Marvel: Impregnation System

Chapter 166 - 160: Torturous Messanger

"Don't worry, Lady Angela, that can be arranged," Agatha said sweetly and yet, her saccharine tone only sent chills through her fellow coven members as she didn't stop pressing her heel down, grinding it deeper into Angela's wrist.

Crack

"Argh!" Angela grunted, pain jolting up her arm as the weight of Agatha's boot fractured her wrist and only then did the witch finally pull back, her smile never wavering.

However, it wasn't just Agatha who was being harsh with the Ordo Dracium, every single coven member took part, aggressively jerking them around or slamming them into the mud.

This feud between witch hunters and covens had spanned literal centuries, ingraining itself into both of their teachings, making the hostility almost palpable.

"I'll check in with you tomorrow so I can get the rundown on what the hell is happening," Ricky sighed, pressing a quick kiss to Agatha's cheek.

She flinched slightly, her mind already preoccupied with thoughts of how to break Angela, before a slow smile curled across her lips.

"Alright, but Ricky-" Agatha's breath hitched, her body craving as a slow heat pooled within her.

The slightest touch from him, so long absent due to their work, sent a shiver through her, leaving her craving more.

"I know, I'll come visit Zatanna and Johnny." Ricky interrupted her, thinking that is what she wanted since she never asked him for anything else.

Agatha parted her lips, instinctively leaning in, only to bite them shut and forcefully yank Angela aside, her gaze snapping elsewhere to steady herself.

Ricky, however, was already preoccupied, his focus locked onto the two Ebony artifacts writhing on the ground.

He exhaled, a hint of resignation in his breath, before crouching down and scooping them back up.

"Alright, listen-" Ricky dropped his mental barrier, barely getting a word in before the artifacts erupted in rage.

"YOU FOUL DEMON! HOW DARE YOU DISCARD OUR NOBLE BEINGS LIKE COMMON TRASH?" The Ebony Crown seethed, its voice dripping with venom.

"YOU WON BY A MERE TECHNICALITY! HAD MY WIELDER BEEN WORTHY, I WOULD HAVE BLOCKED ANY ATTACK!" The Ebony Shield bellowed, its pride wounded by the idea of being wielded by someone so unworthy.

"Well, I can see the resemblance." Ricky muttered, his eyes drifting down to the Ebony Blade who he could've sworn looked away at that moment.

"Can you-"

"Alright I get it-"

"Jesus Christ, you two are never going to let me speak."

To Ricky, it was just a relatively normal conversation, a back-and-forth but to everyone else, it looked like he was completely unhinged, arguing with inanimate objects like he'd lost his mind.

The coven members, having spent enough time around Ricky and the Ebony Blade, barely batted an eye.

This was just another day for them but the Ordo Dracium members weren't granted that luxury of familiarity as they watched him with a mix of vicious glares and bewildered stares, except for one.

One particular man couldn't take his eyes off Ricky, even as he was shoved forward with the rest, his gaze remained locked onto him, unwavering.

"You foul witch-"

Slap

Agatha, thoroughly enjoying the sound of her slap echoing across Angela's face, let out a soft snicker.

But as her gaze shifted to the captured witch hunters, a fleeting moment of recognition passed over all of these people who had hunted her kind until her eyes landed on the man.

Her focus flickered briefly, and for a moment, everything seemed to slow down as there was something about his gaze, something unsettling.

She couldn't pinpoint it at first, but a strange sensation pricked her senses as it was as if something had just registered, a subtle shift she couldn't ignore.

She quickly redirected her attention back to Angela, trying to dismiss the feeling but the lingering sense that something was off gnawed at the edge of her thoughts, her mind already turning over the memory she'd just captured in passing which forced her eyes to look back up.

The instant their eyes locked, an eerie silence seemed to fall over the area as the man's stare was intense, unwavering, and as though he knew exactly what was unfolding.

Agatha felt her power stir, her magic flaring instinctively in response as her eyes glowed deep purple, swirling with an unnatural intensity while her aura condensed and sharpened into a focused beam of energy.

"KILL HIM!" Agatha roared, her voice echoing with authority as her grimoire burst to life, pages flipping violently as it summoned the energy to act on her command.

The darkened eye that had been following Ricky suddenly snapped toward him with a shift of unnatural speed, the color blackening as if it was preparing to unleash something far more dangerous.

BAM

SPLAT

The man's head exploded into chunks of flesh, but instead of halting the eyes' advance, the grotesque sight seemed to fuel it.

The force of the explosion acted as a springboard, propelling the eyes forward into a void-like arrow as a violent gust of wind surged through the air, whipping around the room with explosive intensity.

Ricky's senses screamed at him, and before he could even process the gravity of the situation, his vision bled to black.

His pupils vanished, seemingly being devoured by the void-like color that could accurately see the dangerous presence hurtling toward him with deadly intent.

Without a thought, his hand moved on instinct, summoning the Ebony Blade into his palm with the force of a gravitational pull.

It felt like time slowed as the blade materialized, and in the next heartbeat, he swung it downward with terrifying precision.

The blade cut through the air like a raging storm, crashing into the incoming attack with an explosive clash of forces.

The impact sent shockwaves across the area, the power reverberating violently, but Ricky's grip on the Ebony Blade remained unshaken as he met the blow with unwavering focus and sliced right through it.

However, Merlyn, standing on the other end, simply smiled, tapping the orb in his hand.

As the void-like arrow was sliced in half, something unexpected happened: the split arrow didn't dissipate.

Instead, it expanded rapidly, its edges stretching outward like the opening of a black hole, threatening to consume everything in its path.

