“WHAT!” Wolfe screamed, slamming his palm against the mahogany desk.
The sound cracked through the office like a gunshot.
“HOW THE HELL DID THAT HAPPEN!
DIDN’T THEY GUARANTEE THE PRODUCT’S SAFETY???”
The guard standing before him didn’t flinch….but his throat bobbed as he swallowed.
“I don’t know, sir.
The storage and auction were attacked simultaneously.
The truck was hit as well…
We’ve confirmed the deaths of Jensen and Briggs…
Sorry, sir.”
Wolfe’s jaw tightened.
His knuckles were white where they pressed against the desk.
“What about the auction?
Did they say anything about compensation?
Or helping us locate the girl?”
“No response yet, sir.”
Wolfe’s fist came down again…harder this time.
A glass paperweight toppled and rolled off the edge, shattering on the floor.
“Damn it.
They’re KEEPING ME IN THE DARK!
ME!” He turned sharply, striding toward the window, his reflection a mask of barely contained fury.
“What about information about us?
Did anything leak?”
“No, sir.
It seems no client information has been compromised.
Even if the government gets involved with the storage explosion…
they won’t find anything linking us to the auctions.”
Wolfe exhaled slowly.
Some of the tension bled from his shoulders.
“Good…
They at least did something right.”
….
The hideout was cold, industrial, a converted warehouse with reinforced walls and cages that had seen worse occupants than the three currently slumped inside.
Alex stood before them, arms crossed, studying his new acquisitions like a merchant inspecting livestock.
“So…
Why did you bring them here?” he asked, glancing at Medusa.
Medusa hesitated.
“Well…
I thought….”
“She thought,” Medea cut in smoothly, stepping forward.
“We saw use for them, Master.
Either for our increasing group…
or as training partners for you.”
Alex’s eyebrow arched.
“…Not a bad idea.”
Medea inclined her head.
“Of course not.
It was Medusa who thought of it.”
A flicker of surprise crossed Alex’s face.
He turned to Medusa, a rare warmth softening his features.
“Is that so?” He reached out, patting her head with an almost paternal gentleness.
“You did good, Medusa.”
She didn’t speak, but the faintest tilt of her head betrayed her satisfaction.
Alex turned to the cage.
He kicked the bars once…hard.
The clang echoed through the empty space.
“Hey!
Get up!
Get the fuck up!”
Inside, the three stirred.
Match’s eyes snapped open first…filled with nothing but feral rage.
He lunged at the bars, fists hammering against the reinforced steel like a caged animal.
Alex didn’t flinch.
“Hey…
Listen up, idiot.
If you keep doing that, I’ll activate the bomb on your neck and blow your heads off.
Got it?”
Livewire cracked her neck, groggy but sharp.
“Good luck with that,” she muttered.
“He doesn’t understand shit.”
Alex looked at Match…the hollow eyes, the mindless fury.
“Welp…
Too bad.”
He pressed the button.
The explosion was brief but brutal.
Match’s head vanished in a spray of red and bone, his body slumping against the cage bars before collapsing.
Blood splattered across Livewire’s face and King Shark’s massive chest.
“WHAT THE FUCK!” Livewire screamed, scrambling backward.
“You killed him…” King Shark rumbled, his voice carrying something almost like sorrow.
“You evil…”
“No,” Alex said flatly.
“I warned him.
He didn’t listen.” He stepped closer to the cage, meeting their eyes one by one.
“I suggest you two start listening to orders if you don’t want to end up the same.”
Livewire wiped the blood from her cheek, her expression shifting from shock to reluctant acceptance.
“Fuck…
Yeah, whatever.
We’ve been slaves to another group before…
Why not.”
Alex nodded slowly.
“Good.
How did you end up as slaves to begin with?”
Livewire’s brow furrowed.
“I don’t know…
I remember that bastard warden Wolfe sold us to a bunch of shady people.
Then I don’t remember shit till I saw your face.
Whatever they did to us…
I don’t remember it.”
Alex turned to King Shark.
The massive creature grunted, his shark-like eyes blinking slowly.
“Me no remember.
Me eat well, sleep well…
Me happy.”
“Tsk…” Alex shook his head.
“Well, it’s not like I expected much.” He straightened, brushing imaginary dust from his jacket.
“Anyways, I won’t be keeping you as slaves.
You’ll have your freedom and such.
Just do as I say, and you’ll live like you’ve always done…
Just…
less crimes and less chaos.”
He paused, letting the words sink in.
“But I’ll let you rest now.
I’ll think about what to do with you later.” He turned, already walking toward the exit.
“So…
see ya.”
…
“That her?” asked Alex, turning to Cassie.
“Yeah…
That’s Auntie Diana…” Cassie’s voice dropped.
“She won’t like it, you know…
That you know who she is…”
“I’ll tell her you told me,” Alex joked.
Cassie’s eyes went wide.
“What!
No!
I didn’t tell you!
Don’t LIE!”
Alex laughed.
“Relax, I’m joking…
It wasn’t hard to figure out her identity.
She isn’t exactly smart about it either, nor does she seem to care.”
Cassie pouted but said nothing.
“You wait here with Medusa, okay?
I’ll talk to her first.
I don’t exactly want to show up unannounced with you at hand…
And end up with my head removed,” said Alex.
Cassie nodded.
“Okay…
Yeah, sure.”
…
Alex walked into the lavish museum, enjoying the view of the place as he approached the receptionist desk.
“Alex Black…
Appointment with Miss Diana Prince,” said Alex.
“Ah…
Yes.
You’re the philanthropist!
Please, come in.
Miss Diana is in her office—go right ahead.
She’s expecting you,” said the receptionist.
Alex smiled as he walked slowly toward the end of the well-decorated hallway before entering Diana’s office.
“Mr.
Black, welcome.” Diana rose from her seat, her smile warm and professional.
“When I heard about your desire to donate to our museum, I was thrilled.
I didn’t expect someone with…
your background to be interested in this.”
Alex’s fake profile….philanthropist, businessman, and weapons manufacturer….had clearly reached Diana’s desk.
“Well, who wouldn’t want to support such a great museum?” Alex replied smoothly.
“But…
that’s not why I’m here today, Miss Diana.
I’m actually here about another matter.”
He paused, meeting her eyes directly.
“I’m here to talk about Cassandra Sandsmark.”
The moment the name left his lips, the world spun.
Diana had already grabbed him by the neck and slammed him to the ground.
The marble floor cracked beneath his skull.
Her grip was iron, her eyes blazing with barely restrained fury.
‘Well…
I expected as much,’ Alex thought.
/*
If you Like this story!
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Shadow Monarch in Danmachi!