him, but when it did, his eyes widened in shock. He tried to move, to take a step back, but his body refused to respond. Panic set in as he struggled, his muscles straining against some invisible force that held him in place. It was as if his body had been frozen, paralyzed by something he couldn't see or understand.
"What… what is this?" Gorgon's voice was laced with a mix of confusion and fear as he looked down at his own body, trying to comprehend why he couldn't move. His eyes darted around, desperately searching for an explanation.
Velvet slowly pushed herself up from the ground, wiping the blood from her face with the back of her hand. She winced as the pain flared up again, but the satisfaction of seeing Gorgon trapped more than made up for it. "I gotta thank you," she began, her voice laced with dark amusement. "If you weren't so focused on me, you might have just realized…"
Gorgon's gaze followed her words, his eyes widening further as he finally noticed the intricate web of shadows that had been spread across the floor. Like a spider's web, the dark tendrils of shadow had been carefully woven, spreading out in a complex pattern that ensnared his own shadow. The realization hit him like a ton of bricks—Velvet hadn't been missing her attacks. She had been building a trap all along, a trap designed specifically to immobilize him.
'All this time… she wasn't aiming at me… she was building a trap!' The thought echoed in his mind as he gritted his teeth, trying once again to force his body to move. But it was no use. The shadow web held him fast, its grip unyielding, as if the shadows themselves had come to life and were holding him in place.
Velvet's smirk grew wider as she watched him struggle, knowing full well that his efforts were in vain. "Don't bother," she said, her tone dripping with confidence as she rose to her feet, her shadowy tendrils retracting slightly as she regained her full height. "My shadow web is inescapable."
Gorgon glared at her, his eyes burning with a mix of anger and frustration. He had underestimated her, and now he was paying the price. "You won't win!" he snarled, his voice filled with defiance. "Mads will—"
"What about her?" a voice interrupted, casual and almost bored in its tone.
Velvet and Gorgon both turned to see Accelerator stepping into the room, his entrance as unassuming as if he had simply strolled in from a casual walk. He looked completely unruffled, not a single hair out of place, his expression one of mild annoyance as he surveyed the scene before him. With a casual flick of his wrist, he tossed Mads's unconscious body to the floor, the lifeless form landing with a dull thud at Gorgon's feet.
Velvet's smirk deepened, her eyes gleaming with satisfaction. "Took you long enough," she remarked, her tone playfully accusatory.
Accelerator raised an eyebrow, his lips quirking into a half-smile. "Oh, like you can talk," he shot back, his voice carrying a hint of amusement. He glanced at her disheveled appearance, noting the blood and dirt that marred her once-pristine clothes. "Trying a new look?"
"Shut up!" Velvet snapped, though there was no real venom in her voice. Despite her words, there was a sense of relief in her eyes as she looked at her partner. Accelerator's arrival had tipped the scales in their favor, and they both knew it.
Gorgon, however, wasn't so easily cowed. Despite his immobilized state, his eyes blazed with fury and determination. "You think this is over?" he hissed, his voice trembling with rage. "You may have caught me off guard, but don't think for a second that you've won. My master—"
"Will find out just how badly you fucked up," Accelerator interrupted, his tone icy. He took a step forward, his gaze locked onto Gorgon's. "You underestimated us, and now you're going to pay the price."
Gorgon's eyes narrowed, but there was a flicker of doubt in his expression. He could feel the power radiating off Accelerator, a palpable force that seemed to press down on the very air around them. It was clear that this man was not to be taken lightly. The confidence that had once filled Gorgon began to waver, the bravado slipping from his features as a creeping sense of dread took hold. He had faced formidable opponents before, but something about Accelerator was different—something that made Gorgon's instincts scream in alarm.
"Gorgon," Velvet's voice cut through the tension like a knife, sharp and commanding. She stepped closer, her gaze fixed on him with a mix of determination and curiosity. "What the hell is Jason planning?"
For a moment, Gorgon was silent. The question hung in the air, heavy with implications, as he weighed his options. His mind raced, considering the consequences of divulging any information, the potential wrath of his master versus the immediate threat standing before him. But then, a twisted smirk curled at the corners of his lips, and he lifted his head to meet Velvet's gaze with defiance.
"I would never betray my master," he snarled, his voice dripping with venom. "The loyalty I hold for him is something you dogs could never understand."
