Broken Hearts (Red)

Marcus didn't mind the cold, when he was younger it never really bothered him but then again, Australia wasn't really the coldest place, that and a fast something something that kept him hungry, he couldn't quite think of the word right now. Still, Moscow was different to Chicago, heck, Marcus still didn't like the idea of coming here but he was on a mission and that was to find an old friend that promptly wanted his head on his wall. Not that he blamed Lucius, Red. He didn't know which name to use, the one he loved,or the one the cannibal liked. Maybe both if the time called for as far as Lucius knew Shadow was still well Shadow, not Marcus but he didn't know that name ether. Maybe he would learn it today, only seemed fair. First, he had to get though this god forsaken part. Back in New York and Chicago he found some lackeys of Red's that had called themselves Rise. Which at first Shadow thought of it as stupid but over time it made a little sense, theme wise anyway, with Lucius calling all over it. Rise above others is how he looked at the group. Back to what mattered, he learnt of a settlement of sorts, a place where meta's lived which Marcus liked the sound of, kept people away from demons like him, from this world. While good it wasn't the best and Lucius had made a better place for them.

Looking to the ground, Marcus rose a tendril of shadows from his own shadow and speared it into the ground, going some distance till he couldn't feel a resistance and dissipated the tendril before melding into his shadow and dropping down the hole. The drop gave him some time to think, Red wouldn't be too happy to see him, heck, Marcus didn't really expect forgiveness which also broke the demons heart. Red was what Marcus could call a friend, even when they had their differences, then he had to fuck it up with his insanity which was something Marcus still didn't forgive himself for, being so darn weak. For what could have felt like hours of thought, the mess of Shadows finally came to a stop as he hit the ground and reformed back to what was normal, what felt normal in his messed up body. Taking in his surroundings, he was in a tunnel but it still had it's security as a camera rested it's socket on the intruder. Marcus simply waved at it before making his way forward, hoping to find someone soon, he hated being alone and ever senice Dark... Vanished. Alone was most of the time for Marcus.

Making it to a strange looking device, Marcus finally found the doors that would hold this next encounter, heck their was a chance he would die here but Marcus wasn't counting on that, their was a chance he would die any day. One wrong mishap and bam, he would be gone from this world that would barely give a single crap. As the doors opened, Marcus close his eyes for a bit, he wanted to see what was in front of him in a few more seconds but first he wanted to probe deeper into his own thought, thinking it would save him now from what hellish nightmares might make their way into his vision.

As was the usual case Lucius was in the Sanctuary, his lab to be exact. Sure he hadn't really been here as much since Belarus, he had other matters to attend to, but he made it a priority to watch over those that lived here as much as he could. They were the next generation after all, the young bloods that would bring his new world to reality. But still, most were just children, so guidance was needed.

But anyway, he was here, reading classes on, tiny tools in hand as he modified Cora Zen. He was bringing it to it's finale phase, the one he had so many plans for. Yes it was just a sword, but who says a sword couldn't be the catalyst for big things? Indeed, much was needed of it, so this fragile and elegant work was of the upmost importance. Little could take him away from it right now, but the sound of a beeper in the corner and the prompt of the AI Hector.

"Sir, the breach is a major one...... It seems the boy has come to you." The voice rang out from all sides of the room. Lucius peaked over to a holographic monitor, not that he needed to, and saw shadow in his escape tunnels, approaching on of the outer exits.

His reaction wasn't all that explosive, he just sighed, took his glasses off, then got automatically suited up. From there he would walk  at a steady pace toward the huge locked, anti Meta door, waving followers to come with him as he did. They likely both knew what was about to happen, but why Shadow decided to just hand himself in Lucius didn't know, or care. He spoke to the young man over the intercom.

"You're either incredibly short sighted, more so then previously thought, or you're 'good' personality resurfaced and you're here to say sorry. Either way it makes no difference." Lucius said as he typed in the several codes to open the door, which burst open with suprising speed despite it's size.

"Now, are we doing this the easy way or the hard way?" Lucius said, not even smugly, but just honestly asking.

It turned out to be a little more walking after that door, simple mistake but then again Marcus expected a force or something sooner then what should have seemed normal but then again this was Lucius, normal didn't fit his description. But that's when he found another door where he heard Lucius voice, one that didn't sound angry or annoyed, if so a little... tired. But he didn't respond just yet, Marcus waited for the door to open which did at an alarming speed for their size and for what felt like a first time in a long time, Marcus saw the man he once called a half friend. Walking past the door, Marcus would take note of the followers that showed up, obviously waiting for a command or for Marcus to do something stupid which wouldn't happen anyway. Not if he had a say. "Actually we're doing this a different way. No fighting. No games. No jokes. And possibly just us two. We have some things that need to be spoken in private. Red." Marcus went with the Red nickname as Lucius was used by Shadow, it didn't feel right to call him by name yet.

