Echos In The Catacombs

Chapter 42: Confrontations and Confessions pt.2

Lizzie's P.O.V

"Glad to see you're still sticking around." Zero said flatly as he, Genie and Icarus strolled up to us.

"Would you care to tell us exactly where in the hell else can we go?" I asked.

"I suppose you make a valid argument, but I thought you would have retreated back to Darcey Manor." Zero stated.

"Not when we have questions only you three seem to know the answers to." I said defensively.

"I only have one piece of advice for the eight of you. Stay away from a man named Charles Lulum." Zero stated assertively.

Pene let out a harsh laugh. "Now there's a name we've heard before."

"Lulum's nothing more than a selfish prick." Icarus spat.

"And do you want any one of his thousands of spies to hear you say that? If you value your life, you will hold your tongue." Zero spoke harshly.

Icarus simply rolled his eyes as Angel sent him an apologetic smile.

"What do you know about him What did he do?" Vice asked.

"What did he do?" Icarus laughed. "I think you meant to say what didn't  he do. Because he's surely done a bloody lot, mate. And I don't think any part of it is something good."

"Then tell us." Angel spoke softly.

"You're in this mess because of Lulum. You're only alive because of Hydde. With everything that's going on around you, like the virus infecting people-" Icarus was cut off.

"Hold the fucking front door open for me so I can slam it in your face, but what virus are we fucking talking about?" Violet chimed in.

Icarus let out a heavy sigh. "Avanstein really didn't tell you guys anything did he?"

"W-well he d-did actually. M-maybe we know m-more than you think.." Klaude chimed in with a quiet voice.

"Basically, because Riven is believed to be the first test subject and because her results weren't exactly what they hope for, Hydde and Lulum took a small sample of her blood and put it into a glass vial." Icarus paused and looked at everyone. "Do you get what I'm saying so far?"

"I think they do. Carry on." Genie spoke in a barely audible voice.

"Rumors were spreading like wildfire about the experiments. Soon enough some very powerful people, people who worked for the government no less, found out. They wanted the sample." Icarus continued.

"The whole sample?" Noire asked.

Icarus nodded. "Hydde wouldn't allow it as long as he was around, so they threatened to kill him. Hydde laughed it off and told them to try their best. Both he and Lulum knew what they wanted with it, they wanted to make something that would make people suffer. A virus. Lulum stayed strong for so long, until one day he caved. He bargained with them that if he gave them half of the blood sample they would leave his wife and child alone, keep them from getting hurt."

Genie frowned.

"They promised. Said they wouldn't be harmed. So Lulum gave them what they so deeply desired. And when the virus was created, it's first two victims were his wife and his 14 year-old daughter. That was in 1822. The next victim wasn't claimed until November 3rd, 1985." Icarus continued.

Noire's expression became focused and Violet's became much softer.

"Mummy." They both said.

"Did they not give him another choice?" I questioned.

"They did. It was either he gave it to them and he lived or they killed him and took it anyway." Icarus finished.

"So that's why he's a selfish prick. He chose to keep himself alive." Pene said with disgust.

"So that's why he killed all those other children? That was his motive. His daughter lost her life so he took the lives of all those others." Angel quizzed.

Genie nodded slowly. "He never used to be like this. But anything nice about him has turned to dust and now he is nothing more than a cruel man trapped inside his own shell of insanity."

"But why did Avanstein tell you this specifically?" Vice asked.

"Because he knew Zero wouldn't tell another living soul, Genie would most likely forget and he knew about Achilles' inevitable demise." Icarus answered. 

"How could he have possibly known that?" I asked. "The part about Achilles' death.."

"Achilles was the most paranoid person I've ever met. A twig could snap and he'd think it was someone trying to kill him." Icarus said.

Pene glanced down at the floor then looked up at Icarus. "So Lulum offed him then?"

"I mean it was only a matter of time before the poor soul dropped dead, but no he wasn't killed by Lulum-" Zero started.

"He couldn't have been. From what we've personally witnessed, Lulum's toy soldiers only use heavy weapons like guns. Achilles was shot and killed by an arrow. An arrow to the left heel no less." Violet interrupted.

"Of course, you were there when he died..." Genie spoke with sadness in her voice.

Violet's expression dropped. "I was there when he fell. I tried to reach out for him....."

She couldn't muster up the strength to even finish her sentence.

Vice even put a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"S-so is that it? Adventure o-over?" Klaude stuttered.

"Of course not, we've yet to find Avanstein remember?" Genie said with a hopeful smile.

"Who knows how long that will take? That man could be anywhere by now." Zero stated flatly.

"We already know that death is a few thousand years behind us, we're not going to die anytime soon. So no matter how long it takes, we'll find him. Hell, let's go hunt Lulum down while we're at it. As cheesy as it sounds, we have each other and we're practically unstoppable." I stated with reassurance.

The others gave confident smiles as a response.

"Let's go sacrifice this son of a bitch." Violet said with a crack of her knuckles.
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Hope you enjoyed Chapter of Echos In The Catacombs
Chapter 43 should be out soon

Catch You Later~