Sick Bird.

81. The Bar

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Sebastian let the smoke from the cigarette flit around in his lungs for a full ten seconds before exhaling. He liked to think that he was killing himself faster, but he wasn't.

It was wishful thinking.

"Expecting someone, handsome?" the lady sitting beside him asked.

Sebastian would have called her a whore right there if not for the fact that he didn't bring his wallet and she had already bought him a drink.

He took another drag of his cancer stick. The nicotine gave him enough energy to manage what he hoped was an alluring smile.

"No. You?" he asked, eyeing the melting icecubes in his glass of whiskey.

"I'm free," she smiled widely, not aware that her red lipstick had stained a tooth. "Maybe we can—"

"He's busy," a deep voice said from behind him.

Sebastian let the smoke out of his lungs in the shape of a ring. "Raincheck?"

The lady picked up her purse and walked away, but not before sliding him her number.

Sebastian picked up the card without taking a single glance at it. He placed it in the ashtray in front of him and crushed his spent cig on top of it.

"Not your type?" Bruce asked as he slid onto the bar chair the woman had taken.

"I'm taken." Sebastian smirked. "Took you a while to find me, didn't it?"

"You were expecting me."

"The deal I made was hard to resist," Sebastian rubbed at his stubble. "CEOs are busy, as you know."

"You know who I am."

"Everyone has extracurricular activities to keep them occupied," Sebastian took a swig of the whiskey. "Want a drink?"

"The Blood Mask Demon..."

"Bartender!" Sebastian raised his hands to summon the man.

"Why did you kill all those people?"

"Which people?" Sebastian smiled innocently just as the bartender appeared in front of them.

He raised an eyebrow at Bruce and lifted his glass into the air.

"A bottle of Vodka," Bruce said at last.

"You do know this is a bar, right?" Sebastian asked as he watched the bartender leave. "You're giving old Freddy a headache."

"What's your endgame, Treadwell?"

"Whatever do you mean?"

"You kidnapped my son and now you're acting like some savior."

"First of all, I was only able to kidnap Dick because you weren't with him. Like now, for instance. You have no one to blame but yourself."

"You—"

"And second, I'm not acting. I am his savior."

The vodka arrived, accompanied by the bartender and two shot glasses.

Sebastian nodded at the young man. "Thank you, Freddy."

"Anytime," Freddy said with a small smile then glanced at Bruce wearily. "Is there going to be a problem?"

"No," Sebastian shook his head. "We're just friends talking."

The bartender nodded then walked off to attend to other customers.

Sebastian drained the remaining whiskey in his glass, aware of Bruce's gaze on him.

"What?" he asked with a laugh. "You must have already known that I'd have my people stationed here before you got here."

"You just called me your friend," Bruce said. "Back at the manor too. Why?"

"You know," Sebastian said and poured the vodka over the ice that remained in his cup. "I didn't expect our conversation to be so civil. Dick must have told you."

He glanced up just in time to see Bruce's expression harden.

"Oh," he realized. "You left before he could wake up."

"Did you poison him as some sort of revenge?"

"You're forgetting that I also want the antidote."

"Why did you bring him back?"

"So that he can die under your watch and I can see the look on your face when you acknowledge that you are a failure."

"You!"

"Isn't that what you expect me to say?" Sebastian sipped some vodka then went into a coughing fit. "Strong stuff."

"Do you think that you can you toy with me just because you have strength in numbers?"

"Threats cease to be threatening when I have your weakness in my hand."

"And what weakness is that?"

"With my help, Dick can live longer than a week. Much longer," Sebastian said, pleased by Bruce's sudden silence. "As long as it takes for you to find the antidote. But without me, you should start planning his funeral."

"Why did you infect him?"

"I didn't," Sebastian sighed. "You must have researched me. I don't kill children."

"The nurse that poisoned him. She works for you."

"I don't hire nurses." Sebastian stared into the diluted vodka in his cup. "You've got the wrong culprit."

"Why do you want the antidote?"

"To put an end to what Cadmus started."

"And what is that exactly?"

Sebastian smiled, flashing his teeth at Bruce. "Vengeance."

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