Axel laughed. "You guys… you're such idiots. Of course I don't have it." 

Nerio narrowed his eyes. He quickly took out a device and ran it up and down in front of Axel, as if scanning him. 

"It's not on him." He ripped open Axel's space pocket and put the device inside. Nerio frowned. "Not here either."

For the first time in a while, Nerio regarded Axel with a look of anger. "I'm giving you one last chance. With the condition of your hand, you are going to bleed out and die soon if we don't help."

Axel leaned forward, causing the two of them to lean forward as well. "Go fuck yourself," he said, giving them the finger with the hand that still had fingers remaining.

Theron had had enough. He gripped Axel's neck, trying to choke him. "It's alright, don't tell us. That way I get to torture it out of you," he said, digging his fingers into Axel's neck. 

Axel was calm, as if it was not his neck that was being choked. 

"Stop it, Theron," said Nerio. "It's a waste of time when we have better ways to get him to talk."

Nerio had regained his calm by now. 

"I know you're tough. But there are a few things you just can't resist with mere toughness," he said, looking at Axel. 

He took out some sort of helmet and strapped it to Axel's head.

"That's a sub-relic, extremely rare. We call it the mind reader. Whatever we want to know, it'll show us on the screen. Of course, there's the side effect that it may damage your mind, and cause a lot of pain, but since you won't share any of your secrets, this is the next best option," he said with a shrug. 

Theron laughed. I didn't know you brought this thing with you. 

Nerio shrugged. "It was gathering algae just lying there in the headquarters. I just borrowed it without permission." 

Theron nodded with a satisfied look. 

"Well, this method works too. Dig up all of his secrets! Also, while you're at it, also mess up his mind as well," he said with a sinister smile. He already hated Axel, but seeing him act so cocky right now only made him more angry. 

Axel stopped smiling for a moment as he gave Theron a look. "You should be careful." 

!!!

Theron backed away instinctively, but the feeling was gone as soon as it came. 

"You scaredy turtle, he's incapable of hurting you." Scoffing at Theron's cowardice, Nerio activated the device. 

Axel suddenly gasped. His Occlumency shields were attacked by a huge force as the machine sent out powerful magical waves into his mind.

Nerio rubbed his hands together. "Now, let's see what you're hiding," he said, waiting for the screen to start showing Axel's memories. 

And it worked, as it showed the memory of a younger version of Axel walking on a street. 

Nerio changed the scene, and this time, it was showing a younger Axel making graffiti of a middle finger on the wall. 

Theron was getting impatient. "Just skip to the part where it shows how he got so powerful."

"That's what I'm trying to do," said Nerio, clenching his jaw as he typed in more commands. 

The scene changed once again, and it saw Axel running. Just running through the building of rooftops, between the maze of back alleys, climbing pipes, and going through narrow spaces. Several people were chasing after him, but in the end, no one could catch up. Axel disappeared after giving a condescending smirk. 

The scene changed, and now it was showing Axel sitting by the Thames river, doing nothing, just looking into the surface. 

"Damn it, work already…" Muttered Nerio, typing away furiously now. 

The scene shifted to now show an injured Axel just by the river. Seemingly deep in thought, he jumped into the river, blood spreading into the water. 

The scenes changed again and again. Every time they felt like they were close to knowing about his secrets, it would just turn out to be a useless thing.

Nerio wiped off the sweat from his face. "Why is it not working?!" 

"Could… Could he be resisting it?" Asked Theron, looking at Axel was sitting very still. 

Nerio shook his head. "That's not possible. It's a sub-relic. I've only heard rumours of anyone being able to beat it. Besides, he's only 13. His mind can't possibly be developed enough to resist."

Sub relics are the advanced machines which the Atlantians were able to recreate or repair after the destruction. They aren't as powerful as the real Relics, but they can be produced in more quantity, unlike Relics, each of which is one of its kind. 

"I don't understand why it's not working. It's almost as if these are all the memories he has of his childhood. I can't access the rest." 

"Then let's just find out about the key first. If we can get the key, we don't have to go back to the organisation, we can just hoard it ourselves," said Theron. 

Nerio nodded. "The key is the priority," he said as he searched for the information of the key. The scene shifted again, and this time, it showed Axel smirking at something. 

But something was different. He seemed to be looking directly at them through the screen. Axel in the screen slowly raised his middle finger into the air, right at them. 

"Didn't I already say? Go fuck yourselves," he told them. 

!

A look of sheer incredulity crossed on Theron and Nerio's faces. They could not believe it!

"H-How…?"

Nerio didn't even have the capacity to get offended at the utter disrespect they had been dealt. All he could wonder was: H-O-W?

If it was still random visions, he could have still attributed it to happening due to some other circumstances, but after the last vision in which he flipped them off? There was no other way to explain it. This boy… no, this monster, he's able to resist the sub-relic, and even somehow protected his brain from any damage!

