Chapter 25--( The King meets 'La Falsa Matrona': The False Matron )

Theos eyes would remind anyone who saw of water falls. Theo's eyes formed a visually haunting premise.

For his red sclera wet with tears and beset by wiry red veins formed a poignant contrast to his bright unblemished blue Iris.

Grateful tin ears of finality Theo wore the suit. It hugged him perfectly.

It was an all black fabric with no belts. It just....fit and was so stretchy it was easy to wear.

Theo walked to the bathroom. His hair trailing behind him as he stared at himself.

His eyes were red. Maybe from the lack of sleep or from the crying, maybe both. His emblem wasn't the Vaughn Gunes Emblem that all his brothers shared. He didn't deserve that name. He was banished after all.

The emblem was interloping dead roots made into the shape of a circle with a sword going through the centre and out through the other side.

That was the Vaughn Gunes Emblem.

But his. It also had interloping roots but with two rusty needles passing through the centre instead of the sword. ' Whose idea was this?' Theo thought, smiling through his tears and putting his hands feeling the sign. He didn't have a cape. Nor did it come with boots or gloves.

Theo wiped his tears one final time and pushed his hands behind his long hair grabbing it at the point of his nape. The scissor stood on the basin. He took a deep breath and grabbed it.

A deep exhale and it was cut.

The pounds of light brown curling hair fell to his hands. Disappearing to ashes. He now had control over his body more than ever.

It was then that Theo felt a shiver, a satisfying one. He walked slowly through the tiles and piped at the outside sky through the window.

It was about to rain. ' Brother. Will you go easy on me?',

The journey would be a short one. This year's program was taking place in Duke Town. All he had to do was take a taxi a few miles outside DC before Pennsylvania.

Duke Town: Duke Town is an unincorporated community nestled in the periphery of Washington, D.C. Technically in Maryland but often mistaken for Virginia due to its proximity. It was a nice place. It covered a lot of square miles sure but it had just 45,000 people.

It sure was rainy today.

Just as Theodore liked it. He was nervous before but now as he heard the rain drops fall onto his back umbrella, it all just seemed like his problems drifted away.

A certain confidence as if you know everything will go well but a lingering feeling that it won't. Yet this feeling isn't unnerving but merely a sign of experience.

Joy without hubris, you could say.

Theo wore a large coat atop his all black superhero suit making him look like a detective. He walked slowly to the sidewalk. He always loved rain, why would he rush.

His massive left arm raised outside his umbrella and waved calmly as the incoming taxis head lights came into view.

The closer the driver came to this silhouette the more he realised just how massive this man was. Then when he stopped, the man bent down. The man had long shoulder level brown hair and a pretty face.

' wait a minute. I know this guy '. A chill ran down the driver's spine as he recognised Theo's face from the news.

He immediately drove away splashing a puddle of water on Theo as he left.

Theo moved back and shook the water hard from his body like a cat before wiping his face.

" Asshole!" He screamed at the car as it drove fast.

But he knew not to blame them. If he was a driver he sure as hell wouldn't drive a Fiend no matter what the news said.

This incident happened again and again and again.

One mexican guy even threw up a cross and started praying.

He really was popular now.

He just decided to run. He could never run this fast. His massive legs bounced off whatever terrain he stepped on easily causing a heavy rippling sound.

He had so much control too. He could change direction at top speed, mid stride, it was amazing.

In a few minutes he got to the location.

" Woooow ".

It was a massive massive brutality style property. A few trainees were already gathered at the foot of the mountain.

Yes the property was a collection of buildings that went up the mountain blending in as if god put them there.

The work of a really talented architect.

Just as Theo got there his height and beauty drew loud murmurs among the sparsely populated students.

" Who is that?"

" So tall ".

" Look at his hair ".

But to Theodore this was all very uncomfortable. He definitely wasn't the type who thrived under the gazes of others. He just lowered his head and went on to sit on a concrete casing under a tree.

Waiting just like the rest.

But soon those gazes of admirations turned to ones of disgust and hostility. They now recognised him.

The first Superhero Fiend. Ti-mirs spy. The slave of Azhraavi.

They all looked like they wanted him dead.

He felt it.

These weren't people who would be scared.

These were boys and girls raised from a very young age to be masters at killing Fiends. They certainly weren't civilians

Theo was a bit scared but he just turned away from them and leaned in to the side of the tree. Nothing, absolutely nothing is distracting him from his goal.

To become the greatest hero he could be.

He outstreched his hands and felt the drizzle. His hands stood there cupped, till the rain left a bowl of water on his massive palms, a damaged pink from the exposure to the hard wet surfaces of the rain.

He always had an affinity for rain, a pluviophile.

' CRACK '.

Theo jerked hard. A pain erupted, sharp and violent in his lungs, he coughed out blood, hard. He couldn't hide it, he coughed again from his nose almost choking on it.

He used his hands to cover his mouth and squeezed hard as if trying to force all the blood back in.

