Rogue Adventures - A Tale from Neverbeen Universe

21

Gene was still smiling languidly when Ayumu handed the orb to Raphael.

"Yes, that's the Obsidian Shard of Kaye," Raphael affirmed. Gene nodded to himself; so this was another artifact on their list. He only regretted they couldn't go hunt for this treasure anymore; on the one hand Ayumu presented it to them willingly, and on the other hand their merry treasure hunt had come to an abrupt end by their capture. But never had Gene expected what happened next.

Before his unbelieving eyes Raphael suddenly pushed Thanatos into Azrael, tackled Phobos with his shoulder so he tumbled to the ground, then bolted from their group and ran.

"Eh...what?" Gene blinked confused, then exclaimed: "Raphael, wait! Raphael..." He hurried after him, but fell face first to the ground as his leg was pulled at. "Ouch!"

"Not so fast!" he heard Phobos growl, as his hands were twisted behind his back and a knee was stemmed on him so he couldn't get up. In the meantime he saw Raphael make his getaway, while Thanatos and Azrael untangled and rushed after him. "Hold him down, Manipulative Hag! I'm going after the damned Bloody Frailtard!" Phobos bellowed then left Gene in Ayumu's care, who simply sat on his back.

"Wait!" Gene exclaimed again, utterly puzzled and surprised. Surely this was but a diversionary tactic, so Raphael could get him later or give Gene an opportunity to flee himself. Gene figured, this was what he wanted, so he tried and struggled and finally managed to throw Ayumu off him. "I'm sorry," Gene murmured, then ran as fast as he could towards the gardens. Maybe he could hide somewhere until Raphael came back and got the two of them out of there.

So he sprinted and took paths left and right, ducked behind bushes and trees and hurried deeper into the twilight greenery until even he didn't know anymore where he was headed. Behind a huge rosemary shrub he stopped, panting hard and out of breath. He dropped to the ground and crouched in the faint hope they wouldn't find him. Gene wheezed and listened into the twilight for any signs of followers or Raphael. Because he was sure his lover would appear anytime soon to save him.

As he waited, he finally had the time to realize what had happened. Raphael hadn't even warned him what he had been about to do; not a single thought had transpired to Gene like a mental hug. Somehow this worried Gene. Raphael would never leave him behind just like that. He wouldn't! Gene shook his head, but his heart sank. He was confused and a bit afraid. These people were supposed to be Raphael's friends, were they not? So he didn't understand why Raphael acted that way.

Raphael had told him he didn't want to confide in Thanatos and Thanatos would be after them because they escaped. But Thanatos was not a bad person, right? He was nice and gentlemanly and polite, at least that was how Gene had got to know the Reaper back when they were still on Earth. Yet his heart pounded a mile a minute.

He kept waiting, hoping against hope that Raphael would be back soon — before the Reapers or Phobos and Ayumu found him. He peered between the twigs of the rosemary, but he ducked instantly as he saw someone's suit trousers and dress shoes close by. The Reapers wore suits, so it had to be one of them. Gene held his breath and waited, warned his much too loud heartbeat not to tell them his location. The silence was almost unbearable.

"I know you're there behind that rosemary shrub," said a voice Gene had never wanted to hear again, and this voice neither belonged to Thanatos nor Azrael. His heart skipped a beat. What should he do? "Come out. You wouldn't want me to make you..."

Gene shuddered as he remembered his first and last encounter with Raphael's father; he had almost choked to death as he had had to watch how the older Daemon had manhandled Raphael. As a mere human he stood no chance against this monster. He couldn't begin to imagine what this Daemon would do to him if he showed himself... but what if he didn't? Trembling from head to toe he scrambled around the rosemary shrub and lifted his gaze to face that man. Gene lifted his fists in a hopeless attempt to defend himself. He only had to sustain until Raphael arrived to get him to safety.

'I'm afraid, that won't be happening,' the Daemon's mental voice ripped through his mind. Cruel black eyes scrutinized him. "We were not introduced during our last encounter. I'm Lord Rhagkal Raven, Raphael's father as you might know." The Daemon turned around. 'Follow me, Gene Hoffman. I might have a few answers to the questions you have.'

Gene hesitated for a moment, then stumbled after the Daemon, who led him to an idyllic lake not far from Gene's hiding place. "Sit down," Rhagkal said and Gene sat on a filigree iron bench, still shaken and pretty much afraid for his life — even if he was technically undead now. If only Raphael was here!

"Raphael won't save you," Rhagkal stated evenly, his back turned to Gene and hands folded leisurely behind his back, "He has, in fact, abandoned you."

Gene frowned. Everything within him wanted to protest, jump in defense for Raphael. No, he wouldn't leave him behind. No way. No way in hell.

"I know you don't want to hear that, but it's the truth," the Daemon continued and looked Gene in the eye as he peered over the shoulder of his blood-red coat.

Gene remained defiantly silent, pressed his lips in a firm line. He couldn't, wouldn't believe a single word this man said.

"And even if you don't want to hear it, I will tell you more truths. Because you should know them and reevaluate your attitude towards me, and towards Raphael," Rhagkal continued. He fully turned around. "Raphael has abandoned you. He left you here as a red herring so he could get all the remaining arti—" Gene pressed his hands to his ears so he wouldn't hear these lies.

But Rhagkal simply continued in his mind: '—facts. He wants to destroy them, so he can release the power stored within them. He wants to destroy... the whole Neverbeen Universe.'

"No!" Gene exclaimed, "Stop these lies! Raphael wouldn't—"

'—do that? Are you so sure? You've seen what he did to Sendrith and Yumír, you've seen how he stole from my vault, you've seen how he fought Rhaleigh...and you've seen how he took the Obsidian Shard of Kaye and ran without a second glance at you. He left you behind, Gene Hoffman. Are you sure you know what he would and wouldn't do?' Rhagkal countered, his words raining down on Gene like heavy blows.

And they hurt. Gene was pretty sure the Daemon was wrong about Raphael. He wouldn't leave Gene behind. Gene would have sworn this was the case any day. But now? The situation seemed to be just as Rhagkal said. Raphael was gone with the artifact, and Gene was still here without him.

So...had Raphael really abandoned him? The thought stung so much; it hurt so much to think it might be true. "No," Gene rasped weakly, "All lies."

'It's true,' Rhagkal insisted, 'Raphael abandoned you for a mad dream. I know he's had them for a very long time. But now it's become dangerous. He wants to destroy Neverbeen Universe; he wants to destroy everything. And we need to stop him. Now.'

By now Gene was crying quietly; ugly, soggy tears streaming down his face. It hurt so much to think Raphael might have left him to die, might have left him for good. Not his Raphael, not this way. This was just not happening. "Lies," he sobbed and hugged himself.

"It's hard to accept. But you must," Rhagkal said calmly, "the continued existence of whole Neverbeen Universe might depend on it. Raphael might listen to you after all. But you have to accept things first and come along, so we can stop Raphael. Because he needs to be stopped before it's too late."

Gene shook his head no. He didn't want to accept. But if he didn't believe Rhagkal, there would be no reason why it should hurt as much as it did.

"Right. Now come with me. Let's prevent the end of Neverbeen Universe by stopping this stubborn wayward son of mine," Rhagkal appealed and strode through the twilight gardens and back to Lucifer's castle. Gene stood and stumbled after him. He still couldn't believe Raphael had abandoned him. But if any of this was... not in fact a lie, then perhaps Raphael did need to be stopped.