The Overly Complicated Life of a (Self-Proclaimed) Villain

Chapter 18

Elliot

Our deadline had been pushed up. Again. The minute I entered the lab I was met by the looks of fearful interns, frantic doctors, and one royally pissed off Allie. She had said HQ wanted results faster, that a facility down south had recently been compromised and we had to pick up its slack. That we were the only ones with the resources to do so.

"The call was over before I could say anything," Allie said, weaving her hands frantically through her hair. "I swear they don't know how busy we are here. They don't even bother to send someone for inspection."

"They did."

She stopped her pacing and looked at me. "When the hell did they send someone?"

"It was James." My voice was curt. Allie knew our history and she sure as hell didn't like him for it.

She cursed. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I've been a little busy. I'm still processing." I was not about to mention the apartment, but I'm sure if my suspicions were correct about James working for the Boss directly, he was here for more than just a routine inspection.

"The docs here are running around crazy," Allie began again, looking into the main lab. "They're almost at their breaking point."

"But we just got the call," I said, my eyebrows tightened.

"E, that wasn't the first call." Not the first?

I slowed my pacing. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, when you were gone those few days, they called five times asking to speak with you." My head pounded processing. I froze listening to Allie's words. "They asked to see you, and when you weren't there they wouldn't say anything until the fifth call. That's when HQ didn't even ask for you, they just said we had till March for the final product for both us and the Virginia Branch and hung up."

"But the Virginia Branch--"

"Is the nuclear plant, yeah."

That can't be right. We don't have the technology here. No room for testing. Nothing.

"Elliot," I raised my eyes to meet my friend's gaze, "as of three hours ago, you are overseeing two of N.E.L.O.S.'s primary facilities. Our scientists are scared for their jobs and lives. Most of them haven't left the lab in days. Before you go out there and order a bunch of crap you will regret when you see the product, go and tell them to take tonight. Sleep, eat. Tomorrow we can have a game plan."

There's Allie, my motivational speaker. I scratched my neck and sighed. Pulling on a lab coat, I gathered my thoughts and plastered on a smile. They reflect your emotions, if you're scared they are too. Taking a deep breath, I stepped out of my office and looked into the mass of lab coats.

"Listen up." They all turned to me, eyes full of desperation. "I am going to talk to HQ personally. This can't be taken on alone and we are going to do our jobs and finish our task. Science knows no master. We will continue to do our jobs to the best of our ability and get the results we need. I will not allow you to take the fall for a corporate decision. I want everyone to go home. Get some sleep, eat, and spend time with your families, tomorrow we can all figure this out." They knew I didn't really do pep-talks, no one here really did pep-talks (Allie was the exception). But I did know how to talk to scientists, and most of my scientists hated the pressure of corporate. These people of science would not destroy their lifelong passion for some corrupted corporate suits. HQ would get what they want, just on our time.

"You heard Doctor Veal, get your things and go. You don't have to go home, but you can't stay here. We'll figure this out!" Allie said from next to me. As I gazed out into the frenzied but relieved faces, I plastered on another fake smile. That was until I saw a familiar face. Standing in the back of the main lab, a white coat draped over his shoulders, and with a look of confusion sprawled on his face, Bleddyn stared back at me.

My face crumpled.

I was now in uncharted territory. Bleddyn was here. In the lab. He stood stock still as everyone began filtering out, unable to break eye contact with me. I couldn't move, couldn't seem to breathe. Allie was saying something-- something important-- until she saw Bleddyn too.

"Who is that E?" She looked at him, up and down, and then she realized. "Elliot--?" Of course she would recognize Bleddyn-- Erebus. She had helped weave the mask of Nihil after all.

"Allie, you should take the rest of the night off too. Go home and sleep. I'll handle this." I said before I began to walk towards him. Bleddyn's face grew more confused the closer I got to him. The lab was empty save the two of us now, Allie gone silently with the rest of them.

I couldn't find the will to be the first one to speak. I opened my mouth but I was unable to form the right words.

"Elliot?" The word was so quiet, so confused. It pained me to see how his eyes pounded holes into mine and eyebrows creased. That's all I could handle before I suddenly felt a tear slip from my eye. "Tell me, please." He didn't need to say anything else.

Bleddyn

As the single tear traced Elliott's exhausted face, I could only plead to understand. That's when he fell apart.

That's when he told me everything. Right there, in that white lab, Elliot told me of how he had weaved a web of Doctor Nihilistical.

"It was all an elaborate ruse," he said. "We needed a distraction from the lab when we discovered there were superheroes. So I was tasked with the side job of being an arch-nemesis. I never hurt anyone because I didn't need to. I just built funny sounding machines and tried to keep you from discovering the truth. . . It was when Chloe was kidnapped that I realized that you were getting too close."

"Chloe?"

"Was kidnapped by N.E.LO.S., yes. I realized that when we left."

I was having a hard time keeping up. My face flared and eyebrows creased as he continued. He explained how he had no control, how this N.E.L.O.S. ruled the lab and more.

"I didn't mean to hurt you, Bleddyn. I didn't mean to hurt Chloe. I was just supposed to be a distraction as our lab proceeded with the rest of our plan." He was leaning on the counter to one of the center tables, eyes refusing to meet my gaze. His entire body seemed to curl in itself, as if he were protecting it from some unnatural force, as if I would lash out.

I honestly wanted to.

I wanted to be angry, get mad, yell. To try expressing the cornucopia of senses. Fear, anger, and betrayal all bubbled up within me and I could hardly meet him in the eyes.

I only looked up when he stopped talking, stopped explaining the past year of lies. I could feel his gaze on me, could feel the tears sting behind my eyes. My mouth opened and shut, trying to find the words.

"Nihil--Doctor Nihilistical-- he was just a character?" I finally asked. "Just a personality that you developed."

"Bleddyn--"

"No! Elliot. You are telling me that the man I bantered with for a year, the man who gave me refuge and hope and a reason to keep going even when I was so exhausted; the man who never hurt people, made funky weapons that never killed or maimed civilians; the man who I fell in love with was all just a story?" I began laughing even as I felt the tears begin to well. "Was it all fake? A fantasy?"

"Nihil was always real, Bleddyn. You made him real." Elliot had uncurled himself and now stood directly in front of me. "Bleddyn," he grabbed my hands. "Look at me." I did. His eyes were so full of pain, so full of fear. "You made me realize that I could be more than Elliot or Doctor Veal. I could reach for his life-- for you. Nihil saved me Bleddyn, you saved me. And I am so, so sorry."

I knew he was being honest. I could see it in his eyes. But my brain still couldn't process it. I pulled back in retreat, breaking eye contact. "I just need some time," I said, before fleeing the lab.

Time.