Hello everyone,
This is a shorter chapter, just 900 words, as I already uploaded a longer one before. I thought, why not share this half-chapter as well? Enjoy!
P.S. Don't forget to donate power stones!
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Indra shook his head. "I'm not afraid. I'm just lucky."
Anna looked at Indra with admiration. "I want to be as lucky as you, brother. Then I can ride in nice cars and meet pretty ladies too!"
Indra chuckled and leaned back, falling asleep almost instantly. He faintly felt a small kiss on his cheek. When he woke up, they were parked in front of a luxurious hotel, but Anna was nowhere to be seen. The car door was open, and a man in a black suit stood waiting for him.
Indra got out and asked, "Where's the little girl?"
The man bowed slightly. "Rest assured, sir. The girl has been safely escorted home."
Indra nodded, realizing they were now in New York.
"Our boss wishes to meet you. I hope you'll honor his request," the man said, gesturing politely.
Indra raised an eyebrow. He had expected this; the person who had brought him here was undoubtedly eager to meet him. The saying goes, "A favor received is a favor owed." Indra decided to grant this meeting out of courtesy.
Following the man, Indra walked into the hotel and was led to an opulent private suite. Inside, a blond man sat in a wheelchair, his back to Indra. As he heard the door open, the man slowly turned his wheelchair to face him.
"Killian?!"
Indra frowned. How could the man so eager to serve him be Aldrich Killian, the creator of the Extremis virus—a known villain?
"Hello, please allow me to introduce myself. I am Aldrich Killian, but you can call me Dr. Killian."
Killian's voice pulled Indra out of his thoughts. Indra casually found a seat on a nearby sofa and raised an eyebrow as he looked at Killian. "Did you really send the little girl back home?"
If anyone else had shown him this level of hospitality, Indra wouldn't have worried. But since it was a known villain, he found it hard to trust entirely.
"Of course, sir," Killian nodded. He took a phone from his pocket and dialed a number, putting it on speaker. "Has the little girl reached home? If she's there, please let her answer the phone."
A moment later, Anna's voice came through. "Brother, it's me, Anna."
Indra sighed in relief. "Anna, are you okay?"
Anna's cheerful voice continued, "I just got home. I saw you sleeping earlier, so I didn't wake you. These uncles have been very kind. Don't worry!"
Indra exchanged a few more words with her, ensuring that it was indeed Anna and not someone else pretending to be her.
Killian, sensing Indra's relief, smiled. "Sir, I invited you here with genuine intentions. You are the first successful adapter of the Extremis virus. I hope you can help me."
Indra's frown deepened. It seemed Killian was unaware that Anna also adapted to the virus, which was good news for her.
Seeing Indra's continued silence, Killian explained, "You might not fully understand Extremis. Its potential is to regenerate tissues and strengthen the body. Once perfected, it could benefit all of humanity."
Indra leaned back, scrutinizing Killian. "But Extremis only works for a few. Most people explode after injection."
Killian shook his head quickly. "That's because the research is still in its early stages. If we can identify what causes the explosions, we can refine it."
Indra paused. He hadn't heard that before.
Killian, seeing Indra's interest, moved his wheelchair forward, his voice growing more animated. "Your success gives me hope. But there are always those who think they're saviors of the world, looking down on everyone else."
His voice trembled with emotion as he continued, "I lost my legs because of such people. They think they're above us just because they have more money or a bit more power. But we can be heroes too. If Extremis is perfected, I can stand again and never be looked down upon."
Indra raised an eyebrow. Killian didn't seem like a heartless villain but rather a desperate man clinging to hope.
Realizing he had been too emotional, Killian composed himself. "I apologize for my outburst."
Indra remained stoic. "And for this, you capture live subjects for experimentation?"
Killian shook his head. "I swear, I've never ordered anyone to be captured for experiments. I sold the Extremis formula to others who might have done so. That's my fault, I admit. But I needed to survive. Without my legs, I had to find other ways."
Killian's eyes gleamed with fervor. "Originally, I thought Extremis was a fantasy. But it worked, and now I hope you will join me. Together, we can stand at the pinnacle of this world."
Indra studied Killian. He didn't see a notorious villain but a broken man longing for a miracle. Yet, he knew better than to take everything at face value. The path forward would require careful consideration.
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