Power Thief's Revenge [BL]

Hermes hissed. "I'm nothing like you, villain."

Magnarok laughed obnoxiously, holding his head back. "Could have fooled me, brother. I know a Voidling when I see one."

His eyes went to look for anyone who might come around and see them fight, but the 9th floor was empty. He also checked if there were CCTV cameras that might be recording them, but there was none.

In fact, now that he looked around, he could see gold and pink furnishings just like at the mall. There were also…

Statues of Somner everywhere.

'What the hell?' Hermes sighed. 'Is anyone ever working here, or is this just Somner's man cave?'

Still, at least he did not have to worry about being caught for now. 

"Why are you here? " Hermes demanded. 

Magnarok scoffed. "I do not know why you live among the uplanders, but I know one thing just from looking at your form. You were the one who attacked my nemesis, weren't you!?"

He summoned more balls of lava to Hermes!

Hermes dodged them all, and summoned ice daggers on both hands. He threw them at Magnarok, who deflected them easily with his one rocky hand. 

One of them almost got to his eye, but he caught it on time.

"Not bad, brother. But you are not equal to the strength of the great Cryoshift." He pointed out. "I know how much that man is truly capable of from various battles with him. He is merciless, and he will always aim for a fatal hit."

Hermes sneered. "Hah! So you two really were putting on a show after all?"

This pissed off the S-class villain, causing him to monologue:

"A show? Brother, it is more than that! It is a demonstration of our full abilities! If we just fought to the death, how would the world understand our power!? The true victor is the one who is remembered, and I will not end Cryoshift's life until I have proven myself worthy of it! We are like gladiators— enemies, but also comrades in the art of dueling!"

Hermes waved his hand. "Yes, yes, I get it now. But you haven't answered my question. If you're not here to harm Cryoshift, then what's your purpose?"

Magnarok was about to throw more fireballs, when the question suddenly caught him by surprise. 

"What? You did not know the nature of our relationship, brother? But I thought you were trying to steal him from me."

"What?" Hermes was dumbfounded by this accusation.

He was also about to throw more ice daggers, and they clattered to the floor with how shocked he was.

"Did you not attack him so you would become his new archnemesis?" Magnarok asked, genuinely baffled. "I heard that you even bit and mark him, you rascal! Scandalous! That is only something you do to your true mate! I have not even eaten his toenail or braided my hair together with him!"

Hermes became even more confused. 

"What the… Are those Void customs or something?"

"You… You don't know our customs?" Magnarok scratched his head. "What kind of Voidling doesn't know the proper courtship rituals? Look, it starts with a fearsome duel, then you advance to licking food and water on their body, then you consume their dead skin and toenails—"

"I don't need to hear it! I'm not a Voidling!" Hermes raised his hands up. "I was raised here. By humans."

Magnarok's mouth hung open in shock.

"Oh you poor thing! You were abducted by humans and so you do not know how to live as your true self!"

He then rushed to give Hermes a hug. "It is alright, my brother! We will slay the humans who have done this to you— YOWCH!"

Hermes stabbed him on the back with the ice dagger. "Don't you dare. And I'm not your brother."

Magnarok just laughed it off, pulling it off his back and just letting his weird molten lava blood spill. "You're really aggressive. I like it. Shows that you are a Voidling through and through despite your upbringing."

"Grrr…." Hermes was starting to become more and more annoyed with this rock-head.

"I have decided! I will be your guide back into the world of pandemonium and turmoil, of chaos and confusion!" He patted Hermes' shoulder. "You may call me Brother Magni!"

"Magni? That's your name?" Hermes frowned. 

He thought that 'Magnarok' was a cool name at first, since it was a combination of 'magma' and 'Ragnarok', the end of days. But now it sounds lame because it could have just been derived from Magni.

"And what's yours, my brother?" He leaned in to give Hermes a kiss on the cheek. 

Hermes just pushed his face away. "Hermes."

"What kind of name is that? Hermes… That's not a proper Voidling name!" Magni exclaimed. "I'm going to call you Brother Modi! Now that is a mighty name! And it sounds good together, Modi and Magni!"

"Stop treating me like family. I don't know you." Hermes said. "My name is Hermes, and I'm human. Even if I was from the Void, I choose to be human and live among humans normally."

He went to pick up his things, heading for the office. "And I didn't mean to attack your nemesis or mate or whatever. I was just trying to protect myself. You can have him for all I care. Just tell him to stay out of my way, or I'll be forced to do it again."

Magni looked like a sad child that was ignored by its playmate. "But… You are one of us. Even if a vulcanbug tried to live outside lava, it couldn't. It's where it belongs."

Hermes stopped in his tracks. 

He does have a point, and he had been thinking the same thing ever since he learned that he was from the Void. Even if he fights his nature, it will find its way to rear its ugly head. Wouldn't it be better to confront it and understand it?

But… He also does not want to let go of his humanity. 

Even if it was just how he was raised, he was still human after all. And he wanted to continue helping humans.

He just gave Magni a sad smile. "I won't tell anyone that you're a Voidling if you don't tell anyone that I am one. So just go before I change my mind."

Magni opened his mouth as if to say something. But then, he seemed to have realized that it was futile, and just bowed his head.

"I understand, brother. But if you ever want to understand your heritage more… Feel free to visit any Danger Zone. We'll welcome you with open arms in any rift you approach."

He went to the elevator, waving goodbye as he promised:

"We'll be your family."