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Xavier had a complicated history with Sylus. Years ago, or in the future Xavier didn’t remember anymore, when he was king of Philos, Sylus was the Abyssm Sovereign, a monstrous fiend. He’d caused much trouble for Xavier and his people until he was eventually captured and imprisoned in the Abyss. That is, until he was released by the Sorceress, and later killed by her. Yet despite dying, Xavier had run into Sylus in the current era, alive and well yet no different.
In the current timeline, Sylus was still a monster causing problems. He ran Onychinus and the N109 zone. He had his claws in so many different crimes and business. Xavier was no stranger to the N109 zone, and he had quite the high bounty on his head. He’d interrupted a lot of Sylus’ business trades and dealings to the point the mob boss had enough of it. Xavier hadn’t fought Sylus since he was a dragon, but that didn’t mean he knew Sylus was getting tired of his antics. When his bounty had skyrocketed, Xavier knew just how irritated Sylus was. Part of Xavier felt smug. His Lumiere alias was a legend both in Linkon and the zone.
Then she showed up. Emcee was just as Xavier remembered, and it hurt every time he looked at her to see someone he’d loved for so long yet be so different. Emcee was the empress he remembered, but she wasn’t. Here she was just a simple hunter with an aether core in her heart that had endless mysteries surrounding it. Xavier was enamored with her, and he was a hunter himself. More often than not his missions included her.
Through Emcee, Xavier had officially met Rafayel and Zayne. He’d met Zayne a few times for check ups, but he’d never spent the energy to get to know him. He still didn’t really want to. All waking hours he had, he wanted to spend with Emcee. Rafayel was an eccentric artist who had skeletons in his closet and was definitely dealing in shady business. Xavier had seen his purple hair in The Nest quite a few times. No innocent artist would be caught dead at The Nest.
Emcee actually lived in the apartment above him, and he’d spent a lot of time with her, going out on dates, playing kitty cards, and getting as many plushies as he could. He spent most of his waking hours, when he wasn’t working, with her.
“Hey, Xavier!” Emcee waved at him as she walked into the Hunter’s Association. “Can you do me a favor?”
Xavier smiled, waving back. “Sure, what do you need?”
“I haven’t heard from Sylus all day, and I’m supposed to help Rafayel at an exhibition later,” Emcee explained. “Captain Jenna assigned me to help with Simone and Tara today, so can you check on Sylus for me?” She gave Xavier a cute pleading face.
“I can do that,” Xavier nodded, trying to ignore the jealousy flaring up. He had business in the N109 zone anyways. Might as well check on Sylus and give him another problem to deal with. In the back of his mind, he thought about killing the fiend. But that would hurt Emcee.
Once inside the N109 zone, Xavier went to The Nest to collect some bounties he’d taken care of. He never spent much time in The Nest, the constant sense that he was being watched.He knew Sylus was always watching when people didn’t think he was. Xavier had seen Mephisto many times before, the mechanical bird watching him with those crimson eyes. The staff and patrons of the Nest weren’t much better. Most answered to Sylus while the rest answered to their own bosses.
Sylus’ base was suspiciously quiet. The twins weren’t there, and Mephisto was also gone. Sylus was no where to be found. Xavier drew his sword, eyes narrowed as he ventured into the manor. Faint child-like cries echoed down the hallway. He froze, gripping the sword tighter. Was Sylus such a monster that he’d harm children?
Xavier should have killed him when he had the chance.
The hunter slowly crept toward the cries, following them to one of Sylus’ grand bathrooms. The room was almost the size of Xavier’s apartment. He burst in ready for a fight only to blink in confusion. A small child was in the front of the bathroom hair. The child turned to Xavier with wide crimson eyes. ’It couldn’t be…’
The child had white hair exactly like Sylus. He had twisted black horns on his head, small leathery wings, and a tail lashing. His eyes widened and he whimpered, clawed hands pulling at his horns harder. “Go away!” he shouted at Xavier, tiny teeth bared, hot tears sliding down his cheeks.
Xavier swallowed thickly. He knew those features. This was the Abyssm Sovereign, but…Xavier didn’t remember the fiend being such a young child, much less a terrified, teary child. “What are you doing?” he found himself asking. “Hey, wait—”
A pained scream cut him off as one of the horns broke loose, clattering on the bathroom tile. Sylus grit his teeth and panted harshly, pulling at his other horn. He snarled at Xavier, eyes blazing. “I’m not a monster, I’ll prove it!” he snarled, screaming as the other horn broke.
“Stop it,” Xavier firmly said, grabbing Sylus’ bloody wrists.
Sylus sobbed, squirming and clawing at his arms. “I’m not done!”
“Stop mutilating yourself!” Xavier yelled, horrified that a child felt the need to mutilate himself.
“I’m not a monster,” Sylus snarled angrily. “I have to get rid of what makes me one.” The child tried twisting to claw at his wings.
Xavier swallowed thickly. “Stop it, little one,” he murmured, pulling Sylus into a hug. “You’re not a monster,” he murmured. “The monsters are the people who made you feel like you had to do this to yourself.”
Sylus hissed, biting Xavier’s shoulder. “Don’t lie to me. I know how humans look at me. Maybe if I look like them, I won’t be outcasted again.” He kept wriggling. “Because of you people I don’t have my kind anymore,” he rambled angrily. “I’m alone, and when I try to conform to you, it’s not enough.”
The dragon’s words pierced Xavier like thorns. All those years and Xavier had never thought about what made Sylus the way he was. He never questioned if the monster had always been a monster. He hugged tighter. “I am sorry for what you’ve been through. Please, stop hurting yourself. You’re not a monster. You’re a dragon. If humanity casts you out, find those who will want you.” Xavier recalled the mountains with the Master of Fate and the seas with the Lemurians. “There will be someone out there who accepts you.” Emcee came to mind.
Sylus sniffled, looking up at Xavier with wide eyes. “You're…not lying.” He sniffled, looking at the blood on the floor and his hands. “Will I really find someone?”
Xavier’s heart clenched at the pitiful voice. “I'm positive. Come now, let's get you cleaned up.” He gently let go of Sylus, grabbing a cloth to wet.
“WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS?” Xavier froze at the angry screech of a very pissed artist. ’Shit.’
“I found him like this,” Xavier replied calmly despite his nerves. “I'm cleaning him up.”
Rafayel pinched the bridge of his nose, his anger melting slightly. “The twins came to find me after they'd run into an evolver with a time reversal Evol.” He sighed, looking at the baby dragon.
“Let me take care of him,” Rafayel murmured. “Go tell Emcee he's fine. I rescheduled the exhibition.” Rafayel didn't bother to look fully human, his blue scales glowing. “Hi, Stayrus,” he murmured softly.
Stayrus looked up in awe, his eyes taking in the scales and glowing pointed ears. “You're…”
“Yeah,” Rafayel hummed. “A monster like you.”