Dave's fingers tightened around Keldren's throat as he pushed his mind control power deeper into the man's consciousness. The once-arrogant trafficker was now trembling, his eyes wide with fear as the power of Dave's mental invasion left him utterly vulnerable.
"Tell me everything, Keldren. Every. Single. Thing," Dave demanded, his voice low and menacing.
Keldren struggled, his thoughts a chaotic whirl of fear and pain. Under the force of Dave's ability, he began spilling his dark secrets. "I… I run a network… capturing and selling people. We… we target those who are weak or desperate, or anyone we can exploit. There's… there's an underground market for this. Human lives are… they're valuable commodities."
The words poured out of Keldren like a broken faucet, unable to stop. Each revelation made Dave's grip tighten, his anger growing by the second. He could see it in his mind—flashes of people locked in cages, tortured into submission, families torn apart for the sake of money and power. He saw young women and men, their faces twisted in fear, being auctioned off like objects.
"Show me," Dave hissed, his eyes glowing with a dangerous light.
With his mind control power surging, Dave forced himself deeper into Keldren's memories, projecting them in his own mind as if he were standing there in person. He watched in horror as Keldren operated his sick trade, rounding up helpless people who were too scared or powerless to fight back. He saw Keldren's dealings with shady organizations, witnessed how he sold women and children to depraved buyers who sought to abuse them.
In one memory, Keldren was meeting with a notorious crime lord, exchanging a young woman for a suitcase full of money. The woman's tearful eyes, full of desperation and helplessness, burned into Dave's mind.
"Stop it!" Keldren begged, his voice breaking as he tried to resist. "Please, no more!"
But Dave didn't relent. He watched every vile act Keldren had committed, every deal that had destroyed countless lives. The more he saw, the deeper his fury burned. His hands trembled with the urge to tear this monster apart right here, right now. But he held back, needing to know everything—every hideout, every contact, every victim.
"You're going to pay for this," Dave growled, his voice like a blade slicing through the air.
Bella's voice, soft and slightly mocking, interrupted his thoughts. "Dave, don't break him just yet. We need all the information he's got. Let's not lose our prize too soon, alright?"
"Not now, Bella," Dave snapped, his eyes locked onto Keldren. "But fine. I'll make sure I get every last piece of filth out of his twisted mind first."
Dave delved deeper, squeezing every detail out of Keldren's broken psyche. Locations of secret bases, names of corrupt officials he bribed, the entire network of his human trafficking operations—all of it laid bare before Dave. And with every revelation, Dave's plan to dismantle this empire of evil grew clearer.
It took hours, but Dave didn't stop until he had every last scrap of information. Once he was sure he knew it all, he released his grip slightly, stepping back and allowing Keldren a moment to catch his breath.
"You think you can just take me down?" Keldren spat, defiance flaring in his eyes. "There are too many. You'll never stop them all."
"Oh, but I will," Dave said calmly. "And you're going to help me, whether you like it or not."
With a surge of his powers, Dave teleported both of them to one of the hidden bases Keldren had revealed—a sprawling underground facility filled with cells. The smell of fear and desperation hung thick in the air, and the sound of metal doors clanging echoed through the dimly lit corridors.
Dave materialized in the center of the facility, his hand still gripping Keldren by the neck. He glanced around, noting the guards who looked up in shock at his sudden appearance. Before they could react, he activated Shadow Step, disappearing into the darkness and reappearing behind each guard, striking them down with precision and speed.
In a matter of minutes, he had incapacitated every guard in the facility. Keldren watched in stunned silence, his confidence shattered as he realized he was up against someone far beyond his understanding.
"Now, let's free your victims," Dave said, his voice cold and detached.
One by one, Dave teleported to each cell, using his matter control ability to break the locks and set the captives free. The look of relief and disbelief on their faces was almost enough to calm the rage boiling in his chest. But it wasn't enough.
With each person he freed, he memorized their faces, committed their stories to heart. This wasn't just about taking down Keldren anymore—it was about justice for every single person who had suffered under his reign.
"I'm going to make sure this never happens again," Dave vowed, his gaze burning into Keldren's soul. "You've destroyed lives, sold people like objects. I'm going to erase every trace of your existence."
Keldren's eyes widened in fear. "Wait! No! I—"
Before he could finish, Dave swung his fist, teleporting at the same time. The impact was so powerful, it sent Keldren flying into the sky. Dave watched as the man's body disappeared into the atmosphere, the sheer force of the blow sending him into the cold, endless expanse of space.
"Good riddance," Dave muttered, his breathing heavy.
"Feeling better now?" Bella's voice chimed in, a hint of humor laced in her tone.
"Not really," Dave admitted, staring at the empty space where Keldren had vanished. "There's still so much left to do. But at least this is a start."
"Don't get too worked up, Dave," Bella said softly. "You did good today. You saved a lot of people."
Dave nodded, though the weight of what he'd seen still pressed down on him. "I know. And I'm not stopping until every last one of these monsters is gone."
With a final glance at the freed captives, Dave teleported away, leaving the broken remnants of Keldren's empire behind. He had a new mission now—one that went beyond personal gain or power.
This was about justice. And he was just getting started.