Chapter 656 The Third Side Of The Coin

"Yes, my Queen." Bodyguard 1 bowed before moving over to the set of levers and buttons and clicking the buttons. When all was ready, the bodyguard pulled the lever and stepped back from the device, hands behind their back. The machine lifted Lee Seng into the air. He could feel the sleepiness creeping in.

"No…" Lee Seng weakly croaked. "Not now…!" He tugged against the restraints, trying to find the strength that he had for the last three years. His body had gotten so used to such a thing, he felt utterly useless when the restraints held him in place.

The ceiling opened, revealing a large metallic rod with a ball point at the end. It roared to life as it pointed down at Lee Seng. Green lights began to quickly flicker down the rod's body towards the ball point tip. The machine grew louder and louder as energy sparked.

"With this, we won't have much restraint with Eleven." Queen told the others. "He'll convert easily, giving us a weapon to use!" She cackled as Lee Seng shook his head.

"No…! No…! Please!" Lee Seng weakly shouted. He tugged on his restraints harder. His heart raced as his legs and arms slid around. Lee Seng didn't want to be here. He wanted to get out of wherever he was and go back to enjoying his life however crappy it was. "Please!"

His eyes closed as he braced for the beam of energy to hit him but felt nothing. Utter silence.  It came like a strange ripple in water. It was weak, but the ripples grew into waves, crashing against Lee Seng's entire being. Lee Seng slowly opened his eyes, noticing the familiar world around him.

'Did I… Pull myself here?' Lee Seng wondered. He was lying on the floor. He pulled himself up, free of the sluggish feeling the injections had given him. He sat in the familiar house he had met XI. It was empty and more deserted than before. Walls and flooring ripped up, matching how scarce the living room was. The shades were weathered but no light seeped into the living room.

Something shifted behind Lee Seng, pulling his attention to it. A black mass moving around the corner, away from him. It was like something was pulling him somewhere. Somewhere deep and deserted.

"Hello?" Lee Seng called out. Every instinct in his body was telling him to just run out of the front door. He turned to look at his only escape, noticing the floor was rotting away. "It's gonna be a pain in the ass to get out…. The only way is towards the backdoor where that thing went."

Lee Seng rounded the corner, listening to cupboards and drawers opening and closing behind him. The black mass rounded the corner towards the basement. He cursed under his breath as he looked behind him. The cupboards and drawers ripped out of their places, piling up against the kitchen entrance. Lee Seng jumped moving a couple steps forward as he turned his entire body to look at the blocked kitchen.

'Why am I even doing this?' He asked himself. Lee Seng gulped and conjured whatever strength he had in him to go downstairs. Each step creaked under his weight as he descended. It was just like he remembered it. The work light off to his right, in the corner, was on. Lee Seng made it halfway when the light began to flicker. The black mass stood at the end of the stairs, looking up at him.

Lee Seng froze in place.

'Is it looking at me?' Lee Seng wondered. The black mass moved to the right towards the flickering light. As soon as it touched the light, the lights shattered, spooking Lee Seng. He yelped as he jumped. The stair cracked and shattered underneath his weight.

"Ahh!" Lee Seng flew through the wooden staircase, wood crumbling all around him. He coughed as he pushed the wood and dust off him. The door above slammed shut, encasing in total darkness. "Darkness? Did I lose my darkvision?" He looked around, eyes slowly adjusting. A hot breath came to his left. He could feel it touch his skin. Lee Seng immediately swung, hitting nothing. Another hot breath came to his right ear. He swung in retaliation, backing up into a beam. His heavy breaths grew as he looked to the sides. Lee Seng tried his best to keep his focus in front of him, but the breathing was growing louder.

"Ha. Ha. Ha. Ha." A hot breath blew onto his face. Lee Seng immediately jumped forward, arms wrapping around something and tackling it.

"What the fuck are you?!? What the hell are you?!?" Lee Seng swung and punched the thing in front of him. It felt like he was hitting arms. Legs squirmed underneath him as he continuously punched. Lee Seng punched until the arms fell. He still couldn't see the thing in front of him. Lee Seng's teeth chattered as a creeping thought entered his mind.

