I clenched my fingers around the knives and pointed them towards the trespassers.
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Adrien stared me down. "You don't want to mess with me, Atlas. I've obliterated men that are three times your size and twice as strong. I could kill you in an instant if I wanted to, so I suggest you stand down."
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My resolve faltered, I disconnected my cerebral link with Chase, and I lowered the knives. I knew I couldn't survive a fight with Adrien Kumar.
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Chase shot me a look that said. Are you crazy?
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Gabriel folded his arms and leaned against the wall. "Tuck those knives away, Curseword. You don't want to get on my bad side."
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"I'm pretty sure he already got on your bad side when he pickpocketed the map from you," Chase said.
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Gabriel waved his hand dismissively. "Oh, the map. I don't care about the map. You can keep it. That thing is way more trouble than it's worth."
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"Yeah right!" I snapped. "You sent someone after us!"
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"I have no clue what you're talking about, and I really don't care. I'm here to discuss something else," Gabriel said.
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What other reason could he have for being here? I'll admit it, he'd piqued my interest. I wanted to know why he was here. I clenched my teeth and shot him a dirty look, as I sheathed my knives.
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Gabriel shot me a satisfied smirk. "Attaboy. Let's talk things out, like gentlemen. By the way, I like your suit."
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Now I'm tempted to burn the suit out of spite. "If you're not here for the map, then why are you here?"
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Adrien pounded his fists on the nightstand. "I want to know what happened to my favorite fighter!"
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"How should I know?" Chase asked.
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"Ever since your little pathetic little skirmish at the Cybrawl, Vindicator has been MIA, and I'd like to know what the hell happened to him!" Adrien spat.
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"Oh, Vindicator is your favorite? You should pick someone better. We kicked his ass twice in less than twenty-four hours." Chase said.
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"Hey, he's new at this!" Adrien defended. "With time, he'll grow up to be an absolute terror in the arena like me." Adrien shot me an icy stare, and said, "Gabriel has his favorite fighters and I have mine."
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"Well, I've got some bad news about your golden boy, we kinda sorta threw him into the sea," Chase said sheepishly.
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Gabriel quirked an eyebrow. "You two tossed him into the ocean?"
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Chase nodded. "We chucked his ass into the sea, just like Rose threw the necklace at the end of Titanic. I'm pretty sure he's gone for good now. What a shame."
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Gabriel shot me a piercing stare. "You're being awfully quiet."
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"I haven't made a sound in five years." I signed.
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Gabriel rolled his eyes. "Do you want to tell me what really happened?"
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I shrugged. "It's exactly like Chase said. He's probably lying dead on the ocean floor."
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Gabriel shot me a disbelieving look. Then why does our tracker say he's in this house."
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I froze. He's in this mansion right now? He can't be! The last thing we need is another obstacle in our heist.
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"You track your fighters?" Chase asked.
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"Of course I do. It's important to keep tabs on my investments," Gabriel said. "Ever since footage of your Cybrawl went viral, he disappeared without a word. I doubt that's a coincidence."
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"Are you implying we kidnapped him?" I asked.
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Gabriel picked at his nails. "I'm not implying anything, I just want to get to the bottom of this."
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"Wait! Our Cybrawl went viral?" Chase interrupted.
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Gabriel nodded. "All the fans are talking about it."
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"What are they saying?" Chase twirled his thumbs anxiously."
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"They hate it," Adrien remarked.
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"It's one of the lowest-rated fights of the decade," Gabriel said.
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"Some fans are calling it the worst Cybrawl of all time," Adrien added. "Quite frankly, there wasn't nearly enough carnage to satisfy the audience."
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Chase scoffed. "Sorry, I wasn't brutalized enough for you."
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Adrien scowled. "Apology not accepted."
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"Let's get back to the topic at hand. Vindicator. I know you sent him after us! He told us so himself."
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"That's ridiculous. Do you think we'd ever waste one of our most promising fighters on someone as insignificant as you?" Adrien sneered.
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I glanced from Gabriel to Adrien, searching for any telltale signs of dishonesty, but I couldn't detect any. "Vindicator said you sent him after us."
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"That'snot entirely true," Chase interjected. "What he actually said was," He lowered his voice into a poor impression of Vindicator. "You stole it from my employer, Gabriel St. Martin, and I've come to take it back." Chase quoted. "Technically, he never said Gabriel sent him. It was just implied."
