𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐋𝐀𝐁𝐎𝐑𝐀𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐘 was dark, and as Lord Kaos walked down the flight of stairs, his feet tripped more than once. He frowned, but kept his composure and his complaints to himself. Although, what was the point of paying for the electric bill if the doctor never used it?

His ears twitched at the sound of rustling papers and a quiet murmur that hummed to the rhythm of the 'YMCA'. At least there was some sign of life, even if it was annoying.

"Doctor?" His voice echoed and was followed by an irritating silence. Even the humming had stopped.

Finally, the silence was broken, but the voice did little to actually guide him through the dark room. "This way."

"For a genius, you struggle to understand the concept of electricity, Doctor." His tone of voice dropped with sarcasm and hostility.

"The light disrupts my work."

Kaos growled under his breath, losing his patience. However, he kept his additional thoughts to himself with the knowledge that he benefited from the doctor's wacky antics. He made his way over to the nearest walls, but kept his arms outstretched to prevent from running face first into anything. As his fingers came into contact with the light switch embedded into the brick, he silently cheered, revealing his joy with no more than a look in his eyes. A look currently hidden by the dark. With a quick flick of his wrist, light flooded the room. The doctor immediately hissed from across the room and covered his eyes.

Self-satisfied, Kaos nodded as he looked around the lab. "Much better."

The doctor frowned as he walked over to greet his employer. "Was that necessary?"

"Absolutely." Kaos's tone was monotonous, but his word was final, discouraging the doctor from reversing the action.

The doctor rolled his eyes but gestured for his employer to follow. "Want to see the set up?"

With a nod of his head, Kaos followed close behind. He didn't understand most of the doctor's activities, but as long as he continued to provide results, Kaos didn't mind. He was led deeper into the laboratory, down several winding corridors. There was a reason that the place had quickly become known as the Labyrinth. Without the proper guidance, one may find themselves lost and never heard from again. The Greek myth was only reinforced by the monstrous forms locked behind the cages in each room they passed. However, the doctor disregarded each with his eyes only focused on the room at the end of the hall.

It was dank and poorly lit as said light only came from the containment units scattered around the walls. Moisture clung to the ground in pooling puddles which nourished the growth of mold around the room. Kaos's nose wrinkled, but the doctor surged with pride. He offered a mock bow as he took a step back, waiting to be praised for his genius,

Kaos stepped forward. The look of disgust faded as he walked down the first row of containment units. It was when he reached the angel at the end that a look, possibly mistaken for awe, crossed his face. She appeared serene as she lay there unconscious, making him remember a time when he might have looked fondly on his own child; however, the memory shifted and he forced himself to look away. Just like his own offspring, the girl was a monster, an unnatural creature cursed to dwell in a world it didn't belong. It was cruel, or at least thinking so helped him sleep better at night when he planned to eradicate their species once and for all from the planet.

Kaos slowly placed his hands behind his back as he cleared his throat and offered the doctor a nod of affirmation. "Well done. I wasn't sure you'd actually catch her."

The doctor didn't catch the insult of his words as he rubbed his hands together eagerly. "I take it you're pleased, sir?"

"How soon until we can begin?"

The doctor deflated as Kaos continued about business as usual. He quietly muttered under his breath, "No respect for genius..." He increased the volume of his tone as he answered the question. "I'd like to take a closer examination of our latest specimen. Specimen 0-13 claimed there were some oddities with the experiment when she was extracted."

"I see..." Kaos pursed his lips in thought before agreeing to the doctor's proposal. "Continue to update me on your progress."

"Of course, sir." The doctor grinned. "Shall I guide you back to the surface?"

Kaos nodded his head and followed after the doctor toward the doorway; however, he flinched as a swift motion thrashed out of the corner of his peripheral vision.

"We had a deal!" the woman within the containment cell screamed and slammed her fists against the glass. "You can't keep me here, we had a deal!"

Kaos slowly turned to face her. It was out of character for him to speak with any of the imprisoned beasts, but he was amused by the thought that this creature presumed itself worthy of humanity. "The terms of our arrangement changed, Witch. I appreciate the information you provided; however, you lost my favor the moment you thought it wise to run off."

"You'll regret crossing me." She seethed and spoke between gritted teeth. "Your broken word will be your undoing."

He shook his head and moved closer to the glass, aware that there wasn't anything she could actually do to harm him. "You should realize by now; I don't negotiate with monsters. It was foolish of you to believe that I would make an exception for you, Witch."

"Moria." She corrected him with the reminder of her name. However, her dignity was revoked as she spat a wad of phlegm against the glass in an attempt to disrespect him.

Although tempted to call her something unpleasant, Kaos ignored the temptation and left the room without another word. The witch crowed and screamed behind his back, but he paid no attention. She was there to serve his purpose, not the other way around.

The doctor led him back through the maze into the original room that they'd met. Although quiet, the walk allowed Kaos time to think. He was one step closer to enacting his plan, but his patience was wearing thin. If he could wait just a little longer, it would all be worth it in the end.

"We find strength through unity, Doctor." He broke the silence as he faced the doctor. "Only once we have unity will our world be at peace."

The doctor nodded his head, but it was evident that his words had gone in one ear and out the other. "Uh huh... well let me know if you ever find that peace you're talking about. I'm going back to work."

"Dr. Jones." Kaos paused long enough to gain the doctor's attention. "Ensure that you remain focused on the reason that I hired you to begin with."

"It's the only thing on my mind, Lord Kaos." The doctor offered another mock bow before he walked off into the darkness.

He didn't like the dark. Secrets and lies were hidden in the dark. It was unfortunate that he'd given up most of his morals in pursuit of justice; however, now that they had the angel in hand, they could take their first steps toward cleansing the world of its imperfections. They'd finally return the light that was stolen during the New York Invasion of 2012. After all this time, his planning was complete. The storm was coming.

———

𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫'𝐬 𝐍𝐨𝐭𝐞| Thanks so much for reading! This marks the end of the book. Feel free to vote and/or comment on the chapters you enjoyed. All feedback is appreciated and encouraged!