Unchained Bonds: Testament to Pain

Unchained Bonds Arc

Testament to Pain

"So you finally decided to hobble your ass down here, eh? 'Was beginning to think you forgot about me." Alejandro said in a cynical tone, topped with a smirk. "But you wouldn't do that to me, huh lab rat?"

"Big talk coming from the guy who got both of his arms shattered." Gia shot back.

Slanting her eyes at the man in the jumpsuit, she made her voice sickeningly sweet. "My True Form ignores all injury as you already know. I'd be happy to show you again if you'd like."

"Cute." snarled Alejandro. "The hell are you even doing here? Here to kick my ass like some corrupt cop?"

"Although you deserve it, that's not what I'm here for." Gia said, sitting down in a chair opposite of his bed. Maka followed suit, plopping herself in front of her owner in case she had to protect her.

The feline looks up to meet Alejandro's gaze instantly recognizing him and hissing violently.

"Another one of your friends who doesn't like me." Alejandro deadpanned.

"What's there to like?" Gia replied, earning a deadly glare from the man. "Don't act like you didn't try to massacre like, literally everyone I know including me. Of course they hate you."

"Anyway," Alejandro changed the subject, noticing the spellbook in her lap. "I see you with my book there so I know what's comin'. Get it over with already."

"Oh so you do recognize this book?" Gia replied. "I found it in the pile my father left behind when I went to find your sister. Says in here that you used to lure people in via your wolf form and then killed them."

"Technically it wasn't me, it was my past spirit from 4,000 years ago." Alejandro explained. Suddenly, his eyebrows pinch together. "Doesn't mean I'm proud of it."

"4,000 years ago?! How old are you?" Gia asked in awe. Immediately, Alejandro began to do the math in his head.

"Hmm. I'd guess thats over 5,000 years. Might seem like a lot for you 'cuz you go by these human ages."

"Born here, raised here. End of that discussion." Gia stated. "I might as well send you back if you're gonna be so judgemental of human customs."

"Fine, fine. Guess there are my final moments." Alejandro said standing up, cracking his neck and back.

"Don't be so dramatic, not like you'll be dead on arrival." Gia chastises, flipping the book open to his page.

Alejandro scoffs. "I might as well be. My brother ain't gonna be happy about my failure. Pretty sure he already knows 'cause of Jaegan. He's gonna blow his stack when he sees me."

"Surely you're exaggerating," Gia's eyebrows raise in disbelief, but her tone remains neutral. "You're his only family left."

"Like he gives a fuck. You know what he thinks about family, didn't you see Blakeley's hands? I won't be so lucky." he chuckles ruefully.

Before she can say more, the familiar dark portal opens before Alejandro. He steps toward it and it appears that he's about to enter, but stops one step before it and turns around.

"Hey." he says, instantly gaining her attention. "I'm sorry about what I did to your father...and your friends."

Gia's face contorts into a snarl. "You're joking."

"I ain't...I ain't saying this for sympathy alright?" he spats. "You're the last person I'm ever gonna talk to so I might as well do the whole confess my sins shit."

"Since my sister got her hands...corrupted, I knew I shoulda done something to stop it but I thought that even my little brother would know what he did was wrong," he began. "Turns out he was already corrupted himself. I've never seen him like that, not even my dad would do that to his own kids."

He paused his speech and stood infront of Gia's seat.

"I'm a fuckin' asshole and a coward for doing what I did, alright? I should've gone with my sister. I heard about you up here and I wanted to see what you were made of. I sure as hell didn't expect a half-breed to- I mean a half-demon to overpower me like you did." he confessed.

"I wanted to make-" he continued.

"Your parents proud." Gia finished for him, finally understanding him. "You're reminding me a lot of myself right now. I made a mistake by joining Running Lion and killing all those people, but I don't hold it against my father and you don't hold what you did against your brother."

"Why?" Alejandro demanded, feeling something flutter in his chest. "And what's this weird feeling in my chest?!"

"It's called guilt." she explained, a small smile cracking from her lips. "You were self-depricating. I used to do that too, but I know who I am now. I'll never be full-blooded like you or your brother or even Blakeley, but I don't need any of that. Everything I could ever want...is here on Earth."

Alejandro opened his mouth to say something, but found himself speechless. Lifting her hand, Gia closed the portal.

"Hey." she called to him as she stood up.

He turned to her, his expression revealing nothing about how he's currently feeling.

"How do you feel about the military?"