"What would you do if you were the devil?"
"Huh?" Andrew was immensely baffled when he heard the words spoken by the beggar.
What sort of stupid question was he asking now?
'Now I'm really regretting my decision to help him. He's crazy and annoying.' Andrew thought as he kept on walking.
He chose to ignore the words spoken by the beggar. His state of mind was mainly on Esther's whereabouts. He couldn't afford to waste any more mental capacity on the crazy and useless beggar beside him.
'Esther where in the world are you? Please be safe.' Andrew's mind was clouded with worry as he approached the main door of their house with the beggar beside him.
"You've not answered my question."
Thomas' voice flowed into his ears once again, and Andrew could not take it anymore.
"Look here you stupid, useless, and pathetic beggar. Stop asking me stupid questions! I'm more worried about my sister than your useless questions!"
Andrew pointed his tiny finger at Thomas, and Thomas slowly looked at him.
The instant Thomas looked at Andrew, Andrew felt his heart skip multiple beats, and his palm became sweaty.
"Wh-What- What's happening?" Andrew stuttered with a baffled and fearful expression.
He trembled as he looked at his body to figure out why it was behaving so weirdly. This was the first time his body had behaved in such a manner, and Andrew was immediately confused by this.
Before Andrew could 'figure out' why his body was behaving in such a strange manner, the sensations he felt vanished.
"Huh? What-"
"Sorry if my question offended you. But you need to calm down. Being calm in every situation is very important."
Thomas' voice flowed into Andrew's ears once again, and Andrew looked at him.
Despite Andrew's previous words, Thomas had an expression mixed with nonchalance and stoicism.
"... I understand what you're trying to say. But I need to find my sister. She means a lot to me."
Thomas nodded, "I know. But you need a calm and collected mind to find her. You wouldn't be able to find her if you panic."
Andrew furrowed his brows and looked forward.
"Let's have a brief conversation as you go to your garage," Thomas said as he opened the main door to the Wayne mansion.
"Conversation about what exactly?" Andrew asked skeptically as he stepped out of his father's house.
"About the question I asked you… What would you do if you were the devil?" Thomas' eyes gleamed with a strange light as he walked at a pace that was somewhat slow but also not slow. His walking pace denoted that he was in no hurry to reach the garage.
"What would I do if I were the devil?" Andrew mumbled with a slight furrow of his brows. He thought for a moment and then gave his answer.
"You asked what I would do if I were the devil. But isn't it obvious?" Andrew raised his brows, "I'll cause lots of pain and suffering. Isn't that what the devil loves doing?"
Andrew questioned, and Thomas chuckled with a light smile. "Who knows what the devil actually loves doing or what his actual goal is?"
Thomas shook his head, and Andrew had a strange expression.
'If he's going to be speaking in riddles and whatnot, why is he then disturbing me?' Andrew thought with a frustrated expression.
"There are actually a lot of things I'd do if I were the devil."
Thomas stopped walking and he looked at Andrew.
Andrew was about to question Thomas' decision to stop walking, but then he saw the face Thomas was making.
Thomas' expression was not creepy, scary, or funny.
No. It was normal… normal and stoic.
Normally, a normal and stoic expression should not be anything special, but as Andrew stared at Thomas, he found Thomas' expression to be strangely disturbing.
Andrew did not know how to define the expression, but what he knew was that Thomas' expression shook him to his soul and core.
Andrew knew he would never forget the expression Thomas was making.
'Why is his face making me feel like this?' Andrew thought with dilated pupils and shallow breathing.
"I want to request something from you."
The moment Thomas spoke, the suffocating and eerie feeling he was feeling disappeared. Thomas' expression remained the same, but the feeling disappeared like it was never there to begin with.
Andrew felt like his little mind was about to explode from everything that was happening to him that night.
"Are you listening to me?" Thomas spoke once again.
"Ye-Yes I'm listening." Andrew nodded with a pained expression. He was having another headache.
"I'll tell you what I'd do if I were the devil, and I don't want you to ever forget my words."
Andrew frowned, "What are you saying? Why should-"
"Answer me kid. Do you agree to never forget my words?" Thomas questioned once again, and Andrew held his head and groaned.
'This damn headache. I need sleep.' Andrew groaned once more.
"Answer me boy. Do you agree to-"
"Oh please shut the fuck up! Yes! I agree not to forget your stupid inconsequential words!" Andrew cursed with words that should not have been spoken by a kid his age. If his parents were to ever find out that he said such words, he was surely going to get punished.
Andrew groaned. 'This damn headache.'
"Good." Thomas smiled. "Now listen to me."
Like magic, Andrew found himself looking at the beggar. His headache also receded at a noticeable pace, granting him his much desired relief.
'What the hell was that?'
Andrew thought. But before he could ponder on that thought, Thomas, the beggar, spoke.
"If I were the devil…"
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{A/N: Bonus chapters requirements in the Author's Thought box}