Chương 44: What’s Mine is Mine and What’s Yours is Mine

Mordak rushed into the lab with a renewed sense of accomplishment. It's only a matter of time now before I wrap my hands around the little demon's neck and rip its head off, Mordak thought, scanning the lab for Elios.

"Where is he?" he muttered, wandering through the maze of workstations toward the back of the lab.

"Elios?" he called out gleefully.

"Oh Elios, where are you?"

"Over here," a voice called out from behind a makeshift wall.

"I was just getting ready to call you, sir," he said, sticking an arm out and waving him over to his location. Mordak quickened his step, eager to find out when the agent would return with the baby. The steady whirring of a drill and the murmur of voices made his heart leap in excited anticipation. He gleefully made his way around the wall searching for Elios.

"Elios?" he called.

"Over here, sir," Elios replied from the floor, sticking his head out to make his location known.

"Ah," he said, while squeezing through the tight space.

"What's all this?" he asked, motioning to the structure Elios was working hard to build. Elios popped up from the floor, eager to share.

"It's a cage, a containment unit of sorts for you know…" he began, shifting his weight from one foot to the next, "when they bring the devil in." Another head popped out from beneath the structure, startling Mordak. Elios turned to the young man.

"Thanks for your help, Alfred. Why don't you go get yourself a cup of emberbrew, on me," he said, digging in his pocket and pulling out a few bills, then handing them to him. The young man wordlessly took the money and hurriedly left the lab. Mordak, now recovered from the start, looked over the structure, running a hand down the smooth metal.

"A containment unit, eh? What an excellent idea, Elios. I'm impressed," Mordak said, patting him on the shoulder.

"Thank you, sir," he replied, blushing.

"I figured we can't be too careful. We know nothing about this thing. We don't know if it has magical powers. If it has super strength. It could have laser eyes or some other extraordinary traits. So, I planned for it all," he said proudly.

"I hadn't considered that. Good work, Elios," he said, inspecting the structure more closely.

"So, was I right? Or was I right, about sending a male agent over there? I just knew that once we gave the mission to a man, we would get results, and not even 12 hours later he has located the thing." This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it Mordak turned from the containment unit to Elios.

"Great things happen when you listen to me, Elios. Great things. Everybody says how clever and smart I am."

"Sir, you are just the smartiest, smart man I have ever met. Your intelligence astounds me, my crew and everyone, everywhere," Elios said, looking at Mordak adoringly.

"Why, thank you, Elios," Mordak replied, taking a couple of steps back and running his hand along the containment unit.

"So, where is our baby?" Mordak asked.

"Is it ready?" He turned to face Elios.

"When I had heard that the actual baby had been located, I rushed to begin this containment system," Elios said, motioning to the unit.

"I thought it was far more important, and you would want to prioritize containment. I didn't want to risk it attacking upon arrival."

"Did I tell you to stop working on our baby?" Mordak asked, softly running his hand along the unit, then looking at his fingernails. Elios looked at Mordak blankly.

"Did… I… tell… you… to… abandon… our… baby?" Mordak asked again, this time slowly pausing between each word for maximum effect. Elios looked at him, fear written all over his face. He began to back up slowly, fearing what would happen next.

"No, sir, but I thought…"

"You thought…" Mordak interrupted, "you thought, did you?" Mordak began moving closer to Elios.

"Did I tell you to think, Elios?" he asked, taking another step forward. Elios took another step back. Mordak inched closer.

"Did I tell you to do anything other than work on our baby?" Elios took another step back until this time he could feel the wall behind him. He cowered, unsure what to say, he cast his eyes down to the floor, wringing his hands.

"Sir, please, you have to…" Mordak grabbed his arm.

"I have to do what, Elios?" he asked, shouting in his face.

"I decide what I do! I decide what you do! I decide what everyone does! Do you got that, Elios? Do you think you can get that in this thick..." he paused, then thumped Elios' forehead, "head of yours. I call the shots, not you!" Elios winced from the pain, not daring to look at his boss.

"Look at me, Elios," he said, lifting Elios' chin.

"If I let you go off and do your own projects, then I have to let everyone do their own projects," Mordak said, his face getting closer to Elios'.

"That would mean no one would be working on my projects, and I can't have that now, can I, Elios?" Mordak's face was so close now, Elios could see the remnants of Mordak's dinner in his teeth. The smell of the stale McJunky's made him want to vomit as tears came to his eyes.

"I'm sorry, sir," he whispered. Mordak pulled back.

"You have been sorry an awful lot, Elios, it's truly making me question your loyalty."

"But sir, I am loyal. I made this to ensure you would be safe from the evil baby that is sure to arrive any moment now. What can I do to make you see that you are…"

"Enough of your blathering, Elios, I have heard all I care to hear," he said, turning away.

"I've had such high hopes for you, Elios, but I see you are becoming…" he paused, before turning back to face him, "let's just say…problematic and leave it at that."

"What do you intend to do with me, sir?" Elios asked, devastated by the turn of events.

"I haven't decided that yet, Elios," he said softly.

"Here's an idea, why don't you go work on our baby, and maybe if you finish that project, I'll change my mind about you."

"Yes sir, I will get right on that now," Elios said, gushing with gratitude.

"You won't regret it, sir, I will make our baby the best baby you ever saw!" he said, making his way past Mordak.

"And Elios," he called out.

"If anyone asks…"

"Yes," Elios blurted out, turning around quickly.

"If anyone asks, this containment thingy was my idea," he said, running his hand along the unit.