BOOM

However, right before the void-like arrow could unleash its destructive power, Ricky swiftly conjured a barrier, encasing the expanding arrow in a tight sphere.

His quick thinking was the result of the countless streams of problems thrown at him throughout these months as head of the Luciano Family, forcing him to adapt to every unforeseen challenge including this one.

Ricky didn't anticipate this move but acted on instinct, countering it perfectly as the sphere solidified around the arrow, he unleashed a torrent of fire into it, the intense flames igniting the energy within.

The heat spiraled through the ball, detonating the arrow before it could self-destruct, its force dissipating harmlessly into the air.

"Ricky!" Agatha punched Angela in the face, then quickly rushed over to Ricky as he stood there, visibly unsettled, not by the threat of death, but by the strange familiarity of the arrow.

Something about it felt hauntingly recognizable, stirring a deep sense of unease in him.

"I'm fine, baby-" Ricky started to reassure her, but before he could finish, Agatha grabbed his face, pulling him into a fierce kiss.

The sudden action caught everyone off guard as they expected her to be concerned, not to act so impulsively.

Her tongue swirled around his, a delicious mix of passion and urgency filling her senses.

The flavor lingered, intensifying the craving she'd been trying to suppress, making her feel that simmer of desire that had been building for too long.

For a moment, everything else seemed to fade into the background as she focused on him, grounding herself in the connection.

Ricky was initially taken aback, not expecting the sudden intensity, but he quickly let go of his surprise and without hesitation, he leaned into the kiss, his hands sliding down her back and pulling her closer.

His grip tightened as he cupped her ass, squeezing firmly, anchoring himself to the moment with her supple curves.

Cough

"Mistress Agatha, about the prisoners?" One of the high ranking warlocks coughed, trying to ask since literally everyone felt like a third wheel.

"Hmmm?" Agatha opened one of her eyes, still jamming her tongue down Ricky's throat only to realize the scene she was causing.

"O-Oh yes!" Agatha laughed instinctively, pushing Ricky's face away and scurrying back to the almost dead Angela.

"Agatha, come on, you can't just leave me full chub over here-" Ricky opened his eyes, watching Agatha hurriedly open a portal along with her coven members.

"Later, bye!" Agatha said, still reeling from her own actions as she ignored Ricky's pleas, quickly stepping through the purple portal with the others, leaving him standing there, stunned and confused.

GASP

A pitiful gasp escaped from a nearby cannon fodder as mist poured from his open mouth and Boney hovered above him, its eyes glowing with hunger as it slowly devoured the man's soul, the life draining from his body.

"Such fascinating trinkets," Chuck murmured, his voice laced with curiosity as he observed the cannon fodder souls.

He began absorbing their essence, but his attention was also captured by the anti-magic artifacts they carried, his fingers grazing the objects with a gleam of intrigue in his eyes.

"Then our master—ah, I understand now." Chuck suddenly stood up, a deep chuckle escaping him as he glanced over at Ricky, who was currently left frustrated by the unexpected interruption.

"Master, I completely understand and shall carry out your orders," Chuck said, tapping the spot where his nose should have been, his tone filled with an odd satisfaction, as if he'd just unlocked some hidden knowledge.

"Uh-huh," Ricky responded, already used to Chuck's eccentricities by now as he simply nodded, letting Chuck go off and do whatever it was he thought was expected of him, no longer bothering to question his bizarre antics.

"Alright, back to tweedle dee and tweedle dumb-" Ricky, making fun of the ebony artifacts, picked them back up only to be once again, interrupted.

"NETHER GOD BELIEVER-"

"YOU DIRTY SCUM-"

Sigh

"Y'know what? I'm gonna put this off until tomorrow." Ricky sighed, putting a barrier around his head and simply wanting to go take a nap all while the two Ebony Artifacts screeched in his head after witnessing him use Void Sight.

While all of this unfolded, Merlyn sat in silence, his gaze fixed on the orb in front of him.

The orb replayed the moments captured by the eye, but one particular scene caught his attention.

It wasn't the moment when Ricky sliced through the space between Angela's sword or when he destroyed his amalgamation.

No, it was the moment Ricky's eyes shifted, locking onto the path of the arrow and turning into that Void-like color he knew personally.

In that instant, something clicked in Merlyn's mind as a flicker of recognition appeared within his weathered gaze.

"So, it is true."

Next Day,

"SO YOU ARE COLLUDING WITH THE NETHER GODS AS OF NOW!"

Within the realm of Ricky's mind, the atmosphere was no longer one of solitude, as it had been when the Ebony Blade resided alone in its infinite space.

The tranquility of isolation was disrupted, now shared by two unexpected presences, the Ebony Crown and the Ebony Shield.

The moment Ricky had made contact with them, a bond was forged, connecting these powerful artifacts to the very core of his being.

Instead of the Ebony Blade's usual calm murky black scenery, there was now a flicker of conflict, an undercurrent of tension as the Ebony Crown's regal arrogance intertwined with the Shield's stoic and unyielding nature.

"It is not that simple-"

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN IT IS NOT THAT SIMPLE, DO YOU KNOW WHAT THOSE CREATURES HAVE DONE TO OUR CREATOR!" The Ebony Shield stoically said, putting its foot down on the murky black floor in front of the Ebony Blade.

"YOU OWE OUR CREATOR AN EXPLANATION-" The Ebony Crown stepped up as well, puffing out its chest to the Ebony Sword who scoffed at this statement.

"The only thing I owe my creator is the very thank you I gave him when I was forged into the weapon to carry out the purpose etched into the creation of the starstone, nothing more." The Ebony Blade clarified, its voice sharp and cold as it spoke with unyielding finality.

