Violet Detours (BOOK 2) : Badly, Madly, Deeply

BARE

HANABI sat at a chair right across Hanzo, who was tied up by a chained handcuff hanging by the ceiling.

The only ones inside were the Venom squad, surrounding him and getting ready for any of his attempts to escape.

Yes, he was tied up but Hanabi knew there was no way they could relax when it came to the former shadow.

She could feel her squadmates being tense, and she knew it was because of what Hanzo had said before.

He was laughing at them for being miserable...

How was he able to know that?

How could Hanzo know that when she hadn't even told the members of her squad about her misery.

In fact, as she thought about it, she realized that there were many things she didn't know about them.

They were just people united with a common goal, but they never really discussed why they were doing that common goal.

It was one of the reasons why she felt hurt when she found out about Gusion's over protective side over Guinevere, and his engagement with Lesley.

Because he'd never really heard any of those names from him for those months they'd traveled together.

And Angela... whom she thought was closest to her had hid some crucial information about her life.

Yes, she told Hanabi about her creator Dr. Baker. But the girl never really mentioned him being this disassembling maniac who would stop at nothing to meet his desire of human technologies.

Hanabi guessed it was Angela's misery, her desire to save her creator from his insanity.

And then there was Harley, the genius magician who seemed to be confident about everything.

She'd seen him blanking out a few times, but she could only wonder what could make him so miserable.

And Grock, who had always been reliable and strong, would be hard to imagine as miserable. But Hanabi knew everyone has their own fair share of the world's cruelty, and Grock was no exception.

So, was the Venom creatures got something to do with their misery?

Her chain of thoughts were cut off by a groan.

It was Hanzo. He was stirring from unconsciousness.

Harley paced closer towards him and Hanabi sat up straight in her seat.

Hanzo lifted his head and his lids fluttered, his brows staying in their furrowed form as soon as he saw the five of them.

Gusion, who had been standing at one corner of the room looking irritated by his current state, had now advanced as he gripped a blade at his side.

"You're awake." Hanabi said to Hanzo.

Hanzo glared at her, and for a moment Hanabi felt satisfied to see that expression on his face.

"Now back to our discussion... " she got to her feet and paced towards the middle of the basement where Hanzo was. "What do you know about Venom? "

Hanzo smirked. "Is that what you're calling it? Venom? Uurrgghhh!!! " he grunted as one of the spider legs at the back of Hanabi's armor pierced him right at the side of his stomach.

"I'm the one who'll be asking questions. " she clarified.

"Damn you, weakling aaarrrggh! " he screamed as another one spiked just a couple of inches from where the first one pierced.