NUMB

30 - Moving ahead and future plans

"What!?" Asmodeous roared, his chest heaving with his deep, angry breaths. "Magdalene... her killer...."

Valreen nodded, unable to form more words. He needed to be stronger for Asmodeous, that was his wife after all.

"Robert Lightwood," Asmodeous said the name with utter disgust, "The leader of Night Ghosters mafia and who killed Magdalene. That bastard..." He picked up the water glass and threw it across the room, shattering it into trillions of pieces yet Valreen stood unhinged. "All these years... The one I was looking for... that son of a bitch!" Asmodeous' hand reached for something to break, but Valreen held his friend's hand and dragged him back.

"Asus! I know you're furious and so am I but destruction isn't the solution for this. That bastard is clever and a fucking psychopath. We need to end his support before we end him. We need to break Robert Lightwood first," Valreen said.

"How do you suggest we do that, Val?" Asmodeous asked, his eyes dark and brimming with tears. "He has been running that cult and mafia for years, he had killed the people we loved. All I want right now is to slit his throat and watch that bastard suffer."

"The person who thinks himself beyond god isn't going to die this easily, Asmodeous." Valreen said, "It took us this long to even know his real name. It's not going to be easy to kill him. We both need to think before acting, especially you."

Asmodeous took a deep breath as his eyes fell on the family photograph he had in his office. The photo of the day Magnus was born. Of the three of them and the way Magdalene was looking at the one-day-old Magnus in her arms. A few tears fell on his face before he wiped his face and opened his diary.

"You said the cops and CDO are working on it too, right? Even Jia." Asmodeous asked, and he nodded. "Let them deal with Black Cobra and smaller yet deeper aspects, we'll focus on the bigger picture."

"What do you mean?"

"You were hunting the bigger names of that mafia and killed a few? Let's continue there. Kill the bigger names of that mafia and find out what Laurel Morningstar has to do with Robert or the mafia. That bitch tried to kill you, Val. We need to know why she is protecting Night Ghosters."

"Right, the president." Valreen said in a venomous tone, "She seems to have vanished. Only appears around cameras, then disappears like a fucking ghost! I'll look into her and send our people to kill their big names."

Asmodeous gave a nod then went back to scribble down something in the diary, but his eyes were filled with tears that were threatening to fall like a flood. Neither of them expected to learn about the name of Magdalene's killer like this, out of the blue.

"By the way," Valreen said, "Magnus said he wanted to meet in the other den. Said you'd know why."

Asmodeous' hand stopped mid-sentence and he closed his eyes, letting some of those tears fall freely. "Tell him to be there tomorrow, Val. And ask him to bring his therapy cat too. Been a while I've seen Queen Elizabeth."

With a slow nod, he put his hand over Asmodeous' shoulder and squeezed it gently, then left for his own office to investigate more about the president and Robert Lightwood.

**********************

*Next Day*

*Magnus' Cabin*

Dusk was around the corner as Magnus trotted around the cabin, leisurely setting the snacks and respective drinks for everyone on the coffee table while everyone settled. A lot was on his mind after meeting his father. They both were a mess as he sobbed in his father's arms, remembering every small memory of Magdalene together. Queen Elizabeth was there for both of them, calming their anxious nerves. He had learned a lot from Asmodeous, their plans, suspicions, and plan of action as well, he wasn't thrilled, but he got no say in that.