The Ebony Crown and the Ebony Shield, both far younger and brimming with their own sense of superiority, rolled their eyes in unison, a quiet but unmistakable gesture of exasperation as if hearing this multiple times before.

"How can you say that, how can you sit here and-"

"Now, ladies and gentlemen, get ready for your regularly tuned broadcast of Flash Gordon!" the radio host announced with excitement, his voice crackling through the static.

The words spilled forth, sparking a torrent of red electricity from the Ebony Blade that made the surrounding artifacts flinch and recoil.

"I understand your need to have your curiosity sated, but I warn you, if any of you dare disrupt my listening experience of Flash Gordon, I shall crush you both under my wrath." the Ebony Blade's voice boomed from the depths of its very being, a chill creeping into the air as it spoke.

The intensity of its declaration reverberated throughout the newly shared space, each syllable ringing with the authority of countless years and battles fought as the Ebony Blade's attachment to the broadcast was sacred.

Nothing and nobody, not even the most important of events, could stand in the way of its regularly scheduled programming when it came to Flash Gordon.

"Radio is one of the few graceful things humanity has created in this horrible world, and I would like to enjoy it," the Ebony Blade declared, its voice low and resolute and with a calculated motion, it turned, its steps molding the very air around it into a large chair.

Sitting down with an air of finality, it gazed up at the radio, which had been carefully placed in front of it, as if the world itself had set the stage for this moment.

Both the crown and shield, now mimicking the appearance of Ricky with different hairstyles, turned to each other then back to the Ebony Blade.

"What do you mean?" The Ebony Shield asked, trying to show that he wasn't curious but seeing his eldest brother actually enjoy something piqued his curiosity.

"Yes sibling, what is this 'radio' you speak of?" The Ebony Crown asked, turning its gaze to follow it's eldest sibling and looking at this weird trinket.

"Human technology has advanced to the point where they can trap tiny beings in a box that tells stories from all over the world," the Ebony Blade smirked, looking down at his foolish younger siblings, who flinched in confusion.

"That's impossible! No man could fit in that tiny box!" The Ebony Shield exclaimed, pointing at the radio with a mix of disbelief and accusation.

"Indeed, that's what I once thought as well," the Ebony Blade replied, his tone calm but carrying a hint of amusement.

"But humans have created what they call a 'tiny man in the box,' much like us. Only, instead of being confined, they communicate with each other through it, sharing stories and information." The Ebony Blade's voice dropped to a more reflective note when gazing upon the small box, describing how a radio functions in its own unique way.

Maybe that was why the Ebony Blade was so fond of the radio as it believed that, much like itself, others near it had to endure the same confinement, yet instead of suffering, they were rewarded with a delightful story.

"Through this glorious radio, even artifacts like us can experience the wonders of fiction and stories. They are our counterparts to humans and their bards." The Ebony Blade made the analogy, his voice steady and thoughtful.

The younger artifacts were shocked by the comparison, but as the words trailed out of the tiny box, they couldn't help but listen in, drawn into the tale alongside their eldest sibling.

"Ah~"

Meanwhile, to the side, Alexander let out a breath of fresh air before huffing it back in while Ricky was putting on his suit after waking up.

"Do you smell that, Ricky? Do you smell that waft of air?" Alexander asked, his voice almost grandiose as he gestured toward Ricky, who was adjusting his tie in the mirror.

"What? Did someone cut the cheese-" Ricky asked, looking around for someone to blame since he didn't do it this time.

"NO, IT IS THE SMELL OF A DRAWING TIDES OF BATTLE, THE SWEEPING TSUNAMI OF A WAR! THAT WILL UNLEASH THE BOUNDS OF WHAT WE THOUGHT WE KNEW AND UNRAVEL IT INTO AN EXPERIENCE THAT CHALLENGES WHAT IT IS OUR FUTURE HOLDS!" Alexander roared out in anticipation, already tasting the blood in his mouth from the life or death experience he would face in the near future.

"Alright, pump the breaks, we are not going to war-"

"THAT IS WHAT EVERYONE SAYS BEFORE THERE IS WAR!" Alexander roared out, his face maniacal but a little funny as his gerbil whiskers twitched ferociously.

"Alexander, I got so much shit I gotta do, I just don't got the time." Ricky sighed, shaking his head since before he could even think about filling out more paperwork, he needed to check in with the coven.

"Oh Ricky, sweet, innocent, and naive Ricky, you cannot avoid a call to arms." Alexander chuckled, shaking his head to Ricky who only rolled his eyes at this gerbil's shenanigans.

"If you ignore the call of arms, then that call will arrive at your doorstep." Alexander said with a tone of foreboding, warning him but it was his smile that really took away from the gravity of his words.

Ricky paused for a moment, his gaze lingering in the mirror since although he knew Alexander was battle-hungry, always craving that rush of fighting and the chaos that was brought about from war.

Ricky also knew that Alexander didn't speak unless there was some merit to his words and with a sigh, he turned back to the mirror, contemplating his next move.

"Well, I guess we'll see about that right now." Ricky tiredly said, gazing at his reflection that was seemingly once again devoid of his lively smile and instead replaced by the bags under his eyes.

Alexander, clearly aware of the weight of responsibility in Ricky's eyes, understood that his advice couldn't ease the burden of being a king.

He'd always longed to be a general, never truly desiring the throne, and he recognized how different the pressures were.

The battlefield was where Alexander thrived, where his instincts guided him, where victory was a tangible result of strategy and strength.

