*A Week and a Half Later*
"What?" Jarod asked, shocked by the words of the seven-year-old that stood in front of him, looking down at her worn-out shoes with her hands behind her back, shifting from foot to foot anxiously.
"Will you be my big brother?" She murmured again, her face heating up from being stared at for so long, the grey-eyed teen looking at her with wide shock-filled eyes, not ready to be asked such a question.
"I don't understand," He admitted. "You've spent more time with Arlyn than you have with me? Why not ask her to become your sister?" Ellie looked up at Jarod, her cerulean blue eyes shining brightly.
"Because Arlyn is mean to me! Every time you're asleep she tells me to go away! Everyone else tells me to go away except for you!" She stomped up to him, crossing her arms over her chest. "Be my big brother." Jarod sighed and rested his head on the wall he was leaning on.
On one hand, he could accept the proposal and play the big brother figure of Ellie, who didn't have any family in the prison left alive, on the other, he could leave her alone and tell her to buzz off which would effectively destroy her spirit.
The choice was a simplistic one.
"Fine," He said, groaning slightly as he slid up the wall and stood on his feet, wincing slightly as his knees popped. He placed a cold hand on the top of her blonde hair and ruffled it a little, getting a small whine from the child. "I'll be your big brother. But you have to listen to me from now on, okay?"
Ellie brightened and immediately latched onto the teenager's hip, wrapping her tiny and skinny arms around his waist, a grin on her face as she looked up at the Prince of Hell. "I will I promise!" Jarod felt a tiny smile cross his face, the first one in a while to appear.
"Good," He said. "You also need to listen to Arlyn, especially Arlyn. She's pretty smart," He then bent down and cupped his hand around his mouth. "Though don't tell her I said that."
"You realize I'm standing right here?" Arlyn's voice sounded out, amusement laced in her tone as she stood in front of the duo with her arms crossed. "What are you two scheming?"
"Jarod said he'd be my big brother!' Ellie chirped, squeezing Jarod as hard as she could. Jarod laughed awkwardly as Arlyn's eyebrows shot up.
"Can I speak to your new 'big brother' in private, Ellie? Go get us some water or something." Ellie puffed out her cheeks and reluctantly let go of Jarod.
"I told you she was mean," She whispered before hurrying off. Jarod watches as she disappeared into the hallway to retrieve the cup that was sitting in his room.
"What are you doing?" Arlyn questioned seriously, her eyes narrowed slightly. Jarod tilted his head to the side, confused.
"What do you mean?" He asked. Arlyn rolled her eyes at the dumb question.
"Why are you her new 'big brother'?" She said, quoting the big brother part with her fingers. "You can't get close to anyone, Mackerel will only use it to hurt you." Jarod frowned.
"We'll keep it on the down-low right now, but Arlyn, she doesn't have anyone here. Right now I'm all she has and I won't let her down."
"She's a stranger!" Arlyn hissed. "Remember what happened last time you tried and save a stranger? You got tortured by that bastard again! And then what? You let him torture you for nothing!"
"I have to try!" Jarod tried reasoning. "I can't just watch as people drop dead like flies because of that bastard! I'm the Prince of Demons! How can I become King of Hell if I can't even try and save a few people?" He winced as he clutched his forehead, his brain throbbing against his skull repeatedly, causing him to draw in a sharp breath.
Arlyn's eyes widened at what he had just said. "Y-You want to become King?" She whispered breathlessly, awestruck by the words he threw around so carelessly. "Do you even know what you just said?"
"It's my right, isn't it? To rule?" He asked rhetorically as he stood up. "I want to save as many of these people as possible, demons, humans, whatever they are, I don't care." Arlyn grabbed him by the collar, not caring if he was still sore from his torture from the previous week, yanking him forward and holding him in front of her, their faces just inches apart.
"What you're saying is treason! You can't become King of Hell until King Satan dies!" She hissed, trying to keep quiet from the prying ears that were in the common area. Jarod's eyes flashed to one of anger, surprising Arlyn.
"Maybe he needs to die?" He questioned, surprising her even further. "What has he done? He lets a stupid council decide all the decisions as if he can't wipe them out in seconds! He let his own son be abused and bullied for sixteen fucking years! I swore I'd tear out the council's throats when I returned and I will fulfill that promise!"
He tore himself away from her grasp. "My father has done nothing for me and the moment I finally meet him I'm sent away because they have him by the balls. That's not a king and it is definitely not a father!"
"I don't believe what I'm hearing right now," Arlyn stated, her eyes wide. "You want to kill your own father, your flesh and blood!" This wasn't Jarod, there was no way. Was it Dark Jarod? "He's the only family you have left!"
No, his appearance usually changes as well as the way he talks and stands up. Then what was this? Did Mackerel's torture somehow force the child of Satan to reach his limit?
"I have no one!" Jarod roared, shocking Arlyn as the left side of his turned into the same color as her own hair. The common area grew quiet as they looked at the prince and his companion. "Family isn't blood! I'm alone and it seems that I always will be! I had one person in my life that wasn't a complete dick and he died! For me! He died because of me and now you want to lecture me about my father, what because we share the same blood?" He yelled.
"That little girl genuinely cares about me," Jarod spoke in a softer tone. "I can tell. I think I care for her too." He looked up, the black hair on his scalp turning back into its original color. "She's my little sister and there's nothing you can say to convince me that she's not." His tone was resolute and showed no signs of any faltering or weakness.
He was absolutely sure.
Jarod walked past a stunned Arlyn, frozen from what he had just said. "And you know," He began, stopping for a moment. "I think I care for you too." He whispered just loud enough for it to reach her ears. With that, he continued walking back to his room.
Jarod walked into his room and saw Ellie placing down three cups of water on the floor next to his bed. He rose an eyebrow as a thin smile slowly made its way on his face. "What are you doing?" He asked her. Ellie turned around, surprised to see him there.
"Oh, I thought that you yelling at Arlyn would've gotten you in trouble so I brought as much water as I could!" Jarod chuckled nervously at the little girl's statement and silently wished that wouldn't happen.
"Well thank you, Ellie, I appreciate it." He sat on the practically metal bed and looked at Ellie. "When we get out of here, I'm taking you home with me. You'll be safe there." Ellie's eyes widened at his statement.
"A-Are you sure?" She got out, her voice choking up as tears beaded up in her eyes, threatening to spill out at any given moment. Jarod laughed and patted her on the head.
"Absolutely, I mean, I'm your big brother now right? It's my job to protect you." Ellie wiped the tears out of her eyes and jumped onto Jarod, hugging him tightly as she wept happy tears into his aching shoulder.
"T-Thank you!" She repeated over and over again. Jarod patted her on the back and returned to the hug.
He wasn't expecting to gain a little sister from this journey, and he definitely wasn't expecting to get a little sister from a facility run by a madman who lusted after power. It was a weird situation but a situation he accepted graciously.
He would protect Ellie at all costs, even if it meant taking torture for a hundred years straight he would do it. He couldn't let her be killed or get hurt by Mackerel. He would protect her and protect everyone else.
But first he had to do one thing in order to ensure that.
Plan an escape.