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--V.S.
WAAPT@tropi.us Legacy → WAAPT: In-Universe → Herbert40k's Wrap-Up Thread
-Sarah makes no effort to follow him, instead opting to merely curl up in bed wordlessly.-
Duke is sitting on a bench, reading a small book.
-Duke may sense a familiar grey Aura nearby, one that is almost painful to read.-
Duke notices the Aura and, worried, walks towards the source.
"Lucius? What's wrong?"
-Duke will most probably find Lucius curled up in a ball somewhere outside the hotel, partially concealed by the hedge he's buried himself in. He doesn't appear to have moved in some time.-
Lucius: D-don't yell so loudly! She might hear you...
Duke blinks in a mix of disbelief and shock.
"Lucius! What happened to you?!" he said, now deeply worried and scared of the answer.
-Lucius takes several deep breaths, seemingly trying to compose himself somewhat.-
Lucius: I... I don't want to talk about it here... not out in the open...
"Do you want to go to my room instead?" said Duke, offering a hand to help Lucius get up.
-Lucius recoils as Duke reaches out for him.-
Lucius: NO! N-no... I need to be alone... I can't trust anybody, not after what she did...
Duke then bends down, seeing that his previous approach didn't work.
"Lucius... You know you can trust me. I won't hurt you, I don't want to, I have no reason to. I just want to know what's going on. Who is "she" and what did she do to you?" he said, in the most gentle tone he could achieve.
-Lucius pulls his knees closer to his chest.-
Lucius: How do I know I can trust you? You've hurt me before... I never thought she would, but she did, and she did it thinking she was helping me...
"I never wanted to hurt you, I wasn't controlling myself. Lucius, I promised I would never hide anything from you or lie to you again and I never did break that promise. Why would I do that now? I'm not going to betray you, can't you have some faith on me?" he sighs.
-Lucius looks up at Duke for the first time since he started talking.-
Lucius: I... I want to, Duke, I really do... but every time I try to trust somebody, it always ends in disaster...
"I know you must be going through something painful, but... Give me the benefit of doubt and have faith on me. I want to be somebody you can count on, and until now I thought I was." he sighs, still looking very worried.
Lucius: But I... o-okay. If you i-insist...
-Whatever was keeping him from standing up to Duke seems to fade as he slowly starts getting to his feet, still pale and shaking nervously.-
Duke helps Lucius stand up, looking somewhat relieved.
"Do you want to talk about what happened? In my room?"
Lucius: I... I don't want to go back to the hotel... not whilst she's staying there...
-He doesn't seem to be in much of a position to walk anywhere unaided.-
"All right..." said Duke, looking a bit confused, but he still seemed a bit concerned "We could... Go to the forest, I guess? Is that private enough?"
-Lucius nods hesitantly, apparently more for the sake of agreeing than anything else.-
"All right."
Duke then begins assisting Lucius and helping get him to the forest.
Duke brings Lucius to a small clearing in the forest.
-Upon entering the clearing, Lucius slumps down against a tree trunk, his gaze firmly fixed on the forest floor.-
Lucius: ...Do you want me to start from the beginning, or...?
Duke sits down next to Lucius.
"Look, you don't need to tell me if you don't want to. I don't want to force anything." he then looks directly at him "I can tell you really want to cry. Feel free to do so, if you need a shoulder to cry on, I'm here. I'm not going to judge you for it and I don't mind getting my coat or shirt wet."
Lucius: ...I'm not crying. I may be a pathetic, monstrous asshole currently wallowing in self-pity, but I'm not crying.
-He says this in a surprisingly firm tone of voice.-
"... If you say so. If you feel comfortable with telling me what happened, start from wherever you want."
-Lucius swallows, and when he starts talking again, it's in a far less meek tone.-
Lucius: ...I'm not sure when it all started, honestly. Not sure when I started caring more about revenge than justice... I did some bad things as the Avenger. The only way to get the equipment I needed to take down Titan and his Excubitor goons was to steal it, so I did... and I put the people I was supposed to lead in danger because of my own stupid grudge. We won, but it was only because the other superheroes decided that my sorry ass was worth saving. No idea why, considering that I treated them like glorified slaves...
-He trails off, staring vacantly at the wall for a moment before getting back to the story.-
Lucius: Anyway, the day after the raid, I ran into an... an Aura vampire. This inhuman-looking figure in a cloak and mask, with nothing more than a blank void where her Aura should've been... she sucked the life right out of me. Told me that she knew who I was, that I'd gone too far, that she was there to put an end to the Avenger for good. I had to swear that I'd abandon the whole Avenger identity just to stop her from finishing me off... I don't think I've ever been as terrified in my life, except when I was fighting Alexia for the first time. And even then I was still able to stand up to her... this time I just fell to my knees and begged for my life like a coward...
WAAPT@tropi.us Legacy → WAAPT: In-Universe → Herbert40k's Wrap-Up Thread
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