Orion whipped his head around to the unfamiliar voice and froze. Silco- Gaunt, lithe, with his signature outfit, and scarred red-eye- stood before him, calm and menacing.
"Hm, I see you know me." Silco mused, his crimson gaze fixated on Orion, whose eyes widened momentarily. Silco paced methodically into the lush greenery, hands clasped behind his back.
"I don't," Orion replied, attempting to keep his voice steady.
Silco was quick to respond, his voice sharp as he warned him. "Don't play coy, boy. Your inexperience makes you an open book."
Orion gritted his teeth, consciously thinking of the weapon in his jacket, "Fine, then how you know C?"
Silco smirked, his gaze drifting past Orion. From the shadows, a silky smooth voice curled into the conversation, wrapping itself around the tension like a snake.
"Similar minds tend to align," C purred, stepping gracefully into the light. As before, her attire was grandiose for the Undercity, and every step was punctuated with a sharp click of her heels.
"Zaun could've blossomed under careful cultivation," C continued calmly, yet tinged with remorse. Her gaze turned distant as her nails traced a blooming flower which, upon contact, darkened and curled inward, withered and deformed. "But instead, we acquiesced. We let our flowers wither... and our seeds burn."
"And yet, you still cultivate," Silco interjected, tilting his head as he observed C. His words were pointed but carried a flicker of intrigue. "It's why we are here, isn't it?"
C purred softly, the clicking of her heels slowing to a stop. Her intoxicating aroma pierced Orion's senses despite being several paces apart, his head spinning. Silco showed no signs of being affected, however, as his cold, calculated gaze remained fixated on her.
"Indeed," C replied curtly, folding her arms with practiced poise. Her gaze flickered over Silco's tailored outfit, lingering briefly on his crimson eye before switching to the other. "I've cultivated your... project... in the same way I am helping Orion bloom."
Orion couldn't help but shift uncomfortably, the weight of their words pressed down on him. Two powerful presences, both lacing their words with undertones and implicit threats.
He was acutely aware of the two bodyguards still standing behind him, yet his hand remained firmly on his jacket, gripping the only security he felt he had left.
"Vander's new puppy," Silco sneered, his tone dripping with mockery as his gaze drifted toward Orion. "I doubt Vander told you about me. How do you know me, boy?"
"Do you trespass so easily, despite being nurtured?" C cut in sharply, her words commanding and drawing Silco's attention back to her. The tension ignited like a live wire.
Silco's gaze hardened, his tone unforgiving. "All plants cultivated here thrive on the runoff from topside. Your 'nurturing' is a byproduct of mine. Without me, you would've wept alone, wallowing in the decrepit pools of filth."
C's gaze cast down briefly, her once outstretched fingertips curled inward as if stung. Silco's voice dropped, warning and deliberate. "Don't forget again."
With his patience wearing thin, Silco's head snapped toward Orion, his expression sharp and demanding answers.