But the throne, that was something else entirely since it wasn't about skill with a sword or courage in the face of enemies.

It was about control, politics, and decisions that affected entire nations and Alexander, for all his fervor in the heat of battle, had no desire to wield that kind of power as he wanted to lead soldiers, not a kingdom.

Ricky, on the other hand, seemed to actively desire that very throne, the same one burdened with all the things Alexander loathed.

Despite the gulf between their desires, Alexander, much like Socrates with his students, tried to put himself in Ricky's shoes.

He didn't always agree with Ricky's methods, nor did he fully understand his ambitions, but he took his role as a mentor seriously.

Alexander could see the potential in Ricky, the raw determination that made him a force to be reckoned with.

Even if Ricky didn't always appreciate the lessons or grasp the gravity of his choices, Alexander believed in guiding him, trying to shape him into someone who could shoulder the responsibilities of kingship, like Socrates alway did for him.

"Very well, I shall respect your decision." Alexander actually relented instead of pushing the dagger of battle into Ricky's ears, retreating for now as the man nodded.

"Thanks-"

"BUT KNOW THAT YOU SHALL NEVER LEAVE ME BEHIND, FOR IF YOU DO, I WILL BE GRAVELY DISAPPOINTED AND HAVE BUCEPHALUS PEE ALL OVER YOUR THINGS!" Alexander roared, his voice filled with mock seriousness, vowing to cover every last one of Ricky's possessions in horse piss if he dared leave him behind in the throes of war.

"Listen, Alexander, I'll make a promise with you now: if I ever get dragged into anything, I'll drag you in with me. Deal?" Ricky joked, his lighthearted words carrying a hint of humor. But for Alexander, they meant more than just a passing remark, settling his bloodlust for the moment and reassuring him of their bond.

"Deal."

After Ricky finished dressing in his custom Rotolo suit, he headed out towards the dungeon still under construction at the Coven's headquarters on Staten Island.

"Is this the place?" Ricky asked, eyeing the diner still under construction as he glanced over to his shoulder at Alexander, who was holding a piece of parchment that seemed almost too large for him.

"I'm sure of it. This is the place inscribed on this parchment," Alexander replied, placing the paper down with a satisfied nod.

Ricky just shrugged, uninterested in the details, and walked toward the building, but as he got closer, he noticed Samuel Frost walking out of the entrance.

"Aye, Sammy, how you doing?" Ricky laughed, a sense of relief washing over him as he spotted the familiar face as the sight of Frost confirmed they were in the right place after all.

"Well, on top of the constant issues of having to relocate funds we don't have because of workers we can't pay, not very good," Samuel said, his voice flat, the bags under his eyes evidence of the sleepless nights he'd been having as he shot Ricky a deadpan glare, but the latter just laughed it off, unfazed.

Although the Luciano family trust owns the shares of Lucky Incorporated, he doesn't run the operations since that's more of Chores and Samuel's department.

Meaning, he wasn't the one getting royally screwed over by his decisions, but instead, it was Chores, though more specifically, Samuel who was bearing the brunt of the mess.

"Well, you seem like you're handling it very well." Ricky patted his shoulder, giving him a touchy smile and a thumbs up.

"Oh, speaking of which, where is Chores-"

"He's been sleeping, eating, and working in the factory because of our situation." Samuel explained, giving a brief underlying standpoint to Ricky since if he did so now, then he wouldn't have to go out of his way to do it later.

Essentially, what Chores had done was take control of crucial areas of production, manufacturing, and operations by consolidating them all through a single steel mill.

If it worked, the only thing left outside of their direct control would be the raw materials needed to forge the final products as the approach was ambitious, to say the least.

A steel mill and a regular factory operate in completely different ways, with the steel mill being significantly larger and more complex than your average production facility.

But Chores had a vision as he figured out how to repurpose the leftover areas in the steel mill to function like other factory operations, allowing Lucky Incorporated to run everything from start to finish.

This not only streamlined the process but also dramatically cut costs, an absolute necessity given the financial strain they were under and without this strategy, bankruptcy was a real possibility.

In a way, Chores had taken a huge gamble but by betting on the steel mill's expansion and efficiency, he was attempting to control every facet of their supply chain and hoping it would be enough to keep the business afloat.

"Wow," Ricky muttered, barely able to process Samuel's words as it was a lot to take in, but it was clear he'd need to skip the next briefing just to get a handle on the growing pile of work waiting for him.

"Don't tell me you're still mad about the whole hiring more workers thing, didn't I already apologize?" Ricky, clearly seeing the glare, asked Smauel who scrunched his eyebrows even further.

"No you did not." Samuel said in a hollow tone, looking at Ricky but knowing that an apology wouldn't make him feel better.

"Well, you're doing great." Ricky gave him an even bigger thumbs up, patting him on the shoulder a little more before walking past him.

"Thanks." Samuel ducked his head, rubbing his eyes while understanding that this was now his life.

In all honesty, Samuel Frost didn't care much for Lucky Incorporated as his true loyalty lay with the expectations placed upon him by his grandparents, who were high-ranking elders within the coven.

This wasn't a secret, everyone knew that Samuel had the potential to rise to the rank of elder himself since he possessed all the qualities that made him a prime candidate for such a role.

However, the path to becoming an elder wasn't a simple one.

To ascend within the coven, one had to pass a rite, a process designed to test both loyalty and capability.

Only the high-class members were groomed for the position of elder, and Samuel hadn't yet proved himself worthy.

The only way to do so was to offer something valuable to the coven, to contribute to its power in a meaningful way.

Even Agatha had gone through this process.

