Thea and Adrian stood over Damian - watching him sleep on his bed, they managed to drag him back to the room after speaking to the hospital nurse and explaining to him that they didn't know what had caused the sound he heard.
He had apologized for the inconvenience, stating that they didn't know when Hugo had escaped from his room. They had accepted the apology and then they had been allowed to leave.
That was ten minutes ago and Damian was still out of it.
"You hit him too hard," Adrian suddenly said from the side.
Thea folded her hands and looked away, she was now wearing the shirt Persephone brought for her. It came down to her thigh so she didn't bother wearing anything thing else, "I-I didn't see you coming up with any better ideas."
Adrian sighed and sat down, "But still. This is too soon, I thought we would be able to keep him away from Jang till at least the end of the mission"
From the bed opposite Damian's, Persephone spoke up, "U-Uhm… B-But why was Damian outside the room at all? You said you would watch him, didn't you?"
Adrian coughed into his hand, "W-Well I might have fallen asleep"
Persephone sweatdropped.
"I-I was tired, okay"
"GROAN~"
All eyes turned towards Damian as he turned his head to the side with a groan. His eyes squeezed together and then he brought his hand up t his head.
"Ugh. My head. Did I get hit by a truck?"
Thea smiled sheepishly as Adrian glared at her. Then suddenly Damian's eyes flew open.
"JANG!" he screamed while looking around with wide eyes. The moment his eyes landed on Adrian he shot of the bed, "Where is he!?"
"Calm down Damian," Adrian said
"Don't tell me to calm down!" he scrambled for his gun, but there was nothing there, "Where is it!?"
"I said calm down!"
The mere shock of Adian shouting managed to make Damian retreat backward. He had never heard him shout before. He could only stare at Adrian in shock.
"What exactly are you planning to do huh!? KIll him!?"
"He killed Hugo! He doesn't deserve to live!"
"Like I care!" Adrian grabbed Damian by the shirt and brought him up to eye level, "I think you're forgetting, Damian." he whispered, just loud enough for only Damian to hear, "You're a prisoner. Our Prisoner. You have no choice but to do as I say. So if I tell you to calm down, you will calm down. Do you understand?"
Damian's eyes were wide and he stared at Adrian like he was just seeing him for the first time all over again.
"We didn't save your life for you to just throw it away, Damian." Adrian threw Damian back to the bed and stepped back, "Remember that"
Damian grit his teeth hard so hard that they almost cracked. Persephone had her hands joined in front of her as she looked on in worry at the tense scene and Thea simply looked away from the two boys with her hands folded across her chest.
"You knew," Damian said quietly. Adrian didn't respond and Damian looked around, "You all knew?"
"Damian. W-We were trying to help"
"Fuck your help!"
Persephone recoiled as Damian shouted at her. Thea sighed and moved towards him.
Smack!
"Watch your mouth boy," she said as Damian used his hand to rub at his throbbing cheek, "The only reason you're not being arrested right now is because of the people in this room. You have no right to be angry"
Damian squeezed his hands and sat back down on the bed, "S-sorry, Persephone"
Persephone was quick to respond, "I-Its fine. I... I understand"
Damian squeezed his eyes shut and released a deep breath. Thea saw that he needed some time to himself and decided to give the three of them a distraction.
"Okay, I think rest time is up. Get ready, we're moving out again in a few minutes."
She and Persephone left the two boys in the room and went to get ready in their room. Damian and Adrian didn't say a word to each other as they went about gathering their things. Once Damian had gotten ready he stretched his hand out to Adrian.
"The gun," he said.
Adrian watched him for a moment before he reached behind him and brought out the gun. He put it into Damian's hand but held onto it.
"Don't make me regret it," he said.
Damian scowled and nodded. Adrian then put his gun into his holster and they left the room together. Persephone and Thea were already waiting for them when they came out and then they all moved out of the building.
"We'll mix it up this time. Damian, you go with Adrian while Persephone comes with me" Thea said while holding up her phone and looking at the time, "Eight o'clock. I expect you both back here in three hours, and if you run into any trouble, call."
Adrian nodded his acceptance and Damian grumbled. They then split up from the girls and began heading north.
-----
"D-Do you think they'll be okay?" Persephone said while following behind Thea. Thea shrugged.
"I don't know and I don't think it's any of my business. Let them handle their problems on their own. If I see that I need to intervene, then I will"
Persephone knew that Thea was also worried, but she decided to trust her, "A-Actually I've been meaning to ask you something.. D-don't take it the wrong way! I-I'm just curious"
Thea smiled, "Just ask it. I don't bite, you know"
Persephone blushed, "W-Well I was wondering if you knew Adrian from anywhere before"
"Why would you say that?"
"You two seemed really close," Persephone sad nervously, "I-I just thought…"
Thea laughed lightly. This girl was just too cute, "Yeah, we are from the same faction. I don't think there's anybody who doesn't know Adrian in the Zeus faction"
"R-Really?"
"Of course," Thea said simply, "He's a prodi -"
Thea suddenly stopped in her tracks as she felt something.
"Is something -"
"Shh!"
Thea held her hand up to make Persephone stop talking. She looked towards her left and then her right before she made her way over the edge of the bridge they were standing on and looked down.
"W-What is it?" Persephone asked as she saw Thea climb onto the edge of the bridge. Thea turned back to her and held her hand up to her mouth again.
"Down there," she said before jumping down to the shallow river running under the bridge. The water was dirty and muddy and she grimaced as it stained her dress shoe brown. Persephone landed beside her and shot her a questioning look.
Thea didn't say anything. She moved beneath the bridge and ran he hand over the wall there. There was a dip a few meters from the center and she put her hands into it and pulled. A metal circular door began to swing open and Thea recoiled at the horrible smell that hit her like a sledgehammer.
She squeezed her nose and managed to pry the door completely open.
"Do you feel that?" she asked Persephone who was standing a few meters behind and using her hands to protect her nose. Persephone came a bit closer.
"T-The sewers?"
"No. Not that," Thea said angrily, "Feel, Persephone. Feel"
Persephone closed her eyes and willed her senses to stretch beyond the smell. For a moment there was nothing and she thought she had messed it up somehow, but then it hit her.
Malicious intent. That was the only thing she could use to describe it. A wave of negative Karma stronger than anything she had ever elt before drove her to take a step back. She opened her eyes and looked at Thea in shock.
Thea nodded, "Yeah, I know," she looked into the dark hole and began making her way in. Persephone was reluctant to follow her at first, but she finally gathered her courage and matched Thea's pace.
"Keep your eyes open," Thea said as she brought out a torch and turned it on. She turned backward and saw Persephone moving towards her with a look of disgust on her face. She couldn't blame her, the entire place smelled and felt horrid.
"Call it in," Thea said, "This is definitely it"
Persephone nodded and then brought out her phone to call the boys.