'Lean forward.'

Lee Seng gulped as he slowly leaned forward. He didn't know why he was doing it! Why should he listen to the tiny voice of curiosity in his head? He slowly pressed himself against the warm body of whatever was on the ground. As he grew closer, the darkness pulled away revealing Lee Seng.

"H-huh?" Lee Seng's voice cracked. The head moved, eyes opening and looking at him. Purple eyes glowed as a creepy smile grew on his face.

"So, you've come!" Eleven shouted. Lee Seng jumped off of himself and bumped his head on the beam. He raised his hand to grab his head as he tried to get out of the crumbled staircase. He pushed himself through the beams and backed away from Eleven. Eleven chuckled as he stood up, rubbing his arms.

"Y'know that hurt." Eleven told him. He squeezed in between the beams, body cracking. "I was wondering when you would get here."

​ "A-are you that Spawn?!?" Lee Seng asked. Eleven tilted his head and snickered at that.

"What if I am?" Eleven appeared right in front of Lee Seng's face. Lee Seng pushed Eleven back as Eleven laughed. "You know who I am now. You've seen me in my entire entirety. I am you and you are me. What's there to fear?"

"S-stay away!" Lee Seng threw his hand up hoping to fire a blast of gravity at Eleven. When nothing happened, Eleven shook his head.

"We're both cut off from it." Eleven told him. He threw his hands up. "I don't want to hurt you, Lee Seng. And it seems we both have a more… Pressing matter to handle."

"What? The fact you're still in my body?!? You need to get out and let me find Keng!" Lee Seng shouted.

"Find the Fox? Ha, like the Fox can help you with what's about to happen." Eleven shook his head.

"What do you mean?" Lee Seng narrowed his eyes onto Eleven. Eleven lowered his hands and as if on cue, the broken light turned on. Lee Seng looked over, gulping.

"H-how…?"

"This world is yours. Whatever you wish it to be, it'll do exactly what you tell it to." Eleven told him. He stayed in his spot. His usual action was to be hostile towards Lee Seng but wasn't.

"W-what do you want?" Lee Seng asked.

"You and I don't have much time before that Frankenstein rod shoots us and eradicates our existence." Eleven told Lee Seng.

"Huh?"

"That self-proclaimed queen or whatever is trying to silence me. Silence us. If she does that, you and I will just be a husk of our former selves. Obedient to that flower woman and a pawn in a game I wish to not play." Eleven told him. "So! We need to team up. If you and I merge, we'll have enough strength to break out of our bonds and run. When we get out of that godforsaken place, I'll remove myself from you and the game is back on. Me vs you for control of that body. Whaddya say?"

Eleven stuck out his hand. He waited for Lee Seng to decide. Lee Seng looked around the basement. It somehow felt creepier now that Eleven was down here with him.

"Why should I agree to that? You'll just possess me all the way and get what you want." Lee Seng scoffed. Eleven sarcastically let out a chuckle and lowered his hand.

"Y'know what's fun?" Eleven asked, turning on his heel. He began to walk around the basement as he continued to talk. "Uncovering your many, many, many secrets. This house, the house you lived in with your parents, and even the lab you keep in this place. They're all connected." Eleven turned to look at Lee Seng. "And even that demonic mutt that's trying to break its way out from deep within." Lee Seng looked at Eleven.

'How…' Lee Seng began to think as Eleven interrupted.

"How do I know?" Eleven finished Lee Seng's thought. "I've seen it. It tries to eat whatever it can get its jaws on but I'm afraid the things beneath still hold it bound."

"The things beneath? What do you mean?" Lee Seng asked. Eleven chuckled, turning to face Lee Seng.

"You think I would be the sole manifestation of the Protocol? Don't you remember what it looks like? What it is? That's where the mutt is. Locked away below the surface where you can't venture to… Not unless you wish to take the Protocol for yourself."