Chapter 97: A Better Fish

The screech that tore through the office quickly turned into a scream. Victor’s entire body suddenly locked up before he dropped to his knees, both hands grabbing at his head as if something inside it was tearing him apart. The sound was so sudden that I almost stood without thinking. Malick moved too, but unlike me, he didn’t look confused. The moment he saw what was happening, his face became noticeably paler.

For the first time since the meeting began, Chris’s expression completely changed. The calm look disappeared as he stood from the sofa and walked toward Victor. There was real anger on his face now, far more than when Victor had threatened him with Arthur. Apparently, threatening Chris himself hadn’t mattered much, but threatening me was completely different.

Victor was still screaming when Chris stopped in front of him. He reached down, grabbed the side of Victor’s face and pulled. For one horrible second, I thought Chris had actually torn his skin off, but then I realized what came away wasn’t skin. It was some kind of incredibly realistic mask, and underneath it was the face of a woman.

I stared in surprise. She was beautiful, with sharp features that looked completely different from the man who had entered the office only minutes earlier. Her hair was black with a streak of white running through it, and somehow the two colors suited her. I barely had time to process any of that before Chris grabbed a fistful of her hair and slammed her face against the table.

The impact made me flinch as blood immediately appeared across the surface. Chris pulled her head back and slammed it down again while saying, “Next time, think before threatening someone.” His voice was colder than I’d heard it in a long time, and before she could properly react, he struck her against the table again.

More blood splashed across the table and onto his clothes. The woman could barely make a sound anymore between the pain she’d already been feeling and what Chris was doing to her. He pulled her head back once more, and something about the look on his face made my stomach tighten. He wasn’t trying to frighten her anymore. If I didn’t stop him, I genuinely thought he might kill her.

“Chris, stop!” I shouted, making his hand stop before her face could hit the table again. He didn’t immediately release her, so I stood and moved closer before saying, “Nothing happened. She threatened me, but that’s all. I’m fine, Chris. She didn’t touch me.” His grip on her hair remained tight for several seconds while he looked toward me, but some of the anger in his expression slowly disappeared.

I repeated, “Nothing happened,” and that finally seemed to reach him. Chris looked down at the woman in his hand before releasing her hair. She collapsed against the side of the table, barely conscious, while Chris remained standing over her for another moment.

Only then did he seem to notice the state of everything around him. Blood covered part of the table and floor, while smaller drops had splashed across his shoes, trousers, coat and shirt. He looked down at himself for a moment before turning his attention back toward the woman and crouching beside her.

Chris placed one hand against her head, and the injuries began disappearing. I couldn’t see exactly what he was doing, but the damage healed quickly enough that I could watch it happen. Her breathing became steadier, the swelling slowly vanished and the wounds across her face began closing. Within around ten minutes, she looked almost completely normal again apart from the blood still covering her skin, hair and clothes.

Then she suddenly screamed again. Her entire body curled inward as the same invisible pain returned, but this time the scream slowly became quieter as she forced herself to control it. Chris stood over her and said, “You are my slave now. Nothing more.” Her body trembled violently while she tried to breathe through the pain, and after several seconds she managed to answer through clenched teeth, “Yes.”

The pain seems to slowly faded after that. She remained on the floor for several seconds before pushing herself upright, and Chris watched her without offering any help. Once she could stand properly, he asked, “What’s your real name?” She swallowed and answered, “Valentina,” while still breathing heavily.

Chris nodded before asking, “Who do you work for?” Valentina hesitated for only a moment before another flash of pain crossed her face, and she immediately answered, “Leviathan, S.H.I.E.L.D. and Hydra.” Chris’s eyebrows rose slightly, and for the first time since he’d attacked her, he almost looked pleased. “Oh. I caught a better fish than I expected.”

Malick hadn’t moved from his seat. I looked toward him and noticed he was avoiding Valentina’s eyes while still watching Chris carefully. Considering how he’d reacted when the pain started, I had a feeling he understood exactly what Chris had done to her and knew he was under something similar himself.

