Half of My Heart

Not too Old to be a Danger.

This place was dark, damp and cold, but the floor was tiled and the Spirit spoke to his host advising him not to move, while Apep did exactly the same to Yunlan, he didn't know if they were being watched.

"Are you alright Wei? Any ideas where we are?"

"No, but the Entity is searching his memory, the tiled floor is familiar to him. He can remember three places with floors similar to this but two were definitely destroyed, and he's refusing to say where this is until he knows for sure ... Someone's coming Ah Lan."

Yunlan's hearing was not as sharp as Shen Wei's and it was another minute before he heard what sounded like wheels coming closer to their room. The door opened and some light escaped from the corridor illuminating the floor where they both lay.

"I know that you are both awake and listening. Neither of you will know me but I know you. I read history books while I was incarcerated in that prison on the homeworld, every little detail I could find out about you. I know your weaknesses and your strengths, and you won't escape from here ... Lights!"

The two prisoners blinked as the unexpected overhead brightness almost blinded them until their eyes had time to adjust, and they stared at the man in the wheelchair. He was very old with his right hand missing, replaced by a prosthetic limb which looked lifelike. Wei shivered as the Spirit remembered him, Ouyang Zhen. He should have been dead by now but he must have been taking a drug to extend his life and when he passed an age limit in prison, they released him, thinking that he was too old to be a danger. This was the man who tried to kill Black Robe and took delight in torturing Zhao Yunlan before he was stopped and returned to the homeworld for punishment related to the assassin drug.

"As you can see, I now have a few problems but that won't be for long. I have been searching for you for a while but had to wait my turn to trap you because there were so many others who wanted you dead. I was not involved in the last shooting incident but it was convenient, making it easier to bring you here, I wanted you alive ... Bring him first."

Two men came forward and hauled Yunlan to his feet while he struggled to get free, and then refused to walk as they dragged him out of the room. Wei could do nothing because another two men had pinned him against a wall, stopping him from interfering as he shouted and fought back. Black Robe was powerless in this room. It had been contaminated with dark energy from the homeworld, alien to his system. Ouyang had prepared it especially for him, to contain him, not to harm him.

Somewhere in his sick crazy mind, he was under the impression that he was going to be the next host and his body would be cured. He would be able to live for centuries without fear of illness or dying and he could manufacture a more advanced version of the assassin drug but it would need another name. His research had already told him what the base components were in the original drug, but this one would have a stronger starting point and he would need to do some testing to find out which one of his prisoners was best to use.

Wei was released and collapsed on to the floor after Yunlan was taken away, while the Spirit spoke quickly to him.

"My Young Lord, you need to hear this and listen to me. He won't kill either of you until he finds what he is looking for. The component for the assassin drug was taken from Daqing's blood cells, and that's what he will do now. He will be checking both your bloods. Zhao Yunlan's blood will have a small marker from his original ancestor, but yours has just fought dark energy from the homeworld and you survived. You are both strong, and he will have to choose. He won't know what is making Lord Zhao different because it was never written in a book."