CHAPTER SIX: The Duelists
"Ready to start/the duel begins!"
Dave's back hit the floor with a hollow thud and the first thing he saw when the black fog surrounding him dissipated was Himiko's face outline against the stark light of a fluorescent tube on the ceiling. "Well, I'll be. She actually did it." a rather raspy male voice called out from an unseen point of the room he was in. "He doesn't look too terrified either."
"Well, I had my mo- OW." Dave started but was cut short by the girl straddling him, which almost immediately leaned down first to nuzzle his neck and then bite it deep enough to draw some blood. "- cut it out, you. What did I just say about stabbing?"
Toga licked her lips and gave the already closing wound a light kiss, producing a high pitched giggle. "I didn't stab you. It was a love bite. You said you weren't against love bites. Normal couples give love bites to each other." she mumbled, looking straight into his eyes. "You're such a baby sometimes."
Twice stared at the ongoing exchange with a mix of incredulity and amusement, then looked back at Kuro - who was quietly sitting on the couch and doing his best to ignore everyone. "Did I miss anything?" he finally asked. "He's not behaving very prisoner-like. Well, he's probably having some Stockholm syndrome episode."
The vaporous Nomu shrugged and resumed staring at his pocket book. "Don't ask me, ask them. I only brought him here. Whatever she did to him to mollify him... I don't want to know. Oi, Toga - " he said in his usual deadpan way " - before you drag him to your room to force him into whatever unholy union you have in mind, remember we got questions for him. So, maybe tie him up or something? He's supposed to be a prisoner."
Dave let out a brief snort, trying to turn enough to look at Kurogiri with a raised eyebrow and a boatload of sarcasm. "Yo, Captain Pollution. The fact that you managed to get the jump on me doesn't mean you have the power to keep me here. If I wanted to leave you'd be looking at thin air by now. I'm staying because apparently you met someone who has a gem like mine and I'd like to hear the story."
"And me. He's staying because he's with me!" Himiko added laughing and absentmindedly cutting his shirt with small nicks which - oddly enough - didn't touch his skin. She just kept looking at him and smiling. "Ask your questions, guys. I'm getting impatient."
"And her, in a way. As if I needed more complications in my life." he sighed, then raised a hand to trace a finger down her cheek. Oddly, he was starting to get accustomed to her usual level of aggression - and with the quickly diminishing level of his fear he found easier to assert himself. Up to a point, of course; playing with her would be a rather delicate game...but seeing as she didn't have the slightest intention of letting him go, he didn't have any other options.
"Or" Prometheus interjected mirthfully "you could just requisition a personal teleporter and vanish, never to be seen again. If your self preservation is the only reason you aren't making her mad, why stay? What do you care if the poor girl gets broken hearted and cries her eyes out calling your name everynight while you're far aw-"
Dave started to open his mouth to say something, then closed it as a line appeared on his brow. Instead of speaking to himself, he just conveyed thoughts to his invisible companion.
Oh, FUCK OFF. Fine, you win, I kinda like her, I don't want her to be sad even if she's clearly insane. Under all that there's just a lonely girl who wants to be loved.
"First, congratulations for realizing you don't have to look like a schizophrenic to everyone in your immediate vicinity when communicating with the literal voice in your head. Second, congratulations AGAIN for being honest at last. And for the record, this means you never got over your attraction to broken birds and nonetheless I approve of your decision and will help you anyway I can." Prometheus replied with all seriousness.
Dave looked at Himiko - who at the time was leaning against his hand and nibbling at the thumb with an ecstatic expression. "Himi, come on. I need to get up. The floor is uncomfortable and I reeaaaaaallly need some coffee. Do your boy a solid, darling?" he added, tilting his head a bit and trying his best to put on the puppy-eyes type of charm. She leaned forther down to look in his eyes and then uttered a small hmph before finally getting off him and almost immediately dragging both onto a large couch opposite the bar. A playful but very well placed push and his ass landed sitting on the cushions - immediately followed by her hopping on his lap like an overexcited cat.
"There. Better?" she asked, still pouting a bit. He nodded, nuzzling her hair for half a second. "Yes. Thank you."
