Atelo [MXM] [BOOK 1] ✓

CHAPTER 36: A PLAN

Marley and Nero don't have a plan, that's for sure. They also have no way to come up with one either, since they lack any telepathic abilities. They both have Olucard's full attention, so there is no way to figure out what the hell to do here.

Allorn left about two minutes ago, and Olucard has just been staring at them while the psycho girl giggles quietly.

Marley is sweaty and bloody and pissed off and he's getting really, really impatient. Right when Marley is about to break the silence with a complaint, Olucard finally speaks;

"Did you know that it's easier to electrocute someone if they're wearing metal?"

Marley scrunches his face up in irritation. What is he even talking about? Last time Marley checked, nobody here is in freaking chain mail. Sorry, but Marley's beginning to feel like Olucard is a cat and he's playing with his food. Except, he's not going to eat Marley. Hopefully.

Suddenly, Marley remembers when he'd inspected his clothes earlier, the ones these people must have changed him into. He looks down, examining the white sleeve of the shirt. There it is again, the metallic substance imbedded and woven into the fiber.

This shirt is made of metal and cloth, Marley can see it now. Fuck.

He really needs to stay away from that chair.

"I do now," Marley growls, glaring at both of them. He moves back so he's against Nero's glass, as close as he can get to the guy.

How in the hell is he going to get out of here? Olucard can control his body—and Nero's, too—whenever he wants. Marley doesn't know how Olucard's ability works, and he needs to figure it out since that's the biggest obstacle in his way. Marley tries to think back on the times the director used it on him.

Marley could always feel when Olucard was trying to manipulate his body. Half because he was doing something he didn't mean to, but he could also feel a certain pull. Back in the hallway, Marley had been trying to fight it. However, he'd come to the conclusion that the director is a lot stronger than he'd previously believed.

It seems that the only way to fight Olucard's power would be to be mentally strong enough to override his pull, but that's only a theory.

The plan for resisting Olucard doesn't look promising. Marley needs to find a way out of this before the guy decides to move his body around, because then that's game over. What is the prince to do?

"I wanted to put you in a knight costume, but Felix said it needed to be tighter." The girl says. Marley turns to look at her and finds her looking him up and down. Who the hell is Felix? "Not that I'm complaining, of course."

Marley wishes that he could mute her out.

Marley turns to look at Nero, who's glaring at her. Fuck these people, they don't even deserve his attention. He wonders if there is a way he could talk to Nero in code.

"Can you move your hands at all?" Marley asks, trying to get a feel for the situation Nero is in. There is a way they're going to force Nero to discharge enough electricity to kill Marley, and he's starting to wonder if its hidden in the giant white block.

Nero turns to look back at him, eyes softening. "Not really, no." He responds.

Marley sighs. Shit. He was hoping the thing was hollow and Nero would be able to feel around in there better.

"Is your head okay?" Nero asks, and Marley remembers that he took several blows to the skull just now. He's honestly not in the best situation. Marley reaches up to where he feels liquid on his face, also where some of the pain is coming from.