The Custodes

Chapter 20 - Zuro Arc Part 4

"Charon...what did you do..." Hadi muttered, staring at Maeik's body to try and comprehend what had happened before turning to lock eyes with his brother. Charon met his gaze for a few seconds, then let the tiniest of smirks flicker across his lips before he began walking towards Indira's body, not moving to help Hadi just yet "I completed my mission. Nothing more." "We were wrong Charon...we were wrong about everything. Dolion isn't our father, the King is. He kidnapped us and deceived us our entire lives. The revolution, everything they're fighting for, it's all a lie! I saw it myself!" Hadi shouted to his twin, unable to move due to the immense pain he was in. Charon simply let out a sigh, hardly seeming to even register what he was being told. He reached down and grabbed the hilt of his Staelic blade, which was still embedded in Indira's corpse. "I see he managed to fill your head with lies." He said calmly as he pulled his sword out, kicking Indira's body back to the ground in order to free it "Its just as father warned me. I thought you were stronger than this, Hadi." "They weren't lies Charon, they were his memories! Can't you see that father is deceiving you?" Hadi pleaded, hoping desperately that his brother would believe him. Charon didn't answer, instead walking off the path and into the brush out of sight from Hadi. "Charon? Charon!" He reemerged again with his throwing knife in hand, making his way over to Hadi finally as the man gritted his teeth in pain, trying to sit up and failing miserably. "You see this?" Charon said, looking down at him and holding his knife up by the blade "Father gave me this. He told me I would need it, and I'm honestly surprised at how right he was." He let out a small laugh, but somehow it held a cold, sick undertone that Hadi picked up on "I mean, that black skin would've killed me without it. And then I wouldn't have been able to cut myself free from those tendrils, and then of course-" "I don't fucking care Charon." Hadi interrupted, glaring up at him "Don't you understand what I'm saying? We need to go to the city and join up with the royal family. They can help us take down father, and help convince the resistance members of the truth." Charon stared down at Hadi, cold and unblinking, before he let another small laugh slip from between his lips "You really are making this easy for me." Before Hadi could ask what he meant he reached down and gripped the hilt of the sword protruding from his brother's chest; however instead of pulling it out he suddenly slammed it straight down, burying it to the hilt into Hadi's flesh and causing it to sink deep into the path underneath him. Hadi screamed in pain, his hand coming up to grip Charon's wrist extremely tight as he looked at him with shock and anger. Charon grinned right back at him, prying his hand away before standing back up and sheathing his weapons. "You know, I'm almost sorry about this. When father told me I'd have to kill you if you didn't take part in what happened in the Foalk, I thought he'd lost his mind. But I realise now that it's you, Hadi. You were never fit to hold these powers, or bear the name that I gave you. You'd strayed from your path long ago, and now I'll walk it in your place. I think I still would've had issues with actually carrying it out, though - if that's any consolation. But now, with your mind set on plotting against father and the revolution he's fought to bring to glory, I can't say I feel any remorse." He laughed again, this time far more venomous and sinisterly "In fact, I think I might enjoy it..." Hadi couldn't believe what he was hearing. He stared up at his brother - his lifelong friend and trusted companion - and suddenly understood that he was the man planning to bring about his death. Without any hesitation Hadi flicked both hands at Charon, sending two sharp silver discs firing straight at him. He must've seen it coming however, as straight away he ducked under both, before firing a red beam straight from his palm which obliterated Hadi's right hand, causing him to scream out yet again. Charon fired another in rapid succession, aiming for Hadi's remaining hand, but due to his lack of experience with the powers he missed and fired harmlessly into the path. Hadi immediately took the chance to grab the hilt, letting a sliver of silver slip onto it under the guise of trying to pull it out only for Charon to fire another beam and hit his mark this time, destroying the other hand as Hadi yelled and cursed incessantly. "I'll fucking kill you Charon you sick fucking bastard!" He shouted, struggling fruitlessly as his stumps leaked purple blood profusely, gone from the wrist down. "I don't think you will." Charon said with a chuckle, standing up straight and looking out in the direction of the city. While his gaze was elsewhere Hadi willed the patch of silver on the blade to spread, encompassing all of it and slipping under his back as well. "The resistance has launched an attack on the city as we speak. They likely won't stand a chance alone, but once I join them and take care of the royal family and their authorities, there won't be anyone left to stop us. Father will win. Our new, glorious world will arise from the ashes of the old one. It's a shame you won't be there to see it." Charon mused, half to himself as he stared off madly into the distance. Hadi managed to snap the guard off of the blade using his powers, meaning all he had to do was drag himself off it and he was free. The silver beneath him started to push him up, and using his elbows alongside it he slowly started to slide his body up the blade. "Well brother. It looks like this is-" Charon turned around mid sentence and saw what Hadi was doing, his face contorting in anger as he immediately shot towards him with his blade raised in his hand. Hadi was already free however, throwing himself off his sword as the patch of silver attached itself to his chest, sealing his wound shut and stopping more purple blood from seeping out. He didn't take the time to rest, however - while Charon may have destroyed both hands, he still had legs; and wings. He took off in a flash towards the jungle, darting straight through the air as Charon pivoted and sped after him, growling with hatred as he flew as fast as he possibly could. Hadi was just as fast however, and there was nothing he could do to catch him, so instead he sheathed his blade and began firing beams at him as dirt pillars covered in vines passed by in an instant. "You can't run forever Hadi! I will kill you!" He bellowed, fury in his voice as more and more beams fired from his palm. Hadi didn't even take the time to glance behind him, swerving and spinning as best he could in order to avoid Charon's beams as he stared determinedly forward, almost as though there was something he was aiming to reach. Charon failed to notice this however, still attacking and figuring Hadi would at least slow down eventually. He had this - he merely had to be patient. A grin found its way to his face as he thought this, realising just how hopeless Hadi's efforts were. It was like a lion hunting a wounded deer - there was no escape, which meant he would get to enjoy it all that more. Caught up in his own thoughts, Charon almost failed to notice as Hadi suddenly stopped in mid-air, then shot off to the right behind one of the dirt pillars, however he saw it just in time and remained hot on his tail. When he turned past the pillar however, all he saw was Hadi disappearing straight through a floating silver puddle. He realised immediately that he'd forgotten all about its placement behind a very specific pillar deep in the jungle. Hadi had told him after all; it was a quick escape route he'd left incase things went south - a portal of types. And the instant his feet disappeared into it, Hadi closed the portal in a snap. Charon froze in mid-air, staring at the spot where the puddle had been. He'd forgotten about it. How could he have forgotten about it? If only he'd realised where Hadi was going, he wouldn't have quelled his efforts to put him down there and then. Rage bubbled up inside him, and as it did red energy began to swirl all the way up his arm, charging up an extra powerful beam as he suddenly fired it straight at the pillar of dirt in front of him, obliterating it and all the others in its path before letting out a scream of fury. Charon took a deep breath, standing still with his fist clenched for a second in order to gather his thoughts, then began flying back towards the path. The plan had to continue, regardless of his failure to take out Hadi. He reached the path and without any hesitation shot off in the direction he knew his father and Leona would be.