And he had a few things he wanted to speak to Red alone for, it was about time a certain thing happened, one that should have happened long ago. "Please." Marcus would add to his deal, he didn't go though all that cold, all those people to just fight. He wanted to make amends to a man that had changed from what Marcus once knew of him, a somewhat better man or at least what he had seen during their small contact with each other during the cannibals reign.

"I'll humor you, just because you caught me at a time when revenge is the last thing on my mind. But I'll have no patients for senseless conversation." Lucius said with a wave of his hand, which closed the door between them and his followers. They would stay there sure, but for now they weren't needed.

"What do you even want anyway? You aimlessly walk around the earth doing nothing when you're actually you, then violently murder when you aren't. What kind of life is that? What are you searching for? You haven't changed one bit since I first met you, and have not even progressed in getting a place to stay let alone helping yourself, how meaningless can you become, Shadow? Long ago I made you an offer and you declined for some childish reason, so tell me, what have you been doing besides brutalizing people that was so much more important?" Lucius said. He was only asking because he actually wanted to know what the kids goals were, if he had any. Because randomly showing up like a stray cat for no reason was just odd and needed some amount of point to it to be worth his time.

Marcus kinda expected this and didn't expect this, he didn't actually know what to expect when it came down to this man. And his questions were hard enough to answer and his statements about the young man had plenty of truth to them, his reason for coming here was an apology but it was also something much more personal. He needed to find Red and just talk it over or talk. At least Red gave him something to talk about it and their was one thing that needed to be done. With a smile, Marcus would crack his neck before speaking a few words he tended to avoid. "No more nicknames. Call me Marcus, Lucius." As Marcus dropped his smile, he realized It kinda felt strange, saying his name, like a piece of himself just broke apart or was uncovered, nether felt good but it had to be done.

"And what I want doesn't matter, I'm a background guy. The only importance I'll have in this life is saving a few lives and ruining others. So in a sense I am meaningless but that's because its the only thing I know and what people will continue to see me as, ether a thing or an annoyance even when I see them in fair different ways.. When you die it isn't fun, you think about how your life could have been different, over and over again as the life seeps out of you. As you feel your blood run down your skin. When I came back like this, I thought I could change my life, be something important but when I... First came to realize Dark, I hid, I hid in plain site. I never stayed in one place because I felt like I'd lose myself, I needed to keep going. And because of that I went insane, when you met me I was insane and slowly I came back to my senses till bam, I started becoming something that is personal family matters. And I didn't come to apologies to you, I came to apologies though you to your kid about what happened and yes. It wasn't that hard to figure out, the same hair and powers are kinda obvious." Marcus said while thinking about a few things, man he wanted to stay a little longer but  he came to say what he wanted to say or at least he tried to.

"To be honest, finding the location of this place from your Rise members was much like that time with the Agency,I was very serious in a few matters of that." Marcus would reveal as he sat down. Proceeding to crack his fingers a few times while he waited. Directly avoiding the last question of his as he had done nothing besides catching up with a few people that he knew before his debut into crazy land.

And now they were on a first name basis...... This wasn't exactly the golden moment to enter into that, considering what surrounded it. Marcus would ramble on about what he was without really answering Lucius, and then said sorry to Lucas. He wasn't surprised he found out, the similarities between the two looks wise were enough to make a theory and then you add the unique power and it's pretty concrete.

But besides that, Lucius sort of wanted an answer. Marcus just kind of barged through it and it was in all honesty sort of important. He didn't want to continue this if it started getting pointless.

"And you're fine with being 'in the background'? Come on, no one truly wants that. You coming here and trying to talk to me is proof you care about what people think of you, if only a few. So I'll ask again, Marcus. What are you fighting for that has such a higher purpose then what you declined from me? After all, as the saying goes, 'if you don't stand for somthing, you'll fall for anything'." Lucius said, determined to pick the young mans brain rather then just do this circular dance like always. Honestly it made little sense to him, everything shadow did seemed totally pointless really, and Lucius was a man that looked at the far end of things.

