Chapter # 43

"Argh... fuck," Finding himself in a strange basement with his hands tied behind his back and legs attached to fetters to ensure he won't escape. And why would endeavor to when he was against twenty men alone... nor he wanted to waste his energy on them. "Dammit- what the-" Blinking a few times, Nathaniel cleared his vision to contemplate how the restrains on him as a certain man stood proud before him. Taking out his lens and revealing his brown eyes. Wiping off the makeup which hid his features and the mark Nathaniel imprinted on his skin. A mark of him being his personal prey. "Oh, it's truly you. How disgusting," Nathaniel muttered, lifting his eyes while observing the place around him. It was a dimly lit, dusty basement, apparently of a home that deepened his frown while Zoran was done and stopped before Nathaniel. A wicked smirk plastered on his face, so damn pleased that he was on the ground and he attained a chance to assert his dominance. So proud that he had the Plague Doctor below him. Enjoying the sight in silence. Nathaniel's eyes were contemplating the basement, the people there along with their weapons. A nonchalant expression was etched on him as Zoran chuckled darkly, resting his hand in his pockets. "Oh, look, how gorgeous you are looking on the ground," Stopping his inspection momentarily, he lifted his eyes to greet Zoran's as he replied monotonously. "Me being here won't place you above me." His smirk vanished. His one taunt pierced his ego, infuriating him as Nathaniel broke into a chuckle, ignoring him. "But if to satisfy your cowardly pride then go ahead," "You...!" When his achievement was mocked so terribly, he kicked his stomach furiously, scowling at how he discarded his attempt. Nathaniel gasped at the kick, curling to reduce the pain, yet decided to jeer. "This isn't nearly enough to what I did to you and your father, Zoran," Returning a deathly smirk, licking his lips to express his indulgence that repulsed Zoran. Taking a step back when he held his composure unbreakable, eye shrinking to find Nathaniel smirk even after being captured with no escape. "Despite your low, unworthy existence, I must praise that you have managed to fool me," 'Exactly. No one suspects me, knows me, I can easily kill him here. Nobody will know. Still... that bastard is disrespecting me,' He thought furiously but decided to play along his tone and folded his arms at his chest. "Makeup and surgeries have gone too far. One can look entirely different," He praised himself, how he managed to alter his physical appearance by surgeries and makeup. Which was according to Nathaniel- hiding from him. He hummed, "I guess the rumors of you being in South Korea were true," "Still you didn't hunt me?" "You are not worth my time. Don't bother, you can never be like your father," He scoffed, hitting him where it hurts the most. After building the rage for years, for being tormented and agonized, he bore enough. And then, here he was, snickering at him, it shattered the boundaries of patience. He had taken much silence, not in the circumstance when he had his target locked. "Damn you, Plague Doctor," Scowling, hit Nathaniel again, grabbing his hair and hitting his face on the ground, bruising his cheek, causing it blood. "Lying on the ground," Hissing after his ego being severed, he threw him away outrageously. "All tied and on my mercy," Losing his breaths, his one sight was disturbing him immensely. "But that pride remains unshakeable," Reviving his screams, his torturous moment, his pain but nothing engraved on Nathaniel's face that enhanced his rage. Keeping his face low, his long hair covering his face, coating the blood slightly as his swiftly, booming breaths dispersed in the air before releasing a laugh. "Because me lying here doesn't change the fact that I am The Plague Doctor," Shivering at the sound of the deadly laugh, he returned a scary glare towards Zoran that made him flinch and pleased Nathaniel. To know he still held fright. "Number one, the deadliest ace and all of you are below me," "Damn you," Distressed endlessly at his unwavering demeanor, he moved back, holding his sides as Nathaniel ended his wicked laugh gradually. His one glimpse infuriated Zoran. 