"Have some more water so you could fully flush the drugs out of your system."
"I... think it's been flush several liters ago, Katarina."
"Drink it."
"...Roger that."
Rhys had already forgotten how many glasses of water he had gulped down. But alas, the only thing he could really do was gulp down another one as Katarina glared at him like it was the 1800s. And as he felt his stomach almost threatening to burst out on him, he just focused his attention elsewhere to distract himself.
Specifically, the Large Gray Heart floating above Maria's head — a sign that he was able to fill up the initial 5 Hearts floating above her head. But... how exactly? And why was she wearing a latex suit?
Rhys had also noticed a whip earlier — and just from those things alone, several thoughts entered Rhys's mind, but none he wanted to linger there. No, perhaps deliberating what she did to him should only be his second concern — what he did to her, now that is something he must find out.
"You don't need to worry about her," Katarina noticed Rhys staring at Maria, who was now being grilled by both Ayesha and Lina at her counter, "How are you? Are you feeling fine now?"
"I'm... fine, Doc," Rhys could really only let out a sigh as he gently held Katarina's hand before she could start wiping his non-existent sweat from his face again, "Shouldn't you... check on Maria first? What if I hurt her or—"
"Hurt her?" Katarina rolled her eyes as she glanced at Maria, "You need to stay very far away from that woman, Rhys — she has... very different hobbies than most people. She deserves whatever happened to her for drugging you like that, and truth be told? She probably enjoyed whatever you did to her anyway while you were high up on sedatives."
"What... did I do?" Rhys asked as he once again took a glimpse of Maria's room, which was completely ruined by him, "I didn't... do anything crazy, right?"
"If you're asking if you assaulted her or anything..." Katarina let out a short but very deep sigh as she shook her head, "...you probably didn't. She's still completely clothed so you could get that out of your conscience."
"Right..." Rhys closed his eyes and also let out a sigh of relief as she heard Katarina's words, "...But you said she enjoyed whatever I did to her? You're the only other person that has seen the effect of sedatives on me, Doc. Is that... really something someone would enjoy witnessing? Didn't you tell me I grew extremely violent and aggressive? And that I hurt myself?"
"Rhys, she's a sadomasochist," Katarina finally worded out as she looked Rhys in the eyes, "There, I said it."
"Ow, shit. For real?" Ayesha seemed to have been just right on time as she heard Katarina's words while making her way toward them, "Well, hot damn, Recruit. Whatever you did to her, it was probably porn to her. I mean, she's trembling and as cold as balls even now."
"What? What did Rhys do to her?" Lina also joined them, "Did... did anything sexual happen? She was dressed like a dominatrix and—"
"Please, I would prefer you not to talk about me within earshot."
"You, stay away from Rhys!" And as Katarina saw Maria also approaching them, she could not help but just block Rhys from Maria's sight and violently point at her, "Did you seriously think you could just drug someone like that and get away with it!? You're lucky he's not planning on pressing any charges!"
"Well, you could also say he's lucky I'm not reporting him right now." Although there was still an obvious tremble in Maria's legs and voice, she was completely back to her old monotonous tone as she tilted her head to the side to get a look at Rhys,
"Everything he told me while he was pouncing on me like a gorilla in heat, it was...
...beautiful."
"That..." Rhys could not help but feel all the ends of his hair stand up as he saw a smile crawling on Maria's face.
"You..." Rhys returned Maria's gaze, before a small smile just crawled on his face and he gestured to Ayesha to let her go,
"...I suppose you already guessed how I can copy other people's abilities?"
"That depends if you already have my powers," Maria held her neck. She was going to say something else, but before she could do so, Rhys suddenly sunk into the floor.
"!!!"
Both Lina and Katarina could not help but once again gasped as Rhys suddenly disappeared. They were about to blame Maria, but Rhys very slowly emerged from Lina's shadow.
"I... suppose it's about time I tell this," Rhys then let out a sigh as he looked at Katarina and Lina, "Ayesha already knows, and I've been deliberating on whether or not I should tell the two of you."
"...Ayesha knows?" Katarina raised an eyebrow as she looked at Ayesha, "Know what?"
"Wait... I don't care whatever it is you're going to tell us..." Lina blinked a couple of times as she seemed visibly hurt, "...but you told her first?"
"Hierarchy, I guess," Ayesha just shrugged.
"...Excuse me?" Lina scoffed, "I'm the first girlfriend! I took his virginity!"
"Can we stop talking about sex just once!" Katarina raised her voice, "What are you talking about, Rhys? I mean, I sort of already realized that you could copy abilities...
...but what else are you hiding from us? What plan?"
"I didn't want to involve you two since... you were civilians. But..." Rhys closed his eyes and took a long, deep breath,
"...I plan to conquer the world."
"Pft..." Lina snorted as soon as she heard Rhys's words. But when she realized that Rhys was not changing his expression at all, the only thing she could do was wipe the smile off of her face,
"Wait...
...are you being serious right now?"
***
"And there we go..."
Back in the mayor's office, the mayor was talking to himself while reading a large book. But in his hands, it almost just seemed like a normal textbook. And as he closed the book, several screams of agony could be heard whispering in the air; a hint of smoke, fuming from the pages.
"I have paid my debt to you by paving this road...
...Eros."