Siegfreed's eye twitched."What—?"
Mr. N snapped forward towards them in an effort to attack.
They both backed off.
His voice was sharp."Enough, you ape. Relax, Demi. This is Liam—the human weapon we have spoken about wanting to secure for some time."
Demi smiled, flashing his broken knuckles.
"'Enough,'" he mocked. "You sound so pussy."
Demi shook his hand in pain."Who helped you get onto the island to steal him? Osprey? Pool?"
Demi locked eyes with Mr. N, who simply said,"If I want a job well done, I do it myself."
Demi laughed greedily, cackling with his hands in his pockets."HAHA. You're a madman. You got him? By yourself? Maybe you're not washed after all."
As if brothers bonded by the same blood, Demi and Mr. N shared a unique relationship.
Liam narrowed his gaze at the short, dark-skinned man, something gnawing at his instincts.
He's hiding something.
Mr. N tapped his watch. The floor hummed as a new door 3D-printed itself into place, layer by layer, rising to replace the broken one.
Demi watched, visibly unsettled. The last thing he wanted was to sit through a Mr. N speech.
"So can I leav—"
"Yes, you're dismissed."
"Yes, you're dismissed," Demi mocked, mimicking his face like a child mocking a teacher.
Walking through the door, he thought to himself,Talk about being indoctrinated by the white man.
Mr. N snarkily remarked, as if reading his mind,"Says the Black guy named 'Demisaux.'"
Demi ignored it.
Siegfreed was staring at Demisaux for a little too long before catching himself."S-So you're not going to apologize for that baboonery? What if he hurt Liam—"
The word hung in the room.
Baboonery?
Mr. N's mind flickered.
He's not racist, is he?
Considering I'm part Black… I'd hope not.
He pushed the thought aside before it rooted deeper.
"What rank is he? Three? Four, I'm assuming?" Liam asked.
Mr. N smiled, hiding his true emotions, tilting his head."Rank Eight. He's young, hot-headed… strong. The cliché. I keep him out of the public eye, considering his social upbringing and his lack of a moral code."
"He's strong. Good job," Liam mumbled.
As the two couldn't have been more different—
"Liam. What a joke." Demi muttered.
Sho appeared at his side, whispering cautiously."Did they catch Karmel Kan?"
"Yeah," Demi muttered, slipping his hands into his pockets once more. "But Kan's a joke. Assassins ain't shit in Europe. Real assassins come from Asia—everyone knows that."
Sho narrowed his eyes, mumbling,"Like Ghost…"
…
Sho asked,"You seem angry… what's wrong?"
Demisaux clenched his fist so hard his knuckles cracked.
"I'm tired of these child-like games."
His life force spiked, his words sharp as blades.
"Presidential battle? What a joke. Mr. N could destroy that 'human weapon' and that twink in under three minutes if he wanted to. But here he is, playing by their rules, recruiting people weaker than him to fight for him in a battle he won't even participate in."
Sho responded, knowing his strength."Respectfully, Demi… the President is even more powerful than I am. Do you really think Mr. N could overthrow him and defeat him by himself?"
Demi replied,"You don't know N. I've never seen a man capable of so much do so little in my life. He has the power to take America by force… and he chooses not to. If you knew the things that man was capable of… you'd understand. He's like a god in human clothing."
Sho's eyes widened.
He knew Demisaux had been training under Mr. N since his appointment as an Elite Guard. But he'd seen Demi spar with other Elite Guards, lieutenants, even fight in civil wars far beyond his level.
And yet—
Never had Demisaux spoken of anyone with such respect.
"What makes N fierce," Demi said, his voice heavy with certainty, "isn't just his raw combat prowess. It's his life force. He cannot die. His will to survive allows him to create miracles… in real time."
Demi was always a leader. Never the type to follow anyone.
For him to be following Mr. N—
That alone said everything.
Demi scratched the itch on his face and smiled."But maybe with this new chess piece… things can change."
Demi walked toward his personal office."We need someone tied up in rope."
James was slumped in the chair, rope cutting deep into his arms.
His shirt was torn and soaked with blood, one sleeve hanging by a thread.
His face was destroyed—nose bent, lips split, one eye swollen shut and leaking red down his cheek.
A crack in his skull hinted at potential brain damage as he mumbled and drooled.
His shoulder hung limp.
Broken.
Sho spoke,"He was the only one who fought back. Properly."
James's breathing was slow.
But his determination—
It was still there.
Demi wiped his bruised cheek, reminded of the punch that had nearly shattered his jaw.
He smiled.
"Seems like we have a new lieutenant."
Sho smiled back."Hopefully he lasts longer than the previous one."