'How mighty he is acting. Motherfucker,' He thought before turning to his men, ordering them strictly. "Hit him until this arrogance shatters," Obeying, they began to hit Nathaniel who was groaning in pain but his voice was unreachable in that sound-proof basement. Zoran enjoyed the sight where his men were hitting Nathaniel. "My body had taken more than this soft hands," Nathaniel commented only to enrage Zoran which worked perfectly. He scoffed, "Stop acting tough," Breaking his bone in the process caused him to scream but he suppressed it instantly by gritting his teeth. "Seriously, you are pathetic, Zoran," Frowning, Zoran put his hand in the air dominantly, stopping his men and appearing before Nathaniel once again. "Wait, wait. If you think Zariah will come then you are wrong. You left her for killing my father after all," He remarked, well aware that she was hyper-sensitive for Nathaniel. To protect him, she could go to extremes. But, how she would when she had no idea where he must be. "Ah, I see now. You were waiting for her to kill Guru, I got separated from her and you used your chance... That's so of you," "Exactly and now, you cannot use her as your human shield," "About that... When she could halt the hypnosis on herself and failed her task of killing me thrice, she can do anything to protect me," Nathaniel hummed, closing his eyes to sink in the pain in his body. Shifting, he stabilized his breathing in order to suppress the pain in his body. "We will see," "Stop being ridiculous. She with De Villiers," He hissed, not liking Nathaniel being so blindly devoted towards her protecting him. "Yeah, yeah, whatever you say," Sighing, Nathaniel, despite being caged, he sat up, staring dead into his eyes, drying his throat as he enunciated dangerously. "Take your anger out but I am telling you, that won't stop me from ruining your lineage," Zoran swallowed hard, body tensing at his level of resolve as he subdued the pain in his body and shifted to one knee to continue darkly. "And as for my Zari, if you will kill me, I will become a hero in her eyes," He smirked hysterically, staggering Zoran. "Her love would deepen and nothing will satisfy me more than holding the highest position in her eyes," "You... have gone crazy for her..." His face too close, panting, hissing from pain yet no fear of death lingered, holding his head high while confronting Zoran who instinctively took a step back. "When I wasn't? I thought it was transparent since the beginning," Nathaniel tittered, falling back on the ground after being unable to hold his strength up, allowing his body to relax. The sound of his laugh disturbed everyone present in the room and why wouldn't they be? The biggest criminal who just made his comeback, The Plague Doctor was before them. "I could never understand what is in that heartless, emotionless, dead woman!?" "What, you ask?" Stopping his amusement, Nathaniel gradually became serious, eyebrows knitting, taking a moment to comprehend. The question sounded so silly. Subsequently, he was so offended and growled outrageously at Zoran for asking such a ridiculous question. "SHE IS THE LOVE OF MY LIFE, ASSHOLE!" Pointing at his heart, he continued sincerely, "She holds the highest place!" "Shut up! I don't want to hear!" "She is my day and night, the start and the end of my breaths." Growling, Zoran ended up taking out his gun and pointed it at Nathaniel who didn't care and closed his eyes. "And I swear, If I die right here, right now, I would take her name." Pressing his head harder on the ground, sensing him standing nearer and pointing the gun, making a crackling sound due to his hesitation. A menacing smirk spread across his lip. Mouth part, blood mixing with some saliva on the side of his face, absolutely going crazy, he whispered to himself. "And I also know..." And laughed once again, ten times darker, scarier than before. Opening those eye-catching emerald eyes and declaring Zariah's identity. "That she is a worshiper of my existence." Powerless, strained, he couldn't pull the trigger. It was a mere pull but his body... it froze. It couldn't. "I, Plague Doctor, who gives everyone Ultimate Protection... I hold her 'Ultimate Protection'" Using his remaining strength, he sat up again, glaring back at Zoran, challenging him openly before everyone. The tip was pressed against his forehead and he began to whistle- the melody of death. His eyes staring dead into Zoran's who was shaking, apprehensive while Nathaniel kept an inscrutable face, whistling the notorious sound. It was a trial, a test, not only for Zoran but also his luck. A challenge Nathaniel gave to himself- "Now come. And try to kill me." Zoran couldn't take it anymore, the past, the trauma, the dread stopped him. And the rage, hatred and determination was screaming to do it. Ruining his mental state terribly. "Shut up! I SAID SHUT UP!" "Tch, tch, tch, can't do it? Do you know why? Because I am untouchable, the undefeated one, Nathaniel Alroy," Grinning madly at his vulnerability, Nathaniel yelled proudly. "I AM THE ULTIMATE PROTECTION, ZORAN," Trembling at the announcement, he shut his eyes, mentally prepared for the consequences. "Fucking die you insane bastard for making my life a hell!" Losing his mind, the second Zoran poured all his strength to pull the trigger and end his string of pain once and for all. 'This is it, Zoran, do it!! Kill this demon!' But- "Don't you fucking dare to hurt him!" "I told you, didn't I?"