Swanna Girl and Braivary Man 3: The Rogue Hero

Chapter 17: Nox Logic

Rudi and I were not expecting anyone to be barging in so soon. When I looked to see the imposter—or Draven as Rudi called him—standing there with Gallade by his side, I suddenly remembered what our deal was. I had ten minutes to convince the person inside this room to cooperate with them. Ten minutes.

It did not seem as if I had been with Rudi for ten minutes. I felt cheated, needing much more time than what Draven had given us. Rudi must've felt the same way as his arms wrapped around me as we sat there, completely defenseless against both Draven and Gallade.

We needed more time. If I'd known that Rudi was here, I wouldn't have wasted those ten minutes fighting him. I should've just believed him, but after everything that I'd been through, I couldn't.

All I ever wanted was for a few more moments with Rudi, and now, I had wasted what could've been the last. I didn't want to leave him. Seeing Draven standing in front of us with Gallade, I knew there was nothing we could do. Even when Rudi and I fought by holding on to each other with all the strength we had left, it wasn't enough against Gallade's psychic power.

The worst part of it all was that I didn't have a chance to say goodbye. Gallade's Psychic attack on me forced me to look away as he floated me back into a cell surrounded by sleeping criminals. I pulled my knees into my chest, trying to process what had happened in the past fifteenish minutes. Too much had happened that I didn't even know where to begin.

There was only one thing I knew: Rudi was alive. Whatever that Draven and whoever this Mr. Rogue wanted him for, I wasn't quite sure, but I knew it couldn't have been good. I just hoped Rudi would be alright.

Questions started to pile in my head as I thought about it. Would Rudi be alright? What were they going to do to him? Why was it they wanted Rudi of all people?

"Huh, fancy seeing you here of all places," a familiar voice scoffed.

I turned my head, finding one of the two men in the cell next to me had woken up. I had been put in a cell by myself, but I didn't really pay attention to what was around me until the man spoke up. He had dark unruly hair and greedy green eyes. His face was dirty from what looked to be different oils and other dark smears, but he still wore the white lab coat over his sweaty clothes I remembered from last time.

Of all the things that could've happened, having the inventor trapped inside a cage beside me was the last thing I would've expected. At this point, I shouldn't have been surprised. I didn't hear anything about him on the news or from Rena, but I just assumed that after all that had happened, he would've wanted to stay under the radar.

Having Isaac Nox trapped inside a cell wasn't something I'd expect.

"You know, I thought you would've been smarter than this," Nox taunted. "So, tell me, how did those two criminals manage to get the last standing superhero? Did they lure you in with your boyfriend?"

My forehead dropped to the tops of my knees as I closed my eyes. I didn't want to talk to anyone, but from the time I knew Nox, I knew he wasn't going to let this go. He would continue to pester me until I snapped. It was what he did to Rudi the night we came home from a mission to stop Team Oblivion, causing Rudi to resort to violence. Rudi wasn't one to do that. A day later, he tried pestering me in attempts to get me to snap too.

Thinking about it even more, it made me wonder how Rena was able to put up with him when they worked together when she first started inventing. There was no way those two would have gotten along for long.

"It's a long story," I muttered.

Nox gave out a short chuckle. "Oh, I don't know if you've noticed, but we've got time."