The Diamond Race | discontinued

chapter 22

22:00 Seoul, South Korea 37.5665° N, 126.9780° E

Time is a fluid thing.

It is fickle too.

It brought misery to some and joy to others.

J leaned forward, dragging his fingers across the smooth surface of the Aetherius Aurora, as the soft ticking of the ornate grandfather clock rang out in the silence of the room. The pink diamond weighed heavily in his hands. To J, it was laughable, just how many people wanted to get their hands on it.

"You seem bored."

J turned his head at the voice. Perched on the window sill was a lithe figure dressed in a pinstripe suit, with a white lab coat, its sleeves too long for him. Neatly styled pitch black hair framed a young face and dark eyes stared out at him from behind wire-rimmed glasses. Amused. Questioning.

"Why are you here?" J shifted in his chair, slipping the Aetherius Aurora back into it black safe.

"You always told me to get some fresh air every now and then."

J tipped his head, resting it against his right hand as he watched the boy stand.

"I know better than to believe that."

"I know you do." The boy laughed softly behind his lab coat sleeve. "I came because you said you had a new toy for me."

The boy moved quickly, sitting on top of J's desk.

"Well? Where is it?" The boy's voice shook with excitement, his eyes looking near wild. "I haven't had a good toy in a while. The others all break before I can do anything fun with them."

J held up a hand, silencing the boy's murmurs.

"I can't give him to you directly. You're going to have to get him yourself."

"What?" The boy's nose scrunched in disbelief. "But you always get my toys for me."

"This one's special." J replied. "He won't come easy."

"Well I do like challenges." The boy sighed. "So tell me. What's he like?"

"I can't tell you much, but I can give you a picture."

J handed the boy a picture.

There was a pause as the boy looked closely at it, his eyes narrowing slightly before he looked up at J.

"My, my. So this the one you mentioned. The one from that party?"

J nodded. "So, what do you think?"

"I'll take him." The boy smiled, stroking the picture fondly. "It's been so long since I've had a good toy."

J smiled. "I'm glad you like him."

"Hmm, what subject number do you think I should give him? Oh, I have so many I haven't used yet! Dear me. The details! The experiments! I have to pick a good one. One worthy of such a beautiful subject. Oh, once I'm done. He'll be a god!" The boy exclaimed with feverish joy. "A god made flesh!"

The boy grinned wildly, his hands shaking in feral exhilaration. He turned to J again, eyes wide.

"Oh, this will be a fun game!"

J arched an eyebrow and the boy sobered.

"My apologies." The boy coughed in embarrassment. "I lost myself there."

"You always do. That's why you're one of the best."

The boy smiled, but is wasn't shyly. It was knowingly.