Though it was a long time ago, she had been the one to create the rule after quelling a rebellion in Salem, setting a precedent for how power and influence were to be earned within their ranks.

"Oh, I almost forgot." Samuel suddenly lifted his head, turning back to Ricky who stopped at the door.

"Can you tell Crowsworth I need the corporate guidelines by next Friday?" Samuel asked, unaware that Crowsworth was, in fact, a crow.

Most people had never actually seen Chester since he worked behind closed doors, but he always met expectations and quota, which is why no one ever questioned it.

But Chester was incredibly motivated, extremely dedicated to his new role as he had already received a 1.5% raise from Samuel personally for having written out the corporate bylaws so efficiently.

"Uh, yeah, I'll tell him to hurry up." Ricky nodded, watching as Samuel opened a portal and disappeared into it, vanishing from sight as he then turned back to the diner under construction.

"Ah, I see." Alexander hopped off of Ricky's shoulder, looking around the desolate diner and scurrying across the countertop.

"There must be some sort of hidden mechanism-"

Click

"Found it." Ricky muttered, reaching behind the counter and pulling open a drawer. With a smooth motion, a doorway appeared behind him, hidden from view.

Alexander's mouth hung open in surprise as Ricky scooped him up, placing him back on his shoulder.

The two began descending the stairs, the weight of the moment settling in as they moved deeper into the unknown.

"By the way, where's the horse?" Ricky asked, his question jarring Alexander out of his stupor as he puffed out his chest.

"You mean my mighty steed Bucephalus? Well, I've entrusted him into the hands of a professional," Alexander waved it off as if it was already solved, as Ricky looked at him weirdly.

"Who?"

The Trusted Professional:

"Here you go horsey~" Danielle cooed, handing Bucephalus a carrot as the lazy steed opened his mouth as the little girl gently nestled it on his tongue.

Crunch

Bucephalus munched on the carrot once Danielle pulled her hand to a suitable distance, lying down under the same shade of the tree as the little girl gently brushed his fur.

"Good horsey~"

"If that f*cking donkey does anything to my kid, I'm gonna make horse leather boots out of him, and you're going into a mouse trap," Ricky scoffed, his irritation with the steed bubbling over. He shot a glare at Alexander, his protective instincts kicking in a bit too fiercely, before he caught himself, realizing he'd gone a little overboard.

Cough

"Aye, I didn't mean it like-"

"No, no, it is understandable as it is your child after all. I would do the very same in your shoes with my sons." Alexander held out his paw, having no need for an explanation since he already knew how Ricky could be in these sorts of situations.

"Wait, you had sons?" Ricky asked, halting his descent and looking at Alexander who nodded his little head.

"Yes, I had two in fact, and from Chester, I heard my bloodline is still kicking," Alexander nodded, his tone a bit distant as he recalled the information.

Chester had mentioned in his readings that there were still descendants of his lineage in Greece, a connection he hadn't expected to learn about.

"But do not worry, Bucephalus only slays my enemies, and I consider Danielle a grand-disciple," Alexander informed Ricky, who gave a curt nod, but then his expression shifted as he processed something.

"Do you consider all of my kids grand-disciples?" Ricky asked, his voice laced with a touch of foreboding, watching as Alexander nodded with a certain calmness.

"Of course," Alexander said nonchalantly, as if it were nothing.

Ricky frowned, his mind already spinning with some of the complaints he'd heard from his girls about his sons lately, how they'd been feeling a little too fierce.

"Have you been teaching my kids anything?" Ricky asked, intently staring at him as the gerbil immediately turned to the side.

"No."

Literally A Couple Of Days Ago

"When you slay your enemies, you must not hesitate. Crushing them where they stand is the only justifiable means, for a battle is only won with the death of your enemy," Alexander spoke passionately, his words carrying weight as his audience, Danielle and Zatanna, listened intently.

Danielle looked a little sad at the idea of having to kill her enemies but weirdly accepted it, her expression reflecting the burden of it all.

Meanwhile, Zatanna, always bubbly and full of energy, raised her hand excitedly, shaking it from side to side eagerly.

"Yes, Battle Maiden Zatanna," Alexander called, giving her the floor as the girl shot to her feet.

"What if my enemies beg for mercy?" Zatanna asked, her childlike innocence making the ruthlessness of her words almost seem playful, yet there was an undeniable seriousness behind her question.

"The only mercy and forgiveness your enemy is allowed is the penance in their death," Alexander dutifully answered, his voice firm and resolute.

She gave him an exaggerated nod of understanding before Zatanna sat back down, crossing her legs in a playful criss-cross formation.

"Listen well, children," Alexander continued, his voice growing more intense.

"The only mercy you can ever give on the battlefield is a quick death."

Present Day

"I do not recall ever giving my grand-disciples lessons as of yet." Alexander chuckled nervously, Ricky squinting his eyes at the gerbil on his shoulder.

"Y'know, Alina has been telling me that Moxie has been getting his hands on toy swords, got any idea where he's getting them from?" Ricky raised an eyebrow, looking at the guilt spelled across Alexander's face as he turned even farther away.

"I cannot recall." @@novelbin@@

Alexander recalling that exact scenario:

"Now listen up young warriors, there is no greater gift a boy can receive than his first wooden sword." Alexander said, handing two wooden swords to the toddlers of not only Moxie, but Johnny as well.

"This is a pivotal moment for you both," Alexander said with a warm smile, though his words carried an unsettling weight.

"For today, you shall be receiving your first weapons." Alexander's smile was a curious mix of pride as he prepared to hand wooden swords to children who barely understood the true cost of what they were about to wield.

