Chapter 10

After a long day of fighting, bickering with mortals and getting kicked around by officials Lucas and Dante had settled themselves in a bar that settled on the edge of the nexus.

It was one place that demons, mortals and creatures from all over could drink up, hook up, and be merry. Inside it looked like your typical mead hall but on the outside it appeared as an ancient chamber of sorts.

"Dude you cannot believe the headache my sister has been giving me." Dante half yawned and stretched as he spoke.

Cracking open his beer Lucas looked at their surroundings, "I can imagine Savannah's the bossy one between you two, isn't she?"

Downing a shot Dante nodded and made a face, "Damn that's strong… But yes, you would've thought she was Earth defender…"

"Hmph…" Lucas frowned and turned to his cousin. "No offense but could we not talk about work tonight? I just want to get this whole war and opposing sides off my mind."

With a snort and taking back another shot Dante grinned, "Hell yeah man I get it; lets get drunk off our asses!"

Taking out a sack of coins the godling threw it on the counter in front of the barkeeper. "One for the whole house on me!"

Hearing his generous offer a few of the bar fly's clapped and raised a glass as the two demi-gods continued speaking about everything and anything.

"Dude we should totally get laid!" Dante hiccupped as he drank his 20th shot of elder gods knew what.

Sighing Lucas drank his brandy on the rocks, "Yeah no thanks…" His cousin gave him a sideways glance.

"Luko seriously? You gotta lose it sometime!" At this remark Lucas blushed.

"No man seriously I've never been into the whole "one night stand" thing; I rather save it for my queen." He took a swig of his drink and tried not to feel his cousin's eyes burning into his face.

"What?"

Dante snickered, "Man and you're the son of the fallen lord? No wonder they gave the position to your sister…" The drunken demigod drank another shot.

Lucas felt his face heat up, "I didn't want the damn throne anyways…"

Belching loudly Dante wiped his face with a sleeve, "You know Lucas… Now that I look at you… You don't really look like your dad…"

Lucas cocked a brow, "What're you talking about? Your drunk Dante…"

His cousin shook his head wildly, "Sorry man I call it as I see it… You don't look all bony and shit…"

It was a quiet for a moment as Lucas contemplated what Dante said, "Look I'll take it as a compliment that you think I look better than my dad but what your suggesting isn't possible."

Dante guffawed and slammed his fist on the table as he laughed at him.

"What is so damned funny about what I said?"

Lucas turned on his drunken cousin and couldn't help but get ticked off about it.

"It's true, isn't it? Why would I have a different father? My mother and father are very loyal and happy together…"

He mentally slapped himself for saying that; Lucas knew far too well that his parents couldn't stand one another. Besides the occasional roll in the hay and snicker at others misfortune they were better off apart than anything else. The fact they still shared a bed together was probably out of necessity of holding appearance.

"Whatever helps you sleep at night…" Dante slurped on a new beverage as Lucas mentally fought with himself.

"Mom wouldn't…"

Lucas got up to go the restroom and excused himself as Dante clumsily tried to flirt with a busty assassin, "Evening little lady…(hic)…wanna have some fun I'm a demi-god."

Rolling his eyes as he walked down the dimly lit hall space Lucas opened the men's bathroom and locked the door behind him. He looked at the mirror at himself as if there was some truth just by looking at his reflection.

"Stupid Dante…" Lucas frowned at his reflection and couldn't help but notice that his radical cousin had made a point. His eyes didn't glow green, his jaw was wider and firmer than Shinnok's and his hair…

Panicked and for a loss of words Lucas called Takeda.

"Okay tell me one more time; what are you trying to say?" Takahashi sat on his sofa in his room and ate a sandwich as Lucas spoke.

"I don't think Shinnok is my dad…"

Takeda blinked on the other side of the line, "What crazy things did Dante tell you?"

"Does it matter!" Lucas yelled into the phone as he hit a bathroom stall annoyed.

"Yes it matters that your talking to a drunk and from what I know your mom kisses Shinnok's ass on a daily basis; why would she cheat on him?"

Lucas face palmed, "I know it all sound weird but… Why shouldn't she cheat on him? He's degrading, cold, he killed my brother, and to this day he doesn't respect her…"

Takeda laid back in the sofa, "It seems like you got more reason of how you could be some other guy's son… But isn't that a good thing?"

He felt his face turn red, "No it's not, that means I'm Shinnok's illegitimate son and a walking disgrace!"