Marcus would clasp his hands together and rest his chin atop them while his elbows rested atop his knees for support, Lucius was persistent... The word reminded him of another persistent woman, only she was close to what he was he thought, psychopathic. Besides the thought of her, Marcus thought long and hard on the subject, even if the long rested in a few seconds as the question was what everyone wondered about themselves he reckoned. What were they fighting for, normal never changed what was around them but he wasn't normal, he could change things around him. He just needed something to change. "Don't know Lucius, when we first met last year or so. I fought for my own freedom, humans never like being controlled, it's why we would win against threats that wish for us to be controlled but now. Look at it from my perspective, you have nothing, no family, no real friends, and your slightly off your rocker. Most of the world hates you, yet you won't stop trying to make a change to what they think of you. I'm fighting for myself then. If nothing else and if I could I'd take you on that offer from long ago but your group is no place for a demon, specifically one they hate."

Marcus would finish as he stood up and lit his right hand on fire and off again, the shadows rushing to cover the wound left behind by the hot flames. A habit he grew into after forgetting to crack his fingers in a certain way for so long, it felt normal now, just lighting ablaze his hand every once and a while. That's when he got an idea, a somewhat stupid one but an idea at that.

"Haha.....hahahaha hahahaha.....hahaha..... I don't need to put myself in your position,  Marcus. Five years ago, I died. Or at least the man I was did. I had no family, no friends, and no life. And with all that rage caused by It I went on a murder spree that I kept on justifying, I was out of control, unstable. And guess what? Most of the world hates me even now, and all I want to do is improve every aspect of it. So don't tell me to put myself in your shoes, boy, I wore out my pair before you even bought yours." Lucius said after a spout of genuine laughter. Lucius had been all of those things for a time, and Marcus using it as reason for doing absolutely nothing was easily brushed over considering what Lucius managed to do in a similar situation.


"What do you want? As you say there is no place for you here, and you said you were sorry. So what next? You want me to wipe your poor poor tears away and tuck you in because the world was mean to you? News flash my split personalitied demonic irritant, the world is cruel. If you let me get back to it, maybe I can change that." Lucius said, a sterness growing in his voice as he got louder. He wasn't playing around, when he said no pointless conversation, he meant it.

Marcus's eyes came alert when Lucius began to laugh and his story came out a bold. Seems they had a few things in common but Lucius seem to took it personally, while he decided to make something, Marcus had chosen a different path and for what it was worth, he liked his path, he was a shadow. So what. But still, Marcus's lips began to form a smile, a cruel smile, large and dangerous for Lucius last words had seeped their way into his head. He may not have felt much pain but he was slightly annoyed and his idea started becoming reality. "Hold on a moment. I need to laugh internally." Marcus said as he looked to his wrist for the time but found no watch to tell him and decided to just look back at Lucius. "Five years ago some shite happened and you went cookie gum drops. You went though What I'm going though but then loopy, you made something. I applaud but I beat you at the game of shoes. I don't know how old you are but I was fourteen when I was murdered in cold blood . His mask came on as he said the last word, a word full of venom. His hand lit ablaze once more but this time it didn't go away, the flame was there to stay. "This world is a fuking beast. We all know that. I know that a lot more then most form the past seven years you ignorant bastard. Oh and the personality thing? Hehe. Their gone, theirs only this demon you see before you."  

Marcus paused for a second thinking a little more before, his mask seeping under his skin as he stared at the shell that the man before him wore. "How bout this. Get out of the Armour, lose the silly gadgets. Send your followers away. And we'll settle this. Just me and you, ability on ability. No more having people fight me for you. For the first time in forever. Just me and you." Marcus declared as a thick mist started to seep from his back, one that looked of black color, foggy and terrifying. He chose this course of action cause of two things, Lucius needed some sense and he knew the man would like a little payback for what Marcus had done to his kid, he knew that much. And Marcus also needed this, he hadn't figured out the reason yet, maybe it was to finally see who was better. They had fought a few times but he always had someone to back him up, he always had his little gadgets. "Come on! Show me what you are under that shell. A man who can fight. Or a man that has the fight fought for him by machines and body's."

"If it makes you feel better to believe you have suffered more then I, then you can move along with that. But the fact is what I described is only the tip of the ice berg, and there are infinitely more people who have been through worse then you. But I'll allow you to continue the comforting dillusion of self pity." Lucius said as he mostly hand waved the demons comments. He wasn't even phased by it really, imagine an ant saying an elephant is nothing. What the half demon said next made Lucius chuckle. He made others fight for him? No, he always fought for himself, and used his mind to create weapons to assist in that. People just so happened to want to join in. But that was beside the point here. Lucius would accept, if only to knock the kid down a peg.

