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The ordeal had involved some footwork, but that was one of the things that Titan was good at. He had the patience infinite enough to go back and forth between many doors asking questions and rechecking answers. To repeat ask something softly, like Andy Dufresne, and say it so many times that it was easier to acquiesce for five minutes.



Titan walked now to the place he regularly met Obsidian in the Dark Kingdom- as a lieutenant he'd had to be escorted down to their training in the Rift. He liked to get there early, it gave both time to consider the surroundings, review anything from the last training session, and turned out for the better in case the lack of time in the Rift meant that Obsidian himself surfaced early.

As a Captain, Titan no longer needed the escort. He'd asked Obsidian about the promotion, if he would be there, and the man had refused. It would be their first time seeing each other after. Will it increase or decrease the chance that he would finally agree to come see the place Wolframite and I prepared?

He didn't want Obsidian to feel trapped, either. It would make him more wild, more likely to strike out. But the thought of Wolframite wasn't bad. Titan pulled out his crystal while waiting and spent the energy to contact to the Lieutenant, "Wolframite? Can you meet me in the Dark Kingdom? Quickly, if possible- he may come in five minutes or an hour. For Obsidian. Maybe if you are here, he will agree to go to the apartment."

If Wolframite had still been a General, the situation may have come across more adversarial and threatening. As a lieutenant, Wolfy couldn't be less intimidating. And Obsidian was around Titan enough that surely he couldn't register as much a threat. It would be ...safe...to power down, magnanimous of Obsidian to see the work they'd done for him. Hopefully. It would at least give all the impressions of stroking the General's ego, which Titan was long enough acquainted with to know it had a viable play in Obsidian's decision making process.

It will be a matter of keeping him powered down. Living, eating and sleeping as Drew Collins. One night become two, or five, or twenty. He is too drawn.

He cared little about matters that did not revolve around feeding his own addiction, as of late.

What did it matter? So long as his own needs were met, Obsidian was wholly uninterested in the world revolving around him. That in itself should warn him of his inevitable descent into into madness--but again, what did he care? Content with his actions, the General saw little reason to focus on anything but himself.

He denied Titan's requests countless times now, so detached from the Negaverse that he could not be bothered to even oversee the boy's promotion as he steadily climbed the ranks. What use were ranks? As far as Obsidian was concerned, he had peaked long ago.

He didn't know why he'd chosen to show up, but often, it was best not to question his motives these days. The Dark Kingdom was a sanctuary, and he sensed when two weaker powers chose to enter what he claimed to be his domain. Arrogant? Perhaps. But Obsidian always thrived on arrogance.

The redhead's approach was slow, but self-assured. He was either unaware of his gaunt appearance, or simply indifferent. He felt fine, thriving off the stolen energy of starseeds that kept his body animated despite any real nutrition. His body, after all, was a tool.

Obsidian came to a halt before the captain and lieutenant, his chin tilted upward slightly to better study the pair of them. He smiled then, the expression razor-sharp and merciless even as he focused on Wolframite in particular with glinting eyes. "Well, isn't this a surprise."

Fear was not something Wolframite was feeling.

No.

Instead, the lieutenant watched as Obsidian approached, felt his signature way before he saw him, and then as he came before the both of them, towering above the smaller officer, he simply stared up at him, starry-eyed. General Obsidian had been part of the inner circle of officers that Charonite had by his side, and it was hard not to imagine the man back in the glory days when he, Tanzanite, Nealite, and Linarite had fought the Doom Tree. Not to remember him farther up in the ranks, right up on the first line during meetings to bow before their leader, while he remained far in the back with the rest of the new blood.

He had remembered Obsidian in his height of power, before being a General, in good health and spirit, and appearing to enjoy his life and rank. He had been one of the officers Wolframite had idolized and wanted to be, and now he was here.

It was clear what time and eating starseeds had done, and that muscular built and healthy glow of working out outside of the Rift was gone, crumbled like aged ruins to leave the man before him. It was sad, and Wolflramite did feel pity for him. However, he was still Obsidian, and Wolframite had a hard time getting past that. He was like a fangirl meeting his teen idol in the flesh and said idol was looking right at him.

Wolframite rarely got to even pass Obsidian or have reason to talk to him in the past. Having him look at him now –

Well, he felt both honored and ashamed. He had been a General. He had rose in rank, had power, but now he was back to being a lieutenant. A small ant in power compared to the Generals before and beside him.

And while he felt embarrassed to be helped with a teleportation, it wouldn't admit out loud that it was a bit exciting to hang with Obsidian even for a little bit.

"Hello, General Obsidian." He managed with a tilt of his head in acknowledgement, keeping his tone as even as he could despite feeling a bit fluttery. He hoped he looked presentable and that his hair was okay.

Wolframite seemed ...excited? Maybe? Obsidian's air felt a few touches carnivorous, the usual time Titan would have thought better to practice with other hammers. It was hard to read social cues in the Negaverse. ....or with any crazy person. As both Generals or once-Generals, neither party he was keeping company with at that moment had a reputation or track record of wellness. It should have been something of a clue.