Velvet rolled her eyes at the insult, unfazed by his bravado. "Either way, whatever it is, he'll never succeed," she replied, her tone dismissive. She had heard this kind of rhetoric before—fanatical devotion, blind loyalty, the kind that made people do terrible things in the name of a cause. It didn't impress her. She had seen what blind loyalty could do, and she had no interest in debating with someone so entrenched in their delusions.
Gorgon let out a dark, mirthless laugh, the sound grating against the walls of the room. "You are nothing more than a frog in a well," he spat, his eyes gleaming with a maniacal fervor. "My master belongs in the sea… and he will reach there, no matter the consequences."
Velvet felt a chill run down her spine at the conviction in his voice, but she quickly pushed the feeling aside. This was a man who had fully given himself over to whatever twisted plans Jason had concocted, and there was no reasoning with him. She could see it in his eyes—the absolute certainty, the unshakeable belief that he was part of something greater, something unstoppable.
"Enough of this," Accelerator's voice cut through the air like a blade, sharp and unyielding. His expression was hard, his eyes devoid of any emotion as he took a step forward, closing the distance between himself and Gorgon. "We don't have time for this."
Velvet turned to him, her brow furrowing in confusion. "What are you—" she began, but before she could finish, Accelerator placed his hand on Gorgon's shoulder.
What happened next was almost too fast to comprehend.
A surge of electricity, bright and blinding, coursed through Gorgon's body with the intensity of a lightning strike. The pain hit him like a sledgehammer, sudden and overwhelming, ripping through every nerve ending in his body. His mouth opened in a silent scream, his voice catching in his throat before it burst out in an unrestrainable cry of agony. His muscles seized, his body convulsing violently as the electricity danced along his skin, his eyes rolling back into his head.
Accelerator's expression remained unchanged, cold and indifferent as he watched Gorgon writhe under his touch. "You know what bio-electricity is?" he asked, his tone almost conversational, as if he were discussing something mundane. "It runs through every living organism." He applied more pressure, sending another wave of electricity through Gorgon's body. The man's screams echoed through the room, a cacophony of pain that seemed to reverberate off the very walls.
Velvet watched in silence, her expression calm but her heart pounding in her chest. She had seen Accelerator in action before, but there was something particularly brutal about this method. The way he inflicted pain with such precision, such detached efficiency, was almost unnerving. Yet, she understood the necessity of it. Gorgon wasn't going to talk willingly, and they needed answers. Accelerator was simply doing what needed to be done.
"Messing with it tends to cause all sorts of problems," Accelerator continued, his voice still emotionless, as if he were merely explaining a scientific concept. Gorgon's body jerked violently as another pulse of electricity tore through him, his cries becoming more desperate, more anguished. "But don't worry," Accelerator added, his voice softening just a fraction, "I won't let you die."
Gorgon's eyes snapped open, wild and filled with terror as he looked up at Accelerator. His mind was a whirlwind of pain and fear, his thoughts fragmented and chaotic. But even through the haze of agony, he understood what Accelerator was saying. This wasn't just torture—this was control. Accelerator wasn't going to kill him. He was going to keep him alive, keep him suffering, until he got what he wanted.
"I'm not that kind," Accelerator said, his cold gaze meeting Gorgon's. The words were simple, but the threat behind them was unmistakable. Gorgon was trapped, at the mercy of someone who had none.
Velvet felt a pang of pity for Gorgon, despite everything. It was one thing to fight and defeat an enemy, but what Accelerator was doing was something else entirely. It was calculated, clinical—a demonstration of absolute power. She could see the terror in Gorgon's eyes, the realization that he was completely at the mercy of a force he couldn't hope to comprehend, let alone resist.
But this was war, and in war, sometimes the lines had to be crossed. Velvet knew this as well as anyone. She watched as Accelerator continued his interrogation, her mind already moving to the next steps they would need to take once they had the information they needed.
Gorgon's screams eventually subsided into pained whimpers, his body shaking with the aftershocks of the electricity. His eyes were glazed, filled with a mix of pain and fear, but there was also a flicker of something else—defeat.
PENSAMENTOS DOS CRIADORES 
Safia_Sabry
Safia_Sabry Thank you all for the wonderful comments I've received so far, please continue to let me know your thoughts. Reading through my inbox motivates me to fit some personal writing time into my schedule and continue with my fics.
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