Chapter 23 - Black News

One Year Later

Section Eleven

Black Lotus Mansion

"Alright let's do this one more time, and do… not drop me" Liam warned deadly.

Ghost just chuckle deeply

They were both in the training hall, practicing their new move.

In a zap of vibration, Ghost was at the top of the ceiling, the claws pinning against the ceiling.

"Please work," Liam said as his body vibrated, so did Ghost's, instantly he was covered in black shadow.

"Switch!

The moment Liam said that he switch places with Ghost, he was now hanging at the ceiling and Ghost down on the ground.

Liam smiled at his progress.

"Switch".

They swap again, he was on the ground in a vibration, Ghost back at the ceiling.

"Well, at least Ghost didn't drop you this time," Iris said walking into the hall.

Ghost came down in a flash and stood behind Liam.

Liam turned to face Iris.

"Tell me, is she okay?" Liam asked.

"Easy there, at least ask how am doing first" she rolled her eyes.

Ghost snarled at her. Iris shot Ghost a death glare who returned the favor.

"Relax, Riley is fine, she's in college, seem pretty well" she shrugs.

Liam took a sigh of relief.

"Good," Liam said walking past her as Ghost reversed back inside him.

"You care for her don't you," Iris said.

Liam halts his steps as his eyes grew wistful, he didn't say anything as he walked away.

***

"Wait you and Iris share the same Claw? That's unique" Evan said as he played a card.

Evan and Rory were playing a card game in the garden.

"Yeah that's why ghoul twins are hard to come by, it's very rare," Rory said playing a card.

"So do you guys like, do the mind control thing, able to hear each other thoughts?" Evan asked smirking.

"Hell, no dude that will be a pain in the ass, for me to hear her nasty thoughts?" Rory shivered at the idea.

"Really Rory? Nasty thoughts?"

Rory froze as he turns seeing his sister shot him a death glare.

"Oh sis I didn't see you there," Rory said chuckling nervously.

Evan just laughed seeing the two go at it.

***

Liam stared at the skies, he was at the veranda all by himself.

It has been a year now, the whole year he has been training with Ghost, a year after the incident, a year since he last saw Riley, over the past year he kept thinking about her nonstop, he asked Iris to constantly check up on her but for some reason he wasn't pleased with just that news, he wanted to see her.

Funny he hated being around her because of her behavior towards him but now his mind wasn't there but about how she was and how she was doing, he misses Riley.

"Riley," Liam said softly.

'Did I do the right thing by leaving her?' He thought, he wasn't sure of himself anymore.

***

One Month Later

Evan hummed as he walks along the hall while eating a donut, he was asked to relay a message to Jarvis, so he headed for his office, he got to the door and knock but no answer.

"Sir?" he called but no answer so he steps into the wide office, he shrugs seeing that he wasn't around, he was about leaving when his eyes caught the several footages of New York City, he blinked when he saw the news.

He walked towards it and swap the footage out.

He froze.

"Oh no".

Evan ran as fast as he could, he bumps into others, they shout at him but he ignored them.

"LIAM!" he shouted, he ran further looking for Liam, and found him in the training session, Sean was there too checking his vitals.

"Liam" he hissed walking in. They faced him.

"What is it, Evan?" Sean asked.

Evan's eyes landed on Liam who had a puzzled look.

"Riley has been sentenced to Steel".

"Riley has been captured and you never told me any damn thing" Liam hiss furious.

"Well it is, it damn right is" Liam hiss at her.

"Calm down Liam, we had our reasons," Jarvis said.

"What fucking reason could you possibly have," Liam said pissed.

"Because you will raid Steel without a second thought, no ghoul has ever penetrated that prison," Jarvis said.

"Well you underestimated me, Jarvis," Liam said turning to leave.

Jarvis sighed knowing this would happen.

"Stop Liam, you will jeopardize all our operations" Iris hissed.

Liam halts facing her.

"I don't give a damn about the operation, all I want is Riley".

He left.

Liam walked out of the office, Sean and Evan waiting outside.

"Evan I need you to hack Steel prison security system now," Liam said sternly.

"Anything, for Riley," Evan said.

Liam hated himself for this, this was all his fault, Riley was captured, and he couldn't imagine what she was passing through right now. 'I shouldn't have left her all alone. Liam thought his teeth clenching. Am coming for you Riley, no matter what.

***

Before the break-in

Section Thirteen

A mini chopper looking like a jet approached Steel in a distance.

Inside Sean was the one piloting.

At a space, Evan's hands went through the keyboard in speed.

"Their surveillance system is damn hard encrypted" Evan cursed as his hands moved on the wall computer.

"Well you better hack it fast, we are almost at Steel," Liam said putting on his black leather jacket, putting on the hood.

"Even if I tap into the security system it won't be long before they find out," Evan said.

"Just do it" Liam hissed losing his patience.

"Okay," Evan said haste, rushing the process.