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I whirled around to glower at Chase. "What side are you on?"
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Chase raised his hands in surrender. "I'm just relaying what happened so we can get to the bottom of this.
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Gabriel shook his head. "You should know better than to jump to conclusions, Curseword."
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I clenched my teeth and waved my arms furiously as I signed. "Do you expect me to believe that you'd let me go after I stole from you? I've seen firsthand how you treat your enemies."
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Gabriel's expression softened. "Deep down, I've always had a soft spot for you, Atlas. I can never stay mad at you, no matter how badly, I might want to. You're not my enemy, you're my Godson."
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I refused to make eye contact. "Give me one good reason why I should trust you."
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Gabriel slid his hands into his pockets. "I don't have one. I suppose you'll have to take my word for it. "
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I rolled my eyes. "We both know your word isn't worth a damn thing."
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Adrien laughed. "He's right, Gabriel. No one in their right mind would trust you as far as they could throw you."
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We're supposed to be partners, Adrien. You're supposed to back me up!" Gabriel hissed.
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Adrien picked at his nails with an unamused expression on his face. "I'm my own partner. You should know that by now."
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Gabriel muttered something foul-sounding under his breath.
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"Why would Vindicator come after us if you didn't send him?" Chase asked.
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"I don't know. That's a question you'll have to ask him yourself, but I'd guess it's because that map is worth a lot of money. He probably wanted to sell it," Gabriel said.
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I stroked my chin, then shook my head. "No, that seems out of character for him. He doesn't come across as the type to be driven by money. His motives feel much more personal."
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Gabriel gave a half shrug. "You could be right. I don't know what the fighters are like outside the arena. It's better that way. It's best not to get too attached to any one fighter. Most of them don't last long."
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Adrien pushed his glasses up his nose and shot me a discerning stare. "You act as if you know him."
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"Yeah, we've had a few run-ins with him." I crossed my arms across my chest.
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Adrien didn't waver. "No, you know him, don't you?"
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Chase shot me I puzzled look.
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I shook my head furiously. "I don't know him, I swear! About a month ago, he attacked me in an alleyway, that was the first time we met! I don't know why he hates me!"
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"Woah, it's okay. We believe you, man. There's no need to get so worked up." Chase shot me a questioning look. "Unless there's something you're not telling me."
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My mind flashed back to the time and place where I was torn apart. The awful memory played in my head on repeat. I couldn't get his last words to me out of my head. "I'm sorry it had to be this way. I know you didn't ask for the Annihilation Code. I must protect our fellow cyborg brothers and sisters, and this is the only way. I'm sorry." My entire body trembled, and I gasped for air. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No! No! No! No! No!No! No! No! No! It can't be him! It can't be! But deep down, I knew it was. I'd suspected it for a while, but I hid my suspicions from Chase because I was in denial. I didn't want it to be true. I couldn't cope knowing the man who ripped me apart was back to finish the job. I'm not strong enough to face my past. "I said I don't know him!"I snapped.
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Chase recoiled. "Okay, I believe you."
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I wanted to lay down and cry, and possibly throw up. This was all too much. I couldn't handle it. I shot Gabriel and Adrien the most menacing look I could muster. I pointed to the door, then signed, "Get out."
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Adrien looked affronted. "Excuse me? Our conversation is far from over. We still don't know why Vindicator skipped town, and—"
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Gabriel interrupted him. "You heard the kid, he wants us to go."
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"You're seriously going to leave without answers?" Adrien gave him a surprised look.
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Gabriel nodded. "I am, and you should too." He shot Atlas a pitying look. "Look at the poor thing; he's on the verge of a panic attack."
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Adrien laughed.
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Chase clenched his fists. "What's so funny, asshole."
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"Nothing, I just didn't know Gabriel became such a sissy in his old age."
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Gabriel rolled his eyes. "Oh please, I could beat your ass if I wanted to."
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"Then let's do it right here, right now! Fight me!" Adrien demanded.
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Gabriel shook his head. "No way. Do you remember how we got permanently banned from the Wan's residence?"
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"You won't fight me because you know you'll lose." Adrien quipped.
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"Whatever you say, pal. Now let's give the kid some space. He's clearly done with this conversation." Gabriel waved at me. "I'll see you around, Curseword."
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As the door slammed shut behind them, I let out a silent scream.
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