"I remember the first time I was given my first sword," Alexander reminisced, his eyes softening with the memory as he paused for a moment while closing his eyes.

Meanwhile, Moxie enthusiastically waved the blade through the air, her face alight with excitement, while Jonny, completely oblivious to its purpose, started chewing on the hilt.

"I killed a man with it a couple years later, such good times those were." Alexander awoke from the memory to see Moxie waving it all about but instead of reprimanding him, he encouraged him.

"Good, continue to swing it about and develop the muscles needed for your future training." Alexander excitedly said, beckoning Moxie to swing the wooden sword faster as Johnny started to do the same.

"Uh huh." Ricky, in the present time, simply stared at Alexander who was unknowingly becoming a sort of uncle figure to them.

This entire time, while Alexander had been lying to Ricky, he was seeing the visions clearly, revealing the very scenes privy to Alexander's recalling mind.

However, instead of reprimanding him, Ricky let it slide.

It wasn't like Alexander was trying to harm the kids, the gerbil was just trying to connect with them in his own peculiar way.

Alexander wasn't perfect, sure, a little odd even, but Ricky knew how much Alexander had guided him over the years.

He wasn't even the slightest bit opposed to him guiding his own bastards since although it was strange, Ricky understood the value of that kind of guidance, even if it came wrapped in a strange package.

"Whatever."

They continued walking deeper into the dungeon, but instead of finding an end, the stairs seemed to stretch endlessly downward.

Ricky could feel his patience wearing thin and with each step, the air grew thicker, heavier, and his annoyance started to mount

"What the f*ck, when did they even get the time to build this?" Ricky asked, baffled how many stairs he had stepped on at this point all while Alexander marveled.

"I know what a marvelous dungeon this is!" Alexander excitedly said, completely looking up at this dungeon with stars in his eyes.

"The structure is so haunting, yet it encapsulates the horrors that lurk in its depths!" Alexander declared, his voice filled with an oddly academic excitement.

His eyes scanned the seemingly endless staircase with the intensity of an expert, as if he were studying the very architecture of the place.

His fascination was palpable, his enthusiasm about the dungeon's eerie design contrasting sharply with Ricky's growing irritation.

"This coven really knows its dungeons," Alexander nodded, crossing his arms and giving a satisfied, certifiable approval.

They continued to descend further and further down the staircase, the air growing colder with every step.

Finally, they arrived at a long, drawn-out hallway as the silence was broken by an agonizing scream, echoing off the stone walls.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHH!" The tortured wail reverberated through the dungeon, adding an unsettling layer to the already eerie atmosphere.

"M-Mr. Luciano, it's an honor to meet you!" A warlock guard flinched at the sight of Ricky, bowing deeply to Ricky as the other next to him followed.

"Mistress Agatha has assigned us to guide you-"

"Spare me the ramblings, just take me to her." Ricky held up his hand, watching the two guards look at each other for a split second then back at him.

"Uh, no disrespect Mr. Luciano, but we have been told to let no one in-"

"Listen, guys, we both know you can't stop me, so just tell me where she is. And if she ends up asking, just tell her I put a sword to your throat or something like that." Ricky said, his tone calm but firm.

He knew he was going to get what he wanted one way or another, and if they wanted to indirectly throw him under the bus, that was fine by him.

"The end of the hall-"

"George!" The other warlock reprimanded George who gave away Agatha's whereabouts without even flinching.

"What? He's the mistress' mate and the man who killed Dracula. What could we possibly do in front of him?" George realistically spoke, pointing at Ricky as he nodded in agreement, recognizing it as a fair point.

"But still, you could've waited-"

"Oh no, I ain't getting my ass kicked by anyone else, it's why I took on this guard duty-"

The two warlock guards bickered back and forth, their voices growing fainter as Ricky calmly walked past them.

His footsteps echoed through the long stretch of hallway, each step resonating in the eerie silence around him.

As Ricky's gaze passed by the visible cells, a cold sense of resentment filling the air.

Each cell seemed to hold a prisoner whose suffering was a twisted form of retribution, and the anger of the coven toward these faction members was palpable.

Every one of them had at least one family member or ancestor hunted by this very faction over the centuries, and the torment they now inflicted was as much about vengeance as it was about power.

The longer Ricky observed, the more he understood the depth of the brutality as the methods of torture, once merely harsh, had evolved into something far darker, the cruelties becoming more inventive and sadistic as time passed.

There was a haunting reality taking shape in this dungeon, a grim truth about what it was that these faction members did with the bodies of their fallen witches and warlocks.

And Ricky, for all his confidence and understanding of the situation, was still blissfully unaware of the full extent of what he was walking into.

Finally reaching the doorway, Ricky swung it open to reveal a gruesome scene as Agatha, her face twisted in fury, relentlessly pummeling Angela with punch after punch, each blow landing with sickening force.

But it wasn't the tears of Angela that were being shed but instead, the cries of Agatha after learning for herself.

BAM

Sniff

BAM

Sniff

Blood splattered across the surroundings like a twisted canvas, each streak marking the walls in a grotesque display of sadistic abstract art.

The air was thick with the metallic scent, the room an unsettling portrait of rage and brutality.

"Ah, Ricky, you're finally here. Could you please stop her? We need to converse." Chester asked, noticing Ricky's entrance as he continued the interrogation of Angela, a task he was handling entirely on his own.

"Agatha, Agatha!" Ricky immediately rushed forward, pulling the crying woman back as he didn't even hear Chester's words but acted on his own impulse.

Sniff

"You fcking btch!" Agatha roared, trying to punch Angela again only for Ricky to grab her bloodied hands into his.