Takahashi couldn't help but shrug on his end, "I think you're losing it Lucas; stop drinking go home and talk to your mom."

"I can't ask her it'll be awkward… Wait a minute." Lucas stopped speaking and listened to a voice outside the bathroom door.

"What?" Takeda frowned waiting for Lucas to continue.

"I'll call you back…" The necromancer hung up the phone and walked back out of the restroom hoping that the one he heard hadn't left yet.

"D' Vorah!" Lucas called out to the annoyed bug lady.

She turned and looked a little more relaxed seeing him, "This one thought she saw you come in here…"

Lucas chuckled hearing the Kytinn speak, "Yeah it's my night off… Listen you can inject your claw things into people and sap their blood right?"

D' Vorah blinked but answered slowly, "Yes… why do you ask?"

In the woods behind the Nexus bar

"I can't believe your freaking doing this…" A more sober Dante was with Lucas and D'Vorah participating in some weird ritual it seemed.

"Dante if you don't want to be here go back inside." Lucas snapped as he prepared to get injected by the bug lady, who seemed far too pleased with the situation.

"Are you ready?" Lucas nodded and swallowed his anxiety as D' Vorah took out a limb from her back and carefully inserted it into his arm.

He grits his teeth feeling the uncomfortable prick in his arm and Dante swallowed bile that was coming up his throat, "This is disgusting man…"

What felt like forever was merely second until D' Vorah removed her appendage and slowly got a taste of the blood she had injected. She had tasted Shinnok's blood before so she would be able to tell the similarities in, he and Lucas' fluids.

At first D' Vorah said nothing but slowly the taste of Lucas came into her senses finding no resemblance of the fallen elder god in the boy's blood. "Oh dear…"

"What?" Lucas looked at D'Vorah with wide eyes.

She hummed to herself as she considered how to break the news to him, "This one can't taste Shinnok in your blood…"

"WHAT?!" Dante and Lucas said in unison.

"But…but how?!" Lucas kneeled in shock.

D' Vorah and Dante stood silently as their friend and cousin had a breakdown.

"If it's any consolation…" D' Vorah spoke cautiously, "This one knows whose blood runs through your veins."

He did nothing at first but slowly Lucas lifted his head and spoke shakily, "Who?"

The Spire

"Mom!" Lucas yelled as he burst through the door of Shinnok's spire. "Mom!"

He walked down the hallway and nearly collided with Rashid as he turned the corner. "How could you?!"

Lucas' body shook from the truth he had learned earlier that evening.

"How could I what?" Rashid spoke before being taken by the shoulders of her second born son.

"Don't play with me mom!" He snapped at his mother's feigned ignorance. "How could you screw with Shinnok's old general!"

It was silent until Lucas' mother finally spoke; "How did you know?"

He blinked, so it was true…

"I got my blood tested after Dante made an obscene comment of me not looking like Shinnok; he was drunk off his ass, but he made more sense than you do right now!"

Rashid said nothing but dragged her son by the arm and took him into the library, "Lucas what I did… was necessary…"

He took his arm away from her, "Mom what excuse could you have to sleep with General Reiko!"

His mother's eyes finally looked up into his, "Shinnok killed your brother, my first born. He wanted another, but like hell I was going to give him another son to destroy…"

Rashid's eyes burned with an untold rage that dwelled within her.

"So, you slept with his general? What did you mean to do with that?" Lucas snapped not believing the extent his mother went to deny his father another son.

"He can't take away what's not his… You're not part of the devil's deal."

Lucas sighed and rubbed his face, "Mom I know you're still hurt over Tiberius and if you never forgive Shinnok for that I get it… But look at what you did to me… Evah and… Okay just us but that was selfish you know?!"

Rashid crossed her arms in frustration, "Say what you like Lucas; I refused to lose another child to that maniac."

"You don't think he's going to kill me?" Lucas frowned.

His mother shook her head, "You're not worth his time or attention so no he won't."

Sighing heavily Lucas sat in a chair and put his face in his hands, "Well thanks for the confidence in me… But if Shinnok doesn't want me, what do I do now? I'm still the son of a mad general…"

Silently mother and son sat next to one another until Lucas looked up in relief, "You know for awhile I was worried about disappointing the fallen elder god but now… I think I rather have this."

Lucas held his mother close, "I still think what you did was freaking nuts, but I guess the pressure is off of me."