It...would be another way to tire him out. Will I need to protect Wolframite's honor? ...would he want me to? I expect Billy would. I don't know. That is an unexpected ...group of thoughts. As it was he scratched fingers in his goatee, deferring to Wolframite's answer since Obsidian had posed it as a prerequisite before leaving.

Yes, that collar was a sight for sore eyes, and Obsidian shifted his stance unconsciously, almost looking as though he wanted to pace. He clicked his tongue audibly against his teeth. "I'll tell you what," The general said, half hoping he could goad Wolframite into a fit of temper. "You tell me all the little juicy details, and I'll come with you."

After all, he hadn't expected Wolframite to be present in this little excursion. Obsidian didn't so much as glance to Titan though--for now, the captain was beneath his notice.

"What direct orders?" It was a purr. "I find it hard to believe. What, how devoted you are, how eager to please..." How delightful.

The starseed of Princess Leto herself. The general inhaled slowly, the sound very nearly reverent. What a feat. Of course, it surprised him very little that General-King Zinkenite would be the one to intervene. He had always been a soft hearted fool. His chuckle was a rasping sound, low and hoarse.

"Oh," He breathed, his mirthful grin stretching wide at the obvious strain this was placing upon Wolframite. "Just about." He answered the juicy comment, laughing still muddling his words. So Wolframite hadn't been smart enough or strong enough to truly fight back. That didn't surprise him. "You should have simply eaten her starseed and been done with it. I very much doubt you'll get a chance like that again."

A pity.

Mockingly, the general extended his hand to the lieutenant, clearly offering it for him to take. "Well, then. Shall we go?"

There had been remorse – to an extent. Wolframite regretted only that he failed the army that he recruited, and in the one moment he stepped up to try being a leader for once, something he never really practiced as a General, he had failed everyone under him. Those in the Negaverse were punished due to his inability to destroy Leto and those under her command. Then there was Bismuthite, the one person who really only mattered in the end, and he regretted deeply the pain he had put upon him during the entire plot, one he had been pleading to him to stop and which he ignored.

To all other things he should regret and be ashamed over, he was not. He felt justified in what he had done, but now he was left at the other end, questioning his place and feelings about the Negaverse, and left with the question – Did he continue to seek opportunities to destroy the DMC until he died or was successful, as he would never be allowed the second chance Zinkenite had given him if he should try a second time, or did he somehow, through all his anger and pain over what had been done to him and the others during their kidnapping and torture – forgive and forget?

Both were terrifying in their own right, and he didn’t know what to do about either. As it stood, he was too limited. He was Leto's lapdog until he was freed from the collar, and he had no power to do anything as a lieutenant. For now, he had time. Time to think – and time to decide.

When the General spoke, he sputtered, utterly frustrated Obsidian would even say such a thing. "I was about to!" He said, and wanted to say how it had been right up to his mouth before ZInkenite kicked it out of his hand. He had been THIS CLOSE to devouring Leto's existence and that was what really burned him the most at the very core of all of it. He had been THAT close.

He stopped however when he saw Obsidian's hand held out for him to take. Pressing his lips tight, he looked at it, glanced at Titan, and then nodded before slowly placing his slender hand in Obsidian's. As it was, he was a lieutenant, and he still needed an escort out of the Rift. For now, he was in their hands, and wasn't much in command and power of anything. He was there for support – for Titan, and in hopes he could somehow tip the scales to let Obsidian stay. If anything, he was just a tool being used to exhaust the man, which Wolframite didn't mind.

The walk out of the Rift was uneventful as usual, though the creatures behind the walls always seemed more upset with him after his traitorous acts.

Once out, he waited to be teleported out. When on the streets of Destiny City, he powered down. Ladon Shepard was, if anything, not a impressive young man. Surprisingly, he would be seen with two eyes, no eyepatch, though the other eye was fake but a painted match to the real one. He wore a t-shirt with a soft, unzipped hoodie, along with khaki shorts ands sneakers. The collar was also still there, a pesky trinket of Mauvian invention that would never leave him until Zinkenite deemed he had learned his lesson.

The day, at the very least, was nice and cool. He kept his eyes on Obsidian, wondering if he ever cared about the weather or the outside these days. "It's nice out today." He said, just to point out that weather was not something you experienced or enjoyed in the Rift.

He turned to Bjorn. "We should get going." And he went to follow the blonde towards their destination.

Titan likewise powered down- Obsidian's aura was already a draw, but putting a captain and a lieutenant near it would have been far too much. As Björn, he fell into step with Ladon, leading to the small living space they'd jointly prepared. It wasn't ideal that the General was approaching the place AS a general, but hopefully it wouldn't last too long.

What else would tire him to need to power down? It is no good to be in uniform where you sleep. What makes someone sleepy? Food does. Food first then. Especially how little he eats real food. His body will hardly know what to do with it other than lay and digest?

"Ladon, did you want to get the stew set to board*? Then he can look over the rooms after."