How is that possible?! Mind training is something even the Atlanteans take a lot of time to master, even with their advanced training and equipment. How could this boy have mastery in even that?!

It was definitely impossible for someone to be so skilled naturally at this age. He must have had a unique training from an early age, otherwise this wouldn't have been possible.

Nerio took off the sub-relic. "Alright, I admit defeat. I will accept… this boy is infuriating. Theron, you're up," he said, backing away with his machine. 

"Haha..." Theron rubbed his hands together with glee as he stood up, his armour making clanging noise. "I've been waiting for you to say that." 

He gave Axel a sinister smile. "You know what the worst thing about his father was?" 

"Nope, but I know that you hate like a kid who got bullied. What happened, he ate your candy? That's why you hate him?"

Theron punched Axel again. "Wrong answer. It was due to his cockiness. He was always so cocky, as if everything was under his control, as if others were just seashells lying there to fill the space. 

While others had to work hard to get chosen by relics and earn the right to use them, he got chosen without any effort, like they were made for him! And how he reacted to that extremely fortunate situation? The guy had the audacity to look disappointed. 'Only two?' He had said, as if it was only natural for multiple relics to choose him. That guy was cocky till death. Just like you are. Even though your situation is worse as it gets, you still act like you've got everything under control." He said as he punched Axel again. 

Theron wiped his sweat. "So, realize your situation, and tell me about the key," he said, holding up his hand that was cut from wrist. 

"Tell me!" He hissed, jabbing his finger right into the raw flesh of the cut surface, causing fresh blood to spew out of the hand. 

Axel didn't say anything. He just sat there, not at all reacting to the pain Theron was trying to inflict on him. It was as if his mind was completely elsewhere. 

'What is it with this guy?!' Thought Theron as he gritted his teeth. That should have hurt like a bitch, but this guy is not reacting to it all!

Theron clenched his fists and began punching Axel with a single minded devotion. He punched his face, he punched his head, his chest and stomach. "Where is it?!"

Axel still didn't react. He didn't even look at Theron, as if he was completely unworthy of his attention. 

Theron was sweating buckets now. "You're seriously pissing me off now."

Nerio adjusted his glasses, his eyes narrowed. "He's not pretending, He really isn't affected. His body is abnormally tough. I thought something was wrong with the glasses, but it really is the case."

Axel finally reacted as his gaze shifted towards Nerio. "Those glasses…" he said."They're annoying."

Nerio smiled at that. "Ah, you noticed. These are very precious. It's a sub-relic. With these, I can see things normal people can't. For example, they're currently displaying your physical stats to me, which I really can't believe. Your body is expertly trained to the extreme. But it would explain that abnormal speed and sturdiness. It only increases my curiosity."

Axel shrugged. "What can I say? I eat my veggies."

Nerio's eyes twitched, "Is that so," he turned to Theron. "We don't have time for this. Just use the last option. I do hope you brought it with you."

Theron chuckled. "Oh, you know I bring it everywhere. I can't go for long before using it on someone."

"Sadistic bastard," Nerio muttered under his breath as Theron took out a cylindrical container from his storage space. "I was going to use it on you just for pleasure, but I didn't think it would be because I had no other choice."

He unsealed the lid of the container. "Say hello to my pet," he said, as small tentacles came out of it.

"What is it?" Asked Axel.

"Your worst nightmare," said Nerio, taking his distance from the container. It was apparent that whatever was in that container, he wanted nothing to do with it. "It's a deep sea magical creature called the Excrucio Medusa, a type of jellyfish whose sting is excruciatingly painful. No one has been able to survive it without the antidote."

Theron grinned. "It's more popularly called the 'Tormentacle' or 'painifera'. Its tentacle can deliver a type of venom that would give you a few minutes of indescribable agony, after which you will die from heatstroke or you will be brain-dead, if not administered with the antidote in time. You have a lot of secrets, huh?! Well, I bet this would make you sing like a siren."

Axel looked at the jar, and then at Theron. A smirk was threatening to break on his face. "You are making a big mistake." he said in amusement.

Theron laughed. "Don't try to act tough anymore. I know you're scared now. What? You want me to stop?" he asked in triumph. 

But Nerio looked at Axel with a scrutinizing gaze. "You really think it would be in your favour. How?" 

Axel didn't react anymore, seeming too concentrated on something else. 

"Well, hope you have a good time." said Theron. He sprayed something on Axel then brought the container closer to him. 

The tentacles came out of the container, slowly getting a feel for the surroundings. Suddenly, they started moving in Axel's direction, as if spurred on by the spray. As they made contact with his skin, the area turned purplish, an evidence of the poisoning.

"Now, let's see how long you can hold on," said Theron. 

…

A.N.: 

Next: The Weakness

Next next: Revenge of A Savage: the Beginning

Next...Next: Old Daphne is Back

 

Read ahead on Pàtreon.

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