Chereads / Shackles: Potential Unleashed / Chapter 14 - Chapter 14

Chapter 14 - Chapter 14

Astelia wakes up in a sweat and instantly attacks Dona. Both of their eyes glow as they stare each other down. They raise their weapons and prepare to strike. Grey bolts go to them, allowing Zane to block their clash. A hole is blasted through their hotel room as clashing tears through the city. Both heroes exchange strikes, causing millions of dollars in property damages. 

They soon stand off with each other. They circle each other, keeping the death stare at each other. 

"I was in a coma for a few weeks and you try to steal him," Astelia mutters in anger. "That won't happen under my watch."

"You may think so," Dona scoffs. "Darkness already gave us her blessing. You won't stop anything from happening."

Zane looks at the woman clashing above and sighs. He heads to the city hall after getting an envelope earlier that morning. 

'Proposal by the President of the Heroes Association?' he thinks to himself. 'This can't be good.'

He groans as he walks to the city hall. He almost trips, looking to see that Lumina Is next to him. Looking at her confused, Zane attempts to hold in his laugh. 

"I'll slap the hero of you if you even try to laugh," she promises. "Can a woman not wear a blouse?"

"Never expected the almighty Lumina to wear something modest," Zane teases. "You have to go here too?"

She holds the urge to punch Zane as she nods begrudgingly. Zane gives her a thumbs up and holds the door open for her. 

"Have to meet with the tax division," Lumina sighs. "Rent is due, and they don't take direct deposit."

"That's some bullshit for real," Zane replies. "I have to meet with the president of the Heroes Association."

"Good luck with that soldier. Heard that the President is one stubborn bitch."

"Tell me about it. I won't say it to her face, tho."

They wave each other goodbye as Zane sees the way to get to the President's office. He fixes up his green suit, and gold bow tie, adjusting his black hat before heading into her office. He knocks on the door, waiting for a response. 

The President fixes up her hair, trying to look her best for the Hero of Neutrality. She organizes her paperwork and splashes water on her face. She tries to find if there are any eye bags before opening the door. 

"Ms. President?" Zane asks through the door. "Everything alright?"

"Just give me a few minutes, Hero," The President responds.

After a few minutes, she opens the door, and her golden eyes fill Zane with confusion. The eyes he saw when he met the Goddess of Light when he first got to the city. He sits down, feeling uneasy as the President lays back on her chair. 

"Name's Margot," she sighs. "As you can see, I'm the President of the Heroes Association-"

"And my beloved daughter," a golden cat says from the shelf. 

The cat transforms into Ayla, the Goddess of Light. She takes a seat next to Zane and nudges him. He groans as his situation has grown more complicated. 

"So, what do you want?" Zane calmly demands. "Your sister came to me yesterday in a similar situation."

Margot sits up and adjusts her posture. She takes out a poster and gives it to Zane. He reads it and smiles, calmly leaving the room. 

"YOU CAN'T BE DEAD ASS WITH ME RIGHT NOW," he shouts in a soundproof room nearby. 

Akali's and Adreanna's laughs echo in his mind. He takes ten minutes to shadowbox, calming himself down. He walks back into the room, keeping a cordial smile on his face. Ayla laughs hysterically, holding back tears. 

"I love my sister for this," she teases. "Poor Zanie has to satisfy so many potential brides!"

Margot sighs, accepting the proposal her mother gave her. She looks at Zane, her golden eyes glowing. He looks at her, his eyes glow in the process. The magical energy rumbles the surrounding environment. The Goddess of Light negates their magic, silently demanding that they both go along with the royal wedding she put in place. 

"Since you two heathens can't decide on a date," Ayla teases as she stands up. "It'll happen tomorrow!"

"The hell do you mean tomorrow?" They both ask in sync. 

The Goddess tosses their wedding attire and fades into particles of light. The two heroes look at the wedding attire dumbfounded. They look at each other, hands folded on their lap, holding very aggravated smiles. 

Margot: "You're doing this."

Zane: "You must think I'm stupid to think I'm doing this shit."

Margot: "Listen, you buffoon, you will do this. And you will enjoy it."

Zane: "You must have selective hearing. I'm staying a bachelor."

Margot: "Nu-uh."

Zane: "Yuh-huh."

Margot slams a piece of paper on the table. She gestures to Zane to turn it around. He picks it up to see a check for one billion raizen. One billion raizen is enough to buy twenty-five luxurious houses in Seifuku. 

"Will that be enough?" Margot asks with a devilish smile. "Or will this satisfy you better alongside it?"

She summons a key and hands it to Zane. The crimson-red key flickers when he holds it. A screen pops up beside Zane. 

[A mythical pet key has been acquired, would you like to use it now?]

"But does this have to be marriage, tho?" Zane whines. "Is your auntie okay with this?"

"Didn't you hear her laughing earlier?" Margot teases. "I wanted this to happen at least a week later so I could brutally reject the king."

Zane: "Is the king that much of a heathen?"

Margot: "He's been begging me to marry him for almost ten years now. I'm only twenty-five, you know?"

Zane: "You're twenty-five?!" 

Margot: "You thought I was some old lady? I'm not that old, dickhead."

Zane: "Well, I'm only twenty myself."

She spits out her coffee in befuddlement. She looks at his black hair and hazel eyes. Margot spots many gray spots in his hair. 

"Ain't no way you're twenty," she refutes. "You look thirty minimum with the amount of gray hairs you got."

"Well, thank you for thinking the downside of my magic is age," Zane replies. "Fucking bitch."

Margot laughs hysterically and looks at the mountain of paper she has. She then looks at Zane and sits on the desk. 

"Well, since I know how my cousin is," Margot sighs. "If you cooperate this one time, it'll be the perfect excuse to leave this shithole."

"So you want your cousin to fight you," Zane sighs. "At your wedding. Are you sure you're a composed individual?"

"Listen, when you have to deal with mountains of paperwork every day, you'll lose many brain cells."

"You can say that again."

She kisses Zane on the cheek and smiles. He leaves the office, ignoring the city cleanup crew's complaints about the wreckage Dona and Astelia caused during the meeting.