What It Means To Be King

Chapter 34: The Little Adventure In Search Of The Control Room

I refuse to let ideas spilling out of my brain and dry out before I could write it all out. 

I feel bad for What Was Worth A Heart readers, it's because whenever I start a new chapter for that work, my mind always went here instead. Welp. 

┌── ⋆⋅✧༝┉˚*❋ ≪ °❈° ≫ ❋*˚┉༝✧⋅⋆ ──┐

Charles walked at the very back of the peculiar little group trudging through the dark hallway, noticing with every single step they took that they only seemed to be going deeper and deeper into the building with no signs of ever reaching an exit. There were rubbish everywhere on sight, be it broken ceilings lying on the floor or debris from the cracked walls. Some empty beer cans could be seen toppled over in one corner where it reeked the most. There were windows, connected to another dark hallway or room as empty as the next, some shattered, some complete.

And Charles saw how unbothered Shao Long was at the sound of squeaking rats scattering around the corridor when they disturbed the stillness in the air. 

Occasionally, Charles would glance to his back in hopes of catching a stranger sneaking up on them for an ambush, but he knew that wouldn't happen. Not when his own bodyguard was here, on alert as they let themselves be kidnapped. He knew that that bodyguard of his was more keen on watching Shao Long's moves instead of his surroundings, because the Chinese had already proved to be their biggest threat yet. But with a silent hiss that could only be detected by that man, Charles warned him not to be impulsive. They needed Shao Long, no matter what, and Shao Long himself wasn't planning on letting them go like this. 

He knew even without Shao Long telling them that they were actually going to the control room, because if there was one person who had the same cunning mind in this building, it would be either Gion or Shao Long, but Gion wasn't into this. No, Gion at the current moment was busy studying the changes they had been shown by Shao Long. Who wouldn't, really? They knew Shao Long was like a volcano waiting to burst at almost every moment. They had never seen him throw a punch before though, or even attempt to. They knew he could be terrifyingly explosive, but not physical. Never physical. 

Much less this....

The real Shao Long they had finally learned of today wasn't the same all barks and no bites Shao Long they had come to know before. He wasn't the guy who would plan on cunning schemes to fuck with his enemies or use their weak spots for his own use. This Shao Long currently in front of them, imposing even in his obvious exhaustion, was a complete different person. 

Needless to say, Charles knew there are people out there with the same size of Shao Long who could beat you up real good, but to see so for himself was another level altogether. Charles knew Shao Long was strong but this? What the fuck was this? He beat up twenty bulky men within less than half an hour. What's with that stamina? What's with that drive? 

Charles hid another sigh as he yet again had to rearrange his thoughts about the Chinese. Just when he thought there was more than meets the eyes with Shao Long, the boy upped him out and revealed another hidden trait that would effortlessly appall Charles to the core.