Chapter 9: Your Flames Or My Bullet

Brad Lockwood—

Damon’s estranged cousin from his mother’s side.

From memories inherited from the former Damon, it was clear that he wasn’t very close with this person; they barely even conversed, engaging in as little conversation as possible whenever their paths crossed.

Usually, their conversations played out in the form of Brad making one request or the other whenever Damon made his appearance in the living room, and Damon casually giving the go-ahead to his Butler to let him have whatever he wanted.

At some point, Damon wasn’t sure when, Brad’s visits to his penthouse had begun to become more frequent. One of the only two guest rooms in the penthouse was being almost constantly occupied by him, with the excuse of needing a place to stay for a while or for college convenience.

Brad was a student from a state tech college not too far from Damon’s home.

Damon didn’t really see any problem with Brad’s actions since he didn’t really care. After all, his specially designed bedroom had everything he needed. Though Brad would overstep his bounds most of the time and could be a little obnoxious, Damon’s attendants were always there to put him in his place.

Damon didn’t really have a clear impression of this person. Though demanding, he didn’t think Brad was a bad person.

Yet he wasn’t in any position to gauge a person’s temperament when he knew almost nothing about human relationships. Damon only had one friend back in his former world and barely interacted with anyone, while the Damon of this world interacted mostly with his attendants.

As Brad entered the room, two other young men Damon didn’t recognize followed behind, both exchanging a quick smile with one another before looking around Damon’s room with obvious fascination in their gaze, and finally setting their sights on the bed where Damon sat with his back to the headrest.

"Wow... fancy," one of them intoned.

The appearance of these two young men, who looked disheveled from whatever had gone down in the living room, as well as Brad’s casual advance into the room, caused Mildred’s expression to darken instantly, a reaction Damon caught on to.

From what he could recall, Brad and Mildred never really got along, and Mildred was usually the voice of reason, standing against some of Brad’s excessive demands of Damon.

She looked like she was about to comment on her displeasure, yet there was a newfound hesitation in her bearing as she instead said to Brad with a calmer tone—

"It’s good that you’ve come, master Brad—"

"Please look after master Damon and keep an eye on his injuries while we go take a look at the lower floors."

Mildred said to Brad as she fastened a large kitchen knife to the strap wrapped around her inner thigh.

Though a lot has changed, Mildred was positive that Brad would do this small favor for their master and his cousin, since even against her advice, Damon had been nothing but generous to this young man.

However, Brad’s next statement took both her and Harvey by surprise, sending them warning signals.

"Why should I?"

Brad remarked as he rested his back against the floor-to-ceiling tempered glass windows, crossing his arms over his chest and looking sideways through the glass at the chaos unfolding below, the faint smile on his face stretching disturbingly.

"What do you mean by that, master Brad?. It’s not a big ask; you only have to—"

"And I ask you—"

"Why should I help this pale waste of a human, in any way?"

"Now that it’s come to this— I want to see the white prince try to look down on me with that condescending look of his."

Brad added spitefully, cutting off Mildred’s words as he took steady steps closer to the large bed, grinning with his two friends closing in on either side.

"Stop right where you are."

Harvey’s stern voice came from beside Damon, his left hand already holding up the pistol aimed at Brad and his friends. Mildred was already brandishing two kitchen knives in both hands, their gazes locked on Brad, the atmosphere tense, as Brad and his friends paused in their tracks, Brad’s smile drawing wider.

Damon’s attendants were tense for good reason. That was because Brad and possibly the two with him had become awakeners.

And since they had seen what Brad was capable of in the living room, Harvey and Mildred were very cautious. The young man clearly harbored negative intent for their master.

Damon knew by now that Brad had no good intentions for coming into his room, and judging by how Harvey and Mildred were about to engage him with lethal force, they must see him as a threat.

Looking at Mildred holding that blade, her stance that was earlier relaxed looked a bit anxious but composed nonetheless.

Harvey had brought out his gun, with only two bullets remaining for emergencies. Their reaction told Damon that he was in danger, not from Zombies but from his cousin he had always been good to.

"You know.... "

"I never really liked you—You master loving fucking bitch." Brad spat venomously at Mildred, then he turned to Harvey, saying—

"What do you think you can do with that toy, Harvey?....."

"The world has changed, and soon, that gun will become as useless as our phones."

"You are strong.... don’t waste your time on a human waste who’s been living a life he never deserved—"

"Join me, Harvey," Brad added with a faint smile on his lips. Though appearing unflustered, he was clearly weary about the gun Harvey was holding. And Harvey’s expression remained almost as blank as Damon’s, his finger drawing closer around the trigger.

"Thank you very much for the offer. But I’ll pass."

Damon sat there, befuddled on the bed. He had never said no to any of the many requests Brad had made of him.

He was confused why someone he’d been so good to would turn around to hate him so much. His every word reeked of long-buried spite and resentment.

"I will give you one last chance, butler—"

"Hand me that gun, and join my side, and as for you, dear cousin—"

Brad sneered as he brought his attention to Damon, who was looking at him as if looking through him; the fear Brad had hoped to see on Damon was nowhere to be found, and his expression almost appeared indifferent.

This caused Brad’s forehead to pop with veins of rage; his anger was palpable, but he quickly restrained himself. They had become strong as awakeners, but they had not yet become strong enough to dismiss the lethality of a gun.

"Don’t worry, I am here to hurt you, cousin...you just have to vacate this room... It’s mine now."

"Surely you can make do with one of the guest rooms.... oh, I almost forgot. Those belong to my pals here. hehehe"

Brad and his cohorts snickered confidently. Now Damon understood why they had come in so aggressively. Brad wanted his room. He was on some type of power trip after becoming an awakened.

"That’s not happening," Mildred remarked from the side, her weapons positioned to fight, her eyes gleaming with the lethal intent of someone whose experienced real battles.

"Hmm... "

"Do you think I was giving you a choice ?"

Brad uttered in a chilling tone, his aura transforming as both his hands spontaneously erupted in dancing red flames.

Instantly, the room was submerged in a fiery heat; Damon’s eyes stretched wide in shock at seeing one of the infamous awakener abilities.

Harvey and Mildred were already expecting this, their expressions steeling as they got ready to engage Brad and his cohorts.

Harvey aimed straight for Brad’s skull, his forehead glinting with specks of sweat from the rising heat as he remarked—

"Lets see which is faster—your flames, master Brad— or my bullet."