"You really are lost aren't you? You come here not wanting to fight, but find yourself asking to because I hit a few sore spots. Marcus, you're remarkably easy to control......... But I'll accept the terms." Lucius said as his armor fragmented and was shed from him, turning into nothing more then a small cube on the ground and leaving Lucius in a suit and tie.

The followers were all behind the locked door, so they wouldn't be an issue, all he had to do was kick the cube to the side and draw a red energy sword, which hissed at the air as he brandished it low with his left hand.

"Your move."

Marcus raised an eyebrow to what he heard from the man's mouth, they seemed... Folly, his words, reaching the marks of stupid. That or he hadn't really changed much, he was still just a little too self centered but at least that made them different, Marcus cared for people, he somewhat cared for Lucius, enough to go around the fuking world looking for him. And yet, he just never cared. "Ignorant. That's you. So let me guess. Let me picture. You had a family? Wife? Kids? Both.. And they died. You thought the world was unfair. Unjust, they deserved to feel what you felt... At least I had more self control then you." Which was true enough, Marcus didn't rampage though the horrors, he hid, he stayed himself.

"Oh and it's not you hit a few sore spots. Sure your ignorance is.. Annoying. But I think you need this as much as do." But if Marcus was right these words would buzz past Red's little head like nothing. After all, Ignorance was bliss. Why care when you can ignore. Which was actually what Marcus had meant in their earlier conversation. People had a strong tendency to ignore the problems of others and focus on their own.

Marcus allowed his hand lit ablaze to travel up his arm but stopping at the elbow.  The mist of darkness solidify into his back, four tendrils would reach out from the small bulb of darkness and coil around each limb to be used later. With his weapons in place, he began walking towards Lucius, he wasn't going to make the first move, he wanted this man too. Better that way. "Your House. Your move."

"How original. If you're going to insult me, please use something a little less stock then 'ignorant'. What exactly am I ignoring anyway?" Lucius asked, waiting to get his answer before he accepted the first move.

"So be it then." Lucius said as he swung his red energy blade and took a step forward, knowing it would likely be easily evaded or phased through. But once it was and Marcus became a clear target, the tip of the sword would reform into a gun barrel and shoot a fully automatic stream of bullets at the demon, and continue to do so until he was stopped. Such an open field made it easy to just bombard someone with relentless attack.

"Problems Luci. Your ignoring the problems." And with that the battle began with Lucius swinging the sword to the right but rather then avoid or evade the attack, Shadow formed the tendril on his right arm into a shield to meet with the incoming blade while the other three tendrils that surrounded his limbs shot out towards Lucius with blunt force to his chest.

Once the attack was made, Marcus would teleport above Lucius by centimeters therefore out of site, the shadow like shield dissolving towards his Elbow to make it more impacting which he would bring down towards Lucius's head as he fell.

So it seemed his attack was blocked rather then dodged, not really Shadows style, but maybe he anticipated being predicated, and changed it up. Either way, Lucius took a blunt force hit to the stomach, doubling him over slightly and causing him to disperse his sword, and then Marcus appeared above him. As soon as he saw Shadow disappear he knew it was an attack, so he rolled forward and whipped around, likely seeing Shadow land.

Now it was go time, but Lucius had Shadow right where he wanted him. Back against a door, nowhere to go but through thirty feet of titanium. So, he sent out his energy, which coated the walls around the part of the hallway Marcus was in, and then he made a wall to separate them, adding layer after layer to thinken it. After that, all he had to do was will it to become brighter, sealing Shadow in a box of red light up against an energy covered door. And after that, the wall between them moved forward, ready to crush shadow between it and the wall of door behind him.

Marcus cursed as Lucius moved and upon landing, rolled away from his opponent and got up, one quick look behind him told the demon that a back was not the best option and looking around he saw the enclosing walls of red acidic like energy piling up. He was boxed in but it was also nothing, Lucius must have known that or had he become as daft in combat as he was at talking... Marcus knocked at his head in annoyance for thinking the thought, now was not the time for loathing, Lucius had a plan, he always had a plan.

Looking forward, the box would seem to close in and at that moment, Marcus would meld into his shadow like form, the red energy harmlessly passing by him, only making him flicker out of color from the contact. Looking directly at Lucius, Marcus would begin running at him, unmelding before lighting both hands ablaze and raising them above his head. In a straight line reaching from him to Lucius, the ground would slowly take a orange light before pillars of hellfire rose from them. The mist, leaking from his back once more to be ready for the counter attack.