"If I may interrupt this lovely show of PDA.." a tall man with a top hat, an orange cowl and a very prominent nose said as he stepped into the room, sweeping all the people present with his gaze "...I believe we do have business to discuss." He made a small flourish in Dave's direction and took off his hat in salute. "My apologies for my companions' rudeness - though I see you got well acquainted with lovely Himiko. You may call me Mr. Compress and I bid you welcome to our little corner of paradise. I also have to apologize for the absence of our dear leader. He's currently out looking for your...counterpart? Colleague? Yours is a story I'd like very much to hear."
"Manners at last. Delighted, Mr. Compress. I am Dave." His tone was as neutral and noncommittal as he could make it: the last thing he wanted to do was reveal the source of his powers to a bunch of thieves and murderers...of course unless he had to.
The newcomer got a hold of a remote placed on a small stool next to the biggest wall screen in the room and turned it on - selecting a file called "newsreel341_enh": the same newspiece he was looking at on the TV before he got (more or less) kidnapped started playing. "As you can see, the other...gem bearer?...is here. It does look like he was far enough in the background that the helicopter crew didn't notice him. Allow me to zoom in."
When he saw the face on the screen, Dave's heart literally sank and his eyes widened in shock. "Oh, FUCK ME." he groaned. "Of all the people. This is beyond simple chance. This is karma biting me in the godsdamn ass."
"Nope." Prometheus replied placidly. "It's tropes, but they're biting your ass none the less."
"I take you know this gentleman?" Mr. Compress asked with vivid interest. "Please, elucidate."
"I need a coffee. Or twelve." Dave groaned. Wordlessly, Kurogiri started to work the espresso machine and in a minute he was sipping from a steaming hot demitasse. He finally nodded wearily. "Boy, do I know him. We used to be friends years ago; then we had a rather big fight. He's not exactly the sanest or the most amiable person around. To be honest, he's a pretty shitty human being. I tried to be a good friend to him, but all the attrition we accumulated one day exploded and I cut him out of my life. Haven't heard from him in literally forever. His name ... is Mark. And if he has the same power as me... everyone, and I mean everyone is in deep shit."
Twice looked at the screen, then at Dave and crossed his arms. "Then it's high time you tell us what that gem can do. Himiko-chan would be heartbroken if we had to resort to violence to get it out, don't cha think?"
Dave gave him a venomous stare. "Correction. You can try, Gimp Suit. But there's no need for useless threats. He may have the same gem, but apparently his set of powers are different from mine. I can't do that. What I know is that he's after three things: immortality, eternal youth and taking over the world. Believe me or not, those were always the top 3 things in his bucket list. He's like...evil overlord squared." He shook his head. "Of all people." he repeated dejectedly. "You said your boss is out to find him? You'd rather pray he doesn't - or if he does, he's good enough to overwhelm him in the first five seconds."
"Speaking of which, who's with him?" Kurogiri asked Mr. Compress offhandedly.
"Muscular." Twice replied. "Worst choice ever."
"I concur." Compress nodded. "Shall we call them back?"
"I'd do it if I were you, on the double. And once he's back, I'll take my leave. I said I want no part of this and doubly so now that Mr. Kono-Dio-Da is around." He turned to Himiko, whose face had instantly turned into full alert at his mentioning of leaving. "You, of course, can reach me anytime. I owe you a date, apparently." he chuckled. "Chill. You're becoming apoplectic."
"You aren't going anywhere, mister." she grabbed his chin rather forcefully, looking straight into his eyes. "and you owe me a lot more than one date. I'm not getting dumped and you aren't going out there philandering with other women." she quietly said. Her face was still molded in one of those cute pouts of her but her eyes were flaring up with full murderous intent.
Dave swallowed, smiling uneasily as the familiar fear she was able to inflict on him was creeping again up his spine. "Who said anything about other women? I just don't want to get in this stupid crossfire." he snorted, trying to keep it under control. he felt the tip of her blade graze his inner thigh through the jeans, slowly riding up and leaving a trickle of blood.
"I don't care about motivations and I don't care about your friend or whatever he wants to do. You. Are not. Leaving. Me." she hissed.
"I didn't want to in the first place. Duly noted, anyway." Dave sighed. "Looks like I'm being conscripted. So...hello, all?"
"And a warm welcome to you, good sir. We'll have to find you a proper name and a suit!" Compress laughed.
Dave didn't reply, instead looking at the image paused on screen. This was gonna be a real shit show.