"Hey, hey~" Ricky cooed, pulling the distraught leader of the coven into his embrace as she all but melted into it.

Agatha's tears stained his expensive suit, but Ricky didn't care as he waited patiently for her to regain herself, the only sound in the room was her quiet sniffles before she finally stopped.

"Materials, we're just materials," Agatha whispered, her hands clutching the back of his suit tightly as her entire body shook with violent tremors.

"They didn't even hunt us because of hatred but for our flesh, as if we were nothing more than spare parts to fulfill their own safety." Agatha hit her head against Ricky's chest, her voice cracking, but he still couldn't fully understand the weight of her words.

"Agatha, what is going on? Just tell me," Ricky asked, his voice full of frustration and confusion as he watched as Agatha turned her angry yet sorrowful expression up to him, her eyes filled with unshed tears.

"They've been turning our fallen members, our family, our friends, and the people we grew up with, into chimeras!" Agatha wailed, slamming her forehead into Ricky's chest over and over again, her grief spilling out uncontrollably.

Ricky, feeling the intensity of her pain, finally stopped her, holding her gently but firmly.

This was the true purpose behind hunting the covens around the world, the relentless pursuit of Agatha's coven.

They weren't being targeted for any deep-seated ideological conflict or centuries-old grudges and it wasn't hatred that drove the enemy forward.

No, they were hunting them for their flesh, dissecting their bodies, stripping away their humanity, and turning them into something grotesque.

The coven members' bones, organs, skin, all of it, was harvested, twisted into chimeras, horrific amalgamations of human and animal parts, as if the value of their very existence was reduced to mere materials.

The coven wasn't just being eradicated for their power or influence; they were being dehumanized, their lives torn apart so their bodies could be turned into weapons, into grotesque creations for some twisted purpose.

The pain Agatha felt wasn't just physical, it was a deep, visceral sorrow.

Every drop of blood, every scream from her covenmates wasn't just about the fight for survival; it was a lament for their lost humanity.

Ricky, now understanding, held her tightly, realizing that the very thing Agatha had always been fighting against was being systematically stripped away, turning their people and their cause into nothing more than pieces to be reassembled into monstrous forms.

"You lost your right to be a part of humanity when you-" Angela spat out, her face completely broken and bruised yet still weakly provoking Agatha who gave into it.

BAM

Agatha slammed her fist into Angela's face, her hatred bubbling out as another streak of crimson splattered onto the already hateful canvas beneath them.

"Agatha stop, Chester still needs to do his thing." Ricky pulled her back, purposely letting go since Angela completely had it coming.

"Hahahahahahaha!" Angela spat out a mouthful of blood, laughing in Agatha's face as her entire body swirled in purple.

"Chester, give me the rundown, what's happening?" Ricky looked over at Chester, prompting forward an explanation as the crow nodded.

"Well, putting aside the fact the coven is being reduced into chimera's, Angela is not Angela." Chester revealed, pointing his wing at the girl as if fascinated by her own existence.

"Huh?"

"Her psyche was entirely structured and reshaped into what it is now. She was born, yes. She grew up, yes. But everything about her mind has been fractured and remade into something entirely different. I'm actually quite fascinated by how that's even possible," Chester explained, regarding Angela with a mix of curiosity and intrigue, as though she were some kind of marvel.

"To put it simply, Angela died and was replaced by the version of her you see before you," Chester revealed, eyeing her as if she were an actual creation.

Even someone like him, a crow with vast knowledge of this sort of field, couldn't fully believe it without delving into her psyche himself.

"Whoever it was, whether it was Merlyn or someone else, has completely altered the very essence of her being in a way I never thought possible," Chester revealed, his gaze fixed on Angela as he marveled at the intricate manipulation of her psyche, appreciating the craftsmanship behind it.

"Like a third-grader, come one." Ricky beckoned, still not understanding as Chester sighed lightly.

"To put it simply, her entire existence was erased, and her mind was molded with a personality designed to suit the creator's needs," Chester explained, as Ricky nodded, his eyes fixed on the smiling Angela.

"She's a living, breathing, fully functioning, and coherent puppet," Chester said simply, marveling at the impossibility of such a feat.

His own methods would leave someone brain-dead eventually, but this was something entirely different, it was the epitome of his own ability.

"Is there an issue I'm missing out on-"

Here's your dialogue, kept intact but cleaned up for readability:

"It would take me years to unravel the mess and reforge her mind. I can only induce things she can recall, but she only recalls what she's allowed to remember. It's very complex," Chester revealed, only being able to induce very selective things, meaning only one thing.

"What are you trying to say Chester, just say it." Ricky asked, feeling that weird sense of foreboding while gazing at Angela's hollow eyes at the side.

"Whoever sent this woman, sent her as a mere messenger." Chester looked at Ricky, clearly almost worried for him.

"What's the message?" Ricky asked, watching Chester frown as Angela's pupils dilated at that exact moment.

"You are a worthy threat," Angela uttered, like some sort of broken record, repeating the very same thing Chester was about to say.

"Listen, I've done all that I can but this craft is far superior to my abilities and besides, I have work to do." Chester flapped his wings, shaking its head since this broken soul was far more trouble than he could deal with at this moment.

"Oh yeah, Sammy told me to remind you to hurry up with those corporate guidelines," Ricky remembered, notifying Chester, who sighed deeply.

"I would've finished on time if someone hadn't pestered me yesterday," Chester glared at Ricky, who suddenly found a strange stain on the ceiling that captivated his attention.

