Child of Hades

30. War and Peace (Lié)

Seeing KM-13 so weak felt comically unreal to me. Mucus, blood, and other fluids left his lungs as he was struggling to stand up, falling back into the slippery puddle he laid in.

My hand reached out to him and he took it. He looked at me grudgingly. "Took you long enough.", he coughed up a bit of blood and mucus. Nevertheless, he seemed to be recovering from what had been done to him. 

"Where's Rutha?", KM-13 asked after catching his breath.

I shrugged. "It's a big world out there. He could be pretty much anywhere at this point. I doubt we'll ever find him."

KM-13 looked at me, puzzled by what I had just said. "Did they do something to your brain?"

A tiny sharp needle slid out of his hand and into mine. KM-13 analyzed my blood. He seemed relieved as he stated: "Yep, definitely the real Lié." 

"Don't test me.", I hissed at him. "I am not some kind of lab rat."

He ignored my comment as he took my hand to teleport us onto his ship. My white clothes were full of disgusting bodily fluids. I looked down and he handed me a clean set of clothes in traditional Chaus black. He closed down a room for me so I could change. The clothes were comfortable even though much too big. I had never worn anything that looked this slouchy on me in my life. 

The walls disappeared back into the floor once I had changed. The timing was curious.

KM-13 had also changed clothes and appeared to be almost back to his normal self. His expression was more serious than usual, it worried me. "Tell me about Hades.", he demanded.

I looked at him for a long time before I replied. "He watches."

Our eyes silently conspired with one another. KM-13 was the first one to take out his techdevice and drop it onto a nearby table. I followed his example. He gently grabbed my wrists and we teleported together. 

I recognized the beach. It was one of my favorites, the first spot I had taken KM-13 when we first met. "How are you planning to rescue Rutha?", KM-13 asked in all seriousness.

I evaded his ever-searching eyes and looked on the ground. It was dark.

"Rutha is not my first priority anymore.", my eyes started wondering pointlessly across the landscape. "I am fighting a battle with fate."

I could tell he did not like what I said. He was being sentimental. It was sweet.

"How so?", he asked, trying not to seem worried.

"We were different with Rutha, weren't we?", my tone was dreamy. "We weren't holding on to the same values we once cherished."

"What's your point?", he was being defensive but I could tell he was touched.

"What do you stand for?", I spurted out.

He took a step back and rolled his eyes like a teenager. His movements slowed down and I sensed he understood the gravity of the situation.

"I like explosions.", his tone was dead rather than joyful. He hesitated, then he looked at me. "I like technology.". My stare was getting increasingly uncomfortable to him. "We have always looked out for each other, you and me." He didn't like stating the obvious. 

"I want to be the next Hades.", I said calmly. 

"You never striked me as the peeping type.", he smiled coyly in the way I had grown used to it. 

I smiled back. Losing Rutha reminded me how dark this world is. 

"There are many lost kids like Rutha. I can help them."

KM-13 looked at me like I was a stranger to him. Right behind that wall of estrangement I saw deep concern.

"All my life I've been drifting but now I have a chance to start to finally take the wheel."

KM-13 silently inspected me before making up his mind. "You want to rule an empire."

I nodded. "You could say that."

I sensed disdain in his words, though he did not disagree with me. 

"It's not like you to try and make the world a better place.", he noted with a blank look on his face. 

"Do you know where the boy is?", he asked loudly. He was disappointed in me.

"You can have him once I get my empire."