Chris looked back toward Valentina and asked, “What do your files say about me?” She took a moment to steady herself before answering, “You’re considered arrogant, cruel, impulsive and inexperienced. Most of the people reviewing you think you’re a rich child making reckless decisions with inherited money and influence.” Chris didn’t seem bothered by any of it and simply asked how much attention he was actually getting.

Valentina answered, “Until recently, not much. The property purchases raised questions, but the Arc Reactor deal changed that. This meeting was supposed to decide whether you were worth more serious attention.” Chris nodded before asking, “And after today?” She glanced toward the blood-covered table before looking back at him and answering, “You’ll be categorized differently. Much differently.”

Chris seemed satisfied with that answer before asking, “Why didn’t Malick know you were already watching me this closely?” Valentina looked toward Malick and explained, “Because he was under suspicion. He defended you several times and tried to reduce the attention being placed on you. Some people started wondering whether he’d made contact with you privately, so information involving you stopped being shared with him.”

Chris looked toward Malick, who immediately said, “I didn’t know they had already gone that far.” Chris watched him for a few seconds before nodding. “Okay. That explains it.” Malick visibly relaxed after hearing that, although only slightly.

Chris turned back toward Valentina and briefly explained what he already knew about mutants and Inhumans, including the hidden groups on Earth and the settlement on the Moon. Once he finished, he asked, “Is there anything important you can add to that?” Valentina thought for a moment before shaking her head. “Nothing important. You already know most of what I could tell you.”

Chris nodded before asking, “What about magic?” For the first time since she’d started answering him, Valentina looked genuinely confused. “Magic?” Chris studied her expression for several seconds before simply saying, “Okay.” I didn’t know what he’d expected her to say, but apparently her confusion had answered whatever question he actually had.

Chris studied her expression for several seconds before simply saying, “Okay.” I didn’t know what he’d expected her to say, but apparently her confusion had answered whatever question he actually had.

He walked back toward the sofa but remained standing beside it. “After today, you’re going to report that I’ve been working on a prototype Arc Reactor. I’ve been studying the technology for years, so make up a believable explanation for why. Use my father if you need to. Say he had access to related research and I continued working from whatever he left behind.”

Valentina nodded, and Chris continued, “You’ll tell them I expect to have a working prototype by the end of the week. You’ll also say I’m ambitious, I want more power and influence, and you believe I can be recruited if the right person approaches me.” Valentina answered, “Understood,” while Chris continued watching her carefully.

After thinking for another moment, he added, “Make it believable. Don’t suddenly make me sound like some hidden genius nobody noticed before. Use the money, private tutors, my father’s interest in research or whatever else works. I don’t care about the exact excuse. I only care that people believe it.”

Valentina nodded again, and Chris continued, “After that, I want another meeting. Preferably within a month, although I don’t think it’ll take that long once they believe I can build an Arc Reactor myself. If you have any control over who comes next, choose someone important enough to actually have influence over global matters.” Valentina answered, “I’ll arrange it if possible,” and Chris gave a small nod.

“You can go,” Chris finally said. Valentina immediately started moving toward the door, and it was obvious she had no interest in remaining anywhere near him longer than necessary. Malick stood as well and followed her, but before either of them reached the exit, Chris spoke again and said, “One more thing.”

Valentina stopped instantly and slowly looked back. Chris remained completely calm as he told her, “The pain you felt wasn’t temporary. Every time you seriously think about betraying me, the same thing will happen again. It will keep getting worse until you stop thinking about betraying me, and if you keep pushing against it, eventually the pain will kill you.”

Valentina remained completely still for several seconds before nodding and answering, “I understand.” Chris then looked toward Malick, who seemed to understand the silent question immediately and gave a small nod of his own.

Neither of them said anything else. Valentina opened the door and quickly left the office, with Malick following directly behind her. The moment the door closed, the room became quiet again, leaving only Chris and me surrounded by the blood that still covered the table and floor.

I looked at the blood covering the table and Chris’s clothes before looking at him again. Less than an hour ago, he’d been wondering whether I would go out with him, and now he was already thinking about controlling people inside secret organizations. I almost wished his mind would stay on normal teenage problems for a little longer. Maybe I could do something about that.