"We are here. Setting on invisibility mode" Sean said through the speaker as the whole chopper went invisible.

"Got it," Evan said as both present and past footage appeared on the screen. He hacked into another system for Riley's information.

"Oh my God!" Evan said in shock.

"What?!" Liam demanded standing up.

Evan swallowed as he turned the wall screen to face him.

Liam's body went stiff when he saw the footage. It was footage of Riley behind tortured in the past month.

"Liam" Evan said worried he might lose it.

Liam's eyes changed instantly beaming dangerously.

"It's all my fault," he said darkly as he walked to the edge.

"Liam!" Evan called but it was futile.

The center of the chopper opened.

Steel came in view below. Liam covered his mouth and nose. With one jump he was down as his body vibrated.

***

Camera Control Room

"Ha come on Sam, no eating on duty do you want the sergeant shouting at you," a soldier said to the fat man.

"Man, am on night patrol allow me to have my fill," Sam said with a shrug.

His colleague just rolled his eyes as the soldier murmur something and walked out of the room.

"What James?" Sam said to his colleague.

"Such a glutton," James said facing the wall computers that showed every footage in Steel from the inside to the outside.

He yawned as he swaps different footage, he swaps and swaps until he caught something, he blinked as he went back to the other ones.

"That's weird," he said puzzled.

Sam slides his chair towards him.

"What?" Sam asked.

"I thought I saw something there" James pointed, Sam followed his trail, he was pointing at the skies.

"What could be there dude, maybe it was a bird or something, there are searchlights everywhere am sure our surveillance would have caught something," Sam said certain.

"Yeah you're right," James said.

Suddenly all their camera went offline as something came up like it was downloading, it went red.

"Shit! That's impossible we have been hacked" James said going through the computers in speed.

"We have a code red, I repeat we have a code red," Sam said to his comm.

***

Liam lands on the ground like it was nothing, this gained the attention of the guards present.

"What the hell" one said, they pointed their guns at him. Liam flashed his ghoul eyes at them.

"It's a fucking ghoul!".

"FIRE" a guard shouted as they opened fire.

Screams, gunshots, explosions were everywhere. Liam brought death to everything he touched.

***

Blood flowed like water everywhere, a splash of it on the walls. Every soldier coming after him, dropping dead like there was a plague.

Liam got to Riley's cell, at the lobby, guards coming at him, their shouts could be heard, as blood splash everywhere.

"Evan the door," Liam said to his comm.

"Roger that," Evan said with a shaky voice.

The door slide open.

Heart Beats Loudly

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Inside

Riley's heart slammed in her chest with anticipation. She heard her door unlocked and then it slides open.

She gasped.

It was like in slow motion as the door open and the light came in, her eyes slowly widen as she met with glowing ghoul eyes that had black veins at the side, she could see only his eyes, his nose, and mouth covered with a light black material, he was on a hood, all black, his hair dropped slightly on his forehead, a bit of bloodstain on his face that was intriguing to her.

Riley couldn't believe this, it was like she was in a dream, he was here, he was here, right here standing at the door like he was saving her from death. It was like time stopped around them as they stared at each other eyes lost.

"Liam," Riley said with so much longing and hope as the tears fell on their own accord.

She forces her body up not minding the pain she was in, she limped towards him as the tears fell.

Liam slowly unveiled the cloth covering his face as she came towards him, she came to him standing right in front of him, her body trembling.

"Riley," he said.

To hear his voice was more than enough for her, the way he called her name made her knew he was lost this past year without her.

Riley's body gave out but he held her still with a hand around her waist and then he did the unthinkable, he kissed her passionately that left her breathless.

Riley's eyes widen at the sudden action, it was all much for her to handle as his lips roamed hers never-ending in a sensual way that left her shivering, she closed her eyes kissing him back with the strength she could muster.

Liam's hand cupped her cheeks as he deepened the kiss not wanting to let go, he didn't know what came over him, all the feeling building up for not seeing her and now he was crossing a line with her, a line he didn't know he could cross, but her kissing him back made him knew she responded.

Riley's body shook in extreme pain as her body weakened instantly breaking the kiss, Liam held her in his arms steady, her hands tighten on his jacket.

"Riley," Liam said worriedly.

"Liam you have to get the hell outta there, Steel is swamping with agents and worst the ghoul killer is here"

His comm sounded.

Liam's eyes landed on the Steel collar around her neck, just seeing it made his ghoul's eyes beam dangerously, the rage building inside him once more.

"Liam," Riley said weakly.

That moment a group of agents came behind him and pointed their gun at him.

"Don't move!" one hissed.

Liam covered his face as he slowly rose to his feet carrying Riley in his arms, his back facing them.

Riley froze when his body vibrated in a fading black shadow. 'What's happening?' She thought.

"Switch," Liam said, she gasped as she closed her eyes, it was like their body left gravity as everything went blank.