Chapter 703 Brother To Me (3)
Ashton had been resting in the hospital room after the harrowing incident in the laboratory. His eyes were open now, and his condition had improved significantly since Astaroth's intervention. The guardian had sensed something was off with Ashton and rushed to his side and only allowed visitors once they were confident about Ashton's health. Ava and Anna, his mother and beloved, were by his side, offering comfort and relief. The room was filled with familial warmth, a sanctuary from the chaos that had unfolded moments ago.
"You scared me to death for once, son," Ava smiled, patting Ashton's cheek as he smiled. "Ma, I'm not dying so soon, so stop worrying about me," Ashton said with a smile. "She's your mother, of course, she'll be worried about you no matter how strong you are," Anna retorted, gently slapping his arm. "So you're telling me you weren't?"
As they conversed and shared their relief that Ashton had more or less recovered, a faint but distinct knock resounded at the door. The sudden sound made Ava and Anna startle, their eyes widening with surprise when they saw who it was.
The door creaked open slowly, and there, making his entrance, was Astaroth. Seeing him took Ava and Anna aback; they hadn't gotten a good look at Astaroth before, their attention solely focused on Ashton's condition. Now, standing before them was an exact copy of Ashton himself.
"Oh god, I was shocked for a moment," Ava couldn't help but voice her astonishment, her words tinged with amazement. "It's going to take some getting used to, having two Ashtons around the city."
"Well, it's not a bad thing, is it?" Astaroth flashed a mischievous smile as he replied. "Double the trouble, double the fun."
"No more trouble!" Ava immediately replied. "The city is already in ruins as it is."
"I'll try my best," Astaroth chuckled. "I'm not sure if your son will or not!"
"Oi, fucker, did you come here to talk shit about me?" Ashton said, his words prompted a light slap on his cheek. He had wholly forgotten that others could hear their conversation now that he and Astaroth weren't sharing his mind.
"Ashton, language!" Ava sternly warned him.
"Sorry, ma... my tongue slipped a bit." Ashton apologised before turning towards Anna. "Could you two leave for a moment? I would like to discuss something with Astaroth in private."
"Um... sure."
As Ava and Anna prepared to leave the room to grant Ashton and Astaroth some privacy, Anna paused by Ashton's bedside. She leaned in to give him a tender kiss on the cheek, her eyes brimming with affection. "We'll be right outside, Ashton. If you need anything, just let us know."
"Thank you, Astaroth, for what you did for my son. I am very grateful." Ava echoed Anna's sentiment and offered her own words of gratitude. Astaroth's smile was warm and reassuring. "I was just returning the favour. You can count on me to keep him safe."
Once Ava and Anna had exited the room, closing the door behind them, Ashton and Astaroth were left alone, allowing for a more confidential conversation between the two.
"I guess I have the perfect alibi now," Ashton quipped. "'It wasn't me; it was my evil twin. He's the killer!' or something like that."
"Just think of the mischief we could get into with this double act," Astaroth chuckled, his golden eyes shimmering with amusement. "Well, if not for our different skin colours."
The jovial atmosphere was soon replaced by a more serious tone as Ashton broached a crucial subject. "Astaroth, I need to know something. Who tried to kill me during the soul-splitting process?" he asked. "I hope you know that I can't ignore an attempt on my life, even if it was from one of your kind."
"You remember out about the attack?"
Astaroth was momentarily surprised that Ashton even recalled the attack as he was supposed to be unconscious during the procedure, but he offered a comforting pat on Ashton's shoulder. "What do you mean? I was awake through the entire process... except the bit at the start," Ashton mumbled. "Whatever they did to me didn't hurt, but it made my body go berserk. So I hope you know I can't just let go of them."
"You don't need to worry about that, Ashton. I've already taken care of the problem." Astaroth replied.
"Taken care of it?" Ashton smirked. "You son of a bitch, you told me not to kill anymore Xyrans and went ahead and did it yourself?"
"Well, they already see me as a traitor, so what worse can they do about it?" Astaroth smiled back. "besides, you're like a brother to me; an attempt on your life is like an attempt on mine."
Ashton smiled upon hearing those words and nodded, knowing their connection was still the same as before. Even if they weren't sharing his body anymore. "I just want you to know that I appreciate it," Ashton replied before getting serious. "Also, I want your opinion on something... what do you think about forming an alliance with the Xyrans?"
Astaroth's expression grew contemplative, his golden eyes taking on a distant quality as he considered the proposition. While it was true that the Xyrans held knowledge that could be invaluable in dealing with Precursors, he had reservations about their ultimate loyalty.
Being a Xyran himself, Astaroth knew his kind would turn on Ashton as soon as they were done dealing with the more significant threat, and he expressed his doubts to him. "Ashton, it's not just about what they can offer. It's also about trust," Astaroth replied. "I'm worried that once the Xyrans achieve their goal of defeating Kro'Han, they may see you as a threat and turn on you as well."
"Well, you're right about that," Ashton nodded, acknowledging Astaroth's concerns. "I know the Xyrans are a complex race, and their motivations might not align with ours. But we do need their help to fight Kro'Han. If they don't help, then it would have to be the two of us against him."
"Well... that is true, but I'm not keen on getting my ass handed to Kro'Han just yet," Astaroth sighed. "So, what do you say? Is it time for us to pay a visit to my homeworld?" "I think it is. Let's see what the Xyrans have to offer and if an alliance is possible," Ashton's crimson eyes sparkled with determination as he nodded. He continued, "If it is, we'll call it a day, and if it isn't... then it'd be better to get rid of them before they intervene in matters where they don't belong."
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