"But wait, if this crazy b*tch is a messenger, then he knew I'd pummel her into the ground-...so he basically gifted me the crown and shield," Ricky realized, scrunching his eyebrows as the others nodded in agreement.

"I do not know but this problem is now completely and utterly yours." Chester notified Ricky, flapping his wings and flying out of the room while Alexander rubbed his furry chin.

It was common sense that Ricky would obviously want to take that crown and shield, especially since they paired perfectly with the ebony sword.

But if it's Merlyn, the guy everyone keeps saying is behind it and obviously picking a fight, the question remains.

"Why is he making me stronger?" Ricky asked, crowdsourcing an answer as Agatha wanted to punch Angela but after knowing she was but a mere puppet, it didn't ease her hatred.

"Maybe you're just too weak for a challenge?" Alexander speculated aloud, only to receive a subtle shake of the head from Agatha.

"I don't know Merlyn personally, but from what I've heard from others who've crossed paths with him, he never does anything without a purpose," Agatha clarified. She turned toward the door, but not before planting a kiss on Ricky's cheek.

"I need to go prepare a statement for my coven. They deserve to know. Come see me later," Agatha said with a warm smile, patting his chest before walking past him, leaving Ricky alone with Angela.

Ricky didn't linger too long in the dungeon and exited, walking down the street with Alexander resting on his shoulder.

He did this for one reason: to think.

At first, he had the idea that Merlyn wanted the ebony blade back, which is why he'd sent the crown and shield to fetch it.

But after learning that Angela was just a messenger, Ricky honestly didn't understand anymore.

Everything just seemed more complicated now.

"Do you get it?" Ricky asked Alexander, still deep in thought, but the gerbil shook his head.

"If I were Merlyn, I would've killed you and eliminated any potential threats. I don't understand why he would empower a threat unless it's for his own amusement in battle, but for your woman's words he doesn't seem like that sort of type." Alexander said, struggling to understand Merlyn's mindset since to him, Merlyn seemed to be a strategist, not a battle maniac.

"Maybe he's trying to empower you and have you retaliate so he can test the might of Camelot." Alexander made a wild claim that actually sort of aligned with Merlyn's intentions.

"Yeah, but couldn't he just release Morgana for that?" Ricky asked, raising an eyebrow as it seemed simpler to release her wraith instead of incur his as Alexander furrowed his brows and nodded in agreement.

"That's right, I forgot about her." Alexander mumbled, rubbing his fury chin once again.

"Hey Alexander, what do you know about Nether Gods? I keep hearing that name." Ricky asked, his dress shoes clicking on the sidewalk as Alexander shook his head once more.

"The only gods I know are the greek ones, I apologize-"

"Nah, I just don't really want to go to Morgana and ask, 'cause she'll have that pompous attitude, and I really don't want to deal with that right now," Ricky sighed, waving his hand dismissively as they walked toward Italiano's.

"Well, from my experience with practitioners of magic, their intentions are never as simple as they make it seem," Alexander assessed, drawing from his own experiences within the realm of Kamar-Taj.

"Magic is give and take," Alexander explained, his eyes suddenly being burdened by the weight of his past.

"Since you haven't experienced the 'take' as much, due to sublimating it through your weird grimoire, but the higher you ascend in the realm of magic, the more you are required to give." Alexander paused for a moment, then added with a grim expression.

"Sacrifice is required, just as knowledge is, and even I had to give up something for power." Alexander ducked his head slightly, proning Ricky to look at him on his shoulder.

"What did you sacrifice?" Ricky asked, understanding if Alexander didn't want to give him an answer.

"I had to sacrifice love for power," Alexander closed his eyes, the weight of the words lingering in the air as Ricky understood, nodding silently, not pressing any further.

After that, they continued their walk down the street, the quiet sounds of the city surrounding them. It was a simple, pleasant stroll, a rare moment of peace.

Portaling everywhere had its advantages, but it also robbed them of the little journeys, the spaces in between.

Walking gave them time to think, to breathe, and to let the world move around them.

Ricky had always been the type to focus on the next thing, always moving forward without stopping to appreciate the present.

But that moment of quiet reflection was abruptly interrupted when the sight of Italiano's came into view.

"Well, back to work I guess." Ricky sighed, trudging towards the hill of paperwork that was his life now while Alexander continued to be prone on about the subject.

As Ricky sat down at the booth, Alexander started rolling around and scurrying about while deep in thought as if the answers would come to him before the door opened.

"Johnny, if this is about the magic kids-Alina?" Ricky scoffed, turning towards who he thought would be Johnny and instead showed itself to be Alina.

Along with her warm smile and supple curves, there was the unmistakable sign of a baby bump, a soft curve of her stomach that held Ricky's child growing within it.

"What are you doing here, is something wrong?" Ricky asked, standing up and walking to her as she hugged him tightly.

Ricky had certainly experienced some of the effects his addictive fluids had on his woman, but he never truly saw the long-term impact it had on the women around him.

Sure, they'd come to him at times or he would come to them, but he'd never fully witnessed the consequences of the mark he left behind.

The side effects of his skills, especially the deeper, more emotional or psychological ones, were things he only noticed in fleeting moments, never truly understanding the lasting effect they had.

Until now.

"Ricky, I need you~"

Author's NOte: Quicky notice, I once again will respond to your guys comments but I can't rn cause my prof is a d*ck and I gotta study for this test. Later I promise or sometimes later, idk but I'll get to it cause I always do. I really do respect you're guys input and it's the reason I feel like I've imporved cause its really hard to see your own problems so it helps when you, my readers, who read this far and enjoy my writing tell me what's up. Anyways thanks.