There were echoes in his mind.

' what now?'

He didn't have a handkerchief. He was as oblivious as all who watched him with disgust as to the cause of the blood.

' I've bled billions of times, more times than I've slept. I don't care if I bleed all through what life I have in me '.

Just like before with the boy, Theo just didn't care.

" Are you okay?". It was a girl's voice. She stood a few meters from him clearly not wanting to come any closer.

She was average height and had messy but very bright blonde hair. It was tied in a bun.

Her eyes were dark and large, up turned in a nice suave siren curve. On top of them were thin arched eyebrows.

She was beautiful, the type who didn't care to display it anymore than it's natural form.

At least 19, 22 at most.

She wasn't wearing a suit. She was but it was breathe her silk white sweater.

He could tell from her pants. They were also white. She was wearing short dark boots that started from her lower shin.

She seemed more like a rich girl than a superhero.

Then Theo became conscious of how long he'd been staring. He looked away with tir eyes mirroring the disgust she was to look at him. Even with tears of blood falling down his blue eyes.

The girl was really taken aback by Theodore's beauty. It really was no joke, even with all that blood he still looked so otherworldly.

Theo didn't really get why he was having this hemorrhage fits. One second he was okay the next blood gushed out of every hole on his face like he'd just popped most of his blood vessels.

Theodore sniffed the blood from his nose, taking it I back in

" I'm fine ".

Then in a second all the wounds closed and the gushin stopped. The girl was astonished at the speed of his regeneration. He really was the King.

She was suspended there for a while, just string at his face

She retreated her stare. She would help him. Her soft hands went to a black bag that was suspended on her shoulder. The girl brought out a white napkin and handed it to him.

Not moving any closer than she already was.

Theodore always came across to all he Mr for the first time as a man who would ruin you if you let yourself get to close. He was a walkin bomb of self destruction, so it's best not be in the blast radius when he detonates.

But,

That was not why the girl was acting all circumspect.

For alas, this girl was no girl by a deceiver in human form.

And she was only mimicking caution.

Slowly Theo's long arms stretched to the napkin.

' who knew they'd be nice people here. Or was this all pity '.

It didn't matter though. All that Theo knew was that

He could really use that napkin. He pushed himself closer with his other arm, reaching in.

" Thank you ", he said as he held the cloth in his hand. Course he wasn't going to clean the blood off his face with her around.

Anyone who knew the truth would be in a most despair filled charge in as to why Theo didn't question the nature of the girl standing before him. Theo was a few feet from a genocider and he likes most could not tell.

" So you're really not human?"

The genocider asked.

Theo shook a little at her question. Sharp words coming from such a calm voice.

He wasn't facing her. He was just sat under the tree holding his umbrella. She was standing facing him and holding hers.

Both black umbrellas.

" No I'm not ", Theo said in a very low hum she almost didn't it. His eyes like the monster he was talking to had felt too much pain from this world.

" I watched your hearing ", she said taking a sit but still keeping a distance. Feigning caution once more.

" It said, that you're a good Fiend through all this ".

clasping her knees and resting her head on them, her head was titled facing the man she thought would be the new King.

" Is that true?"

Theo looked up and rested his back on the tree.

" I like to believe so ".

There was silence for a while. He heard her trying to keep a front but the chuckle escaped. Then it turned into a laugh.

Theo merely smiled back but at the clouds, not at her. Her curiosity was like a school student bombarding another kid's parents about their job. But in a way they gave him clarity.

" What's your name?" She asked him through her laughter.

' she watched his trial and didn't know his name? Everyone knew his name '.

Her smile turned to a small smirk

" Or do you want people to only hear your name from your court trial ".

Theos eyes were fixated on the sky for a bit. Then it turned to the beautiful girl he'd been talking to. She had a point.

" Theodore Vaughn Gunes ".

She smiled at him. " And I'll call you..?..Cause there's no way I'm pronouncing that ". She chuckled.

" Theo ".

Her eyes glowed with a certain interest. Then she moved closer to him and offered her hands for a shake.

His hands were reluctant to meet hers. Maybe because he was scared of causing her pain. Even if she was a hero, she didn't look very tough and he still had trouble handling his phone without breaking it. One slip and he could crush her hand.

But she was just so beautiful who'd deny such a pretty girl a handshake.

Awaken Theodore, that is not a girl. The horror, oh the horror those hands have rot. The blood they have spilled Theodore.

Pleas were none existent and he shaked it's hands.

His hands engulfed hers. It was like shaking a baby.

" Big hands ".

She said smiling. She noticed how losse he was. Yet his palms were oddly soft. It didn't take a genius to know he was trying not to hurt her.

Their hands went up and down, business shake style.

Theo completely forgot he had lots of blood on his face.

He waited for her to say her name. Staring at her face. He could stare all day. She had this sensuality to her. And an innocence at the sam_

" Oh right. I'm Daisy. Daisy Fred'Anne ". ( Abyss Fiend )