"Entangle yourself too deeply with him, and you may find yourself in conflict with your own. I can turn a blind eye for now, but should it come to it, I will have no choice but to act against you," whispered Venom, before placing a small kiss on the girl's head and stepping away.
"And I know what I'm doing so there's no need for you to fear. Furthermore, I've got more pressing business to attend to than my own feelings," retorted Mavislin, adjusting herself.
"I should certainly hope so. Now, indulge me—how exactly do you intend to present your plan to Beast, particularly with the Northern Cartel entangled in this sordid affair?" purred Emmett, with a Cheshire grin.
"Why are you uncharacteristically happy and interested in this?"
The dragoness, unamused by the dragon male's presence, took a few steps back.
"Why not? It's a rare occasion, after all, for you to be the one proposing a plan at these gatherings. Typically, such matters fall to Raven or myself."
"Wait. You're not going to speak about this matter to Beast with me?" quizzed the dragoness, with a hint of worry in her tone.
"Oh, I fully intend to share what I know, but this time, the reins are yours to hold. It's high time you demonstrate your worth as a First Seat by orchestrating the deployment of your forces. Rest assured, I'll review your plan and refine it if necessary."
"I wouldn't cast you into the abyss unprepared—least of all when facing the boss," guaranteed Venom.
Mavislin let out a sigh of relief, steadying herself as she met the male's lazy gaze.
"I guess that's doable. And I'm guessing your kindness to do so is your payment for me to supervise your youngling?"
"Aren't you a clever one? You're partially correct. I do want Beast to see you as an equal among us. But that requires a flawlessly executed plan—one that stems from your expertise."
"And no, before you bring up your sting operations or triumphs against monsters, those don't count. Not in the boss's eyes, at least."
With a few graceful strides, Venom returned to his desk, settling into his seat with the air of an Emperor. Mavislin scoffed at the sight before pulling a chair from the back of the room and seating herself across from him.
"Well, that's fair. As of now, I am only planning to just head to Megdoha. I've just sent my girls out to see if we could land a temporary shelter there that wouldn't be in the local authorities' line of sight. Due to Coyote's crowning idiocy, the whole of Titania is against the Syndicate."
"My girls have reported that the authorities came up with some sort of plan earlier but to hell with it since it's already failed. Once the shelter's confirmed, then I'll pinpoint the three most visited sightings of the victims and meeting place for the drug dealings."
"I take it each of you will operate independently, then? And the blonde—are you truly comfortable allowing him to roam freely, without oversight?" asked Emmett, with a raised eyebrow.
"Of course not; I will be sending a snake with him every time he goes out. A single one from the Zodiac team has the same strength as a Fifth Seat rank. Especially since they are an extension of my power and can use it when needed."
"And if Zenos tries to kill them, my girls have a nasty way of regeneration," explained the dragoness, adding the last sentence to zip Venom's retort.
To her pleasant surprise, the male smiled and nodded in approval.
"Now then, shall we summon Spider and proceed with our deliberations? I-"
Venom's words were cut short when the being of the hour swung open the door in cold sweat, panting like a hound that ran through the globe.
"Have you, perhaps, heard of knocking? Or is basic etiquette too lofty an expectation?" questioned the irritated male.
"My apologies... But there's been an incident regarding Zenos and Mattheos."
Mavislin's eyes widened at the mention of those names, and before she could fully grasp their meaning, she bolted from the room.
Her heart pounded so loudly in her chest that the world seemed muffled, each beat drowning out everything else as she rushed through the corridors.
Breathless, her mind raced, but it wasn't until she reached the training hall that she truly understood the gravity of the situation.
Without hesitation, she kicked the door open, the sound of wood crashing against stone ringing in her ears. Her breath caught in her throat as her eyes scanned the room.
Matt had transformed into his Alter form, his blackened claw gripping the Viceroy's neck, a sight both menacing and unnatural. Zenos, meanwhile, wore a maniacal grin, his face slick with sweat as he clutched the remains of a broken wooden sword.