Free Web NovelChapter 244: _Run To Us
Ever been surrounded in a room filled with people powerful enough to snuff you out in a blink? And then silently praying none of them decides to throw an attack?
No?
Well, that’s exactly what Ambrose felt right now.
His knees trembled so much he had to clench them together.
Valentine, Gabriel, Devon and Viktor stood at the entrance of the pantheon chamber. The Pantheon themselves strode forward, standing side-by-side like this was a scene from The Avengers.
After a few more seconds of silence, Apollo spoke up first.
"Valentine Lockwood."
Valentine arched his brow. "Oh? You’ve heard about me?"
"Who doesn’t know about the infamous grim reaper?"
"You’d be surprised."
Yemoja made a disgruntled sound. "Regardless of who you are, you’ve got some guts barging into a Pantheon facility. Do you have a death wish?"
Viktor was the one who spoke next. "You’re one to talk. Who authorised you to kidnap our—Guide Ambrose?"
"We didn’t ’kidnap’ him," Loki intoned with an innocent smile. "Just borrowed him to answer a few questions. That’s all."
"Well, he should be done answering those questions, right?" Devon took a couple of steps forward. "Let him go. And we’ll be out in a heartbeat."
"You think you can bargain?" Wukong shook his head. "You have no idea who—"
"Yes, yes—the Pantheon." Valentine rolled his eyes beneath his sunglasses. "Believe us, we don’t want any trouble. We thought he was taken by someone else originally."
"Someone else?" Kali echoed. "You mean like the Void Entity?"
Viktor and Devon both frowned.
Gabriel cut Valentine a glance while the latter’s gaze flitted to Ambrose.
"What do you mean by that?" Gabriel asked slowly, his head tilting.
At this point Ambrose was out of options. So he slipped away from the Pantheon, a broad smile stretching his lips. "Well, this has been fun. But as you can see I’m needed so—"
"Stay," Yemoja warned.
Wukong gave a nod. "Yeah, we aren’t done with you. Not until we figure out what the Void Entity wants from you."
"What the fuck are y’all talking about?" Devon scowled. "Can someone explain at least? What do you mean the Void Entity wants Ambrose?"
Kali spread out her arms. "We can’t tell you that."
"Come on, you guys," Ambrose genuinely wished he had teleportation powers right now. "Can we just calm down? We’re all on the same side."
"Are we, body hopper?" Those words from Yemoja felt like a gut punch. "For all we know you could be conspiring with the Void Entity as well."
The words ’body hopper’ made Valentine’s forehead crease.
What was she insinuating?
"Enough of this." Gabriel’s tone turned stern. "I’m Hunter Gabriel Silverstone and I demand you release Guide Ambrose Hale. What you’re doing is unlawful and will mark you as an enemy of this country’s Federation."
Loki chuckled. "Adorable," they pointed lazily at Ambrose. "Your Federation are the ones who summoned us to begin with. Plus they gave us the tip on your little Guide."
Valentine’s eyes twitched.
Josiah that son of a motherfucker!
For a moment nobody said anything.
The room settled into an uncomfortable silence, tension hanging so thick that Ambrose felt like he could physically choke on it.
Then he sighed.
A long-suffering sigh.
"See?" He spread his hands. "This right here is exactly the problem."
Apollo’s eyes narrowed. "What is?"
"Nobody actually knows what’s going on." Ambrose gestured between himself and the Pantheon. "You think I’m connected to the Void Entity. I think the Void Entity is connected to me. Neither of us knows why."
Yemoja scoffed. "That doesn’t make you innocent."
"Never said it did." Ambrose shrugged. "But it also doesn’t make me guilty."
The words made several expressions darken.
Still, nobody immediately refuted him.
Because they couldn’t.
The truth was they really didn’t know.
They’d dug into his past. Basically kidnapped him. Even scanned his soul.
And they were still working with theories.
Apollo was the first to visibly relax. His shoulders loosened while his gaze remained fixed on Ambrose.
"What you’re suggesting," he began slowly, "is that keeping you here serves no purpose."
"Pretty much."
"And if we release you?"
Ambrose blinked. "Then I go home?"
Apollo ignored the sarcasm. "What’s stopping you from disappearing?"
That got an awkward laugh out of Ambrose. "Come on." His hand swept toward the Pantheon. "You found me once."
Then he pointed at himself.
"You can find me again."
His smile widened.
"Although next time I’d really appreciate an invitation instead of the whole kidnapping thing."
Loki barked a laugh.
Even Gabriel looked mildly amused.
Yemoja pinched the bridge of her nose. "Unbelievable."
"He has a point," Apollo admitted.
That immediately earned him several looks.
Wukong looked downright offended. "Apollo."
"What?"
"We’re seriously considering letting him go?"
Apollo folded his arms. "We don’t have enough information to justify keeping him."
"That’s a stupid idea."
"Maybe."
Wukong threw his hands into the air. "I can’t believe this."
Meanwhile, Kali remained quiet for several moments before finally speaking. "We’ll have to monitor him."
Apollo nodded. "Agreed."
Yemoja reluctantly followed. "So do I."
Loki grinned. "Oh good. I was getting tired of the kidnapping accusations."
Wukong groaned loudly. "Idiots. Every last one of you."
Yet the decision had been made.
Ambrose nearly collapsed from relief. ’Thank fucking goodness.’
As he moved toward Valentine and the others, a hand suddenly wrapped around his wrist, making him freeze.
He snapped his neck backwards.
Kali.
The room quieted instantly as the violet-eyed woman stared at him for several long seconds.
Then she spoke. "If the Void Entity ever comes for you..." Her grip tightened slightly.
"Run toward us."
Ambrose’s breath caught. "... What?"
"Not away from us." Her expression never changed. "Toward us."
For the first time since arriving here, genuine concern flashed behind her eyes.
"If what we’ve discovered is true," she said quietly, "then when that day comes you’ll need every ally you can get."
The silence that followed was heavy.
Then she released his wrist.
And for reasons Ambrose couldn’t explain, those words lingered with him far longer than any threat the others made.
