Rogue Adventures - A Tale from Neverbeen Universe

34

After having slept for eight hours straight Gene still didn't feel much better. It had finally sunk in that Raphael had tried to kill him — all of them for that matter. Which was why sleeping didn't help to lift his mood; he might have rested, but his heart was restless.

But he couldn't give up on Raphael so easily. He wanted him back, wanted the man back he had fallen in love with — not the heartless monster who had long withstood the force of the seven people plus four illusion doppelgangers who defeated him. So here he was sitting again in the swing chair on the terrace of Lucifer's castle.

"Who would have thought that you would seek me out?"

Rhagkal sat across from him and sipped on his tea. He didn't seem very keen on listening to Gene, but here he was. Gene braced himself up and looked at the cruel clan chief of the Raven. If he wanted Raphael back he would need some help.

"Eh... I believe you now. I can't deny the facts any longer, and doing so wouldn't bring me any closer to getting Raphael back. I still can't trust you or Rhaleigh, but I need your help", Gene stated, his heart beating a mile a minute.

"And why should I help you?" Rhagkal raised a brow. He didn't seem impressed. But Gene hadn't expected that he might be willing to help right away anyway. Yet he was determined to persuade him for he couldn't do this alone.

"Because I ask you to. I want to go see Raphael, talk to him about everything. But I don't know if he might listen to me or not. He ignored me during the fight, but I haven't given up on him yet. I might not reach him, but I want you to help me do it nonetheless. You're good at telepathy and teleportation and this sealing stuff, right?" he scrutinized Rhagkal.

The Daemon sipped at his tea. "You're not mistaken," he confessed, and it was enough for Gene to screw up his courage and continue.

"Eh... you see, this is exactly why you can help me. I understand that Raphael was sealed and imprisoned in a special cell. But I don't know how to get to where he is kept right now. So first I'd like you to bring me to him," he asked.

"If it's just about getting inside the maximum security unit you can also ask Rhaleigh," Rhagkal stated, unperturbed.

"Okay. But can he help me convince Raphael that what he did was wrong and make him reconsider? I don't think so. You're his father, he will listen to you rather than to some stranger guy who had kidnapped me," Gene argued.

Rhagkal gave him a long stare. "Raphael hates me, as I hate him. He probably will listen to anyone but me, defiant as he is."

Still Gene didn't want to give up. "Look, I want to get him out of there once he sees my point, but without your sealing and teleportation abilities I can't do that." He wrung his hands.

Rhagkal leaned back and sipped on his tea. He was silent for a while, and Gene became more and more agitated. "Well, what's in it for me?" he asked.

Gene sighed, racked his brain what he could possibly offer the Daemon. Then he remembered something. "Eh... Raphael is your experiment. You said it yourself. So it is in your own interest to see he gets a different mindset than wanting to release the power sealed within him and destroy everything with it. And if he doesn't listen to you, maybe I can convince him. But I need your help to get to him, and maybe to get through to him."

The Daemon considered this. And finally he relented. "Very well," he nodded, "I shall bring you to him and if you can persuade him, I shall get the two of you out of there. But from then on Raphael is also your responsibility, Gene Hoffman! You are to make sure his mindset doesn't return to a destructive attitude." He held his hand open. "Deal?"

Gene was relieved. "Thank you very much," he said and agreed, "alright. Deal." He took Rhagkal's hand and shook it firmly. They drank up their cups of tea, then stood.

Gene just hoped Raphael wouldn't take offence that he cooperated with Rhagkal; but it was all for the sake of being together again. If Gene could make Raphael see that, all would be well. Well, not exactly, as Gene still had to convince Raphael of his wrongdoings and Gene's continued love for him despite the odds. He didn't know yet how to achieve that but he would come up with something in due time.